30 June 2015
ministration
[min-uh-strey-shuh n]
noun
1. the act of ministering care, aid, religious service, etc.
2. an instance of this.
Origin of ministration
Middle English, Latin
1300-1350; Middle English ministracioun < Latin ministrātiōn- (stem of ministrātiō) service, equivalent to ministrāt (us) (past participle of ministrāre to serve; see minister ) + -iōn- -ion
Related forms
ministrative, adjective
nonministration, noun
unministrative, adjective
Dictionary.com
Anagram
into martinis
minion traits
in trot simian
29 June 2015
fogy
[foh-gee]
noun, plural fogies.
1. an excessively conservative or old-fashioned person, especially one who is intellectually dull (usually preceded by old):
The board of directors were old fogies still living in the 19th century.
Origin of fogy
1770-1780; origin uncertain
Related forms
fogyish, adjective
fogyism, noun
Can be confused
foggy, fogy.
Dictionary.com
Slang definitions & phrases for fogy
fogy
noun
An old person; any very conservative, outdated person; dodo: College students today are young fogies (1785+)
A military longevity allowance, awarded for units of service : He got his pension and eight fogies (1881+ Armed forces)
[origin uncertain; perhaps fr French fougeux, ”fierce, fiery,” referring to the doughty spirit of an invalid soldier, whence fogy, ”fierce, fiery,” found by the 1860s; veteran soldiers were called foggies in the late 1700s, perhaps because they were regarded as moss-covered with age, fog being Scots dialect for ”moss”]
(The Dictionary of American Slang)
28 June 2015
conventicle
[kuh n-ven-ti-kuh l]
noun
1. a secret or unauthorized meeting, especially for religious worship, as those held by Protestant dissenters in England in the 16th and 17th centuries.
2. a place of meeting or assembly, especially a Nonconformist meeting house.
3. Obsolete. a meeting or assembly.
Origin of conventicle
Middle English, Latin
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin conventiculum a small assembly. See convent, -i-, -cle1
Related forms
conventicler, noun
conventicular [kon-ven-tik-yuh-ler], adjective
Dictionary.com
Example
– Apparently, while being shipped home as a probable enemy agent by Secret Intelligence Middle East, Raymond had gone ashore at Mombasa and eluded a police search by plunging straight into the interior under the name of Bill Smith and settling down as a handyman with a conventicle of Belgian nuns.
(Rogue Justice, by Geoffery Household, 1982)
Anagram
connect live
clone nice tv
client coven
27 June 2015
perfunctory
[per-fuhngk-tuh-ree]
adjective
1. performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial:
perfunctory courtesy.
2. lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent or apathetic:
In his lectures he reveals himself to be merely a perfunctory speaker.
Origin of perfunctory
Late Latin
1575-1585; < Late Latin perfūnctōrius negligent, superficial, derivative of perfungī to do one’s job, be done, equivalent to per- per- + fung-, base of fungī to perform, function + -tōrius -tory1
Related forms
perfunctorily, adverb
perfunctoriness, noun
Synonyms
1, 2. negligent, heedless, thoughtless, uninterested.
Antonyms
1, 2. careful, diligent.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the web for perfunctory
– Romney…well, honestly, I’m a little surprised there wasn’t even a perfunctory thank you.
(Watch Ed Schultz Tonight! Michael Tomasky March 12, 2013)
– Ronaldo also does more than the perfunctory share of philanthropy that we expect from our athletic superstars.
(Why It’s Still OK to Hate Sexy Bastard Cristiano Ronaldo After He Saved Team USA Emily Shire June 25, 2014)
– When the credits rolled, there was some polite and perfunctory clapping.
(Braving the Atlas Shrugged Crowd Allen Barra April 16, 2011)
Anagram
encrypt four
putrefy corn
26 June 2015
monomania
[mon-uh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh]
Noun
1. (no longer in technical use) a psychosis characterized by thoughts confined to one idea or group of ideas.
2.
an inordinate or obsessive zeal for or interest in a single thing, idea, subject, or the like.
Origin of monomania
1815-1825 New Latin; see mono-, -mania
Related forms
monomaniac [mon-uh-mey-nee-ak] noun
monomaniacal [mon-uh-muh-nahy-uh-kuh l], adjective
Example:
-In recounting the lives of lesser-known assassins like Bremer, Newton risks providing a platform for their monomania.
(‘Age of Assassins: A History of Conspiracy and Political Violence by Michael Newton – review’, Ian Thomson, 18 November 2012, http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/nov/18/age-of-assassins-newton-review).
Dictionary.com
Anagram
no amonia
25 June 2015
precipitous
[pri-sip-i-tuh s]
adjective
1. of the nature of or characterized by precipices :
a precipitous wall of rock.
2. extremely or impassably steep:
precipitous mountain trails.
3. precipitate.
Origin of precipitous
obsolete French
1640-1650; < obsolete French précipiteux; see precipitate, -ous
Related forms
precipitously, adverb
precipitousness, noun
unprecipitous, adjective
unprecipitously, adverb
unprecipitousness, noun
Can be confused
precipitate, precipitous.
Synonyms
2. abrupt, sheer, perpendicular.
Antonyms
1, 2. flat, level.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the web for precipitous
– In 1965, despite the precipitous decline in the worker-to-retiree ratio, Social Security paid its bills with a 2.2% payroll tax.
(The Coming Retirement Burden Megan McArdle February 7, 2013)
– Negrial walked the precipitous path, down a steep hill littered with rubble and glass, to his house.
(Haiti Earthquake Anniversary: Finding a Skull in the Rubble Lisa Armstrong January 13, 2011)
– This sort of precipitous drop can reflect gyrations in the price of gas.
(How the Kings of Fracking Double-Crossed Their Way to Riches ProPublica March 12, 2014)
Anagram
spicier pout
precious tip
24 June 2015
hermitage
[hur-mi-tij or for 3, er-mi-tahzh]
noun
1. the habitation of a hermit.
2. any secluded place of residence or habitation; retreat; hideaway.
3. (initial capital letter) a palace in Leningrad built by Catherine II and now used as an art museum.
Origin of hermitage
Middle English
1250-1300; Middle English < Old French. See hermit, -age
Dictionary.com
Examples from the web for hermitage
– And let us be sure, also, that the Picasso goes back to the hermitage Museum.
(Putin’s World Cup Picasso ‘Bribe’ Tunku Varadarajan November 30, 2014)
– hermitage asked for the return of the materials but was told they were in the custody Karpov.
(Fraud and the City: Russia’s Manhattan Money Laundering Michael Daly September 15, 2013)
– As a result, the courts awarded judgments against the hermitage companies totaling some $973 million.
(Fraud and the City: Russia’s Manhattan Money Laundering Michael Daly September 15, 2013)
Anagram
He migrate
hate grime
I gather me
23 June 2015
evanescent
[ev-uh-nes-uh nt]
adjective
1. vanishing; fading away; fleeting.
2. tending to become imperceptible; scarcely perceptible.
Origin of evanescent
Latin
1745-1755; < Latin ēvānēscent- (stem of ēvānēscēns) vanishing, disappearing. See evanesce, -ent
Related forms
evanescently, adverb
nonevanescent, adjective
nonevanescently, adverb
unevanescent, adjective
unevanescently, adverb
Dictionary.com
Examples from the web for evanescent
– But success in a mission of this size may only bring limited and evanescent political benefits.
(Obama’s Pirate Coup Julian Zelizer April 12, 2009)
– But that support was evanescent ; it’s already back below 50%, and probably still falling.
(Memo: The Aaron Sorkin Model of Political Discourse Doesn’t Actually Work Megan McArdle April 22, 2013)
– They are imagined as disembodied spirits, and are often visualized as vague or evanescent forms; hence, the white sheet routine.
(What’s the Difference Between Ghouls, Goblins, and Ghosts? Dictionary.com October 31, 2010)
Anagram
acne events
even stance
seen cane tv
22 June 2015
covey
[kuhv-ee]
noun, plural coveys.
1. a brood or small flock of partridges or similar birds.
2. a group, set, or company.
Origin of covey
Latin
1400-1450; Middle English, variant of covee < Anglo-French, Old French, noun use of feminine of past participle of cover to hatch < Latin cubāre to lie down; cf. couvade, concubine
Dictionary.com
21 June 2015
21 June 2015
mestizo
[me-stee-zoh, mi-]
noun, plural mestizos, mestizoes.
1. a person of mixed racial or ethnic ancestry, especially, in Latin America, of mixed American Indian and European descent or, in the Philippines, of mixed native and foreign descent.
Origin of mestizo
1580-1590; < Spanish, noun use of adj. mestizo < Vulgar Latin *mixtīcius mixed
Dictionary.com
Anagram
tom size
20 June 2015
lygophilia
Noun
The love of darkness.
Origin
From Ancient Greek λύγη (lugē, “twilight”) and φιλέω (phileō, “I love”).
Anagram
oily hag lip
hi yoga pill
19 June 2015
epigram
[ep-i-gram]
noun
1. any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed.
2. epigrammatic expression:
Oscar Wilde had a genius for epigram.
3. a short, often satirical poem dealing concisely with a single subject and usually ending with a witty or ingenious turn of thought.
Origin of epigram
late Middle English Latin Greek
1400-1450; late Middle English < Latin epigramma < Greek epígramma inscription, epigram. See epi-, -gram1
Can be confused
epigram, epigraph, epitaph, epithet.
Synonyms
1. witticism, quip, bon mot.
Dictionary.com
Anagram
rip game
18 June 2015
lath
[lath, lahth]
noun, plural laths [lath z, laths, lahth z, lahths]
1. a thin, narrow strip of wood, used with other strips to form latticework, a backing for plaster or stucco, a support for slates and other roofing materials, etc.
2. a group or quantity of such strips.
3. work consisting of such strips.
4. wire mesh or the like used in place of wooden laths as a backing for plasterwork.
5. a thin, narrow, flat piece of wood used for any purpose.
verb (used with object)
6. to cover or line with laths.
Origin of lath
Middle English, Old English
1000, before 1000; Middle English la (th) the; replacing Middle English latt, Old English lætt; cognate with German Latte, Dutch lat
Related forms
lathlike, adjective
Can be confused
lath, lathe.
Dictionary.com
Anagram
halt
17 June 2015
impudence
[im-pyuh-duh ns]
noun
1. the quality or state of being impudent; effrontery; insolence.
2. impudent conduct or language.
3. Obsolete. lack of modesty; shamelessness.
Origin of impudence
Middle English, Latin
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin impudentia shamelessness. See impudent, -ence
Synonyms
1. impertinence, rudeness; brass, brazenness, face, lip, boldness, presumption, sauce, pertness; nerve, gall.
Antonyms
1. courtesy.
Dictionary.com
Anagram
niece dump
pumice den
men iced up
16 June 2015
scabrous
[skab-ruh s]
adjective
1. having a rough surface because of minute points or projections.
2. indecent or scandalous; risqué; obscene:
scabrous books.
3. full of difficulties.
Origin of scabrous
Latin
1575-1585; < Latin scab (e) r rough + -ous
Related forms
scabrously, adverb
scabrousness, noun
unscabrous, adjective
unscabrously, adverb
unscabrousness, noun
Synonyms
2. lewd, wanton, improper.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the web for scabrous
– From Romantic squish to scabrous satirist to rebel wrangler to, finally, Ambassador of Goodwill.
(Poet and Rake, Lord Byron Was Also an Interventionist With Brains and Savvy Michael Weiss February 15, 2014)
Anagram
Sour cabs
cobras us
bus orcas
15 June 2015
bilious
[bil-yuh s]
adjective
1. Physiology, Pathology. pertaining to bile or to an excess secretion of bile.
2. Pathology. suffering from, caused by, or attended by trouble with the bile or liver.
3. peevish; irritable; cranky.
4. extremely unpleasant or distasteful:
a long scarf of bright, bilious green.
Origin of bilious
Latin
1535-1545; < Latin bīliōsus. See bile, -ous
Related forms
biliously, adverb
biliousness, noun
nonbilious, adjective
nonbiliously, adverb
nonbiliousness, noun
Synonyms
3. grumpy, crabby, cross, grouchy, dyspeptic.
Dictionary.com
I boil us
14 June 2015
surly
[sur-lee]
adjective, surlier, surliest.
1. churlishly rude or bad-tempered:
a surly waiter.
Synonyms: sullen, uncivil, brusque, irascible, splenetic, choleric, cross; grumpy, grouchy, crabby.
2. unfriendly or hostile; menacingly irritable:
a surly old lion.
Synonyms: threatening, malevolent.
3. dark or dismal; menacing; threatening:
a surly sky.
Synonyms: ominous.
4. Obsolete. lordly; arrogant.
Origin of surly
1560-1570; spelling variant of obsolete sirly lordly, arrogant, equivalent to sir + -ly
Related forms
surlily, adverb
surliness, noun
unsurlily, adverb
unsurliness, noun
unsurly, adjective
Synonym Study
Glum, morose, sullen, dour, surly all are adjectives describing a gloomy, unsociable attitude. Glum describes a depressed, spiritless condition or manner, usually temporary rather than habitual: a glum shrug of the shoulders; a glum, hopeless look in his eye. Morose, which adds to glum a sense of bitterness, implies a habitual and pervasive gloominess: a sour, morose manner; morose withdrawal from human contact. Sullen usually implies reluctance or refusal to speak accompanied by glowering looks expressing anger or a sense of injury: a sullen manner, silence, look. Dour refers to a stern and forbidding aspect, stony and unresponsive: dour rejection of friendly overtures. Surly implies gruffness of speech and manner, usually accompanied by an air of injury and ill temper: a surly reply.
Dictionary.com
13 June 2015
insuperable
[in-soo-per-uh-buh l]
adjective
1. incapable of being passed over, overcome, or surmounted:
an insuperable barrier.
Origin of insuperable
Middle English,Latin
1300-1350; Middle English < Latin insuperābilis. See in-3, superable
Related forms
insuperability, insuperableness, noun
insuperably, adverb
Dictionary.com
Examples from the web for insuperable
Second, they broke down the wall between teen music and adult music, a wall that had been insuperable until then.
– (A Revolution, With Guitars: How The Beatles Changed Everything Michael Tomasky January 27, 2014)
Not necessarily an insuperable or lethal problem, but a problem that must be overcome—and certainly not a plus.
– (Comrade Ryan’s Plan Has 110% Approval! David Frum August 15, 2012)
But he prefers women – and most certainly does not love the baron, for the insuperable reason that he loves nobody except himself.
– (David’s Bookclub: Sodom and Gomorrah David Frum September 28, 2012)
Anagram
beanie slurp
12 June 2015
demonym
[dem-uh-nim]
noun
1. the name used for the people who live in a particular country, state, or other locality:
Two demonyms for the residents of Townsville are Townsvillian and Townsvillite.
Origin of demonym
1995-2000; dem(o)- + -onym
Dictionary.com
Anagram
my demon
deny mom
11 June 2015
scree
[skree]
noun
1. a steep mass of detritus on the side of a mountain.
2. an accumulation of weathered rock fragments at the foot of a cliff or hillside, often forming a sloping heap Also called talus (Collins English Dictionary)
Origin of scree
Old Norse
1775-1785; < Old Norse skritha landslide
n. “pile of debris at the base of a cliff,” 1781, back-formation from screes (plural) “pebbles, small stones,” from Old Norse skriða “landslide,” from skriða “to creep, crawl;” of a ship, “to sail, glide,” also “to slide” (on snow-shoes), from Proto-Germanic *skrithanan (cf. Old English scriþan “to go, glide,” Old Saxon skridan, Dutch schrijden, Old High German scritan, German schreiten “to stride”).
Dictionary.com
10 June 2015
pelf
[pelf]
noun
1. money or wealth, especially when regarded with contempt or acquired by reprehensible means.
Origin of pelf
Old French, Middle English
1300-1350; Middle English < Old French pelfre booty
Dictionary.com
9 June 2015
macerate
[mas-uh-reyt]
verb (used with object), macerated, macerating.
1. to soften or separate into parts by steeping in a liquid.
2. to soften or decompose (food) by the action of a solvent.
3. to cause to grow thin.
verb (used without object), macerated, macerating.
4. to undergo maceration.
5. to become thin or emaciated; waste away.
Origin of macerate
Latin
1540-1550; < Latin mācerātus (past participle of mācerāre to make soft, weaken, steep); see -ate1
Related forms
macerater, macerator, noun
macerative, adjective
unmacerated, adjective
Synonyms
5. shrink, shrivel, fade, wither.
Dictionary.com
Anagram
eat cream
a cremate
race meat
a car meet
8 June 2015
graminivorous
[gram-uh-niv-er-uh s]
adjective
1. feeding or subsisting on grass:
A graminivorous animal. Pandas, cattle and horses are graminivores.
Origin of graminivorous
Latin
1730-1740; < Latin grāmin- (stem of grāmen) grass + -i- + -vorous (to eat)
Dictionary.com
Anagram
amorous virgin
a rooming virus
our soaring vim
vision mug roar
7 June 2015
turbid
[tur-bid]
adjective
1. not clear or transparent because of stirred-up sediment or the like; clouded; opaque; obscured:
the turbid waters near the waterfall.
2. thick or dense, as smoke or clouds.
3. confused; muddled; disturbed.
Origin of turbid
Latin
1620-1630; < Latin turbidus disturbed, equivalent to turb (āre) to disturb (derivative of turba turmoil) + -idus -id4
Related forms
turbidity, turbidness, noun
turbidly, adverb
unturbid, adjective
unturbidly, adverb
Can be confused
torpid, turbid, turgid.
Synonyms
1. murky, cloudy, roiled, muddy.
Dictionary.com
Anagram
rid tub
6 June 2015
cognomen
[kog-noh-muh n]
noun, plural cognomens, cognomina [kog-nom-uh-nuh]
1. a surname.
2. any name, especially a nickname.
3. the third and commonly the last name of a citizen of ancient Rome, indicating the person’s house or family, as “Caesar” in “Gaius Julius Caesar.”.
Compare agnomen (def 1).
Origin of cognomen
1800-1810; < Latin, equivalent to co- co- + nōmen name, with -g- on model of nōscī: cognōscī; see cognition
Related forms
cognominal [kog-nom-uh-nuh l, -noh-muh-], adjective
cognominally, adverb
Dictionary.com
Anagram
conmen go
congo men
gnome con
5 June 2015
estoppel
[e-stop-uh l]
noun, Law, Legal.
1. a bar or impediment preventing a party from asserting a fact or a claim inconsistent with a position that party previously took, either by conduct or words, especially where a representation has been relied or acted upon by others.
Origin of estoppel
Middle French
1575-1585; < bung, cork, Middle French estoupail stopper. See estop, -al2
Dictionary.com
– Even without a written and signed contract, the court found that the behaviour of both parties constituted an estoppel and issued its ruling as though a contract did exist.
Anagram
peel tops
pot sleep
pole step
pet slope
lost peep
4 June 2015
exophasia
[ek-soh-fey-zhuh, -zhee-uh]
noun
1. ordinary, vocalized, audible speech.
Compare endophasia.
Origin of exophasia
< New Latin; see exo-, -phasia
Dictionary.com
Example
– He called it ‘thinking out loud’, but his wife was exasperated by his constant exophasia with himself whenever he was making a decision.
– On the other hand, the terms ‘exophasia’ and ‘endophasia’ to label audible speech and sub-vocal speech seem to me to be examples of the second type, jargon; they have no advantages over simpler everyday terms’.
(Linguistics and the Teacher, Volume 112 Page 120, by Ronald Carter)
Anagram
Ex Asia Hop
Pi sea hoax
3 June 2015
traipse
[treyps] Informal.
verb (used without object), traipsed, traipsing.
1. to walk or go aimlessly or idly or without finding or reaching one’s goal:
We traipsed all over town looking for a copy of the book.
verb (used with object), traipsed, traipsing.
2. to walk over; tramp:
to traipse the fields.
noun
3. a tiring walk.
Origin of traipse
1585-1595; earlier trapse, unexplained variant of trape, obscurely akin to tramp
Dictionary.com
Examples from the web for traipse
– Buy a pair of these and traipse around a big city center or off road through the Icelandic countryside.
(The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Anthony Bourdain in Your Life Allison McNearney November 28, 2014)
Get your own tailored tuxedo blazer to traipse around town in.
(The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Carrie Bradshaw in Your Life Allison McNearney November 28, 2014)
We imagine the cadre of Hollywood starlets who like to traipse about commando would be severely handicapped in this event.
(7 Craziest Guinness Records The Daily Beast Video November 12, 2009)
Anagram
parties
pirates
2 June 2015
viscous
[vis-kuh s]
adjective
1. of a glutinous nature or consistency; sticky; thick; adhesive.
2. having the property of viscosity.
Also, viscose.
Origin of viscous
Middle English, Late Latin
1350-1400; Middle English < Late Latin viscōsus, equivalent to Latin visc (um) mistletoe, birdlime (made with mistletoe berries) + -ōsus -ous
Related forms
viscously, adverb
viscousness, noun
hyperviscous, adjective
pseudoviscous, adjective
Can be confused
vicious, viscose, viscous.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the web for viscous
– Black gays, in turn, are accusing their white gay peers of viscous racism.
(Gays and Blacks (and Gay Blacks) Go to War The Daily Beast November 5, 2008)
– What The Great Beauty and Fellini share is the Roman light—3,000 years of viscous sun.
(The New Fellini: Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘The Great Beauty’ Jimmy So November 17, 201
1 June 2015
albedo
[al-bee-doh]
noun, plural albedos.
1. Astronomy. the ratio of the light reflected by a planet or satellite to that received by it.
2. Meteorology. such a ratio for any part of the earth’s surface or atmosphere.
3. the white, inner rind of a citrus fruit.
Origin of albedo
Late Latin
1855-1860; < Late Latin albēdō whiteness, equivalent to alb (us) white + -ēdō noun suffix; cf. torpedo
Dictionary.com
Anagram
be load
