A Word A Day - Miscellaneous Words

It's that time of the year again when we feature odds and ends. One-of-a-kind words. Words that are unusual, picturesque, whimsical, esoteric, or intriguing. And like all the creatures in this world, this week's words serve a purpose (as shown by their accompanying citations). They make our verbal universe richer and more diverse.

So here they are. We've coaxed them out of the dictionary -- it's not often that one finds them in the open -- and we hope you'll welcome them in your vocabulary.

dingle
(DING-guhl) noun
A deep narrow wooded valley; dell

[Of uncertain origin.]

supererogatory
(soo-puhr-uh-ROG-uh-tor-ee) adjective
1. Going beyond the call of duty
2. Superfluous

[From Latin supererogare (to pay over and above), from super- (above) + erogare (to spend), from rogare (to ask). Ultimately from the Indo-European reg- (to move in a straight line, to lead or rule) that is also the source of regime, direct, rectangle, erect, rectum, alert, source, and surge.]

scorbutic
(skor-BYOO-tik) adjective
Pertaining to or afflicted with scurvy

[From Latin scorbutus (scurvy) which also shows up in ascorbic acid (scientific name of vitamin C), the deficiency of which causes scurvy.]

jobbernowl
(JOB-uh-nowl) noun
A blockhead

[From French jobard (stupid, gullible), from Old French jobe (stupid) + noll (top or crown of the head).]

kerfuffle
(kuhr-FUHF-uhl) noun
A commotion

[Of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scots curfuffle, from fuffle (to disorder).]

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