This week's theme
Words to describe people

This week's words
wastrel
lummox
dilettante
roue
poseur

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(DIL-i-tahnt, dil-i-TAHNT, -tay, -tee)

MEANING:

noun: One who takes up an activity or interest in a superficial or casual way.

adjective: Superficial; amateurish.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Italian dilettante (amateur), from Latin delectare (to delight). Earliest documented use: 1733.

USAGE:

"I long ago came to realize that I am a putterer, a grazer, a dilettante. I create the impression of getting a lot done by dabbling through my days: I read two pages of a book, write half a letter, paint a portion of the front porch, bake half a tin of muffins, teach a class, wash a window."
Robert Klose; Confessions of a Dedicated Dilettante; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); May 10, 2004.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: