Terms
Usage
Origins
Examples
Functions
100
What term refers to the everyday language spoken by a specific group?
Vernacular
100
What do we call a word's literal meaning
Denotation
100
This term was named after a god of Greek Mythology who was forced to hold up the sky on his shoulders.
Atlas
100
To "throw in the towel" is a phrase that means "to give up". This is an example of ...
idiom
100
What term refers to the process of stimulating or encouraging someone?
galvanize
200
What is the difference between the meanings of a word and the feelings it evokes?
Connotation
200
Which term describes an expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning?
idiom
200
What do we call language that is specific to a particular community?
Argot
200
Patient, benign, defibrillator, and hypertension are all terms used by medical professionals in daily conversation. This is an example of...
jargon
200
Conforming to the established language of educated speakers is considered the...
standard
300
What do we call a simplified language that develops between speakers of different native languages?
Pidgin
300
What word refers to a character who opposes the protagonist in a story?
Nemesis
300
What term refers to a situation that is endless and futile, like the task of pushing a boulder uphill?
Sisyphean
300
In the Battle of Bunker Hill, the British won this early American Revolution battle, but lost many men, including 100 officers. This is an example of...
Pyrrhic victory
300
Their role is the study of meaning and word interpretation.
Semantics (or semanticist)
400
What term describes specialized language used by a particular profession or group?
Jargon
400
What do we call a victory that comes at such a great cost that it is nearly tantamount to defeat?
Pyrrhic victory
400
What term describes someone who is cheerful and friendly?
jovial
400
This is Guy Fieri. He loves to travel and eat new and exotic meals around the country. He is an...
Epicure
400
______ functions within a specific group by acting as a specialized vocabulary or set of phrases that allows members to communicate with each other in a way that is often unintelligible to outsiders
argot
500
What is the term for a word or phrase that is no longer in common use?
archaic
500
What term describes an idealistic or impractical pursuit?
Quixotic
500
What adjective describes a person or mood that is gloomy or sullen?
saturnine
500
"I ain't got no money" and "I didn't see nobody" are both examples of...
solecisms
500
You might see this type of language in things like historical fiction writing, legal documents referencing old laws, religious ceremonies, poetry aiming for a timeless or elevated tone, or when trying to create a deliberately old-fashioned or formal atmosphere
archaic