As an avid reader and a writer with at least a modicum of self-respect, I have what I would consider to be a modest vocabulary. Like many other writers, of course, I do try my best to expand that vocabulary every day, either by reading or researching, depending on my day's tasks.
Some days, however, I just have to use a word that I say in an ordinary sentence that makes another person pause and ask me what the word means. While I know that many people do know the definition of modicum, there are at least a few who do not, which was proven to me today when I was stopped to be asked what it meant. So, here we go!
Modicum | mɑː.dɪ.kəm: noun: a small amount of something such as truth or honesty
I'm not sure when I actually picked this word up, whether it was in my childhood spoken by my mother, another aspiring writer whose dreams helped to create my own. Perhaps it was as I grew into adulthood, wondering if there was something else, besides smidge, semblance, or bit. I remember hearing it in reference to a person's dignity often. However, I use it now as an ordinary word not even thinking about how strange it may sound to some people.
Modicum | mä-di-kəm: noun: a small portion, a limited quantity
In the book, Dragon Thief, it's used to describe all sorts of different things, from peace to respect to objectivity. In the right hands, this word can be quite versatile in creative writing. Plus, bonus, it sounds pretty cool.
Fra'anior's Way was definitely large enough for an Ancient Dragon, Kal supposed, trying to measure what he saw with some modicum of objectivity.
-Dragon Thief by Marc Secchia
Have a slew of new words buzzing around in your head that you'd like to see used for my Word of the Day? Maybe even just one or two you simply adore! Let me know, so they can be featured. And until tomorrow, happy reading!
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