March 2016 – WOTDs

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March 2016 – WOTDs

31 March 2016

Croesus

[kree-suh s]

noun, plural Croesuses, Croesi [kree-sahy] (Show IPA), for 2.

1. died 546 b.c, king of Lydia 560–546: noted for his great wealth.
2. a very rich man.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Croesus

Contemporary Examples

Yet she was as rich as Croesus.
The Girl In the Spider’s Web (Millenium Series)
David Lagercrantz

And given the legacy, long before then, of bonuses worthy of Croesus in a world of quotidian pay raises for the 99 percent?
Why Was Executive Greg Smith Shocked by Greed at Goldman Sachs?
Zachary Karabell
March 14, 2012

Historical Examples

Croesus considers her the most excellent among women, and he has studied mankind as the physicians do plants and herbs.
An Egyptian Princess, Complete
Georg Ebers

Anagram

Sources
so curse
score us

30 March 2016

Deus vult

[de-oos voolt]

Latin.

1. God wills (it): cry of the people at the declaration of the First Crusade by Pope Urban II in 1095 following a request by the Eastern Orthodox Church to help defend against the Muslim Conquests. The phrase also appears as Deus Vult (Classic Latin), Dieu le veut (French), Deus lo vult (motto of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, a Catholic order of chivalry).

Dictionary.com / wikipedia.com

Anagram

duel us TV

29 March 2016

wherewithal

[hwair-with-awl, -with-, wair-]

noun

1. that with which to do something; means or supplies for the purpose or need, especially money:
the wherewithal to pay my rent.
adverb
2. by means of which; out of which.
3. Archaic. wherewith.
pronoun
4. wherewith.

Origin of wherewithal

1525-1535; where + withal

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for wherewithal

Contemporary Examples

When the firm was failing, top executives assured the world that it had the wherewithal to survive.
Where’d Our Money Go?
Charlie Gasparino
February 10, 2009

“Even if you had the wherewithal to embarrass a reporter, there was no mechanism to do it,” Mr. Cramer said.
Richard Ben Cramer Dies at 62
Justin Green
January 7, 2013

Those who have the wherewithal to shop online with greater ease and frequency have a greater ability to avoid sales taxes.
Three Cheers for the Internet Tax!
Daniel Gross
April 23, 2013

Anagram

threw awhile
whiter whale

28 March 2016

moratorium

[mawr-uh-tawr-ee-uh m, -tohr-, mor-]

noun, plural moratoria [mawr-uh-tawr-ee-uh, -tohr-, mor-] (Show IPA), moratoriums.

1. a suspension of activity:
a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons.
2. a legally authorized period to delay payment of money due or the performance of some other legal obligation, as in an emergency.
3. an authorized period of delay or waiting.

Origin of moratorium

Late Latin

1870-1875; < New Latin, Late Latin morātōrium, noun use of neuter of morātōrius moratory

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for moratorium

Contemporary Examples

His Democratic challenger, Tom Wolf, has promised to issue a moratorium on executions if elected.
Pennsylvania’s Lethal Injection Fiasco
Christopher Moraff
September 17, 2014

But Landrieu says the White House moratorium on deepwater offshore drilling is a huge mistake.
Mitch Landrieu’s Tough Challenge
Lloyd Grove
August 15, 2010

Perry is calling for a moratorium on all new regulations “to get America working again.”
Can Perry Keep the Heat?
Mark McKinnon
August 16, 2011

Anagram

atrium moor
omit armour

27 March 2016

tortuous

[tawr-choo-uh s]

adjective

1. full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked:
a tortuous path.
2. not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; intricate; circuitous:
tortuous negotiations lasting for months.
3. deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings, methods, or policy; devious.

Origin of tortuous

Middle English, Latin
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin tortuōsus, equivalent to tortu (s) a twisting ( tor (quēre) to twist, bend + -tus suffix of v. action) + -ōsus -ous

Related forms

tortuously, adverb
tortuousness, noun
nontortuous, adjective
nontortuously, adverb
untortuous, adjective

Can be confused

tortuous, torturous (see usage note at torturous )

Synonyms

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

1. bent, sinuous, serpentine. 2. evasive, roundabout, indirect.

Usage note

See torturous.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tortuous

Contemporary Examples

All of the various things I do I love doing, and occasionally I find them tortuous.
Bob Balaban: How I Write
Noah Charney
February 4, 2014

In 2011, after tortuous negotiations, a deal was struck for $1.2 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years.
Markets Approve of the Way U.S. Political System Handles Debt Problems
Robert Shapiro
January 2, 2013

The Quetta Shura official says the negotiations with the French were tortuous.
How the Taliban’s Hostages Were Freed
Sami Yousafzai, Ron Moreau
June 30, 2011

Anagram

roust out
tout ours

25 March 2016

hypocoristic

[hahy-puh-kuh-ris-tik, hip-uh-]

adjective

1. endearing, as a pet name, diminutive, or euphemism.

2. shortening of words as in slang, e.g. totes for total, evs for whatever, arvo for afternoon.

Origin of hypocoristic

Greek

1600-1610; < Greek hypokoristikós diminutive, equivalent to hypokor (ízesthai) to play the child, call by endearing names ( hypo- hypo- + kor- child (Compare kórē girl, kóros boy)) + -istikos -istic

Related forms

hypocoristically, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples

Besides phonetic and morphological arbitrariness, there is an unpredictable element in the semantics of hypocoristic forms, at least in Australia.
VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol VII No 2

Perhaps what all hypocoristic forms have in common is an atmosphere of familiarity.
VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol VII No 2

Story on hypocoristics:
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/drive/using-aussie-slang-makes-you-more-likeable/7275290

Anagram

chicory posits
choir copyists
or I psychotics
hit spy sirocco

24 March 2016

maverick

[mav-er-ik, mav-rik]

noun

1. Southwestern U.S. an unbranded calf, cow, or steer, especially an unbranded calf that is separated from its mother.
2. a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates:
a modern-dance maverick.

Synonyms: nonconformist, individualist; free thinker; loner, lone wolf.

a person pursuing rebellious, even potentially disruptive, policies or ideas:

You can’t muzzle a maverick.

Synonyms: rebel, cowboy; loose cannon.

3. Maverick, an electro-optically guided U.S. air-to-ground tactical missile for destroying tanks and other hardened targets at ranges up to 15 miles (24 km).
adjective
4. unorthodox, unconventional, nonconformist:
a maverick fiscal conservative willing to raise taxes.

Origin of maverick
1865-1870, Americanism; after Samuel A. Maverick (1803-70), Texas pioneer who left his calves unbranded

Word story

The term maverick surged in popularity, propelled by the presidential bid in the late 2000s of US Senator John McCain, then considered a “political maverick” of the Republican Party. Given the word’s Wild West roots, maverick has always had an edgy, rebellious connotation: it originally referred to unbranded cattle that strayed from the herd, putting their ownership in doubt. It was then a short step in going from this original meaning to applying the word to a person who strayed from and did not follow the thinking of a group he or she belonged to, or who rebelled against accepted ideas or to a herd mentality. Maverick thus came to generally mean an individualistic and independent thinker. In popular culture, as exemplified in the movies Maverick (1994) and Top Gun (1986), the term often describes colorful gamblers and risk takers. Depending on context, then, maverick can be applied to a pioneer who bucks current trends, or to a wild and potentially reckless loose cannon.

Popular references
—Dallas Mavericks: American professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas, a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
— Maverick : popular American TV series (1957–62) set in the Wild West that inspired a film of the same name (1994).
—Maverick: Nickname and call sign of ace fighter pilot, played by Tom Cruise, in the film Top Gun (1986).
—Ford Maverick: Stylish, youthfully designed mid-size car made in the late 1960s and ‘70s in North America and Brazil.
Related Quotations Expand
“Gradually the term [maverick] came to mean any unbranded cattle of unknown ownership. Such animals were fair game for the first branding iron.“
—Richard W. Slatta, The Cowboy Encyclopedia (1994)
“Maverick is a word which appeals to me more than misfit. Maverick is active, misfit is passive.“
—Alan Rickman (actor), “Alan Rickman’s Quotes“ Facebook (2008)
“The rugged individualist is too often mistaken for the misfit, the maverick, the spoilsport, the sore thumb.“
—Lewis H. Lapham, Money and Class in America: Notes and Observations on Our Civil Religion (1988)
“Listen closely to maverick entrepreneurs…, and you quickly realize that they don’t sound like traditional executives.“
—William C. Taylor and Polly G. Labarr, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win (2006)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for maverick

Contemporary Examples

McCain thinks of himself as a maverick, an unorthodox thinker, a dissenter.
McCain’s Revenge
News Shrink
November 4, 2008

maverick ‘s “education” is part of a growing wisdom that good old-fashioned play may be better than hitting the books.
Let Preschoolers Play!
Joyce C. Tang
April 4, 2011

Anagram

vim creak
mark vice

23 March 2016

pluperfect

[ploo-pur-fikt]

adjective

1. Grammar.
perfect with respect to a point of reference in past time, as had done in He had done it when I came.
designating a tense or other verb formation or construction with such meaning, as Latin portāveram “I had carried.”. The pluperfect is formed by combining the auxiliary verb had with the past participle of the main verb, as in ‘had jumped’ or ‘had written’.
2. more than perfect:
He spoke the language with pluperfect precision.
noun, Grammar.
3. the pluperfect tense, or other verb formation or construction with such meaning.
a form in the pluperfect.
4. another term for ‘past perfect’: denoting a tense of verbs used in relating past events where the action had already occurred at the time of the action of a main verb that is itself in a past tense. In English this is a compound tense formed with had plus the past participle

Usage

pluperfect subjunctive (grammar)

Used in subordinate clauses and expresses unreal past situations. The pluperfect subjunctive (or past perfect subjunctive) has the same form as the past perfect tense, as follows: HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE. For example, the subjunctive is the ‘If’ statement and the pluperfect is the ‘had + past participle’:

– I would’ve bought the dress if there hadn’t been such a long queue.

– If I had known you were busy, I wouldn’t have called.

– If I had seen you, I would have said hello.

Origin of pluperfect

Latin, Greek

1520-1530; < Latin plū (s quam) perfectum (more than) perfect, translation of Greek hypersyntelikós

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pluperfect

Historical Examples

Anything to avoid the pluperfect, which the people cannot manage.
English As We Speak It in Ireland
P. W. Joyce

The rest as the pluperfect of gwîl, or of menny, to will, with the infinitive.
A Handbook of the Cornish Language
Henry Jenner

The imperfect and pluperfect alone have besides this a loosely attached particle.
The Philosophic Grammar of American Languages, as Set Forth by Wilhelm von Humboldt
Daniel G. Brinton

Anagram

flu precept
upper cleft

22 March 2016

invective

[in-vek-tiv]

noun

1. vehement or violent denunciation, censure, or reproach.
2. a railing accusation; vituperation.
3. an insulting or abusive word or expression.
adjective
4. vituperative; denunciatory; censoriously abusive.

Origin of invective

late Middle English Late Latin
1400-1450; late Middle English < Late Latin invectīvus abusive, equivalent to Latin invect (us) (past participle of invehī to attack with words, inveigh ) + -īvus -ive

Related forms

invectively, adverb
invectiveness, noun
uninvective, adjective

Synonyms

1. contumely, scorn. See abuse.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for invective

Contemporary Examples

Humor has given way to humorlessness, sarcasm to sanctimony, irony to invective.
Obama’s No Gangster, Bachmann
Matt Latimer
March 6, 2011

A lot of invective has been thrown their way, but that one company spends about $50 million a year on R&D.
It’s in the Genes
Megan McArdle
June 12, 2013

The local government, despite all the invective directed at its leadership, seems to be functioning normally for the moment.
Hong Kong Between Calm and Chaos
Ben Leung
October 2, 2014

Anagram

ice vine TV
civet vein

21 March 2016

scupper(1)

[skuhp-er]

noun

1. Nautical. a drain at the edge of a deck exposed to the weather, for allowing accumulated water to drain away into the sea or into the bilges.
Compare freeing port.
2. a drain, closed by one or two flaps, for allowing water from the sprinkler system of a factory or the like to run off a floor of the building to the exterior.
3. any opening in the side of a building, as in a parapet, for draining off rain water.

Origin of scupper(1)

1475-1485; earlier skoper. See scoop, -er1

scupper(2)

[skuhp-er]

verb (used with object), British.

1. Military. to overwhelm; surprise and destroy, disable, or massacre.
2. Informal. to prevent from happening or succeeding; ruin; wreck.

Origin

1880-85; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for scupper

Contemporary Examples

As the equality movement found a renewed focus and determination, so its opponents ratcheted up their efforts to scupper it.
How Robin Williams’ Mrs. Doubtfire Won the Culture Wars
Tim Teeman
August 12, 2014

The minister fears that now even lesser frictions could scupper the new agreement.
Taliban Slams Loya Jirga Bilateral Security Agreement
Ron Moreau & Sami Yousafzai
November 25, 2013

Historical Examples

Every port and scupper was working to ease the weight of North Atlantic that perpetually fell on board.
The Mutiny of the Elsinore
Jack London

“Here, all hands,” he ordered, and shoved his rifle out of the scupper.
Gold Out of Celebes
Aylward Edward Dingle

Anagram

per cusp

20 March 2016

sotto voce

[sot-oh voh-chee; Italian sawt-taw vaw-che]

adverb

1. in a low, soft voice so as not to be overheard.

Origin of sotto voce

1730-1740; < Italian: literally, under (the) voice

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sotto voce

Contemporary Examples

One man I met in the city two weeks ago took me aside and told me, sotto voce, that 5,000 people had been killed in Homs alone.
Syrian Army Looks Poised to Attack Homs
James Harkin
December 13, 2011

Historical Examples

There were cheery responses to Bindle’s remarks, and sotto voce references to Mrs. Bindle as “a stuck-up cat.”
Adventures of Bindle
Herbert George Jenkins

“I shall soon have as great a horror of Gaza as Samson had,” said she, sotto voce.
The Bertrams
Anthony Trollope

Anagram

scoot vote
covets too
coot stove

18 March 2016

supine

[adjective soo-pahyn; noun soo-pahyn]

adjective

1. lying on the back, face or front upward.
2. inactive, passive, or inert, especially from indolence or indifference.
3. (of the hand) having the palm upward.
noun
4. (in Latin) a noun form derived from verbs, appearing only in the accusative and the dative-ablative, as dictū in mirābile dictū, “wonderful to say.”.
5. (in English) the simple infinitive of a verb preceded by to.
6. an analogous form in some other language.

Origin of supine

Latin

1490-1500; < Latin supīnus lying face up, inactive

Related forms

supinely, adverb
supineness, noun
unsupine, adjective

Can be confused

prone, prostate, prostrate, supine.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for supine

Contemporary Examples

In effect, an overreaching administration and a supine FISC are ginning up a secret constitution.
The Secret FISA Court Must Go
Jennifer Granick, Christopher Sprigman
July 23, 2013

On closer examination, this is not the hand of a supine victim.
The Crime of Kufr Qaddoum: An EmergencyStandWithDavidMonitor Animal Rights Division Expose
Eli Valley
March 28, 2012

Historical Examples

Is the assembly to be deemed indifferent or supine because it refuses to act on the testimony of a solitary witness?
Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy, Volume II
Charles Henry Mackintosh

Anagram

sun pie
pine us

17 March 2016

contemporaneous

[kuh n-tem-puh-rey-nee-uh s]

adjective

1. living or occurring during the same period of time; contemporary.

Origin of contemporaneous

Latin
1650-1660; < Latin contemporāneus, equivalent to con- con- + tempor- (stem of tempus time) + -āneus (-ān (us) -an + -eus -eous )

Related forms

contemporaneity [kuh n-tem-per-uh-nee-i-tee] (Show IPA), contemporaneousness, noun
contemporaneously, adverb
noncontemporaneous, adjective
noncontemporaneously, adverb
noncontemporaneousness, noun

Can be confused

contemporary, contemporaneous.

Synonyms

simultaneous, concurrent. See contemporary.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for contemporaneous

Contemporary Examples

And contemporaneous observers predicted that South Africa would fracture, that a civil war would roil for the next decade.
Nelson Mandela Was Undeniably Great But He Doesn’t Need a Halo
Michael Moynihan
December 5, 2013

In the end, any good reporting requires access to the most contemporaneous statements.
The Lost JFK Tapes and What We Now Know
Gerald Posner
November 22, 2009

Historical Examples

For contemporaneous mention of this meeting consult pp. 334-5 of Vol.
The Washington Historical Quarterly, Volume V, 1914
Various

contemporaneous history touched him as briefly, but not as gently.
In the Carquinez Woods
Bret Harte

Anagram

compose a neutron
ace promotes noun
rump to a nose cone
a centre moon opus

16 March 2016

hoopla

[hoop-lah]

noun, Informal.

1. bustling excitement or activity; commotion; hullabaloo; to-do.
2. sensational publicity; ballyhoo.
3. speech or writing intended to mislead or to obscure an issue.

Origin of hoopla

French

1865-1870; < French houp-là! command (as to a child) to move, take a step

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for hoopla

Contemporary Examples

“No ‘ hoopla ’ as Diane Sawyer takes over ABC World News” was a typical headline.
Diane vs. Katie: Round One
Rebecca Dana
December 20, 2009

After the Obama hoopla, it is still possible that Moustafa will be cleared on appeal.
Dubai’s Pop-Star Murder
Eric Pape
May 21, 2009

With all the hoopla swirling around out here, their attitude was refreshing.
Is Polanski the New O.J.?
Marcia Clark
October 5, 2009

Anagram

la pooh
ha pool
halo op

15 March 2016

peon(1)

[pee-uh n, pee-on]

noun

1. (in Spanish America) a farm worker or unskilled laborer; day laborer.
2. (formerly, especially in Mexico) a person held in servitude to work off debts or other obligations.
3. any person of low social status, especially one who does work regarded as menial or unskilled; drudge.

Origin of peon(1)

Spanish,Medieval Latin, Old French, Latin
1820-1830; < Spanish peón peasant, day laborer < Vulgar Latin *pedōn- (stem of *pedō) walker (whence Medieval Latin pedōnēs infantry, Old French peon pawn2), derivative of Latin ped- (stem of pēs) foot

Can be confused

paean, paeon, peon.

peon(2)

[pee-uh n, pee-on]

noun, (in India and Sri Lanka)

1. a messenger, attendant, or orderly.
2. a foot soldier or police officer.

Origin
1600-10; < Portuguese peão, French pion foot soldier, pedestrian, day laborer. See peon(1)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for peon

Historical Examples

It is the staff of life of the Mexican peon, and the making of tortillas is the chief vocation in life of his wife and daughters.
On the Mexican Highlands
William Seymour Edwards

A boat had been lowered, and was towing astern—for what purpose the peon did not know.
The Call Of The South
Louis Becke

To the first worldly shelter you sought—the peon ‘s hut or the Alcalde’s casa—you would have thought it necessary to bring a story.
The Crusade of the Excelsior
Bret Harte

Anagram

nope
open

14 March 2016

kismet

[kiz-mit, -met, kis-]

noun

1. fate; destiny.

Also, kismat [kiz-muh t, kis-]

Origin of kismet

Turkish, Arabic, Persian

1840-1850; < Turkish < Persian qismat < Arabic qismah division, portion, lot, fate, akin to qasama to divide

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for kismet

Contemporary Examples

Being cast in a role like Llewyn was kismet for Isaac, providing an outlet for all of his passions.
‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ Star Oscar Isaac Is About to Be a Very Big Deal
Kevin Fallon
December 4, 2013

Historical Examples

Shall we build ships and keep a large army and erect fortresses, or simply say ‘ kismet ‘ when Germany comes?
Ten Years Near the German Frontier
Maurice Francis Egan

One told me the other day that he heard the steps of kismet.
The Secrets of a Kuttite
Edward O. Mousley

Anagram

kits me
met ski

12 March 2016

sigil

[sij-il]

noun

1. a seal or signet.

Origin of sigil

Latin
1600-1610; < Latin sigillum statuette, figure, stamped figure, diminutive of signum sign; see seal1

Related forms

sigillary [sij-uh-ler-ee], adjective
sigilistic, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sigil

Contemporary Examples

As the sigil of House Tyrell is a rose, the sobriquet is a play on her cunning and prickliness.
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 3 for Dummies
Jace Lacob
March 26, 2013

11 March 2016

superfecundation

[soo-per-fee-kuh n-dey-shuh n, -fek-uh n-]

noun

The fertilisation of two or more ova discharged during the same ovulation, producing twins, triplets etc by different fathers.

Origin of superfecundation

1850-1855; super- + fecundation (producing or capable of producing off-spring).

Dictionary.com

Example

The occurrence, known as heteropaternal superfecundation, is rare with few publicly known about.
‘Vietnam twins found to have different fathers in rare case’
9 March 2016
BBC.com

10 March 2016

pastiche

[pa-steesh, pah-]

noun

1. a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources.
2. an incongruous combination of materials, forms, motifs, etc., taken from different sources; hodgepodge.

Origin of pastiche

French, Italian
1700-1710; < French < Italian pasticcio pasticcio

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pastiche

Contemporary Examples

He tentatively suggested that the text is a pastiche compiled by a modern forger with an elementary grasp of Coptic.
The ‘Gospel of Jesus’s Wife’ is Still as Big a Mystery as Ever
Candida Moss
April 12, 2014

Instead, we have irony, allusion, meta commentary, fragmentation, parody, and pastiche.
Not Much New in Douglas Rushkoff’s Reading of the Future
Jacob Silverman
March 25, 2013

Her self-produced videos as Grant—a pastiche of nostalgic Americana imagery—were remarkably similar to that of “Video Games.”
Lana Del Rey’s Hipster Problem: Plastic Surgery, ‘SNL,’ and Her Past as Lizzy Grant
Tricia Romano
January 30, 2012

And what brought her to the top of this zeitgeist pyramid were her unrivaled skills in the post-modern art of pastiche.
Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Plagiarism Sin
Richard Rushfield
February 18, 2011

Anagram

each tips
this cape

9 March 2016

diel

PRONUNCIATION:
(DY-uhl, deel)

noun
A period of 24 hours.

adjective
Lasting 24 hours or having a 24-hour period.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin dies (day), which also gave us adjourn, diary, diet, circadian, journal, journey, quotidian, and sojourn. Earliest documented use: 1934.

USAGE:
“Composition of fishing labour, sites worked, gear used, and target species all vary during the diel cycle. For example, in American Samoa both men and women fish by day, but night-time fishing is primarily a male task.”
Nicholas V.C. Polunin and Callum M. Roberts; Reef Fisheries; Springer; 1996.

wordsmith.org

Anagram

lied
idle

8 March 2016

Maecenas

[mee-see-nuh s, mahy-]

noun

1. Gaius Cilnius [sil-nee-uh s], c70–8 b.c, Roman statesman: friend and patron of Horace and Vergil.
2. a generous patron or supporter, especially of art, music, or literature.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Maecenas

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

Maecenas was one of the first who built public baths at his own expense.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 4
Various

Anagram

ace names
mean aces
cane seam

7 March 2016

passel

[pas-uh l]

noun

1. a group or lot of indeterminate number:
a passel of dignitaries.

Origin of passel

1825-1835; alteration of parcel

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for passel

Contemporary Examples

Way back during the 2000 Bush-Gore smackdown, I dug around in the data, interviewed undecideds, and called up a passel of experts.
Undecided Voters Are a Menace
Michelle Cottle
September 22, 2012

Harold Ramis made a passel of great comedies, but he never made one better than Groundhog Day.
Harold Ramis’s ‘Groundhog Day’ Is About as Perfect as a Movie Gets
Malcolm Jones
February 24, 2014

After all, didn’t she figure out a way to “have it all”—a passel of children, a first dude, and a big job in the public sphere?
This Candidate Is Bad For Women
Linda Hirshman
June 8, 2010

Historical Examples

These June tenants was jist a passel of boys and I can tell you they pretty near ripped things wide open.
Vacation with the Tucker Twins
Nell Speed

Jest over the hill you’ll run into a passel of our fellers, but pay no ‘tention to ’em.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler

I never knowed what a fool I could be till I undertook the managing of a passel of crazy boys off on a lark.
Harper’s Round Table, October 15, 1895
Various

De folks was pow’ful nice to us an’ we raised a passel er chullun out dar.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves
Work Projects Administration

They hung around her like a passel of gulls around a herring boat.
Cape Cod Stories
Joseph C. Lincoln

They was awake, all right, wonderin’ what in time an’ creation were turned loose on un, we yellin’ like a passel o’ Injuns.
The Gaunt Gray Wolf
Dillon Wallace

Anagram

lapses

6 March 2016

frontispiece

[fruhn-tis-pees, fron-]

noun

1. an illustrated leaf preceding the title page of a book.
2. Architecture. a façade, or a part or feature of a façade, often highlighted by ornamentation.

Origin of frontispiece

French, Medieval Latin
1590-1600; alteration (conformed to piece ) of earlier frontispice < French < Medieval Latin frontispicium, equivalent to Latin fronti- front + -spicium (combining form representing specere to look at)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for frontispiece

Historical Examples

A final word of praise is due the excellent group photograph of the Woodbees which forms the frontispiece of the magazine.
Writings in the United Amateur, 1915-1922
Howard Phillips Lovecraft

The first plate in the book is dated 1893, and serves as a frontispiece.
The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 30, June 1893
Various

Still, up to this day, the fixture of a nose upon the puppet-hero’s frontispiece has not been attempted.
Sandra Belloni, Complete
George Meredith

The portrait of Signorelli in the frontispiece is the half of this painting.
Luca Signorelli
Maud Cruttwell

First edition, on large paper, with frontispiece by M. Van der Gucht.
A Catalogue of Books in English Later than 1700 (Vol 2 of 3)
Various

Anagram

fierce piston
pi reflections
copier feints
poetic infers
profit nieces

5 March 2016

impiety

[im-pahy-i-tee]

noun, plural impieties.

1. lack of piety; lack of reverence for God or sacred things; irreverence.
2. lack of dutifulness or respect.
3. an impious act, practice, etc.

Origin of impiety

Middle English, Latin

1300-1350; Middle English impietie < Latin impietās, equivalent to impi (us) impious + -etās, variant, after vowels, of -itās -ity

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for impiety

Contemporary Examples

P.S. Bertrand Russell uses the word “ impiety ” in relation to luniks and further attempts and he is right.
Leonard Bernstein Asked About Hemingway, So Martha Gellhorn Set the Record Straight
Leonard Bernstein, Martha Gellhorn
October 26, 2013

Historical Examples

But to assert that even the most unguarded passages of the book made for impiety was a great mistake.
Expositor’s Bible: The Book of Job
Robert Watson

The impiety and the vices of the hero horrified the family and scandalized the island.
The Dead Command
Vicente Blasco Ibez

The King wished to say that the gods would not suffer the impiety of his sister to go unpunished.
Caesar and Cleopatra
George Bernard Shaw

To his young chivalry it was as an impiety to look upon her tears.
The History of Sir Richard Calmady
Lucas Malet

I would beg of you to be patient, and learn the truth of the legislator and others; in the mean time abstain from impiety.
Laws
Plato

But their tongues were confused as a punishment for their impiety.
Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians
John Wesley Powell

But the French have the art of rendering vice and impiety more agreeable than the English.
Dialogues of the Dead
Lord Lyttelton

Anagram

tie my pi
yeti imp

4 March 2016

camarilla

[kam-uh-ril-uh; Spanish kah-mah-ree-lyah, -ree-yah]

noun, plural camarillas [kam-uh-ril-uh z; Spanish kah-mah-ree-lyahs, -ree-yahs]

1. a group of unofficial or private advisers to a person of authority, especially a group much given to intrigues and secret plots; cabal; clique.

Origin of camarilla

1830-1840; < Spanish, equivalent to camar (a) room (< Latin camera; see chamber ) + -illa diminutive suffix < Latin

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for camarilla

Historical Examples

Truly the camarilla were supporting each other, and I, an onlooker, stood amazed and astounded.
The Minister of Evil
William Le Queux

Such were the methods of the camarilla who were ruling Russia!
The Minister of Evil
William Le Queux

Their creatures have worked their way even into the cabinet and the camarilla.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 379, May, 1847
Various

In either case the sovereignty of Ireland relapses into the hands of the permanent officials, that camarilla of Olympians.
The Open Secret of Ireland
T. M. Kettle

Anagram

a calm liar

3 March 2016

apoplexy

[ap-uh-plek-see]

noun, Pathology.

1. stroke1(def 6).
2. a sudden, usually marked loss of bodily function due to rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel.
3. a hemorrhage into an organ cavity or tissue.

Origin of apoplexy

Middle English, Late Latin
1350-1400; Middle English apoplexie < Late Latin < Greek, equivalent to apóplēkt (os) (see apoplectic ) + -ia -y3

Related forms

apoplectiform [ap-uh-plek-tuh-fawrm] (Show IPA), apoplectoid, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for apoplexy

Historical Examples

On the day before his death from apoplexy he imagined to himself despatches in which his son’s name figured brilliantly.
Here and Hereafter
Barry Pain

He adds that the surgeon described death as due to apoplexy.
Critical Miscellanies (Vol. 2 of 3)
John Morley

Epilepsy and apoplexy were understood as spasms inside the head.
Our Legal Heritage, 5th Ed.
S. A. Reilly

They will find it apoplexy, or some such thing, I have no doubt of it.
The Hour and the Man
Harriet Martineau

I have no wish that he should die of an attack of apoplexy —that would be very embarrassing both to me and to my Government.
The Tragedy of St. Helena
Walter Runciman

apoplexy may be termed an universal palsy, or a permanent sleep.
Zoonomia, Vol. II
Erasmus Darwin

Two years later a stroke of apoplexy brought to a sudden end the convert’s life.
The Life of Blessed John B. Marie Vianney, Cur of Ars
Anonymous

It’s apoplexy,—I told you so,—don’t you see how red he is in the face?
Elsie Venner
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Anagram

play expo

2 March 2016

pastern

/ˈpæstən/

noun

1. the part of a horse’s foot between the fetlock and the hoof
2. Also called fetter bone. either of the two bones that constitute this part

Word Origin

C14: from Old French pasturon, from pasture a hobble, from Latin pāstōrius of a shepherd, from pastor

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

Word Origin and History for pastern

n.

late 13c., “shackle fixed on the foot of a horse or other beast,” from Old French pasturon (Modern French paturon), diminutive of pasture “shackle for a horse in pasture,” from Vulgar Latin *pastoria, noun use of fem. of Latin pastorius “of herdsmen,” from pastor “shepherd” (see pastor ). Metathesis of -r- and following vowel occurred 1500s. Sense extended (1520s) to part of the leg to which the tether was attached.

Online Etymology Dictionary

1 March 2016

apothegm or apophthegm

[ap-uh-them]

noun

1. a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism.

Origin of apothegm

Greek

1545-1555; earlier apothegma < Greek apóphthegma, equivalent to apophtheg- (variant stem of apophthéngesthai to speak out; apo- apo- + phthéngesthai to speak) + -ma noun suffix

Related forms

apothegmatic [ap-uh-theg-mat-ik] (Show IPA), apothegmatical, adjective
apothegmatically, adverb

Can be confused

adage, aphorism, apothegm, axiom, maxim, proverb.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for apothegm

Historical Examples

It has been an apothegm these five thousand years, that toil sweetens the bread it earns.
The Old Manse (From “Mosses From An Old Manse”)
Nathaniel Hawthorne

That a style of this kind should be rich in apothegm is not surprising.
Francis Beaumont: Dramatist
Charles Mills Gayley

The great poet Mutanebbi has given us an apothegm of great power on this very subject.
The Women of the Arabs
Henry Harris Jessup

But the truth of this apothegm was not sustained in the present instance.
Hansford: A Tale of Bacon’s Rebellion
St. George Tucker

Anagram

moth gape
hag tempo
ah gem pot
he got map

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