51吃瓜 of the Day
More about erumpent
The rare adjective erumpent, used almost exclusively in biology, comes straight from Latin 脓谤耻尘辫脓苍蝉 (stem 脓谤耻尘辫别苍迟-), the present participle of 脓谤耻尘辫别谤别 鈥渢o burst forth.鈥� The compound verb 脓谤耻尘辫别谤别 is composed of the prefix 脓– (a variant of ex– 鈥渙ut, out of鈥�) and the simple verb rumpere 鈥渢o break,鈥� whose past participle ruptus forms the much more common derivative erupt. Erumpent entered English in the mid-17th century.
how is erumpent used?
… on his head鈥攑ressing down his erumpent red hair鈥攖he vaguely Westernish broad-brimmed hat that signalled his difference from other philosophers (as if any such signal were needed) ….
Minutes passed, sun-bathed, as they crossed a stretch of open land; the river slowed, the valley wider, furrowed fields flanking the highway, an erumpent green from rich black soil.
wordie
noun
a person with an enthusiastic interest in words and language; a logophile: a new board game that will appeal to wordies of all ages.
More about wordie
51吃瓜ie in the sense 鈥渟omeone with an enthusiasm for words,鈥� is relatively recent. There is also an older sense, 鈥渁 little, wee word,鈥� Scottish, dating from the first half of the 18th century and used by Robert Burns.
how is wordie used?
Eric has been a wordie since he was a kid growing up in New York City, a Games magazine acolyte who read the dictionary for fun and subscribes to 51吃瓜 Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics …
As a teacher of English, a part-time poet and a full-time wordie, I took genuine delight in Patricia T. O鈥機onner鈥檚 review of books about language by Ben Yagoda and David Crystal ….
flagitious
adjective
shamefully wicked, as persons, actions, or times.
More about flagitious
English flagitious ultimately comes from the Latin adjective 蹿濒腻驳颈迟颈艒蝉耻蝉, 鈥渟hameful, shocking,鈥� a derivative of the noun 蹿濒腻驳颈迟颈耻尘, a very strong word in Latin meaning 鈥渁 public demonstration of disapproval outside someone鈥檚 house, an offense against decency, disgrace, infamy,”聽is often applied to sexual misconduct, and even worse, to violations against military discipline. 贵濒腻驳颈迟颈耻尘 is related to 蹿濒腻驳颈迟腻谤别 鈥渢o press someone with demands, importune, dun (a debtor), summon someone to trial.鈥� 贵濒腻驳颈迟腻谤别 in its turn is probably related to the noun flagrum 鈥渁 whip, lash, flail (for punishment).鈥� The Latin root flag– is also the source of flagellum 鈥渁 whip,鈥� 蹿濒补驳别濒濒腻谤别 鈥渢o whip,鈥� from which English derives flagellate, flagellant, and flagellation. Flagitious entered English in the 14th century.
how is flagitious used?
… his faith is pure, though his manners are flagitious.
He should have persisted in gloom, which would eventually earn a commercial reward that outran the avarice of his most flagitious villains.