May 2015 WOTDs

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31 May 2015

al dente

[al den-tey, -tee; Italian ahl den-te]

adjective, adverb
1. (especially of pasta) cooked so as not to be too soft; firm to the bite:
spaghetti al dente.

Origin of al dente
1945-1950; Italian: literally, to the tooth

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for al dente
– The rich, tangy sauce is a perfect foil for the tender green stalks, which should be cooked until just al dente.
(What to Eat: Spring Salads Cookstr.com April 5, 2010)

– Add the spaghetti and cook for eight minutes, testing it regularly toward the end to ensure it remains al dente.
(Eco-Chic Safari Sophie Menin July 26, 2010)

Anagram

net deal

30 May 2015

psittacosis

[sit-uh-koh-sis]

noun, Pathology
1. a rickettsial disease affecting birds of the parrot family, pigeons, and domestic fowl, caused by the chlamydia Chlamydia psittaci and transmissible to humans.

Also called ornithosis, parrot fever.

Origin of psittacosis
Latin, Greek
1895-1900; < Latin psittac (us) parrot (< Greek psittakós) + -osis

Dictionary.com

Example:

– Parrot fever, also called parrot disease and psittacosis, is very rare.

Anagram

assist topic

29 May 2015

confect

[v. kuh n-fekt; n. kon-fekt]

verb (used with object)
1. to make up, compound, or prepare from ingredients or materials:
to confect a herbal remedy for colds.
2. to make into a preserve or confection.
3. to construct, form, or make:
to confect a dress from odds and ends of fabric.
noun
4. a preserved, candied, or other sweet confection.

Origin of confect
Middle English, Latin
1350-1400; Middle English confecten < Latin confectus (past participle of conficere to produce, effect), equivalent to con- con- + -fec- (variant stem of -ficere, combining form of facere to make; see fact ) + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms
unconfected, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for confect
– On that date, the parties met with the district judge to confect a pretrial order.

28 May 2015

tchotchke

[chahch-kuh]

noun, Slang.
1. an inexpensive souvenir, trinket, or ornament.

Origin of tchotchke

Polish

1965-1970, Americanism; < Yiddish tshatshke < Polish czaczko bibelot, knickknack (now obsolete; compare modern cacko with same sense, orig. dial.); of expressive orig.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for tchotchke
– The place is two floors of warehouse-style shopping, with every tchotchke you could imagine.

Word Origin and History for tchotchke
n. “tinket, gewgaw,” also (transferred) “pretty girl,” 1964, American English, from Yiddish, from a Slavic source (cf. Russian tsatska).

27 May 2015

dudgeon (1)

[duhj-uh n]

noun
1. a feeling of offense or resentment; anger:
We left in high dudgeon.

Origin of dudgeon (1)
1565-1575; origin uncertain

Synonyms
indignation, pique.

dudgeon (2)

[duhj-uh n]

noun, Obsolete
1. a kind of wood used especially for the handles of knives, daggers, etc.
2. a handle or hilt made of this wood.
3. a dagger having such a hilt.

Origin
1400-50; late Middle English; compare Anglo-French digeon

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for dudgeon
– Suddenly, out of nowhere, her supposedly faithless lover appears in righteous high dudgeon.
– This, the captain took in dudgeon, and they were at sword’s points at once.
– Thus saith many of the commentators, and many in a state of high dudgeon.

Anagram

dune god

26 May 2015

chthonian

[thoh-nee-uh n]

adjective, Classical Mythology
1. of or relating to the deities, spirits, and other beings dwelling under the earth.

Also, chthonic [thon-ik]

Origin of chthonian
Greek
1840-1850; < Greek chthóni (os) ( chthon-, stem of chthṓn earth + -ios adj. suffix) + -an; akin to Latin humus earth (see humus )

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for chthonian

– All these elements betoken the rites owed to a chthonic deity.

Anagram

thin nacho
hat on chin

26 May 2015

ambrosia

[am-broh-zhuh]

noun
1. Classical Mythology. the food of the gods.
Compare nectar (def 3).
2. something especially delicious to taste or smell.
3. a fruit dessert made of oranges and shredded coconut and sometimes pineapple.

Origin of ambrosia

Latin
1545-1555; < Latin < Greek: immortality, food of the gods, noun use of feminine of ambrósios, equivalent to a- a-6+ -mbros- (combining form of brotōs mortal; akin to Latin mortuus dead, murder ) + -ios adj. suffix; replacing Middle English ambrose, ambrosie < Old French ambroise < Latin

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for ambrosia
– Like ambrosia from the gods, I suddenly realized that Nicotine is the most amazing legal substance of the twentieth century.
(How My Little Slice of Heaven Became My Toddler’s Hell Laura Bennett October 20, 2008)

– Start with the beets and horseradish crème fraiche, then move on to the ambrosia burger, ending strong with the banana cream pie.
(Gal With a Suitcase Jolie Hunt February 19, 2010)

– If Tilda Swinton ate anything for five years straight, it would probably be ambrosia.
(The Tilda Swinton Weirdness Quiz: All About the MoMA-Napping Actress Melissa Leon March 26, 2013)

Anagram

aria mobs
am isobar

24 May 2015

misophonia

[mis-oh-foh-nee-uh]

– Literally ‘hatred of sound’. A neuropsychiatric disorder which causes those afflicted to react with negative emotions (anger, flight, hatred, disgust) to sound. It could be in relation to loud sounds or even particularly soft sounds or sounds of a particular type, such as the sound of breathing, throat-clearing, singing, slurping, talking, sniffing, laughing, knuckle-cracking and so on. It is sometimes referred to as ‘selective sound sensitivity syndrome’.

Example:

– The teacher’s aggressive reaction whenever she heard the sound of cracking knuckles, resulted in the students nicknaming her ‘Miss O’Phonia’.

Anagram

simian hoop
a poison him
I poison ham

23 May 2015

dram

[dram]

noun
1. Measurements.
a unit of apothecaries’ weight, equal to 60 grains, or 1/8 (0.125) ounce (3.89 grams).
1/16 (0.0625) ounce, avoirdupois weight (27.34 grains; 1.77 grams).
Abbreviation: dr., dr.
2. fluid dram.
3. a small drink of liquor.
4. a small quantity of anything.
verb (used without object), drammed, dramming.
5. Archaic. to drink drams; tipple.
verb (used with object), drammed, dramming.
6. Archaic. to ply with drink.

Origin of dram
late Middle English Old French, Late Latin, Latin
1400-1450; late Middle English dramme, assimilated variant of dragme < Old French < Late Latin dragma, Latin drachma drachma

Related forms
half-dram, adjective, noun

DRAM

[dee-ram]

Computers.
1. dynamic RAM.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for dram

– The Hakushu 12 was a little peaty and nutty, the kind of dram I want to unwind with after a fine restaurant meal.
(Watch Out, Scotland! Japanese Whisky Is on the Rise Kayleigh Kulp November 15, 2014)

22 May 2015

snark(1)

[snahrk]

noun
1. a mysterious, imaginary animal.

Origin of snark (1)
1876; coined by Lewis Carroll in his poem The Hunting of the Snark

snark(2)

[snahrk] Slang.

verb (used without object)
1. to be critical in a rude or sarcastic way:
to snark about the neighbors.

noun
2. rude or sarcastic criticism.

Origin
1910-15; dial. snark ‘to nag, find fault with’; apparently identical with snark, snork ‘to snort, snore’, probably < Dutch, Low German snorken ‘to snore’

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for snark
– Bring your machete so you can hack your way through the snark.
(Michael Tomasky on Obama’s Hillary Clinton-Joe Biden Switcheroo Michael Tomasky May 21, 2012)

As he declared on National Public Radio: “People can’t live on snark and vicious gossip alone.”
(It’s Not too Late to End the Hate Joanne Lipman January 10, 2011)

But critiques and snark have no place, watching re-runs late at night.
(Thank You for Being a Friend: Why TV Re-runs Never Grow Old Tim Teeman May 9, 2014)

Word Origin and History for snark
n. imaginary animal, coined 1876 by Lewis Carroll in “The Hunting of the Snark.” In 1950s, name of a type of U.S. cruise missile and in 1980s of a type of sailboat. Meaning “caustic, opinionated, critical rhetoric” is from c.2002 (see snarky ) and not directly related, if at all.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

snark in Technology

[Lewis Carroll, via the Michigan Terminal System] 1. A system failure. When a user’s process bombed, the operator would get the message “Help, Help, Snark in MTS!”
2. More generally, any kind of unexplained or threatening event on a computer (especially if it might be a boojum). Often used to refer to an event or a log file entry that might indicate an attempted security violation. See snivitz.
3. UUCP name of snark.thyrsus.com, home site of the Hacker Jargon File versions 2.*.*.
[Jargon File ]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org

Anagram

ranks

21 May 2015

encomium

[en-koh-mee-uh m]

noun, plural encomiums, encomia [en-koh-mee-uh]
1. a formal expression of high praise; eulogy:
An encomium by the president greeted the returning hero.

Origin of encomium
Latin, Greek
1580-1590; < Latin < Greek enkṓmion, equivalent to en- en-2+ kôm (os) a revel + -ion noun suffix

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for encomium
– I think he stopped earning that encomium in about the summer of 2000.
(Ralph Nader Has Truly Lost It Michael Tomasky July 28, 2013)

Anagram

I commune
on ice mum

20 May 2015

cant(1)

[kant]

noun
1. insincere, especially conventional expressions of enthusiasm for high ideals, goodness, or piety.
2. the private language of the underworld.
3. the phraseology peculiar to a particular class, party, profession, etc.:
the cant of the fashion industry.
4. whining or singsong speech, especially of beggars.
verb (used without object)
5. to talk hypocritically.
6. to speak in the whining or singsong tone of a beggar; beg.

Origin of cant (1)
Old English, Latin
1495-1505; < Latin base cant- in cantus song, canticus singsong, etc., whence Old English cantere singer, cantic song; see chant

Related forms
cantingly, adverb

Can be confused
cant, can’t, Kant.
cant, jargon, slang.

Synonyms
1. hypocrisy, sham, pretense, humbug.

cant(2)

[kant]

noun
1. a salient angle.
2. a sudden movement that tilts or overturns a thing.
3. a slanting or tilted position.
4. an oblique line or surface, as one formed by cutting off the corner of a square of cube.
5. an oblique or slanting face of anything.
6. Civil Engineering, bank1(def 6).
7. a sudden pitch or toss.

adjective
9. oblique or slanting.

verb (used with object)
10. to bevel; form an oblique surface upon.
11. to put in an oblique position; tilt; tip.
12. to throw with a sudden jerk.

verb (used without object)
13. to take or have an inclined position; tilt; turn.

Origin
1325-75; Middle English: side, border < Anglo-French cant, Old French chant < a Romance base *cantu (m) with the related senses “rim, border” and “angle corner,” probably < Celtic; compare Latin cant (h) us iron tire (< Celtic), Welsh cant periphery, rim, felloe; probably not akin to Greek kanthós corner of the eye; cf. canteen, cantle, canton

Related forms
cantic, adjective

cant(3)

[kahnt]

adjective, Scot. and North England
1. hearty; merry.

Origin
1250-1300; Middle English < Low German kant merry, bold

can’t

[kant, kahnt]

1. contraction of cannot.

Can be confused
cant, can’t, Kant.

Usage note
See can(1), cannot, contraction.
Cant.
1. Canterbury.
2. Cantonese.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for cant
– Satirists occupy a perilous position—to skewer dogma and cant, and to antagonize the establishment while needing its protection.
(Harry Shearer on The Dangerous Business of Satire Lloyd Grove January 7, 2015)

– On the periphery, tents pitched under overpasses cant against the dirty wind.
(Catastrophe in Verse Eliza Griswold April 20, 2011)

19 May 2015

dogmatic

[dawg-mat-ik, dog-]

adjective
1. relating to or of the nature of a dogma or dogmas or any strong set of principles concerning faith, morals, etc., as those laid down by a church; doctrinal:
We hear dogmatic arguments from both sides of the political spectrum.
2. asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated:
I refuse to argue with someone so dogmatic that he won’t listen to reason.

Origin of dogmatic
Late Latin, Greek
1595-1605; < Late Latin dogmaticus < Greek dogmatikós, equivalent to dogmat- (stem of dógma dogma ) + -ikos -ic

Related forms
dogmatically, adverb
dogmaticalness, noun
antidogmatic, adjective
antidogmatical, adjective
antidogmatically, adverb

Synonyms
2. arbitrary, imperious, dictatorial.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for dogmatic
– He can’t pretend that he’s a dogmatic right-winger; who would believe him?
(A Thinner Chris Christie Still Faces Big Political Challenges Robert Shrum May 9, 2013)

– October Baby, on the other hand, is a dogmatic film with an extreme pro-life agenda.
(Christian Movie War: Pro-Life ‘October Baby’ vs. Postmodern ‘Blue Like Jazz’ Marlow Stern April 11, 2012)

Sir Nicholas Henderson, who was in the job when Reagan was elected, described him as a dogmatic and simplistic man.
(British Officials Portrayed Reagan as a “Bozo” Nico Hines, Ben Jacobs April 29, 2014)

Anagram

magic dot
admit cog

18 May 2015

pragmatic

[prag-mat-ik]

adjective, Also, pragmatical (for defs 1, 2, 5).
1. of or relating to a practical point of view or practical considerations.
2. Philosophy. of or relating to pragmatism (def 2).
3. of or relating to pragmatics (def 1, 2).
4. treating historical phenomena with special reference to their causes, antecedent conditions, and results.
5. of or relating to the affairs of state or community.
6. Archaic.
busy; active.
officious; meddlesome; interfering.
dogmatic; opinionated.

noun
7. pragmatic sanction.
8. Archaic. an officious or meddlesome person.

Origin of pragmatic
Latin, Greek
1580-1590; < Latin prāgmaticus < Greek prāgmatikós practical, equivalent to prāgmat- (stem of prâgma) deed, state business (derivative of prā́ssein to do, fare; see practic ) + -ikos -ic

Related forms
pragmaticality, pragmaticalness, noun
pragmatically, adverb
antipragmatic, adjective
antipragmatical, adjective
antipragmatically, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for pragmatic
– The fact is, however, that no one has been able to come up with pragmatic ways to implement these kinds of policies.
(Health Care Strangles Bank Reform! Jeffrey E. Garten April 9, 2010)

– It was a declaration of independence from the professional left and a statement of principle from a pragmatic progressive.
(Obama Finds His Mojo John Avlon December 10, 2010)

– Because this pragmatic nationalism should not at all infringe on their rights to live in safety and dignity.
(Let Their People Come Raphael Magarik September 4, 2012)

Anagram

tarmac pig
part magic
tragic map

17 May 2015

lemniscate

[lem-nis-kit, lem-nis-keyt, -kit]

noun

a closed plane curve consisting of two symmetrical loops meeting at a node. Equation: ( x ² + y ²)² = a ²( x ² – y ²), where a is the greatest distance from the curve to the origin.

The symbol for infinity (∞) is an example

dictionary.com

In algebraic geometry, a lemniscate is any of several figure-eight or ∞-shaped curves. The word comes from the Latin “lēmniscātus” meaning “decorated with ribbons”, which in turn may come from the ancient Greek island of Lemnos where ribbons were worn as decorations, or alternatively may refer to the wool from which the ribbons were made.

Wikipedia.com

Anagram

elastic men
lets cinema
menace list
camels tine

16 May 2015

twee

[twee]

adjective, Chiefly British

1. affectedly dainty or quaint:
twee writing about furry little creatures.

Origin of twee

1900-1905; apparently reduced from tweet (perhaps via pronunciation twiʔ), mimicking child’s pronunciation of sweet

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for twee

‘You’re just what the doctor ordered, my twee faerie vixen’.
―Russell Edgington to Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood, Season 5)

Based in Los Angeles, Pinkberry is upscale bordering on the twee.
(Frozen-Yogurt Shops Are Everywhere, but We Are Nowhere Near Saturation Daniel Gross July 18, 2013)

I have spent an hour on the phone with Marc Spitz, the author of twee, having him explain twee.
(What the Hell Is ‘Twee’? A Genre? A Mindset? An Art Form? Scott Porch June 22, 2014)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Lost in Translation are twee.
(What the Hell Is ‘Twee’? A Genre? A Mindset? An Art Form? Scott Porch June 22, 2014)

15 May 2015

aporia

[uh-pawr-ee-uh, uh-pohr-]

noun, plural aporias, aporiae [uh-pawr-ee-ee, uh-pohr-]
1. Rhetoric. the expression of a simulated or real doubt, as about where to begin or what to do or say.
2. Logic, Philosophy. a difficulty encountered in establishing the theoretical truth of a proposition, created by the presence of evidence both for and against it.

Origin of aporia
Late Latin
1580-1590; < Late Latin < Greek: state of being at a loss, equivalent to ápor (os) impassable (see a-6, pore2) + -ia -ia

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for aporia
– Often Socratic conversation induces utter confusion—the ancient Greek word is aporia —and ends with no clear solution to a problem.
(The Ivy League Provides the Best Trade Schools Around Nick Romeo August 16, 2014)

14 May 2015

mayhap

[mey-hap, mey-hap]

adverb, Archaic.
1. perhaps.

Origin of mayhap
1530-1540; short for it may hap

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for mayhap
– mayhap the good doctor never thought of that old saying, that the soul shines through the face and lights it.
– mayhap you have seen all this in the papers, little thinking who commanded the detachment.

Anagram

ham yap
hay map

13 May 2015

syzygy

[siz-i-jee]

noun, plural syzygies.
1. Astronomy. an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and either the moon or a planet:
Syzygy in the sun-earth-moon system occurs at the time of full moon and new moon.
2. Classical Prosody. a group or combination of two feet, sometimes restricted to a combination of two feet of different kinds.
3. any two related things, either alike or opposite.

Origin of syzygy
Late Latin, Greek
1650-1660; < Late Latin syzygia < Greek syzygía union, pair, equivalent to sýzyg (os) yoked together ( sy- sy- + zyg-, base of zeugnýnai to yoke1+ -os adj. suffix) + -ia -y3

Related forms
syzygial [si-zij-ee-uh l], syzygetic [siz-i-jet-ik], syzygal [siz-i-guh l], adjective

Dictionary.com

12 May 2015

cantillate

[kan-tl-eyt]

verb (used with object), cantillated, cantillating.
1. to chant; intone.

Origin of cantillate
Late Latin
1860-1865; < Late Latin cantillātus sung low, hummed (past participle of cantillāre), equivalent to cant- sing (see cant1) + -ill- diminutive suffix + -ātus -ate1

Related forms
cantillation, noun

Dictionary.com

Anagram

canal title

11 May 2015

zany

[zey-nee]

adjective, zanier, zaniest.
1. ludicrously or whimsically comical; clownish.
noun, plural zanies.
2. one who plays the clown or fool in order to amuse others.
3. a comically wild or eccentric person.
4. a secondary stock character in old comedies who mimicked his master.
5. a professional buffoon; clown.
6. a silly person; simpleton.
7. a slavish attendant or follower.

Origin of zany
Middle French, Italian
1560-1570; (< Middle French) < Italian zan (n) i (later zanno) a servant character in the commedia dell’arte, perhaps orig. the character’s name, the Upper Italian form of Tuscan Gianni, for Giovanni John

Related forms
zanily, adverb
zaniness, zanyism, noun
zanyish, adjective

Synonyms
3. kook, crazy, lunatic.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for zany Expand
– He made only a brief, humorous reference to Mitt having called him “ zany.”
(Newt Gingrich, Under Fire, Plays Clumsy Defense in Fox News Iowa Debate Howard Kurtz December 15, 2011)

– The proliferation of zany burger toppings came next as an inevitable by-product of the high-end burger fad.
(Have We Reached ‘Peak Burger’? The Crazy Fetishization of Our Most Basic Comfort Food Brandon Presser July 30, 2014)

– Once you read Ngai’s account of it, you’ll see ” zany ” everywhere.
(Zany, Cute, Interesting: What the Words We Use Say About Us Benjamin Lytal October 22, 2012)

10 May 2015

recant

[ri-kant]

verb (used with object)
1. to withdraw or disavow (a statement, opinion, etc.), especially formally; retract.
verb (used without object)
2. to withdraw or disavow a statement, opinion, etc., especially formally.

Origin of recant
Latin
1525-1535; < Latin recantāre to sing back, sing again, equivalent to re- re- + cantāre, frequentative of canere to sing; cf. chant

Related forms

recantation [ree-kan-tey-shuh n], noun
recanter, noun
recantingly, adverb
unrecanted, adjective
unrecanting, adjective

Can be confused
recant, recount.

Synonyms
1. revoke, recall, rescind, deny.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for recant

– However, she has since refused to recant her story and stands by her original claim.
(Somalia Jails Woman and Journalist Over Soldier Rape Claims Laila Ali February 8, 2013)

Anagram

trance
canter
nectar

8 May 2015

sultry

[suhl-tree]

adjective, sultrier, sultriest.
1. oppressively hot and close or moist; sweltering:
a sultry day.
2. oppressively hot; emitting great heat:
the sultry sun.
3. characterized by or associated with sweltering heat:
sultry work in the fields.
4. characterized by or arousing passion:
sultry eyes.

Origin of sultry
1585-15951585-95; sult(e)r (variant of swelter ) + -y1

Related forms
sultrily, adverb
sultriness, noun
unsultry, adjective

Synonyms
1. oppressive, stifling, humid.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for sultry
– A saucy, sultry 5-foot-10, with long, dark hair, she created quite a stir and did not lack for admirers.
(Billionaire Divorcee’s Happy Ending Sandra McElwaine January 23, 2011)

– But she did offer a prediction: “My guess: with Mad Men the song will be sultry.”
(‘Mad Men’ Premiere: A History of ‘Zou Bisou Bisou,’ Megan’s Sultry Song to Don Lauren Streib March 25, 2012)

– Ruhi, a sultry 19-year-old, sees beauty pageants as her ticket to success.
(Models vs. Militants: Nisha Pahuja’s Film Shows Two Worlds of Indian Women Abigail Pesta May 4, 2012)

Anagram

sly rut

7 May 2015

rancid

[ran-sid]

adjective

1. having a rank, unpleasant, stale smell or taste, as through decomposition, especially of fats or oils:
rancid butter.
2. (of an odor or taste) rank, unpleasant, and stale:
a rancid smell.
3. offensive or nasty; disagreeable.

Origin of rancid
Latin
1640-1650; < Latin rancidus rank, stinking, equivalent to ranc (ēre) to be rotten + -idus -id4

Related forms
rancidly, adverb
rancidness, rancidity, noun
unrancid, adjective

Dictionary.com

Anagram

card in

6 May 2015

hebephrenia

[hee-buh-free-nee-uh]

noun, Psychiatry.
1. a type of schizophrenia characterized by emotionless, incongruous, or silly behavior, intellectual deterioration, and hallucinations, frequently beginning insidiously during adolescence.

Origin of hebephrenia Expand

Greek
1880-1885; < Greek hēbē- (see hebetic ) + -phrenia

Related forms
hebephrenic [hee-buh-fren-ik], adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for hebephrenia
– It can be entertaining to find hebephrenia or chlorosis, but do not share the news.

Anagram

nee hip rehab

5 May 2015

synathroesmus

[sin-uh-throh-smuhs]

Noun

(usually uncountable, plural synathroesmi)

(rhetoric) Piling up of terms, especially adjectives, often as invective.

Origin
From Latin, from Ancient Greek συναθροισμός (synathroismos, “collection, union, rhetorical grouping of diverse words”).

Noun
Rare spelling of synathroesmus.

(yourdictionary.com)

Examples

– “He’s a proud, haughty, consequential, turned-up-nose peacock.”
(Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby)

-“He was a gasping, wheezing, clutching, covetous old man.”
(Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol)

Anagram

Aneurysm Shots
Mushy Senators
assumes thorny
a snouts rhymes

4 May 2015

exergasia

[ek-ser-gey-zhuh]

Noun

(plural exergasias)

(rhetoric) restatement, a form of parallelism where an idea is repeated and the only change is in the way it is stated.

Origin
From Ancient Greek ἐξεργασία (exergasia, “working out, completion”), from ἐξεργάζομαι (exergazomai, “to work out, finish”), from ἐξ (ex, “out”) + ἔργον (ergon, “work”)

In Latin it is known as ‘expolito’.

Examples of exergasia

Martin Luther King Jr from his ‘I have a dream’ speech:

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy;
now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice;
now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood;
now is the time to make justice a reality for all God’s children.

The idea of correcting injustice is repeated in all four lines to emphasize this idea. (From Wikipedia).

Anagram

eager axis

3 May 2015

anaphora

[uh-naf-er-uh]

noun

1. Also called epanaphora. Rhetoric. repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive verses, clauses, or sentences.
Compare epistrophe (def 1), symploce.
2. Grammar. the use of a word as a regular grammatical substitute for a preceding word or group of words, as the use of it and do in I know it and he does too.
Compare cataphora.
3. (sometimes initial capital letter) Eastern Church.
the prayer of oblation and consecration in the Divine Liturgy during which the Eucharistic elements are offered.
the part of the ceremony during which the Eucharistic elements are offered as an oblation.

Origin of anaphora
Late Latin
1580-1590; < Late Latin < Greek: a bringing back, repeating, equivalent to ana- ana- + -phora, akin to phérein to carry, bring; cf. -phore, -phorous

Related forms
anaphoral, adjective
preanaphoral, adjective

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Examples of anaphora
– One of the most famous examples of anaphora is from Winston Churchill: ‘We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender … ‘.

– An example from Muhammad Ali: ‘Sonny Liston is nothing. The man can’t talk. The man can’t fight. The man needs talking lessons. The man needs boxing lessons. And since he’s gonna fight me, he needs falling lessons’.

Anagram

a ah apron

2 May 2015

columbarium

[kol-uh m-bair-ee-uh m]

noun, plural columbaria [kol-uh m-bair-ee-uh]
1. a sepulchral vault or other structure with recesses in the walls to receive the ashes of the dead.
2. any one of these recesses.
3. columbary.

Origin of columbarium
1840-1850; < Latin: literally, a nesting box for pigeons, equivalent to columb (a) pigeon, dove + -ārium -ary

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Examples from the web for columbarium
– Addresses for urns within a columbarium -it was almost too precious.
– The columbarium is a wall with honeycomb niches for urns filled with cremated remains.
– The columbarium is proposed to be within a courtyard area within the educational building addition.

Anagram

burial cum om
balm curio um

1 May 2015

gibbous

[gib-uh s]

adjective
1. Astronomy. (of a heavenly body) convex at both edges, as the moon when more than half full.
2. humpbacked.

Also, gibbose [gib-ohs]

Origin of gibbous
Middle English, Latin

1350-1400; Middle English < Latin gibbōsus humped, equivalent to gibb (a) hump + -ōsus -ous

Related forms
gibbously, gibbosely, adverb
gibbousness, gibboseness, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for gibbous
– Sometimes it’s a waning gibbous phase, low in the west at sunrise.
– Most noticeable are the half-moon and football-shaped gibbous moon, phases separated by two or three days.
– The crescent and gibbous phases happen in between those times.

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