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Word of the Day

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  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    recherchΓ©

    Adjective
    recherchΓ© (comparative more recherchΓ©, superlative most recherchΓ©)

    1. Sought out and chosen with care; choice; exquisite.
    2. Exotic; of rare quality, elegance, attractiveness, etc.
    3. (by extension) Precious, pretentious, affected.

    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/recherch%C3%A9#English

  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    sycophant

    Noun
    sycophant (plural sycophants)

    1. One who uses obsequious compliments to gain self-serving favour or advantage from another; a servile flatterer.
      Synonyms: ass-kisser, brown noser, suck-up, yes man
    2. One who seeks to gain through the powerful and influential.
      Synonyms: parasite, flunky, lackey
    3. (obsolete) An informer; a talebearer.

    Derived terms:
    sycophancy
    sycophantic
    sycophantish
    sycophantism

    Verb
    sycophant (third-person singular simple present sycophants, present participle sycophanting, simple past and past participle sycophanted)

    1. (transitive, obsolete) To inform against; hence, to calumniate.
    2. (transitive, rare) To play the sycophant toward; to flatter obsequiously.
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    opprobrium

    Noun
    opprobrium (countable and uncountable, plural opprobriums or opprobria)

    1. (archaic) A cause, object, or situation of disgrace or shame. [from mid 17th c.] Synonym: (obsolete) opprobry
    2. Disgrace or bad reputation arising from exceedingly shameful behaviour; ignominy. [from late 17th c.]
      Synonyms: obloquy, (obsolete) opprobry
    3. Scornful contempt or reproach; an instance of this.
      Synonyms: blame, castigation, censure, derision, invective, (obsolete) opprobry
    4. (archaic) Behaviour which is disgraceful or shameful.
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    cogent

    Adjective
    cogent (comparative more cogent, superlative most cogent)

    1. Reasonable and convincing; based on evidence.
    2. Appealing to the intellect or powers of reasoning.
    3. Forcefully persuasive; relevant, pertinent.
      The prosecution presented a cogent argument, convincing the jury of the defendant's guilt.

    Synonyms:
    compelling, conclusive, convincing, indisputable

    Antonyms:
    debatable, irrelevant, uncogent

    Derived terms:
    cogency
    cogently
    incogent
    uncogent

    Related terms:
    cache
    coagulate
    squat

  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    Thucydides trap

    Etymology
    An allusion to the ancient Athenian historian and military general Thucydides, who posited that the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta had been inevitable because of Spartan fears of the growth of Athenian power.

    Noun
    Thucydides trap (plural Thucydides traps)

    • An apparent tendency towards war when an emerging power threatens to displace an existing great power as a regional or international hegemon.
      Usage notes:
      Coined and primarily used to describe a potential conflict between the United States and the People's Republic of China.

    Alternative forms

    • Thucydides' trap
    • Thucydian Realpolitik
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    dearth

    Noun
    dearth (countable and uncountable, plural dearths)

    1. A period or condition when food is rare and hence expensive; famine.
    2. (by extension) Scarcity; a lack or short supply.
    3. (obsolete) Dearness; the quality of being rare or costly.

    Verb
    dearth (third-person singular simple present dearths, present participle dearthing, simple past and past participle dearthed)

    • (transitive, dated, obsolete) To cause or produce a scarcity in something.
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    anathema

    anathema (plural anathemas or anathemata)

    1. (ecclesiastical, historical) A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, often accompanied by excommunication; something denounced as accursed. [from early 17th c.]
      Synonyms: ban, curse
    2. (by extension) Something which is vehemently disliked by somebody.
      Synonyms: antipathy, bΓͺte noire, bugbear
    3. (literary) An imprecation; a curse; a malediction.
    4. (ecclesiastical) Any person or thing anathematized, or cursed by ecclesiastical authority to unending punishment.
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    accouterment

    accouterment (plural accouterments)

    1. (military, chiefly in the plural) A soldier's equipment, other than weapons and uniform.
    2. (chiefly in the plural) An article of clothing or equipment, in particular when used as an accessory.
      Synonyms: equipment, gear, trappings, accessory
    3. (by extension) An identifying yet superficial characteristic.
    4. (archaic) The act of accoutering; furnishing.
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    purloin

    purloin

    Verb

    • (transitive, usually formal or humorous) To take the property of another, often in breach of trust; to appropriate wrongfully; to steal.
    • (intransitive) To commit theft; to thieve.

    purloin (third-person singular simple present purloins, present participle purloining, simple past and past participle purloined)

    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/purloin

    Example: One of three men on trial in the case of the purloined potty was involved in stealing it and the other two helped to sell the spoils.

    https://lemmy.world/post/26091679
    https://globalnews.ca/news/11050389/golden-toilet-stolen-cctv-video-released/

  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    garrulous

    garrulous

    1. Excessively or tiresomely talkative; (Synonyms: chatty, talkative, longiloquence, long-winded, loquacious, tonguey, voluble)
    2. wordy and rambling; (Synonyms: bombastic, rambling, wordy)

    Adjective
    garrulous (comparative more garrulous, superlative most garrulous)

    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/garrulous

  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    verismo, naturalism, naturism

    • verismo - An artistic movement, from 19th-century Italian literature and opera, in which rural and everyday people and themes were treated in an often melodramatic manner
    • naturism - (1.) The belief in or practice of going nude in social settings, often in mixed-gender groups, specifically either in cultures where this is not the norm or for health reasons. (2.) The worship of the powers of nature.
    • naturalism - A movement in theatre, film, and literature that seeks to replicate a believable everyday reality, as opposed to such movements as romanticism, surrealism, or abstract art, in which subjects may receive highly symbolic or idealistic treatment.
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    verisimilitude

    • verisimilitude - the property of seeming true, of resembling reality; resemblance to reality.
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    m_f @midwest.social

    Snifter

    Noun

    1. (chiefly Northern England, Scotland) A sniff.
    2. (figurative)
      • (chiefly Northern England, Scotland) A strong or severe wind.
      • (originally and chiefly US) A small, wide, pear-shaped glass used for drinking aromatic liquors such as bourbon and brandy.
      • (originally US, informal) Synonym of "nip" (a small amount of an alcoholic beverage, especially one equivalent to what a snifter might hold).
      • (US, slang) Synonym of "cocaine addict"; a sniffer.
      • (US, slang) A small amount of cocaine taken by inhaling through the nose.
      • (US, slang) A handheld device used to detect signals from radio transmitters; a sniffer.

    Verb

    1. (intransitive) To sniff; also, to snivel or snuffle.
    2. (transitive, archaic, rare) Followed by "out": to speak (words) in a nasal, snuffling manner.

    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Word_of_the_day/2024/November_27

  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    lecherous

    Adjective

    lecherous (comparative more lecherous, superlative most lecherous)

  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    convivial

    Adjective

    convivial (comparative more convivial, superlative most convivial)

    • Having elements of a feast or of entertainment, especially when it comes to eating and drinking, with accompanying festivity
    • Synonyms: festive, social, gay, jovial, merry
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    m_f @midwest.social

    The Origin of Vermillion

    cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/21792459

    I was recently 'complaining' about how I find the name for Vermillion was difficult for me because it seems like it should be a green color. Since "ver" usually means green, like "verde".

    So, I looked up why it's called Vermillion and found that the reason is because of this bug called Kermes vermilio:


    Photo credit Paul Starosta

  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    mortal coil

    Etymology

    Alluding to Hamlet. The two senses result from two interpretations of the word coil, one taking it to mean β€œtumult, confusion, fuss”, the other β€œcase, wrapping”. In either case, the phrase β€œshuffle off this mortal coil” must mean β€œdie”. Since "shuffle off" is generally taken to mean "get rid of" or "evade" it is likely that in the sense that Shakespeare used it, it was specifically referring to the act of suicide.

    Noun

    mortal coil (plural mortal coils)

    1. The chaos and confusion of life.
    2. The physical body of a man (containing the spirit inside).
  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    pareidolia

    Noun

    pareidolia (plural pareidolias)

    • (psychology) The tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, such as interpreting marks on Mars as canals, seeing shapes in clouds, or hearing hidden messages in music.

    Etymology

    Borrowed from German Pareidolie, constructed from Ancient Greek παρα- (para-, β€œalongside”) + Ρἴδωλον (eΓ­dōlon, β€œimage”) + -Ξ―Ξ± (-Γ­a).

    Links

  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    πž‹΄π›‚π›‹π›† @lemmy.world

    Chippy

    chippy (plural chippies)

    Noun

    1. (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang) A carpenter. [from 19th c.]
    2. (slang, Western US) A prostitute or promiscuous woman. [from 19th c.]
    3. (UK, Ireland, informal) A fish-and-chip shop. [from 20th c.] Synonym: chipper
    4. (Australia, slang) The youngest member of a team or group, normally someone whose voice has not yet deepened, talking like a chipmunk.
    5. (New Zealand) A potato chip.
    6. (demoscene, informal) A chiptune.
    7. (US) A chipping sparrow.
    8. (slang) An occasional drug habit, less than addiction.

    chippy (comparative chippier, superlative chippiest)

    Adjective

    1. (Canada, UK) Ill-tempered, disagreeable.
    2. (Canada, sports) Involving violence or unfair play.
    3. (of wood) Tending to form chips when cut, rather than larger, more usable pieces of wood.
    4. (dated) As dry as a chip of wood.
    5. (archaic) Feeling sick from drinking alcohol; hung over.

    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chippy#English

  • Word of the Day @lemmy.world
    m_f @midwest.social

    Jizz

    Etymology 1

    The earliest known appearance in print dates from 1922, in Thomas Coward's "Country Diary" column for the Manchester Guardian of 6 December 1921; the piece was subsequently included in his 1922 book Bird Haunts and Nature Memories. He attributed it to "a west-coast Irishman", and explained:

    if we are walking on the road and see, far ahead, someone whom we recognise although we can neither distinguish features nor particular clothes, we may be certain that we are not mistaken; there is something in the carriage, the walk, the general appearance which is familiar; it is, in fact, the individual's jizz.

    There are several theories as to the etymology of β€œjizz”:

    • From the military term GIS (β€œgeneral impression and shape”).
    • Possible contraction of just is (in the sense that a particular bird species β€œjust is” that species).

    An essay by Greenwood and Greenwood in 2018 debunks these theories. Other suggestions include variants of guise, gist and gestalt (mispronounced