Noun

[ kwah-fyoor;Frenchkwa-fyr]

1. a style of arranging the hair.

2. a head covering; headdress.

Verb (used with object)

3. to arrange or comb (the hair) in a coiffure; to style (the hair).

4. to provide with a head covering or headdress; cover with a coiffure.

Origin:
First recorded in 1625–35; from French, equivalent to coiff(er) “to dress the hair” + -ure noun suffix; see origin at coif²,-ure

“He rose and kissed her lightly on the forehead, experience teaching him to avoid a stray hair from the carefully built coiffure.”
- Gertrude Atherton, Ancestors

Noun

[ kroo-suh-vur-buh-list ]

1. a designer or aficionado of crossword puzzles.

Origin:
Cruciverbalist is a combination of two Latin words—crux “cross” and verbum “word”—and in this way, it’s a direct translation of the word crossword using Latin elements. Crux is also the source of numerous words related to crosses or, more figuratively, focal points, such as crucial and excruciating, while verbum’s descendants include verbal, verbiage, and verbose, all of which pertain to words.

“There is an honour among crossword-solvers. I would never give away an answer to a fellow cruciverbalist, unless specifically asked to do so. And if someone did ask me for an answer, I have to confess that I wouldn’t regard that person as a proper cruciverbalist.”
- SIMON BRETT, BLOOD AT THE BOOKIES, 2008

Adjective

[ ad-uh-man-teen, -tin, -tahyn ]

1. utterly unyielding or firm in attitude or opinion.

2. too hard to cut, break, or pierce.

3. like a diamond in luster.

Origin:
1200–1250; Middle English <Latin adamantinus<Greek adamántinos. See adamant,-ine¹

“Each bound to the other, through all the vicissitudes of life, in adamantine bonds of love and admiration!”
- Various, Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 71, No. 436, February 1852

Adjective

[lee-uh-nahyn ]

1. of or relating to the lion:
    We breathlessly watched the pride, in its leonine majesty, as it moved across      the veldt.

2. resembling or suggestive of a lion:
    the conductor’s wild, leonine hair.

3. (usually initial capital letter) of or relating to Leo, especially Leo IV or Leo XIII.

Origin:
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English leonyn, from Latin leōnīnus “lionlike,” equivalent to leōn- (stem of leō) + -īnus; see origin at lion,-ine¹

“He was still bearded, still rather leonine, but he was better groomed than in those days in India.”
- Anne Warner, The Tigress

Noun

[oh-ver-cher, -choor ]

1. an opening or initiating move toward negotiations, a new relationship, an agreement, etc.; a formal or informal proposal or offer:
   overtures of peace; a shy man who rarely made overtures of friendship.

2.Music.
    a. an orchestral composition forming the prelude or introduction to an opera, oratorio, etc.
    b. an independent piece of similar character.

3. an introductory part, as of a poem; prelude; prologue.

4. (in Presbyterian churches)
    a. the action of an ecclesiastical court in submitting a question or proposal to presbyteries.
    b. the proposal or question so submitted.

Verb (used with object)

5. to submit as an overture or proposal:
    to overture conditions for a ceasefire.

6. to make an overture or proposal to:
    to overture one’s adversary through a neutral party.

Origin:
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French; see overt,-ure; doublet of aperture

“High culture is the ability to hear the William Tell Overture and not think of the Lone Ranger.”
- Arthur D. Hlavaty

Noun

[suhn-gloh ]

1. a diffused, hazy light seen around the sun, caused by atmospheric dust.

Origin:
First recorded in 1835–45; sun+glow

“Out of the sunglow the arm crept like a snake, then it lay still in the shadow betwixt the two who slumbered unheeding.“
- Fiona MacLeod, Pharais and the Mountain Lovers

Adjective

[reg-nuhnt ]

1. reigning; ruling (usually used following the noun it modifies):
    a queen regnant.

2. exercising authority, rule, or influence.

3. prevalent; widespread.

Origin:
1590–1600; <Latin rēgnant- (stem of rēgnāns), present participle of regnāre to rule; see reign,-ant

“She was of the chosen few who could drink the cup of light and the cup of darkness with equally regnant soul.”
- GILBERT PARKER, WHEN VALMOND CAME TO PONTIAC, COMPLETE

Verb (used with object)

[gawr-guh-nahyz ]

1. to affect as a Gorgon; hypnotize; petrify:
    She felt trapped and totally helpless in his gorgonizing stare.

Origin:
Gorgonize is ultimately derived, via Latin, from Ancient Greek Gorgṓ, which comes from the adjective gorgós “dreadful” and is the original Greek name for each of the Gorgons, the triumvirate of mythic sisters with snakes for hair and whose appearance was so frightful that anyone who looked at them directly would turn to stone. The Gorgons were named Euryale, Medusa, and Stheno, and Medusa is the most famous of the three because of her mortality, which allowed for Perseus to behead her by using her reflection in his shield to guide his sword.

“Athena smiled, then turned to Po. “Not a word out of you, Poseidon, or I’ll freeze you so fast you won’t know what hit you. Now watch while I gorgonize your little girlfriend.”
- KATE MCMULLAN, SAY CHEESE, MEDUSA, 2002

Adjective

[noo-muh-nuhs,nyoo- ]

1. of, relating to, or like a numen; spiritual or supernatural.

2. surpassing comprehension or understanding; mysterious:
   that element in artistic expression that remains numinous.

3. arousing one’s elevated feelings of duty, honor, loyalty, etc.:
    a benevolent and numinous paternity.

Origin:
1640–50; <Latin nūmin- (stem of nūmen) numen+-ous

“A musician, educator and serial collaborator, Win is also a collector of objects, thoughts and, of course, words—her poetry an illumination of the everyday beauty found in things both tangible and numinous.” — Denise Sullivan, Datebook (The San Francisco Chronicle), 19 Oct. 2020

Adjective

[ ad-si-tish-uhs ]

1. added or derived from an external source; additional.

Origin:
1610–20; <Latin a(d)scīt(us)derived, assumed, foreign (past participle of a(d)scīscī), equivalent to ad-ad-+scī- (stem of scīre to know) + -tuspast participle suffix + -itious

“We rob them of their amusing but adscititious qualities; we make them utterly uninteresting to precisely 99.99 per cent.“
- Clive Bell, Since Czanne

So I uh, like reading dictionaries, and I happened to find this in an ASL dictionary, and

Assiduous

—adjective

constant; unremitting:assiduous reading.

constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive:an assiduous student.

Condign

condign—adjective

well-deserved; fitting; adequate:condign punishment.

Origin: 1375–1425; late Middle English condigne < Anglo-French, Middle French < Latin condignus,equivalent to con- con- + dignus worthy; see dignity

—Related forms

con·dign·ly, adverb

—Synonyms

appropriate, suitable.

afoolandathief:

One Look Thesaurus may just save your life, folks

Dictionaries and potential literature.

On my other blog The Door is Ajar, I recently reviewed a book by Joe Fiorito, Rust is a Form of Fire (you can read my post in its entirety here).  In his introduction to the book, Fiorito acknowledges the influence of George Perec and his book An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris(1974), as well as a literary movement Perec was a part of: Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle (usually known as…

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