Archive for Word for the Day
September 22, 2009
· Filed under Quote for the Day, Word for the Day · Tagged liberty, William Melbourne, Word for the Day
doctrinaire (noun, adjective) [dok'-trah-NAIR] noun 1. a person who stubbornly holds to a practice or theory regardless of its practicality: “This is the last time I do my taxes with such a computer-hating doctrinaire.” adjective 2. stubbornly insistent on a practice or theory without regard for practicality or suitability additional noun forms: doctrinairism
Origin: Approximately 1815; from French, originally of those who tried to reconcile liberty with royal authority after 1815; from Old French, ‘doctrine’; from Latin, ‘doctrina’: teaching, body of teachings, learning, from ‘doctor’: teacher.
Used in a quote: “A doctrinaire is a fool but an honest man.”-William Lamb Melbourne, 2nd Viscount (1779-1848). British statesman, prime minister. [Quoted in 'The Young Melbourne' by David Cecil (1939)].
Source Cited: http://www.vocabvitamins.com
~~~ Please share any new words, wacky words or weird words of your own with us!
September 8, 2009
· Filed under Word for the Day, animals · Tagged falcon, hawk, unruly, vocabvitamins, wild, words
I received this from VocabVitamins.com and found a new meaning to a word I was already familiar with…what a treat!
haggard (adjective, noun) [HAG-ahrd]
adjective-
1. showing the wearing effects of overwork or suffering: “Her face was haggard from worry and lack of sleep.”
2. wild or unruly in appearance
3. (as in falconry) unmanageable
noun-
4. (as in falconry) a captured wild adult hawk
adverb form: haggardly
additional noun form: haggardness
Origin:
Approximately 1567; from Old French, ‘faulcon hagard’: wild falcon, literally, falcon of the woods; from Middle High German, ‘hag’: hedge, copse, wood.
So a “hag” is an old woman of the wood!
Share your word treasures here…………….Huzzah!
September 1, 2009
· Filed under Nature/ the Earth, Word for the Day, environment · Tagged amelioration, biological diversity, diversity, words
Wordmeisters,not only is this a cool sounding word (notice how it just rolls off one’s tongue) it has an interesting message for us all.
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amelioration (noun) [ah-meel'-yah-RAY-shahn]
1. the act of relieving ills and changing for the better
2. an improvement: “Tom is convinced that no amelioration of human suffering has occurred in the last two thousand years.”
Origin: Approximately 1659; from Old French, ‘ameillorer’ (‘a’: to + ‘mellior’: to better, from Late Latin, ‘meliorare’: to improve, from Latin, ‘melior’: to better).
”Biological diversity is the source of critical resources such as food, fiber and medicines essential to human well-being. In Colorado alone, biodiversity contributes significantly to the recreational economy and enjoyment of the outdoors by residents and visitors alike. Properly functioning ecosystems play essential roles such as nutrient cycling, detoxification of wastes, amelioration of climate extremes and maintenance of the hydrological cycle.”
Philip Cafaro, Barry R. Noon and Holmes Roston III. “Perspective: Preserving our biological diversity,” The Denver Post (February 26, 2006).
—– Now it’s your turn to share the cool, intriguing words you’ve run across this week!
August 25, 2009
· Filed under Native Americans, Word for the Day · Tagged California, entropy, greek, Native Americans, shamanism, The American Heritage Dictionary, thermodynamic
Today’s word comes from the book “California Indian Shamanism” edited by Lowell John Bean, a fascinating study of California Native religious systems.
entropy- a measure of the disorder within any given system
Source cited: The American Heritage Dictionary, Houghton-Mifflin,New York.
*** a more technical explanation follows:
Entropic 1. Thermodynamics. a. (on a macroscopic scale) a function of thermodynamic variables, as temperature, pressure, or composition, that is a measure of the energy that is not available for work during a thermodynamic process. A closed system evolves toward a state of maximum entropy. b. (in statistical mechanics) a measure of the randomness of the microscopic constituents of a thermodynamic system. Symbol: S
2. (in data transmission and information theory) a measure of the loss of information in a transmitted signal or message.
3. (in cosmology) a hypothetical tendency for the universe to attain a state of maximum homogeneity in which all matter is at a uniform temperature (heat death).
4. a doctrine of inevitable social decline and degeneration.
Origin: Greek, Entropie (1865); see en- 2 , -tropy Source cited: “entropic.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 25 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entropic
**** If you’re reading any books that have an interesting word in it, please feel free to share your findings, I LOVE to learn new words this way.
To The Dance of Life!
August 18, 2009
· Filed under Word for the Day, general interest · Tagged distance, folk tales, French, German, Latin, myths, Russian, words, wordsmiths
Wordsmiths,
I’ve been reading “The Young Folks Shelf of Books”, a ten book set of fairy tales, folk tales and myths from around the world, written by various authors. The book I’m reading now has folk tales from Russia and I ran into the word “versts”, and had to share!
verst (noun ) meaning an obsolete Russian unit of distance equal to 0.6629 mile (1.067 kilometers) or 500 sazhen long, which makes a verst equal to 3500 feet!
Etymology: used since 1555, French verste & German Werst; both from Russian versta; akin to Latin vertere= to turn
source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary
Sample sentence: “I’d hate to walk a verst in his shoes!”
Feel free to share your new, weird words with me!
August 4, 2009
· Filed under Word for the Day · Tagged Diane T., etymology, goose bumps, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Latin
Good’ay Mates, I was reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales last night and came across this wonderful old word…..horripilation!
hor·rip·i·la·tion (hô-rĭp’ə-lā’shən, hŏ-) n. The bristling of the body hair, as from fear or cold; goose bumps. etymology: [Late Latin horripilātiō, horripilātiōn-, from Latin horripilātus, past participle of horripilāre, to bristle with hairs : horrēre, to tremble + pilāre, to grow hair (from pilus, hair).] To hor·rip’i·late’ v.
Source cited: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company
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It’s your turn to share a weird word, a new word you just learned or one that you found a new meaning for, your choice! Diane T.
July 28, 2009
· Filed under Word for the Day · Tagged Diane T., Ganges, Latin, Word for the Day, wordmeisters
Dear Wordmeisters,
there are a lot of Latin words thrown around in the English language, thought I’d share one today….
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ad hoc (adverb, adjective) adverb
1. for one specific case; ‘they were appointed ad hoc’ adjective
2. for or concerned with one specific purpose; ‘a coordinated policy instead of ad hoc decisions’: “Instead of following a standard gift wrapping procedure for clients orders, Sheryl liked to create whimsical, ad hoc packaging for each.”
3. often improvised or impromptu; ‘an ad hoc committee meeting’
Origin: Approximately 1650; from Latin, ‘ad hoc’: to this.
A quote using ad hoc: “It was an ad hoc journey of enlightenment: Sail, row, and drag a skiff 160 miles [257 kilometers] up India’s holiest river, the Ganges. The locals said the trip was impossible, very simple, safe, dangerous. It was unnecessary, stupid, an inspired spiritual quest commissioned by Lord Siva himself.” by Charles Graeber. “Being the Boatman: Adventure on the Ganges,” Adventure Magazine (September 2002).
*** May your days ahead bring you memorable adventures, Diane T.
July 21, 2009
· Filed under Word for the Day · Tagged Diane T., light, Word for the Day
I came across this word while reading about Indian Shamanism…
Phosphene (n.) A sensation of light caused by excitation of the retina by mechanical or electrical means rather than by light, as when the eyeballs are pressed through closed lids.
[French phosph¨¨ne : Greek ph¨s, light; see phos¨C + Greek phainein, to cause to appear, to show.] source cited: www.answers.com/topic/phosphene
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I discovered phosphenes as a kid, when I looked at a light bulb (at night) then discovered the spots floating in the air afterward. I told a bunch of other kids about it and we’d stare at the light bulb then dash about trying to “catch” the spots!
May You Never Thirst, Diane T. and furfamily
July 14, 2009
· Filed under Word for the Day, general interest, women in religion · Tagged Saint Veronica, Veronica, women in religion, Word for the Day
Word for the Day-what’s in a name?
Veronica-
1. Any of various plants of the genus, Veronica, which includes the speedwells.(Latin)
2. a.The representation or image of the face of Jesus which, according to legend was impressed upon the handkerchief offer to him by St. Veronica and on the road to Calvary. b.The handkerchief itself. c.The representation of Jesus’ face on a textile fabric similar to the legendary veronica .
3. A maneuver in bullfighting in which the matador stands immobile and passes the cape slowly before the charging bull (Spanish) *********************************************************************
What words have surprised you this week? Sometimes it’s not a matter of a word that’s entirely new to you, but rather a new meaning you have found in a word you were already familiar with, like Veronica! Post away my pretties…..
July 7, 2009
· Filed under On Writing, Word for the Day, general interest · Tagged Diane T., word, Word for the Day, wordmeister
Howdeeeeeeeeeeee Wordmeister brethren,
today’s word came about when I was writing my latest article at the Examiner.com about wood fired hot tubs. The spell checker didn’t recognize the word “immersible” but gave me the choice to use…immiscible.
So, since I’d never seen that word I had to look it up and voilà, we have our word for the day!
immiscible means a substance that does not form a solution, like oil and water, it is incapable of mixing!
What’s your new word and where did you run across it? If you haven’t been exposed to one lately, how about grabbing a dictionary and flipping through it at random, pick a page without looking at it and see what you can come up with that is new to you!
See you on the flip flop,
Diane T.
