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 …
Tag Archives: bonus word
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 …
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. 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 …
Friday Vocabulary
1. panentheism — tenet that God is the entirety of the universe and yet somehow transcends the universe as well The author claims Rumi as a believer in panentheism because the Sufi poet finds God to be both transcendent and immanent, but then again, this is also the view held in most Catholic orthodoxy. …