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bafflegab

[ baf-uhl-gab ] [ ˈbæf əlˌgæb ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

noun

confusing or generally unintelligible jargon; gobbledegook.

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Why Dictionary.com chose bafflegab

More about bafflegab

  • First recorded in 1950–55.
  • Formed from the words baffle, “to confuse, bewilder,” and gab, “to talk or chat idly.”
  • It was possibly invented by American lawyer Milton A. Smith.

EXAMPLES OF BAFFLEGAB

  • As a beginner in the field, I found the technical manual to be full of bafflegab that made learning difficult.
  • The company’s financial report was so laden with bafflegab that even seasoned analysts struggled to make sense of it.
20240103
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51³Ô¹Ï of the Day Calendar

51³Ô¹Ï of the day

repine

[ ri-pahyn ] [ rɪˈpaɪn ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

verb

to be fretfully discontented; fret; complain.

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Why Dictionary.com chose repine

More about repine

  • First recorded in 1520–30.
  • Constituted of re-, “in the case of,” and pine, “to yearn deeply.”
  • The slightly more common related word, unrepining means “not complaining.”

EXAMPLES OF REPINE

  • The disgruntled customer seemed to always repine about the service at the restaurant.
  • It’s hard to be around people who constantly repine without taking any action to improve their situation.
20240103
51³Ô¹Ï of the Day Calendar

51³Ô¹Ï of the day

engram

[ en-gram ] [ ˈɛn græm ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

noun

a presumed encoding in neural tissue that provides a physical basis for the persistence of memory; a memory trace.

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Why Dictionary.com chose engram

More about engram

  • First recorded in 1905–10.
  • Comes from the Greek combining forms en-, “to cause to be in,” and –gram, “something written.”
  • Introduced by German researcher Richard Semon, while studying the formation of memory.

EXAMPLES OF ENGRAM

  • Studies suggest that the formation of an engram involves complex processes within the neural network.
  • Through advanced imaging techniques, researchers hoped to locate the precise engram responsible for a particular memory.
20240103
51³Ô¹Ï of the Day Calendar
51³Ô¹Ï of the Day Calendar