New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: INTERDIGITATE

pronunciation: [in-ter-DIJ-ə-teit]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, 19th Century

 

Meaning: 

1. (of two or more things) interlock like the fingers of two clasped hands.

 

Example:

"The chair was finely woven with interdigitating lines of colored cane."

"When the safe’s lock is engaged, the protective steel bands interdigitate, making it impossible to open."

 

About Interdigitate

“Interdigitate” is a 19th century merger of Latin-derived pieces. The prefix “inter-” (meaning “between) joins “digitus” (meaning “finger or toe”) to evoke the image of fingers meshed together in sequence. The term is common in dentistry, where it can describe the interlocking fit of top and bottom teeth.

 

Did You Know?

Most people have a personal preference about how they interdigitate–in the original sense, meaning how they interlock the fingers of their hands. Some people prefer to have their right thumb on top when they clasp their hands, others prefer to have their left on top, and a third group of ambidextrous people are comfortable either way. Other than having ruled out a genetic explanation for this preference, researchers do not know why it exists.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: BARCAROLLE

pronunciation: [BAR-kə-rol]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Venetian Italian, 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A song traditionally sung by Venetian gondoliers.

 

Example:

"Working in the garden, Judy sang a barcarolle she learned in Venice on her honeymoon."

"Tourists love the melodic barcarolles the Venetian gondoliers have sung for centuries."

 

About Barcarolle

In Venetian, “barcaruola” translates to “boatman’s song.” “Venetian” is more than a dialect of Italian, but actually a separate Romance language spoken by some 5 million Italians. English speakers, largely introduced to this musical form through opera, flattened the many vowels of the Venetian word “barcaruola” into the easier-to-pronounce “barcarolle.”

 

Did You Know?

Though barcarolles originated as gondoliers’ songs, by the 18th century, vocal barcarolles were being incorporated into operas, such as by Italian composers Giuseppe Verdi (in his opera “I due Foscari”) and Gioachino Rossini (“Otello”), and by international composers, including the German Carl Maria von Weber (“Oberon”) and the German-French Jacques Offenbach (“Les Contes d’Hoffmann”). Traditional barcarolles are sung in a meter of 6/8 in order to match the gondolier’s paddling rhythm. Such relaxed, mid-tempo meters promote a reflective mood in the listener: some well-known pop songs in 6/8 time include the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose,” and Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DECUSSATE

pronunciation: [dih-KUH-seyt]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (of two or more things) cross or intersect each other to form an X.

 

Example:

"The main road and the railroad tracks meet in a decussate intersection east of downtown."

"The black and white stripes crossed to create a decussate pattern."

 

About Decussate

“Decussate” is derived from the Latin “decussatus,” meaning “divided crosswise,” but it also connects with the Latin “decussis,” which described both the figure X and the Roman numeral for 10. Words beginning with “dec-” can refer both to the figure X and the number ten. (In ancient Rome, December was originally the 10th month of the year.)

 

Did You Know?

In botany, the term “decussate” describes pairs of leaves with stems at right angles to one another that cross paths as they grow. The intersecting growth is described with the verb “to decussate,” but crosswise patterns of leaves and bark of plants can be described with the adjective form of “decussate.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: APTRONYM

pronunciation: [AP-trə-nim]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: 1920s

 

Meaning: 

1. A person's name that is regarded as amusingly appropriate to their occupation.

 

Example:

"The woman selling the fish wore a nametag reading “Ms. Flounder,” which was a perfect aptronym."

"Our class’s enthusiastic new gym teacher had the aptronym “Mr. Fitt.”"

 

About Aptronym

The word “patronym” (a name derived from one’s father) was common in the early 20th century, and in a way it became the basis for “aptronym,” though the two words have little to do with one another beyond similar sounds. Writer Franklin P. Addams coined the word to describe a name (indicated by the suffix “-onym”) that was especially apt, so he made an anagram of the “patro-” prefix of the original word, forming “aptro.”

 

Did You Know?

The greatest sprinting runner in history is Usain Bolt, while a famous Canadian rock producer is named Bob Rock. Lance Bass of former boy-band NSYNC fame sang with a low register, and Britain is home to weatherperson Sarah Blizzard. But aptronyms aren’t just for celebrities: everyday folks can have them too — imagine a construction worker named David Joiner, or a pastry chef named Lucy Baker. Aptronyms call back to the early years of English family names, adopted around the 17th century, when names were more descriptive and people were named according to their fathers or ancestors (such as “Richardson” for the son of someone named Richard).

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CAESURA

pronunciation: [sə-ZHOO-rə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (in modern verse) a pause near the middle of a line.

 

Example:

"A caesura in the lines of a nursery rhyme allows the person reciting it to take a breath."

"Sue prefers singing hymns with caesuras, because it’s easy to figure out when to breathe."

 

About Caesura

The word “caesura” comes directly from the Latin “caesura,” referring to a pause in the meter of poetry.

 

Did You Know?

Any time a group of people singing a song all take a short break at the same time, they are observing a caesura. One of the most familiar caesuras is the slight pause following the words, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America,” which begin the Pledge of Allegiance. In fact, though it is only three lines long, the American Pledge of Allegiance contains several caesuras that contribute to its proud and solemn mood.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CIRCUMFLUENT

pronunciation: [sər-KUM-floo-wənt]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Flowing around; surrounding.

 

Example:

"At the top of the mountain, the circumfluent air is cold and clean."

"The circumfluent waters around the boat were calm."

 

About Circumfluent

“Circumfluent” was drawn directly from the Latin verb “circumfluere,” meaning “flowing around.” It combines the prefix “circum,” meaning “around,” with “fluere,” meaning “to flow.”

 

Did You Know?

“Circumfluent” describes things that flow around, or flow in a surrounding manner, and can be used to describe anything that flows. Usually it’s applied to air and water, but it can also describe land, or geographical features that seem to flow. For example, “The circumfluent forest surrounded the hunting lodge.” Traditionally, the term was defined more broadly. In its original sense, “circumfluent” also applied to metaphorically flowing things, such as virtue or religious observance.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: IDES

pronunciation: [iydz]

 

Part of speech: plural noun

Origin: Late Old English

 

Meaning: 

1. (in the ancient Roman calendar) a day falling roughly in the middle of each month (the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of other months) from which other dates were calculated.

 

Example:

"Don knew he couldn’t take on any more work until at least the ides."

"I arrived in Costa Rica in the ides of September, the middle of the rainy season."

 

About Ides

Ides draws upon the Latin “Īdūs” and the old French “Ides,” but the word is also related to the Etruscan “iduāre,” meaning “to divide.”

 

Did You Know?

In ancient Roman times, "ides" referred to a month's first new moon, which placed the ides between the 13th and 15th day of the month. The term has always been closely associated with “the ides of March,” mentioned in Shakespeare’s history play “Julius Caesar,” but there are ides in every month. Formally, the ides are 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of the other months.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ENCHIRIDION

pronunciation: [eng-kə-RID-ee-ən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Late Old English

 

Meaning: 

1. A book containing essential information on a subject.

 

Example:

"Susan's prized possession is her mother's cookbook, an enchiridion of the family's favorite dishes."

"Sheila published an enchiridion about koalas' behavior and social habits."

 

About Enchiridion

The ancient Greek ἐγχειρίδιος means "fitting in the hand." An “enchiridion” came into English in the 16th century as a portable, hand-sized guidebook.

 

Did You Know?

The modern handbook has its roots in the enchiridion (related to the Greek word for “hand”), traditionally a small, portable manual widely used from early Greece through to the 19th century. Enchiridons were designed to keep useful information near at hand, including religious teachings, ethical advice, the rules of poetry, guidance for soldiers, and means of understanding the law.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: HIBERNIAN

pronunciation: [hi-BER-nee-ən]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin and Old Celtic, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Of or concerning Ireland (now chiefly used in names).

 

Example:

"The Hibernian guests were easily identified by their accents and requests for particular whiskeys."

"Legendary Hibernian authors James Joyce and Samuel Beckett left Ireland early in life."

 

About Hibernian

The Roman name for Ireland was “Hibernia,” which derived from the Old Celtic ”Iveriu.”

 

Did You Know?

“Hibernia” is a very old word for “Irish,” usually applied by outsiders, though its middle syllable is similar to “Éire,” the name the Irish use for their home. Perhaps its most common use today is a confusing one: the popular Hibernian Football Club is actually a Scottish sports team competing in the top tier of the Scottish Professional Football League.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: TRANSMARINE

pronunciation: [tranz-mə-REEN]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, late 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Situated or originating on the other side of the sea.

2. Of or involving crossing the sea.

 

Example:

"The marine biologist put together a crew for a transmarine exploration."

"Some bird species make yearly transmarine migrations."

 

About Transmarine

This word originates from the Latin “transmarinus,” from “trans-,” meaning “across” and “marinus,” meaning “marine, of the sea.”

 

Did You Know?

Millions of birds make transmarine journeys each year to a swath of the North Atlantic Ocean for food. A new study in “Conservation Letters” says decades of tracking data found the migratory birds represent about two dozen species from both hemispheres. Several of the species studied are endangered, and the hope is that with this new data, these 600,000 square kilometers of international waters can become a protected area.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SAPIENT

pronunciation: [SAY-pee-ənt]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Middle English, late 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Formal) wise, or attempting to appear wise. (Chiefly in science fiction) intelligent.

2. Relating to the human species (Homo sapiens).

 

Example:

"Extraterrestrials are usually written to be highly sapient beings in fiction."

"Humans are considered to be the most sapient creatures on Earth."

 

About Sapient

This word stems from Middle English and Middle French. It originated from the Latin “sapient-” and “sapiens,” from the present participle of “sapere,” meaning “to taste” or “be wise.”

 

Did You Know?

Human beings have long been considered the only sapient creatures in the animal kingdom. But animal rights organizations like Whale & Dolphin Conservation believe whales and dolphins are sentient and sapient creatures who deserve to have their rights recognized and welfare protected. Many of these species live in complex social groups and show complex behaviors such as cooperation, tool use, and even have their own cultures.

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: KINESIS

pronunciation: [kə-NEE-sis]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, early 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Movement; motion.

2. (Biology) An undirected movement of a cell, organism, or part in response to an external stimulus. (Zoology) Mobility of the bones of the skull, as in some birds and reptiles.

 

Example:

"Sam focused his study on biological kinesis. "

"Natalie possessed a great amount of kinesis and flexibility."

 

About Kinesis

This word comes from the Greek “kinēsis,” meaning “movement,” originally from “kinein,” meaning “to move.”

 

Did You Know?

You may be more familiar with “kinesis” as a suffix implying movement than a standalone word. For example, “telekinesis” is a psychic ability that allows a person to move an object without physical interaction. “Halokinesis” is the study of salt tectonics, and “karyokinesis” is the division of a cell nucleus during mitosis.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ATHENAEUM

pronunciation: [ath-ə-NEE-əm]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, mid 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Used in the names of libraries or institutions for literary or scientific study.

2. Used in the titles of periodicals concerned with literature, science, and art.

 

Example:

"Lauren went to the athenaeum that housed the rare, specialized books she needed."

"The literary society recently published the first edition of “Athenaeum.”"

 

About Athenaeum

This word comes from the Latinized form of the Greek “Athēnaion,” denoting the temple of the goddess Athene in ancient Athens (which was used for teaching).

 

Did You Know?

While the word might be unfamiliar to some, “athenaeum” is a surprisingly common word used in many names and titles. It appears in the titles of numerous libraries, books, and periodicals, such as West Virginia University’s “The Daily Athenaeum.” There’s also theaters like the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture in Chicago and Athenaeum Foundation in Indianapolis. The Mexican Youth Athenaeum in Mexico City was a civil association founded in 1909 to highlight culture and art by organizing public meetings and debates. “Athenaeum” is also both a town and a fort in ancient Arcadia, Greece; a rock band from North Carolina; and “The Athenaeum” is an unfinished portrait of George Washington.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DEUTERAGONIST

pronunciation: [doo-də-RAH-gə-nəst]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, mid 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The person second in importance to the protagonist in a drama.

 

Example:

"Tyler felt like he was a deuteragonist in his own life."

"The role of a deuteragonist can be just as important as the protagonist."

 

About Deuteragonist

This word originates from the Greek “deuteragōnistēs,” which comes from “deuteros,” meaning “second” and “agōnistēs,” meaning actor.”

 

Did You Know?

A deuteragonist isn’t necessarily the same from one story to the next. A deuteragonist may be on the protagonist's side, like a sidekick or a love interest. Or they can be a villain, foil, or primary rival the protagonist must defeat. The deuteragonist can simply serve a neutral role, too.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SCUD

pronunciation: [skəd]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Unknown origin, mid 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Mainly literary) A formation of vapory clouds driven fast by the wind. A mass of windblown spray; a driving shower of rain or snow; a gust.

2. The action of moving fast in a straight line when driven by the wind.

 

Example:

"The scud of clouds raced quickly across the sky."

"The water vapor formed a scud of fog that billowed across the field."

 

About Scud

This word was first used as a verb in the 1530s, meaning "to move quickly." It might be a variant of the Middle English “scut,” meaning "rabbit, rabbit's tail" in reference to its movements.

 

Did You Know?

“Scud” can easily be confused for another similar-sounding word, “scut.” While “scud” is primarily a literary term used to describe clouds or droplets of water being moved by wind gusts, “scut” is the short tail of a hare, rabbit, or deer.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: MUDLARK

pronunciation: [MUD-lark]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: English, 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A person who scavenges in river mud for objects of value.

2. (Historical) A street urchin.

 

Example:

"Wendall wanted to be a modern mudlark."

"Milton found many accounts of mudlark life in The London Library."

 

About Mudlark

The first published use of the word was in 1785 as a slang term meaning “a hog.” Its origin may have been a humorous variation on “skylark.” By 1796, the word was also being used to describe “Men and boys ... who prowl about, and watch under the ships when the tide will permit.”

 

Did You Know?

Mudlarks made a living in London in the 18th and 19th centuries by scouring the muddy shores of the River Thames for anything and everything that could be sold to eke out a living. This could include pilfering from river traffic. Modern mudlarks have sometimes recovered objects of archaeological value from the river’s shores. These are either recorded as treasure under the Treasure Act of 1996 or submitted for analysis and review under the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: AUTOGENOUS

pronunciation: [ə-TAH-jən-əs]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Greek, mid-19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Arising from within or from a thing itself.

2. (Of welding) done either without solder or with a filler of the same metal as the pieces being welded.

 

Example:

"Dominique placed a lot of autogenous pressure on herself."

"Adam felt autogenous welding was simpler and less wasteful."

 

About Autogenous

This word comes from the Greek “autogenetos,” meaning "self-born." “Auto-” means "self," and “genetos” means "born." The latter stems from “genes,” meaning "formation, creation."

 

Did You Know?

An autogenous bone graft is when the patient’s own bone is used. During surgery, the doctor makes an incision and removes a small piece of bone from an area where it is not needed. The first successful procedure of this type was in 1875, when bone was removed from a patient’s ulna (forearm) to correct a skeletal defect. Hips, knees, spines, and jawbones are the most common locations for autogenous bone grafts.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: INFRANGIBLE

pronunciation: [in-FRAN-jə-bəl]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: French, late 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Unbreakable; inviolable.

 

Example:

"Tatiana had an indomitable, infrangible spirit."

"Marissa bought infrangible plates for her toddler."

 

About Infrangible

This word comes from French, stemming from the medieval Latin “infrangibilis. “In-” means “not,” and “frangibilis” or “frangere,” meaning “to break.”

 

Did You Know?

At first glance, it might be easy to mistake “infrangible” with “intangible” since they look so similar. However, to be infrangible is to be unbreakable, whereas something that’s intangible is unable to be touched or grasped because it doesn’t have a physical presence.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PHATIC

pronunciation: [FAD-ik]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Greek, 1920s

 

Meaning: 

1. Denoting or relating to language used for general purposes of social interaction, rather than to convey information or ask questions.

 

Example:

"Ariana wasn’t a fan of phatic phrases from her students."

"Tenelle always greeted people with one-word phatic utterances."

 

About Phatic

This term was coined by Polish-born British anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski, stemming from the Greek “phatos,” meaning "spoken, that may be spoken."

 

Did You Know?

It seems safe to assume that “emphatic” comes from the same roots as “phatic.” Guess again. While “phatic” comes from the Greek “phatos” (meaning spoken), “emphatic” comes from the Latinized form of the Greek “emphatikos,” a variant of “emphantikos.” That originated from “emphainein” (emphasis) and “emphatical,” an earlier usage that means "strongly expressive."

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: HERMETIC

pronunciation: [hər-MED-ik]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (of a seal or closure) complete and airtight.

2. Insulated or protected from outside influences.

 

Example:

"Thanks to the hermetic seal on the jar, the jam was still good 8 months later."

"The locker room atmosphere was hermetic: the only topic allowed was hockey strategy."

 

About Hermetic

“Hermetic” refers specifically to Hermes Trismegistus, Greek god of merchants, thieves, and oratory. Hermes was said to have invented a process for applying an airtight seal to glass tubes. Prior to the appearance of “hermetic” in the mid-17th century, “Hermes’ seal” was already being used to describe an airtight closure.

 

Did You Know?

“Hermetic” the airtight seal and Hermes the Greek god are separate from one another, united only by the legend that Hermes invented such a seal. Hermes — equivalent to Thoth in Egyptian culture, and Mercury in Roman culture — was said to have explored what would today be called occult practices. He is especially associated with the practice of alchemy. In the process of developing alchemy, Hermes is said to have created a method for applying airtight seals to glass vessels.