November 2016 – WOTDs

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November 2016 – WOTDs

30 November 2016

ungulate

[uhng-gyuh-lit, -leyt]

adjective

1. having hoofs.
2. belonging or pertaining to the Ungulata, a former order of all hoofed mammals, now divided into the odd-toed perissodactyls and even-toed artiodactyls.
3. hooflike.
noun
4. a hoofed mammal.

Origin of ungulate

Late Latin

1795-1805; < Late Latin ungulātus having claws or hoofs. See ungula, -ate1

Related forms

interungulate, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ungulate

Historical Examples

Their structure proclaims these two divisions to be of ancient descent, and not to be modern twigs of the ungulate stem.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia
Frank Evers Beddard

The humerus resembles that of a Carnivore rather than that of an ungulate.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia
Frank Evers Beddard

The existence of the three horns covered with unaltered skin is the main characteristic of this ungulate.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia
Frank Evers Beddard

But this suggestion of an ungulate affinity can hardly be accepted.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia
Frank Evers Beddard

The only skull of a fossil lemuroid which he described (namely, Adapis) he declared to be that of an ungulate.
The Last Link
Ernst Haeckel

An ungulate is essentially a running animal, and has no need of a grasping finger.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia
Frank Evers Beddard

This species is the most conspicuous (and possibly the most abundant) ungulate in Harding County.
Mammals of Northwestern South Dakota
Kenneth W. Andersen

They are described as combining the head and claws of a bear with the teeth of a rodent and the general characters of an ungulate.
The Story of Evolution
Joseph McCabe

No one will deny that the Hipparion is intermediate between the existing horse and certain other ungulate forms.
On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin

Quadrupeds he was the first to divide into ungulate and unguiculate, hoofed and clawed, having himself invented the Latin words.
Introduction to the Literature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries, Vol. 2
Henry Hallam

Anagram

aunt glue
tune a lug

29 November 2016

roc

[rok]

noun, Arabian Mythology.

1. a bird of enormous size and strength.

Origin of roc

Persian, Arabic

1570-1580; < Arabic rukhkh, probably < Persian rukh; see rook2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for roc

Contemporary Examples

Watch Jay-Z’s ” roc Boys (And The Winner Is)…” music video.
A Baby Boomer’s Guide to Jay-Z
Peter Lauria
November 13, 2010

roc Nation did not respond to multiple requests to confirm that they had signed the rapper to their label.
Politician Scores Rapper Endorsement, Prostitution Problems Follow
Ben Jacobs
June 11, 2014

A roc hester ( roc) passenger approached a ticket counter to check in and stated to the ticket agent that he had a bomb in his bag.
The TSA’s Insane Instagram Feed
Nina Strochlic
July 13, 2014

Anagram

orc

28 November 2016

Chapman stick

[chap muhn stik]

noun

1. an electronically amplified musical instrument with ten or twelve strings and a fretted neck, which is played by striking the strings against the frets with the fingers Often shortened to Stick

Word Origin

– named after its inventor, Emmett H. Chapman (born 1936), US guitarist
Collins English Dictionary –

Example

The busker was playing a Chapman stick.

Anagram

pitchman cask
catch an skimp
camp tin shack

27 November 2016

Baader-Meinhof

[bahr-duh mahyn-hof]

noun

– otherwise known as frequency illusion, recency illusion or Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, occurs when one hears, sees or becomes aware of something for the first time and then sees that thing everywhere. It occurs because the brain gets stimulated by learning something new and sub-consciously seeks that thing out. As the thing is now noticed more than before, confirmation bias kicks in and one becomes convinced that they are seeing the thing more than before, even if it is only once or twice that they’ve noticed it.

Origin

Named after the West German terrorist group, the Baader-Meinhof gang, active in the 1970s. The St. Paul Minnesota Pioneer Press online commenting board was the unlikely source of the name. In 1994, a commenter dubbed the frequency illusion “the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon” after randomly hearing two references to Baader-Meinhof within 24 hours.

Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/baader-meinhof-phenomenon.htm

Example

I decided my new car would be a Nissan Micra and bada bing, bada boom, I experience Baader-Meinhof and see Micras everywhere.

Anagram

a bonehead firm
fine hem aboard
deem of Bahrain
hide barman foe

26 November 2016

candor

[kan-der]

noun

1. the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness:
The candor of the speech impressed the audience.
2. freedom from bias; fairness; impartiality:
to consider an issue with candor.
3. Obsolete. kindliness.
4. Obsolete. purity.

Also, especially British, candour.

Origin of candor

Middle English

1350-1400 (for sense “extreme whiteness”); Middle English < Latin: radiance, whiteness; see candid, -or1

Synonyms

2. openness, frankness, honesty, truthfulness.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for candor

Contemporary Examples

In its candor and detail regarding the mechanics of the Final Solution it changed the course of the trial.
Inside the Nazi Mind at the Nuremberg Trials
Thomas Harding
September 6, 2013

He really should have just taken charge of the moment there and shown some honesty and candor.
The Worst Thing Obama Has Ever Said
Michael Tomasky
May 29, 2012

As Phillips conveyed, in interviews so admirable for their candor, there is no right way to sort it out.
Philly Sportswriter Bill Conlin’s Shame: Accused of Child Molestation
Buzz Bissinger
December 21, 2011

Sheppard, who deserves an award for candor in this war on comedy, responded to my Tweet, “Is Tea Party shutting down comedy now?”
The Tea Party’s War on Comedy
Dean Obeidallah
October 23, 2013

Would the price of candor be as high as the White House has calculated?
Obama’s Secret Plan to Raise Taxes
Matt Miller
April 5, 2009

Historical Examples

Much perplexity in the marriage state often arises from want of candor.
Martine’s Hand-book of Etiquette, and Guide to True Politeness
Arthur Martine

She seemed like a little child to him, all innocence, and inexperience, and candor.
IT and Other Stories
Gouverneur Morris

My lack of confidence in your argument gives me perfect confidence in your candor.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 6 (of 12)
Robert G. Ingersoll

HE is not mercenary; he is all candor, innocence, generosity!
Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush
William Makepeace Thackeray

I trust it may have done so, but candor compels me to make this statement.
The Boston Terrier and All About It
Edward Axtell

Word Origin and History for candor

n.
“openness of mind, impartiality, frankness,” c.1600, from Latin candor “purity, openness,” originally “whiteness,” from candere “to shine, to be white” (see candle ). Borrowed earlier in English (c.1500) with the Latin literal sense “extreme whiteness.”

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

card on

25 November 2016

affinal

[a-fahyn-l, uh-fahyn-l, af-ahyn-l]

adjective

1. related by or concerning marriage.

Origin of affinal

Latin

1600-1610; < Latin affin (is) a relative + -al1. See affinity

Dictionary.com

Example

They also took affinal prohibitions very seriously
Cousin Marriage
Wikipedia

Anagram

Fa final
fan fail

24 November 2016

polygyny

[puh-lij-uh-nee]

noun

1. the practice or condition of having more than one wife at one time.
2. (among male animals) the habit or system of having two or more mates, either simultaneously or successively.
3. (among social insects) the condition of having two or more functioning queens in a colony.
4. Botany. the state or condition of having many pistils or styles.

Compare monogyny.

Origin of polygyny

Greek

1770-1780; < Greek polygýn (aios) having many wives (see poly-, gyn- ) + -y3

Can be confused

bigamy, polyandry, polygamy, polygyny.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for polygyny

Historical Examples

Thus, from whatever angle we view group-marriage, its polygyny and its polyandry seem to rest on monogamy.
Elements of Folk Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt

That polygyny is better than polyandry may be concluded from its effects.
The World’s Greatest Books–Volume 14–Philosophy and Economics
Various

But polygyny would condemn a great many men, and polyandry a great many women, to the celibacy of neglect.
Getting Married
George Bernard Shaw

It is obviously nothing but a combination of polyandry and polygyny.
Elements of Folk Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt

One agency that is particularly apt to bring about such a form of marriage, transitional between monogamy and polygyny, is war.
Elements of Folk Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt

Among them, polygyny, together with other practices, has been introduced.
Elements of Folk Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt

Apart from this the biological masculine traditions point to polygyny much more than the feminine traditions point to polyandry.
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 6 (of 6)
Havelock Ellis

This polygyny, in turn, also finally recedes in favour of monogamy.
Elements of Folk Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt

These deviations we found to be the two forms of polygamy—polyandry and polygyny.
Elements of Folk Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt

polygyny is the rule and each wife is regarded as adding dignity to the household.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 6
Various

23 November 2016

agnate

[ag-neyt]

noun

1. a relative whose connection is traceable exclusively through males.
2. any male relation on the father’s side.
adjective
3. related or akin through males or on the father’s side.
4. allied or akin.

Origin of agnate

Latin

1525-1535; < Latin agnātus paternal kinsman, variant of ad (g) nātus born to (past participle of adgnāscī), equivalent to ad- ad- + -gnā be born + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

agnatic [ag-nat-ik], agnatical, adjective
agnatically, adverb
agnation [ag-ney-shuh n] (Show IPA), noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for agnate

Historical Examples

If there were no children, then the inheritance passed to the agnatic kindred, and in default of the latter, to the gentiles.
Ancient Society
Lewis Henry Morgan

agnatic inheritance would be apt to assert itself in this condition of things.
Ancient Society
Lewis Henry Morgan

Whether the wife forfeited her agnatic rights by her marriage, as among the Romans, I am unable to state.
Ancient Society
Lewis Henry Morgan

The importance they attached to the agnatic family is largely explained by their ideas of the future life.
The Private Life of the Romans
Harold Whetstone Johnston

This practical limitation of the inheritance to the nearest gentile kin discloses the germ of agnatic inheritance.
Ancient Society
Lewis Henry Morgan

As they understood it, the pater familis had absolute power over his children and other agnatic descendants.
The Private Life of the Romans
Harold Whetstone Johnston

The gens is to be found in Greek and Roman history, where it is known as the agnatic kindred.
The Iowa
William Harvey Miner

Here again it will be convenient to employ the Roman terms, agnatic and Cognatic relationship.
Ancient Law
Sir Henry James Sumner Maine

The former case offends against the principle of agnatic organisation, the latter against the cognatic.
The Heroic Age
H. Munro Chadwick

It shows that property was hereditary in the gens, but restricted to the agnatic kindred in the female line.
Ancient Society
Lewis Henry Morgan

Anagram

age ant
tea nag

22 November 2016

churlish

[chur-lish]

adjective

1. like a churl; boorish; rude:
churlish behavior.
2. of a churl; peasantlike.
3. niggardly; mean.
4. difficult to work or deal with, as soil.

Origin of churlish

Middle English, Old English

1000, before 1000; Middle English cherlish, Old English ceorlisc. See churl, -ish1

Related forms

churlishly, adverb
churlishness, noun
unchurlish, adjective
unchurlishly, adverb
unchurlishness, noun

Synonyms Expan

1. coarse, uncouth, vulgar, loutish; ill-natured, uncivil.

Antonyms

1. courteous.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for churlish

Contemporary Examples

Petraeus, the long-suffering hero of the Surge, now transcends all but the most churlish criticisms.
Confirmation: The Easy Part
Ken Allard
June 28, 2010

His churlish attack created a media storm that the Republican Party got dragged into and which has hurt the image of the party.
The Real Problem with Sandra Fluke (Hint: It has Nothing to Do with her Sex Life)
Noah Kristula-Green
March 5, 2012

This is the thin-skinned Gucci model Franco who hurls tweeted insults with the churlish gusto of Kanye West.
The James Franco Backlash
Chris Lee
March 22, 2011

Historical Examples

His is no churlish spirit to turn away from the good things kind Heaven has provided for man.
Count Ulrich of Lindburg
W.H.G. Kingston

It would have been churlish and inexpedient after this to insist on further conversation.
“Unto Caesar”
Baroness Emmuska Orczy

A finer weapon wherewith to strike at a churlish world was never given into the hands of man.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta, Complete
George Meredith

He became the laughing-stock of the pueblo, and grew brutal and churlish accordingly.
An Eagle Flight
Jos Rizal

You thought me churlish, Kate, in my answer to your proposal to spend last winter with me?
Atlantic Monthly, Volume 2, Issue 10, August, 1858
Various

A churlish remark of one who thinks his company is not wanted.
The Proverbs of Scotland
Alexander Hislop

The bard was a freeman born, a skilled weaver of courteous phrases, not a churlish taeog.
A Short History of Wales
Owen M. Edwards

Anagram

rich lush

 

21 November 2016

exurb

[ek-serb, eg-zerb]

noun

1. a small, usually prosperous, community situated beyond the suburbs of a city.

Origin of exurb

1950-1955, Americanism; ex-1+ (sub)urb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for exurb

Contemporary Examples

Economically speaking, the Commonwealth of Virginia is rapidly becoming an exurb of the District of Columbia.
How the Sequester Will Harm Republican States
Daniel Gross
February 25, 2013

Word Origin and History for exurb Expand

n. “the outer, prosperous ring of the suburbs,” 1955, American English, from exurban (adj.), by 1838 (it seems to have arisen in the writings of the reform movement focused on getting cemeteries out of cities), from ex- + urban, on model of suburb. Related: Exurbanite ; exurbia.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

rub ex

20 November 2016

ignis fatuus

(or ignus fatuus)

noun

1. a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground

2. an illusion that misleads

Synonyms

apparition, chimera, false impression, misconception, fantasy, delusion, paramnesia, will-o’-the-wisp, mirage

Example

They trekked through the desert, following the distant shimmering water, not realising it was a mirage, an ignus fatuus that could prove deadly to their dehydrated bodies.

Anagram

a fusing suit
I gift USA sun

19 November 2016

paramnesia

[par-am-nee-zhuh]

noun

1. Psychiatry. a distortion of memory in which fact and fantasy are confused.
2. the inability to recall the correct meaning of a word.

Origin of paramnesia

1885-1890; < New Latin; see par-, amnesia

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for paramnesia

Historical Examples

Wigand and Maudsley think they see in paramnesia a simultaneous functioning of both relations.
Criminal Psychology
Hans Gross

Indeed, Krpelin asserts that paramnesia occurs only under normal circumstances.
Criminal Psychology
Hans Gross

It will perhaps be proper not to reduce all the phenomena of paramnesia to the same conditions.
Criminal Psychology
Hans Gross

Anagram

spare mania
Panama sire
Armenia asp
Asia arm pen
Iran mesa pa

18 November 2016

supposititious

[suh-poz-i-tish-uh s]

adjective

1. fraudulently substituted or pretended; spurious; not genuine.
2. hypothetical.

Origin of supposititious

Latin

1605-1615; < Latin suppositīcius, equivalent to supposit (us) (past participle of suppōnere; see supposition ) + -īcius -itious

Related forms

supposititiously, adverb
supposititiousness, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for supposititious

Historical Examples

The reputed date of 1600, which the supposititious justice of the peace had given it in the Theatrical Review, was now suppressed.
Shakespeare and the Modern Stage
Sir Sidney Lee

Chambers’s Encyclopdia rejects the work also as supposititious.
Catholic World, Vol. XIII, April to September, 1871
Various

He examined Mademoiselle Chichette and the supposititious outraged husband, who acted as if he wished to crawl under the table.
The Bashful Lover (Novels of Paul de Kock Volume XIX)
Charles Paul de Kock

Anagram

posit pious suit

17 November 2016

extrude

[ik-strood]

verb (used with object), extruded, extruding.

1. to thrust out; force or press out; expel:
to extrude molten rock.
2. to form (metal, plastic, etc.) with a desired cross section by forcing it through a die.
verb (used without object), extruded, extruding.
3. to protrude.
4. to be extruded:

This metal extrudes easily.

Origin of extrude

Latin
1560-1570; < Latin extrūdere to thrust out, drive out, equivalent to ex- ex-1+ trūdere to thrust, push

Related forms

extruder, noun
extrusible [ik-stroo-suh-buh l, -zuh-], extrudable, adjective
unextruded, adjective

Historical Examples

But he was not so absorbed in his self and his purpose as to extrude all thoughts of those who were dear to him.
Cleo The Magnificent
Louis Zangwill

He notes the familiar fact that the vine-stump absorbed water before it began to extrude it.
Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists
Various

Ye have power, it is true, to extrude me from this new world, but my presence will be a bane to you in the old.
The Knight of the Golden Melice
John Turvill Adams

Anagram

deer tux

16 November 2016

poignant

[poin-yuh nt, poi-nuh nt]

adjective

1. keenly distressing to the feelings:
poignant regret.
2. keen or strong in mental appeal:
a subject of poignant interest.
3. affecting or moving the emotions:
a poignant scene.
4. pungent to the smell:
poignant cooking odors.

Origin of poignant

Middle English, Middle French, Latin
1350-1400; Middle English poynaunt < Middle French poignant, present participle of poindre < Latin pungere to prick, pierce. See pungent, -ant

Related forms

poignantly, adverb
unpoignant, adjective
unpoignantly, adverb

Synonyms

1. intense, sincere, heartfelt. 4. piquant, sharp.

Antonyms

1, 2. mild.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for poignant

Contemporary Examples

Colbert has deftly hosted benefits and other shows and given hilarious and poignant commencement speeches.
Yes, Stephen Colbert Will Be Great as Host of CBS’s ‘Late Night’
Pete Dominick
April 9, 2014

Perhaps the most poignant parts of the film come when the parents enter the scene.
Models vs. Militants: Nisha Pahuja’s Film Shows Two Worlds of Indian Women
Abigail Pesta
May 4, 2012

A more memorable and poignant experience came shortly afterwards.
Is Nick Ziobro the Next Frank Sinatra?
Steve North
July 18, 2014

Cross did some of her best work on the show in the poignant scene in which she learns by telephone that Rex has died.
‘Desperate Housewives’: 12 Most-Memorable Moments
Maria Elena Fernandez
May 13, 2012

Historical Examples

Her mouth was stretched in a horrible grimace, so poignant was her feeling.
Coquette
Frank Swinnerton

I left school also—with a mixture of hope and elation, and yet the most poignant regret.
The Martian
George Du Maurier

Sisterly love, free solitude, unpraised creation, were to remain your most poignant joys.
Emily Bront
A. Mary F. (Agnes Mary Frances) Robinson

He looked at Grassette with a look of poignant pity and interest combined.
Northern Lights
Gilbert Parker

Anagram

no taping
ingot pan
pant go in

15 November 2016

leitmotif

[lahyt-moh-teef]

noun

1. a motif or theme associated throughout a music drama with a particular person, situation, or idea.

Origin of leitmotif

1875-1880; < German: leading motive

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for leitmotif

Contemporary Examples

The leitmotif of the new vogue in bad parenting is that keeping the marital buzz buzzing trumps the children.
How Bad Parenting Became Cool
Margaret Carlson
June 18, 2009

A leitmotif on journalism threads through this often-byzantine narrative.
How the ‘Witch Hunt’ Myth Undermined American Justice
Jason Berry
July 11, 2014

Historical Examples

It was what I had always called “Rosemary’s leitmotif,” expressed in perfume.
The Brightener
C. N. Williamson

He will come back, murmured Chavvy, in concordance with her leitmotif.
Twos and Threes
G. B. Stern

Here is the leitmotif of the whole fascinating drama of infection and immunity.
Preventable Diseases
Woods Hutchinson

“More work for the undertaker” should be the leitmotif of the evening’s fun.
Perfect Behavior
Donald Ogden Stewart

In her direct and genuine nature there is a ‘ leitmotif ‘ of pure sweet melody that will enrich the life of its discoverer.
Bee and Butterfly
Lucy Foster Madison

Indeed, they recur again and again, like a leitmotif in music, in everything he wrote.
The Social Significance of the Modern Drama
Emma Goldman

In these symphonic poems Liszt has made use of the principle of the leitmotif in orchestral music.
How to Appreciate Music
Gustav Kobb

His leitmotif in the music-play has been ‘See the Conquering Hero’ up to now; one isn’t sorry to see one’s sex avenged.
The Dop Doctor
Clotilde Inez Mary Graves

Anagram

omit filet
oft mile it
if it motel

14 November 2016

rankle

[rang-kuh l]

verb (used without object), rankled, rankling.

1. (of unpleasant feelings, experiences, etc.) to continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful.
verb (used with object), rankled, rankling.
2. to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in:
His colleague’s harsh criticism rankled him for days.

Origin of rankle

Middle English, Middle French, Old French, Late Latin
1250-1300; Middle English ranclen < Middle French rancler, Old French raoncler, variant of draoncler to fester, derivative of draoncle a sore < Late Latin dracunculus small serpent, diminutive of Latin dracō serpent; see dragon, carbuncle

Related forms

ranklingly, adverb
unrankled, adjective

Synonyms

1, 2. irritate, gall, chafe.
Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for rankle

Contemporary Examples

“Operation Fast and Furious” continues to rankle some Republicans.
The GOP Senate: A New Utopia Dawns
P. J. O’Rourke
November 7, 2014

Newcomers may rankle you at first, but these may be false starts to lifelong bonds.
Your Horoscopes
Starsky + Cox
May 20, 2011

Historical Examples

The much-vexed question of the Franchise continued to rankle in the hearts of the Uitlanders.
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 1 (of 6)
Louis Creswicke

There is no sting to rankle, now that hope—hope for my boy—has gone.
Shining Ferry
Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

Neither would, for a moment, think of allowing such incidents to rankle in his bosom.
The Wild Man of the West
R.M. Ballantyne

He has driven the arrow deep into her heart, and leaves it to rankle there.
The Death Shot
Mayne Reid

I am even fearful that it may swell and rankle to an alarming degree inwardly.
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb
Charles Lamb

With a morbid feeling of injured honour, he allowed it to rankle in his bosom.
Salt Water
W. H. G. Kingston

And then, above all, there was her presence, her monstrous intrusion to rankle in his mind.
The Man from Archangel
A. Conan Doyle

The blade is poisoned, dear, and the wound will rankle for a lifetime.’
Despair’s Last Journey
David Christie Murray

Anagram

elk ran

13 November 2016

mountebank

[moun-tuh-bangk]

noun

1. a person who sells quack medicines, as from a platform in public places, attracting and influencing an audience by tricks, storytelling, etc.
2. any charlatan or quack.
verb (used without object)
3. to act or operate as a mountebank.

Origin of mountebank

Middle French, Italian
1570-1580; (< Middle French) < Italian montimbanco one who climbs on a bench, equivalent to mont (are) to climb (see mount1) + -im-, variant of in on + banco bench (see bank2)

Related forms

mountebankery [moun-tuh-bangk-uh-ree], noun

Synonyms Expand

1. pitchman. 2. phony, pretender, fraud.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for mountebank Expand

Historical Examples

There was a mountebank conjurer seated on a table, performing all sorts of wonders before a gaping crowd.
John Deane of Nottingham
W.H.G. Kingston

But his natural gift was to be a mountebank, a clown, a circus Hercules.
Casa Braccio, Volumes 1 and 2 (of 2)
F. Marion Crawford

The one saw a mountebank and impostor—the other recognised a profound artist and an inspired prophet.
Ernest Maltravers, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

It was not of the least use to me that I knew he was not the illustrious general, but simply a mountebank.
A Day’s Ride
Charles James Lever

I feared the woman had no better thought than to make a mountebank of her child!
The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne

If I were a mountebank or a charlatan I would claim that it cures a hundred diseases.
The Gypsies
Charles G. Leland

He seemed a youthful Magian, and almost a mountebank together.
Pierre; or The Ambiguities
Herman Melville

You must often have had your head against this mountebank jacket of mine.
The Belovd Vagabond
William J. Locke

A little while since a mountebank pair called at St. Aliquis.
Life on a Mediaeval Barony
William Stearns Davis

“So this going about as a mountebank is only a masquerade,” she said, with a touch of scorn.
The Belovd Vagabond
William J. Locke

Anagram

butane monk
Amok Unbent
A Numb Token
Bake Tom Nun
untame knob

12 November 2016

pétanque

[pey-tahngk; French pe-tahnk]

noun

1. a form of lawn bowling originating in France, usually played on rough ground using steel balls.

Also called boule.

Origin of pétanque

French Provençal Latin
1950-1955; < French < Provençal pé foot (< Latin ped-, stem of pēs) + tanco post, stake (derivative of tancar to close, bar < Vulgar Latin *stanticāre; see stanch1); so called because the feet are to be planted firmly on the ground, as if staked, when the ball is released

Dictionary.com

Anagram

Queen Pat

11 November 2016

gravure

[gruh-vyoo r, grey-vyer]

noun

1. an intaglio process of photomechanical printing, such as photogravure or rotogravure.
2. a print produced by gravure.
3. the metal or wooden plate used in photogravure.

Origin of gravure

1875-1880; < French, equivalent to grav (er) to engrave < Germanic (see grave3) + -ure -ure

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for gravure

Historical Examples

By this means the ornament of the gravure is transferred to the roller composition.
The Progress of the Marbling Art
Josef Halfer

The engravers of the last century used to call it gravure en manière de crayon.
A Treatise on Etching
Maxime Lalanne

When this is done, the gravure can be rolled over by aid of this roller.
The Progress of the Marbling Art
Josef Halfer

He frequently decorated his flatware with a refined etching or gravure, his hollow ware with reeding.
Seaport in Virginia
Gay Montague Moore

4. Gravure idol

– A gravure idol (グラビアアイドル gurabia aidoru), often abbreviated to gradol (グラドル guradoru), is a Japanese female model who primarily models on magazines, photobooks or DVDs.

Example

Mika Hijii (肘井 美佳 Hijii Mika, born October 13, 1982 in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actress and gravure idol* best known for her role as Kaoru Mitsuki in the Garo series. She is also known in the western world for her role as Namiko Takeda in the 2009 martial arts film Ninja and its 2013 sequel Ninja: Shadow of a Tear.
Wikipedia.com

Anagram

rave rug

10 November 2016

intaglio

noun, plural intaglios Italian, intagli

[een-tah-lyee]

1. incised carving, as opposed to carving in relief.
2. ornamentation with a figure or design sunk below the surface.
3. a gem, seal, piece of jewelry, or the like, cut with an incised or sunken design.
4. an incised or countersunk die.
5. a figure or design so produced.
6. a process in which a design, text, etc., is engraved into the surface of a plate so that when ink is applied and the excess is wiped off, ink remains in the grooves and is transferred to paper in printing, as in engraving or etching.
7. an impression or printing from such a design, engraving, etc.
verb (used with object)
8. to incise or display in intaglio.

Origin of intaglio

1635-1645; < Italian, derivative of intagliare to cut in, engrave, equivalent to in- in-2+ tagliare to cut < Late Latin tāliāre, derivative of Latin tālea a cutting; see tally

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for intaglio

Historical Examples

Here we have an intaglio design which is prepared and prints white.
The Invention of Lithography
Alois Senefelder

I return to a strange perforated pebble, an intaglio from Dumbuck.
The Clyde Mystery
Andrew Lang

The intaglio was all to the Greek artist, and anything more was labor worse than wasted.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 18, No. 108, October, 1866
Various

The intaglio work on this side is not equal to that in cameo, on the other.
Scarabs
Isaac Myer

Among them are rock-crystal dishes several inches across, beautifully engraved in intaglio and mounted in silver with gems.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 2
Various

On the two sides of the intaglio are two names—Marin, Pixian.
Finger-Ring Lore
William Jones

intaglio and bas-relief often lend their help to the ornament.
A history of art in ancient Egypt, Vol. I (of 2)
Georges Perrot

intaglio, name given to a gem with a design incised in the surface.
The Nuttall Encyclopaedia
Edited by Rev. James Wood

All of these examined were found to be female dies, with the design in intaglio rather than in relief.
American Military Insignia 1800-1851
J. Duncan Campbell and Edgar M. Howell.

The machine for engraving a matrix in intaglio is operated in much the same manner as that for engraving a punch in relief.
The Building of a Book
Various

Anagram

giant oil
i lag into
tail go in

9 November 2016

pugree

[puhg-ree]

noun

1. a light turban worn in India.
2. a scarf of silk or cotton, usually colored or printed, wound round a hat or helmet and falling down behind as a protection against the sun.

Compare havelock.

Also, pugaree, puggaree.

Origin of pugree

Hindi

1655-1665; < Hindi pagṛī turban

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pugree

Historical Examples

She was dressed in white, and in the pugree of her helmet was the one touch of color, Rajah’s blue feather.
Parrot & Co.
Harold MacGrath

Anagram

rue pug

8 November 2016

unconscionable

[uhn-kon-shuh-nuh-buh l]

adjective

1. not guided by conscience; unscrupulous.
2. not in accordance with what is just or reasonable:
unconscionable behavior.
3. excessive; extortionate:
an unconscionable profit.

Origin of unconscionable

1555-1565; un-1+ conscionable

Related forms

unconscionability, noun
unconscionably, adverb

Synonyms

3. extreme, immoderate, unwarranted, inordinate.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for unconscionable

Contemporary Examples

This fallacy ignores history in such a blatant manner that it borders on the dangerously unwise if not the unconscionable.
Don’t Listen to Experts on Afghanistan
Masood Aziz
May 27, 2010

For many black Americans, the Zimmerman verdict was an unconscionable nightmare.
Why Do Black and White Americans See the Zimmerman Verdict So Differently?
Sophia A. Nelson
July 13, 2013

To win again would only be construed as an act of unconscionable hubris.
Don Draper Takes on Health Care
James P. Othmer
March 21, 2010

Anagram

conceal bunions
clone basic noun
nil bacon ounces

7 November 2016

aedicule

[ee-di-kyool, ed-i-]

noun

1. a small building.
2. a small construction, as a shrine, designed in the form of a building.

Also, aedicula, edicule.

Origin of aedicule

Latin

1825-35; < Latin aedicula, equivalent to aedi- (stem of aedēs) temple, shrine (akin to Greek aíthein to blaze, aithḗr bright upper sky, ether) + -cula -cule1

Dictionary.com

Example

The work is part of a historic renovation project to reinforce and preserve the Edicule, the chamber housing the cave where Jesus is said to have been entombed and resurrected.
Experts uncover hidden layers at ‘Tomb of Jesus’ site
ABC News
28 October 2016

Anagram

idea clue
a ice duel

6 November 2016

potagerie

noun

[poh-taj-er-ee]

– garden vegetables and herbs

Example

The couple’s pride and joy however, was the potagerie just outside the kitchen.

Anagram

eager I pot
rip goatee
I agree top
tie or page

5 November 2016

snus

[snuhs]

noun

1. a moist powder tobacco product originating from a variant of dry snuff in early 18th-century Sweden. It is placed under the upper lip for extended periods. Snus is not fermented and contains no added sugar. Although used similarly to American dipping tobacco, snus does not typically result in the need for spitting and, unlike naswar (a moist, powdered tobacco snuff consumed mostly in Persia, Central and South Asia), snus is steam-pasteurized.

Example

Snuff used in the nose is referred to as torrsnus (dry snuff) or, more correctly, as luktsnus (“smelling snuff”) in Swedish. The moist form of snuff placed under the upper lip is called simply snus in Swedish.

4 November 2016

bidi

or beedi, biri

[bee-dee]

noun, plural bidis.

1. (in India) an inexpensive cigarette, locally produced usually from cut tobacco rolled in leaf.

Origin of bidi

Hindi< Hindi bīḍī < Sanskrit vīṭikā a preparation rolled in betel leaf

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for bidi

Historical Examples

As he wept, bidi and Bidhati descended from the sky and asked him the reason of his sorrow.
Santal Folk Tales
A. Campbell

bidi and Bidhati instructed me how to proceed, and I have brought you to life again.
Santal Folk Tales
A. Campbell

So they returned joyfully home singing the praises of bidi and Bidhati.
Santal Folk Tales
A. Campbell

Anagram

I bid

3 November 2016

phocomelia

or phokomelia, phocomely

[foh-koh-mee-lee-uh, -meel-yuh]

noun, Pathology.

1. a usually congenital deformity of the extremities in which the limbs are abnormally short.

Origin of phocomelia

1890-1895; < New Latin, equivalent to phōco-, combining form representing Greek phṓkē seal + -melia -melia

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for phocomelia

Historical Examples

phocomelia with brain deformity has been found associated with them.
Degeneracy
Eugene S. Talbot

Although many factors can cause phocomelia, the prominent roots come from the use of the drug thalidomide and from genetic inheritance.
Wikipedia

2 November 2016

lardon

[lahr-dn]

noun

1. a strip of fat used in larding, especially as drawn through the substance of meat, chicken, etc., with a kind of needle or pin.

Also, lardoon [lahr-doon]

Origin of lardon

late Middle English Middle French
1400-1450; late Middle English lardun < Middle French lardon piece of pork, equivalent to lard lard + -on noun suffix

Dictionary.com

Example

And, by cooking your own bacon lardons, you get some bacon fat as a by-product that you can use instead of olive oil or butter when sautéing something else.
No Recipe Required
2 January 2011

Anagram

or land
an lord
ran old

1 November 2016

thaumatrope

[thaw-muh-trohp]

noun

1. a card with different pictures on opposite sides, as a horse on one side and a rider on the other, which appear as if combined when the card is twirled rapidly, thus illustrating the persistence of visual impressions.

Origin of thaumatrope

1820-1830; thauma(to)- + -trope

Related forms

thaumatropical [thaw-muh-trop-i-kuh l], adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for thaumatrope

Historical Examples

These memories lie in confusion, unformed and undefined, like pictures in a thaumatrope.
The Son of a Servant
August Strindberg

The thaumatrope, then, did nothing more than illustrate the power of the eye to weld together a couple of alternating impressions.
The Romance of Modern Invention
Archibald Williams

Why do the figures upon the ” thaumatrope ” appear to dance, when they are made to revolve before a mirror?
The Reason Why
Anonymous

Anagram

tempura oath
rotate a hump
a math troupe
heat map tour

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