August 2016 – WOTDs

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August 2016 WOTDs

31 August 2016

campestral

[kam-pes-truh l]

adjective

1. of or relating to fields or open country.

Origin of campestral

Latin

1730-1740; < Latin campestr (is) flat, equivalent to camp (us) field + -estris adj. suffix) + -al1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for campestral

Historical Examples

campestral, kam-pes′tral, adj. growing in or pertaining to fields.
Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)
Various

Anagram

camel strap
lace tramps
claret maps

30 August 2016

pyx or pix

[piks]

noun

1. Ecclesiastical.
the box or vessel in which the reserved Eucharist or Host is kept.
a watch-shaped container for carrying the Eucharist to the sick.
2. Also called pyx chest. a box or chest at a mint, in which specimen coins are deposited and reserved for trial by weight and assay.

Origin of pyx

Middle English, Latin, Greek
1350-1400; Middle English pyxe < Latin pyxis < Greek pyxís a box, orig. made of boxwood

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pyx

Historical Examples

The bossed kite-shield occurs in the enamel of Geoffrey Plantagenet; in the pyx named above; and in Harl.
Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe
John Hewitt

In the church of Orivellas, a pyx with a consecrated host was stolen.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 3
Henry Charles Lea

The whole question of the pyx Chapel is one of vast interest, and much of its history is still an insoluble riddle.
Westminster Abbey
Mrs. A. Murray Smith

The pyx is the box in which the Host is kept or conveyed, often made of silver or ivory.
Curiosities of Christian History
Croake James

In the cloister beyond the library entrance a heavy oak door, clamped with iron bars, leads into the chamber or chapel of the pyx.
Westminster Abbey
Mrs. A. Murray Smith

The leather cover for the pyx should not be taken into a smallpox room.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine
Austin Malley

He took a pyx from his pocket and reverently took out the desecrated Host from the box, placing it in the pyx.
A Lost Cause
Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull

If there are any crumbs left in the pyx make the patient take them.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine
Austin Malley

Again, the pyx which containeth the host, whether consecrated or not consecrated, typifieth the human memory.
Churches and Church Ornaments
William Durandus

I also hung round my neck the pyx containing the Blessed Sacrament, then I went out on the street, not knowing what way to take.
The Great War As I Saw It
Frederick George Scott

29 August 2016

oryx

[awr-iks, ohr-]

noun, plural oryxes (especially collectively) oryx.

1. a large African antelope, Oryx gazella, grayish with black markings and having long, nearly straight horns: an endangered species.
2. gemsbok.

Origin of oryx

Middle English Latin Greek
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek óryx pickax, oryx

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for oryx

Contemporary Examples

If it is a young man, they should start with oryx and Crake.
How I Write: Margaret Atwood
Noah Charney
October 9, 2013

Historical Examples

The oryx, or Gemsbok, is a middle-sized species, dwelling in the same neighbourhood with the gnus.
Quadrupeds, What They Are and Where Found
Mayne Reid

An interesting point occurred in the conversation about the oryx.
The Young Yagers
Mayne Reid

Anagram

Roxy

27 August 2016

paroxysm

[par-uh k-siz-uh m]

noun

1. any sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion:
paroxysms of rage.
2. Pathology. a severe attack or a sudden increase in intensity of a disease, usually recurring periodically.

Origin of paroxysm

Greek

1570-1580; earlier paroxismos < Greek paroxysmós irritation, derivative of paroxýnein to irritate. See par-, oxy-1, -ism

Related forms

paroxysmal, paroxysmic, adjective
paroxysmally, adverb
hyperparoxysm, noun
postparoxysmal, adjective
preparoxysmal, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for paroxysm

Historical Examples

The crowd, delirious, cries and sobs in a paroxysm of despair.
Woman on Her Own, False Gods & The Red Robe
Eugne Brieux

After a while the paroxysm of drunkenness is completely formed.
Select Temperance Tracts
American Tract Society

He did not recognise me for some time, but as soon as he did, he fell into a paroxysm half hysterical, half frantic.
The Felon’s Track
Michael Doheny

If this paroxysm of sorrow was to assail him again that night, there was but one place for him to be.
The Octopus
Frank Norris

Before I had well reached the top of the passage and felt for the match-box on the slab, I was in a paroxysm of horror.
Johnny Ludlow, Fifth Series
Mrs. Henry Wood

The deep-seated travail of his grief abruptly reached the paroxysm.
The Octopus
Frank Norris

He was fairly beside himself in a paroxysm of rage and struck at the air with his clenched fist.
The Last Shot
Frederick Palmer

Sits down, breaks into a paroxysm of laughter, wild and continued.
Modern Icelandic Plays
Jhann Sigurjnsson

The paroxysm was as short as it was violent, and her features again returned to their usual placidity of majestic beauty.
Rattlin the Reefer
Edward Howard

She looked up timidly; the paroxysm had passed, but her lashes yet glittered.
In the Carquinez Woods
Bret Harte

Anagram

max or spy
spar my ox
pays Mr ox

25 August 2016

daubery

[daw-buh-ree]

noun
1. unskillful painting or work.

Also, daubry [daw-bree]

Origin of daubery

1540-1550; daub + -ery

Dictionary.com

She works by charms, by spells, by the figure, and such daubery as this is, beyond our element: we know nothing.

—

Turn tail!” replied Larry, “it is I that wouldn’t — I appale to St. Patrick himself over beyond” — pointing to a picture of the Prime Saint of Ireland, which hung in gilt daubery behind his master’s chair, right opposite to him.

Anagram

year dub
a bud rye

24 August 2016

latex

[ley-teks]

noun, plural latices [lat-uh-seez] (Show IPA), latexes.

1. a milky liquid in certain plants, as milkweeds, euphorbias, poppies, or the plants yielding India rubber, that coagulates on exposure to air.
2. Chemistry. any emulsion in water of finely divided particles of synthetic rubber or plastic.

Origin of latex

Latin

1655-1665; < New Latin, special use of Latin latex water, juice, liquid

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for latex

Contemporary Examples

Models wore slicked-back ponytails mounted high on their heads with strips of latex that looked like masking tape.
Backstage at Jason Wu Fall 2012 Show (PHOTOS)
Isabel Wilkinson, Kevin Tachman
February 10, 2012

Historical Examples

The trouble may be traced to the use of defective straining sieves when the latex is being handled.
The Preparation of Plantation Rubber
Sidney Morgan

From the latex of the opium poppy the opium of commerce is extracted.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany
Douglas Houghton Campbell

Equal regard must be given to the mixture of the solution with the latex.
The Preparation of Plantation Rubber
Sidney Morgan

The latex is poured into the dabree, where it naturally coagulates into sheets.
Rubber
Edith A. Browne

The latex is strained and mixed with some acid, usually acetic, in order to coagulate or thicken it.
Makers of Many Things
Eva March Tappan

Throughout the 19th century, the British empire exported opium from India to China. By 1905 around a quarter of Chinese men were addicted to opium, a narcotic produced from the latex of the poppy plant.

Anagram

23 August 2016

spoonerism

[spoo-nuh-riz-uh m]

noun

1. the transposition of initial or other sounds of words, usually by accident, as in a blushing crow for a crushing blow.

Origin of spoonerism

1895-1900; after W. A. Spooner (1844-1930), English clergyman noted for such slips; see -ism

Dictionary.com

Example

They speak in spoonerisms and malapropisms and put forward bizarre concepts and beliefs.

Anagram

Promise son
Merinos sop
snoop miser

22 August 2016

pedant

[ped-nt]

noun

1. a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning.
2. a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details.
3. a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense.
4. Obsolete. a schoolmaster.

Origin of pedant

Italian

1580-1590; < Italian pedante teacher, pedant; apparently akin to pedagogue; see -ant

Related forms

pedantesque, adjective
pedanthood, noun

Synonyms

2. hairsplitter.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pedant

Contemporary Examples

Call me a Limbaugh pedant, but Rush is on in the afternoon; has been for 22 years.
Rush Limbaugh! The Musical
Rick Perlstein
February 2, 2010

Historical Examples

Mr. Dashwood could not be mistaken for a pedant, unless a coxcomb be a sort of pedant.
Tales And Novels, Volume 1 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

He would be only a pedant who would take nothing because he could not get everything at once.
Georgina’s Reasons
Henry James

A pedant iz a lernt phool pedant ry iz a little knowledge on parade pedant ry iz hypocrasy, without enny malice in it.
The Complete Works of Josh Billings
Henry W. Shaw

He talks pleasantly, and nothing of a pedant, as I half dreaded he might be.
The Martins Of Cro’ Martin, Vol. I (of II)
Charles James Lever

Anagram

ten pad
tap end
and pet

21 August 2016

urbane

[ur-beyn]

adjective

1. having the polish and suavity regarded as characteristic of sophisticated social life in major cities:
an urbane manner.
2. reflecting elegance, sophistication, etc., especially in expression:
He maintained an urbane tone in his letters.

Origin of urbane

Middle French, Latin
1525-1535; (< Middle French urbain) < Latin urbānus (see urban; for difference in stress and second syllable cf. human, humane )

Related forms

urbanely, adverb
urbaneness, noun
unurbane, adjective
unurbanely, adverb

Can be confused

urban, urbane.

Synonyms

1. suave, cosmopolitan.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for urbane

Contemporary Examples

As a passionate and urbane liberal, Obama bore more than a passing resemblance to JFK.
Be More Like Teddy
Reihan Salam
August 25, 2009

The year 2011 was particularly tough for the usually gracious and urbane president.
Hamid Karzai Tells The Daily Beast That U.S. Night Raids Must End
Ron Moreau, Sami Yousafzai
January 6, 2012

And menswear designer Michael Bastian created a world of gentlemen farmers and urbane dandies.
Designing for the One Percent at New York Fashion Week
Robin Givhan
February 13, 2012

He is, by all accounts, brilliant; a dashing, urbane go-getter who exudes charm.
This Scary-Smart New Minister of Economy Might Just Turn France Around
Tracy McNicoll
August 30, 2014

Historical Examples

Seated in state, on a sort of daïs in the centre of the room, was a courteous and urbane personage of affable exterior.
She and I, Volume 2
John Conroy Hutcheson

Lived at Athens in his “gardens,” an urbane and kindly, if somewhat useless, life.
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius

He is the most urbane and the most agreeably gossiping companion.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, March 4th 1914
Various

“You seem in haste, friends,” said the curate, with an urbane smile.
Hunted and Harried
R.M. Ballantyne

All comers were received with a hearty handshake and were entertained with urbane speeches.
A Dream of Empire
William Henry Venable

“I perfectly agree with you,” said the other, with an urbane bow.
Luttrell Of Arran
Charles James Lever

Anagram

are bun

20 August 2016

tessellate

[verb tes-uh-leyt; adjective tes-uh-lit, -leyt]

verb (used with object), tessellated, tessellating.

1. to form of small squares or blocks, as floors or pavements; form or arrange in a checkered or mosaic pattern.
adjective
2. tessellated.

Origin of tessellate

Latin

1785-1795; < Latin tessellātus mosaic, equivalent to tessell (a) small square stone (diminutive of tessera tessera ) + -ātus -ate1

tessellation or tesselation

[tes-uh-ley-shuh n]

noun

1. the art or practice of tessellating.
2. tessellated form or arrangement.
3. tessellated work.

Origin of tessellation

1650-1660; tessellate (v. ) + -ion

Dictionary.com

Example sentences

We’re all part of this infinite tessellation, each a single cell in the honeycomb.

– Touch, TV Series, season 1 episode 10.

Symmetry is the language of the universe.
It is written in mathematical language, and the letters are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures, without which it is humanly impossible to comprehend a single word. But some of us can speak it. We see the precise patterns, the tessellations.

– Touch, TV Series, season 1 episode 10.

Anagram

tease tells
seal settle
slate sleet
steal steel

19 August 2016

gyre

[jahyuh r]

noun

1. a ring or circle.
2. a circular course or motion.
3. Oceanography. a ringlike system of ocean currents rotating clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Origin of gyre

Latin Greek
1560-1570; < Latin gȳrus < Greek gŷros ring, circle

Related forms

subgyre, noun
supergyre, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for gyre

Contemporary Examples

Yet with the tsunami debris joining the gyre, the problem is compounding more quickly than anyone can measure.
Japanese Debris Plume From Tsunami Migrating Across Pacific Ocean
Daniel Stone
March 8, 2012

Historical Examples

Dorsally, the fissure bifurcates, embracing the gyre indented by the caudal limb of the paracentral.
Christian Science
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

gyre (derived from Gayour or Giaour, a dog), “to scratch like a dog.”
Lewis Carroll in Wonderland and at Home
Belle Moses

Anagram

grey

18 August 2016

bupkis

noun

something worthless; nothing

See bubkes

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for bupkis

Contemporary Examples

That counts for bupkis with conservative voters but could help with independents.
‘Newt Gingrich Doubles Down in Defending Stance on Illegal Immigration’
Howard Kurtz
November 23, 2011

But he knew, as the self-proclaimed king of the dealmakers, that saying you’re going to do something is bupkis—DOING it is what makes the bastards sit up and pay attention.
Trump Is Self-Sabotaging His Campaign Because He Never Really Wanted the Job in the First Place
Michael Moore
August 16, 2016

Anagram

bus kip

17 August 2016

bodega

[boh-dey-guh; Spanish baw-th e-gah]

noun, plural bodegas [boh-dey-guh z; Spanish baw-th e-gahs]

1. (especially among Spanish-speaking Americans) a grocery store.
2. a wineshop.
3. a warehouse for storing or aging wine.

Origin of bodega

Spanish Latin; American Spanish, Spanish; Latin apothēca storehouse; see apothecary

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for bodega

Contemporary Examples

The very next day, Walmart de Mexico authorized five bribes totaling $221,000, including a $52,000 bribe for the bodega Aurrera.
Walmart’s Dirty Dealings
The Daily Beast
December 17, 2012

Hernandez still did not become a suspect when he quit working at the bodega one month later and moved back to New Jersey.
Why Pedro Hernandez Confessed to Killing Etan Patz
Michael Daly
May 31, 2012

Casa Bruja’s Fula Farmacia Blond Ale sells for $1.95 at bodega Mi Amiga.
House of the Witch: The Renegade Craft Brewers of Panama
Jeff Campagna
November 29, 2014

bodega Mi Amiga is the largest liquor store in the country—and the oldest, dating back to 1959.
House of the Witch: The Renegade Craft Brewers of Panama
Jeff Campagna
November 29, 2014

Historical Examples

Presently, away off in the fog, he heard the bodega whistle.
Captain Scraggs
Peter B. Kyne

There is no more cholera in bodega Central than there is in heaven!
Carmen Ariza
Charles Francis Stocking

Me, I don’t feel like drownin’ in that engine room or gettin’ cut in half by the bow o’ the bodega or the Aphrodite.
Captain Scraggs
Peter B. Kyne

They are fleeing to the bodega to get the rifles and ammunition!
Carmen Ariza
Charles Francis Stocking

“Fernando sends Juan to bodega Central at daybreak,” the old man said.
Carmen Ariza
Charles Francis Stocking

Anagram

bade go
bad ego

16 August 2016

habiliment

[huh-bil-uh-muh nt]

noun

1. Usually, habiliments.
clothes or clothing.
clothes as worn in a particular profession, way of life, etc.
2. habiliments, accouterments or trappings.

Origin of habiliment

late Middle English Middle French
1375-1425; late Middle English (h) abylement < Middle French habillement, equivalent to habill (er), abill (ier) to trim a log, hence, dress, prepare (< Vulgar Latin *adbiliare; see a-5, billet2) + -ment -ment

Related forms

habilimental [huh-bil-uh-men-tl] (Show IPA), habilimentary, adjective
habilimented, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for habiliment

Historical Examples

And in habiliment, movement, air, with what telling force it impersonated sorrow!
The Prince of India, Volume II
Lew. Wallace

I might here—if it so pleased me—dilate upon the matter of habiliment, and other mere circumstances of the external metaphysician.
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe

Others assign the habiliment to a Welshman, but give no authority for the assumption.
The Sailor’s Word-Book
William Henry Smyth

At an earlier period the armor of complete steel was the habiliment of the knight.
Charles Sumner; his complete works, volume 1 (of 20)
Charles Sumner

I might hereif it so pleased medilate upon the matter of habiliment, and other mere circumstances of the external metaphysician.
Devil Stories
Various

So profuse was Gingham in his provision for the habiliment of his own elegant exterior.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 66, No 409, November 1849
Various

An habiliment of the stage designed to reinforce the general acclamation of the press agent with a particular publicity.
The Devil’s Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce

Anagram

main blithe
inhabit elm
I blame thin

15 August 2016

trilby

[tril-bee]

noun (pl) -bies

1. (mainly Brit) a man’s soft felt hat with an indented crown
2. (pl) ( slang) feet

Word Origin

C19: named after Trilby, the heroine of a dramatized novel (1893) of that title by George du Maurier

Word Origin and History for trilby

noun

type of hat, 1897, from name of Trilby O’Ferrall, eponymous heroine of the novel by George du Maurier (1834-1896), published in 1894. In the stage version of the novel, the character wore this type of soft felt hat. In plural, also slang for “feet” (1895), in reference to the eroticism attached to the heroine’s bare feet.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Examples from the Web for trilby

Historical Examples

Poor trilby was hardly strong enough to walk back to the carriage; and this was her last outing.
Trilby
George Du Maurier

The composition sometimes is spoken of as the ” trilby ” impromptu.
The Pianolist
Gustav Kobb

Well—but how do you repent, trilby, if you do not humble yourself, and pray for forgiveness on your knees?
Trilby
George Du Maurier

Anagram

lib try

14 August 2016

liege

[leej, leezh]

noun

1. a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service.
2. a feudal vassal or subject.
adjective
3. owing primary allegiance and service to a feudal lord.
4. pertaining to the relation between a feudal vassal and lord.
5. loyal; faithful:
the liege adherents of a cause.

Origin of liege

Middle English Old French Germanic Latin

1250-1300; Middle English < Old French li (e) ge ≪ Germanic *lēt- vassal + Latin -icus -ic; compare Medieval Latin lētī barbarians allowed to settle on Roman land (< Germanic; perhaps akin to let1), laeticus for *lēticus, derivative of lētī

Examples from the Web for liege

Historical Examples

“Wait till you have seen the arrangements, my liege,” said Careless.
Boscobel: or, the royal oak
William Harrison Ainsworth

Allegiance: the duty due from a subject to his liege the sovereign.
The History of London
Walter Besant

The lace of Brussels and the fire-arms of liege are among the finest in the world.
Alden’s Handy Atlas of the World
John B. Alden

The province of liege was the cradle of the Christian faith.
Olla Podrida
Frederick Marryat (AKA Captain Marryat)

Then taking the same view of gratitude which his liege and master took, home he went without delay to secure his privileges.
Cradock Nowell, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Richard Doddridge Blackmore

Her occupation as Dick’s liege lady, confidante, and tormentor would be gone.
Viviette
William J. Locke

“Your pardon, my liege, but I cannot answer the question,” replied Nicholas.
The Lancashire Witches
William Harrison Ainsworth

The defenses of liege were hardly worth an enemy’s gunfire before 1890.
The Story of the Great War, Volume II (of VIII)
Various

Our curiosity led us into an apartment where the noon meal was being prepared by a wife for her liege lord.
My Trip Around the World
Eleonora Hunt

Doubtless reports had come to him of the situation at liege.
The Story of the Great War, Volume II (of VIII)
Various

Anagram

I glee

13 August 2016

gossamer

[gos-uh-mer]

noun

1. a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in calm weather, especially in autumn.
2. a thread or a web of this substance.
3. an extremely delicate variety of gauze, used especially for veils.
4. any thin, light fabric.
5. something extremely light, flimsy, or delicate.
6. a thin, waterproof outer garment, especially for women.
adjective
7. Also, gossamery [gos-uh-muh-ree] (Show IPA), gossamered. of or like gossamer; thin and light.

Origin of gossamer

Middle English German
1275-1325; Middle English gosesomer (see goose, summer1); possibly first used as name for late, mild autumn, a time when goose was a favorite dish (compare German Gänsemonat November), then transferred to the cobwebs frequent at that time of year

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for gossamer

Historical Examples

There is something in the unselfish and self-sacrificing love of a brute, which goes directly to the heart of him who has had frequent occasion to test the paltry friendship and gossamer fidelity of mere Man.
Edgar Allan Poe

Fascinated, he watched the heavy dark drop hang in the glistening cloud, and pull down the gossamer.
Sons and Lovers
David Herbert Lawrence

I have no idea what place these gossamer threads occupy in the economy of nature.
Gossamer
George A. Birmingham

When tens of thousands of the used threads sink to earth, there is a “shower of gossamer.”
The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4)
J. Arthur Thomson

Anagram

gear moss
rose mags
smogs era
some rags
mars goes

12 August 2016

dactyl

[dak-til]

noun

1. Prosody. a foot of three syllables, one long followed by two short in quantitative meter, or one stressed followed by two unstressed in accentual meter, as in gently and humanly. Symbol: .
2. a finger or toe.

Origin of dactyl

Middle English Latin Greek
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin dactylus < Greek dáktylos finger, a dactyl, referring to the three joints of the finger

Dactyl or Daktyl

[dak-til]

noun, plural Dactyls, Dactyli [dak-ti-lahy] (Show IPA). Classical Mythology.

1. any of a number of beings dwelling on Mount Ida and working as metalworkers and magicians.

Origin

< Greek Dáktyloi (Idaîoi) (Idaean) craftsmen or wizards (plural of dáktylos; see dactyl )
dactylo-

1. a combining form meaning “finger,” “toe,” used in the formation of compound words:
dactylomegaly.

Also, dactyl-.

Origin

< Greek, combining form representing dáktylos finger, toe

-dactyl

1. variant of -dactylous, especially with nouns:

pterodactyl.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dactyl

Historical Examples

The dactyl, which has the first syllable accented and the two latter unaccented: as, Jnthn, Jffrsn.
The Comic English Grammar
Unknown

This foot, which is the opposite of the dactyl, is known as the anapest.
Elementary Guide to Literary Criticism
F. V. N. Painter

It will be noted that the dactyl is very closely related in expression to the trochee, and the anapest to the iambic.
Browning and the Dramatic Monologue
S. S. Curry

11 August 2016

spondee

[spon-dee]

noun, Prosody.

1. a foot of two syllables, both of which are long in quantitative meter or stressed in accentual meter. Symbol: .

Origin of spondee

Middle English Latin Greek
1350-1400; Middle English sponde < Latin spondēus < Greek spondeîos, derivative of spondḗ libation

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for spondee

Historical Examples

The rudiment of verse may, possibly, be found in the spondee.
– Edgar Allan Poe

Pain is always by the side of joy, the spondee by the dactyl.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Victor Hugo

There is, in fact, no such thing as a spondee in ordinary speech.
The Voice and Spiritual Education
Hiram Corson

Again we find, especially in dactyllic and anapestic lines, a trochee or spondee thrown in to vary the movement.
Rhymes and Meters
Horatio Winslow

But in all the feet except the fifth, a spondee ( ) may take the place of the dactyl.
New Latin Grammar
Charles E. Bennett

The Doric steps consisted primarily of a trochee and a spondee, or time.
Critical & Historical Essays
Edward MacDowell

Now the medium of these is about fourteen syllables; because the dactyle is a more frequent foot in hexameters than the spondee.
Dryden’s Works (13 of 18): Translations; Pastorals
John Dryden

Anagram

speed on
deep son

10 August 2016

counterpole

[coun´ter`pole`]

noun

1. The exact opposite.

Example:

The German prose offers the counterpole to the French style.
– De Quincey.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, published 1913 by C. & G. Merriam Co.

Anagram

opulence rot
recount pole
ounce petrol

9 August 2016

counterpose

[koun-ter-pohz]

verb (used with object), counterposed, counterposing.

1. to offer or place in opposition, response, or contrast.

Origin of counterpose

1585-1595; counter- + (pro)pose

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for counterpose

Historical Examples

To the fighting “Holy Alliances” of the governments, we counterpose the brotherhood of the free spirits of the world!
The Forerunners
Romain Rolland

Anagram

once troupes
steer coupon

8 August 2016

cohere

[koh-heer]

verb (used without object), cohered, cohering.

1. to stick together; be united; hold fast, as parts of the same mass:
The particles of wet flour cohered to form a paste.
2. Physics. (of two or more similar substances) to be united within a body by the action of molecular forces.
3. to be naturally or logically connected:
Without sound reasoning no argument will cohere.
4. to agree; be congruous:
Her account of the incident cohered with his.

Origin of cohere

Latin

1590-1600; < Latin cohaerēre, equivalent to co- co- + haerēre to stick, cling

Synonyms

1. See stick2. 3. follow.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for cohere

Historical Examples

The electric waves are said to cause the filings to cohere —that is, to cling together more closely.
The Story of Great Inventions
Elmer Ellsworth Burns

But some things do not at all cohere with what is otherwise known of Albert.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1
Various

Then disintegration sets in, the social momentum is gradually relaxed, and society sinks back to a level at which it can cohere.
The Theory of Social Revolutions
Brooks Adams

Anagrams

he core
echo re

7 August 2016

naiad

[ney-ad, -uh d, nahy-]

noun, plural naiads, naiades [ney-uh-deez, nahy-]

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. any of a class of nymphs presiding over rivers and springs.
2. the juvenile form of the dragonfly, damselfly, or mayfly.
3. a female swimmer, especially an expert one.
4. Botany. a plant of the genus Najas, having narrow leaves and solitary flowers.
5. Entomology. an aquatic nymph.
6. a freshwater mussel.

Origin of naiad

Latin Greek< Latin Nāïad- (stem of Nāïas) < Greek Nāïás a water nymph

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for naiad

Contemporary Examples

First, a naiad is a water nymph in Greek myth—a woman who looked over the waterways.
The Crossword Puzzle Turns 100: The ‘King of Crossword’ on Its Strange History
Kevin Fallon
December 20, 2013

If you look in the dictionary today, it says “ naiad : any skillful female wimmer.”
The Crossword Puzzle Turns 100: The ‘King of Crossword’ on Its Strange History
Kevin Fallon
December 20, 2013

Historical Examples

The naiad willow, arching lowland brooks, speaks as water, very secretly.
Minstrel Weather
Marian Storm

Why it is thus, one knows in heaven above: But, a poor naiad, I guess not.
Endymion
John Keats

Anagram

an aid

6 August 2016

valetudinarian

[val-i-tood-n-air-ee-uh n, -tyood-]

noun

1. an invalid.
2. a person who is excessively concerned about his or her poor health or ailments.
adjective
3. in poor health; sickly; invalid.
4. excessively concerned about one’s poor health or ailments.
5. of, relating to, or characterized by invalidism.

Origin of valetudinarian

1695-1705; valetudinary + -an

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for valetudinarian

Historical Examples

The valetudinarian is a man subject to some affliction, imaginary or real, or it may be both.
Talkers
John Bate

This valetudinarian majority should make the youngest of us pause and reflect.
The Passionate Elopement
Compton Mackenzie

“Which is certainly not suggestive of a valetudinarian,” remarked Lucian, looking hard at the stranger.
Cashel Byron’s Profession
George Bernard Shaw

And, Sir, he is a valetudinarian, one of those who are always mending themselves.
Life of Johnson
James Boswell

What is stranger still, with all this he was something of a valetudinarian.
Loss and Gain
John Henry Newman

At my time of life, a man must expect to be a valetudinarian, and it would be unjust to blame one’s native climate for that.
Tales And Novels, Volume 5 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

His health was not always good, and he seems to have inclined to be a valetudinarian.
A Smaller History of Rome
William Smith and Eugene Lawrence

Like Voltaire and Rousseau, he was born dying, and he remained delicate and valetudinarian to the end.
Diderot and the Encyclopaedists (Vol 1 of 2)
John Morley

Old, used up, valetudinarian, he only revived after a sentence of death.
History of the Commune of 1871
P. Lissagary

In the vain hope of offspring Charles sacrificed his niece, Christina of Denmark, to the valetudinarian duke.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 8
Various

Anagram

a natural divine
ail unit veranda
radial tuna vine

5 August 2016

turpitude

[tur-pi-tood, -tyood]

noun

1. vile, shameful, or base character; depravity.
2. a vile or depraved act.

Origin of turpitude

Latin

1480-1490; < Latin turpitūdō, equivalent to turpi (s) base, vile + -tūdō -tude

Synonyms

1. wickedness, vice, vileness, wrongdoing.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for turpitude

Historical Examples

There can be no turpitude under the sun in which the wretch doesnt wallow.
Ainslee’s magazine, Volume 16, No. 2, September, 1905
Various

The moral quality of the act is the same; the difference is wholly in the degree of turpitude.
Usury
Calvin Elliott

With him Nero could always throw off the mask, and display the depths of his own turpitude.
Darkness and Dawn
Frederic W. Farrar

I know the turpitude of these crows, and their lack of respect for merit and birth.
The Mesmerist’s Victim
Alexandre Dumas

Be comforted: your crime, morally or religiously considered, has no very deep dye of turpitude.
Life of Johnson
James Boswell

The whole earth seemed to him to be made of glass to reveal his turpitude.
Darkness and Dawn
Frederic W. Farrar

Mrs. Fox-Moore spoke as though detecting an additional proof of turpitude.
The Convert
Elizabeth Robins

From the turpitude of her daughter’s conduct, she proceeded to its consequences.
Self-control
Mary Brunton

For theirs are not spectacles of turpitude, as that Father justly calls those of his Time.
A Short View of the Immorality, and Profaneness of the English Stage
Jeremy Collier

There was an unlimited future for misery, ignorance, turpitude.
Recollections and Impressions
Octavius Brooks Frothingham

Anagram

tutu pride
I rutted up

3 August 2016

catawampus

[kat-uh-wom-puh s]
Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.

adjective

1. askew; awry.
2. positioned diagonally; cater-cornered.
adverb
3. diagonally; obliquely:
We took a shortcut and walked catawampus across the field.

Also, cattywampus.

Origin of catawampus

1830-1840 for earlier sense “utterly”; cata- diagonally (see cater-cornered ) + -wampus, perhaps akin to wampish

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for catawampus

Historical Examples

Whenever the barometer goes up two points catawampus must be remembered.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 98, 1890.05.10
Various

Word Origin and History for catawampus

adj.

also catawampous, cattywampus, catiwampus, etc. (see “Dictionary of American Slang” for more), American colloquial. First element perhaps from obsolete cater “to set or move diagonally” (see catty-cornered ); second element perhaps related to Scottish wampish “to wriggle, twist, or swerve about.” Or perhaps simply the sort of jocular pseudo-classical formation popular in the slang of those times, with the first element suggesting Greek kata-.

Earliest use seems to be in adverbial form, catawampusly (1834), expressing no certain meaning but adding intensity to the action: “utterly, completely; with avidity, fiercely, eagerly.” It appears as a noun from 1843, as a name for an imaginary hobgoblin or fright, perhaps from influence of catamount. The adjective is attested from the 1840s as an intensive, but this is only in British lampoons of American speech and might not be authentic. It was used in the U.S. by 1864 in a sense of “askew, awry, wrong” and by 1873 (noted as a peculiarity of North Carolina speech) as “in a diagonal position, on a bias, crooked.”

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

saw puma act

2 August 2016

coddiwomple

[cod-ee-wohm-pel]

verb

To travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination.

Example: Hey, Mac, let’s coddiwomple across the food court and find something to eat.

Seadict.com

Anagram

diced lop mow
old wimp code

1 August 2016

decant

[dih-kant]

verb (used with object)

1. to pour (wine or other liquid) gently so as not to disturb the sediment.
2. to pour (a liquid) from one container to another.

Origin of decant

Medieval Latin

1625-1635; < Medieval Latin dēcanthāre, equivalent to Latin dē- de- + Medieval Latin canth (us) spout, rim of a vessel ( Latin: iron band round a wheel < Greek kánthos corner of the eye, tire) + -āre infinitive suffix

Related forms

decantation [dee-kan-tey-shuh n], noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for decant

Historical Examples

Suffer them to stand together one hour, then decant the liquor.
Mrs. Hale’s Receipts for the Million
Sarah Josepha Hale

When you decant it, be careful not to disturb the settlings at the bottom of the pan.
The Cook’s Oracle; and Housekeeper’s Manual
William Kitchiner

When the solution is complete, and settled, decant it into bottles, and close them with ground stoppers.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines
Andrew Ure

Anagram

canted
cat den

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