The OED let me down.

When reading, if I come across a word I don't know, I have to look it up. RIGHT AWAY. It doesn't matter if I'm in the bath, or in bed, or in a tree in the backyard, I go find a dictionary and look it up.

Now, the thing is I read a lot. No, really, a LOT. Always have. Consequently, I am not often stumped. This morning, though, I came across a word I didn't know. Sometimes you can figure stuff out just given the context it is used in, but not this time.

As this happened at work, I grabbed the Concise Oxford Dictionary and looked it up. Not there. Hmmm. Well, it is the concise version, after all. So online to the complete Oxford Dictionary. Not there either. At this point, I'm thinking either the author made the word up, or it is a different word altogether, and I'm trying to define a typo. Except it doesn't look like any other word that would make sense in the sentence it was used in. Last resort: google it. Et voila! (in Merriam Webster, no less. I can't believe the OED let me down).

So, the word? "Apolaustic". It's a great word, too. Means "Devoted to enjoyment". There, that can be your something new learned for the day. You're free to go back to bed and still feel you've accomplished something for today.