Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ


Nov 14, 2007
This week's theme
Words to describe people

This week's words
mystagogue
patrician
recalcitrant
platitudinarian
macroscian

“Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone.” ~Emerson
Invite friends & family
Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

recalcitrant

(ri-KAL-si-truhnt) Pronunciation Sound Clip

adjective: Stubbornly resistant to authority.

[From Latin recalcitrare (to kick back, to be disobedient), from re- (again) + calcitrare (to kick), from calx (heel). If you have a dog that has dug his heels in while you're trying to pull him forward, you have a case of an animal that's being recalcitrant, literally.]

"Mount Kelut has been on high alert for more than two weeks but activity escalated dramatically on Friday, triggering fresh rounds of evacuations carried out by troops and local officials. On Saturday, some recalcitrant residents were dragged from their homes."
Indonesia's Mount Kelut Erupts; Agence France-Presse; Nov 3, 2007.

See more usage examples of recalcitrant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

X-Bonus

Friendship, like credit, is highest where it is not used. -Elbert Hubbard, author, editor, printer (1856-1915)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith