GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

malfatti

Pronunciation: /malˈfatɪ/
plural noun
Dumplings or gnocchi made with spinach and ricotta.

Origin
Italian, from malfatto ‘badly made’ (because they resemble ravioli without their pasta envelopes).

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Gino made malfatti instead of ravioli because he ran out of flour and had extra spinach left over from his salad preparation.


Image by:
Wally Gobetz

[Algot Runeman]

Malvasia

Pronunciation: /ˌmalvəˈziːə//ˌmalvəˈsiːə/
noun
mass noun
A variety of grape used to make white and red wines, especially in Italy.

Origin
Italian form of the place name Monemvasia, in the Peloponnese (see malmsey).

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Ralph relaxed in the shade of the arbor, sipping liberally from his home-grown Malvasia wine. He lived nowhere near the Mediterranean Sea.

[Algot Runeman]

docuseries

Pronunciation: /ˈdɒkjʊˌsɪərɪz/
noun
A television series that follows a particular person or group of people and their involvement in real events and situations over a period of time.

Origin
1980s: from docu- + series.

Zeke and Zach somehow avoided getting fat while they starred in the restaurant docuseries, "Great Eats!"

[Algot Runeman]

ladino1

Pronunciation: /ləˈdiːnəʊ/
noun
A white (or Dutch) clover of a large variety native to Italy and cultivated for fodder in North America.

Origin
1920s: from Italian.

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Larry loved ladino, though he usually just called it "clover". He bought seed to add to his lawn so the plant would naturally increase the amount of nitrogen in the soil


Photo: davesgarden.com

[Algot Runeman]

lutz

Pronunciation: /lʊts/
noun
A jump in skating from the backward outside edge of one skate to the backward outside edge of the other, with one or more full turns in the air.

Origin
1930s: named after the Austrian skater Alois Lutz (1899–1918).

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Mauricio was late on the launch of his Lutz. He did it so often, he was seen as a klutz.



[Reminder: We also explored the Salchow jump a while back.]

[Algot Runeman]

attrition

Pronunciation: /əˈtrɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
mass noun
1 The process of reducing something's strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure.
1.1 NZ, Australian, North American The gradual reduction of a workforce by employees leaving and not being replaced rather than by redundancy.
1.2 Wearing away by friction; abrasion.
2 (in scholastic theology) sorrow for sin, falling short of contrition.

Origin
Late Middle English (in attrition (sense 2)): from late Latin attritio(n-), from atterere ‘to rub’.

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Jane's resolve flagged. Her hallmark enthusiasm suffered attrition. Nonetheless, she stuck at it, the mark of a true professional.

[Algot Runeman]

fianchetto

Pronunciation:/ˌfɪənˈtʃɛtəʊ//ˌfɪəntˈkɛtəʊ/
noun
Chess
the development of a bishop by moving it one square to a long diagonal of the board.
verb
[WITH OBJECT]Chess
Develop (a bishop) by moving it one square to a long diagonal of the board.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from Italian, diminutive of fianco ‘flank’, ultimately of Germanic origin.

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Patzer that he was, Leo always began with a bishop's fianchetto to the left. Inevitably, it signalled clearly his intent to his better opponents.

[Algot Runeman]

indicant

Pronunciation: /ˈɪndɪk(ə)nt/
noun
A thing which indicates something.

Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin indicant- ‘pointing out’, from the verb indicare (see indicate).

The table full of electronic instruments combined with a tray of resistors, capacitors and transistors was an indicant that Joe was either an electronic engineer or a serious hobbyist. The fact that some gauges were analog indicated he'd been at it a long time.

[Algot Runeman]

pericope

Pronunciation: /pəˈrɪkəpi/
noun
An extract from a text, especially a passage from the Bible.

Origin
Mid 17th century: via late Latin from Greek perikopē ‘section’, from peri- ‘around’ + kopē ‘cutting’ (from koptein ‘to cut’).

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Paula leaned back in her lounge so she could carefully consider the importance of the pericopes quoted in her new favorite novel. She absorbed the rays of the sun, heedless of the future of visits to a series of dermatologists.

[Algot Runeman]

cacology

Pronunciation: /kəˈkɒlədʒi/
noun
mass noun
archaic
Bad choice of words or poor pronunciation.

Origin
Late 18th century: via late Latin from Greek kakologia ‘abusive language’, from kakos ‘bad’.

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Our goal at WotD is fun. Secondarily, though, we hope to help you avoid cacology in your conversations.

[Algot Runeman]

diuturnal

Pronunciation: \¦dīyü¦tərnəl\
adjective
durable, long-lasting

Origin
The word 'diuturnal' comes from a Latin word meaning 'a long time'.

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Some words, especially the common ones, are diuturnal. Others become disused. Then they get the "archaic" tag and quietly fade away.

[Algot Runeman]

supernova

Pronunciation: /ˌsuːpəˈnəʊvə/
noun
Astronomy
A star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass.

Origin: late 19th century: from Latin, feminine of novus ‘new’ (because such stars were thought to be newly formed).

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It always made Joe mad when people illustrated stars, especially supernovas with rays surrounding them. He knew the rays were artifacts of poor telescope optics and having to look at stars through the Earth's atmosphere.



[The WotD forum expectation of a "new" word every day and the software's demand for more than four letters during a search put the kibosh on using ODO's nova in today's post. As a result, we went from "new" to "supernew". I hope you are satisfied. A challenge: Can you tell whether the sentences in the illustration end in periods?]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

supernova

I do realise that my reply is very far from being a supernova. Regrettably it's the only inspiration that came to mind.

... A challenge: Can you tell whether the sentences in the illustration end in periods?

I guess that depends on whether the sentence is male or female.

[Algot Runeman]

E.P.S.,

I am impressed! Super and nova conceptually!

[Algot Runeman]

athanor

Pronunciation: /ˈaθənɔː/
noun
historical
A type of furnace used by alchemists, able to maintain a steady heat for long periods.

Origin
Late 15th century: from Arabic at-tannūr, from al- ‘the’ + tannūr ‘baker's oven’.

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Carrie contemplated the collecting snow outside her window. Her furnace was running. She was glad the power was still on in spite of the blizzard conditions and heavy, wet snow. She hoped she wouldn't need to start the wood stove. It always felt like she was cranking up an alchemical athanor.


Image Credit «Athanor», image dans Alchimie, le grand secret, A. Aromatico, série Découvertes n°302, Gallimard, 1996 via Wikipedia

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

athanor

A pity Darb isn't around any more.

He might have used such an athanor as a slow cooker.

[Algot Runeman]

primigravida

Pronunciation: /ˌpriːmɪˈɡravɪdə//ˌprʌɪmɪˈɡravɪdə/
noun
Medicine
A woman who is pregnant for the first time.

Origin
Late 19th century: modern Latin (feminine), from Latin primus ‘first’ + gravidus ‘pregnant’ (see gravid).

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Betsy was pregnant, her first. The doctors might say she was in primigravida. She felt she was in heaven. Then came the day of delivery. She wished she could be delivered from it!

[Algot Runeman]

flense

Pronunciation: /flɛns/
(also flench)
verb
[WITH OBJECT]
1 Slice the skin or fat from (a carcass, especially that of a whale)
1.1 Strip (skin or fat) from a carcass.

Origin
Early 19th century: from Danish flensa.

The Danes deigned to share this word with us. Mostly between the 1600s and 1800s vessels from all along the Atlantic coast set out to sea, chasing these amazing whales to flense their carcasses, notably to collect their oil. For some reason which entirely escapes me, ships from some countries still do this.


Photo Credit: Skeeze via Pixabay

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

flense
... For some reason which entirely escapes me, ships from some countries still do this.

For the same reason that casino customers are (figuratively) flensed: MONEY!

[Algot Runeman]

ching

Pronunciation: /tʃɪŋ/noun
An abrupt high-pitched ringing sound, typically one made by a cash register.

Origin
Imitative.

-$-$-$-$-$-

Make your money when it's sunny.
A cloudy day can chase off the money.
Even then, have a bright disposition.
Ching, ka-ching. Complete your mission.



[When was the last time you actually heard much sound from today's electronic cash registers. Sometimes a tepid bell chime, but often nothing more than the scrape of a worn cash drawer.]

[Algot Runeman]

khamsin

Pronunciation: /ˈkamsɪn/
noun
An oppressive, hot southerly or south-easterly wind blowing in Egypt in spring.

Origin
Late 17th century: from Arabic khamsīn, from khamsūn ‘fifty’ (being the approximate duration in days).

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Kallie contemplated cool thoughts of winter in New England as she sat under an umbrella suffering the khamsin off the desert sands.

[Algot Runeman]

episematic

Pronunciation: /ˌɛpɪsɪˈmatɪk/
adjective
Zoology
(of coloration or markings) serving to help recognition by animals of other individuals of the same species.

Origin
Late 19th century: from epi- ‘upon’ + Greek sēma ‘sign’ + -atic.

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Callie didn't rely on episematic recognition of her fellow cows. Instead, she just read the tag number.

[Algot Runeman]

ambivert

Pronunciation: /ˈambɪvəːt/
noun
Psychology
A person who has a balance of extrovert and introvert features in their personality.

Origin
1920s: from Latin ambi- ‘on both sides’, on the pattern of extrovert and introvert.

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Alfred didn't think of himself as an ambivert. He just thought he was "normal". Most of those who met him, assumed he'd had a stroke.

[Algot Runeman]

flambeau

Pronunciation:/ˈflambəʊ/
noun
historical
1 A flaming torch, especially one made of several thick wicks dipped in wax.
1.1 A large candlestick with several branches.

Origin
Mid 17th century: from French, from flambe ‘a flame’.

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The end of the party was signalled by the guttering candles in the many flambeaux in the hall. Clearly, the host had instructed the staff to stop replacing the short candles with fresh ones.

[Algot Runeman]

minikin

Pronunciation: /ˈmɪnɪkɪn/
adjective
literary
Small; insignificant.
noun
literary
A small person or thing.

Origin
Mid 16th century: from Dutch minneken, from minne ‘love’ + -ken -kin.

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Mark attempted to manipulate his team to overreact to minikin matters while ignoring events of significance. They generally just got on with the company's real goals. Mark didn't last long as a manager.