July 2018 WOTDs

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July 2018 WOTDs

31 July 2018

sommelier

[suhm-uh l-yey; French saw-muh-lyey]

noun, plural sommeliers [suhm-uh l-yeyz; French saw-muh-lyey] (Show IPA)

1. a waiter, as in a club or restaurant, who is in charge of wines.

Origin of sommelier

1920-1925; < French, Middle French, dissimilated form of *sommerier, derivative of sommier one charged with arranging transportation, equivalent to somme burden (< Late Latin sagma horse load < Greek ságma covering, pack saddle) + -ier -ier2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sommelier

Contemporary Examples

A sommelier told me that his name for the family was “Rudinelli.”
Napa’s Earthquake Is Not The Only Thing Shaking The Vineyards
Clive Irving
August 31, 2014

sommelier Jordan Salcito on why these are the ultimate wine books.
‘The Drops of God’: Wine Books You Will Actually Want to Read
Jordan Salcito
January 19, 2014

In the American sommelier community, until very recently, South African wines have remained largely an afterthought.
Drink Like Nelson Mandela: South Africa’s Exciting New Wine
Jordan Salcito
December 14, 2013

Anagram

mere limos
more miles
smile more

30 July 2018

verdure

[vur-jer]

noun

1. greenness, especially of fresh, flourishing vegetation.
2. green vegetation, especially grass or herbage.
3. freshness in general; flourishing condition; vigor.

Origin of verdure

Middle English

1250-1300; Middle English < Middle French, equivalent to verd green (see vert ) + -ure -ure

Related forms

verdured, adjective
verdureless, adjective
unverdured, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for verdure

Historical Examples

But with me, the verdure and the flowers are not frostbitten in the midst of winter.
The Village Uncle (From “Twice Told Tales”)
Nathaniel Hawthorne

It seemed to the young couple as if they were being rocked on a sea of verdure.
The Fortune of the Rougons
Emile Zola

All around were lofty mountains covered with verdure and glory.
The Elm Tree Tales
F. Irene Burge Smith

Anagram

rude rev

29 July 2018

efface

[ih-feys]

verb (used with object), effaced, effacing.

1. to wipe out; do away with; expunge:
to efface one’s unhappy memories.
2. to rub out, erase, or obliterate (outlines, traces, inscriptions, etc.).
3. to make (oneself) inconspicuous; withdraw (oneself) modestly or shyly.

Origin of efface

Middle French

1480-1490 From the Middle French word effacer, dating back to 1480-90. See ef-, face

Related forms

effaceable, adjective
effacement, noun
effacer, noun
uneffaceable, adjective
uneffaced, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for efface

Historical Examples

Why should he efface himself, if it meant Sidney’s unhappiness?
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart

But here is a confession which a hundred crosses can not efface.
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani

This was alone wanting to efface every trace of the old Republican spirit.
Tom Burke Of “Ours”, Volume II (of II)
Charles James Lever

Enough to efface it in the eyes of one who had never sinned?
Wisdom, Wit, and Pathos of Ouida
Ouida

Will it be possible to efface the evil impress left on that mind and body?
The Choice of Life
Georgette Leblanc

The better to efface the impress of their tyrannical past, I had to dip them into water.
The Choice of Life
Georgette Leblanc

Nothing can ever cure me, no dream of my mind can ever efface the dream of my heart.
The Child of Pleasure
Gabriele D’Annunzio

He forgot his resolution to efface himself, and whipped his horse forward.
A Soldier of the Legion
C. N. Williamson

The strength of the child is to efface himself in every possible way.
What Is and What Might Be
Edmond Holmes

The constant use of that paddle in the water, for fifteen days, did not efface the color.
The Adventures of the Chevalier De La Salle and His Companions, in Their Explorations of the Prairies, Forests, Lakes, and Rivers, of the New World, and Their Interviews with the Savage Tribes, Two Hundred Years Ago
John S. C. Abbott

28 July 2018

dentin

[den-tn, -tin]

noun, Dentistry.

1. the hard, calcareous tissue, similar to but denser than bone, that forms the major portion of a tooth, surrounds the pulp cavity, and is situated beneath the enamel and cementum.

Also, dentine [den-teen]

Origin of dentin

1830-1840 First recorded in 1830-40; dent- + -in2

Related forms

dentinal, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dentin

Historical Examples

The teeth are pointed and often have the dentine remarkably folded.
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds

This models the enamel cap which fits over the dentine like a glove.
Degeneracy
Eugene S. Talbot

A papilla of the dermis makes its appearance, the outer layer of which gradually calcifies to form the dentine and osseous tissue.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume III (of 4)
Francis Maitland Balfour

Anagram

intend
tinned

27 July 2018

phub

[fuhb] Slang.

verb (used with object), phubbed, phubbing.

1. to ignore (a person or one’s surroundings) when in a social situation by busying oneself with a phone or other mobile device: Hey, are you phubbing me?
I hate to see a mother wheeling a stroller while phubbing her baby.
verb (used without object), phubbed, phubbing.
2. to ignore a person or one’s surroundings in this way.

Origin of phub

2010-2014 First recorded in 2010-14; ph(one)1+ snub

Dictionary.com

26 July 2018

gimbals

[jim-buh lz, gim-]

noun (used with a singular verb)

Sometimes gimbal. a contrivance, consisting of a ring or base on an axis, that permits an object, as a ship’s compass, mounted in or on it to tilt freely in any direction, in effect suspending the object so that it will remain horizontal even when its support is tipped.

Origin of gimbals

First recorded in 1570–80; alteration of gimmal

Also called gimbal ring.

Dictionary.com

Historical Examples

The four pistons are carried upon the gimbal ring, which connects, by means of pivots, the two chair couplings.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 497, July 11, 1885
Various

Anagram

slime bag

25 July 2018

lèse majesté

[lez, leez] [maj-uh-stee]

noun

1. Law. a crime, especially high treason, committed against the sovereign power.
an offense that violates the dignity of a ruler.
2. an attack on any custom, institution, belief, etc., held sacred or revered by numbers of people:
Her speech against Mother’s Day was criticized as lese majesty.

Also, lèse majesty, lèse majesté [lez mah-juh-stey, lez maj-uh-stee, leez].

Origin of lese majesty

French, Latin

1530-15401530-40; < French lèse-majesté, after Latin (crīmen) laesae mājestātis (the crime) of injured majesty

Dictionary.com

Anagram

male jests
jam steels
jets meals

24 July 2018

dewlap

[doo-lap, dyoo-]

noun

1. a pendulous fold of skin under the throat of a bovine animal.
2. any similar part in other animals, as the wattle of fowl or the inflatable loose skin under the throat of some lizards.

Origin of dewlap

Middle English, Danish, Dutch

1350-1400; Middle English dew(e)lappe, apparently dewe dew + lappe lap1; compare Danish dog-læp, Dutch (dial.) dauw-zwengel; literal sense is unclear

Related forms

dewlapped, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dewlap

Historical Examples

He was very fat, with a shaven, swarthy face and the dewlap of an ox.
The Strolling Saint
Raphael Sabatini

Put setons, or rowels in the dewlap, so as to have a dependent opening.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings

The chief peculiarity of the animal is its lack of a dewlap.
The Western World
W.H.G. Kingston

There must be no loose skin, such as dewlap, etc., in this region.
Sporting Dogs
Frank Townend Barton

Then what sense is there in blistering, bleeding, and inserting setons in the dewlap ?
The American Reformed Cattle Doctor
George Dadd

The dewlap is very slightly extensible, and but little developed.
Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.
J Lort Stokes

In doing so he noticed for the first time Dick’s stitches in the hound’s dewlap and shoulders.
Jan
A. J. Dawson

About once in so long a tiny spasm of the muscles would contract the dewlap under his chin.
The Escape of Mr. Trimm
Irvin S. Cobb

Apply strong counterirritant to chest and put seton in dewlap.
Special Report on Diseases of Cattle
U.S. Department of Agriculture

So likewise the pictorial historian is merry over ‘ dewlap alliances’ in his description of the society of that period.
The Short Works of George Meredith
George Meredith

Anagram

wed lap

23 July 2018

volte-face

[volt-fahs, vohlt-; French vawltuh-fas]

noun, plural volte-face.

1. a turnabout, especially a reversal of opinion or policy.

Origin of volte-face

French, Italian
1810-1820; < French < Italian voltafaccia, equivalent to volta turn (see volt2) + faccia face

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for volte-face

Contemporary Examples

It leaves out only the actual reason for her abrupt, 11th-hour volte-face.
How Hillary’s Feeling About Caroline
Christopher Buckley
January 24, 2009

Historical Examples

It was the same as that which he had for Hincks’s volte-face. ‘
The Tribune of Nova Scotia
W. L. (William Lawson) Grant

For if the volte-face is general, the only embarrassment arises from not executing it.
The Angel of Pain
E. F. Benson

But Russia’s betrayal is not sufficient to account for the Serbian volte-face.
After the Rain
Sam Vaknin

Such a volte-face as this was not only palpably unjust, it was altogether too nimble a bit of gymnastics for Duplay to appreciate.
Tristram of Blent
Anthony Hope

What will justify such a volte-face and with what excuse can he repudiate the principles with which he justified his takeover?
The Origins of Contemporary France, Volume 4 (of 6)
Hippolyte A. Taine

The volte-face sounds more abrupt than it really was if it be remembered that he never had more than one object in view at a time.
Sonia Between two Worlds
Stephen McKenna

And for all their talk of freedom, Lennan could see the volte-face his friends would be making, if they only knew.
The Dark Flower
John Galsworthy

These four factors coalesced during 1948 and led to a reassessment of policy and, finally, to a volte-face.
Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965
Morris J. MacGregor, Jr.

Lastly, they have, in its highest development, the capacity to make a volte-face with grace and equanimity.
A Woman’s Impression of the Philippines
Mary H. (Mary Helen) Fee

Anagram

fecal vote
feta clove
to cave elf

22 July 2018

volta

[vohl-tuh, vol-; Italian vawl-tah]

noun, plural volte [vohl-tey, vol-; Italian vawl-te]. Music.

1. turn; time (used in phrases): una volta(“once”);
prima volta(“first time”).

Origin of volta

1635-1645; Italian: a turn; see volt2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for volta

Historical Examples

But it was too late: the volte face was too sudden and complete.
The Shewing-up of Blanco Posnet
George Bernard Shaw

He was not an uneducated man, but volte face, correctly pronounced, was unfamiliar in his ears.
The Postmaster’s Daughter
Louis Tracy

If I had inwardly reproached him for fickleness when he confessed his volte face, I exonerated him at sight of his old love.
The Brightener
C. N. Williamson

Pretending concern in her, had he not really joined the camp of her enemies and detractors, the volte face thing!
The Shriek
Charles Somerville

The simplicity of M. Fnelon was rudely shocked by this ” volte face.”
Montreal 1535-1914 under the French Rgime
William Henry Atherton

Morley speaks of the volte, and says it is characterised by ‘rising and leaping,’ and is of the same ‘measure’ as a coranto.
Shakespeare and Music
Edward W. Naylor

The miserable state of the nation seemed to demand a volte face.
Introduction to the Science of Sociology
Robert E. Park

His cabinet pictures were also lively; witness the four Seasons at volte, a seat of the noble family of Chigi.
The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 1 (of 6)
Luigi Antonio Lanzi

Of all things, the ‘ volte sciollo’, and the ‘pensieri stretti’, are necessary.
The PG Edition of Chesterfield’s Letters to His Son
The Earl of Chesterfield

The volte is a circular movement, executed by the horse upon a curved line, not less than twelve of his steps in length.
Hand-book for Horsewomen
H. L. De Bussigny

21 July 2018

ka

[kah]

noun Egyptian Religion.

a spiritual entity, an aspect of the individual, believed to live within the body during life and to survive it after death.

Origin of ka

1890–95; Egyptian kʾ

kA

kiloampere; kiloamperes.

ka-

variant of ker-.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ka

Contemporary Examples

Ancient Egyptians believed that every person has three souls: Ka, Ba, and Akh.
Egypt’s Second Revolution: Purging the Mubarak Regime’s Legacy
Vivian Salama
June 20, 2012

Historical Examples

Breasted denies that the ka was an element of the personality.
The Evolution of the Dragon
G. Elliot Smith

Because my Ka has been with me, Rames, and told me that it is a bad act and if we do trouble will come to us.
Morning Star
H. Rider Haggard

Then the Ka that clings to it eternally awoke at my touch and knew me, or so I suppose.
The Mahatma and the Hare
H. Rider Haggard

This was to act as the protector Khepra, of the ka or immaterial vitality of the sahu or mummy.
Scarabs
Isaac Myer

The body was embalmed and the Ka dwelt in the sepulchre with it, but went in and out of the tomb.
Scarabs
Isaac Myer

20 July 2018

actus reus

/ˈæktəs ˈreɪəs/

noun

1. (law) a criminal action regarded as a constituent element of a crime, as compared with the state of mind of the perpetrator Compare mens rea

Word Origin

Latin, literally: guilty act

Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

 

 

19 July 2018

palladium

[puh-ley-dee-uh m]

noun
1.
something believed to ensure protection; safeguard

Origin Expand
< Latin Palladium < Greek Palládion, noun use of neuter of Palládios of Pallas, equivalent to Pallad- (stem of Pallás) Pallas + -ios adj. suffix
Dictionary.com

Example

He praised the Second Amendment “as the true palladium … The right of self defense is the first law of nature: in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible.
Walker, D.J., 2016. Necessary to the security of free states: the Second Amendment as the auxiliary right of federalism. American Journal of Legal History, 56(4), pp.365–391.

Anagram

mild Palau
pull a maid
a dual limp

18 July 2018

parrhesia

In rhetoric, parrhesia is a figure of speech described as: “to speak candidly or to ask forgiveness for so speaking”. This Ancient Greek word has three different forms, as related by Michel Foucault: parrhesia, is a noun, meaning “free speech”; parrhesiazomai, a verb, means “to use parrhesia”; and a parrhesiastes is one who uses parrhesia, for example “one who speaks the truth to power”.

Parrhesia is a kind of verbal activity where the speaker has a specific relation to truth through frankness, a certain relationship to his own life through danger, a certain type of relation to himself or other people through criticism (self-criticism or criticism of other people), and a specific relation to moral law through freedom and duty. More precisely, parrhesia is a verbal activity in which a speaker expresses his personal relationship to truth, and risks his life because he recognizes truth-telling as a duty to improve or help other people (as well as himself). In parrhesia, the speaker uses his freedom and chooses frankness instead of persuasion, truth instead of falsehood or silence, the risk of death instead of life and security, criticism instead of flattery, and moral duty instead of self-interest and moral apathy.[16]

Origin

The term parrhesia first appears in Greek literature in Euripides and can be found in ancient Greek texts throughout the end of the fourth century and during fifth century B.C. The term is borrowed from the Greek παρρησία parrhēsía (πᾶν “all” and ῥῆσις “utterance, speech”) meaning literally “to speak everything” and by extension “to speak freely”, “to speak boldly”, or “boldness”. It implies not only freedom of speech, but the obligation to speak the truth for the common good, even at personal risk.

Example

It is necessary to speak with parrhesia, without holding back at anything without concealing anything.
On the Embassy
Demosthenes

www.wikipedia.org

Anagram

air phrase
has repair
spare hair

17 July 2018

partisan(1)

[pahr-tuh-zuh n, -suh n; British pahr-tuh-zan]

noun

1. an adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.
2. Military. a member of a party of light or irregular troops engaged in harassing an enemy, especially a member of a guerrilla band engaged in fighting or sabotage against an occupying army.
adjective
3. of, relating to, or characteristic of partisans; partial to a specific party, person, etc.:
partisan politics.
4. of, relating to, or carried on by military partisans or guerrillas.
Expand
Also, partizan.

Origin of partisan(1)

1545-1555; < Middle French, from Upper Italian parteźan (Tuscan partigiano), equivalent to part(e) “faction, part ” + -eźan (from unattested Vulgar Latin *-ēs- -ese + Latin -iānus -ian )

Related forms

partisanship, partisanry, noun

Synonyms

3. biased, prejudiced.

Antonyms

1. opponent.

Synonym Study

1. See follower.

partisan(2)

[pahr-tuh-zuh n, -suh n]

noun

1. a shafted weapon of the 16th and 17th centuries, having as a head a long spear blade with a pair of curved lobes at the base.

Also, partizan.

Compare halberd.

Origin

1550-60; < Middle French partizane < Upper Italian parteźana, probably by ellipsis from *arma parteźana weapon borne by members of a faction; see partisan1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for partisan

Contemporary Examples

It was a rare moment of bi partisan unity in partisan Washington.
Final Chapter for Accused Africa Bomber
Jamie Dettmer
January 4, 2015

This is a job for independent committees, like Bowles-Simpson, not a partisan slugfest.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans
Philip K. Howard
December 27, 2014

The first meeting featured multiple speakers deeply rooted in a partisan agenda.
The Left’s Answer to ALEC
Ben Jacobs
December 15, 2014

And lest you be deceived, primary elections are no partisan monopoly.
Reality Check: There Are No Swing Voters
Goldie Taylor
November 13, 2014

Despite any partisan enmities, the two top politicos maintained a cordial relationship.
The McConnell Friend Obama Just Hired
Jonathan Miller
November 10, 2014

Historical Examples

In a partisan warfare this position was the best that could have been taken.
A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
William Dobein James

Your young blood feels only the partisan promptings of dislike.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic

She was the partisan on Tom’s side, the adherent on her father’s.
Southern Lights and Shadows
Various

For at this moment I am sensible that I have not the temper of a philosopher; like the vulgar, I am only a partisan.
Phaedo
Plato

The two parties in Patusan were not sure which one this partisan most desired to plunder.
Lord Jim
Joseph Conrad

Anagram

I Spartan
Satan rip
sin apart
Tsar pain

16 July 2018

dogleg

[dawg-leg, dog-]

noun

1. a route, way, or course that turns at a sharp angle.
adjective
2. dog-legged.
verb (used without object), doglegged, doglegging.
3. to proceed around a sharp angle or along an angular or zigzag course:
The road doglegged through the mountains.

Origin of dogleg

1885-1890 First recorded in 1885-90; dog + leg

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dogleg

Historical Examples

I could just pick out the dogleg at Connors, and imagined I could see the traffic light at Chalmers.
Cue for Quiet
Thomas L. Sherred

As we rode up we could see a gunyah made out of boughs, and a longish wing of dogleg fence, made light but well put together.
Robbery Under Arms
Thomas Alexander Browne, AKA Rolf Boldrewood

Anagram

old egg

15 July 2018

littoral

[lit-er-uh l]

adjective

1. of or relating to the shore of a lake, sea, or ocean.
2. (on ocean shores) of or relating to the biogeographic region between the sublittoral zone and the high-water line and sometimes including the supralittoral zone above the high-water line.
3. of or relating to the region of freshwater lake beds from the sublittoral zone up to and including damp areas on shore.

Compare intertidal.

noun

4.
a littoral region.

Origin of littoral

Latin

1650-1660; Latin littorālis, variant of lītorālis of the shore, equivalent to lītor- (stem of lītus) shore + -ālis -al1

Can be confused

literal, littoral.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for littoral

Contemporary Examples

ASW assets and crews have been diverted to reconnaissance missions in overland and littoral wars.
Tomorrow’s Stealthy Subs Could Sink America’s Navy
Bill Sweetman
May 12, 2014

Historical Examples

Mexican national life has not developed much upon the littoral.
Mexico
Charles Reginald Enock

These remarks apply chiefly to littoral and sub littoral deposits.
On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin

It had been repacked in littoral sand only found in an ancient sea-board in Germany.
The Ocean World:
Louis Figuier

But the littoral of Western Africa is gifted with a flora as luxuriant as it is varied.
The Desert World
Arthur Mangin

They are, for the most part, shallow-water or littoral forms.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide
Augusta Foote Arnold

Maize is very prolific throughout the littoral and on the tableland.
Our First Half-Century
Government of Queensland

There is one Headman of some importance between them and the littoral.
Long Odds
Harold Bindloss

Later he was entrusted with the control of the whole of the Mediterranean littoral.
Napoleon’s Marshals
R. P. Dunn-Pattison

The motor-boat was nearing the centre of a deep indentation in the littoral.
The Bandbox
Louis Joseph Vance

14 July 2018

blotto

[blot-oh]

adjective, Slang.

1. very drunk; so drunk as to be unconscious or not know what one is doing.

Origin of blotto

1915-1920; blot1(v.) + -o

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for blotto

Historical Examples

We ceased to think there was any harm in being occasionally “blotto” at night, or in employing the picturesque army word “bloody.”
Tell England
Ernest Raymond

13 July 2018

panegyric

[pan-i-jir-ik, -jahy-rik]

noun

1. a lofty oration or writing in praise of a person or thing; eulogy.
2. formal or elaborate praise.

Origin of panegyric

Greek

1590-1600; < Latin, noun use of panēgyricus of, belonging to a public assembly < Greek panēgyrikós, equivalent to panḗgyr(is) solemn assembly ( pan- pan- + -ēgyris, combining form of ágyris gathering; cf. category ) + -ikos -ic

Related forms

panegyrical, adjective
panegyrically, adverb
self-panegyric, adjective

Synonyms

1. homage, tribute, encomium.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for panegyric

Historical Examples

I could not endure to change my invective into panegyric all at once, and so soon.
Clarissa, Volume 2 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson

The object of his discourse was a panegyric of himself and a satire on all other conjurors.
Vivian Grey
Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli

He pronounced the panegyric of Robespierre, and the apotheosis of Marat.
Memoirs of the Court of St. Cloud, Complete
Lewis Goldsmith

The Menexenus veils in panegyric the weak places of Athenian history.
Menexenus
Plato

Or again, let us suppose that both should have occasion to pronounce a panegyric.
Hiero
Xenophon

There is no need for panegyric, for sounding phrases or rounded periods.
Masterpieces of Negro Eloquence
Various

Philibert looked on his friend admiringly, at this panegyric of the woman he loved.
The Golden Dog
William Kirby

His book is neither a panegyric on clericalism nor a libel on it.
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2
George Saintsbury

But with all this panegyric, he does not seem to have been careful to be just to the memory of his hero.
Salem Witchcraft and Cotton Mather
Charles W. Upham

I could not resist uttering this panegyric on our well-loved captain.
Marmaduke Merry
William H. G. Kingston

Anagram

ace prying
rip agency

12 July 2018

inveigh

[in-vey]

verb (used without object)

1. to protest strongly or attack vehemently with words; rail (usually followed by against):
to inveigh against isolationism.

Today’s quote

gin hive

11 July 2018

vermilion or vermillion

[ver-mil-yuh n]

noun

1. a brilliant scarlet red.
2. a bright-red, water-insoluble pigment consisting of mercuric sulfide, once obtained from cinnabar, now usually produced by the reaction of mercury and sulfur.
adjective
3. of the color vermilion.
verb (used with object)
4. to color with or as if with vermilion.

Origin of vermilion

Middle English, Old French

1250-1300; Middle English vermilioun, vermillon < Anglo-French, Old French verm(e)illon, equivalent to vermeil vermeil + -on noun suffix

Examples from the Web for vermilion

Historical Examples

Her mouth, the vermilion of her lips, and her ivory teeth were all perfect.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

Her lips, like bits of vermilion paper, stared as from an idol’s face.
Erik Dorn
Ben Hecht

They will work, as I have seen, with wax hardened with vermilion or softened with lard.
On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin

10 July 2018

athame

/ˈɑːθæmeɪ/

noun

1. (in Wicca) a witch’s ceremonial knife, usually with a black handle, used in rituals rather than for cutting or carving

Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

9 July 2018

lamia

[ley-mee-uh]

noun, plural lamias, lamiae [ley-mee-ee] (Show IPA), for 1, 2.

1. Classical Mythology. one of a class of fabulous monsters, commonly represented with the head and breast of a woman and the body of a serpent, said to allure youths and children in order to suck their blood.
2. a vampire; a female demon.
3. (initial capital letter, italics) a narrative poem (1819) by John Keats.

Origin of lamia

Middle English, Latin, Greek

1350-1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek lámia a female man-eater

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for lamia

Contemporary Examples

“The uprising has been a big challenge for us…really, the situation is awful,” said lamia Assem, director of marketing.
Winston Churchill’s Egyptian Getaway: The Old Cataract Hotel
Lauren Bohn
December 15, 2013

Historical Examples

But before it falls, a lamia comes to his aid and kills his sister.
Russian Fairy Tales
W. R. S. Ralston

“We had better get the lamia in condition first,” Trask said.
Space Viking
Henry Beam Piper

Suppose Dunnan comes and finds nobody here but Spasso and the lamia ?
Space Viking
Henry Beam Piper

The lamia bore a coiled snake with the head, arms and bust of a woman.
Space Viking
Henry Beam Piper

8 July 2018

rigmarole

[rig-muh-rohl]

noun

1. an elaborate or complicated procedure:
to go through the rigmarole of a formal dinner.
2. confused, incoherent, foolish, or meaningless talk.

Also, rigamarole.

Origin of rigmarole

1730-1740 First recorded in 1730-40; alteration of ragman roll

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for rigmarole

Contemporary Examples

After all the rigmarole, they found what any pediatrician already knew: the MMR causes fever.
Another Blow to Anti-Vaxxers’ Fortress of Pseudoscience
Kent Sepkowitz
July 2, 2014

Historical Examples

I was sitting with my finger in the hot water listening to this rigmarole.
The Stark Munro Letters
J. Stark Munro

What made that other child tell all that rigmarole about fairies?
A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia
Alice Turner Curtis

7 July 2018

touch paper

noun

1. paper saturated with potassium nitrate to make it burn slowly, used for igniting explosives and fireworks.

Origin of touch paper

First recorded in 1740-50

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for touch paper

Historical Examples

He then placed the touchpaper on an old cambric handkerchief.
Travels in North America, From Modern Writers
William Bingley

If a roman candle is intended to be fired singly, twist a piece of touchpaper round the mouth.
The Pyrotechnist’s Treasury
Thomas Kentish

After lighting the touchpaper, remove to a distance; as bits of string are likely to get driven into the face, on the explosion.
The Pyrotechnist’s Treasury
Thomas Kentish

Anagram

preach pout
capture hop
torch pupae
recoup path

6 July 2018

Mafflard

noun

A mafflard is a term for someone who is a pure klutz. The website “Words and Phrases From The Past” calls a mafflard: “a stammering or blundering fool; a term of contempt.” Sounds like that mafflard in your life might be good friends with the raggabrash you met last week.

www.dictionary.com

5 July 2018

parterre

[pahr-tair]

noun

1. Also called parquet circle. the rear section of seats, and sometimes also the side sections, of the main floor of a theater, concert hall, or opera house.
2. an ornamental arrangement of flower beds of different shapes and sizes.

Origin of parterre

1630-1640; < French, noun use of phrase par terre on the ground. See per, terra

Related forms

parterred, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for parterre

Historical Examples

Then, on emerging from the wood, on again reaching the parterre, he raised his eyes.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola

But she resumed: ‘Would you like to go into the flower-garden, the parterre ?
Abbe Mouret’s Transgression
Emile Zola

His evenings were largely spent in the parterre of the opera.
The False Chevalier
William Douw Lighthall

And he returned through the parterre with slow and melancholy steps.
The Man in the Iron Mask
Alexandre Dumas, Pere

And again the working bees, down in the parterre, attracted his attention.
The History of Sir Richard Calmady
Lucas Malet

Nor were the dull-coloured occupants of the parterre alone in their attack.
The History of Sir Richard Calmady
Lucas Malet

If these are the flowers of the parterre, what must be the weeds?
Ernest Maltravers, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

She occupied the first floor, and he the parterre, or ground floor.
Historic Oddities
Sabine Baring-Gould

Then, finding all quiet, she stepped over the parterre, and ventured out on the walk.
Hildebrand
Anonymous

With a bound he was in the parterre and said merely: Out, quick!
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume III (of 3)
Alexander Wheelock Thayer

Anagram

rarer pet

4 July 2018

postulant

[pos-chuh-luh nt]

noun

1. a candidate, especially for admission into a religious order.
2. a person who asks or applies for something.

Origin of postulant

French, Latin
1750-1760; French < Latin postulant- (stem of postulāns), present participle of postulāre to ask for, claim, require

Related forms

postulantship, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for postulant

Historical Examples

She trembled like a postulant when she wrote the Greek alphabet for the first time.
The Rainbow
D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence

There are degrees in the struggle for saintliness; the journalist was but a postulant.
When It Was Dark
Guy Thorne

“But Juanita is not a postulant,” said Sarrion, with a laugh.
The Velvet Glove
Henry Seton Merriman

Mark concerned himself less with his own reception as a postulant.
The Altar Steps
Compton MacKenzie

One is a postulant for two years at least, often for four; a novice for four.
Les Misrables
Victor Hugo

I was the postulant, dumb before the mysteries; I adored without a thought.
Rest Harrow
Maurice Hewlett

The postulant, after receiving these three ordinations, becomes a full monk or Ho-shang and takes a new name.
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 (of 3)
Charles Eliot

No one can become a postulant for admission to the Society until fourteen years old, unless by special dispensation.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 3
Various

Quite often during my postulant period, while I was learning these Latin prayers, I would have to do sewing.
The Demands of Rome
Elizabeth Schoffen

Certainly, after such trials, the postulant is fully informed; nevertheless, his superiors contribute what they know.
The Origins of Contemporary France, Volume 6 (of 6)
Hippolyte A. Taine

Anagram

outplants
polutants

3 July 2018

confraternity

[kon-fruh-tur-ni-tee]

noun, plural confraternities.

1. a lay brotherhood devoted to some purpose, especially to religious or charitable service.
2. a society or organization, especially of men, united for some purpose or in some profession.

Origin of confraternity

late Middle English Medieval Latin Latin
1425-1475; late Middle English confraternite < Medieval Latin confrāternitās, derivative of confrāter (see confrere ), on the model of Latin frāternitās fraternity

Related forms

confraternal, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for confraternity

Historical Examples

The privilege of weaving was confined to the confraternity of the guild.
The Evolution of Modern Capitalism
John Atkinson Hobson

The men on the left are portraits of members and patrons of the confraternity.
The Venetian School of Painting
Evelyn March Phillipps

Did you ever hitherto find me in the confraternity of the faulty?
Gargantua and Pantagruel, Complete.
Francois Rabelais

But say not a word of them to the confraternity : nor laugh at me for them thyself.
Clarissa, Volume 4 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson

Then he asked the confraternity to dinner,—more Thackerayano,—and the confraternity came.
Thackeray
Anthony Trollope

To them the confraternity give what is necessary for their daily support.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume XIV., 1606-1609
Various

A confraternity in the first case, a hierarchy in the second.
Amiel’s Journal
Henri-Frdric Amiel

Rather his confraternity describe their meetings as “swapping stories,” the flow circulating.
The Lincoln Story Book
Henry L. Williams

Garret had recently appeared once more in Oxford, and was meeting almost daily with the confraternity there.
For the Faith
Evelyn Everett-Green

This well-known black ” confraternity of Prayer and Death” accompanies the funerals of the poor gratuitously.
Rome
Mildred Anna Rosalie Tuker

Anagram

infancy retort
fritter canyon
tyrannic forte
cannot terrify
rarify content

2 July 2018

flic

[flik; French fleek]

noun, plural flics [fliks; French fleek] (Show IPA). Slang.

1. a police officer; cop.

Origin of flic

German, French
1895-1900; < French (slang), perhaps < German; Cf. flick boy, in early modern German thieves’ argot (of obscure origin)

Dictionary.com

Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.

Slang definitions & phrases for flic

flic

noun

A police officer : if the flic had the slightest suspicion

[fr French slang]

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

1 July 2018

cordon sanitaire

[French kawr-dawn sa-nee-ter]

noun, plural cordons sanitaires [French kawr-dawn sa-nee-ter]

1. a line around a quarantined area guarded to prevent the spread of a disease by restricting passage into or out of the area.
2. a group of neighboring, generally neutral states forming a geographical barrier between two states having aggressive military or ideological aims against each other.

Origin of cordon sanitaire

1840-1850 From French, dating back to 1840-50; See origin at cordon, sanitary

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for cordon sanitaire

Historical Examples

Some of the French statesmen occasionally say what is not true ( cordon sanitaire); here they conceal the truth.
The Life of Albert Gallatin
Henry Adams

The plague is raging with unwonted fatality; but no cordon sanitaire is established—no adequate remedy sought.
Thoughts on African Colonization
William Lloyd Garrison

A proposal by President Carranza to draw a cordon sanitaire round the place has not yet reached Washington.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. CLVIII, January 7, 1920
Various

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