English Word of the Day

July 2012

These are the English Words of the Day that we published on Twitter every day along with examples of each one.

1. Poison (noun): a substance that causes death or injury if introduced into the body.
Example: They tried to remove the emperor from power by putting poison in his food.

2. Poke (verb): to push something with a stick or finger.
Example: The poked the animal on the ground with a long stick to see if it was still alive.

3. Poker-face (noun): to show no emotion on your face in order to conceal your real intentions or feelings.
Example: We had no idea of what he was thinking because he had a poker-face on.

4. Poky (adj): small and cramped, usually referring to a room with limited space.
Example: I can’t sleep there, it’s a poky little room.

5. Polish (verb): to rub something so that it becomes shiny.
Example: He polished his shoes before going to the job interview.

6. Polite (adj): courteous and with good manners towards other people
Example: She is always polite when she visits the in-laws.

7. Poll (noun): a survey about the opinion of people.
Example: The poll showed that the people where not happy with the president’s new law.

8. Pollute (verb): to contaminate; to make something dirty and no longer pure.
Example: The factory polluted the local river with its waste.

9. Polygamy (noun): The custom of having more than one wife at the same time.
Example: Polygamy is against the law in many countries though still a part of culture in others.

10. Pompous (adj): showing or feeling that you are more important than other people.
Example: Nobody liked him because he was such a pompous man.

11. Pond (noun): a small area of still water, sometimes used as decoration.
Example: We could see some ducks sitting next to the pond.

12. Ponder (verb): to think about, consider or contemplate.
Example: We have pondered enough, it’s time to make a decision.

13. Pooch (noun): an informal way of saying dog.
Example: She loved her pooch so much that she would only buy it the best dog food.

14. Popcorn (noun): maize that is heated then bursts into a light white fluffy food.
Example: We ate two large bags of popcorn while we were at the movies.

15. Porch (noun): the covered entrance of a house or building. = veranda (in US).
Example: His grandparents were sitting on the porch when he arrived.

16. Pore (noun): a very small opening in the skin (or a leaf) which liquid or gas passes through.
Example: Some of his pores became blocked and caused pimples.

17. Porridge (noun): A meal consisting of cereal boiled in water or milk, also called oatmeal in United States.
Example: He likes to have a hot bowl of porridge for breakfast every morning.

18. Port (noun): a town or city that has a harbour for ships.
Example: The cruise ship arrived at the port at midday.

19. Portent (noun): an omen or warning sign of something to come in the future.
Example: The event proved to be a portent of the disaster that was about to come.

20. Porter (noun): the person employed to carry people’s luggage to their rooms in hotels.
Example: I gave the porter a big tip since my suitcases were very heavy.

21. Portfolio (noun): 1. a set of investments owned by a person or company.
Example: My portfolio has a range of different investments.

22. Portfolio (noun): 2. a thin case for keeping loose pieces of paper.
Example: We keep all of the bills we have already paid in a portfolio.

23. Portrait (noun): a painting, drawing or photo of a person, especially of their face.
Example: The portrait of the King doesn’t look like him at all.

24. Portray (verb): to make a likeness or show a representation of someone.
Example: Actors were used to portray the local people in the village.

25. Posh (adj): an informal way of saying that something is elegant, expensive or stylish.
Example: Your new suit looks very posh.

26. To play possum (idiom): to pretend to be asleep, unconscious or dead in order to deceive someone.
Example: He played possum to avoid being captured.

27. Posthumous (adj): happening or given after death
Example: He received a posthumous award for the contributions he made while he was alive.

28. Postpone (verb): to change to later date or time.
Example: Since not many people could come to the meeting, it was postponed until next week.

29. Posture (noun): the position of the body
Example: He had a hunched posture since he never sat on his chair correctly.

30. Potent (adj): powerful or strong
Example: He needed potent drugs to help relieve the pain caused by his cancer.

31. Pothole (noun): a rough hole in surface of a road, often caused by traffic or weather.
Example: I buckled the wheel of my bike after running into a pothole in the street.

Check out our interactive game to practice these English words of the day.

If you found this list of English Words of the Day useful, share it with others: