Vocabulary.com Blog
Articles from 2014
Vocabulary Shout-Out
From the Inventor of the Detective Mystery: "Rapine"
In celebration of Victorian Wilkie Collins' Birthday, we take a look at a word from his era
Victorian novelist Wilkie Collins, widely regarded as the father of the modern detective story, celebrates his 188th birthday this week. To honor him, we take a look at the opening pages of his still-fun The Moonstone, where he uses the unusual rapine.
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Topics:
Vocabulary
Dept. of Word Lists
A Polar "Vortex" and a "Mercurial" Basketball Star: Ten Words in the News You Need to Know
Get confident with words before you talk about the news
To fully understand unfolding stories in the news, learn ten key words taken from this week's New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post coverage with A Polar "Vortex" and a "Mercurial" Basketball Star: Ten Words in the News You Need to Know.
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Behind the DictionaryLexicographers Talk About Language
Why is the Word of the Year "Because"? Because...
For 24 years, the American Dialect Society has chosen a Word of the Year at its annual meeting in January. Typically, the word has been a noun or verb that has risen to prominence during the previous year. But this year, strong candidates such as selfie and twerk ultimately lost to a word that isn't a noun, verb, or adjective; doesn't describe some cultural phenomenon; and has been in continuous use in English for more than 700 years: because. How did that happen?
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Dept. of Word Lists
New in Toni Morrison Resources: "Beloved" Vocabulary
Haunting words for this classic ghost story
If you're teaching Toni Morrison's classic Beloved or just reading it, these new lists will help you harness the power of her language.
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Evasive ManeuversEuphemisms old and new
Inappropriate and Uncertain Difficulties with Personal Deportment
I hate inappropriate and uncertain events. Don't you? So does the American College of Cardiology. An article about that group reveals a lame-o lexical band-aid: "The cardiology group replaced the 'Inappropriate' label with 'Rarely Appropriate.' Another category—cases in which there's medical doubt—will switch from 'Uncertain' to 'May be Appropriate.'"
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Under the HoodThe science of vocabulary building
Five Reasons to Set a Word Learning Goal for 2014
Like all good habits, word learning one runs deep
Typically, the resolutions we make on January 1, we've already broken by January 6th. But if you're resolution was to improve your vocabulary by using Vocabulary.com, you're likely having better luck. Our game is designed to keep you coming back for more. And just in case that's not enough, here are five great reasons to stick to your goal.
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Word RoutesExploring the pathways of our lexicon
"Because" Wins 2013 Word of the Year Vote, Because Awesome
Leading up to the American Dialect Society's Word of the Year vote last night, handicappers might have favored such terms as selfie, twerk, or Obamacare as possible winners. But the society's selection was a bit of a surprise: the humble word because, which has recently expanded in new grammatical directions in informal use online.
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