Wondrous Words Wednesday

I finished Pride and Prejudice this weekend. What a sweet book! All my new words are from there.

What new words have you learned this week? Visit with our friends at Kathy’s to see more.

1. rencontre
(n) [ren-KOUN-ter]

Definition—a casual meeting

Use—“He never said a great deal, nor did she give herself the trouble of talking or of listening much; but it struck her in the course of their third rencontre that he was asking some odd unconnected questions--about her pleasure in being at Hunsford, her love of solitary walks, and her opinion of Mr. and Mrs. Collins's happiness; and that in speaking of Rosings and her not perfectly understanding the house, he seemed to expect that whenever she came into Kent again she would be staying there too.”

2. postilion
(n) [poh-STIL-yuhn]

Definition—a person who rides the left horse of the leading or only pair of horses drawing a carriage

Use—“He meant I believe," replied Jane, “to go to Epsom, the place where they last changed horses, see the postilions and try if anything could be made out from them.”

3. dilatory
(adj) [DIL-uh-tawr-ee]

Definition—tending to delay; slow; tardy

Use—“His family knew him to be, on all common occasions, a most negligent and dilatory correspondent; but at such a time they had hoped for exertion.”

4. curricle
(n) [KUR-i-kuhl]

Definition—a light, two-wheeled, open carriage drawn by two horses abreast

Use—“I was afraid they might not; and we overtook William Goulding in his curricle, so I was determined he should know it, and so I let down the side-glass next to him, and took off my glove, and let my hand just rest upon the window frame, so that he might see the ring, and then I bowed and smiled like anything.”