Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Welcome
Hey class,
Welcome to your very own class dictionary. This is a private blog, so only those of us in the class can read and post to it. In other words, don't be shy.
As we discussed in class, find at least five words that are new to you (or have always been problematic) and post them with their sources and definitions here. (Sources should not be our textbooks; part of the point behind this project is to get you reading other things.)
Sure, this assignment is due at the end of the semester, but why not get a jump on it now? Pick up The Odyssey, or The Catcher in the Rye, or the latest issue of the Sioux City Journal. And, of course, if you find more than five words, post them all here. We're trying to help each other. I promise not to quiz you on any extra words you post.
In the spirit of equality, here's a word I came across recently:
pabulum: n. 1) food or sustenance 2) nourishment for the mind 3) Pablum
Dictionary: Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition
Source:
Glover, Douglas. "How to Write a Novel." Attack of the Copula Spiders. Emeryville, Ontario: Biblioasis, 2012. Print.
(If you're interested in finding out what "Pablum" is...
Pablum: n. any oversimplified or tasteless writing, ideas, etc)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Ambivalence: 1: simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action
ReplyDelete2
a : continual fluctuation (as between one thing and its opposite)
b : uncertainty as to which approach to follow
Source:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambivalence
Definition of AGNOSTIC
ReplyDelete1
: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god
2
: a person who is unwilling to commit to an opinion about something
— ag·nos·ti·cism noun
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agnostic
How Charles Darwin describes himself.
I am not sure if you want to count this but after posting agnostic I then became curious to what the longest word in English was witch is.
ReplyDeletePNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOCONIOSIS (also spelled PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOKONIOSIS) = a lung disease caused by breathing in particles of siliceous volcanic dust.
Made up simply to be the longest word in english. One could argue the scientific names are longer but a DNA molecule could have a name of over 1,000,000,000 letters if it was written out in full.
Defrock
ReplyDeleteTransitive verb
1: to deprive (as a priest) of the right to exercise the functions of office
2
: to remove from a position of honor or privilege
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defrocked
Coloratura
ReplyDelete1: elaborate embellishment in vocal music; broadly : music with ornate figuration
2: a soprano with a light agile voice specializing in coloratura
Works Cited: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coloratura
Unambiguous
ReplyDelete1: unclear, not precise
Works Cited:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unambiguous
Talmud: the authoritative body of Jewish tradition comprising the Mishnah and Gemara.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talmud
Hokum
ReplyDelete1:a device used (as by showmen) to evoke a desired audience response
2: pretentious nonsense : bunkum
Works Cited:Works Cited:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talmud
Superfluous-adjective
ReplyDeletea : exceeding what is sufficient or necessary : extra
b : not needed : unnecessary
2
obsolete : marked by wastefulness : extravagant
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superfluous