laggard \LAG-erd\, adjective, noun:
1. a person or thing that moves too slowly or falls behind

adjective:
1. falling behind; slow

by 1702, from lag (v.) + -ard

kibbutz \ki-BOOTS\, noun:
an Israeli communal settlement, especially a farm co-operative

by 1931, from modern Hebrew qibbus "gathering," from Hebrew "a gathering together," from root of qibbes "he gathered together." Plural is kibbutzim.

iambic \ahy-AM-bik\, adjective ( Read more... )

gaffe \gaf\, noun ( Read more... )

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

by 1598, from Latin fabricare, from fabrica "fabric"

ecclesiastical \i-klee-zee-AS-ti-kuhl\, adjective:
of or having to do with the church or clergy

by 1538 from ecclesiastic, which comes from Late Latin ecclesiasticus, from Greek ekklesiastikos "of the (ancient Athenian) assembly," later, "of the church," from ekklesiastes "speaker in an assembly or church, preacher," from ekkalein "to call out"

dastard \DAS-terd\, noun:
a mean coward

c 1440, possibly from dast/dased "dull, stupid," past participle of dasen "to daze"

beatific \bee-uh-TIF-ik\, adjective:
1. exaltedly happy; blissful
2. blessing or making exceedingly happy

by 1639, from Latin beatificus, from beatus "blessed" + ficus "making"

ablaut \ABH-lout\, noun:
the systematic substitution of one root vowel sound for another in different inflectional forms or derivatives of a word, as in ring, rang, rung

by 1849, from German Ablaut, literally, "off-sound," from ab "off" + Laut "sound, tone," from Old High German hlut. It was popularized by Jacob Grimm.

elocution \el-uh-KYOO-shuhn\, noun:
the art of speaking or reading clearly in public, including gestures, pronunciation, and tones

by 1509, from Late Latin elocutionem "voice production, manner of expression," in classical Latin it meant "oratorical expression," and referred to Roman rhetoricians, from eloqui "to speak out."