1. parallax — apparent difference in position due to change in location of observation point Before adjusting for parallax in your rifle scope, make sure that your reticle is properly focused. 2. bursary — [British] college scholarship; institutional treasure, esp. for ecclesiastical institutions Some say that Lord Peter only funded the bursary to make …
Author Archives: mysterious6030
Book List: 900 Books
After finally getting around to giving you the listing for books #701 – #800, I managed to place my brain into a state of suspended animation, going through the motions and going to work, and completely neglecting the fact that I’d also promised to give you the Book List for #801 – #900. So here …
Friday Vocabulary
1. ailurophile — lover of cats, cat fancier She was also prone to lapse into a simpering baby talk when feeding her pets which is one of the warning signs of the worst type of ailurophile. 2. sloe — astringent fruit of the blackthorn The only variety we had in our diet that long …
Friday Vocabulary
1. mob-handed — [British] as a mob or in a group, esp. with violent designs So there we were, breathing heavy after the chase and all of us ready to start swinging mob-handed at the boys, when this tiny dark-haired woman—Joanne it turned out to be—steps out from the alley next to the store, and …
Friday Vocabulary
1. stifle — joint between tibia and femur in rear legs of some four-legged animals, corresponding to human knee Pugs are, of course, subject to patellar luxation (also known as slipped stifles) so you want to be sure your dog shows strength and free action through the hocks and stifles. 2. heterochromia — having …
Friday Vocabulary
1. pen — female swan We tried a stealthy approach to the swans, but the pen spotted us and let out a warning cry, whereupon the cob rushed at us, forcing our ignominious retreat. 2. iceblink — brightness in sky caused by light reflection off of sea ice or glaciers But the yellowish glow …
Friday Vocabulary
1. gnomic — aphoristic Here we see the poetic power of The Beatitudes, their gnomic wisdom shining forth in a manner not seen, for example, in the Decalogue. 2. frontlet — decorative ornament worn on forehead; phylactery Depending from her frontlet, the wooden body of which depicted one of the many gods and powers …
Friday Vocabulary
1. howe (also how) — barrow, tumulus The aged king was laid in a great howe near the source of the river for which he was named. 2. riband — [archaic] ribbon, esp. a decorative one But Jane’s new bright red riband couldn’t entirely hide the thin patches on her most festive headwear, and …
Friday Vocabulary
1. doula — trained woman assisting mother during and after childbirth Though the doula may provide emotional support and practical advice, she differs from a midwife in that she cannot perform medical activities. 2. congener — something of the same type as another; living organism belonging to same genus as another; fusel alcohols and …
Friday Vocabulary
1. qaid (also caid) — local leader or judge in North Africa; Berber chief But the qaid interrupted Deschamps at this point, and brought out the leather-bound edition of Cooper’s works we had presented to the chieftain, and Teddy and I knew then that our gift had been a prescient one indeed. 2. shrike …