GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

guisarme

noun
A long-handled weapon resembling the pole-ax, or in some cases more nearly resembling the halberd, but having a long edge for cutting and a straight sharp point in the line of the handle. By some authors it is confounded with the pole-ax.

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Pablo was waiting for his master, Don Sebastian. Pablo had his guisarme ready, though he hoped he would only have to brandish it and not actually stab anybody.

[Algot Runeman]

leman

Pronunciation: /ˈliːmən//ˈlɛmən/
noun
archaic
1 A lover or sweetheart.
1.1 An illicit lover, especially a mistress.

Origin
Middle English lēofman, from lēof (see lief)+ man.

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Chazz laughed when he thought about it. Lucy, his leman, turned out to be a lemon. Marge was a keeper, though.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

leman

Makes one wonder how the famous 24 hours endurance racing town, the French Le Mans, got its name.

[Algot Runeman]

oshi

Pronunciation: /ˈɒʃi/
noun
(in sumo wrestling) a move in which an opponent is pushed backwards or down.

Origin
Japanese.

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Jun Ichura defeated his seventh opponent of the day with an oshi maneuver and earned well deserved accolades.

[Algot Runeman]

boutade

Pronunciation: /buːˈtɑːd/
noun
formal
A sudden outburst or outbreak.

Origin
Early 17th century: French, from bouter to thrust.

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After trailing by 25 points in the third quarter, the Patriots launched a boutade of fourth quarter offense, garnering their fifth championship trophy.

[Algot Runeman]

demi-sec

Pronunciation /dɛmɪˈsɛk//French dəmisɛk/
adjective
(of wine) medium dry.

Origin
French, literally half-dry.

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Louis was dismayed to find that all the bottles of demi-sec in the wine club delivery were also demi-full.

[Algot Runeman]

loupe

Pronunciation: /luːp/
noun
A small magnifying glass used by jewellers and watchmakers.

Origin
Late 19th century: from French.

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Jeremy jumped at the chance to learn jewelry-making. He did need to wear a loupe mounted on his glasses for the fine work, of course.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

loupe

The season is particularly conducive to describing a loipe, much more than a loupe.

Spoiler: show

Schematic example of a cross-country skiing trail network at a ski resort in Gresse-en-Vercors, France

[Algot Runeman]

jurat

Pronunciation: /ˈdʒʊərat/
noun
Law
1 historical A person who has taken an oath or who performs a duty on oath, e.g. a juror.
1.1 (in the Channel Islands) a magistrate or other public official.
2 A statement on an affidavit of when, where, and before whom it was sworn.

Origin
Late Middle English: based on Latin juratus ‘sworn’, past participle of Latin jurare.

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As a retired teacher, Julius had to make an annual declaration that he was still alive so his retirement benefits would continue for another year. The form had a Notary Public's jurat and required her seal and signature..

[Algot Runeman]

phreatophyte

Pronunciation: /frɪˈatəfʌɪt/
noun
Botany
A plant with a deep root system that draws its water supply from near the water table.

Origin
1920s: from Greek phrear, phreat- ‘a well’ + -phyte.

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,By identifying the phreatophytes, it made choosing the spot to dig a well easier. Where they grew, there was probably an accessible water table.

[Algot Runeman]

props

Pronunciation: /prɒps/
noun
mass noun informal
Due respect.

Origin
1990s: from proper respect.

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Walking across the airport tarmac, he waved to reporters, though many of them have not given him the props he expects.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

props...
Walking across the airport tarmac, he waved to reporters, though many of them have not given him the props he expects.
...

I think I know who you mean.

One of his main daily props is on top of his head.

[Algot Runeman]

palfrey

Pronunciation: /ˈpɔːlfri//ˈpalfri/
noun
archaic
A docile horse used for ordinary riding, especially by women.

Origin
Middle English: from Old French palefrei, from medieval Latin palefredus, alteration of late Latin paraveredus, from Greek para ‘beside, extra’ + Latin veredus ‘light horse’.

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Rebecca sat astride the palfrey. She would have preferred the stallion, but Marty was being "manly" in spite of his limited experience riding.

[Algot Runeman]

silage

Pronunciation: /ˈsʌɪlɪdʒ/
noun
mass noun
Grass or other green fodder compacted and stored in airtight conditions, typically in a silo, without first being dried, and used as animal feed in the winter.

Origin
Late 19th century: alteration of ensilage, influenced by silo.

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

Sam stored silage for his own animals and for a couple of neighboring farms. The extra income was always welcome. Farming often doesn't provide steady profits.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

silage

Don Quixote, seated on his faithful Rocinante, spied the silage silos from afar.

He turned his palfrey away because the silos had no wings and thus were no threat.

[Algot Runeman]

auteur

Pronunciation: /əʊˈtəː//ɔːˈtəː/
noun
A film director who influences their films so much that they rank as their author.

Origin
1960s: from French, literally ‘author’.

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Paolo saw himself as a major director and auteur. Others viewed him as a pipsqueak and poseur.

[Algot Runeman]

vantage-ground

noun
Superiority of position or place; the place or condition which gives one an advantage over another; favorable position.

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The Union position on the ridge was a devastating vantage-ground. Their cannons slaughtered thousands in the fields below.

[Algot Runeman]

orichalcum

(also orichalc)
Pronunciation: /ˈɒrɪkalk/
noun
mass noun
A yellow metal prized in ancient times, probably a form of brass or a similar alloy.

Origin
Late Middle English: via Latin from Greek oreikhalkon, literally ‘mountain copper’.

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Because it was Thursday, Orrin organized his ancient money by color. Some were brightly silver, others darker, put to the back. In the front row, he put gold and orichalcum pieces. After a peaceful hour of contemplation, he closed and locked the safe.

[Algot Runeman]

démodé

Pronunciation: /deɪˈməʊdeɪ/
adjective
Out of fashion.

Origin
French, past participle of démoder ‘go out of fashion’.

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Even as Bob said it, he realized that saying something was "démodé" was itself out of date, perhaps unless one lived in France. He realized it might also be said to be "passé". English surely does borrow many words from other languages.

[Algot Runeman]

headrace

Pronunciation: /ˈhɛd ˌreɪs/
noun
The (typically artificial) channel that brings water to a mill wheel or turbine.

Origin
Late 18th century. From head + race.

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The water's speed was less important for effective milling than the difference in height between the headrace and tailrace. Though not illustrated here, a waterwheel to which water was added near the top of the wheel was very much more efficient than the undershot wheel shown here.



[Attentive WotD followers will notice that this illustration has been used before (without the labels).]

[Algot Runeman]

inotropic

Pronunciation: /ˌɪnə(ʊ)ˈtrɒpɪk//ˌɪnə(ʊ)ˈtrəʊpɪk/
adjective
Physiology
Modifying the force or speed of contraction of muscles.

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Because Bob's heart was prone to atrial fibrillation, his cardiologist prescribed an inotropic drug. His heartbeat slowed. He also began to exercise more.

[Algot Runeman]

cribbage

Pronunciation: /ˈkrɪbɪdʒ/
noun
mass noun
A card game, usually for two players, in which the objective is to play so that the pip value of one's cards played reaches exactly 15 or 31.

Origin
Mid 17th century: related to crib; the game is said to have been invented by the English poet Sir John Suckling; it seems to have been developed from an older game called Noddy.

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Though Bob does not play cribbage, he wants to learn, so he is designing a 3D printable game board. A person cannot have too many hobbies.

[Algot Runeman]

endow

Pronunciation: /ɛnˈdaʊ//ɪnˈdaʊ/
verb
[WITH OBJECT]
1 Give or bequeath an income or property to (a person or institution)
1.1 Establish (a university post, annual prize, etc.) by donating the funds needed to maintain it.
2 Provide with a quality, ability, or asset.
2.1 be endowed informal... [overly descriptive text bowdlerized]

Origin
Late Middle English (also in the sense ‘provide a dower or dowry’; formerly also as indow): from legal Anglo-Norman French endouer, from en- ‘in, towards’ + Old French douer ‘give as a gift’ (from Latin dotare: see dower).

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David's father endowed him with a snow shovel. It was more suited to a grown man, but David knew he could not complain. Shovelling a path to the barn was his extra winter chore along with collecting the eggs every morning and mucking out the horse stalls before breakfast and school.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

démodé
cribbage
endow

At that age growing with a furious spurt, David's ribbcage was endowed with zero fatty tissue.

You could easily count his ribs and his sisters played xylophone on them if they could catch him without his démodé nightshirt on.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

petroglyph

Pronunciation: /ˈpɛtrə(ʊ)ɡlɪf/
noun
A rock carving, especially a prehistoric one.

Origin
Late 19th century: from petro- ‘rock’ + Greek glyphē ‘carving’.

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Bob always wanted to carve out his place in history. His solution was to attack the giant granite rock in his back lot with a chisel. A very pedestrian petroglyph was the result.