It's been a while since I had an obscure female variation on a common word. This is one I never even thought about being possible or necessary. It seems more obscure than most of the others I've come across so far.albiness, n.Now hist. and rare.A female albino.
Tag: rare
Measured stone
Who knew it was also a unit of measure? The only citation for sense 3 of the noun form is... another dictionary. Also, I own a (much more recent) copy of this dictionary. Old dictionaries tend to be veritable fonts of old and interesting, though not always useful, information. One of my favorite things.alabaster, n. … Continue reading Measured stone
Master of the Tupperware
My wife would probably want to employ one of these people each time there's a potluck at church. Not a household office about which one hears often, but undoubtedly useful.aker, n.hist. Obsolete. rareA servant responsible for receiving and looking after vessels from the kitchen.
Cool It
Each definition is rare or obsolete, but that just means you can save your breath to cool your porridge.Okay, look, all the jokes can't be good. You have to expect that once in a while.akele, v.1. trans.a. To make cold, to cool. Also fig.: †to make less ardent, vigorous, or vital, to assuage, quench (obs.). … Continue reading Cool It
Love the commentary
Not just a definition, but an opinion to go with it.agglutinize, v.rare.An unnecessary by-form of AGGLUTINATE.----------------Listening to: Donizetti, Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi, Arie - Lucia di Lammermoor - Il dolce suono...Ardon gli incensivia FoxyTunes
Bringing distinctions back.
I didn't promise to post every one of these kinds of words, but I'm pretty sure I haven't left out more than a couple, and those redundant ones at that. And they have the virtue of being short entries that are easy to post.agentessrareA female agent.----------------Listening to: Yoko Kanno - Tank! The Best! - Piano … Continue reading Bringing distinctions back.
Getting there
I had never realised that one could make, or that some did make, such a distinction.agathismrare.The doctrine that all things tend towards ultimate good, as distinguished from optimism which holds that all things are now for the best.----------------Listening to: VeggieTales - Dance of the Cucumbervia FoxyTunes
No! Not the face!
The origin of this word is from an Old French word meaning to hit someone in the face. The literal meaning didn't come over to English, but I like the emphasis placed on the severity via the analogy.affront, v.1. To insult (a person or thing personified) to his face, to treat with avowed or open … Continue reading No! Not the face!
License to pun
We've all heard someone make a pun on "a frayed knot/afraid not", yeah? Turns out it's not just a stupid joke, the words really are connected.affray, v.Obs. or arch.1. To disturb, or startle, from sleep or quiet, as a sudden noise does; passing into the sense of alarm, as the effect of such startling. arch.b. … Continue reading License to pun
Soundly on the noggin.
When my brothers and I used to cut up in church, my mother would do this with her knuckle. Got my attention, let me tell you. What a great word.affrap, v.Obs. rare.To strike, strike against. (With or without object expressed.)----------------Listening to: Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Live On - 12 - Live Onvia FoxyTunes
Neh 