Thursday, October 29, 2009

ma·chi·a·vel·lian

(mak-ee-uh-VEL-ee-uhn)

adjective: Characterized by cunning, deception, and expediency.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

wet·ta·bil·i·ty

the quality or state of being wettable : the degree to which something can be wet

hmm. i like this word.

lack⋅lus⋅ter

((i didn't know there was such a words as this..))

–adjective
1.lacking brilliance or radiance; dull: lackluster eyes.
2.lacking liveliness, vitality, spirit, or enthusiasm: a lackluster performance.

–noun
3. a lack of brilliance or vitality.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

consolation prize

n. A prize given to a competitor who loses or does not win the first prize.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

ream

[reem]

–noun
1.a standard quantity of paper, consisting of 20 quires or 500 sheets (formerly 480 sheets), or 516 sheets (printer's ream or perfect ream).
2.Usually, reams. a large quantity: He has written reams of poetry.

Monday, October 5, 2009

lush

[luhsh]
1.(of vegetation, plants, grasses, etc.) luxuriant; succulent; tender and juicy.
2.characterized by luxuriant vegetation: a lush valley.
3.characterized by luxuriousness, opulence, etc.: the lush surroundings of his home.

S: abundant, ambrosial, delectable, delicious, deluxe, dense, elaborate, extensive, extravagant, exuberant, flourishing, fresh, grand, green, heavenly, juicy, lavish, luscious, luxuriant, luxurious, opulent, ornate, overgrown, palatial, plush, prodigal, prolific, rank, rich, riotous, ripe, ritzy, scrumptious, sensuous, succulent, sumptuous, teeming, tender, verdant, voluptuous

thesarus day: ver⋅dant

flourishing, fresh, grassy, leafy, lush, verdurous

Sunday, October 4, 2009

un⋅gain⋅ly

–adjective
1.not graceful; awkward; unwieldy; clumsy: an ungainly child; an ungainly prose style.

–adverb
2.in an awkward manner.

a⋅plomb

–noun
1.imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance.
2.the perpendicular, or vertical, position.

pom⋅e⋅lo

–noun, plural -los.

1.the very large, yellow or orange citrus fruit of a tree, Citrus maxima, of southeastern Asia.
2.the tree itself.



Thursday, October 1, 2009

char⋅y

–adjective, char⋅i⋅er, char⋅i⋅est.
1.cautious or careful; wary: He was chary of investing in oil wells.
2.shy; timid.
3.fastidious; choosy: She is excessively chary about her friends.
4.sparing (often fol. by of): chary of his praise.

in⋅ter⋅loc⋅u⋅tor

–noun
1.a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue.
2.the man in the middle of the line of performers in a minstrel troupe, who acts as the announcer and banters with the end men.
3.a person who questions; interrogator

Monday, September 28, 2009

hi⋅a⋅tus

[hahy-ey-tuhs]

–noun, plural -tus⋅es, -tus.

1. a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.
2. a missing part; gap or lacuna: Scholars attempted to account for the hiatus in the medieval manuscript.
3. any gap or opening.
4. Grammar, Prosody. the coming together, with or without break or slight pause, and without contraction, of two vowels in successive words or syllables, as in see easily.
5. Anatomy. a natural fissure, cleft, or foramen in a bone or other structure.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

ple⋅iad

(PLEE-uhd)

noun: A group of (usually seven) brilliant persons or things.


Thursday, September 24, 2009

fan⋅cy-free

[fan-see-free]

–adjective

free from any emotional tie or influence, esp. that of love.

ha I love this word.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

cha⋅grin

[shuh-grin]

–noun

1. a feeling of vexation, marked by disappointment or humiliation.

2. A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event

you don't know how much this describes how i feel at present.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

mus⋅ing

[myoo-zing]   

1. absorbed in thought; meditative

2. contemplation; reflection.

I was trying to find a word that meant something not like bitterness, but looking at or thinking fondly or meditatively on things of the past. Not remorse; just thinking. Kind of in retrospect; Pensive: (deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful; suggestive or expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness.) I can't find this word I'm looking for..maybe it doesn't exist.

 

Sunday, September 20, 2009

thesarus day: vag⋅a⋅bond

n. a person who wanders at will or as a habit "a park full of vagabonds sleeping on benches"

synonyms: bindle stiff, bum, canter, clochard, derelict, drifter, floater, gangrel, hobo, piker, roadster, runagate, shack, street arab, sundowner, swagger, swagman, tramp, tamper, traveler, vagrant, Weary Willy

related words: raomer, rover, wanderer, boomer, misgrant, ranabout, staggler, stray transient; bohemian, gypsy, picaro, beggar, rogue

idiom: knight of the road

oh my goodness, the richness of this word has made me fall in love with it. i chose this word because of a new college student who is from LA that is living at our house for a month and a half that came today. she is not a vagabond, but she is a traveler. 

p.s. i love airports. and my favorite synonyms are underlined.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

post·script

(pōst'skrĭpt', pōs'skrĭpt')

n.  
1. A message appended at the end of a letter after the writer's signature.
2. Additional information appended to the manuscript, as of a book or article.

I have written at least three letters recently. One being a letter composed only of different song lyrics. You should try it. Sometimes other people's words can put things so much clearer than your own. AND I've been making all my envelopes like this.


Friday, September 18, 2009

pi⋅quant

[pee-kuhnt, -kahnt, pee-kahnt]–

adjective
1. agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart: a piquant aspic.
2. agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive: a piquant glance.
3. of an interestingly provocative or lively character: a piquant wit.
4. Archaic. sharp or stinging, esp. to the feelings.

I chose this word because I feel like this is what life is like. It is interesting, stimulating, but also stinging and sharp..and painful.

Here is a quote that goes with this word:

"Then, when he dies, his lifeless body
Cannot taste sweetness, feel the sharpness of pain,
Lift a hand, or be lost in reveries of the mind."

from The Seafarer (anonymous)

a word a day fetish

this blog will be of words, the meanings of words, and the things you can create with words; a fetish of words.

the things in this blog:

songs, 

words, 

Polaroids, 

quotations,

and poetry.