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Welcome to “Wonderful Words, Defined”
A tour of the Oxford English Dictionary, and beyond. Home of the *most* unusual, and greatest, words in the English language, curated by a life-long writer / editor.
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Tolfraedic: Referring to an Ancient Base-12 Mathematical System
Tolfraedic: Referring to an Ancient Base-12 Mathematical System
From the ancient land where 10 meant 12 and 100 meant 120.
Jim Dee
Jun 11, 2020
Tintinnabulous: Pertaining to Bell Ringing
Tintinnabulous: Pertaining to Bell Ringing
And a host of other tintinnabulous words!
Jim Dee
Jun 2, 2020
Language History Illustrates How Trump Is Wrong; The Rioters Are Not “Thugs” (but the Police Sure…
Language History Illustrates How Trump Is Wrong; The Rioters Are No...
A look at Trump’s hypocrisy from a language standpoint.
Jim Dee
Jun 1, 2020
Goluptious: Delightful, Luscious, Pleasurable, Splendid, Magnificent
Goluptious: Delightful, Luscious, Pleasurable, Splendid, Magnificent
Plus a luperglobsloptious collection of similar words!
Jim Dee
May 29, 2020
Gobemouche: A Person Who Believes All News, However Crazy It Sounds
Gobemouche: A Person Who Believes All News, However Crazy It Sounds
An 1800s word, but God do we have those types still!
Jim Dee
May 28, 2020
Fremescent: Growing Noisy
Fremescent: Growing Noisy
From a Latin word meaning to roar.
Jim Dee
May 27, 2020
Clish-ma-claver: Gossip or Foolish Talk, or a Verb Meaning To Gossip
Clish-ma-claver: Gossip or Foolish Talk, or a Verb Meaning To Gossip
Heard it through the grape vine? That’s clish-ma-claver.
Jim Dee
May 26, 2020
Sensate: Having Physical Sensation, or To Perceive via the Senses
Sensate: Having Physical Sensation, or To Perceive via the Senses
A 500-year old word — not coined by the Wachowski’s, it turns out.
Jim Dee
May 22, 2020
Selenitic: Pertaining to the Moon
Selenitic: Pertaining to the Moon
Own some selenite? This will explain the name.
Jim Dee
May 21, 2020
Rhypophagy: Feeding on Filth
Rhypophagy: Feeding on Filth
A literary look at the modern diet, and some other filthy words.
Jim Dee
May 19, 2020
Retromingent: Urinating Backwards
Retromingent: Urinating Backwards
… with a couple of bonus bass-ackward gems for your entertainment!
Jim Dee
May 18, 2020
Cheville: A Word or Phrase Present Merely to Fill Space and/or Balance the Meter of a Sentence or…
Cheville: A Word or Phrase Present Merely to Fill Space and/or Bala...
It’s French, but if you can pronounce Chevy, you can pronounce cheville!
Jim Dee
May 15, 2020
Chaud-mellé: A Sudden, Unplanned, Intense, Heated Fray
Chaud-mellé: A Sudden, Unplanned, Intense, Heated Fray
… in which you might kill someone and not be punished for doing so.
Jim Dee
May 14, 2020
Chatoyant: Lustrous, Like a Cat’s Eye
Chatoyant: Lustrous, Like a Cat’s Eye
Having a shimmering, glistening nature.
Jim Dee
May 13, 2020
Buvette: A Little Tavern, or a Small Roadside Inn
Buvette: A Little Tavern, or a Small Roadside Inn
Stop in, grab a seat, order something.
Jim Dee
May 12, 2020
Butyraceous: Buttery, or Butter-like
Butyraceous: Buttery, or Butter-like
I can’t believe it’s butyraceous!
Jim Dee
May 11, 2020
Protyle: The Original Stuff of the Universe, Before the Stars or Elements
Protyle: The Original Stuff of the Universe, Before the Stars or El...
Be it a dark, chaotic, formless void or a shimmering watery abyss, everyone imagined something there.
Jim Dee
May 8, 2020
Rodomont: A Bragger or Boaster
Rodomont: A Bragger or Boaster
Esp. applicable for leaders, I think. (Can you imagine a boastful leader?)
Jim Dee
May 7, 2020
Rurigenous: Born or Living in the Country; Rural or Rustic
Rurigenous: Born or Living in the Country; Rural or Rustic
Or, perhaps a classy word for redneck.
Jim Dee
May 5, 2020
Sangrado: A Bad, or Even Fake, Doctor; Essentially a Quack
Sangrado: A Bad, or Even Fake, Doctor; Essentially a Quack
Bleedings and hot water!
Jim Dee
May 4, 2020
Evanescence: The Process of Disappearing or Fading Away
Evanescence: The Process of Disappearing or Fading Away
…and now you know the meaning of the band name.
Jim Dee
May 1, 2020
Fulgurate: To Emit Vivid Flashes, Like Lightning
Fulgurate: To Emit Vivid Flashes, Like Lightning
With a bonus discussion of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Jim Dee
Apr 30, 2020
Holmgang: A Duel or Fight to the Death
Holmgang: A Duel or Fight to the Death
Life could be tough in ancient Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden.
Jim Dee
Apr 29, 2020
Ingravescent: Growing Worse, Becoming More Severe
Ingravescent: Growing Worse, Becoming More Severe
“[L]ay aside life-harming heaviness and entertain a cheerful disposition.” ~Shakespeare, Richard II.
Jim Dee
Apr 28, 2020
Khamsin: An Oppressive, Hot, Southerly Spring Wind in Egypt
Khamsin: An Oppressive, Hot, Southerly Spring Wind in Egypt
Fifty days of hot, oppressive misery.
Jim Dee
Apr 27, 2020
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