GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

[Algot Runeman]

adjective
Having strong moral principles.

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Marvin has very high-minded standards...mostly to be applied to others.

[voralfred]

Should one assume that dentists are more high-minded than, say, podiatrists ?

[Algot Runeman]

/əbˈzɒlv/
verb
[with object]
1 Declare (someone) free from guilt, obligation, or punishment.
1.1 (in church use) give absolution for (a sin)

Origin
Late Middle English from Latin absolvere ‘set free, acquit’, from ab- ‘from’ + solvere ‘loosen’.

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Okay, Joe, put down that smoking gun next to the dead person you just shot. I absolve you. Go on your way. Have a nice day.

[voralfred]

I hope EPS will not be too stringent, and will absolve me for my latest dentist's joke (in the VR)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

[Algot Runeman]

/ˈɑːtɪstri/
noun
mass noun
Creative skill or ability.

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At best, human artistry is a pedestrian approximation of nature's work.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

[Algot Runeman]

/dɪˈtɪərɪəreɪt/
verb
[no object]
Become progressively worse.

Origin
Late 16th century (in the sense ‘make worse’): from late Latin deteriorat- ‘worsened’, from the verb deteriorare, from Latin deterior ‘worse’.

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Emmanuel's accumulated linguistic acumen attracted attention early, but degraded and deteriorated over time. (Hiz skillz got worser.)

[Algot Runeman]

/ˈɛtʃɪŋ/
noun
1 A print produced by the process of etching.
1.1 mass noun The art or process of producing etched plates or objects.

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Online imaging offers yet another way to invite someone to see your etchings.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

[Algot Runeman]

/swɔːm/
noun
1 A large or dense group of flying insects.
1.1 A large number of honeybees that leave a hive en masse with a newly fertilized queen in order to establish a new colony.
1.2 a swarm/swarms of - A large number of people or things.
1.3 A series of similar-sized earthquakes occurring together, typically near a volcano.
1.4 Astronomy A large number of minor celestial objects occurring together in space, especially a dense shower of meteors.

verb
[no object]
1 (of flying insects) move in or form a swarm.
1.1 (of honeybees, ants, or termites) issue from the nest in large numbers in order to mate and found new colonies.
2 no object, with adverbial Move somewhere in large numbers.
2.1 swarm with - Be crowded or overrun with (moving people or things)

Origin
Old English swearm (noun), of Germanic origin; related to German Schwarm, probably also to the base of Sanskrit svarati ‘it sounds’.

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Surrounded by the swarm, Bob did not enjoy his cooling drink.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

[Algot Runeman]

/ˈfʊthɪl/
noun
usually foothills
A low hill at the base of a mountain or mountain range.

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Joe Bob gazed at the foothill and said, "Boy what a butte!"

[Algot Runeman]

/tʃiːt/
verb
1 no object - Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage.
1.1 with object - Gain an advantage over or deprive of something by using unfair or deceitful methods; defraud.
1.2 informal - Be sexually unfaithful.
2 with object - Avoid (something undesirable) by luck or skill.
noun
1 A person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage.
1.1 An act of cheating; a fraud or deception.
1.2 mass noun - A children's card game, the object of which is to get rid of one's cards while making declarations about them which may or may not be truthful.

Origin
Late Middle English shortening of escheat (the original sense).

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Being rich, in and of itself, is not a cheat, though, without doubt, it gives one an advantage over being poor. It is all in how one defines "hard work".

[Algot Runeman]

/rɪˈlʌkt(ə)ns/
noun
mass noun
1 Unwillingness or disinclination to do something.
2 Physics - The property of a magnetic circuit of opposing the passage of magnetic flux lines, equal to the ratio of the magnetomotive force to the magnetic flux.

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It is with some reluctance on my part that this word is offered to you. What you do with it is up to you, of course.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

[Algot Runeman]

/kɒləˈnɒskəpi/
noun
Medicine
A procedure in which a flexible fibre-optic instrument is inserted through the anus in order to examine the colon.
mass noun ‘a large group of patients undergoing colonoscopy’

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The most(?) elegant part of a colonoscopy is the after-procedure passing of gas. The colon is filled with air to make the bowel easier to examine.

[Algot Runeman]

/daʊnˈpleɪ/
verb
[with object]
Make (something) appear less important than it really is.

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I will not attempt to downplay the joy you all give to me.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

[Algot Runeman]

/prəʊˈaktɪv/
adjective
(of a person or action) creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.

Origin
1930s from pro- (denoting earlier occurrence), on the pattern of reactive.

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A driver is proactive by leaving a gap to the car in front rather than being a tail-gater.

[Algot Runeman]

/pɒnˈtuːn/ pon-toon
noun
1 A flat-bottomed boat or hollow metal cylinder used with others to support a temporary bridge or floating landing stage.
1.1 A bridge or landing stage supported by pontoons.
1.2 Each of a pair of floats fitted to an aircraft to enable it to land on water.
2 A large flat-bottomed barge or lighter equipped with cranes and tackle for careening ships and salvage work.

Origin
Late 17th century from French ponton, from Latin ponto, ponton-, from pons, pont- ‘bridge’.

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Paul piloted his pontoon plane to Philadelphia and plopped prettily into the well-prepared pond.



[For the record: pontoon is not a contraction for "ponderous tune".]

[Algot Runeman]

/kəˈməʊʃ(ə)n/
noun
1 A state of confused and noisy disturbance.
mass noun ‘they set off firecrackers to make a lot of commotion’
1.1 mass noun Civil insurrection.

Origin
Late Middle English from Latin commotio(n-), from com- ‘altogether’ + motio (see motion).

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To paraphrase Little Eva from the 1960s, be calm. Come on. Come on. Do the low commotion with me.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

[Algot Runeman]

/ˈraɡlən/ [rag-lan]
adjective
Having or denoting sleeves that continue in one piece up to the neck of a garment, without a shoulder seam.
noun
An overcoat with raglan sleeves.

Origin
Mid 19th century named after Lord Raglan (1788–1855), a British commander in the Crimean War.

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Ron ran races in his spiffy raglan shirt.