Spizzerinctum

Spizzerinctum

ˌspizəˈriŋ(k)təm

Noun

  • Determination, ardor, or zeal.
  • Chutzpah, guts, nerve, or backbone.

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Example Sentences

“I didn’t think he’d finish the marathon, but his spizzerinctum carried him to the finish line.” 

“With enough spizzerinctum, there’s almost nothing you can’t accomplish.” 

“Gather up your spizzerinctum, and ask her to the dance.”

Word Origin

American English, mid-19th century

Why this word?

“Spizzerinctum” doesn’t appear in every modern dictionary, but the intriguingly spelled synonym of “determined fortitude” does still show up in the online editions of Merriam-Webster, Collins, and Green’s Dictionary of Slang. An NPR History Department article titled “7 Lost American Slang Words” includes “spizzerinctum” in the company of “dingus” (“a nebulous, unspecified object”), “bazoo​​” (“mouth”), and “ginchy” (“excellent”).

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Learn a new word Deglutition

ˌdēɡlo͞oˈtiSH(ə)n