Today's Vocabulary

Posted by Adora Svitak

Vocabulary Definitions

titan a person of colossal stature or achievement

"Mark Twain is a titan of American literature."

zealot someone passionately devoted to a cause

"Adrianna was a zealot about animal rights."

voracious having a great appetite

"The behemoth was voracious and ate Adora and her entire family."

salubrious healthful (good for your health)

"Rundown and sickly, Rita hoped the mountain air would have a salubrious effect on her health."

pugnacious quarrelsome, eager and ready to fight

"The serene eighty year old used to be a pugnacious troublemaker in her youth, but she is softer now."

Vocabulary Exercise - salubrious vs. pugnacious

Mr. Puck Bradley walked down the street with a pipe jammed up his nose and his pants on in the entirely wrong way.

"Bradley, good man! What in the name of all things on earth are you doing in that backwards fashion?" the bartender asked as Bradley stumbled into the tavern.

"What are you talking about? You're only an ol' bartender. How could you know about my highly respected fashion decisions?" Mr. Puck Bradley demanded. "In fact, I don't know how you could even think about it! What's the world comin' to? Somebody ought to get knocked down, tell him right."

"Have some salad to clear your mind," the bartender said, offering Bradley a plate heaped full of lettuce and chard. "You need something or the other. I thought you were nearly dead last night when you had so much whisky."

"Whisky! Ha, that don't do a single thing to this ol' body!" Mr. Bradley said proudly. "Matter of fact, I don't know how you could think it!" And with this, he dealt the bartender a mighty punch to the nose.

"To clear your soul of sins, refrain from violence," the bartender said primly.

"Violence! That ain't any violence," Mr. Bradley said, taking a great swig from a fine glass bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. "Ech! This stuff is awful." He hurled the whole bottle against the window, where it took a sizable piece out of the pane and broke into shards on the sidewalk outside. "Hey, you bottle! I ain't takin' any insolence from you!" He began catcalling at the bottle in a most odd manner, and pedestrians began to stare.

"Nor any insolence from you!" Bradley roared, and blindly dealt blows to whoever was within immediate reach of the window.

"Please eat some salad," the bartender pled again, attempting to drag Bradley away from the window. "Breathe deeply." Ignoring the bartender, Bradley tried to grab ahold of the lightbulb and instead fell onto a hardbacked chair.

"Sit straight, don't slump. It's bad for your spine," the bartender cautioned. Bradley snorted like a bull and lifted up the whole chair and hurled it towards the bartender. It missed, instead flying into the wine cupboard and shattering a whole row of bottles.