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.