May 2016 – WOTDs

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May 2016

31 May 2016

commissary

[kom-uh-ser-ee]

noun, plural commissaries.

1. a store that sells food and supplies to the personnel or workers in a military post, mining camp, lumber camp, or the like.
2. a dining room or cafeteria, especially one in a motion-picture studio.
3. a person to whom some responsibility or role is delegated by a superior power; a deputy.
4. (in France) a police official, usually just below the police chief in rank.
5. commissar.

Origin of commissary

Middle English Anglo-French Medieval Latin
1350-1400; Middle English commissarie (< Anglo-French) < Medieval Latin commissārius, equivalent to Latin commiss (us) (past participle of committere to commit ) + -ārius -ary

Related forms

commissarial [kom-i-sair-ee-uh l], adjective
subcommissarial, adjective
subcommissary, noun, plural subcommissaries.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for commissary

Contemporary Examples

One of the strangest parts of the show, is the power the commissary has over inmates lives.
Best Business Longreads for the Week of August 24, 2013.
William O’Connor
August 24, 2013

I don’t recall ever seeing him in the commissary, and who would forget?
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 12, 2014

I suspect [Teresa] will get money sent in to her, so she can shop at the commissary.
How a ‘Real Housewife’ Survives Prison: ‘I Don’t See [Teresa Giudice] Having a Cakewalk Here’
Michael Howard
January 5, 2015

Anagram

is my macros
mom is scary

30 May 2016

Negging

Negging is a rhetorical strategy whereby a person makes a deliberate backhanded compliment or otherwise insulting remark to another person in order to undermine his or her confidence in a way that gains approval. The term was coined and proscribed by the seduction community. The term has been popularized in social media and mainstream media. The opposite of negging, whereby one pays a person a compliment in order to gain their affection has been referred to as “pozzing”.

Origin

From the word ‘negative’.

Contemporary Example

To find out if negging works with gender roles reversed, I convinced my friend Andrea (OK, she actually volunteered) to come along on a bar crawl where we picked out the best looking, cockiest dudes we could find and gently insulted them to see how they’d react.
I Flirted With Men Using ‘Negging’ At A Bar And Here’s What I Found Out
http://thoughtcatalog.com/danielle-page/2015/04/i-flirted-with-men-using-negging-at-a-bar-and-heres-what-i-found-out/

29 May 2016

revanche

[ruh-vanch, -vahnsh]

noun

1. the policy of a state intent on regaining areas of its original territory that have been lost to other states as a result of war, a treaty signed under duress, etc.

Origin of revanche

1855-1860; < French: revenge

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for revanche

Historical Examples

It is not ” revanche ” we want, but the return of our territory.
Ten Years Near the German Frontier
Maurice Francis Egan

You must give me my chance of a revanche to-morrow, Mr Tempest!
The Sorrows of Satan
Marie Corelli

With the young Welshman a joke might be carried to extremes, and he would only seek his revanche by a lark of like kind.
The Flag of Distress
Mayne Reid

On every occasion that the revanche cry has been resuscitated, the direct cause is to be sought in Germany.
What Germany Thinks
Thomas F. A. Smith

It brooded upon the revanche, the return match with Prussia.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind
Herbert George Wells

Hence Germany’s bristling attitude to France, and the revival in France of the revanche idea, which had died down.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind
Herbert George Wells

When the king lost he was most exacting for his ‘ revanche,’ or revenge, as it is termed at play.
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims
Andrew Steinmetz

The worst of it is, when one bets with these low people there is no chance of getting a revanche at some other time.
The White Chief
Mayne Reid

Any hope of revanche is abandoned in the reflection of the super-retaliations he himself conceives.
The Merry-Go-Round
Carl Van Vechten

Word Origin and History for revanche Expand
n.
“revenge,” 1858, from French revanche (see revanchist ).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

ranch eve
he cavern

28 May 2016

interlocutor

[in-ter-lok-yuh-ter]

noun

1. a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue.
2. the man in the middle of the line of performers in a minstrel troupe, who acts as the announcer and banters with the end men.
3. a person who questions; interrogator.

Origin of interlocutor

Latin

1505-1515; < Latin interlocū-, variant stem of interloquī to speak between ( inter- inter- + loquī to speak) + -tor

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for interlocutor

Contemporary Examples

Who knows if my interlocutor spoke for the Saudi government.
The Revolt in Syria Could Easily Spread to Other Middle East Countries
Kenneth M. Pollack
January 30, 2012

They might also be unwilling to work with the interlocutor picked by the government to lead the talks.
Pakistan’s Drone Dilemma
Jahanzeb Aslam
May 29, 2013

So Eugene already had a leg up — an interlocutor could explain away any failed communication.
The AI That Wasn’t: Why ‘Eugene Goostman’ Didn’t Pass the Turing Test
Elizabeth Lopatto
June 9, 2014

Anagram

not courtlier
nuttier color
lice nor trout
contour tiler

27 May 2016

galoot or galloot

[guh-loot]

noun, Slang.

1. an awkward, eccentric, or foolish person.

Origin of galoot

1805-1815; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for galoot

Historical Examples

They can stand right up here and tell me to my face that I’m a galoot and a liar and a hick!
Babbitt
Sinclair Lewis

I want you to forget about that—this morning, and not think I am a galoot and a mucker.
The Octopus
Frank Norris

Why, thars been a galoot around Tintacker ever since Spring opened.
Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch
Alice B. Emerson

Jim was all fixed up, and he says to the galoot, ‘Let’s have a throw.’
The Crisis, Complete
Winston Churchill

By the taste in my mouth and the feel of my wrists, that galoot must have tied me up and gagged me!
Dorothy Dixon and the Mystery Plane
Dorothy Wayne

Anagram

too lag
to goal

26 May 2016

gruntled

[gruhn-tld]

adjective

1. (informal) happy or contented; satisfied

Word Origin

back formation from disgruntled

Collins English Dictionary

Anagram

nerd glut
lug trend

25 May 2016

oniomania

[oh-nee-uh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh]

noun

1. an uncontrollable desire to buy things.

Origin of oniomania

Late Latin, Greek< New Latin < Greek ṓni (os) for sale (derivative of ônos price) + -o- -o- + Late Latin mania -mania

Related forms

oniomaniac [oh-nee-uh-mey-nee-ak], noun

Dictionary.com

Contemporary definitions for oniomania Expand

noun

a passion or insane desire to buy things

Word Origin

Greek onios ‘for sale’

Anagram

aim a onion

24 May 2016

pelage

[pel-ij]

noun

1. the hair, fur, wool, or other soft covering of a mammal.

Origin of pelage

Old French

1820-1830; < French, derivative of poil (Old French peil, pel; see poilu ); see -age

Related forms

pelagial [puh-ley-jee-uh l] (Show IPA), adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pelage

Contemporary Examples

Individual gorillas were identified by face shape, body shape, and pelage coloration.
How Gorillas Are Outsmarting Ebola
Melissa Leon
August 31, 2014

Historical Examples

It has acquired approximately half of the white winter pelage and was taken on October 12, 1897, at Keechelus Lake.
American Weasels
E. Raymond Hall

The winter pelage is brown in all specimens at most localities.
American Weasels
E. Raymond Hall

Anagram

ale peg
gap eel

20 May 2016

Junoesque

[joo-noh-esk]

adjective

1. (of a woman) stately; regal.

Origin of Junoesque

1885-1890; Juno + -esque

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Junoesque

Historical Examples

This girl’s figure was more Junoesque than was usual with her kind, her waist larger.
The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories
Gertrude Atherton

Mrs. Harris is a very large lady, tall and Junoesque, a figure which would catch the eye in any assembly.
The Wanderings of a Spiritualist
Arthur Conan Doyle

Julia squared her Junoesque shoulders against the crooked tree and stood her ground.
The Open Question
Elizabeth Robins

Mum was a handsome Junoesque blonde, sharp of eye and tongue, distinctly the boss, and inclined to make the most of it.
From Chart House to Bush Hut
Charles W. L. Bryde

She is said to have a Junoesque figure, a face of rare beauty and a manner of real charm.
In the Track of the Trades
Lewis R. Freemavv

19 May 2016

impresario

[im-pruh-sahr-ee-oh, -sair-]

noun, plural impresarios.
1. a person who organizes or manages public entertainments, especially operas, ballets, or concerts.
2. any manager, director, or the like.

Origin of impresario

1740-1750; < Italian, equivalent to impres (a) impresa + -ario -ary

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for impresario

Contemporary Examples

“Warning to politicians,” Internet impresario Matt Drudge recently tweeted.
Why TV Anchor Jorge Ramos Swam Across The Rio Grande
Lloyd Grove
July 21, 2014

Only a few short months since the death of its founder and impresario, Steve Jobs, Apple appears more dominant than ever.
Boycott Apple? The Moral Dilemma After Abuse Reports From China
Thane Rosenbaum
January 26, 2012

At 28, Schroeder is the same age as Internet impresario Mark Zuckerberg.
Fashion of a Certain Age New Website Halsbrook.com Caters to Mature Shoppers
Robin Givhan
November 3, 2012

Leonard was now the impresario of Delta Blues, music sold to the poorest people in the city.
The Stacks: How Leonard Chess Helped Make Muddy Waters
Alex Belth
August 1, 2014

That autumn she had been introduced to the British producer and impresario Charles Cochran.
Tallulah Bankhead: Gay, Drunk and Liberated in an Era of Excess Art
Judith Mackrell
January 24, 2014

Historical Examples

But the impresario renewed his proposal, and the struggle recommenced.
The Life of Johannes Brahms (Vol 1 of 2)
Florence May

The impresario that provides the opera could not sing nor dance.
A Day’s Ride
Charles James Lever

Anagram

impair roes
air promise

17 May 2016

factotum

[fak-toh-tuh m]

noun

1. a person, as a handyman or servant, employed to do all kinds of work around the house.
2. any employee or official having many different responsibilities.

Origin of factotum

1560-1570; < Medieval Latin, equivalent to Latin fac make, do (imperative of facere) + tōtum, neuter of tōtus all

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for factotum

Historical Examples

He had a factotum named Charley Breen who was his valet, cook, hostler and assistant surveyor.
Ten years in the ranks, U.S. army
Augustus Meyers

He was her factotum, in whom she had greater faith than in any member of her household.
Chatterbox, 1906
Various

Ted cried, when my father, with some circumlocutionary hesitancy and great delicacy, conveyed his decision to our factotum.
The Record of Nicholas Freydon
A. J. (Alec John) Dawson

Entering the ground, he was confronted by his factotum, the Italian, Silvio.
Mary Louise Solves a Mystery
L. Frank Baum

I hired a Greek servant, whom I intended should serve as interpreter and factotum.
Visits To Monasteries in the Levant
Robert Curzon

Bonhomme Michel was the old watchman and factotum of the monastery.
The Golden Dog
William Kirby

The instant the factotum had closed the door, Valentin addressed the girl with an entirely new earnestness.
The Innocence of Father Brown
G. K. Chesterton

Everything went smoothly when the factotum was not interfered with.
The Ghost Girl
H. De Vere Stacpoole

For many years Baha acted in Bagdad (1852-67) as factotum for Azal, and acknowledged him as supreme.
Bahaism and Its Claims
Samuel Graham Wilson

We found him in his library in consultation with his factotum Jahn.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 378, April, 1847
Various

Anagram

coma tuft
cut of mat

16 May 2016

pecuniary

[pi-kyoo-nee-er-ee]

adjective

1. of or relating to money:
pecuniary difficulties.
2. consisting of or given or exacted in money or monetary payments:
pecuniary tributes.
3. (of a crime, violation, etc.) involving a money penalty or fine.

Origin of pecuniary

Latin

1495-1505; < Latin pecūniārius, derivative of pecūnia property, money ( pecūn-, derivative of pecū flock (see peculiar ), with -ūn- as in tribūna tribune1, fortūna fortune, etc. + -ia -ia ); see -ary

Related forms

pecuniarily [pi-kyoo-nee-air-i-lee] (Show IPA), adverb
nonpecuniary, adjective

Synonyms

1, 2. See financial.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pecuniary

Contemporary Examples

Yet according to Hamilton, “it was quickly apparent that other than pecuniary consolation would be acceptable.”
Should the U.S. Really Pay a Kim’s Ransom?
Kevin Bleyer
December 20, 2014

Many Democrats have found the pecuniary power of Republican Super PACS highly intimidating.
DIY Swift-Boating: Alexandra Kerry Launches Ad Your Voice 2012
Judith Grey
October 20, 2012

Historical Examples

It must also be stated that Coleridge did not neglect his wife in the pecuniary sense.
Biographia Epistolaris Volume 2
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Anagram

pay cure in
pay ice run
a icy prune

15 May 2016

ergo

[ur-goh, er-goh]

conjunction, adverb

1. therefore.

Origin of ergo

Latin

1350-1400; < Latin

ergo(1)

1. a combining form meaning “work”:
ergograph.

Also, especially before a vowel, erg-.

Origin

combining form representing Greek érgon

ergo(2)

1. a combining form of ergot :
ergotoxine.

Origin
< French
post hoc, ergo propter hoc
[pohst hohk, er-goh prohp-ter hohk; English pohst hok, ur-goh prop-ter hok er-goh]

Latin.

1. after this, therefore because of it: a formula designating an error in logic that accepts as a cause something that merely occurred earlier in time.
cogito, ergo sum
[koh-gi-toh er-goh soo m; English koj-i-toh ur-goh suhm, er-goh]
Spell Syllables
Latin.
1. I think, therefore I am (stated by Descartes as the first principle in resolving universal doubt).

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ergo

Contemporary Examples

Danilo Kis is Jewish and Serbian and half-Hungarian and once-Yugoslavian— ergo, European.
Do National Writers Still Exist?
Colum McCann
November 27, 2010

ergo, we should call him Scottie in da club because he is figuratively beaming himself up by smoking a blunt in da club.
R. Kelly’s Craziest Lyrics From ‘Black Panties,’ Analyzed
Chancellor Agard
December 2, 2013

Anagram

gore
ogre

14 May 2016

onager

[on-uh-jer]

noun, plural onagri [on-uh-grahy], onagers.

1. a wild ass, Equus hemionus, of southwestern Asia.
2. an ancient and medieval military catapult for throwing stones.

Origin of onager

Middle English Latin Greek

1300-1350; Middle English < Late Latin: machine for throwing projectiles, Latin onager, onagrus wild ass < Greek ónagros (in both senses), alteration of ónos ágrios ass of the fields, wild ass (see acre )

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for onager

Historical Examples

The onager of Mesopotamia is a very beautiful animal, with its grey glossy coat, and its lively and rapid action.
History Of Egypt, Chalda, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, Volume 3 (of 12)
G. Maspero

This is supposed to be of the same pattern which is called an ” onager ” in the Latin books.
Stories of Invention
Edward E. Hale

We then loaded the onager with the acorns, and moved homeward.
The Swiss Family Robinson
Johann David Wyss

The skin that you have laid before me is the skin of an onager.
The Magic Skin
Honore de Balzac

Balista (Latin, onager), an engine for propelling stones, worked by means of strongly-twisted cords.
Annals of a Fortress
E. Viollet-le-Duc

The wild ass and onager roamed in small herds between the Balikh and the Tigris.
History Of Egypt, Chalda, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, Volume 3 (of 12)
G. Maspero

The onager, or wild ass, is not striped like the zebra, and is not near so elegant in figure.
Buffon’s Natural History. Volume V (of 10)
Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon

It has sometimes occurred to me that perhaps the skin was that of Job’s onager.
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2
George Saintsbury

Anagram

so range
son gear
ran egos

13 May 2016

beatnik

beatnik

[beet-nik]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a member of the Beat Generation.
2. a person who rejects or avoids conventional behavior, dress, etc.

Origin of beatnik

1955-1960, Americanism; beat (adj.) (as in Beat Generation ) + -nik

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for beatnik Expand

Contemporary Examples

Guggenheim pulled the confirmed bachelor into her coven of beatnik friends.
Casa de la Torre: The Museum of Mexico’s Liberace
Brandon Presser
March 23, 2014

At an underground party, Joyce introduced Peggy to her friend Abe Drexler (Charlie Hofheimer), a beatnik journalist.
‘Mad Men’ Premiere: Before Season 5, Let’s Remember Season 4
Jace Lacob
March 21, 2012

Historical Examples

He was far, far different than the laughing, beatnik jabbering, youngster he had always seemed.
Black Man’s Burden
Dallas McCord Reynolds

Anagrams

tin beak
tan bike

12 May 2016

brogue(1)

[brohg]

noun

1. an Irish accent in the pronunciation of English.
2. any strong regional accent.

Origin of brogue(1)

1680-1690; perhaps special use of brogue2

Related forms

broguery, noun

brogue(2)

[brohg]

noun

1. a durable, comfortable, low-heeled shoe, often having decorative perforations and a wing tip.
2. a coarse, usually untanned leather shoe once worn in Ireland and Scotland.
3. brogan.

Origin

1580-90; < Irish brōg shoe, Old Irish brōce; cognate with L. brācae trousers < Gaulish; see breech

brogue(3)

[brohg]

noun, Scot.

1. a fraud; trick; prank.

Origin

1530-40; of uncertain origin

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for brogue

Contemporary Examples

Anybody who says, “I wantida go ta da terlit on T’oid Avunya” is mixing a Jewish-immigrant accent with an Irish brogue.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview
Alex Belth
February 15, 2014

“My dad freaked out when the tabloid reporter turned up,” Cumming says, in his lilting Scottish brogue.
Alan Cumming: The Truth About My Father
Tim Teeman
October 13, 2014

She chuckled a bit in her confessional Irish brogue, and members of the audience laughed.
Wingnuts Excerpt-Bush Derangement Syndrome
John Avlon
March 31, 2010

Anagram

our beg
rub ego
bug ore

11 May 2016

homologous

[huh-mol-uh-guh s, hoh-]

adjective

1. having the same or a similar relation; corresponding, as in relative position or structure.
2. corresponding in structure and in origin, but not necessarily in function:
The wing of a bird and the foreleg of a horse are homologous.
3. having the same alleles or genes in the same order of arrangement:
homologous chromosomes.
4. Chemistry. of the same chemical type, but differing by a fixed increment of an atom or a constant group of atoms:
Methyl and ethyl alcohols are homologous.
5. Immunology. pertaining to an antigen and its specific antibody.

Origin of homologous
Medieval Latin, Greek
1650-1660; < Medieval Latin homologus < Greek homólogos agreeing, equivalent to homo- homo- + -logos proportional, equivalent to log- (stem of lógos proportion; see logos ) + -os -ous

Related forms

nonhomologous, adjective
unhomologous, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for homologous

Historical Examples

First, correlation of growth: homologous organs tend to vary in the same direction, and together.
Appletons’ Popular Science Monthly, March 1899
Various

homologous reactions are arbitrarily valued as 100 per cent, and heterologous reactions are expressed accordingly.
Myology and Serology of the Avian Family Fringillidae
William B. Stallcup

Anagram

hog soul moo

10 May 2016

orthography

[awr-thog-ruh-fee]

noun, plural orthographies for 3–5.

1. the art of writing words with the proper letters, according to accepted usage; correct spelling.
2. the part of language study concerned with letters and spelling.
3. a method of spelling, as by the use of an alphabet or other system of symbols; spelling.
4. a system of such symbols:
Missionaries provided the first orthography for the language.
5. an orthographic projection, or an elevation drawn by means of it.

Origin of orthography

late Middle English Latin Greek

1425-1475; late Middle English ortografye < Latin orthographia correct writing, orthogonal projection < Greek orthographía. See ortho-, -graphy

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for orthography

Historical Examples

The orthography of the word cannot be determined, it is spelled “Shiblom” in the passage above, and Shiblon in another.
New Witnesses for God (Volume 2 of 3)
B. H. Roberts

The pillars of state of English orthography at least seemed destined to totter.
Emmy Lou
George Madden Martin

Will they forego the facts of an epoch, for the orthography of a syllable?
The Celtic Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 3, January 1876
Various

The new generation is more proficient in video games than in orthography.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

In the orthography of his native names he was not so successful.
Captain Cook’s Journal During the First Voyage Round the World
James Cook

I may plead precedent for taking a liberty with the orthography of Jem.
A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II (of II)
Augustus de Morgan

Mr Hale felt the necessity of adopting a peculiar style of orthography to represent the sounds of these words.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 3
Hubert Howe Bancroft

The orthography of this language is a most vexed and perplexed affair.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 380, June, 1847
Various

Names of islands according to the dialect or orthography followed by Prichard.
The Natural History of the Varieties of Man
Robert Gordon Latham

His attainments in orthography, however, are not so surprising as those in arithmetic.
Anecdotes of Dogs
Edward Jesse

9 May 2016

emancipate

[ih-man-suh-peyt]

verb (used with object), emancipated, emancipating.

1. to free from restraint, influence, or the like.
2. to free (a slave) from bondage.
3. Roman and Civil Law. to terminate paternal control over.

Origin of emancipate

Latin

1615-1625; < Latin ēmancipātus (past participle of ēmancipāre) freed from control, equivalent to ē- e-1+ man (us) hand + -cip- (combining form of capere to seize) + -ātus -ate1

Related forms

emancipative, adjective
emancipator, noun
nonemancipative, adjective
unemancipative, adjective

Synonym Study

1, 2. See release.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for emancipate

Contemporary Examples

Was the president planning to act on the wishes of the radicals of his party and emancipate all the slaves?
Lincoln the Primitive Communicator? What He Can Teach Modern Politicians
Douglas L. Wilson
December 14, 2012

“Like so many other young people in this country, Timmy, when he reached age 18, was allowed to emancipate,” says Jeannette.
How a Psychiatric Slip-Up Killed a Cop
Mansfield Frazier
November 2, 2009

Namely, that we are narcissistic, entitled, financial drains on our parents, unable to emancipate, and excessively solipsistic.
Give Millennials a Break!
Hannah Seligson
May 12, 2012

The desire to emancipate Greece, the birthplace of democracy, ran strong among the British for centuries.
Poet and Rake, Lord Byron Was Also an Interventionist With Brains and Savvy
Michael Weiss
February 15, 2014

Historical Examples

There was a Spartan law forbidding masters to emancipate their slaves.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child

The disposition to emancipate them is strongest in Virginia.
Anti-Slavery Opinions before the Year 1800
William Frederick Poole

Conservatism cannot emancipate itself from the conditions of the age.
The Contemporary Review, January 1883
Various

To emancipate a slave is to take him out of the hands of his master.
Orthography
Elmer W. Cavins

Emancipation from the school does not emancipate one from learning through his fellow-men.
Pedagogics as a System
Karl Rosenkranz

He had seen Tennessee, Missouri, and Maryland emancipate their slaves.
Our American Holidays: Lincoln’s Birthday
Various

Anagram

canape item
iceman tape
cinema pate

8 May 2016

bowdlerize

[bohd-luh-rahyz, boud-]

verb (used with object), bowdlerized, bowdlerizing.

1. to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.

Expand

Also, especially British, bowdlerise.

Origin of bowdlerize

1830-1840; after Thomas Bowdler (1754-1825), English editor of an expurgated edition of Shakespeare

Related forms

bowdlerism, noun
bowdlerization, noun
bowdlerizer, noun
unbowdlerized, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for bowdlerize

Historical Examples

He is in fact one of the few writers of real eminence who have been forced to bowdlerise themselves.
The English Novel
George Saintsbury

Anagram

Deb lore wiz
Robed el wiz
Old beer wiz
Id blew zero

6 May 2016

epistemology

[ih-pis-tuh-mol-uh-jee]

noun

1. a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge.

Origin of epistemology

Greek

1855-1860; < Greek epistḗm (ē) knowledge + -o- + -logy

Related forms

epistemological [ih-pis-tuh-muh-loj-i-kuh l], adjective
epistemologist, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for epistemology

Historical Examples

The problems of knowing and the known are treated in the “ epistemology or Theory of Knowing.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 3
Various

epistemology, or theory of knowledge, did not begin in modern times.
History of Modern Philosophy
Alfred William Benn

Moral philosophy was the center of his teaching, and epistemology was only instrumental.
The Enchiridion
Epictetus

Except in extreme pathological cases (and in epistemology), complete skepticism and aboulia do not occur.
Creative Intelligence
John Dewey, Addison W. Moore, Harold Chapman Brown, George H. Mead, Boyd H. Bode, Henry Waldgrave, Stuart James, Hayden Tufts, Horace M. Kallen

But the doctrine can be met from the standpoint of epistemology itself.
Social Value
B. M. Anderson

For what else do we study Sanscrit or medieval history or epistemology ?
International Congress of Arts and Science, Volume I
Various

One reason for the popularity of both is that the centre of interest in their best-known works is not in epistemology.
The Christian Faith Under Modern Searchlights
William Hallock Johnson

Just as philosophy without statesmanship is—let us say— epistemology, so statesmanship without philosophy is—American politics.
Philosophy and The Social Problem
Will Durant

As a consequence this outgrowth of the Berkeleyanism epistemology is at present merging into a realistic philosophy of experience.
The Approach to Philosophy
Ralph Barton Perry

Schiller says that “Professor Santayana, though a pragmatist in epistemology is a materialist in metaphysics.”
Six Major Prophets
Edwin Emery Slosson

5 May 2016

syncretism

[sing-kri-tiz-uh m, sin-]

noun

1. the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.
2. Grammar. the merging, as by historical change in a language, of two or more categories in a specified environment into one, as, in nonstandard English, the use of was with both singular and plural subjects, while in standard English was is used with singular subjects (except for you in the second person singular) and were with plural subjects.

Origin of syncretism

Greek

1610-1620; < New Latin syncretismus < Greek synkrētismós union of Cretans, i.e., a united front of two opposing parties against a common foe, derivative of synkrēt (ízein) to syncretize + -ismos -ism

Related forms

syncretic [sin-kret-ik] syncretical, syncretistic [sing-kri-tis-tik, sin-], adjective
syncretist, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for syncretism

Contemporary Example

Even the most powerful Roman Empire had to make deals with its conquered and enslaved peoples (syncretism).
The incomplete, true, and wonderful history of May Day
Roar Magazine
Peter Linebaugh
1 May 2016

Historical Examples

There appears to be a very early example of syncretism in p. 49Australia.
The Homeric Hymns
Andrew Lang

Then syncretism began, and a body of sectarian notions was formed.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner

Such was the path of syncretism, and it was fraught with 180 peril to the older and purer faith.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2
Various

The syncretic nature of the signs of practical experiences were reflected in the syncretism of tools and signs.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

The syncretism between Paganism and Christianity has not been destroyed by the Reformation.
The Evolution of Old Testament Religion
W. E. Orchard

Think about such categories as syncretism, understanding, repetitive patterns in practical terms.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

The great forces which were half unconsciously at work in this syncretism, were reflectively grasped by Neoplatonism.
History of Dogma, Volume 1 (of 7)
Adolph Harnack

Individual syncretism was replaced by the syncretism of communities in which individuals are identified through their work.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

Even the possibility of achieving some form of syncretism is not new by any means.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

This was a phase of syncretism, during which the physical projection of the human being dominated the intellect.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

Anagram

my cisterns
remit syncs
ms icy stern
mrs icy nest
mr sty since

4 May 2016

eruct

[ih-ruhkt]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to belch forth, as gas from the stomach.
2. to emit or issue violently, as matter from a volcano.

Origin of eruct

Latin

1660-1670; < Latin ērūctāre to vomit, discharge violently, frequentative of ērūgere

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for eruct

Historical Examples

“eruct, I shall say henceforth, and I swear not to forget it,” said Sancho.
The History of Don Quixote, Volume II., Complete
Miguel de Cervantes

Take care, Sancho, not to chew on both sides, and not to eruct in anybody’s presence.
The History of Don Quixote, Volume II., Complete
Miguel de Cervantes

Anagram

truce

3 May 2016

rectitude

[rek-ti-tood, -tyood]

noun

1. rightness of principle or conduct; moral virtue:
the rectitude of her motives.
2. correctness:
rectitude of judgment.
3. straightness.

Origin of rectitude

late Middle English Middle French Late Latin

1400-1450; late Middle English < Middle French < Late Latin rēctitūdin- (stem of rēctitūdō) straightness, equivalent to Latin rēct (us) right + -tūdin- -tude

Synonyms

1. integrity, probity, principle.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for rectitude

Contemporary Examples

Maybe it is his own reputation for rectitude, a reputation buttressed by the lack of scandals in his administration.
Lousy Economy Won’t Sink Obama
Peter Beinart
June 5, 2011

He knew Richardson, his fellow Bay Stater, was a man of rectitude who would never, ever betray his trust with Cox.
How Kennedy Brought Down Nixon
Chris Matthews
September 12, 2009

Hopefully, their rectitude will persist into 2012 and 2013, when deficit reduction will be of growing importance.
Reboot America—Manifesto Support Surges
The Daily Beast
July 19, 2010

I recognize it will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we will proceed with courage, rectitude, and resolve.
Obama’s Egypt Address
The Daily Beast Video
June 3, 2009

Historical Examples

The subject proposed for discussion is, the rectitude or inherent propriety of names.
Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume III (of 4)
George Grote

The mind, conscious of rectitude, laughed to scorn the falsehood of report.
Familiar Quotations
John Bartlett

Without this there can be no detection of the real difference, and no assurance of the rectitude of the discrimination we make.
The Expositor’s Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians
Robert Rainy

Happily, it is not necessary they should try to, since you have returned to the path of rectitude.
A Pessimist
Robert Timsol

Anagram

iced utter
certitude
eruct diet

2 May 2016

favela

[fuh-vel-uh; Portuguese fah-ve-lah]

noun

1. a shantytown in or near a city, especially in Brazil; slum area.

Origin of favela

Portuguese, Latin

1945-1950; < Brazilian Portuguese: alleged to be a name given to a hill in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro, where such towns were built circa 1900; literally, a shrub of the family Euphorbiaceae, derivative of Portuguese fava bean < Latin faba

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for favela

Contemporary Examples

I interviewed Lilian, a single mother living in a Rio de Janeiro favela.
What Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff Can Teach Hillary Clinton
Heather Arnet
October 28, 2014

Historical Examples

The high school kids who broke it were Brazilian Linux hackers who lived in a favela — a kind of squatter’s slum.
Little Brother
Cory Doctorow

Anagram

veal fa

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