Today's Words: Repine, Bafflegab and Ablution

Repine

(ri-pahyn) verb

to be fretfully discontented; fret; complain.

First recorded in 1520–30.

More about Repine

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.

Bafflegab

(baf-uhl-gab) noun

confusing or generally unintelligible jargon; gobbledegook.

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.

Ablution

(uh-bloo-shuhn) noun

washing of the hands, body, etc.

More about Ablution

First recorded around 1350–1400.

Comes via Middle English from the Latin stem of ablūtiō, related to abluere (from which comes abluent, “serving to cleanse”).

Often used in the plural, ablutions.

Examples of Ablution

As part of his daily routine, he would perform the ablution with reverence and mindfulness, appreciating the ritual’s significance.

The sound of running water during ablution brought a sense of calm and tranquillity to her morning routine.

Inputs Courtesy: Dictionary.com

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