Unfamiliar words, places, and sundry other references get added to the list with a view toward richer cultural and conversational engagement.
| Recently Erased Ignorance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ignorance | Explained | |
| 1 | mellifluous | (of a voice or words) sweet or musical; pleasant to hear: the voice was mellifluous and smooth. |
| 2 | frisson | a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill |
| 3 | churlish | rude in a mean-spirited and surly way |
| 4 | cognomen | nickname |
| 5 | descant | a discourse on a theme or subject |
| 6 | lenity | synonym (usage appears archaic) for leniency |
| 7 | inveigle | gain entrance to (a place) by persuading (someone) with deception or flattery |
| 8 | crepuscular | that which is related to twilight |
| 9 | trammel | to catch as with a net, or confine |
| 10 | byre | a cow barn (British) |
The full list can be viewed here.
Definitions appearing on this page are generally either verbatim or derived from Merriam-Webster's College Dictionary, Tenth Edition, 1999 or its online counterpart.