1. syncytium — [biology] multinucleate cell or cell mass The syncytia are distributed irregularly throughout the trophospongia except at the point of contact with the trophoblast. 2. jamb — either vertical element alongside a wall opening such as a door or window frame We finally found the bullet, driven into the very bottom of …
Tag Archives: bonus word
Friday Vocabulary
1. davit — [nautical] small crane used on a boat, esp. in pairs for lowering and raising a lifeboat or launch Sudden panic overcame me as I came out of the gangway and saw the lines blowing free in the gale and the davits emptied of the only seaworthy lifeboat on the ship. 2. …
Friday Vocabulary
1. apanthropy — disdain for human companionship, predilection for solitude Among the many powerful feelings which the holidays always inspires in me, an overwhelming sense of apanthropy is perhaps the strongest and most sustained. 2. flannelette — napped cotton made to resemble flannel Marcie wore a fleecy flannelette nightgown striped in blue and yellow, …
Friday Vocabulary
1. isarithm — contour lines The experienced map reader will imagine the elevation denoted by the isarithms, and will visualize the steep escarpments or gradually descending plains depicted by the chart. 2. selsyn — synchro, coordination of physical device to a monitor or control device by use of electric current Transfer of position data …
Friday Vocabulary
1. flytime (also fly-time and fly time) — season when flies are prevalent and pestering During flytime, some ranchers even go so far as to put their cows out to pasture only after sunset, finding that cattle during the day merely tramp the grass and swat flies instead of feeding. 2. snook — protandric …
Friday Vocabulary
1. devilfish — octopus; piranha; devil ray; giant squid; other marine animals with (supposedly) malevolent mien And though that devilfish had his suckers wound around the old man’s arm, the aged diver did not panic, but calmly extracted the octopus from his hiding spot. 2. firedog — andiron Smoke continued to leak into the …
Friday Vocabulary
1. terret — ring on harness saddle through which the reins are passed When driving a unicorn team you need to ensure that the reins of the lead horse are fed loosely through the pair’s terrets, which usually requires an extra D-ring. 2. shebeen — [Ireland, Scotland, South Africa] unlicensed place where alcoholic drinks …
Friday Vocabulary
1. grom — [slang] young surfer; youth on a board of the various types (wake-, snow-, skate-; i.e., not corporate) That pesky grom really got worked when he took off on the wrong wave at the reef break. 2. reata — lariat, lasso Scotch Bill dallied the rawhide reata around his saddlehorn as he …
Friday Vocabulary
1. corm — [botany] swollen stem of plant serving as storage organ, bulbotuber Transforming your corm into a burgeoning banana plant is a labor of love and … well, labor, which is the reason for the much lower price. 2. graupel — mushy hail, granular snow To distinguish hail from graupel is most easily …
Friday Vocabulary
1. motorik — driving 4/4 beat—often with pop! on 3rd beat—typical of krautrock Though of course most are familiar with the motorik used in Kraftwerk’s “Autobahn”, aficionados still argue whether Jaki Liebezeit of Can or Klaus Dinger of Neu! deserves more credit for the spread of perhaps the most popular beat of the late 20th …