Word a Day: 1-10

My mother gave me a word of the day calendar for my birthday (which was on the 11th of December) and I’ve been saving it for the 1st of the year (which is when it starts of course). I decided that since I am an aspiring author and I do need the inspiration to write something daily, that I could use this calendar as a catalyst for my day to day writing. Each word comes with a new meaning and ab initio I would like to use these words to advance my vocabulary as well as inspire myself to write more, and with more tenacity.

My new year does not come with resolutions (unless you want to count this little writing thing as one). Which I suppose in all means it could be, 365 words a year, writing on everyday… maybe I do have myself a resolution.



ab initio : from the beginning

“What does not exist ab initio is wealth; wealth must be created by sustained human effort.” – Richmond Times Dispatch

I have used this word in many papers in my time. It is not new to me, but it was a lovely refresher for my brain!



graupel: granular snow pelts - called also soft hail

She sat there pleasantly, watching the snow form on the porch, graupel piling up slowly as the temperature dropped and the world turned to ice. She wanted to brush her fingers through the soft fluff on the top, feel the rush of cold as it melt quickly on her finger tips.

This word is so weird! I can tell, frankly, why I haven't read this one in any paper or essay or book or anything. It doesn't roll of your tongue well, and I don't think I'll use it again. Snow pelt sounds more like poop, yes, but it rolls better! :P



Zillionaire: a person of incalculably great wealth.

This is a strikingly interesting word if you ask me. It doesn’t have any beautiful meaning from the past, no specific design except for the fact that people have grown too much in wealth. It was created to withhold the amount of money that people have when it is just too fucking much. I can’t imagine being a word like that. It is insane to think that we have so much money in this world that we needed to make another word to sustain us for now.



gambol: to skip about in play: frisk, frolic

She liked to gambol when she went outside. No matter rain or shine, snow or sleet, she skipped to the bus stop like the five year old deep inside her had never died. Her bad food made it harder as the years went by, causing her to fall on many occasions, but she kept going, brushing off snow and ice when it stuck on.



Phlegm: thick mucus secreted in abnormal quantity especially in the nose and throat

I have ALWAYS loved this word. I love gross weird things though so I think I like this word because I like gross weird things... It's not one of my favorite words in the world, but it's close to the top ten list if I'm to be honest. When I was younger my friend Melody played the trumpet, and they had spit valves. Now of course trombones have them too but I didn't spend a lot of time with those boys until later in my years. But Melody would empty it out and I don't know, it was so gross. I hate spit more than I do anything else in the world I think. I love the word thats associated to something that grosses me the HELL out. I hate the sound of voice clearing, spitting, just all of it.... but the word rolls off the tongue so nicely, and ... yeah ok, I'm weird.



efficacious: having the power to produce a desired effect

hibernaculum: a shelter occupied during the winter by a dormant animal

catchpole: a sheriff's deputy; especially one who makes arrests for failure to pay a debt

numismatic: of or relating to the study or collection of coins, tokens, and paper money

shivaree: a noisy serenade to a newly married couple