anamnesis \an-am-NEE-sis\, noun:
1. The recollection or remembrance of the past.
2. Platonism. Recollection of the Ideas, which the soul had known in a previous existence, especially by means of reasoning.
3. The medical history of a patient.
4. Immunology. A prompt immune response to a previously encountered antigen, characterized by more rapid onset and greater effectiveness of antibody and T cell reaction than during the first encounter, as after a booster shot in a previously immunized person.
5. (Often initial capital letter) a prayer in a Eucharistic service, recalling the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ.
When I was writing a novel about a fourteen-year-old girl, I must remember what I was like at fourteen, but this anamnesis is not a looking back, from my present chronological age, at Madeleine, aged fourteen.
-- Madeleine L'Engle, The Irrational Season
The narrator of Dostoevsky's Dream of a Ridiculous Man visits in his sleep, in a state of anamnesis perhaps, a humanity living in the Golden Age before the loss of innocence and happiness.
-- Czesław Miłosz, To Begin Where I Am: Selected Essays
Anamnesis is derived from the Greek roots ana (meaning “re”) and mimnḗskein (meaning “to call to mind”).
2011年12月31日 星期六
2011年12月30日 星期五
2011_12_30 lave \leyv\, verb: 洗澡 To wash; bathe. To wash; bathe.
lave \leyv\, verb:
1. To wash; bathe.
2. (Of a river, sea, etc.) to flow along, against, or past; wash.
3. Obsolete. To ladle; pour or dip with a ladle.
4. Archaic. To bathe.
noun:
1. The remainder; the rest.
adjective:
1. (Of ears) large and drooping.
One must have a freshness of mind, a cleanliness of body. One must lave oneself in sparkling springs—
-- Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy
And sit on the hearthstone so I may lave your alabaster skin with my own hands.
-- Güneli Gün, On The Road to Baghdad
Lave may come from an Old English word gelafian meaning “to wash by pouring” or from the Latin word lavare meaning “to wash.”
1. To wash; bathe.
2. (Of a river, sea, etc.) to flow along, against, or past; wash.
3. Obsolete. To ladle; pour or dip with a ladle.
4. Archaic. To bathe.
noun:
1. The remainder; the rest.
adjective:
1. (Of ears) large and drooping.
One must have a freshness of mind, a cleanliness of body. One must lave oneself in sparkling springs—
-- Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy
And sit on the hearthstone so I may lave your alabaster skin with my own hands.
-- Güneli Gün, On The Road to Baghdad
Lave may come from an Old English word gelafian meaning “to wash by pouring” or from the Latin word lavare meaning “to wash.”
2011年12月29日 星期四
2011_12_29 interpolation noun:插補 \in-tur-puh-LEY-shuhn\, The act or process of introducing something additional or extraneous between other parts.
interpolation \in-tur-puh-LEY-shuhn\, noun:
1. The act or process of introducing something additional or extraneous between other parts.
2. Something interpolated, as a passage introduced into a text.
3. Mathematics. A. The process of determining the value of a function between two points at which it has prescribed values. B. A similar process using more than two points at which the function has prescribed values. C. The process of approximating a given function by using its values at a discrete set of points.
When men interpolate, it is because they believe their interpolation seriously needed.
-- Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason
"I am inclined to think," he added after a moment, once he had their attention again, "that if some pages were interpolated it was either done around the time of the original edition, or now, in our time.
-- Arturo Pérez-Reverte, The Dumas Club
Interpolation is derived from the Latin word interpolātus, meaning “to refurbish or touch up.”
1. The act or process of introducing something additional or extraneous between other parts.
2. Something interpolated, as a passage introduced into a text.
3. Mathematics. A. The process of determining the value of a function between two points at which it has prescribed values. B. A similar process using more than two points at which the function has prescribed values. C. The process of approximating a given function by using its values at a discrete set of points.
When men interpolate, it is because they believe their interpolation seriously needed.
-- Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason
"I am inclined to think," he added after a moment, once he had their attention again, "that if some pages were interpolated it was either done around the time of the original edition, or now, in our time.
-- Arturo Pérez-Reverte, The Dumas Club
Interpolation is derived from the Latin word interpolātus, meaning “to refurbish or touch up.”
2011年12月28日 星期三
2011_12_28 fusty \FUHS-tee\, adjective:發霉\ FUHS- T卹\，形容詞：
fusty \FUHS-tee\, adjective:
1. Having a stale smell; moldy; musty.
2. Old-fashioned or out-of-date, as architecture, furnishings, or the like.
3. Stubbornly conservative or old-fashioned; fogyish.
He could even smell the old woman in the buggy beside him, smell the fusty camphor-reeking shawl and even the airless black cotton umbrella in which (he would not discover until they had reached the house) she had concealed a hatchet and a flashlight.
-- William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!
I won't stop accusing you of being fusty if you don't stop acting that way. For God's sake, what is wrong with seeing what a rock concert is like? I'd like to find out.
-- Lionel Shriver, The Female of the Species
Fusty comes from the Old French word fust, meaning a “wine cask.” As wine casks are stuffy and smelly, the adjective is a logical association.
發霉\ FUHS- T卹\，形容詞：
1。有一個陳舊的氣味;發霉;霉味。
2。老式或出最新的，如建築，家具，或類似。
3。頑固保守的或舊的的老式fogyish。
他甚至可以聞在他身邊的馬車的老太太，聞到發霉樟腦 reeking披肩，甚至密不透風的黑色棉傘（他不會發現，直到他們達到的房子）她隱瞞了一把斧頭和一個手電筒。
- 福克納，押沙龍，押沙龍！
我不會停止指責你正在發霉，如果你不停止署理這樣。上帝的份上，什麼是錯了，看到一場搖滾音樂會嗎？我想找出。
- 梅西施萊佛，該物種的女性
發霉來自古法語單詞富斯特，意思是“葡萄酒的木桶。”葡萄酒的木桶悶和臭，形容詞是一個邏輯的關聯。
1. Having a stale smell; moldy; musty.
2. Old-fashioned or out-of-date, as architecture, furnishings, or the like.
3. Stubbornly conservative or old-fashioned; fogyish.
He could even smell the old woman in the buggy beside him, smell the fusty camphor-reeking shawl and even the airless black cotton umbrella in which (he would not discover until they had reached the house) she had concealed a hatchet and a flashlight.
-- William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!
I won't stop accusing you of being fusty if you don't stop acting that way. For God's sake, what is wrong with seeing what a rock concert is like? I'd like to find out.
-- Lionel Shriver, The Female of the Species
Fusty comes from the Old French word fust, meaning a “wine cask.” As wine casks are stuffy and smelly, the adjective is a logical association.
發霉\ FUHS- T卹\，形容詞：
1。有一個陳舊的氣味;發霉;霉味。
2。老式或出最新的，如建築，家具，或類似。
3。頑固保守的或舊的的老式fogyish。
他甚至可以聞在他身邊的馬車的老太太，聞到發霉樟腦 reeking披肩，甚至密不透風的黑色棉傘（他不會發現，直到他們達到的房子）她隱瞞了一把斧頭和一個手電筒。
- 福克納，押沙龍，押沙龍！
我不會停止指責你正在發霉，如果你不停止署理這樣。上帝的份上，什麼是錯了，看到一場搖滾音樂會嗎？我想找出。
- 梅西施萊佛，該物種的女性
發霉來自古法語單詞富斯特，意思是“葡萄酒的木桶。”葡萄酒的木桶悶和臭，形容詞是一個邏輯的關聯。
2011年12月27日 星期二
2011_12_27 adventive 外來的 \ad-VEN-tiv\, adjective: Not native and usually not yet well established, as exotic plants or animals.
adventive \ad-VEN-tiv\, adjective: 外來的
1. Not native and usually not yet well established, as exotic plants or animals.
noun:
1. A not native and usually not yet well established plant or animal.
I'm sure it's hard to be adventive, temporarily naturalized, that is.
-- Gish Jen, World and Town
Carrion beetles usually avoid competition with blowflies by visiting the carcasses at a later, dried stage of decomposition. Next come the omnivores, such as wasps and ants, and finally there are the adventive insects, like spiders.
-- David Shobin, The Provider
Adventive, like adventure, is derived from the Latin word adventus meaning “an advance.” The suffix -ive denotes a noun that comes from an adjective, like detective or active.
1. Not native and usually not yet well established, as exotic plants or animals.
noun:
1. A not native and usually not yet well established plant or animal.
I'm sure it's hard to be adventive, temporarily naturalized, that is.
-- Gish Jen, World and Town
Carrion beetles usually avoid competition with blowflies by visiting the carcasses at a later, dried stage of decomposition. Next come the omnivores, such as wasps and ants, and finally there are the adventive insects, like spiders.
-- David Shobin, The Provider
Adventive, like adventure, is derived from the Latin word adventus meaning “an advance.” The suffix -ive denotes a noun that comes from an adjective, like detective or active.
2011年12月26日 星期一
2011_12_26 solatium 撫慰金 \soh-LEY-shee-uhm\, noun: Something given in compensation for inconvenience, loss or injury.
solatium \soh-LEY-shee-uhm\, noun:撫慰金
1. Something given in compensation for inconvenience, loss or injury.
2. Law. Damages awarded to a plaintiff as compensation for personal suffering or grief arising from an injury.
Perhaps something could be done. And the following week it was. Arthur found himself awarded a solatium of £7, which had accumulated in some overlooked fund, and which the authorities graciously felt could be applied to his purpose.
-- Julian Barnes, Arthur & George
It is essential to emphasize that I was in no way “fired” that afternoon; rather, for the record, I merely committed my signature to a number of documents resigning tenure, accepting a none too liberal severance solatium, agreeing to vacate my offices within the week.
-- Tim O'Brien, Tomcat in Love
Solatium is a variation on the Medieval Latin word sōlācium, which shares the root with the word solace.
1. Something given in compensation for inconvenience, loss or injury.
2. Law. Damages awarded to a plaintiff as compensation for personal suffering or grief arising from an injury.
Perhaps something could be done. And the following week it was. Arthur found himself awarded a solatium of £7, which had accumulated in some overlooked fund, and which the authorities graciously felt could be applied to his purpose.
-- Julian Barnes, Arthur & George
It is essential to emphasize that I was in no way “fired” that afternoon; rather, for the record, I merely committed my signature to a number of documents resigning tenure, accepting a none too liberal severance solatium, agreeing to vacate my offices within the week.
-- Tim O'Brien, Tomcat in Love
Solatium is a variation on the Medieval Latin word sōlācium, which shares the root with the word solace.
2011年12月25日 星期日
2011_12_25 hiemal 寒冷的 \HAHY-uh-muhl\, adjective: Of or pertaining to winter; wintry.
hiemal \HAHY-uh-muhl\, adjective: 寒冷的
Of or pertaining to winter; wintry.
Since snow and frost lasted from October well into April, no wonder the mean of my school memories is definitely hiemal.
-- Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory
We took hours to make camp and hours to break camp, and in between tottered like children across the immensity of that bleak and hiemal playground.
-- Beryl Bainbridge, The Birthday Boys
Hiemal is derived from the Sanskrit word hima meaning “cold, frost, snow.”
SmileBox
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsmilebox.com%2Fplay%2F4d6a67344e7a4d7a4e54673d0d0a%26blogview%3Dtrue%26campaign%3Dblog_playback_link&h=_AQHZz3LxAQHh7wMoIWl5tSFE2yrGj9bECpJMK1QRxefssg
Of or pertaining to winter; wintry.
Since snow and frost lasted from October well into April, no wonder the mean of my school memories is definitely hiemal.
-- Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory
We took hours to make camp and hours to break camp, and in between tottered like children across the immensity of that bleak and hiemal playground.
-- Beryl Bainbridge, The Birthday Boys
Hiemal is derived from the Sanskrit word hima meaning “cold, frost, snow.”
SmileBox
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsmilebox.com%2Fplay%2F4d6a67344e7a4d7a4e54673d0d0a%26blogview%3Dtrue%26campaign%3Dblog_playback_link&h=_AQHZz3LxAQHh7wMoIWl5tSFE2yrGj9bECpJMK1QRxefssg
2011年12月24日 星期六
2011_12_24 canticle \KAN-ti-kuhl\, noun: 頌歌 A song, poem, or hymn especially of praise.
canticle \KAN-ti-kuhl\, noun: 頌歌
1. A song, poem, or hymn especially of praise.
2. One of the nonmetrical hymns or chants, chiefly from the Bible, used in church services.
And, yes, finally, I understood the love in this canticle not just as love between man and woman as they unite, but between the Creator and His people, our Israel.
-- Donna Jo Napoli, Song of the Magdalene
Of course, anyone who writes canticles must know the life of the saint to perfection, to the least trivial detail.
-- Anton Chekhov, The Bishop and Other Stories
Canticle comes from the Latin word canticum meaning “song.” (That is also the root of “canto.”) The suffix -ule implies a diminutive version, like the word capsule.
1. A song, poem, or hymn especially of praise.
2. One of the nonmetrical hymns or chants, chiefly from the Bible, used in church services.
And, yes, finally, I understood the love in this canticle not just as love between man and woman as they unite, but between the Creator and His people, our Israel.
-- Donna Jo Napoli, Song of the Magdalene
Of course, anyone who writes canticles must know the life of the saint to perfection, to the least trivial detail.
-- Anton Chekhov, The Bishop and Other Stories
Canticle comes from the Latin word canticum meaning “song.” (That is also the root of “canto.”) The suffix -ule implies a diminutive version, like the word capsule.
2011年12月23日 星期五
2011_12_23 swaddle \SWOD-l\, verb:襁褓 To wrap (anything) round with bandages.
swaddle \SWOD-l\, verb:
1. To bind an infant with long, narrow strips of cloth to prevent free movement.
2. To wrap (anything) round with bandages.
noun:
1. A long, narrow strip of cloth used for swaddling or bandaging.
A child is our natural company; it is a delight to us to make a fright of it, to fondle it, to swaddle it, to dress and undress it, to cuddle it, to sing it lullabies, to cradle it, to get it up, to put it to bed, and to nourish it...
-- Honoré de Balzac, Droll Stories
But that was a little later—just now Narlikar and Bose were tending to Ahmed Sinai's toe; midwives had been instructed to wash and swaddle the newborn pair; and now Miss Mary Pereira made her contribution.
-- Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
Swaddle is related to the Old English word swath meaning “a bandage or wrap.”
1. To bind an infant with long, narrow strips of cloth to prevent free movement.
2. To wrap (anything) round with bandages.
noun:
1. A long, narrow strip of cloth used for swaddling or bandaging.
A child is our natural company; it is a delight to us to make a fright of it, to fondle it, to swaddle it, to dress and undress it, to cuddle it, to sing it lullabies, to cradle it, to get it up, to put it to bed, and to nourish it...
-- Honoré de Balzac, Droll Stories
But that was a little later—just now Narlikar and Bose were tending to Ahmed Sinai's toe; midwives had been instructed to wash and swaddle the newborn pair; and now Miss Mary Pereira made her contribution.
-- Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
Swaddle is related to the Old English word swath meaning “a bandage or wrap.”
2011年12月22日 星期四
2011_12_22 calvous \KAL-vuhs\, adjective: bald.
calvous \KAL-vuhs\, adjective:
Lacking all or most of the hair on the head; bald.
The wit's voluminous neckerchief unraveled and slipped to the mold, and the spangled silver wig fell from the telltale calvous head.
-- D. M. Cornish, Lamplighter
Admittedly most old, bloated, calvous Germans could double for me, and even if he hadn't been doppelganger material, with the beard I had started growing and the two black eyes, you'd need x-rays to spot the difference.
-- Tibor Fischer, The Thought Gang
Calvous is derived from the Latin word calvus which meant simply “bald.”
2011年12月21日 星期三
2011_12_21 Cravat
The cravat is a neckband, the forerunner of the modern tailored necktie and bow tie, originating from 17th-century Croatia.[
2011_12_21 brogue \brohg\, noun: A fraud; trick; prank.
brogue \brohg\, noun:
1. Any strong regional accent.
2. An Irish accent in the pronunciation of English.
3. A durable, comfortable, low-heeled shoe, often having decorative perforations and a wing tip.
4. A coarse, usually untanned leather shoe once worn in Ireland and Scotland.
5. Brogan.
6. A fraud; trick; prank.
“Nothing like hair of the dog that bit ya, as long as it's green hair,” he said in that brogue that was getting old.
-- Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer
His brogue grew less heavy, his speech more formal, tailoring it to his audience.
-- James Rollins, The Doomsday Key
Brogue originally referred to a type of shoe worn by rural Irish and Scottish highlanders. The word came to be associated with the accent of these people by the early 1700s.
1. Any strong regional accent.
2. An Irish accent in the pronunciation of English.
3. A durable, comfortable, low-heeled shoe, often having decorative perforations and a wing tip.
4. A coarse, usually untanned leather shoe once worn in Ireland and Scotland.
5. Brogan.
6. A fraud; trick; prank.
“Nothing like hair of the dog that bit ya, as long as it's green hair,” he said in that brogue that was getting old.
-- Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer
His brogue grew less heavy, his speech more formal, tailoring it to his audience.
-- James Rollins, The Doomsday Key
Brogue originally referred to a type of shoe worn by rural Irish and Scottish highlanders. The word came to be associated with the accent of these people by the early 1700s.
2011年12月20日 星期二
2011_12_20 lucent \LOO-suhnt\, adjective: Translucent; clear.
lucent \LOO-suhnt\, adjective:
1. Shining.
2. Translucent; clear.
The film of evening light made the red earth lucent, so that its dimensions were deepened, so that a stone, a post, a building had greater depth and more solidity than in the daytime light...
-- John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
His lucent top-hat, his dark frock-coat, indeed, every detail, from the pearl pin in the black satin cravat to the lavender spats over the varnished shoes, spoke of the meticulous care in dress for which he was famous.
-- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 1
Lucent comes from the Latin word lucentum meaning “to shine.”
1. Shining.
2. Translucent; clear.
The film of evening light made the red earth lucent, so that its dimensions were deepened, so that a stone, a post, a building had greater depth and more solidity than in the daytime light...
-- John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
His lucent top-hat, his dark frock-coat, indeed, every detail, from the pearl pin in the black satin cravat to the lavender spats over the varnished shoes, spoke of the meticulous care in dress for which he was famous.
-- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 1
Lucent comes from the Latin word lucentum meaning “to shine.”
2011年12月19日 星期一
2011_12_19 ectype \EK-tahyp\, noun: A reproduction; copy.
ectype \EK-tahyp\, noun:
A reproduction; copy.
Were it not for the existence of the prototype, the ectype would not exist. And the characters of the ectype are determined entirely by those of the prototype, being again simply their reflections.
-- Robert W. Jenson, The Knowledge of Things Hoped For
The development of ectype from prototype occurs as a concatenation, so that each dimension arises out of the previous one without wholly seperating itself.
-- Martin Wallen, City of Health, Fields of Disease
As opposed to prototype, ectype originally meant “wrought in relief” in Greek. Its roots are ec, a variant of “ex,” and týpos, a “figure on a wall.”
A reproduction; copy.
Were it not for the existence of the prototype, the ectype would not exist. And the characters of the ectype are determined entirely by those of the prototype, being again simply their reflections.
-- Robert W. Jenson, The Knowledge of Things Hoped For
The development of ectype from prototype occurs as a concatenation, so that each dimension arises out of the previous one without wholly seperating itself.
-- Martin Wallen, City of Health, Fields of Disease
As opposed to prototype, ectype originally meant “wrought in relief” in Greek. Its roots are ec, a variant of “ex,” and týpos, a “figure on a wall.”
2011年12月18日 星期日
2011_12_18 gangrel \GANG-gruhl\, noun: A lanky, loose-jointed person.
gangrel \GANG-gruhl\, noun:
1. A lanky, loose-jointed person.
2. A wandering beggar; vagabond; vagrant.
Patrick had a likeness to his father, but was still just a gangrel of a boy with long arms and a slouching posture.
-- David Farland, Worlds of the Golden Queen
I longed to tell you so when you threw me over at the meeting for that pretentious pedant, that long-backed Leslie, whom I remember as a gangrel gawky with his sleeves half-way up his arms.
-- Elizabeth Lynn Linton, The Rebel of the Family
Gangrel dates back to Middle English and is related to the word gangling. The suffix -rel has a very precise use: to denote nouns that are seen as trivial or worthless, as in mongrel or wastrel.
1. A lanky, loose-jointed person.
2. A wandering beggar; vagabond; vagrant.
Patrick had a likeness to his father, but was still just a gangrel of a boy with long arms and a slouching posture.
-- David Farland, Worlds of the Golden Queen
I longed to tell you so when you threw me over at the meeting for that pretentious pedant, that long-backed Leslie, whom I remember as a gangrel gawky with his sleeves half-way up his arms.
-- Elizabeth Lynn Linton, The Rebel of the Family
Gangrel dates back to Middle English and is related to the word gangling. The suffix -rel has a very precise use: to denote nouns that are seen as trivial or worthless, as in mongrel or wastrel.
2011年12月17日 星期六
2011_12_17 procellous \proh-SEL-uhs\, adjective: Stormy, as the sea.
procellous \proh-SEL-uhs\, adjective:
Stormy, as the sea.
Amongst other effects he had a surpassing notion for the storm. Kean has seen a mechanical exhibition in Spring Gardens (the remains of Loutherburg's “Eidophusicon”) in which very striking procellous effects has been produced, and which he fancied very available to his purpose.
-- George Raymond, Memoirs of Robert William Elliston: Comedian
The plan traced on our chart will lead us through oceans procellous and perilous straits, amid regions where the atmosphere is cheerless and the sun's rays are pale, and the spring blossoms no sooner unfold their petals than they droop and languish.
-- C.C.C.P. Silva, M.D., The Western Medical Reporter, Vol. 10
Procellous is derived from the Latin word procella meaning “storm” and the suffix -ous which implies a general sense, like in the word operose.
Stormy, as the sea.
Amongst other effects he had a surpassing notion for the storm. Kean has seen a mechanical exhibition in Spring Gardens (the remains of Loutherburg's “Eidophusicon”) in which very striking procellous effects has been produced, and which he fancied very available to his purpose.
-- George Raymond, Memoirs of Robert William Elliston: Comedian
The plan traced on our chart will lead us through oceans procellous and perilous straits, amid regions where the atmosphere is cheerless and the sun's rays are pale, and the spring blossoms no sooner unfold their petals than they droop and languish.
-- C.C.C.P. Silva, M.D., The Western Medical Reporter, Vol. 10
Procellous is derived from the Latin word procella meaning “storm” and the suffix -ous which implies a general sense, like in the word operose.
2011年12月16日 星期五
2011_12_16 abrade \uh-BREYD\, verb: To scrape off.
abrade \uh-BREYD\, verb:
1. To scrape off.
2. To wear off or down by scraping or rubbing.
The cuff digs into Landsman's wrist, sharp enough to abrade the flesh.
-- Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen's Union
He was shorter than Lloyd but heavier in the chest, a wiry-limbed man with bristling dark hair and a quick harsh laugh and a way of crinkling his face so you knew he would say something to abrade your skin like sandpaper.
-- Joyce Carol Oates, High Lonesome
Related to abrasion, abrade is from the Latin roots ab meaning “away from” and rādere meaning “to scrape.”
1. To scrape off.
2. To wear off or down by scraping or rubbing.
The cuff digs into Landsman's wrist, sharp enough to abrade the flesh.
-- Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen's Union
He was shorter than Lloyd but heavier in the chest, a wiry-limbed man with bristling dark hair and a quick harsh laugh and a way of crinkling his face so you knew he would say something to abrade your skin like sandpaper.
-- Joyce Carol Oates, High Lonesome
Related to abrasion, abrade is from the Latin roots ab meaning “away from” and rādere meaning “to scrape.”
2011年12月15日 星期四
2011_12_15 veriest \VER-ee-ist\, adjective: Utmost; most complete.
veriest \VER-ee-ist\, adjective:
1. Utmost; most complete.
2. Superlative of very.
Abagail had held her tongue when Molly said that—Molly and Jim and the others were young and didn't understand anything but the veriest good and the veriest bad.
-- Stephen King, The Stand
Though in the course of his continual voyagings Ahab must often before have noticed a similar sight, yet, to any monomaniac man, the veriest trifles capriciously carry meanings.
-- Herman Melville, Moby-Dick: Or the Whale
Veriest is obviously related to the word very, which derives from the Old French word verai meaning “true, real or genuine.” The suffix -est makes a word a superlative, like fastest.
2011年12月14日 星期三
2011_12_14 cleave \kleev\, verb: 劈開To split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow
cleave \kleev\, verb: 劈開
1. To adhere closely; stick; cling.
2. To remain faithful.
3. To split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, especially along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood.
4. To make by or as if by cutting.
5. To penetrate or pass through (air, water, etc.).
6. To cut off; sever.
7. To part or split, especially along a natural line of division.
8. To penetrate or advance by or as if by cutting.
It bothers him as much as it bothers you, but he is a man of faith and the Bible says that a man should leave his mother and father and cleave unto his wife.
-- H.O. Fischer, For This Land
I will confide in thee. But if you betray my confidence, a father's curse shall cleave to you.
-- Sir Walter Scott, Peveril of the Peak
Cleave is actually related to two separate but similar Old English words. Cleofan meant “to split,” while clifian meant “to adhere.” Today the same word carries both meanings.
1. To adhere closely; stick; cling.
2. To remain faithful.
3. To split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, especially along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood.
4. To make by or as if by cutting.
5. To penetrate or pass through (air, water, etc.).
6. To cut off; sever.
7. To part or split, especially along a natural line of division.
8. To penetrate or advance by or as if by cutting.
It bothers him as much as it bothers you, but he is a man of faith and the Bible says that a man should leave his mother and father and cleave unto his wife.
-- H.O. Fischer, For This Land
I will confide in thee. But if you betray my confidence, a father's curse shall cleave to you.
-- Sir Walter Scott, Peveril of the Peak
Cleave is actually related to two separate but similar Old English words. Cleofan meant “to split,” while clifian meant “to adhere.” Today the same word carries both meanings.
2011年12月13日 星期二
2011_12_13 cortege \kawr-TEZH\, noun: 隨從 A line or train of attendants; retinue.
cortege \kawr-TEZH\, noun: 隨從
1. A procession, especially a ceremonial one.
2. A line or train of attendants; retinue.
From her parlor window, Susan Kidwell saw the white cortege glide past, and watched until it had rounded the corner and the unpaved street's easily airborne dust had landed again.
-- Truman Capote, In Cold Blood
As the cortege neared the downtown section more cars joined it. The hearse was followed by six Packard touring cars with tops back, driven by liveried chauffeurs and filled with flowers.
-- William Faulkner, Sanctuary
Cortege is related to the Old French word curt meaning “an enclosed yard.” By the 1600s, it referred to “a train of attendants.”
1. A procession, especially a ceremonial one.
2. A line or train of attendants; retinue.
From her parlor window, Susan Kidwell saw the white cortege glide past, and watched until it had rounded the corner and the unpaved street's easily airborne dust had landed again.
-- Truman Capote, In Cold Blood
As the cortege neared the downtown section more cars joined it. The hearse was followed by six Packard touring cars with tops back, driven by liveried chauffeurs and filled with flowers.
-- William Faulkner, Sanctuary
Cortege is related to the Old French word curt meaning “an enclosed yard.” By the 1600s, it referred to “a train of attendants.”
2011年12月12日 星期一
2011_12_12 felonious \fuh-LOH-nee-uhs\, adjective: Wicked; base; villainous.
felonious \fuh-LOH-nee-uhs\, adjective:
1. Wicked; base; villainous.
2. Law. Pertaining to, of the nature of, or involving a felony: as in, felonious homicide; felonious intent.
Now, there was much in your manuscript and the accompanying material which was evidence of indiscreet, and possibly criminal, and in some cases undeniably felonious behavior.
-- Richard S. Prather, The Cheim Manuscript
Felonious malfeasance. Jimmy, you never talked like that when you were a cop. The term is—crooked scams.
-- Jeff Sherratt, Six to Five Against
Felonious dates back to the the 1500s. The word felon is from the Old French meaning “villan” and the suffix -ous which applies a quality to a general sense, as in nervous or glorious.
1. Wicked; base; villainous.
2. Law. Pertaining to, of the nature of, or involving a felony: as in, felonious homicide; felonious intent.
Now, there was much in your manuscript and the accompanying material which was evidence of indiscreet, and possibly criminal, and in some cases undeniably felonious behavior.
-- Richard S. Prather, The Cheim Manuscript
Felonious malfeasance. Jimmy, you never talked like that when you were a cop. The term is—crooked scams.
-- Jeff Sherratt, Six to Five Against
Felonious dates back to the the 1500s. The word felon is from the Old French meaning “villan” and the suffix -ous which applies a quality to a general sense, as in nervous or glorious.
2011年12月11日 星期日
2011_12_12 à la mode \ah luh MOHD\, adjective: In or according to the fashion.
à la mode \ah luh MOHD\, adjective:
1. In or according to the fashion.
2. Cookery. A.(Of pie or other dessert) Served with a portion of ice cream, often as a topping: apple pie à la mode. B.(Of beef) Larded and braised or stewed with vegetables, herbs, etc., and served with a rich brown gravy.
I do not yet know what is the fashion in England, but naturally if you assure me it is not à la mode, I won't have a lover. Can I have a house in town?
-- Georgette Heyer, The Talisman Ring
However that may be, Wilhelm was undeniably à la mode; the greatest ladies in England would beseech and entreat of him to write but one line in their albums...
-- Hamilton Murray, Falkenburg: A Tale of the Rhine
À la mode literally means “of the fashion” in French. (The sense of a scoop of ice cream on top of pie arose in 1903 in America.)
1. In or according to the fashion.
2. Cookery. A.(Of pie or other dessert) Served with a portion of ice cream, often as a topping: apple pie à la mode. B.(Of beef) Larded and braised or stewed with vegetables, herbs, etc., and served with a rich brown gravy.
I do not yet know what is the fashion in England, but naturally if you assure me it is not à la mode, I won't have a lover. Can I have a house in town?
-- Georgette Heyer, The Talisman Ring
However that may be, Wilhelm was undeniably à la mode; the greatest ladies in England would beseech and entreat of him to write but one line in their albums...
-- Hamilton Murray, Falkenburg: A Tale of the Rhine
À la mode literally means “of the fashion” in French. (The sense of a scoop of ice cream on top of pie arose in 1903 in America.)
2011年12月10日 星期六
2011_12_10 adytum \ad-i-tuhm\, noun: The most sacred or reserved part of any place of worship.
adytum \ad-i-tuhm\, noun:
1. A sacred place that the public is forbidden to enter; an inner shrine.
2. The most sacred or reserved part of any place of worship.
The girls stood in old-fashioned awe of the presence of betrothed lovers, and the schoolroom, by tacit consent, was treated as an adytum into which no third person would venture to penetrate.
-- Bertha Thomas, “Cressida,” London Society, Vol. 33, March 1878
And they, Père Silas and Modeste Maria Beck (that these two wrought in concert I could not doubt) opened up the adytum of his heart...
-- Charlotte Brontë, Villette
Adytum is from the Greek roots a- meaning “not” and -dyton meaning “to enter.”
1. A sacred place that the public is forbidden to enter; an inner shrine.
2. The most sacred or reserved part of any place of worship.
The girls stood in old-fashioned awe of the presence of betrothed lovers, and the schoolroom, by tacit consent, was treated as an adytum into which no third person would venture to penetrate.
-- Bertha Thomas, “Cressida,” London Society, Vol. 33, March 1878
And they, Père Silas and Modeste Maria Beck (that these two wrought in concert I could not doubt) opened up the adytum of his heart...
-- Charlotte Brontë, Villette
Adytum is from the Greek roots a- meaning “not” and -dyton meaning “to enter.”
2011年12月9日 星期五
2011_12_09 bough \bou\, noun: A branch of a tree, especially one of the larger or main branches.
bough \bou\, noun:
A branch of a tree, especially one of the larger or main branches.
In the background, behind the pool and beneath the dramatic sidereal display, there is a little tree with a bird perched in its uppermost bough, exactly as there is on the Star card.
-- Tom Robbins, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas
He ran up the creeper as easily as though it had been a ladder, walked upright along the broad bough, and brought the pigeon to the ground. He put it limp and warm in Elizabeth's hand.
-- George Orwell, The Orwell Reader: Fiction, Essays, and Reportage
Bough can be traced back to the Sanskrit word bāhu, meaning “shoulder.”
A branch of a tree, especially one of the larger or main branches.
In the background, behind the pool and beneath the dramatic sidereal display, there is a little tree with a bird perched in its uppermost bough, exactly as there is on the Star card.
-- Tom Robbins, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas
He ran up the creeper as easily as though it had been a ladder, walked upright along the broad bough, and brought the pigeon to the ground. He put it limp and warm in Elizabeth's hand.
-- George Orwell, The Orwell Reader: Fiction, Essays, and Reportage
Bough can be traced back to the Sanskrit word bāhu, meaning “shoulder.”
2011年12月8日 星期四
2011_12_08 copse \kops\, noun: A thicket of small trees or bushes; a small wood.
copse \kops\, noun:
A thicket of small trees or bushes; a small wood.
The sun was setting behind a thick forest, and in the glow of sunset the birch trees, dotted about in the aspen copse, stood out clearly with their hanging twigs, and their buds swollen almost to bursting.
-- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Despite the December afternoon sunlight, the interior of the copse looked dark and impenetrable. The fact that none of the trees were covered in snow appeared to him to be improbable but welcome.
-- John Berger, Once in Europa
Copse is derived from the Old French word copeiz meaning “a cut-over forest” which originates in the Latin word colpaticum meaning “having been cut.”
A thicket of small trees or bushes; a small wood.
The sun was setting behind a thick forest, and in the glow of sunset the birch trees, dotted about in the aspen copse, stood out clearly with their hanging twigs, and their buds swollen almost to bursting.
-- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Despite the December afternoon sunlight, the interior of the copse looked dark and impenetrable. The fact that none of the trees were covered in snow appeared to him to be improbable but welcome.
-- John Berger, Once in Europa
Copse is derived from the Old French word copeiz meaning “a cut-over forest” which originates in the Latin word colpaticum meaning “having been cut.”
2011年12月7日 星期三
2011_12_07 boscage \BOS-kij\, noun: A mass of trees or shrubs.
boscage \BOS-kij\, noun:
A mass of trees or shrubs.
In places the park and the site itself were edged right up to its rubble and boscage by the rear of buildings...
-- China Miéville, The City & the City
Plunging along a narrow path thick-set on each side with leafy boscage, Paul caught sight of the two retreating figures a few yards only in front of him.
-- John R. Carling, The Shadow of the Czar
Boscage comes from the Middle French word boscage, from the roots bosk meaning “a small wood or thicket” and -age, a suffix that denotes a general noun, like voyage and courage.
A mass of trees or shrubs.
In places the park and the site itself were edged right up to its rubble and boscage by the rear of buildings...
-- China Miéville, The City & the City
Plunging along a narrow path thick-set on each side with leafy boscage, Paul caught sight of the two retreating figures a few yards only in front of him.
-- John R. Carling, The Shadow of the Czar
Boscage comes from the Middle French word boscage, from the roots bosk meaning “a small wood or thicket” and -age, a suffix that denotes a general noun, like voyage and courage.
2011年12月6日 星期二
2011_12_06 weald \weeld\, noun: Wooded or uncultivated country.
weald \weeld\, noun:
1. Wooded or uncultivated country.
2. A region in SE England, in Kent, Surrey, and Essex counties: once a forest area; now an agricultural region.
I am tempted to give one other case, the well-known one of the denudation of the Weald.
-- Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species
And your advertisements must refer to the other, which is Great Willingden or Willingden Abbots, and lies seven miles on the other side of Battle. Quite down in the weald.
-- Jane Austen, Sanditon
Related to the word wild, weald comes from the Old English word weald meaning “forest.”
1. Wooded or uncultivated country.
2. A region in SE England, in Kent, Surrey, and Essex counties: once a forest area; now an agricultural region.
I am tempted to give one other case, the well-known one of the denudation of the Weald.
-- Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species
And your advertisements must refer to the other, which is Great Willingden or Willingden Abbots, and lies seven miles on the other side of Battle. Quite down in the weald.
-- Jane Austen, Sanditon
Related to the word wild, weald comes from the Old English word weald meaning “forest.”
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Dear
Friends,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!From Amy and Tony Kwock
To appreciate the "Jim Reeves - Silent Night" click the link below
2011年12月5日 星期一
2011_12_05 frondescence \fron-DES-uhns\, noun: Leafage; foliage.
frondescence \fron-DES-uhns\, noun:
1. Leafage; foliage.
2. The process or period of putting forth leaves, as a tree, plant, or the like.
What we found were three hundred pristine, mostly level acres with a forty-five-acre pond, completely undeveloped, covered with exquisite wildflowers and frondescence.
-- Paul Newman, In Pursuit of the Common Good
I now become aware of the sound of rumbling water, emanating from somewhere inside the rain forest next to my tropical rest stop. I approach the wet and abundant frondescence of the forest.
-- Richard Wyatt, Fathers of Myth
Frondescence is from the Latin root frondēre meaning “to have leaves.” It is clearly related to frond meaning “leaves.”
1. Leafage; foliage.
2. The process or period of putting forth leaves, as a tree, plant, or the like.
What we found were three hundred pristine, mostly level acres with a forty-five-acre pond, completely undeveloped, covered with exquisite wildflowers and frondescence.
-- Paul Newman, In Pursuit of the Common Good
I now become aware of the sound of rumbling water, emanating from somewhere inside the rain forest next to my tropical rest stop. I approach the wet and abundant frondescence of the forest.
-- Richard Wyatt, Fathers of Myth
Frondescence is from the Latin root frondēre meaning “to have leaves.” It is clearly related to frond meaning “leaves.”
2011年12月4日 星期日
2010_01_08 Board Meeting I
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2011_12_04 collop \KOL-uhp\, noun: A small slice of meat, or piece of anything.
collop \KOL-uhp\, noun:
1. A small slice of meat.
2. A small slice, portion, or piece of anything.
3. A fold or roll of flesh on the body.
He took up a knife and fork, and collop after collop disappeared.
-- Allan Cunningham, Gowden Gibbie
There was cheesecake and spicecake, along with a most extraordinary dish, exactly like collops of bacon only sweet to the taste...
-- Maria McCann, As Meat Loves Salt
Collop is derived from the Middle English word colhoppe meaning “a dish of stewed meat.”
1. A small slice of meat.
2. A small slice, portion, or piece of anything.
3. A fold or roll of flesh on the body.
He took up a knife and fork, and collop after collop disappeared.
-- Allan Cunningham, Gowden Gibbie
There was cheesecake and spicecake, along with a most extraordinary dish, exactly like collops of bacon only sweet to the taste...
-- Maria McCann, As Meat Loves Salt
Collop is derived from the Middle English word colhoppe meaning “a dish of stewed meat.”
2011年12月3日 星期六
2011_12_03 operose \OP-uh-rohs\, adjective: Industrious, as a person.
operose \OP-uh-rohs\, adjective:
1. Done with or involving much labor.
2. Industrious, as a person.
It seems to me a circuitous and operose way of relieving myself to put upon your community the emancipation which I ought to take on myself.
-- Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
But what an operose method! What a train of means to secure a little conversation!
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays
Operose is from the Latin word operosus meaning “taking great pains.” It shares a root with the word opus meaning “work.”
1. Done with or involving much labor.
2. Industrious, as a person.
It seems to me a circuitous and operose way of relieving myself to put upon your community the emancipation which I ought to take on myself.
-- Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
But what an operose method! What a train of means to secure a little conversation!
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays
Operose is from the Latin word operosus meaning “taking great pains.” It shares a root with the word opus meaning “work.”
2011年12月2日 星期五
2011_12_02 bobbery \BOB-uh-ree\, noun: A disturbance or a brawl.
bobbery \BOB-uh-ree\, noun:
A disturbance or a brawl.
“Allow me, Mr. Ivolgin,” Ippolit suddenly interrupted, irritably, “what's all this bobbery for, if I may ask...”
-- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Idiot
Kicked up the most delightful bobbery that had ever been witnessed!
-- Anthony Trollope, Is He Popenjoy? A Novel
Bobbery, unexpectedly, is from the Hindu phrase bap re meaning “O father!” It was first recorded in print in 1816 in The Grand Master.
A disturbance or a brawl.
“Allow me, Mr. Ivolgin,” Ippolit suddenly interrupted, irritably, “what's all this bobbery for, if I may ask...”
-- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Idiot
Kicked up the most delightful bobbery that had ever been witnessed!
-- Anthony Trollope, Is He Popenjoy? A Novel
Bobbery, unexpectedly, is from the Hindu phrase bap re meaning “O father!” It was first recorded in print in 1816 in The Grand Master.
2011年12月1日 星期四
2011_12_01 altruistic \al-troo-IS-tik\, adjective: Unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others.
altruistic \al-troo-IS-tik\, adjective:
1. Unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others.
2. Animal Behavior. Of or pertaining to behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, often its close relatives.
I thought you were an altruistic banker, nothing more, nothing less. A civic-minded altruistic banker.
-- Inman Majors, The Millionaires: A Novel
An altruistic act is an act performed for the welfare of others. It is unselfish, as opposed to an act performed for self, which is selfish.
-- Jack London, The Sea-Wolf
Altruistic was coined in 1830 by philosopher Auguste Comte. It originates in the French word altrui meaning “of or to others” from the Latin word alteri meaning “other.”
1. Unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others.
2. Animal Behavior. Of or pertaining to behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, often its close relatives.
I thought you were an altruistic banker, nothing more, nothing less. A civic-minded altruistic banker.
-- Inman Majors, The Millionaires: A Novel
An altruistic act is an act performed for the welfare of others. It is unselfish, as opposed to an act performed for self, which is selfish.
-- Jack London, The Sea-Wolf
Altruistic was coined in 1830 by philosopher Auguste Comte. It originates in the French word altrui meaning “of or to others” from the Latin word alteri meaning “other.”
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