[‘ Darkened by clouds, clouded. Also fig.'] Pronunciation: Brit. /ədˈnjuːbᵻleɪtᵻd/, adˈnjuːbᵻleɪtᵻd, U.S. /ədˈn(j)ubəˌleɪdᵻd/, ædˈn(j)ubəˌleɪdᵻd Etymology: < classical Latin /adnūbilāt-, past participial stem (see -ate suffix3) of /adnūbilāre to involve in clouds < /ad-/ ad- prefix + /nūbilāre/ nubilate v. Compare earlier obnubilated adj. Compare also earlier nubilate v.  Now rare.  Darkened by clouds, clouded. Also fig. 1730 N. Bailey et al. /Dict. Britannicum/, /Adnubilated/, darkned or clouded. 1891 /Morning Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)/ 5 Dec.

Read more

[‘ That uses few words in speech or conversation; laconic.'] Pronunciation: Brit. /pɔːˈsɪləkw(ə)nt/, U.S. /pɔˈsɪləkwənt/ Etymology: < classical Latin /pauci-/ (see pauci- comb. form) + -loquent comb. form, after pauciloquy n. Compare post-classical Latin /pauciloquus/ that speaks little, of few words (13th cent., 14th cent. in British sources). Compare grandiloquent adj., magniloquent adj. A related word pauciloquous is also recorded (1724 in an isolated attestation).  /rare/.  That uses few words in speech or conversation; laconic.

Read more

[‘ An expert, a connoisseur; a knowledgeable enthusiast, an aficionado.'] Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈmeɪvn/, U.S. /ˈmeɪv(ə)n/ Inflections: Plural *mavens*, *mavins*, *mayvinim*. Forms: 19– *maven*, 19– *mavin*, 19– *mayven*, 19– *mayvin*, 19– *mevin*. Etymology: < Yiddish /meyvn/ (plural mevinim) expert, connoisseur < Hebrew /mēḇīn/ person with understanding, teacher, participle of hēḇīn understand, attend to, teach. The currency of the word is said to have been boosted by the advertising campaign for Vita Herring, launched in the United States in 1964 (see quot.

Read more

[‘ Absence of thirst; lack or loss of the desire to drink; reluctance or refusal to drink.'] Pronunciation: Brit. /(ˌ)eɪˈdɪpsɪə/, U.S. /eɪˈdɪpsiə/ Etymology: < scientific Latin /adipsia/ (1769 or earlier), specific use of post-classical Latin /adipsia/ (a/1540) < ancient Greek /ἄδιψος lacking thirst (see adipsous adj.) + classical Latin /-ia/ -ia suffix1. Compare earlier polydipsia n.  /Med./  Absence of thirst; lack or loss of the desire to drink; reluctance or refusal to drink.

Read more

[‘ Of the nature of a bitter attack, denunciation, or invective; that is a philippic (sense B. 1); spec. relating to or designating the Philippics of Demosthenes and Cicero.'] Pronunciation: Brit. /fᵻˈlɪpɪk/, U.S. /fəˈlɪpɪk/ Forms: 15 *philipique* /Sc./, 15 *phillipique*, 15–16 *philippique*, 16 *philipick*, 16 *philippick*, 16–17 *phillippick*, 16– *philippic*, 17 *philipic*, 19– *phillipic*. Also with capital initial. Etymology: < classical Latin /Philippicus/ of or connected with Philip II of Macedon, of or associated with the city of Philippi (see Philippian n.

Read more

[‘ A sentence or (occas.) verse containing every letter of the alphabet.'] Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈpanɡram/, ˈpaŋɡram, U.S. /ˈpænˌɡræm/, ˈpæŋˌɡræm Inflections: Plural *pangrams*, (occas.) *pangrammata*. Etymology: < pan- comb. form + -gram comb. form, after anagram n. Compare earlier pangrammatist n.  A sentence or (occas.) verse containing every letter of the alphabet. 1873 /Galaxy/ June 861/1 The family of Grams is large. There are epigrams, anagrams, chronograms, monograms, lipograms, pangrams, and paragrams.

Read more

[‘ The action of exposing a person or thing to danger; the condition of being exposed to danger; danger, hazard, etc.'] Forms: 15 *periclitacion*, 15 *periclitatione*, 16 18 *periclitation*. Etymology: < classical Latin /perīclitātiōn-, /perīclitātiō experiment, test, in post-classical Latin also peril, danger (from 10th cent. in British sources), shipwreck (1342 in a British source) < /perīclitāt-, past participial stem of /perīclitārī/ periclitate v. + /-iō/ -ion suffix1. Compare Middle French, French /périclitation shipwreck (1390 as pereclitation), ruin, loss (1486), condition of being in danger (1838).

Read more

[‘ Incorrect use of language.'] Pronunciation: Brit. /ˌasᵻˈrɒlədʒi/, U.S. /ˌæsəˈrɑlədʒi/ Forms: 16 *acurologie*, 16 *acyrologie*, 16 18– *acyrology*. Etymology: < post-classical Latin /acyrologia/ incorrect use of language (from 4th cent. in grammarians) < Hellenistic Greek /ἀκυρολογία/ < ancient Greek /ἀ-* a- prefix6 + /κῦρος* authority (see kyrine n.) + /-λογία/ -logy comb. form. Compare acyrological adj.  /rare/ after 17th cent.  Incorrect use of language. [1550 R. Sherry /Treat. Schemes & Tropes/ sig.

Read more

[‘ Of a person or a person’s disposition, actions, etc.: smiling, mirthful, cheerful, light-hearted.'] Pronunciation: Brit. /riːˈɒ̃/, ˈrʌɪənt, U.S. /riˈɑnt/, ˈraɪənt Etymology: < French /riant/ smiling, laughing, cheerful (c/1100 in Old French), pleasant to look at (13th cent.), use as adjective of present participle of /rire to laugh < classical Latin /rīdēre/ to laugh (see rident adj.). Compare riante adj., rident adj.  *1.* Of a person or a person’s disposition, actions, etc.

Read more

[‘ A person who or (occas.) a thing which spoils a plot or hinders the success of any undertaking.'] Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈmɑːplɒt/, U.S. /ˈmɑrˌplɑt/ Etymology: < mar- comb. form + plot n. For a similar earlier formation as the name of a character in a play (see quot. 1709 at sense A.) compare the name of the eponymous protagonist of Sir Martin Mar-all, a play by Dryden and William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle (1668).

Read more