This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on April 14, 2014.
Let’s do a practice round!
Succor means:
A) Hydration
B) Sunny disposition
C) Relief or aid
D) Sour and tart
Vocab Practice: Succor
April 23, 2014 by
A Bumptious Character!
April 22, 2014 by
Harry Potter’s world is full of witches and wizards who are both good and evil, but few are as obnoxious as Gilderoy Lockhart.
In the series’ second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart, a celebrity figure, comes to Hogwarts School as a professor.
Tasked with teaching the very serious subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Lockhart makes a mess of it, bungling his lessons and boasting about his famed, heroic deeds that were, in fact, carried out by someone else!
By the end of the book, this bumptious (see definition and hear pronunciation below) character eventually gets his comeuppance–much to the relief of Harry Potter and his classmates.
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: What other characters in books or movies can be described as bumptious?
Bumptious: Self-assertive, proud or confident to an irritating degree.
Click to hear the pronunciation of bumptious:
https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/bumptious.mp3
Cool Word Challenge: Succor and Anachronism
April 18, 2014 by
Cool Word Challenge: Just for fun, come up with one sentence that uses both of the cool vocabulary words that you learned this week.
Here are the words again:
Succor: Relief or aid that is given in times of distress or suffering.
Anachronism: Something, such as an object, event or custom, that is chronologically out of place.
Submit your sentence below. The most creative ones that we receive will be published on our site!
Is That an Anachronism?
April 17, 2014 by
Imagine if you opened a book and saw a photo of an American Civil War soldier flashing a thumbs-up.
This gesture would be a glaring anachronism (see definition and hear pronunciation below).
Films and literature usually strive to be authentic, but sometimes they do contain such historical inaccuracies. For example, there may be an occasional slip-up in which modern speech or dress creeps into a period piece.
It often takes a keen observer, however, to notice when the chronology isn’t quite right!
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Think of some of your favorite books and movies that are set in either the distant past or future. Are there any anachronisms in them?
Anachronism: Something, such as an object, event or custom, that is chronologically out of place.
Click to hear the pronunciation of anachronism:
https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/anachronism.mp3
Vocab Practice: Limpid
April 16, 2014 by
This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on April 10, 2014.
Let’s do a practice round!
Limpid means:
A) Completely clear
B) Somewhat polluted
C) Bluish-green
D) Shallow
Vocab Practice: Sinistral
April 15, 2014 by
This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on April 7, 2014.
Let’s do a practice round!
Sinistral means:
A) Crafty
B) Left-handed
C) Clumsy
D) Arrogant
Giving Succor in Times of Crisis
April 14, 2014 by
When a natural disaster strikes, it can devastate an entire population.
That’s why international aid organizations are so important. These groups rush to the affected area when there’s an earthquake, tsunami, hurricane or other calamity.
Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross and AmeriCares are just a few of the organizations that have provided succor (see definition and hear pronunciation) to affected communities.
After a massive earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, Doctors Without Borders mobilized and treated 350,000 patients over the course of 10 months.
Since November 2013, when Typhoon Haiyan pummeled the Philippines, AmeriCares has sent $17 million in aid.
These humanitarian efforts show that there are always people who will help those in need.
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: What do you think is the best way for ordinary citizens to help relief organizations as they provide succor to disaster areas?
Succor: Relief or aid that is given in times of distress or suffering.
Click to hear the pronunciation of succor:
Cool Word Challenge: Sinistral and Limpid
April 11, 2014 by
Cool Word Challenge: Just for fun, come up with one sentence that uses both of the cool vocabulary words that you learned this week.
Here are the words again:
Sinistral: Left-handed; of or on the left side.
Limpid: Characterized by transparency; completely clear.
Submit your sentence below. The most creative ones that we receive will be published on our site!
A Limpid Sea to Behold…
April 10, 2014 by
Anyone who goes swimming in the Caribbean Sea will immediately notice the extraordinary color of the water.
It is an exquisite turquoise blue that appears virtually translucent.
What’s responsible for this beautiful seawater?
The limpid (see definition and hear pronunciation below) quality of the Caribbean Sea, which covers a vast expanse to the east of Central America and Mexico, is largely due to the lack of plankton in its waters.
These organisms, which provide food for fish and other tropical creatures, ordinarily float near the surface of the water.
In the Caribbean Sea, the coral reef creates an alternate ecosystem, leaving crystal clear seawater that draws huge numbers of tourists to its beaches each year.
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Have you ever visited the Caribbean’s limpid waters? Can you think of anywhere else in the world with clear seas?
Limpid: Characterized by transparency; completely clear.
Click to hear the pronunciation of limpid:
Vocab Practice: Piquant
April 9, 2014 by
This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on April 3, 2014.
Let’s do a practice round!
Piquant means:
A) Having a colorful presentation
B) Having an appetizing aroma
C) Having a generous helping
D) Having a spicy or pungent taste
We're looking for the coolest of the cool words! Nominate and vote on words. See which ones your friends like best.
>> Winners Circle
Got something important to say? Send us your essays. Your work may be chosen as a guest blog for this website. 
Vote for your favorite word and see which words your friends think are cool!