Word of the Day

[Scheherazade]

Thought it would be nice to learn a new word every day.

Rules:
- Only one word per day.

- Clearly state for which day you are posting in the title line.

- To give an equal chance to all, the same person cannot post twice in the same week (at least 7 days later).

- The definition should come from a legitimate online dictionary and the link should be posted at the end of the post.

[Scheherazade]

ubiquitous
adjective FORMAL OR HUMOROUS
seeming to be in all places:

Leather is very much in fashion this season, as of course is the ubiquitous denim.
The Swedes are not alone in finding their language under pressure from the ubiquitous spread of English.
The radio, that most ubiquitous of consumer-electronic appliances, is about to enter a new age.

ubiquitously
adverb

ubiquity
noun [U] FORMAL
the ubiquity of fast-food outlets (= the fact that they are found everywhere)


(http://dictionary.cambridge.org/def...=CALD&key=85831)
__________________

[Jay]

*edit*
someone can't read the instructions
*points finger at self*
*hey, poke that thing somewhere else*
*you learn to read instructions and then can poke fingers as well*
*hmm, good idea, thanks*
*welcome* *pokes finger*

nope, I'm really not crazy :angel:

[subterranean]

Catch-22 also catch-22 (noun)


One:

1. A situation in which a desired outcome or solution is impossible to attain because of a set of inherently illogical rules or conditions: “In the Catch-22 of a closed repertoire, only music that is already familiar is thought to deserve familiarity” (Joseph McLennan).
2. The rules or conditions that create such a situation.

Two:
A situation or predicament characterized by absurdity or senselessness.

Three:
A contradictory or self-defeating course of action: “The Catch-22 of his administration was that every grandiose improvement scheme began with community dismemberment” (Village Voice).

Four:
A tricky or disadvantageous condition; a catch: “Of course, there is a Catch-22 with Form 4868you are supposed to include a check if you owe any additional tax, otherwise you face some penalties” (New York).


source (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=CATCH-22)

[baddad]

*edit*
someone can't read the instructions
*points finger at self*
*hey, poke that thing somewhere else*
*you learn to read instructions and then can poke fingers as well*
*hmm, good idea, thanks*
*welcome* *pokes finger*

nope, I'm really not crazy :angel:

.......begs to differ......

[atiguhya padma]

March 24th

For all those weary of the endless commute from the homely suburbs into the dreary office-pocked metropolis:

Bathysiderodromophobia : noun fear of subways, undergrounds, or metros.

[Jay]

.......begs to differ......
Beg you may :D but I would give in even without the begging :lol:

[Scheherazade]

jingoism noun [U] DISAPPROVING
the extreme belief that your own country is always best, which is often shown in enthusiastic support for a war against another country:

Patriotism can turn into jingoism and intolerance very quickly.


jingoist noun [C] DISAPPROVING
someone who believes that their own country is always best:

He was a confirmed jingoist and would frequently speak about the dangers of Britain forming closer ties with the rest of Europe.


jingoistic adjective DISAPPROVING


(http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=42703&ph=on)

[subterranean]

Bathysiderodromophobia..WOW...such an interesting word

Does it include fear of subterranean?


March 24th

For all those weary of the endless commute from the homely suburbs into the dreary office-pocked metropolis:

Bathysiderodromophobia : noun fear of subways, undergrounds, or metros.

[atiguhya padma]

Tannhauserism is a love of caves and all things subterranean, IIRC. :)

Maybe Bathysiderodromophobia covers fear of subterranean spaces and passages, but don't quote me on it.

[Jay]

I finally got to enter a word... the word ;) :p

entitle (ALLOW)
verb [T]
to give someone the right to do or have something:
Being unemployed entitles you to free medical treatment.
[+ to infinitive] The employer is entitled to ask for references.

entitled
adjective [+ to infinitive]
I felt entitled (= I felt I had the right) to know how my own money is being spent!

entitlement
noun [C or U]
something that you have right to do or have, or when you have the right to do or have something:
pension/holiday entitlements
Managers have generous leave entitlement.

linky 1 (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=25888&dict=CALD)

OR

entitle (GIVE TITLE)
to give a title to a book, film, etc:
Her latest novel, entitled 'The Forgotten Sex', is out this week.

linky 2 (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=25891&dict=CALD)

[kilted exile]

April 1st


acquiesce
Definition


verb [I] FORMAL
to accept or agree to something, often unwillingly:
Reluctantly, he acquiesced to/in the plans.

acquiescent

adjective FORMAL
She has a very acquiescent nature (= agrees to everything without complaining). <--- not sure about this example, I have yet to meet any women who agrees to anything without complaining :D

acquiescence

noun [U]
I was surprised by her acquiescence to/in the scheme.

link (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=753&ph=on)

[Basil]

I thought this would be a good place to post this. Many of you are probably familiar with the word gullible. It is usually used to mean easily fooled or deceived.

But how many of you knew that gullible is in fact NOT an actual word at all? That it cannot be found in any English dictionary?

[penguinsail]

haha...very very funny

[Scheherazade]

I thought this would be a good place to post this. Many of you are probably familiar with the word gullible. It is usually used to mean easily fooled or deceived.

But how many of you knew that gullible is in fact NOT an actual word at all? That it cannot be found in any English dictionary?

Uhm, we would be too gullible to believe that! :D

[Koa]

I don't get it...was that the april's fool?

[baddad]

Gulible: easily gulled.

gull; a person easily tricked

[Scheherazade]

viviparous (adjective SPECIALIZED)

giving birth to young that have already developed inside the mother's body rather than producing eggs.


PS: A word I learnt while reading Brave New World. :)

[Chava]

sesquipedalian - Someone who is given to the use of long (often ridiculous) words.

[imthefoolonthehill]

April 10th: Fangorious

points to anyone who figures out what it means

extra points to anyone who figures out where it came from.

[baddad]

Fangorious: Monsterous, evil, usually monsters with fangs......yeah, originally quoted by a guy nicked,"Strong BAd", on a certain website. Or at least thats what I got off of googling the word......

[Scheherazade]

Another word from Brave New World :)

Malthusian
Pronunciation: mal-'th(y)ü-zh&n, mol-
Function: adjective
: of or relating to Malthus or to his theory that population tends to increase at a faster rate than its means of subsistence and that unless it is checked by moral restraint or by disease, famine, war, or other disaster widespread poverty and degradation inevitably result —Malthusian noun

Mal·thus /'mol-th&s/, Thomas Robert (1766–1834), British economist and demographer. Malthus presented his theory of population in An Essay on the Principle of Population, which was first published in 1798 but later expanded and documented. A pioneer in modern demography, he was descriptive rather than prescriptive in his work. An economic pessimist, he viewed poverty as unfortunate as well as inevitable. His thinking later had a profound influence upon Charles Darwin.

source (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=67&q=malthusian)

[imthefoolonthehill]

April 16

defenestrate

v : throw through or out of the window; "The rebels stormed the palace and defenestrated the President

[imthefoolonthehill]

April 18th

man·i·fold ( P ) Pronunciation Key (mn-fld)
adj.
Many and varied; of many kinds; multiple: our manifold failings.
Having many features or forms: manifold intelligence.
Being such for a variety of reasons: a manifold traitor.
Consisting of or operating several devices of one kind at the same time.

n.
A whole composed of diverse elements.
One of several copies.
A pipe or chamber having multiple apertures for making connections.
Mathematics. A topological space or surface.

[Scheherazade]

equanimity (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=26100&dict=CALD)

noun [U] FORMAL
calmness and self-control, especially after a shock or disappointment or in a difficult situation:

He received the news of his mother's death with remarkable equanimity.
Three years after the tragedy she has only just begun to regain her equanimity.



PS: I would hate to disappoint those of you who expected me to post buttercup as the word of the day this week so I will at least provide the link for it: buttercup (http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/ranunculusbulb.html)

[Jay]

OH, I thought buttercup was different flower than this *glares at google images engine for misguiding me*

I still like the Foundations' version better :lol:

[Jay]

I hate that word, I can never remember what it means

cunning (CLEVER)
adjective
describes people who are clever at planning something so that they get what they want, especially by tricking other people, or things that are cleverly made for a particular purpose:
a cunning plan/ploy
He's a very cunning man.

[atiguhya padma]

Hylozoism:

n. belief that all matter has life. hylozoist, n. hylozoistic(al), a.

[Jay]

Nice word, AP :)

[Scheherazade]

serendipity noun [U]
the lucky tendency to find interesting or valuable things just by chance

The actress Lana Turner, it is said, was discovered by serendipity at Schwab's Hollywood drug store.


serendipitous adjective

Reading should be an adventure, a personal experience full of serendipitous surprises.


PS: One word I keep looking up in the dictionary... Always reminds me of 'serenity'.

[amuse]

i think we should have a thread where we make up a short paragraph, story, or poem (any style) using the word of that day - any takers?

*yes i know i should make up the thread, but i want feedback and it's morning. have i mentioned mornings aren't fond of me nor i of them?

[Jay]

Not yet :p

Sounds like a good idea. Using the new word in writing (a few times ;)) should work for actually remembering it :)

[Scheherazade]

i think we should have a thread where we make up a short paragraph, story, or poem (any style) using the word of that day - any takers?
Paragraphs, poems, stories, weekly fill- in-the-blanks pop quizes... Oh the possibilities! :brow:

[Jay]

Uhoh, fill-in-the-blanks? Does that mean... no, it can't... though Scher IS a teacher... but she wouldn't... would she?... nah... but on the other hand...

[amuse]

syndic (decided to lift i mean learn :p a word from Foucault today)

One appointed to represent a corporation, university, or other organization in business transactions; a business agent.
A civil magistrate or similar government official in some European countries


to employ this word, look no further! (thank this link. (than this link?))
http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=65445#post65445

[subterranean]

idol



1. An image used as an object of worship.
A false god.


2. One that is adored, often blindly or excessively.

3. Something visible but without substance.


idolism

The worship of idols.


Idolist

A worshiper of idols


idolater or idolator

1. One who worships idols.

2. One who blindly or excessively admires or adores another

[Scheherazade]

abeyance noun [U] FORMAL

a state of not happening or being used at present:


Hostilities between the two groups have been in abeyance since last June.

The project is being held in abeyance until agreement is reached on funding it.



http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=115&dict=CALD

[Jay]

What about words one actually gets to use once in a while? I mean... why learning weird sounding/looking words when there's simplier way of putting it?

Scher, does abeyance (or in abeyance?) mean ... kinda postponed? I can never understand dictionary definitions, I seem to have more luck guessing what a word means from its context... or asking someone patient enough to translate the definitions to me :D

So well, yeah, I guess I'm a bit... dull :rolleyes:

[amuse]

shh!!! you aren't dull. i forget this isn't your first language and apparently YOU have too - silly girl. :)

things in abeyance are sort of in limbo.

[Jay]

Does 'in limbo' mean neglected? (derelict, desolate, destitute... funny thing what cross-referrencing with Czech <->English dictionary does to a word :D... you translate one, it spits several back at you, you ... pick one and see which one seems to fit... if you don't know what the words mean though, you need to search for those new words ending up with a few more words... forgetting why are you even using a dictionary in the first place after a little while :D)

[Scheherazade]

abeyance means... to suspend... stop something temporarily.

[Jay]

to postpone then :p

[subterranean]

I seem to have more luck guessing what a word means from its context... or asking someone patient enough to translate the definitions to me :D


Yep, same here. Though didn't get the exact meaning, least we can understand it..

I don't look the dict, but I guess in limbo means in a state of confusion..deeply in a state of confusion ...

[amuse]

things in limbo can be stagnant, though, nothing to do with confusion. english - glug!

[subterranean]

nothing to do w/ confusion...

Oh all this time I was so wrong...

[Jay]

Got a bit carried away :angel:

To search, used OneLook (http://www.onelook.com/?w=abyss&ls=a)

Etymology (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=abyss)
1398, earlier abime (c.1300), from L.L. abyssus, from Gk. abyssos "bottomless," from a- "without" (see a- (2)) + byssos "bottom," possibly related to bathos "depth." Abyssal is first recorded 1691, used especially of the zone of ocean water below 300 fathoms.

Too long to paste here, Wikipedia on abyss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abyss)

Cambridge Dictionary (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=390&dict=CALD)
1 LITERARY: a very deep hole which seems to have no bottom

2 a difficult situation that brings trouble or destruction:
The country is sinking/plunging into an abyss of violence and lawlessness.
She found herself on the edge of an abyss.

Bartleby - pronunciation file (http://www.bartleby.com/61/21/A0032100.html)
1. An immeasurably deep chasm, depth, or void: “lost in the vast abysses of space and time” (Loren Eiseley).
2a. The primeval chaos out of which it was believed that the earth and sky were formed.
2b. The abode of evil spirits; hell.

Art dictionary (http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/A/abyss.html):
Ambivalent, as both the profundity of the depth and as abasement and inferiority. Often a symbol of the uncertainty of childhood, the abyss may also represent indefinte depths or heights and is closely associated with evolution, both individual and universal. "Man has to confront his personal abyss at least four times in a lifetime, that is, he has to reconsider his convictions and question his motives in order to achieve maturity (the four ages of man)" (Julien, 5).
Also associated with the 'land of the dead' and the underworld, often Hell, and is identified as the place to which departed spirits might be cast.

Catholic encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01075d.htm):
(Greek abyssos).

Abyss is primarily and classically an adjective, meaning deep, very deep (Wisd., x, 19; Job, xxxviii, 16). Elsewhere in the Bible, and once in Diog. Laert., it is a substantive. Some thirty times in the Septuagint it is the equivalent of the Hebrew tehom, Assyrian tihamtu, and once each of the Hebrew meculah, "sea-deep", culah, "deep flood", and rachabh, "spacious place". Hence the meanings:
(1) primeval waters;
(2) the waters beneath the earth;
(3) the upper seas and rivers;
(4) the abode of the dead, limbo;
(5) the abode of the evil spirits, hell.
The last two meanings are the only ones found in the New Testament.

Scientific (http://www.dto.com/hunting/glossary/index.jsp?startwith=a#abyss)
A particularly deep part of the ocean, between 4,000 and 7,000 m depth.

[Scheherazade]

soporific (adj) causing sleep or making a person want to sleep:

the soporific effect of the heat


soporifically (adv)



source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=75823&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

motile (adj) (especially of plants, organisms and very small forms of life) able to move by itself

motility noun [U]



http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=52052&dict=CALD

[subterranean]

idol



1. An image used as an object of worship.
A false god.


2. One that is adored, often blindly or excessively.

3. Something visible but without substance.


idolism

The worship of idols.


Idolist

A worshiper of idols


idolater or idolator

1. One who worships idols.

2. One who blindly or excessively admires or adores another

www.dictionary.com



Hylozoism:

n. belief that all matter has life. hylozoist, n. hylozoistic(al), a.


please cite the source



April 18th

man·i·fold ( P ) Pronunciation Key (mn-fld)
adj.
Many and varied; of many kinds; multiple: our manifold failings.
Having many features or forms: manifold intelligence.
Being such for a variety of reasons: a manifold traitor.
Consisting of or operating several devices of one kind at the same time.

n.
A whole composed of diverse elements.
One of several copies.
A pipe or chamber having multiple apertures for making connections.
Mathematics. A topological space or surface.

please cite the source



serendipity noun [U]
the lucky tendency to find interesting or valuable things just by chance

The actress Lana Turner, it is said, was discovered by serendipity at Schwab's Hollywood drug store.


serendipitous adjective

Reading should be an adventure, a personal experience full of serendipitous surprises.


PS: One word I keep looking up in the dictionary... Always reminds me of 'serenity'.

Please cite the source


April 16

defenestrate

v : throw through or out of the window; "The rebels stormed the palace and defenestrated the President


please cite the source


April 10th: Fangorious

points to anyone who figures out what it means

extra points to anyone who figures out where it came from.

please cite the source



March 24th

For all those weary of the endless commute from the homely suburbs into the dreary office-pocked metropolis:

Bathysiderodromophobia : noun fear of subways, undergrounds, or metros

please cite the source

[Jay]

Oy :eek:
*blames Ash :lol:*
Are we to send the answers to you via PM? (hint, deleting the attachment would be a good idea in that case :p)
Nice, can we play teachers and students? Pretty please? :D

[Scheherazade]

I am reading enough papers as it is, thank you! You can check your own answers and let us know how you did... If you feel like it! :p

[Jay]

Come on, you could give KitKats instead of grades :p... as I wouldn't be too happy with more Fs :lol: and I could do with a short-term chocolate intake shortage :D

[Scheherazade]

Is it me or are you actually encouraging me to mark your quizes? :eek:

[baddad]

#'s.....20,16,13 11.....stumped me. My left hand quivered, as it was closest to my dictionary, but I fought off the impulse.......and it took willpower to do that. Strange, or maybe not so stange is the power of Conditioning, the pavlovian impulse.......

*bathysiderodromophobia?????????* ...a fear of never having a dictionary handy??

[Scheherazade]

*bathysiderodromophobia?????????* ...a fear of never having a dictionary handy??
You can thank AP for that one! :D

The answer key is attached by the way... No need for the dictionary.

[Jay]

Well, Scher, you don't just issue a quiz and then think it's gonna be easy! :D

I'm... too lazy :angel: to answer, but I would have problems defining:

jingoist
ubiquitous
motile
bathysideromophobia
syndic
acquiesce
idolator
equanimity
serendipity
sesquipedalian

imvho they're not even words :p

[Scheherazade]

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/ begs to differ! :p

[Jay]

It's lying! :lol:

[Nightshade]

Cornobbled --To hit with a fish.
http://teachers.ocps.net/~kellyd2/mindfeed/archiveword.htm

[Scheherazade]

Nightshade, unfortunately 'cornobbled' cannot be found in any dictionary. Would you like to replace it with another word? Thank you.

[Scheherazade]

Dear All,

While posting new words in this thread, please clearly state the date you are posting and don't forget that the definition should come from a legitimate online dictionary with the link cited at the end of the post.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://www.wikipedia.org/

http://www.webster.com/

[Scheherazade]

Match the words and definitions! (All the words are posted in this thread.)


1. soporific .............................. a. seeming to be in all places

2. entitlement........................... b. To accept or agree to something, often unwillingly

3. jingoist ............................... c. Many and varied

4. defenestrate ........................ d. People who are clever at planning things to get what they want, especially by tricking other people

5. ubiquitous ............................ e. The lucky tendency to find interesting or valuable things just by chance

6. hylozoism ............................. f. Someone who is given to the use of long (often ridiculous) words

7. motile .................................. g. A business agent.

8. cunning ................................ h. Someone who believes that their own country is always best

9. catch-22 .............................. i. Able to move by itself

10. abbys .................................. j. A state of not happening

11. bathysiderodromophobia .......... k. Giving birth to young that have already developed inside the mother's body

12. manifold ............................... l. One who blindly or excessively admires another

13. syndic ................................. m. Throw through or out of the window

14. acquiesce ............................ n. Belief that all matter has life

15. idolator ............................... o. A very deep hole which seems to have no bottom

16. viviparous ............................ p. A contradictory or self-defeating course of action

17. equanimity ........................... q. Causing sleep or making a person want to sleep

18. serendipity ........................... r. Calmness and self-control in a difficult situation

19. abeyance ............................ s. Fear of subways, undergrounds, or metros

20. sesquipedalian ...................... t. Something that you have right to do or have




How did you do? :)

[kilted exile]

Ok I got 18 (mixed up vivaparous & sesquipadalian)

*finally taking latin at school came in useful for something - defenestrate*

[Jay]

LOL!!! :lol:

[Jay]

getting friendly with onelook.com (http://onelook.com/)

comeuppance (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861598850)
deserved fate: something unpleasant, regarded as a just punishment for somebody (informal)
He got his comeuppance in the end.

[Mid-19th century. Formed from come up, probably in the sense “to be tried before a court.”]

come-uppance (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=15272&dict=CALD) - noun, informal, humorous
a person's bad luck that is considered to be a fair and deserved punishment for something bad that they have done
She'll get her come-uppance, don't worry.

[Scheherazade]

ostensible adj FORMAL

appearing or claiming to be one thing when it is really something else:

Their ostensible goal was to clean up government corruption, but their real aim was to unseat the government.


ostensibly adv FORMAL

He has spent the past three months in Florida, ostensibly for medical treatment, but in actual fact to avoid prosecution for a series of notorious armed robberies.


Source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=56083&dict=CALD)

[Jay]

blame ihrocks for calling me names :p... especially ones I don't know :D

an enfant terrible (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=enfant.terrible*1+0&dict=I)
a famous or successful person who likes to shock people by behaving badly
Jean Paul Gaultier, the enfant terrible of French fashion, arrived at the show wearing a mini kilt.

enfant terrible (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=25650&dict=CALD)
noun, plural enfants terribles, formal
a famous or successful person who likes to shock people
In the seventies he was the enfant terrible of the theatre.

wonder why they have two versions of the definition :rolleyes:

[Scheherazade]

pedant noun [C] DISAPPROVING
a person who is too interested in formal rules and small unimportant details


pedantic adjective DISAPPROVING
They were being unnecessarily pedantic (=giving too much attention to formal rules or small details) by insisting that Berry himself, and not his wife, should have made the announcement.


pedantically adverb


pedantry noun [U]
There was a hint of pedantry in his elegant style of speaking.


http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=B&key=pedant*1+0

[kilted exile]

I attempted to use the word soporific in conversation today, drew blank looks from my roommates.

[Scheherazade]

Maybe your conversation had already taken a soporific effect on them? :D

[Jay]

Maybe they thought you were calling them nasty names and didn't want to show you they didn't know how bad it was :p

[kilted exile]

Maybe your conversation had already taken a soporific effect on them? :D

This is indeed a distinct possibility.

[Scheherazade]

polyglot adj FORMAL

1. speaking or using several different languages:

She was reading a polyglot bible, with the text in English, Latin and Greek.

2. containing people from many different and distant places:

New York is an exciting polyglot city.

polyglot noun [C] FORMAL

My tutor's something of a polyglot - she speaks seven languages.


source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=61353&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

heresy noun

1. [C or U] (the act of having) an opinion or belief that is the opposite of or against what is the official or popular opinion, or an action which shows that you have no respect for the official opinion:

Radical remarks like this amount to heresy for most members of the Republican party.

She committed the heresy of playing a Madonna song on a classical music station.


2. [U] a belief which is against the principles of a particular religion:

He was burned at the stake in the fifteenth century for heresy.


heretic noun [C]

a person who is guilty of heresy


heretical adjective

Her belief that a split would be good for the party was regarded as heretical.


source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=36808&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

enunciate verb [I or T]

to pronounce words or parts of words clearly:

He doesn't enunciate (his words) very clearly.

enunciation noun [C or U]



enunciate verb [T]

to state and explain a plan or principle clearly or formally:

In the speech, the leader enunciated his party's proposals for tax reform.

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/results.asp?searchword=enunciate)

[Scheherazade]

hubris noun [U] LITERARY

very great pride and belief in your own importance:

He was punished for his hubris.

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=38328&dict=CALD)

[Fango]

incommode - v. cause inconvenience; disturb.

He always incommodes people with his bad breath.

Source (http://www.answers.com/incommode)

[Taliesin]

munchkin

1.A very small person.
2.Informal. A child.
3.Informal. A minor official.
[After the Munchkins, characters in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.]
First source (http://www.answers.com/munchkin)

But in role-playing games, such as LARP or D&D or internet RPG-s, munchkin means:
A munchkin is a player who plays a normally cooperative game exclusively for the purposes of "winning", usually at the cost of the other players' enjoyment of in an RPG or a MUD game. The term is also frequently used in reference to powergamers and to immature players in general.

A more neutral use of the term is in reference to young players, who, not knowing yet how to roleplay, typically obsess about the statistical "power" of their characters rather than developing their characters' fictional "personalities."

Some people say this is a certain stage of a gamer's growth and that if one starts to understand the philosophy behind an RPG, they will stop these kind of Munchkin behaviours.

"He constantly begged the DM for more bonuses and better stats. What a munchkin."
Second source (http://www.answers.com/topic/munchkin-rpg?method=6)

[Scheherazade]

odious adj FORMAL

extremely unpleasant; causing and deserving hate:

an odious crime

an odious little man


odium noun [U] FORMAL

hate and strong disapproval

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=54947&dict=CALD)

[Basil]

July 10

flapdoodle
also flap-doodle

NOUN: Slang foolish talk; nonsense

I could scarcely bring myself to read his posts, finding them full of so much flapdoodle.

Here (http://www.bartleby.com/61/67/F0166700.html) ya go!

[baddad]

[QUOTE=Basil]July 10


NOUN: Slang foolish talk; nonsense[/font]

I could scarcely bring myself to read his posts, finding them full of so much flapdoodle.

[QUOTE]

Colloquialism: designating or of the words, phrases, et., characteristic of informal speech and writing; conversational.

: often/commonly regional in particular useage

[Scheherazade]

bosh exclamation, noun [U] OLD-FASHIONED

nonsense:

Don't talk such bosh!

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=8978&dict=CALD)


bosh noun, interjection

Nonsense.

[From Turkish bos (empty). The term was popularized in English by its
use in the novels of James J. Morier (1780-1849).]

source (http://wordsmith.org/awad/archives/0105)

[Scheherazade]

Roman holiday n.

1. Enjoyment or satisfaction derived from observing the suffering of others.

2. A violent public spectacle or disturbance in which shame, degradation, or physical harm is intentionally inflicted on one person or group by another.

(From the bloody gladiatorial contests staged as entertainment for the ancient Romans.)

"There were his young barbarians all at play;
There was their Dacian mother: he, their sire,
Butcher'd to make a Roman holiday!"

Lord Byron; Childe Harold's Pilgrimage; Canto iv. Stanza 141.


source (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=67&q=roman%20holiday)

[Scheherazade]

hoi polloi \hoi-puh-LOI\, noun:

The common people generally; the masses.


Lizzie insisted that her children distinguish themselves from the hoi polloi by scrupulous honesty.
--Kate Buford, Burt Lancaster: An American Life

The exchange of roles in "The Prince and the Pauper" suggests that a man of the people can be a benevolent ruler because of his humble roots, that a prince can become a better ruler through exposure to hoi polloi.
--Michiko Kakutani "In Classic Children's Books, Is a Witch Ever Just a Witch?" New York Times, December 22, 1992

America's cereal queen [Marjorie Merriweather Post, heir to the Post Cereal fortune] had the same problems that the hoi polloi have -- philandering husbands, messy divorces, soggy Grape-Nuts.
--Maureen Dowd, "Rich Little Rich Girl," New York Times, February 12, 1995

Hoi polloi is Greek for "the many."

http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2001/05/30.html


Usage Note: Hoi polloi is a borrowing of the Greek phrase hoi polloi, consisting of hoi, meaning “the” and used before a plural, and polloi, the plural of polus, “many.” In Greek hoi polloi had a special sense, “the greater number, the people, the commonalty, the masses.” This phrase has generally expressed this meaning in English since its first recorded instance, in an 1837 work by James Fenimore Cooper. Hoi polloi is sometimes incorrectly used to mean “the elite,” possibly because it is reminiscent of high and mighty or because it sounds like hoity-toity. ·Since the Greek phrase includes an article, some critics have argued that the phrase the hoi polloi is redundant. But phrases borrowed from other languages are often reanalyzed in English as single words. For example, a number of Arabic noun phrases were borrowed into English as simple nouns. The Arabic element al- means “the,” and appears in English nouns such as alcohol and alchemy. Thus, since no one would consider a phrase such as “the alcohol” to be redundant, criticizing the hoi polloi on similar grounds seems pedantic.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=hoi%20polloi

[Jay]

August 2

bummel (http://phrontistery.info/b.html/word?word=bummel): stroll; leisurely journey

[Scheherazade]

pontificate V [I] DISAPPROVING

to speak or write and give your opinion about something as if you knew everything about it and as if only your opinion was correct:

I think it should be illegal for non-parents to pontificate on/about parenting.

Sourse (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=61445&dict=CALD)


pon·tif·i·cate n.

The office or term of office of a pontiff.

pon·tif·i·cat·ed, pon·tif·i·cat·ing, pon·tif·i·cates intr.v.

1.To express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way.

2.To administer the office of a pontiff.

Source (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=67&q=pontificate)

[Scheherazade]

cy·no·sure n.

An object that serves as a focal point of attention and admiration.
Something that serves to guide.

source (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=67&q=cynosure)


cynosure N [C] LITERARY

a person or thing having a quality of excellence or great beauty which attracts a lot of attention.

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=19358&dict=CALD)


"We attracted a good deal of attention at the Alhambra. On our presenting ourselves at the paybox we were gruffly directed to go round to Castle Street, and were informed that we were half-an-hour behind our time. We convinced the man, with some difficulty, that we were not "the world-renowned contortionists from the Himalaya Mountains," and he took our money and let us pass. Inside we were a still greater success. Our fine bronzed countenances and picturesque clothes were followed round the place with admiring gaze. We were the cynosure of every eye.

It was a proud moment for us all. "

From Three Men in a Boat

[Scheherazade]

quid pro quo noun [C usually singular]

plural quid pro quos FORMAL

something that is given to a person in return for something they have done:

The government has promised food aid as a quid pro quo for the stopping of violence.


source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=64906&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

The new quizes based on 'Word of the Day' thread have been added to the site:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/quiz.php?quizid=22

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/quiz.php?quizid=32

[Jay]

sounding board

Oxford English Dictionary (http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/soundingboard?view=uk): a person or group whose reactions to ideas or opinons are used as a test of their validity or likely success.

[Scheherazade]

facetious adj DISAPPROVING

not serious about a serious subject, in an attempt to be amusing or to appear clever:

facetious remarks

He's just being facetious.


facetiously adv DISAPPROVING


facetiousness n [U] DISAPPROVING


source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=27494&dict=CALD)

[Jay]

graveyard shift (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861691164)

period of work after midnight: a shift of work running through the early hours of the morning, especially one running from midnight till eight o'clock the following morning, or the workers on such a shift

[Jay]

clever Dick/clogs (http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561502798/clever_Dick.html) (UK informal disapproving)

somebody too sure of own cleverness: somebody regarded as arrogant or ostentatiously clever

clever Dick/clogs (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=14131&dict=CALD) (UK informal disapproving)

someone who shows that they are clever, in a way which annoys other people:
If you're such a clever dick, you finish the crossword puzzle.

[Scheherazade]

speakeasy n. pl. speak·eas·ies

A place for the illegal sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks, as during Prohibition in the United States.


source (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=67&q=speakeasy)

[Taliesin]

Brillig (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brillig) Four o'clock in the afternoon: the time when you begin broiling things for dinner. (According to Mischmasch, it is derived from the verb to bryl or broil.)

We know that it probably doesn't count, but it is a very nice word, isn't it?

[Scheherazade]

sententious adj FORMAL DISAPPROVING

trying to appear wise, clever and important:

The document was sententious and pompous.

"I see how you are. Getting all euphuistic and sententious on me. Meanie."


sententiously adv




source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=71827&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

denizen noun [C] LITERARY

an animal, plant or person that lives in or is often in a particular place:

Deer, foxes and squirrels are among the denizens of the forest.

“He becomes very sentimental sometimes,” explained Gatsby. “This is one of his sentimental days. He’s quite a character around New York—a denizen of Broadway.”from The Great Gatsby

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=20714&dict=CALD)

[underground]

shamus (noun): a detective

what the...? who stole my bike--again? that's it, i'm hiring a shamus now.

[Scheherazade]

histrionic adj DISAPPROVING

very emotional and energetic, but lacking sincerity or real meaning:

a histrionic outburst
She put on a histrionic display of grief at her ex-husband's funeral.


histrionically adv DISAPPROVING


histrionics plural N DISAPPROVING

very emotional and energetic behaviour that lacks sincerity and real meaning:

I'd had enough of Lydia's histrionics.



source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=37261&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

un·gu·late adj.

1. Having hooves.

2. Resembling hooves; hooflike.

3. Of or belonging to the former order Ungulata, now divided into the orders Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla and composed of the hoofed mammals such as horses, cattle, deer, swine, and elephants.

n.
An ungulate mammal.



source (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ungulate)

[Pensive]

ah, its a very nice thread, helps in vocabulary.

crestfallen - adjective

1: dispirited
2: dejected
3: disappointed

[Jay]

prolific (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861736606): adj

1. highly productive: producing ideas or works frequently and in large quantities

2. fruitful: producing a lot of fruit or many offspring

3. abundant or abounding: present in large numbers, or containing large numbers of quantities of something, especially animal life

so in other words... babbly :D

[Scheherazade]

gadfly n.

1. A persistent irritating critic; a nuisance.

2. One that acts as a provocative stimulus; a goad.

3. Any of various flies, especially of the family Tabanidae, that bite or annoy livestock and other animals.

source (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=gadfly)

...Clarissa wishes, suddlenly and with surprising urgency, that Richard were here beside her, right now - not Richard as he's become but the Richard of ten years ago; Richard the fearless, ceaseless talker; Richard the gadfly.from the Hours by Michael Cunningham

[ANN VIRGES]

Where Would I Find The Word Sesquipadalian?

[Perspicacity]

www.Dictionary.com

Sesquipedalian

1. (n.) a long word
2. (adj.) given to the use of long words

[Jay]

or here (http://onelook.com/?w=sesquipedalian&last=sesquipadalian&loc=spell1)
*too short... or not*

[Jay]

ubiquitous (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861707349), adj.
existing everywhere: present everywhere at once, or seeming to be

[Scheherazade]

bardolatry n.

Idolization of William Shakespeare.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bardolatry

Before the Romantics, Shakespeare was simply the most admired of all dramatic poets, especially for his insight into human nature and his realism, but Romantic critics such as S. T. Coleridge refactored him into an object of almost religious adoration or "bardolatry" (from bard + idolatry, a word coined by George Bernard Shaw) who towered above mere mortal writers, and whose plays were to be worshipped as not "merely great works of art" but as "phenomena of nature, like the sun and the sea, the stars and the flowers" and "with entire submission of our own faculties" (Thomas de Quincey, 1823). from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardolatry

[Scheherazade]

flummoxverb [T] INFORMAL

to confuse someone so much that they do not know what to do:

I have to say that last question flummoxed me.


flummoxed adj INFORMAL

He looked completely flummoxed.


source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=29918&dict=CALD)

[starrwriter]

fug (noun, slang)
A state of extreme ugliness.

fugly (adjective)
Frightfully ugly; pertaining to something beyond the boundaries of normal unattractiveness.

source (http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/faq/)

[Jay]

to egg on (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861607632) (verb)
encourage somebody: to encourage somebody to do something, especially something wrong, foolish, or dangerous
She never would have done it herself, but the girls were egging her on.

[Scheherazade]

arable (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=3773&dict=CALD) adjective

describes farming and farm land that is used for, or is suitable for, growing crops:

arable farming/farmers/farms/land

[Scheherazade]

A new Word of the Day Quiz (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/quiz.php?quizid=110) has been added to the Forum.

[Logos]

yay! thank you for making it Scher :D

[Scheherazade]

chimera noun [C] FORMAL

a hope or dream that is extremely unlikely ever to come true:

Is the ideal of banishing hunger throughout the world just a chimera?


chimerical adjective FORMAL
It was a forbidden word: 'before'. She felt the chimerical angel of the past flying overhead and she tried to elude to it.from Love in the Time of Cholera

[Jay]

November 29

paronomastic (http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=paronomastic), adj
a play on words: pun

[Scheherazade]

draconian adj FORMAL

describes laws, government actions, etc. which are unreasonably severe; going beyond what is right or necessary:

draconian laws/methods

He criticized the draconian measures taken by the police in controlling the demonstrators.
Some said that after midnight more reeling than dancing took place; and more draconian claimed that there was very little of either, but a great deal of something else. from The French Lieutenant's Woman

[Jay]

recalcitrant (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861699647)
adjective
1. resisting authority: stubbornly resisting the authority of another person or group
2. hard to do or handle: difficult to deal with or operate
struggling in front of the mirror with a recalcitrant necktie

noun
stubborn opponent: somebody who stubbornly resists authority or control
few recalcitrants refused to submit

from The French Lieutenant's Woman

[Scheherazade]

lampoon noun [C]

a piece of writing, a drawing, etc. which criticizes in an amusing way a famous person or a public organization, allowing their bad qualities to be seen and making them seem stupid:

The magazine is famed for its merciless political lampoons.

lampoon verb [T]
In some of this literature, it is difficult to distinguish between behavior that is being parodied and behavior that is presented as an ideal. This ambiguity may also be found in The Taming of the Shrew, which manages to lampoon chauvinistic behavior while simultaneously reaffirming its social validity. The play celebrates the quick wit and fiery spirit of its heroine even while reveling in her humiliation. from Sparknotes

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=44498&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

sully V [T] FORMAL

1 to spoil something or someone's perfect reputation or purity:

His reputation, he said, had been unfairly sullied by allegations, half-truths and innuendos.

2 to make something dirty:

No speck of dirt had ever sullied his hands.
An alternative argument holds that Romeo’s love for Rosaline shows him to be desirous of love with anyone who is beautiful and willing to share his feelings, thereby sullying our understanding of Romeo’s love with Juliet. from SparkNotes.

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=79729&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

soupçon N [S] MAINLY HUMOROUS
a very small amount:

"Milk in your coffee?" "Just a soupçon, please."

Do I detect a soupçon of sarcasm in what you just said?
'They can't kill you unless it's for money,' said Catseye. But now tehre was a soupçon of doubt in his voice. From Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

[Taliesin]

Tom Swiftie
A Tom Swifty (or Tom Swiftie) is a phrase in which a quoted sentence is linked by a pun to the manner in which it is represented as having been said. Tom Swifties may be considered a type of Wellerism.

e.g:
"I'll never stick my arm in the lion's mouth again," Tom said offhandedly.
"Let's go downstairs," said Tom to the robber condescendingly.
"I used to be a pilot," Tom explained.
"I just love camping!" Tom said, intently.

Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swiftie)

[Scheherazade]

prolix ADJ.

1.Tediously prolonged; wordy: editing a prolix manuscript.

2.Tending to speak or write at excessive length.

prolixity N

boring verboseness
ROMEO

What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse?
Or shall we on without apology?

BENVOLIO

The date is out of such prolixity:
We'll have no Cupid hoodwink'd with a scarf,
Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath,
Scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper;
Nor no without-book prologue, faintly spoke
After the prompter, for our entrance:
But let them measure us by what they will;
We'll measure them a measure, and be gone. Romeo and Juliet, Act 1.4

[Jay]

eat humble pie (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=24650&dict=CALD)
to admit that you were wrong
After boasting that his company could outperform the industry's best, he's been forced to eat humble pie.

eat humble pie (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=eat%20humble%20pie)
to be forced to apologize abjectly or admit one's faults in humiliating circumstances

[Scheherazade]

platitude n [C] DISAPPROVING

a remark or statement that may be true but is boring and meaningless because it has been said so many times before:

Milosevic doesn't mouth platitudes about it not mattering who scores as long as the team wins.

platitudinous Adj FORMAL DISAPPROVING
I put an end to this gibberish by suggesting Valeria pack up her few belongings immediately, upon which the platitudinous colonel gallantly offered to carry them into the car.From Lolita by Nabokov


source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=60579&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

hagiography noun

1 [C or U] a biography in which the writer represents the person as perfect or much better than they really are, or the tendency to write so many admiring things about a person that it is not realistic

2 [U] SPECIALIZED writings about the lives of holy people such as saints

hagiographic adjective LITERARY

The biography has been criticized for being too hagiographic.

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=35207&dict=CALD)
He had a peculiarly vicious version of reverse hagiography; the desire to cut his subject down to size.from Possession A.S. Byatt

[Taliesin]

bower
noun [C] LITERARY
a pleasant place under the branches of a tree in a wood or garden
link (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=9146&dict=CALD)

[Nightshade]

Biblophil,-phile:
1) lover of books
2)a collector of books.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=7278&dict=CALD
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bibliophil

I thought it was a real word I noticed somewhere some one said they'd made it up :D

You do realise what this means? It means Biblophobia exsists.
:eek:

[Scheherazade]

lackadaisical adjective FORMAL

lacking enthusiasm and effort:

The food was nice enough but the service was rather lackadaisical.


lackadaisically adverb

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=44330&ph=off)

[Pensive]

Ah Scher, "lackadaisical" is such a difficult and a long word.

[Scheherazade]

Ah Scher, "lackadaisical" is such a difficult and a long word.I agree with you, Pensive; I learnt it only yesterday, too.

If you read it slowly, though, it is kind of funny: lack-a-daisy-cal! :D

[RJbibliophil]

April 1st 2006
Odontophobia-noun-a fear of teeth and/or dentists

http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?odontophobia

Fortunately I do not suffer from odontophobia!

[RJbibliophil]

Why not have 2 words since there hasn't been any for a long time. :P


toxophilite (tok-SOF-uh-lyt) noun

One who is fond of or expert at archery.

[Coined by Roger Ascham (1515-1568), scholar and writer, as a proper
name and
the title of his book Toxophilus, from Greek toxon (bow) + -philos
(loving).]

Roger Ascham was the tutor for teenager Elizabeth, future Queen
Elizabeth I.
His book Toxophilus was the first book on archery in English. It was a
treatise on archery but it was also an argument for writing in the
vernacular: in English. You could say he shot two birds with one arrow.
---------------------------------------------------------------
fletcher (FLECH-uhr) noun

A maker of arrows.

[From Middle English fleccher, from Old French flechier, from fleche
(arrow).
Ultimately from Indo-European root pleu (to flow), which also gave us
flow,
fly, float, fleet, pulmonary, and pluvial.]

[Scheherazade]

Philippic n.

1. Any of the orations of Demosthenes against Philip of Macedon in the fourth century B.C.
2. Any of the orations of Cicero against Antony in 44 B.C.
3. A verbal denunciation characterized by harsh, often insulting language; a tirade.

source (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=philippic)
The talk, as usual, had veered around to the Beauforts, and even Mr van der Luyden and Mr Selfridge Merry, installed in the honorary arm-chairs tacitly reserved for them, paused to listen to the younger man's philippic. from The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

[RJbibliophil]

Xenophobia-noun- extreme dislike, hatred or fear of foreigners, their customs, their religions, etc.

Link (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=91846&dict=CALD)

[Scheherazade]

daguerreotype (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=daguerreotype) n.

1. An early photographic process with the image made on a light-sensitive silver-coated metallic plate.

2. A photograph made by this process.


His hair was pale and fine. It had been brushed smoothly down upon his brow like that of children in daguerreotypes. from The Sound and the Fury

[RJbibliophil]

April 29
belles-lettres (bel-LET-ruh) noun

literary works that are beautiful and pleasing in an artistic way, rather than being very serious or full of information

Literary works valued for their aesthetic qualities rather than
information or instruction.

[From French belles (fine) + lettres (letters, literature).

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=6860&dict=CALD)

For help understanding:
aesthetic, US ALSO esthetic adjective
1. relating to the enjoyment or study of beauty:
The new building has little aesthetic value/appeal.

2. describes an object or a work of art that shows great beauty:
furniture which is both aesthetic and functional

(Scher, please don't get mad at me! :eek: .)

[Scheherazade]

necromancy noun [U]

the practice of claiming to communicate with the dead in order to discover what is going to happen in the future, or black magic (= magic used for bad purposes)

necromancer noun [C]

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=53214&dict=CALD)
The world all around the Abbey is rank with heresy; they tell me that on the throne of Rome there is a perverse pope who uses hosts of practices of necromancy and feeds them to his morays... from The Name of the Rose by Eco

[RJbibliophil]

May 4th 2006

anabiosis (an-uh-bi-O-sis) noun

A return to life after death or apparent death.

A state of suspended animation, especially one in which certain aquatic
invertebrates are able to survive long periods of drought.

[From Greek anabiosis (coming back to life), from anabioun
(to return to life), from ana- (back) + bio- (life).]


Many animals and plants can survive periods of extreme drought or cold.
They reach a state of suspended animation and can come back to life even
after being dormant for years. One such plant is the Rose of Jericho, also
known as Anastatica or Resurrection plant. In dry conditions, its stems curl
into a ball. When blown by the wind, it spreads its seeds along the way.
When moistened, it turns into a green plant again, even after years of
dryness. The curled ball is sold as a curiosity item.

link[ (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=anabiosis)

[Taliesin]

Henotheism (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Henotheism)

In religion and philosophy, henotheism is a term coined by Max Müller, meaning devotion to a single god while accepting the existence of other gods. It is derived from the Greek heis theos, "one god". According to Müller, it is "monotheism in principle and a polytheism in fact". Variations on the term have been inclusive monotheism and monarchial polytheism, designed to differentiate differing forms of the phenomenon. Related terms are monolatrism and kathenotheism, which are typically understood as sub-types of henotheism. The latter term is an extension of "henotheism", from kath heno theon – "one god at a time". Henotheism is similar but less exclusive than monolatry because a monolator worships only one god, while the henotheist may worship any within the pantheon, depending on circumstances. In some belief systems, the choice of the supreme deity within a henotheistic framework may be determined by cultural, geographical, or political reasons.

[Jay]

pusillanimous (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861735746) adj
weak-spirited: showing a contemptible lack of boldness and resolve ( formal )

weak and cowardly; frightened of taking risks (source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=64439&dict=CALD))

[RJbibliophil]

May 12th 2006


procellous (pro-SEL-uhs) adjective

Stormy, as the sea.

[From Latin procellosus (stormy), from procella (storm).]


"I likened myself to a sailor ... to brave the dangers of that
procellous sea."

a link to something (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=procellous)

[Jay]

supererogatory (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861717021) adj

1. beyond call of duty: performed to an extent beyond what is required or expected

2. superfluous: beyond what is sufficient or necessary, and not wanted

[Nightshade]

may 23
Quire
noun 1 four sheets of paper or parchment folded to form eight leaves, as in medieval manuscripts. 2 25 (formerly 24) sheets of paper; one twentieth of a ream. 3 any collection of leaves one within another in a manuscript or book.

— ORIGIN Old French quaier, from Latin quaterni ‘set of four’
http://www.askoxford.com/results/?view=dev_dict&field-12668446=quire&branch=13842570&textsearchtype=exact&sortorder=score%2Cname

[apple jiang]

Thought it would be nice to learn a new word every day.

Rules:
- Only one word per day.

- Clearly state for which day you are posting in the title line.

- To give an equal chance to all, the same person cannot post twice in the same week (at least 7 days later).

- The definition should come from a legitimate online dictionary and the link should be posted at the end of the post.
my knowledge of internet technology is so limited,so that means I can't say anything here? :sick: :brickwall

[mingdamerciless]

ululate
• verb howl or wail.

— DERIVATIVES ululation noun.

— ORIGIN Latin ululare ‘howl, shriek’.

http://www.askoxford.com/results/?view=dict&freesearch=ululate&branch=13842570&textsearchtype=exact

[RJbibliophil]

June 1, 2006

terpsichorean (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=terpsichorean) (turp-si-kuh-REE-uhn, turp-si-KOR-ee-uhn, -KORE-)
adjective

Of or relating to dancing.

noun

A dancer.

[From Terpsichore, the Muse of dancing and choral song in Greek
mythology.
The word Terpsichore is the feminine form of terpsichoros (delighting
in the dance), a combination of Greek terpein (to delight) and khoros
(dance), which is ultimately from Indo-European root gher- (to grasp or to
enclose) that's also the source of chorus, carol, choir, garth, court, and
garden.]


"On the subject of Prezza: Ruskin College, Oxford, his alma mater, is
no doubt bracing itself for no end of inquiries following those
startling pictures of his terpsichorean skills. Where did he learn to dance?"
Peter Kingston; Conference Call; The Guardian (London, UK); May 2,
2006.

Of course not Apple! A good online dictionary to start with is: http://dictionary.cambridge.org When you run across interesting and complicated words, share them!

[Scheherazade]

reconnoitre (US USUALLY reconnoiter ) verb SPECIALIZED

(of soldiers or military aircraft) to obtain information about an area or the size and position of enemy forces

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=66083&dict=CALD)
Later, Hazel had said that there was nothing for it but to cross the open pasture and under Silver's direction they had crossed it, with Dandelion running ahead to reconnoitre.from [i]Watership Down

[Jay]

obsequious (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=54753&dict=CALD) adj, formal disapproving
too eager to praise or obey someone
She is almost embarrassingly obsequious to anyone in authority.

[Scheherazade]

cavil verb FORMAL

to make unreasonable complaints, especially about things that are not important

cavil noun [C] FORMAL

The one cavil I have about the book is that it is written as a diary.

source (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=12067&ph=on)

[Scheherazade]

We have a new quiz!

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/quiz.php?quizid=386

[Scheherazade]

jejune (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=42542&dict=CALD) adjective FORMAL DISAPPROVING

very simple or childish:

He made jejune generalizations about how all students were lazy and never did any work.
When at length I returned to my rooms and found them exactly as I had left them that morning, I detected a jejune air that had not irked me before.from Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

[ShoutGrace]

supererogatory (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861717021) adj

1. beyond call of duty: performed to an extent beyond what is required or expected

2. superfluous: beyond what is sufficient or necessary, and not wanted


Hey, you looked that up! :D :thumbs_up

You were explaining something to me, if I remember correctly, and I was awfully grateful . . . how weird to remember that now. :alien:

[Nightshade]

In the light of the vicious vocab thread thought this might be what we nedd~~bump~~

[B-Mental]

I'm not sure if we have tried this one yet. How about a thread where you can post an interesting word you've come across and its definition. Lets come up with some good words. Are we not literate?


ca·price –noun [kuh-prees]
1. a sudden, unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather.
2. a tendency to change one's mind without apparent or adequate motive; whimsicality; capriciousness: With the caprice of a despotic king, he alternated between kindness and cruelty.

[Weisinheimer]

I like the way this word sounds:
pulchritude –physical beauty; comeliness.

[snow9999]

bon vivant \bon-vee-VONT\, noun:
A person with refined and sociable tastes, especially one who enjoys fine food and drink.
Bon vivant comes from French bon, "good" (from Latin bonus) + vivant, present participle of vivre, "to live," from Latin vivere.
from www.dictionary.com

[B-Mental]

aphorism (af-uh-riz-uhm) - An aphorism is a short, pithy statement containing a truth of general import; an epigram is like an aphorism, but lacking in general import. Maxim and saying can be used as synonyms for aphorism.

[B-Mental]

re·ful·gent (ri-fuhl-juhnt) –adjective: shining brightly; radiant; gleaming: Crystal chandeliers and gilded walls made the opera house a refulgent setting for the ball.

[Pendragon]

votive candles lit in memory of someone in fullfillment of a vow to honor their death

[B-Mental]

vex·il·lol·o·gy [vek-suh-lol-uh-jee] –noun
the study of flags.

[dramasnot6]

proselytize \PROS-uh-luh-tyz\, intransitive verb:

1. To induce someone to convert to one's religious faith.
2. To induce someone to join one's institution, cause, or political party.
3. To convert to some religion, system, opinion, or the like.

[ktd222]

expiate (ex-pi-ate), verb

a)to extinguish the guilt incurred by b)to make amends for

And I have something to expiate: A pettiness. - D.H. Lawrence from The Snake

[Sindhu]

Mariology- study or doctrine relating to the Virgin Mary .

[Brigitte]

contravene \kon-truh-VEEN\, transitive verb:
1. To act or be counter to; to violate.
2. To oppose in argument; to contradict.

[B-Mental]

maladroit \mal-uh-DROYT\, adjective:
Lacking adroitness; clumsy; awkward; unskillful; inept.

[Shalot]

pusillanimous - adjective

http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?pusill02.wav=pusillanimous

lacking courage and resolution : marked by contemptible timidity (is this where the more vulgar synonym for wus came from?)

[B-Mental]

ma·jor-do·mo ~ [mey-jer-doh-moh] –noun, plural -mos.
1.) a man in charge of a great household, as that of a sovereign; a chief steward.
2.) a steward or butler.
3.) a person who makes arrangements for another.

[B-Mental]

di·dac·tic [dahy-dak-tik]–adjective
1. intended for instruction; instructive: didactic poetry.
2. inclined to teach or lecture others too much: a boring, didactic speaker.
3. teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson.
4. didactics, (used with a singular verb) the art or science of teaching.

[AdoreroDio]

namby-pamby
–adjective
1.without firm methods or policy; weak or indecisive: namby-pamby handling of juvenile offenders.
2.lacking in character, directness, or moral or emotional strength: namby-pamby writing.
3.weakly sentimental, pretentious, or affected; insipid.
–noun
4.a namby-pamby person
5.namby-pamby sentiment
6.namby-pamby verse or prose.

(Place I got the info) (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/namby-pamby)

[Shalot]

crepuscular


meaning: of, relating to, or resembling twilight.

(seems like this could be expressed in a much better way without the use of this word, but there you go. There you have it. Expanding the vocabulary, but not necessarily improving it. this word looks like it should have something to do with the deteriotion of muscle tissue or something)

[Gadget Girl]

killjoy

Meaning: one who spoils the pleasure of others.

(This is according to RoCKiTcZa. I'm just posting for her. :D Peace, Kit!)

[subterranean]

Today, someone asked me what's the meaning of 'weaknesses'

Main entry: weak·ness

1: the quality or state of being weak ; also : an instance or period of being weak <backed down in a moment of weakness>
2: fault , defect
3 a: a special desire or fondness <has a weakness for sweets> b: an object of special desire or fondness <pizza is my weakness>

From Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weaknesses) online dictionary

[librarius_qui]

moderation /,mòdâ'rejshn/* n [U] the quality of being moderated; freedom from excess; restraint

---
*er .. I don't have the IPA here ... I improvised.~

[Scheherazade]

You can find one very easily online, Lib.

Try cambridge or dictionary.com.

[librarius_qui]

You can find one very easily online, Lib.

Try cambridge or dictionary.com.

good idea!

~

there you go:

/ˌmɒdəˈreɪʃn/

[Scheherazade]

jeroboam noun [C]

a very large wine bottle which contains four or six times the usual amount:

a jeroboam of champagne

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=42586&ph=on

"I'd say you did," I replied amiably enough, thinking that this big jeroboam of self-contentment really was in possession of all he ever had wanted.

from American Pastoral by Philip Roth

[librarius_qui]

forgiving /fəˈgɪvɪŋ/ adj ready and willing to forgive

[librarius_qui]

(Blast the IPA tonight!)

bonny ("b*â*ny" or "bòny", stressed on the "o")* adj (-ier, -iest) (esp Scot) attractive, or beautiful; fine: a bonny lass/baby o That's a bonny idea. > bonnily adv.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY-HU2Xh7PE&feature=related

---
*phonetic invention by me!, does anyone not understand?

[Scheherazade]

glib

Pronunciation: \ˈglib\
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): glib·ber; glib·best
Etymology: probably modification of Low German glibberig slippery
Date: 1584

1 a: marked by ease and informality : nonchalant
b: showing little forethought or preparation : offhand <glib answers>
c: lacking depth and substance : superficial <glib solutions to knotty problems>

2: archaic : smooth, slippery

3: marked by ease and fluency in speaking or writing often to the point of being insincere or deceitful <a glib politician>

— glib·ly adverb
— glib·ness noun

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glib

[Jay]

need help with one nice-sounding word, came across this one today in a story and while I think I kinda know what it means, the definitions nor the context really make too much sense... anybody, put this into English for me, pwetty pwease? :D

atavistic /ˌæt.əˈvɪs.tɪk/ adj.

cambridge dictionary (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/atavistic?q=atavistic):
(of behaviour) happening because of a very old natural and basic habit from the distant past (= a long time ago), not because of a conscious decision or present need or usefulness

oxford dictionary (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/atavistic):
relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral: atavistic fears and instincts

does the cambridge definition mean something like traditional? but more... primal? that would make it... what exactly? :sosp:

[Sancho]

I see it used as a synonym for a throw-back. It’s usually derisive. Hunter S. Thompson liked to use it when describing the Nixon administration. He seemed to think Nixon and his people hadn’t fully evolved as human beings. They were maybe only a generation or two from walking with their hands above their heads.

That’s speaking in the behavioral sense. It’s used in a biological sense to describe things like an appendix, or something in the body that used to have a purpose but now doesn't seem to. Tail bone might be another example.

[Jay]

That makes much more sense, thanks, Sancho :coolgleamA: