November 2013 WOTDs

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30 November 2013

deleterious

[del-i-teer-ee-uhs]

1. injurious to health: deleterious gases.
2. harmful; injurious: deleterious influences.

Origin:

1635–45; < Greek dēlētḗrios destructive, adj. derivative of dēlētḗr destroyer, equivalent to dēlē- variant stem of dēleîsthai to hurt, injure + -tēr agent suffix + -ios adj. suffix; see -ious

Related forms
del·e·te·ri·ous·ly, adverb
del·e·te·ri·ous·ness, noun
non·del·e·te·ri·ous, adjective
non·del·e·te·ri·ous·ly, adverb
non·del·e·te·ri·ous·ness, noun

Synonyms
2. pernicious, hurtful, destructive; noxious.

Antonyms
2. beneficial.

29 November 2013

retrobate

[re-truh-beyt]

noun

– a person living in the past, who shuns the latest technology. E.g. He is such a retrobate, he hasn’t ever used a computer and has no idea what an iPad is.

28 November 2013

reprobate

[rep-ruh-beyt]

noun, adjective, verb, rep·ro·bat·ed, rep·ro·bat·ing.

noun

1. a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person: a drunken reprobate.
2. a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation.
adjective
3. morally depraved; unprincipled; bad.
4. rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation.
verb (used with object)
5. to disapprove, condemn, or censure.
6. (of God) to reject (a person), as for sin; exclude from the number of the elect or from salvation.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English reprobaten < Latin reprobātus; past participle of reprobāre to reprove

Related forms
rep·ro·ba·cy [rep-ruh-buh-see] Show IPA , rep·ro·bate·ness, noun
rep·ro·bat·er, noun
un·rep·ro·bat·ed, adjective

Synonyms
1. tramp, scoundrel, wastrel, miscreant, wretch, rascal, cad, rogue. 2. outcast, pariah. 3. wicked, sinful, evil, corrupt. 5. reprehend, blame, rebuke, reprove.

27 November 2013

adduce

[uh-doos, uh-dyoos]

verb (used with object), ad·duced, ad·duc·ing.

– to bring forward in argument or as evidence; cite as pertinent or conclusive: to adduce reasons in support of a constitutional amendment.

Origin:
1610–20; < Latin addūcere to bring into, equivalent to ad- ad- + dūcere to lead

Related forms
ad·duce·a·ble, ad·duc·i·ble, adjective
ad·duc·er, noun
un·ad·duce·a·ble, adjective
un·ad·duced, adjective
un·ad·duc·i·ble, adjective

Can be confused: adduce, deduce, induce.

26 November 2013

assuage

[uh-sweyj, uh-sweyzh]

verb (used with object), as·suaged, as·suag·ing.

1. to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: to assuage one’s grief; to assuage one’s pain.
2. to appease; satisfy; allay; relieve: to assuage one’s hunger.
3. to soothe, calm, or mollify: to assuage his fears; to assuage her anger.

Origin:

1250–1300; Middle English aswagen < Old French asouagier < Vulgar Latin *assuāviāre, equivalent to Latin as- as- + -suāviāre, verbal derivative of Latin suāvis agreeable to the taste, pleasant (cf. suave; akin to sweet)

Related forms
as·suage·ment, noun
as·suag·er, noun
un·as·suaged, adjective
un·as·suag·ing, adjective

Synonyms
1. alleviate, lessen.

Antonyms
intensify.

25 November 2013

adscititious

[ad-si-tish-uhs]

adjective

– added or derived from an external source; additional.

Origin:
1610–20; < Latin a ( d ) scīt ( us ) derived, assumed, foreign (past participle of a ( d ) scīscī ), equivalent to ad- ad- + scī- (stem of scīre to know) + -tus past participle suffix + -itious

Related forms
ad·sci·ti·tious·ly, adverb

24 November 2013

conurbation

[kon-er-bey-shuhn]

noun

– an extensive urban area resulting from the expansion of several cities or towns so that they coalesce but usually retain their separate identities. Example: A conurbation of cities.

Origin:
1910–15; con- + Latin urb- (stem of urbs ) city + -ation

23 November 2013

nascent

[nas-uhnt, ney-suhnt]

adjective

1. beginning to exist or develop: the nascent republic.
2. Chemistry . (of an element) in the nascent state.

Origin:
1615–25; < Latin nāscent- (stem of nāscēns ), present participle of nāscī to be born, arise, equivalent to nā ( tus ) born (variant of gnātus ) + -sc- inchoative suffix + -ent- -ent

Related forms
nas·cence, nas·cen·cy, noun
un·nas·cent, adjective

22 November 2013

judicious

[joo-dish-uhs]

adjective

1. using or showing judgment as to action or practical expediency; discreet, prudent, or politic: judicious use of one’s money.
2. having, exercising, or characterized by good or discriminating judgment; wise, sensible, or well-advised: a judicious selection of documents.
Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin jūdici ( um ) judgment (see judge, -ium) + -ous; compare Italian giudizioso, French judicieux

Related forms
ju·di·cious·ly, adverb
ju·di·cious·ness, noun
o·ver·ju·di·cious, adjective
o·ver·ju·di·cious·ly, adverb
o·ver·ju·di·cious·ness, noun

Can be confused: judicial, judiciary, judicious

Synonyms
1. See practical. 1, 2. See moderate. 2. rational, reasonable, sober, sound, sagacious, enlightened, considered. Judicious, judicial both refer to a balanced and wise judgment. Judicious implies the possession and use of discerning and discriminating judgment: a judicious use of one’s time. Judicial has connotations of judgments made in a courtroom and refers to a fair and impartial kind of judgment: cool and judicial in examining the facts.

Antonyms
1. imprudent. 2. silly, unreasonable.

21 November 2013

huzzah

[huh-zah]

interjection
1. (used as an exclamation of joy, applause, appreciation, etc.) hurrah!
noun
2. the exclamation “huzzah.”
3. an instance of giving praise or applause; accolade: The newspaper’s review was one big huzzah for the new movie.
verb (used without object)
4. to shout “huzzah.”
verb (used with object)
5. to salute with huzzahs.
6. an archaic word for hurrah
Also, huz·za.

Origin:
1565–75; variant of earlier hussa, hissa sailors’ cry; see hoise

Related forms
un·huz·zahed, adjective

20 November 2013

arraign

[uh-reyn]

verb (used with object)

1. to call or bring before a court to answer to an indictment. ‘he was arraigned’.
2. to accuse or charge in general; criticize adversely; censure.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English arainen < Anglo-French arainer, Old French araisnier, equivalent to a- a-5 + raisnier < Vulgar Latin *ratiōnāre to talk, reason; see ratio

Related forms
ar·raign·er, noun
un·ar·raigned, adjective

19 November 2013

craven

[krey-vuhn]

adjective

1. cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous. For example, ‘The craven manager capitaluted’.
noun
2. a coward.
verb (used with object)
3. to make cowardly.
Idioms
4. cry craven, to yield; capitulate; give up.
Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English cravant, cravaunde defeated < Old French craventé, past participle of cravanter to crush, overwhelm (< Vulgar Latin *crepantāre ), influenced by Middle English creaunt defeated (see recreant)

Related forms
cra·ven·ly, adverb
cra·ven·ness, noun
un·cra·ven, adjective

Synonyms
1. dastardly, fearful, timorous.

18 November 2013

furfuraceous

[fur-fyuh-rey-shuhs, -fuh-]

adjective

1. of or containing bran
2. resembling bran; branlike.
3. scaly; scurfy.
4. resembling dandruff
Origin:
1640–50; < Late Latin furfurāceus. See furfur, -aceous

Related forms
fur·fu·ra·ceous·ly, adverb

Example:

‘I met quite a number of composers who were frankly flaky, or furfuraceous, to use a more elegant term’.

– Nicolas Slonimsky
Musings of a Musical Mind
Los Angeles Times, 27 March 1988

 

17 November 2013

wizened

[wiz-uhnd; wee-zuhnd]

adjective

– withered; shriveled: a wizened old man; wizened features.
Origin:
1505–15; wizen + -ed2

Dictionary.com Unabridged

wiz·en [wiz-uhn; wee-zuhn] British Dialect .

verb (used without object), verb (used with object)

1. to wither; shrivel; dry up.

adjective
2. wizened.

Origin:
before 900; (v.) Middle English wisenen, Old English wisnian; cognate with Old Norse visna to wither; (adj.) shortened form of wizened

16 November 2013

contumely

[kon-too-muh-lee, -tyoo-; kuhn-too-muh-lee, -tyoo-; kon-tuhm-lee, -tyoom, -chuhm]
noun, plural con·tu·me·lies.
1. insulting display of contempt in words or actions; contemptuous or humiliating treatment.
2. a humiliating insult.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English contumelie (< Anglo-French ) < Latin contumēlia, perhaps akin to contumāx (see contumacy), though formation and sense development are unclear

Related forms
con·tu·me·li·ous [kon-too-mee-lee-uhs, -tyoo-] Show IPA , adjective
con·tu·me·li·ous·ly, adverb
con·tu·me·li·ous·ness, noun

Synonyms
1. abuse, scorn, disdain, rudeness.

15 November 2013

solipsism

[sol-ip-siz-uhm]
noun

1. Philosophy. the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist. The extreme form of scepticism which denies the possibility of any knowledge other than of one’s own existence
2. extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one’s feelings, desires, etc.; egoistic self-absorption.

Example:

Avoiding solipsism requires that we assign consciousness (or reality) to everyone we could meet who is sufficiently similar to ourselves.

Origin:
1880–85; sol(i)-1 + Latin ips ( e ) self + -ism

Related forms
sol·ip·sis·mal, adjective
sol·ip·sist, noun, adjective
sol·ip·sis·tic [sol-ip-sis-tik]  adjective

Can be confused: solecism, solipsism.

14 November 2013

nillionaire

Person without any money of their own.
He looks rich but it’s all borrowed and his bank account is nil, he’s a nillionaire.

Everything’s in his wife’s name, he’s just a nillionaire.

(Courtesy of urban dictionary).

13 November 2013

instauration

[in-staw-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. renewal; restoration; renovation; repair.
2. Obsolete . an act of instituting something; establishment.

Origin:
1595–1605; < Latin instaurātiōn- (stem of instaurātiō ) a renewing, repeating. See in-2 , store, -ation

Related forms
in·stau·ra·tor [in-staw-rey-ter] noun

12 November 2013

valediction

[val-i-dik-shuhn]

noun

1. an act of bidding farewell or taking leave.
2. an utterance, oration, or the like, given in bidding farewell or taking leave; valedictory.

Origin:

1605–15; < Latin valedictiōn- (stem of valedictiō ), equivalent to valedict ( us ), past participle of valedīcere ( vale farewell + dictus, past participle of dīcere to say) + -iōn- -ion

11 November 2013

analogous

[uh-nal-uh-guhs]

adjective

1. having analogy; corresponding in some particular: A brain and a computer are analogous.
2. Biology . corresponding in function, but not evolved from corresponding organs, as the wings of a bee and those of a hummingbird.

Origin:

1640–50; < Latin analogus < Greek análogos proportionate, equivalent to ana- ana- + lóg ( os ) ratio + -os adj. suffix; see -ous

Related forms
a·nal·o·gous·ly, adverb
a·nal·o·gous·ness, noun
non·a·nal·o·gous, adjective
non·a·nal·o·gous·ly, adverb
non·a·nal·o·gous·ness, noun

10 November 2013

smellfungus

[smel-FUNG-uhs]

noun

– A habitual faultfinder or complainer.

ETYMOLOGY:
After Smelfungus, a hypercritical character in Laurence Sterne’s 1768 novel, A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy. Earliest documented use: 1807.

NOTES:
Novelist Laurence Sterne modeled his character Smelfungus after traveler and author Tobias Smollett who complained about almost everything in his 1766 travel book Travels through France and Italy. Here’s how Sterne describes Smelfungus:
“The learned Smelfungus travelled from Boulogne to Paris, from Paris to Rome, and so on; but he set out with the spleen and jaundice, and every object he pass’d by was discoloured or distorted. He wrote an account of them, but ’twas nothing but the account of his miserable feelings.”

USAGE:
“And a couple of smellfungus from the Official Paper … carped that Issel chose to jump when the schedule reached its toughest stretch.”
Paige Woody; Issel is the Wrong Scapegoat in Nuggets’ Mess; Denver Post; Feb 13, 1995.

9 November 2013

hypocorism

[hahy-pok-uh-riz-uhm, hi-]

noun

1. a pet name.
2. the practice of using a pet name, ‘their new boss was prone to hypocorism’.
3. the use of forms of speech imitative of baby talk, especially by an adult, ‘the young couple’s public hypocorism, embarrassed and sickened their friends’.

Origin:
1840–50; < Greek hypokórisma pet name. See hypocoristic, -ism

8 November 2013

blasé

[blah-zey, blah-zey; French bla-zey]

adjective

– indifferent to or bored with life; unimpressed, as or as if from an excess of worldly pleasures.
Origin:
1810–20; < French, past participle of blaser to cloy, sicken from surfeit, perhaps < Dutch blasen to blow; see blast

Synonyms
apathetic, jaded, cloyed, sated, glutted, surfeited, world-weary.

 

7 November 2013

elucidate

[ih-loo-si-deyt]

verb, e·lu·ci·dat·ed, e·lu·ci·dat·ing.

verb (used with object)

1. to make lucid or clear; throw light upon; explain: an explanation that elucidated his recent strange behavior. Synonyms: clarify, illuminate.
verb (used without object)
2. to provide clarification; explain. Synonyms: clarify, clear up, illustrate.
Origin:
1560–70; < Late Latin ēlūcidātus (past participle of ēlūcidāre ) enlightened, equivalent to ē- e-1 + lūcid ( us ) lucid + -ātus -ate1

Related forms
e·lu·ci·da·tion, noun
e·lu·ci·da·tive, adjective
e·lu·ci·da·tor, noun
non·e·lu·ci·dat·ing, adjective
non·e·lu·ci·da·tion, noun

6 November 2018

neurosis

[noo-roh-sis, nyoo-]

noun, plural neu·ro·ses [noo-roh-seez, nyoo-] Show IPA . Psychiatry.

1. Also called psychoneurosis. a functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical complaints without objective evidence of disease, in various degrees and patterns, dominate the personality.
2. a relatively mild personality disorder typified by excessive anxiety or indecision and a degree of social or interpersonal maladjustment.
Origin:
1770–80; < Neo-Latin; see neur-, -osis

Neurotic:

adjective – 1. of, relating to, or afflicted by neurosis

noun – 2. a person who is afflicted with a neurosis or who tends to be emotionally unstable or unusually anxious

5 November 2013

wager

[wey-jer]

noun

1. something risked or staked on an uncertain event; bet: to place a wager on a soccer match.
2. the act of betting.
3. the subject or terms of a bet.
4. Early English Law. a pledge to make good one’s cause by the supporting oaths of others or by battle.
verb (used with object)
5. to risk (something) on the outcome of a contest or any uncertain event or matter; bet.
6. History/Historical . to pledge oneself to (battle) for the decision of a cause.

4 November 2013

savoir-faire

[sav-wahr-fair; French sa-vwar-fer]
noun

– knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact.

Origin:
1805–15; < French: literally, knowing how to do

Synonyms
adaptability, adroitness, diplomacy, discernment, skill, ability.

3 November 2013

mutable

[myoo-tuh-buhl]

adjective

1. liable or subject to change or alteration
2. given to changing; constantly changing; fickle or inconstant: the mutable ways of fortune.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin mūtābilis, equivalent to mūtā ( re ) to change + -bilis -ble

Related forms
mu·ta·bil·i·ty, mu·ta·ble·ness, noun
mu·ta·bly, adverb
hy·per·mu·ta·bil·i·ty, noun
hy·per·mu·ta·ble, adjective
hy·per·mu·ta·ble·ness, noun

Synonyms
1. changeable, variable. 2. unstable, vacillating, unsettled, wavering, unsteady.

Antonyms
2. stable.

2 November 2013

portmanteau

[pawrt-man-toh, pohrt-; pawrt-man-toh, pohrt-]

noun, plural port·man·teaus, port·man·teaux [-tohz, -toh, -tohz, -toh] . Chiefly British .

1. a case or bag to carry clothing in while traveling, especially a leather trunk or suitcase that opens into two halves.

2. ( modifier ) embodying several uses or qualities: the heroine is a portmanteau figure of all the virtues

3. a combination of two or more words or morphemes. Some examples include:
– smog (combining smoke and fog)
– spam (combining spiced ham)
– Brangelina (combining Brad and Angelina)
– affluenza (combining affluence and influenza)
– chillax (combining chill and relax).

Origin:

1575–85; < French portemanteau literally, (it) carries (the) cloak; mantle

1 November 2013

recidivism

[ri-sid-uh-viz-uhm]

noun

1. repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime. e.g. ‘Institutionalised criminals show a high rate of recidivism’.
2. Psychiatry. the chronic tendency toward repetition of criminal or antisocial behavior patterns.
Origin:
1885–90; < Latin recidīv ( us ) relapsing ( recid ( ere ) to fall back ( re- re- + -cidere, combining form of cadere to fall) + -īvus -ive) + -ism

Related forms
re·cid·i·vist, noun, adjective
re·cid·i·vis·tic, re·cid·i·vous, adjective

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