Word of the Day
pogonip
[ pog-uh-nip ]
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noun
a fog formed from very small ice crystals
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Why Dictionary.com chose pogonip
More about pogonip
- First recorded in 1860鈥�65.
- From the Shoshone word 辫补纬扫苍补辫辫扫丑, meaning “thundercloud.”
EXAMPLES OF POGONIP
- You might not feel frostbite right away in a pogonip, but the constant damp chill makes hypothermia a quiet threat.
- He snapped a photo as the pogonip curled around the mountain’s edge to obscure the epic scene.
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Why Dictionary.com chose psittacine
More about psittacine
- First recorded in 1870鈥�75.
- Combines the Greek root 辫蝉颈迟迟补办贸蝉, meaning “parrot,” + -颈苍别鹿.
EXAMPLES OF PSITTACINE
- The psittacine expert’s office was filled with feather samples, sound recordings, and hand-drawn sketches.
- The sanctuary echoed with psittacine chatter as dozens of rescued parrots squawked, sang, and talked.
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Why Dictionary.com chose hornswoggle
More about hornswoggle
- First recorded in 1815鈥�25.
- Of obscure origin. An 1829 periodical from The Virginia Literary Museum聽claimed the word came from Kentucky and defined it as “to embarrass irretrievably.”
EXAMPLES OF HORNSWOGGLE
- The startup tried to hornswoggle investors with a product that barely worked.
- By the time I realized I had been hornswoggled, the grifter was long gone with my cash.
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