Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#90170 12/22/02 07:44 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
ratafaria
n.
5Fr, prob. of Creole orig.6
1 a cordial or liqueur made from fruit or fruit kernels, esp. by maceration in brandy, and often flavored with almonds
2 [Brit., etc. (exc. Cdn.)] a small almond macaroon: in full ratafia biscuit



#90171 12/22/02 07:46 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Huipil [Wee-peel] is a Spanish term for a Maya woman's traditional blouse. It is
the most personal, communicative and significant part of her traje or costume,
and the grandest form of the culture's weaving heritage. It is used to identify the
specific village of the wearer, her social and marital status, religious background
and beliefs, wealth, authority and individual personality.


#90172 12/22/02 07:49 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
isocheim
n.
5< ISO3 + Gr cheima, winter: see HIBERNATE6 a line on a map connecting points on the earth‘s surface that have the same mean winter temperature
i#so[chei4mal
adj.



#90173 12/22/02 08:04 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
yb[a[rite 73rjt#8
n.
5L Sybarita < Gr Sybaritcs6
1 any of the people of ancient Sybaris
2 [s3] anyone very fond of self-indulgence and luxury; voluptuary
Syb#a[rit$ic or syb#a[rit$ic 73rit4ik8
adj.
sybarite
adv.
syb$a[rit#ism# 73rjt#iz#!m8

n.
Sybaris was an ancient Greek city in the Gulf of Taranto, beneath the arch of the "foot" of Italy.
Traders worried about the dangers of sailing between Scylla and Charybdis used the port at
Sybaris in sufficient numbers to make the Sybarites' wealth legendary. There is a legend that the
Sybarites even trained their horses to dance to music, only to lose a battle because the enemy
played music and the Sybarite horses danced to the enemy's tune.An article in Scientific American
perhaps twenty years ago has excavated the site, and determined that silting of the river and the
port where Sybaris was located was the most probable cause of Sybaris losing its wealth.


#90174 12/22/02 08:07 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
tierce
n.
5ME terce < OFr < L tertia, fem. of tertius, (a) third < base of tres, THREE6
1 orig., a third
2 [often T3] TERCE
3 an old unit of liquid measure, equal to R pipe (42 gallons)
4 a cask of this capacity, between a barrel and a hogshead in size
5 Fencing the third defensive position, from which a lunge or parry can be made

The only way I remember seeing this word is the fencing term.


#90175 12/22/02 08:19 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Here is a URL about tardigrades:http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/quekett/tardi.htm
There is a picture of the little critters, which vaguely resemble a bear. The name means
"slow walker". At first I had it confused with "plantigrade" meaning walking on the whole sole
of the foot, which bears do.
tardigrade
n.
5Fr < L tardigradus, slow-paced: see TARDY & GRADE6any of a phylum (Tardigrada) of minute water animals with segmented bodies and four pairs of unsegmented legs, often regarded as primitive arthropods



#90176 12/22/02 08:22 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
tessitura
n.,
pl. 3ras 5It, lit., texture < L textura, TEXTURE6 Music the register that encompasses most of the notes of a specific composition or part, esp. for the voice; also, a voice in relation to such a register



#90177 12/22/02 08:25 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
tauromachy
n.
5Gr tauromachia, bullfight < tauros, bull (see fol.) + machc, a battle6 literary term for BULLFIGHTING




Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,333
Members9,182
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 747 guests, and 1 robot.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,542
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5