We thought this word would never come from an English dictionary... but hey, it does exists!!! In Singapore context, some of us unknowingly use this word as a local type of food, a form of meat dumpling. I've included this just so you know that you may use this word in your writing!
wanton \WON-tn\, adjective;The plural is faunas or faunae.:
1. reckless, heartless, or malicious; without reason or excuse
2. not moral; lewd, lascivious
"Such (a) stand and attitude are leading to the grave, wanton violation of all the north-south agreements," the report said.-- Kwang-Tae Kim, Denver Post, 2008-11-11
Ram raiders have smashed through the main admissions area of Royal North Shore Hospital, stealing the contents of an ATM and assaulting a man, in a rampage police have called "wanton bloody destruction".-- Dylan Welch, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2008-11-11
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A Few Words a Day.
sallow \SAL-oh\, adjective:
having a sickly, yellowish color
"After several days of flying in space, the astronauts may look wan and sallow, so medical staff will put make-up on them to make them look ruddy," the newspaper said.-- The Sydney Morning Herald, 2005-10-17
Actually, Thompson looked old and sallow, as he faced the cameras for a few seconds before hopping into a waiting GMC Envoy.-- The Washington Post, 2007-04-19
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vacuous \VAK-yoo-uhs\, adjective:
1. showing no intelligence or thought
2. having no meaning or direction; empty
The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it.-- Don Frederick, LA Times
McCain's campaign has been mocking Obama on television and in speeches for weeks, attacking him personally as a vacuous celebrity.-- Ben Smith, Denver Post, 2008-08-29
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acclaim \uh-KLEYM\, verb:
1. to welcome with loud approval; praise highly
2. a shout or show of approval
A day after abandoning his proposal to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Gov. Eliot Spitzer won the kind of wide acclaim from elected officials that he could not win for the proposal itself.-- Nicholas Confessore and Raymond Hernandez, New York Times, 2007-11-15
H. Igor Ansoff, a retired educator and author whose visionary theories on strategic business manage-ment inspired worldwide acclaim died Sunday in Escondido.-- Jack Williams, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2002-07-16
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defalcate \di-FAL-keyt\, verb:
to steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one's care
The stockbroker defalcated millions from investment clients.
having a sickly, yellowish color
"After several days of flying in space, the astronauts may look wan and sallow, so medical staff will put make-up on them to make them look ruddy," the newspaper said.-- The Sydney Morning Herald, 2005-10-17
Actually, Thompson looked old and sallow, as he faced the cameras for a few seconds before hopping into a waiting GMC Envoy.-- The Washington Post, 2007-04-19
********
vacuous \VAK-yoo-uhs\, adjective:
1. showing no intelligence or thought
2. having no meaning or direction; empty
The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it.-- Don Frederick, LA Times
McCain's campaign has been mocking Obama on television and in speeches for weeks, attacking him personally as a vacuous celebrity.-- Ben Smith, Denver Post, 2008-08-29
********
acclaim \uh-KLEYM\, verb:
1. to welcome with loud approval; praise highly
2. a shout or show of approval
A day after abandoning his proposal to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Gov. Eliot Spitzer won the kind of wide acclaim from elected officials that he could not win for the proposal itself.-- Nicholas Confessore and Raymond Hernandez, New York Times, 2007-11-15
H. Igor Ansoff, a retired educator and author whose visionary theories on strategic business manage-ment inspired worldwide acclaim died Sunday in Escondido.-- Jack Williams, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2002-07-16
********
defalcate \di-FAL-keyt\, verb:
to steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one's care
The stockbroker defalcated millions from investment clients.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
A word a day.
magnanimous \mag-NAN-uh-muhs\, adjective:
1. noble in mind or soul; free from mean or petty feelings or acts
2. showing a generous spirit; generous in forgiving
But an even greater responsibility falls on Obama as the nominee. Losers have to be gracious, but winners have to be magnanimous.-- Michael Tomasky, The Guardian, 2008-06-02
From the architect's point of view, the ideal project is not one with a magnanimous absent client. It is one with a magnanimous thoughtful client.-- Witold Rybczynski, The Atlantic, 2002-09-01
1. noble in mind or soul; free from mean or petty feelings or acts
2. showing a generous spirit; generous in forgiving
But an even greater responsibility falls on Obama as the nominee. Losers have to be gracious, but winners have to be magnanimous.-- Michael Tomasky, The Guardian, 2008-06-02
From the architect's point of view, the ideal project is not one with a magnanimous absent client. It is one with a magnanimous thoughtful client.-- Witold Rybczynski, The Atlantic, 2002-09-01
Monday, January 12, 2009
A word a day.
daunt \dawnt, dahnt\, verb:
1. to frighten; overcome with fear
2. to discourage; lesson the courage of
"The huge size of a vessel does not seem to daunt the pirates," he said. "It shows their high degree of audacity and resources."-- Xan Rice, The Guardian, 2008-11-18
It's a job that can daunt grieving relatives or anyone who hasn't had experience digging through federal files.-- Jack Forgy, Miami Herald, 2008-10-22
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fastidious \fa-STID-ee-uhs\, adjective:
hard to please; extremely refined or critical
For months, his tall, fastidious figure had prowled around the old city hall on Wall Street, examining its eighty-year-old brickwork, muttering to himself in French, or his syntactically challenged English, imagining-where others saw merely a tired old workhorse of a building-a blank canvas upon which to paint an architectural epic.-- Fergus M. Bordewich, The Making of the American Capital, 2008-05-16
Penske cannot say for sure that being fastidious off the racetrack results in being fast on it. What he can say, though, is that he has created a culture that has fostered loyalty.-- Dave Caldwell, New York Times, 2006-05-28
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hapless \HAP-lis\, adjective:
unlucky; unfortunate
It might explain how, on consecutive Sundays, quarterback Jay Cutler and Co. could be crushed by the hapless Oakland Raiders, only to pick up the pieces and dominate a New York Jets team that looked unbeatable.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 2008-12-07
Matthew Broderick has gone from playing a hapless Broadway producer in the hit musical "The Producers" to a hapless movie writer-director in the new comedy "The Last Shot," which opens Friday.-- Susan King, LA Times, 2004-09-20
1. to frighten; overcome with fear
2. to discourage; lesson the courage of
"The huge size of a vessel does not seem to daunt the pirates," he said. "It shows their high degree of audacity and resources."-- Xan Rice, The Guardian, 2008-11-18
It's a job that can daunt grieving relatives or anyone who hasn't had experience digging through federal files.-- Jack Forgy, Miami Herald, 2008-10-22
********
fastidious \fa-STID-ee-uhs\, adjective:
hard to please; extremely refined or critical
For months, his tall, fastidious figure had prowled around the old city hall on Wall Street, examining its eighty-year-old brickwork, muttering to himself in French, or his syntactically challenged English, imagining-where others saw merely a tired old workhorse of a building-a blank canvas upon which to paint an architectural epic.-- Fergus M. Bordewich, The Making of the American Capital, 2008-05-16
Penske cannot say for sure that being fastidious off the racetrack results in being fast on it. What he can say, though, is that he has created a culture that has fostered loyalty.-- Dave Caldwell, New York Times, 2006-05-28
********
hapless \HAP-lis\, adjective:
unlucky; unfortunate
It might explain how, on consecutive Sundays, quarterback Jay Cutler and Co. could be crushed by the hapless Oakland Raiders, only to pick up the pieces and dominate a New York Jets team that looked unbeatable.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 2008-12-07
Matthew Broderick has gone from playing a hapless Broadway producer in the hit musical "The Producers" to a hapless movie writer-director in the new comedy "The Last Shot," which opens Friday.-- Susan King, LA Times, 2004-09-20
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
A word a day.
candor \KAN-der\, noun:
1. honesty in giving one's view or opinion; frankness and sincerity
2. fairness; impartiality
What remains to be seen is whether the candor he offered in his early memoir will be greeted with a new-style acceptance by voters.-- Lois Romano, The Washington Post, 2007-01-03
But we know that real leadership is about candor and judgment and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose, a higher purpose.-- The Guardian, 2008-01-27
1. honesty in giving one's view or opinion; frankness and sincerity
2. fairness; impartiality
What remains to be seen is whether the candor he offered in his early memoir will be greeted with a new-style acceptance by voters.-- Lois Romano, The Washington Post, 2007-01-03
But we know that real leadership is about candor and judgment and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose, a higher purpose.-- The Guardian, 2008-01-27
Sunday, January 4, 2009
zealous \ZEL-uhs\, adjective:
full of zeal; actively enthusiastic
To remain obdurate before authority, to display one's loyalty to the collective, to be a zealous student wholeheartedly eager to deepen one's grasp of doctrine--these were qualities that bore witness precisely to the personal, to the individual.-- Milovan Djilas, Fall of the New Class
No one is more zealous than James Watt, 43, the lanky, brusque Secretary of the Interior.-- Time, 1981-03-30
full of zeal; actively enthusiastic
To remain obdurate before authority, to display one's loyalty to the collective, to be a zealous student wholeheartedly eager to deepen one's grasp of doctrine--these were qualities that bore witness precisely to the personal, to the individual.-- Milovan Djilas, Fall of the New Class
No one is more zealous than James Watt, 43, the lanky, brusque Secretary of the Interior.-- Time, 1981-03-30
Sunday, December 28, 2008
A word a day.
ramble \RAM-buhl\, verb, noun:
1. to wander about
2. a walk for pleasure without predetermined destination
3. to talk or write about one thing and then another without useful connection
As you ramble along them, it is difficult not to feel something of a peeping-tom; this is Surrey at its most intimate, with arches over garden gates framing views of tile-hanging and leaded lights.-- Clive Aslet, Telegraph.co.uk, 11/17/2008
Pierce and Carmen were on a northward walk markedly better organized than our own: having rambled throughout Europe, they had entrusted a local company to plan their trip.-- Gregory Dicum, New York Times, 2/3/2008
1. to wander about
2. a walk for pleasure without predetermined destination
3. to talk or write about one thing and then another without useful connection
As you ramble along them, it is difficult not to feel something of a peeping-tom; this is Surrey at its most intimate, with arches over garden gates framing views of tile-hanging and leaded lights.-- Clive Aslet, Telegraph.co.uk, 11/17/2008
Pierce and Carmen were on a northward walk markedly better organized than our own: having rambled throughout Europe, they had entrusted a local company to plan their trip.-- Gregory Dicum, New York Times, 2/3/2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A word a day.
paltry \PAWL-tree\, adjective:
1. almost worthless; trifling
2. of no worth; contemptible, despicable
The Denver defense is in tatters, ranking among the worst in the league, surrendering 31 points to a Raiders team that had been averaging a paltry 12.8 per game.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 11/24/2008
It has long been acknowledged, for instance, that the British Secret Intelligence Service has compensated for its paltry size - it has about one-tenth the manpower of the CIA - by leveraging the reputation of its most famous fictional spy, James Bond.-- Kelly M. Greenhill, Los Angeles Times, 5/28/2007
Almost everything on the vastly unimaginative happy hour menu contains pico de gallo and sour cream, including small, wizened potato skins containing a few paltry crumbles of bacon.-- Nikki Buchanan, The Arizona Republic, 11/25/2008
1. almost worthless; trifling
2. of no worth; contemptible, despicable
The Denver defense is in tatters, ranking among the worst in the league, surrendering 31 points to a Raiders team that had been averaging a paltry 12.8 per game.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 11/24/2008
It has long been acknowledged, for instance, that the British Secret Intelligence Service has compensated for its paltry size - it has about one-tenth the manpower of the CIA - by leveraging the reputation of its most famous fictional spy, James Bond.-- Kelly M. Greenhill, Los Angeles Times, 5/28/2007
Almost everything on the vastly unimaginative happy hour menu contains pico de gallo and sour cream, including small, wizened potato skins containing a few paltry crumbles of bacon.-- Nikki Buchanan, The Arizona Republic, 11/25/2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
A word a day.
jaded \JEY-did\, adjective:
worn out; tired, weary
The bad guys were potential Islamic extremists. But anywhere, at this jaded stage in the global war on terror, was literally and metaphorically off the map: a remote African laboratory for the long anti-terror struggles of the future.-- Paul Salopek, Chicago Tribune, 11/18/2008
The dynamism of this U.S. election will have important ripple effects elsewhere. Voters in much of the developing world have become jaded about elections, especially those heavily promoted by the United States.-- Trudy Rubin, Miami Herald, 11/9/2008
worn out; tired, weary
The bad guys were potential Islamic extremists. But anywhere, at this jaded stage in the global war on terror, was literally and metaphorically off the map: a remote African laboratory for the long anti-terror struggles of the future.-- Paul Salopek, Chicago Tribune, 11/18/2008
The dynamism of this U.S. election will have important ripple effects elsewhere. Voters in much of the developing world have become jaded about elections, especially those heavily promoted by the United States.-- Trudy Rubin, Miami Herald, 11/9/2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A word a day.
fabricate \FAB-ri-keyt\, verb:
1. to make, build, or construct
2. to make up, invent
3. to fake or forge a document or signature
"I've had more people tell me that throughout my career: 'Man, we love to watch you play. Your enthusiasm and stuff like that.' I mean, it's not fabricated. I love to play the game …"-- Dennis Waszak Jr., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/19/2008
At the same time, Mr. Heinonen acknowledged that the agency "did not have sufficient information at this stage to conclude whether the allegations are groundless or the data fabricated."-- Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 10/9/2008
The complex-shaped crystals of calcite were fabricated using a technique that involves depositing the mineral in a way that creates intricate microscopic patterns.-- Sandeep Junnarkar, CNET News, 2/21/2003
1. to make, build, or construct
2. to make up, invent
3. to fake or forge a document or signature
"I've had more people tell me that throughout my career: 'Man, we love to watch you play. Your enthusiasm and stuff like that.' I mean, it's not fabricated. I love to play the game …"-- Dennis Waszak Jr., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/19/2008
At the same time, Mr. Heinonen acknowledged that the agency "did not have sufficient information at this stage to conclude whether the allegations are groundless or the data fabricated."-- Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 10/9/2008
The complex-shaped crystals of calcite were fabricated using a technique that involves depositing the mineral in a way that creates intricate microscopic patterns.-- Sandeep Junnarkar, CNET News, 2/21/2003
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