New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: MALIC

pronunciation: [MAL-ik]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: French, 18th century

 

Meaning:

1. Pertaining to apples.

2. Of or pertaining to malic acid or its derivatives.

 

Examples:

"Though there was no fruit in the pastry, the cream filling still had a malic flavor."

"Some of the tartness in apples is due to malic acid, one of their dominant flavorings."

About Malic

“Malic” entered English from the French word “malique,” based on the Latin “mālum,” meaning “apple.”

 

Did you Know?

Malic acid is a natural product often used as a nutritional supplement for skin health, as well as to help with kidney stones and dry mouth. However, malic acid is also used as a food additive, as it is even more sour than citric acid (derived from citrus fruits). Though it was named for the Latin word for apples (“mālum”) and is most prominent in sour apples, malic acid appears across a variety of other sour fruits, including rhubarb, grapes, berries, cherries, and tree fruits.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SYNCRETIC

pronunciation: [sin-KRET-ik]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Greek, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. Combining disparate elements in one system, especially as in forms of religious observance, philosophical systems, or artistic creations.

 

Examples:

"Mark’s mother is Jewish and his father is Episcopalian, so they celebrate a syncretic Christmas-Hanukkah in December."

"The Civic Pride Association was a syncretic collection of groups who sometimes opposed one another, united by their love of the city."

About Syncretic

“Syncretic” is based on the 17th-century English word “syncretism,” itself based on the Greek “synkretizein,” meaning both “concretize” and “unite against a common enemy.”

 

Did you Know?

Some of the oldest organized religions merged several strands of belief into a unified syncretic faith, but more visible in the modern world are syncretic political organizations, which attempt to unite the interests of different political leanings into a single movement. In many countries, long-standing political parties have adopted syncretic platforms that include some of their opponents’ policies. In the U.S., the U.K., and Canada, the “Third Way” is a syncretic blend of economic approaches favored by conservatives paired with progressive platforms on social issues.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: NIDIFICATION

pronunciation: [NID-ə-fe-keh-shən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Nest-building.

 

Examples:

"My newlywed sister and her husband were so busy with nidification that they skipped almost every invitation for a year."

"From my porch, I can watch the nidification each spring as birds and squirrels begin their nests."

About Nidification

“Nidification” is taken from the same word in Latin, meaning “building a nest.”

 

Did you Know?

The secret to nidification isn’t just gathering nest-making materials — the quality of the materials is crucial, too. Nidification is a process of finding the best-quality materials (such as twigs and dry leaves), then weaving them together. Whether they’re making a “cup nest” (a common bowl-style bird’s nest) or an “adherent nest” attached to the side of a building, birds work hard to make their nests into solid and reliable living spaces. During nidification, birds use their beaks to interlace and move nest materials around, and some species use mud, sap, and saliva as glue.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: IMPREST

pronunciation: [IM-prest]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, mid-16th century

 

Meaning:

1. A fund used by a business for small items of expenditure and restored to a fixed amount periodically.

2. A sum of money advanced to a person for a particular purpose.

 

Examples:

"The business has a specific imprest fund."

"Charlotte was clear that she was offering her friend an imprest for her bills."

About Imprest

This term stems from the earlier phrase “in prest,” meaning “as a loan,” likely influenced by the Italian or medieval Latin “imprestare,” meaning “lend.”

 

Did you Know?

“Imprest” is pronounced exactly like another, more common word in the American lexicon: “impressed.” But they have two very different meanings. While “imprest” is related to loans and business funds, “impressed” means either “feeling or showing admiration or respect for someone or something” or “applied to something using pressure,” depending on the context.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: VAGILE

pronunciation: [VAJ-əl]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, early 20th century

 

Meaning:

1. (Biology) Free to move about.

 

Examples:

"When they retired, my grandparents became vagile and spent winters in the South, springs in Europe, and summers and falls here at home."

"This river valley is on the flight path of many vagile birds, so we see many flocks land for the night during migration season."

About Vagile

“Vagile” is based on the Latin “vagus” (meaning “wandering”).

 

Did you Know?

In biology, a vagile organism is one that can adapt to changes in its environment, and often, this means an organism will change its location over time. The most visible vagile organisms are those that migrate to warmer climates in winter and return to cooler places in summer. Birds are known for their migratory habits, but other creatures including bats and insects also migrate seasonally. Monarch butterflies are legendarily vagile, flying as far as 3,000 miles to Mexico each fall from all across the North American continent.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: RUFOUS

pronunciation: [ROO-fəs]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 18th century

 

Meaning:

1. Reddish brown in color.

 

Examples:

"The dog was a mutt, with rufous fur like a Saint Bernard and pointy ears like a German shepherd."

"The leaves of many trees in northern Vermont become rufous by late October."

About Rufous

In Latin, “rūfus” refers to red or red hair.

 

Did you Know?

The term “rufus” was used widely enough centuries ago that it appeared on the graves of ancient Thracians, who took pride in both red hair and successes in battle. Because of this long association with red hair, “rufous” has largely been used in English to describe the colorings of birds and other animals. Accordingly, “Rufus” was a common 19th-century name for red-haired men in English-speaking countries. (It's still used today, although those with the name needn't be redheaded.)

 

Edited June 24 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CONFUTE

pronunciation: [kən-FYOOT]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. Prove (a person or an assertion) to be wrong.

 

Examples:

"The student confuted the professor with a logical proof."

"After some research, I was able to confute the belief that fruit trees couldn’t grow in this climate."

About Confute

“Confute” is derived from the Latin “confutare,” meaning “to answer conclusively.” It builds upon “refutare,” the basis of the similar word “refute,” adding the prefix “con-,” meaning “altogether.”

 

Did you Know?

“Confute” is similar to “refute” and shares an etymological root. The difference between the two words is that “confute” has traditionally been a verb applied to proving a person or people wrong, while “refute” is applied only to proving ideas wrong. Consequently, one may refute a claim, or confute the person who made the claim.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: FICTILE

pronunciation: [FIK-təl]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, early 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Made of earth or clay by a potter; relating to pottery or its manufacture.

2. Capable of being molded; plastic.

 

Examples:

"The fictile bowl was misshapen, but made with love."

"The jewelry was made of fictile material."

About Fictile

This word comes from the Latin “fictilis.” The stem “fict-” means “formed, contrived” and derives from the verb “fingere.”

 

Did you Know?

While many contemporary artists specialize in the fictile arts, Dame Lucie Rie is the one often dubbed “the godmother of modern ceramics.” After fleeing Austria in 1938, she revolutionized the world of fictile creation by using clay to create thin-walled vessels that were vibrant and unique. Several ceramicists were influenced by her modern approach. But it’s only in more recent years that her work has been held in such high regard.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: FARDEL

pronunciation: [FAR-dl]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, early 20th century

 

Meaning:

1. (Archaic) A bundle.

 

Examples:

"The men carried fardels of sticks to start a campfire."

"The couple had a fardel of stories about their adventures together."

About Fictile

This word comes from the Old French “fardel,” meaning “parcel, package, small pack.” It is a diminutive of “farde,” which the Oxford English Dictionary says is “cognate with” (others say “from”) the Spanish “fardo,” meaning “pack, bundle.” This is said to be from the Arabic “fardah,” meaning “package.”

 

Did you Know?

“Fardel” is also the name of a historic manor located in the southwestern corner of England in the parish of Cornwood. It was successively the seat of the Raleigh and Hele families. This medieval home was previously linked to Sir Walter Raleigh and Pocahontas. It was for sale in 2018, and the property came with its own chapel and lordship.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: LAYETTE

pronunciation: [lay-ET]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, mid-19th century

 

Meaning:

1. A set of clothing, linens, and sometimes toiletries, for a newborn.

 

Examples:

"John and Sarah carefully put together a layette for their newborn niece."

"Blankets, onesies, and other useful items were packed as layettes to send to maternity centers."

About Layette

“Layette” is a derivative of the Old French word “laie,” meaning “drawer.”

 

Did you Know?

“Layette” typically refers to a full set of clothes for a newborn baby. In the 1920s, expectant mothers and their friends and family would often knit matching layette sets for a newborn baby. The sets would include a knitted blanket, booties, a hat, and a sweater. This tradition of knitting a set of clothes for a newborn baby, or creating a set of clothes and toiletries for a baby, continues today.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: VERSANT

pronunciation: [VER-sənt]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, mid-19th century

 

Meaning:

1. A region of land sloping in one general direction.

 

Examples:

"The topography on the western versant of the mountain is flatter than that on the eastern one."

"The Appalachian Mountains’ versant runs toward the Atlantic Ocean."

About Versant

This word comes from French. It is the present participle (used as a noun) of “verser,” which means “tilt over.” It originates from the Latin “versare.”

 

Did you Know?

“Versant” can also be used as an adjective that means “conversant, experienced, or practiced.” The first known usage of “versant” as an adjective was in the mid-17th century. In fact, Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary only contains this definition for the word.

 

Edited Sunday at 03:26 PM by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: FASCICLE

pronunciation: [FAS-ə-kəl]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 15th century

 

Meaning:

1. A separately published installment of a book or other printed work.

2. (Anatomy and biology) A bundle of structures, such as nerve or muscle fibers or conducting vessels in plants.

 

Examples:

"Mae wanted to study how different groups of fascicles in mammals function."

"‘Great Expectations’ was originally published as sequential fascicles in a literary magazine."

About Fascicle

This word stems from the Latin “fasciculus,” the diminutive of “fascis,” meaning “bundle.”

 

Did you Know?

Charles Dickens started the serialized fascicle trend when he published “The Pickwick Papers” in 20 parts between 1836 and 1837. Soon, other Victorian-era novelists began following suit. In England, these part-issue installments cost a shilling, making fiction affordable to an entirely new class of readers for the first time.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PARURE

pronunciation: [pə-ROOR]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, early 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A set of jewels intended to be worn together.

 

Examples:

"The Spanish royal family has an impressive collection of parures."

"Sophie’s great-grandmother passed down her prized parures in her will."

About Parure

This word stems from the Old French “pareure,” meaning “ornament.” It originates from “parer,” which means “to prepare, adorn.”

 

Did you Know?

A full parure usually includes a ring, earrings, a bracelet, a necklace, and a brooch. However, they can be quite elaborate and also include tiaras, diadems, aigrettes, and more. A demi-parure is a less elaborate jewelry suite of only two or three pieces. Parures became fashionable among the French upper class in the late 17th century, when evening salons became popular and jewels were worn with formal dress to signify prestige.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: COPYBOOK

pronunciation: [KA-pee-book]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Old French and Old English, date unknown

 

Meaning:

1. Exactly in accordance with established criteria; perfect.

2. Tritely conventional.

 

Examples:

"Tony did a copybook landing in the flight simulator."

"Trina spoke in copybook inspirational quotes."

About Copybook

“Copy” comes from the Old French “copier” and directly from the Medieval Latin “copiare,” meaning “to transcribe.” “Book” stems from the Old English “boc,” meaning “book, writing, written document.”

 

Did you Know?

While the adjective means “exactly perfect,” the noun form describes an old-fashioned book of handwriting to learn from. Good penmanship was considered a key business skill in the 18th century, so copybooks of the time were often geared toward those wishing to learn business skills. They included chapters on accounting and business management. Students also learned from geography copybooks, where they were asked to copy names onto unlabeled maps, and then copy entire maps onto a latitude/longitude grid.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PAROL

pronunciation: [pə-ROL]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Old French, 15th century

 

Meaning:

1. Given or expressed orally.

2. (Of a document) Agreed orally, or in writing but not under seal.

 

Examples:

"The witness gave her evidence parol, and a stenographer took notes."

"We had used Charlie the roofer before, so we hired him parol, or without a written agreement."

About Parol

“Parol” is borrowed from the Old French “parole,” meaning “spoken words.” (In modern French, the plural “paroles” refers to song lyrics.) Both are based on the Latin “parabola,” which is the basis for the English term “parable,” an allegorical tale.

 

Did you Know?

In English, “parole” refers to the release of a prisoner temporarily, or on promise of good behavior. These arrangements are now recorded in writing, but the Old French root “parole” literally means “word.” Dropping the “e,” “parol” is used in the legal context to distinguish information delivered orally rather than in sealed, official writing.