New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: BELGARD

pronunciation: [BEL-gard]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A loving, amorous, or affectionate glance

 

Example:

"Beneath the streetlight, Henry cast a belgard at Maria."

"My grandmother stole a belgard at my grandfather when he wasn’t looking."

 

About Belgard

“Belgard” entered English from the Italian “bel guardo,” meaning “lovely look.”

 

Did You Know?

“Belgard” is somewhat uncommon, but its basis — the Italian “bel guardo” — is seen in place and family names in France and the Americas. There are 11 communities in France called “Bellegarde,” as well as one in Saskatchewan, Canada, and the surname “Bellegarde” is very common in Haiti and across Canada. There are now more people named “Bellegarde” in both Haiti and Canada than remain in France.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CAUSERIE

pronunciation: [koz-ə-REE]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. An informal article or talk, typically on a literary subject.

 

Example:

"As we walked, Tom improvised a causerie about the novels of James Baldwin."

"Our dinner discussion turned into a causerie about the “Anne of Green Gables” novels."

 

About Causerie

“Causerie” is based on the French expression “causer,” meaning to talk, which itself is based on the Latin “causārī,” meaning to debate or dispute.

 

Did You Know?

The difference between a causerie and a lecture is informality. In the original French, the term “causerie” refers to “a chat” or “a chin-wag,” but rather than simply talking about anything, “causerie” marries an informal type of conversation with a subject of some depth, such as literature. Educational discussions of literature can be very formal. By contrast, a “causerie” offers those who love literature the lively opportunity to have informal chats that nonetheless approach the subject in detail. Consider calling your next book club chat a "causerie."

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: AMBSACE

pronunciation: [AM-zeys]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Anglo-Norman, 14th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Two ones; the lowest throw at dice; a pair of aces.

 

Example:

"I had nothing but ambsace during the bachelor party trip."

"I needed to throw a five and a one to win, but I threw ambsace."

 

About Ambsace

“Ambsace” is also spelled “ambs-ace” and “ames-ace,” which indicate its Old French root “ambes as,” meaning “both aces.” This was taken from the Latin ”ambō,” meaning “both,” and “as,” a common Roman coin that is the root of the word “ace.”

 

Did You Know?

Variations of the word “ambsace” have appeared in various spellings over the centuries. It was “ambbes aas” and “aumbys as” in pre-14th century texts, “almesace” in the 1500s, and “alms-ace” and “ammez-ace” in the 1600s. Over this time, it referred to two points, as on dice, but it also suggested a very small number or distance, meaning the expression can be used as a measure of extreme closeness. For example, to “roll within ames-ace of a win” means to come as close as possible to victory without actually winning.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ESCUTCHEON

pronunciation: [ə-skəCH-ən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Old French, 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (also escutcheon plate) A flat piece of metal for protection and often ornamentation, around a keyhole, door handle, or light switch.

2. A shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms.

 

Example:

"Every outdoor lock was protected from the elements by a swiveling brass escutcheon."

"The antique tapestry featured a large escutcheon at the center."

 

About Escutcheon

“Escutcheon” came into English from the Old French “escuchon,” which referred to the Latin “scūtum,” meaning “shield.”

 

Did You Know?

With the Latin root “scūtum,” meaning “shield,” “escutcheon” once described a shield-shaped coat of arms, but it’s more commonly used now in architecture. It refers to shield-shaped stone ornaments that have decorated buildings from the Gothic era into the modern. Today, most escutcheons are literal — not figurative — shields. Their job is to shield less attractive parts of functional items from view. For example, an escutcheon may be placed to cover the hole in the wall from which a bathroom pipe emerges, or around a doorknob or lightswitch to hide the hardware.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: QUASI

pronunciation: [KWEI-zi]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Seemingly; apparently but not really.

2. Being partly or almost.

 

Example:

"George was a quasi-Floridian; he loved Jimmy Buffet and followed the Buccaneers, but he lived in North Dakota."

"My father never went to college, but he read so much that he spoke like a quasi-academic."

 

About Quasi

“Quasi” was taken directly from the same word in Latin, meaning “as if,” or “almost.”

 

Did You Know?

“Quasi” is a combining form, which is similar to a prefix, but it works slightly differently. A prefix adjusts the function of the word, such as with “in-ability” or “im-possible.” A combining form, such as “quasi,” helps determine a new meaning of the word. “Quasi” describes something or someone that is closely similar to something else without bridging the gap and becoming that thing. For example, a “quasi-vegetarian” is a person who eats meat extremely rarely, but they can’t quite claim to be a complete vegetarian.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: OPULENCE

pronunciation: [AHP-yəl-ens]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Middle French, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Great wealth or luxuriousness.

 

Example:

"The opulence of Marcia’s home was most apparent in the kitchen with its marble countertops, hardwood floors and cabinetry, and an eight-burner Italian gas range."

"As we walked the gardens of the castle, we found the opulence of the interior extended to the lush landscaping."

 

About Opulence

Opulence came into English from an identical word in Middle French, meaning “great wealth.” The French word “opulence” was based on the Latin “opulentia,” meaning “riches” or “splendor.”

 

Did You Know?

The richest person in history was believed to be Mansa Musa (1280 - 1337 CE), king of Timbuktu in present-day Mali. Since Musa oversaw the world’s largest resources of gold, he enjoyed such extravagant opulence that he once threw the currency of neighboring Egypt into crisis through his own personal spending. Musa’s personal wealth and levels of opulence are impossible to measure by today’s standards. Julius Caesar, another historical figure of great wealth, is estimated to have had a fortune equivalent to about $4 trillion.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DECOCTION

pronunciation: [də-KAK-shən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Old French, 13th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The liquor resulting from concentrating the essence of a substance by heating or boiling, especially a medicinal preparation made from a plant.

 

Example:

"My grandmother fed her own decoction of medicinal herbs to anyone who was sick."

"To make a plant-based tincture, start with a decoction of the plant mixed with alcohol."

 

About Decoction

“Decoction” entered English from the Old French “decoccion,” which was based on the Latin “decoquō,” meaning “I boil down.”

 

Did You Know?

“Decoction” and “concoction” share some similarities, but their differences are more important. A “decoction” is specifically a concentration of a single substance through heat — it comes from the Latin “dēcoquĕre,” meaning “to boil down.” A “concoction” is a combination of several substances merged together by heating. The “con” prefix comes from the Latin “concoquĕre,” meaning “to boil together.” “Concoction” could be used to describe pretty much any dish whipped up over the stove, but “decoction” will likely pop up in the kitchen for preparing jams, syrups, and herbal mixtures.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PERCENTILE

pronunciation: [pər-SEN-tiyl]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: English, 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Each of the 100 equal groups into which a population can be divided according to the distribution of values of a particular variable.

2. Each of the 99 intermediate values of a random variable that divide a frequency distribution into 100 groups.

 

Example:

"As a baby, Melvin was in above the 95th percentile for height, and he remained taller than his schoolmates all the way to graduation."

"With a score of between 1350 and 1400 on the SAT, a student will rank between the 90th and 94th percentiles, meaning they have scored better than between 90% and 94% of other students."

 

About Percentile

“Percentile” is a word created in English out of several parts. Its basis is the expression “per cent,” which came into English in the 13th century from the Italian “per cento.” This expression is derived from the Latin “per,” meaning “for each,” and “centum,” meaning “hundred.” The addition of the suffix “-ile” indicates the division of that hundred into multiple groups of equal size.

 

Did You Know?

While “percentage” and “percentile” sound nearly identical, they mean very different things. A percentage is a number out of 100 indicating rate or performance, in which the higher the number, the greater the rate or performance. Percentiles, on the other hand, break any group of data into 100 equally sized segments for easy comparison with other data from the same group. For example, a person who scores 85% on a 100-question test has answered 85 out of 100 questions correctly. A person who scores in the 85th percentile on a test has scored higher than 85% of other people taking the test. As a result, a person taking a very difficult test might score 85% and discover they are within the 97th percentile of test-takers, because more than 97% of other test-takers scored below 85%.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: KINDRED

pronunciation: [KIN-drəd]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Old English, pre-13th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Similar in kind; related.

 

Example:

"When I saw how enthusiastically Joan cheered for the Blue Jays, I knew she was a kindred fan."

"Lali spent all weekend at the record fair with kindred collectors, everyone buying and trading rare LPs."

 

About Kindred

“Kindred” is based on the word “kin,” which entered Old English from the Germanic “cyn,” indicating kind or stock. The suffix “-red” developed out of the Old English “rǣden,” meaning “condition.”

 

Did You Know?

The most popular modern use for the word “kindred” is as part of the expression “kindred spirit,” with a basic definition of, “a person whose interests or attitudes are similar to one's own.” However, “kindred spirit” often refers to those people with whom one shares not only interests and attitudes, but also a feeling of profound connection. This feeling need not be limited to people. Sometimes a person in a close relationship with a pet may describe that animal as a “kindred spirit” to indicate a deep affection that transcends species.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: RESIDUUM

pronunciation: [rə-ZIJ-yoo-əm]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A substance or thing that remains or is left behind, in particular, a chemical residue.

 

Example:

"All that was left after the chemical reaction was a sticky green residuum."

"Johan soaked his saucepan to soften the chili residuum burned to the bottom."

 

About Residuum

“Residuum” is borrowed directly from the Latin, in which it referred to “something that remains.”

 

Did You Know?

“Residuum” is a nearly identical word to “residue,” but the two are not quite the same. “Residuum” began its life in scholarly writing as a direct reference to the Latin root word “residuum,” and for many years it was used interchangeably with the early English word “residue.” (“Residue” appeared in English roughly 250 years earlier than “residuum.”) In the world of 19th-century chemistry, however, the two words split. “Residue” referred to any sort of leftover remainder or byproduct, and “residuum” took on the specific meaning of waste products left over following a chemical reaction.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ACERVATION

pronunciation: [a-sər-VEY-shən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The action of forming something into a mass or of piling something up in a heap or heaps; accumulation.

 

Example:

"The great hill in the park was created by the acervation of the earth removed to build the subway station."

"The sledding hill was made by snow plows conducting the acervation of the parking lot snow."

 

About Acervation

“Acervation” is taken directly from the Latin “acervation,” meaning “piling up” or “heaping.”

 

Did You Know?

Around the United States there are ancient sites created by pre-Columbian Indigenous cultures known collectively as “mound builders.” Mound builders existed from as early as 3500 BCE until European contact in the 16th century. They came from different cultures and traditions, but were united by their use of acervation to create mound earthworks used as ceremonial sites, burial grounds, and residential areas. Some used acervation to create gigantic earthwork representations of animals — such as at Serpent Mound in Ohio, which is shaped like a snake.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DISCURSIVE

pronunciation: [də-SKUR-siv]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Digressing from subject to subject.

2. (of a style of speech or writing) fluent and expansive rather than formulaic or abbreviated.

 

Example:

"The author’s talk wasn’t showy, but he spoke with the same discursive eloquence as he wrote."

"My favorite college professor gave discursive lectures that connected widely different subjects."

 

About Discursive

“Discursive” is based on the Latin word “discursivus,” whose root is “discurs-,” meaning “going hastily to and fro.”

 

Did You Know?

The “shaggy-dog story” is essentially a long joke composed of many irrelevant, yet highly detailed, discursive tangents that lead to an anti-climactic punchline. Shaggy-dog stories earned their name from a series of jokes that emphasize the shagginess of a dog in excessive detail before a punchline in which a character —sometimes the judge of a shaggy dog contest — announces the dog is not actually very shaggy. An audience tends to get the giggles from the unrelenting discursive descriptions, which are more important to the jokes than their punchlines. Late comedian Norm MacDonald was known for his extraordinarily discursive four-minute telling of the “Moth Joke.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: COUNTERPANE

pronunciation: [KOUN-tər-payn]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Old French, 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A bedspread.

 

Example:

"The bed was made up with an antique counterpane quilted by my husband’s great-grandmother."

"The counterpane in the guest bedroom was more for show than for warmth."

 

About Counterpane

“Counterpane” is an alteration of “counterpoint,” which was based on the Latin “culcitra puncta,” or “quilted mattress.” The suffix “pane” — an old word for “cloth” — replaced “point.”

 

Did You Know?

A “counterpane” is a decorative bedspread designed more to be seen than used for warmth. Traditionally, counterpanes were woven to showcase raised details, making the blanket seem embossed. However, many counterpanes were also quilted or knit. As nice as counterpanes are to look at, they are generally insubstantial as blankets. Sleepers in cold climates usually require additional layers beyond a counterpane to keep them warm at night.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: VISAGISTE

pronunciation: [viz-ah-JEEST]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 20th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A make-up artist.

 

Example:

"Roseanne sat for an hour with a visagiste who applied her make-up perfectly before the show."

"Shauna started her career as a visagiste, before she realized her true passion was styling hair."

 

About Visagiste

Directly from the French “visagiste,” it combines the French word “visage,” meaning “face,” and the suffix “-iste” (like the English “-ist”) suggesting “one who studies and practices a discipline.”

 

Did You Know?

A visagiste doesn’t just apply their own cosmetics, but they skillfully apply make-up to others in flattering and creative ways. Why not simply call themselves “make-up artists”? Most do, but so do some influencers with different levels of training and experience. Whether they’re trained professionals or passionate self-taught amateurs, those who call themselves “visagistes” might be making a statement about their expertise. They are experts of the face — the “visage” of the word’s French root — and how to flatter each face with cosmetics that celebrate its beauty.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ARABLE

pronunciation: [ER-ə-bəl]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Middle French, 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (of land) used or suitable for growing crops.

 

Example:

"The land at the back of the house is arable and ready for crops to be planted."

"This county has twice as much arable land as its neighbors, which is why we have so many farms."

 

About Arable

From the French “arable,” it’s based on the Latin “arābilis,” meaning “capable of being plowed.”

 

Did You Know?

The amount of arable land — land suitable for growing crops — around the world has actually been growing over the past 50 years. As of 2019, the World Bank reported that 10.8% of the world’s land area was arable, up from 10% in 1972. Thirty years ago, the percentage of arable land around the world was 10.6% — meaning the world has only gained 0.2% of arable land area since that time, due to brief declines in the 1990s and 2000s caused partly by expanding cities and urban sprawl absorbing farmland.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PRIVY

pronunciation: [PRIV-ee]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Anglo-Norman, 13th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Sharing in the knowledge of (something secret or private)

2. (archaic) Hidden; secret.

 

Example:

"My sisters and I made sure our mom wasn’t privy to our surprise-party plans."

"My uncle’s office opened onto a room whose door appeared to be a privy bookcase."

 

About Privy

From the Anglo-Norman/middle French “prevé” (also “privié” or “privé”), which at various times has meant “intimate,” “reserved for only some people,” “secret,” and “isolated.”

 

Did You Know?

The most common form of “privy” in modern English is the adjective describing someone who shares in the knowledge of something secret or private, such as when a judge calls attorneys to the bench and has a conversation only they are privy to. But dating back to its entry into English in the 1200s, the word “privy” has also evoked the common outdoor toilet. The simple reason for this is that the early forms of the root-word “prevé” apply to outhouses. They are intimate, isolated places reserved for only some people — the inhabitants of a home, and their guests.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: RORIFEROUS

pronunciation: [roh-RIF-ə-rəs]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Italian, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Producing or generating dew

 

Example:

"Before dawn, the roriferous clouds rolled in from the ocean."

"The roriferous fog left the grass heavy with morning dew."

 

About Roriferous

“Roriferous” is based on the Italian word “rorifero,” which is based on the Latin “rōrifer.” That word is a combination of the Latin “rōs,” meaning “dew,” and “ferō,” meaning “carry.” The English word “roriferous” has the suffix “ous,” meaning “an abundance of.”

 

Did You Know?

“Rore” has never been a common word for “dew,” though “rory” was a popular poetic synonym for “dewy” from the 16th to 18th century. “Roriferous” is actually the most popular word built on this root, but there aren’t many other words that precisely describe the state of generating or encouraging dew. The word “dewy” exists, but only describes the presence of dew. By contrast, “roriferous” describes the characteristic of attracting or producing dew.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SCINTILLATION

pronunciation: [sin-tə-LEY-shən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A flash or sparkle of light.

2. (Astronomy) The twinkling of the stars, caused by the earth's atmosphere diffracting starlight unevenly.

 

Example:

"We could see the scintillation of the city’s lights from the top of the mountain."

"Arlene sat on her roof on clear summer nights and enjoyed the scintillation of the stars."

 

About Scintillation

“Scintillation” is taken directly from the same word in French, which itself is based on the Latin “scintillation,” meaning “sparkling” or “twinkling.”

 

Did You Know?

In everyday English, the word “scintillating” describes the bright thoughts and wit of a clever person, or the dazzling talent of a skilled individual. The word “scintillation” is closely associated with “scintillating,” though it is rarely used as a metaphor. Rather, “scintillation” refers specifically to flashes of light, particularly light that is sparkling or twinkling rather than constant. One might describe an evening of conversation as “scintillating,” but “scintillation” could be used for the flicker of the candles at the dinner party.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PARENTHESIZE

pronunciation: [pə-REN-thə-sahyz]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: French, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Put (a word, phrase, or clause) into parentheses.

2. Insert as a parenthesis; express or state in parenthesis.

 

Example:

"The front desk clerk said the kitchen closed at 8 p.m. but parenthesized we could call her if we needed anything."

"Harry told us he was on a diet but parenthesized that he made exceptions for fresh pie."

 

About Parenthesize

The verb “parenthesize” is a variation upon the English noun “parenthesis,” with the suffix “-ize” making the noun a verb. “Parenthesis” is based on the Ancient Greek “παρένθεσις” (“parénthesis”), meaning “I put in beside.”

 

Did You Know?

In written English, a parenthesis is a secondary idea added to a complete sentence as an afterthought or explanation, usually set off in punctuation by parentheses marks. But even in conversation, any idea that is added to a complete thought as a means of explaining or contextualizing it can be called a “parenthesis.” Therefore, any time a person introduces a secondary idea into a text, they’re parenthesizing, but so is a person who makes a statement and then adds an aside to further contextualize it. For example, a schoolteacher stating the rules for their class may parenthesize vocally by adding a list of the circumstances in which the rules do not apply.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CENATORY

pronunciation: [SEN-ə-tor-ee]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Related to evening dinner or supper.

 

Example:

"Carl had what he called his “cenatory suit,” a dinner jacket he wore only to formal suppers."

"My brother always seemed to disappear at the cenatory hour, seemingly hiding from my mother’s calls to come inside."

 

About Cenatory

“Cenatory” is a modernization of the Latin “cēnātōrius,” meaning that which referred to dinner or the dining table. “Cēnātōrius” is closely related to the Latin verb “cenare” (meaning “to dine”) and the noun “cena,” meaning “dinner.”

 

Did You Know?

“Cenatory” entered English as an invention of Sir Thomas Browne (1606-1682), who also coined the words “medical,” “electricity,” “carnivorous,” “prairie”, “ferocious” — and nearly 800 others. Browne was a respected author, philosopher, and scientist who helped develop modern approaches to science as part of the 17th-century “scientific revolution.” He was especially known for skeptically applying an early form of the scientific method to question subjects like the existence of unicorns. In all his writings, Browne took pleasure in creating new English words out of Latin roots, and “cenatory” is one of hundreds of words Browne invented.