eminently

eminently

• \EM-uh-nunt-lee\ • adverb

: to a high degree : very

Examples:

The candidate is so eminently qualified that it is difficult to imagine why she would not get the position.

"… in the interest of exercise and getting to know my town a little better, my New Year's resolution was this: Walk every block of this eminently walkable little city in 2016." — Tim Buckwalter, LancasterOnline.com (Lancaster, Pennsylvania), 18 Mar. 2016

Did you know?

When British physician Tobias Venner wrote in 1620 of houses "somewhat eminently situated," he used eminently in a way that now seems unusual. Venner meant that the houses were literally located in a high place, but that lofty use of eminently has since slipped into obsolescence. The term also formerly had the meaning "conspicuously," a use that reflects its Latin root, eminēre, which means "to stand out." That meaning, like the elevated one, is now obsolete. The figurative sense that is still prominent today also began appearing in English texts in the 1600s.

subpoena

subpoena

 • \suh-PEE-nuh\  • noun

: a writ commanding a person designated in it to appear in court under a penalty forfailure

Examples:

Subpoenas have been issued to several of the defendant's family members orderingthat they testify at trial.

"'If we have to compel them to come in,then that's what we're going to do,' he said,referring to possible subpoenas." — SandraTan, The Buffalo News, 8 Apr. 2016

Did you know?

If you think you recognize the sub- insubpoena as the prefix meaning "under,beneath, below," you're on target.Subpoena arrived in Modern English (via the Middle English suppena) from the Latinsub poena, a combination of sub andpoena, meaning "penalty." Other poenadescendants in English include impunity("freedom from penalty"), penal ("of orrelating to punishment"), and even punish.There is also the verb subpoena, as in "Defense lawyers have subpoenaed severalwitnesses to the crime."

fauve

fauve

• \FOHV\ • adjective

1 : of or relating to painters practicing fauvism

2 : vivid in color

Examples:

"Fauve colors brought sizzle back to tableware, but could you really eat off a Rorschach of orange, black and pink?" — Julie V. Iovine, The New York Times Magazine, 14 Mar. 1993

"Three were landscapes…. The other was a later painting of Adele, pale and strained, standing in a big hat with her arms loose amid fauve colours of red, mauve and green." — The Economist, 19 Feb. 2011

Did you know?

When French art critic Louis Vauxcelles spotted a statue reminiscent of 15th-century Italian art in the midst of works by an avant-garde group of painters—principal among them Henri Matisse—at an exhibit in Paris in 1905, he verbalized his shock with the words "Donatello au milieu des fauves!" ("Donatello among the wild animals!"). His reaction was to the painters' unconventional use of intensely vivid color and free treatment of form, and apparently his words weren't far off the mark in describing their art: Matisse and company's art movement became known as "Fauvism" and the artists flourishing in it, the "Fauves." In 1967, the intense impact of their colors was still vibrant, inspiring one writer for Vogue to use fauve as an adjective to describe the colors of a "striking" flowered coat—and that use can still be found today vivifying colors

palooka

palooka

• \puh-LOO-kuh\ • noun

1 : an inexperienced or incompetent boxer

2 : oaf, lout

Examples:

"The boxing audiences loved him…. Though often reckless, Mickey was never a palooka and learned from every opponent he faced." — Tom Fox, Hidden History of the Irish of New Jersey, 2011

"In the second debate, he expected to face a bunch of exhausted patsies and dazed palookas, but instead faced able, bright and thoughtful candidates…." — The Washington Times, 18 Sept. 2015

Did you know?

The origin of palooka is unknown, though various theories have been put forth. (Some sources credit the baseball player and sportswriter Jack Conway with the coinage, for example.) Palooka first appeared in print in 1920 and may have been popularized by a comic strip titled "Joe Palooka" (by Ham Fisher), which debuted in newspapers a decade later. The probable connection between Fisher's comic and palooka only adds to the mystery surrounding this term, however. Joe Palooka was a boxer who was neither incompetent nor clumsy and oafish, and yet the word palooka came to have those negative meanings. In addition, palooka has been used as a general synonym for rookie and also as a term describing horses with very little chance of winning.

urbane

urbane

• \er-BAYN\ • adjective

: notably polite or polished in manner

Examples:

Deirdre was an urbane and sociable party guest who could seamlessly transition from one conversation to the next.

"In its heyday among the mod generation, the writing essentially peddled the fantasy of being a more sedentary James Bond: a sophisticated and urbane man about town, drowning in lady friends." — Megan McArdle, Bloomberg View (bloombergview.com), 13 Oct. 2015

Did you know?

City slickers and country folk have long debated whether life is better in town or in the wide open spaces, and urbane is a term that springs from the throes of that debate. The word traces back to Latin urbs, meaning "city," and in its earliest English uses urbane was synonymous with its close relative urban ("of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city"). Urbane developed its modern sense of savoir faire from the belief (no doubt fostered by city dwellers) that living in the city made one more suave and polished than did leading a rural life.

hubris

hubris

 • \HYOO-bris\ • noun

: exaggerated pride or self-confidence

Examples:

The company's failure was ultimately brought on by the hubris of its founder.

"I think confidence is one of the most important qualities that you need in a leader—self-assurance. But at times confidence can shade over into arrogance and even hubris." — Doris Kearns Goodwin, speaking on The Charlie Rose Show, 12 Jan. 2016

Did you know?

English picked up both the concept of hubris and the term for that particular brand of cockiness from the ancient Greeks, who considered hubris a dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods. In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status, and the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of his or her mortality.

nonplus

nonplus

• \nahn-PLUS\  • verb

: to cause to be at a loss as to what to say,think, or do : perplex 

Examples:

The student's unexpected about-faceduring the class discussion nonplussed theteacher.

"Finding out that the new site for yourbusiness is home as well to stray cats andassorted wildlife might have nonplussedsome people, but Gary Meyer just saw anopportunity to help animals while enjoyingtheir presence." — Joseph P. Smith, TheDaily Journal (Vineland, New Jersey), 4 Mar.2016

Did you know?

Does nonplus perplex you? You aren'talone. Some people believe the "non" innonplus means "not" and assume that to benonplussed is to be calm and poised whenjust the opposite is true. If you are amongthe baffled, the word's history may clarifythings. In Latin, non plus means "no more." In the earliest known uses, which date to the 16th century, it was used as a nounsynonymous with quandary. Someonebrought to a nonplus had reached animpasse in an argument and could say nomore. Within a few decades of the firstknown use of the noun, people began usingnonplus as a verb, and today it is oftenused in participial form with the meaning"perplexed" (as in "Joellen's nasty remarkleft us utterly nonplussed").

AMICABLE

AMICABLE

• \AM-ih-kuh-bul\  • adjective
: characterized by friendly goodwill : peaceable

Examples:
Tim and Audrey's relationship remained amicable even after they broke up.

"Throughout the conference, my colleagues and I engaged in amicable and productive talks, which gave us important insights on what it would take to secure regional support for the post-Taliban government." — Zalmay Khalilzad, Politico, 28 Mar. 2016

Did you know?

Amicable, which derives from Late Latin amicabilis, meaning "friendly," is one of a set of English words used to suggest cordial relationships. Amicable, neighborly, companionable, and friendly all mean marked by or exhibiting goodwill and an absence of antagonism. Amicable implies a state of peace and a desire on the part of the parties not to quarrel ("they maintained amicable relations"; "the amicable process of bargaining"). Neighborly implies a disposition to live on good terms with others, particularly those who are nearby, and to be helpful on principle ("neighborly concern"). Companionable suggests sociability and companionship ("a companionable dinner with friends"). Friendly stresses cordiality and often warmth or intimacy of personal relations ("a friendly correspondence").