Friday, January 5, 2007

noisome

noi·some [noi-suhm]
–adjective
1.offensive or disgusting, as an odor.
2.harmful or injurious to health; noxious.

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME noy (aph. var. of annoy) + -some1]

from dictionary.com

Thursday, January 4, 2007

profligate

prof·li·gate [prof-li-git, -geyt]
–adjective
1.utterly and shamelessly immoral or dissipated; thoroughly dissolute.
2.recklessly prodigal or extravagant.
–noun
3.a profligate person.

[Origin: 1525–35; <>prōflīgātus broken down in character, degraded, orig. ptp. of prōflīgāre to shatter, debase, equiv. to prō- pro-1 + -flīgāre, deriv. of flīgere to strike; see inflict, -ate1]

from dictionary.com

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

lede

lede
noun: the introductory section of a story; "it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter" [syn: lead]

from dictionary.com

Saturday, December 30, 2006

tenebrous

ten·e·brous [ten-uh-bruhs]
–adjective dark; gloomy; obscure.

from dictionary.com

Friday, December 29, 2006

pusillanimous

pu·sil·lan·i·mous [pyoo-suh-lan-uh-muh s]
–adjective
1.lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
2.proceeding from or indicating a cowardly spirit.

[Origin: 1580–90; <>pusillanimis petty-spirited, equiv. to L pusill(us) very small, petty + -anim(is) -spirited, -minded (anim(us) spirit + -is adj. suffix); see -ous]

from dictionary.com

Thursday, December 28, 2006

disquisition

dis·qui·si·tion [dis-kwuh-zish-uhn]
–noun
a formal discourse or treatise in which a subject is examined and discussed; dissertation.

[Origin: 1595–1605; <>disquīsītiōn- (s. of disquīsītiō), equiv. to disquīsīt(us) (ptp. of disquīrere to investigate; dis- dis-1 + quaerere to seek, ask) + -iōn- -ion]

from dictionary.com

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

antediluvian

an·te·di·lu·vi·an [an-tee-di-loo-vee-uhn]
–adjective
1.of or belonging to the period before the Flood. Gen. 7, 8.
2.very old, old-fashioned, or out of date; antiquated; primitive: antediluvian ideas.
–noun
3.a person who lived before the Flood.
4.a very old or old-fashioned person or thing.

[Origin: 1640–50; ante- + L dīluvi(um) a flood, deluge + -an]

from dictionary.com