Also important that the muzzle be flared out like a trumpet. @Iain Aschendale Pirates used to load them with nails, broken glass, or whatever they could find. Horribly destructive.
From an article I read today: lodestar 1: archaic : a star that leads or guidesespecially : North Star 2: one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide
Interesting. Doubtless because a Lodestone (magnet, as in a compass) would always point toward the North Star. I wasn't familiar with that term, though it's similar to Waystar or Journeystar, which I believe have the same meaning.
My contribution of the day: An attrition warfare is a military strategy where the enemy is worn down to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel, equipment and supplies. Indignation: Anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment Gambit: An act or remark that is calculated to gain advantage, especially at an outset situation/ - (in chess) an opening move in which a player makes a sacrifice, typically of a pawn for the sake of compensating advantage. Indelibly: In a way that is impossible to remove by washing or in any other way/ - in a way that is impossible to forget, or that has a permanent influence or effect. Undercurrent: (Apart from its literal meaning) An underlying feeling, especially one that is contrary to the prevailing atmosphere and is not expressed openly. Flight of fancy: An idea that shows a lot of imagination, but is not practical Contingency: A future event or circumstance that s possible but cannot be predicted with certainty/ - a provision for a possible event or circumstance/ - an incidental expense. Deign: Do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity/ - condescend to give (something). Astute: Having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one's advantage. Brandish: Wave or or flourish (something, especially a weapon) as a threat or in anger or excitement. Ubiquitous: Present, appearing, or found everywhere, omnipresent.
Sorry to correct you but it's "flight of fancy," not "or." Maybe a transcription error but I don't want to leave you off on the wrong path.
Thanks for the correction! I'd be left on the wrong path indeed, because I've misspelled it in my notebook and didn't notice. Any corrections are always welcome.
Cerebral - demanding or involving careful thinking and mental effort rather than feelings. E.g. She makes cerebral films that deal with important social issues.
Exhort: (v) Strongly suggest or urge (someone) to do something. Egg (someone) on: (v) Encourage someone to do something foolish or risky. Abet: (v) Encourage or assist someone to do something wrong or commit a crime. Tarry: (v) Stay longer than intended; delay leaving a place. Pummel: (v) Strike repeatedly with the fists/ - criticize severely. Mar: (v) Impair the quality or appearance of; spoil. Dredge up: (v) Start talking or thinking again about something unpleasant that happened a long time ago. Encroach: (v) Intrude on (a person's) territory, rights, personal life / - advance gradually beyond usual or acceptable limits. Stolid: (adj) Not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional; impassive. Slipshod: (adj) Characterized by a lack of care, thought, or organization. / - (archaic) (of shoes) worn down at the heel. Tacit: (adj) Understood or implied without being stated. Ostentatious: (adj) Characterized by pretentious and showy display; designed to impress. Deference: (n) Polite submission and respect, for example due to rank or seniority. Trepidation: (n) A feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen. / - (archaic) trembling movements or motion. Tussle: (n) A vigorous struggle or scuffle, typically in order to obtain or achieve something / - (v) Engage in a... -> (n).
Tacit, with a final t, not d. I wish my students were as dedicated to improving their vocabulary as you are.
Interesting point about terms like this - dredge up does indeed mean what you say, as in talk about something that happened a long time ago, but it's worth pointing out that 'dredging' refers to the act of excavating the bed of an inlet, harbour or river in order to remove debris and build up of sediment, etc, for the passage of ships as one example. Used in the context of a conversation it gets a double meaning, just as digging something can mean digging up the past, or digging a hole. Just an etymological footnote as I'm sure there are a lot of similar instances
So far I've reached chapter 62 and have filled 7 and a half pages of word definitions or even some unknown expressions. I go through them daily in order not to forget them until I find an opportunity to implement them somewhere in my writing. Writing them down here helps with memorisation and for correcting the mistakes. Thanks again. I didn't notice... Noted! Also: Sediment: (n) Matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; dregs; a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. / - (v) settle as sediment.
Exacerbate: (v) Make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse. Wade: (v) To walk through water or other liquid with some effort, because it is deep enough to come quite high up your legs, or thick. Uncouth: (adj) Lacking good manners, refinement, or grace. / - (archaic) (of a place) wild, remote, or spartan. In agriculture, a bumper crop is a crop that has yielded an unusually productive harvest. The word "bumper" in this context comes from a usage that means "something unusually large", which is where this term comes from. Coffer: (n) A strongbox or small chest for holding valuables, such as this beauty: ; or a decorative sunken panel in a ceiling, such as this beauty: Abode: (n) a place of residence; a house or home / - (archaic) a stay; a sojourn. Shoddily: (adv) In a way that is careless, of poor quality, and that uses low quality materials. "Ex: Shoddily made clothes, shoddily constructed buildings." Swaddle: (v) To wrap (an infant) with swaddling clothes; to envelop, swathe, "ex: legs swaddled in bandages"; to restraint, restrict, "ex: marriage swaddled him in a domesticity he came to loathe." Ingratiate: (v) Bring oneself into favour with someone by flattering or trying to please them. Saltern: (n) An area or installation for making salt. Hindmost: (adj) The furthest back.
Glabella – The space on your forehead between your eyebrows. Girn – To bare your teeth in anger and sadness.
Not a new word, but I've always been fond of the word lugubrious. I must use it more in my writing. lugubrious /lʊˈɡuːbrɪəs/ adjective looking or sounding sad and dismal. "his face looked even more lugubrious than usual"
"Graupel" was a new word for me, said on the radio the other day by a weatherperson. Interestingly enough, I used it in my latest novel as it was a perfect type of snow that was coming down at the start of my book. It is a specific type of snow that looks almost fake...a granular, shredded polystyrene looking type of snow.
Retrouvailles - describes that feeling of happiness you experience when you are reunited with someone you are close with after a considerable time apart.
Toady: (n) One who flatters in the hope of gaining favors. / - (v) To behave as a toady. Subservience: (n) Willingness to obey others unquestionably. / - the condition of being less important than something else. Awning: (n) A cloth or plastic cover fastened to a building or structure and supported by a frame that is used to protect someone or something from the sun or rain. Cajole: (v) Persuade (someone) to do something by sustained coaxing and flattery. Stopgap: (n) A temporary way of dealing with a problem or satisfying a need. Mire: (n) A stretch of swampy or boggy ground. / - a complicated or unpleasant situation from which it is difficult to extricate oneself. Extricate: (v) Free (someone or oneself) from a constraint or difficulty. Nary: (adj) Non-standard form of not. Ex: "There was nary a murmur or complaint". Stand on ceremony: Insist on the observance of formalities. Fob off: (v) To put off with a trick, excuse, or inferior substitute. / - To pass or offer (something spurious) as genuine. / - To put aside.
Kraal- Afrikaans and Dutch word for a traditional African village of huts, typically enclosed by a fence
I learned a new word today, but I learned it in an unmoderated comments thread so I'm not gonna repeat it here. Or anywhere, for that matter. Unless I need to write an extremely unpleasant character
