October 2018 WOTDs

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October 2018 WOTDs

29 October 2018

bract

[brakt]

noun, Botany.

1. a specialized leaf or leaflike part, usually situated at the base of a flower or inflorescence.

Origin of bract

1760-1770; earlier bractea < Latin: a thin plate of metal

Related forms

bracteal [brak-tee-uh l], adjective
bracted, adjective
bractless, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for bract

Historical Examples

The lower part of the bract forms a sheath which encloses the ovary.
Vegetable Teratology
Maxwell T. Masters

Union of the leaf or bract with the flower-stalk is not uncommon.
Vegetable Teratology
Maxwell T. Masters

Br, The bract devoid of muscles and respiratory in function.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 6
Various

28 October 2018

Cordele

[kawr-deel, kawr-deel]

noun

1. a city in SW Georgia.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Cordele

Historical Examples

Neither is Ashburn today more of a local point than either Tifton or Cordele when they were first granted lower rates.
Railroads: Rates and Regulations
William Z. Ripley

27 October 2018

accoutrement

[uh-koo-ter-muh nt, -truh-]

noun

1. personal clothing, accessories, etc.
2. the equipment, excluding weapons and clothing, of a soldier.

Also, especially British, accoutrement.

Origin of accouterment

Middle French

1540-1550 From the Middle French word accou(s)trement, dating back to 1540-50. See accouter, -ment

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for accouterment

Contemporary Examples

These gentlemen, said Clausewitz in brief, had the misfortune of mistaking the accoutrements of war for its essential nature.
How Clausewitz Invented Modern War
James A. Warren
November 24, 2014

Power, and the accoutrements of power, would fill the vacuum created by the absence of ideas.
Why Pakistan’s Mohammed Ali Jinnah Was No Nelson Mandela
Kapil Komireddi
April 7, 2013

As with other accoutrements of the high-end lifestyle, not all backup generators are created equal.
After Storm, Who’s Got the Real Power? Look for Backup Generators
Daniel Gross
October 30, 2012

Historical Examples

Their accoutrements clattered and clinked in the intense stillness.
The Crimson Tide
Robert W. Chambers

To pass, the uniform and accoutrements of a soldier are not enough.
New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 5, August, 1915
Various

The cavalry dashed off amid a jingling of swords and accoutrements.
The Coming Conquest of England
August Niemann

At the foot you will find my uniform, rifle, and accoutrements.
Through Three Campaigns
G. A. Henty

They had not discarded their accoutrements and each man had his sword by his side.
“Unto Caesar”
Baroness Emmuska Orczy

He stared at them, fascinated by the jingling and clattering of their accoutrements.
The Northern Iron
George A. Birmingham

Each of these carried one hundred men with their arms and accoutrements.
The Naval History of the United States
Willis J. Abbot.

Word Origin and History for accouterment

n.

1540s, from Middle French accoustrement (Modern French accoutrement), from accoustrer probably from Old French acostrer “arrange,” originally “sew up” (see accouter )

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

recontact emu
account meter
centaur comet

26 October 2018

susurration

[soo-suh-rey-shuh n]

noun

1. a soft murmur; whisper.

Origin of susurration

Middle English, Late Latin

1350-1400; Middle English < Late Latin susurrātiōn- (stem of susurrātiō), equivalent to susurrāt(us) (past participle of susurrāre; see susurrus, -ate1) + -iōn- -ion

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for susurration

Historical Examples

His own name, pronounced in the utmost compression of susurration, they say, he catches at a quarter furlong interval.
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb
Charles Lamb

If he had read his Biffin he would have known that the correct terms are a ” susurration of sparrows” and a “pop of weasels.”
Punch or the London Charivari, Vol. 147, December 9, 1914
Various

Word Origin and History for susurration

n.

“whisper, murmur,” c.1400, from Latin susurrationem (nominative susurratio), from past participle stem of susurrare, from susurrus “murmur, whisper,” a reduplication of the PIE imitative base *swer- (2) “to buzz, whisper” (cf. Sanskrit svarati “sounds, resounds,” Greek syrinx “flute,” Latin surdus “dull, mute,” Old Church Slavonic svirati “to whistle,” Lithuanian surmo “pipe, shawm,” German schwirren “to buzz,” Old English swearm “swarm”).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

sari outruns
Uranus riots
ruinous tsar
our sun sitar

25 October 2018

withy

[with -ee, with-ee] Chiefly British

noun, plural withies.

1. a willow.
2. a pliable branch or twig, especially a withe.
3. a band, loop, halter, or rope of slender twigs; widdy.
adjective, withier, withiest.
4. made of pliable branches or twigs, especially of withes.
5. flexible; pliable.

Origin of withy

Middle English, Old English
1000 before 1000; Middle English; Old English wīthig; akin to withe, Old Norse vīthir, Old High German wīda, Greek ītéa willow, Latin vītis vine

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for withy

Historical Examples

The withy bands were but weak; it is no great marvel that he shook them off.
Museum of Antiquity
L. W. Yaggy

A blasted oak will tumble to the earth, if struck by a thunderbolt,—like a withy.
The Buccaneer
Mrs. S. C. Hall

Would you mind taking a turn with me in the withy walk, Harriet Roe?
Johnny Ludlow. First Series
Mrs. Henry Wood

As she was passing the top of the withy walk, their voices reached her ear.
Johnny Ludlow. First Series
Mrs. Henry Wood

With a wire there is little risk of that; but then the withy does not cut its way into the fish.
The Gamekeeper at Home
Richard Jefferies

So much white will not look amiss in this place, and withy is easily worked.
Rustic Carpentry
Paul N. Hasluck

I tied a withy round the pat and led it home; but it was all lost by the way.’
Tales from the Fjeld
P. Chr. Asbjrnsen

In this Nera goes to tie a withy to the foot of a man who has been hung.
The Religion of the Ancient Celts
J. A. MacCulloch

It is, however, the plantations of withy or osier that are most important.
Hodge and His Masters
Richard Jefferies

The fox had been found in a spinney running down to withy Brook, and his race for life had begun.
Vanishing Roads and Other Essays
Richard Le Gallienne

Anagram

why it

24 October 2018

sanbenito

[san-buh-nee-toh]

noun, plural sanbenitos. (under the Spanish Inquisition)

1. an ornamented garment worn by a condemned heretic at an auto-da-fé.
2. a penitential garment worn by a confessed heretic, of yellow for the penitent, of black for the impenitent.

Origin of sanbenito

1550-1560; < Spanish, named after San Benito Saint Benedict, from its resemblance to the scapular believed to have been introduced by him

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sanbenito

Historical Examples

I would rather have put on a sanbenito myself than have gone there.
The Spanish Brothers
Deborah Alcock

He had received 150,000 maraveds by selling to penitents exemptions from wearing the sanbenito, or penitential garment.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 1
Henry Charles Lea

This saco bendito became known as the sanbenito or, more commonly, abito and was necessarily inherited by the new Inquisition.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 3
Henry Charles Lea

Two years and a half were spent on the trials of Diego and Ana, ending with a sentence of irremissible prison and sanbenito.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 3
Henry Charles Lea

He continued his apostolate and, on a second trial, he was condemned to perpetual prison and sanbenito.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 3
Henry Charles Lea

Valer’s sanbenito was displayed for a long time in the metropolitan church of Seville.
The Story of Seville
Walter M. Gallichan

Anagram

into beans
Bosnia Ten
Bonsai net
neon baits
nine boats
bone satin

23 October 2018

catechism

[kat-i-kiz-uh m]

noun

1. Ecclesiastical.
an elementary book containing a summary of the principles of the Christian religion, especially as maintained by a particular church, in the form of questions and answers.
the contents of such a book.
2. a similar book of instruction in other subjects.
3. a series of formal questions put, as to political candidates, to bring out their views.
4. catechetical instruction.

Origin of catechism

1495–1505; Late Latin catēchismus apparently equivalent to catēch(izāre) to catechize + -ismus -ism

Related forms

cat·e·chis·mal, adjective

Can be confused

cataclysm catechism

Dictionary.com

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for catechism

examination, exam, questioning

Anagram

schematic
mice chats

22 October 2018

brazier(1)or brasier

[brey-zher]

noun

1. a metal receptacle for holding live coals or other fuel, as for heating a room.
2. a simple cooking device consisting of a container of live coals covered by a grill or thin metal top upon which the food, usually meat, is placed.

Origin of brazier(1)

1680-1690; earlier brasier < F. See braise, -er2

brazier(2)or brasier

[brey-zher]

noun

1. a person who makes articles of brass.

Origin

1275-1325; Middle English brasier, equivalent to Old English bræsi(an) to work in brass + -er -er1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for brazier

Contemporary Examples

Photos: Remnants of Lives Lost on MH17 brazier was not “sick.”
To Truly Shame Putin, Show Us the Bodies of MH17
Tim Teeman
July 22, 2014

One of the relatives of a man who died in the incident has branded brazier “sick.”
To Truly Shame Putin, Show Us the Bodies of MH17
Tim Teeman
July 22, 2014

“You whisked in, hard, some egg white and then poured it, bit by bit, onto the yolks in a bowl,” brazier later recalled.
The Queen of the French Kitchen
Katie Baker
March 26, 2014

Anagram

bizarre

21 October 2018

cinnabar

[sin-uh-bahr]

noun

1. a mineral, mercuric sulfide, HgS, occurring in red crystals or masses: the principal ore of mercury.
2. red mercuric sulfide, used as a pigment.
3. bright red; vermillion.

Origin of cinnabar

Middle English Latin Greek

1350-1400; Latin cinnabaris < Greek kinnábari?; replacing Middle English cynoper < Medieval Latin, Latin as above

Related forms

cinnabarine [sin-uh-buh-reen, -ber-in, -bahr-ahyn, -een] (Show IPA), cinnabaric [sin-uh-bar-ik], adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for cinnabar

Historical Examples

Only one deposit of cinnabar has so far been discovered, that was in 1867.
British Borneo
W. H. Treacher

For I have seen the Roof-ridge red in the sunlight as if it were painted with cinnabar.
The House of the Wolfings
William Morris

Them men as works in cinnabar sooner or later gets salviated.
Mrs. Skaggs’s Husbands and Other Stories
Bret Harte

cinnabar is an object which constrains us to think it as heavy and red.
A Commentary to Kant’s ‘Critique of Pure Reason’
Norman Kemp Smith

Anagram

ran cabin
a crab inn

20 October 2018

Huipil

[ˈwipil]

(from the Nahuatl word huīpīlli [wiːˈpiːlːi])

is the most common traditional garment worn by indigenous women from central Mexico to Central America.

It is a loose-fitting tunic, generally made from two or three rectangular pieces of fabric which are then joined together with stitching, ribbons or fabric strips, with an opening for the head and, if the sides are sewn, openings for the arms. Traditional huipils, especially ceremonial ones, are usually made with fabric woven on a backstrap loom and are heavily decorated with designs woven into the fabric, embroidery, ribbons, lace and more. However, some huipils are also made from commercial fabric.

19 October 2018

encomienda

[en-koh-mee-en-duh, -kom-ee-; Spanish eng-kaw-myen-dah]

noun, plural encomiendas [en-koh-mee-en-duh z, -kom-ee-; Spanish eng-kaw-myen-dahs] (formerly in Spanish America)

1. the system, instituted in 1503, under which a Spanish soldier or colonist was granted a tract of land or a village together with its Indian inhabitants.
2. the land or village together with its inhabitants.
Origin of encomienda Expand

1800-1810; Spanish: charge, commission, recommendation. See en-1, commend

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for encomienda

Historical Examples

This was known as the system of Repartimiento, or encomienda.
The History of Cuba, vol. 1
Willis Fletcher Johnson

The encomienda of Taytay is inhabited by five hundred Indians.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Volume V., 1582-1583
Various

Temanduque is also an encomienda, with five hundred Indians.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Volume V., 1582-1583
Various

The encomienda of Maragondon, with four hundred and fifty men.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Volume V., 1582-1583
Various

The said encomienda is instructed and visited with difficulty.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume VIII (of 55), 1591-1593
Emma Helen Blair

Where it was already under cultivation by the native peasants, they were turned into serfs attached to the encomienda.
South America Observations and Impressions
James Bryce

The régime of the encomienda, the mitas and the yanaconazgo had produced only a formal subjection of the natives.
The Social Evolution of the Argentine Republic
Ernesto Quesada

Your Majesty has commanded that no offices or places of profit shall be given to those who hold Indians in encomienda.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume XIV., 1606-1609
Various

Consequently, the encomienda of that large island was very desirable.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 – Volume 41 of 55, 1691-1700
Various

But abuses arose and the encomienda system was gradually abolished.
The Colonization of North America
Herbert Eugene Bolton

Contemporary definitions for encomienda

noun

in the US, a land grant system started in 1503 which gave certain Spaniards an estate or tract of land in America as well as the Native American inhabitants of that land; also, this tract of land and its inhabitants

Examples

Encomienda provided for Indian tribute in exchange for protection and Christian instruction.
Usage Note
encomendero n

Dictionary.com’s 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2014 Dictionary.com, LLC

Word Origin and History for encomienda

n. 1810, from Spanish, “commission,” from encomendar “to commit, charge.” Estate granted to a Spaniard in America with powers to tax the Indians.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

canine mode
canoed mine
menaced ion
iceman done
nomad niece
named on ice
damn ice eon
code in name

18 October 2018

paternoster

[pey-ter-nos-ter, pah‐, pat-er‐]

noun

1. (often initial capital letter). Also, Pater Noster. the Lord’s Prayer, especially in the Latin form.
2. a recitation of this prayer as an act of worship.
3. one of certain beads in a rosary, regularly every 11th bead, differing in size or material from the rest and indicating that the Lord’s Prayer is to be said.
4. any fixed recital of words used as a prayer or magical charm.
5. a doorless, continuously moving elevator for passengers or goods, having numerous platforms or compartments that rise or descend on a moving chain.
6. (initial capital letter) Architecture. pearl molding.

Origin of paternoster

Latin

1000 before 1000; Middle English, Old English: Lord’s prayer < Latin pater noster our father, its first two words in the Vulgate (Matthew VI: 9
pearl molding

noun, Architecture.

1. a molding having the form of a row of pearls.

Also called bead molding, Paternoster.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for paternoster

Historical Examples

paternoster rises sheer from the water to a height of more than 900 feet.
The Last Voyage
Lady (Annie Allnutt) Brassey

I will say my paternoster in English with anybody, and my Belief too, for that matter.
In the Days of Drake
J. S. Fletcher

Christians we are,” said Pharaoh, “and will say our paternoster and Credo with any man.
In the Days of Drake
J. S. Fletcher

Death gave him time only to recite an Ave Maria, and a paternoster.
Italian Popular Tales
Thomas Frederick Crane

Not a thought of prayer, not one paternoster entered his mind.
The French Prisoners of Norman Cross
Arthur Brown

She began to repeat her paternoster, but she forgot how the words came.
Stories By English Authors: France
Various

She had not been able to pray; ave and paternoster alike had failed her.
Remember the Alamo
Amelia E. Barr

Some said “Our Father” and some ” paternoster,” and they all meant the same.
The Transformation of Job
Frederick Vining Fisher

Such a bill as came in this week past from a silkman in paternoster Row!
It Might Have Been
Emily Sarah Holt

Then to paternoster Row to buy things for my wife against her going.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete
Samuel Pepys

Anagram

eastern port
neater sport
parent store
near protest

17 October 2018

cherchez la femme

[sher-shey la-fam]

French.

1. look for the woman: advice offered facetiously in any situation, especially one of doubt or mystery.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for cherchez la femme

Historical Examples

I dare say that wasn’t all of it—might have been cherchez la femme, don’t you think?
The Gentleman From Indiana
Booth Tarkington

It is sometimes just as poignant to say, ‘Cherchez l’homme’ as, ‘ cherchez la femme.’
The Rhodesian
Gertrude Page

They drink in order to say or do something or cherchez la femme.
Ulysses
James Joyce

In reply I can only quote the old saying, cherchez la femme.
Glories of Spain
Charles W. Wood

Oh, yes, Prescott sniffed; distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as cherchez la femme !
The Luminous Face
Carolyn Wells

This is not a cherchez la femme story, so we will leave the lady’s name out of it altogether.
A Little Book of Christmas
John Kendrick Bangs

Win was instantly sure that here was the man in the case; now, cherchez la femme !
Winnie Childs
C. N. Williamson

Someone has said that ” cherchez la femme ” is written over every phase of Parisian life, and the thing is true.
In Vanity Fair
Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd

But when a man acts with apparently inexplicable foolishness, it is generally safe to say, ” cherchez la femme !”
Anti-Suffrage Essays
Various

“ cherchez la femme,” one comic paper had the audacity to remark, propos l’affaire Svensen and Burnley.
Mystery at Geneva
Rose Macaulay

Word Origin and History for cherchez la femme

French, literally “seek the woman,” on the notion that a woman is the cause for whatever crime has been committed, first used by Alexandre Dumas père in “Les Mohicans de Paris” (1864) in the form cherchons la femme. French chercher is from Latin circare, in Late Latin “to wander hither and thither,” from circus “circle” (see circus ).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

feel Czech hammer

16 October 2018

knavery

[ney-vuh-ree]

noun, plural knaveries.

1. action or practice characteristic of a knave.
2. unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest dealing; trickery.
3. a knavish act or practice.

Origin of knavery

1520-1530 First recorded in 1520-30; knave + -ery

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for knavery

Historical Examples

They know that their knavery is no secret but they don’t mind.
Albert Durer
T. Sturge Moore

To “resist not evil” seemed to him then only a rather feeble sort of knavery.
Dr. Sevier
George W. Cable

From this retreat we could see the proof of knavery in the villages below.
John Splendid
Neil Munro

Anagram

ark envy

15 October 2018

tump

[tuhmp]

noun, British Dialect.

1. a small mound, hill, or rise of ground.
2. a clump of grass, shrubs, or trees, especially rising from a swamp or bog.
3. a heap or stack, as a haystack.

Origin of tump

1580-1590 First recorded in 1580-90; of obscure origin

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tump

Historical Examples

Another man was crossing the court, crates of chickens on his tump line.
When the Owl Cries
Paul Bartlett

With the tump line one can carry goods of most any bulk and shape.
Touring Afoot
Claude Powell Fordyce

14 October 2018

tumpline

[tuhmp-lahyn]

noun

1. a strap or sling passed around the chest or forehead to help support a pack carried on a person’s back.

Origin of tumpline

Southern New England Algonquian proto-Eastern Algonquian

1790-1800; tump (earlier mattump, metomp < Southern New England Algonquian < proto-Eastern Algonquian *mat- empty root appearing in names of manufactured objects + *-a·pəy string) + line1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tumpline

Historical Examples

This is known as a tumpline, and consists of a band of leather to cross the head, and two long thongs to secure the pack.
Camp and Trail
Stewart Edward White

One night one of them ate a piece out of my tumpline, which was partially under my head, while I slept.
The Long Labrador Trail
Dillon Wallace

Anagram

punt mile
impel nut
I melt pun

13 October 2018

Lacandon

The Lacandon are one of the Maya peoples who live in the jungles of the Mexican state of Chiapas, near the southern border with Guatemala. Their homeland, the Lacandon Jungle, lies along the Mexican side of the Usumacinta River and its tributaries. The Lacandon are one of the most isolated and culturally conservative of Mexico’s native peoples. Almost extinct in 1943, today their population has grown significantly, yet remains small, at approximately 650 speakers of the Lacandon language.

Wikipedia.org

Anagram

nod canal
a clan don

12 October 2018

Hunab Ku

(Mayan pronunciation: [huˈnaɓ ku]) is a Colonial period Yucatec Maya reducido term meaning “The One God”. It is used in colonial, and more particularly in doctrinal texts to refer to the Christian God. Since the word is found frequently in the Chilam Balam of Chumayel, a syncretistic document heavily influenced by Christianity, it refers specifically to the Christian god as a translation into Maya of the Christian concept of one God, used to enculturate the previously polytheist Maya to the new Colonial religion.

References to Hunab Ku have figured prominently in New Age Mayanism such as that of José Argüelles.

wikipedia.org

Anagram

a bunk uh

11 October 2018

chayote

[chahy-oh-tee]

noun

1. a tropical American vine, Sechium edule, of the gourd family, having triangular leaves and small, white flowers.
2. the green or white, furrowed, usually pear-shaped, edible fruit of this plant.

Also, choyote.

Also called christophene, mirliton, vegetable pear.

Origin of chayote

Mexican Spanish Nahuat

1885-1890, Americanism; < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl chayohtli

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for chayote

Historical Examples

The chayote was not cultivated in Cayenne ten years ago.1353 Nothing indicates an ancient cultivation in Brazil.
Origin of Cultivated Plants
Alphonse De Candolle

Anagram

Hey taco
each toy

10 October 2018

agave

[uh-gah-vee, uh-gey-]

noun

1. any of numerous American plants belonging to the genus Agave, of the agave family, species of which are cultivated for economic or ornamental purposes: A. arizonica, of central Arizona, is an endangered species.

Origin of agave

Greek; New Latin (Linnaeus) < Greek agauḗ, feminine of agauós noble, brilliant

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for agave

Contemporary Examples

The agave juice is then extracted using a round stone wheel called a tahona before being distilled twice.
Grab A Shot Glass: Craft Tequila Needs Your Help
Kayleigh Kulp
September 7, 2014

agave plants take up to 10 years to mature before being harvested.
Grab A Shot Glass: Craft Tequila Needs Your Help
Kayleigh Kulp
September 7, 2014

Tequila, the Mexican spirit made from the agave plant, can be found in bars around the world.
Business Longreads for the Week of October 19, 2013
William O’Connor
October 21, 2013

Just before serving, add some more lemon juice, salt, pepper, and agave to balance.
Three Quinoa Recipes for Your Weekend Parties
Jane Coxwell
May 26, 2013

Another choice is agave nectar, made from a type of cactus that grows in Mexico (yes, tequila fans, that cactus).
How to Watch Out for Hidden Sugar and Replace With Leaner Substitutes
Diana Le Dean
February 23, 2013

Historical Examples

The maguey—the agave americana—was an invaluable ally of life and civilisation.
Mexico
Charles Reginald Enock

Maguey-sugar is derived from the sap of the maguey-plant (agave Americana).
Commercial Geography
Jacques W. Redway

I behold the maguey of culture (agave Americana), in all its giant proportions.
The Rifle Rangers
Captain Mayne Reid

The agave has served them for many other purposes, from the earliest times.
Mexico
Susan Hale

Of all these properties of the agave the Toltecs were cognizant.
Mexico
Susan Hale

9 October 2018

en brosse

[ahn braws]

1. (of hair) cut to stand straight in an even row on top, often as a crew cut.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for en brosse

Historical Examples

Though his jet-black hair was en brosse, I did not think he was French.
Seven Men
Max Beerbohm

Anagram

be snores

8 October 2018

copal

[koh-puh l, -pal]

noun

1. a hard, lustrous resin obtained from various tropical trees and used chiefly in making varnishes.

Origin of copal

Mexican Spanish Nahuatl

1570-1580; < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl copalli

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for copal

Historical Examples

Their base is copal, a fossil, resinous substance of vegetable origin.
Handwork in Wood
William Noyes

Use with oil on shellac and with oil or water on copal varnish.
Handwork in Wood
William Noyes

This they smeared with a paint made by the admixture of camwood and copal gum.
Bones
Edgar Wallace

It is principally employed in the preparation of copal varnish.
A Treatise on Domestic Economy
Catherine Esther Beecher

Father Brandsma is devoting some of his energy to a change in copal gathering.
An African Adventure
Isaac F. Marcosson

The pieces of copal recovered are in some cases as large as a human head.
The American Egypt
Channing Arnold

copal, dissolved in methylated spirits, will prove the most satisfactory.
Three Hundred Things a Bright Boy Can Do
Anonymous

The varnish should consist of copal in highly rectified spirit.
Cooley’s Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley

These bowls were used as censers, for some are still filled with copal.
The Ancient Cities of the New World
Dsir Charnay

Dr Seler concludes “that it denotes the copal or the offering of incense.”
Day Symbols of the Maya Year
Cyrus Thomas

7 October 2018

abraxas

[uh-brak-suh s]

noun

1. a word of unknown significance found on charms, especially amulets, of the late Greco-Roman world and linked with both Gnostic beliefs and magical practices by the early church fathers.

Origin of abraxas

Greek From the Greek word abráxas, abrasáx, of obscure origin; the combined numerical value of the Gk letters is 365, an important figure in numerology

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for abraxas

Historical Examples

In this connexion the name abraxas and the abraxas gems must be remembered.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3
Various

abraxas -stones were so called from having the word abraxas or Abrasax engraved on them.
Finger-Ring Lore
William Jones

abraxas stones, stones with cabalistic figures on them used as talismans.
The Nuttall Encyclopaedia
Edited by Rev. James Wood

Anagram

Arab sax
bars a ax

6 October 2018

psychopomp

[sahy-koh-pomp]

noun

1. a person who conducts spirits or souls to the other world, as Hermes or Charon.

Origin of psychopomp

Greek

1860-1865 First recorded in 1860-65, psychopomp is from the Greek word psȳchopompós conductor of souls. See psycho-, pomp

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for psychopomp

Historical Examples

Hermes himself, the psychopomp, shall lead, and Malahide shall welcome us.
Day and Night Stories
Algernon Blackwood

The rle of general conductor of souls to the realms of the underworld, however, came to be given to Hermes, the psychopomp.
Elements of Folk Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt

As the souls of the departed are symbolized as rats, so is the psychopomp himself often figured as a dog.
Myths and Myth-Makers
John Fiske

Word Origin and History for psychopomp

n.

1835, from Greek psykhopompos “spirit-guide,” a term applied to Charon, Hermes Trismegistos, Apollo; from psykhe (see psyche ) + pompos “guide, conductor.”

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

chop mop spy

5 October 2018

casuistry

[kazh-oo-uh-stree]

noun, plural casuistries.

1. specious, deceptive, or oversubtle reasoning, especially in questions of morality; fallacious or dishonest application of general principles; sophistry.
2. the application of general ethical principles to particular cases of conscience or conduct.

Origin of casuistry

1715-1725 First recorded in 1715-25; casuist + -ry

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for casuistry

Contemporary Examples
The responses were telling in their casuistry, their amorality, their evasiveness.
The Hearing From Hell
Tunku Varadarajan
April 27, 2010

These questions will not be easily dodged; nor will the faithful be placated by casuistry or platitudes.
Leave the Pope Alone
Tunku Varadarajan
April 4, 2010

Historical Examples

His spirit is the opposite of that of Jesuitism or casuistry (Wallace).
Sophist
Plato

And then she delivered herself of an amazing piece of casuistry.
The Strolling Saint
Raphael Sabatini

“I have no leisure for casuistry, nor is it my humor, sir,” replied he angrily.
Tom Burke Of “Ours”, Volume II (of II)
Charles James Lever

And now I have said more than I had intended on a question of casuistry.
Apologia Pro Vita Sua
John Henry Cardinal Newman

There might be some casuistry in that, but there was truth as well.
A Little Girl in Old Salem
Amanda Minnie Douglas

On this excuse I settled my point of casuistry in an instant.
Simon Dale
Anthony Hope

casuistry is nothing but the injection of your own meaning into an old name.
A Preface to Politics
Walter Lippmann

The system of casuistry was one not solely of Jesuitical invention.
Pascal
John Tulloch

4 October 2018

baud

[bawd]

noun, Telecommunications.

1. a unit used to measure the speed of signaling or data transfer, equal to the number of pulses or bits per second:
baud rate.

Origin of baud

1925-1930; named after J. M. E. Baudot (1845-1903), French inventor

Can be confused

baud, bawd.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for baud

Historical Examples

I didna gae slapdash to them wi’ our young bra’ bridegroom, to gar them baud up the market.
Waverley, Or ‘Tis Sixty Years Hence, Complete
Sir Walter Scott

I am sure I am no to baud out for ever against this sort of going on; but when folk’s missed, then they are moaned.’
Guy Mannering, or The Astrologer, Complete, Illustrated
Sir Walter Scott

” baud mens, sahib,” said Tippoo, clutching his forehead with one hand and bowing forward.
Motor Matt’s Clue
Stanley R. Matthews

Anagram

A bud
daub
A dub

3 October 2018

umlaut

[oo m-lout] Linguistics

noun

1. a mark (¨) used as a diacritic over a vowel, as ä, ö, ü, to indicate a vowel sound different from that of the letter without the diacritic, especially as so used in German.
Compare dieresis.
2. Also called vowel mutation. (in Germanic languages) assimilation in which a vowel is influenced by a following vowel or semivowel.
verb (used with object)
3. to modify by umlaut.
4. to write an umlaut over.

Origin of umlaut

1835-1845; < German, equivalent to um- about (i.e., changed) + Laut sound

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for umlaut

Historical Examples

The umlaut of all these sounds was completed by about the year 1200.
A Middle High German Primer
Joseph Wright

That the radical vowel was modified: for y is the umlaut of u; 3.
Notes and Queries, Number 182, April 23, 1853
Various

The absence of this umlaut points to Northumbrian or W. Saxon.
Selections from Early Middle English 1130-1250: Part II: Notes
Various

Wing (n), ahpcha (ch guttural; final a almost as if with umlaut, short and low).
Travels in the Interior of North America, 1832-1834, Part III (the Text Being Chapters XXVIII-XXXIII of the London Edition, 1843, and the Appendix a Combination of the Appendices of the London and German [Coblentz, 1839] Editions)
Maximilian, Prinz von Wied

The spelling of the original is ‘Buwelle,’ without the umlaut, which others use.
Pennsylvania Dutch
S. S. Haldeman

For consistency with the remaining text, an umlaut was added to ‘coperate.’
Principles of Political Economy, Vol. II
William Roscher

The u- – umlaut of a is wanting, except in eawles 126; for heatel 128 heates is read.
Selections from Early Middle English 1130-1250: Part II: Notes
Various

I suspect the last is only an umlaut form of a common Shakespearean imprecation.
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
W. Y. Evans Wentz

There is no trace of such vocalic mutation (“ umlaut ”) in Gothic, our most archaic Germanic language.
Language
Edward Sapir

“ umlaut ” is still a very live symbolic process in German, possibly more alive to-day than in medieval times.
Language
Edward Sapir

2 October 2018

Lothario

[loh-thair-ee-oh]

noun, plural Lotharios.

1. (sometimes lowercase) a man who obsessively seduces and deceives women.

Origin of Lothario

after the young seducer in Nicholas Rowe’s play The Fair Penitent (1703)

Synonyms

Don Juan, Romeo, Casanova.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Lothario

Contemporary Examples

Later, his turn as a Lothario in the box office hit Crazy Stupid Love made him even more swoon-worthy.
Rob Lowe: Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful
Tricia Romano
April 8, 2014

We have a fantasy that Don Draper is a Lothario who can go out and get any woman that he wants.
Mad Men’s Slap-Happy Return
Jace Lacob
July 25, 2010

Historical Examples

Despite its many beauties, it was even less successful than Lothario.
Handel
Edward J. Dent

Anagram

hail or it

1 October 2018

métier

[mey-tyey, mey-tyey]

noun

1. a field of work; occupation, trade, or profession.
2. a field of work or other activity in which one has special ability or training; forte.

Origin of métier

French Old French Gallo-Romance Latin

1785-1795; < French; Old French mestier < Gallo-Romance *misterium, for Latin ministerium ministry

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for métier

Historical Examples

No man invents a metier without a strong element of success.
The Daltons, Volume I (of II)
Charles James Lever

He was one with his idea and his metier, and that is sufficient.
Adventures in the Arts
Marsden Hartley

Fighting seemed their metier and most of them preferred it to the monotony of working a mine.
Across the Mesa
Jarvis Hall

Our metier is not to compare, but to take what pleases us from each.
A Rock in the Baltic
Robert Barr

It spins to brave music, this peg-top, but its metier is to spin.
In Vanity Fair
Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd

He had the perfect gift of the charlatan, and he had discovered his metier.
The Right of Way, Complete
Gilbert Parker

Alas, I have been amazingly lazy; it was my metier to look on.
The Grey Room
Eden Phillpotts

“It wasn’t their metier, or the metier of their times,” said Miss Virginia with conviction.
A Fool For Love
Francis Lynde

She has the money and the taste, and with her, even more than with the Parisienne of the beau monde, being charming is a metier.
In Vanity Fair
Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd

He was not ashamed of his metier and allowed no threats nor pleas nor argument to disturb him.
In Vanity Fair
Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd

 

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