January 29, 2009
Next lesson in vocab
For those who haven’t seen these before, this is the result of me solving crossword puzzles online. Every time, there is at least one word I don’t know or have forgotten (and usually many more). I decided to keep track of the more amusing/interesting ones. And pardon the formatting – something didn’t go quite as planned.
1.
Pastiche – “a literary, artistic, musical, or architectural work that imitates the style of previous work.”
2.
Mohel – “a person who performs ritual Jewish circumcisions.”
3.
Presbyopic – “a visual condition which becomes apparent especially in middle age and in which loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye causes defective accommodation and inability to focus sharply for near vision.”
4.
Willemite – “a mineral of varying color consisting of a silicate of zinc and occurring especially in massive or granular forms.”
5.
Dank – “unpleasantly moist or wet.”
6.
Pieta – “a representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the dead body of Christ”
7.
Ditty – “an especially simple and unaffected song”
8.
Pooh-bah – “a person holding many public or private offices”, “a person in high position or of great influence”
9.
Keen – “to lament, mourn, or complain loudly” (so much for the other meaning of the word!)
10.
Scag – slang for “heroin”
All definitions are from Merriam-Webster’s online.
My Two Cents 