A Word a Day 1 (Mar+Apr 2006)
Terms
undefined, object
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- palisade (pal-uh-SADE) noun
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1. A fence of stakes forming a defense.
2. A line of steep cliffs, especially along a river.
[From French palissade, Latin palus (stake).] - palisade (pal-uh-SADE) verb tr.
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To fortify with palisades.
[From French palissade, Latin palus (stake).] - bagatelle (bag-uh-TEL) noun
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1. Something unimportant.
2. A kind of pinball game in which balls are struck with a cue to send them to holes at the other end.
3. A short, light piece of verse or music.
[From French bagatelle (trifle), from Italian bagattella (trifle), possibly
from Latin baca (berry).] - mulligrubs (MUL-i-grubz) noun
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1. Grumpiness; colic; low spirits.
2. An ill-tempered person.
[From mulliegrums, apparently from megrims (low spirits).] - clerisy (KLER-i-see) noun
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The well-educated class; the literati; the intelligentsia.
[From German Klerisei (clergy), from Medieval Latin clericia, from Late Latin clericus (cleric), from Greek klerikos
(belonging to the clergy), from Greek kleros (inheritance).] - putsch (pooch) noun
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A secretly plotted, sudden attempt to overthrow a government.
[From Swiss German Putsch (thrust, blow).] - zeitgeber (TSYT-ge-buhr) noun
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An environmental cue, such as light, that helps to regulate the biological clock in an organism.
[Coined by 1954 by Jürgen Aschoff (1913-1998), from German Zeit (time) + Geber (giver).] - gegenschein (GAY-guhn-shyn) noun
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A faint oval patch of light directly opposite the sun in the night sky, caused by reflection of sunlight by dust particles. Also known as counterglow.
[From German Gegenschein, from gegen (against) + Schein (glow).] - weltschmerz (VELT-shmerts) noun
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World weariness; pessimism, apathy, or sadness felt at the difference between physical reality and the ideal state.
[From German Weltschmerz, from Welt (world) + Schmerz (pain).] - duodecennial (doo-uh-di-SEN-ee-uhl, dyoo-) noun
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A twelfth anniversary.
[From Latin duodecennium (a period of twelve years), from duodecim (twelve) + annus (year).] - duodecennial (doo-uh-di-SEN-ee-uhl, dyoo-) adjective
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Of or pertaining to a period of twelve years.
[From Latin duodecennium (a period of twelve years), from duodecim (twelve) + annus (year).] - duodenum (doo-uh-DEE-nuhm, doo-OD-n-uhm, dyoo-) noun
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The first portion of the small intestine (so called because its length is approximately twelve fingers' breadth).
[From Medieval Latin, short for intestinum duodenum digitorum (intestine of
twelve fingers), from Latin duodeni (twelve each), from duodecim (twelve).] - dodecagon (do-DEK-uh-gon) noun
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A polygon having 12 sides and 12 angles.
[From Greek dodekagonon, from dodeka- (twelve), duo (two) + deka (ten) + -gon (angled).] - duodecimal (doo-uh-DES-uh-muhl, dyoo-) adjective
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Of or relating to the number twelve.
[From Latin duodecimus (twelfth), from duodecim (twelve), from duo (two) + decem (ten).] - duodecimal (doo-uh-DES-uh-muhl, dyoo-) noun
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A twelfth.
[From Latin duodecimus (twelfth), from duodecim (twelve), from duo (two) + decem (ten).] - unciary (un-SEE-uh-ree) adjective
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Equal to a twelfth part.
[From Latin unciarius, from uncia (a twelfth part) which is also the source of the words ounce and inch. An inch is one twelfth of a foot but what about the ounce? The original pound was the troy pound having 12 ounces.] -
Pyrrhic victory (PIR-ik VIK-tuh-ree) noun
eponym -
A victory won at too great a cost.
[After Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who suffered staggering losses in defeating the Romans.] - casus belli (KAY-suhs BEL-i, rhymes with eye, BEL-ee) noun plural casus belli
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An action or event that causes or is used to justify starting a war.
[From New Latin casus belli, from Latin casus (occasion), belli, genitive of bellum (war).] - fetial (FEE-shuhl) adjective, also fecial
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Relating to declarations of war and treaties of peace.
[From Latin fetialis, a member of the Roman college of priests, who performed the rites in such matters.] - polemology (po-luh-MOL-uh-jee) noun
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The science and study of human conflict and war.
[From Greek, polemos (war) + -logy (study).] - spoliation (spo-lee-AY-shun) noun
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1. The act of pillaging and plundering.
2. Seizure of neutral ships at sea in time of war.
3. The deliberate destruction or alteration of a document.
[From Middle English, from Latin spoliation- (stem of spoliatio), from spoliatus, past participle of spoliare (to spoil).] -
Parthian shot (PAR-thee-uhn shot) noun
toponym -
A hostile remark made in departing.
[After the natives of Parthia, an ancient country in southwest Asia.] - fletcher (FLECH-uhr) noun
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A maker of arrows.
[From Middle English fleccher, from Old French flechier, from fleche (arrow).] - bull's-eye (bulz eye) noun
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1. The center of a target.
2. A direct hit.
3. A convex lens or a lantern with such a lens in it.
[Origin unknown.] - toxophilite (tok-SOF-uh-lyt) noun
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One who is fond of or expert at archery.
[Coined by Roger Ascham (1515-1568), scholar and writer, as a proper name and the title of his book Toxophilus, from Greek toxon (bow) + -philos (loving).] - best gold (best gold) noun
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The shot nearest the exact center of the bull's-eye.
[The centermost circle (also known as bull's-eye) in a target is yellow or gold, hence the shot nearest to it is called the best gold.] - apparatchik (uh-pah-RAH-chik) noun
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Member of the (Soviet) bureaucracy; now extended to apply to any inflexible organisation man, particularly in a political party.
[From Russian apparat (apparatus, the government machine or structure)
+ chik (agent).] - au contraire (oh kon-TRAIR) noun
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On the contrary.
[From French au contraire (on the contrary).] - feng shui (fung SHWAY) noun
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Describing the network of intangible influences, positive and negative, that some believe to operate in a place, knowledge of which is necessary in discovering the most propitious site for putting up a building, staging an event, etc.
[From Chinese feng (wind) and shui (water).] - gestalt (gesh-TALT) noun
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Shape or pattern; most often used in psychology to describe a theory or approach which aims to see something as a whole rather than breaking it into separate parts
[From German gestalt (form, shape).] - papabile (pa-PA-bi-lay), also papable adjective
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Eligible or suitable to become a pope; fitted for high office.
[From Italian papabile (worthy to be pope), from papa (pope) + -bile, equivalent to -ble (able).] - publican (PUB-li-kuhn) noun
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1. A tax collector.
2. An owner or manager of a pub or hotel.
[From Latin publicanus, from publicum (public revenue), from publicus (public), from populus (people).] - thanatopsis (than-uh-TOP-sis) noun
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A reflection upon death.
[From Greek thanatos (death) + -opsis (appearance, view).] - impost (IM-post) noun
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1. A tax or a similar mandatory payment.
2. The weight a horse must carry in a handicap race.
3. The top part of a pillar of a wall, usually projecting in the form of an ornamental molding, on which an arch rests.
[From Latin imponere (to impose), from ponere (to place).] - anabiosis (an-uh-bi-O-sis) noun
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A return to life after death or apparent death.
[From Greek anabiosis (coming back to life), from anabioun (to return to life), from ana- (back) + bio- (life).] - capitation (kap-i-TAY-shuhn) noun
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1. A counting of heads.
2. A uniform tax assessed by the head; a poll tax.
3. A fee extracted from each student.
[From Late Latin capitation- (poll tax), from caput (head).] - belles-lettres (bel-LET-ruh) noun
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Literary works valued for their aesthetic qualities rather than information or instruction.
[From French belles (fine) + lettres (letters, literature).] - orihon (OR-ee-hon) noun
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A book or manuscript folded like an accordion: a roll of paper inscribed on one side only, folded backwards and forwards.
[From Japanese, ori (fold), + hon (book).] - amphigory (AM-fi-gor-ee) noun, also amphigouri
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A nonsensical piece of writing, usually in verse form, typically composed as a parody.
[From French amphigouri, of obscure origin.] - conspectus (kuhn-SPEK-tuhs) noun
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A general survey, synopsis, outline, or digest of something.
[From Latin conspectus, past participle of conspicere, from con- (complete)
+ spicere (to look).] - magnum opus (MAG-num OH-puhs) noun (plural magnum opuses or magna opera)
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A great work of literature, music, art, etc., especially the finest work of an individual.
[From Latin magnum, neuter of magnus (large), opus (work).] - garbology (gar-BOL-uh-jee) noun
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The study of a society or culture by examining what it discards.
[From garbage (which was originally the word for offal from fowls) + -logy (study).] - onychophagia (on-i-ko-FAY-juh, -jee-uh) noun
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The practice of biting one's nails.
[From Greek onycho-, from onyx (nail) + -phagia (eating).] - philography (fi-LOG-ruh-fee) noun
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The practice of collecting autographs.
[From Greek philo- (loving) + -graphy (writing).] - theophany (thee-OF-uh-nee) noun
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An appearance of a god to a person.
[From Medieval Latin theophania, from Late Greek theophaneia, from Greek theo- (god) + -phaneia (to show).]