1. gubbins — [British informal] odds and ends; thing of no value “You don’t have time to worry about that gubbins,” Sheila said, “our packs are full enough already.” 2. nomothetic — based upon law; of or related to universal laws Dr. Hardwithe’s success stemmed ultimately from his misapprehension of the fundamental divide in …
Category Archives: Vocabulary
Friday Vocabulary
1. azote — nitrogen Azote is necessary for most plants, though the form in which it can be absorbed varies; beets, for example, require nitrates for an abundant crop. 2. phlegm — sticky mucus from throat and lungs; one of the four humors of medieval medical theory, causing sluggish temperament; composure, calmness, apathy Funds …
Friday Vocabulary
1. raptus — seizure; ravishing, rape; medieval form of marriage by abduction Of course the most famous person accused of raptus is last week’s featured poet, Geoffrey Chaucer. 2. posture chair — office chair designed to support and conform to natural human form Ryback leaned back in the dark wooden posture chair which was …
Friday Vocabulary
1. williwaw (also williwau) — savage squall off cragged coasts in near-polar waters Never have I viewed a sudden storm with such joy as I did when I saw the dark clouds rage behind us in what had been clear waters as the williwaw arose suddenly to confound our pursuers. 2. sere — dry, …
Friday Vocabulary
1. corybantic — crazed, wild, frenzied, orgiastic We have no need for corybantic preaching and unbridled emotional appeal, for our program is a sane and reasoned approach of proven value. 2. spencer — short tight jacket of 19th century, often trimmed with fur when worn by women and children Not even taking time to …
Friday Vocabulary
1. loathe — to detest, to feel disgust for or towards I simply loathe the new branding, and don’t even get me started on what they’ve done to the mascot. 2. loath — unwilling, averse, reluctant Loath as I was to bring the bad news to Elsa, I realized that it was, after all, …
Friday Vocabulary
1. tropopause — atmospheric boundary layer between troposphere and stratosphere The air temperature will be at a minimum, ceteris paribus, at the tropopause, rising as the descent is made through the troposphere to the ground. 2. ovinity — the state of sheep, sheep-like nature Hengval believed that most humans lived always in a wretched …
Friday Vocabulary
1. casern — garrison lodging, barracks I tied my horse to one of the pillars holding up a sort of porch roof before the unimpressive casern of the Trebitsch regiment, for I saw no stables. 2. gangrel — [Scots] tramp, vagabond; gangling person “Don’t try to cheer me with your gangrel wisdom, for I’ve …
Friday Vocabulary
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 …
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 …