Comments | greennotebook: A few words that've been lying around

greennotebook

A few words that've been lying around

Sep 26, 2006 19:40

bole - tree trunk (askoxford.com).
cantillation - chanting.
cataplasm - poultice (1913 Webster's).
circumforanean - "going about; walking or wandering from house to house" (1828 Webster's).
claustral - of or like a cloister ( Merriam-Webster Online).
enceinte - pregnant ( Merriam-Webster Online).
gremial - of the lap or breast; a bosom friend (1913 ( Read more... )

jointure, cataplasm, enceinte, claustral, bole, reft, circumforanean, usufruct, skirling, cantillation, gremial, vilipend, quenelles

Comments 4

jvowles September 26 2006, 12:30:55 UTC

My guess is flutterbudget is another form of fussbudget or related somehow.

acelightning September 26 2006, 23:27:09 UTC

sounds like a cross between "fussbudget" and "flibbertigibbet", with maybe a touch of "flitterbrained"...

southerndave September 27 2006, 06:22:10 UTC

reft: I haven't seen that word itself before, but I'd guess it's related to the word "bereft".
skirling: again, I haven't seen this particular form of the word, but am familiar with the phrase "the skirl of the pipes".

greennotebook September 27 2006, 10:17:18 UTC

"Reft" is a past tense of "reave". I reckon you've got to be right about "bereft" - in the state of having something taken away from you. A "skirl" is literally a shrill cry. :-)