Friday 11 April 2008

Words of the Week #5

Abderian Ab*de"ri*an\,
a. Given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment.

From Abdera, a town in Thrace, of which place Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher, was a native.


Borborygmus
A rumbling noise produced by the movement of gas through the intestines.

New Latin, from Greek borborugmos, of imitative origin.

Callipygian
"of, pertaining to, or having beautiful buttocks,"

1800, from Gk. kallipygos, name of a statue of Aphrodite, from kalli-, combining form of kallos "beauty" + pyge "rump, buttocks." Sir Thomas Browne (1646) refers to "Callipygæ and women largely composed behinde."

Dehisce
1. Botany To open at definite places, discharging seeds, pollen, or other contents, as the ripe
capsules or pods of some plants.
2. Medicine
To rupture or break open, as a surgical wound.

From Latin dehīscere : dē-, de- + hīscere, to split, inchoative of hiāre, to be open.

Estrapade Es`tra*pade"
The action of a horse, when, to get rid of his rider, he rears, plunges, and kicks furiously.

4 comments:

  1. When Jake's horse won, estrapades were dehiscing from my Abderian being!!!

    Patience

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  2. Unfortunately, these are all new to me. But, it's always good to learn. Callipygian, what a great word. I'm going to word on using that one. Thanks

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  3. Well look at that. I happened to have a meal tonight that made me quite borborygmus. And all night long I've been calling it something else.

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  4. Borborygmus
    Excusemewatty!

    ReplyDelete

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