Posts Tagged ‘word’

13
Aug

Word of the Week: somnolent

Greetings, Word Lovers! The last WOW was semelparous. According to Merriam-Webster online, semelparous means reproducing or breeding only once in a lifetime. If you know the hubby, then you’re probably wondering why I didn’t know this word. If he knew it, I don’t recall him telling me what it meant, either. However, as bad as my memory is getting, he probably did!

This week’s WOW is somnolent. Here are my guesses for somnolent:

somnolent: (ˈsäm-nə-lənt) 1. able to sleep 2. sleepy 3. the state of becoming violent when you don’t have Xanax at night

What’s your guess for somnolent? Comment below with your guess!

Next Post: Logging Off

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25
Jun

Word of the Week: phreaker

Good morning, Word Fans! Last week’s WOW was nescience. The Merriam-Webster definition for nescience is: lack of knowledge or awareness or ignorance. No one guessed the meaning to this work so I guess we’re all showing our nescience about nescience????

Today’s WOW is phreaker. Here are my definition guesses for phreaker:

phreaker (ˈfrē-kər) 1. a streaker carrying a phone 2. one who freaks about philosophy 3. a speaker who only speaks in phrases (In other words, a poet.)

What is your guess for phreaker? Comment below and let’s see who came closest.

Next Post: Painting Exterior Doors

You Might Also Like: Word of the Week: nescience; Word of the Week: jocose; and Word of the Week: flocculate

20
Jun

Word of the Week: nescience

Howdy, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was jocose. The DD says she knows this one. According to her, it means playful or silly. Let’s see if she’s right.

Merriam-Webster’s definition is: given to joking; merry; characterized by joking, or humorous. Pretty darn close–especially that silly part. Wish I had the daughter’s vocab!

This week’s WOW is nescience. Here’s what I think nescience might mean:

nescience: (ˈne-sh(ē-)ən(t)s) 1. new science (a reference to psychology???) 2. newt conscience 3. nepotism knowledge

What are your guesses for nescience? Comment below and see if you’re right next week!

Wednesday’s Post: Endless Trim…

14
May

Word of the Week: agon

Good evening, Word Fans! (Okay, so I’m late with this post…)

Last week’s WOW was blench. Merriam Webster Online says that blench means: to draw back or turn aside from lack of courage or to flinch. Ummm….this begs the question: Why not just use the word flinch??? It’s the same number of letters. In fact, with the exception of two letters, it’s the same friggin’ word! Clearly, MaryAnn is not a part of the word wizarding team at Merriam-Webster when they’re deciding what words to label “archaic” in their dictionary. I suppose now that most of us look up the words online anyway, deleting out-of-use words from the dictionary is not a particularly cost-saving venture anymore. But, still!

This week’s WOW is agon. Why do I have this weird feeling all my favorite MIP readers are going to know this one??? Heck, I feel like I should know it, too, so here are my guesses (both serious and not so serious) for agon:

agon (ˈä-ˌgän) 1. the condition or state of someone or something being gone 2. how a Southerner refers to processing cheese and/or wine 3. all gone 4. argon gas once it has started dissipating (Think about it–it will hit you later.)

What’s your definition of agon? Comment below with your guess!

Wednesday’s Post: Cabinetry at the Cabin

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21
Jul

Word of the Week: cybrarian

Dictionary --Word of the Week

Howdy, Word Nerds! If you’re wondering where my posts have gone, it’s called a busy life on several fronts. So, sue me–I took a brief vacation from writing!

Last week’s WOW was caparison. Merriam-Webster Online says there are 2 definitions:

  1. a :  an ornamental covering for a horse b :  decorative trappings and harness

  2. rich clothing :  adornment

Quite clearly none of my horse owner friends read this blog! Of course, the fact that I rarely (if ever) reference horse stuff here has absolutely nothing to do with that.

This week’s WOW is cybrarian. Here are my guesses for cybrarian:

cybrarian: (sī-ˈbrer-ē-ən) 1. an employee of a circular library 2. a cyberspace librarian 3. Marion the Libarian’s and Harold Hill’s son, Cy.

What’s your guess for cybrarian? Post a comment below to let me know the REAL definition.

Wednesday’s Post: Logging Miles

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11
Jul

Word of the Week: caparison

Dictionary --Word of the Week

Howdy, Word Nerds! Last week I chose to salute the 4th of July. So, we need to go back two weeks to Beltane. According to Merriam-Webster Online, Beltane is: the Celtic May Day festival. Remind me of that next May.

Today’s WOW (Word of the Week) really is caparison. No, I didn’t misspell it.

Here are my guesses for caparison:

caparison: (kə-ˈper-ə-sən) 1. a comparison of capes 2. a comparison of Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod 3. a comparison of capitals 4. being stuck on comparisons of words that begin with “ca”

What’s do you think caparison means? Your guess deserves “center stage”, so leave a guess below!

Wednesday’s Post: More Log Rhythms!

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06
Jun

Word of the Week: vox populi

Dictionary --Word of the Week

Good morning, Word Nerds! Last week’s WOW was pandiculation. The Merriam-Webster definition for pandiculation is: a stretching and stiffening especially of the trunk and extremities (as…after waking from sleep). This definition came from my bestest buddy:

“A panda verbalizing. Panda- from the Latin Pandus as in spreading round in a wide curved arch (I believe that Pandas were originally named this because of their wide, curved bottoms) iculation-from the Latin Locutiounis as in style of speaking. Thus the inferred meaning: Pandas have wide bottoms that make noise”

Now you know why she’s my bestest buddy. If you think this is amusing, go to a Star Wars movie with her. I’m amazed we didn’t get kicked out of theaters for antics during the fight scenes.

Today’s WOW (Word of the Week) is vox populi. Today I feel like giving you an extra definition. Here are my definition guesses for it:

vox populi (ˈväks-ˈpä-pyü-ˌlī) 1. many voices 2. verbosity 3. deafening sound 4. the chaos resulting from my household feeding an entire sports team Wednesday night dinner

02
May

Word of the Week: ne plus ultra

Dictionary --Word of the Week

Good morning, Word Nerds! Last week’s WOW (Word of the Week) was: mellifluous. The daughter guessed that it was “sweet sounding, musical, etc. ????” Let’s see how close she got.

Merriam-Webster Online says that mellifluous means having a smooth, flowing sound. So, she’s pretty darn close! Glad to know all those music lessons paid off! 🙂

Today’s WOW is ne plus ultra. Again, my French “bells” are going off, so let’s see what I can conjure up as my definition guesses for it:

ne plus ultra (nā-ˌpləs-ˈəl-trə) 1. no longer special 2. not noteworthy or significant 3. subtraction

What are your guesses for ne plus ultra? Submit a comment to this post to let me know!

Wednesday’s Post: Put on your thinking caps

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25
Apr

Word of the Week: mellifluous

Dictionary --Word of the Week

Good morning, Friends! Last week’s WOW (Word of the Week) was longueur. This one stumped everybody, so here’s what Merriam-Webster Online had to say about it: a boring part of something (such as a book or play). Hmmm…could WOW be longueur??? I hope not!

Today’s WOW is mellifluous. I feel like I’ve heard this word before, but I can’t pull out the definition from my memory, so here are my guesses for it:

mellifluous (me-ˈli-flə-wəs) 1. full of Mello  Yello 2. a melodic tune 3. infatuated with Mel Gibson

What’s your guess for mellifluous? Submit it in a comment here!

Wednesday’s Post: Sensate Prayer

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18
Apr

Word of the Week: longueur

Dictionary --Word of the Week

Good morning, Word Nerds! Last week’s WOW was legerdemain. We had one guess that it meant slight of hand or magic-like. According to Merriam-Webster Online legerdemain means: skill in using your hands to perform magic tricks, so the guess is absolutely correct! I wonder if legerdemain would be useful in making the clutter in my house disappear. Hmmm….

Today’s WOW is longueur. I think there’s a French basis for this word, too, so maybe that will pay off somehow, but I’m not holding my breath over here:

longueur: (lōⁿ-ˈgœr) 1. an interminably long event  2. the act of being vertical 3. a tall person

What’s your guess for longueur? Submit a guess below this post!

Wednesday’s Post: It May Be More than Woman’s Intuition

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