Pronounced:
a-bruh-kuh-DA-bruh
Part of speech:
noun
Meaning:
A command or incantation that is spoken by magicians to enact a magic trick
He said, “Abracadabra” and doves flew out of his top hat!
Pronounced:
uh-MUHK
Part of speech:
adverb
Meaning:
A violent and uncontrolled frenzy
The dogs ran amok all over the house, splattering the carpet and sofa with mud.
Amok can be a tricky word to spell and has another version, amuck, which isn’t used as commonly.
Pronounced:
BROO-haa-haa
Part of speech:
noun
Meaning:
A commotion or uproar
The latest company announcement stirred a brouhaha among members of the team.
Pronounced:
GAH-suh-mr
Part of speech:
noun
Meaning:
Something delicate or insubstantial
The gossamer spiderweb was stretched between three branches.
Pronounced:
HAAJ-paaj
Part of speech:
noun
Meaning:
A mix or jumble of various items
The potluck was a hodgepodge of flavors, from spaghetti to pan-fried pork dumplings.
Pronounced:
JA-bur-waa-kee
Part of speech:
noun
Meaning:
Meaningless or nonsensical made-up language or words.
The toddler entertained everyone with jabberwocky that only she could understand.
Pronounced:
KIZ-met
Part of speech:
noun
Meaning:
Preordained by a force of fate or destiny
Encountering them felt like kismet—had I not gotten out of class early, I never would have wandered into that bookstore, bumping into them.
Some who describes love at first sight might also consider it a matter of kismet.