Word - 52

IDEE FIXE \ee-day-FEEKS\ noun

: an idea that dominates one's mind especially for a prolonged period : obsession

Example sentence:
The fear that he was going to be fired became such an idee fixe for Toby that he could think of nothing else.

Did you know?

According to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the term "idee fixe" was coined by French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830, who used it to describe the principal theme of his Symphonie fantastique. That reference goes on to say that, at about the same time French, novelist Honore de Balzac used "idee fixe" in Gobseck to describe an obsessive idea. By 1836, Balzac's more generalized use of the term had carried over into English, where "idee fixe" was embraced as a clinical and literary term for a persistent preoccupation or delusional idea that dominates a person's mind. Nowadays "idee fixe" is also applied to milder and more pedestrian obsessions.

Word - 51

TREPIDATION \trep-uh-DAY-shun\ noun

: timorous uncertain agitation
: apprehension

Example sentence:
As she boarded the plane for her first flight, Corrine felt a mixture of trepidation and excitement.

Did you know?

If you've ever trembled with fright, you know something of both the sensation and etymology of "trepidation." The word "trepidation" comes from the Latin verb "trepidare," which means "to tremble." When "trepidation" first appeared in English in the early 1600s, it meant "tremulous motion" or "tremor." Around the same time, English speakers also started using the "nervous agitation" sense of "trepidation" that we use today.

Word - 50

RAPPORTEUR \ra-por-TER\ noun

: a person who gives reports (as at a meeting of a learned society)

Example sentence:
The rapporteur compiled the available evidence into a report and presented it to the full committee.

Did you know?

"Rapporteur" was adopted into English in the early 16th century and is a descendant of the Middle French verb "rapporter," meaning "to bring back, report, or refer." Other descendants of "rapporter" in English include "rapportage" (a rare synonym of "reportage," in the sense of "writing intended to give an account of observed or documented events") and "rapport" ("harmonious relationship"). The words "report," "reporter," "reportage," etc., are also distant relatives of "rapporteur"; all can ultimately be traced back to the Latin prefix "re-," meaning "back, again, against," and the Latin word "portare," meaning "to carry."

Word - 49

BELEAGUER \bih-LEE-gur\ verb

1 : besiege
*2 : trouble, harass

Example sentence:
The new programming chief was hired to revamp the schedule for the network, which was consistently beleaguered by low ratings.

Did you know?

English speakers created "beleaguer" from the Dutch word "belegeren" in the 16th century. "[Military men] will not vouchsafe ... to use our ancient terms belonging to matters of war, but do call a camp by the Dutch name," commented the English soldier and diplomat Sir John Smyth in 1590. The word for "camp" that he was referring to is "leaguer." That term in turn comes from Dutch "leger," which is one of the building blocks of "belegeren" (literally, "to camp around"). But neither "leaguer" nor "beleaguer" were in fact utterly foreign. Old English "leger," the source of our modern "lair," is related to the Dutch word. And the Old English "be-" ("about, around"), as seen in "besiege" and "beset," is related to the Dutch prefix "be-" in "belegeren."

Word - 48

METRONOME \MET-ruh-nohm\ noun

: an instrument designed to mark exact time by a regularly repeated tick

Example sentence:
After practicing the drums with a metronome, Lars had a better feel for tempo and kept time better.

Did you know?

The patent for the metronome was entered in 1816: "John Malzl [sic], of Poland-street, Middlesex, Machinist; for an instrument ... which he denominates a Metronome, or musical time-keeper." The courts, however, later proved that the aforementioned Johann Maelzel copied a pendulum design of Dietrich Winkel, making Winkel the actual inventor. Nonetheless, Maelzel was the more successful marketer of the metronome and even has a notation named after him. The "M.M." in notations like "M.M. = 60" stands for "Maelzel's metronome" and indicates a tempo of 60 beats per minute or a beat per tick of the metronome as it ticks 60 times, in the case of our example. The name of the invention itself is based on the Greek words "metron," meaning "measure," and "nomos," meaning "law."

Word - 47

SPAVINED \SPAV-ind\ adjective

1 : affected with spavin
*2 : old and decrepit : over-the-hill

Example sentence:
There is no point in expecting the spavined Arts Council to do more than sponsor the same stale events and shopworn fund-raisers.

Did you know?

"His horse [is] ... troubled with the lampas, infected with the fashions, full of windgalls, sped with spavins... ." Petruchio's poor, decrepit horse in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is beset by just about every known equine malady, including a kind of swelling in the mouth (lampas), skin lesions (fashions), tumors on his fetlocks (windgalls), and bony enlargements on his hocks (spavins). The spavins alone can be enough to render a horse lame and useless. In the 17th century, "spavined" horses brought to mind other things that are obsolete, out-of-date, or long past their prime, and we began using the adjective figuratively. "Spavined" still serves a purpose, despite its age. It originated in Middle English as "spaveyned" and can be traced to the Middle French word for "spavin," which was "espavain."

Word - 46

FARCE \FAHRSS\ noun

1 : a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot

2 : the broad humor characteristic of farce or pretense

3 a : ridiculous or empty show

*b : mockery

Example sentence:

"No wonder we’re late -- the management of traffic in this city is a farce!" Lyle complained.

Did you know?

When "farce" first appeared in English, it had to do with cookery, not comedy. In the 14th century, English adopted "farce" from Middle French, retaining its original meaning of "forcemeat" or "stuffing." The comedic sense of "farce" in English dates from the 16th century, when England imported a kind of knockabout comedy already popular in France. This dramatic genre had its origins in the 13th-century practice of augmenting, or "stuffing," Latin church texts with explanatory phrases. By the 15th century, a similar practice had arisen of inserting unscripted buffoonery into religious plays. Such farces -- which included clowning, acrobatics, reversal of social roles, and indecency -- soon developed into a distinct dramatic genre and spread rapidly in various forms throughout Europe.

Word - 45

INNOCUOUS \ih-NAH-kyuh-wus\ adjective

1 : producing no injury : harmless
*2 : not likely to give offense or to arouse strong feelings or hostility : inoffensive, insipid

Example sentence:
Bella was surprised when her seemingly innocuous remark enraged her classmates.

Did you know?

"Innocuous" has harmful roots -- it comes to us from the Latin adjective "innocuus," which was formed by combining the negative prefix "in-" with a form of the verb "nocere," meaning "to harm" or "to hurt." In addition, "nocere" is related to the truly "harmful" words "noxious," "nocent," and even "nocuous." "Innocent" is from "nocere" as well, although like "innocuous" it has the "in-" prefix negating the hurtful possibilities. "Innocuous" first appeared in print in 1598 with the clearly Latin-derived meaning "harmless or causing no injury" (as in "an innocuous gas"). The second sense is a metaphorical extension of the idea of injury, used to indicate that someone or something does not cause hurt feelings, or even strong feelings ("an innocuous book" or "innocuous issues," for example).

Word - 44

REDOUBT \rih-DOUT\ noun

1 a : a small usually temporary enclosed defensive work
b : a defended position : protective barrier
*2 : a secure retreat : stronghold

Example sentence:
From his redoubt on the ninth floor, the fugitive could see the line of police cars that had surrounded the building.

Did you know?

Based on its spelling, you might think that "redoubt" shares its origin with words such as "doubt" and "redoubtable," both of which derive from a Latin verb, "dubitare." But that's not the case. "Redoubt" actually derives via French and Italian from a different Latin verb -- "reducere," meaning "to lead back," the same root that gives us "reduce." How that "b" ended up in "redoubt" is a lingering question, but some etymologists have posited that the word might have been conflated with another "redoubt" -- a now-archaic transitive verb meaning "to regard with awe, dismay, or dread." Unlike its homographic twin, that "redoubt" does derive from the same root as "doubt" and "redoubtable."

Word - 43

BEVY \BEV-ee\ noun

*1 : a large group or collection
2 : a group of animals and especially quail

Example sentence:
The band's latest album offers up a bevy of new songs, as well as some remixes of old favorites.

Did you know?

What do you call a group of crows? Or swine? Or leopards? Well-educated members of the medieval gentry seem to have been expected to know the answers: a murder of crows, a sounder of swine, and a leap of leopards. They would also have been expected to know that "bevy" referred specifically to a group of deer, quail, larks, or young ladies. Scholars aren't certain why "bevy" was chosen for those groups (though they have theories). What is known for sure is that "bevy" first appeared in the 15th century and was used as a highly specific collective for many years. Today, however, bevies can include anything from football players to toaster ovens.

Word - 42

HOMILY \HAH-muh-lee\ noun

1 : a usually short sermon

*2 : a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme

3 : an inspirational catchphrase; also : platitude

Example sentence:

"I don't mind eating tofu burgers," said Darnell, "as long as I don't have to hear a homily on the virtues of vegetarianism."

Did you know?

Gather around for the history of "homily." The story starts with ancient Greek "homilos," meaning "crowd" or "assembly." Greeks used "homilos" to create the verb "homilein" ("to consort with" or "to address"), as well as the noun "homilia" ("conversation"). Latin speakers borrowed "homilia," then passed it on to Anglo-French. By the time it crossed into Middle English, the spelling had shifted to "omelie," but by the mid-16th century the term had regained its "h" and added the "y" of the modern spelling.

Word - 41

ANATHEMA \uh-NATH-uh-muh\ noun

1 a : one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority
*b: someone or something intensely disliked or loathed
2 a : a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication
b : a vigorous denunciation : curse

Example sentence:
Maryam's radical political views are anathema to her more conservative sister.

Did you know?

Historically, "anathema" can be considered a one-word oxymoron. When it first appeared in English in 1526, it was used to refer to something accursed. Shortly thereafter, however, people also began to use it to refer to something consecrated to divine use -- generally a good thing. Why the contradiction? "Anathema" comes from Greek, where it initially meant "anything devoted" and later "anything devoted to evil." The "consecrated to divine use" sense of "anathema" comes from that earlier Greek use but is not widely used today.

Word - 40

GRUB STREET \GRUB-STREET\ noun

: the world or category of needy literary hacks

Example sentence:
Writer Paul Theroux once characterized the world of literary quarterlies and poetry magazines as "that respectable little cul-de-sac off Grub Street."

Did you know?

The original Grub Street was an address in London (it was renamed Milton Street in 1830) described by Dr. Samuel Johnson in his Dictionary of the English Language as "much inhabited by writers of small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems." The term was applied figuratively to the dog-eat-dog world of pens-for-hire as early as 1630, and not surprisingly it became the subject of several novels. Writer Tobias Smollett, all too familiar with hackwork himself, described a Grub Street dinner party in his novel The Expedition of Humphry Clinker (1771). And the allusion to Grub Street still packed a punch in 1891 when George Gissing chose New Grub Street as the title of his realistic novel about intrigues of the Victorian literary world.

Word - 39

OMNISCIENT \ahm-NISH-unt\ adjective

1 : having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight
*2 : possessed of universal or complete knowledge

Example sentence:
While many students expect their professors to be omniscient, Anton was glad that Dr. Hawkins was honest about the things she did not know.

Did you know?

One who is "omniscient" literally "knows all." The word, which has been part of English since at least the beginning of the 17th century, brings together two Latin roots: the prefix "omni-," meaning "all," and the verb "scire," meaning "to know." You will recognize "omni-" as the prefix that tells all in such words as "omnivorous" ("eating all,” or, more precisely, "eating both meat and vegetables") and "omnipotent" ("all-powerful"). "Scire" likewise has a number of other knowledge-related descendants in English, including "conscience," "science," and "prescience" (meaning "foreknowledge").

Word - 38

MAU-MAU \MOW-mow (the “ow” is as in “cow”)\ verb

*1 : to intimidate (as an official) by hostile confrontation or threats

2 : to engage in mau-mauing someone

Example sentence:

"Going downtown to mau-mau the bureaucrats got to be the routine practice in San Francisco." (Tom Wolfe, Radical Chic & Mau-mauing the Flak Catchers)

Did you know?

The Mau Mau was a militant secret society that operated in colonial Kenya during the 1950s. The ferocity with which Mau Mau terrorists rebelled against British rule was well-documented by national news sources, like Newsweek and Time, and by 1970 "Mau Mau" had become synonymous with "hostile intimidation," especially when used for social or political gain. Novelist Tom Wolfe was the first to use "mau-mau" in print as a word for "intimidate."

Word - 37

PLAUSIBLE \PLAW-zuh-bul\ adjective

1 : seemingly fair, reasonable, or valuable but often not so
2 : superficially pleasing or persuasive
*3 : appearing worthy of belief

Example sentence:
Her excuses for missing work were plausible at first, but soon became ridiculous.

Did you know?

Today the word "plausible" usually means "reasonable" or "believable," but it once held the meanings "worthy of being applauded" and "approving." It comes to us from the Latin adjective "plausibilis" ("worthy of applause"), which in turn derives from the verb "plaudere," meaning "to applaud or clap." Other "plaudere" descendants in English include "applaud," "plaudit" (the earliest meaning of which was "a round of applause"), and "explode" (from Latin "explodere," meaning "to drive off the stage by clapping").

Word - 36

VISAGE \VIZ-ij\ noun

*1 : the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal
2 : aspect, appearance

Example sentence:
The model's fierce, smoldering visage appears to gaze with contempt from billboards throughout the city.

Did you know?

The word "face" may be a pretty generic word, but it has several high-flown synonyms. "Physiognomy," for instance, refers to facial features thought to reveal qualities of temperament or character ("I thought I could detect in his physiognomy a mind owning better qualities than his father ever possessed...." -- Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights). "Countenance" is often used to refer to the face as an indication of mood or emotion ("Mina struggled hard to keep her brave countenance...." -- Bram Stoker, Dracula). "Visage" can refer to the face of a person or an animal, and it can also refer to the appearance of nonliving things, as in "the dirty visage of the old abandoned factory."

Word - 35

STEADFAST \STED-fast\ adjective

1 a : firmly fixed in place : immovable
*b : not subject to change

2 : firm in belief, determination, or adherence : loyal

Example sentence:
Maureen knew she could count on the steadfast support of her best friend even in the hardest of times.

Did you know?

"Steadfast" has held its ground in English for many centuries. Its Old English predecessor, "stedefaest," combined "stede" (meaning "place" or "stead") and "faest" (meaning "firmly fixed"). An Old English text of the late 10th century, called "The Battle of Maldon," contains our earliest record of the word, which was first used in battle contexts to describe warriors who stood their ground. Soon, it was also being used with the broad meaning "immovable," and as early as the 13th century it was applied to those unswerving in loyalty, faith, or friendship. Centuries later, all of these meanings endure.

Word - 34

CICERONE \sih-suh-ROH-nee\ noun

1 : a guide who conducts sightseers
*2 : mentor, tutor

Example sentence:
After I bought my first set of golf clubs, Jerry acted as my cicerone, enthusiastically teaching me the basics of the challenging sport.

Did you know?

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 - 43 B.C.) was renowned in Rome as a statesman, lawyer, and writer, and he is remembered today for his skills as an orator and rhetorician. The Ciceronian style of rhetoric placed special emphasis on the rhythms and cadences of phrases and sentences and their ability to appeal to the speaker's audience. It is believed that Cicero's eloquence and learning influenced the use of his Italian name, "Cicerone," to refer to sightseeing guides, themselves known for their talkativeness and eloquence, and later, to persons who serve as mentors or tutors to others.

Word - 33

DIVAGATE \DYE-vuh-gayt\ verb

: to wander or stray from a course or subject
: diverge, digress

Example sentence:
The novel divagates and meanders through a labyrinth of subplots and asides.

Did you know?

"Divagate" hasn't wandered far in meaning from its Latin ancestors. It descends from the verb "divagari," which comes from "dis-," meaning "apart," and "vagari," meaning "to wander." "Vagari" also gave us "vagabond," meaning "a wanderer with no home," and "extravagant," an early, now archaic, sense of which was "wandering away." Latin "vagari" is also probably the source of our noun "vagary," which now usually means "whim or caprice" but originally meant "journey, excursion, or tour." Even the verb "stray" may have evolved from "vagari," by way of Vulgar Latin and Middle French. Today, "divagate" can suggest a wandering or straying that is literal (as in "the hikers divagated from the trail"), but it is more often used figuratively (as in "she tends to divagate from the subject").

Word - 32

CURSORY \KER-suh-ree\ adjective

: rapidly and often superficially performed or produced : hasty

Example sentence:
A cursory reading of the syllabus made it clear that Professor Leary's sociology class was not going to be as easy as we had anticipated.

Did you know?

"Cursory" and its synonyms "superficial" and "shallow" all mean "lacking in depth or solidity" -- but these words are not used in exactly the same way in all cases. "Cursory," which comes from the Latin verb "currere" ("to run"), implies speed and stresses a lack of attention to detail. While "cursory" suggests a lack of thoroughness, "superficial" implies a concern only with surface aspects or obvious features. An analysis of a problem might be labeled "superficial" if it considers only the obvious and fails to dig deeper into the issue. "Shallow" is more generally derogatory in implying lack of depth in knowledge, reasoning, emotions, or character, as in "insensitive and shallow comments."

Word - 31

PROGENY \PRAH-juh-nee\ noun

1 *a : descendants, children b : offspring of animals or plants
2 : outcome, product
3 : a body of followers, disciples, or successors

Example sentence:
The champion thoroughbred passed on his speed, endurance, and calm temperament to his progeny, many of whom became successful racehorses themselves.

Did you know?

"Progeny" is the progeny of the Latin verb "progignere," meaning "to beget." That Latin word is itself an offspring of the prefix "pro-," meaning "forth," and "gignere," which can mean "to beget" or "to bring forth." "Gignere" has produced a large family of English descendants, including "benign" (meaning "mild" or "harmless"), "congenital" (meaning "inherent"), "engine," "genius," "germ," "indigenous," "ingenuous," and "malign." "Gignere" even paired up with "pro-" again to produce a close relative of "progeny": the noun "progenitor," which can mean "an ancestor in the direct line," "a biologically ancestral form," or "a precursor or originator."

Word - 30

OLDSTER \OHLD-ster\ noun

: an old or elderly person

Example sentence:

More and more oldsters are embracing the Internet and connecting and interacting using social networking Web sites.

Did you know?

"Youngster" has been used since the 16th century as a word for a young person with a lot of spunk. It has also long been used by maritime people as a word for a midshipman who has served less than four years. This use is connected with the Dutch word "younker," which, like "youngster," refers to a young person as well as a young seaman. "Oldster" came about as a word used to differentiate the inexperienced midshipmen, or youngsters, from the experienced ones. To be exact, an oldster is a midshipman of four years' standing. Charles Dickens gets credit for the earliest known use of "oldster" in the general sense of "an old person." In his 1848 novel Dombey & Son he wrote, "Her eyes would play the Devil with the youngsters before long -- 'and the oldsters too, Sir, if you come to that,' added the Major."

Word - 29

WANGLE \WANG-gul\ verb

1 : to adjust or manipulate for personal or fraudulent ends
*2 : to make or get by devious means : finagle

Example sentence:
Steve didn't tell Sharon how he'd wangled an extra week of vacation, and she didn't care as long as it meant they could go to Greece for their honeymoon.

Did you know?

"Wangle," a verb of uncertain origin, has been used in its newest sense, "to obtain by sly methods," since at least the early 20th century. Occasionally, one sees "wrangle" used similarly, as in "wrangle a huge salary," but more typically it means "to argue or engage in controversy." Did the "obtain" sense of "wrangle" evolve through confusion with "wangle"? Not exactly. "Wrangle" was used with the meaning "to obtain by arguing or bargaining" as early as 1624, long before "wangle" appeared in the language. The sense had all but disappeared until recent decades, however, and its revival may very well have been influenced by "wangle." The "obtain" sense of "wangle" is currently more common than that of "wrangle," but both are considered standard.

Word - 28

BINDLE STIFF \BIN-dul-stiff\ noun

: hobo; especially : one who carries his clothes or bedding in a bundle

Example sentence:
Jack London's experiences as a bindle stiff in the early 1890s later provided material for his writing.

Did you know?

In the argot of tramps and hoboes, a roll of clothes and bedding was called a "bindle," a word that probably originated as an alteration of the more familiar "bundle." "Stiff" itself can mean "hobo" or "migrant worker," meanings it took on in the late 19th century. About the same time, any tramp or hobo who habitually carried such a pack was known as a "bindle stiff." In Australia, a pack-carrying hobo might be called a "swagman."

Word - 27

SOUPCON \soop-SAWNG (the final NG is not pronounced, but the vowel is nasalized)\ noun

: a little bit : trace

Example sentence:
The author makes the protagonist seem more human by infusing a bit of vanity, a touch of greed, and a soupcon of self-doubt into his otherwise exceptional character.

Did you know?

Culinary enthusiasts may think "soupcon" originated with a dash of garlic in the coq au vin or a splash of vanilla in the creme anglaise, but the etymology of the word has more to do with inklings and suspicions than with food. Sometime in the 18th century, English speakers borrowed "soupcon" from the French, who were using the word to mean "drop," "touch," or "suspicion." The Old French form of the word was "sospecon," which in turn comes from the Latin forms "suspection-" and "suspectio." Etymologists have further traced the word's Latin ancestry to the verb "suspicere," meaning "to suspect." "Suspicere," as you might expect, is also the source of the English words "suspect" and "suspicion."

Word - 26

NATATORIAL \nay-tuh-TOR-ee-ul\ adjective

*1 : of or relating to swimming

2 : adapted to or characterized by swimming

Example sentence:

The Olympic swimmer's natatorial prowess was on full display as she won her fifth gold medal.

Did you know?

On a warm spring weekday afternoon, the local swimming hole beckons... and boys will be boys. "Mr. Foster [the town truant officer] knew very well where to find us... at our vernal and natatorial frolics," confessed John Gould in _The Christian Science Monitor_ (January 10, 1992), some 70 years after that warm spring day of his youth. The Latin verb "natare," meaning "to swim," gave English the word "natatorial" and its variant "natatory." It also gave us "natant" ("swimming or floating in water"); "supernatant" ("floating on the surface"); "natation" ("the action or art of swimming"); and last but not least, "natatorium" ("an indoor swimming pool").

Word - 25

CAUSTIC \KAWSS-tik\ adjective

1 : capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action : corrosive
*2 : marked by incisive sarcasm

Example sentence:
She always seemed to have a caustic reply to any silly or unnecessary question.

Did you know?

If you have a burning desire to know the origins of "caustic," you're already well on the way to figuring it out. "Caustic" was borrowed into English in the 14th century from the Latin "causticus," which itself derives from the Greek "kaustikos." "Kaustikos," in turn, comes from the Greek verb "kaiein," meaning "to burn." Other "kaiein" descendants in English include "cautery" and "cauterize," "hypocaust" (an ancient Roman heating system), "causalgia" (a burning pain caused by nerve damage), and "encaustic" (a kind of paint which is heated after it's applied).

Word - 24

EPIGONE \EP-uh-gohn\ noun

: follower, disciple;
also : an inferior imitator

Example sentence:
No one can accuse Lara of being an epigone; her artistic style is uniquely her own!

Did you know?

English borrowed "epigone" from German in the 19th century. The Germans themselves had taken the word from the Latin "epigonus," which means "successor." The Latin term followed the Greek "epigonos," which was often used in plural to designate the sons of seven legendary Greek leaders who were defeated at Thebes. "Epigonos" in turn came from the Greek verb "epigignesthai," meaning "to be born after." "Epi-" can mean "after," and "gignesthai" means "to be born."

Word - 23

ASPERSE \uh-SPURSS\ verb

1 : to sprinkle; especially : to sprinkle with holy water
*2 : to attack with evil reports or false or injurious charges

Example sentence:
"Though my opponent's supporters have aspersed my character, I think my record speaks for itself," said the candidate.

Did you know?

You may be more familiar with the idea of "casting aspersions" than with "aspersing," although they mean essentially the same thing; the word "aspersion" can mean "a sprinkling with water" or, more commonly, "a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone's reputation." Both "asperse" and "aspersion" are descendants of the Latin verb "aspergere," meaning "to sprinkle." "Asperse" is the older word, dating to at least 1490; "aspersion" first appeared in print in English in the 1500s.

Word - 22

FIRE - SALE \FYRE-SAIL\ adjective

: heavily discounted

Example sentence:

"As holders of mortgage-backed securities and the like revalue their assets at fire-sale prices, they are running short of capital -- which can lead to further sales and more write-downs." (The Economist, March 2008)

Did you know?

The term "fire sale" flared up in the late-19th century as the name for a sale of items damaged by fire. As you can imagine, much of the merchandise at a fire sale was sold at very low prices, which fanned the flames of the use of "fire sale" for any sale with discounted or low price tags. The extended meaning of the term sparked an adjective use that had burst into a full-blown blaze by the mid-20th century. Since then, people have embraced "fire-sale prices" in the marketplace, well aware that they won't get burned.

Word - 21

BOGART \BOH-gart\ verb

1 : bully, intimidate
*2 : to use or consume without sharing

Example sentence:
Three of the older girls bogarted the ice cream, ignoring the other campers' pleas for them to share.

Did you know?

The legendary film actor Humphrey Bogart was known for playing a range of tough characters in a series of films throughout the 1940s and 1950s, including The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, and The African Queen. The men he portrayed often possessed a cool, hardened exterior that occasionally let forth a suggestion of romantic or idealistic sentimentality. Bogart also had a unique method of smoking cigarettes in these pictures -- letting the butt dangle from his mouth without removing it until it was almost entirely consumed. It is believed that this habit inspired the current meaning of "bogart," which was once limited to the phrase "Don't bogart that joint [marijuana cigarette]," as popularized by a song on the soundtrack to the film Easy Rider, among other things. Today "bogart" can be applied to hogging almost anything.