Monday, December 29, 2008

Enturbulence


The state or quality of being enturbulant, agitated or disturbed. This word is a shibboleth used almost exclusively by members or former members of Scientology, as well as critics.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Thrum

A thrum is a portion of unspun fleece or roving that is knit into into an article of clothing. This technique is most often associated with Canada’s Province of Newfoundland and Labrador

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism

Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (pseudoPHP) is an inherited disorder that is caused by a mutation in the Gαs gene imprinted on the paternal chromosome. As such, a haploinsufficiency results similar to pseudohypoparathyroidism 1A, which is caused by a similar defect on the corresponding maternal chromosome.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Screentone

Screentone: "Screentone is a technique for applying textures and shades to drawings, used as an alternative to hatching. In the conventional process, patterns are transferred to paper from preprinted sheets, but the technique is also simulated in computer graphics. It is also known by the common brand names Zip-A-Tone, Chart-Pak , and Letratone.

A traditional screentone sheet consists of a flexible transparent backing, the printed texture, and a wax adhesive layer. The sheet is applied to the paper, adhesive down, and rubbed with a stylus on the backing side. The backing is then peeled off, leaving the ink adhered to the paper where pressure was applied."

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Tony
















tony: Stylish, high-toned, upscale.

Astronomicodiluvian

Astronomicodiluvian: Relating to the typological theory that astronomical symbols in mythology can find their antitypes in the Biblical story of Noah's Flood. For example: in the legend of the Man in the Moon, the crescent moon and the man's face typify the Ark and Noah, respectively.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Mangaka

Mangaka: "Mangaka (漫画家, Mangaka) is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese."

Monday, December 15, 2008

Autocannibalism

Self-cannibalism is the practice of eating oneself, also called autocannibalism, or autosarcophagy. A similar term which is applied differently is autophagy, which specifically denotes the normal process of self-degradation by cells. Whilst almost an exclusive term for this process, autophagy nonetheless has occasionally made its way into more common usage

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Apodosis

In linguistics, an apodosis is the main clause in a conditional sentence; that is, in a sentence of the form If X, then Y, the apodosis is Y (expressing the conclusion). The term is commonly contrasted with protasis, which denotes the subordinate clause in such a construction; that is, in a sentence of the form If X, then Y, the protasis is X (expressing the condition).

Overshare



when too much information is given about any one (usually personal) subject matter.

overshare

Saturday, December 13, 2008

nomenklatura

The nomenklatura were a small, elite subset of the general population in the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries who held various key administrative positions in all spheres of those countries' activity: government, industry, agriculture, education, etc. The nomenklatura was analogous to the ruling class, which Communist doctrine denounced in the capitalist West.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Audiopromelectiphobia

an inordinate fear of hearing another election promise

source

Shrinkage

Shrinkage: "In financial accounting the term inventory shrinkage (sometimes truncated to shrink) is the loss of products between point of manufacture or purchase from supplier and point of sale. The"

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Academician

Academician: "The title Academician denotes a Full Member of an art, literary, or scientific academy."

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Hies

Hies

intransitive verb : to go quickly : hasten
transitive verb : to cause (oneself) to go quickly

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Hecatomb

In Ancient Greece, a Hecatomb (Ancient Greek ἑκατόμβη / hekatómbê) was a sacrifice to the gods of 100 cattle (hecaton = one hundred).

Friday, November 28, 2008

Waterline




Waterline: "Waterline refers to an imaginary line marking the level at which ship or boat floats in the water. To an observer on the ship the water appears to rise or fall against the hull . Temperature also affects the level because warm water provides less buoyancy, being less dense than cold water. Likewise the salinity of the water affects the level, fresh water being less dense than salty seawater."

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Senescence

Senescence refers to the biological processes of a living organism approaching an advanced age (i.e., the combination of processes of deterioration which follow the period of development of an organism). The word senescence is derived from the Latin word senex, meaning "old man" or "old age" or "advanced in age".

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Proprioception

One of the 21 senses. The sense of the orientation of one's limbs in space
source

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Enucleation

Enucleation is removal of the eye, leaving the eye muscles and remaining orbital contents intact. This type of ocular surgery is indicated for a number of different ocular tumors, in eyes that have suffered severe trauma, and in eyes that are blind and painful due to other disease

peregrination

peregrination
1. travel from one place to another, esp. on foot.
2. a course of travel; journey.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Halftone


Halftone: "Halftone is the reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of equally spaced dots of varying size. 'Halftone' can also be used to refer specifically to the image that is produced by this process.

Where continuous tone imagery (film photography, for example) contains an infinite range of colors or greys, the halftone process reduces visual reproductions to a binary image that is printed with only one color of ink. This binary reproduction relies on a basic optical illusion—that these tiny halftone dots are blended into smooth tones by the human eye."

Monday, November 10, 2008

Timocracy

Timocracy

  • a state where only property owners may participate in government

  • a government where rulers are selected and perpetuated based on the degree of honor they hold relative to others in their society, peers and the ruling class
  • Friday, November 7, 2008

    Tuesday, November 4, 2008

    Petalism

    In ancient Syracuse Petalism was a form of banishment similar to ostracism in Athens. In a special vote, citizens wrote on leaves (Greek "petala," "leaves,") the names of those they wished to banish from public life. In Athens, names were written on "ostraka," "potsherds." A certain number of such votes could send the victim into exile. The Greek word "petalismos" is used by the historian who reports the practice, Diodorus Siculus (Book 11.86).

    Sunday, October 19, 2008

    Tuesday, October 7, 2008

    Canton

    Canton: "The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 341 arrondissements and 100 departments.

    Apart from their role as organizational units in certain aspects of the administration of public services and justice, the chief purpose of the cantons today is to serve as constituencies for the election of the members of the representative assembly (General Council) in each department. For this reason, such elections are known in France as 'cantonal elections'."

    Monday, October 6, 2008

    taxonomy

    taxonomy: "Taxonomy, sometimes alpha taxonomy, is the science of finding, describing and categorising organisms, thus giving rise to taxonomic groups or taxa (singular: taxon), which may then be named."

    Friday, October 3, 2008

    Mahābhārata

    Mahābhārata: "The Mahābhārata (Devanāgarī: महाभारत) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rāmāyaṇa. The epic is part of the Hindu itihāsa, the word in itself literally means 'history', and forms an important part of Hindu mythology."

    Thursday, October 2, 2008

    Mythos

    Mythos: "The shared elements, characters, settings and themes in a set of works"

    Aioli

    Aioli: a sauce made of garlic and olive oil. Normally egg is also added for ease of mixing. There are many variations, such as the addition of mustard. In France, aioli is traditionally served with seafood, fish soup, and croutons. It is usually served at room temperature.

    Steganography

    Steganography: "the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no one apart from the sender and intended recipient even realizes there is a hidden message."

    relatable

    relatable: "To have connection, relation, or reference"

    Sunday, September 28, 2008

    bacchanal

    bacchanal:
    1. A participant in the Bacchanalia.
    2. The Bacchanalia. Often used in the plural.
    3. A drunken or riotous celebration.
    4. A reveler.

    Friday, September 26, 2008

    Purana

    Purana: "The Puranas (Sanskrit: पुराण purāṇa, 'of ancient times') are a group of important Hindu (or Jain and Buddhist) religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the Universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of the kings, heroes, sages and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy and geography. Puranas usually give prominence to a particular deity and most use an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts. They are usually written in the form of stories related by one person to another."

    Thursday, September 25, 2008

    Semitone





    Semitone: "A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant. The most commonly written form of this interval is the minor second, notated using two adjacent letter names (e.g. C and D♭), but the augmented unison is also used, both notes having the same letter-name, with one of the notes being inflected by an accidental (e.g. C and C♯)."

    Exudate

    Exudate: "An exudate is any fluid that filters from the circulatory system into lesions or areas of inflammation. Its composition varies but generally includes water and the dissolved solutes of the blood, some or all plasma proteins, white blood cells, platelets and (in the case of local vascular damage) red blood cells."

    Wednesday, September 24, 2008

    Knesset

    Knesset: "The Knesset (Hebrew: כנסת‎, lit. Assembly, Arabic: الكنيست‎) is the legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem."

    Tuesday, September 23, 2008

    oeuvre

    oeuvre: "a substantial body of work constituting the lifework of a writer, an artist, or a composer"

    Monday, September 22, 2008

    onanistic

    onanistic "1. Of or pertaining to masturbation (onanism)
    2. In a manner which suggests masturbation; hence, fruitless, self-congratulatory, self-absorbed, pointless"

    Sunday, September 21, 2008

    Chav

    Chav: "Chav, or Charv/Charva, is a mainly derogatory slang term in the United Kingdom for a person whose lifestyle, clothing (especially if fake / counterfeit), speech and/or mannerisms are perceived to be common, proletarian and vulgar. The term 'chav' is often used as a stereotype to refer to poorly educated, aggressive working-class youths, but youth and aggression are not the defining attributes of a 'chav'."

    Saturday, September 20, 2008

    Maven

    Maven: (also mavin) a trusted expert in a particular field, who seeks to pass knowledge on to others.

    Monday, September 15, 2008

    quixotic

    quixotic: "# Possessing or acting with the desire to do noble and romantic deeds, without thought of realism and practicality.
    # Impulsive.
    # Like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance; absurdly chivalric; apt to be deluded."

    Wednesday, September 10, 2008

    vitrine

    vitrine: "A glass-paneled cabinet or case for displaying articles such as china, objects d'art, or fine merchandise."

    Thursday, September 4, 2008

    Fatosphere

    Fatosphere: "Fatosphere n. A blogosphere of the obese, by the obese, for the obese. Often designated 'no-diet zones,' fatosphere blogs seek to counter medical claims that obesity is a health epidemic."

    Tuesday, September 2, 2008

    Repechage

    Repechage: "'to rescue' or 'to save', is a practice amongst ladder competitions that allows participants that failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round."

    Vet

    Vet: "examine carefully"

    Chemosensitivity

    Chemosensitivity is the susceptibility of tumor cells to the cell-killing effects of anticancer drugs.

    Monday, September 1, 2008

    Stöðulög

    Stöðulögin (The Laws of Standing, Danish: Landsstillingsloven or formally Lov af 2. januar 1871 om Islands forfatningsmæssige stilling i riget, Law of 2 January 1871 on the constitutional standing of Iceland within the realm) were laws passed by Denmark in 1871, determining the standing of Iceland in relation to the Danish state. The laws were followed by the granting of Iceland's first constitution in 1874.

    Sunday, August 31, 2008

    Cruft

    Cruft is computing jargon for code, data, or software of poor quality. The term is also used for the fluff that accumulates on computer equipment.

    Saturday, August 30, 2008

    Biofilm

    A biofilm is a structured community of microorganisms encapsulated within a self-developed polymeric matrix and adherent to a living or inert surface. Biofilms are also often characterized by surface attachment, structural heterogeneity, genetic diversity, complex community interactions, and an extracellular matrix of polymeric substances.

    Friday, August 29, 2008

    Epiphenomenon

    Epiphenomenon: An epiphenomenon is a secondary phenomenon that occurs alongside a primary phenomenon.

    Often, a causal relationship between the phenomena is implied: the epiphenomenon is a consequence of the primary phenomenon. In medicine, this relationship is typically not implied: an epiphenomenon may occur independently, and is merely called an epiphenomenon because it is not the primary phenomenon under study. (A side-effect is a specific kind of epiphenomenon that does occur as a consequence.)

    In philosophy of mind, epiphenomenalism is the view that mental phenomena are caused by physical phenomena, and cannot cause anything themselves. It was probably first mentioned by T. H. Huxley in 1874.

    Inergen

    Inergen is a trademarked Fire suppression product of Ansul Corporation. Inergen is a blend of inert atmospheric gases that contains 52.5% nitrogen, 40% argon, 8% carbon dioxide [ref: Ansul Inergen MSDS Form F-9313-7]. It is considered a clean agent for use in gaseous fire suppression applications. Inergen does not contain halocarbons, and has no ozone depletion potential. It is non-toxic. Inergen is used at design concentrations of 40-50% to lower the concentration of oxygen to a point that cannot support combustion.

    Wednesday, August 27, 2008

    Schmutzdecke

    Schmutzdecke (German, "grime or filth cover", sometimes spelt schmutzedecke) is a complex biological layer formed on the surface of a slow sand filter. The schmutzdecke is the layer that provides the effective purification in potable water treatment, the underlying sand providing the support medium for this biological treatment layer.

    Tuesday, August 26, 2008

    Hypogeal

    Hypogeal means "underground".

    Bistability


    Something that is bistable can be resting in two states. In physics, for an ensemble of particles, the bistability comes from the fact that its free energy has three critical points. Two of them are minima and the last is a maximum. By mathematical arguments, the maximum must lie between the two minima. By default, the system state will be in either of the minima states, because that corresponds to the state of lowest energy. The maximum can be visualised as a barrier.

    Azew

    Azew: dry.

    Saturday, August 23, 2008

    Japery

    To joke or quip.

    [Middle English japen, probably from Old French japer, to yap, chatter, nag, of imitative origin.]

    source 2

    Wednesday, August 20, 2008

    Escutcheon

    Escutcheon: Escutcheon (pronounced [ɪ'skʌtʃən]) (also called scutcheon) is the term used in heraldry for the shield displayed in a coat of arms. An inescutcheon is a smaller escutcheon borne within a larger escutcheon. The term crest is often used incorrectly to designate this part of the coat of arms.

    Provenance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Provenance: from the French provenir, 'to come from', means the origin, or the source, of something, or the history of the ownership or location of an object,[1] especially a work of art, or some object of value such as is found in archaeology, or paleontology, or some document, such as a manuscript, or even an item of literature in the broadest sense, including a first edition of a very rare published work. The primary purpose of provenance is to confirm the time, place, and if appropriate the person responsible, for the creation, production or discovery of the object. Comparative techniques, expert opinions, written and verbal records and the results of various kinds of scientific tests are often used to help establish provenance.

    Keening

    Keening is a form of vocal lament associated with mourning that is traditional in Scotland and Ireland.

    Monday, August 18, 2008

    Saturday, August 9, 2008

    Monday, July 14, 2008

    Bokeh

    Bokeh (derived from Japanese bokeaji ボケ味, "blur") is a photographic term referring to the appearance of out-of-focus areas in an image produced by a camera lens.[1] Different lens bokeh produces different aesthetic qualities in out-of-focus backgrounds, which are often used to reduce distractions and emphasize the primary subject.

    Sunday, June 29, 2008

    Astringency

    Astringency is also the dry, puckering mouthfeel caused by tannins found in many fruits such as blackthorn, bird cherry and persimmon fruits. The tannins denature the salivary proteins, causing a rough "sandpapery" sensation in the mouth. Astringency tastes unpleasant to many mammals (including humans), which tend to avoid eating astringent fruit; conversely, birds do not taste astringency and readily eat these fruit. It is thought that fruit astringency gives a selective advantage to some plant varieties because birds are better than mammals at long-distance seed dispersal, often flying a great distance before passing the seeds in their droppings.

    Saturday, June 28, 2008

    velleity

    1. Volition at its lowest level.
    2. A mere wish or inclination.

    Antiziganism

    Antiziganism (pronounced /æntaɪˈzigənɪzm/) or Anti-Romanyism is hostility, prejudice or racism directed at the Roma people, commonly called Gypsies.

    The root zigan is the basis of the word for the Roma people in many European languages. In most of those languages, the pronunciation is similar to the Hungarian cigány (pronounced [ˈtsiɡaːɲ]). The Roma — who have often been stereotyped as thieves, tramps, con men and fortune tellers — have been subject to various forms of discrimination throughout history.

    Due in part to their semi-nomadic lifestyle and differences in language and culture, there has been a great deal of mutual distrust between the Roma and the more settled indigenous inhabitants of the areas to which the Roma migrated. This distrust has persisted even though Roma who migrated into Europe often converted to Christianity, and those who arrived in the Middle East became Muslims.

    Monday, June 23, 2008

    Friday, June 13, 2008

    Wednesday, June 11, 2008

    Interregnum

    An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity of a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin inter-, "between" + rēgnum, "reign" [from rex, rēgis, "king"]), and the concepts of interregnum and regency therefore overlap. An interregnum can simplistically be thought of as a "gap", although the idea of an interregnum emphasizes the relationship to what comes before and to what comes after in a sequence. This contrasts with a near synonym like gap, which may be random, encompassing neither connotation of interjacency in a sequence nor formal interrelation.

    Monday, June 9, 2008

    Trasianka

    Trasianka or trasyanka is a BelarusianRussian patois.

    Somnolence

    Somnolence (or "drowsiness") is a state of near-sleep, a strong desire for sleep, or sleeping for unusually long periods (c.f. hypersomnia). It has two distinct meanings, referring both to the usual state preceding falling asleep, and the chronic condition referring to being in that state independent of a circadian rhythm. The disorder characterized by the latter condition is most commonly associated with users of prescription hypnotics, such as mirtazapine or zolpidem.

    It is considered a lesser impairment of consciousness than stupor or coma.

    Wednesday, June 4, 2008

    Primogeniture

    Primogeniture is the common law right of the firstborn son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings.

    Friday, May 23, 2008

    Propagate

    Here is one with an unexpected etymology:

    Propagate
    Etymology:
    Latin propagatus, past participle of propagare to set slips, propagate, from propages slip, offspring, from pro- before + pangere to fasten
    1: to cause to continue or increase by sexual or asexual reproduction2: to pass along to offspring3 a: to cause to spread out and affect a greater number or greater area : extend b: to foster growing knowledge of, familiarity with, or acceptance of (as an idea or belief) : publicize c: to transmit (as sound or light) through a medium

    Friday, May 9, 2008

    Fard

    an Islamic term which denotes a religious duty. The word is also used in Persian, Turkish, Urdu and Hindi (spelled farz) in the same meaning. A synonymous term is wajib.

    Sunday, May 4, 2008

    Supination

    Supination is the rotation of either the forearm or foot. Supination in the forearm occurs when the palm faces anteriorly, or faces up (when the arms are unbent and at the sides). Supination in the foot occurs when a person appears "bow-legged" with their weight supported primarily on the anterior of their feet.

    Tuesday, April 29, 2008

    Adumbration

    1. To give a sketchy outline of.
    2. To prefigure indistinctly; foreshadow.
    3. To disclose partially or guardedly.
    4. To overshadow; shadow or obscure.

    source

    Friday, April 25, 2008

    Antebellum

    "Antebellum" is an expression derived from Latin that means "before war" (ante, "before," and bellum, "war"). In United States history and historiography, "antebellum" is commonly used, in lieu of "pre-Civil War," in reference to the period of increasing sectionalism that led up to the American Civil War.

    In that sense, the Antebellum Period is often considered to have begun with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, though it is sometimes stipulated to extend back as early as 1812. The period after the Civil War is called the "Postbellum," or Reconstruction, era.

    Thursday, April 24, 2008

    Spiculate

    Spiculate: Covered with minute spiculæ, or pointed fleshy appendages; divided into small spikelets.

    Tuesday, April 22, 2008

    Monday, April 21, 2008

    Wednesday, April 16, 2008

    Saturday, April 12, 2008

    Anhedonia

    In psychology, anhedonia (< Greek αν- an-, without + ηδονή hēdonē, pleasure ) is an inability to experience pleasure from normally pleasurable life events such as eating, exercise, and social or sexual interaction.

    Friday, April 11, 2008

    Talent

    The talent (Latin: talentum, from Ancient Greek: τάλαντον "scale, balance") is an ancient unit of mass. It corresponded generally to the mass of water in the volume of an amphora, i.e. one foot cubed. Depending on the length of the respective, legal foot, this corresponds roughly to the mass of 27 kg or about 60 English pounds.

    Monday, April 7, 2008

    Enculturation

    Enculturation is the process whereby an established culture teaches an individual by repetition its accepted norms and values, so that the individual can become an accepted member of the society and find their suitable role. Most importantly, it establishes a context of boundaries and correctness that dictates what is and is not permissible within that society's framework.

    Sunday, April 6, 2008

    Bint

    Bint, from the Arabic word for 'daughter', is a derogatory slang word in the United Kingdom meaning woman or girl. Usage varies from the harsh 'bitch', to only a slightly derogatory, almost affectionate, term for a young woman. The latter being associated more with usage in the West Midlands. The term was used in British armed forces and the London area synonymously with (the slang meaning of) 'bird' from at least the 1950s.

    Friday, April 4, 2008

    Thursday, April 3, 2008

    Polysemy

    Polysemy (from the Greek πολυσημεία = "multiple meaning") is the capacity for a sign (e.g. a word, phrase, etc.) or signs to have multiple meanings (sememes, i.e. a large semantic field). This is a pivotal concept within social sciences, such as media studies and linguistics.

    Wednesday, April 2, 2008

    Zoeae

    A larval form of crabs and other decapod crustaceans, characterized by one or more spines on the carapace and rudimentary limbs on the abdomen and thorax.

    source

    Magnanimity

    Magnanimity (derived from the Latin roots magn- great, and anima, soul) is the virtue of being great of mind and heart. It encompasses, usually, a refusal to be petty, a willingness to face danger, and actions for noble purposes. Its antithesis is pusillanimity. Both terms were coined by Aristotle, who called magnanimity "the crowning virtue."

    Tuesday, April 1, 2008

    Manse

    A manse (pronounced /ˈmæns/; from Latin mansus, "dwelling", from manere, "to remain") is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church.

    Crepuscular

    Crepuscular is a term used to describe animals that are primarily active during the twilight — at dawn and at dusk.

    Friday, March 28, 2008

    Ashlar

    Ashlar is dressed stone work of any type of stone. Ashlar blocks are large rectangular blocks of masonry sculpted to have square edges and even faces. The blocks are generally 13 to 15 inches in height. When smaller than 11 inches, they are usually called "small ashlar".

    Ashlar blocks are used in the construction of many old buildings as an alternative to brick. Generally the external face is smooth or polished, occasionally it can be decorated by small grooves achieved by the application of a metal comb, this is usually only used on a softer stone ashlar block. This decoration is known as mason's drag.

    Thursday, March 27, 2008

    Autostereogram


    An autostereogram is a single-image stereogram (SIS), designed to trick the human brain into perceiving a three-dimensional (3D) scene in a two-dimensional image. In order to perceive 3D shapes in these autostereograms, the brain must overcome the normally automatic coordination between focusing and convergence.

    Wednesday, March 26, 2008

    Chiptune

    A chiptune, or chip music, is music written in sound formats where all the sounds are synthesized in realtime by a computer or video game console sound chip, instead of using sample-based synthesis. The "golden age" of chiptunes was the mid 1980s to early 1990s, when such sound chips were the most common method for creating music on computers.

    Mundialization

    The act for a city or a local authority to declare itself a "world citizen" city, by voting a charter stating its awareness of global problems and its sense of shared responsibility.

    source

    Tuesday, March 25, 2008

    Agemochi

    Agemochi (揚げ餅?) is a popular Japanese snack food made from fried mochi, sticky rice. The dry mochi is broken into small pieces, about 1cm cubed, and deep fried. The pieces then puff up. It is usually eaten lightly salted, but there are also various flavoured versions, such as shichimi agemochi, agemochi covered with shichimi seasoning. Agemochi can be purchased anywhere in Japan and is also a common home-made snack.

    Monday, March 24, 2008

    Pabulum

    1. A substance that gives nourishment; food.
    2. Insipid intellectual nourishment

    source

    Dominionism

    Dominionism describes, in several distinct ways, a tendency among some conservative politically-active Christians to seek influence or control over secular civil government through political action — aiming either at a nation governed by Christians or a nation governed by a conservative Christian understanding of biblical law.

    Gauleiter

    A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau. The German word Leiter means leader, whilst Gau was an old word for a region of the Reich, once ruled by a Frankish Gaugraf; it translates most closely to the English shire. Gau was one of the many archaic words from medieval German history that the Nazis revived for their own purposes.

    Mealy-mouthed

    Unwilling to state facts or opinions simply and directly.

    Mealy-mouthed may come from a saying such as German Mehl im Maule behalten, “to carry meal in the mouth, that is, not to be direct in speech,” which occurs in Luther's writings. In English we find the terms mealmouth (1546) and meal-mouthed (1576) recorded around the same time that we find mealymouthed (around 1572). Mealy-mouthed is the only form that survived to describe this trait described by Luther, which not only survives but flourishes in our time.

    source

    Harridan

    A woman regarded as scolding and vicious.

    source

    Sunday, March 23, 2008

    Carnabetian

    a reference to Carnaby Street, the fashion centre of Swinging London in the 1960s.

    Source

    Interchangeability

    In telecommunication, an interchangeability is a condition which exists when two or more items possess such functional and physical characteristics as to be equivalent in performance and durability, and are capable of being exchanged one for the other without alteration of the items themselves, or of adjoining items, except for adjustment, and without selection for fit and performance.

    Vertiginous

    1. Affected with vertigo; giddy; dizzy.
    2. Causing or tending to cause dizziness.
    3. Turning round; whirling; revolving.
    4. Inclined to change quickly or frequently; inconstant.

    source

    Thursday, March 20, 2008

    Wednesday, March 19, 2008

    Protologism

    A protologism is a neologism that has not caught on yet.

    Copyleft


    Copyleft is a play on the word copyright and describes the practice of using copyright law to remove restrictions on distributing copies and modified versions of a work for others and requiring that the same freedoms be preserved in modified versions.

    Tuesday, March 18, 2008

    Latticework

    Latticework is an ornamental, lattice framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of building material, usually wood or metal, but it can made be of any material.

    Andiron

    An andiron (older form anderne; med. Lat. andena, anderia) is a horizontal iron bar, or bars, upon which logs are laid for burning in an open fireplace.

    Thursday, March 6, 2008

    Transculturation

    Transculturation reflects the natural tendency of people to resolve conflicts over time, rather than exacerbating them. In the modern context, both conflicts and resolutions are amplified by communication and transportation technology —the ancient tendency of cultures drifting or remaining apart has been replaced by stronger forces for bringing societies together. Where tranculturation impacts ethnicity and ethnic issues the term "ethnoconvergence" is sometimes used.

    In one general sense, transculturation covers war, ethnic conflict, racism, multiculturalism, cross-culturalism, interracial marriage, and any other of a number of contexts that deal with more than one culture. In the other general sense, tranculturation is one aspect of global phenomena and human events.

    Wednesday, March 5, 2008

    Cartodating

    The process of using changes in map details (e.g. borders) over time to approximate when the map was made.

    source

    Tuesday, March 4, 2008

    Mesopelagic

    The mesopelagic is a pelagic zone extending from 200 m down to around 1000 m below sea level in the open ocean.

    Thursday, February 28, 2008

    Confessionalism

    Confessionalism is a system of government that distributes political and institutional power proportionally among religious communities. Posts in government and seats in the legislature are apportioned amongst different groups according to the relative demographic composition of those groups in a society, which is seen as a way of formally recognizing the communal political rights of indigenous groups.

    Tuesday, February 19, 2008

    Thraw

    1. To Twist or Turn
    2. Ill humour

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    Lapidary

    Of or relating to precious stones or the art of working with them

    "the ring is of no lapidary value"- Lord Byron; "lapidary art"

    Thursday, February 14, 2008

    Triumphalism

    Triumphalism is the attitude or belief that a particular doctrine, culture, or social system is superior to and should triumph over all others. Triumphalism is not an articulated doctrine but rather a term that is used to characterize certain attitudes or belief systems by parties such as political commentators and historians.

    Friday, February 8, 2008

    Scientism

    The term scientism can be used as a neutral term to describe the view that natural science has authority over all other interpretations of life, such as philosophical, religious, mythical, spiritual, or humanistic explanations, and over other fields of inquiry, such as the social sciences. It also can imply a criticism of a perceived misapplication or misuse of the authority of science in either of two directions:

    1. The term is often used as a pejorative to indicate the improper usage of science or scientific claims. In this sense, the charge of scientism often is used as a counter-argument to appeals to scientific authority in contexts where science might not apply, such as when the topic is perceived to be beyond the scope of scientific inquiry.
    2. The term is also used to pejoratively refer to "the belief that the methods of natural science, or the categories and things recognized in natural science, form the only proper elements in any philosophical or other inquiry," with a concomitant "elimination of the psychological dimensions of experience". It thus expresses a position critical of (at least the more extreme expressions of) positivism. (Compare: scientific imperialism.)

    Monday, February 4, 2008

    Bellwether

    A bellwether is any entity in a given arena that serves to create or influence trends or to presage future happenings. The term is derived from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) in order that this animal might lead its flock of sheep.

    Tuesday, January 29, 2008

    Dross

    Dross is a mass of solid impurities floating on a molten metal bath. Dross (slang) has been used to describe persons of contemptible status. For example 'Human dross' is synonymous with 'Human scum'.

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    Nihilartikel

    A fraudulent entry in a reference work used to catch copyright infringers.

    source

    Sinology

    Sinology is the study of China and things related to China, by non-Chinese or Chinese living outside China. Sino- is derived from Latin Sinae ("the Chinese"), the origin of which is debatable. In the context of area studies, sinology is usually known as Chinese Studies.

    Sinology on Wikipedia

    Sinology

    Sinology is the study of China and things related to China, by non-Chinese or Chinese living outside China. Sino- is derived from Latin Sinae ("the Chinese"), the origin of which is debatable. In the context of area studies, sinology is usually known as Chinese Studies.

    Sinology on Wikipedia

    Friday, January 25, 2008

    Tuesday, January 22, 2008

    Sunday, January 20, 2008

    Temerity

    unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition : rashness recklessness

    source



    Quixotic

    1.(sometimes initial capital letter) resembling or befitting Don Quixote.
    2.extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.
    3.impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.

    source

    Thursday, January 17, 2008

    Disemvowelling

    In the fields of Internet discussion and forum moderation, disemvoweling, (also spelled disemvowelling) which appears to model the word disemboweling, is the removal of vowels from text either as a method of self-censorship (for example, either "G*d" or "G-d" for those whose religious beliefs preclude writing God in full), or as a technique by forum moderators to censor Internet trolling and other unwanted posting.[1] When used by a forum moderator, the net effect of disemvowelling text is to render it illegible or legible only through significant cognitive effort.

    Wednesday, January 16, 2008

    Endomorph

    An endomorph is one of the three somatotypes, or animal body-types, that contains high body fat, and that gains weight easily.

    Tuesday, January 15, 2008

    Semiosis

    Semiosis is any form of activity, conduct, or process that involves signs, including the production of meaning. The term was introduced by Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) to describe a process that interprets signs as referring to their objects, as described in his theory of sign relations, or semiotics.

    Post-Structuralism

    Post-structuralism encompasses the intellectual developments of continental philosophers and critical theorists that wrote with tendencies of twentieth-century French philosophy. The prefix "post" refers to the fact that many contributors such as Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Julia Kristeva rejected structuralism and became quite critical of it. In direct contrast to structuralism's claims of an independent signifier, superior to the signified, post-structuralism views the signifier and signified as inseparable but not united.

    While post-structuralism is difficult to define or summarize, it can be broadly understood as a body of distinct reactions to structuralism. There are two main reasons for this difficulty. First, it rejects definitions that claim to have discovered absolute 'truths' or facts about the world.[1] Second, very few people have willingly accepted the label 'post-structuralist'; rather, they have been labeled as such by others. Therefore, no one has felt compelled to construct a 'manifesto' of post-structuralism.

    Structuralism

    An approach in academic disciplines in general that explores the relationships between fundamental principal elements in language, literature, and other fields upon which some higher mental, linguistic, social, or cultural "structures" and "structural networks" are built. Through these networks meaning is produced within a particular person, system, or culture. This meaning then frames and motivates the actions of individuals and groups. In its most recent manifestation, structuralism as a field of academic interest began around 1958 and peaked in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

    Wikipedia on Structuralism

    Stately

    1. Dignified and impressive, as in size or proportions. See Synonyms at grand.
    2. Majestic; lofty.

    source

    Tuesday, January 8, 2008

    Bevy

    1.a group of birds, as larks or quail, or animals, as roebuck, in close association.
    2.a large group or collection
    bevy

    Evitable

    capable of being avoided or warded off

    source

    Sunday, January 6, 2008

    Pathocracy

    A totalitarian form of government in which absolute political power is held by a psychopathic elite, and their effect on the people is such that the entire society is ruled and motivated by purely pathological values.

    source

    Friday, January 4, 2008

    Meconium

    Meconium (warning: gross picture) is the earliest stools of an infant. Unlike later feces, meconium is composed of materials ingested during the time the infant spends in the uterus: intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, amniotic fluid, bile, and water. Meconium is sterile, unlike later feces, is viscous and sticky like tar, and has no odor.

    Bumptious

    Bumptious: obtrusively pushy; self-assertive to a pretentious extreme

    lordosis

      Lordosis is historically defined as an abnormal inward curvature of the lumbar spine.