June 2012 – Word of the Day

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Words posted this month:

30 June 2012

unctuous 

[uhngk-choo-uhs]

adjective

1. characterised by excessive piousness or moralistic fervour, especially in an affected manner; excessively smooth, suave, or smug.

2. of the nature of or characteristic of an unguent or ointment; oily; greasy.

3. having an oily or soapy feel, as certain minerals.

29 June 2012

Oppugn

[uh-pyoon]

verb (used with object)

1. to assail by criticism, argument or action

2. to call in question or dispute

Related forms:

1. oppugner (noun)

2. unoppugned (adjective)

28 June 2012

Makebate

[MEYK-beyt]

noun

– a person who causes contention or discord.

27 June 2012
Jiggalorum
(noun)

– a fanciful, worthless trifle

(via Stephen Fry)

26 June 2012

Mondegreen

[mon-di-green]

noun

a word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard.

e.g.

  • ‘scuse me while I kiss this guy’ – mondegreen of today’s metaphor.
  • ‘there’s a bathroom on the right’ – mondegreen of Creedence Clearwater Revivals ‘there’s a bad moon on the rise’.

Quincunx

noun

1. an arrangement of five objects, such as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

2. botany. an overlapping arrangement of five petals or leaves, in which two are interior and one is partly interior and partly exterior.

3. astrology. an aspect of 150o between two planets.

24 June 2012

zedonk

[zee-dongk, -dawngk, -duhngk]

noun

the offspring of a zebra and donkey.

23 June 2012

pare

[pronounced – pair]

verb (used with object), pared, par·ing.

1. to cut off the outer coating, layer, or part of.
2. to remove (an outer coating, layer, or part) by cutting(often followed by off  or away ).
3. to reduce or remove by or as by cutting; diminish or decrease gradually (often followed by down): to pare down one’s expenses.

22 June 2012
filiopietistic

[fil-ee-oh-pahy-i-tis-tik]
adjective (anthropology)

Pertaining to reverence of forebears or tradition, especially if carried to excess.

A clunky word, filiopietistic is a clear combination of Latin roots. Filio means “brotherly”; piet is related to piety; and the suffix-istic (related to -ism) denotes the noun related to a verb (like baptism).

Usage: ‘The popular historical narratives of the many immigrant groups may indeed be filiopietistic in the exaggerated and often shrilly made claims for their important contributions to the making of the country of their choice’. — Orm Øverland, immigrant Minds, American Identities

irenic
[ahy-ren-ik, ahy-ree-nik]
adjective

Tending to promote peace; conciliatory.


20 June 2012
tmesis
[tuh-mee-sis]
noun
the interpolation of one or more words between the parts of a compound word, as be-thou- ware  for beware, or abso-freakin-lutely.

19 June 2012
Today’s Word of the Day is the holy grail of words!
Use this word to win arguments and to answer those pesky emails that list certain ‘impossible’ things, such as ‘you can’t lick your elbow with your own tongue‘, or ‘no english word rhymes with orange‘.This is that word!
The only word in the Oxford English Dictionary which rhymes with orange!
Sporange
noun (botanical) – [spuh-ranj]

1. a case or sac in which spores are produced. (Alternative of sporangium)

also refer: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sporange

18 June 2012

Quetzal

noun – [ket-sahl]

1. any one of several large Central and South American trogons of the genus Pharomacrus, having golden-green and scarlet plummage, especially P. mocino (resplendent quetzal), the national bird of Guatemala: rare and possibly endangered.

2. a paper money and monetary unit of Guatemala, equal to 100 centavos. Abbreviation: Q

17 June 2012
Lummox 
[luhm-uhks]
noun (informal)
1. a clumsy, stupid person

16 June 2012
Opprobrium
[uh-proh-bree-uhm]

noun

1. the disgrace or the reproach incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy.
2. a cause or of such disgrace or reproach.

15 June 2012

Poodle-faker
– noun
old fashioned slang – (reportedly one of Oscar Wilde’s favourite insults)
1. a young man who socialises with women, usually for social or professional gain
2. a newly commissioned officer.

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14 June 2012
Pettifog
[pet-ee-fog, -fawg]
– verb
1. to bicker or quibble over trifles or unimportant matters.
2. to carry on a petty, shifty, or unethical law business.
3. to practice chicanery of any sort.

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13 June 2012
Haecceity
(say huy’kayuhtee)
– noun
Philosophy (in the philosophy of Duns Scotus)
The discrete properties or characteristics of a thing which determine its individuality.
[Latin haeccitas this-ness]

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12 June 2012
Pakapoo Ticket
Australian slang. Something that is indecipherable, confusing: ‘scrawled over like a pakapoo ticket‘. ‘it looks like a pakapoo ticket‘.

An illegible, messy piece of writing.

Pakapoo is the name of a Chinese lotto game containing 20 characters. A ticket in the game was covered in columns of Chinese characters which were indecipherable to most non-Chinese speaking participants. The game was popular in the 19th century in Australia and New Zealand.

For more information refer to www.chineseaustralia.org/tags/pakapoo

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8 June 2012

Logorrhoea

logorrhoea or esp  ( US ) logorrhea  (ˌlɒɡəˈrɪə)

—    noun

1. pathologically incoherent, repetitious speech.

2. incessant or compulsive talkativeness; wearisome volubility.

Origin: 

1900–05; logo- + -rrhea

Related forms

log·or·rhe·ic, adjective

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7 June 2012

Cynosure

[sahy-nuh-shoor, sin–uh–] noun

1. something that strongly attracts attention by its brilliance, interest, etc.: the cynosure of all eyes.

2. something serving for guidance or direction.

 Origin: 

1590–1600; < Latin Cynosūra  < Greek Kynósoura  the constellation Ursa Minor, equivalent to kynós  dog’s(genitive of kýōn ) + ourá  tail

Related forms

cy·no·sur·al, adjective

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6 June 2012

Sinecure

[sahy-ni-kyoor, sin-i-] noun

1. an office or position requiring little or no work, especially one yielding profitable returns.

2. an ecclesiastical benefice without cure of souls.

Origin: 
1655–65; < Medieval Latin ( beneficium ) sine cūrā  (benefice) without care; see cure

Related forms

si·ne·cure·ship, noun

si·ne·cur·ism, noun

si·ne·cur·ist, noun

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5 June 2012

Otiose

[oh-shee-ohs, oh-tee-]    

 adjective

1. being at leisure; idle; indolent.

2. ineffective or futile.

3. superfluous or useless.

Origin: 
1785–95; < Latin ōtiōsus  at leisure, equivalent to ōti ( um ) leisure + -ōsus -ose1

Related forms

o·ti·ose·ly, adverb

o·ti·os·i·ty  ˌoʊʃiˈɒsɪti,ˌoʊti-Show Spelled[oh-shee-os-i-tee, oh-tee-]  

o·ti·ose·ness, noun

Synonyms 

1. lazy, slothful. 2. idle, vain, profitless. 3.  redundant, worthless, pointless

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2 June 2012

Paralipsis

\par-uh-LIP-sis\, noun:

The suggestion, by deliberately brief treatment of a topic, that much of significance is being omitted, as in “not to mention other faults.”
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1 June 2012

Pleonasm

\PLEE-uh-naz-uhm\, noun:

1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; as, “I saw it with my own eyes.”
2. An instance or example of pleonasm.
3. A superfluous word or expression.
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