A thagomizer is the distinctive arrangement of four to ten spikes on the tails of stegosaurid dinosaurs. These spikes are believed to have been a defensive measure against predators.1 The name was coined by cartoonist Gary Larson in a 1982 comic strip, and has been used in research and education since then.
1. a satire or lampoon, especially one posted in a public place.
verb:
1. to assail in a pasquinade or pasquinades.
On the outer wall of the building, there was a vicious pasquinade of the deposed despot.
-- D.V. Bernard, Intimate Relations with Strangers, 2007
In the course of his career, Dosoo had written fourteen books that included political commentaries on India, a slight obloquy on New York, an autobiography, and a pasquinade of Bombay society.
-- Leila Hadley, Give Me the World, 2003
In Rome in 1501 a sculpture was disinterred and placed in Palazzo Orsini. The sculpture was nicknamed Pasquino, and once a year Romans posted humorous verses to the sculpture. Over time these satirical poems became named pasquinades because of the name of the statue. The statue is still in Rome with pasquinades on its base.
A Michael Scott Racist is a generally well-intentioned person who tries so hard to be politically correct and to demonstrate that they are not racist that they show themselves to actually be racist. Named for Steve Carell's character on The Office who made a habit of being this.
Oscar: Both my parents were born in Mexico. And they moved to the United States a year before I was born. So I grew up in the United States. My parents were Mexican.
Michael Scott: Wow. Wow. That is... That is a great story. That's the American dream right there, right? Um, let me ask you, is there a term besides "Mexican" that you prefer? Something less offensive?
Kate: I'm not racist. I love all races, but especially Asians because although they're not great drivers, they really know how to run a buffet.
For the springtail appendage, see Furcula (Collembola).
This stylised bird skeleton highlights the furcula
The furcula ("little fork" in Latin) or wishbone is a forked bone found in birds and some other animals, and is formed by the fusion of the two clavicles. In birds, its primary function is in the strengthening of the thoracic skeleton to withstand the rigors of flight.
Also, bezzant. the gold solidus of the Byzantine Empire, widely circulated in the Middle Ages.
2.
Also, byzant. (in Romanesque architecture) any of a number of disklike ornaments, similar in form to the classical patera, used especially on the faces of archivolts.
The act of arranging bacon strips on a frying pan in the most efficient way possible given the dimensions of your pan. The goal is to maximize the number of bacon strips on the heating surface without leaving any part of any strip uncooked.
I have 100 square inches of bacon and only 36 square inches of frying pan area. Time to play bacon tetris.
Los Angeles Times tech reporter Chris O'Brien has discovered that the favorite word among techie types is "delight": "A squishy, subjective, hard-to-pin-down term. So daringly unquantifiable, so proudly immeasurable. And now, suddenly, all the rage in data-driven Silicon Valley." Read O'Brien's delightful piece here (http://www.latimes.com/news/columnone/la-fi-silicon-valley-delight-20130510-dto,0,1536200.htmlstory).
sna·fu sna-foo, snaf-oo Show IPA noun, adjective, verb, sna·fued, sna·fu·ing.
noun
1.
a badly confused or ridiculously muddled situation: A ballot snafu in the election led to a recount. Synonyms: snarl, bedlam, tumult, disarray, disorder, confusion, mess; foul-up. Antonyms: order, efficiency, calm.
adjective
2.
Rare. in disorder; out of control; chaotic: a snafu scheme that simply won't work.
verb (used with object)
3.
Rare. to throw into disorder; muddle: Losing his passport snafued the whole vacation. Synonyms: confuse, mess up, bungle.
Origin:
1940–45; s(ituation) n(ormal): a(ll) f(ucked) u(p); sometimes euphemistically construed as f(ouled u(p)
in·cuse in-kyooz, -kyoos Show IPA adjective, noun, verb, in·cused, in·cus·ing.
adjective
1.
hammered or stamped in, as a figure on a coin.
noun
2.
an incuse figure or impression.
verb (used with object)
3.
to stamp or hammer in, as a design or figure in a coin.
Origin:
1810–20; < Latin incūsus past participle of incūdere to indent with a hammer, equivalent to in- in-2 + cūd- beat (akin to hew) + -tus past participle suffix
delanceyplace.com 5/6/13 - the invention of the alphabet
In today's selection -- the invention of the first alphabet -- a much simpler system of writing using only 20 to 30 characters as compared to the thousands required in a hieroglyphic system -- unleashed an era in which broad literacy and abstract ideas were possible to an unprecedented degree. Though it is popularly believed the alphabet came from the Phoenicians, this invention pre-dated them and may have come from the Egyptians:
"In February, 1905, after exploring the Middle East for more than two decades, British archeologist Flinders Petrie and his wife arrived at an old turquoise formation in the western Sinai at Serabit el-Khadim, which had been mined as recently as fifty years before by a retired English major and his family. There, although he and others did not realize it for years, Petrie made the most important discovery of his career.
"At the mine the Petries came upon a large collection of statues and inscriptions. Most were expertly carved and bore standard hieroglyphic or hieratic writing, almost certainly produced by the mine's Egyptian overseers.
"His observant wife Hilda also found some rocks bearing cruder inscriptions. On closer inspection, they noted that this writing included only about thirty or so different symbols that were not recognizably hieroglyphic or hieratic -- both hieroglyphic and hieratic writing used about a thousand symbols. Further, these simpler inscriptions always coincided with primitive, non-Egyptian statues; the writing appeared to flow from left to right, also unlike the well-known hieroglyphic, hieratic, or later Phoenician and Hebrew alphabets.
"Petrie dated the inscriptions to approximately 1400 BC. He clearly recognized them as an alphabet, and one that preceded by about five hundred years the earliest known Phoenician writing, heretofore felt to be the first alphabet. ...
"It fell to an Egyptologist, Alan Gardiner, to realize that the Petries had actually stumbled across the origin of the alphabet, or something very close to it. Linguists had long known that Latin script -- the everyday alphabet of today's Western world -- evolved from Greek letters, which had themselves derived from Phoenician, as did Hebrew. ...
"Over the millennium following the alphabet's invention around 1500 BC, the simple phonemic lettering system Petrie discovered made possible the first stirrings of mass literacy that would unleash much of the subsequent political and social ferment of human history.
"On the basis of archaeological and linguistic evidence, most authorities believe that the proto-Semitic inscriptions the Petries first found at Serabit derived from Egyptian hieratic or hieroglyphic writing. While the precise origin of the proto-Semitic alphabet will never be known, the Serabit inscriptions suggest that it was probably invented somewhere in the Sinai or Canaan by non-Egyptian Semites who had come there from somewhere in the Levant to work as miners for the Egyptians.
"Did the first simplified alphabetic script really originate in the mines at Serabit? After Flinders' excavations there, archaeologists uncovered, at several other sites in Palestine, more primitive inscriptions that look alphabetic and possibly predate the Serabit inscriptions by as much as a century or two. More recently, an American research team has uncovered proto-Semitic inscriptions at Wadi el-Hol, several hundred miles south of Serabit el-Khadim, on the Nile; they suggest that the Egyptians may have in fact invented the script to better communicate with their Semitic workers/slaves.
one of two Wadi el-Hol inscriptions
"Another intriguing candidate for 'inventor of the alphabet' is the Midianites, a Sinai people who mined copper and who could have derived it from the writing of their Egyptian overseers in the same way as did the miners of Serabit. ...
"The rise of monotheism was during the same period and the temporal and geographic connection between the alphabet and monotheism in Egypt-Palestine during the middle of the second millennium may be more than coincidence. What might tie them together? The notion of a disembodied, formless, all-seeing, and ever-present supreme being requires a far more abstract frame of mind than that needed for the older plethora of anthropomorphized beings who oversaw the heavenly bodies, the crops, fertility, and the seas. Alphabetic writing requires the same high degree of abstraction and may have provided a literate priestly caste with the intellectual tools necessary to imagine a belief system overseen by a single disembodied deity. Whatever the reason, Judaism and the West acquired their God and their Book."
The rhythmic gyrating of the lower fleshy extremities in a lascivious manner with the intent to elicit sexual arousal or laughter in ones intended audience
"Gutbucket" redirects here. For Liberty Records sampler album, see Gutbucket (album).
Electric "inbindi" bass which is amplified by a public address system
The washtub bass, or "gutbucket", is a stringed instrument used in American folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. Although it is possible for a washtub bass to have four or more strings and tuning pegs, traditional washtub basses have a single string whose pitch is adjusted by pushing or pulling on a staff or stick to change the tension.
The washtub bass was used in jug bands that were popular in some African Americans communities in the early 1900s. In the 1950s, British skiffle bands used a variant called a Tea chest bass, and during the 1960s, US folk musicians used the washtub bass in jug band-influenced music.
Variations on the basic design are found around the world, particularly in the choice of resonator. As a result there are many different names for the instrument including the "gas-tank bass", "barrel bass", "box bass" (Trinidad), "bush bass" (Australia), "babatoni" (South Africa), "tingotalango" (Cuba), "tulòn" (Italy), "laundrophone" and others.
The hallmarks of the traditional design are simplicity, very low cost and do-it-yourself construction, leading to its historical association with lower economic classes. These factors also make it quite common for modern-day builders to promote modifications to the basic design, such as adding a finger board, pedal, electronic pickup, drum head, or making the staff immovable.
n. The elaborate fabrication of an online identity to trick a person into a romantic relationship.
—catfish v., n.
Example Citations:
And while what happened to Manti Te'o is bringing the term to light, we shouldn't talk about catfishing like it's a new thing. Ever since there's been an Internet, there's been a fat guy in an undershirt pretending to be a hot model. Social media only makes the lie more believable and more noticeable.
—Scott Kleinburg, "Don't be the next Te'o," Chicago Tribune, January 24, 2013
Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson was unsympathetic to their claims, finding that their conduct was objectionable enough to warrant censure by the university. She specifically calls them out for "catfishing" their victim.
—Kashmir Hill, "'Catfishing' Gets Its First Legal Mention," Forbes, April 26, 2013
Earliest Citation:
Did you hear how Dave got totally catfished last month?! The fox he thought he was talking to turned out to be a pervy guy from San Diego!
—sbacker, "catfish," Urban Dictionary, July 22, 2010
Notes:
This term comes from a 2010 documentary called Catfish, about a man who falls for a woman whose online persona turns out to be a fake. The origin of the term is given an oddly positive spin in the film:
They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They'd keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn't have somebody nipping at our fin.
—Vince Pierce, "Catfish," Relativity Media, January 22, 2010
Do not hesitate to pass on anything you feel I need to know about posting customs. Such as, how are the example quotes to right side of definitions entered (if not in community?).
Gentleman Turkeys and Other High-Class Gobbledygook
May 2, 2013
By Mark Peters
Do gentlemen exist anymore? The word feels old-fashioned and paleolithic in the era of dudes, bros, and creeps. However, the word gentleman has a long, vibrant history as a euphemism. That history is worth celebrating. In the spirit of a recent column on angels, here's a look at the critters and crimes gentleman has coddled and concealed.
"Dictionary interlude: Hallmarks of the hipster" as defined by descriptors in a series of _NewYorkTimes_ articles. A list of links to articles, with titles and dates.
Found in _WashPost_ Daily "WonkBook" mailing for 1 May, `13
/tump-lyne/ A tumpline is a strap attached at both ends to a sack, backpack, or other luggage and used to carry the object by placing the strap over the top of the head. This utilizes the spine rather than the shoulders as standard backpack straps do. Tumplines are not intended to be worn over the forehead, but rather the top of the head just back from the hairline, pulling straight down in alignment with the spine. The bearer then leans forward, allowing the back to help support the load.1
Tumplines are often used to transport heavy loads across uneven terrain such as footpaths and portages. The voyageurs of the North American fur trade used tumplines exclusively to carry their cargo of pelts and rations across portages.
Backpacks for the military and recreational campers were redesigned to carry larger loads during the middle and late twentieth century, and tumplines have become less common in the developed world.
The Indians in Mexico (and other Latin American countries) traditionally have used the tumpline for carrying heavy loads, such as firewood, baskets (including baskets loaded with construction materials and dirt for building), bird cages, and furniture. In the 1920s there was a man in Mexico City who delivered pianos on his back using a tumpline. In Mexico a common name for tumpline is "mecapal". Modern highland Mayans of southern Mexico use tumplines for various pedestrian transport.2 During World War Two, the Canadian Army developed special supply packs for moving supplies over rough terrain where the soldier use the tump line.3
n. A literary or movie genre featuring dystopian stories of Earth affected by extreme climate change. Climate + fiction.
Odds is the latest in what seems to be an emerging literary genre. Over the past decade, more and more writers have begun to set their novels and short stories in worlds, not unlike our own, where the Earth's systems are noticeably off-kilter. The genre has come to be called climate fiction — "cli-fi," for short.
—Angela Evancie, "So Hot Right Now: Has Climate Change Created A New Literary Genre?," National Public Radio, April 20, 2013
Just finished the book "Dave Gorman's Googlewhcking Adventures", having read several websites on the topic. Several forms of the word found on Urban Dictionary.
If you type a search term into a search engine and only get one result, that result is a googlewhack. Presumably, a true googlewhack is one found on Google.com
No googlewhack lasts for long, as the Internet is always expanding and sometimes when people hear of a googlewhack, thy make a new website containing the search term and spoil it for everyone.
Search: adjunct puggle
Result:
HoadWorks - May 2000 Archive
... character MAROON 16) a vociferous soccer cry/cacophony/a cone's adjunct GOLDENROD
17 ... fart (arise at the crack of dawn), 1 knedle, 1 puggle (baby echidna ...
www.hoadworks.com/may2000.htm - 70k - Cached - Similar pages
A tracer bullet is a normal bullet that has the bottom end of the bullet filled with a pyrotechnic substance - resembling a little bit of road flare.
When the tracer bullet shoots out of the gun, the heat from the exploding gunpowder ignites the flare material. It burns very brightly to produce a rocket-like projectile visible to the naked eyes. Tracer Bullets were first introduced in 1915 during the Great War, by the Brits to enable shooters follow the projectile trajectory in order to make aiming corrections in subsequent shots.
Recently, tracer bullets are commonly used by squad leaders to mark targets for their soldiers to fire on. Tracers are also sometimes placed two or three rounds from the bottom of magazines to alert the shooters that their weapon is almost empty.
On the bad side, tracer bullets make it more likely for targets to explode. Tracer bullets ignite fuel. If used without discretion, it could cause massive fire outbreaks.
The commanding military officer in charge of Bama Barracks, A.G Laka, confirmed on Monday that the JTF indeed uses the tracer bullets.
He described it as a "special bullets" fired by his men.
"Once they hit target they catch fire," he said. The JTF have in the past blamed the terrorists for the arson and carnages. It is unclear if the terrorists use Tracer Bullets also.
The JTF uses a special bullet that explode on impact with targets.
The raids by the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, keeping peace in Boko Haram infested Northern Nigeria, often leave behind burnt houses with scores of civilian carnages.
===================
Was in Army `59 - `62; tracer bullets were used about every 10 rounds in in .30 and .50 caliber machine guns belts. Apparently this group is using this round exclusively.
2. something culled, especially something picked out and put aside as inferior.
...the more connections, the more chaos, and the harder it is to cull any meaning from the seas of signal.
-- David Foster Wallace, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, 1997
Call for our chiefest men of discipline, to cull the plots of best advantage.
-- William Shakespeare, King John, 1590s
Cull entered English in the 1300s as a verb derived from the Latin colligere meaning "gather together" or "collect." It was another 300 years before the noun form of cull entered the language
The Mahler, which was rapturously received by a large audience, occupied the second half of the concert, which began with three short orchestral pieces, the best known being Faur's Pavane, with its limpid flute solo.
Bringing a showbiz touch to classics; Review Royal Liverpool Philhar ... by Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England)
As it is, Gabriel Faure's retrospective and highly stylised Pavane is more readily identifiable as underlay for dance, while Debussy's La Mer, as the name implies, is a vast and emotional invitation to the visual imagination.
Review: CINEMA, VASILY PETRENKO, RLP0 Philharmonic Hall by Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England)
Byline: LAURA DAVIS CLASSICAL: Conductor Vasily Petrenko, above, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra present a programme based on cinema, including Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Faure's Pavane and Debussy's mighty poem to the power of the sea, La Mer.
ARTS DIARY: Pick of the day; THE ARTS EDITOR'S PICK OF THE DAY by Daily Post (Liverpool, England)
Have come across this word twice, the first in a work of fiction ca1942; the second in Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" c1962. Both times used as an exclamation, with intonation of something illegal.
Unable to find in any reference.
Crrimenently:
Found this alternate spelling on Urban Dictionary.
This expression would be used to express some surprise or frustration when a situation did not turn out the way expected. Usually with negative results.
Mary exclaimed, "Crimenently.", when her husband forgot to pick her up on time to make it to her appointment.
Ampelography (Αμπελος, "vine" + γραφος, 'writing') is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, Vitis spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the vine leaves and grape berries; more recently the study of vines has been revolutionised by DNA fingerprinting.
A tripalium is an instrument of torture involving three stakes. The subject of the torture would be tied to the tripalium and burnt with fire.citation needed The words "travail" and "travel" have their roots in this word,1 as do cognates in other modern languages.23
The structure and original use of the tripalium is far from clear; many attempts to explain it appear to be based on nothing more than the word's literal meaning of "three stakes".4 The oldest known reference is from 582 AD,4 but the historical record concerning torture in the ancient Roman empire provides far more information about famous cases where it was applied, or the legalities thereof, than about the means of torture.5 There are classical references to impalement.6
(pron.: /kaɪˈrælɪtiː/) is a property of asymmetry important in several branches of science. The word chirality is derived from the Greek, χειρ (kheir), "hand", a familiar chiral object.
An object or a system is chiral if it is not identical to its mirror image, that is, it cannot be superposed onto it. A chiral object and its mirror image are called enantiomorphs (Greek opposite forms) or, when referring to molecules, enantiomers. A non-chiral object is called achiral (sometimes also amphichiral) and can be superposed on its mirror image.
The term was first used by Lord Kelvin in an address in 1904. In a lecture given in Johns Hopkins University on "Molecular Dynamics and the Wave Theory of Light" he stated:
I call any geometrical figure, or group of points, 'chiral', and say that it has chirality if its image in a plane mirror, ideally realized, cannot be brought to coincide with itself.1
Human hands are perhaps the most universally recognized example of chirality: The left hand is a non-superimposable mirror image of the right hand; no matter how the two hands are oriented, it is impossible for all the major features of both hands to coincide.2 This difference in symmetry becomes obvious if someone attempts to shake the right hand of a person using his left hand, or if a left-handed glove is placed on a right hand. In mathematics chirality is the property of a figure that is not identical to its mirror image.
The spatial arrangement of some large molecules can exist in two different versions which are mirror images of each other, yet their chemical composition is entirely identical. These mirror versions of molecules are said to have a different “chirality” and are called “enantiomers.” The image to the right shows the two chiralities of alanine, known as L-alanine and D-alanine.
Standard view prior to above finding (but more above);
Vaterite (CaCO3) is a mineral, a polymorph of calcium carbonate. It was named after the German mineralogist Heinrich Vater. It is also known as mu-calcium carbonate (μ-CaCO3) and has a JCPDS number of 13-192. Vaterite, like aragonite, is a metastable phase of calcium carbonate at ambient conditions at the surface of the earth. As it is less stable than either calcite or aragonite, vaterite has a higher solubility than either of these phases. Therefore, once vaterite is exposed to water, it converts to calcite (at low temperature) or aragonite (at high temperature: ~60 °C). However, vaterite does occur naturally in mineral springs, organic tissue, gallstones, and urinary calculi. In those circumstances, some impurities (metal ions or organic matter) may stabilize the vaterite and prevent its transformation into calcite or aragonite. Vaterite is usually colorless, its shape is spherical, and its diameter is small, ranging from 0.05 to 5 μm.
Vaterite can be produced as the first mineral deposits repairing natural or experimentally induced shell damage in some aragonite-shelled mollusks (e.g. gastropods). Subsequent shell deposition occurs as aragonite.
Vaterites of the locality San Vito (Monte Somma, Italy) are microcrystalline with largest crystals below 2 mm size. This vaterite is epitactic after aragonite. The crystal contains triplet of aragonite inside of it. On the its termination twin seams of aragonite triplet are well visible.
Vaterite belongs to the hexagonal crystal system, whereas calcite is trigonal and aragonite is orthorhombic.
Steatohepatitis is a type of liver disease, characterized by inflammation of the liver with concurrent fat accumulation in liver ("steato", meaning fat, "hepatitis", meaning inflammation of the liver). Mere deposition of fat in the liver is termed steatosis, and together these constitute fatty liver changes.
Classically seen in alcoholics as part of alcoholic liver disease, steatohepatitis also is frequently found in people with diabetes and obesity. When not associated with excessive alcohol intake, it is referred to as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH and is the progressive form of the relatively benign Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.1 Steatohepatitis of either etiology may progress to cirrhosis, and NASH is now believed to be a frequent cause of unexplained cirrhosis (at least in Western societies).
Interested because as long time member of a 12 step program, hepatitis is a common thing. Seems to have been an epidemic of Hep C, with regular, painful, tragic deaths all too frequent. Have heard of hep from type A through G. So now NASH, involving neither alcohol nor dirty needles.
"If, for some reason, you want to feel completely out of step with the rest of the world, the only thing to do is sit around a cocktail lounge in the afternoon.... You sit around the gloom and have a few quiet, meditative drinks, get everything figured out. Then you go out and the sun hits you. And you feel like something that's been drinking in a gopher hole."
1. Any of various short-tailed, burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae of North America, having fur-lined external cheek pouches. Also called pocket gopher.
2. Any of various ground squirrels of the genus Citellus of North American prairies.
3. Any of several burrowing tortoises of the genus Gopherus, especially G. polyphemus of the southeast United States.
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) Also called pocket gopher any burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae, of North and Central America, having a thickset body, short legs, and cheek pouches
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) another name for ground squirrel
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any burrowing tortoise of the genus Gopherus, of SE North America
"You take the branch next the willow stump, I b'lieve; or else the branch by the gopher holes; or else--"
The Road to Oz by Baum, L. Frank View in context
And when he was supposed to be working in the corn-fields, and the tall stalks hid him from Mombi's view, Tip would often dig in the gopher holes, or if the mood seized him -- lie upon his back between the rows of corn and take a nap.
The Marvelous Land of Oz by Baum, L. Frank View in context
They were content to let the small mine-owners gopher out what they could, for there would be millions in the leavings.
BEHIND THE DICTIONARYLEXICOGRAPHERS TALK ABOUT LANGUAGE
Trespassers Will Be Trespassed
April 25, 2013
By Neal Whitman
Poking around a mall with his sons, the linguist Neal Whitman came across a sign that said, "Violators will be trespassed." It turns out that the verb trespass has picked up a new meaning in the last twenty years or so, one which hasn't yet made it into any of the dictionaries.
decide on and pursue a course of action satisfying the minimum requirements to achieve a goal; "optimization requires processes that are more complex than those needed to merely satisfice"
Satisficing, a portmanteau of satisfy and suffice,1 is a decision-making strategy that attempts to meet an acceptability threshold. This is contrasted with optimal decision-making, an approach that specifically attempts to find the best option available. A satisficing strategy may often be (near) optimal if the costs of the decision-making process itself, such as the cost of obtaining complete information, are considered in the outcome calculation.
The word satisfice was given its current meaning by Herbert A. Simon in 1956,2 although the idea "was first posited in Administrative Behavior, published in 1947."34 He pointed out that human beings lack the cognitive resources to optimize: we usually do not know the relevant probabilities of outcomes, we can rarely evaluate all outcomes with sufficient precision, and our memories are weak and unreliable. A more realistic approach to rationality takes into account these limitations: This is called bounded rationality.
"Satisficing" can also be regarded as combining "satisfying" and "sacrificing."citation needed In this usage the satisficing solution satisfies some criteria and sacrifices others.
Some consequentialist theories in moral philosophy use the concept of satisficing in the same sense, though most call for optimization instead.
a long, tapering vertical tube of ice formed in the sea around a plume of very cold seawater produced by a developing ice sheet:
an unprecedented time-lapse shot underwater records the growth of a brinicle—an ice stalactite progressing downward toward the seabed
Origin:
Wikipedia:
early 21st century: blend of brine and icicle
An ice stalactite (also brinicle – brine icicle) forms beneath sea ice when a flow of extremely cold, saline water is introduced to an area of ocean water, being the undersea equivalent of a stalactite or icicle.
Known since the 1960s, the generally accepted model of their formation was proposed by the US oceanographer Seelye Martin in 1974.1 The formation of a brinicle was first filmed in 2011 by producer Kathryn Jeffs and cameramen Hugh Miller and Doug Anderson for the BBC series Frozen Planet.2
extremely hot and dry local wind in Arabia and the Sahara. Its temperature often reaches 55 C (about 130 F), and the humidity of the air sometimes falls below 10 percent. It is caused by intensive ground heating under a cloudless sky. Simoom is an Arabic word that means "poison wind." It refers to the wind's tendency to cause heatstroke as it brings more heat to the human body than is removed by the evaporation of perspiration.
In his Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce describes the protagonist's heart as having "withered up like a flower of the desert that feels the simoom coming from afar."
n. A person who believes that extreme fiscal austerity is the key to solving economic problems, particularly for countries carrying huge debt loads. Also: Austerian.
Example Citations:
"Austerians," as the champions of fiscal prudence are called, perhaps a little uncharitably, are in retreat because an emphasis on deficit cutting has failed to generate a convincing recovery.
—Kevin Carmichael, "'Austerians' are reeling as G20 avoids mention of hard fiscal targets," The Globe and Mail, April 21, 2013
When it comes to inflicting pain on the citizens of debtor nations, austerians are all steely determination — hey, it's a tough world, and hard choices have to be made.
—Paul Krugman, "Very Sensitive People," The New York Times, April 22, 2013
Earliest Citation:
Remember, the political idea being expressed a year ago was that because the GOP interpreted its 1994 mandate as a call to budget-balancing austerity, the electorate would never give the White House to the GOP if its nominee was also a root-canal austerian.
—Jude Wanniski, "Reminder from Forbes ... Crossroads for Dole," The Washington Times, March 20, 1996
Notes:
Fans of the novelist Paul Auster (and, really, who isn't one?) will be pleased to know that his work and the atmosphere it conjures up are often described as Austerian (first use: 1994):
See if you like this sample, which ends with a typically Austerian twist. "For the first few weeks, they did what they could to make the rooms habitable, diligently attacking all manner of blight and decay, treating each small task as if it were a momentous human endeavor, and bit by bit they turned their wretchedly inadequate pigsty into something that might, with some generosity, be classified as a hovel."
—John Greenya, "Book review: 'Sunset Park'," The Washington Times, December 31, 2010
When this generation later tells their teenage kids about the youtube videos you watched back in the day and those children subsequently rapidly share said videos with their generation.
The year, 2030 - "hey Dad, listen to this, I learned to play Mozart today". "who cares Billy, this cat had that figured out twenty years ago. Wipe away your tears and check this out".
Billy shares with friends. Video goes viral...again. Reviral.
(Phys.org) —What is an Obake? Two definitions have emerged; MIT inventors would enjoy close attention on the newer one. The older definition is that they are creatures in Japanese folklore that shift shapes. The second is an updated, 2013 definition, created in MIT Media Lab quarters. Obake is a highly touchable screen interface that lets you pinch, press, prod, and expand your screen. "What if our screens were elastic?" asks one of the designers, Dhairya Dand. The question that goes with that one is, are you up for a user experience beyond a flat screen? Those are the questions that result from the MIT Media Lab project on a touchscreen interface that can take users into a next-step world of tactile computing. In one of the inventor's words, they provide a new language of interaction.
Obake (お化け) and bakemono (化け物) (sometimes obakemono) are a class of yōkai, preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. Literally, the terms mean a thing that changes, referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting.
These words are often translated as ghost, but primarily they refer to living things or supernatural beings who have taken on a temporary transformation, and these bakemono are distinct from the spirits of the dead.1 However, as a secondary usage, the term obake can be a synonym for yūrei, the ghost of a deceased human being.2
A bakemono's true form may be an animal such as a fox (kitsune), a raccoon dog (tanuki), a badger (mujina), a transforming cat (bakeneko), the spirit of a plant — such as a kodama, or an inanimate object which may possess a soul in Shinto and other animistic traditions. Obake derived from household objects are often called tsukumogami.
A bakemono usually either disguises itself as a human or appears in a strange or terrifying form such as a hitotsume-kozō, an ōnyūdō, or a noppera-bō. In common usage, any bizarre apparition can be referred to as a bakemono or an obake whether or not it is believed to have some other form, making the terms roughly synonymous with yōkai.3
In Hawaii
Due to the influence of a sizable Japanese immigrant population on the islands of Hawaii, the term obake has found its way into the pidgin vocabulary of the local people. Some Japanese stories concerning these creatures have found their way into local culture in Hawaii: numerous sightings of kappa have been reported on the islands, and the Japanese faceless ghosts called noppera-bō have also become well-known in Hawaii under the name mujina. This name confusion seems to have stemmed from a story by Lafcadio Hearn titled "Mujina", which first introduced the faceless ghost to the Western world.
Hawaiian folklorist Glen Grant was known for his "Obake Files", a series of reports he developed about supernatural incidents in Hawaii. The grand bulk of these incidents and reports were of Japanese origin or concerned obake.4
Notes
^ Mayer p. 89
^ Daijirin and Daijisen definitions of obake.
^ Daijirin and Daijisen dictionary definitions.
^ Grant
References
Mayer, Fanny Hagin (March 1974). "Religious Concepts in the Japanese Folktale" (PDF). Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1 (1): 73–101. Retrieved 2006-01-01.
Grant, Glen; Ross Yamanaka (May 1994). Obake: Ghost Stories in Hawaii. Honolulu: Mutual Pub Co. ISBN 1-5664-7320-9.
Probably one of the strangest, yet entirely conceivable machines found on the market, the white goat machine is a machine that transforms shredded paper into toilet paper.
Although the idea may seem strange, the average person uses 39 pounds of toilet paper every year — that’s roughly one third of a tree.
Though the White Goat Machine is currently only on sale in Japan, with just 40 sheets of paper, you could receive a fresh roll of toilet paper in just 30 minutes; costing just 12 cents a roll.
If every office in the country invested in a White Goat Machine, every single machine could save 60 trees a year. And, if multiplied, the White Goat Machine could be saving thousands of kilometres of precious forest every year.
Seen in article "Green Inventions That Could Change The Way We Live"
n. An immediate, overwhelming, and usually inappropriate emotional response to a perceived threat or emergency.
Example Citations:
Psychologists call this an amygdala hijack, a point at which the most unevolved part of our brains — the amygdala — overrules every other civilised impulse and quite simply, goes nuts.
—Natalie Reilly, "Is crying at work career suicide?," Daily Life, April 3, 2013
In the mid 1990's, I was introduced to the concept of an "amygdala hijack." The amygdalae are two small almond-shaped structures in the brain that among other things, monitor environmental and social threats and allow us to respond reflexively when perceived levels get too high. They figuratively hijack our volitional choice by redirecting behavioral control to more primitive responses such as fight, flight and freeze.
—Janet Crawford, quoted in Victor W. Hwang, "4 Ways You Can Innovate Better, According to Neuroscience," Forbes, March 29, 2013
Earliest Citation:
The amygdala is the brain's center for emotional memory, for emotional reactivity, and which has the ability to scan everything that's happening to us moment to moment to see if it perceives a threat. If it does, it mobilizes the entire brain instantly in anamygdala hijack, the signs of which are three: One, you have a very intense emotional reaction two, it's very sudden and three, when the dust settles, you realize that it was very inappropriate.
—Daniel Goleman, quoted in Jennifer J. Salopek, "Train Your Brain: Part 1 of 2,"Training and Development, October 1, 1998
Notes:
The coining of this phrase is credited to psychologist Daniel Goleman with some (*cough* Wikipedia *cough*) claiming that the first use comes in his famous book Emotional Intelligence. Goleman doesn't use the phrase in that book, but he does come close:
Such emotional explosions are neural hijackings...a neural takeover which, as we shall see, originates in the amygdala.
—Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, Bantam Books, September 12, 1996
n. Reality as defined by a consensus, particularly in a collaborative endeavor such as Wikipedia. Also: Wikiality. Blend of Wikipedia and reality.
Example Citations:
"Wikiality," from populist Online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, means reality as determined by majority vote (as when scientists voted to stop treating Pluto as a planet).
—"From the mouths of fake journalists," San Jose Mercury News, August 28, 2006
Are you wikiliterate? If not, start studying!
For one thing, "wikiality," a Stephen Colbert-inspired "word of the year," is a password that signals you are an irony insider. But beyond that, the wiki website model, popularized by Wikipedia, is also emerging as a hot business tool.
—Rick Newman, "The next Internet gold rush," U.S. News & World Report, August 28, 2006
Earliest Citation:
Any user can change any entry and if enough other users agree with them, it becomes true. ... If only the entire body of human knowledge worked this way. And it can, thanks to tonight's 'Word': Wikiality. Now I'm no fan of reality, and I'm no fan of encyclopedias. I've said it before: Who is Britannica to tell me that George Washington had slaves? If I want to say he didn't, that's my right. And now, thanks to Wikipedia, it's also a fact. We should apply these principles to all information. All we need to do is convince a majority of people that some factoid is true.
—Stephen Colbert, "The Word," The Colbert Report, July 31, 2006
1. An agreement between two or more governments or powers for cooperative action or policy: "the economic entente between the Soviet Union and western Europe" (Robert W. Tucker).
Entente national agreements collectively, as in the Triple Entente, 1894-1907; the Entente Cordiale, 1844, 1904.
References in classic literature
There were only two things needed: France to consider her own big interests and to ignore an entente from which she gains nothing that was not assured to her under the new agreement, and the money.
The Vanished Messenger by Oppenheim, E. Phillips View in context
When that fail he make straight for his last resource, his last earth-work I might say did I wish double entente.
Dracula by Stoker, Bram View in context
Nasmyth himself was the first to thank us both for our spirited effort on his behalf; and the incident had the ironic effect of establishing an immediate entente cordiale between Raffles and his very latest victim.
A Thief in the Night by Hornung, E. W. View in context
1. Informal. to back out or retreat from a position or undertaking.
noun:
1. crayfish.
Related Words for : crawfish
crawdad, crayfish, ecrevisse, back away,back out
When have you known me to crawfish on a deal?
-- Victor McGlothin, Secrets of Newberry, 2010
I suppose I crawfished around a bit and didn't give him too straight an answer.
-- Gene Wolfe, Peace, 1995
A North American variant of crayfish, crawfish entered English in the mid-1800s as both a verb and a noun meaning "to act cowardly," "to retreat from a position," or to describe a person who acts in this manner. Crayfish comes to English from the Old High German krebiz meaning "crab" or "shellfish.
The jargon of crossword puzzle answers, classically consisting of rare, archaic, or dialectal words. ]
1988, Sam Hodges, "Puzzlers Exchanging A Lot Of Cross Words", Orlando Sentinel, 20 March 1988:
"The Times puzzle is full of crosswordese -- words nobody ever heard of," he said. "Take today March 10. He's got the clue 'corn mush.' The answer is 'samp.' Then there's 'dwarf buffalo.' The answer is 'anoa.' It's laughable. I know these words because I'm in the business. But why should you?"
a garment covering part of the front of the body and tied at the waist, for protecting the wearer's clothing: a kitchen apron.
2.
Anglican Church . a similar garment extending to the knees, worn by bishops, deans, and archdeans.
3.
a metal plate or cover, usually vertical, for a machine, mechanism, artillery piece, etc., for protecting those who operate it.
4.
a continuous conveyor belt for bulk materials, consisting of a chain of steel plates.
5.
(in a lathe) a part of the carriage holding the clutches and gears moving the toolholder.
verb (used with object)
20.
to put an apron on; furnish with an apron.
21.
to surround in the manner of an apron: The inner city is aproned by low-cost housing.
Origin:
1275–1325; 1925–30 for def 6; 1900–05 for def 8; Middle English napron (by later misconstruing a napron as an apron ) < Middle French naperon, equivalent to nape tablecloth (< Latin mappa napkin; cf. map) + -ron diminutive suffix
mid-15c., faulty separation (cf. adder, umpire) of a napron (c.1300), from O.Fr. naperon, dim. of nappe "cloth," from L. mappa "napkin." Napron was still found as late as late 16c. Symbolic of "wife's business" from 1610s. Apron-string tenure was
An area covered by a blanketlike deposit of glacial, eolian, marine, or alluvial sediments, especially an area at the foot of a mountain or in front of a glacier.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Easton Bible Dictionary
Apron definition
found in the Authorized Version in Gen. 3:7, of the bands of fig-leaves made by our first parents. In Acts 19:12, it denotes the belt or half-girdle worn by artisans and servants round the waist for the purpose of preserving the clothing from injury. In marg. of Authorized Version, Ruth 3:15, correctly rendered instead of "vail." (R.V., "mantle.")
Demonstration of a non-Newtonian fluid at Universum in Mexico City
Oobleck on a subwoofer. Applying force to oobleck, by sound waves in this case, makes the non-Newtonian fluid thicken.6
An inexpensive, non-toxic example of a non-Newtonian fluid is a suspension of starch (e.g. cornstarch) in water, sometimes called "oobleck" or "ooze" (1 part of water to 1.5–2 parts of corn starch).78 Uncooked imitation custard, being a suspension of primarily cornflour, has the same properties. The name "oobleck" is derived from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck.citation needed
WALKING on water is possible – just as long as it contains corn starch. Now it seems this miracle mixture, dubbed oobleck, can also shatter like glass. Knowing how and why could help guide its use in soft body armour and car suspensions.
Oobleck gets its name from the artificial gloop that falls from the sky in the Dr Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck. It has a split personality because the corn starch exists as a solid suspended in liquid water. Gently poke real-life oobleck and your fingers easily slip through, but slap it and it suddenly stiffens.
Along with ketchup and toothpaste, which jam up if you squeeze their containers hard, it is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid. "They can be solid if you make them flow too fast," says Matthieu Roché of the University of Paris-South. Oobleck is the most extreme variety, capable of supporting a person running across a pool, though they will sink if they slow down.
Last year, Heinrich Jaeger and colleagues at the University of Chicago discovered why oobleck behaves this way – the water flees the point of impact faster than the starch, leaving the solid particles behind. These jam up, forming a matrix of surprising strength.
While based at Princeton University, Roché and colleagues probed another property of oobleck – its tendency to break up. They spread a layer over a sheet of perspex (plexiglass) and filmed from underneath as they dropped a 300-gram, tungsten carbide rod onto the oobleck from varying heights. Because oobleck is so flexible, Roché expected it to tear like a soft metal, a process known as ductile fracture. Instead, about 6.7 milliseconds after impact, the oobleck formed pointy-tipped cracks like fracturing glass or plaster, his team reports in Physical Review Letters (doi.org/k7m). Unlike glass, though, the cracks sealed up quickly.
The team was also able to measure the speed of the cracking and discovered that cracks only appeared when the oobleck layer was below a certain thickness. Thicker layers may not crack because oobleck underneath stays liquid, absorbing the impact more easily, says Roché. Surprisingly, the force of the hit had less impact on whether the oobleck cracked than layer thickness.
Non-Newtonian fluids are already found in liquid armour, which is flexible like fabric but stiffens suddenly to fend off an incoming bullet or knife. The fluids are also being investigated for use in cars, where they could dampen shocks without requiring additional energy. The new details of how cracking occurs should improve strategies for avoiding fracture in these scenarios and other planned ones, says Roché.
Jaeger, who was not involved in the latest work, agrees with Roché: "This is a beautiful piece of research. Understanding this behaviour better will enable us to control it."
This article appeared in print under the headline "Miracle gloop shatters like glass"
1. carefully or elegantly done, operated, or designed.
2. well-groomed.
I saw...books being borrowed from the library by gentlemen of soigné appearance.
-- W.G. Sebald, Austerlitz, 2001
A moment later the lights dimmed, the orchestra struck up the prelude and the curtain slid smoothly up. Later, during the intermission, Hearn took a cup of hot chocolate and mingled with the soigné crowd.
-- Eric Van Lustbader, The Bourne Legacy, 2010
Soigné came to English in the 1800s from the French word soigner meaning "take care of."
The Internet is full of bumph like spam and pop-ups.
2. bumph
Stuff that, while peripheral, is essential to the texture of well-created sets for movies.
Critical element to superior set decoration world-wide, though perhaps more commonly associated, in general, with New York or British-made films, among others.
Creates an ambience opposite to "oh, so Hollywood."
........
Production Designer, Brit, (viewing a new set): Fantastic! Beautiful work. (entering and looking more closely): But where's the bumph?
Savvy New York Decorator: Sorry, the WHAT?
Brit Designer: You know, the bits and bobs.
NY Decorator: Oh, we have 40 boxes; they're unpacking them now.
Brit Designer: Brilliant.
.......
Brit Designer: Where's the bumph?
One-size-fits-all Decorator: Huh?
Brit Designer: You know, the bits and bobs.
One-size-fits-all Decorator: Huh?
Brit Designer: The effing STUFF!
One-size-fits-all Decorator: Huh?
3. bumph
= bumf
My intray is full of bumph.
4. Bumph
3 up, 1 down
Buhmfh
-Adj
1. Used to described objects or materials that are thought of as cluttering or invasive to one's personal space.
"I'm selling this Bumph on eBay to get some cash and make some space up in here!"
5. bumph
to put a small amount of ketamine up ones nose
fancy a quick bumph?
6. bumph
To poke someone in the belly while simultaneously saying the word "bumph" when they don't expect it. You can also add the phrase "Did that hurt?" after the bumph has been issued. It is not necessary but adds a significant effect to the bumph. Sometimes the bumpher will bumph you back and at that point, the only proper way is to bumph back leading to a bumph war. During a bumph war, the bumpher may add in some more phrases such as, "You ate the dirty grapes!!" or "Her hair, its so short!" while the person getting bumphed responds with, "Pheeeeasant foooooot" or "Ouch! DAT HURT!!"
Lisa: "Bumph! Did that hurt?"
Tom: "Ouch! Stop it! that hurt. Bumph!!"
Lisa: "Bumph, you ate the dirty grapes!"
Tom: "No you did! Your hair.......its sooooo short!"
1. a mass of snow, ice, etc., projecting over a mountain ridge.
2. Architecture. a. any prominent, continuous, horizontally projecting feature surmounting a wall or other construction, or dividing it horizontally for compositional purposes. b. the uppermost member of a classical entablature, consisting of a bed molding, a corona, and a cymatium, with rows of dentils, modillions, etc., often placed between the bed molding and the corona.
3. any of various other ornamental horizontal moldings or bands, as for concealing hooks or rods from which curtains are hung or for supporting picture hooks.
verb:
1. to furnish or finish with a cornice.
Then he tossed the bottle into that cornice of snow that dipped out over a ridge. But perhaps it was nothing more than the spring melt.
-- Sandra Dallas, Whiter Than Snow, 2011
Even though a veteran may say that great snow equals a great day, beginner and novice cornice skiers should pay more attention to safety and skill preparation, and consider great snow a bonus.
-- John A. Yacenda and Tim Ross, High-Performance Skiing-2nd, 1998
Cornice came to English from the Middle French corniche or from the Italian, largely popularized by the writings of Dante. The noun form entered the language two hundred years before the verb form in the mid-1500s.
He was really chuffed about the fire as well, because Mrs Pearson from up the stairs had her washing ruined by the smoke.
-- Irvine Welsh, Marabou Stork Nightmares, 1997
Well, we can discuss that when we get there. Declan will be chuffed when I tell him, the family never usually goes to these things.
-- Cecelia Ahern, P.S. I Love You, 2007
This British term comes from the obsolete chuff meaning "chubby," used in the seventieth to nineteenth centuries. In the 1800s, chuff took on the sense of "pleased." Since the mid-1900s, chuffed has been used to mean both "pleased" or "displeased," depending upon the context.
maritime law a contract whereby the owner of a ship borrows money to enable the vessel to complete the voyage and pledges the ship as security for the loan
a maritime contract (now almost obsolete) by which the owner of a ship borrows money for equipping or repairing the vessel and, for a definite term, pledges the ship as security-it being stipulated that if the ship be lost in the specified voyage or period, by any of the perils enumerated, the lender shall lose his money. A similar contract creating a security interest in the cargo is called a respondentia.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
A variation on the mantle is the mantelet (also spelled mantelot and mantlet), typically describing a short version of the mantle. The term appears as early as 1386, in "The Knight's Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer. In the 18th century, a mantelet was a woman's short cloak, and in the early 19th century, it was an ornamental scarf that crossed over the chest and tied behind, usually made of fur or lace.1 By the end of the 19th century, a mantelet was a woman's shoulder cape with elongated ends in front, sometimes held in position by a belt at the waist.
A mantlet was a large shield or portable shelter used for stopping arrows or bullets, in medieval warfare. A mantlet could be mounted on a wheeled carriage, and protected one or several soldiers.
In the First World War a mantlet type of device was used by the French to attack barbed wire entanglements.1
In military use from pre-WW2 onward, a mantlet is the thick, protective steel frontal shield, usually able to elevate and depress, which houses the main gun on an armoured tank, examples being Tiger Tank, Sherman Tank and Churchill Tank .
shelter - a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
References in classic literature
Learn also, I pray you, to shoot with a dropping shaft; for though a bowman may at times be called upon to shoot straight and fast, yet it is more often that he has to do with a town-guard behind a wall, or an arbalestier with his mantlet raised when you cannot hope to do him scathe unless your shaft fall straight upon him from the clouds.
The White Company by Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan
The preparation of mantlets, movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take up three whole months; and the piling up of mounds over against the walls will take three months more.
Tried to straighten out the mess had made by improperly capitalizing first letter of listed words (until my neck gave out), will have to review this again. Now am not so unique.
I finished the 8th grade, went in Army (to stay out of jail) at 17, got a GED at 18. Started college at 27, finished a couple of years.
Am 71 now, and have been a shut-in for about 25 years. Started reading at 4, and read about five books a week.
Largely self educated for whatever that is worth. Owned an antiquarian bookstore for a number of years and had a very good personal reference library, which gifted to My Daughter The Lawyer.
Feel we are so very fortunate to have the internet with all that knowledge at our fingertips.
Word History: Ditto, which at first glance seems a handy and insignificant sort of word, actually has a Roman past, for it comes from dictus, "having been said," the past participle of the verb dcere, "to say." In Italian dcere became dire and dictus became detto, or in the Tuscan dialect ditto. Italian detto or ditto meant what said does in English, as in the locution "the said story." Thus the word could be used in certain constructions to mean "the same as what has been said"; for example, having given the date December 22, one could use 26 detto or ditto for 26 December. The first recorded use of ditto in English occurs in such a construction in 1625. The sense "copy" is an English development, first recorded in 1818. Ditto has even become a trademark for a duplicating machine.
References in classic literature
27 Porters 3 Coarse Washers and Ironers 44 Mules 1 Fine ditto 44 Muleteers 7 Cows 2 Milkers
A Tramp Abroad by Twain, Mark View in context
, and one dozen dessert ditto ditto, there were three young stockbrokers (Messrs.
Vanity Fair by Thackeray, William Makepeace View in context
The washing and dressing apparatus for the passengers generally, consists of two jack-towels, three small wooden basins, a keg of water and a ladle to serve it out with, six square inches of looking-glass, two ditto ditto of yellow soap, a comb and brush for the head, and nothing for the teeth.
American Notes for General Circulation by Dickens, Charles View in context
When you can't figure out who your boss is but you know you're getting royally fucked.
Louis asked Stewart for projections on software sales by Thursday. At the same time, Barkley is hammering Stew about the sales force project. Nobody has conducted his mid-year review, and neither boss is clear about who is going to do it. Sounds like he's in a manager trois
1. (Mathematics) a horizontal line drawn above a group of mathematical terms, used as an alternative to parentheses in mathematical expressions, as in x + y - z which is equivalent to x + (y - z)
2) At the beginning of the project, a circular was sent to all religious institutions that had sent missionaries to Congo; an article including a call to participate was published in magazines for female and male conventuals such as URB Unie and Vinculum.
From mission "Africa rooms": Frans M. Olbrechts's rediscovered ... by Van Damme-Linseele, Annemieke / African Arts
Figure 7 shows a visual image of the numerator, denominator and vinculum of the fraction.
Fraction as division by Clarke, D. / Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom
She stretches the two ends of Vinculum II, 1969, between wall and floor (vinculum: "link, that which binds; bond, tie, connecting medium").
Out of the past: Lucy R. Lippard talks about Eva Hesse with Nancy ... by Lippard, Lucy R. / Artforum International
The agreement of two or more inductions drawn from different sets of data; concurrence
Barack Obama's Address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention: Trauma, Compromise, Consilience, and the (Im)possibility of Racial Reconciliation.
Obama, Africa, and the Post-Racial by Janis, Michael / CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture
Perhaps," write neuroscientists Alireza Soltani and Xiao-Jing Wang, "we are entering a new period of consilience between the science of the brain and the science of the mind.
The decider: informing the debate over the reality of 'free will' ... by Siegfried, Tom / Science News
The subtitle was "Trauma, Compromise, Consilience and the (Im)possibility of Racial Reconciliation.
Unity call Obama's big secret by The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
1. The unintentional use of wrong words: the misuse of a word through confusion with another word that sounds similar, or the creation of a new word in an attempt to sound scholarly or educated.
2. absurd or humorous misuse of words, terms, or phrases especially by confusing terms, words or historical events with others.
3. The act of creating new words out of frustration when one has limited knowledge of a particular event or subject matter.
"'Refudiate,' 'misunderestimate,' 'wee-wee'd up.' English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!'" --a Tweet sent by Sarah Palin in response to being ridiculed for inventing the word "refudiate," proudly mistaking her illiteracy for literary genius, July 18, 201
In this example, both refudiate and misunderestimate are examples of palinpropism.
zOMG is a varient of the all-too-popular acronym "OMG", meaning "Oh My God".
The "z" was originally a mistake while attempting to hit the shift key with the left hand, and type "OMG"
Also used in all-caps, 'ZOMG' is generally used in a sarcastic manner, more often than not a humiliating fasion. It is also used as a device for stating the obvious.
When a woman gives up dating / cavorting with the opposite sex for a temporary period in an attempt to enhance her overall well-being, including her mental health and her physical appearance. As a result, she may glow or look younger from lack of frowning and crying as if she had a Botox injection.
"Ever since she went on that boytox, she's seemed so happy. Positively glowing!"
"I hit rock bottom after three failed relationships. I put myself on a boytox in order to reset my love karma."
Externally, the defining aspects of the demimonde were an extravagant lifestyle of fine food and clothes, easily surpassing that of most other wealthy women of their day, because of the steady income they made in cash and gifts from their various lovers. Internally, their lifestyle was an eclectic mixture of sharp business acumen, social skills, and hedonism. The smart demimondaine, like the fictional Gigi's grandmother, would invest her wealth for the day when her beauty would fade. Others ended up penniless and starving when age finally took its toll on their beauty, unless they managed to marry one of their lovers.
The most famous real-life demimondaine was arguably Cora Pearl. During her life, she was the acknowledged queen of the Paris courtesans. Her lovers, all wealthy noblemen, she called her 'chain of gold' - and included such notables as the Duc de Rivoli and even (she claimed) Prince Napoleon. Cora was so successful that she literally made and spent millions of francs during her life. But she was not a simple hedonist - during the Siege of Paris (1870–1871), she turned her mansion into a hospital for wounded soldiers. Cora's memoirs were discovered in 1982 in the hands of a German collector, and released by Granada Publishing Ltd in 1983, under the title The Memoirs of Cora Pearl: The Erotic Reminiscences of a Flamboyant 19th Century Courtesan. Her memoirs are, as the title declares, erotic reminiscences where she discusses in the most graphic detail the sexual prowess and tastes of her lovers, both famous and humble. Possibly the most titillating (and telling) scene describes her presentation at dinner, naked and decked in cream, as a final dish.
Another famous beauty was Virginia Oldoini, Countess di Castiglione who coming to Paris in the 1850s with very little money of her own, soon became mistress of Napoleon III and after that relationship ended, soon moved on to many other wealthy powerful men in government, finance and European royalty. She was possibly the most aristocratic and exclusive of the demimondaines, it is said she charged a member of the British aristocracy a million francs for 12 hours in her company. Sadly she lacked charm, and as soon as her looks went so did her patrons. She died alone and mentally ill many years later.
(especially during the last half of the 19th century) a class of women who have lost their standing in respectable society because of indiscreet behavior or sexual promiscuity.
2.
a demimondaine.
3.
prostitutes or courtesans in general.
4.
a group whose activities are ethically or legally questionable: a demimonde of investigative journalists writing for the sensationalist tabloids.
5.
a group characterized by lack of success or status: the literary demimonde.
Relevant Questions
What Is A Demimonde?
What Is Dem·i·monde?
What Is The Meaning Of D...
What Does Demimonde Mean...
Origin:
1850–55; < French, equivalent to demi- demi- + monde world (< Latin mundus )
Demi-monde refers to a group of people who live hedonistic lifestyles, usually in a flagrant and conspicuous manner. The term was commonly used in Europe from the late 18th to the early 20th century, and modern use often refers to that period.citation needed Its connotations of pleasure-seeking contrasted with wealth and high-class behavior make it comparable to the later jet set or nomenklatura.
The term was often used as one of disapprobation, the behavior of a person in the demimonde being contrary to more traditional or bourgeois values. Such behaviors often included drinking or drug use, gambling, high spending (particularly in pursuit of fashion, as through clothing as well as servants and houses), and sexual promiscuity. The term demimondaine referred to a woman who embodied these qualities; later it became a euphemism for a courtesan or prostitute.
The term 'demimonde' is French for "half the world". It derives from a comedy by Alexandre Dumas fils published in 1855 called Le Demi-Monde.1
Fulgurites (from the Latin fulgur meaning thunderbolt) are natural hollow glass tubes formed in quartzose sand, or silica, or soil by lightning strikes.1 They are formed when lightning with a temperature of at least 1,800 °C (3,270 °F) instantaneously melts silica on a conductive surface and fuses grains together; the fulgurite tube is the cooled product.2 This process occurs over a period of around one second,3 and leaves evidence of the lightning path and its dispersion over the surface.4 Fulgurites can also be produced when a high voltage electrical distribution network breaks and the lines fall onto a conductive surface with sand beneath. They are sometimes referred to as petrified lightning. The glass formed is called lechatelierite which may also be formed by meteorite impact and volcanic explosions. Because it is amorphous, fulgurite is classified as a mineraloid. Fulgurites can have deep penetrations, sometimes occurring as far as 15 metres (49 ft) below the surface that was struck.5
The tubes can be up to several centimeters in diameter, and meters long. The longest fulgurite found is approximately 4.9 to 5 metres (16.1 to 16.4 ft) in length, and was found in northern Florida, USA.3 Their color varies depending on the composition of the sand they formed in, ranging from black or tan to green or a translucent white. The interior is normally very smooth or lined with fine bubbles; the exterior is generally coated with rough sand particles and is porous. They are rootlike in appearance and often show branching or small holes. Fulgurites occasionally form as glazing on solid rocks (sometimes referred to as an exogenic fulgurite).6
(snip)
References in classic literature
Beudant 11 succeeded in making tubes, in most respects similar to these fulgurites, by passing very strong shocks of galvanism through finely-powdered glass: when salt was added, so as to increase its fusibility, the tubes were larger in every dimension, They failed both with powdered felspar and quartz.
magatama: (Phys.org) —In a course of studying young galaxies at a distance of 11.6 billion light years from Earth, a team of astronomers led by Professor Yoshiaki Taniguchi (Ehime University) noticed a strangely shaped galaxy that looks like a "magatama", an ancient, comma-shaped Japanese amulet made of stone (Figure 1). Subsequent research revealed that the magatama galaxy was actually an overlapping system of two young galaxies lying in an extremely close line of sight—an exceedingly rare occurrence among celestial objects. The small angular separation between the foreground and background galaxies gave the current team an opportunity to investigate the effect of gravitational lensing on the properties of the background galaxy. A member of the team, university student Yuya Nakahiro (Ehime University), calculated that the effect of gravitational amplification would be 20% at most. The foreground young galaxy is still forming, and the team concluded that the gravitational lensing effect from such a young galaxy does not affect the luminosity of its background galaxy.
Abiogenesis:"Origin of life" redirects here. For non-scientific views on the origins of life, see Creation myth.
Precambrian stromatolites in the Siyeh Formation, Glacier National Park. In 2002, a paper in the scientific journal Nature suggested that these 3.5 Ga (billion years old) geological formations contain fossilized cyanobacteria microbes. This suggests they are evidence of the earliest known life on earth.
Abiogenesis (/ˌeɪbaɪ.ɵˈdʒɛnɨsɪs/ ay-by-oh-jen-ə-siss1) or biopoiesis is the natural process by which life arises from inorganic matter.2345 The earliest known life on Earth existed between 3.9 and 3.5 billion years ago, during the Eoarchean Era when sufficient crust had solidified following the molten Hadean Eon.
Scientific hypotheses about the origins of life may be divided into several categories. Most approaches investigate how self-replicating molecules or their components came into existence. For example, the Miller–Urey experiment and similar experiments demonstrated that most amino acids, often called "the building blocks of life", can be racemically synthesized in conditions thought to be similar to those of the early Earth. Several mechanisms have been investigated, including lightning and radiation. Other approaches ("metabolism first" hypotheses) focus on understanding how catalysis in chemical systems in the early Earth might have provided the precursor molecules necessary for self-replication.
Lal's article notes that 'panspermia' theory propounded by Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe at Cardiff University 35 years ago as an alternative to abiogenesis is currently the most favoured theory of origin of life.
Investigators still clueless about the origin of life: Expert by Asian News International
What about abiogenesis (the evolution of life from non-living precursors)?
Evolution is not the enemy; intelligent design is not the solution by Pinkham, Carlos Frank Amory / Forum on Public Policy: A Journal of the Oxford Round Table
If Yeager would like explanations for the other matters, specifically abiogenesis, thermodynamics and the Big Bang theory, he may ask me or any other high school chemistry, biology or physics student.
LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG by The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
CrudeMonitor.ca, the website of the Canadian Crude Quality Monitoring Program, says Wabasca Heavy is a type of diluted bitumen, or dilbit, from Alberta’s tar sands region. The Canadian Crude Quality Monitoring Program an industry source that provides data on different types of Canadian oil.
UPDATE III: You may be wondering "what kind of oil spilled in Arkansas?" Well, it's not ordinary crude. The crude oil that spilled in Arkansas is actually dilbit, which stands for diluted bitumen.
Following the 2010 Enbridge pipeline dilbit spill in Michigan, InsideClimate News produced a good primer on the differences between dilbit and conventional oil:
Bitumen is a kind of crude oil found in natural oil sands deposits—it's the heaviest crude oil used today. The oil sands, also known as tar sands, contain a mixture of sand, water and oily bitumen.
...
Conventional crude oil is a liquid that can be pumped from underground deposits. It is then shipped by pipeline to refineries where it's processed into gasoline, diesel and other fuels.
Bitumen is too thick to be pumped from the ground or through pipelines. Instead, the heavy tar-like substance must be mined or extracted by injecting steam into the ground. The extracted bitumen has the consistency of peanut butter and requires extra processing before it can be delivered to a refinery.
To make the thick bitumen flow through a pipeline, chemicals and water are added to dilute it. Benzene, a known carcinogen, is often part of the diluents mixture.
So when you see a pond of oil in that Arkansas backyard above or the river of oil flowing through this suburban street, it likely contains more than just oil.
Remains of deceased whale on ocean floor. Only nine found, usually at abysmal depths. Of interest to ocean biologists as highly specialized fish and worms consume carcass. The worms tunnel into bones. The worms were first seen twenty odd years ago, and have been found nowhere else. Believe several specie described, all over the globe.
Word list is backing up on me and need to do something soon.
Though got a Flu shot a couple of months ago, have been under the weather for five weeks and can stay on computer no longer than a couple of hours, before having to lie down.
Propose just listing words accumulated and coming back in better days to provide definitions and examples of use.
A type of acronym that is made by deciding on the letters to create a word, and then creating a name or title to fit the acronym. Similar to acronyms, a backronym can be pronounced as a word (those which are pronounced as separate letters and not a word are called abbreviations). In computers, Internet and technology there are a number of famous backronyms:
The Apple Lisa was named after Steve Jobs' daughter but was later said to be an acronym for "Local Integrated Software Architecture."
The BASIC programming language is also believed to be a backronym. The language was called BASIC, and then the acronym of "Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code" was created.
One of a long series of boards laid as a path across wet or muddy ground; normally used in plural.
In an attempt to alleviate the problem, wooden planking, known as duckboards, were placed at the bottom of trenches and across other areas of muddy or waterlogged ground.
Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia
os·mo·sis (z-mss, s-)
n. pl. os·mo·ses (-sz)
1.
a. Diffusion of fluid through a semipermeable membrane from a solution with a low solute concentration to a solution with a higher solute concentration until there is an equal concentration of fluid on both sides of the membrane.
b. The tendency of fluids to diffuse in such a manner.
Paris for 15 years.
2: A gradual, almost unconscious assimilation or absorption:learned French by osmosis while residing in Paris for 15 years.
the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane.
b.
the diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions. Compare endosmosis, exosmosis.
2.
a subtle or gradual absorption or mingling: He never studies but seems to learn by osmosis.
Origin:
1865–70; Latinized form of now obsolete osmose osmosis, extracted from endosmose endosmosis, exosmose exosmosis < French, equivalent to end- end-, ex- ex-2 + Greek ōsm ( ós ) push, thrust + French -ose -osis
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner
Action Points
The prevalence of constipation with age, with some estimates ranging between 40% and 60%.
This review indicates that randomized trials support the use of osmotic agents (polyethylene glycol and lactulose) to treat symptoms of constipation in older people; however, evidence supporting the use of bulk agents, stool softeners, stimulants and other agents is limited, inconsistent or absent.
Osmotic laxatives have the strongest supporting data for treatment of constipation in older patients, authors of a literature review concluded.
The best way to launch a new word is to pretend that it isn’t new and just start using it, says Mikhail Epstein, an Emory professor of cultural theory and Russian literature.
From French mignon, from Middle French mignon ("lover, darling, favourite"), from Old French mignot ("dainty, pleasing, gentle, kind"), from Frankish *minnjo ("love, friendship, affection, memory"), from Proto-Germanic *minþijō, *mindijō (“affectionate thought, care”), from Proto-Indo-European *men-, *mnā- (“to think”). Cognate with Old High German minnja ("love, care, affection, desire, memory"), Old Saxon minnea ("love"). More at mind. Compare also minion and Dutch minnen ("to love").
From Middle French, from Old French mignot ("dainty, pleasing, gentle, kind"), from Frankish *minnjo ("love, friendship, affection, memory"), from Proto-Germanic *minþijō, *mindijō (“affectionate thought, care”), from Proto-Indo-European *men-, *mnā- (“to think”). Cognate with Old High German minnja ("love, care, affection, desire, memory"), Old Saxon minnea ("love"). More at mind.
It held what our Saxon forebears would have called his word-hoard. Prisk dipped into his invisible bag, drew out a word apparently at random, fingered it jealously for some minutes, returned it, and brought out another word.
-- Michael Innes, The Weight Of The Evidence
This audience, more than anything, perhaps, gave William the energy to once again unload his word hoard. And what a word hoard it was.
-- Victor Bockris, With William Burroughs
When Inman spoke to them they neither answered nor flickered an eye in his direction to even acknowledge the sound of his voice, and he began to assume that what the boy had spoken at the fire comprised their collective word hoard.
-- Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain
We need a well stocked word-hoard and should be avid to add to it.
-- Paul Edwards, The Practical Preacher
Word-hoard first occurred in modern English in the 1890s. It was a literal translation of the Old English word wordhord which meant "a store of words.
To collapse or faint, as from surprise, excitement, or exhaustion.
And there would be no way to hide the official tail on her parents' manicured, sweeping drive. “God, Mother would plotz.”
-- Elizabeth Lowell, Die in Plain Sight
I mean, the consul would have plotzed, since it would have made him directly involved.
-- Avner Mandelman, Talking to the Enemy
Plotz is an Americanism that first arose in the 1940s. It comes from the Yiddish word platsn which meant "to crack, split, burst." That word in turn originated in the German word blatzen or platzen.
Usage: Only things which have not yet occurred can be obviated. For example, one can obviate a possible future difficulty, but not one which already exists
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb 1. obviate - do away with
rid of, eliminate
close out, rule out, preclude - make impossible, especially beforehand
necessitate, need, require, call for, demand, postulate, involve, ask, take - require as useful, just, or proper; "It takes nerve to do what she did"; "success usually requires hard work"; "This job asks a lot of patience and skill"; "This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice"; "This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert"; "This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent"
2. obviate - prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; "Let's avoid a confrontation"; "head off a confrontation"; "avert a strike"
deflect, fend off, forefend, forfend, head off, stave off, ward off, avert, avoid, debar
foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, forbid - keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project"
obviate
verb (Formal) avert, avoid, remove, prevent, counter, do away with, preclude, counteract, ward off, stave off, forestall, render unnecessary This would obviate the need for a surgical operation.
verb (used with object), ob·vi·at·ed, ob·vi·at·ing.
to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures; render unnecessary: to obviate the risk of serious injury.
Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin obviātus, past participle of obviāre to act contrary to, derivative of obvius; see obvious, -ate1
Obviate (abbreviated obv) third person person is a grammatical person marking that distinguishes a non-salient (obviative) third person referent from a more salient (proximate) third person referent in a given discourse context. The obviative is sometimes referred to as the "fourth person".1
A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of casualties and causes more damage to structures.
Thermobaric explosives rely on oxygen from the surrounding air, whereas most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxygen premix (for instance, gunpowder contains 15% fuel and 75% oxidizer). Thus, on a weight-for-weight basis they are significantly more energetic than normal condensed explosives. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude or in adverse weather. However, they have significant advantages when deployed inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers.
Terminology
The term thermobaric is derived from the Greek words for "heat" and "pressure": thermobarikos (θερμοβαρικός), from thermos (θερμός), hot + baros (βάρος), weight, pressure + suffix -ikos (-ικός), suffix -ic.
Other terms used for this family of weapons are high-impulse thermobaric weapons (HITs), heat and pressure weapons, vacuum bombs, or fuel-air explosives (FAE or FAX).
Blast from a US Navy fuel air explosive used against a decommissioned ship, 1972.
A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of casualties and causes more damage to structures. There are many different variants of thermobaric weapons rounds that can be fitted to hand held launchers such as rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons.1
Thermobaric explosives rely on oxygen from the surrounding air, whereas most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxidizer premix (for instance, gunpowder contains 25% fuel and 75% oxidizer). Thus, on a weight-for-weight basis they are significantly more energetic than normal condensed explosives. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude or in adverse weather. However, they have significant advantages when deployed inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers.
The term thermobaric is derived from the Greek words for "heat" and "pressure": thermobarikos (θερμοβαρικός), from thermos (θερμός), hot + baros (βάρος), weight, pressure + suffix -ikos (-ικός), suffix -ic.
Other terms used for this family of weapons are high-impulse thermobaric weapons (HITs), heat and pressure weapons, vacuum bombs, or fuel-air explosives (FAE or FAX).
Thermobaric weapons distinguish themselves from conventional explosive weapons by using atmospheric oxygen, instead of carrying an oxidizer in their explosives. They are also called high-impulse thermobaric weapons (HITs), fuel-air explosives (FAE or FAX) or sometimes fuel-air munitions , heat and pressure weapons, or vacuum bombs . They produce more explosive energy for a given size than do other conventional explosives, but have the disadvantage of being less predictable in their effect (influenced by weather).
Terminology
The term thermobaric is derived from the Greek words for “ heat” and “ pressure”: thermobarikos (θερμοβαρικός), from thermos (θερμός), hot + baros (βάρος), weight, pressure + suffix -ikos (-ικός), suffix -ic .
A thermobaric weapon (or solid fuel-air explosive) uses the gaseous products ( H2, H2O, CO and CO2) of an initial explosion for an afterburning of reactive solids. Because their reaction with atmospheric oxygen only produces solid oxides the blast wave is primarily generated by heat of combustion ("thermobaric") instead of expanding explosion gases. This makes thermobaric explosives more effective in oxygen deficient environments such as tunnels, caves or underground bunkers. Rather than providing protection as they would from conventional explosive ammunition, structure interior walls, particularly cement or other hard surfaces, magnify and channel the shockwaves created by a thermobaric detonation. The stronger the walls, the higher the pressure’s reflective effect.
The Casbah (Arabic: قصبة, qaṣba, meaning citadel (fortress)) is specifically the citadel of Algiers in Algeria and the traditional quarter clustered around it. More generally, a kasbah is the walled citadel of many North African cities and towns. The name made its way into English from French in the late 19th century (the Oxford English Dictionary states 1895), and continues to be spelled as acquired from that language.
(especially of goods) being of such nature or kind as to be freely exchangeable or replaceable, in whole or in part, for another of like nature or kind.
Origin:
1755–65; < Medieval Latin fungibilis, equivalent to Latin fung ( ī ) to perform the office of + -ibilis -ible
Fungibility is the property of a good or a commodity whose individual units are capable of mutual substitution, such as crude oil, shares in a company, bonds, precious metals, or currencies.
It refers only to the equivalence of each unit of a commodity with other units of the same commodity. Fungibility does not describe or relate to any exchange of one commodity for some other, different commodity.
As an example: if Alice lends Bob a $10 bill, she does not care if she is repaid with the same $10 bill, two $5 bills, a $5 bill and five $1 bills or bunch of coins that total $10 as currency is fungible. However, if Bob borrows Alice's car she will most likely be upset if Bob returns a different vehicle--even a vehicle that is the same make and model--as automobiles are not fungible with respect to ownership. However, gasoline is fungible and though Alice may have a preference for a particular brand and grade of gasoline, her primary concern may be that the level of fuel be the same (or more) as it was when she lent the vehicle to Bob.
This article is about the gambling term. For other uses, see High roller (disambiguation).
A high roller, also referred to as a whale in the casino industry, is a gambler who wagers large amounts of money. High rollers often receive lavish "comps" from casinos to lure them onto the gambling floors, such as free private jet transfers, limousine use and use of the casinos' best suites. Casinos may also extend credit to a player to continue betting,1 offer rebates on betting turnover or losses,2 and salaries of employees may also contain incentive arrangements to bring in high rollers.3
The definition of a high roller varies. At Crown Casino in Australia it involves bringing between A$50,000 and $75,000 to the table.4 High roller players often have very high table limits allowing the high roller exclusive use. Casinos compete on bet limits, in Australia limits of A$300,000 are common, in Las Vegas they are between US$150,000 and $300,000, and in Macau they are up to US$500,000. Only casinos with "substantial financial firepower" can accommodate high-stakes gambling due to the "volatility" of results.2
High rollers may also be subject to exceptions from various rules and regulations, for example the high roller rooms at Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia are the only licensed venue in the state not subject to a ban on smoking.5
High rollers are said to provide only a small fraction of casino "action." John Eidsmoe, in his book Legalized Gambling: America's Bad Bet, claims that it is actually gamblers from the lower and lower-middle classes in the United States that provide much of the gambling money. "The occasional wealthy 'high roller' does indeed exist, but he is the exception, not the standard. The fact that more than 50% of Nevada's gambling income comes from slot machines as opposed to the card tables should be an indication high rollers are not the main source of revenue."6
One example of a high roller is an Australian man who turned over more than A$1.5 billion in a 14 month period from 2005, becoming "one of Crown's largest Australian players but not in the same league as our top international players".3 There have been many cases around the world where high rollers have committed fraud to provide funds for gambling beyond their means, after becoming seduced by the lifestyle.178
While high rollers may not provide a significant portion of the revenues in the casino industry as a whole, they can have a major effect on the net income of casinos that cater to them. There are significant costs associated with attracting the highest stakes gamblers, so if a casino takes this chance and the whale wins, its expenses can be extraordinarily large. But if the casino's investment pays off and the high roller loses, the casino's gain can far exceed its expenses for his or her visit.
The rain smelled cool and earthy, and with her eyes closed it sounded louder and nearer; it seemed to be in the room, falling small and touchless upon her; it was clear, intemerate as the sky.
-- Fred Chappell, The Inkling
Did you know, sir, that I can trace my intemerate ancestry to Adam through the paternal line, and to Eve through the maternal line?
-- Andrew Drummond, Handbook of Volapük
Origin:
Intemerate comes from the Latin root emerā which meant "to violate, desecrate." The prefix in- means "not" as in the words indefensible and inexpensive .
Fulguration, also called electrofulguration, is a procedure to destroy tissue (such as a malignant tumor) using a high-frequency electric current applied with a needlelike electrode.
Fulguration, also called electrofulguration, is a procedure in which lesions are destroyed by the use of high frequency current and is essentially similar to Cauterization. Fulgration is used to ablate tumors and other lesions such as hemangiomas and warts. It is either performed in an operation theater by a surgeon or an out-patient basis by a surgeon or dermatologist.
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek: κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion (kenos, one meaning being "empty", and taphos, "tomb"). Although the vast majority of cenotaphs are erected in honour of individuals, many noted cenotaphs are instead dedicated to the memories of groups of individuals, such as the lost soldiers of one country or empire.
(Placenames / Named Buildings) the. the monument in Whitehall, London, honouring the dead of both World Wars: designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens: erected in 1920
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. cenotaph - a monument built to honor people whose remains are interred elsewhere or whose remains cannot be recovered
empty tomb
monument, memorial - a structure erected to commemorate persons or events
(often foll by to) having or arousing a strong aversion
antipathetically adv
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj. 1. antipathetic - (usually followed by `to') strongly opposed; "antipathetic to new ideas"; "averse to taking risks"; "loath to go on such short notice"; "clearly indisposed to grant their request"
antipathetical, averse, indisposed, loath, loth
disinclined - unwilling because of mild dislike or disapproval; "disinclined to say anything to anybody"
2. antipathetic - characterized by antagonism or antipathy; "slaves antagonistic to their masters"; "antipathetic factions within the party"
antagonistic, antipathetical
hostile - characterized by enmity or ill will; "a hostile nation"; "a hostile remark"; "hostile actions"
Logrolling is the trading of favors, or quid pro quo, such as vote trading by legislative members to obtain passage of actions of interest to each legislative member.1 In an academic context, the Nuttall Encyclopedia describes log-rolling as "mutual praise by authors of each other's work."
1. The exchanging of political favors, especially the trading of influence or votes among legislators to achieve passage of projects that are of interest to one another.
2. The exchanging of favors or praise, as among artists, critics, or academics.
1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) US the practice of undemocratic agreements between politicians involving mutual favours, the trading of votes, etc.
2. (Group Games / Games, other than specified) another name for birling See birl1
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. logrolling - act of exchanging favors for mutual gain; especially trading of influence or votes among legislators to gain passage of certain projects
exchange - the act of giving something in return for something received; "deductible losses on sales or exchanges of property are allowable"
2. logrolling - rotating a log rapidly in the water (as a competitive sport)
birling
spin, twirl, twisting, whirl, twist - the act of rotating rapidly; "he gave the crank a spin"; "it broke off after much twisting"
athletics, sport - an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
But even in the monkish idleness of Cambridge where there was more time to brabble in than ever I knew before or since, for we were fed by others, and taught by others, and kept as safe as the ancient monks from the perils of the world's hunger and homelessness and pain, we saw ourselves as the swords of change.
-- Mary Lee Settle, I, Roger Williams
Braver hearts never beat in English breasts, yet do but mark how they brabble and clamour like clowns on a Saturday night.
-- Arthur Conan Doyle, Micah Clarke
Origin:
Brabble comes from the Dutch word brabbelen which meant "to quarrel,
This article is about the subject as it is studied in logic and philosophy. For other uses, see Argument (disambiguation).
In logic and philosophy, an argument is an attempt to persuade someone of something, by giving reasons for accepting a particular conclusion as evident.12 The general structure of an argument in a natural language is that of premises (typically in the form of propositions, statements or sentences) in support of a claim: the conclusion.345 The structure of some arguments can also be set out in a formal language, and formally-defined "arguments" can be made independently of natural language arguments, as in math, logic and computer science.
In a typical deductive argument, the premises are meant to provide a guarantee of the truth of the conclusion, while in an inductive argument, they are thought to provide reasons supporting the conclusion's probable truth.6 The standards for evaluating non-deductive arguments may rest on different or additional criteria than truth, for example, the persuasiveness of so-called "indispensability claims" in transcendental arguments,7 the quality of hypotheses in retroduction, or even the disclosure of new possibilities for thinking and acting.8
The standards and criteria used in evaluating arguments and their forms of reasoning are studied in logic.9 Ways of formulating arguments effectively are studied in rhetoric (see also: argumentation theory). An argument in a formal language shows the logical form of the symbolically-represented or natural language arguments obtained by its interpretations.
An amazing look at the most commonly used words in inauguration speeches
President Obama’s second inaugural speech was delivered only two days ago but is already being compared — in ways positive and ways negative — to past addresses given by chief executives.
Thanks to the Guardian newspaper and developer Santiago Ortiz, we have a very cool infographic that allows some of those comparisons. Below you can look at the words used in every inaugural speech since Richard Nixon’s in 1969 and, even better, compare how often particular words came up in each of the adresses over the past four decades.
It’s an amazing tool. And, yes, we’ve already spent far too much time noodling around with it this morning. Enjoy!
2. A spectator at a card game who looks at the players' cards over their shoulders, especially one who gives unsolicited advice.
3. A person who jokes, chitchats, or makes wisecracks, especially while others are trying to work or to discuss something seriously.
Your mother's heart, dear, will mend with the advent of children, and her father's father, a wobbly kibitzer pointing to Kat's mom and muttering, A beautiful strawberry girl, why all the fuss, why all the disunion over a strawberry girl?
-- Peter Orner, Love and Shame and Love
Bronzini looked on, sitting in when someone left but otherwise a kibitzer, unmeddlesome, content to savor the company and try the wine, sometimes good, sometimes overfermented, better used to spike a salad.
-- Richard Russo, Underworld
Kibitzer entered English first in America in the 1920s. It comes from the Yiddish word kibetsn (equivalent to German kiebitzen) meaning "to look on at cards."
Public Acceptance of Climate Change Affected by Word Usage
Jan. 22, 2013 — Public acceptance of climate change's reality may have been influenced by the rate at which words moved from scientific journals into the mainstream, according to anthropologist Michael O'Brien, dean of the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri. A recent study of word usage in popular literature by O'Brien and his colleagues documented how the usage of certain words related to climate change has risen and fallen over the past two centuries. Understanding how word usage affects public acceptance of science could lead to better science communication and a more informed public.
"Scientists can learn from this study that the general public shouldn't be expected to understand technical terms or be convinced by journal papers written in technical jargon," O'Brien said. "Journalists must explain scientific terms in ways people can understand and thereby ease the movement of those terms into general speech. That can be a slow process. Several words related to climate change diffused into the popular vocabulary over a 30-50 year timeline."
O'Brien's study found that, by 2008, several important terms in the discussion of climate change had entered popular literature from technical obscurity in the early 1900s.
These terms included:
Biodiversity -- the degree of variation in life forms within a given area
Holocene -- the current era of Earth's history, which started at the end of the last ice age
Paleoclimate -the prehistoric climate, often deduced from ice cores, tree rings and pollen trapped in sediments
Phenology -- the study of how climate and other environmental factors influence the timing of events in organisms' life cycles
Not every term was adopted at the same rate or achieved the same degree of popularity. Biodiversity, for example, came into popular use quickly in only a few years in the late 80s and early 90s. Other terms, like Holocene or phenology, have taken decades and are still relatively uncommon.
"The adoption of words into the popular vocabulary is like the evolution of species," O'Brien said. "A complex process governs why certain terms are successful and adopted into everyday speech, while others fail. For example, the term 'meme' has entered the vernacular, as opposed to the term 'culturgen,' although both refer to a discrete unit of culture, such as a saying transferred from person to person."
To observe the movement of words into popular literature, O'Brien and his colleagues searched the database of 7 million books created by Google. They used the "Ngram" feature of the database to track the number of appearances of climate change keywords in literature since 1800. The usage rate of those climate change terms was compared to the usage of "the," which is the most common word in the English language. Statistical analysis of usage rates was calculated in part by co-author William Brock, a new member of MU's Department of Economics and member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Note: A portion of O'Brien's experiment can be repeated using any computer with internet access.
2. Enter terms such as "climate change," "global warming," or "anthropogenic" and note how they have changed in usage over the past century.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.
Journal Reference:
R. Alexander Bentley, Philip Garnett, Michael J. O'Brien, William A. Brock. Word Diffusion and Climate Science. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (11): e47966 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047966
an ornament or design on an object copied from a form of the object when made from another material or by other techniques, as an imitation metal rivet mark found on handles of prehistoric pottery.
A skeuomorph can be employed for various purposes. Since people are used to the click sound of a camera as feedback that the picture has been taken, it is now artificially produced in digital cameras. Other examples are copper cladding on a zinc penny (for familiarity) and wood finish on a plastic product (for a more expensive look).
Fake wood grain paneling in cars is a skeuomorph, as examples such as this station wagon use no wood in their construction
A skeuomorph is a physical ornament or design on an object copied from a form of the object when made from another material or by other techniques. Examples include pottery embellished with imitation rivets reminiscent of similar pots made of metal,1 or a software calendar application which displays the days organised on animated month pages in imitation of a paper desk calendar.2
Skeuomorph is pronounced /ˈskjuːəmɔrf/ or skyoo-uh-mawrf. It is compounded from the Greek: skeuos, σκεῦος (container or tool), and morphê, μορφή (shape). The term has been applied to material objects since 1890,3 and is now used to describe computer interfaces.4
A similar alternative definition of skeuomorph is "an element of design or structure that serves little or no purpose in the artifact fashioned from the new material but was essential to the object made from the original material".5 This definition is narrower in scope and ties skeuomorphs to changes in materials, as it focuses on the cultural history behind the physical object and how that influences the evolution of the object's design.6
Skeuomorphs are deliberately employed to make the new look comfortably old and familiar, or are simply habits too deeply ingrained to wash away.4 Donald Norman, an academic in the fields of design, usability, and cognitive science describes cultural constraints, interactions with the system in question that are learned only through culture, which give rise to skeuomorphism. Norman also popularized perceived affordances, where the user can tell what an object affords, or will do, based on its appearance, which skeuomorphism can make easy.6
The concept of skeuomorphism overlaps other design concepts as well. Mimesis is an imitation, coming directly from the Greek.7 Another, archetype, is the original idea or model that is emulated, where the emulations can be skeuomorphic. 8 Skeuomorphism is parallel to, but different from, path dependence in technology, where functional behavior is maintained when the reasons for its design no longer exist.
Historically, high-status items such as the Minoans' very elaborate and rare silver cups were often recreated for the mass market using ceramics, a cheaper material, allowing the common man to have the appearance of elite status.9 In certain cases, efforts were made to recreate the rivets in the metal originals by adding pellets of clay to the pottery version. There is also evidence of skeuomorphism in material transitions. Leather and clay pottery often carry over traits from the wooden counterparts of previous generations. Clay pottery has also been found bearing rope shaped protrusions, pointing to craftsmen seeking familiar shapes and processes while working with new materials. 10 In this context, skeuomorphs exist as trails sought in other objects, either for their social desirability or psychological comforts.4
In the modern era, cheaper plastic items often attempt to mimic more expensive wooden and metal products though they are only skeuomorphic if new ornamentation references original functionality,11 such as molded screw heads in molded plastic items.
The note-taking application Evernote employs a skeuomorph of physical notebooks to represent digital collections defined by the user.
Many computer programs have a skeuomorphic graphical user interface that emulates objects in the physical world. An example of this trend was the 1998 RealThings package.12 A more extreme example is that many music synthesis and audio processing software packages closely emulate physical musical instruments and audio equipment. Functional input controls like knobs, buttons, switches and sliders are often careful duplicates of the ones on the original physical device being emulated. Some software even includes graphical elements of the original design that serve no user interface function: handles, screws and ventilation holes for example.
Even systems that do not employ literal images of some physical object frequently contain skeuomorphic elements such as slider bars that emulate linear potentiometers and tabs that behave like tabbed file folders. Skeuomorphs need not be visual. The shutter-click sound emitted by most camera phones when taking a picture is an auditory skeuomorph - it does not come from a mechanical shutter, which camera phones lack, but from a sound file in the phone's operating system. Another example is the swiping hand gesture for turning the "pages" or screens of a tablet.
The arguments in favor of skeuomorphic design are that it makes it easier for those familiar with the original device to use the digital emulation, and that it is visually appealing. Interactions with computer devices are purely cultural and learned, so once a process is learned in society, it is difficult to remove. Norman describes this process as a form of cultural heritage.6
editArguments against skeuomorphism in digital design
The arguments against skeuomorphic design are that skeuomorphic interface elements use metaphors that are more difficult to operate and take up more screen space than standard interface elements; that this breaks operating system interface design standards; that it causes an inconsistent look and feel between applications;13 that skeuomorphic interface elements rarely incorporate numeric input or feedback for accurately setting a value; that many users may have no experience with the original device being emulated; and that skeuomorphic design limits creativity by grounding the experience to physical counterparts.14
Apple, while under the direction of Steve Jobs, was known for its wide usage of skeuomorphic designs in various applications. The debate over the merits of Apple's extensive use of skeuomorphism became the subject of substantial media attention in October 2012, a year after Jobs' death, largely as the result of the reported resignation of Scott Forstall, described as "the most vocal and high-ranking proponent of the visual design style favored by Mr. Jobs". Apple designer Jonathan Ive, who took over some of Forstall's responsibilities and had "made his distaste for the visual ornamentation in Apple’s mobile software known within the company", was expected to move the company toward a less skeuomorphic aesthetic.15
^ According to Nathan2000, when asked how he came up with the term, he answered, “I saw fantasy statuettes in an ad, and one was of a winged unicorn, titled an alicorn, so I figured that was the name and used it. I have not been able to verify it elsewhere.”
The horn itself and the substance it was made of was called alicorn, and it was believed that the horn holds magical and medicinal properties. The Danish physician Ole Worm determined in 1638 that the alleged alicorns were the tusks of narwhals.17 Such beliefs were examined wittily and at length in 1646 by Sir Thomas Browne in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica.18
False alicorn powder, made from the tusks of narwhals or horns of various animals, has been sold in Europe for medicinal purposes as late as 1741.19 The alicorn was thought to cure many diseases and have the ability to detect poisons, and many physicians would make "cures" and sell them. Cups were made from alicorn for kings and given as a gift; these were usually made of ivory or walrus ivory. Entire horns were very precious in the Middle Ages and were often really the tusks of narwhals.20
Are you referring to my lazy addition of those last words? If so, my apologies. Got a day behind on reading Email - provider (Earthlink.net),
it turned out, screwed up my account (once again) and after 2.5 hours speaking to service (in India) it was so late, just went to bed instead of getting online. They are sending my 4th modem in 15 years, 2nd day air.
I will sin no more. Had already decided to provide more than one source of definitions (certainly not from within Wordnik.com.
Have a long list of words (most gleaned from books read) to add, and am making little forward progress.
In the news lately has been the extraordinarily bad conditions of Beijing's air, or as some are calling it, "airpocalypse". The city recently went way, way, way off the charts -- hitting 755 on a scale of 0-500 -- for air pollution and officials are now looking at how to reign in the causes of such incredible pollution.
This was all done en règle, and in our work we shall be en règle too. We shall not go so early that the policemen who have then little to think of, shall deem it strange.
-- Bram Stoker, Dracula
I told her it was not quite en règle to bring one so far out of our own set; but she said, 'Genius itself is not en règle; it comes into the world to make new rules.'
-- George Eliot, Daniel Deronda
En règle snuck into the English language in the 1810s. It came directly from the French phrase of the same spelling which meant literally "in rule.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
interj. Used as a mild exclamation.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
An exclamation expressing exultation or surprise.
Wiktionary
interj. UK a mild exclamation of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, frustration.
GNU Webster's 1913
interj. An exclamation expressing exultation or surprise, etc.
Etymologies
Alteration of oh God.
Examples
“I never heard any one not in a book say "egad" before, so I saw something really out of the way was indeed up.” The Wouldbegoods
“The "egad" did the whole business: Mrs. Cat was as much in love with him now as ever she had been; and, gathering up all her energies, she said, "It is dreadful hot too, I think;" and with this she made a curtsey.” Catherine: a Story
“egad' before, so I saw something really out of the way was indeed up.” The Wouldbegoods
“Yeah, because if some high school drop-out, chronic alcoholic, or (egad) conservative-values espousing candidate ran, we'd all ignore those "personality traits" and pretend none of them have to do with the job of running a huge city.” Big buzz (Jack Bog's Blog)
“Fregosi batted .233 in 1½ seasons at Shea Stadium, while Ryan, egad, is one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.” The Wall Street Journal: The Mets' Greatest Gaffes
“I'd been wanting to read it for years, and when I mentioned this on ontdcreepy, I was told it could be read online - so of course I sit down and read half the whole thing (me: "egad! manga can be read online for free? what a brave new world we live in!").” intertribal: Lucy in the Sky with Spirals
“And yet, 76 million pounds of pesticides are applied residentially (not counting our schools and ... egad, hospitals) each year.” The Huffington Post: Waylon Lewis: Is Your Lawn "Green"?
“Wasn't one trigger happy cowboy enough for this country ... egad. matt in austin” Clinton touts commander-in-chief credentials
“Sarah Palin a person who talks about herself in the third person ... egad.” Sarah Palin: Don’t Blame Me - Swampland - TIME.com
“If she is not reigned soon in at some point she might even sugest we are endowed by our "Creator" with rights. egad” 14 Important Science Questions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
interj. Used as a mild or ironic oath: "Gadzooks! Is there a panic detector, akin to a smoke detector, that sniffs anxiety in the air?” ( George F. Will).
Wiktionary
interj. archaic An expression of surprise, shock etc.
Etymologies
Perhaps alteration of God's hooks, the nails of the crucifixion of Christ.
Examples
“In addition, they considered the surprising success of Mr. Marmaduke Fennel's eighteenth-century story, For Love of a Lady, as compared with the more moderate sales of Miss Elspeth Lancaster's In Scarlet Sidon, that candid romance of the brothel; deducing therefrom that the "gadzooks" and "by'r lady" type of reading-matter was ready to revive in vogue.” The Cream of the Jest: A Comedy of Evasions
“Isn't the lady writing, not in her original Bangla (red lines again!) or Bengali (better!) but – gadzooks – in English?” A Bangladeshi Bluestocking
“This afternoon, two local Union 76/Conoco Phillips (gadzooks, these mergers make for long names) gas stations in my Los Angeles neighborhood posted the number I recently anticipated would be the price this summer: full serve 91-Octane (premium) gasoline: $4.99/gallon.” Grain Market Manipulation = Petrofraud Redux
“The Mail On Sunday might be a sewer of sleaze and disreputable journalism, but gadzooks, it does have its uses sometimes..” Mark Clarke: Womaniser and general bastard?
“The TZs are pronounced like the terminal ds in the word dads or like the dz in gadzooks.” World's Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe - Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce
“Hopefully by now you will be aware of my colleague Travis - gadzooks, he is Timothy Claypole, and he seems to have inherited some of his magical powers.” Archive 2005-10-01
“And thy chiefest accomplishment is taking snuff with a bel air, patching, painting, powdering like a woman, and squeaking like an eunuch, gadzooks.” The Beau Defeated: or, The Lucky Younger Brother
“A meal at the club, and gadzooks but his stomach was in arms!” A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago
“My engaging friend here has -- an I mistake not -- a passport ready for me in the pocket of his sable-hued coat, and as we are hoping effectually to spit one another over there ... gadzooks! but there's the specific purpose ....” The Elusive Pimpernel
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
interj. Used to express anger, surprise, or indignation.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
An exclamation formerly used as an oath or as an expression of anger or wonder.
Wiktionary
interj. Expressing anger, surprise, assertion etc.
GNU Webster's 1913
interj. An exclamation formerly used as an oath, and an expression of anger or wonder.
Etymologies
Shortening and alteration of God's wounds!.
Examples
“When you go home tonight, roll some twenty siders with friends, use the word "zounds" in a sentence, then leaf through the 1E Dungeon Master's Guide and marvel at the breadth of the man's imagination.” Archive 2008-03-01
“Who that utters the word "zounds," imagines that he is speaking of such awful and inconceivable things as "God's wounds," though literally he is doing so?” The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 1, April, 1851
“Yet time was, when the innocent word "zounds" was written with the same culpatory dashes and hyphens as the "damns that have had their day;" and "pigs," we suppose, were exenterated in like manner: suggested only by their heads and tails, -- the first letter and the last.” The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 1, April, 1851
“Natalie Angier weighs in on the human proclivity for cursing in a lengthy essay in the NYT: "The Jacobean dramatist Ben Jonson peppered his plays with fackings and "peremptorie Asses," and Shakespeare could hardly quill a stanza without inserting profanities of the day like "zounds" or "sblood” Science Project
“BTW, did you know that zounds! is a foreshortening of God's Wounds?” Zounds!
“Labels: comics comments: annie said ... zounds! where did you meet this amazing scoundrel of graphic wonder!” Noah Farlee's Giskard the Genius
“June 3, 2009 at 7:35 am uh ohes… parrothead starting to zounds like Igor….” Da dusts bunnies quit - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
“He was in deep awshucks mode, even admitting twice -- zounds!” Newsweek: Off To The Culture War
“February 7, 2008 at 10:45 am fear… is zounds liek… Boing boing boing…” Did you heer dat? - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
“Hmmm…zounds liek ai hab tew draw up an action plan outline fur Nov 2.” Player Cat - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
This word was coined by Lewis Carroll in 1855. In 1880, ‘mimsy’ also came to mean, in British English, prim; careful; affected; feeble, weak, lightweight. ‘Mim’ is a much older word meaning ‘primly silent,’ either imitative of the pursing up of the mouth, or coming from the Scottish Gaelic ‘min,’ delicate, meek.
Examples
“Twas brillig, and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; / All mimsy were the borogoves, / And the mome raths outgrabe.” Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll
“Last year, he even collaborated on an operetta like – as Tucker would have put it – a mimsy, bleating public schoolboy who lives with cats and an Aga.” Armando Iannucci: 'Now is not the time for a crap opposition'
“Like the author himself, Pam’s fond of pilfering the imaginations of other writers ('mimsy borogoves' is her appellation for her eyes, a phrase that comes courtesy of Lewis Carroll).” Jason Anderson, ‘Daisy Buchanan's little girl takes centre-stage,’ The Globe and Mail, July 31, 2011
n. The popular name of several species of British butterflies.
n. The popular name of plants of the genus Fritillaria.
This word comes from the Latin ‘fritillus,’ dice-box, which comes from ‘fritinnire,’ to twitter, imitative of the rattle of dice. The butterfly may be named for its resemblance of its markings to those of dice.
Examples
“It was a silver-washed fritillary, the largest and most impressive of all the British fritillaries and one that has bucked the dismal trend and expanded its range after years of contraction.” Country diary: Cosford Hall, Suffolk
“This is the small fritillary, a beautiful little creature that may be seen flitting from blossom to blossom, or careering in the early summer air in the manner almost of a tumbler pigeon, before any other of its kind has left its winter's cradle.” Laura Secord, the heroine of 1812. A Drama. and Other Poems.
“The pearl-bordered fritillary was known as 'the woodman's friend' because it would faithfully follow foresters around broadleaved woods as they coppiced or cut down patches of trees, attracted to the flowers that blossomed in the freshly cut glades in subsequent years.” Patrick Barkham, ‘Once There Were Swarms of Butterflies in Our Skies,’ The Guardian, April 26, 2009
1. Any of various bulbous plants of the genus Fritillaria, having nodding, variously colored, often spotted or checkered flowers.
2. Any of various butterflies of the family Nymphalidae, especially of the genera Speyeria and Boloria, having brownish wings marked with black or silvery spots on the underside.
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any N temperate liliaceous plant of the genus Fritillaria, having purple or white drooping bell-shaped flowers, typically marked in a chequered pattern See also snake's head
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genera Argynnis, Boloria, etc., having brownish wings chequered with black and silver
Noun 1. fritillary - any liliaceous plant of the genus Fritillaria having nodding variously colored flowers
checkered lily
Fritillaria, genus Fritillaria - fritillary
Fritillaria affinis, Fritillaria lanceolata, Fritillaria mutica, rice-grain fritillary, mission bells - herb of northwestern America having green-and-purple bell-shaped flowers
black fritillary, Fritillaria biflora, mission bells - herb of southwestern United States having dark purple bell-shaped flowers mottled with green
Fritillaria agrestis, stink bell - a malodorous California herb with bell-shaped flowers; a common weed in grainfields
crown imperial, Fritillaria imperialis - Eurasian herb with a cluster of leaves and orange-red bell-shaped flowers at the top of the stem
Fritillaria liliaceae, white fritillary - California herb with white conic or bell-shaped flowers usually tinged with green
checkered daffodil, Fritillaria meleagris, guinea-hen flower, leper lily, snake's head fritillary - Eurasian checkered lily with pendant flowers usually veined and checkered with purple or maroon on a pale ground and shaped like the bells carried by lepers in medieval times; widely grown as an ornamental
brown bells, Fritillaria micrantha, Fritillaria parviflora - California herb with brownish-purple or greenish bell-shaped flowers
adobe lily, Fritillaria pluriflora, pink fritillary - California herb with pinkish purple flowers
Fritillaria recurva, scarlet fritillary - western United States herb with scarlet and yellow narrow bell-shaped flowers
bulbous plant - plant growing from a bulb
2. fritillary - butterfly with brownish wings marked with black and silver
brush-footed butterfly, four-footed butterfly, nymphalid, nymphalid butterfly - medium to large butterflies found worldwide typically having brightly colored wings and much-reduced nonfunctional forelegs carried folded on the breast
silverspot - butterfly with silver spots on the underside of the hind wings
Arachnodactyly (“spider fingers”) or achromachia, is a condition in which the fingers are abnormally long and slender in comparison to the palm of the hand. It can be present at birth or develop in later life.
This feature can occur on its own, with no underlying health problems. However, it can also be associated with certain medical conditions which include Marfan syndrome, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and homocystinuria.
Arachnodactyly ("spider fingers") or achromachia, is a condition in which the fingers are abnormally long and slender in comparison to the palm of the hand. It can be present at birth or develop in later life.
It is also seen in some cases that all or a few fingers can be bent backwards of 180 degrees.
Pando (Latin for "I spread"), also known as The Trembling Giant,12 is a clonal colony of a single male Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) determined to be a single living organism by identical genetic markers3 and one massive underground root system. The plant is estimated to weigh collectively 6,000,000 kg (6,600 short tons),4 making it the heaviest known organism.5 The root system of Pando, at an estimated 80,000 years old, is among the oldest known living organisms.6
Pando is located in the Fishlake National Forest, near Fish Lake at the western edge of the Colorado Plateau in South-central Utah.
1. A formal speech, especially one of an incontrovertible or hortatory nature.
2. A pronouncement delivered by the pope to a secret consistory, especially on a matter of policy or of general importance.
The little crowd, with some ironical cheers and hootings, nevertheless felt the force of Madame Fribsby's vigorous allocution, and retreated before her…
-- William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Pendennis
Towards midday, the abbé Pirard took leave of his pupils, not without first delivering a severe allocution.
-- Stendhal, The Red and the Black
Allocution stems from the Latin root alloquī which meant to "to speak, address." The suffix -ion forms nouns from stems, as in the words communion and opinion.
With the lowest melting and boiling points of any known substance, helium—alone among the elements—will not solidify even as its temperature approaches absolute zero. Instead, it takes on extremely unusual physical properties, as physicists discovered in 1937. It becomes a superfluid. With zero entropy, zero viscosity, and extremely high thermal conductivity
v. To initiate or inaugurate with ceremonies calculated to insure good luck. This meaning of the word was borrowed from the Roman practice of taking the auspices before undertaking any important business.
v. To begin or introduce in a favorable or auspicious manner.
v. To be an augury of; foreshow.
This word comes from the Latin 'auspex,' interpreter of omens given by birds.
Examples
“Why the W.C.T.U. should object to the use of champagne to auspicate the career of a new ship at her launching is more than we have ever been able to make out.” ‘A Baptism of Oil,’ The New York Times, March 25, 1905
“The next day King John, to auspicate his temporal affairs with spiritual devotions (and yet to shew what he thought of some superstitious follies of those times), went undauntedly into the Cathedral Church of that city, being much persuaded by many (for monkish impostures persuaded many it was very ominous for a King to enter that and certain other places), and there offered a golden challice on Saint John's altar, which no King before him ever durst do.” Beauties of English and Scottish History
A person who celebrates or has celebrated a jubilee, as a nun observing 25 or more years of religious life.
To enable the school to open in 1916, Sisters Agnes Geraghty and Corona Hargrafen, golden jubilarians, had come out of retirement, and Sister Juliana Kritenbrink, another golden jubilarian, joined them the next year.
-- O. P. Dolores Enderle, Suzanne Noffke, The Dominicans of Racine, Wisconsin
The crowd was so great that when the doors were closed at a late hour to relieve the strain on the seventy-two-year-old jubilarian, a line of people still reached around the south and west sides of the Square.
-- Patrick Ryan, Archbishop Patrick John Ryan His Life and Times
In Biblical tradition, the jubilee is a yearlong celebration which occurs every 50 years. All debts are forgiven and lands returned to their original owners. Today jubilees are often celebrations of significant anniversaries, particularly every 25, 50, 60 or 75 years. Jubliarian refers to anyone who has or is celebrating a significant 25-year milestone.
"If the thing goes wrong," said a man by my side, "we shall see a shindy."
-- Maurice Leblanc, The Three Eyes
"Say," he said, "there's an awful shindy in the house. The dressmaker is pitching into papa for all she is worth, and there are some other folks, but she's goin' it loudest; but they are all going it! Cracky! Hear 'em!"
-- Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman, The Debtor
Shindy is a peculiar Americanism that arose in the 1810s. It referred originally to shinny, a now-obsolete game resembling field hockey. The word came to be applied not just to sport but also to raucous events.
Spoiler alert: Word enthusiasts want to ban "fiscal cliff"
By Colleen Jenkins
Mon Dec 31, 2012 12:09pm EST
(Reuters) - Whether or not the U.S. Congress acts to avoid the "fiscal cliff," the much-used phrase tops the list of words language aficionados want banned from everyday speech, according to a Michigan university's yearly roundup released on Monday.
Of or pertaining to the semiconscious state prior to complete wakefulness.
Definition of hypnopompic| See synonyms| Comment on today's word| Suggest tomorrow's word
Quotes:
He shudders, snaps himself out of it; as one can, with effort, do, to escape from a bad dream, working one's way in stages, toward hypnopompic state until finally, fully awake.
-- Mary Caponegro, The Star Cafe
He woke fitfully, from a dream where his work had gone terribly wrong. He was still hypnopompic .
-- Richard Powers, The Echo Maker
Origin:
Hypnopompic literally means "sending away sleep" in Greek. It was coined in English in the early 1900s from the roots hypno- meaning "sleep" and pomp meaning "sending away."
In computing, virtualization means to create a virtual version of a device or resource, such as a server, storage device, network or even an operating system where the framework divides the resource into one or more execution environments. Even something as simple as partitioning a hard drive is considered virtualization because you take one drive and partition it to create two separate hard drives. Devices, applications and human users are able to interact with the virtual resource as if it were a real single logical resource. The term virtualization has become somewhat of a buzzword, and as a result the term is now associated with a number of computing technologies including the following:
storage virtualization: the amalgamation of multiple network storage devices into what appears to be a single storage unit.
server virtualization: the partitioning a physical server into smaller virtual servers.
operating system-level virtualization: a type of server virtualization technology which works at the operating system (kernel) layer.
network virtualization: using network resources through a logical segmentation of a single physical network.
Of or pertaining to the semiconscious state prior to complete wakefulness.
He shudders, snaps himself out of it; as one can, with effort, do, to escape from a bad dream, working one's way in stages, toward hypnopompic state until finally, fully awake.
-- Mary Caponegro, The Star Cafe
He woke fitfully, from a dream where his work had gone terribly wrong. He was still hypnopompic.
-- Richard Powers, The Echo Maker
Hypnopompic literally means "sending away sleep" in Greek. It was coined in English in the early 1900s from the roots hypno- meaning "sleep" and pomp meaning "sending away."
A new library to be opened in Bexar County, Texas, will provide visitors with a bank of e-Readers for borrowing e-books ... but books of the traditional paper variety will be glaringly absent. The project marks the first public library to be built as an all-digital service and just to make sure library-goers are in no doubt that it's the 21st century, the interior will feature a design influenced by Apple retail stores.
1. To arrange in advance or beforehand, as by a previous agreement.
adjective:
1. Preceding a concert: a preconcert reception for sponsors.
Indeed she did not really suspect the visitor, who was one too ingenuous in his nature to preconcert so subtle and so wicked a scheme.
-- Anthony Trollope, Dr. Wortle's School
If personal accidents, and accidents so trivial, could, to any serious extent, be amongst the causes of war, then it would become a hopeful duty to preconcert personal combinations that should take an opposite direction.
-- Thomas De Quincey, The Works of Thomas De Quincey
Though today concert is most often a noun, it was usually used as a verb in the 1700s typically in the sense of "to bring together" or "to arrange." Preconcert thus meant "to arrange beforehand."
n. A chief leader; a generalissimo; a chief king. The title was conferred of old on British chiefs in times of great danger, when they were invested with dictatorial power.
This word comes from the Welsh ‘pen,’ head, and the Latin ‘dracon- ,’ snake, the standard of a cohort.
Examples
“He would have gratefully given all his patrimonial domains to one who should inform him what pendragon or druid it was who set up the first stone on Salisbury plain.” Memoirs of Carwin, the Biloquist, by Charles Brockden Brown
“In seasons of emergency, indeed, the confederated princes elected a dictator, who bore the title of Pendragon (head of all Britain), and among such are to be found the Arthurs and the Alfreds of their heroic times.” Wanderings and Excursions in North Wales, by Thomas Roscoe
“From that day forward he was called Uther-Pendragon, for formerly his name was only Uther, and Pendragon, which means in the Breton language, ‘dragon's head,’ was added, and he received this appellation because Merlin had prophesied that he should be king in semblance of a dragon.” A collection of the chronicles and ancient histories of Great Britain, by Jehan de Wavrin
1. The highest point of something; apex; summit; top: the vertex of a mountain.
2. Anatomy, Zoology. The crown or top of the head.
3. Craniometry. The highest point on the midsagittal plane of the skull or head viewed from the left side when the skull or head is in the Frankfurt horizontal.
4. Astronomy. A point in the celestial sphere toward which or from which the common motion of a group of stars is directed.
5. Geometry. A. The point farthest from the base: the vertex of a cone or of a pyramid. B. A point in a geometrical solid common to three or more sides. C. The intersection of two sides of a plane figure.
When the six-pointed star was laid perfectly over the Great Seal of the United States, the star's top vertex fit perfectly over the Masonic all-seeing eye…
-- Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol
Some way off from its near vertex (which happened to be between terrible Dino and Pemphredo the stinger), I hid behind a shrub of briar to reconnoiter…
-- John Barth, Chimera
Vertex stems from the Latin word of the same spelling which meant "a whirl" or "top (of the head)." It comes from the same stem as the word vortex, vert meaning "to turn." The sense of "the highest point" arose in the 1640s.
Usage: Stanley has a gift for science and has won first prize at his past four science fairs, so this year's fair is almost a guaranteed walkaway for him.
1. Informal. A person who loses a contest, election, or other competition.
2. Sports. A. (In a race) a contestant who fails to win or to place among the first three finishers. B. An athlete or team whose performance in competition is rarely, if ever, a winning or near-winning one.
3. Informal. A person who attains little or no success: For every great artist there are a thousand also-rans.
Nah! They wouldn't want an also-ran, and Edsel will always be an also-ran. They want a contender, and that's you.
-- Emily Carmichael, A New Leash on Life
The Republicans’ allowing Clint Eastwood to improvise like an also-ran at a talent show, on their Convention’s most important night, only heightened the contrast.
-- Steve Coll, "Conventional Wisdom," The New Yorker, Sept. 17, 2012
Also-ran was first used in the late 1800s to refer to the losing horse in a horse race. The term was applied more broadly to the loser of any contest shortly thereafter.
a wild card word for words beginning with , such as piss,pee. (Streets. Also for other words with initial P.) : I gotta pizzle.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bull pizzle cut into small pieces for dogs to chew.
Pizzle is an old English word for penis, derived from Low German pesel or Flemish Dutch pezel, diminutive of pees, meaning 'sinew'.1 The word is used today to signify the penis of an animal,2 chiefly in Australia and New Zealand.3
(snip)
Knew a guy had a 3.5 foot walking stick made from a dried pizzle from a bull's penis, allegedly presented to him by A Mexican Matador.
1606, "stage of an ancient theater," from L. proscaenium, from Gk. proskenion "the space in front of the scenery," also "entrance of a tent," from pro "in front" + skene "stage, tent, booth." Modern sense of "space between the curtain and the orchestra" is attested from 1807.
Stylites (from Greek stylos, "pillar", Classical Syriac: ܐܣܛܘܢܐ ʼasṯonáyé) or Pillar-Saints are a type of Christian ascetic who in the early days of the Byzantine Empire stood on pillars preaching, fasting and praying. They believed that the mortification of their bodies would help ensure the salvation of their souls. The first stylite was probably Simeon Stylites the Elder who climbed on a pillar in Syria in 423 and remained there until his death 37 years later. (more)
An extremely dim, short-lived, expanding disk of reddish light above thunderstorms, believed to be caused by electromagnetic pulses from intense lightning in the lower ionosphere. Elves last less than a second and can be as wide as 500 km (310 mi) in diameter.
1. (Sociology) of or relating to the common people; popular
2. (Linguistics / Languages) of or relating to a simplified form of hieroglyphics used in ancient Egypt by the ordinary literate class outside the priesthood Compare hieratic
n
(Linguistics / Languages) the demotic script of ancient Egypt
(Linguistics / Languages) the spoken form of Modern Greek, now increasingly used in literature Compare Katharevusa
adj
(Linguistics / Languages) denoting or relating to this
demotic
1. of or relating to the common people; popular.
2. of, pertaining to, or noting the simplified form of hieratic writing used in ancient Egypt.
3. (cap.) of, belonging to, or connected with modern colloquial Greek. Also called Romaic.
See also: Language
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. Demotic - a simplified cursive form of the ancient hieratic script; "Demotic script was eventually replaced by Greek"
Demotic script
hieratic, hieratic script - a cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphics; used especially by the priests
2. Demotic - the modern Greek vernacular
Romaic
Modern Greek, New Greek - the Greek language as spoken and written today
Adj. 1. Demotic - of or written in or belonging to the form of modern Greek based on colloquial use
2. demotic - of or for the common people; "demotic entertainments"; "demotic speech"; "a poet with a keen ear for demotic rhythms"
common - having no special distinction or quality; widely known or commonly encountered; average or ordinary or usual; "the common man"; "a common sailor"; "the common cold"; "a common nuisance"; "followed common procedure"; "it is common knowledge that she lives alone"; "the common housefly"; "a common brand of soap"
demotic
adjective
1. colloquial, familiar, informal, everyday, vernacular, conversational, idiomatic his command of demotic American speech
2. common, ordinary, working-class, humble, vulgar, grass-roots, lower-class, proletarian, common or garden, plebeian, lowbrow, lowborn a populist, demotic politician
common elite, noble, upper-class, aristocratic, patrician, blue-blooded, highborn
The quality or condition of being a fact: historical facticity.
References in periodicals archive
Confronting the viewer with the medium's facticity, Soltau paradoxically mitigates the importance of in-frame illusion(s) even as she constructs her works from them.
String theories: Annegret Soltau's transitional, fetishistic ... by Afterimage
Both then and now, Taylor argues, exotic bodies are presented in museums as a "truth" factor, to "prove" the material facticity of an "Other" (ibid.
Playing to the gallery: masks, masquerade, and museums by Savage, Polly / African Arts
John Butler describes facticity as follows, "Facticity is the way things are .
Aliens and existential elevators: absurdity and its shadows in ... by van der Colff, M.A. / Literator: Journal of Literary Criticism, comparative linguistics and literary studies
The thing was hushed up, but, egad, Kelso ate his chop alone at the club for some time afterwards.
The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Wilde, Oscar
When Sancho saw the bride, he exclaimed, "By my faith, she is not dressed like a country girl, but like some fine court lady; egad, as well as I can make out, the patena she wears rich coral, and her green Cuenca stuff is thirty-pile velvet; and then the white linen trimming- by my oath, but it's satin
Don Quixote by Cervantes, Miguel
Egad, Samuel, if you've any drug in your travelling-chest that will set me on my feet again, bring it without delay.
1. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Knitting & Sewing) Also called Jacquard weave a fabric in which the design is incorporated into the weave instead of being printed or dyed on
2. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Knitting & Sewing) Also called Jacquard loom the loom that produces this fabric
Noun 1. Jacquard - French inventor of the Jacquard loom that could automatically weave complicated patterns (1752-1834)
Joseph M. Jacquard, Joseph Marie Jacquard
2. jacquard - a highly figured fabric woven on a Jacquard loom
cloth, fabric, textile, material - artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress"
3. Jacquard - a loom with an attachment for forming openings for the passage of the shuttle between the warp threads; used in weaving figured fabrics
Jacquard loom
loom - a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile
Noun 1. bollard - a strong post (as on a wharf or quay or ship for attaching mooring lines); "the road was closed to vehicular traffic with bollards"
bitt
bitthead - the upper end of a bitt
pier, wharf, wharfage, dock - a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
post - an upright consisting of a piece of timber or metal fixed firmly in an upright position; "he set a row of posts in the ground and strung barbwire between them"
riding bitt - one of the large bitts used to secure the cable of a dropped anchor
ship - a vessel that carries passengers or freight
This article is about the musical instrument. For the video game with a similar name, see Herdy Gerdy. For the 1968 song, see Hurdy Gurdy Man.
The hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents (small wedges, typically made of wood) against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a sound board to make the vibration of the strings audible.
Most hurdy gurdies have multiple drone strings, which give a constant pitch accompaniment to the melody, resulting in a sound similar to that of bagpipes. For this reason, the hurdy gurdy is often used interchangeably or along with bagpipes, particularly in French and contemporary Hungarian and Galician folk music.
Many folk music festivals in Europe feature music groups with hurdy gurdy players, with the most famous annual festival occurring at Saint-Chartier, in the Indre département, in central France, during the week nearest July 14 (Bastille Day).
"one who takes dictation," 1610s, from L. amanuensis, from servus a manu "secretary," lit. "servant from the hand," from a "from" + manu, ablative of manus "hand" (see manual).
n. One who is addicted to the immoderate use of tea; a tea-drunkard.
This word comes from the Latin ‘the-a,’ tea.
Examples
“It is customary to speak of acute, subacute, and chronic 'theism' - a form that has no connection with theological matters. It is possible to be a ‘theic’ by profession or a ‘theic’ by passion.” ‘Tea Drinkers’ Diseases,’ Star, October 20, 1886
A word new to me, though I am an amateur entomologist (specializing in a few families of beetles; some I discovered that were new to science have been named after me.
A slang term used to describe the feeling of belonging in cyberspace. For example, this could be owning real estate in cyberspace, such as a domain name. It is also used to describe interactions of people in cyberspace through blogs, chat rooms, instant messaging, discussion forums and other places where people can communicate online.
(Placename) the Asian part of Turkey, occupying the peninsula between the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean: consists of a plateau, largely mountainous, with salt lakes in the interior Historical name Asia Minor
Wikipedia:
Anatolia (from Greek Ἀνατολή, Anatolē — "east" or "(sun)rise"; also Asia Minor, from Greek: Μικρὰ Ἀσία Mikrá Asía "small Asia"; in modern Turkish: Anadolu) is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey.1 The region is bounded by the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Aegean Sea to the west. The Sea of Marmara forms a connection between the Black and Aegean Seas through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, and separates Anatolia from Thrace on the European mainland. Traditionally, Anatolia is considered to extend in the east to a line between the Gulf of Iskenderun and the Black Sea, approximately corresponding to the western two-thirds of the Asian part of Turkey. However, since Anatolia is now often considered to be synonymous with Asian Turkey, its eastern and southeastern borders are widely taken to be the Turkish borders with the neighboring countries, which are Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria, in clockwise direction.
Anatolia has been inhabited by many peoples throughout history, such as the Hattians, Hurrians, Hittites, Luwians, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Greeks, Assyrians, Mitanni, Scythians, Cimmerians, Urartians, Carians, Commagene, Cilicians, Arameans, Kaskians, Mushki, Palaic, Corduene, Armenians, Romans, Colchians, Iberians, Georgians, Kurds, Seljuk Turks, and Ottomans. Each culture left behind unique artifacts, still being uncovered by archeologists.
(Placename) the Asian part of Turkey, occupying the peninsula between the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean: consists of a plateau, largely mountainous, with salt lakes in the interior Historical name Asia Minor.
1. (Placename) an industrial town in SE central England, in Slough unitary authority, Berkshire; food products, high-tech industries. Pop.: 118 008 (1998 est.)
2. (Placename) a unitary authority in SE central England, in Berkshire. Pop.: 119 070 (2001). Area: 28 sq. km (11 sq. miles)
slough1
n
1. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) a hollow filled with mud; bog
2. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) US and Canadian
a. (in the prairies) a large hole where water collects or the water in such a hole
b. (in the northwest) a sluggish side channel of a river
c. (on the Pacific coast) a marshy saltwater inlet
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) any outer covering that is shed, such as the dead outer layer of the skin of a snake, the cellular debris in a wound, etc.
2. (Group Games / Bridge) Also sluff Bridge a discarded card
vb
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) (often foll by off) to shed (a skin, etc.) or (of a skin, etc.) to be shed
2. (Group Games / Bridge) Also sluff Bridge to discard (a card or cards)
The dead outer skin shed by a reptile or an amphibian.
Verb
To shed an outer layer of skin.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. slough - necrotic tissue; a mortified or gangrenous part or mass
gangrene, sphacelus
pathology - any deviation from a healthy or normal condition
cold gangrene, dry gangrene, mumification necrosis, mummification - (pathology) gangrene that develops in the presence of arterial obstruction and is characterized by dryness of the dead tissue and a dark brown color
clostridial myonecrosis, emphysematous gangrene, emphysematous phlegmon, gangrenous emphysema, gas gangrene, gas phlegmon, progressive emphysematous necrosis - (pathology) a deadly form of gangrene usually caused by clostridium bacteria that produce toxins that cause tissue death; can be used as a bioweapon
2. slough - a hollow filled with mud
bog, peat bog - wet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation; has poorer drainage than a swamp; soil is unfit for cultivation but can be cut and dried and used for fuel
3. slough - a stagnant swamp (especially as part of a bayou)
swamp, swampland - low land that is seasonally flooded; has more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bog
4. slough - any outer covering that can be shed or cast off (such as the cast-off skin of a snake)
covering, natural covering, cover - a natural object that covers or envelops; "under a covering of dust"; "the fox was flushed from its cover"
Verb 1. slough - cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers; "our dog sheds every Spring"
exuviate, molt, moult, shed
desquamate, peel off - peel off in scales; "dry skin desquamates"
cast off, shed, throw off, throw away, shake off, throw, cast, drop - get rid of; "he shed his image as a pushy boss"; "shed your clothes"
Quite an interesting article; remember reading in `50s of a Masters thesis the subject of which was a word count of all words in the works of Shakespeare. Pre-computer.
Noun 1. four-in-hand - a long necktie that is tied in a slipknot with one end hanging in front of the other
necktie, tie - neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front; "he stood in front of the mirror tightening his necktie"; "he wore a vest and tie"
2. four-in-hand - a carriage pulled by four horses with one driver
coach-and-four, coach
box seat, box - the driver's seat on a coach; "an armed guard sat in the box with the driver"
carriage, equipage, rig - a vehicle with wheels drawn by one or more horses
stagecoach, stage - a large coach-and-four formerly used to carry passengers and mail on regular routes between towns; "we went out of town together by stage about ten or twelve miles"
(Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a member of a society founded in Ireland (1795) to uphold the Protestant religion, the Protestant dynasty, and the Protestant constitution. Orange Lodges have since spread to many parts of the former British Empire
1. Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness: "the unctuous, complacent court composer who is consumed with envy and self-loathing" (Rhoda Koenig).
2. Having the quality or characteristics of oil or ointment; slippery.
3. Containing or composed of oil or fat.
4. Abundant in organic materials; soft and rich: unctuous soil.
These adjectives mean insincerely, self-servingly, or smugly agreeable or earnest: an unctuous toady; gave the dictator a fulsome introduction; oily praise; oleaginous hypocrisy; smarmy self-importance.
Noun 1. chenille - a soft tufted cord used in embroidery
chenille cord
chenille - a heavy fabric woven with chenille cord; used in rugs and bedspreads
cord - a line made of twisted fibers or threads; "the bundle was tied with a cord"
2. chenille - a heavy fabric woven with chenille cord; used in rugs and bedspreads
chenille, chenille cord - a soft tufted cord used in embroidery
cloth, fabric, textile, material - artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress"
Noun 1. git - a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible; "only a rotter would do that"; "kill the rat"; "throw the bum out"; "you cowardly little pukes!"; "the British call a contemptible person a `git'"
Citrus reticulata, mandarin, mandarin orange, mandarin orange tree - shrub or small tree having flattened globose fruit with very sweet aromatic pulp and thin yellow-orange to flame-orange rind that is loose and easily removed; native to southeastern Asia
Trappers pursued sea otters off the coast of California in one- to three-person, skin-covered kayaks called baidarkas, which were twelve to twenty-one feet long, and less than two feet wide. In this highly maneuverable, shallow-draft watercraft...
Found in;
When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail
Does hearing "whatever" or "like" make your blood boil? How about "you know" or "just sayin"? A recent Marist poll found that American adults find these to be some of the most annoying conversational words or phrases in the English language. While the disdain for "whatever" may not be surprising—this is its fourth consecutive year at the top of the list—there were some notable changes from last year's poll. "Twitterverse" and "gotcha" earned mentions in 2012, but "seriously" failed to make the cut. More... Discuss
Developed by the Greeks in the 6th century BCE, chryselephantine is a form of sculpture in which an inner core of wood is overlaid with ivory to simulate flesh. It is then trimmed with gold to simulate clothing and other adornments. The technique was used to make colossal religious statues for temples, but because the materials were so valuable, few examples remain intact today.
‘Clinquant’ comes from French a word meaning ‘glistening, tinkling.’
Examples
“I liked Jack, but not clinquant in crimson and gold, with spurs and sword clanking on the hard, frost-bitten road.” George Gough, The Yeoman Adventurer
“The General and the generals went in and crowded the hall of audience, very clinquant with its black and white floor, glass chandeliers, long mirrors and single gilded center table.” Frank Norris, The Surrender of Santiago An Account of the Historic Surrender of Santiago to General Shafter
“Lely supplied the want of taste with clinquant; his nymphs trail fringes, and embroidery, through meadows and purling streams.” The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 1, April, 1851
Apologies to all the perfectionists out there; due to my unfamiliarity with use of the lists, I lost several words and comments. The comments are going to be out of sequence.
Have a directory in Gmail titled "language" to which have been adding quotes, definitions of words encountered in reading &c. for a couple of years, including Word of the Day from Wordnik, and unfamiliar terms encountered on Wikipedia Main page.
New word for me, coined by a writer in a novel to describe the 1928 Florida Hurricane, second only the 1900 Galveston one in loss of life; at least 2500.
Regional Note: In the 19th century, the vibrant energy of American English appeared in the use of Latin affixes to create jocular pseudo-Latin "learned" words. There is a precedent for this in the language of Shakespeare, whose plays contain scores of made-up Latinate words. Midwestern and Western U.S. absquatulate has a prefix ab-, "away from," and a suffix -ate, "to act upon in a specified manner," affixed to a nonexistent base form -squatul-, probably suggested by squat. Hence the whimsical absquatulate, "to squat away from." Another such coinage is Northern busticate, which joins bust with -icate by analogy with verbs like medicate. Southern argufy joins argue to a redundant -fy, "to make; cause to become." Today, these creations have an old-fashioned and rustic flavor curiously at odds with their elegance. They are kept alive in regions of the United States where change is slow. For example, Appalachian speech is characterized by the frequent use of words such as recollect, aggravate, and oblige.
Verb 1. absquatulate - run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along; "The thief made off with our silver"; "the accountant absconded with the cash from the safe"
abscond, go off, make off, run off, decamp, bolt
levant - run off without paying a debt
flee, take flight, fly - run away quickly; "He threw down his gun and fled"
bilby, had been adding comments to each and every word, but due to my slow learning curve start, many of them 'went away'. I did have a comment on triffid (today's Word of the Day) and it seems to have evaporated. Going to have to go back and reapply where necessary. Think a URL would also be helpful - keep a permanent tab for thefreedictionary.com next to Wordnik, which is much richer in total words.
n. A fictional plant that is able to move around and kill people with a poisonous stinger.
‘Triffid’ was coined by science fiction writer John Wyndham in his novel, The Day of the Triffids. The word probably comes from ‘trifid,’ divided into three parts, says the Oxford English Dictionary, since ‘the plant was supported on ‘three bluntly-tapered projections extending from the lower part’ of the body.’
Examples
“Many of the plants have seeded and given way to a new regiment of sunflowers. Their huge yellow discs have risen triffid-like above everything else and they have all turned in a single direction.” Mark Cocker, ‘Country Diary: Claxton, Norfolk,’ The Guardian, October 3, 2010
“Monstrous architecture is being allowed to spread across the Capital like ‘triffids’, according to one of the country’s leading design experts.” ‘City’s triffid invasion of bad designs,’ The Scotsman, May 6, 2002
“Stunned Sadie Yates has seen her Agave shoot up like 'a Triffid' after waiting patiently for years for it to burst into life.” John Coles, ‘Sadie’s ‘Triffid’ Has Its Day,’ The Sun, July 15, 2o10
A seanchaí (ˈʃan̪ˠəxiː or ʃan̪ˠəˈxiː - plural: seanchaithe ˈʃan̪ˠəxɪhɪ) is a traditional Irish storyteller. A commonly encountered English spelling of the Irish word is shanachie.
The word seanchaí, which was spelled seanchaidhe (plural seanchaidhthe) before the Irish-language spelling reform of 1948, means a bearer of "old lore" (seanchas). In the ancient Celtic culture, the history and laws of the people were not written down but memorized in long lyric poems which were recited by bards (filí), in a tradition echoed by the seanchaithe.
The traditional art
Seanchaithe used to be servants to chiefs of their tribe and kept track of important information for their clan.They were very well respected in their Clan. The seanchaithe made use of a range of storytelling conventions, styles of speech and gestures that were peculiar to the Irish folk tradition and characterized them as practitioners of their art. Although tales from literary sources found their way into the repertoires of the seanchaithe, a traditional characteristic of their art was the way in which a large corpus of tales was passed from one practitioner to another without ever being written down.
Because of their role as custodians of an indigenous non-literary tradition, the seanchaithe are widely acknowledged to have inherited – although informally – the function of the filí of pre-Christian Ireland.
Some seanchaithe however were not part of a clan , some were itinerants, traveling from one community to another offering their skills in exchange for food and temporary shelter. Others, however, were members of a settled community and might be termed "village storytellers" who told their marvelous stories and tales at ceremonies and community events, simialar to the servant Seanchaithe. The distinctive role and craft of the seanchaí is particularly associated with the Gaeltacht (the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland), although storytellers recognizable as seanchaithe were also to be found in rural areas throughout English-speaking Ireland. In their storytelling, some displayed archaic Hiberno-English idiom and vocabulary distinct from the style of ordinary conversation.
Modern times
Members of the Celtic Revival such as Padraic Colum took a great interest in the art of the seanchaí, and through them the stories that they told were written down, published, and distributed to a global audience.
At events such as mummers' festival in New Inn, County Galway, and the All-Ireland Fleadh Ceoil storytellers who preserve the stories and oratory style of the seanchaithe continue to display their art and compete for awards. Eddie Lenihan is one notable modern-day seanchaí, based in County Clare, Ireland.
Podcast
Since 1 January 2005, Patrick E. McLean has written and produced a podcast under the title The Seanachaí.
Other uses of the term
The term is also found within Scottish Gaelic where it is spelt seanchaidh Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: ˈʃɛnaxɪ. All uses ultimately have their roots in the traditional poets attached to the households of ancient Gaelic nobility. In Scotland, it is commonly anglicised as shen(n)achie1.
Notes
^ Robinson, M (1985) The Concise Scots Dictionary Chambers, Oxford ISBN 0-08-028491-4
References
Padraig Colum, editor, A Treasury of Irish Folklore.
Frank DeLaney, Ireland.
Patricia A. Lynch, Joachim Fischer, and Brian Coates, Back to the Present: Forward to the Past—Irish Writing and History since 1798.
Noun 1. calque formation - an expression introduced into one language by translating it from another language; "`superman' is a calque for the German `Ubermensch'"
calque, loan translation
locution, saying, expression - a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations; "pardon the expression"
Comments by carlosg
Show previous 200 comments...
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
A thagomizer is the distinctive arrangement of four to ten spikes on the tails of stegosaurid dinosaurs. These spikes are believed to have been a defensive measure against predators.1 The name was coined by cartoonist Gary Larson in a 1982 comic strip, and has been used in research and education since then.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thagomizer
May 23, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
rope out:
As referenced by numerous meteorologists; the diminution of a tornado funnel,
May 21, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
pasquinade \pas-kwuh-NEYD\, noun:
1. a satire or lampoon, especially one posted in a public place.
verb:
1. to assail in a pasquinade or pasquinades.
On the outer wall of the building, there was a vicious pasquinade of the deposed despot.
-- D.V. Bernard, Intimate Relations with Strangers, 2007
In the course of his career, Dosoo had written fourteen books that included political commentaries on India, a slight obloquy on New York, an autobiography, and a pasquinade of Bombay society.
-- Leila Hadley, Give Me the World, 2003
In Rome in 1501 a sculpture was disinterred and placed in Palazzo Orsini. The sculpture was nicknamed Pasquino, and once a year Romans posted humorous verses to the sculpture. Over time these satirical poems became named pasquinades because of the name of the statue. The statue is still in Rome with pasquinades on its base.
May 21, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Michael Scott Racist:
A Michael Scott Racist is a generally well-intentioned person who tries so hard to be politically correct and to demonstrate that they are not racist that they show themselves to actually be racist. Named for Steve Carell's character on The Office who made a habit of being this.
Oscar: Both my parents were born in Mexico. And they moved to the United States a year before I was born. So I grew up in the United States. My parents were Mexican.
Michael Scott: Wow. Wow. That is... That is a great story. That's the American dream right there, right? Um, let me ask you, is there a term besides "Mexican" that you prefer? Something less offensive?
Kate: I'm not racist. I love all races, but especially Asians because although they're not great drivers, they really know how to run a buffet.
John: You're a Michael Scott Racist.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Michael%20Scott%20Racist&defid=7058085
May 21, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the springtail appendage, see Furcula (Collembola).
This stylised bird skeleton highlights the furcula
The furcula ("little fork" in Latin) or wishbone is a forked bone found in birds and some other animals, and is formed by the fusion of the two clavicles. In birds, its primary function is in the strengthening of the thoracic skeleton to withstand the rigors of flight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furcula
May 19, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
bezan;
bezzant , bezzant or byzant
noun
1.
Also, bezzant. the gold solidus of the Byzantine Empire, widely circulated in the Middle Ages.
2.
Also, byzant. (in Romanesque architecture) any of a number of disklike ornaments, similar in form to the classical patera, used especially on the faces of archivolts.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bezant?s=t
May 19, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
crack is whack
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=crack%20is%20whack&defid=2021509
May 18, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
bacon tetris
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MAY 16
The act of arranging bacon strips on a frying pan in the most efficient way possible given the dimensions of your pan. The goal is to maximize the number of bacon strips on the heating surface without leaving any part of any strip uncooked.
I have 100 square inches of bacon and only 36 square inches of frying pan area. Time to play bacon tetris.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bacon%20tetris&defid=7053033
May 16, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Unpalatable: A Plateful of Similar Words
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wc/unpalatable-a-plateful-of-similar-words/
May 16, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Sprinkle your vocabulary with 'happicles'
http://esciencecommons.blogspot.com/2012/04/sprinkle-your-vocabulary-with-happicles.html
May 16, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Silicon Valley's Favorite Word: "Delight"
Los Angeles Times tech reporter Chris O'Brien has discovered that the favorite word among techie types is "delight": "A squishy, subjective, hard-to-pin-down term. So daringly unquantifiable, so proudly immeasurable. And now, suddenly, all the rage in data-driven Silicon Valley." Read O'Brien's delightful piece here (http://www.latimes.com/news/columnone/la-fi-silicon-valley-delight-20130510-dto,0,1536200.htmlstory).
May 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
coffee face
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MAY 14
That ugly ass face people have in the morning before they drink their coffee.
Concerned husband: Honey you look awful. Are you coming down with something?
Wife: No, it's just my coffee face. Brew some shit.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/
May 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Porn Mode:
A mode available in modern web browsers that doesn't store any session information.
Porn Mode Coming to Firefox
Basically Google Chrome Incognito.
Parents: "You haven't whacked off for a week! We're proud of you."
Son: "Actually, I've been using Incognito on Google Chrome so you can't see all the porn I've been masturbating to in my internet history."
Parents: "..."
Son: I love Porn mode
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Porn%20Mode&defid=3337345
May 13, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
The modern history of swearing: Where all the dirtiest words come from
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/11/the_modern_history_of_swearing_where_all_the_dirtiest_words_come_from/
May 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
noisome:
adjective
1.
offensive or disgusting, as an odor.
2.
harmful or injurious to health; noxious.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English noy (aphetic variant of annoy) + -some1
Related forms
noi·some·ly, adverb
noi·some·ness, noun
Can be confused: 1. full, fullness, fulsome, noisome (see usage note at fulsome) ; 2. noisome, noisy.
Synonyms
1. fetid, putrid, rotten, stinking, mephitic.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/noisome?s=t
May 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
antinomy:
Syllabification: (an·tin·o·my)
Pronunciation: /anˈtinəmē/
Definition of antinomy
noun (plural antinomies)
a contradiction between two beliefs or conclusions that are in themselves reasonable; a paradox.
Origin:
late 16th century (in the sense 'a conflict between two laws'): from Latin antinomia, from Greek, from anti 'against' + nomos 'law'
http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/antinomy
May 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
deskfast:
Blend of desk and breakfast.
Noun edit
deskfast (plural deskfasts)
Breakfast eaten at work, particularly while sitting at a desk. quotations ▼
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/deskfast
May 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
snafu:
sna·fu sna-foo, snaf-oo Show IPA noun, adjective, verb, sna·fued, sna·fu·ing.
noun
1.
a badly confused or ridiculously muddled situation: A ballot snafu in the election led to a recount. Synonyms: snarl, bedlam, tumult, disarray, disorder, confusion, mess; foul-up. Antonyms: order, efficiency, calm.
adjective
2.
Rare. in disorder; out of control; chaotic: a snafu scheme that simply won't work.
verb (used with object)
3.
Rare. to throw into disorder; muddle: Losing his passport snafued the whole vacation. Synonyms: confuse, mess up, bungle.
Origin:
1940–45; s(ituation) n(ormal): a(ll) f(ucked) u(p); sometimes euphemistically construed as f(ouled u(p)
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/snafu
May 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
incuse:
in·cuse in-kyooz, -kyoos Show IPA adjective, noun, verb, in·cused, in·cus·ing.
adjective
1.
hammered or stamped in, as a figure on a coin.
noun
2.
an incuse figure or impression.
verb (used with object)
3.
to stamp or hammer in, as a design or figure in a coin.
Origin:
1810–20; < Latin incūsus past participle of incūdere to indent with a hammer, equivalent to in- in-2 + cūd- beat (akin to hew) + -tus past participle suffix
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/incuse?s=t
May 11, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
atheophobia:
Noun edit
atheophobia (uncountable)
Fear or hatred of atheism or atheists quotations ▼
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/atheophobia
May 11, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
cymotrichous:
Adjective edit
cymotrichous (not comparable)
(anthropology) Having wavy hair. quotations ▼
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cymotrichous
May 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Delazify :
Prying one's fat ass off the couch to get shit done. Ending (temporarily or permanently) one's sedentary lifestyle & actually doing shit.
Dude, delazify your ass & clean this shit hole up!
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Delazify&defid=6399444
May 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
aeolian:
\ ee-OH-lee-uhn \ , adjective;
1.
(usually lowercase) of or caused by the wind; wind-blown.
2.
pertaining to Aeolus, or to the winds in general.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/aeolian?s=t
May 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
smartphone face:
n. A drooping jawline and saggy jowls caused by neck muscles that have been shortened from constantly looking down at a smartphone or similar device.
http://www.wordspy.com/words/smartphoneface.asp
May 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Jargon Watch: NIMPS:
Not In My Public Street
New York co-op sues Bike Share program for ruining their property values
http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/new-york-co-op-sues-bike-share-program-ruining-their-property-values.html
May 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
whangdoodle:
whang·doo·dle hwang-dood-l, wang- Show IPA
noun Slang.
a fanciful creature of undefined nature.
Origin:
1855–60, Americanism; nonsense formation; see whang2 , doodle
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/whangdoodle
May 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
glasseslike:
adj. Resembling eyeglasses, particularly with respect to a wearable computing device. Also: glasses-like.
http://www.wordspy.com/words/glasseslike.asp
May 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
logomachy:
lo·gom·a·chy loh-gom-uh-kee Show IPA
noun, plural lo·gom·a·chies.
1.
a dispute about or concerning words.
2.
an argument or debate marked by the reckless or incorrect use of words; meaningless battle of words.
3.
a game played with cards, each bearing one letter, with which words are formed.
lo·gom·a·chy loh-gom-uh-kee Show IPA
noun, plural lo·gom·a·chies.
1.
a dispute about or concerning words.
2.
an argument or debate marked by the reckless or incorrect use of words; meaningless battle of words.
3.
a game played with cards, each bearing one letter, with which words are formed.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Logomachy?s=t
May 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Facebook facelift
n. Cosmetic surgery designed to improve how a person looks in photos posted to social networking sites.
Examples of usage at site.
http://www.wordspy.com/words/Facebookfacelift.asp
May 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
autochthonous:
au·toch·tho·nous (ô-tkth-ns) also au·toch·tho·nal (-th-nl) or au·toch·thon·ic (ôtk-thnk)
adj.
1. Originating where found; indigenous: autochthonous rocks; an autochthonous people; autochthonous folktales. See Synonyms at native.
2. Biology Originating or formed in the place where found: an autochthonous blood clot.
References in classic literature:
If any of the autochthonous idlers asked him what he called himself, he replied shortly, "an engineer.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles - A Pure Woman by Hardy, Thomas View in context
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/autochthonous
May 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
delanceyplace.com 5/6/13 - the invention of the alphabet
In today's selection -- the invention of the first alphabet -- a much simpler system of writing using only 20 to 30 characters as compared to the thousands required in a hieroglyphic system -- unleashed an era in which broad literacy and abstract ideas were possible to an unprecedented degree. Though it is popularly believed the alphabet came from the Phoenicians, this invention pre-dated them and may have come from the Egyptians:
"In February, 1905, after exploring the Middle East for more than two decades, British archeologist Flinders Petrie and his wife arrived at an old turquoise formation in the western Sinai at Serabit el-Khadim, which had been mined as recently as fifty years before by a retired English major and his family. There, although he and others did not realize it for years, Petrie made the most important discovery of his career.
"At the mine the Petries came upon a large collection of statues and inscriptions. Most were expertly carved and bore standard hieroglyphic or hieratic writing, almost certainly produced by the mine's Egyptian overseers.
"His observant wife Hilda also found some rocks bearing cruder inscriptions. On closer inspection, they noted that this writing included only about thirty or so different symbols that were not recognizably hieroglyphic or hieratic -- both hieroglyphic and hieratic writing used about a thousand symbols. Further, these simpler inscriptions always coincided with primitive, non-Egyptian statues; the writing appeared to flow from left to right, also unlike the well-known hieroglyphic, hieratic, or later Phoenician and Hebrew alphabets.
"Petrie dated the inscriptions to approximately 1400 BC. He clearly recognized them as an alphabet, and one that preceded by about five hundred years the earliest known Phoenician writing, heretofore felt to be the first alphabet. ...
"It fell to an Egyptologist, Alan Gardiner, to realize that the Petries had actually stumbled across the origin of the alphabet, or something very close to it. Linguists had long known that Latin script -- the everyday alphabet of today's Western world -- evolved from Greek letters, which had themselves derived from Phoenician, as did Hebrew. ...
"Over the millennium following the alphabet's invention around 1500 BC, the simple phonemic lettering system Petrie discovered made possible the first stirrings of mass literacy that would unleash much of the subsequent political and social ferment of human history.
"On the basis of archaeological and linguistic evidence, most authorities believe that the proto-Semitic inscriptions the Petries first found at Serabit derived from Egyptian hieratic or hieroglyphic writing. While the precise origin of the proto-Semitic alphabet will never be known, the Serabit inscriptions suggest that it was probably invented somewhere in the Sinai or Canaan by non-Egyptian Semites who had come there from somewhere in the Levant to work as miners for the Egyptians.
"Did the first simplified alphabetic script really originate in the mines at Serabit? After Flinders' excavations there, archaeologists uncovered, at several other sites in Palestine, more primitive inscriptions that look alphabetic and possibly predate the Serabit inscriptions by as much as a century or two. More recently, an American research team has uncovered proto-Semitic inscriptions at Wadi el-Hol, several hundred miles south of Serabit el-Khadim, on the Nile; they suggest that the Egyptians may have in fact invented the script to better communicate with their Semitic workers/slaves.
one of two Wadi el-Hol inscriptions
"Another intriguing candidate for 'inventor of the alphabet' is the Midianites, a Sinai people who mined copper and who could have derived it from the writing of their Egyptian overseers in the same way as did the miners of Serabit. ...
"The rise of monotheism was during the same period and the temporal and geographic connection between the alphabet and monotheism in Egypt-Palestine during the middle of the second millennium may be more than coincidence. What might tie them together? The notion of a disembodied, formless, all-seeing, and ever-present supreme being requires a far more abstract frame of mind than that needed for the older plethora of anthropomorphized beings who oversaw the heavenly bodies, the crops, fertility, and the seas. Alphabetic writing requires the same high degree of abstraction and may have provided a literate priestly caste with the intellectual tools necessary to imagine a belief system overseen by a single disembodied deity. Whatever the reason, Judaism and the West acquired their God and their Book."
author: William J. Bernstein
title: Masters of the Word
publisher: Grove Press
date: Copyright 2013 by William J. Bernstein
pages: 44-49
http://www.delanceyplace.com/index.php
May 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: 6 May `13
... that Pussy is advertised as "100% natural"?
May 6, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
misandry:
Misandry (pron.: /mɪˈsændri/) is the dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against men (i.e. the male sex).12
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misandry
May 5, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
enchiridion:
Handbook or Manual
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Enchiridion
May 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Twerk:
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MAY 3
The rhythmic gyrating of the lower fleshy extremities in a lascivious manner with the intent to elicit sexual arousal or laughter in ones intended audience
Hey Girl, lets Twerk on the dance floor.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Twerk&defid=6851230
May 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Straight Dope Message Board > Main > In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
Have you met someone who didn't know a really well-known pop or historical reference?
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=685952
May 3, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
gut-bucket:
"Gutbucket" redirects here. For Liberty Records sampler album, see Gutbucket (album).
Electric "inbindi" bass which is amplified by a public address system
The washtub bass, or "gutbucket", is a stringed instrument used in American folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. Although it is possible for a washtub bass to have four or more strings and tuning pegs, traditional washtub basses have a single string whose pitch is adjusted by pushing or pulling on a staff or stick to change the tension.
The washtub bass was used in jug bands that were popular in some African Americans communities in the early 1900s. In the 1950s, British skiffle bands used a variant called a Tea chest bass, and during the 1960s, US folk musicians used the washtub bass in jug band-influenced music.
Variations on the basic design are found around the world, particularly in the choice of resonator. As a result there are many different names for the instrument including the "gas-tank bass", "barrel bass", "box bass" (Trinidad), "bush bass" (Australia), "babatoni" (South Africa), "tingotalango" (Cuba), "tulòn" (Italy), "laundrophone" and others.
The hallmarks of the traditional design are simplicity, very low cost and do-it-yourself construction, leading to its historical association with lower economic classes. These factors also make it quite common for modern-day builders to promote modifications to the basic design, such as adding a finger board, pedal, electronic pickup, drum head, or making the staff immovable.
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut-bucket
Slang term for ones stomach
Girl im gunna fill you gut bucket up with so much of my tasty man batter, it will explode.
or Gutties: Neighborhood slut; A female that has had sex with nearly everyone in your neighborhood. (see hood-rat)
Here comes a pack of gutties! Anyone got condoms for these Gut Buckets?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gut-bucket
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
catfiising:
n. The elaborate fabrication of an online identity to trick a person into a romantic relationship.
—catfish v., n.
Example Citations:
And while what happened to Manti Te'o is bringing the term to light, we shouldn't talk about catfishing like it's a new thing. Ever since there's been an Internet, there's been a fat guy in an undershirt pretending to be a hot model. Social media only makes the lie more believable and more noticeable.
—Scott Kleinburg, "Don't be the next Te'o," Chicago Tribune, January 24, 2013
Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson was unsympathetic to their claims, finding that their conduct was objectionable enough to warrant censure by the university. She specifically calls them out for "catfishing" their victim.
—Kashmir Hill, "'Catfishing' Gets Its First Legal Mention," Forbes, April 26, 2013
Earliest Citation:
Did you hear how Dave got totally catfished last month?! The fox he thought he was talking to turned out to be a pervy guy from San Diego!
—sbacker, "catfish," Urban Dictionary, July 22, 2010
Notes:
This term comes from a 2010 documentary called Catfish, about a man who falls for a woman whose online persona turns out to be a fake. The origin of the term is given an oddly positive spin in the film:
They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They'd keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn't have somebody nipping at our fin.
—Vince Pierce, "Catfish," Relativity Media, January 22, 2010
http://www.wordspy.com/words/catfishing.asp
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ommatidia:
om·ma·tid·i·um om-uh-tid-ee-uhm Show IPA
noun, plural om·ma·tid·i·a -tid-ee-uh Show IPA . Zoology .
one of the radial elements composing a compound eye.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ommatidia?s=t
High-tech camera acts like a bug's eye
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/01/tech/innovation/bug-eye-camera/?hpt=hp_bn5
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
echelon:
Lexical Investigations: Echelon
a treatment of the word, featuring an illustration which I would call a stile.
http://hotword.dictionary.com/echelon
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
said no one ever:
An nullified attribution intended to convey the absurdity of a statement.
"Thank god it's Monday," said no one ever.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=said%20no%20one%20ever&defid=7038377
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
virago:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/virago
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Looked at Community,got a clue.
My most profound apologies.
Do not hesitate to pass on anything you feel I need to know about posting customs. Such as, how are the example quotes to right side of definitions entered (if not in community?).
Thank you for your patience.
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Supertrees:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_by_the_Bay#Supertrees
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
The Meaning of ‘Squish’ and Other Fun-To-Say Political Slights
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/01/the-meaning-of-squish-and-other-fun-to-say-political-slights/
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
superhydrophobic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhydrophobic
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Writing, by Plato
delanceyplace.com 5/1/13 - a new but suspect education technology
http://www.delanceyplace.com/index.php
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
seiche:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/seiche
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Penrose stairs:
Escher-type stairs. Illustration in article.
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Noun
1.2.1 Synonyms
1.2.2 Translations
1.3 External links
Penrose stairs.
Etymology edit
After a drawing by Lionel Penrose and Roger Penrose.
Penrose stairs (plural Penrose stairs)
An impossible loop of endlessly ascending and descending stairs, or an optical illusion appearing to depict such a loop.
Penrose staircase
Penrose steps
impossible staircase
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Penrose_stairs
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
EVASIVE MANEUVERSEUPHEMISMS OLD AND NEW
Gentleman Turkeys and Other High-Class Gobbledygook
May 2, 2013
By Mark Peters
Do gentlemen exist anymore? The word feels old-fashioned and paleolithic in the era of dudes, bros, and creeps. However, the word gentleman has a long, vibrant history as a euphemism. That history is worth celebrating. In the spirit of a recent column on angels, here's a look at the critters and crimes gentleman has coddled and concealed.
Far as I got (paywall).
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/evasive/gentleman-turkeys-and-other-high-class-gobbledygook/
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
"Dictionary interlude: Hallmarks of the hipster" as defined by descriptors in a series of _NewYorkTimes_ articles. A list of links to articles, with titles and dates.
Found in _WashPost_ Daily "WonkBook" mailing for 1 May, `13
Still catching up with yesterday's email.
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
oojit:
Read in book by a Brit. Only dictionary which gave was Urban Dictionary (again) as a synonym, to wit;
shamoola
A word to define anything that you struggle to define a word for.
You can also use "Shimsham" as an abbreviation for the above word.
"Pass me that shamoola"
"Have you finished with the shamoola?"
"Have you got that Shimsham?"
shamoola shimsham oojit thing twigger nob neck
by Twigger Sithee Feb 22, 2008
We could add to this list a great deal.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=oojit
May 2, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
polliwog:
pol·li·wog pol-ee-wog Show IPA
noun
a tadpole.
Also, pollywog.
Origin:
1400–50; variant of polliwig, earlier polwigge, late Middle English polwygle. See poll1 , wiggle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
World English Dictionary
polliwog or pollywog (ˈpɒlɪˌwɒɡ)
— n
1. dialect ( Brit ), ( US ), ( Canadian ) another name for tadpole
2. informal Compare shellback a sailor who has not crossed the equator
C15 polwygle; see poll , wiggle
pollywog or pollywog
— n
C15 polwygle; see poll , wiggle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/polliwog
May 1, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
tumpline:
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Alternative forms
1.2 Etymology
1.3 Noun
1.3.1 External links
editEnglish
Using a tumpline
editAlternative forms
tump line
editEtymology
Tump is a shortening of mattump, metump, from a Penobscot word.
editNoun
tumpline (plural tumplines)
A strap used to carry objects tied to its ends by placing the broadened or cushioned middle of the strap over the head just behind the forehead.
editExternal links
Tumpline on Wikipedia.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tumplines in use in Mexico
/tump-lyne/ A tumpline is a strap attached at both ends to a sack, backpack, or other luggage and used to carry the object by placing the strap over the top of the head. This utilizes the spine rather than the shoulders as standard backpack straps do. Tumplines are not intended to be worn over the forehead, but rather the top of the head just back from the hairline, pulling straight down in alignment with the spine. The bearer then leans forward, allowing the back to help support the load.1
Tumplines are often used to transport heavy loads across uneven terrain such as footpaths and portages. The voyageurs of the North American fur trade used tumplines exclusively to carry their cargo of pelts and rations across portages.
Backpacks for the military and recreational campers were redesigned to carry larger loads during the middle and late twentieth century, and tumplines have become less common in the developed world.
The Indians in Mexico (and other Latin American countries) traditionally have used the tumpline for carrying heavy loads, such as firewood, baskets (including baskets loaded with construction materials and dirt for building), bird cages, and furniture. In the 1920s there was a man in Mexico City who delivered pianos on his back using a tumpline. In Mexico a common name for tumpline is "mecapal". Modern highland Mayans of southern Mexico use tumplines for various pedestrian transport.2 During World War Two, the Canadian Army developed special supply packs for moving supplies over rough terrain where the soldier use the tump line.3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumpline
May 1, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
cli-fi
n. A literary or movie genre featuring dystopian stories of Earth affected by extreme climate change. Climate + fiction.
Odds is the latest in what seems to be an emerging literary genre. Over the past decade, more and more writers have begun to set their novels and short stories in worlds, not unlike our own, where the Earth's systems are noticeably off-kilter. The genre has come to be called climate fiction — "cli-fi," for short.
—Angela Evancie, "So Hot Right Now: Has Climate Change Created A New Literary Genre?," National Public Radio, April 20, 2013
New term today at http://www.wordspy.com/
May 1, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
googlewhack:
Just finished the book "Dave Gorman's Googlewhcking Adventures", having read several websites on the topic. Several forms of the word found on Urban Dictionary.
====================================================
If you type a search term into a search engine and only get one result, that result is a googlewhack. Presumably, a true googlewhack is one found on Google.com
No googlewhack lasts for long, as the Internet is always expanding and sometimes when people hear of a googlewhack, thy make a new website containing the search term and spoil it for everyone.
Search: adjunct puggle
Result:
HoadWorks - May 2000 Archive
... character MAROON 16) a vociferous soccer cry/cacophony/a cone's adjunct GOLDENROD
17 ... fart (arise at the crack of dawn), 1 knedle, 1 puggle (baby echidna ...
www.hoadworks.com/may2000.htm - 70k - Cached - Similar pages
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=googlewhack
May 1, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
tracer bullet:
How Tracer Bullets work
A tracer bullet is a normal bullet that has the bottom end of the bullet filled with a pyrotechnic substance - resembling a little bit of road flare.
When the tracer bullet shoots out of the gun, the heat from the exploding gunpowder ignites the flare material. It burns very brightly to produce a rocket-like projectile visible to the naked eyes. Tracer Bullets were first introduced in 1915 during the Great War, by the Brits to enable shooters follow the projectile trajectory in order to make aiming corrections in subsequent shots.
Recently, tracer bullets are commonly used by squad leaders to mark targets for their soldiers to fire on. Tracers are also sometimes placed two or three rounds from the bottom of magazines to alert the shooters that their weapon is almost empty.
On the bad side, tracer bullets make it more likely for targets to explode. Tracer bullets ignite fuel. If used without discretion, it could cause massive fire outbreaks.
The commanding military officer in charge of Bama Barracks, A.G Laka, confirmed on Monday that the JTF indeed uses the tracer bullets.
He described it as a "special bullets" fired by his men.
"Once they hit target they catch fire," he said. The JTF have in the past blamed the terrorists for the arson and carnages. It is unclear if the terrorists use Tracer Bullets also.
The JTF uses a special bullet that explode on impact with targets.
The raids by the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, keeping peace in Boko Haram infested Northern Nigeria, often leave behind burnt houses with scores of civilian carnages.
===================
Was in Army `59 - `62; tracer bullets were used about every 10 rounds in in .30 and .50 caliber machine guns belts. Apparently this group is using this round exclusively.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201304300094.html?aa_source=nwsltr-latest-en
April 30, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
cull
cull \kuhl\, verb:
1. to choose; select; pick.
2. to gather the choice things or parts from.
3. to collect; gather; pluck.
noun:
1. act of culling.
2. something culled, especially something picked out and put aside as inferior.
...the more connections, the more chaos, and the harder it is to cull any meaning from the seas of signal.
-- David Foster Wallace, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, 1997
Call for our chiefest men of discipline, to cull the plots of best advantage.
-- William Shakespeare, King John, 1590s
Cull entered English in the 1300s as a verb derived from the Latin colligere meaning "gather together" or "collect." It was another 300 years before the noun form of cull entered the language
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cull
April 30, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
pavane:
pa·vane also pa·van (p-vän, -vn)
n.
1. A slow, stately court dance of the 16th and 17th centuries, usually in duple meter.
2. A piece of music for this dance.
French pavane, from Italian pavana, from feminine of pavano, of Padua, from dialectal pavàn, from Pava, dialectal variant of Padova, Padua.
References in periodicals archive
The Mahler, which was rapturously received by a large audience, occupied the second half of the concert, which began with three short orchestral pieces, the best known being Faur's Pavane, with its limpid flute solo.
Bringing a showbiz touch to classics; Review Royal Liverpool Philhar ... by Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England)
As it is, Gabriel Faure's retrospective and highly stylised Pavane is more readily identifiable as underlay for dance, while Debussy's La Mer, as the name implies, is a vast and emotional invitation to the visual imagination.
Review: CINEMA, VASILY PETRENKO, RLP0 Philharmonic Hall by Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England)
Byline: LAURA DAVIS CLASSICAL: Conductor Vasily Petrenko, above, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra present a programme based on cinema, including Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Faure's Pavane and Debussy's mighty poem to the power of the sea, La Mer.
ARTS DIARY: Pick of the day; THE ARTS EDITOR'S PICK OF THE DAY by Daily Post (Liverpool, England)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pavane
April 30, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
crimently:
Have come across this word twice, the first in a work of fiction ca1942; the second in Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" c1962. Both times used as an exclamation, with intonation of something illegal.
Unable to find in any reference.
Crrimenently:
Found this alternate spelling on Urban Dictionary.
This expression would be used to express some surprise or frustration when a situation did not turn out the way expected. Usually with negative results.
Mary exclaimed, "Crimenently.", when her husband forgot to pick her up on time to make it to her appointment.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=crimenently
April 30, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Ampelography:
Ampelography (Αμπελος, "vine" + γραφος, 'writing') is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, Vitis spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the vine leaves and grape berries; more recently the study of vines has been revolutionised by DNA fingerprinting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampelographers
(snip)
April 30, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
tripalium:
A tripalium is an instrument of torture involving three stakes. The subject of the torture would be tied to the tripalium and burnt with fire.citation needed The words "travail" and "travel" have their roots in this word,1 as do cognates in other modern languages.23
The structure and original use of the tripalium is far from clear; many attempts to explain it appear to be based on nothing more than the word's literal meaning of "three stakes".4 The oldest known reference is from 582 AD,4 but the historical record concerning torture in the ancient Roman empire provides far more information about famous cases where it was applied, or the legalities thereof, than about the means of torture.5 There are classical references to impalement.6
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripalium
April 29, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
chirality:
(pron.: /kaɪˈrælɪtiː/) is a property of asymmetry important in several branches of science. The word chirality is derived from the Greek, χειρ (kheir), "hand", a familiar chiral object.
An object or a system is chiral if it is not identical to its mirror image, that is, it cannot be superposed onto it. A chiral object and its mirror image are called enantiomorphs (Greek opposite forms) or, when referring to molecules, enantiomers. A non-chiral object is called achiral (sometimes also amphichiral) and can be superposed on its mirror image.
The term was first used by Lord Kelvin in an address in 1904. In a lecture given in Johns Hopkins University on "Molecular Dynamics and the Wave Theory of Light" he stated:
I call any geometrical figure, or group of points, 'chiral', and say that it has chirality if its image in a plane mirror, ideally realized, cannot be brought to coincide with itself.1
Human hands are perhaps the most universally recognized example of chirality: The left hand is a non-superimposable mirror image of the right hand; no matter how the two hands are oriented, it is impossible for all the major features of both hands to coincide.2 This difference in symmetry becomes obvious if someone attempts to shake the right hand of a person using his left hand, or if a left-handed glove is placed on a right hand. In mathematics chirality is the property of a figure that is not identical to its mirror image.
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirality
April 28, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
enantiomer:
The spatial arrangement of some large molecules can exist in two different versions which are mirror images of each other, yet their chemical composition is entirely identical. These mirror versions of molecules are said to have a different “chirality” and are called “enantiomers.” The image to the right shows the two chiralities of alanine, known as L-alanine and D-alanine.
http://backreaction.blogspot.com/
April 28, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_page-
In the news
British businessman James McCormick is convicted of fraud for selling fake bomb detectors to military and police forces in several countries.
April 28, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
aleotary:
a·le·a·to·ry ey-lee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, al-ee- Show IPA
adjective
1.
Law. depending on a contingent event: an aleatory contract.
2.
of or pertaining to accidental causes; of luck or chance; unpredictable: an aleatory element.
3.
Music. employing the element of chance in the choice of tones, rests, durations, rhythms, dynamics, etc.
Also, a·le·a·tor·ic ey-lee-uh-tawr-ik, -tor-, al-ee- Show IPA .
Origin:
1685–95; < Latin āleātōrius, equivalent to āleātōr- (stem of āleātor gambler ( āle ( a ) game of chance + -ātor -ator) + -ius adj. suffix; see -tory1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013
.
aleatory or aleatoric (ˈeɪlɪətərɪ, -trɪ, ˌeɪlɪəˈtɒrɪk)
— adj
1. dependent on chance
2. (esp of a musical composition) involving elements chosen at random by the performer
C17: from Latin āleātōrius, from āleātor gambler, from ālea game of chance, dice, of uncertain origin
aleatoric or aleatoric
— adj
C17: from Latin āleātōrius, from āleātor gambler, from ālea game of chance, dice, of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Word Origin & History
aleatory
"of uncertain outcome," lit. "depending on the throw of a die," 1690s, from L. aleatorius, from aleator "a dice player," from alea "a die, the dice."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Example sentences
Aleatory risks versus short-run hedonism in explanation of gang action.
The aleatory and epistemic uncertainty can be combined into a composite
The first type of uncertainty is aleatory uncertainty.
Aleatory uncertainty cannot be reduced by collection of additional information.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/aleatory
April 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
BEHIND THE DICTIONARY
LEXICOGRAPHERS TALK ABOUT LANGUAGE
You've Been Trolled!
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/youve-been-trolled/
April 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
vaterite:
Vaterite: Crystal Within a Crystal Helps Resolve an Old Puzzle
h-ttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130425142241.htmrd
Standard view prior to above finding (but more above);
Vaterite (CaCO3) is a mineral, a polymorph of calcium carbonate. It was named after the German mineralogist Heinrich Vater. It is also known as mu-calcium carbonate (μ-CaCO3) and has a JCPDS number of 13-192. Vaterite, like aragonite, is a metastable phase of calcium carbonate at ambient conditions at the surface of the earth. As it is less stable than either calcite or aragonite, vaterite has a higher solubility than either of these phases. Therefore, once vaterite is exposed to water, it converts to calcite (at low temperature) or aragonite (at high temperature: ~60 °C). However, vaterite does occur naturally in mineral springs, organic tissue, gallstones, and urinary calculi. In those circumstances, some impurities (metal ions or organic matter) may stabilize the vaterite and prevent its transformation into calcite or aragonite. Vaterite is usually colorless, its shape is spherical, and its diameter is small, ranging from 0.05 to 5 μm.
Vaterite can be produced as the first mineral deposits repairing natural or experimentally induced shell damage in some aragonite-shelled mollusks (e.g. gastropods). Subsequent shell deposition occurs as aragonite.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaterite
(note both sources are illustrated)
Vaterites of the locality San Vito (Monte Somma, Italy) are microcrystalline with largest crystals below 2 mm size. This vaterite is epitactic after aragonite. The crystal contains triplet of aragonite inside of it. On the its termination twin seams of aragonite triplet are well visible.
Vaterite belongs to the hexagonal crystal system, whereas calcite is trigonal and aragonite is orthorhombic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaterite
April 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
steatohepatitis:
Steatohepatitis is a type of liver disease, characterized by inflammation of the liver with concurrent fat accumulation in liver ("steato", meaning fat, "hepatitis", meaning inflammation of the liver). Mere deposition of fat in the liver is termed steatosis, and together these constitute fatty liver changes.
Classically seen in alcoholics as part of alcoholic liver disease, steatohepatitis also is frequently found in people with diabetes and obesity. When not associated with excessive alcohol intake, it is referred to as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH and is the progressive form of the relatively benign Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.1 Steatohepatitis of either etiology may progress to cirrhosis, and NASH is now believed to be a frequent cause of unexplained cirrhosis (at least in Western societies).
(snip)
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/steatohepatitis
Seen in this article;
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130425160125.htm
Interested because as long time member of a 12 step program, hepatitis is a common thing. Seems to have been an epidemic of Hep C, with regular, painful, tragic deaths all too frequent. Have heard of hep from type A through G. So now NASH, involving neither alcohol nor dirty needles.
April 26, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
gopher:
noun
1.
any of several ground squirrels of the genus Citellus, of the prairie regions of North America.
2.
pocket gopher.
3.
gopher tortoise.
4.
gopher snake.
5.
( initial capital letter ) a native or inhabitant of Minnesota (used as a nickname).
6.
( initial capital letter ) Computers.
a.
a protocol for a menu-based system of accessing documents on the Internet.
b.
any program that implements this protocol.
verb (used without object)
7.
Mining.
a.
to mine unsystematically.
b.
to enlarge a hole, as in loose soil, with successively larger blasts.
Origin:
1785–95; earlier megopher, magopher gopher tortoise; of obscure origin; spelling copies gopher wood
Matching Quote
"If, for some reason, you want to feel completely out of step with the rest of the world, the only thing to do is sit around a cocktail lounge in the afternoon.... You sit around the gloom and have a few quiet, meditative drinks, get everything figured out. Then you go out and the sun hits you. And you feel like something that's been drinking in a gopher hole."
-Karl Kamb
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gopher
n.
A protocol for the storage and retrieval of text on a computer network using a TCP/IP protocol.
From the gopher mascot of the University of Minnesota, where the protocol was developed.
n.
1. Any of various short-tailed, burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae of North America, having fur-lined external cheek pouches. Also called pocket gopher.
2. Any of various ground squirrels of the genus Citellus of North American prairies.
3. Any of several burrowing tortoises of the genus Gopherus, especially G. polyphemus of the southeast United States.
Probably short for earlier megopher, gopher tortoise, of unknown origin.
Probably short for earlier megopher, gopher tortoise, of unknown origin.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
n
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) Also called pocket gopher any burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae, of North and Central America, having a thickset body, short legs, and cheek pouches
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) another name for ground squirrel
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any burrowing tortoise of the genus Gopherus, of SE North America
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals)
gopher snake another name for bull snake
shortened from earlier megopher or magopher, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
n.
1. Also called pocket gopher. any New World burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae, having a stout body, a short tail, and external cheek pouches.
2. ground squirrel.
3. (cap.) a native or inhabitant of Minnesota (used as a nickname).
1785–95; earlier megopher, magopher a burrowing land tortoise
go•pher2 (ˈgoʊ fər)
n. Slang.
gofer.
1925–30; resp. of gofer by association with gopher1
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature
"You take the branch next the willow stump, I b'lieve; or else the branch by the gopher holes; or else--"
The Road to Oz by Baum, L. Frank View in context
And when he was supposed to be working in the corn-fields, and the tall stalks hid him from Mombi's view, Tip would often dig in the gopher holes, or if the mood seized him -- lie upon his back between the rows of corn and take a nap.
The Marvelous Land of Oz by Baum, L. Frank View in context
They were content to let the small mine-owners gopher out what they could, for there would be millions in the leavings.
Burning Daylight by London, Jack View in context
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/gopher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Look up gopher or gofer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Gopher may refer to:
editAnimal kingdom
Gopher (animal), including:
Pocket gophers (family Geomyidae), about 40 species distributed from North America to Colombia
Several ground squirrels (tribe Marmotini) of North America, particularly those formerly classified as Spermophilus
Gopher tortoise (genus Gopherus), distributed in North America
editOther uses
Minnesota, the "Gopher State"
Minnesota Golden Gophers, University of Minnesota sports teams
Gopher (protocol), for the distributed hypertext protocol. Named in honor of, and developed at, the University of Minnesota
Gopher (train), a passenger train operated by the Great Northern Railway, USA
Gophers!, a British children's television programme
Gopher wood, of unclear meaning, is mentioned in the Bible as the building material for Noah's ark
Gopher Plant or Paper Spurge (Euphorbia lathyris)
Gofer, an errand-runner
The SA-13 "Gopher", or 9K35 Strela-10, a Soviet surface to air missile system
Gopher Gang, early 20th-century New York
A nickname for Burl Smith, a character on TV show The Love Boat.
Gopher (Winnie-the-Pooh), a character in Walt Disney's Winnie The Pooh franchise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopher
April 26, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
E-void:
Avoiding someone electronically such as on Facebook, e-mail, IM, or text messages.
Guy #1: I sent Laura a message on facebook two weeks ago asking her what her plans are for New Years but she still hasn't responded.
Guy#2: Dude, it sounds like you're being e-voided.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=E-void&defid=4438382
April 26, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
BEHIND THE DICTIONARYLEXICOGRAPHERS TALK ABOUT LANGUAGE
Trespassers Will Be Trespassed
April 25, 2013
By Neal Whitman
Poking around a mall with his sons, the linguist Neal Whitman came across a sign that said, "Violators will be trespassed." It turns out that the verb trespass has picked up a new meaning in the last twenty years or so, one which hasn't yet made it into any of the dictionaries.
=============================================
Then I hit a paywall.
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/trespassers-will-be-trespassed/
April 26, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
satisfice
Pronunciation: /ˈsatɪsfʌɪs/
Definition of satisfice
verb
no object formal
decide on and pursue a course of action that will satisfy the minimum requirements necessary to achieve a particular goal.
Origin:
mid 16th century (in the sense 'satisfy'): alteration of satisfy, influenced by Latin satisfacere. The formal use dates from the 1950s
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/satisfice?q=satisfice
World English Dictionary
satisfice (ˈsætɪsˌfaɪs)
— vb
1. ( intr ) to act in such a way as to satisfy the minimum requirements for achieving a particular result
2. obsolete ( tr ) to satisfy
C16: altered from satisfy
satisfice
verb
decide on and pursue a course of action satisfying the minimum requirements to achieve a goal; "optimization requires processes that are more complex than those needed to merely satisfice"
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/satisfice?s=t
Satisficing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Satisfice)
Satisficing, a portmanteau of satisfy and suffice,1 is a decision-making strategy that attempts to meet an acceptability threshold. This is contrasted with optimal decision-making, an approach that specifically attempts to find the best option available. A satisficing strategy may often be (near) optimal if the costs of the decision-making process itself, such as the cost of obtaining complete information, are considered in the outcome calculation.
The word satisfice was given its current meaning by Herbert A. Simon in 1956,2 although the idea "was first posited in Administrative Behavior, published in 1947."34 He pointed out that human beings lack the cognitive resources to optimize: we usually do not know the relevant probabilities of outcomes, we can rarely evaluate all outcomes with sufficient precision, and our memories are weak and unreliable. A more realistic approach to rationality takes into account these limitations: This is called bounded rationality.
"Satisficing" can also be regarded as combining "satisfying" and "sacrificing."citation needed In this usage the satisficing solution satisfies some criteria and sacrifices others.
Some consequentialist theories in moral philosophy use the concept of satisficing in the same sense, though most call for optimization instead.
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisfice
April 26, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
brinicle
Pronunciation: /ˈbrʌɪnɪk(ə)l/
Definition of brinicle
noun
a long, tapering vertical tube of ice formed in the sea around a plume of very cold seawater produced by a developing ice sheet:
an unprecedented time-lapse shot underwater records the growth of a brinicle—an ice stalactite progressing downward toward the seabed
Origin:
Wikipedia:
early 21st century: blend of brine and icicle
An ice stalactite (also brinicle – brine icicle) forms beneath sea ice when a flow of extremely cold, saline water is introduced to an area of ocean water, being the undersea equivalent of a stalactite or icicle.
Known since the 1960s, the generally accepted model of their formation was proposed by the US oceanographer Seelye Martin in 1974.1 The formation of a brinicle was first filmed in 2011 by producer Kathryn Jeffs and cameramen Hugh Miller and Doug Anderson for the BBC series Frozen Planet.2
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinicle
Image at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130424112316.htm
April 26, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
simoom:
simoom
World English Dictionary
simoom or simoon (sɪˈmuːm, sɪˈmuːn)
— n
Also called: samiel a strong suffocating sand-laden wind of the deserts of Arabia and North Africa
from Arabic samūm poisonous, from sam poison, from Aramaic sammā poison
simoon or simoon
— n
from Arabic samūm poisonous, from sam poison, from Aramaic sammā poison
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
simoom
"hot, dry desert wind," 1790, from Arabic samum "a sultry wind," lit. "poisonous," from samma "he poisoned," from sam "poison."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Encyclopedia
simoom
extremely hot and dry local wind in Arabia and the Sahara. Its temperature often reaches 55 C (about 130 F), and the humidity of the air sometimes falls below 10 percent. It is caused by intensive ground heating under a cloudless sky. Simoom is an Arabic word that means "poison wind." It refers to the wind's tendency to cause heatstroke as it brings more heat to the human body than is removed by the evaporation of perspiration.
In his Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce describes the protagonist's heart as having "withered up like a flower of the desert that feels the simoom coming from afar."
April 25, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Austerian
n. A person who believes that extreme fiscal austerity is the key to solving economic problems, particularly for countries carrying huge debt loads. Also: Austerian.
Example Citations:
"Austerians," as the champions of fiscal prudence are called, perhaps a little uncharitably, are in retreat because an emphasis on deficit cutting has failed to generate a convincing recovery.
—Kevin Carmichael, "'Austerians' are reeling as G20 avoids mention of hard fiscal targets," The Globe and Mail, April 21, 2013
When it comes to inflicting pain on the citizens of debtor nations, austerians are all steely determination — hey, it's a tough world, and hard choices have to be made.
—Paul Krugman, "Very Sensitive People," The New York Times, April 22, 2013
Earliest Citation:
Remember, the political idea being expressed a year ago was that because the GOP interpreted its 1994 mandate as a call to budget-balancing austerity, the electorate would never give the White House to the GOP if its nominee was also a root-canal austerian.
—Jude Wanniski, "Reminder from Forbes ... Crossroads for Dole," The Washington Times, March 20, 1996
Notes:
Fans of the novelist Paul Auster (and, really, who isn't one?) will be pleased to know that his work and the atmosphere it conjures up are often described as Austerian (first use: 1994):
See if you like this sample, which ends with a typically Austerian twist. "For the first few weeks, they did what they could to make the rooms habitable, diligently attacking all manner of blight and decay, treating each small task as if it were a momentous human endeavor, and bit by bit they turned their wretchedly inadequate pigsty into something that might, with some generosity, be classified as a hovel."
—John Greenya, "Book review: 'Sunset Park'," The Washington Times, December 31, 2010
http://www.wordspy.com/words/austerian.asp
April 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
fap:
September 8, 2007 Urban Word of the Day
The onomatopoeic representation of masturbation. Often used to suggest that something is attractive.
Did you see those Natalie Portman pics? *fap fap fap*
for more quotes see;
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fap
April 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Fapulous
APRIL 24
1. Orgasmic, amazing, awesome.
2. Really, really hot.
"Did you see that ass?"
'Yeah. It was Fapulous!"
for more quotes see;
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Fapulous&defid=7027374
April 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Reviral
APRIL 22
When this generation later tells their teenage kids about the youtube videos you watched back in the day and those children subsequently rapidly share said videos with their generation.
The year, 2030 - "hey Dad, listen to this, I learned to play Mozart today". "who cares Billy, this cat had that figured out twenty years ago. Wipe away your tears and check this out".
Billy shares with friends. Video goes viral...again. Reviral.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Reviral&defid=7021481
April 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Obaki:
(Phys.org) —What is an Obake? Two definitions have emerged; MIT inventors would enjoy close attention on the newer one. The older definition is that they are creatures in Japanese folklore that shift shapes. The second is an updated, 2013 definition, created in MIT Media Lab quarters. Obake is a highly touchable screen interface that lets you pinch, press, prod, and expand your screen. "What if our screens were elastic?" asks one of the designers, Dhairya Dand. The question that goes with that one is, are you up for a user experience beyond a flat screen? Those are the questions that result from the MIT Media Lab project on a touchscreen interface that can take users into a next-step world of tactile computing. In one of the inventor's words, they provide a new language of interaction.
(snip)
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-04-prod-stretchy-mit-creatives-video.html#jCp
Obake (お化け) and bakemono (化け物) (sometimes obakemono) are a class of yōkai, preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. Literally, the terms mean a thing that changes, referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting.
These words are often translated as ghost, but primarily they refer to living things or supernatural beings who have taken on a temporary transformation, and these bakemono are distinct from the spirits of the dead.1 However, as a secondary usage, the term obake can be a synonym for yūrei, the ghost of a deceased human being.2
A bakemono's true form may be an animal such as a fox (kitsune), a raccoon dog (tanuki), a badger (mujina), a transforming cat (bakeneko), the spirit of a plant — such as a kodama, or an inanimate object which may possess a soul in Shinto and other animistic traditions. Obake derived from household objects are often called tsukumogami.
A bakemono usually either disguises itself as a human or appears in a strange or terrifying form such as a hitotsume-kozō, an ōnyūdō, or a noppera-bō. In common usage, any bizarre apparition can be referred to as a bakemono or an obake whether or not it is believed to have some other form, making the terms roughly synonymous with yōkai.3
In Hawaii
Due to the influence of a sizable Japanese immigrant population on the islands of Hawaii, the term obake has found its way into the pidgin vocabulary of the local people. Some Japanese stories concerning these creatures have found their way into local culture in Hawaii: numerous sightings of kappa have been reported on the islands, and the Japanese faceless ghosts called noppera-bō have also become well-known in Hawaii under the name mujina. This name confusion seems to have stemmed from a story by Lafcadio Hearn titled "Mujina", which first introduced the faceless ghost to the Western world.
Hawaiian folklorist Glen Grant was known for his "Obake Files", a series of reports he developed about supernatural incidents in Hawaii. The grand bulk of these incidents and reports were of Japanese origin or concerned obake.4
Notes
^ Mayer p. 89
^ Daijirin and Daijisen definitions of obake.
^ Daijirin and Daijisen dictionary definitions.
^ Grant
References
Mayer, Fanny Hagin (March 1974). "Religious Concepts in the Japanese Folktale" (PDF). Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1 (1): 73–101. Retrieved 2006-01-01.
Grant, Glen; Ross Yamanaka (May 1994). Obake: Ghost Stories in Hawaii. Honolulu: Mutual Pub Co. ISBN 1-5664-7320-9.
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Obake
April 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
White Goat Machines
Probably one of the strangest, yet entirely conceivable machines found on the market, the white goat machine is a machine that transforms shredded paper into toilet paper.
Although the idea may seem strange, the average person uses 39 pounds of toilet paper every year — that’s roughly one third of a tree.
Though the White Goat Machine is currently only on sale in Japan, with just 40 sheets of paper, you could receive a fresh roll of toilet paper in just 30 minutes; costing just 12 cents a roll.
If every office in the country invested in a White Goat Machine, every single machine could save 60 trees a year. And, if multiplied, the White Goat Machine could be saving thousands of kilometres of precious forest every year.
Seen in article "Green Inventions That Could Change The Way We Live"
http://planetsave.com/2013/04/23/green-inventions-that-could-change-the-way-we-live/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IM-planetsave+%28Planetsave%29
April 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
amygdala hijack
n. An immediate, overwhelming, and usually inappropriate emotional response to a perceived threat or emergency.
Example Citations:
Psychologists call this an amygdala hijack, a point at which the most unevolved part of our brains — the amygdala — overrules every other civilised impulse and quite simply, goes nuts.
—Natalie Reilly, "Is crying at work career suicide?," Daily Life, April 3, 2013
In the mid 1990's, I was introduced to the concept of an "amygdala hijack." The amygdalae are two small almond-shaped structures in the brain that among other things, monitor environmental and social threats and allow us to respond reflexively when perceived levels get too high. They figuratively hijack our volitional choice by redirecting behavioral control to more primitive responses such as fight, flight and freeze.
—Janet Crawford, quoted in Victor W. Hwang, "4 Ways You Can Innovate Better, According to Neuroscience," Forbes, March 29, 2013
Earliest Citation:
The amygdala is the brain's center for emotional memory, for emotional reactivity, and which has the ability to scan everything that's happening to us moment to moment to see if it perceives a threat. If it does, it mobilizes the entire brain instantly in anamygdala hijack, the signs of which are three: One, you have a very intense emotional reaction two, it's very sudden and three, when the dust settles, you realize that it was very inappropriate.
—Daniel Goleman, quoted in Jennifer J. Salopek, "Train Your Brain: Part 1 of 2,"Training and Development, October 1, 1998
Notes:
The coining of this phrase is credited to psychologist Daniel Goleman with some (*cough* Wikipedia *cough*) claiming that the first use comes in his famous book Emotional Intelligence. Goleman doesn't use the phrase in that book, but he does come close:
Such emotional explosions are neural hijackings...a neural takeover which, as we shall see, originates in the amygdala.
—Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, Bantam Books, September 12, 1996
http://www.wordspy.com/words/amygdalahijack.asp
April 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
wikiality:
wikiality
n. Reality as defined by a consensus, particularly in a collaborative endeavor such as Wikipedia. Also: Wikiality. Blend of Wikipedia and reality.
Example Citations:
"Wikiality," from populist Online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, means reality as determined by majority vote (as when scientists voted to stop treating Pluto as a planet).
—"From the mouths of fake journalists," San Jose Mercury News, August 28, 2006
Are you wikiliterate? If not, start studying!
For one thing, "wikiality," a Stephen Colbert-inspired "word of the year," is a password that signals you are an irony insider. But beyond that, the wiki website model, popularized by Wikipedia, is also emerging as a hot business tool.
—Rick Newman, "The next Internet gold rush," U.S. News & World Report, August 28, 2006
Earliest Citation:
Any user can change any entry and if enough other users agree with them, it becomes true. ... If only the entire body of human knowledge worked this way. And it can, thanks to tonight's 'Word': Wikiality. Now I'm no fan of reality, and I'm no fan of encyclopedias. I've said it before: Who is Britannica to tell me that George Washington had slaves? If I want to say he didn't, that's my right. And now, thanks to Wikipedia, it's also a fact. We should apply these principles to all information. All we need to do is convince a majority of people that some factoid is true.
—Stephen Colbert, "The Word," The Colbert Report, July 31, 2006
http://www.wordspy.com/words/wikiality.asp
April 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
entente:
en·tente (n-tnt)
n.
1. An agreement between two or more governments or powers for cooperative action or policy: "the economic entente between the Soviet Union and western Europe" (Robert W. Tucker).
2. The parties to such an agreement.
French, from Old French, intent, from feminine past participle of entendre, to understand, intend; see intend.
entente (French) ɑ̃tɑ̃t
n
1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) short for entente cordiale
2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the parties to an entente cordiale collectively
French: understanding
en•tente (ɑnˈtɑnt)
n.
1. an understanding between nations agreeing to follow a particular policy in international affairs.
2. an alliance of parties to such an understanding.
1830–45; < French: understanding, Old French: intention, n. use of feminine of entent, past participle of entendre to intend
Entente national agreements collectively, as in the Triple Entente, 1894-1907; the Entente Cordiale, 1844, 1904.
References in classic literature
There were only two things needed: France to consider her own big interests and to ignore an entente from which she gains nothing that was not assured to her under the new agreement, and the money.
The Vanished Messenger by Oppenheim, E. Phillips View in context
When that fail he make straight for his last resource, his last earth-work I might say did I wish double entente.
Dracula by Stoker, Bram View in context
Nasmyth himself was the first to thank us both for our spirited effort on his behalf; and the incident had the ironic effect of establishing an immediate entente cordiale between Raffles and his very latest victim.
A Thief in the Night by Hornung, E. W. View in context
April 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
crawfish:
crawfish \KRAW-fish\, verb:
1. Informal. to back out or retreat from a position or undertaking.
noun:
1. crayfish.
Related Words for : crawfish
crawdad, crayfish, ecrevisse, back away,back out
When have you known me to crawfish on a deal?
-- Victor McGlothin, Secrets of Newberry, 2010
I suppose I crawfished around a bit and didn't give him too straight an answer.
-- Gene Wolfe, Peace, 1995
A North American variant of crayfish, crawfish entered English in the mid-1800s as both a verb and a noun meaning "to act cowardly," "to retreat from a position," or to describe a person who acts in this manner. Crayfish comes to English from the Old High German krebiz meaning "crab" or "shellfish.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/crawfish
April 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
improbity:
Syllabification: (im·pro·bi·ty)
Pronunciation: /imˈprōbitē/
Definition of improbity
noun
formal
wickedness or dishonesty.
Origin:
late 16th century: from Latin improbitas, from improbus 'wicked', from in- 'not' + probus 'good'. Compare with probity
http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/improbity
April 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
crosswordese
English
WOTD – 22 April 2012
Etymology
crossword + -ese
]Noun
crosswordese (uncountable)
The jargon of crossword puzzle answers, classically consisting of rare, archaic, or dialectal words. ]
1988, Sam Hodges, "Puzzlers Exchanging A Lot Of Cross Words", Orlando Sentinel, 20 March 1988:
"The Times puzzle is full of crosswordese -- words nobody ever heard of," he said. "Take today March 10. He's got the clue 'corn mush.' The answer is 'samp.' Then there's 'dwarf buffalo.' The answer is 'anoa.' It's laughable. I know these words because I'm in the business. But why should you?"
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crosswordese
April 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
apron:
a·pron ey-pruhn Show IPA
noun
1.
a garment covering part of the front of the body and tied at the waist, for protecting the wearer's clothing: a kitchen apron.
2.
Anglican Church . a similar garment extending to the knees, worn by bishops, deans, and archdeans.
3.
a metal plate or cover, usually vertical, for a machine, mechanism, artillery piece, etc., for protecting those who operate it.
4.
a continuous conveyor belt for bulk materials, consisting of a chain of steel plates.
5.
(in a lathe) a part of the carriage holding the clutches and gears moving the toolholder.
verb (used with object)
20.
to put an apron on; furnish with an apron.
21.
to surround in the manner of an apron: The inner city is aproned by low-cost housing.
Origin:
1275–1325; 1925–30 for def 6; 1900–05 for def 8; Middle English napron (by later misconstruing a napron as an apron ) < Middle French naperon, equivalent to nape tablecloth (< Latin mappa napkin; cf. map) + -ron diminutive suffix
Related forms
a·pron·like, adjective
un·a·proned, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Related Words for : apron
forestage, proscenium
Collins World English Dictionary
apron (ˈeɪprən)
— n
1. a protective or sometimes decorative or ceremonial garment worn over the front of the body and tied around the waist
2. the part of a stage extending in front of the curtain line; forestage
3. a hard-surfaced area in front of or around an aircraft hangar, terminal building, etc, upon which aircraft can stand
4. a continuous conveyor belt composed usually of slats linked together
5. a protective plate screening the operator of a machine, artillery piece, etc
6. a ground covering of concrete or other material used to protect the underlying earth from water erosion
7. a panel or board between a window and a skirting in a room
8. geology a sheet of sand, gravel, etc, deposited at the front of a moraine
9. golf the part of the fairway leading onto the green
10. machinery the housing for the lead screw gears of a lathe
11. another name for skirt
12. tied to someone's apron strings dependent on or dominated by someone, esp a mother or wife
— vb
13. ( tr ) to protect or provide with an apron
C16: mistaken division (as if an apron ) of earlier a napron, from Old French naperon a little cloth, from nape cloth, from Latin mappa napkin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
apron
mid-15c., faulty separation (cf. adder, umpire) of a napron (c.1300), from O.Fr. naperon, dim. of nappe "cloth," from L. mappa "napkin." Napron was still found as late as late 16c. Symbolic of "wife's business" from 1610s. Apron-string tenure was
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
apron (ā'prən) Pronunciation Key
An area covered by a blanketlike deposit of glacial, eolian, marine, or alluvial sediments, especially an area at the foot of a mountain or in front of a glacier.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Easton Bible Dictionary
Apron definition
found in the Authorized Version in Gen. 3:7, of the bands of fig-leaves made by our first parents. In Acts 19:12, it denotes the belt or half-girdle worn by artisans and servants round the waist for the purpose of preserving the clothing from injury. In marg. of Authorized Version, Ruth 3:15, correctly rendered instead of "vail." (R.V., "mantle.")
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
April 21, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Oobleck
Demonstration of a non-Newtonian fluid at Universum in Mexico City
Oobleck on a subwoofer. Applying force to oobleck, by sound waves in this case, makes the non-Newtonian fluid thicken.6
An inexpensive, non-toxic example of a non-Newtonian fluid is a suspension of starch (e.g. cornstarch) in water, sometimes called "oobleck" or "ooze" (1 part of water to 1.5–2 parts of corn starch).78 Uncooked imitation custard, being a suspension of primarily cornflour, has the same properties. The name "oobleck" is derived from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck.citation needed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-newtonian_fluid#Oobleck
WALKING on water is possible – just as long as it contains corn starch. Now it seems this miracle mixture, dubbed oobleck, can also shatter like glass. Knowing how and why could help guide its use in soft body armour and car suspensions.
Oobleck gets its name from the artificial gloop that falls from the sky in the Dr Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck. It has a split personality because the corn starch exists as a solid suspended in liquid water. Gently poke real-life oobleck and your fingers easily slip through, but slap it and it suddenly stiffens.
Along with ketchup and toothpaste, which jam up if you squeeze their containers hard, it is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid. "They can be solid if you make them flow too fast," says Matthieu Roché of the University of Paris-South. Oobleck is the most extreme variety, capable of supporting a person running across a pool, though they will sink if they slow down.
Last year, Heinrich Jaeger and colleagues at the University of Chicago discovered why oobleck behaves this way – the water flees the point of impact faster than the starch, leaving the solid particles behind. These jam up, forming a matrix of surprising strength.
While based at Princeton University, Roché and colleagues probed another property of oobleck – its tendency to break up. They spread a layer over a sheet of perspex (plexiglass) and filmed from underneath as they dropped a 300-gram, tungsten carbide rod onto the oobleck from varying heights. Because oobleck is so flexible, Roché expected it to tear like a soft metal, a process known as ductile fracture. Instead, about 6.7 milliseconds after impact, the oobleck formed pointy-tipped cracks like fracturing glass or plaster, his team reports in Physical Review Letters (doi.org/k7m). Unlike glass, though, the cracks sealed up quickly.
The team was also able to measure the speed of the cracking and discovered that cracks only appeared when the oobleck layer was below a certain thickness. Thicker layers may not crack because oobleck underneath stays liquid, absorbing the impact more easily, says Roché. Surprisingly, the force of the hit had less impact on whether the oobleck cracked than layer thickness.
Non-Newtonian fluids are already found in liquid armour, which is flexible like fabric but stiffens suddenly to fend off an incoming bullet or knife. The fluids are also being investigated for use in cars, where they could dampen shocks without requiring additional energy. The new details of how cracking occurs should improve strategies for avoiding fracture in these scenarios and other planned ones, says Roché.
Jaeger, who was not involved in the latest work, agrees with Roché: "This is a beautiful piece of research. Understanding this behaviour better will enable us to control it."
This article appeared in print under the headline "Miracle gloop shatters like glass"
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21829134.300-miracle-mix-looks-like-liquid-but-shatters-like-glass.html
April 21, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
soigné \swahn-YEY; Fr. swa-NYEY\, adjective:
1. carefully or elegantly done, operated, or designed.
2. well-groomed.
I saw...books being borrowed from the library by gentlemen of soigné appearance.
-- W.G. Sebald, Austerlitz, 2001
A moment later the lights dimmed, the orchestra struck up the prelude and the curtain slid smoothly up. Later, during the intermission, Hearn took a cup of hot chocolate and mingled with the soigné crowd.
-- Eric Van Lustbader, The Bourne Legacy, 2010
Soigné came to English in the 1800s from the French word soigner meaning "take care of."
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/soigne
April 20, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Bumph is a versatile, if little used word. Does not appear in online edition of OED, surprisingly. That was fun.
April 20, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
bumpf:
bumf buhmf Show IPA
noun British .
1.
Slang. toilet paper.
2.
memoranda, official notices, or the like.
Origin:
1885–90; short for bumfodder. See bum2 , fodder 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bumf?s=t
1. bumph
Extra periphery crap, surplus to requirements.
The Internet is full of bumph like spam and pop-ups.
2. bumph
Stuff that, while peripheral, is essential to the texture of well-created sets for movies.
Critical element to superior set decoration world-wide, though perhaps more commonly associated, in general, with New York or British-made films, among others.
Creates an ambience opposite to "oh, so Hollywood."
........
Production Designer, Brit, (viewing a new set): Fantastic! Beautiful work. (entering and looking more closely): But where's the bumph?
Savvy New York Decorator: Sorry, the WHAT?
Brit Designer: You know, the bits and bobs.
NY Decorator: Oh, we have 40 boxes; they're unpacking them now.
Brit Designer: Brilliant.
.......
Brit Designer: Where's the bumph?
One-size-fits-all Decorator: Huh?
Brit Designer: You know, the bits and bobs.
One-size-fits-all Decorator: Huh?
Brit Designer: The effing STUFF!
One-size-fits-all Decorator: Huh?
3. bumph
= bumf
My intray is full of bumph.
4. Bumph
3 up, 1 down
Buhmfh
-Adj
1. Used to described objects or materials that are thought of as cluttering or invasive to one's personal space.
"I'm selling this Bumph on eBay to get some cash and make some space up in here!"
5. bumph
to put a small amount of ketamine up ones nose
fancy a quick bumph?
6. bumph
To poke someone in the belly while simultaneously saying the word "bumph" when they don't expect it. You can also add the phrase "Did that hurt?" after the bumph has been issued. It is not necessary but adds a significant effect to the bumph. Sometimes the bumpher will bumph you back and at that point, the only proper way is to bumph back leading to a bumph war. During a bumph war, the bumpher may add in some more phrases such as, "You ate the dirty grapes!!" or "Her hair, its so short!" while the person getting bumphed responds with, "Pheeeeasant foooooot" or "Ouch! DAT HURT!!"
Lisa: "Bumph! Did that hurt?"
Tom: "Ouch! Stop it! that hurt. Bumph!!"
Lisa: "Bumph, you ate the dirty grapes!"
Tom: "No you did! Your hair.......its sooooo short!"
Lisa: "OHHHHH goddddd, Bumph"
Tom: "Pheeeeasant foooooot"
Lisa: "Once you name it......"
Tom: "You get attached to it!"
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bumph
April 20, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
sigil:sig·il sij-il Show IPA
noun
a seal or signet.
Origin:
1600–10; < Latin sigillum statuette, figure, stamped figure, diminutive of signum sign; see seal1
Related forms
sig·il·lar·y sij-uh-ler-ee Show IPA , adjective
sig·il·is·tic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source | Link To sigil
Collins
World English Dictionary
sigil (ˈsɪdʒɪl)
— n
1. a seal or signet
2. a sign or image supposedly having magical power
C17: from Latin sigillum a little sign, from signum a sign
Related Searches
Sigils symbols
Demonic sigils
Sigil magick
Sigil alphabet
Sigil gallery
Angel sigils
Angelic sigils
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sigil?s=t
April 20, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
cornice \KAWR-nis\, noun:
1. a mass of snow, ice, etc., projecting over a mountain ridge.
2. Architecture. a. any prominent, continuous, horizontally projecting feature surmounting a wall or other construction, or dividing it horizontally for compositional purposes. b. the uppermost member of a classical entablature, consisting of a bed molding, a corona, and a cymatium, with rows of dentils, modillions, etc., often placed between the bed molding and the corona.
3. any of various other ornamental horizontal moldings or bands, as for concealing hooks or rods from which curtains are hung or for supporting picture hooks.
verb:
1. to furnish or finish with a cornice.
Then he tossed the bottle into that cornice of snow that dipped out over a ridge. But perhaps it was nothing more than the spring melt.
-- Sandra Dallas, Whiter Than Snow, 2011
Even though a veteran may say that great snow equals a great day, beginner and novice cornice skiers should pay more attention to safety and skill preparation, and consider great snow a bonus.
-- John A. Yacenda and Tim Ross, High-Performance Skiing-2nd, 1998
Cornice came to English from the Middle French corniche or from the Italian, largely popularized by the writings of Dante. The noun form entered the language two hundred years before the verb form in the mid-1500s.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cornice
April 19, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
trickle down theory
http://www.urbandictionary.com/
April 15, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
chuffed \chuhft\, adjective:
1. annoyed; displeased; disgruntled.
2. delighted; pleased; satisfied.
He was really chuffed about the fire as well, because Mrs Pearson from up the stairs had her washing ruined by the smoke.
-- Irvine Welsh, Marabou Stork Nightmares, 1997
Well, we can discuss that when we get there. Declan will be chuffed when I tell him, the family never usually goes to these things.
-- Cecelia Ahern, P.S. I Love You, 2007
This British term comes from the obsolete chuff meaning "chubby," used in the seventieth to nineteenth centuries. In the 1800s, chuff took on the sense of "pleased." Since the mid-1900s, chuffed has been used to mean both "pleased" or "displeased," depending upon the context.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chuffed
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
bottomry
bot·tom·ry bot-uhm-ree Show IPA
noun, plural bot·tom·ries. Marine Law.
a contract, of the nature of a mortgage, by which the owner of a ship borrows money to make a voyage, pledging the ship as security.
Origin:
1615–25; modeled on Dutch bodemerij, equivalent to bodem bottom + -erij -ry
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Collins
World English Dictionary
bottomry (ˈbɒtəmrɪ)
— n , pl -ries
maritime law a contract whereby the owner of a ship borrows money to enable the vessel to complete the voyage and pledges the ship as security for the loan
C16: from Dutch bodemerij , from bodem bottom (hull of a ship) + -erij -ry
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Encyclopedia
bottomry
a maritime contract (now almost obsolete) by which the owner of a ship borrows money for equipping or repairing the vessel and, for a definite term, pledges the ship as security-it being stipulated that if the ship be lost in the specified voyage or period, by any of the perils enumerated, the lender shall lose his money. A similar contract creating a security interest in the cargo is called a respondentia.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bottomry?s=t
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Googlewhack et al
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googlewhack
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
hapax legomenon:
Pronunciation
IPA: /ˌhæpæks lɨˈɡɒmənɒn/
editNoun
hapax legomenon (plural hapax legomena)
A word occurring only once in a given corpus. quotations ▼
editUsage notes
The corpus in question is generally implied by context. Commonly it will be one of:
A known corpus of a given language
The works of a given author
A particular work
A book of the Bible
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hapax_legomenon
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
mantelet:
Mantelets
A variation on the mantle is the mantelet (also spelled mantelot and mantlet), typically describing a short version of the mantle. The term appears as early as 1386, in "The Knight's Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer. In the 18th century, a mantelet was a woman's short cloak, and in the early 19th century, it was an ornamental scarf that crossed over the chest and tied behind, usually made of fur or lace.1 By the end of the 19th century, a mantelet was a woman's shoulder cape with elongated ends in front, sometimes held in position by a belt at the waist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantle_(clothing)
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
arbalest:
ar·ba·lest also ar·ba·list (ärb-lst)
n.
A medieval missile launcher designed on the principle of the crossbow.
arbalest, arbalist ˈɑːbəlɪst
n
(Military / Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) a large medieval crossbow, usually cocked by mechanical means
from Old French arbaleste, from Late Latin arcuballista, from Latin arcus bow + ballista
Thesaurus (has an image)
Noun 1. arbalest - an engine that provided medieval artillery used during sieges; a heavy war engine for hurling large stones and other missiles
arbalist, ballista, bricole, mangonel, onager, trebuchet, trebucket, catapult
engine - an instrument or machine that is used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult, artillery piece, etc.; "medieval engines of war"
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/arbalestier
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Mantlet:
A mantlet was a large shield or portable shelter used for stopping arrows or bullets, in medieval warfare. A mantlet could be mounted on a wheeled carriage, and protected one or several soldiers.
In the First World War a mantlet type of device was used by the French to attack barbed wire entanglements.1
In military use from pre-WW2 onward, a mantlet is the thick, protective steel frontal shield, usually able to elevate and depress, which houses the main gun on an armoured tank, examples being Tiger Tank, Sherman Tank and Churchill Tank .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantlet
mantlet - portable bulletproof shelter
shelter - a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
References in classic literature
Learn also, I pray you, to shoot with a dropping shaft; for though a bowman may at times be called upon to shoot straight and fast, yet it is more often that he has to do with a town-guard behind a wall, or an arbalestier with his mantlet raised when you cannot hope to do him scathe unless your shaft fall straight upon him from the clouds.
The White Company by Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan
The preparation of mantlets, movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take up three whole months; and the piling up of mounds over against the walls will take three months more.
The Art of War by Sun, Tzu
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mantlet
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
############################################################
Tried to straighten out the mess had made by improperly capitalizing first letter of listed words (until my neck gave out), will have to review this again. Now am not so unique.
I finished the 8th grade, went in Army (to stay out of jail) at 17, got a GED at 18. Started college at 27, finished a couple of years.
Am 71 now, and have been a shut-in for about 25 years. Started reading at 4, and read about five books a week.
Largely self educated for whatever that is worth. Owned an antiquarian bookstore for a number of years and had a very good personal reference library, which gifted to My Daughter The Lawyer.
Feel we are so very fortunate to have the internet with all that knowledge at our fingertips.
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
singlestick:
sin·gle·stick (snggl-stk)
n.
1. A one-handed fencing stick fitted with a hand guard.
2. The art, sport, or exercise of fencing with such a stick.
singlestick ˈsɪŋgəlˌstɪk
n
1. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Fencing) a wooden stick used instead of a sword for fencing
2. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Fencing) fencing with such a stick
3. any short heavy stick
sin•gle•stick (ˈsɪŋ gəlˌstɪk)
n.
a wooden stick held in one hand, used instead of a sword in fencing.
1765–75
References in classic literature
Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.
A Study In Scarlet by Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/singlestick
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ditto:
dit·to (dt)
n. pl. dit·tos
1. The same as stated above or before.
2. A duplicate; a copy.
3. A pair of small marks ( " ) used to indicated that the word, phrase, or figure given above is to be repeated.
adv.
As before.
tr.v. dit·toed, dit·to·ing, dit·tos
To duplicate (a document, for example).
Italian dialectal, past participle of Italian dire, to say, from Latin dcere; see deik- in Indo-European roots.
Word History: Ditto, which at first glance seems a handy and insignificant sort of word, actually has a Roman past, for it comes from dictus, "having been said," the past participle of the verb dcere, "to say." In Italian dcere became dire and dictus became detto, or in the Tuscan dialect ditto. Italian detto or ditto meant what said does in English, as in the locution "the said story." Thus the word could be used in certain constructions to mean "the same as what has been said"; for example, having given the date December 22, one could use 26 detto or ditto for 26 December. The first recorded use of ditto in English occurs in such a construction in 1625. The sense "copy" is an English development, first recorded in 1818. Ditto has even become a trademark for a duplicating machine.
References in classic literature
27 Porters 3 Coarse Washers and Ironers 44 Mules 1 Fine ditto 44 Muleteers 7 Cows 2 Milkers
A Tramp Abroad by Twain, Mark View in context
, and one dozen dessert ditto ditto, there were three young stockbrokers (Messrs.
Vanity Fair by Thackeray, William Makepeace View in context
The washing and dressing apparatus for the passengers generally, consists of two jack-towels, three small wooden basins, a keg of water and a ladle to serve it out with, six square inches of looking-glass, two ditto ditto of yellow soap, a comb and brush for the head, and nothing for the teeth.
American Notes for General Circulation by Dickens, Charles View in context
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ditto
April 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Manager trois :
APRIL 12, 2013
When you can't figure out who your boss is but you know you're getting royally fucked.
Louis asked Stewart for projections on software sales by Thursday. At the same time, Barkley is hammering Stew about the sales force project. Nobody has conducted his mid-year review, and neither boss is clear about who is going to do it. Sounds like he's in a manager trois
http://www.urbandictionary.com/
April 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
vinculum:
vin·cu·lum (vngky-lm)
n. pl. vin·cu·lums or vin·cu·la (-l)
1. Mathematics A bar drawn over two or more algebraic terms to indicate that they are to be treated as a single term.
2. Anatomy A ligament that limits the movement of an organ or part.
3. A bond or tie.
Latin, bond, tie, from vincre, to tie.
vinculum ˈvɪŋkjʊləm
n pl -la -lə
1. (Mathematics) a horizontal line drawn above a group of mathematical terms, used as an alternative to parentheses in mathematical expressions, as in x + y - z which is equivalent to x + (y - z)
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Anatomy) Anatomy
a. any bandlike structure, esp one uniting two or more parts
b. another name for ligament
3. Rare a unifying bond; tie
from Latin: bond, from vincīre to bind
2) At the beginning of the project, a circular was sent to all religious institutions that had sent missionaries to Congo; an article including a call to participate was published in magazines for female and male conventuals such as URB Unie and Vinculum.
From mission "Africa rooms": Frans M. Olbrechts's rediscovered ... by Van Damme-Linseele, Annemieke / African Arts
Figure 7 shows a visual image of the numerator, denominator and vinculum of the fraction.
Fraction as division by Clarke, D. / Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom
She stretches the two ends of Vinculum II, 1969, between wall and floor (vinculum: "link, that which binds; bond, tie, connecting medium").
Out of the past: Lucy R. Lippard talks about Eva Hesse with Nancy ... by Lippard, Lucy R. / Artforum International
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vinculum
April 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
consilience:
con·sil·i·ence (kn-sl-ns)
n.
The agreement of two or more inductions drawn from different sets of data; concurrence
Barack Obama's Address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention: Trauma, Compromise, Consilience, and the (Im)possibility of Racial Reconciliation.
Obama, Africa, and the Post-Racial by Janis, Michael / CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture
Perhaps," write neuroscientists Alireza Soltani and Xiao-Jing Wang, "we are entering a new period of consilience between the science of the brain and the science of the mind.
The decider: informing the debate over the reality of 'free will' ... by Siegfried, Tom / Science News
The subtitle was "Trauma, Compromise, Consilience and the (Im)possibility of Racial Reconciliation.
Unity call Obama's big secret by The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/consilience
April 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Palinpropism:
FEBRUARY 19
1. The unintentional use of wrong words: the misuse of a word through confusion with another word that sounds similar, or the creation of a new word in an attempt to sound scholarly or educated.
2. absurd or humorous misuse of words, terms, or phrases especially by confusing terms, words or historical events with others.
3. The act of creating new words out of frustration when one has limited knowledge of a particular event or subject matter.
"'Refudiate,' 'misunderestimate,' 'wee-wee'd up.' English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!'" --a Tweet sent by Sarah Palin in response to being ridiculed for inventing the word "refudiate," proudly mistaking her illiteracy for literary genius, July 18, 201
In this example, both refudiate and misunderestimate are examples of palinpropism.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Palinpropism&defid=6951510
April 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
zomg:
zOMG is a varient of the all-too-popular acronym "OMG", meaning "Oh My God".
The "z" was originally a mistake while attempting to hit the shift key with the left hand, and type "OMG"
Also used in all-caps, 'ZOMG' is generally used in a sarcastic manner, more often than not a humiliating fasion. It is also used as a device for stating the obvious.
"zOMG! you r teh winz!!one!!eleven!"
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=zomg
April 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
boytox
APRIL 7
When a woman gives up dating / cavorting with the opposite sex for a temporary period in an attempt to enhance her overall well-being, including her mental health and her physical appearance. As a result, she may glow or look younger from lack of frowning and crying as if she had a Botox injection.
"Ever since she went on that boytox, she's seemed so happy. Positively glowing!"
"I hit rock bottom after three failed relationships. I put myself on a boytox in order to reset my love karma."
"That boytox did wonders for her mental health."
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boytox&defid=7012193
April 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
demimondaine:
Women called demimondaine
Cora Pearl, circa 1860's
Externally, the defining aspects of the demimonde were an extravagant lifestyle of fine food and clothes, easily surpassing that of most other wealthy women of their day, because of the steady income they made in cash and gifts from their various lovers. Internally, their lifestyle was an eclectic mixture of sharp business acumen, social skills, and hedonism. The smart demimondaine, like the fictional Gigi's grandmother, would invest her wealth for the day when her beauty would fade. Others ended up penniless and starving when age finally took its toll on their beauty, unless they managed to marry one of their lovers.
The most famous real-life demimondaine was arguably Cora Pearl. During her life, she was the acknowledged queen of the Paris courtesans. Her lovers, all wealthy noblemen, she called her 'chain of gold' - and included such notables as the Duc de Rivoli and even (she claimed) Prince Napoleon. Cora was so successful that she literally made and spent millions of francs during her life. But she was not a simple hedonist - during the Siege of Paris (1870–1871), she turned her mansion into a hospital for wounded soldiers. Cora's memoirs were discovered in 1982 in the hands of a German collector, and released by Granada Publishing Ltd in 1983, under the title The Memoirs of Cora Pearl: The Erotic Reminiscences of a Flamboyant 19th Century Courtesan. Her memoirs are, as the title declares, erotic reminiscences where she discusses in the most graphic detail the sexual prowess and tastes of her lovers, both famous and humble. Possibly the most titillating (and telling) scene describes her presentation at dinner, naked and decked in cream, as a final dish.
Another famous beauty was Virginia Oldoini, Countess di Castiglione who coming to Paris in the 1850s with very little money of her own, soon became mistress of Napoleon III and after that relationship ended, soon moved on to many other wealthy powerful men in government, finance and European royalty. She was possibly the most aristocratic and exclusive of the demimondaines, it is said she charged a member of the British aristocracy a million francs for 12 hours in her company. Sadly she lacked charm, and as soon as her looks went so did her patrons. She died alone and mentally ill many years later.
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demimondaine
April 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
demimonde
dem·i·monde dem-ee-mond; French duh-mee-mawnd Show IPA
noun
1.
(especially during the last half of the 19th century) a class of women who have lost their standing in respectable society because of indiscreet behavior or sexual promiscuity.
2.
a demimondaine.
3.
prostitutes or courtesans in general.
4.
a group whose activities are ethically or legally questionable: a demimonde of investigative journalists writing for the sensationalist tabloids.
5.
a group characterized by lack of success or status: the literary demimonde.
Relevant Questions
What Is A Demimonde?
What Is Dem·i·monde?
What Is The Meaning Of D...
What Does Demimonde Mean...
Origin:
1850–55; < French, equivalent to demi- demi- + monde world (< Latin mundus )
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/demimonde?s=t
Demimonde
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Demi-monde refers to a group of people who live hedonistic lifestyles, usually in a flagrant and conspicuous manner. The term was commonly used in Europe from the late 18th to the early 20th century, and modern use often refers to that period.citation needed Its connotations of pleasure-seeking contrasted with wealth and high-class behavior make it comparable to the later jet set or nomenklatura.
The term was often used as one of disapprobation, the behavior of a person in the demimonde being contrary to more traditional or bourgeois values. Such behaviors often included drinking or drug use, gambling, high spending (particularly in pursuit of fashion, as through clothing as well as servants and houses), and sexual promiscuity. The term demimondaine referred to a woman who embodied these qualities; later it became a euphemism for a courtesan or prostitute.
The term 'demimonde' is French for "half the world". It derives from a comedy by Alexandre Dumas fils published in 1855 called Le Demi-Monde.1
Contents hide
1 Decline
2 Women called demimondaine
3 Fictional demimondaine
4 Other uses of the term in fiction
5 References
6 Citations
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demimonde
April 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Fulgurite:
Fulgurites (from the Latin fulgur meaning thunderbolt) are natural hollow glass tubes formed in quartzose sand, or silica, or soil by lightning strikes.1 They are formed when lightning with a temperature of at least 1,800 °C (3,270 °F) instantaneously melts silica on a conductive surface and fuses grains together; the fulgurite tube is the cooled product.2 This process occurs over a period of around one second,3 and leaves evidence of the lightning path and its dispersion over the surface.4 Fulgurites can also be produced when a high voltage electrical distribution network breaks and the lines fall onto a conductive surface with sand beneath. They are sometimes referred to as petrified lightning. The glass formed is called lechatelierite which may also be formed by meteorite impact and volcanic explosions. Because it is amorphous, fulgurite is classified as a mineraloid. Fulgurites can have deep penetrations, sometimes occurring as far as 15 metres (49 ft) below the surface that was struck.5
The tubes can be up to several centimeters in diameter, and meters long. The longest fulgurite found is approximately 4.9 to 5 metres (16.1 to 16.4 ft) in length, and was found in northern Florida, USA.3 Their color varies depending on the composition of the sand they formed in, ranging from black or tan to green or a translucent white. The interior is normally very smooth or lined with fine bubbles; the exterior is generally coated with rough sand particles and is porous. They are rootlike in appearance and often show branching or small holes. Fulgurites occasionally form as glazing on solid rocks (sometimes referred to as an exogenic fulgurite).6
(snip)
References in classic literature
Beudant 11 succeeded in making tubes, in most respects similar to these fulgurites, by passing very strong shocks of galvanism through finely-powdered glass: when salt was added, so as to increase its fusibility, the tubes were larger in every dimension, They failed both with powdered felspar and quartz.
The Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, Charles
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Fulgurite
April 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the word magatama
Wonderful examples.
April 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
magatama: (Phys.org) —In a course of studying young galaxies at a distance of 11.6 billion light years from Earth, a team of astronomers led by Professor Yoshiaki Taniguchi (Ehime University) noticed a strangely shaped galaxy that looks like a "magatama", an ancient, comma-shaped Japanese amulet made of stone (Figure 1). Subsequent research revealed that the magatama galaxy was actually an overlapping system of two young galaxies lying in an extremely close line of sight—an exceedingly rare occurrence among celestial objects. The small angular separation between the foreground and background galaxies gave the current team an opportunity to investigate the effect of gravitational lensing on the properties of the background galaxy. A member of the team, university student Yuya Nakahiro (Ehime University), calculated that the effect of gravitational amplification would be 20% at most. The foreground young galaxy is still forming, and the team concluded that the gravitational lensing effect from such a young galaxy does not affect the luminosity of its background galaxy.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-04-gravitational-lensing-peculiar-magatama-galaxy.html#jCp
April 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Abiogenesis:"Origin of life" redirects here. For non-scientific views on the origins of life, see Creation myth.
Precambrian stromatolites in the Siyeh Formation, Glacier National Park. In 2002, a paper in the scientific journal Nature suggested that these 3.5 Ga (billion years old) geological formations contain fossilized cyanobacteria microbes. This suggests they are evidence of the earliest known life on earth.
Abiogenesis (/ˌeɪbaɪ.ɵˈdʒɛnɨsɪs/ ay-by-oh-jen-ə-siss1) or biopoiesis is the natural process by which life arises from inorganic matter.2345 The earliest known life on Earth existed between 3.9 and 3.5 billion years ago, during the Eoarchean Era when sufficient crust had solidified following the molten Hadean Eon.
Scientific hypotheses about the origins of life may be divided into several categories. Most approaches investigate how self-replicating molecules or their components came into existence. For example, the Miller–Urey experiment and similar experiments demonstrated that most amino acids, often called "the building blocks of life", can be racemically synthesized in conditions thought to be similar to those of the early Earth. Several mechanisms have been investigated, including lightning and radiation. Other approaches ("metabolism first" hypotheses) focus on understanding how catalysis in chemical systems in the early Earth might have provided the precursor molecules necessary for self-replication.
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiogenesis
Lal's article notes that 'panspermia' theory propounded by Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe at Cardiff University 35 years ago as an alternative to abiogenesis is currently the most favoured theory of origin of life.
Investigators still clueless about the origin of life: Expert by Asian News International
What about abiogenesis (the evolution of life from non-living precursors)?
Evolution is not the enemy; intelligent design is not the solution by Pinkham, Carlos Frank Amory / Forum on Public Policy: A Journal of the Oxford Round Table
If Yeager would like explanations for the other matters, specifically abiogenesis, thermodynamics and the Big Bang theory, he may ask me or any other high school chemistry, biology or physics student.
LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG by The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Abiogenesis
See also: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Abiogenesis
And: Origins of life? Discovery could help explain how first organisms emerged on Earth
http://phys.org/news/2013-04-clues-life.html
April 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Dilbit.
CrudeMonitor.ca, the website of the Canadian Crude Quality Monitoring Program, says Wabasca Heavy is a type of diluted bitumen, or dilbit, from Alberta’s tar sands region. The Canadian Crude Quality Monitoring Program an industry source that provides data on different types of Canadian oil.
http://planetsave.com/2013/03/31/oil-running-down-the-road-oil-pipeline-spill-in-mayflower-arkansas/
===================
UPDATE III: You may be wondering "what kind of oil spilled in Arkansas?" Well, it's not ordinary crude. The crude oil that spilled in Arkansas is actually dilbit, which stands for diluted bitumen.
Following the 2010 Enbridge pipeline dilbit spill in Michigan, InsideClimate News produced a good primer on the differences between dilbit and conventional oil:
Bitumen is a kind of crude oil found in natural oil sands deposits—it's the heaviest crude oil used today. The oil sands, also known as tar sands, contain a mixture of sand, water and oily bitumen.
...
Conventional crude oil is a liquid that can be pumped from underground deposits. It is then shipped by pipeline to refineries where it's processed into gasoline, diesel and other fuels.
Bitumen is too thick to be pumped from the ground or through pipelines. Instead, the heavy tar-like substance must be mined or extracted by injecting steam into the ground. The extracted bitumen has the consistency of peanut butter and requires extra processing before it can be delivered to a refinery.
To make the thick bitumen flow through a pipeline, chemicals and water are added to dilute it. Benzene, a known carcinogen, is often part of the diluents mixture.
So when you see a pond of oil in that Arkansas backyard above or the river of oil flowing through this suburban street, it likely contains more than just oil.
http://www.treehugger.com/energy-disasters/oil-spill-arkansas-exxon-pipeline-breaks-spilling-84000-gallons-dangerously-close-lake-conway.html
April 1, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
coservation: Papilio aristodemus
gov/verobeach/images/pdflibrary/Schaus_Swallowtail_Butterfly_Coservation_Guidelines. pdf | format PDF | title Schaus’ Swallowtail Butterfly ...
4 KB (534 words) - 16:37, 18 March 2013
C.S.I. Ewart Matriculation Higher Secondary School
domain-b.com/companies/companies_f/ford_india/20011130_coservation. html | title Ford Conservation Grants Announced | accessdate 2009-10-10 ...
16 KB (2,219 words) - 22:23, 30 January 2013
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=+coservation&button=&title=Special%3ASearch
March 30, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
"Whale fall"
Remains of deceased whale on ocean floor. Only nine found, usually at abysmal depths. Of interest to ocean biologists as highly specialized fish and worms consume carcass. The worms tunnel into bones. The worms were first seen twenty odd years ago, and have been found nowhere else. Believe several specie described, all over the globe.
Mentioned here;
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130318104953.htm
March 19, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Jargon Watch: Hipsturbia
http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/jargon-watch-hipsturbia.html
February 20, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
sa·trap sey-trap, sa- Show IPA
noun
1.a governor of a province under the ancient Persian monarchy.
2.a subordinate ruler, often a despotic one.
Origin: 1350–1400; Middle English < Latin satrapa < Greek satrápēs < Old Persian khshathra-pāvan- country-protector
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
World English Dictionary
satrap (ˈsætrəp)
— n
1. (in ancient Persia) a provincial governor
2. a subordinate ruler, esp a despotic one
C14: from Latin satrapa, from Greek satrapēs, from Old Persian khshathrapāvan, literally: protector of the land
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/satrap
February 19, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Cracking the Semantic Code: Half a Word's Meaning Is 3-D Summary of Associated Rewards
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130213173135.htm
Having trouble wrapping my head around this. Need examples.
February 16, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Help!
Word list is backing up on me and need to do something soon.
Though got a Flu shot a couple of months ago, have been under the weather for five weeks and can stay on computer no longer than a couple of hours, before having to lie down.
Propose just listing words accumulated and coming back in better days to provide definitions and examples of use.
Is this a problem?
February 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
backronym
A type of acronym that is made by deciding on the letters to create a word, and then creating a name or title to fit the acronym. Similar to acronyms, a backronym can be pronounced as a word (those which are pronounced as separate letters and not a word are called abbreviations). In computers, Internet and technology there are a number of famous backronyms:
The Apple Lisa was named after Steve Jobs' daughter but was later said to be an acronym for "Local Integrated Software Architecture."
The BASIC programming language is also believed to be a backronym. The language was called BASIC, and then the acronym of "Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code" was created.
Source: Email list "Webopedia Daily"
February 5, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
geocentric
Contents show
editEnglish
editAlternative forms
geocentrick (obsolete)
editEtymology
From geo- + centric.
editAdjective
geocentric (not comparable)
Having the Earth at the center. Usually in reference to the Solar System.
editTranslations
show ▼having Earth at center
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/geocentric
ge·o·cen·tric jee-oh-sen-trik Show IPA
adjective
1.
having or representing the earth as a center: a geocentric theory of the universe.
2.
using the earth or earthly life as the only basis of evaluation.
3.
viewed or measured as from the center of the earth: the geocentric position of the moon.
Origin:
1680–90; geo- + -centric
Related forms
ge·o·cen·tri·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/geocentric?s=t
ge·o·cen·tric (j-sntrk)
adj.
1. Relating to, measured from, or with respect to the center of the earth.
2. Having the earth as a center.
geo·centri·cal·ly adv.
geocentric ˌdʒiːəʊˈsɛntrɪk
adj
1. (Astronomy) having the earth at its centre the Ptolemaic system postulated a geocentric universe
2. (Astronomy) measured from or relating to the centre of the earth
geocentrically adv
geocentric (j-sntrk)
1. Relating to or measured from the Earth's center.
2. Relating to a model of the solar system or universe having the Earth as the center. Compare heliocentric.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj. 1. geocentric - having the earth as the center
heliocentric - having the sun as the center
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/geocentric
January 31, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
heliocentric
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he·li·o·cen·tric hee-lee-oh-sen-trik Show IPA
adjective Astronomy .
1.
measured or considered as being seen from the center of the sun.
2.
having or representing the sun as a center: the heliocentric concept of the universe.
Origin:
1660–70; helio- + -centric
Related forms
he·li·o·cen·tri·cal·ly, adverb
he·li·o·cen·tric·i·ty hee-lee-oh-sen-tris-i-tee Show IPA , he·li·o·cen·tri·cism hee-lee-oh-sen-truh-siz-uhm Show IPA , noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/heliocentric?s=ts
he·li·o·cen·tric (hl--sntrk) also he·li·o·cen·tri·cal (-tr-kl)
adj.
1. Of or relating to a reference system based at the center of the sun.
2. Having the sun as the center.
heli·o·cen·trici·ty (-sn-trs-t) n.
heliocentric ˌhiːlɪəʊˈsɛntrɪk
adj
1. (Astronomy) having the sun at its centre
2. (Astronomy) measured from or in relation to the centre of the sun
heliocentrically adv
heliocentricity ˌhiːlɪəʊsɛnˈtrɪsɪtɪ, heliocentricism ˌhiːlɪəʊˈsɛntrɪˌsɪzəm n
heliocentric (hl--sntrk)
1. Relating to or measured from the center of the Sun.
2. Relating to a model of the solar system or universe having the Sun as the center. Compare geocentric. See Note at Copernicus Nicolaus.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj. 1. heliocentric - having the sun as the center
geocentric - having the earth as the center
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/heliocentric?s=ts
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Alternative forms
1.2 Pronunciation
1.3 Etymology
1.4 Adjective
1.4.1 Translations
1.4.2 Antonyms
1.5 Anagrams
editEnglish
Wikipedia has an article on:
Heliocentric
editAlternative forms
heliocentrick (obsolete)
editPronunciation
(UK) IPA: /ˌhiːliəʊˈsɛntrɪk/, X-SAMPA: /%hi:li@U"sEntrIk/
(US) enPR: hē'lē-ō-sĕnʹtrĭk, IPA: /ˌhiːlioʊˈsɛntrɪk/, X-SAMPA: /%hi:lioU"sEntrIk/
editEtymology
From helio- + centric.
editAdjective
heliocentric (not comparable)
(astronomy) having the sun at the center/centre; usually in reference to a solar system or orbit
editTranslations
show ▼having the sun at the center
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/heliocentric
January 31, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
duckboard
editEnglish
editNoun
duckboard (plural duckboards)
One of a long series of boards laid as a path across wet or muddy ground; normally used in plural.
In an attempt to alleviate the problem, wooden planking, known as duckboards, were placed at the bottom of trenches and across other areas of muddy or waterlogged ground.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/duckboard#English
duck·board (dkbôrd, -brd)
n.
A board or boardwalk laid across wet or muddy ground or flooring.
duckboard ˈdʌkˌbɔːd
n
(Miscellaneous Technologies / Building) a board or boards laid so as to form a floor or path over wet or muddy ground
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. duckboard - a boardwalk laid across muddy ground
boardwalk - a walkway made of wooden boards; usually at seaside
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/duckboard
duck·board duhk-bawrd, -bohrd Show IPA
noun
a board or boards laid as a track or floor over wet or muddy ground.
Origin:
1915–20; duck1 + board
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
World English Dictionary
duckboard (ˈdʌkˌbɔːd)
— n
a board or boards laid so as to form a floor or path over wet or muddy ground
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/duckboard?s=t
January 31, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
cineast
See also Cineast
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Alternative forms
1.2 Noun
1.2.1 Translations
1.3 Anagrams
2 Swedish
2.1 Etymology
2.2 Pronunciation
2.3 Noun
2.3.1 Declension
editEnglish
editAlternative forms
cineaste
editNoun
cineast (plural cineasts)
An enthusiast of film and the cinema
A person in the filmmaking industry
editTranslations
show ▼enthusiast of film and the cinema
show ▼person in the filmmaking industry
editAnagrams
ascient, Insecta
editSwedish
editEtymology
Since 1962 from French cinéaste, "filmmaker". From cinéma "cinema" and enthousiaste "enthusiast".
editPronunciation
IPA: /sɪneˈast/
editNoun
cineast c
someone with great interest in film and film-related subjects; cineast, movie buff
Hon har varit en hängiven cineast sen yngre tonåren.
"She has been an avid cineast since her early teens."
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cineast
cin·e·aste also cin·e·ast (sn-st) or cin·é·aste (sn-äst)
n.
1. A film or movie enthusiast.
2. A person involved in filmmaking.
French cinéaste, from ciné, cinema, short for cinéma; see cinema.
cineaste ˈsɪnɪˌæst
n
(Performing Arts) an enthusiast for films
French, from cinema + -aste, as -ast in enthusiast
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cineast
cin·e·aste sin-ee-ast, sin-ey- Show IPA
noun
1.
any person, especially a director or producer, associated professionally with filmmaking.
2.
an aficionado of filmmaking.
Also, cin·e·ast, cin·é·aste .
Origin:
1925–30; < French cinéaste, equivalent to ciné- cine- + -aste, as in ecclésiaste, gymnaste, etc.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cineast?s=t
January 31, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Language article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/jan/27/users-guide-international-art-english?wpisrc=nl_wonk
January 31, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
osmotic
Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia
os·mo·sis (z-mss, s-)
n. pl. os·mo·ses (-sz)
1.
a. Diffusion of fluid through a semipermeable membrane from a solution with a low solute concentration to a solution with a higher solute concentration until there is an equal concentration of fluid on both sides of the membrane.
b. The tendency of fluids to diffuse in such a manner.
Paris for 15 years.
2: A gradual, almost unconscious assimilation or absorption:learned French by osmosis while residing in Paris for 15 years.
From obsolete osmose, from earlier endosmose, from French : Greek endo-, endo- + Greek smos, thrust, push (from thein, to push).
os·motic (-mtk) adj.
os·moti·cal·ly adv.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj. 1. osmotic - of or relating to osmosis; "osmotic pressure"
Translations
osmotic ɒzˈmɒtɪk ADJ → osmótico
osmotic
adj → osmotisch
osmotic ɒzˈmɒtɪk adj → osmotico/a
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Osmotic
os·mo·sis oz-moh-sis, os- Show IPA
noun
1.
Physical Chemistry, Cell Biology .
a.
the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane.
b.
the diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions. Compare endosmosis, exosmosis.
2.
a subtle or gradual absorption or mingling: He never studies but seems to learn by osmosis.
Origin:
1865–70; Latinized form of now obsolete osmose osmosis, extracted from endosmose endosmosis, exosmose exosmosis < French, equivalent to end- end-, ex- ex-2 + Greek ōsm ( ós ) push, thrust + French -ose -osis
Related forms
os·mot·ic oz-mot-ik, os- Show IPA, adjective
os·mot·i·cal·ly, adverb
non·os·mot·ic, adjective
non·os·mot·i·cal·ly, adverb
un·os·mot·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/osmotic?s=t
osmotic
Pronunciation: /-ˈmɒtɪk/
adjective
osmotically
Pronunciation: /-ˈmɒtɪk(ə)li/
adverb
Origin:
mid 19th century: Latinized form of earlier osmose, from Greek ōsmos 'a push'
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/osmosis?q=osmotic#osmosis__5
Osmotics Best for Constipation in Elderly
By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: January 29, 2013
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner
Action Points
The prevalence of constipation with age, with some estimates ranging between 40% and 60%.
This review indicates that randomized trials support the use of osmotic agents (polyethylene glycol and lactulose) to treat symptoms of constipation in older people; however, evidence supporting the use of bulk agents, stool softeners, stimulants and other agents is limited, inconsistent or absent.
Osmotic laxatives have the strongest supporting data for treatment of constipation in older patients, authors of a literature review concluded.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/GeneralGastroenterology/37073?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&xid=NL_DHE_2013-01-30&eun=g631168d0r&userid=631168&email=carlosg@gmail.com&mu_id=5752193
January 31, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
(article)
Sprinkle your vocabulary with 'happicles'
The best way to launch a new word is to pretend that it isn’t new and just start using it, says Mikhail Epstein, an Emory professor of cultural theory and Russian literature.
(snip)
http://esciencecommons.blogspot.com/2012/04/sprinkle-your-vocabulary-with-happicles.html
January 31, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
mignon
See also Mignon
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Pronunciation
1.3 Adjective
1.4 Noun
2 French
2.1 Etymology
2.2 Pronunciation
2.3 Adjective
2.3.1 Synonyms
2.3.2 See also
2.4 Noun
3 Italian
3.1 Etymology
3.2 Adjective
editEnglish
WOTD - 30 January 2013
editEtymology
From French mignon, from Middle French mignon ("lover, darling, favourite"), from Old French mignot ("dainty, pleasing, gentle, kind"), from Frankish *minnjo ("love, friendship, affection, memory"), from Proto-Germanic *minþijō, *mindijō (“affectionate thought, care”), from Proto-Indo-European *men-, *mnā- (“to think”). Cognate with Old High German minnja ("love, care, affection, desire, memory"), Old Saxon minnea ("love"). More at mind. Compare also minion and Dutch minnen ("to love").
editPronunciation
(UK) IPA: /ˈmɪnjɒn/, /ˈmɪnjɑ̃/
(US) IPA: /mɪnˈjɑn/
editAdjective
mignon (comparative more mignon, superlative most mignon)
Small and cute; pretty in a delicate way; dainty. quotations ▼
editNoun
mignon (plural mignons)
(French history) One of the court favourites of Henry III. quotations ▼
(rare) A cute person; a pretty child.
editFrench
editEtymology
From Middle French, from Old French mignot ("dainty, pleasing, gentle, kind"), from Frankish *minnjo ("love, friendship, affection, memory"), from Proto-Germanic *minþijō, *mindijō (“affectionate thought, care”), from Proto-Indo-European *men-, *mnā- (“to think”). Cognate with Old High German minnja ("love, care, affection, desire, memory"), Old Saxon minnea ("love"). More at mind.
editPronunciation
audio
MENU0:00
IPA: /miɲɔ̃/, X-SAMPA: /mi.JO~/
editAdjective
mignon m (f mignonne, m plural mignons, f plural mignonnes)
cute
editSynonyms
joli
editSee also
filet mignon
editNoun
mignon m (plural mignons)
a small pastry
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mignon
mignon (-onne)
Pronunciation: /miɲɔ̃; ɔn/
English translation of mignon
adj
1 cute
Definition of cute in the dictionary British & World English
Definition of cute in the dictionary US English
Translate cute | into Italian | into Spanish
2 sweet, kind
http://oxforddictionaries.com/translate/french-english/mignon?q=mignon
mi·gnon min-yon; French mee-nyawn Show IPA
adjective
small and pretty; delicately pretty.
Origin:
1550–60; < French; see minion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Mi·gnon mee-nyawn Show IPA
noun
an opera (1866) by Ambroise Thomas.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mignon?s=t
January 31, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
wellaway
\ WEL-uh-WEY \ , interjection;
1.
(Used to express sorrow.)
Quotes:
She entered under the dome weeping and wailing, “ Wellaway !"
-- edited by Leonard Charles Smither, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night
" Wellaway . My little son so dear!" So sad he was that no one could cheer up at all…
-- Marijane Osborn, Romancing the Goddess
Origin:
Wellaway is related to the contemporary word woe . It came from the Old English phrase wā lā wā meaning "woe! lo! woe!"
http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday
well·a·way (wl-w) Archaic
interj.
Used to express woe or distress.
n. pl. well·a·ways
A lamentation.
Middle English, alteration (influenced by well, well and awai, away) of Old English weilwei, alteration (influenced by Old Scandinavian *wei, woe) of w l w : w, woe; see woe + l, lo; see lo.
wellaway ˈwɛləˈweɪ
interj
Archaic woe! alas!
Old English, from wei lā wei, variant of wā lā wā, literally: woe! lo woe
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/wellaway
wellaway
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Pronunciation
1.3 Interjection
1.3.1 Synonyms
1.3.2 Quotations
1.3.3 Related terms
editEnglish
editEtymology
Old English weġ lā weġ, alteration of wā lā wā, with substitution of Old Norse vei for Old English wā. Compare wellawo, weila.
editPronunciation
(UK) IPA: /wɛləˈweɪ/
editInterjection
wellaway
(archaic) Expressing sadness, regret etc. quotations ▼
editSynonyms
welladay
editQuotations
For more examples of usage of this term, see the citations page.
editRelated terms
alas
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wellaway
January 31, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
word-hoard \WURD-hawrd\, noun:
A person's vocabulary.
It held what our Saxon forebears would have called his word-hoard. Prisk dipped into his invisible bag, drew out a word apparently at random, fingered it jealously for some minutes, returned it, and brought out another word.
-- Michael Innes, The Weight Of The Evidence
This audience, more than anything, perhaps, gave William the energy to once again unload his word hoard. And what a word hoard it was.
-- Victor Bockris, With William Burroughs
When Inman spoke to them they neither answered nor flickered an eye in his direction to even acknowledge the sound of his voice, and he began to assume that what the boy had spoken at the fire comprised their collective word hoard.
-- Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain
We need a well stocked word-hoard and should be avid to add to it.
-- Paul Edwards, The Practical Preacher
Word-hoard first occurred in modern English in the 1890s. It was a literal translation of the Old English word wordhord which meant "a store of words.
dictionary.com/word-of-the-day
word-hoard wurd-hawrd, -hohrd Show IPA
noun
a person's vocabulary.
Origin:
1890–95; literal modern rendering of Old English wordhord
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/word-hoard
word-hoard
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Alternative forms
1.2 Etymology
1.3 Noun
1.3.1 Synonyms
1.4 References
editEnglish
editAlternative forms
wordhoard
editEtymology
A modern revival of Old English wordhord ("treasury of words"), equivalent to word + hoard.
editNoun
word-hoard (plural word-hoards)
One's vocabulary; the words one uses or understands; one's lexicon.
(Can we verify(+) this sense?) (paganism) The language and terminology used by followers of Heathenry.
editSynonyms
vocabulary, lexicon
editReferences
1983 The Way of Wyrd, Brian Bates, Century Publishing Co Ltd, ISBN 0 7126 0277 1, page 74.
You are labelling pieces of the world with words, then confusing your word-hoard for the totality of life.
1997 Thunder issue 4 (Heathen Journal), The Holy, Math Jones.
My own sense of what is holy springs from the roots of our word-hoard.
2003 The Runes of Elfland, Brian Froud & Ari Berk, Pavillion Books, ISBN 1 86205 647 1, page 67.
If you can guess one, he may unlock the word-hoard and offer you a letter.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/word-hoard
January 29, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
List of English words of Yiddish origin
(redirected from Plotz)
(snip)
plotz: to burst, as from strong emotion (from Yiddish פּלאַצן platsn 'crack', cf. German platzen) (OED)
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/plotz
plotz plots Show IPA
verb (used without object) Slang.
to collapse or faint, as from surprise, excitement, or exhaustion.
Origin:
1940–45, Americanism; < Yiddish platsn literally, to crack, split, burst < Middle High German blatzen, platzen
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plotz?s=t
plotz \plots\, verb:
To collapse or faint, as from surprise, excitement, or exhaustion.
And there would be no way to hide the official tail on her parents' manicured, sweeping drive. “God, Mother would plotz.”
-- Elizabeth Lowell, Die in Plain Sight
I mean, the consul would have plotzed, since it would have made him directly involved.
-- Avner Mandelman, Talking to the Enemy
Plotz is an Americanism that first arose in the 1940s. It comes from the Yiddish word platsn which meant "to crack, split, burst." That word in turn originated in the German word blatzen or platzen.
dictionary.com/word-of-the-day
plotz
Pronunciation: /plɒts/
Definition of plotz
verb
no object North American informal
collapse or be beside oneself with frustration, annoyance, or other strong emotion:
lots of directors plotz while making their films
Origin:
1960s: from Yiddish platsen, literally 'to burst', from Middle High German platzen
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/plotz?q=plotz
January 29, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
obviate
ob·vi·ate (bv-t)
tr.v. ob·vi·at·ed, ob·vi·at·ing, ob·vi·ates
To anticipate and dispose of effectively; render unnecessary. See Synonyms at prevent.
Latin obvire, obvit-, to hinder, from obvius, in the way; see obvious.
obvi·ation n.
obvi·ator n.
obviate ˈɒbvɪˌeɪt
vb
(tr) to do away with or counter
from Late Latin obviātus prevented, past participle of obviāre; see obvious
obviation n
Usage: Only things which have not yet occurred can be obviated. For example, one can obviate a possible future difficulty, but not one which already exists
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb 1. obviate - do away with
rid of, eliminate
close out, rule out, preclude - make impossible, especially beforehand
necessitate, need, require, call for, demand, postulate, involve, ask, take - require as useful, just, or proper; "It takes nerve to do what she did"; "success usually requires hard work"; "This job asks a lot of patience and skill"; "This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice"; "This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert"; "This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent"
2. obviate - prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; "Let's avoid a confrontation"; "head off a confrontation"; "avert a strike"
deflect, fend off, forefend, forfend, head off, stave off, ward off, avert, avoid, debar
foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, forbid - keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project"
obviate
verb (Formal) avert, avoid, remove, prevent, counter, do away with, preclude, counteract, ward off, stave off, forestall, render unnecessary This would obviate the need for a surgical operation.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/obviate
obviate
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ob·vi·ate ob-vee-eyt Show IPA
verb (used with object), ob·vi·at·ed, ob·vi·at·ing.
to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures; render unnecessary: to obviate the risk of serious injury.
Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin obviātus, past participle of obviāre to act contrary to, derivative of obvius; see obvious, -ate1
Related forms
ob·vi·a·ble ob-vee-uh-buhl Show IPA , adjective
ob·vi·a·tion, noun
ob·vi·a·tor, noun
pre·ob·vi·ate, verb (used with object), pre·ob·vi·at·ed, pre·ob·vi·at·ing.
un·ob·vi·a·ble, adjective
Can be confused: ameliorate, obviate, vitiate.
Synonyms
preclude, avert, anticipate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/obviate?s=t
Obviate (abbreviated obv) third person person is a grammatical person marking that distinguishes a non-salient (obviative) third person referent from a more salient (proximate) third person referent in a given discourse context. The obviative is sometimes referred to as the "fourth person".1
Contents hide
1 Geography
1.1 North America
1.2 Africa
1.3 Elsewhere
2 Cross-linguistic patterns
3 Notable language-specific examples
3.1 Ojibwe
3.2 Potawatomi
3.3 Ingush
4 References
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obviative
obviate
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Pronunciation
1.3 Verb
1.3.1 Translations
2 Latin
2.1 Verb
editEnglish
WOTD - 29 January 2013
editEtymology
From Latin obviāre ("to block, to hinder").
editPronunciation
(UK) IPA: /ˈɒbviˌeɪt/
(US) IPA: /ˈɑbviˌeɪt/
editVerb
obviate (third-person singular simple present obviates, present participle obviating, simple past and past participle obviated)
(transitive) To bypass a requirement or make it unnecessary; to avoid a future problem or difficult situation.
They saved enough money for their purchase and obviated the need to borrow.
The internet has largely obviated printed phone books.
quotations ▼
editTranslations
show ▼to bypass a requirement
editLatin
editVerb
obviāte
second-person plural present active imperative of obviō
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/obviate
January 29, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Thermobaric weapon
A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of casualties and causes more damage to structures.
Thermobaric explosives rely on oxygen from the surrounding air, whereas most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxygen premix (for instance, gunpowder contains 15% fuel and 75% oxidizer). Thus, on a weight-for-weight basis they are significantly more energetic than normal condensed explosives. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude or in adverse weather. However, they have significant advantages when deployed inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers.
Terminology
The term thermobaric is derived from the Greek words for "heat" and "pressure": thermobarikos (θερμοβαρικός), from thermos (θερμός), hot + baros (βάρος), weight, pressure + suffix -ikos (-ικός), suffix -ic.
Other terms used for this family of weapons are high-impulse thermobaric weapons (HITs), heat and pressure weapons, vacuum bombs, or fuel-air explosives (FAE or FAX).
(snip)
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Thermobaric+weapon
Thermobaric weapon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blast from a US Navy fuel air explosive used against a decommissioned ship, 1972.
A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of casualties and causes more damage to structures. There are many different variants of thermobaric weapons rounds that can be fitted to hand held launchers such as rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons.1
Thermobaric explosives rely on oxygen from the surrounding air, whereas most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxidizer premix (for instance, gunpowder contains 25% fuel and 75% oxidizer). Thus, on a weight-for-weight basis they are significantly more energetic than normal condensed explosives. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use underwater, at high altitude or in adverse weather. However, they have significant advantages when deployed inside confined environments such as tunnels, caves, and bunkers.
Contents hide
1 Terminology
2 Mechanism
2.1 Fuel-air explosive
3 Effect
4 Development history
4.1 Soviet and Russian developments
4.2 US developments
5 History
5.1 Military use
5.2 Non-military use
5.3 Fiction
6 See also
7 Footnotes
8 External links
editTerminology
The term thermobaric is derived from the Greek words for "heat" and "pressure": thermobarikos (θερμοβαρικός), from thermos (θερμός), hot + baros (βάρος), weight, pressure + suffix -ikos (-ικός), suffix -ic.
Other terms used for this family of weapons are high-impulse thermobaric weapons (HITs), heat and pressure weapons, vacuum bombs, or fuel-air explosives (FAE or FAX).
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermobaric_weapon
Thermobaric weapon
Thermobaric weapons distinguish themselves from conventional explosive weapons by using atmospheric oxygen, instead of carrying an oxidizer in their explosives. They are also called high-impulse thermobaric weapons (HITs), fuel-air explosives (FAE or FAX) or sometimes fuel-air munitions , heat and pressure weapons, or vacuum bombs . They produce more explosive energy for a given size than do other conventional explosives, but have the disadvantage of being less predictable in their effect (influenced by weather).
Terminology
The term thermobaric is derived from the Greek words for “ heat” and “ pressure”: thermobarikos (θερμοβαρικός), from thermos (θερμός), hot + baros (βάρος), weight, pressure + suffix -ikos (-ικός), suffix -ic .
A thermobaric weapon (or solid fuel-air explosive) uses the gaseous products ( H2, H2O, CO and CO2) of an initial explosion for an afterburning of reactive solids. Because their reaction with atmospheric oxygen only produces solid oxides the blast wave is primarily generated by heat of combustion ("thermobaric") instead of expanding explosion gases. This makes thermobaric explosives more effective in oxygen deficient environments such as tunnels, caves or underground bunkers. Rather than providing protection as they would from conventional explosive ammunition, structure interior walls, particularly cement or other hard surfaces, magnify and channel the shockwaves created by a thermobaric detonation. The stronger the walls, the higher the pressure’s reflective effect.
(snip)
http://www.reference.com/browse/Thermobaric_weapon
January 29, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Casbah:
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Kasbah of Algiers
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Country Algeria
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, v
Reference 565
UNESCO region Arab States
Coordinates 36°47′0″N 3°3′37″ECoordinates: 36°47′0″N 3°3′37″E
Inscription history
Inscription 1992 (16th Session)
Location of Casbah in Algeria.
The Casbah (Arabic: قصبة, qaṣba, meaning citadel (fortress)) is specifically the citadel of Algiers in Algeria and the traditional quarter clustered around it. More generally, a kasbah is the walled citadel of many North African cities and towns. The name made its way into English from French in the late 19th century (the Oxford English Dictionary states 1895), and continues to be spelled as acquired from that language.
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casbah_(disambiguation)
Cas·bah kaz-buh, -bah, kahz- Show IPA
noun
Kasbah.
Relevant Questions
What Is the Original Cas...
What Is A Casbah?
What Does the Song Rock ...
Where Is The Casbah?
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Related Words for : Casbah
kasbah
Collins
World English Dictionary
casbah (ˈkæzbɑː)
— n
( sometimes capital ) a variant spelling of kasbah
kasbah or casbah (ˈkæzbɑː)
— n
1. the citadel of any of various North African cities
2. Compare medina the quarter in which a kasbah is located
from Arabic qaṣba citadel
casbah or casbah
— n
from Arabic qaṣba citadel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Casbah?s=t
Casbah
Also found in: Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia
Cas·bah also Kas·bah (kzbä, käz-)
n.
1. A castle or palace in northern Africa.
2. often casbah The older section of a city in northern Africa or the Middle East.
French, from Arabic dialectal qaba, from Arabic qaaba, to cut up; see qb in Semitic roots.
casbah ˈkæzbɑː
n
(Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Architecture) (sometimes capital) a variant spelling of kasbah
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. casbah - an older or native quarter of many cities in northern Africa; the quarter in which the citadel is located
kasbah
quarter - a district of a city having some distinguishing character; "the Latin Quarter"
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Casbah
January 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Fungible Definition
Dictionary.com
fun·gi·ble fuhn-juh-buhl Show IPA
adjective Law.
(especially of goods) being of such nature or kind as to be freely exchangeable or replaceable, in whole or in part, for another of like nature or kind.
Origin:
1755–65; < Medieval Latin fungibilis, equivalent to Latin fung ( ī ) to perform the office of + -ibilis -ible
Related forms
fun·gi·bil·i·ty, noun
non·fun·gi·ble, adjective
un·fun·gi·ble, adjective
Can be confused: frangible, fungible.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fungible?s=t
Fungibility is the property of a good or a commodity whose individual units are capable of mutual substitution, such as crude oil, shares in a company, bonds, precious metals, or currencies.
It refers only to the equivalence of each unit of a commodity with other units of the same commodity. Fungibility does not describe or relate to any exchange of one commodity for some other, different commodity.
As an example: if Alice lends Bob a $10 bill, she does not care if she is repaid with the same $10 bill, two $5 bills, a $5 bill and five $1 bills or bunch of coins that total $10 as currency is fungible. However, if Bob borrows Alice's car she will most likely be upset if Bob returns a different vehicle--even a vehicle that is the same make and model--as automobiles are not fungible with respect to ownership. However, gasoline is fungible and though Alice may have a preference for a particular brand and grade of gasoline, her primary concern may be that the level of fuel be the same (or more) as it was when she lent the vehicle to Bob.
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungible
January 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
whale1
n pl whales, whale
3. (Group Games / Gambling, except Cards) Slang a gambler who has the capacity to win and lose large sums of money in a casino
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/whale
High roller
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the gambling term. For other uses, see High roller (disambiguation).
A high roller, also referred to as a whale in the casino industry, is a gambler who wagers large amounts of money. High rollers often receive lavish "comps" from casinos to lure them onto the gambling floors, such as free private jet transfers, limousine use and use of the casinos' best suites. Casinos may also extend credit to a player to continue betting,1 offer rebates on betting turnover or losses,2 and salaries of employees may also contain incentive arrangements to bring in high rollers.3
The definition of a high roller varies. At Crown Casino in Australia it involves bringing between A$50,000 and $75,000 to the table.4 High roller players often have very high table limits allowing the high roller exclusive use. Casinos compete on bet limits, in Australia limits of A$300,000 are common, in Las Vegas they are between US$150,000 and $300,000, and in Macau they are up to US$500,000. Only casinos with "substantial financial firepower" can accommodate high-stakes gambling due to the "volatility" of results.2
High rollers may also be subject to exceptions from various rules and regulations, for example the high roller rooms at Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia are the only licensed venue in the state not subject to a ban on smoking.5
High rollers are said to provide only a small fraction of casino "action." John Eidsmoe, in his book Legalized Gambling: America's Bad Bet, claims that it is actually gamblers from the lower and lower-middle classes in the United States that provide much of the gambling money. "The occasional wealthy 'high roller' does indeed exist, but he is the exception, not the standard. The fact that more than 50% of Nevada's gambling income comes from slot machines as opposed to the card tables should be an indication high rollers are not the main source of revenue."6
One example of a high roller is an Australian man who turned over more than A$1.5 billion in a 14 month period from 2005, becoming "one of Crown's largest Australian players but not in the same league as our top international players".3 There have been many cases around the world where high rollers have committed fraud to provide funds for gambling beyond their means, after becoming seduced by the lifestyle.178
While high rollers may not provide a significant portion of the revenues in the casino industry as a whole, they can have a major effect on the net income of casinos that cater to them. There are significant costs associated with attracting the highest stakes gamblers, so if a casino takes this chance and the whale wins, its expenses can be extraordinarily large. But if the casino's investment pays off and the high roller loses, the casino's gain can far exceed its expenses for his or her visit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_roller
Me: To a con man, a wealthy mark.
January 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
in·tem·er·ate in-tem-er-it Show IPA
adjective
inviolate; undefiled; unsullied; pure.
Origin:
1485–95; < Latin intemerātus, equivalent to in- in-3 + temerā ( re ) to violate, desecrate + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
in·tem·er·ate·ly, adverb
in·tem·er·ate·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/intemerate
Quotes:
The rain smelled cool and earthy, and with her eyes closed it sounded louder and nearer; it seemed to be in the room, falling small and touchless upon her; it was clear, intemerate as the sky.
-- Fred Chappell, The Inkling
Did you know, sir, that I can trace my intemerate ancestry to Adam through the paternal line, and to Eve through the maternal line?
-- Andrew Drummond, Handbook of Volapük
Origin:
Intemerate comes from the Latin root emerā which meant "to violate, desecrate." The prefix in- means "not" as in the words indefensible and inexpensive .
http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday
January 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Fulguration
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Fulgurating)
Fulguration, also called electrofulguration, is a procedure to destroy tissue (such as a malignant tumor) using a high-frequency electric current applied with a needlelike electrode.
Fulguration, also called electrofulguration, is a procedure in which lesions are destroyed by the use of high frequency current and is essentially similar to Cauterization. Fulgration is used to ablate tumors and other lesions such as hemangiomas and warts. It is either performed in an operation theater by a surgeon or an out-patient basis by a surgeon or dermatologist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgurating
fulgurating
Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia 0.02 sec.
ful·gu·rate (flgy-rt, -g-, fl-)
v. ful·gu·rat·ed, ful·gu·rat·ing, ful·gu·rates
v.intr.
To emit flashes of lightning.
v.tr.
1. To emit (light) in flashes.
2. Medicine To destroy (abnormal tissue, for example) by electric current.
Latin fulgurre, fulgurt-, from fulgur, lightning; see bhel-1 in Indo-European roots.
fulgu·ration n.
fulgurating ˈfʌlgjʊˌreɪtɪŋ
adj
1. (Medicine / Pathology) Pathol (of pain) sudden and sharp; piercing
2. (Medicine / Surgery) Surgery of or relating to fulguration
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj. 1. fulgurating - sharp and piercing
medical specialty, medicine - the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques
sharp - keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point; "a sharp pain"; "sharp winds"
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fulgurating
fulgurating
ful·gu·rat·ing fuhl-gyuh-rey-ting Show IPA
adjective Medicine/Medical .
(of pains) sharp and piercing.
Origin:
1670–80; fulgurate + -ing2
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fulgurating?s=t
January 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek: κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion (kenos, one meaning being "empty", and taphos, "tomb"). Although the vast majority of cenotaphs are erected in honour of individuals, many noted cenotaphs are instead dedicated to the memories of groups of individuals, such as the lost soldiers of one country or empire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenotaph
cenotaph
cen·o·taph sen-uh-taf, -tahf Show IPA
noun
a sepulchral monument erected in memory of a deceased person whose body is buried elsewhere.
Origin:
1595–1605; < Latin cenotaphium < Greek kenotáphion, equivalent to kenó ( s ) empty + -taphion ( táph ( os ) tomb + -ion diminutive suffix)
Related forms
cen·o·taph·ic sen-uh-taf-ik Show IPA , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cenotaph?s=t
cenotaph
Also found in: Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
cen·o·taph (sn-tf)
n.
A monument erected in honor of a dead person whose remains lie elsewhere.
French cénotaphe, from Old French, from Latin cenotaphium, from Greek kenotaphion : kenos, empty + taphos, tomb.
ceno·taphic adj.
cenotaph ˈsɛnəˌtɑːf
n
(Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Architecture) a monument honouring a dead person or persons buried elsewhere
from Latin cenotaphium, from Greek kenotaphion, from kenos empty + taphos tomb
cenotaphic adj
Cenotaph ˈsɛnəˌtɑːf
n
(Placenames / Named Buildings) the. the monument in Whitehall, London, honouring the dead of both World Wars: designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens: erected in 1920
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. cenotaph - a monument built to honor people whose remains are interred elsewhere or whose remains cannot be recovered
empty tomb
monument, memorial - a structure erected to commemorate persons or events
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cenotaph
January 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
antipathetic
an·ti·pa·thet·ic an-ti-puh-thet-ik, an-tip-uh- Show IPA
adjective
1.
opposed, averse, or contrary; having or showing antipathy: They were antipathetic to many of the proposed changes
2.
causing or likely to cause antipathy: The new management was antipathetic to all of us.
Also, an·ti·pa·thet·i·cal.
Origin:
1630–40; < Greek antipathḗs opposed in feeling ( anti- + -pathēs, adj. derivative of páthos pathos), with -etic by analogy with pathetic
Related forms
an·ti·pa·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb
an·ti·pa·thet·i·cal·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/antipathetic
antipathetic
Also found in: Legal 0.01 sec.
an·tip·a·thet·ic (n-tp-thtk) also an·tip·a·thet·i·cal (--kl)
adj.
1.
a. Having or showing a strong aversion or repugnance: antipathetic to new ideas.
b. Opposed in nature or character; antagonistic: antipathetic factions within the party.
2. Causing a feeling of antipathy; repugnant: "The whole place and everything about it was antipathetic to her" (Anthony Trollope).
an·tipa·theti·cal·ly adv.
antipathetic ænˌtɪpəˈθɛtɪk ˌæntɪpə-, antipathetical
adj
(often foll by to) having or arousing a strong aversion
antipathetically adv
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj. 1. antipathetic - (usually followed by `to') strongly opposed; "antipathetic to new ideas"; "averse to taking risks"; "loath to go on such short notice"; "clearly indisposed to grant their request"
antipathetical, averse, indisposed, loath, loth
disinclined - unwilling because of mild dislike or disapproval; "disinclined to say anything to anybody"
2. antipathetic - characterized by antagonism or antipathy; "slaves antagonistic to their masters"; "antipathetic factions within the party"
antagonistic, antipathetical
hostile - characterized by enmity or ill will; "a hostile nation"; "a hostile remark"; "hostile actions"
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/antipathetic
January 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
monoousian
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Adjective
1.2.1 Synonyms
1.2.2 Translations
1.3 See also
editEnglish
WOTD - 26 January 2013
editEtymology
From Ancient Greek μονοούσιος ("of one substance"), from μόνος (monos, "alone, only, sole, single") + οὐσία (ousia, "being, substance, essence") + -ian.
editAdjective
monoousian (not comparable)
(theology) Having one and the same nature or essence, especially with regard to the persons of the Trinity. quotations ▼
editSynonyms
monoousious
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/monoousian
monoousian
Monoousian
Mon`o*ou"si*an\, Monoousious \Mon`o*ou"si*ous\, a. Mono- + Gr. ? being, substance, essence. (Theil.) Having but one and the same nature or essence.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monoousian?s=t
Mon`o`ou´si`an
a. 1. (Theil.) Having but one and the same nature or essence.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/monoousian
January 27, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
logrolling:
Logrolling is the trading of favors, or quid pro quo, such as vote trading by legislative members to obtain passage of actions of interest to each legislative member.1 In an academic context, the Nuttall Encyclopedia describes log-rolling as "mutual praise by authors of each other's work."
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logrolling
logrolling
log·roll·ing lawg-roh-ling, log- Show IPA
noun
1.
U.S. politics. the exchange of support or favors, especially by legislators for mutual political gain as by voting for each other's bills.
2.
cronyism or mutual favoritism among writers, editors, or critics, as in the form of reciprocal flattering reviews; back scratching.
3.
the action of rolling, logs to a particular place.
4.
the action of rotating a log rapidly in the water by treading upon it, especially as a competitive sport; birling.
Origin:
1785–95, Americanism; log1 + rolling
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/logrolling?s=t
log·roll·ing (lôgrlng, lg-)
n.
1. The exchanging of political favors, especially the trading of influence or votes among legislators to achieve passage of projects that are of interest to one another.
2. The exchanging of favors or praise, as among artists, critics, or academics.
3. See birling.
From the early American practice of neighbors gathering to help clear land by rolling off and burning felled timber.
logrolling ˈlɒgˌrəʊlɪŋ
n
1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) US the practice of undemocratic agreements between politicians involving mutual favours, the trading of votes, etc.
2. (Group Games / Games, other than specified) another name for birling See birl1
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. logrolling - act of exchanging favors for mutual gain; especially trading of influence or votes among legislators to gain passage of certain projects
exchange - the act of giving something in return for something received; "deductible losses on sales or exchanges of property are allowable"
2. logrolling - rotating a log rapidly in the water (as a competitive sport)
birling
spin, twirl, twisting, whirl, twist - the act of rotating rapidly; "he gave the crank a spin"; "it broke off after much twisting"
athletics, sport - an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/logrolling
January 25, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
brabble
\ BRAB-uhl \ , verb;
1.
To argue stubbornly about trifles; wrangle.
noun:
1.
Noisy, quarrelsome chatter.
Definition of brabble|
Quotes:
But even in the monkish idleness of Cambridge where there was more time to brabble in than ever I knew before or since, for we were fed by others, and taught by others, and kept as safe as the ancient monks from the perils of the world's hunger and homelessness and pain, we saw ourselves as the swords of change.
-- Mary Lee Settle, I, Roger Williams
Braver hearts never beat in English breasts, yet do but mark how they brabble and clamour like clowns on a Saturday night.
-- Arthur Conan Doyle, Micah Clarke
Origin:
Brabble comes from the Dutch word brabbelen which meant "to quarrel,
http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday
Argument
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Brabble)
This article is about the subject as it is studied in logic and philosophy. For other uses, see Argument (disambiguation).
In logic and philosophy, an argument is an attempt to persuade someone of something, by giving reasons for accepting a particular conclusion as evident.12 The general structure of an argument in a natural language is that of premises (typically in the form of propositions, statements or sentences) in support of a claim: the conclusion.345 The structure of some arguments can also be set out in a formal language, and formally-defined "arguments" can be made independently of natural language arguments, as in math, logic and computer science.
In a typical deductive argument, the premises are meant to provide a guarantee of the truth of the conclusion, while in an inductive argument, they are thought to provide reasons supporting the conclusion's probable truth.6 The standards for evaluating non-deductive arguments may rest on different or additional criteria than truth, for example, the persuasiveness of so-called "indispensability claims" in transcendental arguments,7 the quality of hypotheses in retroduction, or even the disclosure of new possibilities for thinking and acting.8
The standards and criteria used in evaluating arguments and their forms of reasoning are studied in logic.9 Ways of formulating arguments effectively are studied in rhetoric (see also: argumentation theory). An argument in a formal language shows the logical form of the symbolically-represented or natural language arguments obtained by its interpretations.
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabble
January 25, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
An amazing look at the most commonly used words in inauguration speeches
President Obama’s second inaugural speech was delivered only two days ago but is already being compared — in ways positive and ways negative — to past addresses given by chief executives.
Thanks to the Guardian newspaper and developer Santiago Ortiz, we have a very cool infographic that allows some of those comparisons. Below you can look at the words used in every inaugural speech since Richard Nixon’s in 1969 and, even better, compare how often particular words came up in each of the adresses over the past four decades.
It’s an amazing tool. And, yes, we’ve already spent far too much time noodling around with it this morning. Enjoy!
(Contains word cloud).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/01/23/an-amazing-look-at-the-most-commonly-used-words-in-inauguration-speeches/?wprss=rss_politics&wpisrc=nl_wonk
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
In Praise of the Language Police
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2013/jan/23/praise-language-police/
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Word of the Day at www.dictionary.com
kibitzer \KIB-it-ser\, noun:
1. A giver of uninvited or unwanted advice.
2. A spectator at a card game who looks at the players' cards over their shoulders, especially one who gives unsolicited advice.
3. A person who jokes, chitchats, or makes wisecracks, especially while others are trying to work or to discuss something seriously.
Your mother's heart, dear, will mend with the advent of children, and her father's father, a wobbly kibitzer pointing to Kat's mom and muttering, A beautiful strawberry girl, why all the fuss, why all the disunion over a strawberry girl?
-- Peter Orner, Love and Shame and Love
Bronzini looked on, sitting in when someone left but otherwise a kibitzer, unmeddlesome, content to savor the company and try the wine, sometimes good, sometimes overfermented, better used to spike a salad.
-- Richard Russo, Underworld
Kibitzer entered English first in America in the 1920s. It comes from the Yiddish word kibetsn (equivalent to German kiebitzen) meaning "to look on at cards."
kib·itz·er kib-it-ser Show IPA
noun Informal.
1.
a spectator at a card game who looks at the players' cards over their shoulders, especially one who gives unsolicited advice.
2.
a giver of uninvited or unwanted advice.
3.
a person who jokes, chitchats, or makes wisecracks, especially while others are trying to work or to discuss something seriously.
Origin:
1925–30; < Yiddish; see kibitz, -er1
Synonyms
2. meddler, busybody, snoop.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source | Link To kibitzer
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/kibitzer
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Public Acceptance of Climate Change Affected by Word Usage
Jan. 22, 2013 — Public acceptance of climate change's reality may have been influenced by the rate at which words moved from scientific journals into the mainstream, according to anthropologist Michael O'Brien, dean of the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri. A recent study of word usage in popular literature by O'Brien and his colleagues documented how the usage of certain words related to climate change has risen and fallen over the past two centuries. Understanding how word usage affects public acceptance of science could lead to better science communication and a more informed public.
"Scientists can learn from this study that the general public shouldn't be expected to understand technical terms or be convinced by journal papers written in technical jargon," O'Brien said. "Journalists must explain scientific terms in ways people can understand and thereby ease the movement of those terms into general speech. That can be a slow process. Several words related to climate change diffused into the popular vocabulary over a 30-50 year timeline."
O'Brien's study found that, by 2008, several important terms in the discussion of climate change had entered popular literature from technical obscurity in the early 1900s.
These terms included:
Biodiversity -- the degree of variation in life forms within a given area
Holocene -- the current era of Earth's history, which started at the end of the last ice age
Paleoclimate -the prehistoric climate, often deduced from ice cores, tree rings and pollen trapped in sediments
Phenology -- the study of how climate and other environmental factors influence the timing of events in organisms' life cycles
Not every term was adopted at the same rate or achieved the same degree of popularity. Biodiversity, for example, came into popular use quickly in only a few years in the late 80s and early 90s. Other terms, like Holocene or phenology, have taken decades and are still relatively uncommon.
"The adoption of words into the popular vocabulary is like the evolution of species," O'Brien said. "A complex process governs why certain terms are successful and adopted into everyday speech, while others fail. For example, the term 'meme' has entered the vernacular, as opposed to the term 'culturgen,' although both refer to a discrete unit of culture, such as a saying transferred from person to person."
To observe the movement of words into popular literature, O'Brien and his colleagues searched the database of 7 million books created by Google. They used the "Ngram" feature of the database to track the number of appearances of climate change keywords in literature since 1800. The usage rate of those climate change terms was compared to the usage of "the," which is the most common word in the English language. Statistical analysis of usage rates was calculated in part by co-author William Brock, a new member of MU's Department of Economics and member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Note: A portion of O'Brien's experiment can be repeated using any computer with internet access.
1. Go to http://books.google.com/ngrams
2. Enter terms such as "climate change," "global warming," or "anthropogenic" and note how they have changed in usage over the past century.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.
Journal Reference:
R. Alexander Bentley, Philip Garnett, Michael J. O'Brien, William A. Brock. Word Diffusion and Climate Science. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (11): e47966 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047966
Accessed at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130122122438.htm
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
skeuomorphic
skeu·o·morph skyoo-uh-mawrf Show IPA
noun
an ornament or design on an object copied from a form of the object when made from another material or by other techniques, as an imitation metal rivet mark found on handles of prehistoric pottery.
Origin:
1889; < Greek skeû ( os ) vessel, implement + -o- + -morph (cf. zoomorphic)
Related forms
skeu·o·mor·phic, adjective
What is a skeuomorph?
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Skeuomorph is defined as a design feature copied from a similar artifact in another material, even when not functionally necessary
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skeuomorph
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Pronunciation
1.3 Noun
1.3.1 Usage notes
1.3.2 Derived terms
1.3.3 Synonyms
1.4 See also
editEnglish
editEtymology
From Ancient Greek σκεῦος (skeuos, “vessel, implement”) + μορφή (morphē, “form”).
editPronunciation
SKYOO-uh-morf
editNoun
skeuomorph (plural skeuomorphs)
A design feature copied from a similar artifact in another material, even when not functionally necessary. From 1889. quotations ▼
editUsage notes
A skeuomorph can be employed for various purposes. Since people are used to the click sound of a camera as feedback that the picture has been taken, it is now artificially produced in digital cameras. Other examples are copper cladding on a zinc penny (for familiarity) and wood finish on a plastic product (for a more expensive look).
editDerived terms
skeuomorphic
skeuomorphism
editSynonyms
skiamorph
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/skeuomorph
Skeuomorph
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fake wood grain paneling in cars is a skeuomorph, as examples such as this station wagon use no wood in their construction
A skeuomorph is a physical ornament or design on an object copied from a form of the object when made from another material or by other techniques. Examples include pottery embellished with imitation rivets reminiscent of similar pots made of metal,1 or a software calendar application which displays the days organised on animated month pages in imitation of a paper desk calendar.2
Contents hide
1 Pronunciation and etymology
2 Definition and purpose
3 Physical skeuomorphs
4 Digital skeuomorphs
4.1 Arguments for skeuomorphism in digital design
4.2 Arguments against skeuomorphism in digital design
5 See also
6 References
editPronunciation and etymology
Skeuomorph is pronounced /ˈskjuːəmɔrf/ or skyoo-uh-mawrf. It is compounded from the Greek: skeuos, σκεῦος (container or tool), and morphê, μορφή (shape). The term has been applied to material objects since 1890,3 and is now used to describe computer interfaces.4
editDefinition and purpose
A similar alternative definition of skeuomorph is "an element of design or structure that serves little or no purpose in the artifact fashioned from the new material but was essential to the object made from the original material".5 This definition is narrower in scope and ties skeuomorphs to changes in materials, as it focuses on the cultural history behind the physical object and how that influences the evolution of the object's design.6
Skeuomorphs are deliberately employed to make the new look comfortably old and familiar, or are simply habits too deeply ingrained to wash away.4 Donald Norman, an academic in the fields of design, usability, and cognitive science describes cultural constraints, interactions with the system in question that are learned only through culture, which give rise to skeuomorphism. Norman also popularized perceived affordances, where the user can tell what an object affords, or will do, based on its appearance, which skeuomorphism can make easy.6
The concept of skeuomorphism overlaps other design concepts as well. Mimesis is an imitation, coming directly from the Greek.7 Another, archetype, is the original idea or model that is emulated, where the emulations can be skeuomorphic. 8 Skeuomorphism is parallel to, but different from, path dependence in technology, where functional behavior is maintained when the reasons for its design no longer exist.
editPhysical skeuomorphs
Historically, high-status items such as the Minoans' very elaborate and rare silver cups were often recreated for the mass market using ceramics, a cheaper material, allowing the common man to have the appearance of elite status.9 In certain cases, efforts were made to recreate the rivets in the metal originals by adding pellets of clay to the pottery version. There is also evidence of skeuomorphism in material transitions. Leather and clay pottery often carry over traits from the wooden counterparts of previous generations. Clay pottery has also been found bearing rope shaped protrusions, pointing to craftsmen seeking familiar shapes and processes while working with new materials. 10 In this context, skeuomorphs exist as trails sought in other objects, either for their social desirability or psychological comforts.4
In the modern era, cheaper plastic items often attempt to mimic more expensive wooden and metal products though they are only skeuomorphic if new ornamentation references original functionality,11 such as molded screw heads in molded plastic items.
editDigital skeuomorphs
The note-taking application Evernote employs a skeuomorph of physical notebooks to represent digital collections defined by the user.
Many computer programs have a skeuomorphic graphical user interface that emulates objects in the physical world. An example of this trend was the 1998 RealThings package.12 A more extreme example is that many music synthesis and audio processing software packages closely emulate physical musical instruments and audio equipment. Functional input controls like knobs, buttons, switches and sliders are often careful duplicates of the ones on the original physical device being emulated. Some software even includes graphical elements of the original design that serve no user interface function: handles, screws and ventilation holes for example.
Even systems that do not employ literal images of some physical object frequently contain skeuomorphic elements such as slider bars that emulate linear potentiometers and tabs that behave like tabbed file folders. Skeuomorphs need not be visual. The shutter-click sound emitted by most camera phones when taking a picture is an auditory skeuomorph - it does not come from a mechanical shutter, which camera phones lack, but from a sound file in the phone's operating system. Another example is the swiping hand gesture for turning the "pages" or screens of a tablet.
editArguments for skeuomorphism in digital design
The arguments in favor of skeuomorphic design are that it makes it easier for those familiar with the original device to use the digital emulation, and that it is visually appealing. Interactions with computer devices are purely cultural and learned, so once a process is learned in society, it is difficult to remove. Norman describes this process as a form of cultural heritage.6
editArguments against skeuomorphism in digital design
The arguments against skeuomorphic design are that skeuomorphic interface elements use metaphors that are more difficult to operate and take up more screen space than standard interface elements; that this breaks operating system interface design standards; that it causes an inconsistent look and feel between applications;13 that skeuomorphic interface elements rarely incorporate numeric input or feedback for accurately setting a value; that many users may have no experience with the original device being emulated; and that skeuomorphic design limits creativity by grounding the experience to physical counterparts.14
Apple, while under the direction of Steve Jobs, was known for its wide usage of skeuomorphic designs in various applications. The debate over the merits of Apple's extensive use of skeuomorphism became the subject of substantial media attention in October 2012, a year after Jobs' death, largely as the result of the reported resignation of Scott Forstall, described as "the most vocal and high-ranking proponent of the visual design style favored by Mr. Jobs". Apple designer Jonathan Ive, who took over some of Forstall's responsibilities and had "made his distaste for the visual ornamentation in Apple’s mobile software known within the company", was expected to move the company toward a less skeuomorphic aesthetic.15
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeuomorph
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
alicorn
Contents hide
1 English
1.1 Etymology 1
1.1.1 Noun
1.2 Etymology 2
1.2.1 Noun
1.2.1.1 Synonyms
1.3 Anagrams
1.4 References
editEnglish
WOTD - 24 January 2013
Wikipedia has an article on:
Alicorn
editEtymology 1
From Italian alicorno.
editNoun
alicorn (plural alicorns)
(now historical) The horn of a unicorn considered as a medical or pharmacological ingredient. quotations ▼
editEtymology 2
Term already associated with unicorns and reinterpreted, popularized by Bearing an Hourglass (1984) and other fantasy novels by Piers Anthony.1
editNoun
alicorn (plural alicorns)
(nonstandard) A winged horse with a single horn on its head; a winged unicorn. quotations ▼
editSynonyms
(winged horse): pegacorn, unipeg, unisus (all informal)
editAnagrams
clairon, clarion, Locrian
editReferences
^ According to Nathan2000, when asked how he came up with the term, he answered, “I saw fantasy statuettes in an ad, and one was of a winged unicorn, titled an alicorn, so I figured that was the name and used it. I have not been able to verify it elsewhere.”
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alicorn
Alicorn
Main article: Unicorn horn
The horn itself and the substance it was made of was called alicorn, and it was believed that the horn holds magical and medicinal properties. The Danish physician Ole Worm determined in 1638 that the alleged alicorns were the tusks of narwhals.17 Such beliefs were examined wittily and at length in 1646 by Sir Thomas Browne in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica.18
False alicorn powder, made from the tusks of narwhals or horns of various animals, has been sold in Europe for medicinal purposes as late as 1741.19 The alicorn was thought to cure many diseases and have the ability to detect poisons, and many physicians would make "cures" and sell them. Cups were made from alicorn for kings and given as a gift; these were usually made of ivory or walrus ivory. Entire horns were very precious in the Middle Ages and were often really the tusks of narwhals.20
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn#Alicorn which is an outake from Unicorn page.
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ruzuzu,
Thank you for your kind words.
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ruzuzu;
Thank you for your Email.
Are you referring to my lazy addition of those last words? If so, my apologies. Got a day behind on reading Email - provider (Earthlink.net),
it turned out, screwed up my account (once again) and after 2.5 hours speaking to service (in India) it was so late, just went to bed instead of getting online. They are sending my 4th modem in 15 years, 2nd day air.
I will sin no more. Had already decided to provide more than one source of definitions (certainly not from within Wordnik.com.
Have a long list of words (most gleaned from books read) to add, and am making little forward progress.
Thanks again.
(airpocalypse)? Egad!
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/beijing-smog-crisis-revealed-documentary.html
In the news lately has been the extraordinarily bad conditions of Beijing's air, or as some are calling it, "airpocalypse". The city recently went way, way, way off the charts -- hitting 755 on a scale of 0-500 -- for air pollution and officials are now looking at how to reign in the causes of such incredible pollution.
(snip)
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
en règle \ahn RE-gluh\, adjective:
In order; according to the rules; correct.
This was all done en règle, and in our work we shall be en règle too. We shall not go so early that the policemen who have then little to think of, shall deem it strange.
-- Bram Stoker, Dracula
I told her it was not quite en règle to bring one so far out of our own set; but she said, 'Genius itself is not en règle; it comes into the world to make new rules.'
-- George Eliot, Daniel Deronda
En règle snuck into the English language in the 1810s. It came directly from the French phrase of the same spelling which meant literally "in rule.
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
egad:
Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
interj. Used as a mild exclamation.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
An exclamation expressing exultation or surprise.
Wiktionary
interj. UK a mild exclamation of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, frustration.
GNU Webster's 1913
interj. An exclamation expressing exultation or surprise, etc.
Etymologies
Alteration of oh God.
Examples
“I never heard any one not in a book say "egad" before, so I saw something really out of the way was indeed up.” The Wouldbegoods
“The "egad" did the whole business: Mrs. Cat was as much in love with him now as ever she had been; and, gathering up all her energies, she said, "It is dreadful hot too, I think;" and with this she made a curtsey.” Catherine: a Story
“egad' before, so I saw something really out of the way was indeed up.” The Wouldbegoods
“Yeah, because if some high school drop-out, chronic alcoholic, or (egad) conservative-values espousing candidate ran, we'd all ignore those "personality traits" and pretend none of them have to do with the job of running a huge city.” Big buzz (Jack Bog's Blog)
“Fregosi batted .233 in 1½ seasons at Shea Stadium, while Ryan, egad, is one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.” The Wall Street Journal: The Mets' Greatest Gaffes
“I'd been wanting to read it for years, and when I mentioned this on ontdcreepy, I was told it could be read online - so of course I sit down and read half the whole thing (me: "egad! manga can be read online for free? what a brave new world we live in!").” intertribal: Lucy in the Sky with Spirals
“And yet, 76 million pounds of pesticides are applied residentially (not counting our schools and ... egad, hospitals) each year.” The Huffington Post: Waylon Lewis: Is Your Lawn "Green"?
“Wasn't one trigger happy cowboy enough for this country ... egad. matt in austin” Clinton touts commander-in-chief credentials
“Sarah Palin a person who talks about herself in the third person ... egad.” Sarah Palin: Don’t Blame Me - Swampland - TIME.com
“If she is not reigned soon in at some point she might even sugest we are endowed by our "Creator" with rights. egad” 14 Important Science Questions
Show 10 more examples...
www.wordnik.com/words/egad
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
gadzooks;
Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
interj. Used as a mild or ironic oath: "Gadzooks! Is there a panic detector, akin to a smoke detector, that sniffs anxiety in the air?” ( George F. Will).
Wiktionary
interj. archaic An expression of surprise, shock etc.
Etymologies
Perhaps alteration of God's hooks, the nails of the crucifixion of Christ.
Examples
“In addition, they considered the surprising success of Mr. Marmaduke Fennel's eighteenth-century story, For Love of a Lady, as compared with the more moderate sales of Miss Elspeth Lancaster's In Scarlet Sidon, that candid romance of the brothel; deducing therefrom that the "gadzooks" and "by'r lady" type of reading-matter was ready to revive in vogue.” The Cream of the Jest: A Comedy of Evasions
“Isn't the lady writing, not in her original Bangla (red lines again!) or Bengali (better!) but – gadzooks – in English?” A Bangladeshi Bluestocking
“This afternoon, two local Union 76/Conoco Phillips (gadzooks, these mergers make for long names) gas stations in my Los Angeles neighborhood posted the number I recently anticipated would be the price this summer: full serve 91-Octane (premium) gasoline: $4.99/gallon.” Grain Market Manipulation = Petrofraud Redux
“The Mail On Sunday might be a sewer of sleaze and disreputable journalism, but gadzooks, it does have its uses sometimes..” Mark Clarke: Womaniser and general bastard?
“The TZs are pronounced like the terminal ds in the word dads or like the dz in gadzooks.” World's Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe - Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce
“Hopefully by now you will be aware of my colleague Travis - gadzooks, he is Timothy Claypole, and he seems to have inherited some of his magical powers.” Archive 2005-10-01
“And thy chiefest accomplishment is taking snuff with a bel air, patching, painting, powdering like a woman, and squeaking like an eunuch, gadzooks.” The Beau Defeated: or, The Lucky Younger Brother
“Have you, good master gramercies, gadzooks, etc., according to taste, a couple of sugar figures in Spanish dress, each draped in a cloak?” From a Terrace in Prague
“A meal at the club, and gadzooks but his stomach was in arms!” A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago
“My engaging friend here has -- an I mistake not -- a passport ready for me in the pocket of his sable-hued coat, and as we are hoping effectually to spit one another over there ... gadzooks! but there's the specific purpose ....” The Elusive Pimpernel
Show 10 more examples...
www.wordnik.com/gadzooks
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
zounds
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
interj. Used to express anger, surprise, or indignation.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
An exclamation formerly used as an oath or as an expression of anger or wonder.
Wiktionary
interj. Expressing anger, surprise, assertion etc.
GNU Webster's 1913
interj. An exclamation formerly used as an oath, and an expression of anger or wonder.
Etymologies
Shortening and alteration of God's wounds!.
Examples
“When you go home tonight, roll some twenty siders with friends, use the word "zounds" in a sentence, then leaf through the 1E Dungeon Master's Guide and marvel at the breadth of the man's imagination.” Archive 2008-03-01
“Who that utters the word "zounds," imagines that he is speaking of such awful and inconceivable things as "God's wounds," though literally he is doing so?” The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 1, April, 1851
“Yet time was, when the innocent word "zounds" was written with the same culpatory dashes and hyphens as the "damns that have had their day;" and "pigs," we suppose, were exenterated in like manner: suggested only by their heads and tails, -- the first letter and the last.” The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 1, April, 1851
“Natalie Angier weighs in on the human proclivity for cursing in a lengthy essay in the NYT: "The Jacobean dramatist Ben Jonson peppered his plays with fackings and "peremptorie Asses," and Shakespeare could hardly quill a stanza without inserting profanities of the day like "zounds" or "sblood” Science Project
“BTW, did you know that zounds! is a foreshortening of God's Wounds?” Zounds!
“Labels: comics comments: annie said ... zounds! where did you meet this amazing scoundrel of graphic wonder!” Noah Farlee's Giskard the Genius
“June 3, 2009 at 7:35 am uh ohes… parrothead starting to zounds like Igor….” Da dusts bunnies quit - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
“He was in deep awshucks mode, even admitting twice -- zounds!” Newsweek: Off To The Culture War
“February 7, 2008 at 10:45 am fear… is zounds liek… Boing boing boing…” Did you heer dat? - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
“Hmmm…zounds liek ai hab tew draw up an action plan outline fur Nov 2.” Player Cat - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
www.wordnik.com/zounds
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
mimsy
Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
adj. Miserable and flimsy: a blend-word.
This word was coined by Lewis Carroll in 1855. In 1880, ‘mimsy’ also came to mean, in British English, prim; careful; affected; feeble, weak, lightweight. ‘Mim’ is a much older word meaning ‘primly silent,’ either imitative of the pursing up of the mouth, or coming from the Scottish Gaelic ‘min,’ delicate, meek.
Examples
“Twas brillig, and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; / All mimsy were the borogoves, / And the mome raths outgrabe.” Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll
“Last year, he even collaborated on an operetta like – as Tucker would have put it – a mimsy, bleating public schoolboy who lives with cats and an Aga.” Armando Iannucci: 'Now is not the time for a crap opposition'
“Like the author himself, Pam’s fond of pilfering the imaginations of other writers ('mimsy borogoves' is her appellation for her eyes, a phrase that comes courtesy of Lewis Carroll).” Jason Anderson, ‘Daisy Buchanan's little girl takes centre-stage,’ The Globe and Mail, July 31, 2011
www.wordnick.com/word-of-the-day
January 24, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
fritillary
Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. The popular name of several species of British butterflies.
n. The popular name of plants of the genus Fritillaria.
This word comes from the Latin ‘fritillus,’ dice-box, which comes from ‘fritinnire,’ to twitter, imitative of the rattle of dice. The butterfly may be named for its resemblance of its markings to those of dice.
Examples
“It was a silver-washed fritillary, the largest and most impressive of all the British fritillaries and one that has bucked the dismal trend and expanded its range after years of contraction.” Country diary: Cosford Hall, Suffolk
“This is the small fritillary, a beautiful little creature that may be seen flitting from blossom to blossom, or careering in the early summer air in the manner almost of a tumbler pigeon, before any other of its kind has left its winter's cradle.” Laura Secord, the heroine of 1812. A Drama. and Other Poems.
“The pearl-bordered fritillary was known as 'the woodman's friend' because it would faithfully follow foresters around broadleaved woods as they coppiced or cut down patches of trees, attracted to the flowers that blossomed in the freshly cut glades in subsequent years.” Patrick Barkham, ‘Once There Were Swarms of Butterflies in Our Skies,’ The Guardian, April 26, 2009
http://www.wordnik.com/word-of-the-day
frit·il·lar·y (frtl-r)
n. pl. frit·il·lar·ies
1. Any of various bulbous plants of the genus Fritillaria, having nodding, variously colored, often spotted or checkered flowers.
2. Any of various butterflies of the family Nymphalidae, especially of the genera Speyeria and Boloria, having brownish wings marked with black or silvery spots on the underside.
New Latin Fritillria, genus name, from Latin fritillus, dice-box.
fritillary frɪˈtɪlərɪ
n pl -laries
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any N temperate liliaceous plant of the genus Fritillaria, having purple or white drooping bell-shaped flowers, typically marked in a chequered pattern See also snake's head
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genera Argynnis, Boloria, etc., having brownish wings chequered with black and silver
from New Latin fritillāria, from Latin fritillus dice box; probably with reference to the spotted markings
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. fritillary - any liliaceous plant of the genus Fritillaria having nodding variously colored flowers
checkered lily
Fritillaria, genus Fritillaria - fritillary
Fritillaria affinis, Fritillaria lanceolata, Fritillaria mutica, rice-grain fritillary, mission bells - herb of northwestern America having green-and-purple bell-shaped flowers
black fritillary, Fritillaria biflora, mission bells - herb of southwestern United States having dark purple bell-shaped flowers mottled with green
Fritillaria agrestis, stink bell - a malodorous California herb with bell-shaped flowers; a common weed in grainfields
crown imperial, Fritillaria imperialis - Eurasian herb with a cluster of leaves and orange-red bell-shaped flowers at the top of the stem
Fritillaria liliaceae, white fritillary - California herb with white conic or bell-shaped flowers usually tinged with green
checkered daffodil, Fritillaria meleagris, guinea-hen flower, leper lily, snake's head fritillary - Eurasian checkered lily with pendant flowers usually veined and checkered with purple or maroon on a pale ground and shaped like the bells carried by lepers in medieval times; widely grown as an ornamental
brown bells, Fritillaria micrantha, Fritillaria parviflora - California herb with brownish-purple or greenish bell-shaped flowers
adobe lily, Fritillaria pluriflora, pink fritillary - California herb with pinkish purple flowers
Fritillaria recurva, scarlet fritillary - western United States herb with scarlet and yellow narrow bell-shaped flowers
bulbous plant - plant growing from a bulb
2. fritillary - butterfly with brownish wings marked with black and silver
brush-footed butterfly, four-footed butterfly, nymphalid, nymphalid butterfly - medium to large butterflies found worldwide typically having brightly colored wings and much-reduced nonfunctional forelegs carried folded on the breast
silverspot - butterfly with silver spots on the underside of the hind wings
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fritillary
January 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
hebetude
Etymology
From Late Latin hebetūdō.
editPronunciation
(UK) IPA: /ˈhɛb.ə.tjuːd/
(US) IPA: /ˈhɛb.ə.tuːd/, /ˈhɛb.ə.tjuːd/
editNoun
hebetude (uncountable)
Mental lethargy or dullness. quotations ▼
editDerived terms
hebetudinous
editRelated terms
hebetate
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hebetude
heb·e·tude (hb-td, -tyd)
n.
Dullness of mind; mental lethargy.
Late Latin hebetd, from Latin hebes, hebet-, dull.
hebe·tudi·nous (-tdn-s, -tyd-) adj.
hebetude ˈhɛbɪˌtjuːd
n
Rare mental dullness or lethargy
from Late Latin hebetūdō, from Latin hebes blunt
hebetudinous adj
hebetude
the state, condition, or quality of being dull, enervated, or lethargie. — hebetudinous, adj.
See also: Fatigue
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. hebetude - mental lethargy or dullness
lassitude, lethargy, sluggishness - a state of comatose torpor (as found in sleeping sickness)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hebetude
January 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Arachnodactyly (“spider fingers”) or achromachia, is a condition in which the fingers are abnormally long and slender in comparison to the palm of the hand. It can be present at birth or develop in later life.
This feature can occur on its own, with no underlying health problems. However, it can also be associated with certain medical conditions which include Marfan syndrome, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and homocystinuria.
http://www.facebook.com/grotesqMB
Arachnodactyly ("spider fingers") or achromachia, is a condition in which the fingers are abnormally long and slender in comparison to the palm of the hand. It can be present at birth or develop in later life.
It is also seen in some cases that all or a few fingers can be bent backwards of 180 degrees.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnodactyly
January 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Pando (tree)
Pando (Latin for "I spread"), also known as The Trembling Giant,12 is a clonal colony of a single male Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) determined to be a single living organism by identical genetic markers3 and one massive underground root system. The plant is estimated to weigh collectively 6,000,000 kg (6,600 short tons),4 making it the heaviest known organism.5 The root system of Pando, at an estimated 80,000 years old, is among the oldest known living organisms.6
Pando is located in the Fishlake National Forest, near Fish Lake at the western edge of the Colorado Plateau in South-central Utah.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree)
January 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Wiktionary's word of the day:
enthesis:
(anatomy) The point at which a tendon, ligament, or muscle inserts into
a bone.
enthesis /en·the·sis/ (en-the´sis) the site of attachment of a muscle or ligament to bone.
en·the·sis (nth-ss)
n. pl. en·the·ses (-sz)
The surgical insertion of synthetic or other inorganic material to replace lost tissue.
enthesis en´thĕ-sis
the site of attachment of a muscle or ligament to bone.
enthesis
1. the use of artificial material in the repair of a defect or deformity of the body.
2. the site of attachment of a muscle or ligament to bone.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/enthesis
January 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Better definition, courtesy Jan;
palinspastic
Wiktionary
adj. geology, of a map Showing the previous location of geological features, correcting for any intervening crustal movements.
Thanks, Jan. Note to self; check more than one source.
January 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
allocution \al-uh-KYOO-shuhn\, noun:
1. A formal speech, especially one of an incontrovertible or hortatory nature.
2. A pronouncement delivered by the pope to a secret consistory, especially on a matter of policy or of general importance.
The little crowd, with some ironical cheers and hootings, nevertheless felt the force of Madame Fribsby's vigorous allocution, and retreated before her…
-- William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Pendennis
Towards midday, the abbé Pirard took leave of his pupils, not without first delivering a severe allocution.
-- Stendhal, The Red and the Black
Allocution stems from the Latin root alloquī which meant to "to speak, address." The suffix -ion forms nouns from stems, as in the words communion and opinion.
Dictionary.com Word of the day 21 January 2013
January 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
palinspastic
WOTD - 21 January 2013
editEtymology
From Ancient Greek πάλιν (pálin, “again”) + σπαστικός (spastikós, “drawing”).
editPronunciation
IPA: /pælɪnˈspæstɪk/
Rhymes: -æstɪk
editAdjective
palinspastic (not comparable)
(geology, of a map) Showing the previous location of geological features, correcting for any intervening crustal movements. quotations ▼
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/palinspastic
January 22, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
fugacious - Passing away quickly; evanescent.
Synonyms: ephemeral, passing, short-lived, transitory, transient
Usage: Restless, shifting, fugacious as time itself is a certain vast bulk of the population of the red brick district of the lower West Side.
freedictionary.com
January 21, 2013
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Superfluid
With the lowest melting and boiling points of any known substance, helium—alone among the elements—will not solidify even as its temperature approaches absolute zero. Instead, it takes on extremely unusual physical properties, as physicists discovered in 1937. It becomes a superfluid. With zero entropy, zero viscosity, and extremely high thermal conductivity
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Superfluid
January 21, 2013
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auspicate
Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
v. To initiate or inaugurate with ceremonies calculated to insure good luck. This meaning of the word was borrowed from the Roman practice of taking the auspices before undertaking any important business.
v. To begin or introduce in a favorable or auspicious manner.
v. To be an augury of; foreshow.
This word comes from the Latin 'auspex,' interpreter of omens given by birds.
Examples
“Why the W.C.T.U. should object to the use of champagne to auspicate the career of a new ship at her launching is more than we have ever been able to make out.” ‘A Baptism of Oil,’ The New York Times, March 25, 1905
“The next day King John, to auspicate his temporal affairs with spiritual devotions (and yet to shew what he thought of some superstitious follies of those times), went undauntedly into the Cathedral Church of that city, being much persuaded by many (for monkish impostures persuaded many it was very ominous for a King to enter that and certain other places), and there offered a golden challice on Saint John's altar, which no King before him ever durst do.” Beauties of English and Scottish History
http://www.wordnik.com/word-of-the-day
January 21, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
jubilarian \joo-buh-LAIR-ee-uhn\, noun:
A person who celebrates or has celebrated a jubilee, as a nun observing 25 or more years of religious life.
To enable the school to open in 1916, Sisters Agnes Geraghty and Corona Hargrafen, golden jubilarians, had come out of retirement, and Sister Juliana Kritenbrink, another golden jubilarian, joined them the next year.
-- O. P. Dolores Enderle, Suzanne Noffke, The Dominicans of Racine, Wisconsin
The crowd was so great that when the doors were closed at a late hour to relieve the strain on the seventy-two-year-old jubilarian, a line of people still reached around the south and west sides of the Square.
-- Patrick Ryan, Archbishop Patrick John Ryan His Life and Times
In Biblical tradition, the jubilee is a yearlong celebration which occurs every 50 years. All debts are forgiven and lands returned to their original owners. Today jubilees are often celebrations of significant anniversaries, particularly every 25, 50, 60 or 75 years. Jubliarian refers to anyone who has or is celebrating a significant 25-year milestone.
dictionary.com
January 20, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
shindy \SHIN-dee\, noun:
1. A row; rumpus.
2. A shindig.
"If the thing goes wrong," said a man by my side, "we shall see a shindy."
-- Maurice Leblanc, The Three Eyes
"Say," he said, "there's an awful shindy in the house. The dressmaker is pitching into papa for all she is worth, and there are some other folks, but she's goin' it loudest; but they are all going it! Cracky! Hear 'em!"
-- Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman, The Debtor
Shindy is a peculiar Americanism that arose in the 1810s. It referred originally to shinny, a now-obsolete game resembling field hockey. The word came to be applied not just to sport but also to raucous events.
January 19, 2013
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Spoiler alert: Word enthusiasts want to ban "fiscal cliff"
By Colleen Jenkins
Mon Dec 31, 2012 12:09pm EST
(Reuters) - Whether or not the U.S. Congress acts to avoid the "fiscal cliff," the much-used phrase tops the list of words language aficionados want banned from everyday speech, according to a Michigan university's yearly roundup released on Monday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/31/us-usa-words-banished-idUSBRE8BU09T20121231
January 18, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
hypnopompic
\ hip-nuh-POM-pik \ , adjective;
1.
Of or pertaining to the semiconscious state prior to complete wakefulness.
Definition of hypnopompic| See synonyms| Comment on today's word| Suggest tomorrow's word
Quotes:
He shudders, snaps himself out of it; as one can, with effort, do, to escape from a bad dream, working one's way in stages, toward hypnopompic state until finally, fully awake.
-- Mary Caponegro, The Star Cafe
He woke fitfully, from a dream where his work had gone terribly wrong. He was still hypnopompic .
-- Richard Powers, The Echo Maker
Origin:
Hypnopompic literally means "sending away sleep" in Greek. It was coined in English in the early 1900s from the roots hypno- meaning "sleep" and pomp meaning "sending away."
http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday
January 17, 2013
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"Superomniphobic" nanoscale coating repels almost any liquid
http://www.gizmag.com/superomniphobic-liquid-repelling-coating/25836/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=6771290508-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email
January 17, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
14 Great Words the English Language Lacks
http://www.newser.com/story/161020/14-great-words-with-no-english-equivalent.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=slate&utm_campaign=greatfinds_rss
January 17, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
virtualization
In computing, virtualization means to create a virtual version of a device or resource, such as a server, storage device, network or even an operating system where the framework divides the resource into one or more execution environments. Even something as simple as partitioning a hard drive is considered virtualization because you take one drive and partition it to create two separate hard drives. Devices, applications and human users are able to interact with the virtual resource as if it were a real single logical resource. The term virtualization has become somewhat of a buzzword, and as a result the term is now associated with a number of computing technologies including the following:
storage virtualization: the amalgamation of multiple network storage devices into what appears to be a single storage unit.
server virtualization: the partitioning a physical server into smaller virtual servers.
operating system-level virtualization: a type of server virtualization technology which works at the operating system (kernel) layer.
network virtualization: using network resources through a logical segmentation of a single physical network.
application virtualization
See also virtual.
Contrast with physical.
Compare virtualization with emulation.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/V/virtualization.html
January 17, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
hypnopompic \hip-nuh-POM-pik\, adjective:
Of or pertaining to the semiconscious state prior to complete wakefulness.
He shudders, snaps himself out of it; as one can, with effort, do, to escape from a bad dream, working one's way in stages, toward hypnopompic state until finally, fully awake.
-- Mary Caponegro, The Star Cafe
He woke fitfully, from a dream where his work had gone terribly wrong. He was still hypnopompic.
-- Richard Powers, The Echo Maker
Hypnopompic literally means "sending away sleep" in Greek. It was coined in English in the early 1900s from the roots hypno- meaning "sleep" and pomp meaning "sending away."
Dictionary com/word/of the/day
January 17, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Bilby,
Missed that "S" in the cut/paste but went back and added it back in.
Wondering why the edit didn't `take'?
One of many things I wonder about on this site...
Later - when should be wondering about self. Obvious execution error.
January 17, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Boo! Hiss!
San Antonio to open first bookless public library
A new library to be opened in Bexar County, Texas, will provide visitors with a bank of e-Readers for borrowing e-books ... but books of the traditional paper variety will be glaringly absent. The project marks the first public library to be built as an all-digital service and just to make sure library-goers are in no doubt that it's the 21st century, the interior will feature a design influenced by Apple retail stores.
Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile
January 16, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Word of the Day for Wednesday, January 16, 2013
preconcert \pree-kuhn-SURT\, verb:
1. To arrange in advance or beforehand, as by a previous agreement.
adjective:
1. Preceding a concert: a preconcert reception for sponsors.
Indeed she did not really suspect the visitor, who was one too ingenuous in his nature to preconcert so subtle and so wicked a scheme.
-- Anthony Trollope, Dr. Wortle's School
If personal accidents, and accidents so trivial, could, to any serious extent, be amongst the causes of war, then it would become a hopeful duty to preconcert personal combinations that should take an opposite direction.
-- Thomas De Quincey, The Works of Thomas De Quincey
Though today concert is most often a noun, it was usually used as a verb in the 1700s typically in the sense of "to bring together" or "to arrange." Preconcert thus meant "to arrange beforehand."
preconcert: Dictionary.com Word of the Day
January 16, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
pendragon
Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A chief leader; a generalissimo; a chief king. The title was conferred of old on British chiefs in times of great danger, when they were invested with dictatorial power.
This word comes from the Welsh ‘pen,’ head, and the Latin ‘dracon- ,’ snake, the standard of a cohort.
Examples
“He would have gratefully given all his patrimonial domains to one who should inform him what pendragon or druid it was who set up the first stone on Salisbury plain.” Memoirs of Carwin, the Biloquist, by Charles Brockden Brown
“In seasons of emergency, indeed, the confederated princes elected a dictator, who bore the title of Pendragon (head of all Britain), and among such are to be found the Arthurs and the Alfreds of their heroic times.” Wanderings and Excursions in North Wales, by Thomas Roscoe
“From that day forward he was called Uther-Pendragon, for formerly his name was only Uther, and Pendragon, which means in the Breton language, ‘dragon's head,’ was added, and he received this appellation because Merlin had prophesied that he should be king in semblance of a dragon.” A collection of the chronicles and ancient histories of Great Britain, by Jehan de Wavrin
http://www.wordnik.com/word-of-the-day
January 16, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
vertex \VUR-teks\, noun:
1. The highest point of something; apex; summit; top: the vertex of a mountain.
2. Anatomy, Zoology. The crown or top of the head.
3. Craniometry. The highest point on the midsagittal plane of the skull or head viewed from the left side when the skull or head is in the Frankfurt horizontal.
4. Astronomy. A point in the celestial sphere toward which or from which the common motion of a group of stars is directed.
5. Geometry. A. The point farthest from the base: the vertex of a cone or of a pyramid. B. A point in a geometrical solid common to three or more sides. C. The intersection of two sides of a plane figure.
When the six-pointed star was laid perfectly over the Great Seal of the United States, the star's top vertex fit perfectly over the Masonic all-seeing eye…
-- Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol
Some way off from its near vertex (which happened to be between terrible Dino and Pemphredo the stinger), I hid behind a shrub of briar to reconnoiter…
-- John Barth, Chimera
Vertex stems from the Latin word of the same spelling which meant "a whirl" or "top (of the head)." It comes from the same stem as the word vortex, vert meaning "to turn." The sense of "the highest point" arose in the 1640s.
vertex: Dictionary.com Word of the Day
January 15, 2013
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Walkaway
Definition: (noun) An easy victory.
Synonyms: blowout, romp, runaway, shoo-in, laugher
Usage: Stanley has a gift for science and has won first prize at his past four science fairs, so this year's fair is almost a guaranteed walkaway for him.
word.of.the.day@farlex.com
January 15, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
floccinaucinihilipilificate:
(colloquial) To describe or regard something as worthless.
Wiktionary's word of the day:
January 15, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
also-ran \AWL-soh-ran\, noun:
1. Informal. A person who loses a contest, election, or other competition.
2. Sports. A. (In a race) a contestant who fails to win or to place among the first three finishers. B. An athlete or team whose performance in competition is rarely, if ever, a winning or near-winning one.
3. Informal. A person who attains little or no success: For every great artist there are a thousand also-rans.
Nah! They wouldn't want an also-ran, and Edsel will always be an also-ran. They want a contender, and that's you.
-- Emily Carmichael, A New Leash on Life
The Republicans’ allowing Clint Eastwood to improvise like an also-ran at a talent show, on their Convention’s most important night, only heightened the contrast.
-- Steve Coll, "Conventional Wisdom," The New Yorker, Sept. 17, 2012
Also-ran was first used in the late 1800s to refer to the losing horse in a horse race. The term was applied more broadly to the loser of any contest shortly thereafter.
dictionary.com/wordoftheday
January 14, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
pizzle;
piz·zle piz-uh l Show IPA
noun
1.
the penis of an animal, especially a bull.
2.
a whip made from a bull's pizzle.
Origin:
1515–25; probably < dialectal Dutch pezel or Low German pēsel, equivalent to Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pēs ( e ) ( Dutch pees ) tendon, sinew + -el diminutive suffix; see -le
World English Dictionary
pizzle (ˈpɪz ə l)
— n
archaic , dialect or the penis of an animal, esp a bull
C16: of Germanic origin; compare Low German pēsel, Flemish pēzel, Middle Dutch pēze sinew
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
pizzle
"penis of a bull used as a flogging instrument," 1523, from L.Ger. pesel or Flem. pezel, dim. of root of Du. pees "sinew," from O.L.G. root *pisa.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
pizzle definition
P
a wild card word for words beginning with , such as piss,pee. (Streets. Also for other words with initial P.) : I gotta pizzle.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bull pizzle cut into small pieces for dogs to chew.
Pizzle is an old English word for penis, derived from Low German pesel or Flemish Dutch pezel, diminutive of pees, meaning 'sinew'.1 The word is used today to signify the penis of an animal,2 chiefly in Australia and New Zealand.3
(snip)
Knew a guy had a 3.5 foot walking stick made from a dried pizzle from a bull's penis, allegedly presented to him by A Mexican Matador.
January 13, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
proscenium;
pro·sce·ni·um proh-see-nee-uh m, pruh- Show IPA
noun, plural pro·sce·ni·a -nee-uh Show IPA . Theater .
1.
Also called proscenium arch. the arch that separates a stage from the auditorium. Abbreviation: pros.
2.
(formerly) the apron or, especially in ancient theater, the stage itself.
Origin:
1600–10; < Latin proscēnium, proscaenium < Greek proskḗnion entrance to a tent, porch, stage ( Late Greek: stage curtain), equivalent to pro- pro-2 + skēn ( ḗ ) (see scene) + -ion neuter noun suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
World English Dictionary
proscenium (prəˈsiːnɪəm)
— n , pl -nia , -niums
1. the arch or opening separating the stage from the auditorium together with the area immediately in front of the arch
2. (in ancient theatres) the stage itself
C17: via Latin from Greek proskēnion, from pro- before + skēnē scene
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Word Origin & History
proscenium
1606, "stage of an ancient theater," from L. proscaenium, from Gk. proskenion "the space in front of the scenery," also "entrance of a tent," from pro "in front" + skene "stage, tent, booth." Modern sense of "space between the curtain and the orchestra" is attested from 1807.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Example sentences
The main auditorium has a balcony with a proscenium stage opposite the lobby.
Significant interior features include stamped tin ceilings, the stage and proscenium.
In addition, the stage will undergo a complete renovation, adding a proscenium and footlights.
Diagonal view of orchestra, proscenium and stage, curtains open.
Hose connections on stages are to be on the audience side of the proscenium curtain.
The low, wide format with its strongly angled walls is the proscenium for this cast of historical actors.
Its track record in proscenium theaters remains mixed.
Incorporated into the gymnasium is also a proscenium arch and stage.
Also, if one day soon it no longer makes sense to continue to do performances on a proscenium stage, we'll stop.
The proscenium arch is pro vided and the needed stage directions given.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/proscenium%3B?s=t
January 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
stylite
sty·lite stahy-lahyt Show IPA
noun, Ecclesiastical History .
one of a class of solitary ascetics who lived on the top of high pillars or columns.
Origin:
1630–40; < Late Greek stȳlī́tēs, equivalent to stŷl ( os ) pillar + -itēs -ite1
Related forms
sty·lit·ic stahy-lit-ik Show IPA , adjective.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Word Origin & History
stylite
ascetic living on the top of a pillar, c.1638, from Eccles. Gk. stylites, from stylos "pillar" (see stet).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Word Origin & History
stylite
ascetic living on the top of a pillar, c.1638, from Eccles. Gk. stylites, from stylos "pillar" (see stet).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stylites+?s=t
Stylites (from Greek stylos, "pillar", Classical Syriac: ܐܣܛܘܢܐ ʼasṯonáyé) or Pillar-Saints are a type of Christian ascetic who in the early days of the Byzantine Empire stood on pillars preaching, fasting and praying. They believed that the mortification of their bodies would help ensure the salvation of their souls. The first stylite was probably Simeon Stylites the Elder who climbed on a pillar in Syria in 423 and remained there until his death 37 years later. (more)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stylites
January 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
cinquecentist
cin·que·cen·tist ching-kwi-chen-tist Show IPA
noun
an Italian writer or artist of the 16th century.
Origin:
1870–75; < Italian cinquecentista, equivalent to cinquecent ( o ) (see cinquecento) + -ista -ist
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
World English Dictionary
cinquecento (ˌtʃɪŋkwɪˈtʃɛntəʊ)
— n
the 16th century, esp in reference to Italian art, architecture, or literature
C18: Italian, shortened from milcinquecento 1500
cinque'centist
— n
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cinquecentist?s=t
January 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
elve(s);
elve elv Show IPA
noun
an extremely dim, flattened, expanding, reddish glow briefly seen over a thunderstorm, due to electromagnetic pulses from intense lightning.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Science Dictionary
elve (ělv) Pronunciation Key
An extremely dim, short-lived, expanding disk of reddish light above thunderstorms, believed to be caused by electromagnetic pulses from intense lightning in the lower ionosphere. Elves last less than a second and can be as wide as 500 km (310 mi) in diameter.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Example sentences
Perhaps because the mesosphere is so little understood, it is home to two meteorological mysteries: sprites and elves.
But lightning flickers above thunderstorms too, where the ghostly flashes have such fanciful names as elves and sprites.
Scientists believe elves result when an energetic electromagnetic pulse extends up into the ionosphere.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/elves?s=t
January 12, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
palmette
pal·mette pal-met Show IPA
noun
a conventionalized shape in the form of palmately spread leaves or sections, used as ornamentation. Compare anthemion, lotus ( def 5 ) .
Origin:
1835–45; < French; see palm2 , -ette
World English Dictionarypalmette (pælˈmɛt)
— n
archaeol an ornament or design resembling the palm leaf
C19: from French: a little palm ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Example sentences
Flanking each side of the decorative band are two semicircular columns of varying height capped by palmette ornamentation.
In addition, the west side is capped by a gabled roof with a palmette in relief at its peak.
Anthemion and palmette motifs dominate the tablets and corner blocks made for the house.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/palmette?s=t
January 11, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
zeptomole:
(chemistry, physics) A small amount of a substance, especially a
countable number of atoms or molecules.
Wiktionary's word of the day:
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
demotic
de·mot·ic (d-mtk)
adj.
1. Of or relating to the common people; popular: demotic speech; demotic entertainments.
2. Of, relating to, or written in the simplified form of ancient Egyptian hieratic writing.
3. Demotic Of or relating to a form of modern Greek based on colloquial use.
n.
Demotic Greek.
Greek dmotikos, from dmots, a commoner, from dmos, people; see d- in Indo-European roots.
demotic dɪˈmɒtɪk
adj
1. (Sociology) of or relating to the common people; popular
2. (Linguistics / Languages) of or relating to a simplified form of hieroglyphics used in ancient Egypt by the ordinary literate class outside the priesthood Compare hieratic
n
(Linguistics / Languages) the demotic script of ancient Egypt
from Greek dēmotikos of the people, from dēmotēs a man of the people, commoner; see demos
demotist n
Demotic dɪˈmɒtɪk
n
(Linguistics / Languages) the spoken form of Modern Greek, now increasingly used in literature Compare Katharevusa
adj
(Linguistics / Languages) denoting or relating to this
demotic
1. of or relating to the common people; popular.
2. of, pertaining to, or noting the simplified form of hieratic writing used in ancient Egypt.
3. (cap.) of, belonging to, or connected with modern colloquial Greek. Also called Romaic.
See also: Language
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. Demotic - a simplified cursive form of the ancient hieratic script; "Demotic script was eventually replaced by Greek"
Demotic script
hieratic, hieratic script - a cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphics; used especially by the priests
2. Demotic - the modern Greek vernacular
Romaic
Modern Greek, New Greek - the Greek language as spoken and written today
Adj. 1. Demotic - of or written in or belonging to the form of modern Greek based on colloquial use
2. demotic - of or for the common people; "demotic entertainments"; "demotic speech"; "a poet with a keen ear for demotic rhythms"
common - having no special distinction or quality; widely known or commonly encountered; average or ordinary or usual; "the common man"; "a common sailor"; "the common cold"; "a common nuisance"; "followed common procedure"; "it is common knowledge that she lives alone"; "the common housefly"; "a common brand of soap"
demotic
adjective
1. colloquial, familiar, informal, everyday, vernacular, conversational, idiomatic his command of demotic American speech
2. common, ordinary, working-class, humble, vulgar, grass-roots, lower-class, proletarian, common or garden, plebeian, lowbrow, lowborn a populist, demotic politician
common elite, noble, upper-class, aristocratic, patrician, blue-blooded, highborn
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/demotic
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
facticity
fac·tic·i·ty (fk-ts-t)
n.
The quality or condition of being a fact: historical facticity.
References in periodicals archive
Confronting the viewer with the medium's facticity, Soltau paradoxically mitigates the importance of in-frame illusion(s) even as she constructs her works from them.
String theories: Annegret Soltau's transitional, fetishistic ... by Afterimage
Both then and now, Taylor argues, exotic bodies are presented in museums as a "truth" factor, to "prove" the material facticity of an "Other" (ibid.
Playing to the gallery: masks, masquerade, and museums by Savage, Polly / African Arts
John Butler describes facticity as follows, "Facticity is the way things are .
Aliens and existential elevators: absurdity and its shadows in ... by van der Colff, M.A. / Literator: Journal of Literary Criticism, comparative linguistics and literary studies
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/facticity
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
gadzooks
gad·zooks (gdzks)
interj.
Used as a mild or ironic oath: "Gadzooks! Is there a panic detector, akin to a smoke detector, that sniffs anxiety in the air?" (George F. Will).
Perhaps alteration of God's hooks, the nails of the crucifixion of Christ.
gadzooks gædˈzuːks
interj
Archaic a mild oath
perhaps from God's hooks (the nails of the cross); see Gad1
gadzooks - An abridgment of God's hooks, "nails of the cross."
See also related terms for nails.
References in periodicals archive
Gadzooks - Shakespeare wrote those words in Macbeth.
CRINGE AT THE FRINGE; Dannii's latest bid for fame is as Lady Macbeth ... by Adams, Billy / Sunday Mail (Glasgow, Scotland)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/gadzooks
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
egad
e·gad (-gd) or e·gads (-gdz)
interj.
Used as a mild exclamation.
Alteration of oh God.
egad ɪˈgæd iːˈgæd
interj
Archaic a mild oath or expression of surprise
probably variant of Ah God!
References in classic literature
The thing was hushed up, but, egad, Kelso ate his chop alone at the club for some time afterwards.
The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Wilde, Oscar
When Sancho saw the bride, he exclaimed, "By my faith, she is not dressed like a country girl, but like some fine court lady; egad, as well as I can make out, the patena she wears rich coral, and her green Cuenca stuff is thirty-pile velvet; and then the white linen trimming- by my oath, but it's satin
Don Quixote by Cervantes, Miguel
Egad, Samuel, if you've any drug in your travelling-chest that will set me on my feet again, bring it without delay.
Five Weeks in a Balloon by Verne, Jules
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Egad
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
kill
kill 2 (kl)
n. New York State
See creek. See Regional Notes at stoop2, run.
Dutch kil, from Middle Dutch kille.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/kill
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
jacquard
Jac·quard (jkärd, j-kärd, zhä-kär), Joseph Marie 1752-1834.
French inventor of the jacquard loom (1801), the first automatic loom able to weave complex patterns.
jac·quard also Jac·quard (jkärd, j-kärd)
n.
1. A fabric with an intricately woven pattern.
2. A special loom or the method employed in the weaving of a figured fabric.
After Joseph Marie Jacquard.
jacquard adj.
Jacquard ˈdʒækɑːd dʒəˈkɑːd (French) ʒakar
n
1. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Knitting & Sewing) Also called Jacquard weave a fabric in which the design is incorporated into the weave instead of being printed or dyed on
2. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Knitting & Sewing) Also called Jacquard loom the loom that produces this fabric
named after Joseph M. Jacquard (1752-1834), French inventor
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. Jacquard - French inventor of the Jacquard loom that could automatically weave complicated patterns (1752-1834)
Joseph M. Jacquard, Joseph Marie Jacquard
2. jacquard - a highly figured fabric woven on a Jacquard loom
cloth, fabric, textile, material - artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress"
3. Jacquard - a loom with an attachment for forming openings for the passage of the shuttle between the warp threads; used in weaving figured fabrics
Jacquard loom
loom - a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/jacquard
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
hawser
haw·ser (hôzr)
n.
A cable or rope used in mooring or towing a ship.
Middle English, from Anglo-Norman haucer, from Old French haucier, to hoist, from Vulgar Latin *altire, alteration of Late Latin altre, from Latin altus, high; see al-2 in Indo-European roots.
hawser ˈhɔːzə
n
(Transport / Nautical Terms) Nautical a large heavy rope
from Anglo-French hauceour, from Old French haucier to hoist, ultimately from Latin altus high
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. hawser - large heavy rope for nautical use
rope - a strong line
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hawser
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
bollard
bol·lard (blrd)
n.
1. Nautical A thick post on a ship or wharf, used for securing ropes and hawsers.
2. One of a series of posts preventing vehicles from entering an area.
Middle English, probably from bole, tree trunk; see bole1.
bollard ˈbɒlɑːd ˈbɒləd
n
1. (Transport / Nautical Terms) a strong wooden or metal post mounted on a wharf, quay, etc., used for securing mooring lines
2. (Engineering / Civil Engineering) Brit a small post or marker placed on a kerb or traffic island to make it conspicuous to motorists
3. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Mountaineering) Mountaineering an outcrop of rock or pillar of ice that may be used to belay a rope
perhaps from bole1 + -ard
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. bollard - a strong post (as on a wharf or quay or ship for attaching mooring lines); "the road was closed to vehicular traffic with bollards"
bitt
bitthead - the upper end of a bitt
pier, wharf, wharfage, dock - a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
post - an upright consisting of a piece of timber or metal fixed firmly in an upright position; "he set a row of posts in the ground and strung barbwire between them"
riding bitt - one of the large bitts used to secure the cable of a dropped anchor
ship - a vessel that carries passengers or freight
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bollard
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
passional
pas·sion·al (psh-nl)
adj.
Of, relating to, or filled with passion.
n.
A book of the sufferings of saints and martyrs.
passional ˈpæʃənəl
adj
of, relating to, or due to passion or the passions
n
(Christian Religious Writings / Theology) a book recounting the sufferings of Christian martyrs or saints
References in classic literature
But this two-legged god-devil did not rage blindly and was incapable of passional heat.
Michael, Brother of Jerry by London, Jack View in context
It went through Saxon until she was as this instrument, swept with passional strains.
The Valley of the Moon by London, Jack
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/passional
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
fleer
fleer (flîr)
intr.v. fleered, fleer·ing, fleers
To smirk or laugh in contempt or derision.
n.
A taunting, scoffing, or derisive look or gibe.
Middle English flerien, of Scandinavian origin.
fleering·ly adv.
fleer flɪə Archaic
vb
to grin or laugh at; scoff; sneer
n
a derisory glance or grin
of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian flire to snigger
fleeringly adv
fleer - To laugh in a disrespectful or jeering way.
See also related terms for laugh.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. fleer - someone who flees from an uncongenial situation; "fugitives from the sweatshops"
fugitive, runaway
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
2. fleer - contempt expressed by mockery in looks or words
scorn, contempt - open disrespect for a person or thing
Verb 1. fleer - to smirk contemptuously
simper, smirk - smile affectedly or derisively
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fleer
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Hurdy gurdy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Hurdy-gurdy)
This article is about the musical instrument. For the video game with a similar name, see Herdy Gerdy. For the 1968 song, see Hurdy Gurdy Man.
The hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents (small wedges, typically made of wood) against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a sound board to make the vibration of the strings audible.
Most hurdy gurdies have multiple drone strings, which give a constant pitch accompaniment to the melody, resulting in a sound similar to that of bagpipes. For this reason, the hurdy gurdy is often used interchangeably or along with bagpipes, particularly in French and contemporary Hungarian and Galician folk music.
Many folk music festivals in Europe feature music groups with hurdy gurdy players, with the most famous annual festival occurring at Saint-Chartier, in the Indre département, in central France, during the week nearest July 14 (Bastille Day).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurdy-gurdy
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
amanuensis
a·man·u·en·sis (-mny-nss)
n. pl. a·man·u·en·ses (-sz)
One who is employed to take dictation or to copy manuscript.
amanuensis əˌmænjʊˈɛnsɪs
n pl -ses -siːz
a person employed to take dictation or to copy manuscripts
from Latin āmanuensis, from the phrase servus ā manū slave at hand (that is, handwriting)
amanuensis
Formal. 1. a secretary.
2. a scribe or copyist.
amanuensis - Literally "slave at hand"—for a literary assistant, especially one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.
World English Dictionary
amanuensis (əˌmænjʊˈɛnsɪs)
— n , pl -ses
a person employed to take dictation or to copy manuscripts
C17: from Latin āmanuensis, from the phrase servus ā manū slave at hand (that is, handwriting)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
amanuensis
"one who takes dictation," 1610s, from L. amanuensis, from servus a manu "secretary," lit. "servant from the hand," from a "from" + manu, ablative of manus "hand" (see manual).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ter·giv·er·sate (tr-jvr-st, tûrj-vr-)
intr.v. ter·giv·er·sat·ed, ter·giv·er·sat·ing, ter·giv·er·sates
1. To use evasions or ambiguities; equivocate.
2. To change sides; apostatize.
Latin tergiversr, tergiverst- : tergum, the back + versre, to turn; see wer-2 in Indo-European roots.
tergi·ver·sation n.
tergi·ver·sator (-str) n.
tergiversate ˈtɜːdʒɪvəˌseɪt
vb (intr)
1. to change sides or loyalties; apostatize
2. to be evasive or ambiguous; equivocate
from Latin tergiversārī to turn one's back, from tergum back + vertere to turn
tergiversation n
tergiversator , tergiversant ˈtɜːdʒɪˌvɜːsənt n
tergiversatory adj
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb 1. tergiversate - be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
beat around the bush, equivocate, palter, prevaricate
misinform, mislead - give false or misleading information to
2. tergiversate - abandon one's beliefs or allegiances
apostatise, apostatize
repudiate, disown, renounce - cast off; "She renounced her husband"; "The parents repudiated their son"
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ter·giv·er·sate (tr-jvr-st, tûrj-vr-)
intr.v. ter·giv·er·sat·ed, ter·giv·er·sat·ing, ter·giv·er·sates
1. To use evasions or ambiguities; equivocate.
2. To change sides; apostatize.
Latin tergiversr, tergiverst- : tergum, the back + versre, to turn; see wer-2 in Indo-European roots.
tergi·ver·sation n.
tergi·ver·sator (-str) n.
tergiversate ˈtɜːdʒɪvəˌseɪt
vb (intr)
1. to change sides or loyalties; apostatize
2. to be evasive or ambiguous; equivocate
from Latin tergiversārī to turn one's back, from tergum back + vertere to turn
tergiversation n
tergiversator , tergiversant ˈtɜːdʒɪˌvɜːsənt n
tergiversatory adj
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb 1. tergiversate - be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
beat around the bush, equivocate, palter, prevaricate
misinform, mislead - give false or misleading information to
2. tergiversate - abandon one's beliefs or allegiances
apostatise, apostatize
repudiate, disown, renounce - cast off; "She renounced her husband"; "The parents repudiated their son"
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ter·giv·er·sate (tr-jvr-st, tûrj-vr-)
intr.v. ter·giv·er·sat·ed, ter·giv·er·sat·ing, ter·giv·er·sates
1. To use evasions or ambiguities; equivocate.
2. To change sides; apostatize.
Latin tergiversr, tergiverst- : tergum, the back + versre, to turn; see wer-2 in Indo-European roots.
tergi·ver·sation n.
tergi·ver·sator (-str) n.
tergiversate ˈtɜːdʒɪvəˌseɪt
vb (intr)
1. to change sides or loyalties; apostatize
2. to be evasive or ambiguous; equivocate
from Latin tergiversārī to turn one's back, from tergum back + vertere to turn
tergiversation n
tergiversator , tergiversant ˈtɜːdʒɪˌvɜːsənt n
tergiversatory adj
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb 1. tergiversate - be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
beat around the bush, equivocate, palter, prevaricate
misinform, mislead - give false or misleading information to
2. tergiversate - abandon one's beliefs or allegiances
apostatise, apostatize
repudiate, disown, renounce - cast off; "She renounced her husband"; "The parents repudiated their son"
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
theic
Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. One who is addicted to the immoderate use of tea; a tea-drunkard.
This word comes from the Latin ‘the-a,’ tea.
Examples
“It is customary to speak of acute, subacute, and chronic 'theism' - a form that has no connection with theological matters. It is possible to be a ‘theic’ by profession or a ‘theic’ by passion.” ‘Tea Drinkers’ Diseases,’ Star, October 20, 1886
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
fibissedah:
some notes: could find this in none of the usual places; Google
offered to check Google books, and Ta da! it found the above quoted
twice in the book
. It is now shown as a result when searched. Also,the book used proportional font, and though followed the book sentence
structure, it doesn't look the same. Cannot be copied in any way
no cut -paste, or CTR-C so had to write the thing out).
http://books.google.com/books?id=EUbXtBV8ko8C&pg=PA50&lpg=
PA50&dq=Fibissedah&source=bl&ots=uDnuSqwInk&sig=v1_sqL1p2TN-
UCz374N8_xgyoQ0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VxoTT6vPEMLX0QGUyfyqAw&ved
=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Fibissedah&f=false
Quote from the book;
"An old friend, Jonathon, had once called me fibissedah - face.
Yiddish. Meaning all my feelings paraded across my mug,
clearly to be read. I remember his comment and adopted a
purposeful neutrality."
Shortcut Man: A Novel
By P. G. Sturges
http://books.google.com/books?id=EUbXtBV8ko8C&dq=Fibissedah&source=gbs
_navlinks_s
Shortcut Man: A Novel (Google eBook)
P. G. Sturges
19 Reviews
Simon and Schuster, Feb 1, 2011 -
Fiction - 224 pages
Note: This was in a Gmail letter had saved, written to my brother and when tried copy/paste
found to my dismay that half the text was lopped off. Measured the
length of this screen on a piece of paper; held it over a new instance of
the message copy/pasted from original, and went through the text, putting in "enter" when close to page length. Copied that and finally
posted here. A pain equal to the first described.
Personal note:
Fibissedah is a condition from which I "suffer" in the sense that my
wives have looked to my face when making a "request" to see my
first reaction. If anything but wholesale joy is seen, anger and
resentment result. Instantly. Mind you, am _processing_, and if I
get that far, my response is either to negotiate (let me finish this
chapter) or outright delight (and what else can I get you?). The key
in quote below is "paraded", but does it get that far?
Not. For. A. Fuckin. Second. An instantaneous reaction is invoked.
I feel this to be terribly unfair - or to be more truthful, outraged
(of course); but then who knows us best?
As they say in the rooms with bad coffee, "We don't have relation-
ships, we take hostages."
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
alexz, you pretty well nailed them. Am in awe. Been hanging on to that article for over a year and now know why. Pretty awesome performance. thanks.
January 10, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Americanisms: 50 of your most noted examples
COMMENTS (1295)
Continue reading the main story
In today's Magazine
The girls stolen from the streets of India
Mystery writers seek science accuracy
Could America get a $1tn coin?
How do Armenians feel about Kim Kardashian's fame?
The Magazine's recent piece on Americanisms entering the language in the UK prompted thousands of you to e-mail examples.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Grig;
A cricket of the family Field crickets (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Gryllinae) .
http://academic.macewan.ca/judgek3/research/
Kevin A Judge discusses the carnivorous habits of female crickets while mating. Followed links from a CBS article containing a video of female eating her mate (.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57562728/watch-small-insects-engage-in-cannibal-sex/
to http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/nstv/2013/01/cannibal-grig-sex.html
to aforementioned http://academic.macewan.ca/judgek3/research/
A word new to me, though I am an amateur entomologist (specializing in a few families of beetles; some I discovered that were new to science have been named after me.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
cytizenship
A slang term used to describe the feeling of belonging in cyberspace. For example, this could be owning real estate in cyberspace, such as a domain name. It is also used to describe interactions of people in cyberspace through blogs, chat rooms, instant messaging, discussion forums and other places where people can communicate online.
Source: Webopedia Daily newsletters@itbusinessedge.com
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Anatolia ˌænəˈtəʊlɪə
n
(Placename) the Asian part of Turkey, occupying the peninsula between the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean: consists of a plateau, largely mountainous, with salt lakes in the interior Historical name Asia Minor
Wikipedia:
Anatolia (from Greek Ἀνατολή, Anatolē — "east" or "(sun)rise"; also Asia Minor, from Greek: Μικρὰ Ἀσία Mikrá Asía "small Asia"; in modern Turkish: Anadolu) is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey.1 The region is bounded by the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Aegean Sea to the west. The Sea of Marmara forms a connection between the Black and Aegean Seas through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, and separates Anatolia from Thrace on the European mainland. Traditionally, Anatolia is considered to extend in the east to a line between the Gulf of Iskenderun and the Black Sea, approximately corresponding to the western two-thirds of the Asian part of Turkey. However, since Anatolia is now often considered to be synonymous with Asian Turkey, its eastern and southeastern borders are widely taken to be the Turkish borders with the neighboring countries, which are Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria, in clockwise direction.
Anatolia has been inhabited by many peoples throughout history, such as the Hattians, Hurrians, Hittites, Luwians, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Greeks, Assyrians, Mitanni, Scythians, Cimmerians, Urartians, Carians, Commagene, Cilicians, Arameans, Kaskians, Mushki, Palaic, Corduene, Armenians, Romans, Colchians, Iberians, Georgians, Kurds, Seljuk Turks, and Ottomans. Each culture left behind unique artifacts, still being uncovered by archeologists.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Anatolia ˌænəˈtəʊlɪə
n
(Placename) the Asian part of Turkey, occupying the peninsula between the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean: consists of a plateau, largely mountainous, with salt lakes in the interior Historical name Asia Minor.
(skipped the thesaurus)
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Short word, really long definition as word has many usages:
Slough alternate sp. slue, slou
A borough of southeast England, a residential and industrial suburb of London. Population: 126,000.
slough 1 (sl, slou) also slew (sl)
n.
1. A depression or hollow, usually filled with deep mud or mire.
2. also slue A stagnant swamp, marsh, bog, or pond, especially as part of a bayou, inlet, or backwater.
3. A state of deep despair or moral degradation.
Middle English, from Old English slh.
sloughy adj.
slough 2 (slf)
n.
1. The dead outer skin shed by a reptile or amphibian.
2. Medicine A layer or mass of dead tissue separated from surrounding living tissue, as in a wound, sore, or inflammation.
3. An outer layer or covering that is shed.
v. sloughed, slough·ing, sloughs
v.intr.
1. To be cast off or shed; come off: The snake's skin sloughs off.
2. To shed a slough.
3. Medicine To separate from surrounding living tissue. Used of dead tissue.
v.tr.
To discard as undesirable or unfavorable; get rid of: slough off former associates.
Middle English slughe.
Slough slaʊ
n
1. (Placename) an industrial town in SE central England, in Slough unitary authority, Berkshire; food products, high-tech industries. Pop.: 118 008 (1998 est.)
2. (Placename) a unitary authority in SE central England, in Berkshire. Pop.: 119 070 (2001). Area: 28 sq. km (11 sq. miles)
slough1
n
1. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) a hollow filled with mud; bog
2. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) US and Canadian
a. (in the prairies) a large hole where water collects or the water in such a hole
b. (in the northwest) a sluggish side channel of a river
c. (on the Pacific coast) a marshy saltwater inlet
3. despair or degradation
Old English slōh; related to Middle High German sluoche ditch, Swedish slaga swamp
sloughy adj
slough2
n
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) any outer covering that is shed, such as the dead outer layer of the skin of a snake, the cellular debris in a wound, etc.
2. (Group Games / Bridge) Also sluff Bridge a discarded card
vb
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) (often foll by off) to shed (a skin, etc.) or (of a skin, etc.) to be shed
2. (Group Games / Bridge) Also sluff Bridge to discard (a card or cards)
of Germanic origin; compare Middle Low German slū husk, German Schlauch hose, Norwegian slō fleshy part of a horn
sloughy adj
slough (slf)
Noun
The dead outer skin shed by a reptile or an amphibian.
Verb
To shed an outer layer of skin.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. slough - necrotic tissue; a mortified or gangrenous part or mass
gangrene, sphacelus
pathology - any deviation from a healthy or normal condition
cold gangrene, dry gangrene, mumification necrosis, mummification - (pathology) gangrene that develops in the presence of arterial obstruction and is characterized by dryness of the dead tissue and a dark brown color
clostridial myonecrosis, emphysematous gangrene, emphysematous phlegmon, gangrenous emphysema, gas gangrene, gas phlegmon, progressive emphysematous necrosis - (pathology) a deadly form of gangrene usually caused by clostridium bacteria that produce toxins that cause tissue death; can be used as a bioweapon
2. slough - a hollow filled with mud
bog, peat bog - wet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation; has poorer drainage than a swamp; soil is unfit for cultivation but can be cut and dried and used for fuel
3. slough - a stagnant swamp (especially as part of a bayou)
swamp, swampland - low land that is seasonally flooded; has more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bog
4. slough - any outer covering that can be shed or cast off (such as the cast-off skin of a snake)
covering, natural covering, cover - a natural object that covers or envelops; "under a covering of dust"; "the fox was flushed from its cover"
Verb 1. slough - cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers; "our dog sheds every Spring"
exuviate, molt, moult, shed
desquamate, peel off - peel off in scales; "dry skin desquamates"
cast off, shed, throw off, throw away, shake off, throw, cast, drop - get rid of; "he shed his image as a pushy boss"; "shed your clothes"
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Quite an interesting article; remember reading in `50s of a Masters thesis the subject of which was a word count of all words in the works of Shakespeare. Pre-computer.
http://norvig.com/mayzner.html?wpisrc=nl_wonk
English Letter Frequency Counts:
Mayzner Revisited
or
ETAOIN SRHLDCU
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Just read this in a tech newsletter - used spruiking for selling.
spruik ˈspruːɪk
vb
(intr) Austral archaic slang to speak in public (used esp of a showman or salesman)
of unknown origin
spruiker n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Wiktionary's word of the day:
factitious:
1. Created by humans; artificial.
2. Counterfeit, fabricated.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
shisey - perhaps slang; read in book, find no definition. Unable to determine meaning in context.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Bi`ba´cious
a. 1. Addicted to drinking.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, published 1913 by C. & G. Merriam Co.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ca·ber (kbr)
n.
A long heavy wooden pole tossed end over end as a demonstration of strength in Scottish highland games.
Scottish Gaelic cabar, pole, beam, rafter, from Vulgar Latin *capri, from Latin capra, she-goat; see chevron.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
caber ˈkeɪbə (Scot) ˈkebər
n
(Individual Sports, other than specified) Scot a heavy section of trimmed tree trunk thrown in competition at Highland games (tossing the caber)
from Gaelic cabar pole
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. caber - a heavy wooden pole (such as the trunk of a young fir) that is tossed as a test of strength (in the Highlands of northern Scotland)
pole - a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
four-in-hand (fôrn-hnd, fr-)
n.
1. A team of four horses controlled by one driver.
2. A vehicle drawn by four horses.
3. A necktie tied in a slipknot with long ends left hanging one in front of the other.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
four-in-hand
n
1. (Engineering / Automotive Engineering) Also called tally-ho a road vehicle drawn by four horses and driven by one driver
2. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Horse Training, Riding & Manège) a four-horse team in a coach or carriage
3. (Clothing & Fashion) a long narrow tie formerly worn tied in a flat slipknot with the ends dangling
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. four-in-hand - a long necktie that is tied in a slipknot with one end hanging in front of the other
necktie, tie - neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front; "he stood in front of the mirror tightening his necktie"; "he wore a vest and tie"
2. four-in-hand - a carriage pulled by four horses with one driver
coach-and-four, coach
box seat, box - the driver's seat on a coach; "an armed guard sat in the box with the driver"
carriage, equipage, rig - a vehicle with wheels drawn by one or more horses
stagecoach, stage - a large coach-and-four formerly used to carry passengers and mail on regular routes between towns; "we went out of town together by stage about ten or twelve miles"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
cul·ly (kl) Archaic
n. pl. cul·lies
A fool or dupe.
tr.v. cul·lied, cul·ly·ing, cul·lies
To fool; cheat.
Perhaps from cullion.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
cully ˈkʌlɪ
n pl -lies
Slang pal; mate
of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
nob·by (nb)
adj. nob·bi·er, nob·bi·est
Fashionable; stylish.
From nob.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ruche (rsh)
n.
A ruffle or pleat of lace, muslin, or other fine fabric used for trimming women's garments.
French, from Old French rusche, beehive, from Medieval Latin rsca, bark of a tree (used for making beehives), of Celtic origin.
ruched (rsht) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
ca·chou (k-sh, ksh)
n.
A pastille used to sweeten the breath.
French, from Portuguese cachu, from Malayalam kccu, from Tamil kyccu.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
cachou ˈkæʃuː kæˈʃuː
n
1. a lozenge eaten to sweeten the breath
2. (Chemistry / Elements & Compounds) another name for catechu
via French from Portuguese, from Malay kāchu
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. cachou - a scented lozenge used to sweeten the breath (e.g. to conceal the odor of tobacco)
lozenge - a small aromatic or medicated candy
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
grout (grout)
n.
1.
a. A thin mortar used to fill cracks and crevices in masonry.
b. A thin plaster for finishing walls and ceilings.
2. Chiefly British Sediment; lees. Often used in the plural.
tr.v. grout·ed, grout·ing, grouts
To fill or finish with a thin mortar or plaster.
Middle English, grain used for making malt, mud, from Old English grt, coarse meal.
grouter n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
grouts graʊts
pl n
1. Chiefly Brit sediment or grounds, as from making coffee
2. (Cookery) a variant of groats
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Or·ange·man (ôrnj-mn, r-)
n.
1. A member of a secret society founded in Northern Ireland in 1795 to maintain the political and religious ascendancy of Protestantism.
2. A Protestant Irishman.
After William, Prince of Orange, later King William III of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Orangeman ˈɒrɪndʒmən
n pl -men
(Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a member of a society founded in Ireland (1795) to uphold the Protestant religion, the Protestant dynasty, and the Protestant constitution. Orange Lodges have since spread to many parts of the former British Empire
after William, prince of Orange (king of England as William III)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. Orangeman - a member of a society founded in Ireland in 1795 to uphold Protestantism and the British sovereign
Association of Orangemen, Orange Order - a Protestant political organization in Northern Ireland
Protestant - an adherent of Protestantism
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
o·da·lisque also o·da·lisk (d-lsk)
n.
A woman slave in a harem.
French, from Turkish dalik, chambermaid : dah, room + -lik, suff. expressing function.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
odalisque, odalisk ˈəʊdəlɪsk
n
a female slave or concubine
via French, changed from Turkish ōdalik, from ōdah room + -lik n suffix
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. odalisque - a woman slave in a harem
concubine, courtesan, doxy, paramour - a woman who cohabits with an important man
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 9, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
unc·tu·ous (ngkch-s)
adj.
1. Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness: "the unctuous, complacent court composer who is consumed with envy and self-loathing" (Rhoda Koenig).
2. Having the quality or characteristics of oil or ointment; slippery.
3. Containing or composed of oil or fat.
4. Abundant in organic materials; soft and rich: unctuous soil.
Middle English, from Old French unctueus, from Medieval Latin nctusus, from Latin nctum, ointment, from neuter past participle of unguere, to anoint.
unctu·ous·ly adv.
unctu·ous·ness, unctu·osi·ty (-s-t) n.
Synonyms: unctuous, fulsome, oily, oleaginous, smarmy
These adjectives mean insincerely, self-servingly, or smugly agreeable or earnest: an unctuous toady; gave the dictator a fulsome introduction; oily praise; oleaginous hypocrisy; smarmy self-importance.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
unctuous ˈʌŋktjʊəs
adj
1. slippery or greasy
2. affecting an oily charm
from Medieval Latin unctuōsus, from Latin unctum ointment, from ungere to anoint
unctuosity ˌʌŋktjʊˈɒsɪtɪ, unctuousness n
unctuously adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj. 1. unctuous - unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech; "buttery praise"; "gave him a fulsome introduction"; "an oily sycophantic press agent"; "oleaginous hypocrisy"; "smarmy self-importance"; "the unctuous Uriah Heep"; "soapy compliments"
buttery, fulsome, oleaginous, smarmy, soapy, oily
insincere - lacking sincerity; "a charming but thoroughly insincere woman"; "their praise was extravagant and insincere"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
unctuous
adjective
1. obsequious, smooth, slick, plausible, oily, gushing, fawning, suave, glib, ingratiating, insincere, sycophantic, smarmy (Brit. informal) the kind of unctuous tone that I've heard at diplomatic parties
2. oily, creamy, greasy, oleaginous Goose fat gives the most unctuous flavour.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
January 8, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
shank's mare Also found in: Idioms, Wikipedia
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. shank's mare - you own legs; "I traveled on shank's mare"
shank's pony, shanks' mare, shanks' pony
leg - a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 8, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Miss Mollys (slang); Read in Canadian book depicting 1890's Toronto.
In context, a homosexual.
January 8, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
che·nille (sh-nl)
n.
1. A soft tufted cord of silk, cotton, or worsted used in embroidery or for fringing.
2. Fabric made of this cord, commonly used for bedspreads or rugs.
French chenille, caterpillar, chenille, from Latin cancula, diminutive of canis, dog; see kwon- in Indo-European roots.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
chenille ʃəˈniːl
n
1. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Textiles) a thick soft tufty silk or worsted velvet cord or yarn used in embroidery and for trimmings, etc.
2. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Textiles) a fabric of such yarn
3. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Furniture) a rich and hard-wearing carpet of such fabric
from French, literally: hairy caterpillar, from Latin canicula, diminutive of canis dog
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. chenille - a soft tufted cord used in embroidery
chenille cord
chenille - a heavy fabric woven with chenille cord; used in rugs and bedspreads
cord - a line made of twisted fibers or threads; "the bundle was tied with a cord"
2. chenille - a heavy fabric woven with chenille cord; used in rugs and bedspreads
chenille, chenille cord - a soft tufted cord used in embroidery
cloth, fabric, textile, material - artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 8, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
git (gt)
v. Chiefly New England, Midland U.S., & Southern U.S.
Variant of get.
n. Chiefly British Slang
Variant of get.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
git gɪt
n Brit slang
1. a contemptible person, often a fool
2. a bastard
from get (in the sense: to beget, hence a bastard, fool)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. git - a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible; "only a rotter would do that"; "kill the rat"; "throw the bum out"; "you cowardly little pukes!"; "the British call a contemptible person a `git'"
dirty dog, lowlife, puke, rotter, scum bag, skunk, so-and-so, stinker, stinkpot, bum, crumb, rat
disagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeable
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 8, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
toad·eat·er (tdtr)
n.
A toady.
Originally, a charlatan's helper who ate (or pretended to eat) poisonous toads so that his employer could display his prowess in expelling the poison.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
toadeater ˈtəʊdˌiːtə
n
a rare word for toady 1
originally a mountebank's assistant who would pretend to eat toads (believed to be poisonous), hence a servile flatterer, toady
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
January 8, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
drench cult (slang); Read in English NF book. In context meant to become a drunkard.
January 8, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
sat·su·ma (st-sm, sä-tsmä, säts-mä)
n.
1. A seedless mandarin orange native to Japan and the hardiest commercial citrus fruit.
2. Satsuma A Japanese porcelain. Also called Satsuma ware.
After Satsuma, a peninsula of southwest Kyushu, Japan.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
satsuma sætˈsuːmə
n
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) a small citrus tree, Citrus nobilis var. unshiu, cultivated, esp in Japan, for its edible fruit
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) the fruit of this tree, which has a loose rind and easily separable segments
originally from the province of Satsuma, Japan
Satsuma ˈsætsʊˌmɑː
n
(Placename) a former province of SW Japan, on S Kyushu: famous for its porcelain
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. satsuma - a variety of mandarin orange
satsuma tree
satsuma - medium-sized largely seedless mandarin orange with thin smooth skin
Citrus reticulata, mandarin, mandarin orange, mandarin orange tree - shrub or small tree having flattened globose fruit with very sweet aromatic pulp and thin yellow-orange to flame-orange rind that is loose and easily removed; native to southeastern Asia
2. satsuma - medium-sized largely seedless mandarin orange with thin smooth skin
mandarin orange, mandarin - a somewhat flat reddish-orange loose skinned citrus of China
satsuma, satsuma tree - a variety of mandarin orange
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 8, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
em·bran·gle (m-brnggl)
tr.v. em·bran·gled, em·bran·gling, em·bran·gles
To entangle; embroil.
en- + dialectal brangle, to shake, waver, confuse (variant of branle, brandle, from French branler, from Old French brandeler, perhaps from brand, sword; see brandish).
em·brangle·ment n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
embrangle ɪmˈbræŋgəl
vb
(tr) Rare to confuse or entangle
from em- + obsolete brangle to wrangle, perhaps a blend of brawl1 + wrangle
embranglement n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb 1. embrangle - make more complicated or confused through entanglements
snarl up, snarl
complicate, perplex - make more complicated; "There was a new development that complicated the matter"
snafu - cause to be in a state of complete confusion
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 8, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Trappers pursued sea otters off the coast of California in one- to three-person, skin-covered kayaks called baidarkas, which were twelve to twenty-one feet long, and less than two feet wide. In this highly maneuverable, shallow-draft watercraft...
Found in;
When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail
by Eric Jay Dolin by Liveright
January 7, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Online Science News With User Comments Fraught With Unintended Consequences, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130103143203.htm
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
dykes; slang for electricians wire cutting tool.
Note; many other usages in engineering, etc.
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
char4
n
(Cookery) Brit a slang word for tea
from Chinese ch'a
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Chatter broth; Tea
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Burtillon, Burtillonage measurements;
Read in a novel about Canada ca 1895; Police use the (so far opaque) method of body measurements as a means to identify a corpse, in this case.
Maureen Jennings "Except the Dying" c1997
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
swage:
A tool, used by blacksmiths and other metalworkers, for cold shaping of
a metal item.
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Like, I'm Just Sayin' It's Annoying, You Know?
Does hearing "whatever" or "like" make your blood boil? How about "you know" or "just sayin"? A recent Marist poll found that American adults find these to be some of the most annoying conversational words or phrases in the English language. While the disdain for "whatever" may not be surprising—this is its fourth consecutive year at the top of the list—there were some notable changes from last year's poll. "Twitterverse" and "gotcha" earned mentions in 2012, but "seriously" failed to make the cut. More... Discuss
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
milium - A small, white or yellowish cystlike mass just below the surface of the skin, caused by retention of the secretion of a sebaceous gland.
Synonyms: whitehead
Usage: The soap promised to eradicate milia by thoroughly cleansing the skin and unclogging pores.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
peavey - A stout lever with a sharp spike; used for handling logs.
Synonyms: cant dog, peavy
Usage: The lumberjack rammed the peavey's spike into the log and rolled it toward the pile.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Chryselephantine Sculpture
Developed by the Greeks in the 6th century BCE, chryselephantine is a form of sculpture in which an inner core of wood is overlaid with ivory to simulate flesh. It is then trimmed with gold to simulate clothing and other adornments. The technique was used to make colossal religious statues for temples, but because the materials were so valuable, few examples remain intact today.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
clinquant
Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. Yellow copper; a showy, cheap alloy.
n. Tinsel; false glitter.
Decked with garish finery; glittering; flashy.
‘Clinquant’ comes from French a word meaning ‘glistening, tinkling.’
Examples
“I liked Jack, but not clinquant in crimson and gold, with spurs and sword clanking on the hard, frost-bitten road.” George Gough, The Yeoman Adventurer
“The General and the generals went in and crowded the hall of audience, very clinquant with its black and white floor, glass chandeliers, long mirrors and single gilded center table.” Frank Norris, The Surrender of Santiago An Account of the Historic Surrender of Santiago to General Shafter
“Lely supplied the want of taste with clinquant; his nymphs trail fringes, and embroidery, through meadows and purling streams.” The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 1, April, 1851
Wordnick.com/wordoftheday/
January 4, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Apologies to all the perfectionists out there; due to my unfamiliarity with use of the lists, I lost several words and comments. The comments are going to be out of sequence.
Have a directory in Gmail titled "language" to which have been adding quotes, definitions of words encountered in reading &c. for a couple of years, including Word of the Day from Wordnik, and unfamiliar terms encountered on Wikipedia Main page.
January 3, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
monstropolous
New word for me, coined by a writer in a novel to describe the 1928 Florida Hurricane, second only the 1900 Galveston one in loss of life; at least 2500.
January 3, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/absquatulate
ab·squat·u·late (b-skwch-lt)
intr.v. ab·squat·u·lat·ed, ab·squat·u·lat·ing, ab·squat·u·lates Midwestern & Western U.S.
1.
a. To depart in a hurry; abscond: "Your horse has absquatulated!" (Robert M. Bird).
b. To die.
2. To argue.
Mock-Latinate formation, purporting to mean "to go off and squat elsewhere".
Regional Note: In the 19th century, the vibrant energy of American English appeared in the use of Latin affixes to create jocular pseudo-Latin "learned" words. There is a precedent for this in the language of Shakespeare, whose plays contain scores of made-up Latinate words. Midwestern and Western U.S. absquatulate has a prefix ab-, "away from," and a suffix -ate, "to act upon in a specified manner," affixed to a nonexistent base form -squatul-, probably suggested by squat. Hence the whimsical absquatulate, "to squat away from." Another such coinage is Northern busticate, which joins bust with -icate by analogy with verbs like medicate. Southern argufy joins argue to a redundant -fy, "to make; cause to become." Today, these creations have an old-fashioned and rustic flavor curiously at odds with their elegance. They are kept alive in regions of the United States where change is slow. For example, Appalachian speech is characterized by the frequent use of words such as recollect, aggravate, and oblige.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
absquatulate æbˈskwɒtjʊˌleɪt
vb
(intr) to leave; decamp
humorous formation as if from Latin
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb 1. absquatulate - run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along; "The thief made off with our silver"; "the accountant absconded with the cash from the safe"
abscond, go off, make off, run off, decamp, bolt
levant - run off without paying a debt
flee, take flight, fly - run away quickly; "He threw down his gun and fled"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
January 3, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
bilby, had been adding comments to each and every word, but due to my slow learning curve start, many of them 'went away'. I did have a comment on triffid (today's Word of the Day) and it seems to have evaporated. Going to have to go back and reapply where necessary. Think a URL would also be helpful - keep a permanent tab for thefreedictionary.com next to Wordnik, which is much richer in total words.
Thanks for the help.
January 3, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
triffid
Definitions
Wiktionary
n. A fictional plant that is able to move around and kill people with a poisonous stinger.
‘Triffid’ was coined by science fiction writer John Wyndham in his novel, The Day of the Triffids. The word probably comes from ‘trifid,’ divided into three parts, says the Oxford English Dictionary, since ‘the plant was supported on ‘three bluntly-tapered projections extending from the lower part’ of the body.’
Examples
“Many of the plants have seeded and given way to a new regiment of sunflowers. Their huge yellow discs have risen triffid-like above everything else and they have all turned in a single direction.” Mark Cocker, ‘Country Diary: Claxton, Norfolk,’ The Guardian, October 3, 2010
“Monstrous architecture is being allowed to spread across the Capital like ‘triffids’, according to one of the country’s leading design experts.” ‘City’s triffid invasion of bad designs,’ The Scotsman, May 6, 2002
“Stunned Sadie Yates has seen her Agave shoot up like 'a Triffid' after waiting patiently for years for it to burst into life.” John Coles, ‘Sadie’s ‘Triffid’ Has Its Day,’ The Sun, July 15, 2o10
http://www.wordnik.com/word-of-the-day 3 Jan 2013
January 3, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
Seanchaí
A seanchaí (ˈʃan̪ˠəxiː or ʃan̪ˠəˈxiː - plural: seanchaithe ˈʃan̪ˠəxɪhɪ) is a traditional Irish storyteller. A commonly encountered English spelling of the Irish word is shanachie.
The word seanchaí, which was spelled seanchaidhe (plural seanchaidhthe) before the Irish-language spelling reform of 1948, means a bearer of "old lore" (seanchas). In the ancient Celtic culture, the history and laws of the people were not written down but memorized in long lyric poems which were recited by bards (filí), in a tradition echoed by the seanchaithe.
The traditional art
Seanchaithe used to be servants to chiefs of their tribe and kept track of important information for their clan.They were very well respected in their Clan. The seanchaithe made use of a range of storytelling conventions, styles of speech and gestures that were peculiar to the Irish folk tradition and characterized them as practitioners of their art. Although tales from literary sources found their way into the repertoires of the seanchaithe, a traditional characteristic of their art was the way in which a large corpus of tales was passed from one practitioner to another without ever being written down.
Because of their role as custodians of an indigenous non-literary tradition, the seanchaithe are widely acknowledged to have inherited – although informally – the function of the filí of pre-Christian Ireland.
Some seanchaithe however were not part of a clan , some were itinerants, traveling from one community to another offering their skills in exchange for food and temporary shelter. Others, however, were members of a settled community and might be termed "village storytellers" who told their marvelous stories and tales at ceremonies and community events, simialar to the servant Seanchaithe. The distinctive role and craft of the seanchaí is particularly associated with the Gaeltacht (the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland), although storytellers recognizable as seanchaithe were also to be found in rural areas throughout English-speaking Ireland. In their storytelling, some displayed archaic Hiberno-English idiom and vocabulary distinct from the style of ordinary conversation.
Modern times
Members of the Celtic Revival such as Padraic Colum took a great interest in the art of the seanchaí, and through them the stories that they told were written down, published, and distributed to a global audience.
At events such as mummers' festival in New Inn, County Galway, and the All-Ireland Fleadh Ceoil storytellers who preserve the stories and oratory style of the seanchaithe continue to display their art and compete for awards. Eddie Lenihan is one notable modern-day seanchaí, based in County Clare, Ireland.
Podcast
Since 1 January 2005, Patrick E. McLean has written and produced a podcast under the title The Seanachaí.
Other uses of the term
The term is also found within Scottish Gaelic where it is spelt seanchaidh Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: ˈʃɛnaxɪ. All uses ultimately have their roots in the traditional poets attached to the households of ancient Gaelic nobility. In Scotland, it is commonly anglicised as shen(n)achie1.
Notes
^ Robinson, M (1985) The Concise Scots Dictionary Chambers, Oxford ISBN 0-08-028491-4
References
Padraig Colum, editor, A Treasury of Irish Folklore.
Frank DeLaney, Ireland.
Patricia A. Lynch, Joachim Fischer, and Brian Coates, Back to the Present: Forward to the Past—Irish Writing and History since 1798.
The Seanachai Homepage
Video of a Seanchai: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzP4FM3WqwY&feature=related
See also
Batt Burns, from County Kerry, is a living seanchaí.
January 3, 2013
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/calque+formation
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. calque formation - an expression introduced into one language by translating it from another language; "`superman' is a calque for the German `Ubermensch'"
calque, loan translation
locution, saying, expression - a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations; "pardon the expression"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
December 30, 2012
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
pinguid - Fat; oily.
Synonyms: oily
Usage: His car was splattered with some sort of pinguid substance, and washing it only seemed to spread the mess.
December 30, 2012
CarlosG commented on the list carlos-words--1
refulgent - Shining radiantly; resplendent.
Synonyms: effulgent, radiant, beaming
Usage: Standing by the edge of the sea, they witnessed a refulgent sunset.
December 30, 2012
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