Words, Words, Words
Series Metadata
Listing Series
-
Tags
Summary
using a word each day as prompt from a writing website, as inspiration for wee fics about the boys...
Series
- Part 1 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
venerate: verb, ven-uh-reyt; to regard with reverence; to revere
from the Latin veneror, venerari, to honor as a deitySeries
- Part 2 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ebullient: adjective; ih-BULL-yunt: having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm : exuberant; from the Latin
Series
- Part 3 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
microburst: noun; MY-kroh-burst:
a violent short-lived localized downdraft that creates extreme wind shears at low altitudes and is usually associated with thunderstormsSeries
- Part 4 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ruddy: adjective, RUDD-ee, having a reddish color/British slang euphemism for bloody
Series
- Part 5 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
confidant: noun, KAHN-fuh-dahnt: one to whom secrets are entrusted; especially : an intimate friend
Series
- Part 6 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
trepid: adjective, TREP-id\: timorous, fearful; from the Latin, trepidus
Series
- Part 7 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
insular: adjective; in-suh-ler: of or relating to an island or islands from the Late Latin, insularis
Series
- Part 8 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
a bonus word fic today, because I couldn't resist this word:
williwaw: noun; WILL-ih-waw: a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes; a sudden violent wind; a violent commotion: word origin unknown, earliest use was by British seamen in the 19th century.
Series
- Part 9 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Lucullan: adjective; loo-KULL-un: lavish, luxurious
Series
- Part 10 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
absolve: verb; ub-ZAHLV: to set free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt; late Middle English: from Latin absolvere ‘set free, acquit,’ from ab- ‘from’ + solvere ‘loosen.’
Series
- Part 11 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
marmoreal: adjective; märˈmôrēəl; made of or likened to marble;
late 18th century: from Latin marmoreus (from marmor ‘marble’) + -al.Series
- Part 12 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
evocative: adjective, ih-vok-uh-tiv; tending to evoke; Latin ēvocātīvus, equivalent to ēvocāt
Series
- Part 13 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
gadfly: noun, GAD-flye, a person who stimulates or annoys especially by persistent criticism
One of history's most famous gadflies is the philosopher Socrates, who was known for his constant questioning of his fellow Athenians' ethics, misconceptions, and assumptions. In his Apology, Plato describes Socrates' characterization of Athens as a great slumbering horse and of Socrates himself as the fly that bites and rouses it. Many translations use gadfly in this portion of the Apology, and Socrates is sometimes referred to as the "gadfly of Athens."
Series
- Part 14 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
frangible: adjective; franjəbəl; fragile, brittle; late Middle English: from Old French, or from medieval Latin frangibilis, from Latin frangere ‘to break
Series
- Part 15 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
lassitude: noun;ˈla-sə-ˌtüd: a condition of weariness or debility, a condition of listlessness : languor; Middle English, from Latin lassitudo, from lassus weary; probably akin to Old English læt late First Known Use: 15th century
Series
- Part 16 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
logophile: noun; lôɡəˌfīl; a lover of words: From Greek logo- (word) + -phile (lover). Earliest documented use: 1959
Series
- Part 17 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
dewy: adjective; DOO-ee; innocent, unsophisticated; Old English
Series
- Part 18 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
saporific: adjective; sapə¦rifik: having the power to produce the sensation of taste; from the Latin word sapor meaning "savor."
Series
- Part 19 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
majestious: adjective; muh-JUHS-shus: Impressive in a dignified or inspiring manner; stately; grand
From Latin major (greater), comparative of magnus (large). Ultimately from the Indo-European root meg- (great)
Earliest documented use: 1685Series
- Part 20 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
inconnu: noun; inkəˈn(y)o͞o, aNkôˈnY; an unknown person or thing.
early 19th century: French, literally ‘unknown.'Series
- Part 21 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
eunoia: noun; u-NO-ya: A state of normal adult mental health; Goodwill towards an audience, either perceived or real
From Ancient Greek εὔνοια (eunoia, "goodwill", literally "beautiful thinking"), from εὖ (eu, "well, good") + νόος (noos, "mind, spirit")Series
- Part 22 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
frisson: noun; frēˈsôn: a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill.
late 18th century: French, literally ‘a shiver or thrill'Series
- Part 23 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
indefatigable: adjective; indəˈfadəɡəb(ə)l; incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring. early 17th century: from French, or from Latin indefatigabilis, from in- ‘not’ + de- ‘away, completely’ + fatigare ‘wear out.’
a quickie for the evening readers.
Series
- Part 24 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ensorcell: verb; enˈsôrsəl: enchant; fascinate
mid 16th century: from Old French ensorceler, alteration of ensorcerer, from sorcier ‘sorcerer.’Series
- Part 25 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
pulchritudinous: adjective; puhl-kri-tood-n-uh s, -tyood-: physically beautiful; comely.
Pulchritude, the noun, was first recorded in the 1400’s and it stems from the Latin word pulchritude or pulcher simply meaning ‘beautiful’. The adjective, pulchritudinous, was first recorded in 1912 and is solely American English.Series
- Part 26 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
mirific: adjective; mʌɪˈrɪfɪk; that works wonders; exciting wonder or astonishment; marvellous
Late 15th cent.; earliest use found in William Caxton (1415–1492), printer, merchant, and diplomat. From Middle French, French mirifique causing wonder or admiration, amazing and its etymon classical Latin mīrificus from mīrus wonderful + -ficus.Series
- Part 27 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
talisman: noun; TAL-iss-mun; an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune
mid 17th century: based on Arabic ṭilsam, apparently from an alteration of late Greek telesma ‘completion, religious rite,’ from telein ‘complete, perform a rite,’ from telos ‘result, end.’
Series
- Part 28 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
inviolable: adjective; in-VYE-uh-luh-bul: secure from violation or profanation.
Inviolable is a venerable word that has been with us since the 15th century. Its opposite, violable ("capable of being or likely to be violated") appeared a century later. Both terms descend from Latin violare, which both shares the meaning and is an ancestor of the English word violate.Series
- Part 29 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
fugacious: adjective; fyo͞oˈɡāSHəs: tending to disappear; fleeting
mid 17th century: from Latin fugax, fugac- (from fugere ‘flee’) + -ious.Series
- Part 30 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ruly: adjective; ROO-lee: obedient, orderly
Series
- Part 31 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
vicinity: noun: vuh-SIN-uh-tee: the quality or state of being near: proximity: mid 16th century (in the sense ‘proximity’): from Latin vicinitas, from vicinus ‘neighbor,’ also from Middle French vicinité
Series
- Part 32 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Weltanschauung: noun; velt-ˌän-ˌshau̇-əŋ; a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint
German, first used in 1898
Series
- Part 33 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
redolent: adjective; ˈredlənt; strongly reminiscent or suggestive of (something); fragrant or sweet-smelling.
late Middle English (in the sense ‘fragrant’): from Old French, or from Latin redolent- ‘giving out a strong smell,’ from re(d)- ‘back, again’ + olere ‘to smell.’Series
- Part 34 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
intrinsic: adjective; inˈtrinzik,inˈtrinsik; belonging naturally; essential.
late 15th century (in the general sense ‘interior, inner’): from French intrinsèque, from late Latin intrinsecus, from the earlier adverb intrinsecus ‘inwardly, inward.’
Series
- Part 35 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
gingerly: adverb; ˈjinjərlē: in a careful or cautious manner
early 16th century (in the sense ‘daintily, mincingly’): perhaps from Old French gensor ‘delicate,’ comparative of gent ‘graceful,’ from Latin genitus ‘well-born.’
Series
- Part 36 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
serendipity: noun: serənˈdipədē: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way
1754: coined by Horace Walpole, suggested by The Three Princes of Serendip, the title of a fairy tale in which the heroes “were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of.”
Series
- Part 37 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
incandescent: adjective: inkənˈdes(ə)nt: passionate or brilliant
late 18th century: from French, from Latin incandescent- ‘glowing,’ from the verb incandescere, from in- (expressing intensive force) + candescere ‘become white’ (from candidus ‘white’).
Series
- Part 38 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
tempestuous: adjective; temˈpesCH(o͞o)əs: characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion.
late Middle English: from late Latin tempestuosus, from Latin tempestas
Series
- Part 39 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
sagacious: adjective: səˈɡāSHəs: having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd
early 17th century: from Latin sagax, sagac- ‘wise’ + -ious.
Series
- Part 40 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
nocturnal: adjective: näkˈtərnl: done, occurring, or active at night.
late 15th century: from late Latin nocturnalis, from Latin nocturnus ‘of the night,’ from nox, noct- ‘night.’
Series
- Part 41 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
lissome: adjective: lisəm: thin, supple, and graceful
late 18th century: contraction, from lithe + -some
Old English līthe ‘gentle, meek,’ also ‘mellow,’ of Germanic origin; related to German lind ‘soft, gentle.’Series
- Part 42 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
winkle: verb: ˈwiNGk(ə)l: extract or obtain something with difficulty. (British)
late 16th century: shortening of periwinkle
Series
- Part 43 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
twitterati: noun: Pronunciation: Brit. /ˌtwɪtəˈrɑːti/, U.S. /ˌtwɪdəˈrɑdi/: Users of the social networking service Twitter, esp. prolific contributors or those who have high numbers of followers.
origin: the proprietary name of the social networking service Twitter + -ati comb. form, punningly after literati n. and glitterati
Series
- Part 44 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
propinquity: noun: prəˈpiNGkwətē: nearness in place or time
late Middle English: from Old French propinquité, from Latin propinquitas, from propinquus ‘near,’ from prope ‘near to.
Series
- Part 45 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
futile: adjective: ˈfyo͞odl,ˈfyo͞odīl: incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
mid 16th century: from Latin futilis ‘leaky, futile,’ apparently from fundere ‘pour.’
Series
- Part 46 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
durable: adjective: d(y)o͝orəb(ə)l: able to withstand wear, pressure, or damage; hard-wearing.
Middle English (in the sense ‘steadfast’): via Old French from Latin durabilis, from durare ‘to last’
Series
- Part 47 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
foudroyant: adjective: foo-droi-uh nt/ (French) foo-drwa-yahn: striking as with lightning; sudden and overwhelming in effect; stunning; dazzling.
1830-40; from French, from foudroyer to strike with lightning, from Old French foudre lightning, from Latin fulgur
Series
- Part 48 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
repair: verb; rih-PAIR: go to (a place), especially in company.
Middle English: from Old French repairer, from late Latin repatriare ‘return to one's country’
Series
- Part 49 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
laconic: adjective: ləˈkänik; (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.
mid 16th century (in the sense ‘Laconian’): via Latin from Greek Lakōnikos, from Lakōn ‘Laconia, Sparta,’ the Spartans being known for their terse speech.
Series
- Part 50 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
kerfuffle: noun: kərˈfəfəl; a commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views
early 19th century: perhaps from Scots curfuffle (probably from Scottish Gaelic car ‘twist, bend’ + imitative Scots fuffle ‘to disorder’), or related to Irish cior thual ‘confusion, disorder.’
Series
- Part 51 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
gambol: verb: ˈɡambəl; run or jump about playfully.
early 16th century: alteration of obsolete gambade, via French from Italian gambata ‘trip up,’ from gamba ‘leg.’
Series
- Part 52 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
flummox: verb: ˈfləməks; perplex (someone) greatly; bewilder
mid 19th century: probably of dialect origin; compare with dialect flummock ‘to make untidy, confuse.’
ferhoodle: verb: fer-hood-l; to confuse or mix up
from the Pennsylvania German term verhuddle meaning "to tangle" and is related to the German word verhudeln meaning "to bungle, botch."
Series
- Part 53 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
sentiment: noun: ˈsen(t)əmənt: exaggerated and self-indulgent feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.
late Middle English (in the senses ‘personal experience’ and ‘physical feeling, sensation’): from Old French sentement, from medieval Latin sentimentum, from Latin sentire ‘feel.’
Series
- Part 54 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
objet-trouve: noun; ȯb-ˌzhā-trü-ˈvā: a natural or discarded object found by chance and held to have aesthetic value
French, literally ‘found object.’
Series
- Part 55 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
livid: adjective: LIV-id; discolored by bruising : black-and-blue
late Middle English (in the sense ‘of a bluish leaden color’): from French livide or Latin lividus, from livere ‘be bluish.'
Series
- Part 56 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
velleity: noun; vəˈlēətē,ve-; a wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action
early 17th century: from medieval Latin velleitas, from Latin velle ‘to wish.’
Series
- Part 57 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
antediluvian: adjective: ˌan(t)ēdəˈlo͞ovēən: ridiculously old-fashioned.
mid 17th century: from ante- + Latin diluvium ‘deluge’ + -an.
Series
- Part 58 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
syzygy: noun: SIZ-uh-jee: the nearly straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies (such as the sun, moon, and earth during a solar or lunar eclipse) in a gravitational system
early 17th century: via late Latin from Greek suzugia, from suzugos ‘yoked, paired,’ from sun- ‘with, together’ + the stem of zeugnunai ‘to yoke.
Series
- Part 59 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ostracize: verb: ˈästrəˌsīz: exclude (someone) from a society or group.
mid 17th century: from Greek ostrakizein, from ostrakon ‘shell or potsherd’ (on which names were written, in voting to banish unpopular citizens).
Series
- Part 60 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ostrich: noun: ˈästriCH:
a flightless swift-running African bird with a long neck, long legs, and two toes on each foot. It is the largest living bird, with males reaching an average height of 8 feet (2.5 m).
a person who refuses to face reality or accept facts.
Middle English: from Old French ostriche, from Latin avis ‘bird’ + late Latin struthio (from Greek strouthiōn ‘ostrich,’ from strouthos ‘sparrow or ostrich’).
Series
- Part 61 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Jazzercise: noun trademark; ˈjazərˌsīz: a type of fitness training combining aerobic exercise and dancing to jazz music
English origin
Series
- Part 62 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
tenuous: adjective; ˈtenyo͞oəs: very slender or fine; insubstantial.
late 16th century: formed irregularly from Latin tenuis ‘thin’ + -ous.
Series
- Part 63 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
matutinal: adjective: məˈt(y)o͞otn-əl,ˌmaCHəˈtīnl: of or occurring in the morning
mid 16th century: from late Latin matutinalis, from Latin matutinus ‘early.’
Series
- Part 64 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
deference: noun: DEF-uh-runss:
respect and esteem due a superior or an elder; also : affected or ingratiating regard for another's wishesmid 17th century: from French déférence, from déférer ‘refer’
Series
- Part 65 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
unclubbable: adjective: un-KLUB-uh-bul: having or showing a disinclination for social activity : unsociable
The word unclubbable dates to the late 1770s, a time when lexicographer Samuel Johnson was still riding a wave of fame in the wake of the publication of his 1755 A Dictionary of the English Language.
Johnson himself likely coined unclubbable. Earliest evidence of the word in use is from a 1778 entry in author Fanny Burney's diary, in which she quotes Johnson as using the word to describe a friend. Burney herself may have coined the unflattering descriptor's antonym: in a 1781 diary entry, she describes Johnson himself as clubbable—an adjective that has stuck to him ever since. For Johnson, a person's clubbability was likely determined by how well the person might do in a very particular club: "The Club"—later known as "The Literary Club"—established by Johnson and the artist Joshua Reynolds in 1764.
Series
- Part 66 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
perpetuity: noun: per-puh-TOO-uh-tee: eternity; a thing that lasts forever or for an indefinite period, in particular.
late Middle English: from Old French perpetuite, from Latin perpetuitas, from perpetuus ‘continuing throughout’
Series
- Part 67 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
eudaemonic: adjective: ˌyo͞odəˈmänik: conducive to happiness
mid 19th century: from Greek eudaimonikos, from eudaimōn ‘happy’
Series
- Part 68 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Gordian knot: noun: ˌɡôrdēən ˈnät: an extremely difficult or involved problem.
mid 16th century: from the legend that Gordius, king of Gordium, tied an intricate knot and prophesied that whoever untied it would become the ruler of Asia. It was cut through with a sword by Alexander the Great.
Series
- Part 69 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
incisive: adjective: inˈsīsiv: intelligently analytical and clear-thinking.
late Middle English (in the sense ‘cutting, penetrating’): from medieval Latin incisivus, from Latin incidere ‘cut into’
Series
- Part 70 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
surreal: adjective: səˈrēəl: Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic
from the 1930's from surrealism
Series
- Part 71 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
nullifidian: noun: nələˈfidēən: a person having no faith or religious belief.
mid 16th century: from medieval Latin nullifidius (from nullus ‘no, none’ + fides ‘faith’) + -an
Series
- Part 72 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
treacle: noun: ˈtrēk(ə)l: cloying sentimentality or flattery, or the British term for Molasses
Middle English (originally denoting an antidote against venom): from Old French triacle, via Latin from Greek thēriakē ‘antidote against venom,’ feminine of thēriakos (adjective), from thērion ‘wild beast.’ The sense ‘molasses’ dates from the late 17th century; ‘sentimentality’ arose in the late 18th century
Series
- Part 73 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
festoon: verb: feˈsto͞on: adorn (a place) with ribbons, garlands, or other decorations.
also a noun: a chain or garland of flowers, leaves, or ribbons, hung in a curve as a decoration
mid 17th century: from French feston, from Italian festone ‘festal ornament,’ from festum ‘feast.’
a heartfelt thank you to angelfiregirl80, who made my day :)
Series
- Part 74 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
aftermath: noun: AF-ter-math: consequence, result; the period immediately following a usually ruinous event; also: new grass growing after mowing or harvest.
late 15th century (sense 2): from after (as an adjective) + dialect math ‘mowing,’ of Germanic origin; related to German Mahd .
Series
- Part 75 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
outglitter: verb: To surpass in glitter or splendour.
Early 17th cent.; earliest use found in Giles Fletcher. From out- + glitter.
Series
- Part 76 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
bonhomie: noun: ˈbänəˌmē,ˌbänəˈmē: cheerful friendliness; geniality
late 18th century: from French, from bonhomme ‘good fellow.’
Series
- Part 77 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Favonian: adjective: fuh-VOH-vee-un: of or relating to the west wind; mild
From the Latin: Favonius
Series
- Part 78 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
affinity: noun: əˈfinədē: a spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something.
Middle English (in the sense ‘relationship by marriage’): via Old French from Latin affinitas, from affinis ‘related’ (literally ‘bordering on’), from ad- ‘to’ + finis ‘border.’
Series
- Part 79 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
wingding: noun: ˈwiNGˌdiNG: a lively event or party.
1920s (in the sense ‘spasm, seizure,’ especially one associated with drug-taking): of unknown origin.
Series
- Part 80 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
stelliferous: adjective: stə̇ˈlif(ə)rəs: having or abounding with stars
Stelliferous derives from the Latin stellifer meaning "star-bearing." It has been used in English since the late 1500s.
Series
- Part 81 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
wormhole: noun: WERM-hohl: a hypothetical structure of space-time envisioned as a long thin tunnel connecting points that are separated in space and time
If you associate wormhole with quantum physics and sci-fi, you'll probably be surprised to learn that the word has been around since Shakespeare's day—although, admittedly, he used it more literally than most modern writers. To Shakespeare, a wormhole was simply a hole made by a worm, a more down-to-earth sense which is still used today. But even the Bard subtly linked wormholes to the passage of time; for example, in The Rape of Lucrece, he notes time's destructive power "to fill with worm-holes stately monuments." To modern astrophysicists, a wormhole isn't a tunnel wrought by a slimy invertebrate but a theoretical tunnel between two black holes or other points in space-time, providing a shortcut between its end points.
from Merriam-Webster.com
Series
- Part 82 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
clinquant: adjective: ˈkliŋ-kənt, klaⁿ-ˈkäⁿ: glittering with gold or tinsel
Middle French, from present participle of clinquer to glitter, literally, to clink, of imitative origin
Series
- Part 83 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
lenity: noun: ˈlenətē: gentleness, kindness
Late Middle English: from Old French lenite, or from Latin lenitas, from lenis ‘gentle.’
Series
- Part 84 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
fiddle-faddle: noun: ˈfidl ˌfadl: trivial matters: nonsense.
verb: bother with trifles; fuss.
1570s (n.); 1630s (v.), apparently a reduplication of obsolete faddle "to trifle."
Series
- Part 85 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
audacious: adjective: ôˈdāSHəs: showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks
mid 16th century: from Latin audax, audac- ‘bold’ (from audere ‘dare’) + -ious.
Series
- Part 86 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
equivocal: adjective: i-ˈkwi-və-kəl: of uncertain disposition toward a person or thing
mid 16th century: from late Latin aequivocus, from Latin aequus ‘equally’ + vocare ‘to call.’
Series
- Part 87 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
shibboleth: noun: SHIB-uh-luth: catchword, slogan
mid 17th century: from Hebrew šibbōleṯ ‘ear of corn,’ used as a test of nationality by its difficult pronunciation (Judg. 12:6)
Series
- Part 88 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
defriend: verb: di-FREND: To remove someone from one’s list of online friends.
From Latin de- (from, away) + friend, from Old English freond. Ultimately from the Indo-European root pri- (to love), which also gave us free, Friday, and Sanskrit priya (beloved). Earliest documented use: 2004.
photoshop: verb: FOT-uh-shop: To digitally alter an image, especially in order to distort reality.
From Adobe Photoshop, a widely-used software package for editing images. Earliest documented use: 1992.
Series
- Part 89 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
haberdashery: noun: ˈhabərˌdaSHərē: the shop of a haberdasher.
1275-1325; Middle English haberdasshere, of obscure origin; compare Anglo-French habredache haberdashery, hapertas perhaps a kind of cloth
Series
- Part 90 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
deduction: noun: dəˈdəkSH(ə)n: the inference of particular instances by reference to a general law or principle.
late Middle English: from Latin deductio(n-), from the verb deducere
Series
- Part 91 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
terpsichorean: adjective: tərpsikəˈrēən,-ˈkôrēən: pertaining to dancing
early 19th century: from Terpsichore (used in the 18th century to denote a female dancer or the art of dance) + -an.
Series
- Part 92 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
servile: adjective: ˈsərvəl,ˈsərˌvīl: having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others.
late Middle English (in the sense ‘suitable for a slave or for the working class’): from Latin servilis, from servus ‘slave.’
Series
- Part 93 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
sybaritic: adjective: sibəˈritik: fond of sensuous luxury or pleasure; self-indulgent.
Sybaritic derives from the name of the ancient Greek city Sybaris, which was known for the luxurious lifestyles of its inhabitants. It entered English in the early 1600s.
Series
- Part 94 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ardent: adjective: ˈärdnt: enthusiastic, passionate
Middle English: from Old French ardant, from Latin ardens, ardent-, from ardere ‘to burn.’
Series
- Part 95 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
procrastinate: verb: prəˈkrastəˌnāt: delay or postpone action; put off doing something.
late 16th century: from Latin procrastinat- ‘deferred until tomorrow,’ from the verb procrastinare, from pro- ‘forward’ + crastinus ‘belonging to tomorrow’ (from cras ‘tomorrow’).
Series
- Part 96 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
chirography: noun: kīˈräɡrəfē: handwriting
from Merriam-Webster:
chiro-, comes from a Greek word meaning "hand" and occurs in words such as chiromancy ("the art of palm reading") and enchiridion ("a handbook or manual"), as well as chiropractic. Chirography first appeared in English in the 17th century and probably derived from chirograph, a now rare word referring to any of various legal documents.
Series
- Part 97 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
brogue: noun: BROHG:a heavy shoe often with a hobnailed sole or an Irish accent...
from Merriam-Webster:
Brogue the shoe comes from the Irish word bróg, which probably derives from an Old Norse term meaning "leg covering." Brogue the accent comes from a different Irish word, barróg, which means "accent" or "speech impediment."
Series
- Part 98 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
intransigent: adjective: inˈtransəjənt,inˈtranzəjənt: unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something
late 19th century: from French intransigeant, from Spanish los intransigentes (a name adopted by the extreme republicans in the Cortes, 1873–74); based on Latin in- ‘not’ + transigere ‘come to an understanding.’
Series
- Part 99 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
reticence: noun: RE-tuh-sens: A reluctance to express one’s thoughts and feelings.
From Latin reticere (to be silent), from re- (again, back), from tacere (to be silent). Earliest documented use: 1603.
Series
- Part 100 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
amicable: adjective: ˈaməkəb(ə)l: having a spirit of friendliness; without serious disagreement or rancor.
late Middle English (in the sense ‘pleasant, benign,’ applied to things): from late Latin amicabilis, from Latin amicus ‘friend.’
Series
- Part 101 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ludic: adjective: ˈl(y)o͞odik: showing spontaneous and undirected playfulness.
1940s: from French ludique, from Latin ludere ‘to play,’ from ludus ‘sport.’
Series
- Part 102 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
aeonian: adjective: ē-ˈō-nē-ən: eternal; everlasting
Can be traced to the Greek word aiṓn meaning "space of time, age."
Series
- Part 103 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
eloquent: adjective: EL-uh-kwunt: marked by forceful and fluent expression; vividly or movingly expressive or revealing
late Middle English: via Old French from Latin eloquent- ‘speaking out,’ from the verb eloqui
Series
- Part 104 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
antelucan: adjective: antə̇lükən: before dawn
Latin antelucanus, from ante- + luc-, lux light + -anus, -an
Series
- Part 105 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
atrophy: verb: ˈatrəfe: gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect.
late 16th century: from French atrophier (verb), atrophie (noun), from late Latin atrophia, from Greek, ‘lack of food,’ from a- ‘without’ + trophē ‘food.’
Series
- Part 106 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
kerflooey: adverb: ker-floo-ee: to cease functioning, especially suddenly and completely; fall apart; fail
from the slang term flooey meaning "amiss or awry," and the prefix ker-, which is used in formation of onomatopoeic and other expressive words, usually forming adverbs or interjections.
Series
- Part 107 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
demonstrative: adjective: dəˈmänstrədiv: tending to show feelings, especially of affection, openly.
late Middle English (in the senses ‘serving as conclusive evidence of’ and ‘making manifest’): from Old French demonstratif, -ive, from Latin demonstrativus, from demonstrare ‘point out’
Series
- Part 108 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
gravitate: verb: GRAV-uh-tayt: to be drawn or attracted especially by natural inclination
mid 17th century: from modern Latin gravitat-, from the verb gravitare, from Latin gravitas ‘weight.’
Series
- Part 109 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
melancholy: noun: ˈmelənˌkälē: a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause
Middle English: from Old French melancolie, via late Latin from Greek melankholia, from melas, melan- ‘black’ + kholē ‘bile,’ an excess of which was formerly believed to cause depression.
Series
- Part 110 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
guile: noun: ɡīl: sly or cunning intelligence.
Middle English gile, from Anglo-French, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old English wigle divination; Google also suggests an Old Norse word, 'vel' = craft.
Series
- Part 111 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
alterity: noun: ôlˈterədē: the state of being other or different; otherness
mid 17th century: from late Latin alteritas, from alter ‘other.’
Series
- Part 112 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
amorphous: adjective: əˈmôrfəs: vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable
mid 18th century: from modern Latin amorphus, from Greek amorphos ‘shapeless’ (from a- ‘without’ + morphē ‘form’) + -ous.
Series
- Part 113 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
pugnacious: adjective: pəɡˈnāSHəs: inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative.
Pugnacious stems from the Latin pugnāre meaning "to fight," and shares ancestry with English word pugilism meaning "the art or practice of fighting with the fists; boxing." Pugnacious entered English in the mid-1600s.
Series
- Part 114 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
empathy: noun: ˈempəTHē: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
early 20th century: from Greek empatheia (from em- ‘in’ + pathos ‘feeling’) translating German Einfühlung .
Series
- Part 115 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
fealty: noun: fee-uh l-tee: fidelity, faithfulness
1275-1325; Middle English feute, feaute, fealtye
Series
- Part 116 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
zenith: noun: ˈzēnəTH: the time at which something is most powerful or successful
late Middle English: from Old French or medieval Latin cenit, based on Arabic samt (ar-ra's ) ‘path (over the head).’
Series
- Part 117 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
congruent: adjective: kənˈɡro͞oənt,ˈkäNGɡro͞oənt: in agreement or harmony.
late Middle English: from Latin congruent- ‘agreeing, meeting together,’ from the verb congruere, from con- ‘together’ + ruere ‘fall or rush.’
Series
- Part 118 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
sumptuous: adjective: ˈsəm(p)(t)SH(o͞o)əs: splendid and expensive-looking.
late Middle English (in the sense ‘made or produced at great cost’): from Old French somptueux, from Latin sumptuosus, from sumptus ‘expenditure’
Series
- Part 119 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
peevish: adjective: ˈpēviSH: easily irritated, especially by unimportant things
late Middle English (in the sense ‘foolish, insane, spiteful’): of unknown origin.
Series
- Part 120 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
insouciant: adjective: inˈso͞osēənt,ˌaNso͞oˈsyäNt; showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent
Insouciant entered English from French, based on the French verb soucier meaning "to worry." Ultimately it finds its roots in the Latin sollicitāre meaning "to disturb."
Series
- Part 121 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
fanfare: noun: ˈfan-fer: a showy outward display
mid 18th century: from French, ultimately of imitative origin.
Series
- Part 122 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
nascent: adjective: ˈnāsənt,ˈnasənt: just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.
early 17th century: from Latin nascent- ‘being born,’ from the verb nasci
Series
- Part 123 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
desiderata: noun: di-ˌsi-də-ˈrä-tah: things needed or wanted
mid 17th century: from Latin, ‘something desired,’ neuter past participle of desiderare
Series
- Part 124 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
solivagant: adjective: so-LIV-ih-gunt: characterized by lone wandering
from Latin, no other etymology found (aka Google failed me this morning)
Updated to add Manon_de_Sercoeur's kind translation:
lat. solus: alone, lonely (fr.seul)
vago, vagare: to err (fr.errer, vagabonder)Series
- Part 125 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
fatuous: adjective: ˈfaCHo͞oəs: silly and pointless
early 17th century: from Latin fatuus ‘foolish’ + -ous.
Series
- Part 126 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
serein: noun: suh-ran: fine rain falling after sunset from a sky in which no clouds are visible.
1865-70; French, from Middle French serain evening, nightfall, from Latin sero late
Series
- Part 127 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
dépaysé: adjective: dā(ˌ)pā¦zā: being out of one's element
early 20th century: French, literally ‘(removed) from one's own country.’
Series
- Part 128 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
acuity: noun: ə-ˈkyü-ə-tē: keenness of perception
late Middle English: from Old French acuite or medieval Latin acuitas, from Latin acuere ‘sharpen’
Series
- Part 129 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
gallimaufry: noun: ga-lə-ˈmȯ-frē: a confused jumble or medley of things.
1545-55; Middle French galimafree kind of sauce or stew, probably a conflation of galer to amuse oneself (see gallant ) and Picard dialect mafrer to gorge oneself
Series
- Part 130 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
rapier: noun: rā-pē-ər: a thin, light, sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting; quick and incisive
early 16th century: from French rapière, from râpe ‘rasp, grater’ (because the perforated hilt resembles a rasp or grater).
Series
- Part 131 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
fubsy: adjective: fuhb-zee: short and stout (British dialect)
Fubsy is formed on the basis of the obsolete term fubs or fub, used as a term of endearment meaning "chubby person." It entered English in the late 1700s.
Series
- Part 132 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
gruntle: verb: grən-təl: to put in a good humour
back formation from disgruntle, first use in 1928
(according to Merriam-Webster)Series
- Part 133 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
peckish: adjective: pe-kish: Feeling slightly hungry
18th century
Series
- Part 134 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Accismus: noun: ak-SIZ-muhs: feigning lack of interest while actually desiring something
From Greek akkismos (coyness or affectation)
Series
- Part 135 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
canard: noun: kəˈnär(d): unfounded rumour or story
mid 19th century: from French, literally ‘duck,’ also ‘hoax,’ from Old French caner ‘to quack.’
Series
- Part 136 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
oeillade: noun: ə(r)-ˈyäd, œ-(aka oo-YAHD): a come-hither look;
Middle French œillade, from oeil eye, from Old French oil, from Latin oculus
Series
- Part 137 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
canoodle: verb: kuh-NOO-dul: to engage in amorous embracing, caressing and kissing
origin unknown, however, this is my favourite suggestion, by Merriam-Webster:
"The origins of canoodle are obscure. Our best guess is that it may come from an English dialect noun of the same spelling meaning "donkey," "fool," or "foolish lover," which itself may be an alteration of the word noodle, meaning "a foolish person." That noodle, in turn, may come from noddle, a word for the head. The guess seems reasonable given that, since its appearance in the language around the mid-19th century, canoodle has been most often used jocularly for playful public displays of affection by couples who are head over heels in love."
Series
- Part 138 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
bumfuzzle: verb: buhm-fuhz-uh l: to confuse or fluster
Origin: Probably bum- ('probably alteration of "bamboozle") + fuzzle (perhaps blend of "fuddle" and "fuzzy").
Series
- Part 139 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
perpatetic: adjective: per-ə-pə-ˈte-tik: traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
late Middle English (denoting an Aristotelian philosopher): from Old French peripatetique, via Latin from Greek peripatētikos ‘walking up and down,’ from the verb peripatein.
Series
- Part 140 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
penitent: adjective:pen-i-tuh nt: feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant
Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French penitent, from Latin paenitent-, paenitens, from present participle of paenitēre to cause regret, feel regret, perhaps from paene almost
Series
- Part 141 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
redamancy: noun: red-a-man-sE: the act of loving someone who loves you; a love returned in full.
from Latin one of those lovely words from the 16th century, not to be found in Merriam & Webster or even just Webster...
if anyone has roots for this? ;)
Series
- Part 142 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
micacious: adjective: maɪˈkeɪʃəs: sparkling, glittering
1836, from Late Latin micare "to shine, sparkle, flash, glitter."
Series
- Part 143 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
vignette: noun: vin-YET: a short descriptive literary sketch; a brief incident or scene (as in a play or movie)
(many other definitions, using these as they are the most modern)
from Merriam-Webster:
"Vignette comes from Middle French vignete, the diminutive form of the noun vigne, meaning "vine." In English, the word was first used in the mid-18th century for a design or illustration that ran along the blank border of a page, or one that marked the beginning or end of a chapter. Such designs got their name because they often looked like little vines. It wasn't until the late 19th century that usage of vignette had shifted to cover a brief literary sketch or narrative, as we commonly see it used today."Series
- Part 144 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
bumptious: adjective:BUMP-shus: presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive : obtrusive
from Merriam-Webster:
Etymologists believe that bumptious was probably coined, perhaps playfully, from the noun bump plus -tious. (Think of the obtrusive way an overly assertive person might "bump" through a crowd.) When bumptious was first used around 1800, it meant "conceited." Charles Dickens used it that way in David Copperfield: "His hair was very smooth and wavy; but I was informed … that it was a wig … and that he needn't be so 'bounceable'—somebody else said 'bumptious'—about it, because his own red hair was very plainly to be seen behind."
Series
- Part 145 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
another sniffles fic, as author and youngest have neverending colds from hell...
hale: adjective: HAIL: free from defect, disease, or infirmity : sound; also : retaining exceptional health and vigor
Old English, variant of hāl ‘whole.’
Series
- Part 146 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
smattering: noun: sma dər iNG: a small amount of something
mid 16th century: from smatter ‘talk ignorantly, prate’ (surviving in Scots), of unknown origin.
Series
- Part 147 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
repose: noun: rəˈpōz: a state of rest, sleep, or tranquility
late Middle English: from Old French repos (noun), reposer (verb), from late Latin repausare, from re- (expressing intensive force) + pausare ‘to pause.
Series
- Part 148 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
numinous: adjective: nü-mə-nəs, ˈnyü: filled with a sense of the presence of divinity; appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense
mid 17th century: from Latin numen, numin- ‘divine power’ + -ous.
Series
- Part 149 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
inflection: noun: in-flek-shuh n: the modulation of intonation or pitch in the voice.
1525-35; late Middle English (in the sense ‘the action of bending inward’): from Latin inflexio(n-), from the verb inflectere ‘bend in, curve’
Series
- Part 150 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
natter: verb: nat-er: to talk incessantly, chatter
early 19th century (in the dialect sense ‘grumble, fret’): imitative.
Series
- Part 151 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
pompous: adjective: päm-pəs: having or exhibiting self-importance
late Middle English: from Old French pompeux ‘full of grandeur,’ from late Latin pomposus, from pompa ‘pomp.’
Series
- Part 152 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
kairos: noun: (ˈ)kī¦räs: a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action: the opportune and decisive moment
mid 20th century: Greek, literally ‘opportunity.’
Series
- Part 153 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
loath: adjective: ˈlōth, ˈlōth\\ˈlōth, ˈlōth: unwilling to do something contrary to one's ways of thinking : reluctant
loathe: verb: to hate very much
from Merriam Webster:
"Many usage commentators point out that the spelling of loath the adjective is distinct from loathe, the verb that means "to dislike greatly." Merriam-Webster dictionaries record loathe (along with loth) as a variant spelling for the adjective, at the same time indicating that the spelling with an e is not as common as the form without it. Both words hark back to Old English, and the e ending in each has come and gone over the centuries - but if you want to avoid the ire of those who like to keep the language tidy, stick with loath for the adjective and loathe for the verb."
Middle English loth loathsome, from Old English lāth; akin to Old High German leid loathsome, Old Irish lius loathing
First Known Use: 12th century
Series
- Part 154 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
somnolent: adjective: SAHM-nuh-lunt: inclined to or heavy with sleep: drowsy
late Middle English (in the sense ‘causing sleepiness’): from Old French sompnolent or Latin somnolentus, from somnus ‘sleep.’
Series
- Part 155 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
camaraderie: noun: kahm-RAH-duh-ree: mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.
from Merriam Webster:
"Camaraderie made its first appearance in English in the middle of the 19th century. It comes from camarade, the French word whose Middle French ancestor was also the source for our word comrade. In Middle French, camarade was used to mean "roommate," "companion," or "a group sleeping in one room." It derived by way of Old Spanish from the Late Latin camera, or camara, meaning "chamber." We also have the word comradery, which means the same thing as camaraderie but did not take the same etymological route as its synonym. That word, formed by attaching the -ry suffix (as found in wizardry and citizenry) to comrade, didn't appear in English until almost 40 years after camaraderie."
Series
- Part 156 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
brio: noun: brē-(ˌ)ō: vigor or vivacity of style or performance
From Italian brio (liveliness), from Spanish brio (spirit), from Celtic brigos (strength). Earliest documented use: 1731.
Series
- Part 157 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
verbose: adjective: vərˈbōs: using or expressed in more words than are needed.
late 17th century: from Latin verbosus, from verbum ‘word.’
Series
- Part 158 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
enigmatic: adjective: en-ig-mat-ik, ee-nig-]: resembling an enigma; difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious
early 17th century: from French énigmatique or late Latin aenigmaticus, based on Greek ainigma ‘riddle’
Series
- Part 159 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
incalescent: adjective: in-kuh-les-uh nt: increasing in heat or ardour
17th century: present participle of incalēscere, to grow warm
Series
- Part 160 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
whatness: noun: hwät-nəs, ˈwät-, ˈ(h)wət-: essence of something
first used 1611
Series
- Part 161 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
placid: adjective: pla-səd: not easily upset or excited
early 17th century: from French placide, from Latin placidus, from placere ‘to please.’
Series
- Part 162 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
apostasy: noun: ə-ˈpäs-tə-sē: a total desertion of or departure from one's religion, principles, party, cause, etc.
Apostasy can be traced to the Greek apostasis meaning "a standing away." It entered English in the mid-1300s.
Series
- Part 163 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
golem: noun: GOH-lum: an artificial being in Hebrew folklore endowed with life
late 19th century: from Yiddish goylem, from Hebrew gōlem ‘shapeless mass.’
from Merriam-Webster:
"The Hebrew ancestor of the word golem meant "shapeless mass," and the original golems started as lumps of clay that were formed into figures and brought to life by means of a charm or a combination of letters forming a sacred word. In the Middle Ages, golems were thought to be the perfect servants; their only fault was that they were sometimes too literal or mechanical in fulfilling their masters' orders. In the 16th century, the golem was thought of as a protector of the Jews in times of persecution. But by the late 1800s, golem had acquired a less friendly second sense, referring to a man-made monster that inspired many of the back-from-the-dead creations of classic horror fiction."Series
- Part 164 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
verbatim: adverb: vər-ˈbā-təm: in the exact words; word for word
late 15th century: from medieval Latin, from Latin verbum ‘word.’
Series
- Part 165 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
obnubilate: verb: ahb-NOO-buh-layt: becloud, obscure
late 16th century: from Latin obnubilat- ‘covered with clouds or fog,’ from the verb obnubilare
Series
- Part 166 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
omniscience: noun: om-nish-uh ns: infinite knowledge
Medieval Latin omniscientia, from Latin omni- + scientia knowledge
Series
- Part 167 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
cantankerous: adjective: kan-ˈtaŋ-k(ə-)rəs, kən-: difficult or irritating to deal with
mid 18th century: of unknown origin; perhaps a blend of Anglo-Irish cant ‘auction’ and rancorous
from Merriam-Webster-
It's irritating, but we're not absolutely sure where "cantankerous" comes from. Etymologists think it probably derived from the Middle English word contack (or "contek"), which meant "contention" or "strife." Their idea is that "cantankerous" may have started out as "contackerous" but was later modified as a result of association or confusion with "rancorous" (meaning "spiteful") and "cankerous" (which describes something that spreads corruption of the mind or spirit). Considering that a cantankerous person generally has the spite associated with "contack" and "rancor," and the noxious and sometimes painful effects of a "canker," that theory seems plausible. What we can say with conviction is that "cantankerous" has been used in English since at least the late 1700s.
Series
- Part 168 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
discombobulate: verb: dis-kəm-ˈbä-b(y)ə-ˌlāt: to disconcert or confuse someone
English: mid 19th century: probably based on discompose or discomfit.
Series
- Part 169 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ephemeral: adjective: i-ˈfem-rəl, -ˈfēm-; -ˈfe-mə-, -ˈfē-: lasting a very short time
Greek ephēmeros lasting a day, daily, from epi- + hēmera day
Series
- Part 170 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
linear: adjective: ˈli-nē-ər: progressing from one stage to another in a single series of steps; sequential.
mid 17th century: from Latin linearis, from linea ‘a line’
Series
- Part 171 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
kismet: noun: ˈkiz-ˌmet, -mət: fate, destiny
early 19th century: from Turkish, from Arabic ḳismat ‘division, portion, lot,’ from ḳasama ‘to divide.’
Series
- Part 172 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
halcyon: adjective: hal-see-uh n: calm, peaceful, tranquil
late Middle English (in the mythological sense): via Latin from Greek alkuōn ‘kingfisher’ (also halkuōn, by association with hals ‘sea’ and kuōn ‘conceiving’)
Series
- Part 173 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ostentatious: adjective: äs-tən-ˈtā-shəs: Characterized by or given to pretentiousness.
late Middle English: via Old French from Latin ostentatio(n-), from the verb ostentare, frequentative of ostendere ‘stretch out to view.’
Series
- Part 174 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
susurration: noun: sü-sə-ˈrā-shən: a soft murmur, whisper
late Middle English: from late Latin susurratio(n-), from Latin susurrare ‘to murmur, hum.’
Series
- Part 175 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
confluence: noun: kän-ˌflü-ən(t)s, kən-: a place where two rivers or streams join to become one; a situation in which two things come together or happen at the same time
late Middle English: from late Latin confluentia, from Latin confluere ‘flow together’
Series
- Part 176 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
frenetic: adjective: fri-ˈne-tik: Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way
first used in the 14th century. Middle English frenetik insane, from Anglo-French, from Latin phreneticus, modification of Greek phrenitikos, from phrenitis inflammation of the brain, from phren-, phrēn diaphragm, mind
Series
- Part 177 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
undulate: verb: ən-jə-lət, ˈən-d(y)ə-, -ˌlāt: move with a smooth wavelike motion.
mid 17th century: from late Latin undulatus, from Latin unda ‘a wave.’
Series
- Part 178 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
joie de vivre: noun: zhwä-də-ˈvēvrə: a feeling of happiness or excitement about life
French, literally ‘joy of living.’
Series
- Part 179 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
winsome: adjective: ˈwin(t)-səm: sweetly or innocently charming
before 900; Middle English winsom, Old English wynsum, equivalent to wyn joy
Series
- Part 180 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
auspicious: adjective: aw-SPISH-us: giving or being a sign of future success
from Merriam-Webster:
"Auspicious comes from Latin auspex, which literally means "bird seer" (from the words avis, meaning "bird," and specere, meaning "to look at"). In ancient Rome, these "bird seers" were priests, or augurs, who studied the flight and feeding patterns of birds, then delivered prophecies based on their observations. The right combination of bird behavior indicated favorable conditions, but the wrong patterns spelled trouble. The English noun auspice, which originally referred to this practice of observing birds to discover omens, also comes from Latin auspex. Today, the plural form auspices is often used with the meaning "kindly patronage and guidance." "
Series
- Part 181 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
sidereal: adjective: sīˈdi rē əl: of, relating to, or expressed in relation to stars or constellations
from Merriam-Webster:
"In Latin, the word for heavenly body is sidus. Latin speakers used that word to form desiderare (from a heavenly body) and considerare (to think about a heavenly body), which were adopted into English as desire and consider. Sidereal, another sidus creation, was first used in English in 1647. Thirty-four years later, an astronomer coined the phrase sidereal year for the time in which the earth completes one revolution in its orbit around the sun, measured with respect to the fixed stars. Not surprisingly, other sidereal measurements of time followed, including the sidereal month, the sidereal day, the sidereal hour, and even the sidereal minute."
Series
- Part 182 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
resplendent: adjective: rəˈsplend ənt: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
late Middle English: from Latin resplendent- ‘shining out,’ from the verb resplendere, from re- (expressing intensive force) + splendere ‘to glitter.’
Series
- Part 183 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
parry: verb: PAIR-ee: to evade especially by an adroit answer
late 17th century: probably representing French parez! ‘ward off!,’ imperative of parer, from Italian parare ‘ward off.’
Series
- Part 184 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
tangible:adjective: tan jə b(ə)l: perceptible by touch
late 16th century: from French, or from late Latin tangibilis, from tangere ‘to touch.’
Series
- Part 185 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
brevity: noun: brev-i-tee: shortness of time or duration, briefness
late 15th century: from Old French brievete, from Latin brevitas, from brevis ‘brief.’
Series
- Part 186 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
hiatus: noun: hīˈād əs: a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process
mid 16th century (originally denoting a physical gap or opening): from Latin, literally ‘gaping,’ from hiare ‘gape.’
Series
- Part 187 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
empyreal: adjective: em-pir-ee-uh l: pertaining to the sky, celestial
late Middle English (as an adjective): via medieval Latin from Greek empurios, from en- ‘in’ + pur ‘fire.’ The noun dates from the mid 17th century.
Series
- Part 188 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
tonsorial: adjective: tänˈsô rē əl: of or relating to a barber or barbering
early 19th century: from Latin tonsorius (from tonsor ‘barber,’ from tondere ‘shear, clip’) + -al.
Series
- Part 189 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
sheeple: noun: SHē pəl: people compared to sheep in being docile, foolish, or easily led.
1940s, blend of sheep and people; English
Series
- Part 190 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
antiquated: adjective: an (t)əˌkwād əd: outdated or old-fashioned.
late 16th century (in the sense ‘old, of long standing’): from ecclesiastical Latin antiquare ‘make old,’ from antiquus (see antique).
Series
- Part 191 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
loquacious: adjective: lōˈkwā SHəs: tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
mid 17th century: from Latin loquax, loquac- (from loqui ‘talk’) + -ious.
Series
- Part 192 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
exasperate: verb: ig-ZASS-puh-rayt: to cause irritation or annoyance to
mid 16th century: from Latin exasperat- ‘irritated to anger,’ from the verb exasperare (based on asper ‘rough’).
Series
- Part 193 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ecdysiast: noun: ekˈdēz ē əst: A person who disrobes to provide entertainment for others.
Coined by writer and editor H.L. Mencken in 1940, from ecdysis (shedding or molting), from Greek ekdysis (casting off), from ek- (out) + dyein (to put on).
Series
- Part 194 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
certainty: noun: sər tn tē: firm conviction that something is the case.
Series
- Part 195 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
exquisite: adjective: ek-ˈskwi-zət: finely done or made : very beautiful or delicate
late Middle English (in the sense ‘carefully ascertained, precise’): from Latin exquisit- ‘sought out,’ from the verb exquirere, from ex- ‘out’ + quaerere ‘seek.’
Series
- Part 196 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
galumph: verb: ɡəˈləmf: move in a clumsy, ponderous, or noisy manner.
1871 (in the sense ‘prance in triumph’): coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass ; perhaps a blend of gallop and triumph.
Series
- Part 197 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
lackadaisical: adjective: lak əˈ dāz ək(ə)l: lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.
mid 18th century (also in the sense ‘feebly sentimental’): from the archaic interjection lackaday, lackadaisy
Series
- Part 198 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
petrichor: noun: PET-ri-kuhr: The pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell.
Coined by researchers I.J. Bear and R.G. Thomas in 1964, from Greek petros (stone) + ichor (the fluid that supposedly flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology).
Series
- Part 199 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
euphemism: noun: yo͞ofəˌmizəm: a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
late 16th century: from Greek euphēmismos, from euphēmizein ‘use auspicious words,’ from eu ‘well’ + phēmē ‘speaking.’
Series
- Part 200 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 1 of Derisive
-
Tags
Summary
bandersnatch: noun: ban-der-snach: a person of uncouth or unconventional habits, attitudes, etc., especially one considered a menace, nuisance, or the like.
coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass 1871
Series
- Part 201 of Words, Words, Words
-
Appreciation by notjustmom for scrub456, AlwaysJohn, DaringD, Manon_de_Sercoeur, Strawberryhiddleslock, victorian_sexstache, Silvergirl
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV)
21 Apr 2016
Tags
Summary
Appreciation: noun: əˌprē SHēˈāSH(ə)n: gratitude for something.
early 17th century: from French appréciation, from late Latin appretiatio(n-), from the verb appretiare ‘set at a price, appraise’ (see appreciate).
Series
- Part 202 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
nostalgia: noun: näˈ stal jə, nəˈ stal jə: a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.
late 18th century (in the sense ‘acute homesickness’): modern Latin (translating German Heimweh ‘homesickness’), from Greek nostos ‘return home’ + algos ‘pain.’
Series
- Part 203 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
derisive: adjective: dəˈ rī siv: expressing contempt or ridicule.
mid 17th century: from late Middle English: via Old French late Latin derisio(n-), from deridere ‘scoff at.’
Series
- Part 204 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 2 of Derisive
-
Tags
Summary
puckish: adjective: puhk-ish: mischievous, impish
From Merriam-Webster
We know Puck as "that merry wanderer of the night," the shape-changing, maiden-frightening, mischief-sowing henchman to the king of the fairies in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Bard drew on English folklore in casting his character, but the traditional Puck was more malicious than the Shakespearean imp; he was an evil spirit or demon. In medieval England, this nasty hobgoblin was known as the puke or pouke, names related to the Old Norse pŪki, meaning "devil." But it was the Bard's characterization that stuck, and by the time the adjective puckish started appearing regularly in English texts in the late 1800s the association was one of impishness, not evil.
Series
- Part 205 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
austere: adjective: ôˈstir: having an extremely plain and simple style or appearance; unadorned.
Middle English: via Old French from Latin austerus, from Greek austēros ‘severe.’
Series
- Part 206 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
dulcet: adjective: dəl-sət: pleasing to the ear
late Middle English doucet, from Old French doucet, diminutive of doux, from Latin dulcis ‘sweet.’ The Latin form influenced the modern spelling.
Series
- Part 207 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ennui: noun: än-ˈwē: a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
From Merriam-Webster:
The French loanword ennui comes from the very same Late Latin word that gave us "annoy" - "inodiare" ("to make loathsome"). We borrowed "ennui" several centuries after absorbing "annoy" into the language. "Ennui" deals more with boredom than irritation - and a somewhat specific sort of boredom at that. It generally refers to the feeling of jadedness that can result from living a life of too much ease. The poet Charles Lloyd described it well in his 1823 "Stanzas to Ennui" when he referred to that world-weary sensation as a "soul-destroying fiend" which visits with its "pale unrest / The chambers of the human breast / Where too much happiness hath fixed its home."
Series
- Part 208 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
trivia: noun: triv-ee-uh: details, considerations, or pieces of information of little importance or value.
late Middle English (in the sense ‘belonging to the trivium’): from medieval Latin trivialis, from Latin trivium:
from Latin, literally ‘place where three roads meet'Series
- Part 209 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
nonplus: verb: nahn-PLUS: to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do: perplex
from Merrian-Webster:
"...In Latin, non plus means "no more." In the earliest known uses, which date to the 16th century, it was used as a noun synonymous with quandary. Someone brought to a nonplus had reached an impasse in an argument and could say no more. Within a few decades of the first known use of the noun, people began using nonplus as a verb, and today it is often used in participial form with the meaning 'perplexed.' "
Series
- Part 210 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
quixotic: adjective: kwik-ˈsä-tik: exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
originates from the character of Don Quixote, 18th century
Series
- Part 211 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
shimmer: verb: shi-mər: shine with a soft tremulous light.
Late Old English scymrian, of Germanic origin; related to German schimmern, also from the English, shine; from the early 19th century
Series
- Part 212 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ineffable: adjective: i-ˈne-fə-bəl: incapable of being expressed in words
from Merriam-Webster:
"Ineffable" comes from "ineffabilis," which joins the prefix in-, meaning "not," with the adjective effabilis, meaning "capable of being expressed." "Effabilis" comes from "effari" ("to speak out"), which in turn comes from ex- and fari ("to speak").
Series
- Part 213 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
epiphany: noun: i-ˈpi-fə-nē: an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
Middle English: from Greek epiphainein ‘reveal.’ The sense relating to the Christian festival is via Old French epiphanie and ecclesiastical Latin epiphania.
Series
- Part 214 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 1 of Epiphany
-
Tags
Summary
still: noun: stil: deep silence and calm; stillness.
adverb: up to and including the present or the time mentioned; even now (or then) as formerly.Old English stille (adjective and adverb), stillan (verb), from a base meaning ‘be fixed, stand.’
Series
- Part 7 of Epiphany
- Part 215 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
sound: adjective: sound: in good condition; not damaged, injured, or diseased
Middle English: from Old English gesund ; related to Dutch gezond and German gesund
Series
- Part 216 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 8 of Epiphany
-
Tags
Summary
"The idea was fantastically, wildly improbable. But like most fantastically, wildly improbable ideas it was at least as worthy of consideration as a more mundane one to which the facts had been strenuously bent to fit." -Douglas Adams (from "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul")
concupiscent: adjective: känˈkyo͞o pis ənt, kən-: filled with sexual desire; lustful.
1400-50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin concupiscentia, from Latin concupiscent-, concupiscens, present participle of concupiscere to desire ardently, from com- + cupere to desire
Series
- Part 11 of Towel Day 2016
- Part 217 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
scaramouch: noun: skar-ə-ˌmüsh, -ˌmüch, -ˌmau̇ch:
a cowardly buffoonFrench Scaramouche, from Italian Scaramuccia, from scaramuccia skirmish
First Known Use: 1662
Series
- Part 218 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Ablutions: noun: uh-BLOO-shuns: the act or action of bathing
from Merriam-Webster:
"Ablution derives via Middle French and Middle English from the Latin verb abluere, meaning "to wash away," formed from the prefix ab- ("away, off") and lavere ("to wash"). Early uses of the word occurred in contexts of alchemy and chemistry. The first known use of ablution to refer to washing as a religious rite occurs in Thomas More's The Apologye Made by Hym (1533). Many religions include some kind of washing of the body in their rituals, usually as a form of purification or dedication. The use of the term to refer to the action of washing one's body without any religious significance did not take hold in English until the mid-18th century. In British English, ablutions can also refer to a building housing bathing and toilet facilities on a military base."
Series
- Part 219 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
benevolent: adjective: bə-ˈnev-lənt, -ˈne-və-: well meaning and kindly
late Middle English: from Old French benivolent, from Latin bene volent- ‘well wishing,’ from bene ‘well’ + velle ‘to wish.’
Series
- Part 220 of Words, Words, Words
-
Intrepid by notjustmom for AlwaysJohn
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
16 Jun 2016
Tags
Summary
intrepid: adjective: inˈtre -pəd: fearless; adventurous
from Merriam-Webster:
You need not be afraid to find out the origins of today’s word, although its history does include fear. Intrepid derives from the Latin word intrepidus, itself formed by the combination of the prefix in- (meaning "not") and trepidus, meaning "alarmed."Series
- Part 221 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Continuing story of the Epiphany crew...two years later
push: verb: po͝oSH: exert force on (someone or something), typically with one's hand, in order to move them away from oneself or the origin of the force.
a vigorous effort to do or obtain something.
Middle English (as a verb): from Old French pousser, from Latin pulsare ‘to push, beat, pulse’. The early sense was ‘exert force on,’ giving rise later to ‘make a strenuous effort, endeavor.’
Series
- Part 9 of Epiphany
- Part 222 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
languor: noun: ˈlaŋ-gər": a state of feeling tired and relaxed
Middle English, from Anglo-French langur, from Latin languor, from languēre
First Known Use: 14th century
Series
- Part 223 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
antithesis: noun: an-ˈti-thə-səs: the exact opposite of something or someone
late Middle English (originally denoting the substitution of one grammatical case for another): from late Latin, from Greek antitithenai ‘set against,’ from anti ‘against’ + tithenai ‘to place.’ The earliest current sense, denoting a rhetorical or literary device, dates from the early 16th century.
Series
- Part 224 of Words, Words, Words
-
Remains by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
20 Jul 2016
Tags
Summary
The last major part of Epiphany; mostly told in flashbacks as Sherlock and his 'nieces' go through Baker Street history in preparation for the boys' move to Sussex.
remains: noun: rəˈmānz: the parts left over after other parts have been removed, used, or destroyed; historical or archaeological relics.
late Middle English (occasionally treated as singular): from Old French remain, from remaindre, from an informal form of Latin remanere
Series
- Part 11 of Epiphany
- Part 225 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
sepia: noun: sē-pē-ə: a print or photograph of a brown color resembling sepia; a brown melanin-containing pigment from the ink of cuttlefishes
late Middle English (denoting a cuttlefish): via Latin from Greek sēpia ‘cuttlefish.’ The current senses date from the early 19th century.
Series
- Part 226 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ossify: verb: AH-suh-fye: to become or make hardened or set in one's ways
early 18th century: from French ossifier, from Latin os, oss- ‘bone.’
Series
- Part 227 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
precise: adjective: prəˈsīs: marked by exactness and accuracy of expression or detail.
late Middle English: from Old French prescis, from Latin praecis- ‘cut short,’ from the verb praecidere, from prae ‘in advance’ + caedere ‘to cut.’
Series
- Part 228 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
mollify: verb: mä-lə-ˌfī: To soften in temper or disposition; to allay the anger or indignation of; to calm, pacify, appease.(def from OED)
from Merriam-Webster:
"Mollify, "pacify," "appease," and "placate" all mean "to ease the anger or disturbance of," although each implies a slightly different way of pouring oil on troubled waters. "Pacify" suggests the restoration of a calm or peaceful state, while "appease" implies the quieting of insistent demands by making concessions; you can appease appetites and desires as well as persons. "Placate" is similar to "appease," but it often indicates a more complete transformation of bitterness to goodwill. "Mollify," with its root in Latin mollis, meaning "soft," implies soothing hurt feelings or anger."
Series
- Part 229 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 13 of Epiphany
-
Tags
Summary
embellish: verb: im-ˈbe-lish: make (a statement or story) more interesting or entertaining by adding extra details, especially ones that are not true.
late Middle English: from Old French embelliss-, lengthened stem of embellir, based on bel ‘handsome,’ from Latin bellus.
Series
- Part 230 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
imagine: verb: i-ˈma-jən: form a mental image or concept of.
Middle English: from Old French imaginer, from Latin imaginare ‘form an image of, represent’ and imaginari ‘picture to oneself,’ both from imago, imagin- ‘image.’
Series
- Part 231 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Jocular: adjective: ˈjä-kyə-lər: Given to, characterized by, intended for, or suited to joking or jesting; waggish; facetious
early 17th century: from Latin jocularis, from joculus, diminutive of jocus
Series
- Part 232 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
astute: adjective: ə-ˈstüt: having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one's advantage.
from Merriam-Webster:
"Astute is similar in meaning to "shrewd" and "sagacious," but there are subtle differences in connotation among them. All three suggest sharp thinking and sound judgment, but "shrewd" stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment ("a shrewd judge of character"), whereas "sagacious" implies wisdom and foresight combined with good judgment ("sagacious investors"). "Astute," which derives from the Latin noun astus, meaning "craft, suggests cleverness, mental sharpness, and diplomatic skill" ("an astute player of party politics")."
Series
- Part 233 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
effusive: adjective: i-ˈfyü-siv, e-, -ziv: marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm
from Merriam-Webster:
"We've used "effusive" in English to describe excessive outpourings since the 17th century. In the 1800s, geologists adopted the specific sense related to flowing lava-or to hardened rock formed from flowing lava. "Effusive" can be traced to the Latin verb effundere ("to pour out"), which itself comes from "fundere" ("to pour") plus a modification of the prefix ex- ("out"). Our verb "effuse" has the same Latin ancestors. A person effuses when he or she speaks effusively. Liquids can effuse as well (as in "water effusing from a pipe")."
Series
- Part 234 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
berate: verb: bih-RAYT: to scold or condemn vehemently and at length
mid 16th century: from be- ‘thoroughly’ + rate (late Middle English: of unknown origin)
Series
- Part 235 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
cadence: noun: KAY-dunss: the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion or activity
from Merriam-Webster:
Falling into the hands of English speakers in the 14th century, cadence derives via Middle English and Old Italian from the Latin verb cadere, meaning "to fall." (Cadere can be found in the history of many common English words, including decay, coincide, and accident.) We most often hear cadence used in contexts pertaining to voice or music—it might refer to the familiar way in which someone speaks, or the rhythms employed by a rap artist, or the rising and falling notes of a bird's call. Cadenza, the Old Italian word that factors into the history of cadence, has its own place in English as well. Cadenza in English usually refers to a brilliant musical flourish played before closing out an aria.
Series
- Part 236 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
crepuscular: adjective: kri-ˈpəs-kyə-lər: of, relating to, or resembling twilight
The early Romans had two words for "twilight." "Crepusculum" was favored by Roman writers for the half-light of evening, just after the sun sets; it is a diminutive formation based on their word for "dusky," which is "creper." "Diluculum" was reserved for morning twilight, just before the sun rises - it is related to lucidus, meaning "bright." We didn't embrace either of these Latin nouns as substitutes for our Middle English "twilight," but we did form the adjective "crepuscular" in the 17th century. At first, it only meant "dim" or "indistinct," often used in a figurative sense. In the 1820s, we added its special zoological sense, describing animals that are most active at twilight
Series
- Part 237 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
chutzpah: noun: ˈhu̇t-spə, ˈḵu̇t-, -(ˌ)spä: personal confidence or courage that allows someone to do or say things that may seem shocking to others
Yiddish khutspe, from Late Hebrew ḥuṣpāh
First Known Use: 1883
Series
- Part 238 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
flounder: verb: FLOUN-der: struggle mentally; show or feel great confusion.
late 16th century: perhaps a blend of founder and blunder or perhaps symbolic, fl- frequently beginning words connected with swift or sudden movement.
Series
- Part 239 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
vestige: noun: VESS-tij: a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (such as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost
from Merriam - Webster:
"Vestige is derived via Middle French from the Latin noun vestigium, meaning "footstep, footprint, or track." Like trace and track, vestige can refer to a perceptible sign made by something that has now passed. Of the three words, vestige is the most likely to apply to a tangible reminder, such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone. Trace, on the other hand, may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect ("the snowfield is pockmarked with the traces of caribou"). Track implies a continuous line that can be followed ("the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs")."
Series
- Part 240 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
rectify: verb: REK-tuh-fye: to set right
Late Middle English: from Old French rectifier, from medieval Latin rectificare, from Latin rectus ‘right.’
Series
- Part 241 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
dedication: noun: ded-ih-KAY-shun: a name and often a message prefixed to a literary, musical, or artistic production in tribute to a person or cause
late Middle English: from Latin dedicatio(n-), from dedicare ‘devote, consecrate’
Series
- Part 242 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
indulgent: adjective: in-ˈdəl-jənt: having or indicating a tendency to be overly generous to or lenient with someone
early 16th century: from French, or from Latin indulgent- ‘giving free rein to,’ from the verb indulgere.
Series
- Part 243 of Words, Words, Words
-
Bevy by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
08 Sep 2016
Tags
Summary
bevy: noun: bev-ē: a large group of people or things of a particular kind.
late Middle English: of unknown origin
Series
- Part 244 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
amorous: noun: am (ə) rəs: showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire.
Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin amorosus, from Latin amor ‘love.’
Series
- Part 245 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
kibosh: noun: KYE-bahsh: something that serves as a check or stop
from Merriam-Webster:
"For almost two centuries, kibosh has taxed the ingenuity of etymologists. It was prominent enough in lower-class London speech to attract the attention of Charles Dickens, who used it in 1836 in an early sketch, but little else is certain. Claims were once made that it was Yiddish, despite the absence of a plausible Yiddish source. Another hypothesis points to Gaelic caidhp bháis—pronounced similarly to, and meaning, "coif of death"—explained as headgear a judge put on when pronouncing a death sentence, or as a covering pulled over the face of a corpse when a coffin was closed. But evidence for any metaphorical use of this phrase in Irish is lacking, and kibosh is not recorded as spoken in Ireland until decades after Dickens' use."
Series
- Part 246 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
kitsch: noun: kich: tawdry, vulgarized, or pretentious art, literature, etc, usually with popular or sentimental appeal
1926, from German kitsch, literally "gaudy, trash," from dialectal kitschen "to smear."
Series
- Part 247 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
harebrained: adjective: hare·brained: rash, ill-judged
first used 1500s
Series
- Part 248 of Words, Words, Words
-
Dismal by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
22 Oct 2016
Tags
Summary
dismal: adjective: diz-məl: dreary, depressing
late Middle English: from earlier dismal (noun), denoting the two days in each month that in medieval times were believed to be unlucky, from Anglo-Norman French dis mal, from medieval Latin dies mali ‘evil days.’
Series
- Part 249 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ornery: adjective: ȯr-nə-rē: difficult to deal with or control
From Merriam-Webster:
Ornery was first used in American regional speech in the beginning of the 19th century as a simple variant of ordinary, and for some while it had the same meaning. Soon enough, however, it began to take on some of the more negative aspects of ordinary. It was used to describe things that were common, and especially common things of inferior quality. Next, it developed a sense synonymous with lazy. Those lazy folks dubbed "ornery" were also apparently easily annoyed and touchy. By the end of the 19th century ornery had taken on its now-common meaning of "cantankerous."Series
- Part 250 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
between: preposition: bē-twēn: in the space that separates; in the time that separates
Middle English betwene, preposition & adverb, from Old English betwēonum, from be- + -twēonum (dative plural) (akin to Gothic tweihnai two each); akin to Old English twā two
First Known Use: before 12th century
Series
- Part 251 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
elicit: verb: ih-LISS-it: to call forth or draw out (as information or a response)
From Merriam-Webster:
Elicit derives from the past participle of the Latin verb elicere, formed by combining the prefix e- (meaning "away") with the verb lacere, meaning "to entice by charm or attraction." It is not related to its near-homophone, the adjective illicit—that word, meaning "unlawful," traces back to another Latin verb, licēre, meaning "to be permitted." Nor is elicit related to the verb solicit, even though it sounds like it should be. Solicit derives from Latin sollicitare ("to disturb"), formed by combining the adjective sollus, meaning "whole," with the past participle of the verb ciēre, meaning "to move."
Series
- Part 252 of Words, Words, Words
-
Ripsnorter by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
20 Nov 2016
Tags
Summary
ripsnorter: noun: rip-ˈsnȯr-tər: something extraordinary
first known use: 1840
Series
- Part 253 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
sesquipedalian: adjective: ses·qui·pe·da·lian: given to or characterized by the use of long words; long-winded
from Merriam-Webster:
Horace, the Roman poet known for his satire, was merely being gently ironic when he cautioned young poets against using "sesquipedalia verba"-"words a foot and a half long"-in his book Ars poetica, a collection of maxims about writing. But in the 17th century, English literary critics decided the word sesquipedalian could be very useful for lambasting writers using unnecessarily long words. Robert Southey used it to make two jibes at once when he wrote "the verses of [16th-century English poet] Stephen Hawes are as full of barbarous sesquipedalian Latinisms, as the prose of [the 18th-century periodical] the Rambler." The Latin prefix sesqui- is used in modern English to mean "one and a half times," as in "sesquicentennial" (a 150th anniversary).
Series
- Part 254 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
maelstrom: noun: mālˌsträm,ˈmālˌstrəm: a situation or state of confused movement or violent turmoil.
late 17th century: from early modern Dutch (denoting a mythical whirlpool supposed to exist in the Arctic Ocean, west of Norway), from maalen ‘grind, whirl’ + stroom ‘stream.’
Series
- Part 255 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 4 of Thoughts on The Six Thatchers
-
Semblance by notjustmom, scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
30 Jan 2017
Tags
Summary
semblance: noun: ˈsem-blən(t)s: outward and often specious appearance or show
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from sembler to be like, seem
First used in the 14th century
Series
- Part 256 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 6 of TFP
-
Tags
Summary
peevish: adjective: pē-vish: easily irritated, especially by unimportant things
late Middle English (in the sense ‘foolish, insane, spiteful’): of unknown origin.
Series
- Part 257 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
billet-doux: noun, bill-ee-DOO: a love letter
from Merriam-Webster:
The first recorded use of the French word billet doux (literally, "sweet letter") in an English context occurs in John Dryden's 1673 play Marriage a-la-Mode. In the play, Dryden pokes fun at linguistic Francophiles in English society through the comic character Melanthe, who is described by her prospective lover Rodophil as follows: "No lady can be so curious of a new fashion as she is of a new French word; she's the very mint of the nation, and as fast as any bullion comes out of France, coins it immediately into our language." True to form, Melanthe describes Rodophil with the following words: "Let me die, but he's a fine man; he sings and dances en Français, and writes the billets doux to a miracle."
Series
- Part 258 of Words, Words, Words
-
Gratitude by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
21 Feb 2017
Tags
Summary
gratitude: noun: ˈgra-tə-ˌtüd: the state of being grateful
late Middle English: from Old French, or from medieval Latin gratitudo, from Latin gratus ‘pleasing, thankful.’
Series
- Part 259 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
kudos: noun: KOO-dahss: fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement
from Merriam-Webster:
Deriving from Greek, kudos entered English as slang popular at British universities in the 19th century. In its earliest use, the word referred to the prestige or renown that one gained by having accomplished something noteworthy. The sense meaning "praise given for achievement" came about in the 1920s. As this later sense became the predominant one, some English speakers, unaware of the word's Greek origin, began to treat the word as a plural count noun, inevitably coming up with the back-formation kudo to refer to a single instance of praise. For the same reason, when kudos is used as a subject you may see it with either a singular or plural verb.
Series
- Part 260 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
middlescence: noun: mid-l-es uh ns: the middle-age period of life, especially when considered a difficult time of self-doubt and readjustment.
Blend of middle and adolescence, first entered the English language in the 1960s.
Series
- Part 261 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
fusillade: noun: fyoo-suh-leyd, lahd, zuh; a general discharge or outpouring of anything
from dictionary.com:
Fusillade comes from the French verb fusiler “to shoot.” The suffix -ade is found in nouns denoting action or process or a person or persons acting, and is often found in French loanwords. Fusillade entered English in the late 18th century.
Series
- Part 262 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
lodestar: noun: ˈlōd-ˌstar: one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide
from Merriam-Webster.com
"The literal, albeit archaic, meaning of "lodestar" is "a star that leads or guides; especially : the North Star." (The first half of the word derives from the Middle English word "lode," meaning "course.") Both the literal and the figurative sense ("an inspiration or guide") date back to the 14th century, the time of Geoffrey Chaucer. The literal sense fell out of use in the 17th century, and so, for a while, did the figurative sense - but it appeared again 170 years later, when Sir Walter Scott used it in his 1813 poem The Bridal of Triermain."
Series
- Part 263 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
gadzookery: noun: gad-ZOO-kuh-ree: the use or overuse of period-specific or archaic expressions, as in a historical novel:
from Merriam-Webster:
"Gadzooks . . . you astonish me!" cries Mr. Lenville in Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby. We won't accuse Dickens of gadzookery ("the bane of historical fiction," as historical novelist John Vernon once called it), because we assume people actually said gadzooks back in the 1830s. That mild oath is an old-fashioned euphemism, so it is thought, for "God's hooks" (a reference, supposedly, to the nails of the Crucifixion). Today's historical novelists must toe a fine line, avoiding anachronistic expressions while at the same time rejecting modern expressions such as okay and nice (the latter, in Shakespeare's day, suggesting one who was wanton or dissolute rather than pleasant, kind, or respectable).
Series
- Part 264 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
overwinter: verb: ˌō-vər-ˈwin-tər: to pass, spend or survive the winter
from Dictionary.com
"Old English had the verb oferwintran “to get through the winter,” but it became obsolete at the end of the Old English period (about 1150). Overwinter was formed anew at the end of the 19th century on the model of Scandinavian, e.g., Danish and Norwegian overvintre, Swedish övervintra ; Dutch overwinteren ; or German überwintern."
Series
- Part 265 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ameliorate: verb: ə-ˈmēl-yə-ˌrāt, -ˈmē-lē-ə-: to make better
from Merriam-Webster:
"Ameliorate traces back to "melior," the Latin adjective meaning "better," and is a synonym of the verbs "better" and "improve." When is it better to use "ameliorate"? If a situation is bad, "ameliorate" indicates that the conditions have been made more tolerable. Thus, one might refer to drugs that ameliorate the side effects of chemotherapy; a loss of wages ameliorated by unemployment benefits; or a harsh law ameliorated by special exceptions. "Improve" and "better" apply when what is being made better can be good or bad (as in "the weather improved" and "she bettered her lot in life"), and they should certainly be chosen over "ameliorate" when something good is getting better still ("he improved his successful program"; "she bettered her impressive scores"). "
Series
- Part 266 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
watershed: noun: WAW-ter-shed: a dividing ridge between drainage areas or a region or area bounded peripherally by a divide and draining ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water;
a crucial dividing point, line, or factor; a turning point
(for the purpose of this story, using the third definition, being American as I am)from Merriam-Webster:
"Opinion on the literal geographic meaning of watershed is divided. On one side of the debate are those who think the word can only refer to a ridge of land separating rivers and streams flowing in one direction from those flowing in the opposite direction. That's the term's original meaning, one probably borrowed in the translation of the German Wasserscheide. On the other side of the argument are those who think watershed can also apply to the area through which such divided water flows. The latter sense is now far more common in America, but most Americans have apparently decided to leave the quarrel to geologists and geographers while they use the term in its figurative sense, 'turning point.' "
Series
- Part 267 of Words, Words, Words
-
Sarcasm by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
27 Mar 2017
Tags
Summary
sarcasm: noun: SAHR-kaz-um: a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual.
from Merriam-Webster:
"If you've ever been hurt by a remark full of cutting sarcasm, you have some insight into the origins of the word. Sarcasm can be traced back to the Greek verb sarkazein, which initially meant "to tear flesh like a dog." Sarkazein eventually developed extended senses of "to bite one's lips in rage," "to gnash one's teeth," and "to sneer." The verb led to the Greek noun sarkasmos, ("a sneering or hurtful remark"), iterations of which passed through French and Late Latin before arriving in English as sarcasm in the 17th century. Even today sarcasm is often described as sharp, cutting, or wounding, reminiscent of the original meaning of the Greek verb."
Series
- Part 268 of Words, Words, Words
-
Apodyopsis by notjustmom for NovaNara
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
05 Apr 2017
Tags
Summary
apodyopsis: noun: apo-DI-opsis: the act of mentally undressing someone (from the Urban Dictionary, still, a life-giving word)
from the Greek
Series
- Part 269 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
panacea: noun: pan-uh-SEE-uh: a remedy for all ills or difficulties
from Merriam-Webster:
Panacea is from Latin, and the Latin word, in turn, is from Greek panakeia. In Greek, panakēs means "all-healing," combining pan- ("all") and akos, which means "remedy." The Latin designation Panacea or Panaces has been awarded to more than one plant at one time or other, among them the herb today known as Prunella vulgaris, whose common name is self-heal. More often than not, panacea is used when decrying a claim made for a remedy that seems too good to be true. Most likely that's what the author is doing in a 1625 anatomical treatise, describing "a certaine medicine made of saffron, quick silver, vermilion, antimonie, and certaine sea shels made up in fashion of triangular lozenges," and calling it a panacea.
Series
- Part 270 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
winsome: adjective: ˈwin(t)-səm: generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence.
from Merriam-Webster:
Winsome began as "wynsum" a thousand years ago. It was formed from "wynn," the Old English word for "joy" or "pleasure," and the suffix -sum, an older form of the "-some" we see today in many adjectives, such as "awesome," "irksome," and "lonesome." "Wynn" later became win, meaning "pleasure," but we haven't used that noun since the 17th century. We do, however, use another word that has a "pleasing" connection and is related, albeit distantly, to "winsome." "Winning" ("tending to please or delight," as in "a winning smile" or "winning ways"), the present participle of the familiar verb "win," is from Old English winnan, meaning "to struggle." Both "winnan" and "wynn" are thought to be related to Latin venus, which means, among other things, "charm."
Series
- Part 271 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
unabashed: adjective: un - uh - BASHT: not embarrassed or ashamed by something that has happened or been done or said
from Merriam - Webster:
To abash is to shake up someone's self-confidence or self-possession, as illustrated by Charlotte Brontë in her 1849 novel Shirley: "He had never blushed in his life; no humiliation could abash him." When you are unabashed you make no apologies for your behavior, but when you are abashed your confidence has been shaken and you may feel rather inferior or ashamed of yourself. English speakers have been using abashed to describe feelings of embarrassment since the 14th century, but they have only used unabashed (brazenly or otherwise) since the late 1500s. Both words can be traced back to the Anglo-French word abair, meaning "to astonish."
Series
- Part 272 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
keysmash: noun: kee-smash: a random string of letters and symbols typed out on a keyboard or touchscreen, used to signal intense emotion in written communication
Keysmash combines the words key (referring to a keyboard) and smash “to hit or strike (something) with force.” It entered English in the mid- to late 1990s.
Series
- Part 273 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
perambulator: noun: per-am-byuh-ley-ter: baby carriage
from Dictionary.com:
Perambulator derives from the Latin verb perambulāre “to ramble, stroll” and, of physicians, “to make one’s rounds, visit patients.” Perambulator in its original sense “a person who strolls, pedestrian” appears in the early 17th century but is now quaint. By the late 17th century perambulator had developed the meaning “surveyor” (i.e. a person who surveys), and a little later, “a wheeled machine, attached to a handle, pushed by a worker to measure distances” (also called an odometer). From the wheeled device attached to a handle and pushed by a person, the most common modern sense of perambulator, “baby carriage,” arose in the mid-19th century; it is chiefly a British word of older usage, and the source of the shortened form pram.
Series
- Part 34 of Box of 64
- Part 274 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
harrumph: verb: huh-ruhmf: to express oneself gruffly: first recorded in 1930
Series
- Part 275 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
exculpatory: adjective: ek-ˈskəl-pə-ˌtȯr-ē: tending to clear from a charge of guilt or fault
from Merriam-Webster:
"...The adjective comes from a combination of the prefix ex-, meaning "out of" or "away from," and the Latin noun culpa, which means "blame" or "guilt." Something exculpatory, then, frees one from accusations. Culpa has given English a number of other words, including the verb exculpate ("to clear from alleged fault or guilt"). The related but lesser-known terms inculpate ("to incriminate") and inculpatory ("incriminating") are antonyms of exculpate and exculpatory. Culpable is a synonym of blameworthy, and mea culpa refers to a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error."
First Known Use of exculpatory
1781Series
- Part 276 of Words, Words, Words
-
Advise by notjustmom for NovaNara
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
27 Jul 2017
Tags
Summary
Advise: verb: ud-VYZE: to give a recommendation about what should be done
From Merriam-Webster:
"... was borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century as avise (spelling variants with the d found in the Modern English advise began showing up in the 15th century). The word is derived from the Anglo-French aviser, itself from avis, meaning "opinion." That avis is not to be confused with the Latin word avis, meaning "bird" (an ancestor of such English words as avian and aviation). Instead, it results from the Old French phrase ce m'est a vis ("that appears to me"), a partial translation of Latin mihi visum est, "it seemed so to me" or "I decided." We advise you to remember that the verb advise is spelled with an s, whereas the related noun advice includes a stealthy c."
Series
- Part 277 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Circuitous: adjective: sər-ˈkyü-ə-təs: having a circular or winding route
perhaps from Medieval Latin circuitosus, from Latin circuitus, first known use, 1664
Series
- Part 278 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
anodyne: adjective: ˈa-nə-ˌdīn: not likely to offend or arouse tensions, innocuous
from Merriam-Webster:
"Anodyne came to English via Latin from Greek anōdynos ("without pain"), and it has been used as both an adjective and a noun ("something that relieves pain") since the 16th century. It has sometimes been used of things that dull or lull the senses and render painful experiences less so. Edmund Burke used it this way, for example, in 1790 when he referred to flattery as an "anodyne draft of oblivion" that renders one (in this particular case, the deposed king Louis XVI) forgetful of the flatterer's true feelings. In the 1930s, a newer second sense began appearing in our vocabulary. Now, in addition to describing things that dull pain, anodyne can also refer to that which doesn't cause discomfort in the first place"
Series
- Part 279 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
catharsis: noun: kə-ˈthär-səs: a purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension
from Merriam-Webster:
"Catharsis and cathartic both trace to the Greek word kathairein, meaning “to cleanse, purge.” Catharsis entered English as a medical term having to do with purging the body—and especially the bowels—of unwanted material. The adjective cathartic entered English with a meaning descriptive of such a physically cleansing purge. It didn’t take long for people to start using these words figuratively in reference to emotional release and spiritual cleansing."
Series
- Part 280 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
baroque: adjective: buh-ROHK: characterized by grotesqueness, extravagance, complexity, or flamboyance
from Merriam-Webster:
"Baroque came to English from the French word barroque, meaning 'irregularly shaped.' At first, the word in French was used mostly to refer to pearls. Eventually, it came to describe an extravagant style of art characterized by curving lines, gilt, and gold. This type of art, which was prevalent especially in the 17th century, was sometimes considered to be excessively decorated and overly complicated. It makes sense, therefore, that the meaning of the word baroque has broadened to include anything that seems excessively ornate or elaborate."
Series
- Part 281 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
diatribe: noun: ˈdī-ə-ˌtrīb: a bitter and abusive speech
from Merriam-Webster:
"...When English speakers adopted diatribe in the late 16th century, they were glancing back at the ancients. The word comes from Greek diatribē, meaning "pastime" or "discourse," by way of Latin diatriba. The English word first referred to the popular lectures of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, the usual topic of which was ethics.
When the word diatribe referred to written work in this context, that work was understood to be either a transcription of such a lecture, or a written development of one. According to some, these oral and written diatribes were the model on which modern sermons were built.
Over time, this very specific meaning of diatribe developed a more general meaning that didn't require the ancients themselves: any prolonged discourse—written or oral—could be considered a diatribe. That sense of the word, however, is now archaic; you don't typically find it in modern contexts.When diatribe is used today, the connotation is quite different. The word most often refers to a bitter or abusive speech or piece of writing.
Series
- Part 282 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
alleviate: verb: uh-LEE-vee-ayt : to lessen, relieve, to make bearable
from Merriam-Webster:
"Alleviate derives from the past participle of Late Latin alleviare ("to lighten or relieve"), which in turn was formed by combining the prefix ad- and the adjective levis, a Latin word meaning "having little weight," which also gave rise to the adjective light (as in "not heavy") in English. We acquired alleviate in the 15th century, and for the first few centuries the word could mean either "to cause (something) to have less weight" or "to make (something) more tolerable." The literal "make lighter" sense is no longer used, however, and today we have only the "relieve" sense. Incidentally, not only is alleviate a synonym of relieve, it's also a cousin; relieve comes from levare ("to raise"), which in turn comes from levis."
Series
- Part 283 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
smug: adjective: sməg: spruce, tidy, self-satisfied
probably modification of Low German smuck neat, from Middle Low German, from smucken to dress; akin to Old English smoc smock
*not sure when the usage for smug changed, but I'll be using the last definition for this story.*
Series
- Part 284 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
rhetorical: adjective: ri-ˈtȯr-i-kəl: of, relating to, or concerned with rhetoric; asked merely for effect with no answer expected
*for arguments sake, I chose to use the second definition for this tiny smidge of a story*
Series
- Part 285 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Elysium: noun: i-ˈli-zhē-əm, -zē-:from classical mythology, the abode of the blessed after death; a place or state of perfect happiness
From Dictionary.com:
"Elysium is the Latin rendering of the Greek adjective Ēlýsion. Everything about Elysium (or the Elysian Fields) is obscure: there is no reliable etymology for the Greek adjective Ēlýsion “Elysian” (though pedíon “field, plain” is clear). The location of Elysium is just as unreliable. In the Odyssey (bk 4. 560 ff.) Homer places Elysium on the western edge of the earth, by the vast stream Oceanus—an imaginary place—where there is no wind or rain or storms, where the just Rhadamanthys (another name with no reliable etymology) is a judge of the Underworld and rules over demigods and heroes, who live a carefree, happy afterlife. Elysium entered English in the late 16th century."
Series
- Part 286 of Words, Words, Words
-
Enthrall by notjustmom for MorganeUK
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
03 Sep 2017
Tags
Summary
enthrall: verb: in-THRAWL: to hold spellbound, charm
from Merriiam-Webster:
"Enthrall... comes from an Old Norse word, thraell, which is probably related to an Old High German word for "servant." An early figurative use of enthrall appeared in the following advice from the 16th century, translated from a Latin text by Thomas Newton: "A man should not … enthrall his credit and honour to Harlots." But we rarely use even this sense of mental or moral enslavement anymore. Today the word is often used in its participle form, enthralled, which sometimes means "temporarily spellbound" ("we listened, enthralled, to the old woman's oral history"), but more often suggests a state of being generally captivated, delighted, or taken by some particular thing.
Series
- Part 287 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
portentous: adjective: por-TEN-tuss: of, relating to, or constituting a portent; eliciting amazement or wonder; prodigious, being a grave or serious matter, self-consciously solemn or important: pompous; ponderously excessive
from Merriam-Webster:
At the heart of portentous is portent, a word for an omen or sign, which comes to us from the Latin noun portentum of the same meaning. And indeed, the first uses of portentous did refer to omens. The second sense of portentous, describing that which is extremely impressive, developed in the 16th century. A third definition—"grave, solemn, significant"—was then added to the second edition of Webster's New International Dictionary in 1934. The word's connotations, however, have since moved into less estimable territory. It now frequently describes both the pompous and the excessive."
Series
- Part 288 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
torschlusspanik: German, translates literally to 'gate-shut panic'; a sense of anxiety or fear caused by the feeling that life's opportunities are passing by and diminishing as one ages.
Series
- Part 289 of Words, Words, Words
-
Labyrinth by notjustmom for AtlinMerrick
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
11 Oct 2017
Tags
Summary
labyrinth: noun: ˈla-bə-ˌrin(t)th: something extremely complex or tortuous in structure, arrangement, or character
late Middle English (referring to the maze constructed by Daedalus to house the Minotaur): from French labyrinthe or Latin labyrinthus, from Greek laburinthos.
Series
- Part 290 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
overwhelm: verb: oh-ver-WELM: upset, overthrow
From Merriam-Webster:
You could say that the introduction of overwhelm to the English language was a bit redundant. The word, which originally meant "to overturn or upset," was formed in Middle English by combining the prefix over- with the verb whelmen, which also meant "to overturn." Whelmen has survived in English as whelm, a verb which is largely synonymous with overwhelm. Since their appearance in the 14th century, however, overwhelm has won over English speakers who have come to largely prefer it to whelm, despite the latter's brevity. Perhaps the emphatic redundancy of overwhelm makes it seem like the more fitting word for describing the experience of being overcome by powerful forces or feelings.
Series
- Part 291 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
knee-jerk: adjective: NEE-jerk: readily predictable; automatic
From Merriam-Webster:
Around 1876, the sudden involuntary extension of the leg in response to a light blow just below the knee, which is also known as the patellar reflex, was given the refreshingly simple designation knee jerk. In the 1950s, knee-jerk became an adjective with a figurative sense that doesn't require any actual twitching. "As a salesman, I'm getting a bit weary of the knee-jerk association of a con artist with my professional calling," a correspondent once wrote to The New York Times Magazine. Knee-jerk often has a negative connotation. It usually denotes a too-hasty, impulsive, perhaps even irrational response that is often based on preconceived notions.
Series
- Part 292 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
heebie-jeebies: noun: hee-bee-jee-beez: Slang. a condition of extreme nervousness caused by fear, worry, strain, etc.; the jitters; the willies (usually preceded by the)
from Dictionary. com:
The American cartoonist William (“Billy”) De Beck (1890-1942) was most famous for his comic strip Take Barney Google, F'rinstance (1919), which became Barney Google and Snuffy Smith in 1934. De Beck is responsible for coining heebie-jeebies, balls of fire, and time’s a-wastin. Heebie-jeebies entered English in the 20th century.
Series
- Part 293 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 2 of A Change of Heart
-
Tags
Summary
patter: verb: pa-tər: talk at length without saying anything significant:
(there are many definitions, this is the one I'm choosing to use)late Middle English (as a verb in the sense ‘recite (a prayer, charm, etc.) rapidly’): from paternoster
Series
- Part 294 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
atemporal: adjective: ā-ˈtem-p(ə-)rəl: independent of or unaffected by time, timeless
From Dictionary.com:
'The first syllable of the English adjective atemporal “not subject to time, timeless” is formed from an, a-, the Greek prefix of negation, absence, or privation (called in the grammar books the “alpha privative”). The Greek forms derive from a reduced form of Proto-Indo-European ne “not,” the same source as Sanskrit an-, a- (the identity of the Greek and Sanskrit forms is one of the features linking Greek and Sanskrit), the Germanic (English) prefix un- and Latin in- (and its assimilated forms il-, im-, ir-). Atemporal entered English in the 19th century."
Series
- Part 295 of Words, Words, Words
-
Mondayitis by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
06 Nov 2017
Tags
Summary
mondayitis: noun: mənˌdeɪˈaɪdᵻs: Reluctance to attend school or work, or a reduction in working efficiency, experienced on a Monday morning.
According to the OED, one of the first uses of the word was in 1908:
"The shippers seem to have a very aggravated case of Mondayitis, as the big end of the receipts arrive on that day." Sept 5, Weekly Advocate, Victoria, Texas.
Series
- Part 296 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Inspired by this video:
https://www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/10154790516724071/irregardless: adverb: ir-i-ˈgärd-ləs: regardless
from Merriam-Webster:
Is irregardless a word?
Irregardless was popularized in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its increasingly widespread spoken use called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that "there is no such word." There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead.
Series
- Part 297 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
pathos: noun: PAY-thahss: an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion; an emotion of sympathetic pity
from mid 17th cent.: from Greek pathos ‘suffering’; related to paskhein ‘suffer’ and penthos ‘grief.’
Series
- Part 298 of Words, Words, Words
-
Erinaceous by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
11 Nov 2017
Tags
Summary
erinaceous: adjective: er-uh-ney-shuh s: of, relating to, or resembling hedgehogs
from Latin ērināceus hedgehog
Series
- Part 299 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
pauciloquent: adjective: pau`cil´o`quent: uses few words in speech or conversation; laconic
Mid 17th century; earliest use found in Thomas Blount (1618–1679), antiquary and lexicographer. From classical Latin pauci- + -loquent, after pauciloquy. Compare post-classical Latin pauciloquus that speaks little, of few words.
Series
- Part 300 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
unstinting: adjective: ən-ˈstin-tiŋ: not restricting or holding back: giving or being given freely or generously
first recorded use 1845, the word stint is Middle English, from Old English styntan to blunt, dull; akin to Old Norse stuttr scant, first used in 13th century.
Series
- Part 301 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
hearth: noun; härth: home, fireside
Middle English herth, from Old English heorth; akin to Old High German herd hearth, and probably to Sanskrit kūḍayāti he scorches
Series
- Part 302 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 1 of Christmas 2017
-
Tags
Summary
I saw this word/non-word this morning, and its definition, and I had to play...
mooreeffoc: noun: coffee-room, viewed from the inside through a glass door, as it was seen by Dickens on a dark London day; ... used by Chesterton to denote the queerness of things that have become trite, when they are seen suddenly from a new angle." [J.R.R. Tolkien]
(definition from dictionary.com)
Series
- Part 303 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 2 of Christmas 2017
-
Tags
Summary
harbinger: noun: HAHR-bun-jer :something that foreshadows a future event : something that gives an anticipatory sign of what is to come
From Merriam-Webster:
When medieval travelers needed lodging for the night, they went looking for a harbinger. As long ago as the 12th century, harbinger was used to mean "one who provides lodging" or "a host," but that meaning is now obsolete. Later on, harbinger was also being used for a person sent ahead of a main party to seek lodgings, often for royalty or a campaigning army, but that old sense has largely been left in the past, too. Those sent ahead would announce the approach of who was following behind, and that's how our modern sense of harbinger (from the Anglo-French herberge, meaning "lodgings") acquired the sense with which we are familiar today, that of something which foretells a future event.
Series
- Part 304 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 3 of Christmas 2017
- Part 1 of Harbinger
-
Come-hithery by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
29 Nov 2017
Tags
Summary
come-hithery: adjective: kəmˈhɪðəri: Inviting, enticing; alluring, seductive
source: Oxford English DictionarySeries
- Part 305 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 4 of Christmas 2017
-
Tags
Summary
gelid: adjective: je-ləd: extremely cold, icy
from Merriam - Webster:
Gelid first appeared in English late in the 16th century, coming to our language from Latin gelidus, which ultimately derives from the noun gelu, meaning "frost" or "cold." (Our noun gelatin, which can refer to an edible jelly that undergoes a cooling process as part of its formation, comes from a related Latin word: gelare, meaning "to freeze.") Gelid is used in English to describe anything of extremely cold temperature (as in "the gelid waters of the Arctic Ocean"), but the word can also be used figuratively to describe a person with a cold demeanor (as in "the criminal's gelid stare").
Series
- Part 306 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 5 of Christmas 2017
-
Tags
Summary
scintillate: verb: sin-tə-ˌlāt: to emit sparks; sparkle
from Merriam-Webster:
In addition to its literal use, scintillate can mean "to sparkle" in a figurative sense - that is, to be lively, or to perform brilliantly. It is also frequently seen in its adjectival form, scintillating, with the meaning "very clever, amusing, and interesting," as in a scintillating discussion. The history of scintillate began with a spark - or with the Latin word for "spark," at least. That word, scintilla, is also the source of other words in English. There is scintilla itself (used as a noun meaning "a little bit"), scintillant (an adjective describing something that scintillates), and scintillation (which, among other things, means "a brilliant outburst").
Series
- Part 307 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 6 of Christmas 2017
-
Tags
Summary
solace: noun: sä-ləs: a source of relief or consolation
from Merriam-Webster
Solace was borrowed into English in the 14th century (via Anglo-French) from Latin solacium, which in turn derives from the Latin verb solari, meaning "to console." As you may have guessed, "solari" is also the source of the English words "console" and "consolation" (formed by combination with the prefix com-). In addition to the noun function, "solace" can be used as a verb ("he was solaced by the company of his children"). Also related are the nouns "solacer" ("one who solaces") and "solacement" ("an act of solacing or the condition of being solaced" or "something that solaces").
Series
- Part 308 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 7 of Christmas 2017
- Part 2 of Harbinger
-
Tags
Summary
maudlin: adjective: MAUD-lin: weakly and effusively sentimental
from Merriam-Webster:
The history of maudlin owes as much to the Bible as to the barroom. The biblical Mary Magdalene is often (though some say mistakenly) identified with the weeping sinner who washed Jesus' feet with her tears to repent for her sins. This association led to the frequent depiction of Mary Magdalene as a weeping penitent, and even the name Magdalene came to suggest teary emotion to many English speakers. It was then that maudlin, an alteration of Magdalene, appeared in the English phrase "maudlin drunk," which, as one Englishman explained in 1592, described a tearful drunken state whereby "a fellow will weepe for kindnes in the midst of his Ale and kisse you."
Series
- Part 309 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 8 of Christmas 2017
- Part 3 of Harbinger
-
Tags
Summary
refuge: noun: re-(ˌ)fyüj: a place of shelter, protection, or safety.
The re- in refuge means basically "back" or "backward" rather than "again;" thus, a refugee is someone who is "fleeing backward". Refuge tends to appear with certain other words: you generally "seek refuge", "take refuge", or "find refuge". Religion may be a refuge from the woes of your life; a beautiful park may be a refuge from the noise of the city; and your bedroom may be a refuge from the madness of your family.
Series
- Part 310 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 9 of Christmas 2017
- Part 4 of Harbinger
-
Tags
Summary
assure: verb: ə-ˈshu̇r: tell someone something positively or confidently to dispel any doubts they may have
late Middle English: from Old French assurer, based on Latin ad- ‘to’ (expressing change) + secures from se- ‘without’ + cura ‘care.’
Series
- Part 311 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 10 of Christmas 2017
- Part 5 of Harbinger
-
Tags
Summary
atonement: noun: ə-ˈtōn-mənt: reparation for an offense or injury
early 16th cent. (denoting unity or reconciliation, especially between God and man): from at one + -ment, influenced by medieval Latin adunamentum ‘unity,’ and earlier onement from an obsolete verb one ‘to unite.’
Series
- Part 312 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
facepalm: noun: feys-pahm: the gesture of placing the palm of one's hand across the face, as to express embarrassment, frustration, disbelief, etc.
According to Dictionary.com, "Facepalm was first recorded between 2000-05. It very literally combines the words face and palm."
Series
- Part 313 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 11 of Christmas 2017
-
Tags
Summary
blesiloquent: adjective: to speak with a stammer:
rare, obscure, from 1656
Origin: ½ Latin: locu-, loc-. Other ½ unknown. Bles is potentially Old English. Maybe Norse. Or LatinSeries
- Part 314 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 10 of What if...
-
Tags
Summary
afterglow: noun: af-ter-gloh: the pleasant remembrance of a past experience, glory, etc.; the glow frequently seen in the sky after sunset; afterlight.
Series
- Part 315 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
stardust: noun: stahr-dust: a naively romantic quality;
(not in technical use) a mass of distant stars appearing as tiny particles of dust.first recorded use: 1835-45
Series
- Part 316 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
denouement: noun: dā-ˌnü-ˈmäⁿ , dā-ˈnü-: the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work; the outcome of a complex sequence of events
French dénouement, literally, untying, from Middle French desnouement, from desnouer to untie, from Old French desnoer, from des- de- + noer to tie, from Latin nodare, from nodus knot
First used 1705
Series
- Part 317 of Words, Words, Words
-
Meh by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
11 Jan 2018
Tags
Summary
meh: interjection and adjective; int: expressing a lack of interest or enthusiasm: adj: uninspiring; unexceptional
interjection first used in 1992
adjective first used in 2003Series
- Part 318 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 3 of A Change of Heart
-
Tags
Summary
silver-tongued: adjective: sil-ver-tunghd: persuasive, eloquent
from Dictionary.com:
"Silver-tongued may be named for the pleasing resonance of a silver bell. Even more pleasing and eloquent, therefore, would be chrysostom or chrysostomos “golden-mouthed,” from Greek chrysόstomos, from chrysόs “gold” and stόma “mouth.” As an epithet, chrysostom is reserved for the ancient Greek philosopher and historian Dio (or Dion) Chrysostom (c40–c115 a.d.), but in particular for the Greek patriarch and Church Father John Chrysostom (c347–407). On the first page of Ulysses, the unreliable, malevolent narrator refers to Buck Mulligan, who has gold fillings in his teeth and a very bawdy wit, as chrysostomos. Silver-tongued entered English in the late 16th century."Series
- Part 319 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
reverie: noun: rev-uh-ree: a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing
from Dictionary.com:
Reverie has calmed down from its original meaning of wild emotion, wild behavior, anger, fury (the 14th and 15th centuries). The Middle French nouns reverie and resverie derive from Middle French verbs resver, raver, rever “to be insane, behave deliriously” (in modern French rȇver means only “to dream”). The current English meaning of daydreaming dates from the 15th century.
Series
- Part 320 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
SOS: noun: es-oh-es: any call for help
Origin: SOS became the world wide standard distress signal on July 1, 1908, had been adopted by the German government three years earlier
Series
- Part 321 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
tentative: adjective: ten-tə-tiv: not fully worked out; hesitant, uncertain
from Merriam-Webster:
"Tentative is from the Latin tentare (“to attempt”), and its original meaning was “attempted, provisional, experimental.” It is easy to see how this emphasis on trial and error led to the word’s current sense “not fully worked out or developed” (as in "a tentative date," "tentative plans," "a tentative job offer"). The “hesitant, uncertain” sense that is also common nowadays (as in “a tentative knock on the door”) extends the idea of an unripe attempt to the uncertain emotional state of the person making the attempt."
Series
- Part 322 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
uncanny: adjective: un-KAN -ee: seeming to have a supernatural character or origin; eerie, mysterious
from Merriam-Webster:
"... uncanny, which debuted in the 18th century, implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness. English also has a word canny, but canny and uncanny should not be interpreted as opposites. Canny, which first appeared in English in the 16th century, means "clever," "shrewd" or "prudent," as in "a canny lawyer" or "a canny investment."
Series
- Part 323 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
murmuration: noun: mərməˈrāshən: the act of murmuring: the utterance of low continuous sounds or complaining noises; a flock of starlings
late Middle English: from French, from Latinmurmuratio(n-), from murmurare‘to murmur’. The usage as a collective noun dates from the late 15th century.
Series
- Part 324 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
mea culpa: noun: mey-yah-kul-puh: an acknowledgment of one's responsibility for a fault or error.
The Latin phrase was first used in the 13th century as an exclamation or interjection. The noun use of mea culpa, “acknowledgment of responsibility or guilt,” arose in the 19th century.
Series
- Part 325 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
consolation: noun: kän(t)-sə-ˈlā-shən: the act of consoling, comfort
From mid 17th century (replacing earlier consolate): from Frenchconsoler, from Latinconsolari, from con-‘with’ + solari‘soothe’.
Series
- Part 326 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 1 of Consolation
-
Tags
Summary
depleted: verb: di-ˈplēt: to be emptied of a principal substance; lessened markedly in quantity, content, power, or value
Latin depletus, past participle of deplēre, from de- + plēre to fill
Series
- Part 327 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
acerbic: adjective: ə-ˈsər-bik , a-: sharply or bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper, mood, or tone
from Merriam-Webster:
English speakers created "acerbic" in the 19th century by adding "-ic" to the adjective "acerb." "Acerb" had been around since the 17th century, but for most of that time it had been used with only a literal "sour-tasting" sense. (The word acerb is still around today, but it is now simply a less common synonym of "acerbic.") "Acerbic" and "acerb" ultimately come from the Latin adjective acerbus, which can mean "harsh," "bitter," or "unpleasant." Another English word that comes from "acerbus" is "exacerbate," which means "to make more violent, bitter, or severe."
Series
- Part 328 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
unfettered: adjective: un-FET-erd: free, unrestrained
from Merriam-Webster:
A fetter is a chain or shackle for the feet (as used on a prisoner), or, more broadly, anything that confines or restrains. The word derives from Middle English feter and shares an ancestor with Old English fōt, meaning "foot." Fetter and unfetter both function as verbs in English with contrasting literal meanings having to do with the putting on of and freeing from fetters; they likewise have contrasting figurative extensions having to do with the depriving and granting of freedom. The adjective unfettered resides mostly in the figurative, with the word typically describing someone or something unrestrained in progress or spirit. This is how English poet and clergyman John Donne used the word in his early 17th-century work The Progress of the Soule: "To an unfetterd soules quick nimble hast / Are falling stars, and hearts thoughts, but slow pac'd."
Series
- Part 329 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
deluge: noun: del-ˌyüj: an overflowing of land by water, a drenching rain; an overwhelming amount or number
Middle English, from Anglo-French deluje, from Latin diluvium, from diluere to wash away, from dis- + lavere to wash
Series
- Part 330 of Words, Words, Words
-
Shorthand by notjustmom for scrub456, PatPrecieux, AlwaysJohn, NovaNara, Strawberryhiddleslock, MorganeUK
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
02 Sep 2018
Tags
Summary
shorthand: noun: shȯrt-ˌhand: a method of writing rapidly by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols for letters, sounds, words, or phrases; something likened to shorthand especially in providing rapid or abbreviated communication or representation
First known use: 1636
Series
- Part 331 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
luminous: adjective: lü-mə-nəs: emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused or glowing light; bathed in or exposed to steady light; clear, enlightening; shining, illustrious
First known use, 15th century; Middle English, from Latin luminosus, from lumin-, lumen
Series
- Part 332 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
moonstruck: adjective: moon-struhk: dreamily romantic or bemused; mentally deranged, supposedly by the influence of the moon; crazed
The original sense of moonstruck, “mentally deranged, insane,” first appears in Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton (1608–74). Milton was astonishingly learned: he wrote poetry in Latin, Greek, and Italian; he translated Psalm 114 from Hebrew into Greek verse; he was a polemicist (or propagandist) for the English general, Puritan statesman, and Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. Moonstruck is probably Milton’s own creation, a translation from Greek selēnóblētos “moonstruck, epileptic,” a compound of selḗnē “moon” and blētós “stricken, stricken with palsy,” a past participle of bállein ”to throw, hit (with a missile).” The sense of “dreamily romantic” dates from the mid-19th century.
Series
- Part 333 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
ritzy: adjective: RIT-see: being, characteristic of, or befitting a snob; impressively or ostentatiously fancy of stylish
from Merriam-Webster:
César Ritz (1850-1918) earned worldwide renown for the luxurious hotels bearing his name in London and Paris. (The Ritz-Carlton hotel company is a contemporary descendant of these enterprises.) Although they were by no means the first to cater to high-end clients, Ritz's hotels quickly earned reputations as symbols of opulence. F. Scott Fitzgerald, a writer who often focused on the fashionably wealthy, titled one of his short stories "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," and the phrase "to put on the ritz" means "to indulge in ostentatious display." The adjective ritzy, describing either something fancy or stylish, or the haughty attitudes of the wealthy elite, first checked into the English language in 1920.
Series
- Part 334 of Words, Words, Words
-
Heartstrings by notjustmom for AlwaysJohn, brokenlibrarygirl, PatPrecieux, Purrfectlmt, scrub456, Strawberryhiddleslock, NovaNara, DaringD, almosttomorocco, Smmink, Treelight, mydogwatson, idasue123, noadventureshere, crazycatt71, SueMiller, satan_in_a_tea_cup, MelMey, drpaz221B, chinike, DaisyFairy, xASx, Kestrelwing64, ChrisCalledMeSweetie, Breath4Soul, jcShellyg, MorganeUK
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
24 Dec 2018
Tags
Summary
heartstrings: plural noun: hahrt-stringz: the deepest feelings, the strongest affections
from Merriam-Webster:
The original meaning of heartstrings was physical, or anatomical to be precise. A heartstring was one of the nerves or tendons that supposedly support and brace the heart; heartstrings (the plural) referred to the aorta and pulmonary artery (no longer in scientific use). By the 16th century the heartstrings were conceived as the source of a person’s feelings and emotions. Heartstring in its original anatomical sense entered English in the 15th century.
Series
- Part 335 of Words, Words, Words
-
Whinge by notjustmom for PatPrecieux
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
22 Jul 2019
Tags
Summary
whinge: verb; WINJ; to complain fretfully
from Merriam-Webster:
Whinge isn't a simple spelling variant of whine. Whinge and whine are actually entirely different words with separate histories. Whine traces to an Old English verb, hwinan, which means "to make a humming or whirring sound." When hwinan became whinen in Middle English, it meant "to wail distressfully"; whine didn't acquire its "complain" sense until the 16th century. Whinge, on the other hand, comes from a different Old English verb, hwinsian, which means "to wail or moan discontentedly." Whinge retains that original sense today, though nowadays it puts less emphasis on the sound of the complaining and more on the discontentment behind the complaint.
Series
- Part 336 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
quiddity: noun; kwid-i-tee; the quality that makes a thing what it is, the essential nature of a thing
From Dictionary.com
Quiddity, with its conflicting senses, “the essential nature of a thing” and “a trifling nicety of subtle distinction,” ultimately comes from the Medieval Latin noun quidditās (stem quidditāt-), literally “whatness,” formed from the Latin interrogative pronoun quid “what” and the abstract noun suffix –itās, the source via Old French –ité of the English suffix –ity. Quiddity entered English at the end of the 14th century.Series
- Part 337 of Words, Words, Words
-
Peachy by notjustmom for PatPrecieux, scrub456, NovaNara, almosttomorocco, MorganeUK, Vulpesmellifera, AlwaysJohn, jcShellyg
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV)
18 Mar 2020
Tags
Summary
peachy: ˈpēCHē; adjective; splendid, fine
first used in 1599
Series
- Part 338 of Words, Words, Words
-
Predictable by notjustmom for scrub456
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
17 Apr 2020
Tags
Summary
predictable: adjective; prəˈdiktəb(ə)l: able to be predicted
Series
- Part 339 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
twaddle: noun; ˈtwädl; trivial or foolish speech or writing; nonsense
First used in 1782
Series
- Part 340 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
inexplicable: adjective; ˌi-nik-ˈspli-kə-bəl; incapable of being explained, interpreted, or accounted for
Middle English, from Latin inexplicabilis, from in- + explicabilis explicable, first used in the 15th century
Series
- Part 341 of Words, Words, Words
-
Tags
Summary
Billow: intransitive verb; bi-(ˌ)lō;
There are a few definitions, I'm choosing to use this one: to bulge or swell out (as through action of the wind)
From Old Norse bylgja; akin to Old High German balg bag, the verb was first used circa 1592.
Series
- Part 342 of Words, Words, Words
-
Quiescence by notjustmom for Kestrelwing64
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
25 Sep 2021
Tags
Summary
Quiescence: noun; kwī-ˈe-sᵊn(t)s; the state or quality of being tranquilly at rest
First used in 1605, borrowed from Latin quiēscent-, quiēscens, present participle of quiēscere "to repose, fall asleep, rest, be quiet," inchoative derivative of a base quiē-, going back to Indo-European *kwi̯eh1- "have a rest"
Series
- Part 343 of Words, Words, Words
-
Landmarks by notjustmom, scrub456 for scrub456, PatPrecieux, AlwaysJohn, Silvergirl, simplyclockwork, Vulpesmellifera, Strawberryhiddleslock, NovaNara
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
24 Jul 2022
Tags
Summary
Landmarks: ˈlan(d)ˌmärks: nouns:
Objects or features of a landscape or town that are easily seen and recognized from a distance, especially those that enable someone to establish their location.
Events, discoveries, or changes marking an important stage or turning point in something.
Series
- Part 344 of Words, Words, Words
- Part 1 of Landmarks
-
Tags
Summary
A story inspired by my viewing of the last episode of Endeavour, and the very last installment of the Inspector Morse series.
exeunt: verb, used as a stage direction in a printed play to indicate that a group of characters leave the stage.
late 15th century: Latin, literally ‘they go out’, third person plural present tense of exire.Series
- Part 345 of Words, Words, Words