GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

salt

/sɒlt//sɔːlt/
Noun
old salt - An experienced sailor

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Though salt also has culinary uses, Bob always liked thinking of himself as an "old salt". Sailing was his passion.

[Algot Runeman]

eclectic

/ɪˈklɛktɪk/
adjective
1 Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.
2 Philosophy
Denoting or belonging to a class of ancient philosophers who did not belong to or found any recognized school of thought but selected doctrines from various schools of thought.
noun
A person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.

Origin
Late 17th century (as a term in philosophy): from Greek eklektikos, from eklegein ‘pick out’, from ek ‘out’ + legein ‘choose’.

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Bob was an eclectic, pulling ideas for drawings and other creations from diverse sources. He also hoped nobody would mistake his work as an eutectic mix. Such fixed proportions were not his style.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

eclectic

Ah! A word to my heart!
My tastes are extremely varied, all over the spectrum ... even my eclectism is eclectic ...

[Algot Runeman]

executrix

/ɪɡˈzɛkjuːtrɪks//ɛɡˈzɛkjuːtrɪks/
noun
Law
A female executor of a will.

Origin
Late Middle English: from late Latin, from Latin executor (see executor).

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She was charged to do the tricks
Demanded by the will.
Her job was to be executrix
With diligence and skill.

The house to go to Bobby,
The cars to Jim and Joe.
She was a new hobby,
Run the company, don't you know.

[Algot Runeman]

faucet

/ˈfɔːsɪt/
noun
North American
A tap.

Origin
Late Middle English (denoting a bung for the vent hole of a cask, or a tap for drawing liquid from a container): from Old French fausset, from Provençal falset, from falsar ‘to bore’. The current sense dates from the mid 19th century.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Every person with access to secrets is a potential leak. The more secrets you have, the more times leaks will be a problem. The only safe secret is one only you know. If you have a tendency to blurt out how smart you are, you can't even count on those secrets remaining secure.
Every faucet is a potential leak.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

faucet

He sang about his dory with a voice like a rusty faucet. (Click on it!)

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

dhansak

/ˈdʌnsɑːk/
noun
mass noun
An Indian dish of meat or vegetables cooked with lentils and occasionally spinach.

Origin
Gujarati.

-=-=-o-=-=-

Dhansak, with veggies, meat, lentils and, yes, even spinach, sure sounds a lot like "stew" to me.

[Algot Runeman]

batten

/ˈbat(ə)n/
noun
1 A long flat strip of squared timber or metal used to hold something in place or as a fastening against a wall.
1.1 A strip of wood or metal for securing a tarpaulin over a ship's hatchway.
1.2 A strip of wood or plastic used to stiffen and hold the leech of a sail out from the mast.
verb
[WITH OBJECT]
Strengthen or fasten (something) with battens.
Phrases
batten down the hatches
Secure a ship's tarpaulins. Prepare for a difficulty or crisis.

Origin
Late 15th century: from Old French batant, present participle (used as a noun) of batre ‘to beat’, from Latin battuere.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

batten

When scared his horses stampeded all over the countryside. So in the Blitz the earl had his mounts' stables battened down for the duration of the air strike.

Hence his name, Lord Mountbatten.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

ionize

/ˈʌɪənʌɪz/
(also ionise)
verb
[WITH OBJECT]
1 Convert (an atom, molecule, or substance) into an ion or ions, typically by removing one or more electrons.
1.1 no object Become converted into an ion or ions; undergo ionization.

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Ionman was a lesser-known superhero, routinely overshadowed by Ironman. However, he was effective in battles against Ultimate Evil because he could ionize his enemies using his ion eyes. To protect normal citizens, he wore special welder's goggles in public. He was made famous in the pop song "Sunglasses at Night".

[Algot Runeman]

monogram

/ˈmɒnəɡram/
noun
A motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
verb
[WITH OBJECT]
Decorate with a monogram.

Origin
Late 17th century: from French monogramme, from late Latin monogramma, from Greek.

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Many monograms manage magnificent messages. Perhaps mainly that you have time to sew or money to pay someone else to do it.

[Algot Runeman]

Theotokos

/θɪˈɒtəkɒs/
noun
the Theotokos
Mother of God (used in the Eastern Orthodox Church as a title of the Virgin Mary)

Origin
From ecclesiastical Greek, from theos ‘god’ + -tokos ‘bringing forth’.

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Mary asked Joseph to just call her "Mary" in private. All that Theotokos stuff she had to endure at the market was embarrassing.

[Algot Runeman]

morass

/məˈras/
noun
1 An area of muddy or boggy ground.
2 A complicated or confused situation.

Origin
Late 15th century: from Dutch moeras, alteration (by assimilation to moer ‘moor’) of Middle Dutch marasch, from Old French marais ‘marsh’, from medieval Latin mariscus.

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Edward unwittingly stepped into the morass. He was quickly mired in the controversy though he had offered absolutely no opinions. Social interactions can be just as messy as a physical swamp.

[Algot Runeman]

edentulous

/ɪˈdɛntjʊləs/
adjective
Zoology - Medicine
Lacking teeth.

Origin
Early 18th century: from Latin edentulus, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out’ + dens, dent- ‘tooth’ + -ulous.

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Human babies are born edentulous. Human babies are not ready for independent survival. Human social structures help enable the necessary parental support. Unfortunately, some children are still living at home with mom and dad at the age of 40. At this point mom and dad may be using dentures!



[Once requested (2011), perhaps with no hope of eventual success, "edentulous" has finally come around.]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

edentulous
[... "edentulous" has finally come around.]

There you go !

[Algot Runeman]

I hoped to see your reaction, E.P.S.

Such a positive comment is always nice, considering how griping can be edentulous in addition to being pointless.

[Algot Runeman]

droid

/drɔɪd/
noun
1 (in science fiction) a robot.
1.1 A person regarded as lifeless or mechanical.

Origin
1970s: shortening of android.

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I wonder if any scientists have studied the process of dunking an android into Crisco™ shortening its name to create the word droid.
Is there a patent on the process?
cannot ⇨ can't
I do not know.

[Algot Runeman]

defuse

/diːˈfjuːz/
verb
[WITH OBJECT]
1 Remove the fuse from (an explosive device) in order to prevent it from exploding.
1.1 Make (a situation) less tense or dangerous.

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"Nobody will want to sit there!", shouted her husband.
Darlene defused the tense situation by defuzzing the sofa before the guests arrived. The party was a huge success. the guests diffused all around the room.

[Algot Runeman]

iridaceous

/ˌɪrɪˈdeɪʃəs//ˌʌɪrɪˈdeɪʃəs/
adjective
Botany
Relating to or denoting plants of the iris family ("Iridaceae" ), which grow from bulbs, corms, or rhizomes.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from modern Latin Iridaceae (plural), based on Greek iris, irid- ‘rainbow’, + -ous.

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There is a far greater chance that you will plant irises in a garden than that you will ever say "iridaceous" in a sentence (unless you are writing an academic paper for a botany journal).

[Algot Runeman]

succession

noun
1 A number of people or things of a similar kind following one after the other.
1.1 Geology A group of strata representing a single chronological sequence.
2 mass noun The action or process of inheriting a title, office, property, etc.
2.1 The right or sequence of inheriting a position, title, etc.
2.2 Ecology The process by which a plant or animal community successively gives way to another until a stable climax is reached.
Compare with sere


This word came after ODO suggested "sertaño", an arid Brazilian region of scrub growth; which lead me to "sere/sear", dry and withered vegetation; but "sere" is also the ecology term for succession. One word leads to another, though the logic of the sequence may be mostly mine and might not be what your succession would be.

[Algot Runeman]

dialogue

(US dialog)

/ˈdʌɪəlɒɡ/
noun
1 A conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or film.
1.1 A discussion between two or more people or groups, especially one directed towards exploration of a particular subject or resolution of a problem.
verb
[NO OBJECT]North American
1 Take part in a conversation or discussion to resolve a problem.

Origin
Middle English: from Old French dialoge, via Latin from Greek dialogos, from dialegesthai ‘converse with’, from dia ‘through’ + legein ‘speak’.

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

While we attempted a serious dialog, Elaine kept trying to jump into the conversation, hoping to make it a trialog.

[Algot Runeman]

mausoleum

/ˌmɔːzəˈlɪəm//ˌmɔːsəˈlɪəm/
noun
A stately or impressive building housing a tomb or group of tombs.

Origin
Late 15th century: via Latin from Greek Mausōleion, from Mausōlos, the name of a king of Caria (4th century BC), to whose tomb in Halicarnassus the name was originally applied.

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The Capitol Building in Washington is, in part, a mausoleum where George Washington's remains were to be "entombed". Washington's will stipulated, instead, that he be buried at Mount Vernon, his estate in Virginia. The dead have many terms dedicated to their use, even though they are not here to appreciate it.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

mausoleum

Does Walt Disney have a mousoleum?

[Algot Runeman]

Does Walt Disney have a mousoleum?

E.P.S., You have outdone yourself.

[Algot Runeman]

highfalutin

/ˌhʌɪfəˈluːtɪn/
(also highfaluting, hifalutin)
adjective
informal
(especially of speech, writing, or ideas) pompous or pretentious.

Origin
Mid 19th century (originally US): perhaps from high + fluting (present participle of flute).

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"K.I.S.S." was on the note his wife handed him as he began his speech. At first, he thought "how nice, a kiss for luck", but he looked again and saw the periods. "Keep it simple, stupid." Fred tried to keep from using all those highfalutin buzzwords during his talk.