kipper
v. OE cypera [spawning salmon]; perhaps derivative of cyperen [of copper; copper-colored]; other related derivatives: kip [hooked lower jaw of breeding male salmon] and ME kippen [snatch, tug, pull]
1 the method of preparing fish by splitting, salting, drying, and smoking (now mainly with regard to herring but originally of salmon)
n.
1 a fish so prepared
2 a male salmon during or after spawning
boffin
n. UK slang dating from WWII; literary use before that
n. UK slang dating from WWII; literary use before that
1 a scientist, engineer, or other technical professional, originally associated with the military (a non-perjorative alternative to geek)
n. Greek kynosoura [lit. dog's tail]; Latin Cynosura [Ursa Major (big dipper)]
1 a center of attraction, interest, or attention
2 (figuratively) something used for guidance
lek
n. O.E. lácan [frolic, fight]; also Swedish leka [play]
1 a daily gathering of males in a small area for purposes of competitive mating display before and during breeding season (e.g. prairie chickens)
encaus'tic
adj. Greek en [in] + kaiein [to burn]
1 coated with beeswax mixed with pigment, then fixed by heating
2 referring to a tile inlay method, where from 2 to 6 colors of clay are used to create a patterned surface overlay
zymo'sis
n. Greek zumoun [to leaven]
1 fermentation
2 [medical] infection, specifically by fungus
nic'tate or nic'titate
v.i. Latin nictare [to wink or blink]
1 to wink; to blink with abnormal frequency
eruct'
v.i. Latin eructare from ex [out] + ructare [belch]
1 to belch
redound'
v.i. Latin redundare [overflow] from re [back] + undare [surge]
1 to come back as a result; contribute
2 to come back; recoil
3 to proceed; arise; issue
grava'men
n. Latin gravamen from gravis [heavy, weighty]
1 the essential point of a legal grievance
encom'iast
n. Greek en [in] + komos [revelry]
1 a person speaking publicly about another in laudatory terms; eulogizer
invig'ilate
v. Latin in [on] + vigilare [to keep watch]
1 v. i. to keep watch on
2 v. t. to make watchful or aware
sybarit'ic
adj. Greek Sybarites [Greek city in southern Italy]
1 luxurious; sensuous
trog'lodyte
n. Greek troglodytes < trogle [cave] (< trogein [to gnaw])+ dyein [go in]
1 a cave dweller
2 figurative: a hermit; a person of brutish nature residing in a hovel; a person of extremely conservative politics (reactionary)
champ'erty
n. Anglo-French champart [sharecrop]; Latin campus [field]
1 illegal participation in a lawsuit by a party not connected to the proceeding (an interloper seeking a share of the proceeds)
loc'avore
n. invented in 2007, attributed to four women in Bay area
1 a person who strives to eat locally-grown foods
col'ligate
v.t. Latin colligare; com(together)+ligare(bind)
1 bind together, unite
2 logic: to bring together or relate isolated facts into a recognizable pattern, so as to arrive at a general principle
mump'simus
n.
1 an error obstinately clung to regardless of evidence or reason
katabat'ic
adj. Greek katabatikos [going down]
1 referring to a wind created by cold dense air flowing down-slope due to gravity, and possibly warming due to compression. e.g. Santa Ana wind
pod'zol
n. Russian pod [under]+ zola [ashes]
1 white or gray soil, highly leached, found in northern Russia
iren'ic
adj. Greek eirene: peace
1 promoting peace, esp. relating to theological difference
lacun'a (lacunae)
n. Latin lacuna: hole, pit; from lacus (cistern, lake, lagoon)
1 an empty space; gap
exeget'ic
adj. Greek exegetikos; ex(out)+hegeesthai(to lead or guide)
1 explanatory, interpretive
adum'brate or ad'umbrate
v.t. Lat. adumbrare; ad(upon)+umbra(shade)
1 to indicate faintly, outline, sketch; syn. suggest
2 to foreshadow; syn. typify, symbolize
3 to overshadow; syn. obscure
