Wordlist: Difference between revisions
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* ''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 | * ''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) | * lacunarity - measure of the denseness of a fractal (less is more dense/space-filling) | ||
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* sapient - acutely sagelike or wise | * sapient - acutely sagelike or wise | ||
* acescency - the quality of actively turning sour, tart, and/or acidic | * acescency - the quality of actively turning sour, tart, and/or acidic | ||
* sprezzatura - a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and effort | * ''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 | * murine - having to do with rats | ||
* anodyne - a reliever of pain, adj: relieving of pain. anything taken to soothe disturbed feelings | * anodyne - a reliever of pain, adj: relieving of pain. anything taken to soothe disturbed feelings | ||
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* dirigiste - directed by a central authority (eg a dirigiste economy) | * dirigiste - directed by a central authority (eg a dirigiste economy) | ||
* contretemps - an unexpected, untoward accident/conflict; something inopportune or embarrassing | * contretemps - an unexpected, untoward accident/conflict; something inopportune or embarrassing | ||
* Festschrift - a book honoring a respected academic, presented in their lifetime (vs. posthumous Gedenkschrift) | * ''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 | ||
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* 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 | ||
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* 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 | ||
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* 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 | ||
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* 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 | ||
* tergiversating - to use evasions, to change sides, apostacy, equivocation | * tergiversating - to use evasions, to change sides, apostacy, equivocation | ||
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* 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 | ||
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* 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 | ||