red·o·lent (red-uh-lunt | rɛdələnt)
Middle English, from Latin
adjective
1) pleasantly smelling, or having the pleasant odour of (usually in the phrase “redolent of”)
2) suggestive or reminiscent of
Her skin was redolent of the oil paints she’d been toiling over all day.
um·brage (um-brij | ʌmbrɪdʒ)
Late Middle English, from Old French
noun
1) offence, annoyance or displeasure
2) the shade offered by leaves of foliage, having a shady appearance
The suggestion that books were a waste of time was met with unbridled umbrage.
heg·e·mon·ic (hej-uh-mon-ik | hɛdʒəmɒnɪk)
Greek
adjective
dominant or influencing over others
The domineering, hegemonic attitude did nothing to improve relationships between the two parties.
mer·e·tri·cious (mer-uh-tri-shus | mer-ə-tri-shəs)
Latin
adjective
of or relating to a prostitute, OR something tawdrily and falsely attractive or superficially significant.
dec·i·mate (dess-uh-mayt | dɛsəˌmeɪt )
Latin
verb
to destroy or remove ten percent of something.
“I intend to decimate my word count today.”
Submitted by the-unholy-grail
vel·le·i·ty (vuh-lee-it-tee | vəliɪti)
Latin
noun
1) Volition in its weakest form
2) a mere wish, unaccompanied by the effort to obtain it
Until recently, my desire to submit to this blog was little more than velleity.
Submitted by khittyhawk
lo·den (loh-den | loʊdn )
German
noun
A durable, water-repellent, coarse woolen fabric used chiefly for coats and
adjective
A deep olive green, sometimes with gray undertones.
That dress is not quite green yet not quite gray, so it must be loden.
Submitted by eyeslikethenight
vig·il (vij-uhl, vij-ill | vɪdʒəl, vɪdʒɪl)
Latin
noun
wakefulness maintained for any reason during the normal hours for sleeping
The son kept vigil at the bedside of his dying mother.
Submitted by deadstillcurious
pro·pen·si·ty (pruh-pen-si-tee | prəpɛnsɪti)
Latin
noun
a natural inclination or predisposition toward something, (obsolete) a predisposition or partiality toward something favourable
I have a propensity for using sexy words.
(see also: proclivity [link to follow])
Submitted by Elisa, via email.
mi·as·ma (my-az-muh, mee-az-muh | maɪæzmə, miæzmə)
Greek
noun
1) noxious exhalations from putrescent organic matter; poisonous effluvia or germs polluting the atmosphere
2) a dangerous, foreboding, or deathlike influence or atmosphere
The miasma in the air was indicative of the approaching zombie hoard.
