hector \HEK-tur\ (noun) - A bully.

(transitive verb) - To intimidate or harass in a blustering way; to bully.

(intransitive verb) - To play the bully; to bluster.

"Mel's sales technique consisted of hectoring and badgering the client until he gave in simply to be left alone."

Hector derives from Greek Hektor, in Greek mythology the chief ...Read more

numinous \NOO-min-us; NYOO-\ (adjective) - 1 : Of or pertaining to a numen; supernatural. 2 : Indicating or suggesting the presence of a god; divine; holy. 3 : Inspiring awe and reverence; spiritual.

"Frank was fond of pointing out that, while our culture was not much concerned with the numinous, in our language we preserve many of the marks of...Read more

miasma \my-AZ-muh; mee-\ (noun) - 1 : A vaporous exhalation (as of marshes or putrid matter) formerly thought to cause disease; broadly, a thick vaporous atmosphere or emanation. 2 : A harmful or corrupting atmosphere or influence; also, an atmosphere that obscures; a fog.

"After being without power for several days due to the hurricaine, ...Read more

inamorata \in-am-uh-RAH-tuh\ (noun) - A woman whom one is in love with; a mistress.

"Neil was the sort of cynical romanticism expert who'd counsel switching from one inamorata to another every few months."

Inamorata comes from Italian innamorata, feminine of innamorato, from the past participle of innamorare, "to inspire with love," from in- (...Read more

conspectus \kuhn-SPEK-tuhs\ (noun) - 1 : A general sketch or survey of a subject. 2 : A synopsis; an outline.

"Shortly after returning from London eighteen years earlier, she had stolen a conspectus of the medical sciences from her parents' physician in Dover." -- Robin Schone, 'The Lover'

Conspectus comes from the Latin, from the past ...Read more

gerrymander /JER-i-man-duhr/ (verb tr.) - To repartition an area in order to create electoral districts that give an unfair advantage to a political party.

(noun) - 1 : An instance of gerrymandering. 2 : One or more electoral districts, widely differing in size or population, created as a result of gerrymandering.

"Because the parties ...Read more

abjure \ab-JOOR\ (verb tr.) - 1 : To renounce under oath; forswear. 2 : To recant solemnly; repudiate. 3 : To give up (an action or practice, for example); abstain from.

"Barbara abjured from telling her best friend of her husband's affair after he abjured from ever engaging in such behavior again."

Middle English abjuren, from Old French ...Read more

volitant \VOL-i-tuhnt\ (adjective) 1 : Flying or capable of flight. 2 : Active; moving about rapidly.

"Contrary to her resident felines, Angela discovered that her newest adoptee was a rather volitant specimen, running, playing and generally getting into mischief at all hours of the day and night."

From Latin volitare (to flutter), from volare...Read more

oblivious \uh-BLIV-ee-us\ (adjective) - 1 : Lacking all memory; forgetful. 2 : Lacking active conscious awareness or knowledge; unmindful.

"Frank could be harshly self-critical, while Jeff, though not oblivious to his mistakes, had little time for introspection."

Oblivious comes from Latin obliviosus, from oblivio, from oblivisci "to forget." ...Read more

toxophilite \tok-SOF-uh-lyt\ (noun) - One who is fond of or expert at archery.

"While barely competent with firearms of any sort, Jan was a toxophilite of the highest magnitude, able to pit a cherry with an arrow at over ten yards."

Coined by Roger Ascham (1515-1568), scholar and writer, as a proper name and the title of his book Toxophilus, ...Read more

pococurante \po-ko-koo-RAN-tee, -kyoo-\ (adjective) - Indifferent, apathetic, nonchalant.

"James' only claim to fame was a single pococurante addition to the company's rules and regulations yet this, along with his esteemed name, was enough to guarantee him a cushy position in upper management for life."

From Italian, poco little + curante, ...Read more

mondegreen \MON-di-green\ (noun) - A word or phrase resulting from mishearing a word or phrase.

"For years Peter had questioned the sexual orientation of Hendrix, all due to the honest mondegreen of confusing ''Scuse me while I kiss this guy,' for ''Scuse me while I kiss the sky."

Coined by American author Sylvia Wright from the line "laid him...Read more

gremlin \GREM-lin\ (noun) - A mischievous sprite imagined to cause the inexplicable problems in the real and virtual machinery of technology.

"I received your e-mail alright but the attachment was snatched by the gremlins of cyberspace."

Although today's word first emerged during World War II, evidence suggests a predecessor was in ...Read more

crotchet \KRAH-chet\ (noun) - A highly individual and eccentric opinion or preference. Originally, a small hook or hooked instrument although that sense is now archaic.

"Guacamole on ice cream is just one of Jason's many gastronomic crotchets."

This word is merely the English pronunciation of French crochet "hook," diminutive of croche "...Read more

histrionic \his-tree-AHN-ik\ (adjective) - Exaggerated or melodramatic in behavior or speech, extremely theatrical.

"Every time Jason fails to get his way, he flies into a histrionic diatribe about how he is undervalued by those around him."

This word is Latin histrionicus "theatrical" from histrio, histrion- "actor," barely touched up for ...Read more

boondocks \BUN-dahks\ (noun) - A remote, wild, unexplored region; rural, isolated area.

"You should move to the city; you will never find yourself a husband living out there in the boondocks."

Borrowed from Tagalog (the national language of the Philippines) bundok "mountain." American GIs returning from the Philippines at the end of World ...Read more

hoghenhine \HAH-gehn-hIn\ (noun) - (English Medieval Law) A legal member of one's own family; a visitor who remains past the third night or the third night of a visit itself in someone else's home.

"Confident of the quality of his bloodline, Terry exclaimed, 'No hoghenhine of mine would ever do such a thing!'"

Old English ...Read more

wrought \rat\ (adjective) - Worked, crafted, done.

"The antiqued knotty pine shelf was wrought by my freat-grandfather back when 'wrought' was the only participle for 'work.'"

Middle English wroght, Old English geworht, the past participle of wyrcan "to work" and the origin of "work," as well. The same root *werg developed into Greek ergon ...Read more

As the World Cup tournament got underway last week, a reader asked me why this sport is called "soccer" in the United States but "football" in Great Britain.

Answer: "Football" first appeared in English during the 1400s as a general word for any game involving the kicking of a ball over a goal line or between two goal posts.

During the late ...Read more

oscitancy \AH-si-tehn-si\ (noun) - 1 : Yawning or a yawn, hence 2 : the drowsiness or dullness associated with yawning.

"Jack insisted that his oscitancy came more from lack of sleep than from lack of interest."

Latin oscitare "yawn" from os- "mouth" and citare "to move". The stem cit- is also found in "cite" and "excite". It comes from ...Read more