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Thread: Word of the Day

  1. #136
    Pièce de Résistance Scheherazade's Avatar
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    April 25th

    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
    ~
    "It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
    ~


  2. #137
    Piglet RJbibliophil's Avatar
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    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

    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! .)
    When ideas fail, words come in very handy.


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  3. #138
    Pièce de Résistance Scheherazade's Avatar
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    May 2nd

    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
    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
    ~
    "It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
    ~


  4. #139
    Piglet RJbibliophil's Avatar
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    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[
    When ideas fail, words come in very handy.


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  5. #140
    Serious business Taliesin's Avatar
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    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.
    If you believe even a half of this post, you are severely mistaken.

  6. #141
    Good morning, Campers! Jay's Avatar
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    May 11

    pusillanimous adj
    weak-spirited: showing a contemptible lack of boldness and resolve ( formal )

    weak and cowardly; frightened of taking risks (source)
    I have a plan: attack!

  7. #142
    Piglet RJbibliophil's Avatar
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    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
    Last edited by RJbibliophil; 05-17-2006 at 05:11 PM.
    When ideas fail, words come in very handy.


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  8. #143
    Good morning, Campers! Jay's Avatar
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    16 May

    supererogatory 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
    I have a plan: attack!

  9. #144
    Lady of Smilies Nightshade's Avatar
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    Now that would be telling it, wouldnt it?
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    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/?vi...r=score%2Cname
    My mission in life is to make YOU smile
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    "The time has come," the Walrus said,"To talk of many things:

    Forum Rules- You know you want to read 'em

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  10. #145
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    Quote Originally Posted by 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.
    my knowledge of internet technology is so limited,so that means I can't say anything here?
    Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been ,but also where you are going .

  11. #146
    pondering . . .
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    may 24

    ululate
    • verb howl or wail.

    — DERIVATIVES ululation noun.

    — ORIGIN Latin ululare ‘howl, shriek’.

    http://www.askoxford.com/results/?vi...archtype=exact
    'What you believe is wrong. My opinion is fact'
    Ivan Foul


    'I will die unavenged, but let me die' she said 'Thus, thus it pleases me to go beneath the shadows.'

    ]'Most of our imports come from overseas'
    George Bush

  12. #147
    Piglet RJbibliophil's Avatar
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    June 1, 2006

    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!
    When ideas fail, words come in very handy.


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  13. #148
    Pièce de Résistance Scheherazade's Avatar
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    reconnoitre (US USUALLY reconnoiter ) verb [I or T] SPECIALIZED

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

    source
    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 Watership Down
    ~
    "It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
    ~


  14. #149
    Good morning, Campers! Jay's Avatar
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    obsequious adj, formal disapproving
    too eager to praise or obey someone
    She is almost embarrassingly obsequious to anyone in authority.
    I have a plan: attack!

  15. #150
    Pièce de Résistance Scheherazade's Avatar
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    November 18th

    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
    ~
    "It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
    ~


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