Ask Oxford_words And Meanings

skolly • noun (pl. skollies) S. African informal a petty criminal of mixed ethnic origin; a hooligan.- A tough and aggressive or violent youth.(hooliganism) — origin Afrikaans, probably from Dutch schoelje ‘rogue’. peering • noun [mass noun] Computing the exchange of data directly between Internet service providers, rather than via the Internet. — origin from peer. Factitive fac ti·tive·ly adv.

• adjective Linguistics (of a verb) having a sense of causing a result and taking a complement as well as an object, as in he appointed me captain. — origin mid 19th cent.: from modern Latin factitivus, formed irregularly from Latin factitare, frequentative of facere ‘do, make’. — Of or constituting a transitive verb that renders to a thing a certain character or status and that in English can take an objective complement modifying its direct object, such as make in That makes me angry, or elect in We elected him Treasurer.

gonzo • adjective informal, chiefly N. Amer. 1. relating to or denoting journalism of an exaggerated, subjective, and fictionalized style. 2. bizarre or crazy: the woman was either gonzo or stoned. — origin 1970s: perhaps from Italian gonzo ‘foolish’ or Spanish ganso ‘goose, fool’. geostrophic • adjective Meteorology & Oceanography relating to or denoting the component of a wind or current that arises from a balance between pressure gradients and coriolis forces. — origin early 20th cent.: from geo- ‘of the earth’ + Greek strophe ‘a turning’ (from strephein ‘to turn’). Magdalenian • adjective Archaeology relating to or denoting the final Palaeolithic culture in Europe, following the Solutrean and dated to about 17,000–11,500 years ago. It is characterized by a range of bone and horn tools, and by highly developed cave art. • [as noun] (the Magdalenian) the Magdalenian culture or period. — origin late 19th cent.: from French Magdalénien ‘from La Madeleine’, a site of this culture in the Dordogne, France taffy • noun (pl. taffies) [mass noun] 1. N. Amer. a sweet similar to toffee, made from brown sugar or treacle, boiled with butter and pulled until glossy. 2. US informal insincere flattery. — origin early 19th cent.: earlier form of toffee, ultimate origin unknown

1

aliment • noun [mass noun] 1. archaic food; nourishment. 2. Scots Law maintenance; alimony. — origin late 15th cent.: from Latin alimentum, from alere ‘nourish’

hocus • verb (hocusses, hocussing, hocussed or hocuses, hocusing, hocused) [with obj.] archaic 1. deceive (someone). 2. stupefy (someone) with drugs, typically for a criminal purpose. — origin late 17th cent.: from an obsolete noun hocus ‘trickery’, from hocus-pocus. tass • noun Scottish archaic a cup or small goblet. • a small draught of an alcoholic drink. — origin late 15th cent.: from Old French tasse ‘cup’, via Arabic from Persian tast ‘bowl’ couverture • noun [mass noun] chocolate made with extra cocoa butter to give a high gloss, used for covering sweets and cakes. — origin 1930s: French, literally ‘covering’, from couvrir ‘to cover’. Benedictus • noun Christian Church 1. an invocation beginning Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini (Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord) forming a set part of the Mass. 2. a canticle beginning Benedictus Dominus Deus (Blessed be the Lord God) from Luke 1:68–79. — origin Latin, ‘blessed’, past participle of benedicere ‘wish well’ bridewell • noun archaic a prison or reform school for petty offenders. — origin mid 16th cent.: named after St Bride's Well in the City of London, near which such a building stood. n. . A house of correction for the confinement of disorderly persons; - so called from a hospital built in 1553 near St. Bride's (or Bridget's) well, in London, which was subsequently a penal workhouse —

2

pareu • noun a kind of sarong made of a single straight piece of printed cotton cloth, worn in Polynesia or as a fashion garment elsewhere. — origin Tahitian. incunabulum • noun (pl. incunabula) an early printed book, especially one printed before 1501. — origin early 19th cent.: from Latin incunabula (neuter plural) ‘swaddling clothes, cradle’, from in- ‘into’ + cunae ‘cradle’. holm • noun Brit. 1. an islet, especially in a river or near a mainland. 2. a piece of flat ground by a river which is submerged in times of flood. — origin Old English, from Old Norse holmr; more frequently used in Scotland and northern England, but found in place names throughout Britain. husbandman • noun (pl. husbandmen) archaic a person who cultivates the land; a farmer. — origin Middle English (originally in northern English use denoting the holder of a husbandland, i.e. manorial tenancy): from husband in the obsolete sense ‘farmer’ + man. Dryopithecus • noun a fossil anthropoid ape of the middle Miocene to early Pliocene periods, of a genus including the supposed common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans. Genus Dryopithecus, family Pongidae. — derivatives dryopithecine noun & adjective. — origin modern Latin, from Greek drus ‘tree’ + pithekos ‘ape’. toon • noun informal a cartoon film. • a character in a cartoon film. — origin 1930s: shortening of cartoon hypothecate • verb [with obj.] pledge (money) by law to a specific purpose. — derivatives hypothecation noun. — origin early 17th cent.: from medieval Latin hypothecat- ‘given as a pledge’, from the verb hypothecare, based on Greek hupotheke (see hypothec). couvade • noun [mass noun] the custom in some cultures in which a man takes to his bed and goes through certain rituals when his child is being born, as though he were physically affected by the birth.

3

— origin mid 19th cent.: French, from couver ‘to hatch’, from Latin cubare ‘lie down’. The adoption of the term in French was due to a misunderstanding of the phrase faire la couvade ‘sit doing nothing’, used by earlier writers. porcini • plural noun chiefly N. Amer. ceps (wild mushrooms), especially as an item on a menu. — origin Italian, literally ‘little pigs’. varve • noun Geology a pair of thin layers of clay and silt of contrasting colour and texture which represent the deposit of a single year (summer and winter) in a lake. Such layers can be measured to determine the chronology of glacial sediments. — derivatives varved adjective. — origin early 20th cent.; from Swedish varv ‘layer’. praepostor • noun Brit. (at some public schools) a prefect or monitor. — origin mid 18th cent.: from praepositor, alteration of Latin praepositus ‘head, chief’, past participle of praeponere ‘set over’, from prae ‘ahead’ + ponere ‘to place’. chi • noun [mass noun] the circulating life force whose existence and properties are the basis of much Chinese philosophy and medicine. — origin from Chinese qì, literally ‘air, breath’. entablature • noun Architecture the upper part of a classical building supported by columns or a colonnade, comprising the architrave, frieze, and cornice. — origin early 17th cent. (formerly also as intablature): from Italian intavolatura ‘boarding’ (partly via French entablement ‘entablement’), from intavolare ‘board up’ (based on tavola ‘table’). vigorish • noun US informal 1. [in sing.] an excessive rate of interest on a loan, typically one from an illegal moneylender. 2. [mass noun] the percentage deducted from a gambler's winnings by the organizers of a game. — origin early 20th cent.: probably from Yiddish, from Russian vyigrysh ‘gain, winnings’ sabra • noun a Jew born in Israel (or before 1948 in Palestine). — origin from modern Hebrew sabbar ‘opuntia fruit’ (opuntias being common in coastal regions of Israel). hyperbaton

4

• noun Rhetoric an inversion of the normal order of words, especially for the sake of emphasis, as in the sentence ‘this I must see’. — origin mid 16th cent.: via Latin from Greek huperbaton ‘overstepping’ (from huper ‘over, above’ + bainein ‘go, walk’). monocoque • noun an aircraft or vehicle structure in which the chassis is integral with the body. — origin early 20th cent.: from French, from mono- ‘single’ + coque ‘shell’. quintain • noun historical a post set up as a mark in tilting with a lance, typically with a sandbag attached that would swing round and strike an unsuccessful tilter. • (the quintain) the medieval military exercise of tilting at a quintain. — origin late Middle English: from Old French quintaine, perhaps based on Latin quintana, a street in a Roman camp separating the fifth and sixth maniples, where military exercises were performed (from quintus ‘fifth’). corrigible • adjective capable of being corrected, rectified, or reformed. — derivatives corrigibility noun. — origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘liable to or deserving punishment’): via French from medieval Latin corrigibilis, from Latin corrigere ‘to correct’. psy-ops • plural noun tactics intended to manipulate one's opponents or enemies, such as the dissemination of propaganda or the use of psychological warfare. — origin 1960s: contraction of psychological operations beestings • plural noun [treated as sing.] the first milk produced by a cow or goat after giving birth. — origin Old English bysting, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch biest and German Biest(milch). sephira • noun (pl. sephiroth) (in the Kabbalah) each of the ten attributes or emanations surrounding the infinite and by means of which it relates to the finite. They are represented as spheres on the Tree of Life. — origin from Hebrew sepirah. intimism • noun [mass noun] a style of painting showing intimate views of domestic interiors using Impressionist techniques, used by artists such as Bonnard in the early 20th century. — derivatives intimist adjective & noun. — origin early 20th cent.: from French intimisme, from Latin intimus ‘innermost’

5

edutainment • noun [mass noun] computer games, television programmes, or other material, intended to be both educational and enjoyable. — origin 1980s: blend of education and entertainment. parlay • verb [with obj.] (parlay something into) turn an initial stake or winnings from a previous bet into (a greater amount) by gambling: parlaying a small bankroll into big winnings. • noun a cumulative series of bets in which winnings accruing from each transaction are used as a stake for a further bet. — origin late 19th cent.: from French paroli, from Italian, from paro ‘like’, from Latin par ‘equal’. assignee • noun chiefly Law 1. a person to whom a right or liability is legally transferred. 2. a person appointed to act for another. — origin Middle English: from Old French assigne, past participle of assigner ‘allot’ (see assign). sardelle • noun a sardine, anchovy, or other small fish similarly prepared for eating. — origin late 16th cent.: from Italian sardella, diminutive of sarda (see sardine). violone • noun an early form of double bass, especially a large bass viol. — origin Italian, augmentative of viola (see viola). parfait • noun [mass noun] 1. a rich cold dessert made with whipped cream, eggs, and fruit. 2. a dessert consisting of layers of ice cream, meringue, and fruit, served in a tall glass. — origin from the French adjective parfait, literally ‘perfect’ sniggle • verb [no obj.] fish for eels by pushing a baited hook into holes in which they are hiding. — origin mid 17th cent.: frequentative, based on earlier snig ‘small eel’, of unknown origin. yandy • verb (yandies, yandying, yandied) [with obj.] separate (grass seed or a mineral) from the surrounding refuse by shaking it in a special shallow dish. • noun (pl. yandies) a shallow dish used for separating grass seed or a mineral from the surrounding refuse.

6

— origin from Yindjibarndi (an Aboriginal language of western Australia). chifforobe • noun US a piece of furniture with drawers on one side and hanging space on the other. — origin early 20th cent.: blend of chiffonier and wardrobe undine • noun a female spirit or nymph imagined as inhabiting water. — origin early 19th cent.: from modern Latin undina (a word invented by Paracelsus), from Latin unda ‘a wave’ balmacaan • noun a loose-fitting overcoat with a small rounded collar, typically having raglan sleeves. — origin early 20th cent.: named after Balmacaan, an estate near Inverness in Scotland sandhi • noun [mass noun] Grammar the process whereby the form of a word changes as a result of its position in an utterance (e.g. the change from a to an before a vowel). — origin from Sanskrit samdhi ‘putting together’. kundalini • noun [mass noun] (in yoga) latent female energy believed to lie coiled at the base of the spine. • (also kundalini yoga) a system of meditation directed towards the release of kundalini energy. — origin Sanskrit, literally ‘snake’ lustrate • verb [with obj.] rare purify by expiatory sacrifice, ceremonial washing, or some other ritual action: a soul lustrated in the baptismal waters. — derivatives lustration noun. — origin early 17th cent.: from Latin lustrat- ‘purified by lustral rites’, from the verb lustrare, from lustrum (see lustrum). octennial • adjective recurring every eight years. • lasting for or relating to a period of eight years. — origin mid 17th cent.: from late Latin octennium ‘period of eight years’ + -al. neritic • adjective Biology & Geology relating to or denoting the shallow part of the sea near a coast and overlying the continental shelf. — origin late 19th cent.: from nerite + -ic.

7

demerara • noun [mass noun] 1. (also demerara sugar) Brit. light brown cane sugar coming originally and chiefly from Guyana. 2. (also demerara rum) a dark rum fermented from molasses, made in Guyana. — origin mid 19th cent.: named after the region of Demerara photogravure • noun an image produced from a photographic negative transferred to a metal plate and etched in. • [mass noun] the production of photogravure images. — origin late 19th cent.: from French, from photo- ‘relating to light’ + gravure ‘engraving’. rickey • noun (pl. rickeys) N. Amer. a drink consisting of a spirit, typically gin, mixed with lime or lemon juice, carbonated water, and ice. — origin late 19th cent.: probably from the surname Rickey. Avesta • noun the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, compiled in the 4th century. — origin Persian. edaphic • adjective Ecology of, produced by, or influenced by the soil. — origin late 19th cent.: coined in German from Greek edaphos ‘floor’ + -ic. muso • noun (pl. musos) Brit. informal a musician, especially one over-concerned with technique. • a keen music fan. — origin 1960s: abbreviation. phalanstery • noun (pl. phalansteries) a group of people living together in a community and holding property in common. — origin mid 19th cent.: from French phalanstère (used by Charles Fourier in his socialist scheme for the reorganization of society), blend of Latin phalanx ‘band (of soldiers), group’ and French monastère ‘monastery’. shura • noun [mass noun] Islam the principle of consultation, in particular as applied to government. • [count noun] a consultative council. — origin from Arabic sura ‘consultation’.

8

panopticon • noun historical a circular prison with cells arranged around a central well, from which prisoners could at all times be observed. — origin mid 18th cent.: from pan- ‘all’ + Greek optikon, neuter of optikos ‘optic’. kofta • noun (pl. same or koftas) (in Middle Eastern and Indian cookery) a savoury ball made with minced meat, paneer, or vegetables. — origin from Urdu and Persian koftah ‘pounded meat’. applejack • noun [mass noun] N. Amer. an alcoholic drink distilled from fermented cider. — origin early 19th cent.: from apple + jack. pirogue • noun a long, narrow canoe made from a single tree trunk, especially in Central America and the Caribbean. — origin early 17th cent.: from French, probably from Carib.

parador • noun (pl. paradors or paradores) a hotel in Spain owned and administered by the Spanish government. — origin Spanish. Lisp • noun [mass noun] a high-level computer programming language devised for list processing. — origin 1950s: from lis(t) p(rocessor). Bardolino • noun [mass noun] a red wine from the Veneto region of Italy. — origin Italian. clearcole • noun [mass noun] historical a mixture of size and whiting or white lead, formerly used as a primer for distemper. — origin early 19th cent.: from French claire colle ‘clear glue’. bhelpuri • noun [mass noun] an Indian dish of puffed rice, onions, spices, and hot chutney. — origin from Hindi bhel ‘mixture’ + puri ‘deep-fried bread’.

9

miscellanea • plural noun miscellaneous items, especially literary compositions, that have been collected together. — origin late 16th cent.: from Latin, neuter plural of miscellaneus (see miscellaneous). carabinero • noun (pl. carabineros) a Spanish or South American frontier guard or customs officer. — origin Spanish, literally ‘soldier armed with a carbine’ ichthyornis • noun a fossil gull-like fish-eating bird of the Upper Cretaceous period, with large toothed jaws. Genus Ichthyornis, order Ichthyornithiformes. — origin modern Latin, from ichthyo- + Greek ornis ‘bird’ alumna • noun (pl. alumnae) a female former pupil or student of a particular school, college, or university. — origin late 19th cent.: from Latin, feminine of alumnus (see alumnus). strappado • noun (pl. strappados) (usu. the strappado) historical a form of punishment or torture in which the victim was secured to a rope and made to fall from a height almost to the ground before being stopped with an abrupt jerk. • the instrument used for inflicting the punishment or torture of strappado. — origin mid 16th cent.: from French (e)strapade, from Italian strappata, from strappare ‘to snatch’. pelycosaur • noun a large fossil reptile of the late Carboniferous and Permian periods, typically having a line of long bony spines along the back supporting a sail-like crest. Order Pelycosauria, subclass Synapsida: several families and genera, including Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus. — origin early 20th cent.: from Greek pelux, peluk- ‘bowl’ + sauros ‘lizard’. hypallage • noun Rhetoric a transposition of the natural relations of two elements in a proposition, for example in the sentence ‘Melissa shook her doubtful curls’. — origin late 16th cent.: via late Latin from Greek hupallage, from hupo ‘under’ + allassein ‘to exchange’. fungo • noun (pl. fungoes or fungos) (also fungo fly) Baseball a fly ball hit for practice. • (also fungo bat or stick) a long lightweight bat for hitting practice balls to fielders. — origin mid 19th cent.: of unknown origin.

10

piedmont • noun a gentle slope leading from the foot of mountains to a region of flat land. — origin mid 19th cent.: from Italian piemonte ‘mountain foot’ (see Piedmont). finnan • noun [mass noun] haddock cured with the smoke of green wood, turf, or peat. — origin early 18th cent.: alteration of Findon, the name of a fishing village near Aberdeen in Scotland, but sometimes confused with the Scottish river and village of Findhorn. chrism • noun [mass noun] a mixture of oil and balsam, consecrated and used for anointing at baptism and in other rites of Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Churches. — origin Old English, from medieval Latin crisma, ecclesiastical Latin chrisma, from Greek khrisma ‘anointing’, from khriein ‘anoint’. lutz • noun a jump in skating from the backward outside edge of one skate to the backward outside edge of the other, with one or more full turns in the air. — origin 1930s: named after the Austrian skater Alois Lutz (1899–1918). presentee • noun a person nominated or recommended for an office or position, especially a Church living. — origin late 15th cent.: from Anglo-Norman French, literally ‘presented’, from the verb presenter (see present). Eolithic • adjective Archaeology, dated relating to or denoting a period at the beginning of the Stone Age, preceding the Palaeolithic and characterized by the earliest crude stone tools. • [as noun] (the Eolithic) the Eolithic period. — origin late 19th cent.: from French éolithique, from Greek eos ‘dawn’ + lithikos (from lithos ‘stone’).

11