#word meaning
Noun
[ ih-fyoo-zhuhn ]
1. the act of effusing or pouring forth.
2. something that is effused.
3. an unrestrained expression, as of feelings:poetic effusions.
4.Pathology.
a. the escape of a fluid from its natural vessels into a body cavity.
b. the fluid that escapes.
5.Physics. the flow of a gas through a small orifice at such density that the mean distance between the molecules is large compared with the diameter of the orifice.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English (<Anglo-French ) <Latin effūsiōn- (stem of effūsiō), equivalent to ef-ef-+fūsion-fusion
“There is an intensity and effusion of spirit in them, in which his own more studied compositions are somewhat wanting.”
- CHARLES J. ABBEY AND JOHN H. OVERTON, THE ENGLISH CHURCH IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Adjective
[plan-juhnt ]
1. resounding loudly, especially with a plaintive sound, as a bell.
Origin:
1815–25; <Latin plangent- (stem of plangēns), present participle of plangere to beat, lament. See plain2,-ent
“It seemed as large as the shell of a cathedral, and for organ there was the plangent, echoing sound of sea waves.”
- CYRIL ARTHUR EDWARD RANGER GULL, THE AIR PIRATE
Verb (used with object)
[ flout ]
1. to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at; mock:to flout the rules of propriety.
Verb (used without object)
2. to show disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff, mock, or gibe (often followed by at).
Noun
3. a disdainful, scornful, or contemptuous remark or act; insult;gibe.
Origin:
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English flouten “to play the flute” (see flute); compare Dutch fluiten “to play the flute, talk smoothly, soothe, blandish, impose upon, jeer”
“Is it a safe thing, think you, Sir Count, to jest with a princess in her own land and then come back to flout her for it?”
- S(AMUEL) R(UTHERFORD) CROCKETT, JOAN OF THE SWORD HAND
Adjective
[dawnt-lis,dahnt- ]
1. not to be daunted or intimidated; fearless; intrepid; bold:
a dauntless hero.
Noun
2. (initial capital letter) Also called Douglas SBD. the principal U.S. Navy fleet bomber of early World War II, capable of carrying bombs or depth charges and particularly successful as a dive bomber.
Origin:
First recorded in 1585–95; daunt+-less
“But in spite of those rather weary looking eyes, young Mortier was possessed of a burning enthusiasm and a dauntless courage.”
- R. P. DUNN-PATTISON, NAPOLEON’S MARSHALS
Noun
[ pir-oo-et]
1. a whirling about on one foot or on the points of the toes, as in ballet dancing.
2.Dressage. a complete turn in which the horse uses its hind legs as a pivot.
Verb (used without object),pir·ou·et·ted, pir·ou·et·ting.
to perform a pirouette; whirl, as on the toes.
Origin:
1700–10; <French: a whirl, top, feminine of Middle French pirouet, equivalent to pirou-(cognate with Italian pirolo, diminutive of piropeg) + -et-et
“Jessie suddenly hopped down from the chair arm and began a pirouette about the room, clapping her hands as she danced.”
- MARGARET PENROSE, THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS OF ROSELAWN
Adjective
[vi-tree-uhs ]
1. of the nature of or resembling glass, as in transparency, brittleness, hardness, glossiness, etc.:
vitreous china.
2. of or relating to glass.
3. obtained from or containing glass.
Origin:
1640–50; <Latin vitreus, equivalent to vitr(um)glass + -eus-eous
“This he dropped into some molten lead, but it was nearly all exhaled in smoke, and the residue was simply of a vitreous character.”
- WILLIAM HENRY DAVENPORT ADAMS, WITCH, WARLOCK, AND MAGICIAN
Noun
[meyl-struhm ]
1. a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool.
2. a restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs:
the maelstrom of early morning traffic.
3.(initial capital letter) a famous hazardous whirlpool off the NW coast of Norway.
Origin:
Maelstrom comes from an early Dutch proper noun that is a combination of the verb malen (“to grind”) and the noun stroom (“stream”). The original Maelstrom, now known as the Moskstraumen, is a channel located off the northwest coast of Norway that has dangerous tidal currents and has been popularized among English speakers by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne (whose writing was widely translated from French) in stories exaggerating the Maelstrom’s tempestuousness and transforming it into a whirling vortex. Maelstrom entered English in the 16th century and was soon applied more generally in reference to any powerful whirlpool. By the mid-19th century, it was being applied figuratively to things or situations resembling such maelstroms in turbulence or confusion.
“There is that might-have-been which is the single rock we cling to above the maelstrom of unbearable reality.”
- William Faulkner
Noun
[ shey-ree]French.
1. dear; sweetheart: used in referring to or addressing a woman or girl.
Origin:
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman cheri, from Old Northern French cherise (“cherry”), from Vulgar Latin ceresia, a reinterpretation of the neuter plural of Late Latin ceresium, from Latin cerasium(cerasum,cerasus (“cherry tree”)), from Ancient Greek κεράσιον (kerásion, “cherry fruit”), from κερασός (kerasós, “bird cherry”), and ultimately possibly derived from a language of Asia Minor. Displaced Old English ciris (also from Vulgar Latin ceresia), which died out after the Norman invasion and was replaced by the French-derived word.
“"I tell you it is like taking the life of a puppy, ma cherie,“ he was saying.”
- JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD, THE COURAGE OF MARGE O'DOONE
Adjective
[urst-hwahyl, -wahyl ]
1. former; of times past:
erstwhile friends.
Adverb
2. Archaic. formerly; erst.
Origin:
The adverb erstwhile has been part of English since the 16th century, but it is formed from two words that are much older. It comes from the Old English words ær, meaning “early,” and hwīl, which has much the same meaning as the modern word while. (The English word ere, meaning “before,” is also descendant of ær.) The adjective erstwhile, as in erstwhile enemies, joined the language around 1900.
“After all, my erstwhile dear, my no longer cherished, need we say it was no love, just because it perished?“
- Edna St. Vincent Millay
Noun
[ weyf ]
1. a person, especially a child, who has no home or friends.
2. something found, especially a stray animal, whose owner is not known.
3. a very thin, often small person, usually a young woman.
4. a stray item or article:to gather waifs of gossip.
5. Nautical. waft (def. 8).
Origin:
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, originally “lost, stray (animal), unclaimed (property)” (compare Old French guaif “stray beast”), from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse veif “movement to and fro, something waving, flag”; see waive
“Ann is an opera singer, fragile and captivating onstage, somewhere between waif and warrior.”
- ANNETTE IS GORGEOUS TO LOOK AT BUT ALL THE WRONG KINDS OF WEIRD|STEPHANIE ZACHAREK|AUGUST 6, 2021|TIME
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
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
June’s WritingTipWed! Every Wednesday I post a writing tip on my Twitter! If you want to see these weekly, follow me @/EmilyLaJaunie.
～✦～✦～✦～✦～✦～✦～✦～✦～✦～✦～
#WritingTipWed 46 - When writing a queer character, don’t make the character’s only defining trait about being queer.
Ex, just how you wouldn’t write a character whose trait is being straight, don’t make one whose trait is being gay.
#WritingTipWed 47 - When writing something set in a previous time period, look up what words/phrases were commonly used/didn’t exist yet. And for meanings of words, as they can change over time.
A “gay man”, for instance, used to be a womanizer.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay:
“The word may have started to acquire associations of immorality as early as the 14th century, but had certainly acquired them by the 17th. By the late 17th century, it had acquired the specific meaning of "addicted to pleasures and dissipation”, an extension of its primary meaning of “carefree” implying “uninhibited by moral constraints”. A gay woman was a prostitute, a gay man a womanizer, and a gay house a brothel. An example is a letter read to a London court in 1885 during the prosecution of brothel madam and procuress Mary Jeffries that had been written by a girl while slaved to a French brothel:
“I write to tell you it is a gay house…Some captains came in the other night, and the mistress wanted us to sleep with them.”“
#WritingTipWed 48 - Accept that when you’re writing a queer story, even if you consulted with hundreds of queer sensitivity readers/beta readers, that your story will not satisfy everyone. You can’t please everyone, so still, be proud!
#WritingTipWed 49 - The APA now endorses the use of “they” as a singular third-person pronoun and it is part of the APA style!
So instead of writing “he or she” write “they” and instead of “his or her” write “their.”
apastyle.apa.org/blog/singular-they
#WritingTipWed 50 - On this last day of Pride Month, remember to love. Love yourself, love others, love your writing. Write about what you love, who you love. The love of friends, families, partners, that’s what makes a story powerful.
