cadence \KAYD-'n(t)s\, noun ( Read more... )

emollient \ih-MOL-yuhnt\, adjective:
1. softening or soothing

noun:
1. something that softens or soothes

by 1643, from French emollient, from Latin emollientem, prp. of emollire "soften," from ex- "out" + mollire "soften," from mollis "soft."

reprobate \REP-ruh-bayt\, noun, adjective ( Read more... )

guerdon \GUR-duhn\, noun:
1. a reward

verb:
1. to reward, pay back

by 1366, "reward, recompense" (now only poetic), from Old French guerdon, from Middle Latin widerdonum, from Old High German widarlon and influenced in Middle Latin by Latin donum "gift"

escutcheon \ih-SKUHCH-uhn\, noun:
1. a shield decorated with a coat of arms
2. the protective metal plate around a keyhole and lock, drawer handle or pull, light switch, etc.
3. the panel on a ship's stern bearing her name

by 1480, from Old North French escuchon, variant of Old French escusson, from Latin scutum "shield"

nabob \NAY-bob\, noun ( Read more... )

amatory \AM-uh-tor-ee; -tohr-\, adjective:
of love; expressing love, especially sexual

by 1599, from Latin amatorius "of or pertaining to love," from Latin amator "lover"

eminence grise \ay-mee-nahn(t)s-GREEZ\, noun:
a person who wields power or exerts influence behind the scenes

by 1838, French for "gray eminence"; originally used in French for Pere Joseph, a monk who was Cardinal Richelieu's confidential agent, for the gray habit he wore, in contrast to the Cardinal's red habit

affectation \af-ek-TAY-shuhn\, noun:
1. an artificial way of talking or behaving put on to impress others; pretense
2. an unnatural action, expression, or trait that indicates artificiality

by 1548, "studied display," from Latin affectationem, from affectare "to strive for"

adduce \uh-DOOS; -DYOOS\, verb:
to offer as a reason in support of an argument; bring up as an example; give as proof or evidence; cite

by 1616, from Latin adducere "lead to, bring to," from ad- "to" + ducere "to lead"