English word of the day

Definition: (noun) The visual property of something that shines with reflected light. Synonyms: sheen, shininess. Usage: Distant masses of plants and flowers, mingled in ever-varying forms of beauty, are touched by the melancholy luster of the rising moon.

Definition: (noun) Someone who unlawfully seizes and detains a victim (usually for ransom). Synonyms: kidnapper, snatcher. Usage: Until dark the Englishman searched the nearby jungle for a trace of the missing one or a sign of the trail of her abductor.

Definition: (adjective) Related by blood. Synonyms: kin, cognate. Usage: Howard felt like an outsider in his adoptive family, as if he were somehow intruding on their consanguineous unit.