robocall \ROH-boh-kawl\ (noun) - a telephone call placed to large numbers of people by a computerized device that automatically dials the telephone numbers and plays a recorded message: Many but not all robocalls are illegal.

"During campaign season, Chaz would rarely answer the telephone, as the majority of them were robocalls from politicians...Read more

parkour \pahr-KOOR\ (noun) - The sport of moving along a route, typically in a city, trying to get around or through various obstacles in the quickest and most efficient manner possible, as by jumping, climbing, or running: his amazing parkour skills.

"Chaz and Linda saw parkour in the James Bond film 'Casino Royale,' but didn't know that this ...Read more

tweet \tweet\ (noun) - 1 : a weak chirping sound, as of a young or small bird. 2 : Digital Technology. a very short message posted on the Twitter Web site: the message may include text, keywords, mentions of specific users, links to Web sites, and links to images or videos on a Web site.

(verb - used without object) - 3 : to make a weak ...Read more

bromance \BROH-mans\ (noun) - A close relationship or friendship between two men that does not involve sex.

"People teased Jason and Frank about their bromance but, really, they were jealous of their 20-plus-year friendship, dating back to grammar school."

2000-05; bro + (ro)mance

abulia \uh-BOO-lee-uh; uh-BYOO-\ (noun) - Loss or impairment of the ability to act or to make decisions.

"The frequency and intensity of Franklin's attacks of abulia corresponded directly with the significance and import of the decision he was preparing to make."

Abulia derives from Greek a-, "without" + boule, "will." The adjective form is ...Read more

taciturn \TAS-uh-turn\ (adjective) - Habitually silent; not inclined to talk.

"A normally taciturn sort, Mike was surprisingly voluble that evening when the topic of public health care was brought up."

Taciturn comes from Latin taciturnus, from tacere, "to be silent."

Byzantine \BIZ-en-teen, -tin, bi-ZAN-tin\ (adjective) - 1 : Of or relating to the ancient city of Byzantium. Of or relating to the Byzantine Empire. 2 : Of or belonging to the style of architecture developed from the fifth century A.D. in the Byzantine Empire, characterized by a central dome resting on a cube formed by four round arches and ...Read more

phillumenist \fuh-LOO-muh-nist\ (noun) - One who collects matchbooks or matchboxes.

"An avid phillumenist, Todd felt his collection posed no actual danger of fire as he had removed the matches from each and every one of his acquired collectibles."

Phil (o)- + Latin lumen, light.

charrette \shuh-RET\ (noun) - 1 : A final intense effort to complete a design project. 2 : A preliminary meeting involving stakeholders (citizens, planners, designers, etc.) to brainstorm or to elicit input on a project.

"In spite of an all night charrette during which much coffee and donuts were consumed, the project was not only no closer to ...Read more

phillumenist \fuh-LOO-muh-nist\ (noun) - One who collects matchbooks or matchboxes.

"An avid phillumenist, Todd felt his collection posed no actual danger of fire as he had removed the matches from each and every one of his acquired collectibles."

Phil (o)- + Latin lumen, light.

quean \kween\ (noun) - A bold, impudent, or ill-behaved woman, even a hussy or a strumpet.

"Jean is a keen dean at school but a mean quean on the neighborhood scene."

Today's word originated as Old English cwene [kwene] when "queen" was "cwen" [kweyn]. Both are akin to Dutch kween "barren cow" and Swedish kvinna "woman." All these words ...Read more

catercorner \KAE-deh(r)-kor-nehr or teh(r)\ (adverb) - Located diagonally across from something else.

"Jason is the sort whose thinking runs absolutely catercorner to everyone else's."

Archaic cater "four" + corner. "Cater" is from Old French catre (today quatre) "four," the historical reflex of Latin "quattuor." The Proto-Indo-European ...Read more

yegg \yeg\ (noun) - A thug or burglar, especially a safecracker.

"The party was filled with such a collection of yeggs, delinquents, deuces, hustlers, gangsters, heavies, and hoods that Dennis would check, after he had shaken hands with someone, to ensure that all his fingers were still present."

Of unknown origin.

Griselda \gri-ZEL-duh\ (noun) - 1 : A woman of exemplary meekness and patience. 2 : A female given name: from a Germanic word meaning 'gray battle.'

"While most in the office described Lois as 'mousy," Hank considered her more of a Griselda given her ablility to work through a long, tiresome, complicated project while never complaining of the ...Read more

temerarious \tem-uh-RAIR-ee-uhs\ (adjective) - Recklessly or presumptuously daring; rash.

"I have confessed myself a temerarious theologian, and in that passage from boyhood to manhood I ranged widely in my search for some permanently satisfying Truth." -- H. G. Wells, The New Machiavelli

Temerarious comes from Latin temerarius, "rash," from ...Read more

allege \eh-LEJ\ (verb) - To assert as true; to assert without providing proof.

"The suspected perpetrator of what police allege to be a crime has been suspended from the force pending further investigation."

Middle English "alleggen" from Old French alegier "to vindicate, justify." The history of today's word is interesting because the form ...Read more

diaphanous \di-AE-feh-nehs\ (adjective) - Thin and fragile, translucent, filmy or flimsy.

"Jacob's lie was so diaphanous that even his dog could see through it"

From Greek dia- "through" + phainein "to show". The latter underlies "photo-" and "fantasy", borrowed from Greek and itself is derived from Indo-Eropean bhaa- from which French "...Read more

verbiage \VUR-bee-ij\ (noun) - 1 : An overabundance of words; wordiness. 2 : Manner or style of expression; diction.

"I'm aware that I may be boring you, I'm cognizant of the fact that I have a tendency to excessive verbiage..." -- David Bosworth, 'The Death of Descartes'

Verbiage comes from French, ultimately from Latin verbum, "word."

pervious \PER-vi-ehs\ (adjective) - 1 : Permeable, penetrable, allowing passage through itself; 2 : susceptible to reason, approachable, can be reasoned with.

"Pamela is a pervious supervisor; approach her calmly and rationally and she'll listen to you."

From Latin "pervius" based on per- "through" + via "way; road." "Via," now used as a...Read more

Many errors in English are perpetrated and perpetuated by people misusing words beginning with "per," "pre" and "pro." See whether you can choose the correct word in each sentence:

No. 1: Taking English 101 is a (prerequisite, perquisite) for admission to "Eulogistics of the Diochromatical Metaphysics of Shakespearian Semiotics."

No. 2: One ...Read more