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  1. acnestis love

Definitions

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. That part of the spine in quadrupeds which extends from between the shoulder-blades to the loins, and which the animal cannot reach to scratch.

Wiktionary

  1. n. The part of an animal's skin that it cannot reach to scratch itself - usually the space between the shoulder blades.

Etymologies

  1. From ἄκνηστις (aknēstis, "spine"), from the Ancient Greek word knestis ("spine, cheese-grater"). (Wiktionary)

Examples

  • “Curious word of the day: acnestis - that part of an animal's skin that it cannot reach to scratch.”

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tags (5)

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  1. body parts
  1. anatomy
  1. who knew
  1. tawft
  1. vccvccvc

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Comments

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  • frindley According to one source it applies only to quadrupeds: "That part of the spine which reaches from betwixt the shoulder blades to the loins. This name seems only applicable to quadrupeds, because they cannot reach it to scratch."

    But I don't know – there's definitely a small part of my back that I can't scratch satisfactorily, and I'm bipedal all the way. Apr 10, 2009

  • reesetee Oh. Well, it isn't easy being an Ursine Queen, I suppose. Jan 27, 2009

  • chained_bear But then my tiara gets all crooked, and I get bark in my fur. It is such a pain. Jan 27, 2009

  • reesetee I think all of this may have derived from my initial wisecrack about not being able to reach this spot to scratch. It was definitely not meant to be a formal definition. So yes, chained_bear apparently needs lotion on that particular part of her ursine back, though that doesn't mean that everyone's acnestis needs lotion. Or scratching, for that matter. :-)

    But c_b, don't you guys just rub up against trees when that happens? Signed, An Inquiring Fellow Mammal Jan 27, 2009

  • chained_bear And that spot on my back is itchy because my skin is dry and I can't reach it with lotion. Plus, it's hard to apply lotion with my claws being, you know, bear claws. Jan 27, 2009

  • rolig Not necessarily, C_b.
    I looked this up in the Century Dictionary Online (thanks again, Sionnach) and was a little surprised to find that this word really does refer simply to a place on the back that is unscratchable (which is exactly what the Greek origin of the word means); it's not a rash or some other skin condition (as one might think from its first four letters). I just refers to a place on the body, which may in fact be completely itch-free. Jan 27, 2009

  • chained_bear And a place that should be lotioned. Jan 27, 2009

  • rolig A word that should be revived. Jan 27, 2009

  • reesetee That annoying spot on your back that you can't reach to scratch. Feb 27, 2007

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‘acnestis’ has been looked up 2647 times, loved by 5 people, added to 31 lists, commented on 9 times, and is not a valid Scrabble word.