May 2018 – WOTDs
31 May 2018
travail
[truh-veyl, trav-eyl]
noun
1. painfully difficult or burdensome work; toil.
2. pain, anguish or suffering resulting from mental or physical hardship.
3. the pain of childbirth.
verb (used without object)
4. to suffer the pangs of childbirth; be in labor.
5. to toil or exert oneself.
Origin of travail
Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
1200-1250; (v.) Middle English travaillen < Old French travaillier to torment < Vulgar Latin *trepaliāre to torture, derivative of Late Latin trepālium torture chamber, literally, instrument of torture made with three stakes (see tri-, pale2); (noun) Middle English < Old French: suffering, derivative of travailler
Synonyms
1. labor, moil. 2. torment, agony.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for travail
Historical Examples
As he drove he mused over what travail would say when he saw these shells.
Made in Tanganyika
Carl Richard Jacobi
But it could be that travail knew of the value of Sutter’s shell collection.
Made in Tanganyika
Carl Richard Jacobi
“I was looking for my tobacco pouch,” travail replied easily.
Made in Tanganyika
Carl Richard Jacobi
Anagram
larva it
vial art
30 May 2018
callow
[kal-oh]
adjective
1. immature or inexperienced:
a callow youth.
2. (of a young bird) featherless; unfledged.
noun
3. a recently hatched worker ant.
Origin of callow
Old English
1000, before 1000; Middle English, Old English calu bald; cognate with Dutch kaal, German kahl bald, OCS golŭ bare
Related forms
callowness, noun
Synonyms
1. untried, green, raw; naive, puerile, jejune.
Antonyms
1. mature, adult, experienced.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for callow
Contemporary Examples
Anyone going through Prozac Nation can certainly find plenty of callow moments when Wurtzel does whine.
Thank You, Elizabeth Wurtzel: ‘Prozac Nation’ Turns 20
Nicolaus Mills
July 31, 2014
But now that veneer is gone, and what remains is a callow man-child at odds with himself.
What’s Happened to Don Draper? Why Everyone’s Favorite ‘Mad Men’ Stud Needs His Mojo Back
Lizzie Crocker
April 16, 2014
This is clearly not a boast; it seems, rather, a shamed admission of petty, callow cruelty.
In Defense of Jonathan Franzen
Michelle Goldberg
September 26, 2013
Anagram
all cow
29 May 2018
hotspur
[hot-spur]
noun
1. an impetuous or reckless person; a hothead.
Origin of hotspur
late Middle English
1425-1475; late Middle English; after Sir Henry Percy, to whom it was applied as a nickname
Related forms
hotspurred, adjective
Examples from the Web for hotspur
Contemporary Examples
hotspur :
Why, so can I, or so can any man;
But will they come when you do call for them?
The Contraception Fight
David Frum
February 9, 2012
Historical Examples
hotspur interrupts her by calling the servant and giving him orders.
The Man Shakespeare
Frank Harris
One condition she insisted on, however, namely, that Arthur should be her hotspur.
Evenings at Donaldson Manor
Maria J. McIntosh
Anagram
posh rut
rush pot
28 May 2018
rill(1)
[ril]
noun
1. a small rivulet or brook.
Origin of rill(1)
Dutch, Low German, Frisian
1530-1540; Dutch or Low German; compare Frisian ril
rill(2) or rille
[ril]
noun, Astronomy.
1. any of certain long, narrow, straight or sinuous trenches or valleys observed on the surface of the moon.
Origin
1885-90; German Rille; see rill1
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for rill
Contemporary Examples
Others, though, trained on Lange-ian principles, will rill rise and fill the gap.
HIV’s Greatest Foe Went Down With MH17
Kent Sepkowitz
July 18, 2014
Historical Examples
The birds were not in the firs, but in the ash-trees along the course of the rill.
Round About a Great Estate
Richard Jefferies
“The head of this rill of water will bring us to the spring,” he said.
The Young Oarsmen of Lakeview
Ralph Bonehill
27 May 2018
sortie
[sawr-tee]
noun
1. a rapid movement of troops from a besieged place to attack the besiegers.
2. a body of troops involved in such a movement.
3. the flying of an airplane on a combat mission.
verb (used without object), sortied, sortieing.
4. to go on a sortie; sally forth.
Origin of sortie
1680-1690; < French, noun use of feminine past participle of sortir to go out
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for sortie
Contemporary Examples
My grandfather, his father, was a WW1 ace and was on the sortie which downed the Red Baron.
The Story Behind This Photo of an RAF Pilot
David Frum
March 17, 2013
Historical Examples
But the British have retreated, you say, and there was a sortie from the fort?
In the Valley
Harold Frederic
It was difficult to reply to this, for a sortie was out of the question.
The Field of Ice
Jules Verne
Anagram
rise to
sir toe
26 May 2018
untenable
[uhn-ten-uh-buh l]
adjective
1. incapable of being defended, as an argument, thesis, etc.; indefensible.
2. not fit to be occupied, as an apartment, house, etc.
Origin of untenable
1640-1650 First recorded in 1640-50; un-1+ tenable
Related forms
untenability, untenableness, noun
Synonyms
1. baseless, groundless, unsound, weak, questionable.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for untenable
Contemporary Examples
What exists now is unworkable, untenable, and damn near unendurable.
Memo to the South: Go Ahead, Secede Already!
Lee Siegel
April 30, 2013
Some calculating pol, realizing that his position had become unpopular or untenable, would execute a backflip off the high board.
The New Era of Evolution Helps Pols Switch Stance on Issues from Gay Marriage to Immigration
Howard Kurtz
April 3, 2013
The idea of suffering this nausea another day, let alone another 34 weeks, was untenable.
Prue Clarke on Her Battles With Kate Middleton’s Illness, Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Prue Clarke
December 5, 2012
The war between Israel and Hamas shows that the situation on the ground is fundamentally unstable and untenable.
The Death of Israel’s “Quality Minority”
Hussein Ibish
November 30, 2012
Historical Examples
Calendar surrendered an untenable position as gracefully as could be wished.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance
Without it, Pete’s claim would be so vague as to be untenable.
The Best Made Plans
Everett B. Cole
Have the distressed defenders of this untenable Citadel any such?
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 104, March 18, 1893
Various
The thought that He suffered through fear of death is untenable.
Jesus the Christ
James Edward Talmage
But he dismissed the notion as untenable and absurd on second thoughts.
The Wild Man of the West
R.M. Ballantyne
Anagram
nebula ten
enable nut
unbent ale
25 May 2018
portcullis
[pawrt-kuhl-is, pohrt-]
noun
1. (especially in medieval castles) a strong grating, as of iron, made to slide along vertical grooves at the sides of a gateway of a fortified place and let down to prevent passage.
Origin of portcullis
Middle English, Middle French
1300-1350; Middle English portecolys < Middle French porte coleice, equivalent to porte port4+ coleice, feminine of coleis flowing, sliding < Vulgar Latin *cōlātīcius; see coulee, -itious
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for portcullis
Historical Examples
When Corkran got to his portcullis, he thought he’d reached the reward of his labours.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
Bid the varlets lower the draw-bridge and raise the portcullis.
The Nebuly Coat
John Meade Falkner
Turning, they wished to flee into the castle and pull down the portcullis.
King Arthur’s Knights
Henry Gilbert
Anagram
citrus poll
pilot curls
24 May 2018
flagrante delicto
[fluh-gran-tee di-lik-toh]
adverb
1. Law. in the very act of committing the offense.
2. while having illicit relations with someone.
Also, in flagrante delicto, in flagrante.
Origin of flagrante delicto
Latin; Latin : literally, while the offense is (still) burning
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for flagrante delicto
Contemporary Examples
He has a BA in home invasion from Columbia University and an MA in flagrante delicto from the Institute of Fine Arts.
Obama’s Building Boom: Will His Architecture Legacy Be as Lasting as FDR’s?
Ian Volner
January 4, 2011
Historical Examples
“It must be in flagrante delicto, Master Simeon,” said Ford, uneasy again.
Robin Hood
Paul Creswick
Prince Eugne with his army, coming suddenly upon them, caught the Turkish army in flagrante delicto, divided by the river.
The Turkish Empire, its Growth and Decay
Lord Eversley
He was therefore most desirous to effect the capture of Coppinger at once and flagrante delicto.
In the Roar of the Sea
Sabine Baring-Gould
As a consequence Mr. Austen Leigh was despatched to watch, and, if possible, to catch the offenders in flagrante delicto.
Lord Randolph Churchill
Winston Spencer Churchill
Offending students caught in flagrante delicto he conducted to the University prison, and others he reported to the Rector.
Life in the Medieval University
Robert S. Rait, M.A.
“The lady in flagrante delicto, meseems,” rejoined the Cardinal quietly.
The Tangled Skein
Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy
So hot were we about it that we noted not our master coming upon us and finding us in flagrante delicto.
With the King at Oxford
Alfred J. Church
If found out, in flagrante delicto, there is a fiscal fine in cows.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 6
Various
Only one vessel had been captured in flagrante delicto after a sharp fight, and had been condemned as a lawful prize.
Sketches From My Life
Hobart Pasha
Anagram
tenfold cartilage
Deft Reallocating
A lifelong detract
let golfer antacid
23 May 2018
happenstance
[hap-uh n-stans]
noun
1. a chance happening or event.
Origin of happenstance
1895-1900 First recorded in 1895-1900; happen + (circum)stance
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for happenstance
Contemporary Examples
All of these differences add up to make each planet unique, a product of happenstance and history.
The Best Map of Mars Yet
Matthew R. Francis
July 20, 2014
The success that followed 16 years later was a matter of happenstance, not of strategy.
Fool’s Gold
David Frum
February 13, 2013
Historical Examples
The German was just a happenstance, a castaway in the war for Arzachel.
First on the Moon
Jeff Sutton
But the happenstance habits of nature were steadily being integrated into the control program of man.
The Thirst Quenchers
Rick Raphael
Out of the chaos of happenstance they were finding rules of order, certain formulas of behavior, equations of force.
Empire
Clifford Donald Simak
This is contrasted to happenstance decision making based on impulsiveness and wishful thinking.
Sequential Problem Solving
Fredric Lozo
As for deceased, his ontimely evaporation that a-way is but the frootes of happenstance.
Faro Nell and Her Friends
Alfred Henry Lewis
Anagram
cheapen pants
panache spent
penchant peas
snap ten peach
22 May 2018
temporal(1)
[tem-per-uh l, tem-pruh l]
adjective
1. of or relating to time.
2. pertaining to or concerned with the present life or this world; worldly:
temporal joys.
3. enduring for a time only; temporary; transitory (opposed to eternal )
4. Grammar.
of, relating to, or expressing time:
a temporal adjective, such asrecent, or a temporal adverb, such asrecently.
of or relating to the tenses of a verb.
5. secular, lay, or civil, as opposed to ecclesiastical.
noun, Usually, temporals
6. a temporal possession, estate, or the like; temporality.
7. something that is temporal; a temporal matter or affair.
Origin of temporal(1)
Middle English, Latin
1300-1350; Middle English (adj. and noun) < Latin temporālis, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus) time + -ālis -al1
Related forms
temporally, adverb
temporalness, noun
temporal(2)
[tem-per-uh l, tem-pruh l] Anatomy, Zoology
adjective
1. of, relating to, or situated near the temple or a temporal bone.
noun
2. any of several parts in the temporal region, especially the temporal bone.
Origin
1535-45; Late Latin temporālis, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus) temple2+ -ālis -al1
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for temporal
Contemporary Examples
Naturalism tells us that mystics had temporal lobe epilepsy.
Eben Alexander Has a GPS for Heaven
Patricia Pearson
October 8, 2014
Re-reading your own work, especially at some temporal distance, is a dangerous business.
Kerouac Biographer Gets Back on the Road
Dennis McNally
October 2, 2014
Compulsive writing, or hypergraphia, is a well-known, if uncommon, symptom of temporal lobe epilepsy.
The Seizure Medication That Turns You Into a Poet
Cat Ferguson
September 12, 2014
But a drug like lamotrigine is not selective, and so it also affects the behavior of the rest of the temporal lobe.
The Seizure Medication That Turns You Into a Poet
Cat Ferguson
September 12, 2014
The temporal judgment regarding the bothers was guilty, and both were sentenced to death.
How the North Carolina GOP Made a Wrongfully Convicted Man a Death Row Scapegoat
Michael Daly
September 4, 2014
Historical Examples
The Pharisees had need to keep alliance with the temporal powers.
Understanding the Scriptures
Francis McConnell
The love of temporal dominion was ruining the Church of Rome.
Cameos from English History, from Rollo to Edward II
Charlotte Mary Yonge
Their temporal sorrows have awakened their spiritual energies.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. II
Francis Augustus Cox
It seemed a long time to Amelia before she awoke again to temporal things.
Tiverton Tales
Alice Brown
And observe how this bears on the question of the temporal power.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
Anagram
male port
rot maple
metal pro
late romp
opal term
21 May 2018
sop
[sop]
noun
1. a piece of solid food, as bread, for dipping in liquid food.
2. anything thoroughly soaked.
3. something given to pacify or quiet, or as a bribe:
The political boss gave him some cash as a sop.
4. a weak-willed or spineless person; milksop.
verb (used with object), sopped, sopping.
5. to dip or soak in liquid food:
to sop bread in gravy.
6. to drench.
7. to take up (liquid) by absorption (usually followed by up):
He used bread to sop up the gravy.
verb (used without object), sopped, sopping.
8. to be or become soaking wet.
9. (of a liquid) to soak (usually followed by in).
Origin of sop
Middle English, Old English
before 1000; (noun) Middle English; Old English sopp; cognate with Old Norse soppa; (v.) Old English soppian, derivative of the noun (not recorded in ME). See sup2
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
3. tip, gratuity, payoff.
SOP or S.O.P
1. Standard Operating Procedure; Standing Operating Procedure.
sop.
1. soprano.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for sop
Contemporary Examples
A sop to lawmakers who represent congressional districts consisting entirely of catfish ponds.
Up to a Point: P.J. O’Rourke on Valentine’s Day and Oral Hygiene
P. J. O’Rourke
February 14, 2014
Cynics, of course, can argue that this is just a sop to Western sensibilities.
Morsi Finally Answers Jeff Goldberg
Raphael Magarik
June 28, 2012
Liberals regard them as a sop to the wealthy, who receive the largest share of the benefits.
In Second Term, What Will Obama Do About Bush Tax Cuts?
Noam Scheiber
March 2, 2012
Historical Examples
Time was when you all pulled the one way, and a sop to the Pope pleased you all.
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever
Judas that he was, he took her sop, and then sold her for thirty pieces of silver.
Little Novels of Italy
Maurice Henry Hewlett
This man—this alleged brother, threw him a sop, insulted him by offering him charity.
The Mask
Arthur Hornblow
That was one sop to conscience when I remembered that she was a wife.
Desert Dust
Edwin L. Sabin
Tomorrow he will be throwing some sop of reform to the people, and it will be too late for a Republic.
Vera
Oscar Wilde
The sop must not scorch, but the seasoning must be cooked through it.
Dishes & Beverages of the Old South
Martha McCulloch Williams
20 May 2018
duenna
[doo-en-uh, dyoo-]
noun
1. (in Spain and Portugal) an older woman serving as escort or chaperon of a young lady.
2. a governess.
Origin of duenna
Spanish Latin
1660-1670; < Spanish duenna (now dueña) < Latin domina, feminine of dominus master
Related forms
duennaship, noun
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for duenna
Historical Examples
She felt that she had been rather remiss in her duties as duenna, and was angry with herself.
Henry Dunbar
M. E. Braddon
It is to be observed the duenna was of a most obliging disposition.
Gomez Arias
Joaqun Telesforo de Trueba y Coso
Then the duenna resumed, and now came the worst of her story.
The Story of Don Quixote
Arvid Paulson, Clayton Edwards, and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
He told me that O’Brien had the duenna called to his room that morning.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
They must be torn away at once, or my character as duenna is lost for ever.’
Shawl-Straps
Louisa M. Alcott
The duenna entered, and remained standing before her master.
The Pearl of Lima
Jules Verne
She kept me in sight like a duenna, and strangely ill-treated me.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Vol. 13
Elbert Hubbard
Mary’s duenna ;—the artist who is supposed to be moulding the wife.
Orley Farm
Anthony Trollope
That’s her instituted governess, duenna, dragon, what you will.
The Adventures of Harry Richmond, Complete
George Meredith
The Sisters are the only duenna for you; and back to the convent you shall go to-morrow.
Remember the Alamo
Amelia E. Barr
Anagram
an dune
19 May 2018
iconoclast
[ahy-kon-uh-klast]
noun
1. a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition.
2. a breaker or destroyer of images, especially those set up for religious veneration.
Origin of iconoclast
Medieval Latin, Medieval Greek
1590-1600; < Medieval Latin īconoclastēs < Medieval Greek eikonoklástēs, equivalent to Greek eikono- icono- + -klastēs breaker, equivalent to klas- (variant stem of klân to break) + -tēs agent noun suffix
Related forms
iconoclastic, adjective
Synonyms
1. nonconformist, rebel, dissenter, radical.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for iconoclast
Contemporary Examples
Concerned and kind, he was also the ultimate risk taker, an iconoclast with an edgy, hard charging quality about him.
They Murdered My Friend
Sandra McElwaine
November 17, 2008
Historical Examples
I am an iconoclast and have broken my god and cannot put together the pieces.
Outdoor Sketching
Francis Hopkinson Smith
I would like to say that I have no fear of the odium of the designation of iconoclast.
Mother Earth, Vol. 1 No. 2, April 1906
Various
There is no iconoclast in the world like an extreme Mohammedan.
A Desert Drama
A. Conan Doyle
There was nothing of the revolutionary or the iconoclast about him.
The Expositor’s Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians
G. G. Findlay
Oliver Cromwell wasn’t as moral as Anabel is—nor such an iconoclast.
Touch and Go
D. H. Lawrence
I was ordered to answer it; and opposed the iconoclast to his Icon.
An Introduction to the Prose and Poetical Works of John Milton
Hiram Corson
The iconoclast that is in the heart of this poet is rampant.
Egoists
James Huneker
This gentle remonstrance only made the iconoclast more furious.
Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum
John Healy
Her husband had been iconoclast, and he scourged those who would not receive his edict.
Constantinople
William Holden Hutton
Anagram
laconic sot
lost cocain
coca tonsil
cool antics
18 May 2018
expunge
[ik-spuhnj]
verb (used with object), expunged, expunging.
1. to strike or blot out; erase; obliterate.
2. to efface; wipe out or destroy.
Origin of expunge
Latin
1595-1605; < Latin expungere to blot out, erase, equivalent to ex- ex-1+ pungere to prick
Related forms
expunger, noun
unexpunged, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for expunge
Contemporary Examples
King: We must expunge from our society the myths and half-truths that engender such groundless fears as these.
Alex Haley’s 1965 Playboy Interview with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Alex Haley
January 19, 2014
He would do well to expunge every double-breasted suit from his wardrobe.
Herman Cain’s Power Suit
Robin Givhan
November 4, 2011
If the purge was intended simply to expunge the opposition, then Papen should have been the first to go.
A Witness to Hitler’s Rise
Zachary Shore
May 27, 2011
Historical Examples
When it reached there a motion prevailed to expunge all the records relating to it.
The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV
Various
He re-read his father’s letter that he might expunge the reference to the scant living.
Watch Yourself Go By
Al. G. Field
You’ll have to expunge ‘guess’ and ‘reckon’ from your vocabulary.
The Leader of the Lower School
Angela Brazil
Would he not rather, to make the book consistent, expunge it?
Watson Refuted
Samuel Francis
He recoiled from the disturbance of the Missouri compromise: they expunge it.
Thirty Years’ View (Vol. II of 2)
Thomas Hart Benton
Mr. B. returned to the resolution which it was proposed to expunge.
Thirty Years’ View (Vol. I of 2)
Thomas Hart Benton
If you may expunge a part, you may expunge the whole; and if it is expunge d, how is it kept?
Thirty Years’ View (Vol. I of 2)
Thomas Hart Benton
17 May 2018
termagant
[tur-muh-guh nt]
noun
1. a violent, turbulent, or brawling woman.
2. (initial capital letter) a mythical deity popularly believed in the Middle Ages to be worshiped by the Muslims and introduced into the morality play as a violent, overbearing personage in long robes.
adjective
3. violent; turbulent; brawling; shrewish.
Origin of termagant
Middle English, Old French
1175-1225; Middle English Termagaunt, earlier Tervagaunt, alteration of Old French Tervagan name of the imaginary deity
Related forms
termagantly, adverb
Synonyms
1. shrew, virago, harridan, scold.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for termagant
Historical Examples
His wife is a shrew, a termagant, who embitters every hour of his existence.
The Lion’s Skin
Rafael Sabatini
The child must not be suffered to grow up into a termagant —you will admit that, I hope?
Brother Copas
Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
This bride was a canting hypocrite of sixty-three, covetous, and a termagant.
The Life and Adventures of Baron Trenck
Baron Trenck
She seemed to be a sort of termagant, and she said nobody said that about her unless you told them.
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919
Various
There are two claimants on the Milanese, then; the Spanish termagant, and he?
History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. XII. (of XXI.)
Thomas Carlyle
Not to a woman; but I’m sometimes forced to do so to a termagant.
The Evil Eye; Or, The Black Spector
William Carleton
And I was the termagant who must have put it there, though I have no memory of doing so.
The Prairie Child
Arthur Stringer
It was as if Elizabeth had put herself into the situation of a termagant wife.
The Town
Leigh Hunt
She may be a fool—she may be a termagant —she may be what you please—but—but she has money.
The Cock and Anchor
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Why, what a bloody-minded, inveterate, termagant strumpet have I been plagued with!
Thomas Otway
Thomas Otway
Anagram
get mantra
rat magnet
anger Matt
a tram gent
16 May 2018
censer
[sen-ser]
noun
1. a container, usually covered, in which incense is burned, especially during religious services; thurible.
Origin of censer
Middle English, Medieval Latin
1200-1250; Middle English < Anglo-French, aphetic variant of ensenser < Medieval Latin incensārium. See incense1, -er2
Can be confused
censer, censor, censure, sensor.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for censer
Historical Examples
The censer was made of iron, and was so large one could not clasp it with both arms.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
Stole on the winds through the woodland aisles like the breath of a censer.
Poems
William D. Howells
He had a big can of water, which he swung like a censer as he danced.
Despair’s Last Journey
David Christie Murray
He stood in the middle of the room, staring from Venus to altar-cloth, from altar-cloth to censer.
Peak and Prairie
Anna Fuller
This Absolon, that jolif was and gay, Gooth with a sencer ( censer) on the haliday.
The Romance of Names
Ernest Weekley
Or sometimes the incense is lighted and put in the censer by one of the priests employed.
Moon Lore
Timothy Harley
The gods must have their incense from the right kind of censer.
Visions and Revisions
John Cowper Powys
The most elaborate is the censer, which has been already given.
The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 5. (of 7): Persia
George Rawlinson
Their religion stops with the altar and the censer —the material things.
In League with Israel
Annie F. Johnston
Among the uses suggested are those of a censer and a lantern.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume IV
Hubert Howe Bancroft
Anagram
screen
14 May 2018
torrid
[tawr-id, tor-]
adjective
1. subject to parching or burning heat, especially of the sun, as a geographical area:
the torrid sands of the Sahara.
2. oppressively hot, parching, or burning, as climate, weather, or air.
3. ardent; passionate:
a torrid love story.
Origin of torrid
Latin
1580-1590; < Latin torridus dried up, parched, equivalent to torr(ēre) to parch, burn (see torrent, thirst ) + -idus -id4
Related forms
torridity, torridness, noun
torridly, adverb
hypertorrid, adjective
hypertorridly, adverb
hypertorridness, noun
Synonyms
1. tropical. 2. scorching, fiery.
Antonyms
1. arctic. 2. frigid. 3. cool.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for torrid
Contemporary Examples
It is tasked with mitigating environmental destruction brought on by three and a half decades of torrid growth.
Why China Won’t Eclipse the United States
Ali Wyne
June 12, 2014
They look at each other meaningfully—and repair to the boiler room for some torrid sex.
‘Halt and Catch Fire’ and AMC’s Push to Reset Dramas
Andrew Romano
May 30, 2014
The pace of fourth quarter growth is nowhere near as torrid – about 2.3 percent according to Macroeconomic Advisers.
Bad News for People Who Like Bad News
Daniel Gross
December 20, 2013
Basil, cucumber, mangoes, the cooing of turtledoves on torrid afternoons, the screech of buses coming to a sudden halt.
André Aciman: How I Write
Noah Charney
November 28, 2012
Michelle Cottle on the ballad of Johnny and Rielle—and the lessons we can all learn from their torrid affair.
What You Can Learn From John Edwards and Rielle Hunter
Michelle Cottle
June 27, 2012
Historical Examples
But in the height of summer the heat is torrid on the Roof of France.
The Roof of France
Matilda Betham-Edwards
Bitter indeed must be the wintry blast, torrid the rays of summer here.
In the Heart of Vosges
Matilda Betham-Edwards
Then it entered into a zone of torrid light which the sun threw on the waves.
A Romance of the West Indies
Eugne Sue
We have valleys and we have mountains; we have torrid and we have temperate zones.
Boy Scouts Handbook
Boy Scouts of America
It seemed as if the torrid days of late summer were harder to bear than July had been.
The Forbidden Trail
Honor Willsie
Anagram
rid rot
13 May 2018
eyot
[ahy-uh t, eyt]
noun, British Dialect.
1. ait (a small island, especially in a river)
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for eyot
Historical Examples
My will is, that we two champions be all alone and afoot on the eyot.
Child Christopher
William Morris
Every one on the bank and eyot stopped to watch him—they knew him, he was training.
The Open Air
Richard Jefferies
With one accord they sprang overboard and swam for the nearest shore, that of the eyot.
Samba
Herbert Strang
12 May 2018
onset
[on-set, awn-]
noun
1. a beginning or start:
the onset of winter.
2. an assault or attack:
an onset of the enemy.
3. Phonetics. the segment of a syllable preceding the nucleus, as the gr in great.
Compare coda (def 5), core1(def 14).
Origin of onset
1525-1535; on + set, after the verb phrase set on
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for onset
Contemporary Examples
I was never sure whether this was phlegm or the onset of lunacy.
Why Can’t Movies Capture Genius?
Clive Irving
December 14, 2014
Believe it or not, a break at the onset of mild cramps may let you play in the game for longer.
A Lesson From LeBron James’ Game One Nightmare
Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad
June 7, 2014
The adults then burn one down but realize drugs are less fun with the onset of parental responsibilities.
‘Silicon Valley’ and the Return of Stoner Television
Rich Goldstein
April 10, 2014
He remembers how confused and scared people were by the onset of AIDS.
Matthew McConaughey In ‘Dallas Buyers Club’: From Bongos to Oscar Contender
Marlow Stern
October 30, 2013
Then there is the argument that there is no clear chain of evidence linking an enemy action to the onset of PTSD.
How The Purple Heart Can Help Heal Veterans with PTSD
Benjamin Tupper
August 23, 2013
Historical Examples
The onset and the issue were like the passage and destruction of a whirlwind.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
He met their onset with a firm, steady foot, and fired straight at their heads.
The Field of Ice
Jules Verne
As an eagle descendeth on its prey, so rusheth my kinsman to the onset.
Wilson’s Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume VI
Various
They were also greatly elated with the success which had crowned the first onset.
Three Years in the Federal Cavalry
Willard Glazier
Had I known this, I could have marked the onset with a less failing spirit.
Charles O’Malley, The Irish Dragoon, Volume 2 (of 2)
Charles Lever
Anagram
stone
tones
notes
11 May 2018
trounce
[trouns]
verb (used with object), trounced, trouncing.
1. to beat severely; thrash.
2. to punish.
3. to defeat decisively.
Origin of trounce
1545-1555 First recorded in 1545-55; origin uncertain
Related forms
trouncer, noun
untrounced, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for trounce
Contemporary Examples
Most patriotic movies flaunt their pride by having America trounce foreign countries.
13 Most Patriotic Movies Ever: ‘Act of Valor,’ ‘Top Gun’ & More (VIDEO)
Melissa Leon
July 4, 2014
As sure as turkey on a table, Tom Brady and the 7–3 Patriots will likely trounce Mark Sanchez and the woeful New York Jets.
A Dummies Guide to the NFL’s Thanksgiving Games
Sujay Kumar
November 22, 2012
On Fox News Sunday, he predicted Sharron Angle will trounce Harry Reid for the Nevada Senate seat.
October 17: 7 Best Moments From Sunday Talk
The Daily Beast Video
October 17, 2010
Anagram
counter
our cent
eco turn
10 May 2018
stipple
[stip-uh l]
verb (used with object), stippled, stippling.
1. to paint, engrave, or draw by means of dots or small touches.
noun, Also, stippling
2. the method of painting, engraving, etc., by stippling.
3. stippled work; a painting, engraving, or the like, executed by means of dots or small spots.
Origin of stipple
Dutch
1660-1670; < Dutch stippelen, frequentative of stippen to dot, derivative of stip dot
Related forms
stippler, noun
unstippled, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for stipple
Historical Examples
The student will notice in particular the stipple effect in the reproduction.
Crayon Portraiture
Jerome A. Barhydt
The stipple manner of engraving was a curious development of the art.
Engraving for Illustration
Joseph Kirkbride
She wanted to know the difference between a mezzotint and a stipple print.
One Man in His Time
Ellen Glasgow
Anagram
tipples
9 May 2018
Thaïs
[they-is]
noun
1. flourished late 4th century b.c, Athenian courtesan: mistress of Alexander the Great and Ptolemy I.
Examples
The Thais of that play is the most favourable delineation of the Athenian ‘ hetaera ‘ in ancient literature.
The Roman Poets of the Republic
William Young Sellar
Anagram
ash it
8 May 2018
hetaera
[hi-teer-uh]
noun, plural hetaerae [hi-teer-ee]
1. a highly cultured courtesan or concubine, especially in ancient Greece.
2. any woman who uses her beauty and charm to obtain wealth or social position.
Also, hetaira.
Origin of hetaera
Greek
1810-1820, First recorded in 1810-20, hetaera is from the Greek word hetaíra (feminine) companion
Related forms
hetaeric, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for hetaera
Historical Examples
She adopted the hetaera life, and was the “companion” of Stilpo himself.
Greek Women
Mitchell Carroll
The concubine has the status of a hetaera ; she travels with the man, keeps his accounts, etc.
The Modern Woman’s Rights Movement
Kaethe Schirmacher
The Thais of that play is the most favourable delineation of the Athenian ‘ hetaera ‘ in ancient literature.
The Roman Poets of the Republic
William Young Sellar
Anagram
a heater
the area
heat era
7 May 2018
interregnum
[in-ter-reg-nuh m]
noun, plural interregnums, interregna [in-ter-reg-nuh]
1. an interval of time between the close of a sovereign’s reign and the accession of his or her normal or legitimate successor.
2. any period during which a state has no ruler or only a temporary executive.
3. any period of freedom from the usual authority.
4. any pause or interruption in continuity.
Origin of interregnum
1570-1580; < Latin, equivalent to inter- inter- + rēgnum reign
Related forms
interregnal, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for interregnum
Contemporary Examples
Throughout the bitter four-month interregnum, President Herbert Hoover had tried to get FDR to endorse joint policy statements.
What Obama and McCain Can Learn From FDR
Harold Evans
October 10, 2008
Historical Examples
I hover over my racked body like a ghost, and exist in an interregnum.
Dreamers of the Ghetto
I. Zangwill
At length the matter was adjusted, after an interregnum of three weeks.
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year
Edwin Emerson
After an interregnum, Rudolf of Hapsburg had been chosen emperor in 1273.
An Introduction to the History of Western Europe
James Harvey Robinson
We can account, to some extent, for this interregnum or spiritual life, but only to some extent.
Introduction to Robert Browning
Hiram Corson
The interregnum has been long, both as to time and distance.
The Innocents Abroad
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
It’s in English—a language that became obsolete during the interregnum.
The Lani People
J. F. Bone
Morally we have come a long way from the brutality of the interregnum.
The Lani People
J. F. Bone
During this interregnum, very little has been done in Parliament.
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 1, April, 1851
Various
The emperor Tacitus elected, after an interregnum of eight months.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology
Joel Munsell
Anagram
turn regimen
entering rum
returning me
6 May 2018
Rakia or Rakija
(/ˈrɑːkiə/, /ˈrækiə/, or /rəˈkiːə/)
– the collective term for fruit brandy popular in Central Europe and Southeast Europe. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50% to 80%, even going as high as 90% at times). e.g. the gypsy’s got drunk on rakia.
wikipedia.org
5 May 2018
caber
[key-ber]
noun, Scot.
1. a pole or beam, especially one thrown as a trial of strength.
Origin of caber
Scots Gaelic
1505-1515 First recorded in 1505-15, caber is from the Scots Gaelic word cabar pole
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for caber
Historical Examples
Arrived on ground, and found that “tossing the caber ” was in full progress.
Mr. Punch in the Highlands
Various
The caber is the heavy trunk of a tree from 16 to 20 ft. long.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4
Various
The caber is a small tree, or beam, heavier at one end than the other.
Old English Sports
Anagram
brace
4 May 2018
bulkhead
[buhlk-hed]
noun
1. Nautical. any of various wall-like constructions inside a vessel, as for forming watertight compartments, subdividing space, or strengthening the structure.
2. Aeronautics. a transverse partition or reinforcing frame in the body of an airplane.
3. Civil Engineering.
a partition built in a subterranean passage to prevent the passage of air, water, or mud.
a retaining structure of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete, used for shore protection and in harbor works.
4. Building Trades.
a horizontal or inclined outside door over a stairway leading to a cellar.
a boxlike structure, as on a roof, covering a stairwell or other opening.
Origin of bulkhead
1490-1500 First recorded in 1490-1500; bulk2+ head
Related forms
bulkheaded, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for bulkhead
Contemporary Examples
Nicole LaPorte talks to flight attendants about dirty diapers, bulkhead envy, and more.
Flight Attendant Freakout
Nicole LaPorte
November 23, 2010
Historical Examples
He knew besides such words as “hawser,” ” bulkhead ” and “ebb-tide.”
The Harbor
Ernest Poole
It laid over by the bulkhead, and was nearly the color of the carpet.
Tom Sawyer, Detective
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Anagram
blah duke
2 May 2018
runnel
[ruhn-l]
noun
1. a small stream; brook; rivulet.
2. a small channel, as for water.
Expand
Also, runlet [ruhn-lit]
Origin of runnel
1570-1580; run (noun) + -el diminutive suffix
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for runnel
Historical Examples
Just before him a runnel of water is gliding, and he bends his head to drink.
Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 7
Charles H. Sylvester
He had a narrow thread of solid path, and he forced me into a runnel.
Miss Cayley’s Adventures
Grant Allen
When he came again it was on a dark day in November, and every runnel of the fens was swollen.
The Path of the King
John Buchan
On our left was the gorge, down which tumbled the runnel of water which I have before mentioned.
The Bible in Spain
George Borrow
I went up the field with the lane on my right, down which ran a runnel of water, from which doubtless the house derived its name.
Wild Wales
George Borrow
The rock looked exactly like a huge whale lying on its side, with its back turned towards the runnel.
Wild Wales
George Borrow
Thus it is possible that a runnel of the blood of “le grand monarque” tripped through Burton’s veins.
The Life of Sir Richard Burton
Thomas Wright
It took me the whole day to reach the patch,—which I found indeed a forest—but not a rudiment of brook or runnel had I crossed!
Lilith
George MacDonald
There are little groves of bamboo and chestnut and willow; and a runnel of water is somewhere—I can hear it.
An Englishwoman’s Love-Letters
Anonymous
Peebles had disappeared; Dake lay in his rags on the ground; runnel rocked slowly, like a pendulum, in his ceaseless pain.
The Happy End
Joseph Hergesheimer
