GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

extrapolate

Extrapolate your past experience to be extra polite. .....

[Algot Runeman]

dissolve

verb
dis·​solve | \ di-ˈzälv, -ˈzȯlv
also -ˈzäv or -ˈzȯv \
dissolved; dissolving; dissolves
transitive verb
1a to cause to disperse or disappear : destroy
1b to separate into component parts : disintegrate
1c to bring to an end : terminate
1d law : annul dissolve an injunction
2a chemistry : to cause to pass into solution
2b melt, liquefy
2c to cause to be emotionally moved.
2d to cause to fade in or out in a dissolve
3 archaic : detach, loosen
4 to clear up : to find a solution, explanation, or answer for
intransitive verb
1a to become dissipated (see dissipate sense 1) or decomposed
1b break up, disperse
1c to fade away
2a to become fluid : melt
2b chemistry : to pass into solution Salt dissolves in water.
2c to be overcome emotionally He dissolved into tears.
2d to resolve itself as if by dissolution
2e to change by a dissolve
noun
a gradual superimposing of one motion-picture or television shot upon another on a screen

-==0==-

Man, oh man, I'm losing resolve.
Days go by and weeks revolve.
Still, most of my problems I think I could solve
If winter's ice would just dissolve.



Some exemplar sentences/rhymes just don't fit their season. It is fall here, as this post is done, and winter's ice is probably a long way off. Most people around here would hope so. And, it's also obvious that I didn't work too hard on a winter scene, substituting a glass of ice water for that.

I was also surprised to see how long this definition is. In the page on Merriam-Webster, the definition text is even longer with example phrases often added to the end of a line. Fortunately, there's space here on this beloved forum so that no harsh trimming is necessary.

[Algot Runeman]

dabble

verb
dab·​ble | \ ˈda-bəl \
dabbled; dabbling\ ˈda-​b(ə-​)liŋ \
intransitive verb
1 to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest
2a to paddle, splash, or play in or as if in water
2b to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water in order to obtain food
transitive verb
to wet by splashing or by little dips or strokes : spatter

-==0==-

Being just one of the rabble,
With a tendency to babble
Ben decided to dabble
With words by playing Scrabble™.

[Algot Runeman]

energetic

adjective
en·​er·​get·​ic | \ ˌe-nər-ˈje-tik \
1 operating with or marked by vigor or effect
2 marked by energy : strenuous
3 of or relating to energy

-==0==-

Energetic exercise
To nobody's surprise
Leads to wanting a rest
So next time, you'll, again, pass the test.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

energetic
...

Just looking at that all but energetic illustration, makes me feel exhausted.

[Algot Runeman]

transmogrify

verb
trans·​mog·​ri·​fy | \ tran(t)s-ˈmä-grə-ˌfī, tranz- \
transmogrified; transmogrifying
transitive verb
to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect
intransitive verb
to become transmogrified

-==0==-

Transmogrify

Sometimes we try to arrange
An effective kind of change,
But then things just disarrange
And everything comes out strange.

[Algot Runeman]

cadence

noun
ca·​dence | \ ˈkā-dᵊn(t)s \
plural cadences
1a the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion or activity
1b a rhythmic sequence or flow of sounds in language
1c a regular and repeated pattern of activity
2a a falling inflection of the voice
2b a concluding and usually falling strain specifically : a musical chord sequence moving to a harmonic close or point of rest and giving the sense of harmonic completion
3 the modulated and rhythmic recurrence of a sound especially in nature

-==0==-

The cascading stream lacked an audible cadence,
Bouncing along with no kind of impatience.
Still it showed the seasons' regularity,
Though in the deep south there is less disparity,
Freezing to ice in the bitter depths of winter
Sheeting over the rocks, with an occasional splinter.
Then back to burbling flow in the spring
When bunnies creep out and all the birds sing.

[Algot Runeman]

agonize

verb
ag·​o·​nize | \ ˈa-gə-ˌnīz \
agonized; agonizing
transitive verb
to cause to suffer agony : torture
intransitive verb
1 to suffer agony, torture, or anguish
2 struggle

-==0==-

Don agonized over his plans for the the first dinner he would cook for his girlfriend.

[Algot Runeman]

nuance

noun
nu·​ance | \ ˈnü-ˌän(t)s, ˈnyü-, -ˌäⁿs; nü-ˈän(t)s, nyü-, -ˈäⁿs \
1 a subtle distinction or variation
2 a subtle quality : nicety
3 sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value)

-==0==-

The use of nuance might not seem clear,
And that's the point of what is said here.
Though the difference may, to you, seem subtle,
Rants and personal attacks are not rebuttal.

[Algot Runeman]

volunteer

noun
vol·​un·​teer | \ ˌvä-lən-ˈtir \
1 a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service: such as
a : one who enters into military service voluntarily
b(1) one who renders a service or takes part in a transaction while having no legal concern or interest
b(2) one who receives a conveyance or transfer of property without giving valuable consideration
2 a volunteer plant
verb
volunteered; volunteering; volunteers
intransitive verb
to offer oneself as a volunteer volunteered to host the meeting
transitive verb
to offer or bestow voluntarily volunteer one's services

-==0==-

After volunteering for the job, Bob realized it involved actual work and quickly backed out.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

volunteer

When the sergeant asked who had experience with PCIe cards, Sam stepped 3 paces forward.
The sergeant said: "Ah, we have a volunteer. Good of you, private Jenkins, you're assigned to latrine duty for 6 weeks."

Later in the mess, Sam's buddy scolded him: "You're in the army now. That means you do NOT volunteer. Ever!"

[Algot Runeman]

podcast

noun
pod·​cast | \ ˈpäd-ˌkast \
a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet

-==0==-

Many words used in this series have been archaic. Podcast is an interesting inversion, being new enough that people from before about 1900 would not have a clue about the meanings of most words in the definition, much less the word itself. Program, as live performance or recording would have meant something to listeners of radio, and later. Digital format would have meant little before about the introduction of computers. The internet is from just around 1990. Downloading is also very recent.

[Algot Runeman]

cloying

adjective
cloy·​ing | \ ˈklȯi-iŋ, ˈklȯiŋ \
disgusting or distasteful by reason of excess cloying sweetness also : excessively sweet or sentimental

-==0==-

At this time, I am enjoying
The thought of being cloying.
Though it would be some feat
If I could seem that sweet.

Though you must be the judge
(I hope you bear no grudge)
Of the value of this ditty,
Which I hope you'll see as witty.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

cloying

Instead of ever using cloying I would prefer to use the french écoeurant.
Because écoeurant has so much more meaning, such as "it tears the heart out of it", among others.

[Algot Runeman]

abide

verb
\ ə-ˈbīd \
abided also abode\ ə-​ˈbōd \; abiding
transitive verb
1a to bear patiently : tolerate cannot abide such bigots
1b to endure without yielding : withstand abide the onrush of the enemy
2 to wait for : await I will abide the coming of my lord.— Alfred Tennyson
3 to accept without objection will abide your decision
intransitive verb
1 to remain stable or fixed in a state a love that abided with him all his days
2 to continue in a place : sojourn will abide in the house of the Lord
abide by
1 to conform to abide by the rules
2 to accept without objection : to acquiesce in

-==0==-

Bob said, "You go on ahead to see if they're actually there, Charlie. I'll wait here. I can't abide wasting my energy if Julie's alone."
Charlie never came back, and he had taken the keys. Bob "abided" in the car overnight, but not patiently.

[Algot Runeman]

genteel

adjective
gen·​teel | \ jen-ˈtēl \
1a having an aristocratic quality or flavor : stylish
1b of or relating to the gentry or upper class
1c elegant or graceful in manner, appearance, or shape
1d free from vulgarity or rudeness : polite
2a maintaining or striving to maintain the appearance of superior or middle-class social status or respectability
2b(1) marked by false delicacy, prudery, or affectation
(2) conventionally or insipidly pretty

-==0==-

There's a very strong appeal
And is often sought with zeal
To present oneself genteel:
To bear the gentry's seal.

Bob aspired to be a gent
But could barely pay his rent
Because all his money was spent
Though he couldn't say where it went.

[Algot Runeman]

cognitive

adjective
cog·​ni·​tive | \ ˈkäg-nə-tiv \
1 of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering)
2 based on or capable of being reduced to empirical factual knowledge

-==0==-

The existence of illusions
Leads to cognitive confusions
As when a crowd reacts
They won't all agree upon the facts.

[Algot Runeman]

peculiar

adjective
pe·​cu·​liar | \ pi-ˈkyül-yər \
1 characteristic of only one person, group, or thing : distinctive
2 different from the usual or normal:
a special, particular a matter of peculiar interest
b odd, curious It seems peculiar that she would leave town without telling anybody.
c eccentric, unusual

-==0==-

Bob and his friends have a peculiar interest in the "long tail concept".

[Algot Runeman]

defile

verb
de·​file | \ di-ˈfī(-ə)l, dē- \
defiled; defiling
transitive verb
: to make unclean or impure: such as
a : to corrupt the purity or perfection of : debase
b : to violate the chastity or virginity of : deflower
c : to make physically unclean especially with something unpleasant or contaminating
d : to violate the sanctity of : desecrate defile a sanctuary
e : sully, dishonor

-==0==-

"Use de file.", Will said. "It will remove de rust what defiles de steel. Den you can paint it."

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

defile

Damage de file and Windoze won't start.

[Algot Runeman]

Damage de file and Windoze won't start.

Doze darn Windoze
Too often get froze.
That's why GNU/Linux
Is what I have choze.

[Algot Runeman]

trouble

noun
trou·​ble | \ ˈtrə-bəl\
plural troubles
1 the quality or state of being troubled especially mentally
2 public unrest or disturbance
3 an instance of trouble
4 a state or condition of distress, annoyance, or difficulty : such as
a a condition of physical distress or ill health : ailment
b a condition of mechanical malfunction
c a condition of doing something badly or only with great difficulty
d dated, informal : the state of being pregnant while unmarried
5 an effort made : pains
6a a cause of distress, annoyance, or inconvenience
6b a negative feature : drawback
6c the unhappy or sad fact

-==0==-

Betsy had no trouble making sense of the baby's babble. She was a senior linguist and mother, after all.

[Algot Runeman]

stampede

noun
stam·​pede | \ (ˌ)stam-ˈpēd \
1 a wild headlong rush or flight of frightened animals
2 a mass movement of people at a common impulse
3 an extended festival combining a rodeo with exhibitions, contests, and social events
verb
stampeded; stampeding
transitive verb
1 to cause to run away in headlong panic
2 to cause (a group or mass of people) to act on sudden or rash impulse
intransitive verb
1 to flee headlong in panic
2 to act on mass impulse

-===0==-

After what seemed like hours
The bison stampede's dust began to settle.
Soon along came some pouring rain.
We caught a bit for our kettle.
But as the downpour stuck around
We huddled in the wagon, not testing our mettle.
We were glad to be up on a ridge
As we watched the gully stream's depth treble.

[Algot Runeman]

shower

noun
show·​er | \ ˈshau̇(-ə)r \
1a a fall of rain of short duration
1b a similar fall of sleet, hail, or snow
2 something resembling a rain shower a shower of statistics especially : a fall of meteors which belong to a single group and whose trails appear to originate at the same point in space
3 : a party given by friends who bring gifts often of a particular kind
4 a bath in which water is showered on the body also : the apparatus that provides a shower
to the showers
out of the ball game a pitcher sent to the showers
shower verb
showered; showering; showers
intransitive verb
1 to rain or fall in or as if in a shower letters showered on him in praise and protest
2 to bathe in a shower
transitive verb
1a to wet (as with water) in a spray, fine stream, or drops
1b(1) to cause to fall in a shower
1b(2) : to cause a shower to fall on
2 to give in abundance

-==0==-

Your parents will surely glower
Their demeanor will be sour
If you, daily, spend an hour
To wash yourself in the shower.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

shower

Sally was emphatically delighted with her new born son, her own loss of bulk and weight, and the surprise baby shower her friends gave her.