May 2019 WOTDs
31 May 2019
ormolu
[awr-muh-loo]
noun
1. Also called mosaic gold. an alloy of copper and zinc used to imitate gold.
2. Also called bronze doré, gilt bronze. gilded metal, especially cast brass or bronze gilded over fire with an amalgam of gold and mercury, used for furniture mounts and ornamental objects.
3. gold or gold powder prepared for use in gilding.
Origin of ormolu
French
1755-1765; French or moulu ground gold, equivalent to or (Latin aurum) + moulu, past participle of moudre to grind < Latin molere
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for ormolu
Historical Examples
The wood-work is painted white, and enriched with wreaths of leaves in ormolu.
The Care of Books
John Willis Clark
Coal-scuttles, like andirons, should be made of bronze, ormolu or iron.
The Decoration of Houses
Edith Wharton
I shall merely present them with an ormolu timepiece—whatever that may be.
Pincher Martin, O.D.
H. Taprell Dorling
30 May 2019
aplomb
[uh-plom, uh-pluhm]
noun
1. imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance.
2. the perpendicular, or vertical, position.
Origin of aplomb
French
1820-1830 First recorded in 1820-30, aplomb is from the French word à plomb according to the plummet, i.e., straight up and down, vertical position
Synonyms
1. composure, equanimity, imperturbability.
Antonyms
1. confusion, discomposure; doubt, uncertainty.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
Examples from the Web for aplomb
Contemporary Examples
Resolving moral dilemmas is her daily work, and she does it with clarity and aplomb.
Ian McEwan’s New Novel Keeps Life at Arm’s Length
Nick Romeo
September 11, 2014
Meanwhile, during the past several years in Champagne, the “Grower” movement has gained momentum and aplomb.
Champagne Goes Rogue
Jordan Salcito
December 28, 2013
When he needed to put Rick Perry and Rick Santorum away during the primaries, by God he did it, and with aplomb.
Mitt Romney’s Game-Change Moment in the Denver Presidential Debate
Michael Tomasky
October 2, 2012
But Obama and his party have been playing the race card with the aplomb of a Jim Crow Democrat.
The Tribal Election: Barack Obama Turns to the Karl Rove Playbook
Joel Kotkin
July 24, 2012
The no-nonsense Belvin Perry Jr. presided over the tangled proceedings with aplomb.
World’s Crankiest Judges
Alex Berg
July 4, 2011
Historical Examples
She received his bits of news with the aplomb of a resourceful commander.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Miss Milbrey disunited the chatting couple with swiftness and aplomb.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
I could read as much in her narrowed eyes as she tried for aplomb with her guests.
Ruggles of Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson
The aplomb—why should there be a French word for an English quality?
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. I (of II)
Charles James Lever
Before the end of the repast he had recovered all his assurance, all his aplomb.
Samuel Brohl & Company
Victor Cherbuliez
29 May 2019
orthopraxy
[awr-thuh-prak-see]
noun
- correctness or orthodoxy of action or practice.
- Medicine/Medical. orthopraxiaOrigin of orthopraxy1850-1855 First recorded in 1850-55; ortho- + prax(is) + -y3Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for orthopraxy
Historical Examples
And what is the good of all your orthodoxy unless the orthodoxy of creed issues in orthopraxy of conduct?
Expositions of Holy Scripture
Alexander Maclaren
28 May 2019
chanticleer
[chan-tuh-kleer]
noun Now Literary.
a rooster: used as a proper name in medieval fables.
Also chan·te·cler [chan-tuh-klair] /ˈtʃæn təˌklɛər/.
Origin of chanticleer
1250–1300; Middle English Chauntecler < Old French Chantecler noun use of verb phrase chante cler sing clear. See chant, clear
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for chanticleer
Historical Examples
Once down, however, he shook his fluttered plumes, and crowed like any chanticleer.
Sir Ludar
Talbot Baines Reed
Never was chanticleer so crouse on his own dung-hill, as Johnny Darbyshire was in his own house.
Stories of Comedy
Various
I never heard that Chanticleer was a pattern of fatherly devotion.
A Little Girl in Old St. Louis
Amanda Minnie Douglas
The exciting cause of the professor’s outburst was an attempt to get from his class some information about Chanticleer.
Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association Held at Ottawa, Canada June 26-July 2, 1912
Various
You might not get the answer you were looking for, but you could not get a foolish answer, if you asked him of Chanticleer.
Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association Held at Ottawa, Canada June 26-July 2, 1912
Various
27 May 2019
yurt
[yoo rt]
noun
a tent-like dwelling of the Mongol and Turkic peoples of central Asia, consisting of a cylindrical wall of poles in a lattice arrangement with a conical roof of poles, both covered by felt or skins.
Origin of yurt
1885–90; Russian yurt < Turkic; compare Turkish yurt home, fatherland, with cognates meaning “abode, dwelling” in all branches of Turkic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for yurt
Contemporary Examples
Her route is well planned, yet somewhere—on the streets of Tehran, in a yurt in Turkmenistan—Lin-Liu loses her way.
This Week’s Hot Reads: July 29, 2013
Jessica Ferri, Damaris Colhoun
July 29, 2013
Historical Examples
Round the walls of the yurt were ranged one or two tables and chests of drawers.
A Wayfarer in China
Elizabeth Kendall
Around the yurt gathered women and children, dogs and calves.
A Wayfarer in China
Elizabeth Kendall
26 May 2019
chiaroscuro
[kee-ahr-uh-skyoo r-oh]
noun, plural chi·a·ro·scu·ros.
the distribution of light and shade in a picture.
Painting . the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect:
Rembrandt is a master of chiaroscuro.
a woodcut print in which the colors are produced by the use of different blocks with different colors.
Origin of chiaroscuro
1680–90; < Italian, equivalent to chiaro bright (< Latin clārus ) + oscuro dark (< Latin obscūrus ). See clear, obscure
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for chiaroscuro
shadowy, shaded, leafy, cloudy, cool, dim, dusky, indistinct, sheltered, vague, screened, umbrageous, adumbral, bosky, chiaroscuro, shadowed
Examples from the Web for chiaroscuro
Contemporary Examples of chiaroscuro
This chiaroscuro portrait, intended only to sell underwear, comes alarmingly close to capturing the man.
The Daily Beast logo
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up
Tom Boswell
September 27, 2014
Historical Examples of chiaroscuro
No chiaroscuro is so difficult as this; and none so noble, chaste, or impressive.
Modern Painters Volume I (of V)
John Ruskin
I was in train to interpret for Ma’moiselle the chiaroscuro.
The Pigeon (Third Series Plays)
John Galsworthy
In chiaroscuro , and in delicacy of execution he is not inferior to his master.
Six Centuries of Painting
Randall Davies
Thus they were familiar with chiaroscuro before the European painters.
Chinese Painters
Raphael Petrucci
The typical German chiaroscuro was therefore from two blocks.
John Baptist Jackson
Jacob Kainen
25 May 2019
décolletage
or de·colle·tage
[dey-kol-tahzh, -kol-uh-, dek-uh-luh-; French dey-kawl-tazh]
noun
the neckline of a dress cut low in the front or back and often across the shoulders.
a décolleté garment or costume.
Origin of décolletage
1890–95; French, equivalent to décollet(er ) (see décolleté + -age -age
Can be confused
décolletage décolleté dishabille
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for decolletage
Historical Examples of decolletage
She was really on probation for higher levels; it was her decolletage delayed her.
Soul of a Bishop
H. G. Wells
The plain, well-made dress will oust the ribbon and the decolletage.
What is Coming?
H. G. Wells
25 May 2019
crotal
(also: crottle)
noun
Scot any of various lichens used in dyeing wool, esp for the manufacture of tweeds
Word Origin for crotal
Gaelic crotal
Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Examples from the Web for crotal
Historical Examples of crotal
It is better, however, to get the shade by altering the quantity of Crotal used.
Vegetable Dyes
Ethel M. Mairet
Thereafter, on cushioned beds were repasts, long and savorous, eaten to the sound of crotal and of flute.
Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern
Edgar Saltus
My father seemed to age perceptibly, reflecting on his companion gone, and he clung to me like the crotal to the stone.
John Splendid
Neil Munro
20 May 2019
savate
[suh-vat]
noun
a sport resembling boxing but permitting blows to be delivered with the feet as well as the hands.
Origin of savate
1860–65; French: literally, old shoe. See sabot
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for savate
Historical Examples of savate
Max had not expected the savate from an Englishman, and he was very glad of the warning.
A Soldier of the Legion
C. N. Williamson
Savate , boxing and kicking; canne, cane (fencing expression).
John Bull, Junior
Max O’Rell
“I have some acquaintance with the savate ,” he said suavely.
Cynthia’s Chauffeur
Louis Tracy
Then his right foot rose, in the famous and deadly blow of the savate .
The Blue Lights
Arnold Fredericks
It was with the Revolution that the rapier went out, and the savate came in.
Sword and Gown
George A. Lawrence
19 May 2019
tabula rasa
[tab-yuh-luh rah-suh, -zuh, rey-; Latin tah-boo-lah rah-sah]
noun, plural ta·bu·lae ra·sae [tab-yuh-lee rah-see, -zee, rey-; Latin tah-boo-lahy rah-sahy] /ˈtæb yəˌli ˈrɑ si, -zi, ˈreɪ-; Latin ˈtɑ bʊˌlaɪ ˈrɑ saɪ/.
a mind not yet affected by experiences, impressions, etc.
anything existing undisturbed in its original pure state.
Origin of tabula rasa
First recorded in 1525–35, tabula rasa is from the Latin word tabula rāsa scraped tablet, clean slate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for tabula rasa
palimpsest
Example
An opportunity to begin again with no record, history, or preconceived ideas is one kind of tabula rasa.
Vocabulary.com
18 May 2019
whataboutism
[hwuht-uh-bou-tiz-uhm, wuht‐, hwot‐, wot‐]
noun
a conversational tactic in which a person responds to an argument or attack by changing the subject to focus on someone else’s misconduct, implying that all criticism is invalid because no one is completely blameless:
Excusing your mistakes with whataboutism is not the same as defending your record.
RELATED CONTENT
Why Is Everyone’s Favorite Comeback A Whataboutism?
Attention world: Your favorite comeback sucks.
NEARBY WORDS
what’ve, what-if, what-you-may-call-it, whata, whataboutery, whatchamacallit, whate’er, whatever, whatevs, whatnot
ORIGIN OF WHATABOUTISM
First recorded in 2000–05; from the phrase what about? + -ism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
17 May 2019
conservator
[kon-ser-vey-ter, kuh n-sur-vuh-]
noun
a person who conserves or preserves; preserver; protector.
a person who repairs, restores, or maintains the condition of objects, as paintings or sculptures in an art museum, or books in a library.
Law . a guardian; a custodian.
British . a person employed by the conservancy commission; a conservation worker.
Origin of conservator
1400–50; late Middle English; Latin, equivalent to conservā(re ) (see conserve) + -tor -tor
Related forms
con·serv·a·to·ri·al [kuh n-sur-v uh- tawr -ee- uh l, – tohr -] /kənˌsɜr vəˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr-/ ,
adjective
con·ser·va·tor·ship , noun
sub·con·ser·va·tor , noun
Dictionary.com
Related Words for conservator
custodian, curator, keeper, guardian, protector
Examples from the Web for conservator
Contemporary Examples of conservator
Later, a Riverside judge ruled that Mills would remain as the conservator of her estate.
The Daily Beast logo
Etta James’s Son Donto Says Addiction Was Part of Famed Singer’s Life
Christine Pelisek
November 15, 2012
A judge ruled that Mills would remain as the conservator of her estate.
The Daily Beast logo
Etta James, Who Blazed Trail for Women in R&B, Dead at 73
Christine Pelisek
January 21, 2012
Historical Examples of conservator
Is God not only the Creator but the Conservator of all things?
The Theistic Conception of the World
B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) Cocker
There may be a question as to my being a conservative, but there is no doubt that I am a conservator.
Discourses of Keidansky
Bernard G. Richards
But even in the matter of elided consonants American is not always the conservator .
The American Language
Henry L. Mencken
I do not believe that the church is a conservator of civilization.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 6 (of 12)
Robert G. Ingersoll
The Conservator of orthodoxy is the Holy Ghost in a purified heart.
The Palm Tree Blessing
W. E. Shepard
16 May 2019
presage
[noun pres-ij; verb pres-ij, pri-seyj]
noun
– a presentiment or foreboding.
– something that portends or foreshadows a future event; an omen, prognostic, or warning indication.
– prophetic significance; augury
foresight; prescience.
Archaic . a forecast or prediction.
verb (used with object), pres·aged, pres·ag·ing.
to have a presentiment of.
to portend, foreshow, or foreshadow:
The incidents may presage war.
to forecast; predict.
verb (used without object), pres·aged, pres·ag·ing.
to make a prediction.
Archaic . to have a presentiment.
Origin of presage
1350–1400; Middle English (noun); Middle French presage < Latin praesāgium presentiment, forewarning, equivalent to praesāg(us ) having a foreboding ( prae- pre- + sāgus prophetic; cf. sagacious) + -ium -ium
Related forms
pres·age·ful , adjective
pres·age·ful·ly , adverb
pres·ag·er , noun
un·pres·aged , adjective
un·pres·ag·ing , adjective
Synonyms for presage
1. foreshadowing, indication, premonition. 2. portent, sign, token.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for presage
signify, foresee, portend, foreshadow, forebode, foretell, augur, auspice, omen, prognostic, apprehension, augury, misgiving, forecast, harbinger, prognostication, intimation, premonition, prophecy, sign
Examples from the Web for presage
Contemporary Examples of presage
From quotes Clinton a lot, and he credits Clinton with saying that an intellectual resurgence has to presage political power.
The Daily Beast logo
The Republican Party Needs an RLC
Eleanor Clift
January 10, 2014
But I recall nothing in Possession, Angels & Insects, Babel Tower, or her other books that seems to presage this one.
The Daily Beast logo
Must Reads: Wild Abandon, Ramona Ausubel, A.S. Byatt
Nicholas Mancusi, Jennifer Miller, Allen Barra
March 6, 2012
Historical Examples of presage
For a moment there was a pause, as if at a presage of disaster.
Graham’s Magazine, Vol. XXXII No. 4, April 1848
Various
Fatal words they were,—the presage of the mishap they threatened!
Tom Burke Of “Ours”, Volume II (of II)
Charles James Lever
In the early spring of 1784 Diderot had an attack which he knew to be the presage of the end.
Diderot and the Encyclopdists
John Morley
But the softness in the Christmas air did not presage a thaw.
A Son of the City
Herman Gastrell Seely
Thus she left him without so much as a backward glance to presage future favour.
Simon Dale
Anthony Hope
14 May 2019
colloquium
[kuh-loh-kwee-uh m]
noun
plural col·lo·qui·ums, col·lo·qui·a [kuh-loh-kwee-uh] /kəˈloʊ kwi ə/.
a conference at which scholars or other experts present papers on, analyze, and discuss a specific topic.
Origin of colloquium
1600–10, equivalent to colloqu(ī ) ( col- col-1 + loquī to speak) + -ium -ium
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for colloquium
symposium, discussion, meeting, seminar
Examples from the Web for colloquium
Historical Examples of colloquium
Nor are these Names by any Means more illustrious, than those we meet with in the Colloquium .
An Essay on Criticism
John Oldmixon
13 May 2019
mal de ojo
Spanish (literally, ‘evil from the eye’).
evil eye
n.
1. A look or stare believed to cause injury or misfortune to others. Example: they feared the mal de ojo.
2. The presumed power to cause injury or misfortune to others by magic or supernatural means.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
12 May 2019
parturition
[pahr-too-rish-uh n, -tyoo-, -choo-]
noun, Biology.
1. the process of bringing forth young.
Origin of parturition
Late Latin
1640-1650; Late Latin parturītiōn- (stem of parturītiō) travail, equivalent to Latin parturīt(us) (past participle of parturīre; see parturient ) + -iōn- -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for parturition
Historical Examples
The process of bringing a child into the world is called ” parturition.”
Private Sex Advice to Women
R. B. Armitage
Chloroform is employed by some to relieve the pain of parturition.
The Action of Medicines in the System
Frederick William Headland
All appear to be viviparous, and the act of parturition is performed in the water.
Reptiles and Birds
Louis Figuier
11 May 2019
amour fou
French noun phrase
\ ä-ˈmu̇r-ˈfü \
: mad love : obsessive passion
Example
He expressed his amour fou for her through hundreds of love letters.
10 May 2019
sawbuck(1)
[saw-buhk]
noun
a sawhorse.
Origin of sawbuck(1)
1860–65, Americanism; compare Dutch zaagbok
sawbuck(2)
[saw-buhk]
noun Slang.
a ten-dollar bill.
Origin of sawbuck(2)
1840–50, Americanism; so called from the resemblance of the Roman numeral X to the crossbars of a sawbuck(1)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for sawbuck
Historical Examples of sawbuck
“Here’s your ten and costs,” says Pinckney, tossing him a sawbuck.
Shorty McCabe
Sewell Ford
They drove a pack-horse, their supplies loaded on a sawbuck saddle with kyacks.
Oh, You Tex!
William Macleod Raine
Rob threw the sawbuck pack-saddle on top of the padded blanket.
The Young Alaskans in the Rockies
Emerson Hough
“It pleases me to say that I pulled a sawbuck out of Emery,” he said.
Frank Merriwell’s Races
Burt L. Standish
The sawbuck followed it, the cinch flying high so that it should go clear.
The Eagle’s Heart
Hamlin Garland
9 May 2019
echidna
[ih-kid-nuh]
1. In Greek mythology, Echidna (/ɪˈkɪdnə/; Greek: Ἔχιδνα, “She-Viper”) was a monster, half-woman and half-snake, who lived alone in a cave. She was the mate of the fearsome monster, Typhon and was the mother of monsters, including many of the most famous monsters of Greek myth. (Wikipedia)
2. Also called spiny anteater. any of several insectivorous monotremes of the genera Tachyglossus, of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, and Zaglossus, of New Guinea, that have claws and a slender snout and are covered with coarse hair and long spines.
Origin of echidna
New Latin (1798), originally a genus name; Latin: serpent, Echidna a mythical creature which gave birth to the Hydra and other monsters; Greek échidna, akin to échis viper
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for
Historical Examples of echidna
Echidna was a bloodthirsty monster, half maiden, half serpent.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
E.M. Berens
The Ornithorhyncus has fur, the Echidna has spines, with hairs between them.
Stories of the Universe: Animal Life
B. Lindsay
Man-serpent, therefore, in Dante, as Echidna is woman-serpent.
Modern Painters, Volume V (of 5)
John Ruskin
In Ornithorhynchus the zygomatic arch is much stouter than in Echidna .
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds
In Echidna the carpus is broad, the scaphoid and lunar are united and there is no centrale.
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds
8 May 2019
cloister
[kloi-ster]
noun
a covered walk, especially in a religious institution, having an open arcade or colonnade usually opening onto a courtyard.
a courtyard, especially in a religious institution, bordered with such walks.
a place of religious seclusion, as a monastery or convent.
any quiet, secluded place.
life in a monastery or convent.
verb (used with object)
to confine in a monastery or convent.
to confine in retirement; seclude.
to furnish with a cloister or covered walk.
to convert into a monastery or convent.
Origin of cloister
1250–1300; Middle English cloistre; Anglo-French, Old French, blend of cloison partition (see cloisonné) and clostre (< Latin claustrum barrier (Late Latin: enclosed place); see claustrum)
Related forms
clois·ter·less, adjective
clois·ter·like, adjective
Synonyms for cloister
3. abbey, priory.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for cloister
nunnery, convent, hermitage, monastery, abbey, cell, sanctuary, house, order, retreat, priory, friary, lamasery, priorate
Examples from the Web for
Historical Examples of cloister
For five years Angelique lived and grew there, as if in a cloister, far away from the world.
The Dream
Emile Zola
But, to say he turned his eyes upon the cloister keys, is a mere figure of speech.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood
The convent-bell struck midnight, and there was a foot-fall in the cloister.
Graham’s Magazine Vol. XXXII No. 2. February 1848
Various
This enclosed, quiet residence vaguely recalled the cloister.
Therese Raquin
Emile Zola
Here they may have supported the wooden roof of a cloister or porch.
Byzantine Churches in Constantinople
Alexander Van Millingen
7 May 2019
suspiration
[suhs-puh-rey-shuh n]
noun
a long, deep sigh.
Origin of suspiration
1475–85; Latin suspīrātiōn- (stem of suspīrātiō ), equivalent to suspīrāt(us ) (past participle of suspīrāre to suspire) + -iōn- -ion
Dictionary.com
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for suspiration
Historical Examples of suspiration
At times, it is true, like a deep sigh, the suspiration of the open sea rose and fell among the islands.
The Washer of the Ford
Fiona Macleod
The girl’s voice trembled, her breath came so hard Morgan could hear its suspiration where he stood.
Trail’s End
George W. Ogden
6 May 2019
tincture
[tingk-cher]
noun
1. Pharmacology. a solution of alcohol or of alcohol and water, containing animal, vegetable, or chemical drugs.
2. a slight infusion, as of some element or quality:
A tincture of education had softened his rude manners.
3. a trace; a smack or smattering; tinge :
a tincture of irony.
4. Heraldry. any of the colors, metals, or furs used for the fields, charges, etc., of an escutcheon or achievement of arms.
5. a dye or pigment.
verb (used with object), tinctured, tincturing.
6. to impart a tint or color to; tinge.
7. to imbue or infuse with something.
Origin of tincture
Latin
1350-1400; Middle English: dye; Latin tīnctūra dyeing. See tinct, -ure
Related forms
pretincture, noun
untinctured, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for tincture
Historical Examples
Mix two drams of the tincture of galls with one dram of lunar caustic, and for marking of linen, use it with a pen as common ink.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
A tincture for the gums may be made of three ounces of the tincture of bark, and half an ounce of sal ammoniac, mixed together.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Bruise three ounces of cloves, steep them for ten days in a quart of brandy, and strain off the tincture through a flannel sieve.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Thou canst not withhold a tincture of lemon from the sweetest cup!
St. Cuthbert’s
Robert E. Knowles
Used as a sedative in tincture ; ten to twenty drops in water.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings
Externally, vesicant; used in form of ointment, or tincture.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings
The water or brine solution must be at least twenty times the bulk of the tincture.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field
5 May 2019
ewer
[yoo-er]
noun
1. a pitcher with a wide spout.
2. Decorative Art. a vessel having a spout and a handle, especially a tall, slender vessel with a base.
Origin of ewer
Middle English, Anglo-French, Old French, Latin
1275-1325; Middle English; Anglo-French; Old French evier; Latin aquārius vessel for water, equivalent to aqu(a) water + -ārius -ary
Dictionary.com
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for ewer
Historical Examples
Without a word Oliver turned to a side-table, where stood a metal basin and ewer.
The Sea-Hawk
Raphael Sabatini
The bowl had scallops around the edge, and the ewer was tall and slim.
A Little Girl in Old Boston
Amanda Millie Douglas
He found an ewer and basin, and his ablutions refreshed and invigorated him.
The Last Of The Barons, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
And she knelt down with ewer and basin and a napkin to wash the feet of the poor.
The Ruinous Face
Maurice Hewlett
A basin of similar material and design accompanied the ewer.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 5
Various
When he had undressed, he dipped a towel into his ewer and rubbed himself all over.
Married
August Strindberg
Luckily there was no water in the ewer because we had forgotten it, only dust and spiders.
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
E. Nesbit
She was obliged to break the ewer to free the little dog’s head.
Hungarian Sketches in Peace and War
Mr Jkai
And the ewer is said to be of gold, to express the dignity of the head.
Medica Sacra
Richard Mead
He got up and poured some water from the ewer into a cracked cup and drank it.
The Angel of the Revolution
George Griffith
3 May 2019
utilitarian
[yoo-til-i-tair-ee-uhn ]
adjective
pertaining to or consisting in utility.
having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc.
of, relating to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.
noun
an adherent of utilitarianism.
RELATED WORDS
sensible, functional, pragmatic, down-to-earth, effective, efficient, hard, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, realistic, serviceable, useful, commonsensical, pragmatical, unromantic, unidealistic
NEARBY WORDS
utile dulci, utilicare, utilidor, utilisation, utilise, utilitarianism, utility, utility function, utility man, utility player
ORIGIN OF UTILITARIAN
First recorded in 1775–85; utilit(y) + -arian
SYNONYMS FOR UTILITARIAN
2. practical, useful, functional, sensible.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR utilitarian ON THESAURUS.COM
RELATED FORMS
an·ti·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective, noun
non·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective, noun
un·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective
Dictionary.com
EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR UTILITARIAN
Is that a utilitarian approach—that you need to understand how institutions have changed to understand the way they are?
THANK CONGRESS, NOT LBJ FOR GREAT SOCIETY|JULIAN ZELIZER, SCOTT PORCH|JANUARY 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Everything is meant to be utilitarian and efficient, at the expense of relaxation or comfort.
WHY SMART PEOPLE ARE DUMB PATIENTS|JEAN KIM|JULY 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The problem is that professional intelligence is mechanical and functional – utilitarian .
RICHARD HOFSTADTER AND AMERICA’S NEW WAVE OF ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM|DAVID MASCIOTRA|MARCH 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The available options were utilitarian and only came in a few colors.
CONCEALED CARRY HANDBAGS: AN EVENING BAG FOR YOUR GUN?|ERIN CUNNINGHAM|OCTOBER 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
2 May 2019
felicific
[fee-luh-sif-ik]
adjective
– causing or tending to cause happiness.
ORIGIN OF FELICIFIC
1860–65; < Latin fēlīci- (stem of fēlīx ) happy + -fic
Dictionary.com
EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR FELICIFIC
The ‘ felicific calculus’ is enough to show the inadequacy of his method.
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME I.|LESLIE STEPHEN
We are bound to apply our ‘ felicific calculus’ with absolute impartiality.
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME I.|LESLIE STEPHEN
It is the economic equivalent of the ‘utility’ of Bentham’s ‘ felicific calculus.’
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME II (OF 3)|LESLIE STEPHEN
1 May 2019
palimpsest
[pal-imp-sest]
noun
a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text.
Origin
1655–65; < Latin palimpsēstus < Greek palímpsēstos rubbed again ( pálin again + psēstós scraped, rubbed, verbid of psân to rub smooth)
Related form
pal·imp·ses·tic , adjective
Dictionary.com
Contemporary example
Sri Lankan Muslims and Catholics have not been in conflict in the past, adding to a palimpsest of reasons that make this attack all the more puzzling to experts.
Sri Lankan Muslims To Fast In Solidarity With Fellow Christians
Muslim Matters
24 April 2019
