GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

squirl

Any self-respecting squire would sign his memos with a squirl.

[Algot Runeman]

synopsis

/sɪˈnɒpsɪs/
noun
1 A brief summary or general survey of something.
1.1 An outline of the plot of a play, film, or book.

Origin
Early 17th century: via late Latin from Greek, from sun- ‘together’ + opsis ‘seeing’.

-=-=-=-=-

Carl carefully constructed a synopsis of the long blog post, knowing the habits of his readers. At the end of the summary, he added the abbreviation "TL;DR" -- "too long; didn't read" and wrote out the details.

[Algot Runeman]

gelato

/dʒəˈlɑːtəʊ/
noun
mass noun
Italian or Italian-style ice cream.
count noun ‘a cafe famous for its mouthwatering gelatos’

Origin
Italian.

-=-=-=-=-

Tina told Terry she preferred gelato over ice cream. True 'Murican that he is, Terry prefers ice cream.

[Algot Runeman]

ideate

/ˈʌɪdɪeɪt/
verb
[with object]Psychology
1 Form an idea of; imagine or conceive.
1.1 no object Form ideas; think.

Origin
Late 17th century: from medieval Latin ideat- ‘formed as an idea’, from the verb ideare, from Latin idea (see idea).

-=-=-=-=-

I sincerely hope no group of educators will ideate that using this word is a good idea. Too many buzzwords as it is.

[Algot Runeman]

spay

/speɪ/
verb
[with object]
Sterilize (a female animal) by removing the ovaries.

Origin
Late Middle English: shortening of Old French espeer ‘cut with a sword’, from espee ‘sword’, from Latin spatha (see spathe).

-=-=-=-=-

The couple took their cat to be spayed. They wanted to let her be an outdoor/indoor cat without the worry of kittens.

[Algot Runeman]

nugacity

/njuːˈɡasɪti/
noun
mass noun - rare
1 Triviality or frivolity.
1.1 count noun - A trivial or frivolous thing or idea.

Origin
Late 16th century: from late Latin nugacitas, from Latin nugax, nugac- ‘trifling, frivolous’.

⚍⚎⚍⚎⚍⚎

At the world headquarters of "Word of the Day", our days are filled with sagacity and nugacity.



[Some of the crowd may recognize the game of Jacks, our frivolous pastime, but its popularity has sadly declined, and some of you might need it identified.]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

nugacity

Montélimar, France, is considered the world's nougat city (pronounced nugacity).

[Algot Runeman]

Montélimar, France

Nougat and all that! Have you visited said city to sample the sweet substance?

[Algot Runeman]

onomast

/ˈɒnəmast/
noun
A person who studies proper names, especially personal names.

Origin
1980s: back-formation from onomastic.

°°°°°°°°°°
Does a person seek a degree in order to be an onomast or can studying Robert, Bob and Bobby be an amateur effort?

[Algot Runeman]

ornament

Noun/ˈɔːnəm(ə)nt/
Verb/ˈɔːnəmɛnt/
noun
1 A thing used or serving to make something look more attractive but usually having no practical purpose, especially a small object such as a figurine.
1.1 mass noun Decoration added to embellish something.
1.2 A quality or person adding grace, beauty, or honour to something.
1.3ornamentsMusic Embellishments made to a melody.
2 usually ornaments - Christian Church - The accessories of worship, such as the altar, chalice, and sacred vessels.
verb
[with object]
Make (something) look more attractive by adding decorative items.

Origin
Middle English (also in the sense ‘accessory’): from Old French ournement, from Latin ornamentum ‘equipment, ornament’, from ornare ‘adorn’. The verb dates from the early 18th century.

—♥—♥—♥—♥—♥—

Today's word choice was made "after" the Tux Linux mascot 3D ornament design was done.

[Algot Runeman]

repetition

/rɛpɪˈtɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
mass noun
1 The action of repeating something that has already been said or written.
count noun ‘a repetition of his reply to the delegation’
1.1 archaic count noun A piece set by a teacher to be learned by heart and recited.
2 often with negative The recurrence of an action or event.
2.1 count noun A thing repeated.
2.2 count noun A training exercise which is repeated, especially a series of repeated raisings and lowerings of the weight in weight training.
2.3 Music The repeating of a passage or note.

Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French repeticion or Latin repetitio(n-), from repetere (see repeat).

—!—!—!—!—!—

Harry didn't begrudge his colleagues for being loquacious. It was their repetition which brought him down. Every year, the stories told over drinks were the same ones. This year, he was sure he had recognized one of the actual conference presentations!

[The dictionary gave us loquacious today, but ghost used that word back in 2005, and we all know repetition is not allowed!]

[Algot Runeman]

protoplanet

/ˈprəʊtəʊˌplanɪt/
noun
Astronomy
A large body of matter in orbit around the sun or a star and thought to be developing into a planet.

Origin
1940s: from proto- + planet.

—☷—☷—☷—☷—☷—

Way out in the Oort cloud, there is probably enough matter to form a planet or two, but it is so far from the sun that gravity and rotation aren't going to make it form into a protoplanet. An occasional comet may come inward from there. Besides, protoplanets happen much earlier in the formation of a star's system. Our solar system is too sophisticated, "worldly" as they say, to play such juvenile games.

[Algot Runeman]

bhikkhu
(also bhikku)

/ˈbɪkuː/
noun
A Buddhist monk or devotee.

Origin
Pali, from Sanskrit bhikṣú ‘beg’.

☯☯☯☯☯

Manu walked sedately along the path. It was just an ordinary village dirt path, but on it, he felt he could follow the bhikkhu's path as well.

[Algot Runeman]

balthazar

/balˈθazə/
noun
A very large wine bottle, equivalent in capacity to sixteen regular bottles.

Origin
1930s: from Balthazar, the name of the king of Babylon, who ‘made a great feast … and drank wine before a thousand’ (Dan. 5:1).

—♦—♦—♦—♦—

Bob bought a bunch of basic bottles for the wedding party, but also splurged, ordering a balthazar from the vintner.

[Algot Runeman]

kumite

/ˈkuːmɪteɪ/
noun
mass noun
(in martial arts) freestyle fighting.

Origin
Japanese, literally ‘sparring’.

—♥—♥—♥—♥—

Jun and Aki sparred at the dojo. Kumite was their favorite part of the day's training.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

kumite

I wonder if a bhikkhu would compete in a kumite if first prize were a balthazar?

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

I wonder if a bhikkhu would compete in a kumite if first prize were a balthazar?

I'm sure an old science teacher and retired dentist might simply decide to split the thing, a much less strenuous solution.

[Algot Runeman]

saltus

/ˈsaltəs/
noun
literary
A sudden transition; a breach of continuity.

Origin
Mid 17th century: from Latin, literally ‘leap’.

——————╦

Fred followed the flow of the novel for 100 pages, but completely lost track reading the next dozen because of the saltus on page 101.

[Algot Runeman]

phantasm

/ˈfantaz(ə)m/
noun
literary
1 An illusion, apparition, or ghost.
1.1 archaic An illusory likeness of something.

Origin
Middle English (in the sense ‘deceptive appearance’): from Old French fantasme, via Latin from Greek phantasma, from phantazein ‘make visible’, from phainein ‘to show’. The change from f- to ph- in the 16th century was influenced by the Latin spelling.

—†—†—†—†—†—

Is it somewhat odd that the "Holy Ghost" isn't typically treated as a phantasm?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

saltus

This conjures up an image of a "President Saltus".

phantasm

Nah, it must be an annoying phantasm ...

[Algot Runeman]

ommatidium

/ˌɒməˈtɪdɪəm/
noun
Entomology
Each of the optical units that make up the compound eye of an insect.

Origin
Late 19th century: modern Latin, from Greek ommatidion, diminutive of omma, ommat- ‘eye’.

-=-=-=-=-

To get a good look at an ommatidium, one must use a good magnifying glass or a dissecting microscope. Flies care nothing for that, simply using their compound eyes to judge your swatting motion so they jump the opposite direction.

[Algot Runeman]

effluxion

/ɪˈflʌkʃ(ə)n/
noun
mass noun
1 Law - The expiration of a limited-time agreement or contract.
2 archaic - The action of flowing out.

Origin
Early 17th century: from French, or from late Latin effluxio(n-), from effluere ‘flow out’.

■▣■▣■▣■▣■

The company treated its toxic effluent as if there were no limit on the public's tolerance for the stink. Then they were forced to read the terms of the town's rock solid contract with its effluxion of their building's lease in 90 days.

[Algot Runeman]

heartstring

/ˈhɑːtstrɪŋ/
noun
usually heartstrings
Used in reference to one's deepest feelings of love or compassion.

Origin
Late Middle English (originally in sense ‘cordlike structure attached to the heart’): from heart + string.

▰ ▱ ▰ ▱ ▰ ▱ ▰ ▱ ▰

Cupid toyed with Josie's heartstrings, neither driving her to love John nor to hate him.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

heartstring
...

I use similar heartstrings to slice a hard boiled egg.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

palilogy
(also palillogy)

/pəˈlɪlədʒi/
noun
Rhetoric
The (especially immediate) repetition of a word or phrase, usually for emphasis; (occasionally) an instance of this.

Origin
Early 18th century; earliest use found in Nathan Bailey (d. 1742), lexicographer and schoolmaster. From post-classical Latin palillogia or its etymon ancient Greek παλιλλογία palilogia; compare -logy.

▰ ▱ ▰ ▱ ▰ ▱ ▰

There's a very common example of palilogy spreading locally.