The Internet Book Database of Fiction

E.P.S. wrote:"Look at her feet!"

Oh.

Perfect.

conspecific

Pronunciation: /kɒnspəˈsɪfɪk/
Biology
adjective
(Of animals or plants) belonging to the same species.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Dogs, while conspecific, definitely show a wide range of shapes and sizes.

Conversely, and contrary to what has been assumed since Linné (and Pliny) all living giraffes are not conspecific : the nine known supposed subspecies belong in fact to four distinct species.

elenchus

Pronunciation: /ɪˈlɛŋkəs/
noun (plural elenchi /ɪˈlɛŋkʌɪ/)
Logic
1 A logical refutation.
1.1 (also Socratic elenchus) [mass noun] The Socratic method of eliciting truth by question and answer, especially as used to refute an argument.

Origin
Mid 17th century (superseding late Middle English elench): via Latin from Greek elenkhos.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Sid stumbled over his words, then fell silent. He saw his argument in tatters around him. The power of Sarah's logic was irrefutable. Sid had no last-minute elenchus to her position, and he prepared to accept his fate.

polynya

Pronunciation: /pə(ʊ)ˈlɪnjə/
noun
A stretch of open water surrounded by ice, especially in Arctic seas.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from Russian, from the base of pole 'field'.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The summer's polynyas were rich feeding grounds for polar bears, as long as there was more ice than open water. Too much need to swim burned away all the benefits of the polar sea's bounty.

If ever a polar bear tells me of his preference for small polynyas over larger ones, I won't find any elenchus against his opinion.
Not that I would feel like discussing against any opinion a polar bear will hold, whether I can think of an elenchus or not....

voralfred wrote:preference for small polynya over larger ones

You do understand that big illustrations take more network bandwidth, right?

And, if I had attempted to show the actual sizes of polynya ice gaps, you might accuse me of being a science nut, in spite of the hairy bear facts.

Anyway, by drawing a seal (or a sea lion ?) in the polynya, you certainly provided your white plantigrade with the bear necessities....

It is actually intended to be another polar bear...
Oops.

Oh, well, if the one on the ice and the one in the polynya are of opposite genders, one can still consider the latter as a bear necessity in the eyes of the former....

gesticulate

Pronunciation: /dʒɛˈstɪkjʊleɪt/
verb
[no object]
Use gestures, especially dramatic ones, instead of speaking or to emphasize one’s words: they were shouting and gesticulating frantically at drivers who did not slow down

Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin gesticulat- 'gesticulated', from the verb gesticulari, from gesticulus, diminutive of gestus 'action'.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The policeman's gesticulations left no doubt which direction each flow of traffic should follow. He needed no words. He did enjoy blowing his whistle, of course.

Algot Runeman wrote:polynya

Algot Runeman wrote:It is actually intended to be another polar bear...

Algot Runeman wrote:gesticulate

I've been imagining Voralfred approaching the polynya and observing what he thought was a seal (or a sea lion ?) surfacing. Then he started frantically gesticulating at the animal to get the hell out of there before the polar bear gave chase.

When Algot corrected that misunderstanding, Voralfred's heroic bubble went "poof!".

So cute !

collocutor

/ˈkɒləˌkjuːtə/
noun
1. a person who talks or engages in conversation with another

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

We have always just called her "Chatty Kathy". Who knew that there was an academic term like collocutor to describe her? The rest of us get a word in edgewise from time to time, of course. Without that, it would only be a monologue instead of a conversation.

Algot Runeman wrote:collocutor

Reminds me of a collocute physicist with crossed fingers.

looder1
noun
Northern, Irish english, Scottish
1 A long stout wooden bar or lever; (formerly) especially one used for lifting millstones.
2 A long, stout, rough stick. Now Irish English (northern).
3 A heavy blow or stroke. Now chiefly Irish English (northern).
4 Shetland Orkney Historical
Orkney and Shetland. The platform or floor supporting the stones in a mill; specifically (in a hand mill) the wooden block or bench on which the mill rests and the meal falls. Now chiefly historical.
Origin
Mid 16th century. From early Scandinavian, in later use in sense 2 perhaps partly reinforced by association with Irish liúdar stroke, blow.
Pronunciation: looder/ˈluːdə/

looder2
verb
Northern, Irish english
Scottish
with object To give (a person) a severe beating; to thrash.

Origin
Mid 19th century. From looder.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

A single smack with the looder was sufficient to put the thief on the ground. There was no need to thrash him. He stayed down until the police arrive to arrest him. They took the cudgel away from Bob, though, and admonished him to be careful.

reflag
verb
[WITH OBJECT]
Change the national registry of (a ship)

Pronunciation: reflag/rēˈflaɡ/

-=-=-=-=-=-

I always enjoy reading the Hornblower novels by C.S. Forester. It is routine to have Hornblower capture a French or Spanish vessel and send off a junior officer on the reflagged ship, generally to port for repairs because of the recent battle. I've re-read more of them than of any other series.

Algot Runeman wrote:reflag

One day grandma bought a rebated set of 3 briefs for grandpa. They were adorned with different country flags, a Tricolore, a Union Jack and a Stars & Stripes.

Grandpa said: "Thank you for the new briefs, dear. They fit perfectly well. But I'm afraid you can't reflag me as poly- ... er ... -amorous Casanova's. You'll have to make do with my usual self."

waney

sounds like "way knee"
noun or adjective
A sharp or uneven edge on a board that is cut from a log not perfectly squared, or that is made in the process of squaring.

Origin: 'waney' comes from an Old English word meaning 'lack'.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

My own timbers from my own forest, from my own splits, from my own axe and wedges, the cabin is warm and dry because I mainly sawed the waneys into firewood. Only the straight edged boards became the walls.

Algot Runeman wrote:waney

With all the waneys and firewood for all the cabins over all the aeons, no wonder we now have a Sahara, Gobi, Kalahari, Mojave, Namib, and many more where once used to grow dense forest.

wingspan

(also wingspread)
noun
The maximum extent across the wings of an aircraft or of a bird or other flying animal, measured from tip to tip.
‘an eagle with a wingspan of 7 ft’

Pronunciation: wingspan/ˈwɪŋspan/

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Walter's wingspan was wider than an eagle, though not so wide as a condor. Combining his superb reach with his speed made him a potentially great wide receiver in American football. The problem was that he frequently dropped the ball.

Well, allow me to dissent
According to your graphics, an american eagle's wingspan is wider that that of Walter, by a quarter sparrow's.

Why, how decent of you to dissent, voralfred. I'll descend from the pinnacle of the pedestal for now. I'm sore from all that soaring anyway.

Algot Runeman wrote:Why, how decent of you to dissent, voralfred. I'll descend from the pinnacle of the pedestal for now. I'm sore from all that soaring anyway.

Oh, my wingspan has never been much of an issue to me.

Except when embracing and hugging a woman ...

mouchoir

[moo-shwar]
noun, plural mouchoirs
[moo-shwar] (Show IPA). French.
1. a handkerchief.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Brevity is nothing to sneeze at. I love this direct, two-word definition. However, never brief here at WotD, we remind you that, should you need to sneeze, please do remember to employ a mouchoir or at least your sleeve.