GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

disembogue

/ˌdɪsɛmˈbəʊɡ//ˌdɪsɪmˈbəʊɡ/
verb
disembogues, disembogued, disemboguing
[no object]
rare
(of a river or stream) emerge or be discharged into the sea or a larger river.

Origin
Late 16th century: from Spanish desembocar, from des- (expressing reversal) + embocar ‘run into a creek or strait’ (based on boca ‘mouth’).

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To be a tributary is to disembogue. It is a part of the natural "downhill" flow of things. But, looking at the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Ohio River, you might wonder which one was the tributary.

[Algot Runeman]

empanada

/ˌɛmpəˈnɑːdə/
noun
A Spanish or Latin American pastry turnover filled with a variety of savoury ingredients and baked or fried.

Origin
Spanish, feminine past participle (used as a noun) of empanar ‘roll in pastry’, based on Latin panis ‘bread’.

The empanada looked a bit like a pierogi which resembled a kreplach or a shumai and was sort of like a dumpling.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

empanada

Your empenada reminds me of dim sum. Yummy ...

[Algot Runeman]

blotter

/ˈblɒtə/
noun
1 A sheet or pad of blotting paper in a frame, kept on a desk.
2 North American A temporary recording book, especially a police charge sheet.

==========

The demise of the desk blotter has followed the change from nibs and fountain pens to ballpoints and now to computer keyboards. Will a blotter's purpose be understood by a person born after 2000?

[Algot Runeman]

keynote


noun
1 A prevailing tone or central theme.
1.1 as modifier (of a speech) setting out the central theme of a conference.

==========

I always enjoy the keynote at a conference.

[Algot Runeman]

apotropaic

/ˌapətrəˈpeɪɪk/
adjective
Supposedly having the power to avert evil influences or bad luck.

Origin
Late 19th century: from Greek apotropaios ‘averting evil’, from apotrepein ‘turn away or from’ + -ic.

==========

John did not depend on apotropaic icons on his dashboard. He drove carefully with a watchful eye, staying well back from the car in front of him on the turnpike.

[Algot Runeman]

reverse

/rɪˈvəːs/
verb
3 with object Turn (something) the other way round or up or inside out.
noun
A complete change of direction or action.

Origin

Middle English: from Old French revers, reverse (nouns), reverser (verb), from Latin reversus ‘turned back’, past participle of revertere, from re- ‘back’ + vertere ‘to turn’.

[Note that this word has MANY more definition elements than shown here. Space limitations partially caused the focus done here.]

==========

Yesterday, I was reminded, "Things are to be liked, people are to be loved. It is sad and odd how often that gets reversed.

[Algot Runeman]

yearn

/jəːn/
verb
[no object]
1 Have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from.
1.1 archaic Be filled with compassion or warm feeling.

Origin
Old English giernan, from a Germanic base meaning ‘eager’.

==========

Yanna yearned to devote her life to yarn. She wool-gathered about it all the time. If she keeps that up, for real, she might just succeed.

[Algot Runeman]

dragée


noun
1 A sweet consisting of a centre covered with a coating, such as a sugared almond.
1.1 A small silver ball for decorating a cake.

Origin
Late 17th century (also denoting a mixture of spices): French, from Old French dragie (see dredge).
/ˈdrɑːʒeɪ/

==========

Thick frosting without dragées is my wife's cake preference. The crunch just seems out of place to her on a cake. She's okay with those candy coated almonds, though.

[Algot Runeman]

rebbetzin

/ˈrɛbɪtsɪn/
(also rebbitzin)
noun
Judaism
1 The wife of a rabbi.
2 A female religious teacher.

Origin
Yiddish, feminine of rebbe (see rebbe).

==========

Together, the rabbi and rebbetzin, a very happy couple, visited temples across the country, teaching and learning.

[Algot Runeman]

mingle

/ˈmɪŋɡ(ə)l/
verb
1 Mix or cause to mix together.
1.1 no object Move among and engage with others at a social function.

Origin
Late Middle English: frequentative of obsolete meng ‘mix or blend’ (related to among), perhaps influenced by Middle Dutch mengelen.

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Max decided to raise the linguistic tone by selling mingled nuts rather than just "mixed nuts".

[Algot Runeman]

spring

/sprɪŋ/
noun
2 An elastic device, typically a helical metal coil, that can be pressed or pulled but returns to its former shape when released, used chiefly to exert constant tension or absorb movement.

[Today's definition limited for space considerations...check your favorite dictionary for a more complete list of meanings.]

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The seasons are a little like the helical metal coil, spring. They can be compressed by a changing climate or extend longer than usual. Please enjoy them all!

[Algot Runeman]

figurine

/ˈfɪɡəriːn/
noun
A statuette, especially one of a human form.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from French, from Italian figurina, diminutive of figura, from Latin figura (see figure).

==========

Today's figurine illustration is in recognition of the the day.



[Okay, a hint...RapaNui...Easter Island]

[voralfred]

Not quite coincidentally, today, Easter Sunday, is also one of the first few days of spring....

On a different topic :
Do you think that the people who raised the Easter Island statues believed that they were apotropaic ? That might explain why they took so much pain to make them !

[Algot Runeman]

plethora

/ˈplɛθ(ə)rə/
noun
1 A large or excessive amount of something.
2 Medicine
An excess of a bodily fluid, particularly blood.

Origin
Mid 16th century (in the medical sense): via late Latin from Greek plēthōrē, from plēthein ‘be full’.

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Joe was consistently seen as having a plethora of hair. As a result, he did not have an excess of admirers.

[Algot Runeman]

prosopography

/ˌprɒsə(ʊ)ˈpɒɡrəfi/
noun
Plural prosopographies
1 A description of a person's appearance, personality, career, etc., or a collection of such descriptions.
1.1 mass noun - The study of prosopographies, especially as an aspect of the study of Roman history.

Origin
1920s: from modern Latin prosopographia, from Greek prosōpon ‘face, person’ + -graphia ‘writing’.

==========

Marie conducted a study of the mercantile and shipping families of the 1600s through 1800s in England and France, Spain and Portugal to develop a prosopography of colonialization. It was considered an important historical work.

[Algot Runeman]

cryptomnesia

/ˌkrɪptə(ʊ)mˈniːzɪə//ˌkrɪptə(ʊ)mˈniːʒə/
noun
Psychology
The phenomenon of perceiving a latent or subconscious memory as an original thought or idea; latent or subconscious recollection.

Origin
Early 20th century. From crypto- + -mnesia, after French cryptomnésie.

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Terry acknowledged the only original idea she had all week was a case of cryptomnesia after proposing the "new" idea to her professor, who reminded Terry of the sophomore year "readings" class. Nonetheless, the two of them decided Terry might have some new insights and decided the idea was worth pursuing.

[Algot Runeman]

theism

/ˈθiːɪz(ə)m/
noun
mass noun
Belief in the existence of a god or gods, specifically of a creator who intervenes in the universe.

Origin
Late 17th century: from Greek theos ‘god’ + -ism.

==========

My -ism
Your -ism
Deism
Theism

[Algot Runeman]

masquerade

/ˌmaskəˈreɪd//ˌmɑːskəˈreɪd/
noun
1 A false show or pretence.
1.1 mass noun The wearing of disguise.
1.2 North American A masked ball.
verb
[no object]
1 Pretend to be someone one is not.
1.1 Be disguised or passed off as something else.

Origin
Late 16th century: from French mascarade, from Italian mascherata, from maschera ‘mask’.

==========

The dictionary mentioned orzo today, which often masquerades as rice in cooking.

[Algot Runeman]

confident

/ˈkɒnfɪd(ə)nt/
adjective
1 Feeling or showing confidence in oneself or one's abilities or qualities.
2 Feeling or showing certainty about something.

Origin
Late 16th century: from French confident(e), from Italian confidente, from Latin confident- ‘having full trust’, from the verb confidere, from con- (expressing intensive force) + fidere ‘trust’.

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Harry was confident his design would work just as well as available commercial machines. He was also very proud it could be made cheaply, on-site, from local materials.

[Algot Runeman]

exordium

/ɛɡˈzɔːdɪəm//ɪɡˈzɔːdɪəm/
noun Plural exordia, Plural exordiums
formal
The beginning or introductory part, especially of a discourse or treatise.

Origin
Late 16th century: from Latin, from exordiri ‘begin’, from ex- ‘out, from’ + ordiri ‘begin’.

Primordial Exordia

"In the beginning, God created..."
"It was a dark and stormy night..."
"When Augustus came out on the porch the blue pigs were eating a rattlesnake—not a very big one..."
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...."

[Algot Runeman]

secco

/ˈsɛkəʊ/
(also fresco secco)
noun
mass noun
The technique of painting on dry plaster with pigments mixed in water.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from Italian, literally ‘dry’, from Latin siccus.

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Goggia Guantanamo mixed plaster for a living. At night, he often returned to do murals on his recent walls. Sometimes the plaster was still wet, but often he was delayed and his painting needed to be done using secco,

[Algot Runeman]

holus-bolus

/ˌhəʊləsˈbəʊləs/
adverb
North American
archaic
All at once.

Origin
Mid 19th century (originally dialect): perhaps pseudo-Latin for ‘whole bolus, whole lump’.

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Never take my words entirely at face value, holus-bolus. There is too often an attempt at humor somewhere in my writing.

[Algot Runeman]

omnivolent

/ɒmˈnɪvəl(ə)nt//ɒmˈnɪvələnt//ɒmˈnɪv(ə)l(ə)nt/
adjective
Willing or wishing for everything; determining all things.

Origin
Mid 17th century. Originally from post-classical Latin omnivolent-, omnivolens from classical Latin omni- + volēns, present participle of velle to wish, want; compare classical Latin omnivolus.

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Martin was not omnipotent, so he settled for being omnivolent. Of course, lacking power, he didn't get his many wishes.

[Algot Runeman]

candleshine

/ˈkand(ə)lʃʌɪn/
noun
The light thrown from a lit candle

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Even for those used to the bright city lights, candleshine in a forest cabin is surprisingly bright.