February 2016 – WOTDs
29 February 2016
proscribe
[proh-skrahyb]
verb (used with object), proscribed, proscribing.
1. to denounce or condemn (a thing) as dangerous or harmful; prohibit.
2. to put outside the protection of the law; outlaw.
3. to banish or exile.
4. to announce the name of (a person) as condemned to death and subject to confiscation of property.
Origin of proscribe
late Middle English Latin
1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin prōscrībere to publish in writing, confiscate, outlaw. See pro-1, prescribe
Related forms
proscribable, adjective
proscriber, noun
unproscribable, adjective
unproscribed, adjective
Can be confused
ascribe, proscribe, subscribe.
prescribe, proscribe.
Synonyms Expand
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
1. censure, disapprove, repudiate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2016.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for proscribe Expand
Historical Examples
proscribe French, their mother tongue, and they will hate you and have nothing to do with your schools.
Bilingualism
N. A. Belcourt
Anagram
crib poser
crisp robe
27 February 2016
bromide
[broh-mahyd or for 1, broh-mid]
noun
1. Chemistry.
a salt of hydrobromic acid consisting of two elements, one of which is bromine, as sodium bromide, NaBr.
a compound containing bromine, as methyl bromide.
2. Pharmacology. potassium bromide, known to produce central nervous system depression, formerly used as a sedative.
3. a platitude or trite saying.
4. a person who is platitudinous and boring.
Origin of bromide
1830-1840; brom- + -ide; in defs. 3, 4 from use of some bromides as sedatives
Related forms
subbromide, noun
Dictionary.com
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for bromide
Contemporary Examples
Not long ago, extremely powerful television personalities and sportscasters were abruptly fired for saying things less offensive than Trump’s bromides.
How the US Went Fascist: Mass Media Make Excuses for Trump Voters.
Juan Cole
Moyers & Company
February 24, 2016
He was adept at deflecting a direct question with an anecdote or a bromide presented as a confidence.
Richard Holbrooke’s Brilliant Drive
Harold Evans
December 12, 2010
Historical Examples
In the end, I temporised with a moderate dose of bromide, deciding to call and see if more energetic measures were necessary.
The Vanishing Man
R. Austin Freeman
And he took a dose of bromide and commended himself again to sleep, while the serpent withdrew in some confusion.
Fables For The Times
H. W. Phillips
Anagram
dire mob
or imbed
bid more
26 February 2016
metonymy
[mi-ton-uh-mee]
noun, Rhetoric.
1. a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “scepter” for “sovereignty,” or “the bottle” for “strong drink,” or “count heads (or noses)” for “count people.”.
Origin of metonymy
Late Latin, Greek
1540-1550; < Late Latin metōnymia < Greek metōnymía change of name; see met-, -onym, -y3
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for metonymy
Historical Examples
The occasional increase of force produced by metonymy may be similarly accounted for.
The Philosophy of Style
Herbert Spencer
In both cases the term so approximates to the meaning of Earth, doubtless by metonymy, as to be indistinguishable from it.
Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3
W. E. Gladstone
metonymy is the substitution of the name of one thing for that of another to which the former bears a known and close relation.
English: Composition and Literature
W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
By metonymy from this supreme and metropolitan quarter of Greece, it means the whole country.
Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3
W. E. Gladstone
Often by a metonymy of speech the name of a part is given to the whole.
A Harmony of the Gospels for Students of the Life of Christ
Archibald Thomas Robertson
metonymy consists in naming an object by one of its attributes or accompaniments.
Elementary Guide to Literary Criticism
F. V. N. Painter
Anagram
my toy men
25 February 2016
calumniate
[kuh-luhm-nee-eyt]
verb (used with object), calumniated, calumniating.
1. to make false and malicious statements about; slander.
Origin of calumniate
Latin
1545-1555; < Latin calumniātus (past participle of calumniārī to accuse falsely, trick), equivalent to calumni (a) calumny + -ātus -ate1
Related forms
calumniation, noun
calumniator, noun
noncalumniating, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for calumniate
Historical Examples
The hired advocate may calumniate as he will, but he can show no collusion or connivance on your part.
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. II (of II)
Charles James Lever
“Do not calumniate yourself, sir,” replied the Pre Longuemare.
The Gods are Athirst
Anatole France
You do more, under the pretext of unmasking yourself, you calumniate yourself.
Les Misrables
Victor Hugo
But why do I calumniate my own spirit by saying I would rather?
Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Vol. I (of 2)
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Nor did he omit to foully vilify the Express and calumniate its personnel.
Carmen Ariza
Charles Francis Stocking
24 February 2016
solfeggio or solfège
[sol-fej-oh, -fej-ee-oh]
noun, plural solfeggi [sol-fej-ee], solfeggios. Music.
1. a vocal exercise in which the sol-fa syllables are used, e.g. do – re – mi – fa – sol – la – ti – do
2. the use of the sol-fa syllables to name or represent the tones of a melody or voice part, or the tones of the scale, or of a particular series, as the scale of C; solmization.
Origin of solfeggio
1765-1775; < Italian, derivative of solfeggiare, equivalent to solf (a) (see sol-fa ) + -eggiare v. suffix
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for solfeggio
Historical Examples
Thus my ear was thoroughly practised, and I easily held my place, even at that early age, in a solfeggio class.
Autobiographical Reminiscences with Family Letters and Notes on Music
Charles Gounod
He might be practising a solfeggio,” I suggested, “which you could sing for him.
Castellinaria
Henry Festing Jones
solfeggio, solfège—a vocal exercise sung either on simple vowels or on arbitrary syllables containing these simple vowel sounds.
Music Notation and Terminology
Karl W. Gehrkens
Anagram
google ifs
folio eggs
I egg fools
I flog egos
23 February 2016
rentier
[rahn-tyey]
noun, plural rentiers [rahn-tyey] (Show IPA). French.
1. a person who has a fixed income, as from lands or bonds.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for rentier
Contemporary Examples
Occasionally people accuse me of being anti-rich. I’m not anti-rich. Being rich is not inherently bad. I’m anti-parasitical crony capitalist rentier. The rich people that actually make a social contribution (paying their taxes, philanthropy, paying their workers a decent wage …) are deserving of praise, especially given that the crony capitalist system is clearly set up to reward the most ruthlessly self-interested in society (rentiers, tax-dodgers, reckless speculators, price fixers, Tory party donors, market riggers, money launderers …)
J.K. Rowling
Next, add the vices of a rentier state: laziness, irresponsibility, a sense of entitlement, and ignorance.
It’s Not the USA that Made Libya the Disaster it is Today
Ann Marlowe
August 2, 2014
Historical Examples
The one who has a perpetual income from bonds or rents is called a rentier.
The Principles of Economics
Frank A. Fetter
But did you see in the paper that he was put down as rentier ?
Plays–First Series
August Strindberg
My French friends wanted to talk of the “Psychology of the rentier.”
War and the Future
H. G. Wells
He gives himself the name of Piquouique, rentier, English; and he appeals to his Ambassador.
Old Friends
Andrew Lang
22 February 2016
semiotic
[see-mee-ot-ik, sem-ee, see-mahy-]
adjective, Also, semiotical
1. of or relating to signs.
2. of or relating to semiotics.
3. Medicine/Medical. of or relating to symptoms; symptomatic.
noun
4. semiotics.
Origin of semiotic
Greek
1615-1620; (def 3) < Greek sēmeiōtikós significant, equivalent to sēmeiō-, verbid stem of sēmeioûn to interpret as a sign (derivative of Greek sēmeîon sign) + -tikos -tic; (def 4) < Greek sēmeiōtikḗ, noun use of feminine of sēmeiōtikós, adapted by John Locke (on the model of Greek logikḗ logic, etc.; see -ic ) to mean “the doctrine of signs”; (defs 1, 2) based on Locke’s coinage or a reanalysis of the Gk word
Dictionary.com
Anagram
moist ice
comities
20 February 2016
obdurate
[ob-doo-rit, -dyoo-]
adjective
1. unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.
2. stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent:
an obdurate sinner.
Origin of obdurate
late Middle English Latin
1400-1450; late Middle English obdurat < Latin obdūrātus (past participle of obdūrāre to harden), equivalent to ob- ob- + dūr (us) hard + -ātus -ate1
Related forms
obdurately, adverb
obdurateness, noun
unobdurate, adjective
unobdurately, adverb
unobdurateness, noun
Synonyms
1. hard, obstinate, callous, unbending, inflexible. 2. unregenerate, reprobate, shameless.
Antonyms
1. soft, tractable. 2. humble, repentant.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for obdurate
Contemporary Examples
Yet instead of scaling back their political ambitions in the face of an obdurate reality, they are escalating them.
Are Moderate Republicans Useless?
David Frum
January 28, 2013
It happened because of massive and obdurate resistance to reasonable change.
A Little Charlotte History
Michael Tomasky
September 3, 2012
Historical Examples
In cases of obdurate induration, the udder should be anointed with iodine ointment.
Sheep, Swine, and Poultry
Robert Jennings
The three young argonauts pleaded, but the old pioneer was obdurate.
Roosevelt in the Bad Lands
H. Hagedorn.
However, the words were penetrating the hitherto ignorant or obdurate heart, and preparing it to attend to further instruction.
Pioneers and Founders
Charlotte Mary Yonge
He was as obdurate as Tennyson’s sailor‑boy whom the mermaiden forewarned so fiercely!
The Martian
George Du Maurier
He was inclined to do anything desperate and foolish, if by so doing he could sting that cruel, obdurate heart.
The Doctor’s Wife
M. E. Braddon
He spoke to Fletcher on the subject; but the leader of the expedition was obdurate.
The Young Adventurer
Horatio Alger
The fiery Giuliano della Rovere remained implacable and obdurate.
Renaissance in Italy, Volume 1 (of 7)
John Addington Symonds
She would not cry: she felt proud, obdurate, scornful, outraged.
The Guardian Angel
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Anagram
a redbout
bade tour
19 February 2016
agraffe or agrafe
[uh-graf]
noun
1. a small cramp iron.
2. a clasp, often richly ornamented, for clothing or armor.
3. a device, as a hook, for preventing vibration in the section of a piano string between the pin and the bridge.
4. (in classical architecture) a sculptural relief on the face of a keystone.
5. the wire that holds a cork in a champagne bottle.
Origin of agraffe
1660-1670; < French, variant of agrafe, noun derivative of agrafer to hook, equivalent to a- a-5+ grafe hook, cramp iron, probably < Germanic; see grape
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for agraffe
Historical Examples
What part the agraffe played in it (a medival beast I imagined) I could not know, could not guess.
The Crow’s Nest
Clarence Day, Jr.
Anagram
ear gaff
fag fear
18 February 2016
nictitate or nictate
[nik-ti-teyt]
verb (used without object), nictitated, nictitating.
1. to wink.
Origin of nictitate
Medieval Latin, Latin
1815-1825; < Medieval Latin nictitātus, past participle of nictitāre, frequentative of Latin nictāre to wink, frequentative of nicere to beckon; see -ate1
Related forms
nictitant, adjective
Dictionary.com
Example
The power of hearing is acute, and so is the sight, the eyes being protected by upper and lower lids and by a nictitating membrane.
Anagram
intact tie
cite titan
17 February 2016
ethos
[ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs]
noun
1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period:
In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.
2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.
3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character’s action rather than his or her thought or emotion.
Origin of ethos
1850-1855; < Greek: custom, habit, character
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for ethos
Contemporary Examples
During World War II, the ethos was “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
Millennials Will Be Just Fine
Justin Green
March 25, 2013
The history of superheroes on the screen falls into four distinct stages, each reflecting the ethos of their time.
The Superhero Backlash
Richard Rushfield
June 22, 2011
Anagram
to she
16 February 2016
gaga or ga-ga
[gah-gah]
adjective, Informal.
1. excessively and foolishly enthusiastic:
The public went gaga over the new fashions.
2. ardently fond; infatuated:
He’s gaga over the new girl in class.
3. demented; crazy; dotty.
Origin of gaga
French
1915-1920; < French; imitative
Dictionary.com
Anagram
a gag
15 February 2016
anathema
[uh-nath-uh-muh]
noun, plural anathemas.
1. a person or thing detested or loathed:
That subject is anathema to him.
2. a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction.
3. a formal ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication.
4. any imprecation of divine punishment.
5. a curse; execration.
Origin of anathema
Latin
1520-1530; < Latin < Greek: a thing accursed, devoted to evil, orig. devoted, equivalent to ana (ti) thé (nai) to set up + -ma noun suffix
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for anathema
Contemporary Examples
That annoying responsibility stuff comes from three words that are anathema to the Tea Partiers: United American citizenry.
Stephen King: Tax Me, for F@%&’s Sake!
Stephen King
April 29, 2012
In his opinion, the “path to citizenship” for immigrants, which is anathema to many conservatives, is absolutely essential.
Cardinal O’Malley: Pope Francis Knows Immigrants Are the Future of the Church
Christopher Dickey
June 3, 2014
The occasional yellow or red was acceptable, but the suggestion of a blue dress was met with distress, and brown was anathema.
Why I Finally Let My Girls Be Girly
Andy Hinds
May 16, 2014
Historical Examples
Jackson was told that a pipe was anathema maranatha, which is Greek for no bon.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 153, Sept. 12, 1917
Various
He even pronounced his anathema upon any who taught other doctrine.
A Tour of the Missions
Augustus Hopkins Strong
I wish I could give you an idea, madame, of the tone and expression of Sallenauve as he uttered this anathema.
The Deputy of Arcis
Honore de Balzac
Anagram
a mean hat
14 February 2016
aggrade
[uh-greyd]
verb (used with object), aggraded, aggrading. Physical Geography.
1. to raise the grade or level of (a river valley, a stream bed, etc.) by depositing detritus, sediment, or the like.
Compare degrade.
Origin of aggrade
1895-1900; ag- + grade
Related forms
aggradation [ag-ruh-dey-shuh n], noun
aggradational, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for aggrade
Historical Examples
Its deposits tend to aggrade (build up) the flat which its meanderings develop.
The Geography of the Region about Devils Lake and the Dalles of the Wisconsin
Rollin D. Salisbury
In this way they aggrade each portion of it in turn by means of their shifting channels.
The Elements of Geology
William Harmon Norton
Anagram
a dagger
age drag
garaged
13 February 2016
detritus
[dih-trahy-tuh s]
noun
1. rock in small particles or other material worn or broken away from a mass, as by the action of water or glacial ice.
2. any disintegrated material; debris.
Origin of detritus
French
1785-1795; < French détritus < Latin: a rubbing away, equivalent to dētrī-, variant stem of dēterere to wear down, rub off ( de- de- + terere to rub) + -tus suffix of v. action
Related forms
detrital, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for detritus
Contemporary Examples
And then she came up with the idea of asking him to fiddle with his collection of detritus.
Tacita Dean’s ‘Five Americans’ Captures a Quiet Brilliance
Blake Gopnik
May 6, 2012
Perhaps Pappy fans are so insatiable that they even want the detritus of their favorite tot.
The Cult of Pappy van Winkle
Eric Felten
December 2, 2014
Her fantastical accumulations of detritus and throwaway goods can seem to pack more whimsy than wallop.
America Swamped by Its Plenty
Blake Gopnik
May 28, 2013
The artist is drinking beer, smoking and the detritus is building up around him.
The Biennale’s Best
Paul Laster, Bettina Von Hase
June 17, 2009
Amidst the detritus of old amplifiers, beaten up electric guitars and drum kits was a tatty white plastic bag.
The Lost Madonna Tapes
Andrew Morton
October 19, 2008
Historical Examples
By some unknown convulsion, this detritus had been heaped up.
Fragments of science, V. 1-2
John Tyndall
Death is only real for all the detritus of the world, for all the sorrow, for all the injustice, for all the grief.
The Octopus
Frank Norris
What an inconceivable tangle of detritus those streets must be!
Darkness and Dawn
George Allan England
The mouth of the Dranse, hard by, is a dreary collection of detritus.
Lausanne
Francis Henry Gribble
The soil, composed of sand and that detritus which abounds in American forests, gave way beneath the foot.
Last of the Incas
Gustave Aimard
Anagram
die trust
edits rut
12 February 2016
gongoozler
noun
1. an idle spectator, esp. one who stares for a long time at something
2. a person who enjoys watching activity on the canals of the United Kingdom. The term is also used more generally to describe those who harbour an interest in canals and canal life, but do not actively participate
Word Origin
1904
Usage Note
slang
Dictionary.com’s 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2014 Dictionary.com, LLC
Wikipedia
Anagram
go long zero
11 February 2016
estrapade
[es-truh-peyd]
noun
– the attempt by a horse to throw its rider, often by rearing, plunging or kicking.
(Collins English Dictionary, Wiktionary)
Origin
– French.
Anagram
set parade
deer pasta
data spree
10 February 2016
maven
(or mavin)
[mey-vuh n]
noun
1. an expert or connoisseur.
Origin of maven
1960-1965 < Yiddish < Hebrew: connoisseur
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for maven
Contemporary Examples
Symbolism aside, many analysts say the public discourse on issues of displacement and resettlement is being framed by Western politicians and media mavens along all-too-predictable left-right lines, generating an abundance of soundbites but obscuring the complex challenges confronting their governments.
Much Ado About Muslim Refugees
Al Jazeera
December 08, 2015
Anagram
van me
9 February 2016
clinquant
[kling-kuh nt]
adjective
1. glittering, especially with tinsel; decked with garish finery.
noun
2. imitation gold leaf; tinsel; false glitter.
Origin of clinquant
Dutch
1585-1595; < Middle French: clinking, present participle of clinquer (< Dutch klinken to sound); see -ant
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for clinquant
Historical Examples
My eyes rejoice in the shine of it; its clinquant sound is music in my ears.
Trivia
Logan Pearsall Smith
I liked Jack, but not clinquant in crimson and gold, with spurs and sword clanking on the hard, frost-bitten road.
The Yeoman Adventurer
George W. Gough
Anagram
Clan quit
8 February 2016
smicker
[smik-uh]
adjective
“elegant, fine, gay,” from Old English smicere “neat, elegant, beautiful, fair, tasteful.” Hence smicker (v.) “look amorously” (1660s); smickering “an amorous inclination” (1690s).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Anagram
ricks me
6 February 2016
quinch
verb
To move, stir, make a slight noise; to start, flinch.
Origin
Early 16th cent.; earliest use found in Promptorium Parvulorum. Origin uncertain. Perhaps a variant of quetch, perhaps by association with winch; or perhaps a variant of either winch or wince.
Example
It was a subtle quinch but enough to alert the bird to the cat’s presence.
4 February 2016
deipnophobia
[deep-no-foh-bee-uh]
noun
– an abnormal fear of dining and dinner conversation.
Examples
Christmas parties were particularly frightening for him because of his deipnophobia.
Anagram
ion hippo bead
3 February 2016
abessive
[a-bes-iv] Grammar
adjective
1. noting a case, as in Finnish, whose distinctive function is to indicate absence or lack.
noun
2. the abessive case.
In linguistics, abessive, caritive and privative are names for a grammatical case expressing the lack or absence of the marked noun. In English, the corresponding function is expressed by the preposition without or by the suffix -less. The name abessive is derived from Latin abesse “to be away/absent”, and is especially used in reference to Uralic languages. The name caritive is derived from Latin carere “to lack”, and is especially used in reference to Caucasian languages. The name privative is derived from Latin privare “to deprive”.
Origin of abessive
Latin
1890-1894; < Latin abess (e) to be distant + -ive
Dictionary.com
lexbook.net
Anagram
eve basis
visa bees
2 February 2016
qanat
noun
a gently sloping underground tunnel for irrigation purposes, esp. in ancient Persia; also called kanat
Origin
Qanat is the Arabic word for “channel”. Qanats are also called kārīz (or kārēz from Persian: كاريز) (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, derived from Persian: كاهریز), kahan (from Persian: کهن), kahriz/kəhriz (Azerbaijan); khettara (Morocco); galería (Spain); falaj (from Arabic: فلج) (United Arab Emirates and Oman); Kahn (Baloch) or foggara/fughara (North Africa).[8] Alternative terms for qanats in Asia and North Africa are kakuriz, chin-avulz, and mayun. Common variants of qanat in English include kanat, khanat, kunut, kona, konait, ghanat, ghundat.
Examples
The oldest and largest known qanat is in the Iranian city of Gonabad which, after 2,700 years, still provides drinking and agricultural water to nearly 40,000 people.
Originating in northeastern Iran around 800 BC, qanats brought the water from the snow melt to the plains for irrigation and human use.
Dictionary.com
Wikipedia
1 February 2016
dox (or doxx)
[doks]
verb (used with or without object), doxed or doxxed, doxing or doxxing.
1. Slang. to publish the private personal information of (another person) or reveal the identity of (an online poster) without the consent of that individual:
The professor was doxed by a bitter student who failed her class.
Several players doxed the programmer because the final version of the game disappointed them.
Origin of dox
2000-2005; alteration of docs, short for documents
Related forms
doxing, doxxing, noun
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for dox
Contemporary Examples
It is even worse when online actors “ dox ”—or publicly release the private information of—the incorrect person.
Web Sleuths Get It Wrong Again in Ferguson
Tim Mak
August 14, 2014
Victims of careless ‘ dox ’ attempts say the consequences are miserable.
Web Sleuths Get It Wrong Again in Ferguson
Tim Mak
August 14, 2014
