What new word did you learn today?

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by jim onion, Jan 24, 2019.

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  1. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    Another great Afrikaans word is "laager" - a defensive ring of wagons.
     
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  2. Malum

    Malum Offline

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    Guess I'll start doing these whilst preparing food, in the context of whatever I'm reading.

    Tributaries - A stream that flows into a larger stream or body of water. Was used metaphorically to describe the layout/mapping of roads.
    timothy - American term for dense, spiky grass.
    Bucka - A sandhill/dune
    Isinglass - Derived from the dried up bladders of fish, can be used as a sort of glue.
    Hostler - Someone employed to work in stables.
    Broach - To open something intending to pour or drink it.
    Cyclorama - A wide angle, 360 degree view. Usually contrived in a cylindrical platform, used to describe the horizon in my example.
    Wimple - A cloth/fold of cloth/head-gear worn by nuns.
    Billowing - In reference to cloth, expand/be made larger upon being filled with air.
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2020
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  3. Malisky

    Malisky Malkatorean Contributor

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    Repeat! Repeat! :supercheeky:
     
  4. Malisky

    Malisky Malkatorean Contributor

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    One out of nine counts for something. I only knew "billowing". An endless landscape of billowing grass.
     
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  5. Malum

    Malum Offline

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    There are worse ways to start the morning.

    Keening - The sort of vocal expression someone makes upon discovering someone's death.
    Satyr - In the context I read, it was in reference to a lecherous man. Interesting that it's also the name of a Greek deity, an attendant of Bacchus - probably where the naming of one of the original skramz bands originated.
    Marionette - More of an affirmation, but a puppet commanded by strings attached to its limbs. Some Being John Malkovitch shit.
    Paroxysm - An outburst of emotion impossible to restrain.
    Hoodoo - A person who brings bad luck, associated with voodoo, which isn't too suprising.
    Tarn - A fairly small lake or a pool inhabiting a mountainous region.
    Burlap - A plain-woven fabric/material that's fairly common. Examples are hemp/jute.
    Benediction - Fair few weighty definitions. The communication of well-wishes, the blessing of the leading official at a religious service (maybe utilisable to describe any jurisdiction of authority) or when specific objects are set aside and only used for ceremonial purposes. A good example of that would be the black dinner plate I own.

    Howken - Huh. Vocabulary specific to The Dark Tower series: The art of hypnotising someone using a bullet as the focusing point. Pretty ironic idea.
    Cankered - The ulceration of the mouth and lips. I need to use that one some time in the future too.
    Atavistic - A genetic characteristic that re-appears a few generations later down in a bloodline/type of organism.
    Declamatory - Confirmed as being suggestive of a declaration being made - i.e. 'his posture was declamatory'.
    Transmogrified - To significantly change/transition into a different physical form.
    Lull - To induce rest or relaxation or to deceive someone into trusting you.
    Sated - To fully satisfy an appetite, or to fulfil it to the point of gluttony.
    Contralto - The lowest pitch/range of a female voice. Usually contextually applicable to music/singing.
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2020
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  6. Bone2pick

    Bone2pick Conspicuously Conventional Contributor

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    Or an innkeeper, which is how I most commonly see it used.
     
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  7. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    I think you mistook atavism for activism in the 1st part of the description. The second part is correct.
     
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  8. Malum

    Malum Offline

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    @Bone2pick That makes more sense, even contextually. Guess that makes it have more relevance in terms of usage.

    Thank you, whichever website I looked it up on misled me there somehow. I'll start using the absurd plank of wood dictionary I paid too much for and have never used. Atavism is a pretty cool word...thinking over it again.
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2020
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  9. Malum

    Malum Offline

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    Pawing through this biblical dictionary is as annoying as it is satisfying. Funny how you can land on random spooky words whilst paging through. My eyes have been drawn on impulse to terms that seem too unlikely to even mention.

    Drumlin - A small ovular mound/small hill. Could be a good way of describing acne.
    Dilettante - Someone who creates work within a specific category (usually arts), without devotion/committent or knowledgeability/expertise. No comment. That was a comment.
    Chiffon - A see-through type of fabric that doesn't weigh much. Examples include silk/nylon.
    Frippery - Ostensible demonstrations, be they architectural, linguistic or fashionable in practice.
    Gibbet - Somewhat archaic term for a gallows, or a post to hang people off of as a public demonstration of why not to be a criminal. Kinda like why police sirens are so loud.
    Shale - Cumulations of mud/fine matter into something of a rock. Hmm. How best to use that one...
    Ablutions - Cleansing oneself in a ritualistic manner, usually used to imply washing yourself in an overzealous, methodical way with romantic/showy motives.
    Heretofore - Before the present moment. Wanted clarity on that.
    Drover - An individual that moves livestock.
    Attenuate - To decrease the worth/value/impact of something. Cool word.
    Concentric - Multiple circular shapes (overlapping?) that share the same central point.
     
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  10. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Knowledge, not knowledgeability. Spellcheck is your friend—don't ignore those red underlines (or whatever yours uses). Lol sorry, I don't mean to get on your case, but when I notice mistakes on this thread it seems important to correct them, lots of people may be learning things incorrectly from it.
    I think you mean ostentatious, not ostensible.

    Aside from the minor nitpicks, keep up the good work. I'm enjoying all these words being posted by especially you and Malisky. You two aren't related by any chance, are you (sorry, slight similarity of names... :superwink: :supergrin:)
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2020
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  11. Malum

    Malum Offline

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    It's a good thing that you are, I welcome it. Kind of imbues the words in my mind more. Malum was a pseudonym my friend coined for me back when I went through many self-inflicted blackouts...kind of coincidental. I have a soundcloud set to private using the name with my pathetic attempts at rapping. I've used ostensible incorrectly so many times, such an ironic word and my incorrect use of it makes it even more ironic...
     
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  12. Earp

    Earp Contributor Contributor

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    phinealdabra: the decoration at the very top of a Christmas tree, usually a star or an angel.
     
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  13. Night Herald

    Night Herald The Fool Contributor

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    Sebum (sē′bəm)

    The semifluid secretion of the sebaceous glands, consisting chiefly of fat, keratin, and cellular material.
     
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  14. Bone2pick

    Bone2pick Conspicuously Conventional Contributor

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    Hawser

    noun
    plural noun: hawsers
    1. a thick rope or cable for mooring or towing a ship.
     
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  15. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Hmmm... probably related to:

    finial
    [ˈfinēəl]
    NOUN
    1. a distinctive ornament at the apex of a roof, pinnacle, canopy, or similar structure in a building.
      synonyms:
      turret · minaret · spire · belfry · obelisk · needle · pyramid · cone · shikara · mirador · bartizan
      • an ornament at the top, end, or corner of an object.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2020
  16. Malisky

    Malisky Malkatorean Contributor

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    Trompe-l'œil (/trɒmp ˈlɔɪ/ tromp LOY, French: [tʁɔ̃p lœj]; French for '"deceive the eye"') is an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions. Forced perspective is a comparable illusion in architecture.
     
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  17. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    This is an excellent example that popped up in my feed the other day. Not a photograph:

    [​IMG]
     
  18. Malisky

    Malisky Malkatorean Contributor

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    The capture of light is magnificent.
     
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  19. Night Herald

    Night Herald The Fool Contributor

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    Oh hell that is impressive.
     
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  20. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Iridology. Per Wikipedia:

    So phrenology for people who want to try and steal kisses rather than sneak glances down your blouse.
     
  21. Rad Scribbler

    Rad Scribbler Faber est suae quisque fortunae Contributor

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    Sanguine: optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
     
  22. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    I'd never had heard of this word if it wasn't for my love of Red Dwarf. 04:30 in.

     
  23. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    That's only the first meaning though, there's more:

    sanguine
    [ˈsaNGɡwən]
    ADJECTIVE
    1. optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
      "he is sanguine about prospects for the global economy" ·
      optimistic · bullish · hopeful · buoyant · positive ·
      scarlet · vermilion · ruby · ruby red · ruby-colored · cherry · cherry red ·
      [more]
    2. archaic
      bloody or bloodthirsty.
    NOUN
    1. a blood-red color.

    This is why Sangria means a red wine.

    Kinda weird, ain't it? It can mean calm and languid, or bloodthirsty (or bloody). What was that word for words that mean 2 opposite things at the same time? Like Inflammable?
     
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  24. Night Herald

    Night Herald The Fool Contributor

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    Contronyms?
     
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  25. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Bingo!!
     
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