New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DECAPOD

pronunciation: [DEK-ə-pod]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. A crustacean of the order Decapoda, such as a shrimp, crab, or lobster.

 

Examples:

"Instead of fish, I chose the crab and lobster platter and dined on decapods."

"Decapods often prefer warm and shallow water to colder deep water."

About Decapod

Decapod is a loanword from the French "décapode," formed by combining the ancient Greek terms "δέκας" ("dékas," meaning "10") and "ποδός" ("podós," meaning "foot or limb").

 

Did you Know?

The classification "decapod" includes 8,000 species of crustaceans, ranging from crabs and lobsters to shrimp, prawns, and crawfish. The smallest decapod is a half-inch shrimp, while the largest is the 12-foot spider crab. Though their name suggests decapods have 10 legs, some have as many as 38. Decapods live in both salt water and fresh water, as well as on land. While they tend to prefer warmer, shallower water, decapods are found throughout the ocean, including at the great depths of the abyssal zone, or around 10,000 to 20,000 feet down.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: RIVIERE

pronunciation: [riv-ee-AIR]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. A necklace of gems that increase in size toward a large central stone, typically consisting of more than one string.

 

Examples:

"While a rivière is a striking piece of jewelry, it can make a subtle fashion statement."

"The standard rivière is made with matching gems of the same cut and color, though the stones get larger toward the center of the necklace."

About Rivière

“Rivière” is taken from the French for “river.”

 

Did you Know?

The necklace style known as the “rivière” links gemstones together on a string or chain with a continuity that brings to mind the flow of a river — the root of the style’s name. The style emerged in 18th-century France, during the time of Queen Marie Antoinette, who was associated with a rivière called “le collier de la Reine” (“the Queen’s necklace”). This rivière was the subject of the infamous “Affair of the Diamond Necklace,” in which Marie Antoinette was accused of refusing to pay the crown jeweler for making the ornate rivière in 1845. It later emerged that Marie Antoinette had rejected the piece, but a notorious thief named Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy forged the queen’s signature, hoping to steal the set of jewels.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ALLUVIUM

pronunciation: [ə-LOO-vee-əm]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A deposit of clay, silt, sand, and gravel left by flowing streams in a river valley or delta, typically producing fertile soil.

 

Examples:

"Thanks to a layer of alluvium covering the ground, the valley was easy to walk through."

"Soil full of alluvium makes a fantastic garden."

About Alluvium

“Alluvium” is based on the Latin “alluvius,” meaning “washed against.”

 

Did you Know?

Alluvial deposits are sediments that are moved around and left behind by rivers. Often, “alluvium” refers to existing deposits of silt, sand, clay, and gravel left long ago by water that no longer exists where it once did. But the sediments can also appear with seasonal shifting river currents, and be filled with nutrients. The nutrient-rich soil will be distributed to areas downstream by the river current.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: FLAVANOL

pronunciation: [FLAY-və-nohl]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: German, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. Any of a major group of flavonoids found in many fruits and vegetables.

 

Examples:

"Quercetin is a flavonol found in onions and cilantro, and it has anti-inflammatory effects for people who consume it."

"My mother sent me an article about how flavonols found in vegetables and tea may slow memory loss."

About Flavanol

“Flavonol” was coined in 1895 by German chemists Kostanecki and Tambor. They based their word on the existing German chemical term “flavon.”

 

Did you Know?

There are more than a dozen classes of flavonols, a substance in plants that performs many functions. In many cases, flavonols — and other flavonoids (the chemical grouping of which they are a greater part) — give bright pigments to flowers that attract bees and wasps. The flavonol kaempferol is in onions, asparagus, and leafy greens, and appears to protect healthy cells against cancer. Quercetin, known for its anti-inflammatory effects, is another common flavonol found in capers, cilantro, yellow peppers, and onions.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CREDENCE

pronunciation: [KREE-dns]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Anglo-Norman, 14th century

 

Meaning:

1. Belief in or acceptance of something as true.

2. The likelihood of something being true; plausibility.

 

Examples:

"Charlotte gave no credence to the rumor the hotel was haunted and booked a room for the weekend."

"My sister-in-law is a vet tech, so that lends credence to all advice she gives about our family pets."

About Credence

“Credence” is based on the Anglo-Norman “credenz,” meaning “belief” or “credit.” This was itself based on the Latin “crēdentia,” meaning “belief” or “faith.”

 

Did you Know?

“Credence” refers to one’s belief in the truth of a matter, but it is one of a family of words having to do with belief, faith, and trust. Its most familiar relative is “credential,” meaning “qualification proving suitability.” It is also closely related to “credo,” meaning “a statement of beliefs that guide one’s actions.” The word even shares a distant root with “credit” in the Latin word “crēdere,” meaning “to trust or lend money to.” A person would only give credit to a person whose circumstances they gave credence to — though credentials often help in establishing the necessary trust.