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Meaning: An adjective, brusque refers to being curt, blunt or using very few words and sounding rude.

Origin: The term was borrowed from French brusque meaning "lively, fierce" which in turn came from Italian brusco meaning "sour, sharp or rough". The Italian word was derived from bruscus, the Latin name for a plant called butcher's broom, whose prickly twigs have long been used for making brooms. The term has been in use in English since the mid-17th Century.

Usage: He gave a brusque "No argument!" and walked off.

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Meaning: A verb, "sashay" means to walk in an an ostentatious or conspicuous manner, with exaggerated movements

Origin: The word is borrowed from the French word chassé, which refers to a dance step in which a slide on one foot is followed closely by a slide on the other foot. It comes from the French verb chasser, meaning "to chase."

Usage: As sashyed about in her gown into the ballroom, all eyes were glued at her.

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Meaning: It is an adjective that describes something or someone young, immature, or pertaining to young people. It can refer to the early stage of development, youthfulness, or lack of maturity.

Origin: The term juvenile originated from the Latin word "juvenilis," which means "youthful" or "young." It entered the English language in the late 16th Century.

Usage: The juvenile bird eagerly practised flying, its wings still weak and unsteady.

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Meaning: To raise trivial and frivolous objection, find fault without good reason (usually followed by at or about).

Origin: In use since the 1540s, the word originates from the French caviller, meaning to mock, jest, from Latin cavillari, meaning to jeer, argue scoffingly. This, in turn, is from Latin cavilla, meaning jest, jeering, which is related to Latin calumnia, meaning slander, false accusation.

Usage: Even he could find nothing to cavil about.

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Meaning: The word dangle refers to hanging or swinging loosely. It is also used to indicate offering an enticing incentive to someone.

Origin: The word has been around since the 1590s. It is probably of Scandinavian origin and can be compared to Danish dangle, Swedish dangla, Norwegian dangla. The sense of "carry suspended so as to swing or sway" is from the 1610s.

After nearly 200 years in which the word was in average use, it has enjoyed more popularity in the 21st Century, leading to greater usage of the word.

Usage: The teacher dangled some offers and got the students to work harder on her subject.

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Meaning: This transitive verb refers to decorating something or beautifying an object with interesting additions.

Origin: Both embellish and the French word 'bel’(meaning beautiful) originate from the same Latin root bellus. The first known use of this word can be traced back to the 14th Century.

Usage: Grandma likes to embellish her knitting by hiding secret messages in the pattern.

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Meaning: An adjective, ersatz means an artificial and inferior substitute or imitation.

Origin: The word has its roots in the German word ersatz meaning a substitute or replacement. Its first known use was in 1871.

Usage: No one, not even the queen could tell the difference between the priceless stones and the ersatz jewels affixed on the crown.

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Meaning: A noun, ambit means scope, extent, bounds or limits of something.

Origin: The term ambit was borrowed from Latin noun ambitus meaning "circuit, circumference", from past participle ambire meaning "to go round”, a combination of amb "around" and -ire meaning "go". Ambitus is a noun associated with circular motion. Ambit has been in use in English since the latter part of the 15th Century.

Usage: The police said that his case doesn't fall within the ambit of their jurisdiction.

A complete discussion on Chola history was outside the ambit of one class period. So the teacher said she would try to cover it in a week's time.

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Meaning: This noun refers to the waste material or rubbish, especially left after a particular event.

Origin: Now obsolete, geologically, the word referred to "process of erosion”, originating from the Latin word detritus, meaning "a wearing away" from de (“away”) + terere ("to rub, wear"). The use of the word in a figurative or transferred sense of “waste material, debris” is by 1834.

Usage: The stadium was littered with the detritus of yesterday's rock concert.

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Meaning: In general contexts, hiatus usually refers to a period of time when something, such as an activity or program, is suspended.

Origin: While the word now most often refers to a temporary pause, hiatus originally referred to a physical opening in something such as the mouth of a cave. This word comes from the verb hiare which is Latin for to open wide.

Usage: The band has been on hiatus for three years.

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Meaning: The word bamboozle denotes tricking or deceiving someone, often by confusing them.

Origin: The word, which has been around since 1703, is originally a slang word of unknown origin. Some suggest that it is perhaps of Scottish origin from bombaze, bumbaze "confound, perplex”, while others believe that it might be related to French embabouiner to make a fool.”

 Following steady usage for over a hundred years, the word has become more popular and found more usage in this century.

Usage: She bamboozled the opposition batters with her turn and bounce to help her side win the cricket match.

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Meaning: The word bedazzle is used when the outstanding ability or striking appearance greatly impresses someone. It is also used to denote decorating or personalising clothing or accessories using beads, glitter, etc

Origin: The word, which has been in use since the 1590s, was first used to mean "blind by excess of light". It is arrived at by combining "be" with "dazzle”. Dazzle acquired the figurative sense of "overpower or excite admiration by brilliancy or showy display" from 1560s.

Usage: Bedazzled by our gadgets, we seem to have completely lost ourselves to these devices.

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Meaning: A noun, plaque refers to the bacterial accumulation on teeth. It also refers to a tablet in metal, marble or clay with writing on it, placed near a monument to commemorate a person or an event.

Origin: The term is borrowed from French plaque meaning plate or patch. It's derived from Dutch plac meaning "tablet" which in turn comes from plakken meaning "to stick or stain". It has been in use in English since the mid-19th Century.

Usage: The dentist said there is a severe build-up of plaque on my mom's teeth.

The artery walls have been narrowed by plaque.

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Meaning: This noun is a long thin cake made of very light pastry. which is filled with cream and usually has chocolate on top.

Origin: The word comes from the French éclair, meaning "flash of lightning", so named because it is eaten quickly (in a flash). However, some believe that the name is due to the glistening of the frosting resembling lightning.

Usage: She finished her eclair and laid down her fork.

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Meaning: This adjective means worthy of praise. It is a synonym of commendable.

Origin: Laudable comes from the Latin word laud or laud, which means praise.

Usage: Ram's noble ideas and polite behaviour are laudable.

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