April 2017 – WOTDs

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April 2017 WOTDs

30 April 2017

poplin

[pop-lin]

noun

1. a finely corded fabric of cotton, rayon, silk, or wool, for dresses, draperies, etc.

Origin of poplin

French, Italian

1700-1710; < French popeline, earlier papeline < Italian papalina, feminine of papalino papal; so called from being made at the papal city of Avignon. See papal, -ine1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for poplin

Historical Examples

She put her hand on Lucy Ann’s shoulder, to give her a little shake; but, feeling mother’s poplin, she forbore.
Tiverton Tales
Alice Brown

Even in the shade one is grateful for white duck instead of woolens, so before long I had acquired an Irish poplin coat.
The Pacific Triangle
Sydney Greenbie

Perhaps it was the royalty of the poplin that enwrapped her; but Lucy Ann looked very capable of holding her own.
Tiverton Tales
Alice Brown

Rob, foreseeing this question, had been engaged in a hasty mental estimate of the original cost of the poplin and the silk.
The Little Grey House
Marion Ames Taggart

The walls were hung with the finest Irish poplin and decorated by the most noted artists of the time.
One Irish Summer
William Eleroy Curtis

poplin or popeline is a name given to a class of goods distinguished by a rib or cord effect running width way of the piece.
Textiles
William H. Dooley

She wore a pink silk dress of Irish poplin, and on her head was a diamond tiara.
In the Days of Queen Victoria
Eva March Tappan

Anagram

nil pop
pin lop

 

29 April 2017

kris, creese or crease

[krees]

noun

1. a short sword or heavy dagger with a wavy blade, used by the Malays.

Origin of creese

Malay

1570-1580; < Malay kəris (spelling keris)

Dictionary.com

Historical Examples

To wait till to-night, and then lead you out of the jungle if you did not want to go, and stab you with my kris.
Middy and Ensign
G. Manville Fenn

I am only armed with a kris, and have no spear as thou hast,’ he said.
In Court and Kampong
Hugh Clifford

Besides that weapon the Mindanao uses lance, kris, and shield, as do the other nations.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 – Volume 40 of 55
Francisco Colin

The kris as a weapon of offence and defence is now almost a thing of the past.
Tales of the Malayan Coast
Rounsevelle Wildman

Anagram

risk

28 April 2017

lees

[leez]

noun

1. protective shelter:
The lee of the rock gave us some protection against the storm.
2. the side or part that is sheltered or turned away from the wind:
We erected our huts under the lee of the mountain.
3. Chiefly Nautical. the quarter or region toward which the wind blows.
adjective
4. pertaining to, situated in, or moving toward the lee.
Idioms
5. by the lee, Nautical. accidentally against what should be the lee side of a sail:
Careless steering brought the wind by the lee.
6. under the lee, Nautical. to leeward.

Origin of lee(1)

Middle English, Old English

900, before 900; Middle English; Old English hlēo (w) shelter, cognate with Old Frisian hli, hly, Old Saxon hleo, Old Norse hlé
lee(2)

[lee]

noun

1. Usually, lees. the insoluble matter that settles from a liquid, especially from wine; sediment; dregs.

Origin

1350-1400; Middle English lie; Middle French; Medieval Latin lia, probably; Gaulish *lig (j) a; compare Old Irish lige bed, akin to Old English gelege bed. See lie(2)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for lees

Contemporary Examples

She sent at once for lees and a séance was held in the Palace.
How Queen Victoria’s Affection For John Brown Sprang From His Contact With Dead Albert’s Shade
Tom Sykes
June 12, 2013

The lees were the 1st Black Family to move into the predominantly Italian-American Brooklyn Neighborhood of Cobble Hill.
Spike Lee Blasts The New York Times’ Story on Brooklyn Gentrification in Fiery Op-Ed
Marlow Stern
March 30, 2014

The voice phenomenon produced by lees was instantly recognisable as that of the late Consort.
How Queen Victoria’s Affection For John Brown Sprang From His Contact With Dead Albert’s Shade
Tom Sykes
June 12, 2013

Historical Examples

Only a short while; then the thought comes to them in the shape of a dilemma—Miss lees being the first to perceive it.
Gwen Wynn
Mayne Reid

Deuce of a straight line she had taken about Mrs. lees Noel!
The Patrician
John Galsworthy

This year, the entire company of Johnson and lees theatre was engaged for the Marylebone.
The Old Showmen and the Old London Fairs
Thomas Frost

What work would they make with your Shakespears, Otways, and lees ?
Joseph Andrews, Vol. 2
Henry Fielding

When my brother was sick there was nothing to give him to drink but lees that we’d been putting water to for a year.
Germinie Lacerteux
Edmond and Jules de Goncourt

Anagram

else

27 April 2017

skint

[skint]

adjective, British Slang.

1. having no money; penniless.

Origin of skint

1930-1935; probably orig. representing dial. pronunciation of skinned; see skin (v.), -ed2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for skint

Historical Examples

“If you would have gone to Mr. skint, sir—,” suggested Bozzle.
He Knew He Was Right
Anthony Trollope

Why didn’t he go to skint, as I told him, when his own lawyer was too dainty for the job?
He Knew He Was Right
Anthony Trollope

There ain’t no smarter gent in all the profession, sir, than Mr. skint.
He Knew He Was Right
Anthony Trollope

Anagram

knits

stink

26 April 2017

spear carrier or spear-carrier

noun

1. a supernumerary in a theatrical or operatic production, as one of a group of soldiers or a member of a crowd; extra.
2. any minor member of a group, profession, political party, etc.; subordinate; underling.

Origin of spear carrier

1950-1955

Dictionary.com

spear carrier

noun phrase

An unimportant participant; supernumerary : What helped me most was having been a catcher and a ”spear carrier” definitely not a star/ like last-minute walk-ons in the closing scene, spear-carriers in Valhalla

[1960+; fr the persons who appear on stage, esp in operas, as soldiers in the background]

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.

Anagram

Racer Repairs

25 April 2017

matelot or matelow

[mat-loh, mat-l-oh]

noun, British Slang.

1. a sailor.

Origin of matelot

French, Middle Dutch

1910-1915; < French ≪ Middle Dutch mattenoot sailor, equivalent to matte mat1+ noot companion ( Dutch genoot)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for matelot

Historical Examples

Finally a matelot advanced—a common sailor—a man before the mast.
Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes
Sylvia Sunshine

The Buccaneers went in pairs, every hunter having his camerade or matelot (sailor), as well as his engags.
The Monarchs of the Main, Volume I (of 3)
Walter Thornbury

No excuse was allowed; and if illness prevented the man elected taking the office, his matelot, or companion, took his place.
The Monarchs of the Main, Volume I (of 3)
Walter Thornbury

We do not know whether, in peculiar cases, a matelot became his camarade’s heir.
The Monarchs of the Main, Volume I (of 3)
Walter Thornbury

I prove to you I am not; but a good, sound, safe, French matelot !
Seven Frozen Sailors
George Manville Fenn

He had been a matelot, he said,—made a long voyage, and once touched at an English port.
Rambles in the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia
Thomas Forester

Anagram

two male
ow metal
late mow
meat owl

24 April 2017

Cathay

[ka-they]

noun, Literary or Archaic.

1. China.

Origin of Cathay

Medieval Latin, Tatar; Medieval Latin Cat (h) aya < Turkic; compare Tatar Kïtai

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Cathay

Contemporary Examples

One airline that has already banned shipments on its passenger flights is Cathay Pacific.
Passenger Flights Must Stop Carrying Lithium-Ion Batteries as Cargo
Clive Irving
May 4, 2014

This is the story of the Jesuit who more than 500 years ago made himself part of Cathay.
James Fallows: 5 Favorite ‘Outsiders In China’ Books
James Fallows
May 10, 2012

Historical Examples

At last the game was won, the passage to Cathay was discovered.
History of the United Netherlands, 1590-1599, Vol. III. Complete
John Lothrop Motley

Yet if she did, he was sure that it would have been impossible not to use them in defense of the colony of Cathay.
Victory
Lester del Rey

Once more he talked over the finding of Cathay with the priests and the sailors of Palos.
Children’s Literature
Charles Madison Curry

If one of those titans was to be used against Cathay, Earth’s colony was doomed.
Victory
Lester del Rey

Cathay is a country where it is necessary to be very careful.
A Bicycle of Cathay
Frank R. Stockton

The humans of Cathay might try a return raid, but he was unworried.
Victory
Lester del Rey

Our hero and heroine instantly ceased their own discourse, when they found that the subject was the voyage to Cathay.
Mercedes of Castile
J. Fenimore Cooper

He leaned back in his chair, wondering where “ Cathay ” might be.
At the Sign of the Jack O’Lantern
Myrtle Reed

Anagram

cat hay
chat ya

23 April 2017

occult

[uh-kuhlt, ok-uhlt]

adjective

1. of or relating to magic, astrology, or any system claiming use or knowledge of secret or supernatural powers or agencies.
2. beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or understanding; mysterious.
3. secret; disclosed or communicated only to the initiated.
4. hidden from view.
5. not apparent on mere inspection but discoverable by experimentation.
of a nature not understood, as physical qualities.
dealing with such qualities; experimental:
occult science.
6. Medicine/Medical. present in amounts too small to be visible:
a chemical test to detect occult blood in the stool.
noun
7. the supernatural or supernatural agencies and affairs considered as a whole (usually preceded by the).
8. occult studies or sciences (usually preceded by the).
verb (used with object)
9. to block or shut off (an object) from view; hide.
10. Astronomy. to hide (a celestial body) by occultation.
verb (used without object)
11. to become hidden or shut off from view.

Origin of occult
Latin
1520-1530; Latin occultus (past participle of occulere to hide from view, cover up), equivalent to oc- oc- + -cul-, akin to cēlāre to conceal + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

occulter, noun
occultly, adverb
occultness, noun
nonoccult, adjective
nonocculting, adjective

Synonyms

2. metaphysical, supernatural. 3. concealed, unrevealed; veiled, shrouded; mystical, cabalistic.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for occult

Contemporary Examples

“ occult ” literally means “hidden from view,” which is why we use it both in astronomy and to refer to secret knowledge.
Chariklo, a Minor Planet Nicknamed a “Centaur,” Discovered to Have Rings
Matthew R. Francis
April 5, 2014

One engineering school is even promoting a fascinating course on the relationship between the occult and technology.
Fall’s Hottest College Courses
Josh Dzieza, Daniel D’Addario
September 5, 2010

tilth

[tilth]

noun

1. the act or operation of tilling land; tillage.
2. the state of being tilled or under cultivation.
3.the physical condition of soil in relation to plant growth.
4. land that is tilled or cultivated.

Origin of tilth

1000, before 1000; Middle English, Old English. See till2, -th1
Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tilth

Historical Examples

On a heavy soil it has a bad influence if used repeatedly and in quantity, causing the land to “run,” and making the tilth bad.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 5
Various

The better the land is kept in tilth, the better will be the effect of an application of guano.
Guano
Solon Robinson

You feel in the atmosphere the same tonic, puissant quality that is in the tilth, the same strength and resoluteness.
O Pioneers!
Willa Cather

The vast plains are rich with crops, or are ready to yield to the tilth.
Pictures of Southern Life
William Howard Russell

Some soils are naturally friable, and in these a tilth sufficiently fine can be realized ordinarily with but little labor.
Clovers and How to Grow Them
Thomas Shaw

tilth masters that have corn of their own growing and sell it to others.
The Agrarian Problem in the Sixteenth Century
Richard Henry Tawney

In Sicilian territory too is tilth and town, and famed Acestes himself of Trojan blood.
The Aeneid of Virgil
Virgil

It is the gentry who offer a rich demesne, vineland and tilth, to Meleager, imploring him to take part in their war.
The World of Homer
Andrew Lang

Flowers, perhaps, at all events those of tilth and pasture, will have been all but improved away.
The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft
George Gissing

It had for foreground a stretch of tilth —olive-trees, honeysuckle hedges, and cypresses.
New Italian sketches
John Addington Symonds

21 April 2017

demur

[dih-mur]

verb (used without object), demurred, demurring.

1. to make objection, especially on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object:
They wanted to make him the treasurer, but he demurred.
2. Law. to interpose a demurrer.
3. Archaic. to linger; hesitate.
noun
4. the act of making objection.
5. an objection raised.
6. hesitation.
7. Law. Obsolete. a demurrer.

Origin of demur

Middle English Anglo-French Old French Latin

1175-1225; Middle English demuren < Anglo-French demurer, Old French demorer < Latin dēmorārī to linger, equivalent to dē- de- + morārī to delay, derivative of mora delay

Related forms

demurrable, adjective
undemurring, adjective

Can be confused

demur, demure.

Synonyms

5. scruple, qualm, misgiving.

Antonyms

1. agree, accede.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for demur

Contemporary Examples

And so it goes again: Democrats claim a knockout, Republicans demur.
The Flapdoodle Campaign
Megan McArdle
October 22, 2012

The intelligence officers at the bomb scene do not demur from this assessment.
After Beirut Bombing of Wissan al-Hassan, a Wary Calm in Lebanon
Jamie Dettmer
October 29, 2012

But if another, more prominent name were suggested for the position, Mrs. Clinton may demur.
How Obama Wooed Hillary
Nicholas Wapshott
November 13, 2008

Anagram

ed rum
Mr due

20 April 2017

inveigle

[in-vey-guh l, -vee-]

verb (used with object), inveigled, inveigling.

1. to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducements (usually followed by into):
to inveigle a person into playing bridge.
2. to acquire, win, or obtain by beguiling talk or methods (usually followed by from or away):
to inveigle a theater pass from a person.

Anagram

given lie
give lien

19 April 2017

rebus

[ree-buh s]

noun, plural rebuses.

1. a representation of a word or phrase by pictures, symbols, etc., that suggest that word or phrase or its syllables:
Two gates and a head is a rebus for Gateshead.
2. a piece of writing containing many such representations.

Origin of rebus

Latin

1595-1605; < Latin rēbus by things (ablative plural of rēs), in phrase nōn verbīs sed rēbus not by words but by things

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for rebus

Historical Examples

The Major chuckled, and admitted this might be so; his old governor used to say, “Est modus in rebus, sunt certi denique fines.”
Somehow Good
William de Morgan

A cask; the rebus of the final syllable TON in many surnames.
The Handbook to English Heraldry
Charles Boutell

More than three weeks, and rebus Newmarketianis versatus, I have written nothing.
The Greville Memoirs
Charles C. F. Greville

Beckington’s rebus (a beacon and a tun) occurs in the bosses.
The Cathedrals of Great Britain
P. H. Ditchfield

rebus sic stantibus, what’s the use of talking about quantitative and accentual verse, as if they were really two kinds of verse?
The Voice and Spiritual Education
Hiram Corson

The rebus of the master-mason, Hyndeley (a hind lying) occurs in the capitals.
The Cathedrals of Great Britain
P. H. Ditchfield

Ita facillime quae volemus, et privatis in rebus et in re publica consequemur.
De Officiis
Marcus Tullius Cicero

One class was formed as were the canting arms in heraldry, that is, by a rebus.
The Religious Sentiment
Daniel G. Brinton

In the cases of these two gods we got the chiffre, and the rebus is still to seek.
Studies in Central American Picture-Writing
Edward S. Holden

This rebus may be found in various places where the work was due to him.
Bell’s Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Saint Albans
Thomas Perkins

Anagram

rubes

18 April 2017

ruminate

[roo-muh-neyt]

verb (used without object), ruminated, ruminating.

1. to chew the cud, as a ruminant.
2. to meditate or muse; ponder.
verb (used with object), ruminated, ruminating.
3. to chew again or over and over.
4. to meditate on; ponder.

Origin of ruminate

Latin
1525-1535; Latin rūminātus (past participle of rūminārī, rūmināre to ruminate), equivalent to rūmin- (stem of rūmen rumen ) + -ātus -ate1

Related forms

ruminatingly, adverb
rumination, noun
ruminative, adjective
ruminatively, adverb
ruminator, noun

Synonyms

2. think, reflect.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ruminate

Contemporary Examples

What is it about all the rumination, all the anxiety that makes it so hard to sort of stand up for yourself, to yourself?
A Q&A with Scott Stossel, Author of ‘My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind’
Jesse Singal
February 19, 2014

The images feel like a yearbook of sorts, a rumination on the decade, and on three girls growing up.
Craig McDean’s Fashion Muses: Amber Valletta, Kate Moss, and More
Isabel Wilkinson
October 21, 2013

Published in 2006, the novel is violent and spooky, a rumination on madness and creativity.
Remedial Reader: The Essential Stephen King Back List
Jessica Ferri
April 24, 2012

Historical Examples

But Barbara did not flinch; and her mother relapsed into rumination.
The Patrician
John Galsworthy

A shiver, and a return beneath the blankets for five minutes’ rumination.
Cavalry of the Clouds
Alan Bott

Andy recalled himself with a start from his rumination over a possible speech.
Second String
Anthony Hope

His also was a “melancholy of his own,” a “humorous sadness in which his often rumination wrapt him.”
The Three Devils: Luther’s, Milton’s, and Goethe’s
David Masson

This a mass of foam from the rumination of deer, darkened by the juice of mouthfuls of grass just eaten!
The Kadambari of Bana
Bana

Complete dilatation is sometimes indicated by long addiction to habits of rumination.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II
Various

Thus you find that all animals having horns, have also a structure of stomach fit for rumination, and teeth upon one jaw only.
Aristotle
George Grote

Anagram

emu train
I rum neat
ruin team
Mr Auntie
manure it
ream unit

17 April 2017

purvey

[per-vey]

verb (used with object)

1. to provide, furnish, or supply (especially food or provisions) usually as a business or service.

Origin of purvey

Latin Middle English Anglo-French
1250-1300Middle English purveien < Anglo-French purveier < Latin prōvidēre to foresee, provide for. See provide

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for purvey

Historical Examples

So this feast was ended, and the Constable, by the advice of Anglides, let purvey that Alisander was well horsed and harnessed.
Le Morte D’Arthur, Volume II (of II)
Thomas Malory

Garland, will you purvey another psychic and conduct the pursuit?
The Shadow World
Hamlin Garland

Their rest they had given over for toil, that they might purvey the guests good cheer.
The Nibelungenlied
Unknown

In the vile companions who purvey to his baser appetites he finds no charm.
Revolution and Other Essays
Jack London

Now, why should not the Commissariat purvey the Hospital with food?
The Life of Florence Nightingale vol. 1 of 2
Edward Tyas Cook

This he could not purvey, nor was his business management a success.
The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. IV
Various

As night drew on, the others came trooping in, ready to do justice to anything eatable the chef could purvey.
Trusia
Davis Brinton

The cellaress had to purvey 22 “gud oxen” by the year for the convent.
Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535
Eileen Edna Power

From Rousseau’s “Confessions,” we have not room to purvey further.
Classic French Course in English
William Cleaver Wilkinson

The next matter was to purvey me three horses of the fleetest.
A Monk of Fife
Andrew Lang

16 April 2017

essay

[noun es-ey for 1, 2; es-ey, e-sey for 3–5; verb e-sey]

noun

1. a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.
2. anything resembling such a composition:
a picture essay.
3. an effort to perform or accomplish something; attempt.
4. Philately. a design for a proposed stamp differing in any way from the design of the stamp as issued.
5. Obsolete. a tentative effort; trial; assay.
verb (used with object)
6. to try; attempt.
7. to put to the test; make trial of.

Origin of essay

Middle French

1475-1485 Middle French essayer, cognate with Anglo-French assayer to assay < Late Latin exagium a weighing, equivalent to *exag (ere), for Latin exigere to examine, test, literally, to drive out (see exact ) + -ium -ium

Related forms

essayer, noun
preessay, verb (used without object)
unessayed, adjective
well-essayed, adjective

Can be confused

assay, essay.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for essay

Contemporary Examples

David Foster Wallace touched on this risk in his essay on television and fiction.
Boys Don’t Cry: In Praise of Sentiment
Andrew Sean Greer
June 25, 2013

Teles’ essay is important – even if its own argument explains why its powerful message is likely to go unheeded.
America’s Kludgeocracy Democracy
David Frum
December 10, 2012

There is, as he mentioned in a brilliant 1973 essay on bestselling novels, a Russian phrase that describes this condition.
Remembering Gore Vidal: He Was a Mortal After All
Nathaniel Rich
July 31, 2012

Former Artforum critic Thomas Lawson, also profiled in the essay, felt like he got off the hook.
The Artist Formerly Known as Janet Malcolm
Lauren Du Graf
June 5, 2013

In the essay, Havel imagines a grocer hanging a “Workers of the World, Unite!”
John Avlon: Vaclav Havel’s Heroic Politics of Truth and Responsibility
John Avlon
December 18, 2011

Historical Examples

Everybody read and admired an essay the style of which was new and striking.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume XIII
John Lord

With these precautions, in 1733, was published the first part of the essay on Man.
The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. in Nine Volumes
Samuel Johnson

By returning safely with that, you may enable us to renew the essay with better calculated means.
History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

Why did you say, Diana, that you knew something about the essay?
A harum-scarum schoolgirl
Angela Brazil

The wonder of Du Maurier’s essay, the astounding spectacle of his success, cannot be diminished by any such explanation of it.
English Society
George Du Maurier

15 April 2017

nowt(1)

[nout]

noun

1. an ox.
2. a herd of cattle.

Origin of nowt(1)

Middle English, Old Norse

1150-1200; Middle English < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse naut, neat2

nowt(2)

[noht]

noun, British Dialect.

1. naught; nothing.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for nowt

Historical Examples

I guv her your message, Jack, and she said nowt, but there she be a crying still.
Facing Death
G. A. Henty

“‘Appen ’twas nowt,” the postman at length allowed, peering cautiously about.
Bob, Son of Battle
Alfred Ollivant

An’ I remembered as he sat still after it and said nowt for a minute or so, same as if he was thinkin’ things over.
T. Tembarom
Frances Hodgson Burnett

Anagram

town

14 April 2017

rood

[rood]

noun

1. a crucifix, especially a large one at the entrance to the choir or chancel of a medieval church, often supported on a rood beam or rood screen.
2. a cross as used in crucifixion.
3. a unit of length varying locally from 5½ to 8 yards (5 to 7 meters).
4. a unit of land measure equal to 40 square rods or ¼ acre (0.10117 hectare).
5. a unit of 1 square rod (25.29 sq. m).
6. Archaic. the cross on which Christ died.

Origin of rood

Middle English Old English
900 before 900; Middle English; Old English rōd pole, crucifix; cognate with German Rute rod, twig

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for rood

Historical Examples

And therewith he swore upon the rood, and then came round the table, and knelt before Birdalone, and kissed her hands.
The Water of the Wondrous Isles
William Morris

Then lifting again the rood, he turned away, and with him went the Norman.
Harold, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

He may have been the author of the Dream of the rood ; he was probably a Northumbrian.
Medieval English Literature
William Paton Ker

Anagram

door

11 April 2017

lumpenproletariat

[luhm-puh n-proh-li-tair-ee-uh t]

noun, ( sometimes initial capital letter) (esp. in Marxist theory)

1. the lowest level of the proletariat comprising unskilled workers, vagrants, and criminals and characterized by a lack of class identification and solidarity. (esp in Marxist theory) the amorphous urban social group below the proletariat, consisting of criminals, tramps, etc

Origin of lumpenproletariat

German

1920-1925; < German (Marx, 1850), equivalent to Lumpen rag or Lumpen-, combining form of Lump ragamuffin + Proletariat proletariat

Dictionary.com

Example

Insane, but internally consistent and well pitched to a growing lumpenproletariat.
‘Bernardi watched Trump thump the establishment up close and learnt nothing’
John Birmingham
6 February 2017
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/blunt-instrument/bernardi-watched-trump-thump-the-establishment-up-close-and-learnt-nothing-20170206-gu6um6.html

Anagram

a prenuptial molter
a materiel torn pulp
a altimeter plop run
a literate norm pulp
put a repairmen toll

12 April 2017

torsion

[tawr-shuh n]

noun

1. the act of twisting.
2. the state of being twisted.
3. Mechanics.
the twisting of a body by two equal and opposite torques.
the internal torque so produced.
4. Mathematics.
the degree of departure of a curve from a plane.
a number measuring this.

Origin of torsion

late Middle English Old French Late Latin
1375-1425; 1535-45 for def 1; late Middle English torcion wringing one’s bowels < Old French torsion < Late Latin torsiōn- (stem of torsiō) torment, equivalent to tors (us) twisted (see torse ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

torsional, adjective
torsionally, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for torsion

Historical Examples

Coulomb was the maker of the first instrument for measuring a current, which was known as the torsion balance.
Steam Steel and Electricity
James W. Steele

In the b-position, on the other hand, the torsion is against the hands of a clock.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919
Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose

The torsion rod mirror reflected a distant scale by which the deflection could be read.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4
Various

Even if it is only halved, the torsion is reduced sixteenfold.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, September

Anagram

in torso
sin root
son riot

11 April 2017

Manichean or Manichaean

[man-i-kee-uh n]

noun

1. Also, Manichee [man-i-kee] (Show IPA). an adherent of the dualistic religious system of Manes, a combination of Gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and various other elements, with a basic doctrine of a conflict between light and dark, matter being regarded as dark and evil.
adjective
2. of or relating to the Manicheans or their doctrines.

Origin of Manichean

Middle English, Late Latin, Late Greek
1300-1350; Middle English Maniche (< Late Latin Manichaeus < Late Greek Manichaîos of Manes) + -an

Related forms

Manicheanism, Manicheism, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Manichean

Contemporary Examples

The attempts to argue it was someone else strike me as a stomach-turning example of how far people will go to force reality to fit into a Manichean worldview.
The Sarin Gas Attack in Context
Louis Proyect
8 April 2017

Now that same Manichean worldview has led the neocons to support an Afghan surge.
How the Surge Hurts Israel
Peter Beinart
December 5, 2009

Historical Examples

We are going to make a party to hear this Manichean of poesy.
Life of Lord Byron, Vol. II
Thomas Moore

His mythology, when he came to paint the world in myths, was Manichean.
Shelley, Godwin and Their Circle
H. N. Brailsford

Anagram

chain mane
China name
each man in
Ace hame inn
a manic hen

10 April 2017

obverse

[noun ob-vurs; adjective ob-vurs, ob-vurs]

noun

1. the side of a coin, medal, flag, etc., that bears the principal design (opposed to reverse ).
2. the front or principal surface of anything.
3. a counterpart.
4. Logic. a proposition obtained from another by obversion.
adjective
5. facing the observer.
6. corresponding to something else as a counterpart.
7. having the base narrower than the top, as a leaf.

Origin of obverse

Latin

1650-1660; < Latin obversus turned toward or against (past participle of obvertere), equivalent to ob- ob- + vert (ere) to turn + -tus past participle suffix, with tt > s

Can be confused

converse, inverse, obverse, reverse.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for obverse

Contemporary Examples

As for the obverse, my liberal allies, this explains why information that seems so obvious to us never gets through.
Bob Woodward and the Rules of Washington Morality
Michael Tomasky
March 2, 2013

The old Kaiser Franz Joseph, faithful and hardworking, was the obverse of the feckless and impetuous German kaiser.
Before the Fall: What Did the World Look Like in 1913?
Jacob Heilbrunn
June 8, 2013

Historical Examples

The piece was struck, with a tin backing applied, and the edges of the obverse were then crimped over.
American Military Insignia 1800-1851
J. Duncan Campbell and Edgar M. Howell.

This name was given them from the legend, on the obverse, iam.
The Works of John Knox, Vol. 1 (of 6)
John Knox

It has an obverse and a reverse side, but it is always the same medal.
The Recollections of Alexis de Tocqueville
Alexis De Tocqueville

The reverse of the sheet contained a will exactly like that on the obverse.
Philo Gubb Correspondence-School Detective
Ellis Parker Butler

In passing from the obverse of our coins to the examination of the opposite side, we do this by inverting the piece.
The New England Magazine Volume 1, No. 6, June, 1886, Bay State Monthly Volume 4, No. 6, June, 1886
Various

Now this lady and her husband were in obverse relative positions.
Evan Harrington, Complete
George Meredith

The obverse has the king’s head in profile, and the reverse the usual fire-altar and supporters.
The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 7. (of 7): The Sassanian or New Persian Empire
George Rawlinson

I don’t think nature intended to have them the obverse of men.
Evan Harrington, Complete
George Meredith

Anagram

verbose
be servo

9 April 2017

supercilious

[soo-per-sil-ee-uh s]

adjective

1. haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.

Origin of supercilious

Latin

1520-1530; Latin superciliōsus. See supercilium, -ous

Related forms

superciliously, adverb
superciliousness, noun
unsupercilious, adjective
unsuperciliously, adverb
unsuperciliousness, noun

Synonyms

arrogant, scornful.

Antonyms

humble.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for supercilious

Contemporary Examples

Gore comes off as a supercilious grandstander who gets swatted away dismissively by the brilliant Bill Clinton.
The Quiet General Strikes Back
Lloyd Grove
October 14, 2010

To point that out, of course, will only strengthen her sense of being persecuted by supercilious elites.
How Palin Flunks Feminism
Michelle Goldberg
November 25, 2010

Too often, it’s just our supercilious attitude to this thing called relief.
The Pointlessness of Some Disaster Charity After the Indian Floods
Dilip D’Souza
June 25, 2013

Historical Examples

I replied with, perhaps, some superfluous ardor to this supercilious speech, and a very hot discussion ensued.
Ilka on the Hill-Top and Other Stories
Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen

Her reception of the Currans, while supercilious in expression, was really sincere.
The Art of Disappearing
John Talbot Smith

He never saluted me with other than what I regarded as a supercilious nod of the head.
Wilfrid Cumbermede
George MacDonald

There was no concealing the fact, Cecil had meant to be supercilious, and he had succeeded.
A Room With A View
E. M. Forster

He did not care what criticism the supercilious might make, the act was to him spontaneous and natural.
The Candidate
Joseph Alexander Altsheler

My gray thought him a supercilious snob, no doubt, and hated him.
Starlight Ranch
Charles King

The haughtiness which the psalmist disclaims has its seat in the heart and its manifestation in supercilious glances.
The Expositor’s Bible: The Psalms, Volume III
Alexander Maclaren

Anagram

luscious ripe

8 April 2017

vice versa

[vahy-suh vur-suh, vahys, vahy-see]

adverb

1. in reverse order from the way something has been stated; the other way around: She dislikes me, and vice versa.
Copernicus was the first to suggest that the earth revolves around the sun, and not vice versa.
Synonyms: conversely, contrariwise, inversely.

Origin of vice versa

1595-1605; < Latin, equivalent to vice vice3+ versā, ablative singular feminine of versus, past participle of vertere to turn

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for vice versa

Contemporary Examples

McCain has frequently referred to Powell as one of the greatest national servants he has known — and vice versa.
Powell Backs Obama
Steve Clemons
October 18, 2008

On the principle of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, people who hate Muslims should love Jews, and vice versa.
How to Spot an Islamophobe
James Carroll
January 29, 2010

But very few people could replace their trips to Costco with visits to Walmart, or vice versa.
Why Can’t Walmart Be More Like Costco?
Megan McArdle
November 25, 2012

Anagram

vicars eve
vice raves

7 April 2017

peri

[peer-ee]

noun, plural peris.

1. one of a large group of beautiful, fairylike beings of Persian mythology, represented as descended from fallen angels and excluded from paradise until their penance is accomplished.
2. any lovely, graceful person.

Origin of peri

Persian, Middle Persian, Avestan

1770-1780; < Persian perī, variant of parī fairy, Middle Persian parīk, Avestan pairikā witch

Peri

[pe-ree]

noun

1. Jacopo [yah-kaw-paw] (Show IPA), 1561–1633, Italian composer.
peri-
1. a prefix meaning “about” or “around” ( perimeter, periscope), “enclosing” or “surrounding” ( pericardium), and “near” ( perigee, perihelion), appearing in loanwords from Greek ( peripeteia); on this model, used in the formation of compound words ( perimorph).

Origin

< Greek, prefixal use of perí (adv. and preposition)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for peri

Contemporary Examples

peri, the top student in the ninth grade, waved off our translator and made it through most of the interview without help.
Afghan Women’s Uncertain Future
Ann Marlowe
December 2, 2010

peri somehow learned the English keyboard and used the program.
Afghan Women’s Uncertain Future
Ann Marlowe
December 2, 2010

Historical Examples

The very bouquet of flowers—some peri ‘s hand had placed beneath the shrine—withered and faded, was there still.
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 2, July, 1850.
Various

Anagram

ripe
pier

6 April 2017

primogeniture

[prahy-muh-jen-i-cher, -choo r]

noun

1. the state or fact of being the firstborn of children of the same parents.
2. Law. the system of inheritance or succession by the firstborn, specifically the eldest son.

Origin of primogeniture

Medieval Latin

1585-1595; < Medieval Latin prīmōgenitūra a first birth, equivalent to Latin prīmō at first + genitūra, equivalent to genit (us) (past participle of gignere to beget; see kin ) + -ūra -ure

Related forms

primogenitary, primogenital, adjective
primogenitureship, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for primogeniture

Contemporary Examples

The modern equivalent of primogeniture in the U.S., as Schine sees it, is divorce.
This Week’s Hot Reads
The Daily Beast
February 17, 2010

Historical Examples

Disintegration was greatly increased by the practice of the partition of territories among brothers in place of primogeniture.
The World’s Greatest Books, Vol XI.
Edited by Arthur Mee and J.A. Hammerton

Here then emerges the historical difficulty of primogeniture.
Ancient Law
Sir Henry James Sumner Maine

Anagram

Timor pureeing
permute origin
premiering out
trio up regimen

5 April 2017

hobble

[hob-uh l]

verb (used without object), hobbled, hobbling.

1. to walk lamely; limp.
2. to proceed irregularly and haltingly:
His verses hobble with their faulty meters.
verb (used with object), hobbled, hobbling.
3. to cause to limp:
His tight shoes hobbled him.
4. to fasten together the legs of (a horse, mule, etc.) by short lengths of rope to prevent free motion.
5. to impede; hamper the progress of.
noun
6. an act of hobbling; an uneven, halting gait; a limp.
7. a rope, strap, etc., used to hobble an animal.
8. hobbles, a leg harness for controlling the gait of a pacer.
9. Archaic. an awkward or difficult situation.

Origin of hobble

Middle English

1300-1350; Middle English hobelen, apparently akin to hob protuberance, uneven ground, and to Dutch hobbelen, German hoppeln to jolt

Related forms

hobbler, noun
unhobbled, adjective
unhobbling, adjective

Synonyms

5. hinder, restrict, frustrate, cramp.

Antonyms

5. aid, assist, benefit.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for hobble

Contemporary Examples

Hardly able to hobble into the room on his bruised and engorged feet, he sported black eyes.
Despite Pledge, Syrian Rebels Continue to Torture
Jamie Dettmer
August 14, 2012

Just the distraction that this kind of case creates can hobble even the most successful, well-run company.
Antitrust Suit Could Bring Down Google
Dan Lyons
April 26, 2012

This, more than any one scandal, is likely to hobble the party for the next few election cycles.
Paging Rose Mary Woods: Obama’s Unbelievable Missing IRS Emails
James Poulos
June 17, 2014

A few days before, she had managed to stand and hobble around the ward.
Surviving Syria’s Incendiary Bomb Attacks
Paul Adrian Raymond
December 10, 2013

Historical Examples

Since he had begun to hobble about, he had gradually come to be accepted by the town in general.
Slippy McGee, Sometimes Known as the Butterfly Man
Marie Conway Oemler

Johnny started to hobble down the porch steps when Barney stopped him.
Make Mine Homogenized
Rick Raphael

The poor vagabond must hobble through life on one leg, henceforward.
Stories by American Authors, Volume 7
Various

With two sticks, I can hobble about the house and garden; without them, behold me a fixture.
Rita
Laura E. Richards

She objects to modern dancing, especially the hobble skirts.
Ways of War and Peace
Delia Austrian

Is it the first time that I have thrust myself into a hobble?
The International Magazine, Volume 2, No. 3, February, 1851
Various

Anagram

he blob

4 April 2017

c’est la guerre

[se la ger]

French.

1. such is war.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for c’est la guerre

Historical Examples

If you grumble, a clerk will smile and say, ” c’est la guerre.”
Huts in Hell
Daniel A. Poling

I can only murmur with the French shop keepers ” c’est la guerre.”
Over Here
Hector MacQuarrie

To them and to us c’est la guerre had much the significance of “All in the day’s work.”
Average Americans
Theodore Roosevelt

Anagram

treacle urges
recreate lugs
secular greet
lecture rages

3 April 2017

clavier(1)

[kluh-veer, klav-ee-er, kley-vee-]

noun

1. the keyboard of a musical instrument.

Origin of clavier1

1700-1710; < French: keyboard, in Old French, keyholder, equivalent to Latin clāvi (s) key + -ier -ier2

clavier(2) or klavier

[kluh-veer, klav-ee-er, kley-vee-]

noun

1. any musical instrument having a keyboard, especially a stringed keyboard instrument, as a harpsichord, clavichord, or piano.

Origin

1835-45; < German Klavier < French clavier keyboard; see clavier(1)

Related forms

clavierist, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for clavier

Historical Examples

Miss clavier was evidently almost as astonished as her listener, but she had committed herself.
The Dust of Conflict
David Goodger (goodger@python.org)

“Writing a concerto for the clavier,” answered the small boy.
Historic Boyhoods
Rupert Sargent Holland

Weber sang in all thirteen times, and twice played the clavier, which she does very well.
Life Of Mozart, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Otto Jahn

In a corner some musicians discoursed on viols and lutes and a clavier.
The Mercenary
W. J. Eccott

The clavier by its very nature tended towards polyphony; the violin towards monody.
The Pianoforte Sonata
J.S. Shedlock

We think that when you get your clavier with your Commencement money, we had better get a piano also.
Basil Everman
Elsie Singmaster

Several tunes with clavier bass, almost foreshadowing the modern song.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1
Various

I wrote to you how she plays the clavier, and why she begged me to assist her.
Life Of Mozart, Vol. 2 (of 3)
Otto Jahn

Bach’s piano was the clavier, upon which he was the greatest virtuoso of his time.
A Popular History of the Art of Music
W. S. B. Mathews

It must be remembered that such pieces as these were always accompanied on the clavier.
Life Of Mozart, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Otto Jahn

Anagram

live car
evil arc

2 April 2017

runcible

[run-suh-buh l]

noun

1871, a nonsense word coined by Edward Lear; used especially in runcible spoon “spoon with three short tines like a fork,” which first took the name 1926.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Historical Examples

The veritable Pobble who went to fish for his Aunt Jobiska’s runcible cat with crimson whiskers.
The Librarian at Play
Edmund Lester Pearson

The man who greeted me was runcible, with little strands of sickly hair twisted mopwise over his bald head.
Greener Than You Think
Ward Moore

runcible spoon

noun

A fork curved like a spoon, with three broad prongs, one of which has a sharpened outer edge for cutting.

Example sentences

‘After reading last week’s article on the origin of the spoon/fork combo, known as the spork, Nell of Sarasota e-mailed asking whether I was familiar with the runcible spoon used by Owl and Pussycat to eat quince in Edward Lear’s famous poem.’

Origin

Late 19th century: used by Edward Lear, perhaps suggested by late 16th-century rouncival, denoting a large variety of pea.

Oxford English Living Dictionary

Anagram

club rein
lucre bin

1 April 2017

simulacrum

[sim-yuh-ley-kruh m]

noun, plural simulacra [sim-yuh-ley-kruh] (Show IPA)

1. a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance.
2. an effigy, image, or representation:
a simulacrum of Aphrodite.

Dictionary.com

Origin of simulacrum

Latin

1590-1600; < Latin simulācrum likeness, image, equivalent to simulā (re) to simulate + -crum instrumental suffix

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for simulacrum

Historical Examples

Morality demands “the good,” and not a simulacrum or make-shift.
Browning as a Philosophical and Religious Teacher
Henry Jones

They radiate from the surface of the skin and reproduce a simulacrum, as it were, of the surface.
The Problems of Psychical Research
Hereward Carrington

Nature is “the omniform image of the omniform God—His great living semblance ( simulacrum).”
Giordano Bruno
James Lewis McIntyre

Anagram

Mural music

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