noun the titular head of an organization who has no real power.The younger Mr. Evans has the running of the whole company now, and his father is just a figurehead.Although the country…

transitive verb 1. to rid of anything impure or unwanted.They purged his stomach at the hospital. 2. to free or rid (usu. fol. by “of” or “from”).The mechanic purged the engine of…

adjective related by blood; kin.It is less common nowadays to marry someone who is akin to you.President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt were akin, but only distantly. See the full…

adjective heartily cheerful, friendly, and merry; convivial.We usually think of Santa Claus as a jovial character.You were in a jovial mood at the party last night! See the full entry

With the Wordsmyth Vocabulary Center activities, you can study the words of the week, play games with them, and assess your knowledge of their meanings with a quiz. Go to the Vocabulary…