May 2017 WOTDs

Posted on by

May 2017 WOTDs

31 May 2017

manumit

[man-yuh-mit]

verb (used with object), manumitted, manumitting.

1. to release from slavery or servitude.

Origin of manumit

late Middle English Latin

1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin manūmittere, earlier manū ēmittere to send away from (one’s) hand, i.e., to set free. See manus, emit

Related forms

manumitter, noun
unmanumitted, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for manumit

Historical Examples

We think, if any manumit, before we license them to part, they do usurp a power is ours by nature.
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 12 (of 15)
Robert Dodsley

Even baptism did not manumit him unless the owner were a Moor or a Jew.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 1
Henry Charles Lea

Suppose the South should manumit their slaves, will the North receive and educate them?
A Review of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
A. Woodward

Anagram

a tin mum

30 May 2017

artisanal

[ahr-tuh-zuh-nl, ahr-tiz-uh-]

adjective

1. pertaining to or noting a person skilled in an applied art:
The men were taught artisanal skills such as bricklaying and carpentry.
2. pertaining to or noting a high-quality or distinctive product made in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods: artisanal cheese;

artisanal cheesemakers.

Dictionary.com

Anagram

alias rant
atlas rain
Satan lair
a altar sin

29 May 2017

succotash

[suhk-uh-tash]

noun

1. a cooked dish of kernels of corn mixed with shell beans, especially lima beans, and, often, with green and sweet red peppers.

Origin of succotash

Narragansett

1745-1755, Americanism; < Narragansett (E spelling) msíckquatash boiled whole kernels of corn (cognate with Eastern Abenaki (French spelling) mesikoutar, equivalent to Proto-Algonquian *mes- whole + *-i·nkw- eye (hence, kernel) + *-ete·- be cooked (+ -w-) + *-ali plural suffix)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for succotash

Historical Examples

Kornlet and dried Lima beans may be made into succotash in a similar manner.
Science in the Kitchen.
Mrs. E. E. Kellogg

By following in his footsteps we learned about succotash and hominy.
Cobb’s Bill-of-Fare
Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb

I am reminded of the story of an old Indian chief who was invited to some great dinner where the first course was ” succotash.”
Birds and Poets
John Burroughs

Our word ” succotash ” we now apply to corn cooked with beans.
Home Life in Colonial Days
Alice Morse Earle

Anagram

chaos cuts
so catch us
such a cost
USA scotch

28 May 2017

spiel

[speel, shpeel] Informal.

noun

1. a usually high-flown talk or speech, especially for the purpose of luring people to a movie, a sale, etc.; pitch.
verb (used without object)
2. to speak extravagantly.

Origin of spiel

German

1890-1895; (noun) < German Spiel or Yiddish shpil play, game; (v.) < German spielen or Yiddish shpiln to play, gamble

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for spiel

Contemporary Examples

When the crew finally reaches the tribe, they give them their spiel.
Meet the Germans Having Sex to Save the World
Marlow Stern
March 12, 2013

Historical Examples

He’ll give you a spiel about his research and ask to measure your brain waves.
Sentiment, Inc.
Poul William Anderson

“Aw, boss, that was part of the spiel,” he confessed frankly.
From Place to Place
Irvin S. Cobb

Anagram

piles
plies

27 May 2017

dilatory

[dil-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]

adjective

1. tending to delay or procrastinate; slow; tardy.
2. intended to cause delay, gain time, or defer decision:

Origin of dilatory

Latin, Middle English, Anglo-French

1250-1300; Middle English (Anglo-French); Latin dīlātōrius, equivalent to dīlā-, suppletive stem of differre to postpone (see differ ) + -tōrius -tory1

Related forms

dilatorily, adverb
dilatoriness, noun
undilatorily, adverb
undilatory, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dilatory

Contemporary Examples

Decision making is slow, acquisition processes are dilatory, and maintenance of the equipment bought is poor.
India’s Tryst with Terror
Kanwal Sibal
September 8, 2011

Historical Examples

His dilatory action seemed to increase the young woman’s panic.
A Rock in the Baltic
Robert Barr

He had been dilatory but now he intended to get down to business.
The Lady Doc
Caroline Lockhart

The want of proper arrangement and sufficient hands made this a most dilatory and tedious operation.
Lands of the Slave and the Free
Henry A. Murray

I had received more than a dilatory donkey on the road to the fair!
The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 28, April 1893
Various

He had never been quite satisfied with Lincoln, whose policy seemed to him too dilatory.
McClure’s Magazine, Vol 31, No 2, June 1908
Various

They were as slow and dilatory as the others were eager and persistent.
Historic Tales, vol 10 (of 15)
Charles Morris

The King wished to regain Paris by negotiation; all his movements were dilatory.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume VII
John Lord

Spring is the most dilatory and provoking of all the seasons at Halifax.
Bert Lloyd’s Boyhood
J. McDonald Oxley

He was temporizing, making, with unconscious prudence, a dilatory opposition to an impending catastrophe.
The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Vol. II: In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians
Ambrose Bierce

Anagram

idolatry
dial troy
oily dart

26 May 2017

Pareidolia

(/pærᵻˈdoʊliə/ parr-i-doh-lee-ə)

noun

– a psychological phenomenon in which the mind responds to a stimulus (an image or a sound) by perceiving a familiar pattern where none exists.

Common examples are perceived images of animals, faces, or objects in cloud formations, the man in the moon, the moon rabbit, hidden messages within recorded music played in reverse or at higher- or lower-than-normal speeds, and hearing indistinct voices in random noise such as that produced by air conditioners or fans.

Anagram

A Diaper Oil
I laid opera
oil paid era
a radio pile

25 May 2017

fulsome

[foo l-suh m, fuhl-]

adjective

1. offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive; overdone or gross:
fulsome praise that embarrassed her deeply; fulsome décor.
2. disgusting; sickening; repulsive:
a table heaped with fulsome mounds of greasy foods.
3. excessively or insincerely lavish:
fulsome admiration.
4. encompassing all aspects; comprehensive:
a fulsome survey of the political situation in Central America.
5. abundant or copious.

Origin of fulsome

Middle English

1200-1250, First recorded in 1200-50, fulsome is from the Middle English word fulsom. See full1, -some1

Related forms

fulsomely, adverb
fulsomeness, noun
unfulsome, adjective

Can be confused

full, fullness, fulsome.
fulsome, noisome (see usage note at the current entry)

Usage note

In the 13th century when it was first used, fulsome meant simply “abundant or copious.” It later developed additional senses of “offensive, gross” and “disgusting, sickening,” probably by association with foul, and still later a sense of excessiveness: a fulsome disease; a fulsome meal, replete with too much of everything.For some centuries fulsome was used exclusively, or nearly so, with these unfavorable meanings.
Today, both fulsome and fulsomely are also used in senses closer to the original one: The sparse language of the new Prayer Book contrasts with the fulsome language of Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer. Later they discussed the topic more fulsomely.These uses are often criticized on the grounds that fulsome must always retain its connotations of “excessive” or “offensive.” The common phrase fulsome praise is thus sometimes ambiguous in modern use.

Dictionary.com

Anagram

sumo elf
some flu

24 May 2017

journeyman

[jur-nee-muh n]

noun, plural journeymen.

1. a person who has served an apprenticeship at a trade or handicraft and is certified to work at it assisting or under another person.
2. any experienced, competent but routine worker or performer.
3. a person hired to do work for another, usually for a day at a time.

Origin of journeyman

late Middle English

1425-1475 late Middle English journeman, equivalent to journee a day’s work (see journey ) + man man1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for journeyman

Contemporary Examples

And journeyman Swedish golfer Johan Edfors, who attended the University of Texas San Antonio, is really no match here.
March Madness: Which Celebrity Alumni Will Win?
Michael Solomon
March 16, 2011

He’ll be played by Grahame Fox, a journeyman Welsh actor who’s appeared on the U.K. soap EastEnders and the TV series Casualty.
Meet Game of Thrones’ Sexy New Season 4 Cast: The Red Viper, Porn Stars, and More
Marlow Stern
April 3, 2014

To play the character, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss cast Pedro Pascal, a journeyman Chilean-American actor.
Meet the Red Viper: Pedro Pascal on Game of Thrones’ Kinky, Bisexual Hellraiser
Marlow Stern
March 25, 2014

“I was a journeyman chef of middling abilities,” Bourdain admits.
America’s Bad Boy Chef
Jacob Bernstein
June 12, 2010

journeyman players whose only skill is total disregard for their bodies become legends, albeit short-term ones.
Buzz Bissinger on the NFL’s No Good, Very Bad Season
Buzz Bissinger
January 1, 2013

Historical Examples

At first he had no journeyman or apprentice, and he cut the tree for his own timber.
The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6
E. Rameur

To-morrow—that is to say, when I am a journeyman—I will go my own way.
The Sand-Hills of Jutland
Hans Christian Andersen

I will not allow myself to be used by these lords of the earth as a journeyman, to whom the masters assign work for scanty pay.
Louisa Of Prussia and Her Times
Louise Muhlbach

He came to the neighbourhood of Kingston first, and worked as a journeyman.
The Log House by the Lake
William H. G. Kingston

There can be no becoming friendship between the future Lady Lovel and a journeyman tailor.
Lady Anna
Anthony Trollope

Anagram

Jenny amour
A jurymen no
run joy amen

23 May 2017

heuristic

[hyoo-ris-tik or, often, yoo-]

adjective

1. serving to indicate or point out; stimulating interest as a means of furthering investigation.
2. encouraging a person to learn, discover, understand, or solve problems on his or her own, as by experimenting, evaluating possible answers or solutions, or by trial and error:
a heuristic teaching method.
3.of, relating to, or based on experimentation, evaluation, or trial-and-error methods.
4. Computers, Mathematics. pertaining to a trial-and-error method of problem solving used when an algorithmic approach is impractical.
noun
5. a heuristic method of argument.
6. the study of heuristic procedure.

Origin of heuristic

1815-1825; New Latin heuristicus, equivalent to Greek heur(ískein) to find out, discover + Latin -isticus -istic

Related forms

heuristically, adverb
nonheuristic, adjective
unheuristic, adjective
unheuristically, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for heuristic

Contemporary Examples

He developed a heuristic for betting on Daily Doubles (which resulted in a wager of $5, the minimum allowed).
How I Taught Arthur Chu to Be the ‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Everyone Loves to Hate
Keith Williams
February 20, 2014

Historical Examples

My standpoint, moreover, requires me to admit the validity of the hypothesis of Descent as an heuristic maxim of natural science.
At the Deathbed of Darwinism
Eberhard Dennert

Is there any need to prove the capital importance of heuristic?
Introduction to the Study of History
Charles V. Langlois

And the aim is heuristic, though often enough the search ends in no overt positive conclusion.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 8
Various

In all other cases, as we have already pointed out, assumption and probability have only a heuristic value for us lawyers.
Criminal Psychology
Hans Gross

Over time, actions became simpler while languages acquired the complexity of the heuristic experience.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

The heuristic attempt to establish new patterns of human interaction through art reflects the uncertainty.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

A general hypothesis serves every special hypothesis as a heuristic principle.
International Congress of Arts and Science, Volume I
Various

Sensualism, therefore, at least as regulative hypothesis, if not as heuristic principle.
Beyond Good and Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche

The teaching, which follows the so-called “heuristic” method, and the equipment of schools of every description, are admirable.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 5
Various

Anagram

itchier us
icier huts

22 May 2017

scrump

/skrʌmp/

verb

1. (dialect) to steal (apples) from an orchard or garden

2. something shrivelled or cooked to a crisp

Word Origin

dialect variant of scrimp

Collins English Dictionary

scrumpy
/ˈskrʌmpɪ/

noun

1. a rough dry cider, brewed esp in the West Country

Word Origin

from scrump, variant of scrimp (in obsolete sense: withered), referring to the apples used
Collins English Dictionary

Examples from the Web for scrumpy

I remember Gordon scrumping apples from the orchard next door.

Historical Examples

My doggie wagged his scrumpy tail, cocked his expressive ears, and glanced from me to his mistress, but did not rise.
My Doggie and I
R.M. Ballantyne

Anagram

Mr cups

20 May 2017

prurient

[proo r-ee-uh nt]

adjective

1. having, inclined to have, or characterized by lascivious or lustful thoughts, desires, etc.
2. causing lasciviousness or lust.
3. having a restless desire or longing.

Origin of prurient

Latin

1630-1640; Latin prūrient- (stem of prūriēns), present participle of prūrīre to itch

Related forms

prurience, pruriency, noun
pruriently, adverb
Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for prurient

Contemporary Examples

So far no Republican congressman has been foolish enough to cast himself as the Ken Starr figure, prude, proud and prurient.
Should Weiner Resign? Daily Beast Contributors Weigh In
The Daily Beast
June 6, 2011

It remains unclear whether the interest is altruistic or self-aggrandizing, humane or prurient, psychopathic or admirable.

All These Useless Doctors
Kent Sepkowitz
January 31, 2010

The influence of Oliver Stone, our granddaddy of prurient interest in political violence, hung thick in the air.
The Strange World of Political Assassination Fantasies
James Poulos
September 23, 2014

The only interest served by the Guardians of Peace is our prurient interest.
The Disaster Story That Hollywood Had Coming
Doug McIntyre
December 16, 2014

Philip Delves Broughton explains how the paper was popular, prurient, and invasive.
The Intrusive British Press
July 9, 2011

Historical Examples

That prurient heat in Twenty-five millions of hearts is not cooled thereby; but is still hot, nay hotter.
The French Revolution
Thomas Carlyle

The Aino’s imagination is as prurient as that of any Zola, and far more outspoken.
Aino Folk-Tales
Basil Hall Chamberlain

Voltaire says that these prurient questions were debated with a gusto and a minuteness of detail not found elsewhere.
The History of Prostitution
William W. Sanger

“To h–––– with their prurient laws,” said Lopez, rising suddenly from his chair.
The Prime Minister
Anthony Trollope

And this fair-haired little figure was the woman that people who knew her only from her books, called bold, prurient even!
The Wheels of Chance
H. G. Wells

Anagram

turn ripe
ripen rut
Pi turner

19 May 2017

farrow(1)

[far-oh]

noun

1. a litter of pigs.
verb (used with object)
2. (of swine) to bring forth (young).
verb (used without object)
3. to produce a litter of pigs.

Origin of farrow(1)

Middle English, Old English
900 before 900; Middle English farwen to give birth to a litter of pigs, derivative of Old English fearh pig (cognate with Latin porcus); akin to German Ferkel young pig

farrow(2)

[far-oh]

adjective

1. (of a cow) not pregnant.

Origin

1485-95; akin to Dutch dialect verwe- (in verwekoe barren cow), Old English fearr ox

Dictionary.com

Anagram

for war

18 May 2017

motet

[moh-tet]

noun, Music.

1. a vocal composition in polyphonic style, on a Biblical or similar prose text, intended for use in a church service.

Origin of motet
Middle English, Middle French
1350-1400; Middle English; Middle French; see mot, -et

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for motet

Historical Examples

At vespers, the choir sang a motet, and the Magnificat in German, besides leading the congregation in some hymns.
Bach
Charles Francis Abdy Williams

The character and scope of the German motet are thus described by Spitta, vol.
Bach
Charles Francis Abdy Williams

Who would have ventured to apply this motet to the brave and clever Saxon, high as he, too, towered above most of his peers?
Barbara Blomberg, Complete
Georg Ebers

Anagram

totem

17 May 2017

hypozeuxis

[hahy-puh-zook-sis]

noun, Rhetoric.

1. the use of a series of parallel clauses, each of which has a subject and predicate, as in “I came, I saw, I conquered.”.

Origin of hypozeuxis
Late Latin

1580-1590Late Latin < Late Greek, equivalent to Greek hypozeug(nýnai) to put under the yoke ( hypo- hypo- + zeugnýnai to yoke, derivative of zeûgos yoke1) + -sis -sis

Dictionary.com

Example

Nothing quite states a point as a well structured hypozeuxis.

Anagram

hex zips you

16 May 2017

nabob

[ney-bob]

noun

1. any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person.
2. Also, nawab. a person, especially a European, who has made a large fortune in India or another country of the East.
3. nawab (def 1).

Origin of nabob

Hindi

1605-1615
From the Hindi word nawāb, dating back to 1605-15. See nawab

Related forms

nabobery [ney-bob-uh-ree, ney-bob-uh-ree], nabobism, noun
nabobish, nabobical, adjective
nabobishly, nabobically, adverb
nabobship, noun

Dictionary.com

15 May 2017

farnarkling

noun / verb

1. The group activity whereby everyone sits around discussing the need to “do something” but nothing actually happens

Example

Farnarkling lost a champion yesterday, with the passing of Mr John Clarke.
John Clarke: Gone to the great farnarkling grommet in the sky
John Birmingham
10 April 2017

Anagram

flaring rank
far gnarl ink

14 May 2017

fenagle

[fi-ney-guh l]

verb (used with or without object), fenagled, fenagling.

1. finagle.

finagle or fenagle

[fi-ney-guh l]

verb (used with object), finagled, finagling.

1. to trick, swindle, or cheat (a person) (often followed by out of):
He finagled the backers out of a fortune.
2. to get or achieve (something) by guile, trickery, or manipulation:
to finagle an assignment to the Membership Committee.
verb (used without object), finagled, finagling.
3. to practice deception or fraud; scheme.

Origin of finagle

1925-1930, Americanism; finaig- (variant of fainaigue ) + -le
Related forms

finagler, noun

Dictionary.com

Anagram

leaf gin
fig lane
elf gain

13 May 2017

brae

[brey, bree; Scot. brey, bree]

noun, Scot. and North England.

1. a slope; declivity; hillside.

Origin of brae

Middle English Old Norse

1300-1350; Middle English bra; Old Norse brā brow, cognate with Old English brēaw eyebrow, eyelid, Old High German brāwa (German Braue); for semantic development, cf. brow

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for brae

Historical Examples

The contents of this MS. can be so well ascertained from Mr. brae ‘s edition that it is unnecessary to say more about it here.
Chaucer’s Works, Volume 3 (of 7)
Geoffrey Chaucer

Once landed on Raasay, I made up the brae to the great house.
A Daughter of Raasay
William MacLeod Raine

In three or four minutes we had topped the brae and began to go down upon Sandag.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Volume XXI
Robert Louis Stevenson

Anagram

bear
bare

12 May 2017

surplice

[sur-plis]

noun

1. a loose-fitting, broad-sleeved white vestment, worn over the cassock by clergy and choristers.
2. a garment in which the two halves of the front cross diagonally.

Origin of surplice

Middle English Anglo-French Old French Medieval Latin
1250-1300; Middle English surplis; Anglo-French surpliz, syncopated variant of Old French surpeliz; Medieval Latin superpellīcium (vestīmentum) over-pelt (garment), neuter of superpellīcius (adj.), equivalent to Latin super- super- + pellīt(us) clothed with skins + -ius adj. suffix

Related forms

surpliced, adjective
unsurpliced, adjective

Can be confused

surplice, surplus.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for surplice

Historical Examples

It goes into the pulpit, and decides the gown, and the surplice, and the style of rhetoric.
The Abominations of Modern Society
Rev. T. De Witt Talmage

In 1565 he, with the Fellows and scholars, appeared in Chapel without the surplice.
St. John’s College, Cambridge
Robert Forsyth Scott

The surplice, which Mr. Poodle was still holding, parted with a rip, and Gissing was free.
Where the Blue Begins
Christopher Morley

The sight of a surplice, the sound of bells, scares them away.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine – Volume 55, No. 344, June, 1844
Various

In 1617 he went with the king to Scotland, and aroused hostility by wearing the surplice.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 3
Various

He returned the bottle to his pocket, and went to the vestry for his surplice.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood

I myself have known parishes in the mountains where the surplice fees were worth more than that of many town livings.
The Red and the Black
Stendhal

The old reprobate with the surplice burst into a volley of bad language.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle

It’s a good thing clergymen wear a surplice, for I am sure he never could tell whether he was decent or not.
A Little Girl in Old Washington
Amanda M. Douglas

An acolyte appeared, followed by the aged priest in his surplice.
Original Short Stories, Volume 12 (of 13)
Guy de Maupassant

Anagram

slurp ice
slicer up
I scruple
cure lisp

11 May 2017

Gordian

[gawr-dee-uh n]

adjective

1. pertaining to Gordius, ancient king of Phrygia, who tied a knot (the Gordian knot) that, according to prophecy, was to be undone only by the person who was to rule Asia, and that was cut, rather than untied, by Alexander the Great.
2. resembling the Gordian knot in intricacy.
Idioms
3. cut the Gordian knot, to act quickly and decisively in a difficult situation; solve a problem boldly.

Origin of Gordian

Latin Greek
1555-1565; Latin Gordi(us) (Greek Górdios Gordius) + -an

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Gordian

Contemporary Examples

Berlusconi, it is true, did not cut this Gordian knot, but neither did he tie it in the first place.
Berlusconi Exits, and an Era of Sexist Buffoonery Is Over
Lawrence Osborne
November 16, 2011

Of course, if we can mix our classical references, Russia has its Sword of Damocles to cut this Gordian Knot.
Ravenous Russia? Thirsty Crimea.
Oleg Shynkarenko, Will Cathcart
May 3, 2014

Entwined within this Gordian knot is a truth so terrible as to be rarely spoken.
Obama’s Historic Mideast Gamble
Leslie H. Gelb
May 20, 2011

Historical Examples

It was she who invented the short cut, who severed the Gordian knot.
The Aspern Papers
Henry James

“I have something to tell you,” he says, cutting the Gordian knot at a clean stroke.
Floyd Grandon’s Honor
Amanda Minnie Douglas

The Bishop cut the Gordian knot for her by ordering all seculars to be turned out of the dorter.
Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535
Eileen Edna Power

“Well, I have cut the Gordian knot,” 262 continued Marmaduke.
Ladies-In-Waiting
Kate Douglas Wiggin

But Washington did not hesitate a moment to cut this Gordian knot.
Who was the Commander at Bunker Hill?
Samuel Swett

One or several must act as did Alexander the Great when he cut the Gordian knot.
Peking Dust
Ellen N. La Motte

What a deliverer was therefore the stern Crete-bound veteran, who cut the Gordian knot of enchantment with, “Pack and begone.”
From the Oak to the Olive
Julia Ward Howe

Anagram

I Dragon
Rain God
iron dag
ion drag

10 May 2017

feculent

[fek-yuh-luh nt]

adjective

1. full of dregs or fecal matter; foul, turbid, or muddy.

Origin of feculent

late Middle English Latin

1425-1475; late Middle English; Latin faeculentus full of dregs. See feces, -ulent

Related forms

feculence, noun
Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for feculent

Historical Examples

In due time he was dragged across, half strangled, and dreadfully beslubbered by the feculent waters.
Fantastic Fables
Ambrose Bierce

Our light showed no tokens of a feculent or corrupted atmosphere.
A Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland
Samuel Johnson

Flowers of a fœtid or feculent odor, hermaphrodite, in compound racemes.
The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
T. H. Pardo de Tavera

Anagram

clef tune
flue cent

9 May 2017

clinker(1)

[kling-ker]

noun

1. a mass of incombustible matter fused together, as in the burning of coal.
2. a hard Dutch brick, used especially for paving.
3. a partially vitrified mass of brick.
4. the scale of oxide formed on iron during forging.
5. Geology. a mass of vitrified material ejected from a volcano.
verb (used without object)
6. to form clinkers in burning.

Origin of clinker(1)

Dutch

1635-1645 First recorded in 1635-45, clinker is from the Dutch word klinker kind of brick, slag

clinker(2)

[kling-ker]

noun

1. a person or thing that clinks.

Origin

First recorded in 1680-90; clink1+ -er1

clinker(3)

[kling-ker]

noun, Slang.

1. a wrong note in a musical performance.
2. any mistake or error.
3. something that is a failure; a product of inferior quality.
4. British. someone or something wonderful or exceedingly well-liked.

Origin

First recorded in 1830-40; special use of clinker(2)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for clinker Expand

Historical Examples

They, the clinker canoes, are easily tightened when they spring a leak through being rattled over stones in rapids.
Woodcraft and Camping
George Washington Sears (Nessmuk)

“I thought it looked too easy,” I sighed, waiting for the clinker.
Double or Nothing
Jack Sharkey

The ‘King’s Fisher,’ (p. 153) as the sketch shows, was clinker built.
Yachting Vol. 2
Various.

Then pull forward a second portion of the fire, and spread it on the bars, removing the clinker as before.
Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II
Joshua Rose

He examined this ” clinker ” after it cooled, and it interested him.
Earth and Sky Every Child Should Know
Julia Ellen Rogers

Anagram

crinkle
in clerk

8 May 2017

Eurocrat

[yoo r-uh-krat, yur-]

noun

1. a member of the executive and technical staff at the headquarters of the European Common Market.

Origin of Eurocrat

1960-1965; Euro- + -crat

Related forms

Eurocratic, adjective

Dictionary.com

race tour
car route

7 May 2017

orangery

[awr-inj-ree, or-]

noun, plural orangeries.

1. a warm place, as a greenhouse, in which orange trees are cultivated in cool climates.

Origin of orangery

French

1655-1665; < French orangerie, equivalent to orang(er) orange tree (derivative of orange orange ) + -erie -ery

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for orangery

Historical Examples

The orangery door was battered down with the butts of muskets.
The Sword of Honor, volumes 1 & 2
Eugne Sue

The orangery, which was at the other end, led by a covered way to the outhouses of the chateau.
Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert

They have saved enough by us for their coffee at the orangery.
The March Family Trilogy, Complete
William Dean Howells

There is a grand conservatory, containing a palm-house and orangery.
England, Picturesque and Descriptive
Joel Cook

He had even his own entrance through a small door in one corner of the orangery.
A Set of Six
Joseph Conrad

Make a wide circuit to the orangery and have a glib excuse if you are met.
he Mercenary
W. J. Eccott

“Take me into the orangery ; I want to speak to you,” said Violet, laying her hand on his sleeve.
A Traitor’s Wooing
Headon Hill

Yes, you really ought to see the orangery and the Elizabethan garden, Mr. Blair.
Lyre and Lancet
F. Anstey

I am glad to think that some day the orangery will have so worthy a mistress.
With Lee in Virginia
G. A. Henty

He took from his room the bouquet holder and hastened to the orangery to the gardener.
The Precipice
Ivan Goncharov

Anagram

no grayer
near gyro
angry ore

6 May 2017

flannel

[flan-l]

noun

1. nonsense, humbug, empty talk (The convention was more flannel than substance).
2. flattery, insincere or overdone praise. (His incessant flannel was wearing thin on her).
3. a soft, slightly napped fabric of wool or wool and another fiber, used for trousers, jackets, shirts, etc.
4. a soft, warm, light fabric of cotton or cotton and another fiber, thickly napped on one side and used for sleepwear, undergarments, sheets, etc.
5. flannels.
an outer garment, especially trousers, made of flannel.
woolen undergarments.
6. British.
a washcloth.
7. to cover or clothe with flannel.

Origin of flannel

Middle English Welsh
1300-1350; Middle English flaunneol, perhaps dissimilated variant of flanyn sackcloth < Welsh; compare Welsh gwlanen woolen article, equivalent to gwlân wool (akin to Latin lāna) + -en suffix denoting a single item (as a piece of a mass noun or singular of a collective plural)

Dictionary.com

5 May 2017

miscegenation

[mi-sej-uh-ney-shuh n, mis-i-juh-]

noun

1. marriage or cohabitation between two people from different racial groups, especially, in the U.S., between a black person and a white person:
In 1968 the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that state laws prohibiting miscegenation were unconstitutional.
2. sexual relations between two people from different racial backgrounds that results in the conception of a mixed-race child.

Origin of miscegenation

Latin irregular < Latin miscē(re) to mix + gen(us) race, stock, species + -ation; allegedly coined by U.S. journalist David Goodman Croly (1829-89) in a pamphlet published anonymously in 1864

Related forms

miscegenetic [mis-i-juh-net-ik, mi-sej-uh-], adjective
antimiscegenation, noun, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for miscegenation

Contemporary Examples

The major theme defining our new American century is miscegenation.
George Zimmerman, Hispanics, and the Messy Nature of American Identity
Ilan Stavans
April 5, 2012

Yes, he does say something about American society, which so frowned on miscegenation in the 1870s.
The Man Who Made America: Simone Winchester Talks New Book
Eric Herschthal
October 16, 2013

The miscegenation Ball was an exception in its otherwise bland, though proficient, catalog.
How a Racist Newspaper Defeated Lincoln in New York in the 1864 Election
Harold Holzer
May 1, 2013

Anagram

ace moistening
canoeing times
mace ingestion
casino meeting
meanie costing
nicotine games
teasing income

4 May 2017

cavil

[kav-uh l]

verb (used without object), caviled, caviling or (especially British) cavilled, cavilling.

1. to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at or about):
He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.
verb (used with object), caviled, caviling or (especially British) cavilled, cavilling.
2.to oppose by inconsequential, frivolous, or sham objections:
to cavil each item of a proposed agenda.
noun
3. a trivial and annoying objection.
4. the raising of such objections.

Origin of brad
Middle English Old Norse late Middle English
1425-1475; late Middle English brad, dialectal variant of Middle English brod(d) sprout, shoot, nail; Old Norse braddr, cognate with Old English brord spike (see braird )

2 May 2017

trompe l’oeil

[French trawnp lœ-yuh; English trawmp ley, loi]

noun

1. visual deception, especially in paintings, in which objects are rendered in extremely fine detail emphasizing the illusion of tactile and spatial qualities.
2. a painting, mural, or panel of wallpaper designed to create such an effect.

Origin of trompe l’oeil

1895-1900; French: literally, (it) fools the eye

noun (pl) trompe l’oeils (trɔ̃p lœj)

1. a painting or decoration giving a convincing illusion of reality
2. an effect of this kind

Word Origin

Dictionary.com

Definition of trompe l’oeil

1 : a style of painting in which objects are depicted with photographically realistic detail; also : the use of similar technique in interior decorating
2 : a trompe l’oeil painting or effect
3 : something that misleads or deceives the senses

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Anagram

too impeller
reptile loom
roll epitome
Mr elite loop

1 May 2017

appellation

[ap-uh-ley-shuh n]

noun

1. a name, title, or designation.
2. appellative (def 1).
3. the act of naming.

Origin of appellation

late Middle English Old French Latin
1400-1450; late Middle English appelacion < Old French < Latin appellātiōn- (stem of appellātiō) a naming, equivalent to appellāt (us) (see appellate ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

misappellation, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for appellation

Contemporary Examples

I will not recruit others to that evil cause by using that appellation —unless it is well-deserved.
Seeking A Realistic Mature Discussion About “Settlements”
Gil Troy
February 6, 2013

In the U.S. the equivalent of an appellation is called an American Viticultural Area.
Napa’s Earthquake Is Not The Only Thing Shaking The Vineyards
Clive Irving
August 30, 2014

Maybe then Napa and Sonoma could get the chops to design an appellation regime of integrity.
Napa’s Earthquake Is Not The Only Thing Shaking The Vineyards
Clive Irving
August 30, 2014

They loved to derisively call him the “genius,” as if it were an appellation that La Russa had given himself.
The Strange Genius of Tony La Russa
Buzz Bissinger
October 31, 2011

Name Synonyms;
reputation, title, appellation, denomination, repute.
Rogue L.A. Cop’s Facebook Manifesto: ‘You Will Now Live the Life of Prey’
The Daily Beast
February 7, 2013

Historical Examples

He had received the appellation of Firme F, was revered as a saint, and people ascribed marvellous healing power to his tomb.
Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ
Rev. A. Bernstein, B.D.

Mrs. Vidoux—such was the appellation of this woman—was not attractive.
The Silver Lining
John Roussel

This extraordinary man is justly entitled to the appellation of “the father of experimental philosophy.”
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology
Joel Munsell

They had never heard the appellation applied to me by any man.
Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay
George Otto Trevelyan

The appellation ‘Mr.’ was not used loosely then as now, but indicated a precise social grade.
A Life of William Shakespeare
Sidney Lee

Anagram

Alien Laptop
Pallet Piano
pinto paella
A Nepal pilot

Leave a Reply