a. The word used for the attraction until the phrase "Merry-Go-Round" was popularized at the first world's fair.

b. A wheel in railroad watches that is regulated to oscillate five times per second.

c. a bacterium found in symbiotic relationship with certain mosses lying above the normal waterline on the beaches of the islands of the Outer Hebrides

d. A variety of seaweed predominant in turbulent waters

e. A rotating stage or platform

f. a whirlpool occuring at the confluence of two rivers

g. A floating mat of thickly woven mosses, rushes, and shrubs that forms across the surface of shallow pools and may shimmy or shake when walked upon. Used to support floating torches in vigils for the dead in ancient Rome.

h. When Dark Age trade unionists had the clergy post Spartacus as a guard to the gates of Heaven, Devil cults of the time enlisted the antithetical Spagyricus to guard the gates of Hell. Later adherents of dark witchcraft used the word Spagyricus to evoke evil spells.

i. A Roman word describing art forms found in Egyptian civilisations – typically glassware and bead necklaces in the period 50 BC-100 AD.

j. Biology term: the spiral bacterium found in the digestive tract of cows

k. an alchemist

l. Byzantine officer in charge of foreign mercenary troops

m. Bread mold

Entrants were: belMarduk, Bingley, consuelo, dxb, Flatlander, Jazzoctopus, JosieWales, maverick, milum, The FallibleFiend, WhitmanO’Neill, Wordwind


Bingley

What is the deadline for voting, please?

And remind us of the original word again, please?

Bingley, you can't say who invented the definitions

OK, I'll go first, having missed the deadline to enter a definition. On the theory that it's related to spaghetti, I'll go for j.

hmm - a load of daftinitions® based perhaps on the chime from sphagnum (moss, 2 x bacteriomilum, seaweed and mold [sic]), then a bunch of things going round (whirlpool, roundabout, watch cog and stage revolve)…

[hanging fire, unconvinced e]

Bingley, you can't say who invented the definitions

tsuwm has before. He ain't showing who wrote which one. The names are in alphabetical order. That just shows who needs to vote to close the round.

The word was spagyricus. Voting ends at 12:00 WIB on Monday 6 May 2002 (05:00 GMT Monday 6 May 2002, 01:00 EST Monday 6 May 2002). As Jazzo so astutely pointed out the names and the definitions are in a different order (and there is an extra, real, definition).

Bingley

Thanks Maverick, your equivocations helped not a lot. Everyone knows that the submissions reflected the root origins of rotation and roots. But you, you only obfuscated, perhaps in hope that your submission would win.
Well let someone with a good heart review the definitions.

I will review in reverse order the submissions of the submitters.

Wordwind - C -certain mosses lying above the normal waterline on the beaches of the islands of the Outer Hebrides Come on WW, free your unpoetic soul, you too can be like we.

Whitman O'Neill - G -woven mosses, rushes, and shrubs that forms across the surface of shallow pools and may shimmy or shake when walked upon. ( Come-on Whitty, "shimmy or shake"?) Gee Whiz.

Falliblefiend - L - mercenary troops. Way to go Falli, you scooped Maverick.

Maverick -B - Oh boy this is a no brainer . A wheel in railroad watches Mechanical Logic. And nostalgic romance.

Josie Whales - M- Josie is relatively new to the board so she/he timidly submits Breadmould. Uh, Thank you Josie.

Jazzoctopus - K - As Jazzo said he is studing and fooling around and doesn't have time for a long answer.
An alchemist


Flatlander - E - is straight-forward by nature...A rotating stage or platform

dxb - J - Mmmmm this was tough, but dxb seemed just the guy to care about...spiral bacterium found in the digestive tract of cows

Consuelo - i - at last an easy one, knowing her penchant for pottery...art forms found in Egyptian civilisations

Bingly - F - a whirlpool occurring at the confluence of two rivers Admit it, so serene, so Bingly.

belMarduk - A - Remember the World's Fair that was held in Canada? Well bel remembers beyond, and beyond that..."Merry-Go-Round" was popularized at the first world's fair.

Well now, it is time to vote. Only two definitions remain, mine and the Hogmasters. Last time I offered a complex answer, this time I'll leave it to you wonderful people to decide.
Peace.

obfuscation, Milo? ~ perish the thought :)

...this is a no brainer

you are so right...

Josie timidly chooses "K"

e. A rotating stage or platform


k

Yeah, I'll take E too.

milo--You are sooooooooooo wrong! I didn't write the definition you assigned me.

I was amazed at the number of us who immediately went to growing things, turning things, changing things, death and and water.

So, based on our intuitive turns toward this unknown word, I'm gonna vote for a great changer, the alchemist. Oh, sorry: It's K!!!!

Best regards,
Wordwrought

by okkam's razor: K

(trusting milum's 1 of 2: milum - H)

()

I have metal to burn!

K

The Only WO'N!