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10 Almost-Extinct Words You Should Start Using Right Away
Whenever the dictionary gets updated, some words face the chopping block. If you would be sad to see “skedaddle” skedaddle from our language, then add it (and the rest of these little-used words) back to your everyday vocabulary—before they’re gone forever.
Embrangle
Definition: To embroil, confuse, or entangle. Usage: Mom's plants dangled, I got embrangled, and now I have two sprained ankles.
Snollygoster
Definition: A shrewd, selfish person, especially a politician. Usage: This November, American voters might elect a snollygoster to the White House.
Fubsy
Definition: Chubby or squat. Usage: Despite my new year's health resolutions, holiday leftovers kept me fubsy well into March.
Recrement
Definition: waste matter; scum. Usage: Sanitation workers were understandably cross when my medieval role-play group started dumping their recrement directly into the street.
Skirr
Definition: A whirring sound, as of the wings of birds in flight. Usage: We heard a mightyskirr overhead when the pigeons left their roost, followed by a plop, followed by an expletive.
Frutescent
Definition: Resembling or assuming the form of a shrub. Usage: A few weeks without a haircut and my poodle looks positively frutescent.
Muliebrity
Definition: The condition of being a woman; femininity. Usage: Frank was banned from the sorority due to his remarkable lack of muliebrity.
Agrestic
Definition: Rural; rustic. Usage: My grandfather had a very agrestic upbringing; his schoolteacher was a horse.
Exuviate
Definition: To shed; cast off. Usage: It becomes harder to exuviate a bad reputation after you've exuviated your pants in public.
Skedaddle
Definition: To leave a place suddenly. Usage: "Portland is so over," the hipster bemoaned. "Let's skedaddle to Seattle."
Whenever the dictionary gets updated, some words face the chopping block. If you would be sad to see “skedaddle” skedaddle from our language, then add it (and the rest of these little-used words) back to your everyday vocabulary—before they’re gone forever.
Embrangle
Definition: To embroil, confuse, or entangle. Usage: Mom's plants dangled, I got embrangled, and now I have two sprained ankles.
Snollygoster
Definition: A shrewd, selfish person, especially a politician. Usage: This November, American voters might elect a snollygoster to the White House.
Fubsy
Definition: Chubby or squat. Usage: Despite my new year's health resolutions, holiday leftovers kept me fubsy well into March.
Recrement
Definition: waste matter; scum. Usage: Sanitation workers were understandably cross when my medieval role-play group started dumping their recrement directly into the street.
Skirr
Definition: A whirring sound, as of the wings of birds in flight. Usage: We heard a mightyskirr overhead when the pigeons left their roost, followed by a plop, followed by an expletive.
Frutescent
Definition: Resembling or assuming the form of a shrub. Usage: A few weeks without a haircut and my poodle looks positively frutescent.
Muliebrity
Definition: The condition of being a woman; femininity. Usage: Frank was banned from the sorority due to his remarkable lack of muliebrity.
Agrestic
Definition: Rural; rustic. Usage: My grandfather had a very agrestic upbringing; his schoolteacher was a horse.
Exuviate
Definition: To shed; cast off. Usage: It becomes harder to exuviate a bad reputation after you've exuviated your pants in public.
Skedaddle
Definition: To leave a place suddenly. Usage: "Portland is so over," the hipster bemoaned. "Let's skedaddle to Seattle."
