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The New Words Thread: Things you ran across, remembered, or had to look up
As the title implies, this is a thread to add the new words you come across from time to time, or words that you had to look up, or words you found intersting and wanted to share.
I'll start with these five, which I've recently learned:
This word has been running around in my head for a week, but I didn't know the definition or where I picked it up.
feckless
adjective
One I haven't come across in a long time. Just read it in a book. I recognized it, but had to look the meaning up.
parvenu
noun
a person who has recently or suddenly acquired wealth, importance, position, or the like, but has not yet developed the conventionally appropriate manners, dress, surroundings, etc.
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Ran across this in a short story by Washington Irving.
termagant
noun
) a mythical deity popularly believed in the Middle Ages to be worshiped by the Muslims and introduced into the morality play as a violent, overbearing personage in long robes.--------------
felicific
adjective
causing or tending to cause happiness.
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gaumless
adjective Chiefly British Informal .
lacking in vitality or intelligence; stupid, dull, or clumsy.
Tags: adjectives, adverbs, language, nouns, verbs, vocabulary, words
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on -
It's not in use. Just found it on dictionary.com, and thought it was "fun."
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Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on
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apothegm
- noun
a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism.
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Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on
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defenestrate
- verb
to throw (a person or thing) out of a window.
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Permalink Reply by Marianne on -
I know this word quite well because I did it; in french: defenestration
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Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on
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This one will make people look twice.
cunctator
noun
a procrastinator; delayer
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Permalink Reply by doone on -
Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus CunctatorQuintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator was a Roman politician and general, born in Rome around 280 BC and died in Rome in 203 BC. He was Roman Consul five times and was twice Dictator in 221 and again in 217 BC. WikipediaBorn: BC 280Died: BC 203
He was an important figure in history though an object of derision when alive
Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, byname Cunctator (died 203bc), Roman commander and statesman whose cautious delaying tactics (whence the nickname Cunctator, meaning “delayer,” which was not his official cognomen) during the early stages of the Second Punic War (218–201) gave Rome time to recover its strength and take the offensive against the invading Carthaginian army of Hannibal. Fabianism has come to mean a gradual or cautious policy
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Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on
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Did you know that or did you just google it right away?
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Permalink Reply by doone on
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Both, I knew of him as I have read books on Hannibal and the Punic War but needed Google to get the right name and history.
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Permalink Reply by Marianne on
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I heard (or maybe read) the word dippity somewhere on this site.I didn't quite understand what it meant but maybe understood in the context it was spoken. Then I try to look it up and couldn't find it... Anybody can help me with this ?
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Permalink Reply by Davy on -
Dippity could be derived from SERENDIPITY.
The examples on WORDNIK give the impression that the word is used as a replacement for an adjective.
All the on line dictionaries I bookmarked only one had examples of its use the others not found.
I do not have access to the Oxford online Dictionary.
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Permalink Reply by Michel on -
Ubiquinone. - Everywhere there's nothing.
=)
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