Thursday, December 14, 2006

Non-Sequitor

Randomly collected.

cursory
–adjective
going rapidly over something, without noticing details; hasty; superficial: a cursory glance

ameliorate
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve; meliorate.

voivode
–noun
(in Eastern European history) a local ruler or governor, esp. the semi-independent rulers of Transylvania, Wallachia, or Moldavia before c1700. Also, vaivode.

psychalgia
–noun
1. Psychological or emotional pain or distress that accompanies a mental effort, especially in depression. Also called phrenalgia.
2. Physical pain that is possibly of psychological origin.

solipsism
–noun
1. Philosophy. the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist.
2. extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one's feelings, desires, etc.; egoistic self-absorption.

cynosure
–noun
1. something that strongly attracts attention by its brilliance, interest, etc.: the cynosure of all eyes.
2. something serving for guidance or direction

incur
–verb (used with object), -curred, -cur·ring.
1. to come into or acquire (some consequence, usually undesirable or injurious): to incur a huge number of debts.
2. to become liable or subject to through one's own action; bring or take upon oneself: to incur his displeasure.

paramour
–noun
1. an illicit lover, esp. of a married person.
2. any lover.

incendiary
–adjective
1.used or adapted for setting property on fire: incendiary bombs.
2.of or pertaining to the criminal setting on fire of property.
3.tending to arouse strife, sedition, etc.; inflammatory: incendiary speeches.
4.tending to inflame the senses: an incendiary extravaganza of music and dance.
–noun
5.a person who deliberately sets fire to buildings or other property, as an arsonist.
6.Military. a shell, bomb, or grenade containing napalm, thermite, or some other substance that burns with an intense heat.
7.a person who stirs up strife, sedition, etc.; an agitator.

sidelong
–adjective
1.directed to one side: a sidelong glance.
2.inclined or slanting to one side.
3.indirect; roundabout: sidelong comments about his appearance.
–adverb
4.toward the side; obliquely.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Elf vs. Orc

http://ursulav.deviantart.com

verisimilitude
–noun
1. the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability: The play lacked verisimilitude.
2. something, as an assertion, having merely the appearance of truth.

crass
–adjective, -er, -est.
1.without refinement, delicacy, or sensitivity; gross; obtuse; stupid: crass commercialism; a crass misrepresentation of the facts.
2.Archaic. thick; coarse.

diffident
–adjective
1.lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy.
2.restrained or reserved in manner, conduct, etc.
3.Archaic. distrustful

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Indians in Unexpected Places

From Indians in Unexpected Places byPhilip J. Deloria
Chapter 1


apogee

–noun
1.Astronomy. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body, esp. the moon, or of a man-made satellite at which it is farthest from the earth.
2.the highest or most distant point; climax.

obsolescence
–noun
the state, process, or condition of being or becoming obsolete.

pathos
–noun
1.the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion.
2.pity.
3.Obsolete. suffering.

depredation
–noun
the act of preying upon or plundering; robbery; ravage.

polity
–noun, plural -ties.
1.a particular form or system of government: civil polity; ecclesiastical polity.
2.the condition of being constituted as a state or other organized community or body: The polity of ancient Athens became a standard for later governments.
3.government or administrative regulation: The colonists demanded independence in matters of internal polity.
4.a state or other organized community or body.

codify
tr.v. cod·i·fied, cod·i·fy·ing, cod·i·fies
  1. To reduce to a code: codify laws.
  2. To arrange or systematize.
repudiate
–verb (used with object), -at‧ed, -at‧ing.
1.to reject as having no authority or binding force: to repudiate a claim.
2.to cast off or disown: to repudiate a son.
3.to reject with disapproval or condemnation: to repudiate a new doctrine.
4.to reject with denial: to repudiate a charge as untrue.
5.to refuse to acknowledge and pay (a debt), as a state, municipality, etc.

referendum
–noun
1.the principle or practice of referring measures proposed or passed by a legislative body to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection. Compare initiative (def. 4a).
2.a measure thus referred.
3.a vote on a such a measure.

Cycle of Hatred

From Cycle of Hatred by Keith R. A. DeCandido


re·lin·quish

tr.v. re·lin·quished, re·lin·quish·ing, re·lin·quish·es
  1. To retire from; give up or abandon.
  2. To put aside or desist from (something practiced, professed, or intended).
  3. To let go; surrender.
  4. To cease holding physically; release: relinquish a grip.
pro·nounce·ment
n.
  1. A formal expression of opinion; a judgment.
  2. An authoritative statement.
dal·li·ance
n.
  1. Frivolous spending of time; dawdling.
  2. Playful flirtation.

fal·la·cy
n. pl. fal·la·cies

  1. A false notion.
  2. A statement or an argument based on a false or invalid inference.
  3. Incorrectness of reasoning or belief; erroneousness.
  4. The quality of being deceptive.

ar·ti·fice
n.

  1. An artful or crafty expedient; a stratagem. See Synonyms at wile.
  2. Subtle but base deception; trickery.
  3. Cleverness or skill; ingenuity.

de·rive
v. de·rived, de·riv·ing, de·rives
v. tr.

  1. To obtain or receive from a source.
  2. To arrive at by reasoning; deduce or infer: derive a conclusion from facts.
  3. To trace the origin or development of (a word).
  4. Linguistics. To generate (a surface structure) from a deep structure.
  5. Chemistry. To produce or obtain (a compound) from another substance by chemical reaction.

v. intr.

To issue from a source; originate. See Synonyms at stem1.

fa·cil·i·tate
tr.v. fa·cil·i·tat·ed, fa·cil·i·tat·ing, fa·cil·i·tates

To make easy or easier: political agreements that facilitated troop withdrawals.
Note: Remember Latin 'facil' - "easy"


dir·i·gi·ble
n.

See airship.


tab·leau

n. pl. tab·leaux or tab·leaus

  1. A vivid or graphic description: The movie was a tableau of a soldier's life.
  2. A striking incidental scene, as of a picturesque group of people: “New public figures suddenly abound in the hitherto faceless totalitarian tableaux” (John McLaughlin).
  3. An interlude during a scene when all the performers on stage freeze in position and then resume action as before.
  4. A tableau vivant.


su·et

n.

The hard fatty tissues around the kidneys of cattle and sheep, used in cooking and for making tallow.

erst·while
adv.

In the past; at a former time; formerly.

adj.

Former: our erstwhile companions.


syc·o·phant

n.

A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people. A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage [syn: toady, crawler, lackey]


fer·vent

adj.

  1. Having or showing great emotion or zeal; ardent: fervent protests; a fervent admirer.
  2. Extremely hot; glowing.


pros·pect

n.

  1. Something expected; a possibility.
  2. prospects
    1. Chances.
    2. Financial expectations, especially of success.
    1. A potential customer, client, or purchaser.
    2. A candidate deemed likely to succeed.
  3. The direction in which an object, such as a building, faces; an outlook.
  4. Something presented to the eye; a scene: a pleasant prospect.
  5. The act of surveying or examining.
    1. The location or probable location of a mineral deposit.
    2. An actual or probable mineral deposit.
    3. The mineral yield obtained by working an ore.


mi·as·ma

n. pl. mi·as·mas or mi·as·ma·ta (-m-t)

  1. A noxious atmosphere or influence: “The family affection, the family expectations, seemed to permeate the atmosphere... like a coiling miasma” (Louis Auchincloss).
    1. A poisonous atmosphere formerly thought to rise from swamps and putrid matter and cause disease.
    2. A thick vaporous atmosphere or emanation: wreathed in a miasma of cigarette smoke.


Useful terms and phrases:
fallacy and artifice
to be disheartened
sheer force
dissipate
concurrently
to gaze at coolly

sputter or stammer (for "stutter")
to enthrall

Verbomania via bibliomania!

Now, really, the title's a hyperbole. I'm not obsessed with words by way of my love for acquiring books.

Literally, verbomania's about "An abnormal talkativeness; a psychotic flow of speech."

For the sake of explanation, this blog is most basically:
A list of definitions for unfamiliar words in books/literature. Now, some of the words I have already seen/heard but have never taken the opportunity to look up before. And I need a place to put them all! Hurrah for pointless blogs.

Of course, this is merely a distraction from all my schoolwork. Awesome.