DarkRavie Posted June 6 Author Report Share Posted June 6 What's the Word: EXIGUOUS pronunciation: [ek-SIG-yoo-əs] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. Very small in size or amount. Examples: "The teacher is applying for a grant to supplement the exiguous resources." "The recipe called for an exiguous amount of baking soda." About Exiguous This word stems from the Latin “exiguus,” meaning “scanty.” “Exiguus” came from “exigere,” meaning “weigh exactly.” Did you Know? At first glance, “exiguous” might appear like a word that means “expansive,” “extensive,” or “excess” — essentially, “more.” But the “ex-” prefix in this context means “completely,” and the word’s root verb, “exigere,” means “to weigh or measure.” This idea of measuring precisely gave “exiguous” its current sense of scantness or stinginess. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 7 Author Report Share Posted June 7 What's the Word: HISPID pronunciation: [HIS-pid] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. (Botany and zoology) Covered with stiff hair or bristles. Examples: "The hispid leaves had a prickly texture." "The hare’s fur was surprisingly hispid." About Hispid This word comes from the Latin “hispidum,” meaning “rough, hairy, bristly.” Did you Know? Not only are there plenty of hairy plant species, but there also are many specific ways to describe them. “Hirsute” describes a plant with a thick covering of stiff hairs, while “hispid” suggests fewer hairs of the same texture. “Canescent” means enough soft, short hairs to give the plant a grayish-white color, and “tomentose” describes densely matted, wooly hairs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 8 Author Report Share Posted June 8 What's the Word: HISPID pronunciation: [SEN-seyt] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 15th century Meaning: 1. Perceiving or perceived by the senses. Examples: "The meditation teacher encouraged tapping into the sensate realm." "Many animals have sharper sensate abilities than humans." About Hispid This word stems from the Late Latin “sensatus,” meaning “gifted with sense,” which itself originates from “sensus,” meaning “perception, feeling, undertaking, meaning.” Did you Know? Sensate is an adjective that can be used to describe anything that can be perceived by the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell. You might be able to see someone's tears or hear their crying, for example; those are sensate indicators that they are sad. However, you also have emotional intelligence and may pick up on other signals outside of your sensate abilities to get a better understanding of their emotions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 9 Author Report Share Posted June 9 What's the Word: UNIVOCAL pronunciation: [yoo-nə-VOH-kəl] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, mid-16th century Meaning: 1. (Of a word or term) Having only one possible meaning; unambiguous. Examples: "The scientific term I learned today has a univocal definition. " "Aaron tried to use univocal words so he could be understood clearly." About Univocal This word comes from the Latin “univocus.” “Uni-” means “having one only,” and “vox” means “voice, sound, or utterance.” Did you Know? In linguistics, the contrast to a univocal term (something with precisely one meaning) is an equivocal term. The word "blanket" is equivocal because it could refer to a cozy bed cover, or it could be an adjective to describe complete coverage, such as "blanket statement." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 10 Author Report Share Posted June 10 What's the Word: CERVINE pronunciation: [SER-vihyn] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. Relating to deer; deerlike. Examples: "The ballet dancer had a charming, cervine style to her footwork." "I made a cervine costume to go along with the woodland theme of the party." About Cervine This word pairs the Latin “cervinus,” meaning “deer,” and “-ine,” an adjective-forming suffix that means “belonging to; resembling in nature.” Did you Know? There’s a whole group of animal-related words that end in “-ine.” “Cervine” is the adjective for deer, and “bovine” means “related to cows.” “Canine” is for dogs, “equine” is for horses, and “vulpine” is for foxes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 11 Author Report Share Posted June 11 What's the Word: EVANESCE pronunciation: [ev-ə-NES] Part of speech: verb Origin: Latin, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. (Literary) Pass out of sight, memory, or existence. Examples: "It seemed as if every new concept or command evanesced as quickly as the puppy’s owners taught them." "The linguist’s research concerns ancient languages and dialects that are evanescing." About Evanesce Evanesce developed from the Latin word "evanescere," a combination of "e" ("out of") and "vanus" ("empty"). Did you Know? Many people find that their dreams evanesce once they wake up. Scientists have a number of different ideas as to why this happens. One common theory is that these memories are inaccessible; chemicals produced by the brain while dreaming recede once people wake up, making even the most vivid dreams evanesce. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 12 Author Report Share Posted June 12 What's the Word: ZYMURGY pronunciation: [ZY-mər-jee] Part of speech: noun Origin: Greek, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. The study or practice of fermentation in brewing, winemaking, or distilling. Examples: "Zach loved experimenting with new zymurgy techniques." "The distillery offered zymurgy classes as part of its facility tour." About Zymurgy This word comes from the Greek “zymo-.” It combines a form of “zymē,” meaning “a leaven,” and “-ourgia,” which means “a working.” These parts combine for the word for the practice of fermented brewing and distilling. The practice of making beer, wine, and spirits is zymurgy. Did you Know? “Zymurgy” is the last word in many standard English dictionaries — but not all. The second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary ends with “zyxt” (an obsolete version of the verb “to see”), and the Century Dictionary ends with “zyxomma” (a type of dragonfly). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 13 Author Report Share Posted June 13 What's the Word: LATITUDINARIAN pronunciation: [la-də-t(y)oo-dn-ER-ee-ən] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. Allowing latitude in religion; showing no preference among varying creeds and forms of worship. Examples: "Dan adopted a latitudinarian attitude so his children could seek out their own paths." "Some houses of worship embrace a modern, latitudinarian stance." About Latitudinarian This word comes from the Latin “latitudo,” meaning “breadth,” and the suffix “-arian,”which denotes a concern or belief in a specified thing. Did you Know? In modern times, being called a latitudinarian is likely to be a compliment. But that wasn’t always the case — the word was originally used in a derogatory fashion to describe more liberal, tolerant Anglican clerics. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 14 Author Report Share Posted June 14 What's the Word: STRIDULATE pronunciation: [STRIH-jə-lait] Part of speech: verb Origin: French, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. (Of an insect, especially a male cricket or grasshopper) Make a shrill sound by rubbing the legs, wings, or other parts of the body together. Examples: "The southern lubber grasshopper stridulates with a distinct sound." "Ted was frustrated that he couldn’t find the cricket in his basement even when it stridulated." About Stridulate This word stems from the French “striduler.” It originates from the Latin “stridulus,” which means “creaking,” from the verb “stridere.” Did you Know? Which bug can stridulate the loudest? That would be an African cicada, Brevisana brevis, with its loudest song reaching 107 decibels when measured at a distance of 20 inches away. That’s comparable to the volume of a chainsaw. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 15 Author Report Share Posted June 15 What's the Word: AMALGAMATE pronunciation: [ə-MAL-ɡə-mait] Part of speech: verb Origin: Latin, early 17th century Meaning: 1. Combine or unite to form one organization or structure. Examples: "Lourdes wanted to amalgamate the metals to see if the alloy was stronger." "Mark was excited to amalgamate his work and living space under one roof." About Amalgamate This word originates from the medieval Latin “amalgamat-,” meaning “formed into a soft mass.” Did you Know? “Amalgamate” is a term often used in scientific fields. For example, silver amalgamated with mercury was commonly used for dental fillings through the 20th century before the risks associated with the amalgam were commonly known. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 16 Author Report Share Posted June 16 What's the Word: ELDRITCH pronunciation: [EL-driCH] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Scots, early 16th century Meaning: 1. Weird and sinister or ghostly. Examples: "The abandoned house had a creaky, eldritch aura about it." "My mother loves watching eldritch movies that leave her feeling jumpy." About Eldritch This word is possibly related to “elf,” which stems from Old English and is related to the German “Alp,” meaning “nightmare.” It also has been compared to the Scottish variant “elphrish.” Did you Know? Dungeons & Dragons fans should appreciate the “Eldritch Blast” as described on dndbeyond.com: “A beam of crackling energy streaks toward a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. The spell creates more than one beam when you reach higher levels.” This D&D spell lives up to the reputation of its “weird and sinister” moniker. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 17 Author Report Share Posted June 17 What's the Word: FLINDERS pronunciation: [FLIN-dərz] Part of speech: noun (plural) Origin: Late Middle English, early 16th century Meaning: 1. Small fragments or splinters. Examples: "The glass slipped from his hand and shattered into flinders." "Scott rubbed his hand against the wood railing and got a few flinders in his palm." About Flinders This word comes from the Scottish “flendris,” which is related to the Norwegian “flindra,” meaning “chip, splinter,” or the Dutch “flender,” meaning “fragment.” Did you Know? While the plural noun “flinders” is not an eponym, the surname “Flinders” might be familiar to history buffs. Matthew Flinders was an English explorer who circumnavigated Australia in the early 19th century for the Royal Navy and charted much of its west coast for the first time. The Flinders River in Queensland, Australia, was named in honor of him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 18 Author Report Share Posted June 18 What's the Word: QUAG pronunciation: [kwaɡ] Part of speech: noun Origin: Middle English, late 16th century Meaning: 1. A marshy or boggy place. Examples: "The house was built on a quag, so the foundation was sinking." "Louisiana is known for its quags, particularly near the coastline." About Quag This word stems from the Middle English “quabbe,” a “marsh, bog, shaking marshy soil.” This originates from the Old English “cwabba,” meaning “shake or tremble,” as with something soft and flabby. Did you Know? In addition to the usage of a marshy, boggy place, there’s a new technological usage for “quag.” On UrbanDictionary.com, a website that defines many informal, slang terms, “quag” is defined as a “word composed of ‘query’ combined with ‘tag.’ It indicates a ‘web search query’ that is also a ‘tag.’” — aka a “hashtag.” According to the website, “quags” are used in social search platforms to connect people who have conducted similar web searches so they can share knowledge about what they were looking up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 19 Author Report Share Posted June 19 What's the Word: COPESTONE pronunciation: [KOHP-stohn] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin and Germanic origin, mid-16th century Meaning: 1. A flat stone forming part of the coping of a wall; the highest stone in a building, wall, or structure. 2. A finishing touch or crowning achievement. Examples: "The brickwork narrowed as it got higher until it formed a very small copestone." "Stella felt earning her Ph.D. was the copestone of her life." About Copestone This word is a combination of the Middle English “cope,” from a variant of the late Latin “cappa,” and the Old English “stān,” which is Germanic in origin and is related to the Dutch “steen” and German “Stein.” Did you Know? “Two Fragments of a Copestone” are two pieces of mottled red sandstone with delicate, intricate images of animals, plants, and patterns carved into them. They are from the sacred city of Mathura (in modern northern India) and are estimated to be from the period between 50 BCE and 5 CE. These pieces of copestone can be seen at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 20 Author Report Share Posted June 20 What's the Word: SYNCRETIZE pronunciation: [SING-krə-tiyz] Part of speech: verb Origin: Latin, 17th century Meaning: 1. Attempt to amalgamate or reconcile (differing things, especially religious beliefs, cultural elements, or schools of thought). Examples: "The ESL teacher hoped to syncretize his students’ experiences so they could learn from one another." "Throughout history, people have syncretized parts of religions to create a unique belief system." About Syncretize This word originated from the Latinized form of the Greek “synkretizein,” meaning “to combine against a common enemy.” Did you Know? Rome, one of the greatest powers of the ancient world, expertly syncretized features of other cultures to create a uniquely Roman one. For instance, the Romans incorporated aspects from several northern Mediterranean religions into their own gods. Latin uses Phoenician writing, Etruscan letters, and the Greek alphabet. Roman architecture featured Etruscan arches and Greek columns along with the Roman innovation of concrete. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 21 Author Report Share Posted June 21 What's the Word: ARTIFICER pronunciation: [ar-TIH-fə-sər] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, late 14th century Meaning: 1. A skilled craftsman or inventor. 2. (British military) A skilled mechanic in the armed forces. Examples: "The artificer could fix any kind of engine." "Terry was a skilled artificer who had applied for multiple patents." About Artificer This word stems from Anglo-Norman French, probably as an alteration of the Old French “artificien,” from “artifice.” Did you Know? In the fifth edition of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, the artificer characters are master inventors. They use a variety of tools to channel their impressive capabilities. They view magic as a complex system they need to decode and then utilize in their spells. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 22 Author Report Share Posted June 22 What's the Word: PROSOPOGRAPHY pronunciation: [prah-sə-PAH-ɡrə-fee] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, late 16th century Meaning: 1. A description of a person's social and family connections, career, etc., or a collection of such descriptions. Examples: "The sociologist used the prosopographies of different groups to study larger trends." "My grandmother traced our family's genealogy, and I used her research to start on the prosopography." About Prosopography This word stems from the modern Latin “prosopographia,” from the Greek “prosōpon,” meaning “face, person,” plus “-graphia,” meaning “writing.” Did you Know? British historian Lawrence Stone stated in a 1971 article that there was an old and new style of prosopography. Traditionally, the social science was most interested in well-known social elites, allowing a prosopography of a “power elite” to surface over time. By the 1970s, the new form of prosopography was concerned with wider populations of “ordinary people” who had some form of shared experiences and history. Genealogy is a popular hobby related to prosopography. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 23 Author Report Share Posted June 23 What's the Word: ACCOUTER pronunciation: [ə-KOO-dər] Part of speech: verb Origin: French, mid-16th century Meaning: 1. Clothe or equip in something noticeable or impressive. Examples: "Will and his friends accoutered themselves with new hiking gear before the trip." "The king decided to accouter himself in his finest velvet cape." About Accouter This word stems from the French “accoutrer,” originally from Old French “acoustrer,” from “a-” (from Latin “ad,” meaning “to, at”) and “cousture,” meaning “sewing.” Did you Know? “Accoutre” is a variant of “accouter.” Both are French loanwords meaning “to clothe or equip something noticeable or impressive.” A related word, “accoutrement,” refers to accessories or additional clothing items beyond a basic outfit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 24 Author Report Share Posted June 24 What's the Word: LIGHTSOME pronunciation: [LIHYT-səm] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Middle English, early 15th century Meaning: 1. Merry and carefree. 2. Gracefully nimble. Examples: "Maryann had a lightsome spirit that drew people to her." "The dancers in this production are lightsome in their movements." About Lightsome This literary adjective pairs the uplifting and cheery definition of “light” with the suffix “-some,” meaning “very like” or “same as.” Did you Know? In addition to the carefree and nimble usages, “lightsome” can also describe something that is well lit and bright. As an example: “The test kitchen was lightsome in order to provide a space for sharp, professional pictures of the food.” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted June 25 Author Report Share Posted June 25 What's the Word: ASSAY pronunciation: [ah-SEY] Part of speech: verb Origin: French, 14th century Meaning: 1. Determine the content or quality of (a metal or ore). 2. Examine (something) in order to assess its nature. Examples: "Herman assayed the ring to determine if it was white gold." "Will assayed his friend's computer to learn how to build his own." About Assay This word stems from the Anglo-French “assaier,” from the Old French “assai,” which is a variant of “essai,” meaning “trial.” Did you Know? “Assay” is easily confused with “essay,” not only because they look alike, but also because they have the same root, the Middle French “essai.” At one point, they were synonyms, but now, most people associate the noun “essay” with the papers they were assigned to write in school. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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