New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ENJAMBMENT

pronunciation: [en-JAM-mənt]

 

Part of speech: adjective
Origin: French, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. (In verse) The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

 

Example:

"The technique of enjambment can make reading poetry tricky, as it’s natural to want to pause at the end of the line instead of reading it through."

"Poets toying with enjambment were responsible for some of the 20th century’s most interesting poems, such as T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land.”"

 

About Enjambment

“Enjambment” is a loanword from French, in which it means “the state or action of straddling.”

 

Did you Know?

In poetry, “enjambment” refers to the practice of breaking a continuing line in the middle of a sentence or phrase. A poet might want to visually emphasize certain words and ideas by breaking sentences off in surprising places. In poetry read aloud, enjambment might be hard to hear — its role is to bring together words that appear more broken on the page. As a result, there are many poems full of enjambment that read aloud like normal prose. It’s only when enjambed lines are viewed on the page that the reader can see their unexpected breaks and rhymes.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: POTHER

pronunciation: [PAH-thər]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: Unknown, late 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. A commotion or fuss.

 

Example:

"Andrew does his grocery shopping when the stores open to avoid the pother of rush-hour shoppers."

"Despite the different ages of the campers, it was a relaxing week with no pother to speak of."

 

About Pother

The etymological origin of “pother” is unclear. It may be related to the Dutch “peuteren” (meaning “to rummage” or “poke”), but it also bears resemblance to the English “potter” (meaning “to prod”) or “pudder” (meaning “to make a fuss”).

 

Did you Know?

While “pother” is a close synonym for “bother” (“worry, effort, or difficulty"), it actually entered English a few centuries earlier. It’s related to a couple of other early English words: “potter” (meaning “to prod”) and “pudder” (meaning “to fuss”), but like “pother,” these have mostly fallen out of use in modern English. What a pother, indeed.

 

Edited June 2, 2023 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: UROBOROS

pronunciation: [oor-ə-BUR-əs]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: Greek, 1940s

 

Meaning:

1. A circular symbol depicting a snake, or less commonly a dragon, swallowing its tail, as an emblem of wholeness or infinity.

 

Example:

"The way one event blends into another makes summer festival season feel like an entertainment uroboros."

"My brother described the all-inclusive vacation he just got back from as “an uroboros of constant food and drink.”"

 

About Uroboros

“Uroboros” (and the alternate spelling “ouroboros”) is taken from the ancient Greek name “οὐροβόρος” (“ourobóros,” meaning “tail-devouring”).

 

Did you Know?

The uroboros, represented as a snake eating its own tail, has been a symbol of eternity, regeneration, and the cycle of life dating back to ancient Egyptian culture, but it has also appeared across Chinese, Indian, and Norse civilizations. In a figurative sense, the word “uroboros” is used to describe circumstances that are cyclical and regenerate themselves. Often both the the word and symbol are used to invoke vast philosophical questions about the rhythm of life and death; however, it has also been used as a metaphor for modern issues that seem to both consume and regenerate, such as news cycles, gossip, and fashion trends.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CUPREOUS

pronunciation: [KYOO-pree-əs]

 

Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Made of copper.

 

Example:

"The Moscow mule is a mixed drink traditionally served in a cupreous cup."

"Our DIY cupreous kitchen counter is made of thousands of pennies held in place with resin."

 

About Cupreous

“Cupreous” comes from Latin, in which “cūpreus” means “copper.”

 

Did you Know?

Very few metals appear in what’s called their native form — they don’t come out of the earth as recognizable metals. This is not true of copper, however; native copper has been used by human civilizations for thousands of years, mostly to make tools. Elemental copper also appears in a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods, such as shellfish, whole grains, and organ meats. These cupreous foods help the body absorb iron and generate blood cells, and also help with energy production.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PARANOMASIA

pronunciation: [pehr-ə-noh-MEY-zhə]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. A play on words; a pun.

 

Example:

"My favorite paronomasia is: "The difference between a hippo and a Zippo is that a hippo is very heavy, while a Zippo is a little lighter.""

"I thought "paronomasia" sounded like a terrible illness, but I learned in English class it’s just a fancy word for a pun."

 

About Paranomasia

Paronomasia is a loanword from Latin, based on the ancient Greek "παρονομασία" (or "paronomasía," meaning "play upon words which sound alike").

 

Did you Know?

While puns have been called the lowest form of humor, there can be some sophisticated wordplay involved in paronomasia (the formal name for puns). The essence of a classic paronomasia is not just a word with multiple meanings, but one in which the conflicting meanings all sound plausible. Paronomasia often employs homophones (different words that sound alike, as in, "When I realized my favorite jeans were fading, I felt like dyeing"), homographs (different words with identical spellings, such as, "I shed a tear when I saw the tear in my shirt"), and homonyms (a combination of the two, as in, "the bare bear bared its teeth").

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: KNURL

pronunciation: [nurl]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: English, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A small projecting knob or ridge, especially in a series around the edge of something.

 

Example:

"I have several razor handles but prefer the one with knurls that help me keep my grip in soapy water."

"Many hand tools are designed with strategically placed knurls to make them easier to hold."

 

About Knurl

Knurl is based on the Middle English noun "knur," a variation on "knar," meaning "knot in wood."

 

Did you Know?

Knurling, the process of creating knurls, uses a machining tool to cut lines and textured patterns into metals and other hard objects. One of the key advantages of knurls is that they make objects easier to grip without adding any material or weight; they are created by removing some material instead. Knurling is not always functional — sometimes it’s just a final aesthetic step to make a tool look nicer — but most knurls serve a purpose, such as the functional knurls scored into a knob to make it easier to grip and turn.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: BIJOU

pronunciation: [BEE-zhoo]

 

Part of speech: adjective
Origin: French, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. (Especially of a residence or business establishment) Small and elegant.

 

Example:

"The hotel was bijou, with just a dozen rooms managed by a local couple eager to meet our every need."

"My favorite restaurants are never big, splashy eateries; I much prefer bijou local bistros."

 

About Bijou

This French loanword comes from the Breton "bizou," which means "finger ring."

 

Did you Know?

As an adjective, “bijou” refers to a small, charming business establishment — perhaps a café or local gift shop. The word comes from the French word for jewelry, and as a noun, “bijou” (or the plural “bijoux”) in English can still be a darling little store, or it can be a trinket or piece of jewelry.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: GRANIVOROUS

pronunciation: [grə-NIV-ə-rəs]

 

Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. (Of an animal) Feeding on grain.

 

Example:

"Granivorous animals such as rabbits and birds are drawn to our garden to feed on the sunflowers and black-eyed susans."

"I love watching squirrels play, so I lured the granivorous animals to my yard with a variety of seeds and grain."

 

About Granivorous

Granivorous comes from Latin, where "grānivorus" means "to eat grain."

 

Did you Know?

A granivorous animal eats seeds and grains from plants. Squirrels, mice, chipmunks, and even deer are granivorous mammals, but many birds, including blackbirds, woodpeckers, and parrots, are also granivorous — as are insects such as ants, crickets, and weevils. While they need to eat to survive, granivorous creatures are the culprits of seed predation — the practice of eating seeds directly out of living plants, which leaves them damaged and unable to reproduce.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: LUDIC

pronunciation: [LOO-dik]

 

Part of speech: adjective
Origin: French, 20th century

 

Meaning:

1. Showing spontaneous and undirected playfulness.

 

Example:

"In a ludic moment, my mother made a detour after school and took me to drive go-karts for an hour."

"Magicians and other ludic performers are guaranteed to put on an exciting show."

 

About Ludic

Ludic is an anglicization of the French "ludique," meaning "playful." It is based on the Latin root "ludus," meaning "play."

 

Did you Know?

Pantomime is a ludic tradition popular in England. Combining musical comedy theater and slapstick with extensive audience participation (including cheering heroes, booing villains, and yelling warnings to characters onstage), pantomime offers families and especially young children the opportunity for an immersive experience quite different from the seriousness of dramatic theater. Though pantomime emerged in England in the 1600s, modern pantomimes continue to be a popular Christmas tradition, and the ludic, spontaneous influences of the art form can be seen in improvisational comedy today.

 

[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.

 

Example:

"Rather than 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: TITTLE

pronunciation: [TIT-əl]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: Middle English, 12th century

 

Meaning:

1. A tiny amount or part of something.

2. A small written or printed stroke or dot, indicating omitted letters in a word.

 

Example:

"The cake looked delicious, but I could only eat a tittle of a slice."

"Even a tittle of bicycle grease can permanently stain a garment."

 

About Tittle

Tittle is based on the Middle English "titel," from the Latin "titulus," meaning "a small mark."

 

Did you Know?

Originally, "tittle" referred to any tiny typographical mark over a letter — for example, accents or the dots of the lower-case letters "i" and "j." These marks are tiny, and that tininess is reflected in the modern usage of "tittle" as a minuscule measure. In some cases, tittles were used to indicate the omission of letters, predating the modern use of apostrophes for that purpose.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CACOETHES

pronunciation: [ka-kə-WEE-theez]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. An urge to do something inadvisable.

 

Example:

"My brother admits to feeling a nagging cacoethes to pull pranks whenever our whole family gets together."

"I’m glad I followed the cacoethes to invest my money, since the return was enormous despite the risk."

 

About Cacoethes

“Cacoethes” is a loanword from Latin, where “cacoethes” is based on the ancient Greek “κακοήθης” (“kakoḗthēs,” meaning “ill-disposed”).

 

Did you Know?

Surely the first person who felt pulled to jump out of a plane with a parachute was driven by some kind of cacoethes, but skydiving has surprisingly old roots. The extreme practice predates airplanes by over 100 years, and the idea goes back even further. Leonardo da Vinci developed blueprints for a parachute in 1485, and the first person to successfully descend from a great height by parachute was Frenchman André-Jacques Garnerin, who leapt from a hot-air balloon with a parachute in 1797. While skydiving still seems to be a flight of cacoethes, it has become a widely appreciated practice (with well-tested safety guidelines).

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ADSCITITIOUS

pronunciation: [ad-sih-TISH-əs]

 

Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Forming an addition or supplement; not integral or intrinsic.

 

Example:

"When the dense fog stranded hundreds of travelers, the resort struggled to feed the adscititious crowd."

"The Sunday papers used to come with more than a half-dozen adscititious magazines and promotional flyers."

 

About Adscititious

“Adscititious” is based on the Latin “adscitus,” meaning “admitted.”

 

Did you Know?

The word “adscititious” has a two-part definition: “forming an addition or supplement” and also “not integral.” While both parts make up the definition, they can be at odds with each other — something that is not integral can be seen as unneeded. However, supplements are usually helpful additions, and sometimes even necessary. Consider the nutritional supplement folic acid. This might fit both sides of the definition of adscititious; it’s not integral to most adult diets, but it’s extremely important to supplement as a prenatal vitamin.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: EVINCE

pronunciation: [ih-VINS]

 

Part of speech: verb
Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling).

2. Be evidence of; indicate.

 

Example:

"Sharon said nothing, but evinced her elation by the look on her face."

"I evinced my cluelessness about blackjack through my losses."

 

About Evince

“Evince” comes from the Latin “evincere,” which means “overcome, defeat.”

 

Did you Know?

In its original form, “evince” did not mean “to demonstrate” or “to reveal,” but rather “to overpower” or “to conquer” — it shares a Latin root with another word, “evict,” meaning “recover property by legal process.” But in modern language, no battle or conquering is required when proving one’s feelings. It’s enough to evince feelings by simply sharing thoughts and emotions as evidence.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: FLORIN

pronunciation: [FLOR-in]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: Middle English, 14th century

 

Meaning:

1. A foreign coin of gold or silver, especially a Dutch guilder.

2. A former British coin and monetary unit worth two shillings.

 

Example:

"I wonder how many florins Michelangelo received for painting the Sistine Chapel."

"The treasure chest contained a number of gold florins and other antique riches."

 

About Florin

“Florin” entered Middle English as a relative of the Italian term “fiorino,” meaning “little flower,” since the earliest florin coins bore the image of a flower.

 

Did you Know?

The original gold coin known in English as the “florin” was mass-produced in Florence, Italy, between 1252 and 1533. It was used across Europe and became synonymous with the Renaissance. Many naturally assume that the word “florin” is a diminutive form of “Florence,” but this is a coincidence. Rather, the coin was known in Italian as “fiorino d'oro,” or “little golden flower,” a reference to the fleur-de-lis (a stylized lily) it bore on one side. “Florin” is an anglicization of “fiorino.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SIPPET

pronunciation: [SIP-it]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: English, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. A small piece of bread or toast, used to dip into soup or sauce or as a garnish.

 

Example:

"My favorite variation on a sippet is “toast soldiers.”"

"If Zoe can’t eat her egg with sippets, she won’t eat it at all."

 

About Florin

“Sippet” is likely a diminutive of the English verb “to sop.”

 

Did you Know?

“Sippet” is an early term for what is today often called a “toast soldier,” a thin strip of toasted (or fried) bread intended to be dipped into soups, sauces, gravy, or eggs. The English term “soldiers” for strips of toasted bread dates back only to the 1960s, though it is now more common than “sippet.” Other locations have names of their own for sippets: In Ireland, they’re called “fingers,” and in France, they've been called “mouillettes” since at least the 19th century.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DEEDY

pronunciation: [DEE-dee]

 

Part of speech: adjective
Origin: English, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. Industrious, effective.

 

Example:

"My mother is so deedy that in the year since she retired, she has renovated the bedroom, bathroom, and backyard with only my father’s help."

"We have so many deedy people on our team that we deliver our projects ahead of deadline as a rule."

 

About Deedy

“Deedy” was formed within English by adding a “y” suffix to the noun “deed.”

 

Did you Know?

Beavers have a reputation for being deedy, and they certainly are busy. Are beavers busier than other animals? Probably not — most animals are as deedy as beavers. But unlike beavers, other animals don’t usually leave such physical evidence of their activities. The habit of building dams and lodges with trees they cut down makes beavers easier to notice than, say, hummingbirds or chipmunks, both of which are likewise deedy animals.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: LUCENT

pronunciation: [LOO-sənt]

 

Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. Glowing with or giving off light.

 

Example:

"The hall for the wedding reception was lucent in the twilight as the guests arrived."

"A blacksmith heats iron until it’s lucent in order to shape it."

 

About Lucent

“Lucent” comes from the Latin verb “lucere,” meaning “to shine.”

 

Did you Know?

Seeing lucent ocean waves in the dark of night might seem fantastical, but it’s made possible thanks to the natural phenomena of bioluminescent algae. There are a number of ocean-dwelling species that emit light through the chemical reaction of bioluminescence, though it's glowing algae in particular that are responsible for lucent waves. These algae grow lucent when they’re disturbed, so the turmoil of waves breaking causes them to light up the nighttime shoreline.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: OGDOAD

pronunciation: [OG-doh-ad]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: Greek, early 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A group or set of eight.

 

Example:

"It’s a good idea to visit an amusement park as an ogdoad, because everyone will have someone to sit with on the rides."

"An octopus has an ogdoad of legs."

 

About Ogdoad

While this archaic word for a group of eight lacks the “oct-” root we’ve come to expect from similar “eight” words (octopus, octagon), it comes from the same place: the Greek root “oktō,” meaning “eight.”

 

Did you Know?

While “ogdoad” can technically mean any group of eight, it has a divine connotation. It traditionally referred to groups of gods, and Egyptian deities specifically — the most famous being the Ogdoad of Hermopolis. This ogdoad consisted of four pairs of male and female deities with abstract names including Darkness, Absence, and Endlessness.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SCHISM

pronunciation: [SKIZ-əm]

 

Part of speech: noun
Origin: Greek, late 14th century

 

Meaning:

1. A split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief.

2. The formal separation of a church into two churches, or the secession of a group owing to doctrinal and other differences.

 

Example:

"The argument at Thanksgiving dinner over who makes the best gravy caused a schism in the family, and we planned a gravy tournament for Christmas."

"The pastor gave an interesting lecture on the schism between the branches of the church that divided denominations in the 18th century."

 

About Schism

“Schism” entered Late Middle English through the Old French word “scisme,” via ecclesiastical Latin from the Greek “skhisma,” meaning “cleft,” or “skhizein,” “to split.”

 

Did you Know?

Coming from the Greek “skhisma,” meaning “division, cleft,” this word most often references the formal division of churches based upon disagreements of belief — it frequently refers to the Great Schism (1378-1417) in the Western Christian church. However, a more general sense of “disunion, division, separation” is attributed from the early 15th century.