WiredJC Word of the Day

[MCA™]

What happened to your other WotD that you posted earlier?

It was brought to my attention that my word, ululate, was sort of covered before: ululant. My search didn't bring it up. Mea culpa.

[Woodsy]

re·con·noi·ter      [ree-kuh-noi-ter, rek-uh-]

–verb (used with object)
1.   to inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes.
2.   to examine or survey (a region, area, etc.) for engineering, geological, or other purposes.
–verb (used without object)
3.   to make a reconnaissance.
[Origin: 1700–10; < F reconnoitre (now obs.) to explore, MF reconoistre. See recognize]

What happened to your other WotD that you posted earlier?

[MCA™]

re·con·noi·ter      [ree-kuh-noi-ter, rek-uh-]

–verb (used with object)
1.   to inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes.
2.   to examine or survey (a region, area, etc.) for engineering, geological, or other purposes.
–verb (used without object)
3.   to make a reconnaissance.
[Origin: 1700–10; < F reconnoitre (now obs.) to explore, MF reconoistre. See recognize]

[TheFang]

Transmogrification

Pr: traenz*ma*gri*fa*cay*shun

Noun:  the act of changing into a different form or appearance (especially a fantastic or grotesque one)
See: transmogrifier

Best word-of-the-day ever.

[mouse]

Transmogrification

Pr: traenz*ma*gri*fa*cay*shun

Noun:  the act of changing into a different form or appearance (especially a fantastic or grotesque one)
See: transmogrifier

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmogrifier


Shapeshifting in Comics (from Wikipedia):

Main article: List of comic book superpowers
Main article: Calvin and Hobbes

Calvin created a transmogrification machine that allowed him to transform into anything he wished.

In the Japanese manga Ranma 1/2, by Rumiko Takahashi, the main characters shapeshift when are touched by cold water and recover their original form with a little splash of hot water. The hero, Ranma, changes into a beautiful maiden, and his father Genma into a Giant Panda. There are others characters cursed like they are, too.
In the Japanese manga and anime series Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa, the Homunculus Envy is able to turn into any person or animal, and occasionally turns his limbs into blades.

The Zoanoids from the Guyver manga and anime series are also notoriously known for their abilities to change from humans into monsters.

In the Japanese manga and anime series Fruits Basket, people who are members of The Zodiac transform into their respective zodiac animals when hugged. Over time, they gain the ability to change back into their human forms.

[NON]

e·pis·te·mol·o·gy (ĭ-pĭs'tə-mŏl'ə-jē)

n.   The branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge, its presuppositions and foundations, and its extent and validity.

[Greek epistēmē, knowledge (from epistasthai, epistē-, to understand : epi-, epi- + histasthai, middle voice of histanai, to place, determine; see stā- in Indo-European roots) + -logy.]

[fasteddie]

mam·moth      [mam-uhth]
–noun
1.   any large, elephantlike mammal of the extinct genus Mammuthus, from the Pleistocene Epoch, having hairy skin and ridged molar teeth.
–adjective
2.   immensely large; huge; enormous: a mammoth organization.
[Origin: 1690–1700; < Russ mam(m)ot (now mámont), first used in reference to remains of the animal found in Siberia; orig. uncert.]

—Synonyms 2. See gigantic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary
mam·moth     
n. 

   1. Any of various large, hairy, extinct elephants of the genus Mammuthus, especially the woolly mammoth.
   2. Something of great size.


adj.   Of enormous size; huge. See Synonyms at enormous.


[Obsolete Russian mamut, mamot.]

Online Etymology Dictionary
mammoth
1706, from Rus. mammot', probably from Ostyak (a Finno-Ugric language of northern Russia, cf. Finnish maa "earth"). Because the remains were dug from the earth, the animal was believed to root like a mole. The adj. is 1802 in Amer.Eng., in reference to the beasts' enormous size.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001
mammoth
adjective
1.    so exceedingly large or extensive as to suggest a giant or mammoth; "a gigantic redwood"; "gigantic disappointment"; "a mammoth ship"; "a mammoth multinational corporation" [syn: gigantic]

noun
1.    any of numerous extinct elephants widely distributed in the Pleistocene; extremely large with hairy coats and long upcurved tusks

mammoth noun
a large hairy elephant of a kind no longer found living
Arabic:    ماموث، فيل ضَخْم
Czech:    mamut
Danish:    mammut
Dutch:    mammoet
Estonian:    mammut
Finnish:    mammutti
French:    mammouth
German:    das Mammut
Greek:    μαμούθ
Hungarian:    mamut
Icelandic:    mammút
Indonesian:    mamut
Italian:    mammut
   
Latvian:    mamuts
Lithuanian:    mamutas
Norwegian:    mammut
Polish:    mamut
Portuguese (Brazil):    mamute
Portuguese (Portugal):    mamute
Romanian:    mamut
Russian:    мамонт
Slovak:    mamut
Slovenian:    mamut
Spanish:    mamut
Swedish:    mammut
Turkish:    mamut

mammoth
 adjective
very large (and often very difficult)
Example: a mammoth project/task
Arabic:    هائِل، ضَخْم
Czech:    mamutí
Danish:    kæmpe
Dutch:    reusachtig
Estonian:    mammut-
Finnish:    jättimäinen
French:    géant
German:    Mammut-…
Hungarian:    óriási
Icelandic:    gríðarstór
Indonesian:    raksasa
Italian:    gigantesco
Latvian:    milzīgs
Lithuanian:    didžiulis, milžiniškas
Norwegian:    diger, kjempestor, uhyre
Polish:    gigantyczny, olbrzymi
Portuguese (Brazil):    gigantesco
Portuguese (Portugal):    gigantesco
Romanian:    gigantic, uriaş
Russian:    гигантский
Slovak:    mamutí
Slovenian:    velikanski
Spanish:    gigantesco, descomunal, inmenso
Swedish:    kolossal, mastodont-
Turkish:    dev gibi

[Woodsy]

Billabong

bil·la·bong
Pronunciation: 'bi-l&-"bo[ng], -"bä[ng]
Function: noun
Etymology: Wiradhuri (Australian aboriginal language of central New South Wales) bilaba[ng]
1 Australian a : a blind channel leading out from a river b : a usually dry streambed that is filled seasonally
2 Australian : a backwater forming a stagnant pool

[MCA™]

tetchy [TECH-ee]

-adjective
Peevish; testy; irritable.
[Origin: probably from Middle English tecche, "a bad habit," from Old French tache, teche, "a spot, stain, blemish, habit, vice."]

[MCA™]

fes·toon      [fe-stoon]

–noun
1.   a string or chain of flowers, foliage, ribbon, etc., suspended in a curve between two points.
2.   a decorative representation of this, as in architectural work or on pottery.
3.   a fabric suspended, draped, and bound at intervals to form graceful loops or scalloped folds.
4.   in dentistry, the garlandlike area of the gums surrounding the necks of the teeth.

–verb (used with object)
5.   to adorn with or as with festoons: to festoon a hall.
6.   to form into festoons: to festoon flowers and leaves.
7.   in dentistry, to reproduce natural gum patterns around the teeth or a denture.
8.   to connect by festoons.
[Origin: 1670–80; < French feston < Italian festone decoration for a feast, deriv. of festa]

[MCA™]

e·mul·sion      [i-muhl-shuhn]

-noun 
A mixture of two immiscible (unblendable) substances. One substance (the dispersed phase) is dispersed in the other (the continuous phase). Examples of emulsions include butter and margarine, espresso, mayonnaise, the photo-sensitive side of photographic film, and cutting fluid for metalworking. Emulsification is the process by which emulsions are prepared.
[Origin: 1605–15; < NL emulsion- (s. of emulsio), equiv. to L emuls(us) milked out (e + mulsus, ptp. of mulgere to milk) + ion]

[CeeDub]

erudite  [er-yoo-dahyt, er-oo-]
–adjective
characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly: an erudite professor; an erudite commentary.

[Origin: 1375–1425; late ME < L érud?tus, equiv. to érud- (é- e- + rud- unformed, rough, rude) + -?tus -ite2]

—Related forms
er·u·dite·ly, adverb
er·u·dite·ness, noun

—Synonyms educated, knowledgeable; wise, sapient.

"FastEddie is one erudite muthafuggah!!"

[AmbushBug]

bacn. n.

E-mail you want, but don’t want to read now: newsletters, ebay alerts, electronic bills, &c.

[Neologism, possibly a nonce word, coined Sunday, 19 August 2007. According to Technocrati, there are already over 350 blog posts containing the word.]

cf:
spam
bOINGbOING

[fasteddie]

gal·li·vant   gal-uh-vant

1.   to wander about, seeking pleasure or diversion; gad.
2.   to go about with members of the opposite sex.
Also, galavant.

[Origin: 1815–25; perh. fanciful alter. of gallant]

[MCA™]

caterwaul  [KAT-uhr-wawl]

-intransitive verb
1. To make a harsh cry.
2. To have a noisy argument.
-noun
1. A shrill, discordant sound.
[Origin: from Middle English caterwawen, "to cry as a cat," either from Medieval Dutch kater, "tomcat" + Dutch wauwelen, "to tattle," or for catawail, from cat-wail, "to wail like a cat."]
[Usage: The forest silence is impermeable, entirely undisturbed by the soft bell notes of hidden birds, the tick of descending leaves and twigs or soft thump of falling fruit, or even the far caterwaul of monkeys. – Peter Matthiessen, African Silences]

[MCA™]

dil·a·to·ry      [dil-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]

–adjective
1.   tending to delay or procrastinate; slow; tardy.
2.   intended to cause delay, gain time, or defer decision: a dilatory strategy.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME (< AF) < L dilatorius, equiv. to dila-, suppletive s. of differre to postpone (see differ) + -torius -tory]
[Usage: Mr. Leahy said that when the Senate returns to session next month, he would bring up what he called the White House’s “dilatory unresponsiveness” with the Judiciary Committee in order to decide whether to bring contempt charges against the administration. – NYT, 8/21/2007]

[DarkMoment]

blo·vi·ate       (blō'vē-āt')

intr.v.   blo·vi·at·ed, blo·vi·at·ing, blo·vi·ates
Slang

To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner: "the rural Babbitt who bloviates about 'progress' and 'growth'" (George Rebeck).

I thought the "rules" fefe posted were one word a day NON? I guess that doesn't apply for wiredjc administrators though, huh? 

[NON]

blo·vi·ate       (blō'vē-āt')

intr.v.   blo·vi·at·ed, blo·vi·at·ing, blo·vi·ates
Slang

To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner: "the rural Babbitt who bloviates about 'progress' and 'growth'" (George Rebeck).

[DarkMoment]

skirmish

n. an episode of irregular or unpremeditated fighting, especially between small or outlying parts of armies or fleets: the unit was caught in several skirmishes and the commanding officer was killed.

v. (skirmishing)
engage in a skirmish.

skirmisher n.

IN BRIEF: A brief fight or battle. Also: To take part in a minor fight.

There was a skirmish on the football field after the call by the referee. 

See also: Skir·mish·er
n.

One who skirmishes. Specifically: pl. (Mil.) Soldiers deployed in loose order, to cover the front or flanks of an advancing army or a marching column.

Skirmishers are generally lightly armoured for increased battlefield mobility and are usually armed with missile weapons to harass the enemy from a distance.

The aims of skirmishing were to disrupt enemy formations by causing casualties before the main battle, and to tempt the opposing infantry into attacking prematurely, throwing their organization into disarray. Skirmishers could also be effectively used to surround opposing soldiers in the absence of friendly cavalry.

Once the preliminary skirmishing was done, the skirmishers would participate during the main battle by shooting into the enemy formation, or could participate in melée combat with daggers or short swords. Alternatively, they could also act as ammunition bearers or stretcher-bearers.

[mouse]

totally cheating, but beg forgiveness:

Neenah 

Main Entry: Nee·nah 
Pronunciation: \nē-na\
Function: geographical name
city E Wisconsin on Lake Winnebago population 24,507

[CeeDub]

redaction
(From Wiktionary)
Noun. Singular
   
redaction (countable and uncountable; plural redactions)
(countable) Edited or censored version of a document.
The government supplied only the redaction to the reporters, the original was kept secret.
(countable) The change or changes made while editing.

(uncountable) The process of editing or censoring.


Retrieved from wiktionary

[Woodsy]

Portcullis

-noun
A portcullis is a grille or gate made of wood, metal or a combination of the two. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defense during time of attack or siege. Each portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in castle walls and could be raised or lowered quickly by means of chains or ropes attached to an internal winch.

There would often be two portcullises to the main entrance. The one closest to the inside would be closed first and then the one furthest away. This was used to trap the enemy and often, burning wood or hot oil would be poured onto them from the roof. Also, archers could shoot arrows at the trapped enemies. There were often arrow holes in the sides of the walls for archers and crossbowman to eliminate the besieging army.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME portecolys < MF porte coleice, equiv. to porte + coleice, fem. of coleis flowing, sliding < VL *c?l?t?cius; see coulee, -itious]

Funny you should use this as the WOtD.  The Mrs. and I were just discussing Saturday how we felt like a portcullus was going to slam down on us as we entered the Port Liberty complex.  If you've ever been there I think you know what I mean.

[MCA™]

Portcullis

-noun
A portcullis is a grille or gate made of wood, metal or a combination of the two. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defense during time of attack or siege. Each portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in castle walls and could be raised or lowered quickly by means of chains or ropes attached to an internal winch.

There would often be two portcullises to the main entrance. The one closest to the inside would be closed first and then the one furthest away. This was used to trap the enemy and often, burning wood or hot oil would be poured onto them from the roof. Also, archers could shoot arrows at the trapped enemies. There were often arrow holes in the sides of the walls for archers and crossbowman to eliminate the besieging army.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME portecolys < MF porte coleice, equiv. to porte + coleice, fem. of coleis flowing, sliding < VL *c?l?t?cius; see coulee, -itious]

[AmbushBug]

Reliquary. n, A box for keeping relics, or the remains of saints and other revered figures.

viz:Not technically a saint, but Galileo's middle finger

From the French reliquaire, from Old French, from relique, relic, from Late Latin reliquiae, sacred relics.]

[DarkMoment]

Jumping the gun by 27 minutes - sh sue me!

Vituperative

Pronunciation:   vI-'tü-p(&-)r&-tiv, -p&-"rA-
Function:   adjective
: uttering or given to censure : containing or characterized by verbal abuse

'Nuff said!

I will! I've contacted David Hasselhoff to proceed with litigation, you pre ejaculator.