15 Words and Definitions You Probably Didn't Know...

These Words Aren't Antonyms

One of my favourite guilty pleasures is reading through the dictionary. I absolutely love to learn new words, not only to put to use in my blog (although many of them I couldn't due to how specific a definition they are!), but to keep my mind fresh and healthy. As a keen reader, it is also frustrating to stumble upon a word I have trouble making sense of, ruining the flow of the book and having to take time out to look up exactly what it means in order to understand the sentence.

Luckily for you, I've compiled together a few of my favourite words I've picked up recently, either in reading books, newspapers, online articles and so on, for you to learn without the need to go through the process I do frequently when reading - looking them up!

1. Mawkish

★ To be emotional in an over-exaggerated or false way.

★ To have a faint, sickly taste.

Example:
The poem Hanna and Josee wrote was mawkish, they only wanted the attention.
Kandace's dog food smells mawkish.

2. Lexicographer

★ A person who assembles a dictionary.

Example:
José is the most humble lexicographer I've ever met!

3. Citation

★ To quote or make reference to another literary work.

★ A note of praise (used especially during the war for the armed forces.)

Example:

Comprehension Resources

Manuel made citations everywhere in his overview!
Private Jenci took a photo with her written citation for her efforts.

4. Focal

★ To relate to the most important part of something.

★ To have an injury of disease in one particular part of the body.

Example:
The focal of Alejandro's bookshelf is his brand new speakers.
Theo's injury was focal to his mouth.

5. Meister

★ To describe a person who is skilled at something.

Example:
Nina is a scuba diving meister!

6. Oasis

★ A small spot where water is found in a desert.

Example:
It's official, we've found an oasis!

7. Adventist

★ A Christian follower with the belief that the second coming of Christ will occur imminently.

Example:
There's an Adventist church that Liam attends.

Weird Facts You Won't Know

8. Schadenfreude

★ To gain pleasure from another's pain or bad luck.

Example:
It's not fair, it's clear that Alexandra has a bad case of schadenfreude syndrome.

9. Curated

★ (Typically online) To put information together using expert knowledge.

★ To look after items in a collection or exhibit.

Example:
Luci is fantastic with clients thanks to her curated presentation.

I work at an antique store where I curate the most valuable goods.

10. Prose

★ To write or speak in a plain, boring fashion.

Example:
Lena's English essay was written in such prose that I nearly fell asleep!

11. Anathema

★ To describe severely disliking something or someone.

Example:
Rebecca's anathema towards the bullying left her feeling crestfallen.

Helpful Arabic Words

12. Fen

★ A frequently flooded area of land.

Example:
The nearby nature reserve is covered in fens!

13. Hyperemesis

★ To vomit severely, or for a prolonged period of time.

Example:
Osbourne's wife has terrible morning sickness, the doctor diagnosed her with Hyperemesis.

14. Lexicon

★ Vocabulary of a person or language.

★ Another name for a dictionary, particularly in Greek, Hebrew and Arabic.

Example:
Sergei went to the nightclub, armed with all of the right lexicon to impress his friends.

The Hebrew lexicon is extremely unique!

15. Frontier

★ To describe a border separating two countries.

★ The limit of understanding something.

Example:
Crossing the frontier made the school science trip all the more exciting!

The new historic movie is far beyond my frontier of the subject.