ascetic noun definition: one who practices extreme self-denial, especially of material comforts and pleasures, and especially for religious reasons.example: He had come to see no value in material things and joined a…
Word of the Day
Daily definitions and usage information for all who want to increase and hone their vocabulary.
Words of the Week
Here are the words of the day for the past week. With the Wordsmyth Vocabulary Center activities, you can study these words, play games with them, and assess your knowledge of their…
WOTD: disincentive
disincentive noun definition: something that reduces the motivation or inclination to work or act, especially an economic deterrent.example: Higher taxes can serve as a disincentive to entrepreneurship. See the full entry
WOTD: polysemy
polysemy noundefinition: the quality of having more than one related meaning.example: Many English words are characterized by polysemy. See the full entry The polysemy of “table” is illustrated here.
WOTD: stentorian
stentorian adjective definition: extremely loud and powerful.example: His stentorian voice was heard above the din of battle. Note on word origin: In Greek mythology, Stentor was a herald said to have the…