DarkRavie Posted January 24 Author Report Share Posted January 24 What's the Word: HOBBLEDEHOY pronunciation: [HA-bəl-dee-hoy] Part of speech: noun Origin: Unknown, mid-16th century Meaning: 1. A clumsy or awkward youth. Examples: "I felt like a real hobbledehoy at my first job." "Now that Jennifer's braces were off, she was ready to leave behind her days of being a hobbledehoy." About Hobbledehoy Lexicographers are unsure about the specific origins of the word "hobbledehoy," although we do know that it was first used in the 16th century. The word, used as both a noun and an adjective, describes an awkward youth. Did you Know? Nearly everyone was a hobbledehoy at some point — it's a normal part of adolescence to feel a little awkward. Encouragement, praise, and support go a long way in helping your loved ones feel more confident in themselves as they grow up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted January 25 Author Report Share Posted January 25 What's the Word: DEPUTE pronunciation: [də-PYOOT] Part of speech: verb Origin: Late Middle English, unknown Meaning: 1. Appoint or instruct (someone) to perform a task for which one is responsible. 2. Delegate (authority or a task). Examples: "The dean deputed the department head to finish the review process." "He deputed the responsibility of answering his emails to his teaching assistant." About Depute This word developed in Middle English via influence from French and Latin. The original Latin word "deputare" ("consider to be; assign") came from the words "de" ("away") and "putare" ("consider"). Did you Know? Depending on which usage of "depute" is in play, the word order is very particular. With usage synonymous with "delegate," it operates as a regular verb. When "depute" means "to appoint someone in a task," the verb must be followed with the object of the sentence and an infinitve of another verb. For example, "She deputed us to clean the kitchen." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted January 26 Author Report Share Posted January 26 What's the Word: NICTATE pronunciation: [NIK-tayt] Part of speech: verb Origin: Latin, late 17th century Meaning: 1. Blink. Examples: "In order to win a staring contest, you must resist the urge to nictate." "The doctor instructed me to nictate several times after using the antibiotic eye drops." About Nictate Nictate, an alternate word for "blink," developed in Latin, from the verb "nictare" ("to blink") and the medieval Latin word "nictitate." Did you Know? Nictating (blinking) is an automatic process, as are digestion and respiration. However, there are always people out there who want to test the limits of the human body. There is a claimed world record for time spent without blinking of 40 minutes and 59 seconds, but, interestingly, the Guinness Book of World Records doesn't accept applications around blinking, because it claims it is unable to measure them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted January 27 Author Report Share Posted January 27 What's the Word: BURGHER pronunciation: [BER-ger] Part of speech: noun Origin: Middle Dutch, 15th century Meaning: 1. A citizen of a town or city, typically a member of the wealthy bourgeoisie. Examples: "I'm not just a burgher of this town; I consider myself a citizen of the world." "Even though I've lived here for five years, I don't feel like I'm a burgher yet." About Burgher Burgher developed from the Middle English word "burgh" ("town") and the Dutch words "burger" ("citizen") and "burg" ("castle"). The word "borough" (which describes the boundaries of a certain district) originated from these same roots. Did you Know? There's a difference between being a citizen and being a resident, and the word "burgher" is related to those traditions. If you are a citizen (burgher) of a town, then you have met the requirements to perform certain actions, such as voting and running for office. A resident, on the other hand, simply resides in a particular area — they may not be a burgher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted January 28 Author Report Share Posted January 28 What's the Word: RUPESTRIAN pronunciation: [roo-PES-tree-ən] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, late 18th century Meaning: 1. (Of art) Done on rock or cave walls. Examples: "Archaeologists were excited to uncover rupestrian markings inside the cave." "The oldest rupestrian art can be found in Western European cave systems." About Rupestrian Rupestrian, an adjective for anything related to cave art, developed from the modern Latin words "rupes" ("rock") and "rupestris" ("found on rocks"). Did you Know? The Dabous giraffes, rupestrian art thought to be created between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago, are carvings of two life-sized giraffes found at the Western Air Mountains in Niger. Scientists believe that these remarkably lifelike carvings were created using tools made from petrified wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted January 29 Author Report Share Posted January 29 What's the Word: FEY pronunciation: [fei] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Middle English, ninth century Meaning: 1. Giving an impression of vague unworldliness. 2. Having supernatural powers of clairvoyance. Examples: "The meadow looked fey in the fog and moonlight." "Yul's fey abilities allowed him to see flashes of the future." About Fey Fey comes from the Middle English word "fǣge" ("fated to die soon"), but it has Germanic origins, specifically developing from the word "feige" ("cowardly"). Did you Know? The word "fey" is sometimes used as another term for fairies — mythical and magical beings found in European folk mythology. While modern takes on fairies usually describe them as benevolent (if a bit mischievous), people of the Old World had all sorts of wards to keep fairies away — these protections included iron, church bells, four-leaf clovers, and the practice of wearing clothing inside out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted January 30 Author Report Share Posted January 30 What's the Word: HINTERLAND pronunciation: [HINT-ər-land] Part of speech: noun Origin: German, late 19th century Meaning: 1. The often uncharted areas beyond a coastal district or a river's banks. 2. An area lying beyond what is visible or known. Examples: "The merchants from the hinterland brought new products to the fishing village." "The dog's ball landed somewhere in the woods' hinterlands." About Hinterland Hinterland originated in German from a combination of the words "hinter" ("behind") and "land." Did you Know? Hinterland was first featured in the 1888 book "Handbook of Commercial Geography," and was used to describe the country beyond a coastal town or settlement. Eventually, the term evolved throughout the 20th century to describe areas considered largely unsettled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted January 31 Author Report Share Posted January 31 What's the Word: GALLINACEOUS pronunciation: [gal-ə-NAY-shəs] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, late 18th century Meaning: 1. Relating to birds of an order (Galliformes) which includes domestic poultry and game birds. Examples: "We raised a number of gallinaceous birds on the farm, including chickens, turkeys, and pheasants." "Ducks are not gallinaceous — they are considered waterfowl." About About Gallinaceous The word "gallinaceous" is used to describe a specific class of domesticated fowl, which includes turkeys and quail. "Gallinaceous" comes from the Latin words for chicken, such as "gallina" ("hen"), "gallus" ("cockerel"), and the broad term "gallinaceus." Did you Know? Chickens are more intelligent than you might expect. According to scientific studies, these gallinaceous birds can recognize over a hundred individual faces, engage in complex communication, and even dream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 1 Author Report Share Posted February 1 What's the Word: WINKLE pronunciation: [WINK-əl] Part of speech: verb Origin: British, late 16th century Meaning: 1. Extract or obtain something with difficulty. Examples: "The interrogator was used to winkling confessions out of the most hard-boiled subjects." "I had to winkle the button out of the too-tight buttonhole on my new shirt." About About Winkle This word originated from a shortening of the word "periwinkle" — a mollusk with a spiral shell usually found along shores and beaches. Did you Know? The verb form of "winkle" means "to extract something with great difficulty," but there's a noun form of "winkle" as well. Seafood lovers might recognize a winkle as a tiny mollusk with a spiral shell. These edible mollusks are usually around the size of a pinkie nail. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 2 Author Report Share Posted February 2 What's the Word: VOLUTE pronunciation: [vəl-YOOT] Part of speech: adjective Origin: French, mid-16th century Meaning: 1. Forming a spiral curve or curves. Examples: "Both sea and land snails have similarly volute shells." "Greek architecture is easily recognizable by the volutes on top of columns." About About Volute While "volute" developed in French, it originated from the Latin word "volvere" (which means "to roll"). Did you Know? The adjective "volute" describes scroll shapes, but the noun "volute" is an architectural term. The decorative spiral scrolls on the tops of columns on Ionic and Corinthian-style buildings are called "volutes." Many U.S. state capitol buildings, as well as the U.S Capitol, use this design. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted Tuesday at 06:15 PM Author Report Share Posted Tuesday at 06:15 PM What's the Word: TAXONOMY pronunciation: [tak-SAH-nə-mee] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, early 19th century Meaning: 1. The branch of science concerned with classification, especially of organisms; systematics. 2. The classification of something, especially organisms. Examples: "Animal taxonomy moves from general to specific characteristics." "In order to pass her botany examination, Kelly needed familiarity with plant taxonomy." About Taxonomy “Taxonomy” came into French use via Greek — specifically, a combination of the Greek words “taxis” (“arrangement”) and “nomia” (“distribution”). Did you Know? While “taxonomy” can be used to describe the general classification of anything, it is most often used to describe living organisms. Biologists classify living things by domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species, with each subsequent classification growing more specific. For example, a dog can be classified as Eukarya, Animalia, Chordata, Mammalia, Carnivora, Canidae, Canis, and lupus (species in taxonomy names are not capitalized). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted Wednesday at 04:11 PM Author Report Share Posted Wednesday at 04:11 PM What's the Word: COSMOPOLIS pronunciation: [kahz-MAHP-ə-ləs] Part of speech: noun Origin: Greek, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. A city inhabited by people from many different countries. Examples: "Thanks to its history as a thriving cosmopolis, my family felt comfortable moving to London." "In a comic book cosmopolis, the population may include humans and alien life." About Cosmopolis This noun originated from the combination of the Greek words "kosmos" ("world") and "polis" ("city"), creating "cosmopolis" ("city of the world"). A cosmopolis is a city that represents people from many different countries, meaning that it is a city that represents a sample of the "kosmos." Did you Know? If you're seeking a true cosmopolis, look no further than New York City. Home to around 8.5 million people, New York is one of the most diverse cities in the world; citizens and residents speak around 800 different languages. If you want to pinpoint the most diverse borough, Queens is your best bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted Thursday at 04:08 PM Author Report Share Posted Thursday at 04:08 PM What's the Word: TRANSMOGRIFY pronunciation: [trans-MAH-ɡrə-fai] Part of speech: verb Origin: Unknown, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. Transform in a surprising or magical manner. Examples: "The fairy godmother transmogrified Cinderella from peasant to princess." "Cecilia wished for the fairies to transmogrify her car into a Ferrari." About Transmogrify While researchers place the origins of this word somewhere in the mid-17th century, how "transmogrify" evolved is a bit of a mystery. It likely developed from the Latin verb "transformare" ("to change form"), the same root found in the word "transform." Did you Know? Change is an inevitable part of our lives. Even if things seem like they have been transmogrified, or changed as if by magic, chances are they will settle down soon. During times of upheaval, experts suggest holding on to some familiar routines to help maintain a sense of safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted Friday at 04:13 PM Author Report Share Posted Friday at 04:13 PM What's the Word: DIGERATI pronunciation: [dih-jə-RAH-dee] Part of speech: noun Origin: English, 1990s Meaning: 1. People with expertise or professional involvement in information technology. Examples: "Betty had complete faith that if she couldn’t fix her computer, the company’s digerati could." "It was hard to pick one candidate out of the many qualified digerati who applied." About Digerati This word developed from a 1990s mash-up of the words “digital” and “literati” (describing well-educated people who are interested in literature). Did you Know? A badge of honor for some digerati is a high WPM (words-per-minute typing skill), but there’s a theory that the QWERTY keyboard was actually designed to slow down typists. Mechanical typewriters were prone to jamming, and even though a skilled typist could get a job based on a high WPM, typing too quickly would cause delays. Today’s digerati continue to use the QWERTY keyboard because of the legacy of decades of typing classes taught using the layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted Saturday at 06:30 PM Author Report Share Posted Saturday at 06:30 PM What's the Word: SHEEPSHANK pronunciation: [SHEEP-shangk] Part of speech: noun Origin: Unknown, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. A kind of knot used to shorten a rope temporarily. Examples: "Killian was glad he remembered how to tie a sheepshank from his Boy Scout days." "The sailor quickly tied some sheepshanks to keep the rope out of the way." About Sheepshank While we know that this noun first originated in the 17th century as a type of temporary knot used to shorten a rope quickly, its literal origins are largely unknown. Did you Know? A sheepshank is a knot that can quickly be tied to take up slack on a rope. It’s not very stable, so it shouldn’t be used in situations that require a secure hold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted 7 hours ago Author Report Share Posted 7 hours ago What's the Word: NODUS pronunciation: [NO-dəs] Part of speech: noun Origin: Late Middle English, late 14th century Meaning: 1. A problem, difficulty, or complication. Examples: "The team hadn’t expected to encounter a nodus this early in the project." "Despite the nodus of the car not starting, they both managed to get to work on time." About Nodus Nodus developed in Late Middle English as a way to describe a knotty swelling; it originated in Latin as the literal translation for "knot." Over time, it evolved to describe a knotty problem or conundrum. Did you Know? Escape rooms are a novel way to spend some time with friends. You’ll be locked in a room filled with puzzles and clues and must solve each nodus within a set period of time to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now