New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CARAPACE

pronunciation: [KER-ə-pays]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. The hard upper shell of a tortoise, crustacean, or arachnid.

2. Something regarded as a protective or defensive covering.

 

Examples:

"The trickiest part of eating a lobster is removing the meat from the carapace."

"She uses humor as a carapace to guard her more complex and private emotions."

About Carapace

“Carapace” comes directly to English from the French “carapace,” as well as the Spanish “carapacho,” which refers to the shell covering the back of a turtle.

 

Did you Know?

While “carapace” originally referred to tough outer shells on certain animals and insects, it also has a more modern symbolic use. As a metaphor, “carapace” describes a means of defense. For example, actor Hugh Jackman plays the character Wolverine with a carapace of aggressive hostility, but he has a soft spot for helping underdogs, and Jackman himself is known for his well-mannered gentleness.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ATARAXY

pronunciation: [AD-ə-rak-see]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A state of serene calmness.

 

Examples:

"Many people achieve ataraxy through exercise and meditation."

"Upon arriving home and petting my dog, I was filled with ataraxy."

About Ataraxy

“Ataraxy” is based on the Greek “ἀταραξία,” meaning “impassiveness” or “lack of disturbance.” It entered English from the French “ataraxie” in the early 1600s.

 

Did you Know?

“Ataraxy” is sometimes used as a synonym for “deep relaxation” or “serenity.” However, the idea was developed by Stoic philosophers in ancient Greece who used “ataraxy” to describe a state of emotional balance that resulted from living in harmony with nature. The Stoics also thought ataraxy could be achieved by abandoning passions in favor of reason. While today ataraxy might be associated with a pleasant evening at home, Stoics encouraged soldiers entering battle to cultivate ataraxy, believing that mental stillness would help protect them in combat.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CONCOMITANT

pronunciation: [kən-KAM-əd-ənt]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Naturally accompanying or associated.

 

Examples:

"Arthur enjoys a big Sunday meal and the concomitant nap that follows."

"I like highway driving, but I don’t like the concomitant stress of driving in the city."

About Concomitant

“Concomitant” entered English from the Latin “concomitant,” meaning “accompanying.”

 

Did you Know?

McDonald’s Happy Meals, a children’s meal sold with a concomitant toy, debuted in 1979. However, over the years, critics have argued that offering toys and concomitant gifts with fast food encourages unhealthy eating. As a result, San Francisco banned the sale of unhealthy meals featuring toys or games in 2010, with the goal of meals including gifts for children meeting minimum nutritional standards. Companies found they could skirt this ban by offering the toys for sale at a very low price, rather than having them concomitant to the meal.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DECORTICATE

pronunciation: [dee-KOR-də-keit]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Remove the bark, rind, or husk from.

 

Examples:

"Bananas are inedible if you don’t decorticate them."

"When I’m bored, I can spend hours whittling and decorticating sticks from the woodpile."

About Decorticate

“Decorticate” entered English in the early 1600s from the Latin “dēcorticāre,” meaning “stripped of its bark.” The root of the Latin term combines the prefix “de-,” to indicate removal, with “cortex,” meaning “bark.”

 

Did you Know?

“Decorticate” can be used as a synonym for “peel,” “husk,” or any other term involving removing the outer covering of fruits and vegetables. Generally speaking, people decorticate most fruits whose skins are hard to chew or digest. Bananas, melons, pineapples, and many other fruits are decorticated before being served or added to a dish, though sometimes these fruits are served with peels or skins intact so that the diner may decorticate the fruit themselves.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SOLUS

pronunciation: [SO-ləs]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. Alone or unaccompanied (used especially as a stage direction).

 

Examples:

"A figure appeared, solus, on the horizon."

"Last summer I traveled solus to Finland to enjoy the annual Finnish tango festival."

About Solus

“Solus” is taken directly from the Latin “sōlus,” meaning “alone.”

 

Did you Know?

“Solus” means “alone” in Latin, but if you're following Latin grammar rules, the term is technically only for male subjects. Accordingly, the word to describe solitary women is “sola,” an adaptation of the Latin “sōla.” But in modern English, you’re likely to use “solus” to describe all solitary figures. Though both “solus” and “sola” bear similarity to “solar,” that unrelated word comes from an altogether different root, the Latin “sōlāris.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DUNNAGE

pronunciation: [DUN-ij]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Dutch, 15th century

 

Meaning:

1. A person's belongings, especially those brought on board a ship.

2. Loose wood, matting, or similar material used to keep a cargo in position in a ship's hold.

 

Examples:

"After disembarking the ship, Sidney waited for his dunnage to be brought out."

"Knowing she’d be at sea for a month, Naomi made sure she packed everything she might need in her dunnage."

About Dunnage

“Dunnage” is based on the Dutch “denne,” which refers to a room below a ship’s deck, with the suffix “-age” used to indicate it is a noun.

 

Did you Know?

“Dunnage” can refer to belongings brought on board a ship, but it also may be loose objects and materials used to secure cargo in a ship’s hold and prevent it from moving during the voyage. In the past, this dunnage could be low-value items, scraps, and garbage. A modern form of dunnage is a range of inflatable paper and fabric pouches known as “dunnage bags.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PUNNET

pronunciation: [PUN-ət]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: English, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. A small light basket or other container for fruit or vegetables.

 

Examples:

"We bought three punnets of berries from a roadside stand."

"After the plums are picked and washed, they will be packed into punnets to be sold."

About Punnet

Though “punnet” is a purely English word, its roots are uncertain. Some etymologists believe it’s a play on the dialect word “pun,” meaning “a pound,” while others believe the inventor of the basket was named Punnet.

 

Did you Know?

In the late 18th century, conical punnets were manufactured out of wood chips and strips of soaked wood. Punnets in both the U.S. and U.K. became rectangular in the late 1800s, and the range of materials grew to include pulp and fiberboard. By the 1970s, punnets were being manufactured mechanically out of poplar. Today, most punnets in the grocery store are made out of perforated plastic with lids that snap closed.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SCHEMA

pronunciation: [SKEE-mə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, late 18th century

 

Meaning:

1. A representation of a plan or theory in the form of an outline or model.

2. (In Kantian philosophy) A conception of what is common to all members of a class; a general or essential type or form.

 

Examples:

"The business plan for the next five years was clearly laid out in the one-page schema."

"The football coach used the halftime break to draw a schema of some new plays for the team."

About Schema

“Schema” is adapted from the Greek “σχῆμα” or “skhēma,” meaning “form” or “figure.”

 

Did you Know?

In the education field, “schema” and the plural “schemata” refer to the basic ideas of how things are and how they might be organized. For example, a child who lives in a row house with a flat roof might initially believe a home is any other row house with a flat roof. As the child learns about the world, they might encounter detached homes, houses with angled roofs, mobile homes, and apartments. The child’s schema, or understanding, of what a home represents, grows wider and more detailed. The schema of what “home” means does not go away, but gathers nuance as the child learns.

 

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PLENILUNE

pronunciation: [PLEN-ə-loon]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 15th century

 

Meaning:

1. A full moon; the time of a full moon.

 

Examples:

"We visited the forest during the plenilune."

"My grandmother loves the plenilune because she says it's a time of good luck."

About Plenilune

“Plenilune” is based on the Latin “plēnilūnium,” which combines the prefix “plēni,” meaning “full,” with “lūna,” meaning “moon.”

 

Did you Know?

Historically, the plenilune has been associated with good fortune and fertility. In pre-Roman history, calendars were oriented around moon cycles, and months were tracked by the plenilune. Since the Roman Empire, calendars have been oriented around the sun, but most modern calendars still note the phases of the moon.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DIERESIS

pronunciation: [di-ER-əs-əs]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin/Greek, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A mark (¨) placed over a vowel to indicate that it is sounded in a separate syllable, as in “naïve,” “Brontë.”

2. The division of a sound into two syllables, especially by sounding a diphthong as two vowels.

 

Examples:

"The New Yorker' is known for using a dieresis on words with a repeated vowel, such as 'reënter.'"

"Luanne and Sally chose to use a dieresis in place of a hyphen when naming their store Coöperative."

About Dieresis

“Dieresis” comes directly from the Latin “diæresis,” meaning “division” or “split.”

 

Did you Know?

The dieresis is sometimes confused with its identical-in-appearance relative, the umlaut, yet the two serve different functions. Both appear as two dots over a letter; however, a dieresis is specifically used to indicate that the pronunciation of vowels in a word is split. A dieresis is the reason the word “naïve” is pronounced as two syllables. Without the dieresis, it might rhyme with “rave” or “cave.” Umlauts appear only in German, and their job is either to change the sound of a vowel, or to modify the word in some way (for example, by making it plural).

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: VIATOR

pronunciation: [vi-EY-tawr]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. A traveler or wayfarer.

 

Examples:

"A viator appeared at the door just before the desk clerk was about to leave the inn for the night."

"At the conference, viators from many different countries ate together in the dining room."

About Viator

“Viator” draws directly on the Latin “viator,” whose basis is “via,” meaning “road” or “path.”

 

Did you Know?

While “viator” is a rare word, “aviator” is a more recognizable word that also refers to a kind of traveler. However, the two terms are unrelated in origin. “Viator” refers to someone who travels a road or path (called a “via” in Latin), while “aviator” is based on the French term “aviateur,” which comes from the Latin “avis,” meaning “bird.” A viator travels along a road or path, while an aviator travels the skies.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CONTRADISTINCTION

pronunciation: [kan-trə-de-STINK-shən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: English, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Distinction made by contrasting the different qualities of two things.

 

Examples:

"Porpoises and dolphins are so similar, they sometimes require contradistinction to highlight their differences."

"On Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, we ate poutine and other Quebec foods in contradistinction to our usual meals."

About Contradistinction

“Contradistinction” combines the Latin prefix “contra-” (meaning “against”) with the Middle English term “distinction” (originally “distinccioun”). “Distinction” itself is related to the Latin “distinguo,” meaning “I distinguish.”

 

Did you Know?

“Contradiction” and “contradistinction” might be easily mistaken, but the different usages of the terms are notable. In “contradiction,” one factor denies or refutes another. In “contradistinction,” two factors are presented together so their differences may be discerned clearly. For example, seals and sea lions are easily confused animals. Only through contradistinction — considering the two species of animals together to identify how they differ from one another — is it possible to show one’s distinct differences from the other.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: STELLATE

pronunciation: [STEL-leyt]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. Arranged in a radiating pattern like that of a star.

 

Examples:

"My daughter arranged glow-in-the-dark stickers in a stellate pattern on the wall of her bedroom."

"The musician's dressing room had a stellate symbol scrawled on the door in marker."

About Stellate

“Stellate” is based on the Latin “stellātus,” meaning “starry.” This is based on the Latin “stēlla,” meaning “star.”

 

Did you Know?

In early use, “stellate” referred specifically to stars in the sky. In modern use, “stellate” is primarily used to describe things with a shape similar to a star: a central core with beams, points, or rays radiating outward. In this form, “stellate” has broad applications in medical language, where it is used to describe cells, groups of cells, veins, and other anatomy with a central core and extending points.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ISOPOLITY

pronunciation: [ay-sə-POL-ih-tee]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. Equal citizenship rights, and mutual political rights, across different communities.

 

Examples:

"Our town encourages isopolity by offering free parking for cars with licenses from neighboring states."

"The European Union, in which citizens of one country mutually share rights enjoyed by citizens of other member nations, is an example of isopolity."

About Isopolity

“Isopolity” is based on the Greek expression “ἰσοπολῑτεία” (“isopoliteia”), referring to a citizen who has a reciprocal right.

 

Did you Know?

As a political idea, isopolity emerged from the city-states of ancient Greece, between 323 BCE and roughly 30 BCE. These states were ruled by citizens rather than kings or emperors, and they developed isopolity treaties, which offered equal citizenship rights between kindred communities. Isopolity usually referred to two-way citizenship between two friendly nation-states, in which a person from one state did not need to participate in the political life of the second state to which they were a citizen. Still, male citizens from one nation-state could marry women, or own land, in another state that they shared isopolity with.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PLAGE

pronunciation: [plahzh]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. A beach by the sea, especially at a fashionable resort.

2. (Astronomy) An unusually bright region on the sun.

 

Examples:

"As soon as we unpacked our bags, we took a stroll on the resort’s wide, sandy plage."

"My best childhood memories are at the plage at the resort my family went to every summer in Acapulco."

About Plage

“Plage” comes into English directly from the French word “plage,” meaning “shore.” It's based on the Latin “plagia,” meaning “shore” or “coast.”

 

Did you Know?

The English word “plage” is drawn from the same word in French, but those more familiar with Spanish will recognize the similarity with the Spanish term “playa,” also meaning “beach.” The two words are based on the same Latin root, and like “plage,” “playa” is sometimes used in English as a fancy way of describing a beach. However, in English, “playa” has an additional geographical meaning describing a flat area in a desert basin. By contrast, “plage” specifically describes seaside beaches at resort locations.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CORUSCATE

pronunciation: [KOR-ə-skeyt]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, 18th century

 

Meaning:

1. (Of light) Flash or sparkle.

 

Examples:

"The sun coruscated across the many glimmering surfaces of the crashing waves."

"Mark had lit candles before we arrived, and we could see them coruscating in the window from the street."

About Coruscate

“Coruscate” is based on the Latin “coruscāre,” meaning “to glitter.”

 

Did you Know?

“Coruscate” — an adjective associated with cheerful bright sparkles — might be confused with the similar-sounding verb “excoriate,” which has the very different meaning of “to damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin),” or “to censure or criticize severely.” Though “coruscate” and “excoriate” sound similar, they have different Latin roots. “Excoriate” is built on the Latin root “excoriat-,” meaning “skinned,” while “coruscate” refers back to the Latin word “coruscāre” and invokes sparkling, gleaming lights.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SPRAG

pronunciation: [sprag]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Unknown origin, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A simple brake on a vehicle, especially a stout stick or bar inserted between the spokes of a wheel to check its motion.

2. A prop used to support a roof, wall, or seam.

 

Examples:

"After cutting the firewood, my uncle cut a few sprags to use as door stops around the house."

"My brother once built a backyard tunnel so complex, it had a wooden roof supported by sprags."

About Sprag

The source of “sprag” is obscure, though in its earliest appearance in English, “sprag” referred to a twig; around the same time, “spragge” in Swedish meant the same thing. “Sprag” may also be related to “sprig,” describing a small branch or a rod.

 

Did you Know?

While we have the noun forms listed here, the verb “to sprag” can refer to the act of creating a simple vehicle brake by placing a stout stick (a sprag) in between the spokes of a vehicle. As a result, the noun versions of the word can be used as verbs: One can sprag a wall by supporting it with a sprag of timber, and one can sprag a wheel to stop its motion by jamming a sprag into it.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CANONICAL

pronunciation: [kə-NAN-ə-kel]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. (Of an artist or work) Belonging to the literary or artistic canon.

2. Accepted as being accurate and authoritative.

 

Examples:

"Little Richard is canonical in the history of rock 'n' roll."

"Many great works of literature that are now considered canonical were ignored upon their first publication."

About Canonical

“Canonical” is based on the Latin “canonicālis,” meaning “subject to the canōn,” meaning “rules.” In Ecclesiastical Latin, “canōn” came to mean the authorized catalog of books of the Bible or saints.

 

Did you Know?

“Canonical” originally described religious documents accepted as authentic by the Roman Catholic Church. However, the term now has a secular meaning describing books and other works of art permanently established in certain top tiers of literary greatness. For example, William Shakespeare and Jane Austen are considered reigning members of the English literature canon, but Toni Morrison and Kurt Vonnegut belong to a more specific canon of 20th-century American literature.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ACME

pronunciation: [AK-mee]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. The point at which someone or something is best, perfect, or most successful.

 

Examples:

"The magazine critic claimed the Rolling Stones reached their creative acme in the 1970s."

"Many Houston Astros fans think pitcher Justin Verlander is at the acme of a long and successful career."

About Acme

“Acme” is borrowed directly from the Greek “ἀκμή,” meaning “the highest point” or “the culminating point.”

 

Did you Know?

In classic Looney Tunes cartoons, “Acme” was the brand name for almost every product, from anvils to mouse traps. This satirized the trend of mid-century companies using the name “Acme” as a marketing tactic to advertise high-quality goods. In many cases, the name and the quality of the product fail to match up — as Wile E. Coyote often learned. Looney Tunes played up for laughs the disappointment of buying an “acme” product, only to discover its quality was abysmal, if not dangerously explosive.

 

 

[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.

 

Examples:

"Beneath the moonlight, Captain Von Trapp 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 a somewhat uncommon word, 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.