Retrograde \RE-truh-greyd\ , adjective;
1. Having a backward motion or direction; retiring or retreating
2. Inverse or reversed, as order
3. Exhibiting degeneration or deterioration
At first I thought that this word was used in carspeak (a language I thoroughly don't understand), but while googling it I found something much more interesting: retrograde ejaculation. Retrograde ejaculation is when the semen goes into the bladder instead of being expelled from the body, which sounds....horrible. I'm obviously not a guy, but I can imagine that this would make one extremely uncomfortable, not to mention panicky!
According to Etymonline.com:
The word dates back to the late 14th century and was originally applied to the apparent motion of planets. It comes from the Latin retrogradus and retrogradi, which mean "going backward" and "move backward," respectively. Retrogradi is a combination of retro- ("backward") and gradi ("to go, step"). The general sense of "tending to revert" goes back to at least the 1530's.
14th century? This word is retro (wah wah). Sorry, I had to...
Also, I'm pretty sure the carspeak word I was thinking of is retrofit.
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Tuesday, October 12
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Nepenthe
Nepenthe \ni-PEN-thee\ , noun;
1. A drug or drink, or the plant yielding it, mentioned by ancient writers as having the power to bring forgetfulness of sorrow or trouble
2. Anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, [especially] of sorrow or trouble.
Kind of sounds like another word I know: alcohol. It does seem kind of nice though, and it reminds me of that one day after I had shoulder surgery when I drifted in an out of a pain killer-aided nap all day. I was absolutely blissfully unaware of how much I was going to ache and how poorly I was going to sleep for the next few months.
According to Etymonline.com:
Nepenthe is really supposed to be nepenthes, but the 's' was dropped in English, as is common for adopted words. The word dates back to at least 1580 and comes from a Greek construction: ne- + penthos ("no, not" + "grief"). Penthos is a relative of pathos, which has a meaning most of us recognize ("suffering" or "experience").
The Oxford English Dictionary has an additional medical definition for this word that is now considered historical and rare:
An opiate; [specifically] a sherry-based tincture of opium and morphine
This word is prevalent in Greek literature and mythology, so it has trickled down into various parts of our modern culture. First mentioned in print in the fourth book of Homer's Odyssey, the word can be found in modern poetry, books, movies, and other pop culture genres. There is even a restaurant in Big Sur named this word. Personally, I think this would be a fantastic name for a wine or martini bar.
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Monday, October 11
1. A drug or drink, or the plant yielding it, mentioned by ancient writers as having the power to bring forgetfulness of sorrow or trouble
2. Anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, [especially] of sorrow or trouble.
Kind of sounds like another word I know: alcohol. It does seem kind of nice though, and it reminds me of that one day after I had shoulder surgery when I drifted in an out of a pain killer-aided nap all day. I was absolutely blissfully unaware of how much I was going to ache and how poorly I was going to sleep for the next few months.
According to Etymonline.com:
Nepenthe is really supposed to be nepenthes, but the 's' was dropped in English, as is common for adopted words. The word dates back to at least 1580 and comes from a Greek construction: ne- + penthos ("no, not" + "grief"). Penthos is a relative of pathos, which has a meaning most of us recognize ("suffering" or "experience").
The Oxford English Dictionary has an additional medical definition for this word that is now considered historical and rare:
An opiate; [specifically] a sherry-based tincture of opium and morphine
This word is prevalent in Greek literature and mythology, so it has trickled down into various parts of our modern culture. First mentioned in print in the fourth book of Homer's Odyssey, the word can be found in modern poetry, books, movies, and other pop culture genres. There is even a restaurant in Big Sur named this word. Personally, I think this would be a fantastic name for a wine or martini bar.
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Monday, October 11
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Round Up: 10/5-10/10
I must have been busy or something because all of a sudden I didn't post anything for 6 days! Here are the Dictionary.com words of the day for October 5-10.
Sunday, October 10:
Bricolage \bree-koh-LAHZH; brih-\ , noun;
1. Construction or something constructed by using whatever materials happen to be available.
Saturday, October 9:
Roborant \ROB-uh-ruhnt\ , adjective, noun;
1. adj. Strengthening; restoring vigor
2. n. A strengthening medicine; a tonic; a restorative
Friday, October 8:
Wassail \WAH-sul; wah-SAYL\ , noun;
1. An expression of good wishes on a festive occasion, especially in drinking to someone.
2. An occasion on which such good wishes are expressed in drinking; a drinking bout; a carouse.
3. The liquor used for a wassail; especially, a beverage formerly much used in England at Christmas and other festivals, made of ale (or wine) flavored with spices, sugar, toast, roasted apples, etc.
Thursday, October 7:
Mana \MAH--nuh\ , noun;
1. A generalized, supernatural force or power, which may be concentrated in objects or persons.
2. An ancient kingdom in Iran, in Kurdistan.
Wednesday, October 6:
Acta \AK-tuh\ , noun;
1. Official records, as of acts, deeds, proceedings, transactions, or the like.
Tuesday, October 5:
Teem \TEEM\ , verb;
1. To abound or swarm; be prolific or fertile
2. To empty or pour out; discharge
Sunday, October 10:
Bricolage \bree-koh-LAHZH; brih-\ , noun;
1. Construction or something constructed by using whatever materials happen to be available.
Saturday, October 9:
Roborant \ROB-uh-ruhnt\ , adjective, noun;
1. adj. Strengthening; restoring vigor
2. n. A strengthening medicine; a tonic; a restorative
Friday, October 8:
Wassail \WAH-sul; wah-SAYL\ , noun;
1. An expression of good wishes on a festive occasion, especially in drinking to someone.
2. An occasion on which such good wishes are expressed in drinking; a drinking bout; a carouse.
3. The liquor used for a wassail; especially, a beverage formerly much used in England at Christmas and other festivals, made of ale (or wine) flavored with spices, sugar, toast, roasted apples, etc.
Thursday, October 7:
Mana \MAH--nuh\ , noun;
1. A generalized, supernatural force or power, which may be concentrated in objects or persons.
2. An ancient kingdom in Iran, in Kurdistan.
Wednesday, October 6:
Acta \AK-tuh\ , noun;
1. Official records, as of acts, deeds, proceedings, transactions, or the like.
Tuesday, October 5:
Teem \TEEM\ , verb;
1. To abound or swarm; be prolific or fertile
2. To empty or pour out; discharge
Monday, October 4, 2010
Nympholepsy
Nympholepsy \NIM-fuh-lep-see\ , noun;
1. A frenzy of emotion, as for something unattainable.
2. An ecstasy supposed by the ancients to be inspired by nymphs.
My husband listens to a late-night radio talk show called Coast to Coast AM. This is the kind of show where the host interviews people who most of us wouldn't give the time of day. They talk about paranormal stuff, end-of-days predictions, fairies, alien abduction, and every other crazy thing you can think of. This word has to have been used on that show at some point, because where else would this word ever be apropos?
The etymology of this word derives from ancient Greek νυμφ{goacu}ληπτος, and is a combination form nymph- + -o- + -lepsy. The suffix -lepsy indicates an attack or seizure of some sort, so this is a 'nymph attack' or 'nymph seizure', and if you know that nymphomania is hypersexuality, the given definition starts to make sense. The OED notes that the 'frenzy' this word indicates is especially useful in describing the emotions a man feels towards a nice looking girl they can't have.
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Monday, October 4
1. A frenzy of emotion, as for something unattainable.
2. An ecstasy supposed by the ancients to be inspired by nymphs.
My husband listens to a late-night radio talk show called Coast to Coast AM. This is the kind of show where the host interviews people who most of us wouldn't give the time of day. They talk about paranormal stuff, end-of-days predictions, fairies, alien abduction, and every other crazy thing you can think of. This word has to have been used on that show at some point, because where else would this word ever be apropos?
The etymology of this word derives from ancient Greek νυμφ{goacu}ληπτος, and is a combination form nymph- + -o- + -lepsy. The suffix -lepsy indicates an attack or seizure of some sort, so this is a 'nymph attack' or 'nymph seizure', and if you know that nymphomania is hypersexuality, the given definition starts to make sense. The OED notes that the 'frenzy' this word indicates is especially useful in describing the emotions a man feels towards a nice looking girl they can't have.
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Monday, October 4
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Fossick
Fossick \FOS-ik\ , verb;
1. To search for any object by which to make gain
2. Mining. To undermine another's digging; search for waste gold in relinquished workings, washing places, etc.
3. To hunt; seek; ferret out
This word is mostly used in Australia to meaning 'mining' or 'prospecting' and comes from an English dialectal noun fossick, "troubling person", or fossicking, "troublesome." Neither of these words are in the online edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (which is the source of this etymology), so I'm assuming these words are considered obsolete.
My mom loves animals, so as a result my family has had almost every pet imaginable. Chinchillas, a peacock, horses, goats, rabbits, and on and on. However, there has always been a short list of absolutely-not-every-going-to-get-ever-never pets: snakes, pigs, ferrets. That's the whole list, everything else is fair game. Well, the other day she got a ferret...go figure. Anyway, the real point here is that she has 4 dogs (in addition to the ferret, chinchillas, cat and probably other things I don't know about). Three are miniature pinchers and one is some sort of terrier and their combined average weight is about 9.75 pounds. They are literally a pack of ankle biters. Today my mom went to her mom's house because one of her siblings is visiting from out of state. Earlier my uncle had told my mom she should bring her dogs to see if they could catch any of the rats that have been hanging around grandma's house (apparently she has a rat problem since her cat went missing). My mom, of course, obliged and the 3 able-bodied dogs set to work (one pincher is blind as a bat and getting old). I'm sad to report that they didn't catch any mice or rats. Two of them did, however, KILL A POSSUM! This creature weighed at least two pounds more than either dog, and when you weigh less than ten pounds, a 1-2lb difference is huge! Suffice to say, these two voracious hunters successfully fossicked that possum and impressed everyone in the process.
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Sunday, October 3
1. To search for any object by which to make gain
2. Mining. To undermine another's digging; search for waste gold in relinquished workings, washing places, etc.
3. To hunt; seek; ferret out
This word is mostly used in Australia to meaning 'mining' or 'prospecting' and comes from an English dialectal noun fossick, "troubling person", or fossicking, "troublesome." Neither of these words are in the online edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (which is the source of this etymology), so I'm assuming these words are considered obsolete.
My mom loves animals, so as a result my family has had almost every pet imaginable. Chinchillas, a peacock, horses, goats, rabbits, and on and on. However, there has always been a short list of absolutely-not-every-going-to-get-ever-never pets: snakes, pigs, ferrets. That's the whole list, everything else is fair game. Well, the other day she got a ferret...go figure. Anyway, the real point here is that she has 4 dogs (in addition to the ferret, chinchillas, cat and probably other things I don't know about). Three are miniature pinchers and one is some sort of terrier and their combined average weight is about 9.75 pounds. They are literally a pack of ankle biters. Today my mom went to her mom's house because one of her siblings is visiting from out of state. Earlier my uncle had told my mom she should bring her dogs to see if they could catch any of the rats that have been hanging around grandma's house (apparently she has a rat problem since her cat went missing). My mom, of course, obliged and the 3 able-bodied dogs set to work (one pincher is blind as a bat and getting old). I'm sad to report that they didn't catch any mice or rats. Two of them did, however, KILL A POSSUM! This creature weighed at least two pounds more than either dog, and when you weigh less than ten pounds, a 1-2lb difference is huge! Suffice to say, these two voracious hunters successfully fossicked that possum and impressed everyone in the process.
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Sunday, October 3
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Mussitate
Mussitate \MUHS-i-teyt\ , verb;1. To silently move the lips in simulation of audible speech
This word brings immediately to mind Mufasa and moussaka, but of course it mussitate has nothing to do with either of those words, or Turkey or Africa either.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines this word 'to mutter' and lists it as obsolete and rare. The etymology is based on the Latin mussitare or 'to mutter', but it is also imitative of an ancient Greek word μ{guacu}ζειν, which also means 'to mutter'
So next time someone stands behind you and rudely mimics you while you talk, don't get mad, tell them that their mussitating makes them look juvenile...yeah, that'll show 'em...
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Saturday, October 2
This word brings immediately to mind Mufasa and moussaka, but of course it mussitate has nothing to do with either of those words, or Turkey or Africa either.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines this word 'to mutter' and lists it as obsolete and rare. The etymology is based on the Latin mussitare or 'to mutter', but it is also imitative of an ancient Greek word μ{guacu}ζειν, which also means 'to mutter'
So next time someone stands behind you and rudely mimics you while you talk, don't get mad, tell them that their mussitating makes them look juvenile...yeah, that'll show 'em...
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Saturday, October 2
Friday, October 1, 2010
Satori
Satori \suh-TOHR-ee\ , noun;
1. In Zen Buddhism, the state of sudden indescribably intuitive enlightenment.
According to Etymonline.com:
This Japanese word dates back to at least 1727 and literally means "spiritual awakening"
The Oxford English Dictionary didn't have anything to add so I consulted Wikipedia, which says satori (悟り) is usually considered the first step on a Buddhist's road to nirvana. I don't know much about Buddhism, but I kind of like the idea of an inspired 'flash' that sets you down the road to total peace. There are stories like that in the Christian and Hebrew bibles, and I would assume that this is a basic tenet of religion. After all, if you haven't found God (or whatever/whoever your guiding light may be), sometimes you need a kick in the pants to start down a spiritual path.
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Friday, October 1
1. In Zen Buddhism, the state of sudden indescribably intuitive enlightenment.
According to Etymonline.com:
This Japanese word dates back to at least 1727 and literally means "spiritual awakening"
The Oxford English Dictionary didn't have anything to add so I consulted Wikipedia, which says satori (悟り) is usually considered the first step on a Buddhist's road to nirvana. I don't know much about Buddhism, but I kind of like the idea of an inspired 'flash' that sets you down the road to total peace. There are stories like that in the Christian and Hebrew bibles, and I would assume that this is a basic tenet of religion. After all, if you haven't found God (or whatever/whoever your guiding light may be), sometimes you need a kick in the pants to start down a spiritual path.
*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Friday, October 1
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