Word

Definition

Function

Pronunciation

Etymology

abject

1 : sunk to or existing in a low state or condition;2 a : cast down in spirit : SERVILE, SPIRITLESS b : showing utter hopelessness or resignation ;3 : expressing or offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit

adj

'ab-"jekt

15th cent Middle English, from Latin abjectus, from past participle of abicere to cast off, from ab- + jacere to throw

algid

cold

adj

'al-j&d

Latin algidus, from algEre to feel cold

ambuscade

ambush

noun

'am-b&-"skAd, "am-b&-'

circa 1588 Middle French embuscade, modification of Old Italian imboscata, from imboscare to place in ambush, from in (from L) + bosco forest, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German busc forest

animadversion

1 : a critical and usually censorious remark — often used with on 2 : adverse criticism

noun

\an-uh-mad-VER-zhun\

Animadversion" comes ultimately from the Latin phrase "animum advertere," meaning "to turn the mind to." It is easy to see how we also get "adverse" and "adversary" from "advertere," especially when we remember that "to turn to" easily becomes "to turn against

apodictic

expressing or of the nature of necessary truth or absolute certainty

adjective

\ap-uh-DIK-tik\

The best known close relative of "apodictic" is "paradigm" ("an outstandingly clear example"); both words are built on Greek "deiknynai," meaning "to show." More distant relatives (from Latin "dicere," a relative of "deiknynai" that means "to say") include "diction," "dictate," "edict," and "predict."

banjax

damage, ruin; smash

trans verb

'ban-"jaks

1939 origin unknown

barmecidal

providing only the illusion of abundance

adj

"bär-m&-'sI-d&l

1842 Barmecide, a wealthy Persian, who, in a tale of The Arabian Nights' Entertainments, invited a beggar to a feast of imaginary food

belonephobia

Fear of needles and other sharply-pointed objects

noun

bell-un-uh-FOE-bee-uh

fr. Greek belon, needle + phobia

benison

blessing, benediction

noun

'be-n&-s&n, -z&n

14th century Middle English beneson, from Middle French beneiçon, from Late Latin benediction-, benedictio

bloviate

to speak or write verbosely and windily

intrans v

'blO-vE-"At

perhaps irregular from blow Date: circa 1897

bunf

1. Toilet paper. 2. Printed matter of little importance: documents such as corporate memos, governmental forms, junk mail, promotional pamphlets, etc.

noun

/'b&m(p)f/

circa 1889 from bumf toilet paper, short for bumfodder, from 1bum + fodder

cacography

1 : bad spelling 2 : bad handwriting

noun

\kak-AH-gruh-fee\

In its earliest use in the 16th century, "cacography" meant not "incorrect spelling" but "a bad system of spelling." Today people worry about misspelling words, but back then there was little need for such concern. English spelling was far from standardized; people spelled words any way that made sense to them. Not every one was happy with such laxity, however, and over the coming centuries spelling reformers pressed for regularization. Some reformers thought spelling should reflect the etymological background of words; others thought words should be spelled the way they sound. And of course, everyone believed his or her own way of spelling was the best! Our present inconsistent system was arrived at over time. Today "cacography" usually suggests deviation from the established standards

callipygian or callipygous

having shapely buttocks

adj

"ka-l&-'pi-j(E-)&n

circa 1800 Greek kallipygos, from kalli- + pygE buttocks

calumny

false and malicious accusation, misrepresentation, slander

noun

'ka-l&m-nE also 'kal-y&m-

15th century Middle French & Latin; Middle French calomnie, from Latin calumnia, from calvi to deceive; perhaps akin to Old English hOlian to slander, Greek kElein to beguile

canicular

of or relating to the dog days

adj

k&-'ni-ky&-l&r

12th century Middle English caniculer of the star Sirius, from Late Latin canicularis, from Latin Canicula Sirius, diminutive of canis

chrestomathy

1 : a selection of passages compiled as an aid to learning a language 2 : a volume of selected passages or stories of an author

noun

\kreh-STAH-muh-thee\

Greek chrestomathy" from their adjective "chrestos," which means "useful," and the verb "manthanein," which means "to learn."

cockalorum

1: a boastful and self-important person 2 : boastful talk

noun

\kah-kuh-LOR-um\

The image of a rooster (a.k.a. cock) strutting confidently across the barnyard or belting out triumphant crow has long been associated with brash self-confidence. It's an association that has left quite a mark on the English language, giving us "crow" ("to brag"),"cock" ("a self-important person"), and "cocky" ("overconfident"), just to name a few. "Cockalorum" (which may have derived from the obsolete Flemish word "kockeloeren," meaning "to crow") is another example. It dates back to 1715 when it was used to describe the Marquis of Huntly — son of the Duke of Gordon, a Celtic Highlander chief who was himself known as the "Cock of the North." Presumably, the Marquis was not exactly known for his humility!

conflagration

1 : FIRE; especially : a large disastrous fire 2 : CONFLICT, WAR

noun

"kän-fl&-'grA-sh&n

ca. 1656 Latin conflagration-, conflagratio, from conflagrare

crepuscular

of, relating to, or resembling twilight : DIM 2 : active in the twilight <crepuscular insects>

adj

kri-'p&s-ky&-l&r

1668

deasil

clockwise

adv

'dE-z&l

1771 Scottish Gaelic deiseil; akin to Latin dexter right hand

dernier cri

latest fashion

noun

"dern-"yA-'krE

1896 French, literally, last cry

diffident

1 : hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence 2 archaic : DISTRUSTFUL 3 : RESERVED, UNASSERTIVE

adj

d&nt, -"dent

15th century Middle English, from Latin diffident-, diffidens, present participle of diffidere to distrust, from dis- + fidere to trust -- more at BIDE

dragoman

An interpreter or guide

noun

(DRAG-uh-man)

[The word took a scenic route to its present form via French, Italian, and medieval Latin/Greek, from Arabic tarjuman, from Aramaic turgemana, from Akkadian targumanu (interpreter).]

dudgeon

A feeling of anger, resentment, indignation, etc.

noun

(DUHJ-uhn)

1673 origin unknown

dysphemism

The substitution of a harsher, deprecating or offensive term in place of a relatively neutral term

noun

(DIS-fuh-miz-em)

[From Greek dys- (bad) + -phemism (as in euphemism).]

eleemosynary

of, relating to, or supported by charity

adj

"e-li-'mä-s&n-"er-E, -'mO-; -'mä-z&n-

ca. 1616 Medieval Latin eleemosynarius, from Late Latin eleemosyna alms

ensorcell

To bewitch; to enchant.

verb tr.

(en-SOR-sehl)

[From Middle French ensorceler, from Old French ensorcerer, from en- + -sorcerer, from Old French sorcier, from Vulgar Latin sortiarius, from Latin sort-, stem of sors (lot, fate).]

eolith

A very early crude flint tool.

noun

'E-&-"lith

1895 - no other information

epithalamium

a song or poem in honor of a bride and bridegroom

noun

"e-p&-th&-'lA-mE-&m

ca. 1589 Latin & Greek; Latin epithalamium, from Greek epithalamion, from epi- + thalamos room, bridal chamber; perhaps akin to Greek tholos rotunda

eristic (adj)

Characterized by controversy or disputes.

adjective

(i-RIS-tik)

[From Greek eristikos, from erizein (to wrangle), from eris (strife). Eris was the goddess of discord in Greek mythology. The Romans called her Discordia.]

eristic (noun)

1. One who engages in arguments or disputes; a controversialist. 2. The art of disputation.

noun

(i-RIS-tik)

Eris was the goddess of discord in Greek mythology. The Romans called her Discordia.]

eudemonia or eudaemonia

1. A state of happiness and well-being. 2. In Aristotelian philosophy, happiness in a life of activity governed by reason.

noun

(yoo-di-MO-nee-uh)

[From Greek eudaimonia (happiness), from eudaimon (having a good genius, happy), from eu- (good) + daimon (spirit, fate, fortune).]

exigent

urgent; requiring immediate action

adj

'ek-s&-j&nt

1629 Latin exigent-, exigens, present participle of exigere to demand

extirpate

1 a : to destroy completely : WIPE OUT b : to pull up by the root 2 : to cut out by surgery

verb

'ek-st&r-"pAt

1535 Latin exstirpatus, past participle of exstirpare, from ex- + stirp-, stirps trunk

farrago

a confused mixture : hodgepodge

noun

\fuh-RAH-goh\

1632 Latin farragin-, farrago mixed fodder, mixture, from far spelt

fecund

1 : fruitful in offspring or vegetation : PROLIFIC 2 : intellectually productive or inventive to a marked degree

'fe-k&nd, 'fE-

15th century Middle English, from Middle French fecond, from Latin fecundus

fen

low land covered wholly or partly with water unless artificially drained

noun

'fen

before 12th century Middle English, from Old English fenn; akin to Old High German fenna fen, Sanskrit panka mud

flivver

a small cheap usually old automobile

noun

'fli-v&r

1910 orgin unknown

florid

1 a obsolete : covered with flowers b : very flowery in style : ORNATE ;2 a : tinged with red : RUDDY b : marked by emotional or sexual fervor 3 archaic : HEALTHY; 4 : fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome

adj

'flor-&d, 'flär-

ca 1656 Latin floridus blooming, flowery, from florEre

foment

to promote the growth or development of : ROUSE, INCITE <foment a rebellion>

trans verb

Function: transitive verb

ca 1613 Middle English fomenten to apply a warm substance to, from Late Latin fomentare, from Latin fomentum compress, from fovEre to heat, soothe; akin to Lithuanian degti to burn, Sanskrit dahati it burns

frangible

readily broken; breakable.

adj

'fran-j&-b&l

15th century Middle English, from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French, from Medieval Latin frangibilis, from Latin frangere to break

fress

To eat without moderation; to pig out.

verb intr

fres

eating by an animal).]

fulsome

1 : copious, abundant; 2 : generous in amount or extent; 3 : excessively flattering

adj

'ful-s&m

13th century Middle English fulsom copious, cloying, from full + -som -some

fungible

1 : being of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in the satisfaction of an obligation <oil, wheat, and lumber are fungible commodities> 2 : INTERCHANGEABLE

adj

'f&n-j&-b&l

1818 New Latin fungibilis, from Latin fungi to perform

gambol

to skip about in play : frisk, frolic

verb

\GAM-bul\

ca 1510 modification of Middle French gambade spring of a horse, gambol, probably from Old Provençal camba leg, from Late Latin

golconda

a rich mine; broadly : a source of great wealth

noun

\gahl-KAHN-duh\

In the 16th century, Golconda was the capital of the Qutb Shahi kingdom in southern India. The city was home to one of the most powerful Muslim sultanates in the region and was the center of a flourishing diamond trade. Magnificent diamonds were taken from the mines in the hills surrounding Golconda, including Darya-e Nur (meaning "sea of light"), at 185 carats, the largest and finest diamond of the crown jewels of Iran. By the 1880s, "Golconda" was being used generically by English speakers to refer to any particularly rich mine, and later to any source of great wealth.

gormless or gaumless

Dull or stupid

adjective

(GORM-lis)

English gome, from Old Norse gaumr.]

guttle

To eat voraciously; to devour greedily.

verb tr, I

(GUT-l)

[From gut, on the pattern of guzzle, from Middle English gut, from plural guttes (entrails), from Old English guttas.]

halcyon

1 : calm, peaceful 2 : happy, golden 3 : prosperous, affluent

adjective

\HAL-see-un\

14th century Middle English alceon, from Latin halcyon, from Greek alkyOn, halkyOna bird identified with the kingfisher and held in ancient legend to nest at sea about the time of the winter solstice and to calm the waves during incubation

hebetude

lethargy, dullness

noun

'he-b&-"tüd, -"tyüd

circa 1621 Late Latin hebetudo, from hebEre to be dull; akin to Latin hebes dull

heisenbug

[from Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle in quantum physics] A bug that disappears or alters its behavior when one attempts to probe or isolate it.

holophrastic

1. Expressing a sentence in one word, for example, "Go." 2. Expressing complex ideas in a single word, as in some Eskimo languages. Also polysynthetic.

adjective

(hol-uh-FRAS-tik)

[From Greek Holo- (whole) + Greek phrastikos, from phrazein (to speak).]

imbibition

the act or action of imbibing

noun

\im-buh-BIH-shun\

All senses of "imbibition" are based on Latin "imbibere," a verb whose meaning "to drink in" includes absorption of liquids, consuming drink, and appropriating ideas.

imbroglio

1 : a confused mass 2 a : an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel) b : an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding c : a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation : EMBROILMENT

noun

im-'brOl-(")yO

1750 Italian, from imbrogliare to entangle, from Middle French embrouiller

interdigitate

to become interlocked like the fingers of folded hands

in·ter·dig·i·tate

circa 1849 inter- + Latin digitus finger

jocose

1 : given to joking : merry 2 : characterized by joking : humorous

adjective

\joh-KOHSS\

1673 Latin jocosus, from jocus joke

karoshi

Death from overwork

lachrymose

1 : given to tears or weeping : tearful; 2 : tending to cause tears : mournful

adj

-"mOs

circa 1727 Latin lacrimosus, from lacrima

lacuna

1 : a blank space or a missing part : gap; 2 : a small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical

noun

l&-'kü-n&, -'kyü-

1652 Latin, pool, pit, gap

Laodicean

lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics

adjective

\lay-ah-duh-SEE-uhn\

English speakers owe the word "Laodicean" to Chapter 3, verses 15 and 16 of the Book of Revelation, in which the church of Laodicea is admonished for being "neither cold nor hot, ... neither one nor the other, but just lukewarm" in its devotion

lassitude

1 : a condition of weariness or debility: fatigue; 2 : a condition of listlessness: languor

noun

'la-s&-"tüd, -"tyüd

Date: 15th century Etymology: Middle French, from Latin lassitudo, from lassus weary; probably akin to Old English læt late

legerity

alert facile quickness of mind or body

noun

\luh-JAIR-uh-tee\

1561 Middle French legereté, from Old French, lightness, from leger light, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin leviarius, from Latin levis -- more at LIGHT

lief

gladly, soon

adv

'lEv, 'lEf

13th century Middle English lief, lef, from Old English lEof; akin to Old English lufu love

limerance

the initial exhilerating rush of falling in love; the state of being in love. This word was coined by Dorothy Tennov in 1979 in a book entitled "Love and Limerance" Psychologists have found that this state lasts for an avg of 3 yrs

locupletative

Tending to enrich.

adj

lock-you-PLEA-ta-tive

fr. Latin locuples, richly stored.

logodaedaly

ingenious or curnning use of words

Lucullan also Lucullian

lavish, luxurious

adj

lü-'k&-l&n

1861 Latin lucullanus of Licinius Lucullus; from his reputation for luxurious banquets

maelstrom

1 : a powerful often violent whirlpool sucking in objects within a given radius 2 : something resembling a maelstrom in turbulence

noun

'mA(&)l-str&m, -"sträm

1682 obsolete Dutch (now maalstroom), from malen to grind + strom stream

maladroit.

lacking adroitness : INEPT, clumsy, tactless

adj

"ma-l&-'droit

1685 French, from Middle French, from mal- + adroit

meed

1 archaic : an earned reward or wage 2 : a fitting return or recompense

noun

'mEd

before 12th century Middle English, from Old English mEd; akin to Old High German miata reward, Greek misthos

metonymy

metonymy is a figure of speech where you use the name of one thing for another. An example would be . . . .The jewels belong to the crown. . . .and the word crown would be called a metonym.

noun

m&-'tä-n&-mE

1547 Latin metonymia, from Greek metOnymia, from meta- + -Onymon -onym

moil

transitive senses chiefly dialect : to make wet or dirty; intransitive senses 1 : to work hard : DRUDGE 2 : to be in continuous agitation : CHURN, SWIRL

verb

'moi(&)

15th cent Middle English moillen, from Middle French moillier, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin molliare, from Latin mollis soft

muliebrity

femininity

noun

"myü-lE-'e-br&-tE

1592 Late Latin muliebritat-, muliebritas, from Latin muliebris of a woman, from mulier woman

nimbus

1 a : a luminous vapor, cloud, or atmosphere about a god or goddess when on earth b : a cloud or atmosphere (as of romance) about a person or thing

noun

'nim-b&s

1616 Latin, rainstorm, cloud; probably akin to Latin nebula cloud

octothorp

the "#' symbol

noun

'äk-t&-"thorp, -tO-

1971 octo- + thorp, of unknown origin; from the eight points on its circumference

olla podrida

1 : a rich highly seasoned stew of meat and vegetables usually including sausage and chickpeas that is slowly simmered and is a traditional Spanish and Latin-American dish 2 : hodgepodge

noun

\ah-luh-puh-DREE-duh\

1599 Spanish, literally, rotten pot

omphalos

a central point, hub, focal point

noun

'äm(p)-f&-"läs, -l&s

1855 Greek, navel -- more at NAVEL

omphaloskepsis

contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation; also : indisposition to motion, exertion, or change

\ahm-fuh-loh-SKEP-sis\

Greek mythology holds that Zeus released two eagles, one from the east and one from the west, and made them fly toward each other. They met at Delphi, and the spot was marked with a stone in the temple of the oracle there, a stone they named "omphalos," Greek for "navel" (it supposedly marked the center of the world). Mystics have been practicing omphaloskepsis for centuries, but it wasn't until the early 1920s that English speakers combined "omphalos" with another Greek term, "skepsis" (which means "examination," not "skepticism"), to create a word for studying one's own middle and thinking deeply

orgulous

proud, haughty

adj

'or-gy&-l&s, -g&-

13th century Middle English, from Old French orgueilleus, from orgueil pride, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German urguol distinguished

ort

a morsel left at a meal

noun

15th century Middle English, from Middle Low German orte

osculate

kiss

trans verb

'äs-ky&-"lAt

ca 1656 Latin osculatus, past participle of osculari, from osculum kiss, from diminutive of os mouth

pedantic

1 : narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned; 2 : unimaginative, pedestrian

adj

pi-'dan-tik

ca 1600

pedantry

1 : pedantic presentation or application of knowledge or learning 2 : an instance of pedantry

noun

'pe-d&n-trE

1612

pedotrophy

the bringing up or raising of children; The art of nourishing children properly.

Gr. fr. a child + to nourish: cf. F. pédotrophie

pellucid

1 : admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion 2 : reflecting light evenly from all surfaces 3 : easy to understand

adj

p&-'lü-s&d

1619 Latin pellucidus, from per through + lucidus lucid

perspicuous

plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation

adj

\per-SPIH-kyuh-wus\

1586 Latin perspicuus transparent, perspicuous, from perspicere

phrontistery

a thinking-place

noun

fron'tis-te-ri

[Gr phrontisterion from phrontistes a thinker, from phroneein to think; applied by Aristophanes to the school of Socrates]

plausive

1 : manifesting praise or approval 2 obsolete : PLEASING 3 archaic : SPECIOUS

adv

'plo-ziv, -siv

1600 Latin plausus, past participle

polymath

person of encyclopedic learning

noun/adj

'pä-lE-"math

1621 Greek polymathEs very learned, from poly- + manthanein to learn

protean

1 : able to assume different shapes or roles; *2 : displaying great diversity or variety : versatile

adj

\PRO-tee-un\

1598 of or resembling Proteus in having a varied nature or ability to assume different forms

puissant

of great force or vigor : strong, powerful

adj

\PWIH-sunt or PYOO-uh-sunt\

15th century Middle English, from Middle French, from Old French, from puissant powerful, from poeir to be able, be powerful

pulchritude

physical comeliness

noun

'p&l-kr&-"tüd, -"tyüd

15th century Middle English, from Latin pulchritudin-, pulchritudo, from pulchr-, pulcher beautiful

pule

whine, wimper

verb intr

'pyü(&)l

1534 (probably imitative)

redact

1 : to put in writing : FRAME 2 : to select or adapt for publication : EDIT

trans verb

ri-'dakt

15th century Middle English, from Latin redactus, past participle of redigere

Rubicon

A point of no return, one where an action taken commits a person irrevocably

noun

(ROO-bi-kon)

In 49 BCE, Caesar crossed the Rubicon, a small river that formed the boundary between Cisalpine Gaul and Italy. As he crossed the river into Italy, he exclaimed "iacta alea est" (the die is cast) knowing well that his action signified a declaration of war with Pompey. Today when an action marks a situation where there is no going back, we say the Rubicon has been crossed.]

saltant

Leaping, jumping, or dancing

adj

SAL-tuhnt

[From Latin saltant-, stem of saltans, present participle of saltare (to dance), frequentative of salire (to jump). Other words derived from the same Latin root (salire) are sally, somersault, insult, result, and saute.]

samizdat

a system in the U.S.S.R. and countries within its orbit by which government-suppressed literature was clandestinely printed and distributed; also : such literature

noun

'sä-mEz-"dät

1967 Russian, from sam- self- + izdatel'stvo publishing house

satyriasis

excessive or abnormal sexual craving in the male

noun

sA-t&-'rI-&-s&s, sa-

15th century Late Latin, from Greek, from satyros

scabrous

1: difficult, knotty <a scabrous problem>; 2. rough to the touch: as a : having small raised dots, scales, or points <a scabrous leaf> b : covered with raised, roughened, or unwholesome patches <scabrous paint> 3.

adj

'ska-br&s also 'skA-

1646 Latin scabr-, scaber rough, scurfy; akin to Latin scabere to scratch

sciolist

One who engages in pretentious display of superficial knowledge.

noun

(SAI-uh-list)

Latin aureus (golden).]

sesquipedalian

1: having many syllables : long 2 : using long words

adj

\SES-kwi-puh-DALE-yun\

1656 Latin sesquipedalis, literally, a foot and a half long, from sesqui- + ped-, pes foot

shivaree

a noisy mock serenade to a newly married couple

noun

"shi-v&-'rE, 'shi-v&-"

1843 modification of French charivari

solecism

1. A nonstandard usage or grammatical construction. 2. A violation of etiquette. 3. An impropriety, a mistake, or an incongruity.

noun

(SOL-i-siz-ehm, SOA-li-)

ca 1555 Latin soloecismus, from Greek soloikismos, from soloikos speaking incorrectly, literally, inhabitant of Soloi, from Soloi, city in ancient Cilicia where a substandard form of Attic was spoken

soporific

1 a : causing or tending to cause sleep b : tending to dull awareness or alertness 2 : of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy

adj

-'ri-fik

1665 probably from French soporifique, from Latin sopor deep sleep; akin to Latin somnus sleep

sternutation

the act, fact, or noise of sneezing

noun

"st&r-ny&-'tA-sh&n

15th century Middle English sternutacion, from Latin sternutation-, sternutatio, from sternutare to sneeze, frequentative of sternuere to sneeze; akin to Greek ptarnysthai to sneeze

stolid

having or expressing little or no sensibility : UNEMOTIONAL

adj

'stä-l&d

circa 1600 Latin stolidus dull, stupid

surfeit

1 : an overabundant supply : EXCESS 2 : an intemperate or immoderate indulgence in something (as food or drink) 3 : disgust caused by excess

noun

's&r-f&t

14th cent. Middle English surfait, from Middle French, from surfaire to overdo, from sur- + faire to do, from Latin facere

telic

Tending toward a goal; expressing purpose

adj

(TEL-ik, TEE-lik)

root.]

tor

a high, craggy hill

noun

'tor

before 12th century Middle English, from Old English torr

unregenerate

1 : not spiritually reborn or converted 2 a : not reformed : unreconstructed b : obstinate, stubborn

adj

\un-rih-JEN-nuh-rut\

1589

vespertine

1 : of, relating to, or occurring in the evening 2 : active, flowering, or flourishing in the evening : crepuscular

adj

\VESS-per-tyne\

1502 Imagine this vespertine scenario: Hesperus, the Evening Star, shines in a clear sky; little brown bats flutter near the treetops; somewhere in the distance a church bell calls worshipers to the evening service. Can you find three words (other than "vespertine") associated with the Latin root "vesper," which means "evening," hidden in that scene? The evening star was once known as "Vesper" ("Hesperus" is from the Greek for "evening"); "vespertilian" means "batlike" (the Latin for bat is "vespertilio"); and we still call an evening worship service "vespers."

vexillology

the study of flags

noun

"vek-s&-'lä-l&-jE

1959 Latin vexillum

widdershins

in a left-handed, wrong, or contrary direction : COUNTERCLOCKWISE

adv

'wi-d&r-sh&nz

1513 Middle Low German weddersinnes, from Middle High German widersinnes, from widersinnen to go against, from wider back against (from Old High German widar) + sinnen to travel, go; akin to Old High German sendan to send

zaftig

of a woman : having a full rounded figure : pleasingly plump

adj

'zäf-tig, 'zof-

ca. 1936 Etymology: Yiddish zaftik juicy, succulent, from zaft juice, sap, from Middle High German saf, saft, from Old High German saf -