juxtaposition \juhk-stuh-puh-ZISH-uhn\ (noun) - The act or an instance of placing in nearness or side by side.

"One of the things that made the diary so poignant . . . is the awful juxtaposition of the ordinary and the ...Read More

ephemeron \ih-FEM-uh-ron\ (noun) plural ephemera \ih-FEM-uh-ruh\ - 1 : Something short-lived or of no lasting significance. 2 : ephemera: Items, especially printed matter (as posters, broadsides, pamphlets, etc.), intended...Read More

clemency \KLEM-uhn-see\ (noun) - 1 : Disposition to forgive and spare, as offenders; mercy. 2 : An act or instance of mercy or leniency. 3 : Mildness, especially of weather.

"He put in a strong plea for clemency, begging ...Read More

aficionado \uh-fish-ee-uh-NAH-doh\ (noun) - An enthusiastic admirer; a fan.

"An aficionado of Chinese food, Diffie was also known for carrying around a pair of elegant chopsticks, much the way a serious billiard player ...Read More

explicate \EK-spluh-kayt\ (transitive verb) - To explain; to clear of difficulties or obscurity.

"I can cite a case -- my own -- of a young person's being altered politically by a novel, but I cannot explicate the ...Read More

sough \SAU; SUHF\ (verb) - To make a soft, low sighing or rustling sound, as the wind.

(noun) - A soft, low rustling or sighing sound.

"This voice she hears in the fields, in the sough of the wind among the trees, when ...Read More