New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ADVERT

pronunciation: [ad-VERT]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Late Middle English, 12th to 14th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Refer to in speaking or writing.

 

Example:

"My brother awkwardly adverted to Mom’s new boyfriend in front of our dad."

"The car’s previous owner did not advert to the vehicle’s history of accidents and repairs."

 

About Advert

The basis of “advert” is the Latin “advertere,” meaning to direct one’s senses or attention, but the word itself draws directly on the Middle French “avertir,” which meant “to take note of.” Initially, “advert” meant “turn one’s attention to,” but later it broadened to mean “to bring to another person’s attention.” It is the root of modern “advertising,” of which the goal is to capture the audience’s attention.

 

Did You Know?

The British use “advert” as a shortened slang noun for “advertisement,” but the word’s history extends 400 years before that usage. At its beginning, the term (similar to “divert”) meant “to turn one’s attention toward.” Over time this definition evolved to mean “making reference to a subject in speech or writing.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: WOODSHED

pronunciation: [WOOD-shed]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: English, 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. To practice a musical instrument.

 

Example:

"A musician who woodsheds several times a day will soon become a master of her instrument."

"The Band’s guitarist Robbie Robertson woodshedded so insistently he was known to take his guitar to the restroom."

 

About Woodshed

“Woodshed” is a simple compound of “wood” and “shed,” a variant of “shade” derived from the Old English “sced.”

 

Did You Know?

As a noun, a woodshed normally describes an outdoor storage area for firewood — though it can also be a euphemism for an outhouse. Both places are located away from prying ears, so a woodshed has long been a place a musician can practice for long periods without fear of exasperating nearby listeners. “Woodshedding” as a verb resulted from the commonality of this practice.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: MANIFOLD

pronunciation: [MAN-ə-fold]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Old English

 

Meaning: 

1. Having many different forms or elements.

 

Example:

"There are manifold reasons to love “The Muppet Show,” but mainly I’m a fan of Fozzie Bear."

"A visit to a pre-game tailgate reveals the manifold variety of football fans."

 

About Manifold

“Manifold” comes from the late Old English “manigfealde,” but prior to the 1700s, it had dozens of different spellings, including “monyfawld,” “maniualde,” and “manyfoolde.”

 

Did You Know?

While the adjective sense of “manifold” dates back to Old English, a noun usage popped up in the 19th century. “Manifold” commonly describes a pipe branching into several openings — such as the part of an internal combustion engine that distributes air and fuel inside the motor. A car’s manifold (noun) starts in one central place and leads to manifold (adjective) different parts of the combustion and exhaust systems.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: LICIT

pronunciation: [LIH-sit]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 15th Century

 

Meaning: 

1. Not forbidden; lawful.

 

Example:

"Jim was quick to stress that his collection of tropical birds was completely licit."

"When the U.S. ended Prohibition, the illicit production of alcohol became licit again."

 

About Licit

From the Latin “licitus,” meaning “allowed.” The past participle of “licitus” is “licere” (meaning “to be allowed”). The word “license” (meaning “permission,” or describing a document granting permission) comes from that offshoot of “licitus.”

 

Did You Know?

While lesser known, “licit” predated its antonym “illicit” by at least a hundred years, and, until the end of the 19th century, “licit” was more commonly used than the illegal version. Naturally what is considered lawful changes from place to place, and from one system of laws and social customs to the next. For example, selling alcohol is licit every day of the week in most parts of the U.S., but some counties and municipalities have made the sale of alcohol illicit on Sundays or during certain hours of the day.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: FARINACEOUS

pronunciation: [fer-ə-NAY-shəs]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Late Latin, 1640s

 

Meaning: 

1. Consisting of or containing starch.

 

Example:

"Marianne finds farinaceous foods rather comforting."

"Risotto is my favorite farinaceous dish."

 

About Farinaceous

This word comes from the Late Latin “farinaceus,” originally from the Latin “farina,” meaning "flour, meal."

 

Did You Know?

When asked to name farinaceous (starchy) foods, most people will likely rattle off a list including pasta, rice, polenta, or even gnocchi. But there are farinaceous vegetables, such as potatoes, peas, corn, squash, and yams. There are also starchy fruits, including plantains, figs, prunes, and raisins.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: LITERATIM

pronunciation: [lih-də-RAY-dəm]

 

Part of speech: adverb

Origin: Latin, early 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Of the copying of a text) letter by letter.

 

Example:

"He wrote the sentence literatim from the textbook."

"Bethany needed to transcribe the passages literatim."

 

About Literatim

This word stems from the medieval Latin “littera,” meaning “letter.”

 

Did You Know?

“Verbatim” and “literatim” might seem like synonyms, but their exact definitions differ slightly. “Verbatim” means “in the exact words,” while “literatim” means “letter for letter.” The Latin phrase “verbatim et literatim” means “word for word and letter for letter” and usually refers to copying something exactly as it was written.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: BOULEVARDIER

pronunciation: [boo-lə-vahr-DYAY]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, late 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A wealthy, fashionable socialite.

 

Example:

"Genevieve was a vivacious, popular boulevardier."

"Lizzie was intimidated, yet smitten, by the swashbuckling boulevardier."

 

About Boulevardier

This word is a French term that means “person who frequents boulevards.”

 

Did You Know?

The boulevardier cocktail is made up of equal parts Campari, sweet red vermouth, and either rye whiskey or bourbon, with an orange peel for garnish. The drink became popular after it was featured in Harry MacElhone’s 1927 book, “Barflies and Cocktails.” He credited the drink to Erskine Gwynne, the publisher of “Boulevardier,” a magazine for expats living in Paris at the time.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ENNEAD

pronunciation: [EN-ee-ad]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, mid-16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Rare) a group or set of nine.

 

Example:

"The planets were an ennead until Pluto was no longer considered a planet."

"A baseball game is an ennead of innings."

 

About Ennead

This word comes from the Greek “enneas” and “ennead-.” It stems originally from “ennea,” meaning “nine.”

 

Did You Know?

The Great Ennead was a group of nine deities in ancient Egyptian mythology. It included the sun god Atum and his children Shu (god of peace, air and wind) and Tefnut (deity of rain). It also included Shu’s and Tefnut’s children, Geb (father of snakes whose laughter created earthquakes) and Nut (goddess of mothers and the cosmos), as well as Osiris (god of fertility), Isis (believed to help the dead enter the afterlife), Set (god of deserts, storms, and disorder), and Nephthys (associated with death, darkness, and childbirth).

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: HOLOPHRASIS

pronunciation: [hə-LAH-frə-sis]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The expression of a whole phrase in a single word — for example, “howdy” for “how do you do.”

 

Example:

"Preschool teachers have to decipher various holophrasis in their work."

"William’s preferred method of speech seemed to be holophrasis."

 

About Holophrasis

This word is a combination of “holo-,” from the Greek “holos,” meaning "whole, entire, complete” plus the Latinized form of the Greek “phrastikos,” originally from “phrazein,” meaning "to indicate, tell, express."

 

Did You Know?

Toddlers go through a stage where holophrasis makes up a majority of their vocabulary. Combined with tone of voice and and body language, their use of single words tends to get the message across effectively. For instance, if a toddler says “up” with his arms raised in the air, he likely wants you to pick him up. Holophrasis is essentially the backbone of a child’s vocabulary.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: MAQULLAGE

pronunciation: [mahk-ee-AZH]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Makeup; cosmetics.

 

Example:

"Andrea watched YouTube videos to learn new techniques for her maquillage."

"Theater performers usually wear thick layers of maquillage to ensure the audience can see their features."

 

About Maquillage

“Maquillage” comes directly from the French “maquillage,” whose roots in Middle French originally meant “to do.” “Maquiller,” the French verb meaning “apply make-up to one’s face,” entered English through theatrical vernacular in the 1840s, while the noun “maquillage” was used in the 1850s.

 

Did You Know?

“Maquillage” is often used as a direct synonym for “make-up” or “cosmetics,” but the word’s definition is not as neutral as those two terms. Rather, “maquillage” often suggests make-up applied excessively or garishly. This is partly due to “maquillage” entering English through the culture of 19th century theatrical entertainment, in which actors needed exaggerated and distinct makeup to be identifiable onstage.

 

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CRABWISE

pronunciation: [KRAB-wiyz]

 

Part of speech: adverb

Origin: English, 20th century

 

Meaning: 

1. To, toward, or from the side, typically in an awkward way.

 

Example:

"Roberto moved crabwise without taking his eyes off the ball when he played dodgeball."

"My cat only moves crabwise if she knows I’m going to try to give her a pill."

 

About Crabwise

The word is a compound of “crab,” from the Old English “crabba,” and the suffix “-wise,” meaning “in the manner of.” “Wise” also dates back to Old English.

 

Did You Know?

Crabs are capable of moving forward, but their leg joints make it far easier for them to move quickly by darting left or right. Because they’re the only animal famous for moving in this manner, “crabwise” is an evocative description of sideways motion.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SATISFICE

pronunciation: [SAD-əs-fiys]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Accept an available option as satisfactory.

 

Example:

"The restaurant didn’t brew fresh decaf, so Vern satisficed with instant."

"Last year, Caroline had to satisfice with a vacation in her own backyard, but this year she’s hoping to travel."

 

About Satisfice

“Satisfice” is a blend of two English words, “satisfy” and “suffice.” Yet the word also connects to the classical Latin word “satisfacere,” itself formed by blending “satis” (meaning “enough”) and “faciō” (meaning “make”).

 

Did You Know?

“Satisfice” doesn’t quite mean “satisfy” — in fact, the word implies a halfway point between actual satisfaction and that which will simply suffice. Though 500 years ago, “satisfice” was a synonym for “satisfy,” today the term implies something that will suffice despite falling short of total satisfaction.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: MELLIFEROUS

pronunciation: [mə-LIF-ə-rəs]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Yielding or producing honey.

 

Example:

"Behind the restaurant, there was a patio surrounded by melliferous flowers."

"There are more melliferous plants than honeybees can harvest: some grow in a way that prevents bees from accessing them."

 

About Melliferous

“Melliferous” was created by merging the Latin “mellifer” (meaning “to bear honey”) with the suffix “-ous,” meaning “abundantly.”

 

Did You Know?

We often speak about honey as primarily the product of bees, but bees need to harvest substances from melliferous plants, which contain source nectar for honey. The word is similar to the better-known adjective “mellifluous,” which means “sweet or musical; pleasant to hear” and is sometimes used to describe voices and sounds.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: VOUCHSAFE

pronunciation: [VOUCH-seif]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Middle English, 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Give or grant (something) to (someone) in a gracious or condescending manner.

 

Example:

"My grandfather vouchsafed his precious war medals to me."

"The TikTok influencer vouchsafed some advice about investing in crypto, but Tamara was more cautious with her money."

 

About Vouchsafe

“Vouchsafe” has had many spellings — including “witchaff,” “voutsalfe,” and “wouchaiffe” — since it appeared in 16th century Middle English. In all cases, it derived from the combination of “vouch,” meaning “to warrant or guarantee” and “safe,” meaning “securely.”

 

Did You Know?

“Vouchsafe” is a formal word meaning to “give,” “grant,” or “bestow.” Originally, “vouchsafe” described people of power or authority graciously offering something they were not required to give. For many, this meant they were “condescending”—in the original sense of the term: they were descending from a high position to give something. However, in modern use, “vouchsafe” is often used condescendingly (as modern users understand the word), to belittle someone giving or granting something in a pompous manner.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: EXEMPLUM

pronunciation: [eg-ZEM-pləm]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. An example or model, especially a moralizing or illustrative story.

 

Example:

"The first Star Wars film is an exemplum of the belief that good eventually triumphs over evil."

"Before Shari gave me her keys, she told me how her last house-sitter had watered all her plants, which I took as an exemplum."

 

About Exemplum

The term comes directly from “exemplum” in classical Latin, and was once closely related with “example.” In the late medieval period, both “example” and “exemplum” implied the kind of behaviour that others could model themselves upon. While “example” became a broadly used term synonymous with “sample,” “exemplum” has continued to refer to an allegory from which others can learn some lesson.

 

Did You Know?

“Exemplum” looks similar to “example,” but the term is concerned with what specifically constitutes a good example. An exemplum, therefore, does not simply give an example of a situation. Rather, like traditional fables and other stories that include an instructive moral, an exemplum presents a case of how a situation is best encountered and resolved.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ORT

pronunciation: [ort]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Late Middle English

 

Meaning: 

1. (usually orts) A scrap or remainder of food from a meal.

 

Example:

"Tammy cleared the dishes from the table and scraped the orts into the dog’s bowl."

"Anna composts most of her orts, rather than putting them in the trash."

 

About Ort

“Orts” is a variation on the Old English “orǣt.” Many languages have very similar words for food scraps: “oräte” in Swedish, “oret” in Danish, and “orte” in German all mean “leftover animal feed,” while the Dutch “oort” means “leftover food.” The term “orts” is rare in modern English, but was once widespread across England, Ireland, and Scotland. It also had American regional variations beginning in the 19th century, including “orts” and “oughts.”

 

Did You Know?

“Orts” has nearly always referred to scraps of food left over after a meal, either by people or by animals. But “orts” has whimsical other meanings — one refers to “pieces of wisdom.” By this meaning, a student taking careful notes might be hoping to catch as many orts of her teacher’s knowledge as possible. In another sense referring to needlework, orts are scraps of thread left over after stitching.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: EPOCHAL

pronunciation: [EP-ə-kəl]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Forming or characterizing an epoch; epoch-making.

 

Example:

"Lebron James has been an epochal figure in the popularity of basketball, comparable to Michael Jordan in his time."

"The fall of the Berlin Wall was the last epochal moment of the Cold War in the 20th century."

 

About Epochal

From the Latin “epocha,” referring to the beginning of a new time period, the 17th-century word “epoch” defines a period of time or history marked by significant events. The adjective “epochal” describes the kinds of events that define a period of history as an epoch.

 

Did You Know?

We rarely think of events and moments in the present as being “epochal.” In general, the era-defining character of epochal events only becomes clear with the passage of time. However, some events are so impressive and unprecedented they are recognized immediately as epochal, such as the moon landing, or Serena Williams’s eight-time ranking as the best singles tennis player in the world.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: POLYHISTOR

pronunciation: [pah-lee-HIS-tər]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Another term for polymath (a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning.)

 

Example:

"Looking at the bookshelf stacked with tomes on dozens of wide-ranging subjects, I sensed the AirBnB owner was a polyhistor."

"My nephew is a polyhistor who always impresses me with the range of subjects he brings up for discussion."

 

About Polyhistor

The term “polyhistor” derives from the Greek “polu” (meaning “very) and “histōr” (meaning “wise man). It’s closely associated with the more common term “polymath” (from “manthanein,” meaning learning) — but should be distinguished from the term “polyglot,” which refers to a speaker of several languages.

 

Did You Know?

Public libraries exploded at the turn of the 20th century, helped especially by steel billionaire Andrew Carnegie’s contribution of $60M, with which he opened 1,689 public libraries across the United States. Today there are more than 115,000 public libraries operating in the United States alone. Now much of the history of human thought and experience is available online for polyhistors to explore from every conceivable angle and location.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: COLORATURA

pronunciation: [kə-lə-rə-TOO-rə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal melody, especially in operatic singing by a soprano.

 

Example:

"Though Mariah Carey is a pop singer, she brings elements of coloratura into her hit songs."

"The lead soprano captivated the audience with her flights of coloratura."

 

About Coloratura

Like many words related to opera, “coloratura” came into English directly from Italian. The term “coloratura” is taken directly from the Italian for “coloring.” This connection of sound with color helps evoke the dazzling effect of hearing a top singer delivering coloratura.

 

Did You Know?

Coloratura is the vocal equivalent of instrumental embellishment, allowing virtuosic opera singers, traditionally sopranos, to show off their range and abilities through elaborate melodic structures in high octaves. The complex vocal embellishments in “coloratura” allow the listener to experience the full capacity of the singer and their voice.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PASSE-PARTOUT

pronunciation: [pass-pər-TOO]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 17th century.

 

Meaning: 

1. A master key.

2. A picture or photograph simply mounted between a piece of glass and a sheet of cardboard (or two pieces of glass) stuck together at the edges with adhesive tape.

 

Example:

"Hotel maids may use their passe-partouts to open any guest room in the building."

"Only one of the security guards has a passe-partout to open all the doors."

 

About Passe-partout

In French, “passe-partout” translates to “passes everywhere,” which makes a “passe-partout” far more literal in its home language than the equivalent English term “skeleton key.” Someone with a passe-partout can literally pass anywhere.

 

Did You Know?

In addition to describing a master key, the term “passe-partout” can also describe a sheet of card with its center cut out to create a framing mount for a picture or photograph. In both cases, the objects are correctly described as “passing everywhere.” In the case of image framing, this description applies to how much of the outside of the image is covered by the card mount. Because it passes all the way around the central image, such a mount is also described as a “passe-partout.”