Wordlist: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| (84 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
* Festschrift - a book honoring a respected academic, presented in their lifetime | use these words in daily speech, and you too can be a big asshole! | ||
* apotropaic - greek ἀποτρέπω ("to ward off"), protective (especially in the sense of magic) | |||
* thalweg - the line of lowest elevation within a waterway; typical division line between entities | |||
* guyot - a flattopped underwater mountain | |||
* soteriology - the theological study of salvation | |||
* cruciarius - one who is crucified | |||
* autothysis - suicidal altruism, when a eusocial animal explodes for the better of the hive | |||
* murmuration - the collective movement of flocks of starlings, particularly during twilight | |||
* psithurism - a soft, calming, and rustling noise caused by wind passing through leaves and branches | |||
* salvific - pertaining to the power of redemption or salvation, particularly safety | |||
* anfractuosity - the quality of being winding or turning, often the brain's sulci. from latin <i>anfractus</i> meaning "bend" or "coil" | |||
* columbarium - a sepulchral vault with recesses in the walls for cinerary urns OR a home for pigeons | |||
* ostrobogulous - strange, peculiar, indecent, or risqué | |||
* strixology - writings about and theological study of witchcraft | |||
* enantiosemy - an autoantonym or contranym | |||
* gauzy - so thin as to admit light | |||
* chaotropicity - entropic disordering of materials dissolved in water | |||
* pococurante - an apathetic, indifferent person | |||
* ventripotent - potbellied, gluttonous | |||
* anxiogenic - causing anxiety | |||
* hypnopompic - the period immediately preceding waking up | |||
* congener - another element of the same group, usually taxonomic | |||
* archiater - the personal physician to a monarch | |||
* saponifiable - able to be converted into soap | |||
* D'Nealian - a method of teaching handwriting using Latin (cursive) script | |||
* astration - the incorporation of material into stellar formation | |||
* hormesis - a biphasic dose response to an environmental agent characterized by a low dose stimulation or beneficial effect and a high dose inhibitory or toxic effect | |||
* instauration - Restoration after decay, lapse, or dilapidation; renewal; repair; renovation; renaissance <i>obs:</i> starting something new | |||
* exenterate - to remove the bowels or entrails of something | |||
* shturmovshchina (<i>штурмовщина</i> "last-minute rush") - frantic and overtime work at the end of a delivery cycle leading to products of low quality | |||
* allodium - land held totally, as opposed to that held in serfdom | |||
* exeleutherostomized - nonce word - to speak out freely, especially in an inappropriate moment | |||
* chinoiserie - french--the European interpretation and imitation of East Asian artistic traditions, especially in decoration | |||
* nyetovshchik - one who says <i>nyet</i> to prevailing opinion | |||
* sirocco - a windstorm that lifts dust and dirt | |||
* Fremdschämen - vicarious embarassment, to feel pain due to the shame of others | |||
* tregetour - a juggler who produces illusions by the use of elaborate machinery | |||
* Zeiosis (Zειω meaning "to boil over") - the formation of a bleb, blebbing | |||
* gömböc - a convex 3D homogeneous body which, when resting on a flat surface, has just one stable and one unstable point of equilibrium. | |||
* odobenine - of or pertaining to walruses | |||
* lorgnette - a pair of spectacles with a handle | |||
* zellige - Moroccan terra cotta tilework covered with enamel in the form of chips set into plaster. | |||
* grawlix - a string of typographical symbols used to represent cursing, often in comic books | |||
* puissant - having great power or influence | |||
* cavil - to raise captious and frivolous objections; to find fault without good reason. | |||
* bombilate - to make a humming or buzzing noise | |||
* nudiustertian - of or pertaining to the day before yesterday | |||
* mithridatism - developing of immunity to a poison by taking gradually increasing doses | |||
* Eigengrau - 'intrinsic grey', the color seen by the eye during total darkness | |||
* hypnagogia - the deeply relaxed state of consciousness during the transition from wakefulness to sleep | |||
* ''Rumspringa'' - a period of world-sampling for Amish youth upon turning 16, prior to returning to the church for baptism | |||
* parquetry - a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect | |||
* aposematism - coloring adapted to warn predators that something's unsafe to eat | |||
* trencherman - one who eats and drinks to excess; a glutton | |||
* catafalque - decorated bier on which a coffin rests in state during a funeral | |||
* prosopopoeia - rhetorical term for speaking in the guise of another person or thing, from Greek προσωποποιία | |||
* ''yakinaoshi'' - Japanese, a meaningless rehash. | |||
* ''mokusatsu'' - Japanese, to "treat with silent contempt" or literally "kill by silence". | |||
** Used in reference to the ''Saikō sensō shidō kaigi'' (Supreme Council for the Direction of the War)'s response to the Potsdam Declaration. | |||
* hieratical - of or associated with sacred persons or offices; sacerdotal. | |||
* ''nous verrons'' - French, "we shall see" | |||
* ''stormannsgalskap'' - Norwegian, "the madness of great men" | |||
* allotrion - an idle pursuit that distracts from serious responsibilities | |||
* costermonger - one who sells vegatables and fruits in the street | |||
* pellulate - to swarm, or teem | |||
* lucubrate - to laboriously perfect, especially by night | |||
* octothorpe - term for the "hash sign" (#), sourced from telephone operators' jargon | |||
* asperand - the '@' symbol ("at symbol") | |||
* involution - something which turns in upon itself | |||
* endorheic - a drainage basin not connected to the open sea | |||
* oneiric - relating to or suggestive of dreams | |||
* alluvium - clay or silt or gravel carried by rushing streams and deposited where it slows | |||
* emersal - floating up toward the surface of (a body of) water | |||
* fescue - a stick used to point when teaching reading OR a grass of importance for agriculture / sports | |||
* ''moti mentali'' - 'motions of the mind' according to Renaissance Italian painters | |||
* lambent - Playing on the surface; touching lightly; gliding over | |||
* purfling - Ornamentation on the border of a thing; specifically, the inlaid border of a musical instrument, | |||
* brobdingnagian - having colossal, comical size (from the island Brobdingnag of ''Gulliver's Travels'') | |||
* callipygian - pertaining to the finest ass in the land | |||
* distaff - characteristic of or peculiar to a woman | |||
* tellurian - of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air | |||
* ''Rennomierschmiss'' - (facial) dueling scars, from 19th century Germanic dueling clubs | |||
* palimpsest - a manuscript page from a scroll or book that has been scraped off and used again | |||
* boustrophedonically - written in alternating directions | |||
* ekphrasis - verbal description of a visual artwork | |||
* ecphrasis - a sudden intense, self-contained verbal summary of an issue or art | |||
* ''en passant'' - in passing, almost always with intentional reference to chess | |||
* ''furor scribendi'' - rage for writing, a bout or attribute of compulsive and manic authorship | |||
* lacunarity - measure of the denseness of a fractal (less is more dense/space-filling) | |||
* trabeculation - formation of a small bar, rod, bundle of fibers, or septal membrane in the framework of an organelle | |||
* sapient - acutely sagelike or wise | |||
* acescency - the quality of actively turning sour, tart, and/or acidic | |||
* ''sprezzatura'' - a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and effort (from Castiglione's ''Book of the Courtier'') | |||
* murine - having to do with rats | |||
* anodyne - a reliever of pain, adj: relieving of pain. anything taken to soothe disturbed feelings | |||
* anosognosia - condition in which a sufferer of disability seems unaware of or denies its existence | |||
* dirigiste - directed by a central authority (eg a dirigiste economy) | |||
* contretemps - an unexpected, untoward accident/conflict; something inopportune or embarrassing | |||
* ''Festschrift'' - a book honoring a respected academic, presented in their lifetime (vs. posthumous Gedenkschrift) | |||
* nacreous - having the appearance of slick pearl; iridescent stratospheric clouds seen near the poles | * nacreous - having the appearance of slick pearl; iridescent stratospheric clouds seen near the poles | ||
* pareidolia - a psychological phenomenon perceiving significance in vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) | * pareidolia - a psychological phenomenon perceiving significance in vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) | ||
* Tumah - a state of ritual impurity in Halakha (Jewish law) | * Tumah - a state of ritual impurity in Halakha (Jewish law) | ||
* condottiere - leader of plundering mercenaries | * condottiere - leader of plundering mercenaries | ||
* sehr einfallsreich - "very imaginative", used sarcastically -- an unimaginative but practical solution | * ''sehr einfallsreich'' - "very imaginative", used sarcastically -- an unimaginative but practical solution | ||
* gravid - advanced with child, especially in the sense of an insect | * gravid - advanced with child, especially in the sense of an insect | ||
* benthic - bottom-feeding, pertaining to the bottom of a body of water | * benthic - bottom-feeding, pertaining to the bottom of a body of water | ||
| Line 15: | Line 114: | ||
* casuistry - argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading OR | * casuistry - argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading OR | ||
** moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas | ** moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas | ||
* | * lacunae - missing parts, gaps | ||
* lummox - an awkward, bumbling, fat, stupid person | * lummox - an awkward, bumbling, fat, stupid person | ||
* myodesopsia - the perception of protein-based visual discrepancies ("floaters") | * myodesopsia - the perception of protein-based visual discrepancies ("floaters") | ||
* Vernichtungsgedanke - the doctrine of swift annihilation of enemy forces | * ''Vernichtungsgedanke'' - the doctrine of swift annihilation of enemy forces | ||
* zetetic - one who seeks to resolve unknown quantities by direct investigation | * zetetic - one who seeks to resolve unknown quantities by direct investigation | ||
* intercalate - to insert between others, particularly periods of time, layers of rock, or stanzas | * intercalate - to insert between others, particularly periods of time, layers of rock, or stanzas | ||
| Line 29: | Line 128: | ||
* orotund - ostentatiously lofty in style, characterized by roundness | * orotund - ostentatiously lofty in style, characterized by roundness | ||
* enclitic - affixed at the end so as to lose its independent accent | * enclitic - affixed at the end so as to lose its independent accent | ||
* | * étude - a composition designed for study en route to technical mastery | ||
* morceau - a bit, a morsel, a short literary or musical composition | * morceau - a bit, a morsel, a short literary or musical composition | ||
* desuetude - the cessation of use, a state of inactivity | * desuetude - the cessation of use, a state of inactivity | ||
* kismet - destiny, fate, the will of Allah | * kismet - destiny, fate, the will of Allah | ||
* dies funestis - a proscribed day of death | * ''dies funestis'' - a proscribed day of death | ||
* moira - the deity who assigns men their fates | * moira - the deity who assigns men their fates | ||
* perorate - to conclude a speech with formal recapitulation, to harangue | * perorate - to conclude a speech with formal recapitulation, to harangue | ||
| Line 53: | Line 152: | ||
* poliorcetics - the art of siege warfare and fortification | * poliorcetics - the art of siege warfare and fortification | ||
* altricial - born naked and blind and dependent on parents for food; hatchlings | * altricial - born naked and blind and dependent on parents for food; hatchlings | ||
* insessorial - Pertaining to, or having the character of, perching birds | * insessorial - Pertaining to, or having the character of, perching birds | ||
* trichotillomania - tearing out one's own hair | * trichotillomania - tearing out one's own hair | ||
* farrago - a mishmash of things | * farrago - a mishmash of things adj: farraginous | ||
* obstreperous - Attended by, or making, a loud and tumultuous noise; vociferous | * obstreperous - Attended by, or making, a loud and tumultuous noise; vociferous | ||
* opprobrium - a state of disgrace, odium, public dishonor | * opprobrium - a state of disgrace, odium, public dishonor | ||
| Line 63: | Line 161: | ||
* bedizenment - the state of being dressed tawdrily; that which bedizens | * bedizenment - the state of being dressed tawdrily; that which bedizens | ||
* velleity - lowest wish, with no accompanying effort | * velleity - lowest wish, with no accompanying effort | ||
* esprit d' escalier - thinking of a witty rejoinder after the fact | * ''esprit d' escalier'' - thinking of a witty rejoinder after the fact | ||
* trenchant - cutting, sharp, fit to dig a trench | * trenchant - cutting, sharp, fit to dig a trench | ||
* griffonage - illegible handwriting | * griffonage - illegible handwriting | ||
| Line 69: | Line 167: | ||
* vaticinate - foretell as through prophecy | * vaticinate - foretell as through prophecy | ||
* graveolent - having a rank smell | * graveolent - having a rank smell | ||
* bien pensant - acceptance of a fashionable or newly mainstream idea without critical thought | * ''bien pensant'' - acceptance of a fashionable or newly mainstream idea without critical thought | ||
* rechauffe - something made up from old material; a rehash, rewarmed food | * rechauffe - something made up from old material; a rehash, rewarmed food | ||
* glochidate - having barbs and bristles | * glochidate - having barbs and bristles | ||
* funicular - dependent on the tension of a cord | * funicular - dependent on the tension of a cord | ||
| Line 83: | Line 180: | ||
* barbican - defensive hole in a castle through which forward attacks were made | * barbican - defensive hole in a castle through which forward attacks were made | ||
* hyperborean - frigidly cold (from the ancient Greek people of the far north) | * hyperborean - frigidly cold (from the ancient Greek people of the far north) | ||
* comme il faut - behaving according to custom | * ''comme il faut'' - behaving according to custom | ||
* consuetudinary - manual describing customs and practices of a sect | * consuetudinary - manual describing customs and practices of a sect | ||
* sacerdotal - pertaining to priests and their divinely-inspired task | * sacerdotal - pertaining to priests and their divinely-inspired task | ||
| Line 94: | Line 191: | ||
* entrepot - a depository for goods on which import is not paid | * entrepot - a depository for goods on which import is not paid | ||
* nosism - the use of 'we' in referring to oneself | * nosism - the use of 'we' in referring to oneself | ||
* sprachgefühl - feeling for language; an instinctive appreciation for words and idioms that are linguistically appropriate | * ''sprachgefühl'' - feeling for language; an instinctive appreciation for words and idioms that are linguistically appropriate | ||
* innominate - having no proper name when one would be expected | * innominate - having no proper name when one would be expected | ||
* corsucate - to glitter in flashes | * corsucate - to glitter in flashes | ||
* eutectic - of greatest fusibility: an alloy whose melting point is lower than that of any other alloy of the same ingredients. | * eutectic - of greatest fusibility: an alloy whose melting point is lower than that of any other alloy of the same ingredients. | ||
* lettre-fertis - 'man marked by letters' - pretender to learning | * ''lettre-fertis'' - 'man marked by letters' - pretender to learning | ||
* contumely - a debasement ; a rudeness and haughtiness | * contumely - a debasement ; a rudeness and haughtiness | ||
* odalisque - a female slave or concubine in the harem of the Turkish sultan | * odalisque - a female slave or concubine in the harem of the Turkish sultan | ||
| Line 105: | Line 201: | ||
* hypocoristic - a lesser name of the given name | * hypocoristic - a lesser name of the given name | ||
* saccadic - jumpy like the movements of an eye | * saccadic - jumpy like the movements of an eye | ||
* amanuensis - one who is employed to take diction or copy another's words | * amanuensis - one who is employed to take diction or copy another's words | ||
* tergiversate - to use ambiguities and evasions, to equivocate, or to change sides/apostatize | * tergiversate - to use ambiguities and evasions, to equivocate, or to change sides/apostatize | ||
* autonomasy - use of a common word to refer to a particular: "gone to town" for "gone to Atlanta" | * autonomasy - use of a common word to refer to a particular: "gone to town" for "gone to Atlanta" | ||
==Morphism terminology== | |||
{{:Morphisms}} | |||