Happy National Dictionary Day and a very happy birthday to Noah Webster himself! Born on October 16, 1758, unfortunately, Webster has long since passed. But, his wonderful dictionary still lives on today. As an English major and future language arts teacher, I am geeking for National Dictionary Day. To celebrate this day, here is a list of 20 words you should definitely add to your vocabulary.
1. Ser·en·dip·i·ty /ˌserənˈdipədē/ noun
the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
2. Eu·pho·ri·a /yo͞oˈfôrēə/
noun
a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness.
3. Mel·lif·lu·ous /məˈliflo͞oəs/
adjective
(of a voice or words) sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.
4. In·ef·fa·ble /inˈefəb(ə)l/
adjective
too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.
5. ai·lur·o·phile
/īˈlo͝orəˌfīl,āˈlo͝or-/
noun
a cat lover.
(This should just be changed to my name!)
6. phos·phene
/ˈfäsfēn/
noun
a ring or spot of light produced by pressure on the eyeball or direct stimulation of the visual system other than by light.
(This is what happens when you rub your eyes too hard and see stars, there’s an actual word for it and it’s beautiful and amazing.)
7. ef·fer·ves·cence
/ˌefərˈvesəns/
noun bubbles in a liquid; fizz.
8. mel·an·chol·y
/ˈmelənˌkälē/
noun
a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.
(One of my personal favorites!)
9. wan·der·lust
/ˈwändərˌləst/
noun
a strong desire to travel.
10. no·men·cla·ture
/ˈnōmənˌklāCHər/
noun
the devising or choosing of names for things, especially in a science or other discipline.
11. spe·lunk·ing
/spəˈləNGkiNG/
noun
the exploration of caves, especially as a hobby.
12. ec·sta·sy
/ˈekstəsē/
noun an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement.
13. lu·gu·bri·ous
/ləˈɡ(y)o͞obrēəs/
adjective
looking or sounding sad and dismal
14. e·bul·lient
/iˈbo͝olyənt,iˈbəlyənt/
adjective
cheerful and full of energy.
15. De·noue·ment /ˌdāno͞oˈmäN/
noun
the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
(The English major nerd in me loves this word to a whole new level!)
16. ce·les·tial
/səˈlesCHəl/
adjective
positioned in or relating to the sky, or outer space as observed in astronomy.
17. foi·ble
/ˈfoibəl/
noun
a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone’s character.
18. so·lil·o·quy
/səˈliləkwē/
noun
an act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.
19. quix·ot·ic
/kwikˈsädik/
adjective
exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
20. E·the·re·al
/əˈTHirēəl/
adjective extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.
While these may not be Noah Webster’s idea of dictionary-worthy words during the 1800s, they are indeed words that deserve their own special spot in the dictionary today. Words can have so much power and can perfectly describe a moment, feeling, situation or thought that no string of words could ever do. Never stop looking for new words to expand your vocabulary and to celebrate and appreciate the beautiful language we speak every day!