February 2016 – WOTDs

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February 2016 – WOTDs

29 February 2016

proscribe

[proh-skrahyb]

verb (used with object), proscribed, proscribing.

1. to denounce or condemn (a thing) as dangerous or harmful; prohibit.
2. to put outside the protection of the law; outlaw.
3. to banish or exile.
4. to announce the name of (a person) as condemned to death and subject to confiscation of property.

Origin of proscribe

late Middle English Latin

1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin prōscrībere to publish in writing, confiscate, outlaw. See pro-1, prescribe

Related forms

proscribable, adjective
proscriber, noun
unproscribable, adjective
unproscribed, adjective

Can be confused

ascribe, proscribe, subscribe.
prescribe, proscribe.
Synonyms Expand
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
1. censure, disapprove, repudiate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2016.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for proscribe Expand
Historical Examples
proscribe French, their mother tongue, and they will hate you and have nothing to do with your schools.

Bilingualism
N. A. Belcourt

Anagram

crib poser
crisp robe

27 February 2016

bromide

[broh-mahyd or for 1, broh-mid]

noun

1. Chemistry.
a salt of hydrobromic acid consisting of two elements, one of which is bromine, as sodium bromide, NaBr.
a compound containing bromine, as methyl bromide.
2. Pharmacology. potassium bromide, known to produce central nervous system depression, formerly used as a sedative.
3. a platitude or trite saying.
4. a person who is platitudinous and boring.

Origin of bromide

1830-1840; brom- + -ide; in defs. 3, 4 from use of some bromides as sedatives

Related forms

subbromide, noun

Dictionary.com

Cite This Source

Examples from the Web for bromide

Contemporary Examples

Not long ago, extremely powerful television personalities and sportscasters were abruptly fired for saying things less offensive than Trump’s bromides.
How the US Went Fascist: Mass Media Make Excuses for Trump Voters.
Juan Cole
Moyers & Company
February 24, 2016

He was adept at deflecting a direct question with an anecdote or a bromide presented as a confidence.
Richard Holbrooke’s Brilliant Drive
Harold Evans
December 12, 2010

Historical Examples

In the end, I temporised with a moderate dose of bromide, deciding to call and see if more energetic measures were necessary.
The Vanishing Man
R. Austin Freeman

And he took a dose of bromide and commended himself again to sleep, while the serpent withdrew in some confusion.

Fables For The Times
H. W. Phillips

Anagram

dire mob
or imbed
bid more

26 February 2016

metonymy

[mi-ton-uh-mee]

noun, Rhetoric.

1. a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “scepter” for “sovereignty,” or “the bottle” for “strong drink,” or “count heads (or noses)” for “count people.”.

Origin of metonymy

Late Latin, Greek

1540-1550; < Late Latin metōnymia < Greek metōnymía change of name; see met-, -onym, -y3

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for metonymy

Historical Examples

The occasional increase of force produced by metonymy may be similarly accounted for.
The Philosophy of Style
Herbert Spencer

In both cases the term so approximates to the meaning of Earth, doubtless by metonymy, as to be indistinguishable from it.
Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3
W. E. Gladstone

metonymy is the substitution of the name of one thing for that of another to which the former bears a known and close relation.
English: Composition and Literature
W. F. (William Franklin) Webster

By metonymy from this supreme and metropolitan quarter of Greece, it means the whole country.
Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3
W. E. Gladstone

Often by a metonymy of speech the name of a part is given to the whole.
A Harmony of the Gospels for Students of the Life of Christ
Archibald Thomas Robertson

metonymy consists in naming an object by one of its attributes or accompaniments.
Elementary Guide to Literary Criticism
F. V. N. Painter

Anagram

my toy men

25 February 2016

calumniate

[kuh-luhm-nee-eyt]

verb (used with object), calumniated, calumniating.

1. to make false and malicious statements about; slander.

Origin of calumniate

Latin

1545-1555; < Latin calumniātus (past participle of calumniārī to accuse falsely, trick), equivalent to calumni (a) calumny + -ātus -ate1

Related forms

calumniation, noun
calumniator, noun
noncalumniating, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for calumniate

Historical Examples

The hired advocate may calumniate as he will, but he can show no collusion or connivance on your part.
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. II (of II)
Charles James Lever

“Do not calumniate yourself, sir,” replied the Pre Longuemare.
The Gods are Athirst
Anatole France

You do more, under the pretext of unmasking yourself, you calumniate yourself.
Les Misrables
Victor Hugo

But why do I calumniate my own spirit by saying I would rather?
Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Vol. I (of 2)
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Nor did he omit to foully vilify the Express and calumniate its personnel.
Carmen Ariza
Charles Francis Stocking

24 February 2016

solfeggio or solfège

[sol-fej-oh, -fej-ee-oh]

noun, plural solfeggi [sol-fej-ee], solfeggios. Music.

1. a vocal exercise in which the sol-fa syllables are used, e.g. do – re – mi – fa – sol – la – ti – do
2. the use of the sol-fa syllables to name or represent the tones of a melody or voice part, or the tones of the scale, or of a particular series, as the scale of C; solmization.

Origin of solfeggio

1765-1775; < Italian, derivative of solfeggiare, equivalent to solf (a) (see sol-fa ) + -eggiare v. suffix

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for solfeggio

Historical Examples

Thus my ear was thoroughly practised, and I easily held my place, even at that early age, in a solfeggio class.
Autobiographical Reminiscences with Family Letters and Notes on Music
Charles Gounod

He might be practising a solfeggio,” I suggested, “which you could sing for him.
Castellinaria
Henry Festing Jones

solfeggio, solfège—a vocal exercise sung either on simple vowels or on arbitrary syllables containing these simple vowel sounds.
Music Notation and Terminology
Karl W. Gehrkens

Anagram

google ifs
folio eggs
I egg fools
I flog egos

23 February 2016

rentier

[rahn-tyey]

noun, plural rentiers [rahn-tyey] (Show IPA). French.

1. a person who has a fixed income, as from lands or bonds.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for rentier

Contemporary Examples

Occasionally people accuse me of being anti-rich. I’m not anti-rich. Being rich is not inherently bad. I’m anti-parasitical crony capitalist rentier. The rich people that actually make a social contribution (paying their taxes, philanthropy, paying their workers a decent wage …) are deserving of praise, especially given that the crony capitalist system is clearly set up to reward the most ruthlessly self-interested in society (rentiers, tax-dodgers, reckless speculators, price fixers, Tory party donors, market riggers, money launderers …)
J.K. Rowling

Next, add the vices of a rentier state: laziness, irresponsibility, a sense of entitlement, and ignorance.
It’s Not the USA that Made Libya the Disaster it is Today
Ann Marlowe
August 2, 2014

Historical Examples

The one who has a perpetual income from bonds or rents is called a rentier.
The Principles of Economics
Frank A. Fetter

But did you see in the paper that he was put down as rentier ?
Plays–First Series
August Strindberg

My French friends wanted to talk of the “Psychology of the rentier.”
War and the Future
H. G. Wells

He gives himself the name of Piquouique, rentier, English; and he appeals to his Ambassador.
Old Friends
Andrew Lang

22 February 2016

semiotic

[see-mee-ot-ik, sem-ee, see-mahy-]

adjective, Also, semiotical

1. of or relating to signs.
2. of or relating to semiotics.
3. Medicine/Medical. of or relating to symptoms; symptomatic.

noun
4. semiotics.

Origin of semiotic

Greek

1615-1620; (def 3) < Greek sēmeiōtikós significant, equivalent to sēmeiō-, verbid stem of sēmeioûn to interpret as a sign (derivative of Greek sēmeîon sign) + -tikos -tic; (def 4) < Greek sēmeiōtikḗ, noun use of feminine of sēmeiōtikós, adapted by John Locke (on the model of Greek logikḗ logic, etc.; see -ic ) to mean “the doctrine of signs”; (defs 1, 2) based on Locke’s coinage or a reanalysis of the Gk word

Dictionary.com

Anagram

moist ice
comities

20 February 2016

obdurate

[ob-doo-rit, -dyoo-]

adjective

1. unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.
2. stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent:
an obdurate sinner.

Origin of obdurate

late Middle English Latin

1400-1450; late Middle English obdurat < Latin obdūrātus (past participle of obdūrāre to harden), equivalent to ob- ob- + dūr (us) hard + -ātus -ate1

Related forms

obdurately, adverb
obdurateness, noun
unobdurate, adjective
unobdurately, adverb
unobdurateness, noun

Synonyms

1. hard, obstinate, callous, unbending, inflexible. 2. unregenerate, reprobate, shameless.

Antonyms

1. soft, tractable. 2. humble, repentant.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for obdurate

Contemporary Examples

Yet instead of scaling back their political ambitions in the face of an obdurate reality, they are escalating them.
Are Moderate Republicans Useless?
David Frum
January 28, 2013

It happened because of massive and obdurate resistance to reasonable change.
A Little Charlotte History
Michael Tomasky
September 3, 2012

Historical Examples

In cases of obdurate induration, the udder should be anointed with iodine ointment.
Sheep, Swine, and Poultry
Robert Jennings

The three young argonauts pleaded, but the old pioneer was obdurate.
Roosevelt in the Bad Lands
H. Hagedorn.

However, the words were penetrating the hitherto ignorant or obdurate heart, and preparing it to attend to further instruction.
Pioneers and Founders
Charlotte Mary Yonge

He was as obdurate as Tennyson’s sailor‑boy whom the mermaiden forewarned so fiercely!
The Martian
George Du Maurier

He was inclined to do anything desperate and foolish, if by so doing he could sting that cruel, obdurate heart.
The Doctor’s Wife
M. E. Braddon

He spoke to Fletcher on the subject; but the leader of the expedition was obdurate.
The Young Adventurer
Horatio Alger

The fiery Giuliano della Rovere remained implacable and obdurate.
Renaissance in Italy, Volume 1 (of 7)
John Addington Symonds

She would not cry: she felt proud, obdurate, scornful, outraged.
The Guardian Angel
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Anagram

a redbout
bade tour

19 February 2016

agraffe or agrafe

[uh-graf]

noun

1. a small cramp iron.
2. a clasp, often richly ornamented, for clothing or armor.
3. a device, as a hook, for preventing vibration in the section of a piano string between the pin and the bridge.
4. (in classical architecture) a sculptural relief on the face of a keystone.
5. the wire that holds a cork in a champagne bottle.

Origin of agraffe

1660-1670; < French, variant of agrafe, noun derivative of agrafer to hook, equivalent to a- a-5+ grafe hook, cramp iron, probably < Germanic; see grape

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for agraffe

Historical Examples

What part the agraffe played in it (a medival beast I imagined) I could not know, could not guess.
The Crow’s Nest
Clarence Day, Jr.

Anagram

ear gaff
fag fear

18 February 2016

nictitate or nictate

[nik-ti-teyt]

verb (used without object), nictitated, nictitating.

1. to wink.

Origin of nictitate

Medieval Latin, Latin
1815-1825; < Medieval Latin nictitātus, past participle of nictitāre, frequentative of Latin nictāre to wink, frequentative of nicere to beckon; see -ate1

Related forms

nictitant, adjective

Dictionary.com

Example

The power of hearing is acute, and so is the sight, the eyes being protected by upper and lower lids and by a nictitating membrane.

Anagram

intact tie
cite titan

17 February 2016

ethos

[ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs]

noun

1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period:
In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.
2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.
3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character’s action rather than his or her thought or emotion.

Origin of ethos

1850-1855; < Greek: custom, habit, character

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ethos

Contemporary Examples

During World War II, the ethos was “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
Millennials Will Be Just Fine
Justin Green
March 25, 2013

The history of superheroes on the screen falls into four distinct stages, each reflecting the ethos of their time.
The Superhero Backlash
Richard Rushfield
June 22, 2011

Anagram

to she

16 February 2016

gaga or ga-ga

[gah-gah]

adjective, Informal.

1. excessively and foolishly enthusiastic:
The public went gaga over the new fashions.
2. ardently fond; infatuated:
He’s gaga over the new girl in class.
3. demented; crazy; dotty.

Origin of gaga

French

1915-1920; < French; imitative

Dictionary.com

Anagram

a gag

15 February 2016

anathema

[uh-nath-uh-muh]

noun, plural anathemas.

1. a person or thing detested or loathed:
That subject is anathema to him.
2. a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction.
3. a formal ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication.
4. any imprecation of divine punishment.
5. a curse; execration.

Origin of anathema

Latin

1520-1530; < Latin < Greek: a thing accursed, devoted to evil, orig. devoted, equivalent to ana (ti) thé (nai) to set up + -ma noun suffix

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for anathema

Contemporary Examples

That annoying responsibility stuff comes from three words that are anathema to the Tea Partiers: United American citizenry.
Stephen King: Tax Me, for F@%&’s Sake!
Stephen King
April 29, 2012

In his opinion, the “path to citizenship” for immigrants, which is anathema to many conservatives, is absolutely essential.
Cardinal O’Malley: Pope Francis Knows Immigrants Are the Future of the Church
Christopher Dickey
June 3, 2014

The occasional yellow or red was acceptable, but the suggestion of a blue dress was met with distress, and brown was anathema.
Why I Finally Let My Girls Be Girly
Andy Hinds
May 16, 2014

Historical Examples

Jackson was told that a pipe was anathema maranatha, which is Greek for no bon.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 153, Sept. 12, 1917
Various

He even pronounced his anathema upon any who taught other doctrine.
A Tour of the Missions
Augustus Hopkins Strong

I wish I could give you an idea, madame, of the tone and expression of Sallenauve as he uttered this anathema.
The Deputy of Arcis
Honore de Balzac

Anagram

a mean hat

14 February 2016

aggrade

[uh-greyd]

verb (used with object), aggraded, aggrading. Physical Geography.

1. to raise the grade or level of (a river valley, a stream bed, etc.) by depositing detritus, sediment, or the like.

Compare degrade.

Origin of aggrade

1895-1900; ag- + grade

Related forms

aggradation [ag-ruh-dey-shuh n], noun
aggradational, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for aggrade

Historical Examples

Its deposits tend to aggrade (build up) the flat which its meanderings develop.
The Geography of the Region about Devils Lake and the Dalles of the Wisconsin
Rollin D. Salisbury

In this way they aggrade each portion of it in turn by means of their shifting channels.
The Elements of Geology
William Harmon Norton

Anagram

a dagger
age drag
garaged

13 February 2016

detritus

[dih-trahy-tuh s]

noun

1. rock in small particles or other material worn or broken away from a mass, as by the action of water or glacial ice.
2. any disintegrated material; debris.

Origin of detritus

French

1785-1795; < French détritus < Latin: a rubbing away, equivalent to dētrī-, variant stem of dēterere to wear down, rub off ( de- de- + terere to rub) + -tus suffix of v. action

Related forms

detrital, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for detritus

Contemporary Examples

And then she came up with the idea of asking him to fiddle with his collection of detritus.
Tacita Dean’s ‘Five Americans’ Captures a Quiet Brilliance
Blake Gopnik
May 6, 2012

Perhaps Pappy fans are so insatiable that they even want the detritus of their favorite tot.
The Cult of Pappy van Winkle
Eric Felten
December 2, 2014

Her fantastical accumulations of detritus and throwaway goods can seem to pack more whimsy than wallop.
America Swamped by Its Plenty
Blake Gopnik
May 28, 2013

The artist is drinking beer, smoking and the detritus is building up around him.
The Biennale’s Best
Paul Laster, Bettina Von Hase
June 17, 2009

Amidst the detritus of old amplifiers, beaten up electric guitars and drum kits was a tatty white plastic bag.
The Lost Madonna Tapes
Andrew Morton
October 19, 2008
Historical Examples

By some unknown convulsion, this detritus had been heaped up.
Fragments of science, V. 1-2
John Tyndall

Death is only real for all the detritus of the world, for all the sorrow, for all the injustice, for all the grief.
The Octopus
Frank Norris

What an inconceivable tangle of detritus those streets must be!
Darkness and Dawn
George Allan England

The mouth of the Dranse, hard by, is a dreary collection of detritus.
Lausanne
Francis Henry Gribble

The soil, composed of sand and that detritus which abounds in American forests, gave way beneath the foot.
Last of the Incas
Gustave Aimard

Anagram

die trust
edits rut

12 February 2016

gongoozler

noun

1. an idle spectator, esp. one who stares for a long time at something
2. a person who enjoys watching activity on the canals of the United Kingdom. The term is also used more generally to describe those who harbour an interest in canals and canal life, but do not actively participate

Word Origin
1904

Usage Note
slang

Dictionary.com’s 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2014 Dictionary.com, LLC
Wikipedia

Anagram

go long zero

11 February 2016

estrapade

[es-truh-peyd]

noun

– the attempt by a horse to throw its rider, often by rearing, plunging or kicking.

(Collins English Dictionary, Wiktionary)

Origin

– French.

Anagram

set parade
deer pasta
data spree

10 February 2016

maven
(or mavin)

[mey-vuh n]

noun

1. an expert or connoisseur.

Origin of maven

1960-1965 < Yiddish < Hebrew: connoisseur

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for maven

Contemporary Examples

Symbolism aside, many analysts say the public discourse on issues of displacement and resettlement is being framed by Western politicians and media mavens along all-too-predictable left-right lines, generating an abundance of soundbites but obscuring the complex challenges confronting their governments.
Much Ado About Muslim Refugees
Al Jazeera
December 08, 2015

Anagram

van me

9 February 2016

clinquant

[kling-kuh nt]

adjective

1. glittering, especially with tinsel; decked with garish finery.
noun
2. imitation gold leaf; tinsel; false glitter.

Origin of clinquant

Dutch

1585-1595; < Middle French: clinking, present participle of clinquer (< Dutch klinken to sound); see -ant

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for clinquant

Historical Examples

My eyes rejoice in the shine of it; its clinquant sound is music in my ears.
Trivia
Logan Pearsall Smith

I liked Jack, but not clinquant in crimson and gold, with spurs and sword clanking on the hard, frost-bitten road.
The Yeoman Adventurer
George W. Gough

Anagram

Clan quit

8 February 2016

smicker

[smik-uh]

adjective

“elegant, fine, gay,” from Old English smicere “neat, elegant, beautiful, fair, tasteful.” Hence smicker (v.) “look amorously” (1660s); smickering “an amorous inclination” (1690s).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

ricks me

6 February 2016

quinch

verb

To move, stir, make a slight noise; to start, flinch.

Origin

Early 16th cent.; earliest use found in Promptorium Parvulorum. Origin uncertain. Perhaps a variant of quetch, perhaps by association with winch; or perhaps a variant of either winch or wince.

Example

It was a subtle quinch but enough to alert the bird to the cat’s presence.

4 February 2016

deipnophobia

[deep-no-foh-bee-uh]

noun

– an abnormal fear of dining and dinner conversation.

Examples

Christmas parties were particularly frightening for him because of his deipnophobia.

Anagram

ion hippo bead

3 February 2016

abessive

[a-bes-iv] Grammar

adjective

1. noting a case, as in Finnish, whose distinctive function is to indicate absence or lack.
noun
2. the abessive case.

In linguistics, abessive, caritive and privative are names for a grammatical case expressing the lack or absence of the marked noun. In English, the corresponding function is expressed by the preposition without or by the suffix -less. The name abessive is derived from Latin abesse “to be away/absent”, and is especially used in reference to Uralic languages. The name caritive is derived from Latin carere “to lack”, and is especially used in reference to Caucasian languages. The name privative is derived from Latin privare “to deprive”.

Origin of abessive

Latin

1890-1894; < Latin abess (e) to be distant + -ive

Dictionary.com
lexbook.net

Anagram

eve basis
visa bees

2 February 2016

qanat

noun

a gently sloping underground tunnel for irrigation purposes, esp. in ancient Persia; also called kanat

Origin

Qanat is the Arabic word for “channel”. Qanats are also called kārīz (or kārēz from Persian: كاريز‎‎) (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, derived from Persian: كاهریز‎‎), kahan (from Persian: کهن‎‎), kahriz/kəhriz (Azerbaijan); khettara (Morocco); galería (Spain); falaj (from Arabic: فلج‎) (United Arab Emirates and Oman); Kahn (Baloch) or foggara/fughara (North Africa).[8] Alternative terms for qanats in Asia and North Africa are kakuriz, chin-avulz, and mayun. Common variants of qanat in English include kanat, khanat, kunut, kona, konait, ghanat, ghundat.

Examples

The oldest and largest known qanat is in the Iranian city of Gonabad which, after 2,700 years, still provides drinking and agricultural water to nearly 40,000 people.

Originating in northeastern Iran around 800 BC, qanats brought the water from the snow melt to the plains for irrigation and human use.

Dictionary.com
Wikipedia

1 February 2016

dox (or doxx)

[doks]

verb (used with or without object), doxed or doxxed, doxing or doxxing.

1. Slang. to publish the private personal information of (another person) or reveal the identity of (an online poster) without the consent of that individual:

The professor was doxed by a bitter student who failed her class.
Several players doxed the programmer because the final version of the game disappointed them.

Origin of dox

2000-2005; alteration of docs, short for documents

Related forms

doxing, doxxing, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dox

Contemporary Examples

It is even worse when online actors “ dox ”—or publicly release the private information of—the incorrect person.
Web Sleuths Get It Wrong Again in Ferguson
Tim Mak
August 14, 2014

Victims of careless ‘ dox ’ attempts say the consequences are miserable.
Web Sleuths Get It Wrong Again in Ferguson
Tim Mak
August 14, 2014

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