Word-Hoard

Brogue n. An Irish or Scottish way of speaking English.   I feel like this is a word I should have known a long time ago, and maybe if you come from good Celtic stock you’re already familiar with it. As commonly as Irish or Scottish accents tend to crop […]

Obloquy n. 1. Strong public condemnation. 2. Disgrace, especially that brought about by public condemnation.   “Obloquy” isn’t a difficult word, but it’s one that you probably haven’t seen before, or at least not often – typical Vance-favored vocabulary. From the Latin ob (against) and loqui (speak), “obloquy” then makes for a nice […]

Habiliment n. 1. (Usually habiliments) Clothes or clothing. 2. Accouterments or trappings.   Originally from the Old French habillement, meaning “clothe,” “habiliments” is a nice change-up from the usual words you might use for clothing, like garb, garments, or duds. There are actually quite a few terms for clothing, but this […]

Abstemious adj. 1. Sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet. 2. Characterized by abstinence. 3. Sparing.   I was a honestly a bit surprised when I came across this little number while reading Burroughs. The guy could write, but I generally don’t associate him with words like […]

Cavalcade n. 1. A line of people, walking, on horses, or in vehicles, who are moving slowly as part of a ceremony. 2. A number of important people, things, or events appearing or happening in a short space of time.   “Cavalcade” originally referred to a horseback procession, and shares […]

Leonine adj. Of, relating to, suggestive of, or resembling a lion.   “Leonine,” from the Latin leo and leoninus, isn’t a difficult word, per say. It did catch my eye in my recent reading of The Swordsman of Mars, however, because it’s so scarcely used compared to many other bestial descriptors. Bovine, ovine, aquiline, […]

Barbican n. The outer defense of a castle or walled city; especially a double tower above a gate or drawbridge.    This feels to me like another Jack Vance word – that dude was always throwing around obscure architecture words and vehicle words and such. “Barbican” fits snugly into that […]

Verdigris n. A green or bluish patina formed on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces exposed to the atmosphere for long periods of time , consisting principally of basic copper sulfate.   Verdigris is the lesser-known cousin of rust. When iron oxidizes, you get a reddish-brown crust called rust, as I’m […]

Dynamo n. 1. An electric generator, especially for direct current. 2. An energetic, hardworking, forceful person.   Deriving from the Greek dunamis, meaning “power,” dynamo is a nifty little word. It can stand in for “generator,” perhaps in a laboratory or ship scene. Much like the word “firecracker,” it can also […]

Aureole n. 1. A circle of light or brightness surrounding something, especially as depicted in art around the head or body of a person represented as holy. 2. A corona around the sun or moon. 3. Another term for areola. 4. The zone of metamorphosed rock surrounding an igneous intrusion.   There […]