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Post by Felix on Oct 18, 2007 10:53:45 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 18, 2007 is: aghast • \uh-GAST\ • adjective : struck with terror, amazement, or horror : shocked Marvell's Example Sentence: Aghast at the more gruesome displays at the Halloween House, the city manager implored parents not to take their children to the attraction. Did you know? If you are aghast, you might look like you've just seen a ghost, or something similarly shocking. "Aghast" traces back to a Middle English verb, "gasten," meaning "to frighten." "Gasten" (which also gave us "ghastly," meaning "terrible or frightening") comes from "gast," a Middle English spelling of the word "ghost." "Gast" also came to be used in English as a verb meaning "to scare." That verb is now obsolete, but its spirit lives on in words spoken by the character Edmund in Shakespeare's King Lear: "gasted by the noise I made, full suddenly he fled." Haunting Words
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Post by aresvladimir on Oct 19, 2007 5:47:23 GMT -5
I like that word Marvell.I can use that word in a sentence about Raine!
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Babs
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Post by Babs on Oct 19, 2007 5:54:08 GMT -5
Ares, We are so proud you are using big words! Little words are good, too, but you can do both!
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Post by SKB on Oct 19, 2007 12:19:26 GMT -5
Ares, We are so proud you are using big words! Little words are good, too, but you can do both! ROTFL I can so see in my head what he'll say to -that- watch my little twerp share his new big word on the board now
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Post by Felix on Oct 19, 2007 19:04:16 GMT -5
I am loving this wordfest, Ares Style.
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Post by Felix on Oct 19, 2007 19:05:46 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 19, 2007 is: pasquinade • \pass-kwuh-NAYD\ • noun 1 : a lampoon posted in a public place *2 : satirical writing : satire Marvell's Example Sentence: Dispatches from "Bizarro World," combinations of unflinching description and acidulous pasquinade, are eagerly awaited by readers parched for clear cold drafts of remorseless truth. Did you know? In 1501, a marble statue from ancient times was unearthed in Rome and erected near that city's Piazza Navona. The statue depicted a male torso and was christened "Pasquino" by the Romans, perhaps after a local shopkeeper. It became a tradition to dress up the statue on St. Mark's Day, and in its honor, professors and students would write Latin verses that they would then post on it. Satires soon replaced these verses, and the Pasquino statue became a prime location for posting anonymous, bitingly critical lampoons. In the mid-17th century, these postings became known in English as "pasquinades" (from the Italian "pasquinata"). The term has since expanded in usage to refer to any kind of satirical writing. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Words to Send You Up
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Post by Felix on Oct 20, 2007 17:20:31 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 20, 2007 is: nonchalant • \nahn-shuh-LAHNT\ • adjective : having an air of easy unconcern or indifference Marvell's Example Sentence: Affecting a nonchalant attitude towards one's accomplishments, especially in literature or the arts, was described in the sixteenth century by an Italian word, sprezzatura. Did you know? Since "nonchalant" comes ultimately from Latin words meaning "not" and "be warm," it's no surprise that the word is all about keeping one's cool. The French word "nonchalant," which we borrowed around 1734, has essentially the same meaning as our English word and was derived in Old French from a verb, "nonchaloir," which meant "to disregard." "Nonchaloir" in turn combines the negative "non-" with "chaloir," which means "to concern" and comes from the Latin "calēre" ("to be warm"). "Unconcerned" is one synonym of "nonchalant," along with "casual," "complacent," and "insouciant." Effortless Words
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Post by Felix on Oct 21, 2007 9:14:06 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 21, 2007 is: hat trick • \HAT-TRICK\ • noun
1 : the retiring of three batsmen with three consecutive balls by a bowler in cricket
2 : the scoring of three goals in one game (as of hockey or soccer) by a single player
*3 : a series of three victories, successes, or related accomplishments
Marvell's Example Sentence:
In horse racing, the hat trick of a parimutuel bet successfully naming the first three horses in a finish, in order, is called a trifecta.
Did you know?
It may surprise some people to learn that the term "hat trick" as it relates to sports actually originated in British cricket. A bowler who retired three batsmen with three consecutive balls was entitled to a new hat at the expense of the club to commemorate this feat. Eventually, the phrase was applied to a single player scoring three goals in any goal sport and later to three victories or successes in sports as different as horse racing and golf. The phrase finally broadened to include a string of three important successes or achievements in any field.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
[url=http://merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl ]Longshot Words[/url]
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Post by Felix on Oct 22, 2007 7:09:28 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 22, 2007 is: denigrate • \DEN-ih-grayt\ • verb 1 : to attack the reputation of : defame *2 : to deny the importance or validity of : belittle Marvell's Example Sentence: The unfortunate accountant working for the District of Columbia school system, fired for use of the word "niggardly," mistakenly taken for a racial slur, had to prove that his language did not denigrate persons of color. Did you know? If you "denigrate" someone, you attempt to blacken their reputation. It makes sense, therefore, that "denigrate" can be traced back to the Latin verb "denigrare," meaning "to blacken." When "denigrate" was first used in English in the 16th century, it meant to cast aspersions on someone's character or reputation. Eventually, it developed a second sense of "to make black" ("factory smoke denigrated the sky"), but this sense is somewhat rare in modern usage. Nowadays, of course, "denigrate" can also refer to belittling the worth or importance of someone or something. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Dark Words
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Post by Felix on Oct 23, 2007 6:09:57 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 23, 2007 is: argentiferous • \ar-jun-TIFF-uh-rus\ • adjective
: containing silver
Marvell's Example Sentence:
As the old song might have put it, with age, argentiferous threads appear among the aureate.
Did you know?
If you learned basic chemistry, you might recall that the symbol for silver, "Ag," reflects the Latin name for the element, "argentum." That Latin term puts the luster in "argentiferous" and is also an ancestor of "argent," a word that was once used to refer to the metal silver and now means "the heraldic color silver or white." The country of Argentina owes its name to "argentum," as well.
[url=http://merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl ]Words of Ore[/url]
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Post by aresvladimir on Oct 23, 2007 7:26:52 GMT -5
That word is too big for me!
I know how to say a thing in swedish! Jeg alsker deg!It means I love you. ;D
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Post by Felix on Oct 23, 2007 7:42:42 GMT -5
And Jeg alsker deg! right back at you, Ares. It makes me happy to see you post messages here.
"Argentiferous" is a really big word, isn't it?
I get the words here from a dictionary webpage.
They have so many words I don't know all of them. I didn't know today's word.
I don't think I will be using it very much.
I like those Swedish words. My grandmother's family came from Sweden a long time ago.
She did not know any Swedish words, though.
Thank you for showing me how to say "I love you" in Swedish. I am going to practice so I can say it to Babs. She will like it.
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Post by victoriasuzette on Oct 23, 2007 20:41:30 GMT -5
The country of Argentina owes its name to "argentum," as well.
That is fascinating! I must confess that, when I first saw today's word, I immediately thought of Argentina & knew that there must be some connection ... I am going to look into that further ... thanks, Mr. M!
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Post by Babs on Oct 23, 2007 21:44:29 GMT -5
Oooooh, Marvell!
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Post by aresvladimir on Oct 24, 2007 5:25:04 GMT -5
I like those Swedish words. My grandmother's family came from Sweden a long time ago. She did not know any Swedish words, though. Thank you for showing me how to say "I love you" in Swedish. I am going to practice so I can say it to Babs. She will like it. I can ask my Mommy's friend Gory to tell me some more for you.
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Post by Felix on Oct 24, 2007 8:34:22 GMT -5
Thanks, Ares!
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Post by Felix on Oct 24, 2007 8:36:42 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 24, 2007 is: jerkwater • \JERK-waw-ter\ • adjective *1 : remote and unimportant 2 : trivial Marvell's Example Sentence: I grew up in a town so small it couldn't even be called a jerkwater because the railroad tracks ran right over the only well. Did you know? We owe the colorful Americanism "jerkwater" to the invention of the steam engine -- an advancement that significantly accelerated travel by rail but also had its drawbacks. One drawback was that the boilers of the early locomotives needed to be refilled with water frequently, and water tanks were few and far between. As a result, the small trains that ran on rural branch lines often had to stop to take on water from local supplies. Such trains were commonly called "jerkwaters" from the motion of jerking the water up in buckets from the supply to the engine. The derogatory use of "jerkwater" for things unimportant or trivial reflects the fact that these jerkwater trains typically ran on lines connecting small middle-of-nowhere towns. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Whistle Stop Words
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Post by Felix on Oct 25, 2007 12:14:03 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 25, 2007 is: vaudeville • \VAUD-vil\ • noun 1 : a light often comic theatrical piece frequently combining pantomime, dialogue, dancing, and song *2 : stage entertainment consisting of various acts (as performing animals, acrobats, comedians, dancers, or singers) Marvell's Example Sentence: The local government, city and county, often resembles a particularly cheesy vaudeville theater. Did you know? In the 15th century, several amusing songs became popular across France. These songs were said to have been written by a man named Olivier Basselin who lived in the valley of the river Vire in northwest France. The songs eventually became known as "chansons de vau-de-Vire," meaning "songs of the valley of Vire." Other people began writing and performing similar songs, and as this form of entertainment became more widespread, the link to vau-de-Vire was forgotten. The nickname was shortened to one word, "vaudevire." As the phenomenon spread beyond France, further changes in pronunciation and spelling shifted "vaudevire" into "vaudeville." The meaning also broadened to include humorous performances and variety shows. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Second Banana Words
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Post by Felix on Oct 26, 2007 10:04:44 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 26, 2007 is: imbricate • \IM-brih-kut\ • adjective : lying lapped over each other in regular order Marvell's Example Sentence: Sectioning the stony fields of Middle Tennessee, many drystone walls, their tops imbricate with stones set on end and leaning together, were built as the first settlers cleared the land for planting. Did you know? The ancient Romans knew how to keep the interior of their villas dry when it rained. They covered their roofs with overlapping curved tiles so the "imber" (Latin for "pelting rain" or "rain shower") couldn't seep in. The tiles were, in effect, "rain tiles," so the Romans called them "imbrices" (singular "imbrex"). The verb for installing the tiles was "imbricare," and English speakers used its past participle -- "imbricatus" -- to create "imbricate," which was first used as adjective meaning "overlapping (like roof tiles)" and later became a verb meaning "to overlap." Interlocking Words
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Post by Felix on Oct 28, 2007 19:46:34 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 28, 2007 is: sanguineous • \san-GWIN-ee-us\ • adjective 1 : bloodred *2 : of, relating to, or involving bloodshed : bloodthirsty 3 : of, relating to, or containing blood Marvell's Example Sentence: Sam Peckinpah was a movie director noted for his sanguineous movies, especially westerns like The Wild Bunch and Pat Garret & Billy the Kid. Did you know? "Sanguineous" isn't the only English adjective to come from "sanguis," the Latin word for "blood." "Sanguine," for one, has been with us since the 14th century. Nowadays, it usually means "confident" or "optimistic," but it can also mean "ruddy." (The "optimistic" sense stems from the medieval belief that a healthy red complexion denoted a courageous and hopeful temperament.) "Sanguineous" first appeared in the 16th century as a synonym of the "ruddy" sense of "sanguine," but now it's more often used in medical or scientific references to blood. It shares another sense -- "bloodthirsty" or "involving bloodshed" -- with "sanguinary," yet another "sanguis" descendant." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Ruddy Words
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Post by Felix on Oct 30, 2007 6:13:29 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 29, 2007 is: warison • \WAIR-uh-sun\ • noun : a bugle call to attack Marvell's Example Sentence: The weary warrior wound his warhorn, the warison wafting westward over his warlike troops Did you know? When Sir Walter Scott first encountered the word "warison" around the beginning of the 19th century, it was a rare word that had been around for six centuries, occasionally used to mean either "wealth or possessions" or "reward." In his 1805 poem The Lay of the Last Minstrel, Scott used the word to refer to a bugle call ordering soldiers to attack, probably because he misinterpreted what the word meant when he read it in "The Battle of Otterbourne," a ballad found in Thomas Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry. The original word (which Scott encountered as Middle English "waryson") derives from the Anglo-French "garisun," which means "healing, protection" and is also the source of the English word "garrison," meaning "a military post." Sounding Words
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Post by Felix on Oct 30, 2007 6:15:59 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 30, 2007 is: reticulate • \rih-TIK-yuh-lut\ • adjective *1 : resembling a net or network; especially : having veins, fibers, or lines crossing 2 : being or involving evolutionary change dependent on genetic recombination involving diverse interbreeding populations Marvell's Example Sentence: With less than two per cent. body fat, the obsessive bodybuilder displayed a reticulate map of surface veins all over his body. Did you know? Though "reticulate" is used in many contexts, it finds particular use in the field of biology. "Reticulate" comes from the Latin word "reticulum," meaning "small net." It first appeared in English in the mid-1600s and was used in connection with the study of plants even back then. Scientists use "reticulate" to describe a net-like formation of veins, fibers, or lines that crosses something. For example, a leaf with a pattern of veins that resembles a net would be called a "reticulate leaf." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Web of Words
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Post by Felix on Nov 1, 2007 11:25:08 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for October 31, 2007 is: gargoyle • \GAR-goy-ul\ • noun *1 a : a spout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure projecting from a roof gutter to throw rainwater clear of a building b : a grotesquely carved figure 2 : a person with an ugly face Marvell's Example Sentence: The cathedral's gargoyles were both art and utilitarian, turning downspouts into likenesses of weird creatures and notable people, not mutually exclusive descriptions, I suppose. Did you know? In the 12th century, St. Bernard of Clairvaux reportedly complained about the new sculptures in the cloisters where he lived. "Surely," he is quoted as saying, "if we do not blush for such absurdities we should at least regret what we have spent on them." St. Bernard was apparently provoked by the grotesque figures designed to drain rainwater from buildings. By the 13th century, those figures were being called "gargoyles," a name that came to Middle English from the Old French "gargoule." The stone beasts may have earned that name because of the water that gargled out of their throats and mouths. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Grotesque Words
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Post by Felix on Nov 1, 2007 11:30:16 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for November 01, 2007 is: gossamer • \GAH-suh-mer\ • adjective : extremely light, delicate, or tenuous Marvell's Example Sentence: The onset of cooler temperatures in the fall gives rise to gossamer mists flowing just above the rivers and creeks in the area. Did you know? In the days of Middle English, a period of mild weather in late autumn or early winter was sometimes called a "gossomer," literally "goose summer." People may have chosen that name for a late-season warm spell because October and November were the months when people felt that geese were at their best for eating. "Gossomer" was also used in Middle English as a word for filmy cobwebs floating through the air in calm clear weather, apparently because somebody thought the webs looked like the down of a goose. This sense eventually inspired the adjective "gossamer," which means "light, delicate, or tenuous" -- just like cobwebs or goose down. Ethereal Words
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Post by Felix on Nov 4, 2007 8:53:19 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for November 02, 2007 is: hare • \HAIR\ • verb : to go swiftly : tear Marvell's Example Sentence: Enthusiasm for imagined benefits has lead many a fool to hare off on some wild goose chase designed by confidence tricksters to part him from his money. Did you know? No doubt you've heard the Aesop's fable about the speedy hare and the plodding tortoise. The hare may have lost that race due to a tactical error (stopping to take a nap before reaching the finish line), but the long-eared mammal's overall reputation for swiftness remains intact. It's no surprise, then, that "hare" is used as a verb meaning "to move quickly." The noun "hare" (which refers, in its most specific zoological sense, to a member of the genus Lepus whose young are usually able to hop a few minutes after birth) is a very old word. It first appeared as "hara" in a Latin-Old English glossary around the year 700. The verb was in use by 1719, and people have been "haring off" and "haring about" ever since. Words of Celerity
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Post by Felix on Nov 4, 2007 9:05:25 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for November 03, 2007 is: guerdon • \GUR-dun\ • noun : reward, recompense Marvell's Example Sentence: The lottery player, feeling he "was due," logged in to the Power Ball website every hour on the hour, anxious for news regarding his guerdon. Did you know? "Guerdon" dates back to the 14th century, when Geoffrey Chaucer used it in The Romaunt of the Rose (ca. 1366): "He quitte him wel his guerdon there." It derives from Anglo-French and is thought to be related to the Old High German "widarlōn," meaning "reward." Shakespeare used "guerdon" a couple of times in his plays. In Love's Labour's Lost, for example, Berowne, attendant to King Ferdinand, sends the clown Costard to deliver a letter to Rosaline, attendant to the princess of France, handing him a shilling with the line, "There's thy guerdon; go." "Guerdon" is a rare word today, but contemporary writers do use it on occasion for poetic effect. Words to Win By
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Post by Felix on Nov 4, 2007 9:11:06 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for November 04, 2007 is: fata morgana • \fah-tuh-mor-GAH-nuh\ • noun : mirage Marvell's Example Sentence: Pursuing the goal of a democratic bastion in the Middle East, George W. Bush and his advisors have staked blood and treasure of the citizens of the U. S. on a fata morgana in Iraq. Did you know? "Fata Morgana" is the Italian name for Morgan le Fay (meaning "Morgan the Fairy"), a sorceress of medieval legends. This sister of the legendary King Arthur is sometimes portrayed as the ruler of the island paradise Avalon and is said to have had a number of magical powers, with which she caused a great deal of trouble. Among her powers, say some versions of the legend, was the ability to change shape, and she has been blamed for causing complex mirages over bodies of water, especially in the Strait of Messina. Today we know that such optical illusions are really caused by atmospheric conditions, but we still sometimes use "fata morgana" as a synonym of "mirage." Hallucinatory Words
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Post by Felix on Nov 7, 2007 12:10:51 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for November 05, 2007 is: manqué • \mahng-KAY (the "ng" is not pronounced, but the preceding vowel is nasalized)\ • adjective : short of or frustrated in the fulfillment of one's aspirations or talents -- used postpositively Marvell's Example Sentence: The constant irritation of hearing music infinitely more inspired than his own made Salieri hate Mozart, blaming the more gifted composer for making him seem a composer manqué. Did you know? The etymology of "manqué" is likely to vex left-handers. English speakers picked up "manqué" directly from French more than two centuries ago, and it ultimately comes from Latin "manco," meaning "having a crippled hand." But in between the Latin and French portions of this word's history came the Italian word "manco," which means both "lacking" and "left-handed." Lefties may be further displeased to learn that "manqué" isn't the only English word with a history that links left-handedness with something undesirable. For example, the word "awkward" comes from "awke," a Middle English word meaning both "turned the wrong way" and "left-handed." And the noun "gawk" ("a clumsy stupid person") probably comes from a "gawk" that means "left-handed" in English dialect. Blotted Words
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Post by Felix on Nov 7, 2007 12:12:53 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for November 06, 2007 is: Maecenas • \mih-SEE-nus\ • noun : a generous patron especially of literature or art Marvell's Example Sentence: Maecenases from the city of Chattanooga's industrial and commercial élite have greatly enriched the artistic scene in our city. Did you know? Although the ancient Roman Gaius Maecenas was a well-known diplomat and counselor to Emperor Augustus, it was his munificent patronage of literature that immortalized his name as a word for "a generous patron." A writer himself, Maecenas knew of the power of poetry and viewed it as a way to glorify Augustus's regime. Among the poets he patronized were the celebrated Virgil and Horace -- both of whom he befriended. Maecenas has also been credited with encouraging both writers to focus more on topics of public interest, such as affairs of state. Patonizing Words
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Post by Felix on Nov 7, 2007 12:16:49 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for November 07, 2007 is: mollify • \MAH-luh-fye\ • verb *1 : to soothe in temper or disposition : appease 2 : to reduce the rigidity of : soften 3 : to reduce in intensity : assuage, temper Marvell's Example Sentence: Shakespeare might have written, in the Tempest, "Musik has Charms to mollify a savage Breast," but that would have marred the meter. Did you know? "Mollify," "pacify," "appease," and "placate" all mean "to ease the anger or disturbance of," although each implies a slightly different way of pouring oil on troubled waters. "Pacify" suggests the restoration of a calm or peaceful state, while "appease" implies the quieting of insistent demands by making concessions; you can appease appetites and desires as well as persons. "Placate" is similar to "appease," but it often indicates a more complete transformation of bitterness to goodwill. "Mollify," with its root in Latin "mollis," meaning "soft," implies soothing hurt feelings or anger. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Coaxing Words
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