24 and 25 March 2007

[Valiant 96]

deign \DAYN\, intransitive verb:

 

1. To think worthy; to condescend -- followed by an infinitive.

2. To condescend to give or bestow; to stoop to furnish; to grant.

 

 

Deign comes from Old French deignier, "to regard as worthy," from Latin dignari, from dignus, "worthy." It is related to dignity, "the quality or state of being worthy."

[Valiant 96]

clarion \KLAIR-ee-uhn\, noun:

 

1. A kind of trumpet having a clear and shrill note.

2. The sound of this instrument or a sound similar to it.

3. Sounding like the clarion; loud and clear.

 

 

Clarion comes from Medieval Latin clario, clarion-, from Latin clarus, "clear."

[Valiant 96]

toper \TOH-puhr\, noun:

 

One who drinks frequently or to excess.

 

 

Toper is formed from the verb tope, "to drink," originally an interjection used in proposing a toast, from French tope!, "agreed!" from toper, "to cover a stake in playing at dice, to accept an offer, to agree."

[Valiant 96]

abecedarian \ay-bee-see-DAIR-ee-uhn\, noun:

 

1. One who is learning the alphabet; hence, a beginner.

2. One engaged in teaching the alphabet.

3. Pertaining to the letters of the alphabet.

4. Arranged alphabetically.

5. Rudimentary; elementary.

 

 

Abecedarian derives from Latin abecedarius, from the first four letters of the alphabet

[Valiant 96]

putsch \PUCH ('u' as in 'push')\, noun:

 

(Sometimes capitalized) A secretly planned and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government.

 

 

Putsch comes from German, from Middle High German, literally, "thrust."

[Valiant 96]

obviate \OB-vee-ayt\, transitive verb:

 

To prevent by interception; to anticipate and dispose of or make unnecessary.

 

 

Obviate derives from Latin obviare, "to meet or encounter," from ob viam, "placed or coming in the way" (ob, "in front of"; via, "way").

[Valiant 96]

brio \BREE-oh\, noun:

 

Enthusiastic vigor; vivacity; liveliness; spirit.

 

 

Brio is from the Italian, ultimately of Celtic origin.

[Valiant 96]

tenet \TEN-it\, noun:

 

Any opinion, principle, dogma, belief, or doctrine that a person holds or maintains as true.

 

 

Tenet comes from Latin tenet "he holds" (something as true), from tenere, "to hold."

[Valiant 96]

rivulet \RIV-yuh-lut\, noun:

 

A small stream or brook; a streamlet.

 

 

Rivulet is from Italian rivoletto, diminutive of rivolo, from Latin rivulus, diminutive of rivus, "a brook, a stream."

[lynnks 0]

cavort \kuh-VORT\, intransitive verb:

 

1. To bound or prance about.

2. To have lively or boisterous fun; to behave in a high-spirited, festive manner.

 

Cavort is perhaps an alteration of curvet, "a light leap by a horse" (with the back arched or curved), from Italian corvetta, "a little curve," from Middle French courbette, from courber, "to curve," from Latin curvare, "to bend, to curve," from curvus, "curved, bent."

[lynnks 0]

efficacious \ef-ih-KAY-shuhs\, adjective:

 

 

Possessing the quality of being effective; producing, or capable of producing, the effect intended; as, an efficacious law.

 

 

Efficacious is from Latin efficax, -acis, from efficere, "to effect, to bring about," from ex-, "out" + facere, "to do or make."

[lynnks 0]

bedaub \bih-DOB\, transitive verb:

 

 

1. To smudge over; to besmear or soil with anything thick and dirty.

2. To overdecorate; to ornament showily or excessively.

 

Bedaub is from be-, "thoroughly" + daub, from Medieval French dauber, "to plaster," perhaps from Old French dauber, "to clothe in white, white-wash, plaster," from Latin dealbare, "to whitewash, to plaster," from de- (intensive prefix) + albus, "white."

 

Albus Dumbledore!

[lynnks 0]

trice \TRYS\, noun:

 

 

A very short time; an instant; a moment; -- used chiefly in the phrase "in a trice."

 

Trice is from Middle English (at a) trise, literally, "(at one) pull," from trisen, "to pull," from Middle Dutch trisen, "to hoist," from trise, "a windlass, a pulley."

[lynnks 0]

impugn \im-PYOON\, transitive verb:

 

 

To attack by words or arguments; to call in question; to make insinuations against; to oppose or challenge as false; to gainsay.

 

Impugn comes from Latin impugnare, "to assail," from in-, "against" + pugnare, "to fight."

[lynnks 0]

apostasy \uh-POS-tuh-see\, noun:

 

 

Total desertion or departure from one's faith, principles, or party.

 

 

Apostasy is derived from Greek apostasis, "a standing away from, a defection, a revolt," from aphistanai, "to stand off or away from, to revolt," from apo-, "from, away from" + histanai, "to stand."

[lynnks 0]

prolix \pro-LIKS; PRO-liks\, adjective:

 

 

1. Extending to a great length; unnecessarily long; wordy.

2. Tending to speak or write at excessive length.

 

Prolix is derived from Latin prolixus, "poured forth, overflowing, extended, long," from pro-, "forward" + liquere, "to be fluid."

[lynnks 0]

gregarious \grih-GAIR-ee-us\, adjective:

 

 

1. Tending to form a group with others of the same kind.

2. Seeking and enjoying the company of others.

 

Gregarious is from Latin gregarius, "belonging to a herd or flock," from grex, greg-, "herd, flock."

[lynnks 0]

circumspect \SUR-kuhm-spekt\, adjective:

 

 

Marked by attention to all circumstances and probable consequences; cautious; prudent.

 

Circumspect comes from the past participle of Latin circumspicere, "to look around, to consider carefully," from circum-, "around" + specere, "to look." The noun form is circumspection.

[lynnks 0]

prepotency \pree-POTE-n-see\, noun:

 

 

1. The quality or condition of having superior power, influence, or force; predominance.

2. (Biology) The capacity, on the part of one of the parents, as compared with the other, to transmit more than his or her own share of characteristics to their offspring.

 

 

Prepotency is from Latin praepotentia, from prae-, "before" + potentia, "power," from potens, "able, powerful," present participle of posse, "to be able."

[lynnks 0]

argot \AHR-go; -gut\, noun:

 

 

1. A specialized and often secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group.

2. A secret language or conventional slang peculiar to thieves, tramps, and vagabonds

 

 

Argot is from the French.

[lynnks 0]

sorry sorry, was late in posting the Word of the Day, just pretend they were posted on the day they were supposed to be okay? 

 

quagmire \KWAG-myr; KWOG-\, noun:

 

 

1. Soft, wet, miry land that shakes or yields under the feet.

2. A difficult or precarious position or situation; a predicament.

 

 

Quagmire is from quag, a dialectical variant of quake (from Old English cwacian) + mire, from Old Norse myrr, "a swamp."

[lynnks 0]

ukase \yoo-KAYS; -KAYZ; YOO-kays; -kayz\, noun:

 

 

1. In imperial Russia, a published proclamation or order having the force of law.

2. Any order or decree issued by an authority; an edict.

 

Ukase derives from Russian ukaz, "decree," from Old Church Slavonic ukazu, "a showing, proof," from u-, "at, to" + kazati, "to point out, to show."

[lynnks 0]

indigence \IN-dih-juhn(t)s\, noun:

 

 

A state of extreme poverty or destitution.

 

Indigence comes from Latin indigentia, "neediness," from indigens, indigent- present participle of indigere to be in need of, from Latin indu (archaic form of in-), "in" + egere "to be needy, to need, to lack." The adjective form is indigent.

[Valiant 96]

gregarious \grih-GAIR-ee-us\, adjective:

 

1. Tending to form a group with others of the same kind.

2. Seeking and enjoying the company of others.

 

 

Gregarious is from Latin gregarius, "belonging to a herd or flock," from grex, greg-, "herd, flock."

[Valiant 96]

apostasy \uh-POS-tuh-see\, noun:

 

Total desertion or departure from one's faith, principles, or party.

 

 

Apostasy is derived from Greek apostasis, "a standing away from, a defection, a revolt," from aphistanai, "to stand off or away from, to revolt," from apo-, "from, away from" + histanai, "to stand."