But generally a "kneeler" is "a small mat upon which to kneel," as distinguished from a door-mat, and from a mat on which to stand (as at a lectern), which last mat is properly a pedemat. (Notes and Queries, 11 July 1896)
The AHD definition for the "rugby play" sense is out of date -- a try in rugby union is worth 5 points, and in rugby league a try is worth 4 points. In wheelchair rugby, a try is worth 1 point, unless it's wheelchair rugby league, in which case it's worth 4 points. Try_(rugby) from Wikipedia
Thanks vendingmachine! Our Kickstarter backers back in 2015 got the option of having their names appended to entries people found using the "Random Word" feature. The backer name will change with each reload, and only shows up when the word is found randomly (so not if the page is loaded via search or a direct click). Hope this helps!
Thanks for your comment! Wordnik is case-sensitive, so there is a page for Opie.
Unfortunately we have no control over what Google searches link to us. Wordnik's nonprofit mission is to share all the words of English, so we don't remove words, even those that have unsavory meanings. In addition, Wordnik is not intended for users under 13.
"Piet, though probably in his forties, had the physique of a fifteen-year-old circus acrobat and was a fervid practitioner of the sport of rucking, which apparently was nothing more than running around with a heavy weight strapped to oneâs back." from Termination Shock, by Neal Stephenson
"Wright composed ephemeridesâtables giving the future positions of the sun, moon, planets, and principal fixed stars for use in navigation." from The Metaphysical Club
"This is the theory of recapitulation, or what is sometimes called the biogenetic law: ontogeny (the development of the individual organism) recapitulates phylogeny (the evolutionary history of the entire group)." from The Metaphysical Club
"So that I describe myself as a bettabilitarian. I believe that we can bet on the behavior of the universe in its contract with us. We bet we can know what it will be. That leaves a loophole for free willâin the miraculous senseâthe creation of a new atom of force, although I donât in the least believe in it." from The Metaphysical Club
"Nominalism is the doctrine that reality is just one unique thing after another, and that general truths about those things are simply conventions of language, simply names." from The Metaphysical Club
"When William James went to Germany, in 1867, he did so to study what was then the hottest area in science: physiological psychology, sometimes called psychophysics." From The Metaphysical Club
Hi vendingmachine! I hear from John from time to time, I will pass on your good wishes when I hear from him again! There are a few lists that feature Wordienames, including best-wordie-user-names and wordie-members, if that helps?
Thanks bilby! Unfortunately when we had to update the examples API a while back we weren't able to do as good a job filtering the repeat offenders in the db. We're working on it (and other examples updates) and hope to have something in place by the end of the year.
"Our father invented orbisculate in college to describe when a citrus fruit squirts in your eye, then proceeded to use it so often when we were growing up that we were shocked to discover it wasnât in the dictionary (also, kind of annoyed, since we found out when we lost a $5 bet to one of our friends)." orbisculate.com
Hi Melissa! Wordnik is case-sensitive, so you can find the word 'tam' here: tam.
We did, in fact, include several out-of-copyright, old-fashioned dictionaries, including the Century Dictionary and the Webster's 1913 (GCIDE), as well as the modern American Heritage Dictionary. :)
Hi plainbroke! Please check your spam folder or click on the "Settings" link on the user page -- you should find your key in one of those two places (if not both). If you're still having trouble, email us at apiteam@wordnik.com :)
hi vendingmachine! That list exists, I'm looking into why it's 404ing. Probably because the link is so long, I might have to tweak some settings. Thanks for letting me know!
I am very sorry to share the news that qms passed away on the evening of July 4th, 2019. More information is available in his obituary, here.
Quentin will be deeply missed here at Wordnik, and to honor his memory we are adopting the word limerick in his name, permanently.
We are also planning a blog post to highlight some of Quentin's best-loved word-of-the-day limericks; if you'd like to suggest any to include, you can add those words to this list: best-of-qms-f3E-ECnAs3S (or just email them to us at feedback@wordnik.com).
Hello Wordieniks ... We're making some much-needed improvements to the site and in the way of all improvements, things will get worse before they get better. :( Please holler to feedback@wordnik.com if you have trouble logging in, are missing data (it's just being moved, nothing has been lost) or have any other questions.
Comments, stats, and tags/favorites may be unavailable at random points through next weekend while we make updates.
thanks for pointing that out, bilby! Will be looking into it. We put some long-string blockers in to thwart spammers but perhaps we were over-enthusiastic about it ...
"Therefore, I propose the newly described condition be called the SNATIATION reflex--a combination of sneezing and satiation and easily remembered by the acronymous handle of Sneezing Non-controllably At a Time of Indulgence of the Appetite - a Trait Inherited and Ordained to be Named." âJudith G Hall, J Med Genet 1990;27:275-278
Thanks citizenbfk! The images do look odd ... we do pull from the Flickr API, based on text or tags associated with the image. Lots of things are 'reported on' so that's why we see the images we do. I guess people don't photograph their reports (or share their report photographs under an open license) as much as there are photographs featured *in* reports.
hi madmouth list creation from a word page is borked at the moment (working on fixing it) but if you click on your name at the top right, the New List link should work (this link)
An aversion to work: "He suggests that we make use rather of indifferent Greek terms like "philopony" (love of effort) and its opposite "aphilopony" (distaste for effort.)" The Nation's Health, Volume 9
"âAny guy, in my experience, who has to constantly tell you how tough he is ... is not a tough guy,â Avenatti said of Michael Cohen, the attorney who was the subject of FBI raids on Monday.
âHeâs closer to a purse puppy than a tough guy,â Avenatti said." Huffington Post
"A coolager, according to the brand, is a "role model for women younger or older who want to envision their lives as uplifting, enlightened experiences instead of a series of planned events."" Racked
"Traveling the globe became a way for Smith to regulate his cost of living according to how much his various online hustles brought in, a strategy that Ferriss called âgeoarbitrage.â " NY Times
"RURP - for Realized Ultimate Reality Piton - a tiny piton the size of a postage stamp used in thin, shallow seams. It was designed by Tom Frost and Yvon Chouinard in 1959, and manufactured by Chouinard Equipment in the 1960s." Wikipedia
"The Capitalocene, as McBrien reminds us, is also a Necrocene â a system that not only accumulates capital, but drives extinction (2016; also Dawson 2016)." Jason W. Moore
Onlyness captures the idea that the way we create value in this modern economy is tied to our novel, original ideas. How âonlynessâ makes us powerful
"It was coined by US internet entrepreneur Gina Pell, 49, who explains, âPerennials are ever-blooming, relevant people of all ages who know whatâs happening in the world, stay current with technology and have friends of all ages." Telegraph
"Vegan psychologist Melanie Joy would describe me as a âcarnistâ. Itâs a neologism that means Iâm conditioned to accept meat-eating is natural and that animals are categorised into edible, inedible, pets and predators, rather than equals." The Guardian
"Known for pushing forward the concept of reknitting with her own process of âstitch-hackingâ (where the stitches of a knitted fabric are reconfigured to retrospectively insert a new structural design), Amy developed this practice during her PHD at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design before finishing in 2013." Selvedge blog
"I call this the cyberpaleo human condition. It integrates the postscarcity economic logic of computation with the psychological structure of human play-that-works." Ribbonfarm
"Again, there are secondary auditory sensations called 'phonisms,' secondary taste sensations called 'gustatisms,' secondary smell sensations called 'olfactisms,' and so on." Imagery in Psychology
The rise of the drone has even birthed a new genre of portraiture: the âdronie,â which Ecer describes as âthe aerial equivalent of the selfie.â The New Republic
"But there is also the issue of confusability, or homograms â different identifiers that look similar or identical â which can cause frustration and bugs at best, security concerns at worst." Unicode Identifiers in Your Language
"English has no word for "the constant, repetitive reiteration of strong priors". Yet it is a well-known phenomenon in the world of punditry, debate, and public affairs. On Twitter, we call it "derp"." NoahPinion Blog
Jamming the stub of the Greek word for âknowledgeâ into the Greek word for ârule,â Estlund coined the word âepistocracy,â meaning âgovernment by the knowledgeable.â The Case Against Democracy
"Easiest of all is The Spirit Ring, which is a stand-alone, or aquel, as some wag once dubbed books that for some obscure reason failed to spawn a subsequent series." Penric's Mission
"The word âcholarchyâ is not to be found in any English dictionary â itâs exceedingly rare. I first learned it from my friend Sean B. Palmer in his weblog essay Lo! New Words, where he defines it as the âantonym of hierarchyâ, and credits Sean McGrath with popularizing it in his 2002 article The Opposite of Hierarchy (he also tried to spread it in a short blog post later that year)." The Word 'Cholarchy'
"A more specific term, pupillometrics, refers to the evaluation of one's pupil size as an indicator of interest or emotion." Interesting Thing of the Day
"Pseudo-ostension is the act of deliberately acting out an existing urban legend (e.g., children secreting pins in their Halloween treats to throw a scare into the community or pranksters in Pulaski, Virginia, placing syringes in payphone coin return slots in 1999)." Snopes
The Uinta ground squirrel (Urocitellus armatus), commonly called a Potgut in northern Utah, is a species of rodent native to the western United States. WIkipedia
"A shot or small portion of unsweetened coffee, now usually made either using a espresso machine or a moka pot, but traditionally made using a cloth drip, usually served in cups made for the purpose (called "tazitas de pocillo")." Delicatessen Cookbook
"Thus peelaflee, he said, was a creature out of its element; a dandy attempting to play with men at the channelstane, for the dandy looks as if the wind had him peeled, and that he looked as if going to fly. A being much liker a warm room, sitting by the hip of a lisping lady, and a simmering trackpot. Peelaflees are all those who look better on a street than they do in the country." The Scots Magazine
"When Mary Lyon refused to have the institution named after her, one of Mount Holyokeâs founding trustees, Edward Hitchcock, suggested naming the seminary âPangynaskean,â compounding three Greek words meaning âwhole woman making.â Mt Holyoke
Frobenius's biographer, Janheinz Janz (Leo Frobenius: The Demonic Child) unpacked paideuma in this way: Frobenius thought there is an essence behind every culture, and that essence has a soul, and the soul of a given culture in history is its paideuma. Overweening Generalist
"But millions of Britons have given up on actual socialising in favour of âsofalisingâ â staying at home and talking to loved ones via electronic devices rather than in person, a poll has found."
"Next to ice, with the guidance of a restaurant supply company website, I note six common shapes of machine-produced cubes: square, half cube, crescent, flake, gourmet ("top hat"), and (my favorite) the soft, chewable cylinders known variously as pearl, gem, chewblet, and tubular nugget." Eater
so sorry about that, vendingmachine! If you run into bad gateways again, please do email us at support@wordnik.com, especially if you can let us know what words/pages you were trying to get to. That will help us find the root causes of the problem and, with any luck, fix them! Thank you!
"Once SuperSat gets off the ground, the plan is to have it lock into a lunar orbit and map the surface with an HDTV camera and panospheric video." WIRED
"After that the engine passed into a building called the lubitorium, where oil and soft greases were piped under pressure direct from supply tanks to the various points needing lubrication." Railways of the USA
Hi -- sorry about the warning, a few of the sites we link to DID have malware, but because of our redirects, ALL of the Wordnik example links are now throwing a warning. :-( We're removing the links to the affected sites but it's a very slow, manual process. :-(
Wordnik itself is not affected by malware.
In the meantime, if you want to see the original site for a link, the safest/easiest way is to copy/paste the whole example and google it.
"Onlyness is that thing that only that one individual can bring to a situation. It includes the journey and passions of each human. Onlyness is fundamentally about honoring each person: first as we view ourselves and second as we are valued. Each of us is standing in a spot that no one else occupies. That unique point of view is born of our accumulated experience, perspective, and vision." from Onlyness (the topic and the talk at TEDxHouston)
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Word of the Week. "Sample usage: "Everyone's saying we should go try that new live-squid restaurant, but I am definotely eating anything with moving tentacles."" Word of the week: definotly
A cross between a hammered dulcimer and an electric guitar, the construction of the chordstick allows for a more percussive playing technique, building atmospheric ambiance. Classical MPR
âText neck,â a term coined by a Florida chiropractor, Dean L. Fishman, is a repetitive stress injury resulting from hours spent with the head positioned forward and down while using electronic devices. NY Times
Derbyshire confirms; each and every part of the song âwas constructed on quarter-inch mono tape,â she says, âinch by inch by inch,â using such recording techniques as âfiltered white noiseâ and something called a âwobbulator.â Open Culture
Many other words belong to MLEâmulti-ethnic or multicultural London Englishâsometimes derided as jafaican, the speech variety strongly influenced by Caribbean usages and non-European accents and parodied by Ali G and TV comedy Phoneshop. Quartz
The girls use their perky dance moves to threaten âenemies of freedomâ and explain âAmeritude,â which, according to the song, is âAmerican pride, itâs attitude, itâs who we are.â Quartz
And as Americans buy more and more holiday gifts online, theyâre also returning more, creating new opportunities for businesses prepared to handle what others donât want. Call it âre-commerce.â WIRED
âScratchingâ in the language of computer science means to reuse code that can be beneficial and effectively used for other purposes and easily combined, shared and adapted to new scenarios, which is a key feature in Scratch â âremixâ, in which users can download and build up on public projects uploaded and developed by other users. Wikipedia
In a city filled with slot machines spilling jackpots, it was a âjackpottedâ ATM that got the most attention Wednesday at the Black Hat security conference, when researcher Barnaby Jack demonstrated two suave hacks against automated teller machines that made them spew out dozens of crisp bills. WIRED
Each of these traits has a âbiogenicâ nature (itâs a matter of genetics); a âsociogenicâ nature (itâs a part of what our culture teaches us); and an âidiogenicâ nature (itâs just one of those things that makes us us). TED blog
This story begins when Associated Press foreign correspondent John Roderick became the unlikely owner of an enormous, rundown farmhouse, or âminka.â AIA-MN
The proliferation of new breeds is in part a product of âlinebreeding,â a type of inbreeding in which a close relative occurs more than once in a puppyâs pedigree. Vice
He pioneered âoriginalism,â a theory holding that the Constitution should be interpreted in line with the beliefs of the white men, many of them slave owners, who ratified it in the late eighteenth century. The New Yorker, 29 Feb 2016
"Pultrusion is a continuous process for manufacture of composite materials with constant cross-section. The term is a portmanteau word, combining "pull" and "extrusion"." Wikipedia
December 28 is officially Christmas comedown day. Todayâs the day that youâre most likely to be involved in some kind of family conflict or blazing row. ... Itâs because many people will be travelling back from visiting relatives for the festive season and perhaps also preparing to return to work the following day. It has been dubbed Moody Monday by Kwik Fit who commissioned the poll of 2,000 Britons. Metro UK
According to Genderqueerid.com, skoliosexual refers to âsexual attraction to non-binary identified individuals" or those who do not identify as cisgender. Huffington Post
Nearby was a squat device that looked like a photocopier â a farinograph, which assesses the strength of dough as it is mixed â and a cylindrical machine that tests raw grain for adequate levels of starch. New York Times
The style of dress has earned a few nicknames, including soft dressing, sports luxe, and when it goes really upscale, athluxuryâthink Vladimir Putin in $1,600 sweatpants. Quartz
Considering the contents of "Unplugged," his take on Wired's usurping of Mondo 2000's "cyber-hipeoisie" mouthpiece privileges, the publication couldn't have been timed more perfectly. Suck
Just as the heavy industry can greenwash to produce the appearance of environmental responsibility and the consumer industry can pinkwash to connect themselves to cause marketing, so the technology industry can âengineerwashââleveraging the legacy of engineering in order to make their products and services appear to engender trust, competence, and service in the public interest. The Atlantic
In practice, baugruppen are basically like condos, but with much more robust shared spaces and collective ownership rather than developer ownership. Vox
I better liked Mitch Kaporâs talk, which advised against becoming an ageist, racist, or sexist âmirrortocracyâ and calling it a meritocracy. Michael O. Church
âBleisureâ trips, or ones that combine business and leisure, are rising fast as a common form of travel worldwide, according to a new report from Bridgestreet Global Hospitality published by Skift. Fusion
Collaborative robots â or cobots â need to be configured so they're aware of their fleshy colleagues and slow or stop after an unexpected collision to avoid stabbing skin or slicing limbs. Bloomberg
But it is equally important to train and encourage men to take jobs that require skills in health, education, administration and literacy, so-called HEAL jobs. New York Times
But after a slew of 4-5 day work-plus-weekend trips that one colleague has dubbed âthe work-end,â Iâve noticed my suitcase holds the same items, again and again: a striped breton shirt, a black crepe slip dress, a grey wool plaid scarf for the plane. Quartz
To waste time throughout extra time with the aim of forcing - and then winning - a penalty shootout, eg: "Both teams are clearly penastinating now!" BBC
There was even an effort called FOAF (which stands for âfriend of a friendâ and is pronounced âfofeâ) that described the social network between individuals. The New Republic
But when the critical establishment rejects Tartt and other women who manage to create literary juggernauts, Weiner suggests that sexism is also partly to blame. âCall it Goldfinching,â she writes. The Atlantic
The pieces were made by painstakingly manipulating a typewriter â rotating paper, adjusting spacing and overstriking letters â to make what the Sackners call âtyped artpoe.â New York Times
Yes, America still has a formidable high-tech and military industry, but, as James Kunstler and others have pointed out, for the last thirty years American society has become an economy centered on building more suburbs and filling them up with foreign cars, plasma TVâs and and the like. I call this living accommodation autoburbia. Island Breath
Halbigâs sandyhookjustice.com had by then drawn a benificent counterbalance, blogs like sandyhookfacts.com, devoted to debunking every crackpot claim put forward by the hoaxers, whom they referred to as âconspiratards.â The Trace
This in turn makes them more likely to look for coping mechanisms, including 'stalking' their ex on social networks - officially known as interpersonal electronic surveillance (IES). Daily Mail
"Zythophile is a beer blog written by an unidentified British beer enthusiast. The name of the blog is a neologism meaning, according to the author, a lover of beer." Home Brew Talk
"A quaducantâfollowing the Russian matryoshka nesting doll model of meatâwould be quail's breast meat stuffed in duck's breast meat stuffed in a deboned pheasant." Serious Eats
"when you're little & your mum tells you that a really yuck vegetable is actually a really yummy lollie ( but it's not!)" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
"someone who sings loudly and out of tune. Usually an out-tuner thinks that they are an amazing singer and think a lot of their singing skills." (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
"I call it a kaleidophone,â he said.âThe idea is that it will convert any rhythmical sound, such as music, into pleasing and symmetrical, but always changing, visual patterns." Prelude to Space, by Arthur C. Clarke
"Grimdark is a subgenre or a way to describe the tone, style, or setting of speculative fiction (especially fantasy) that is, depending on the definition used, markedly dystopian or amoral, or particularly graphic in its depiction of violence. In most grimdark literature the supernatural is a passive force, controlled by humansâunlike supernatural horror where the preternatural forces are most often an active entity with agency." Is it Grimdark or is it Horror?
"In college I took a literature course which examined Marilynne Robinsonâs innovative use of spacesâespecially the domestic spaceâin her novel Housekeeping. My teacher also mentioned that the book actually includes a neologism- the word âlucifactions,â used to describe light on water, in the scene where the girls are out on the lake." HTMLGiant
"Sent to large numbers of correspondents using the reply-all button, memails contain no substance. Their sole function is to draw attention to the sender, using the fewest words possible. Recently received examples include "that's just great", "good news", "fantastic", or just plain "yup"."Â The Guardian
"Mr. Ascheim defines âbecomersâ not as a generation but as a life stage â âfrom your first kiss to your first kid,â or people roughly 14 to 34." NYTimes
"Kronosâs promotional videos emphasize the risk of time theft by employeesââIn a few minutes late?
Taking a few extra minutes on a break? It adds upââand some of the firmâs most invasive systems, which require employees to clock in with a finger scan, are meant to prevent âbuddy punching,â when an employee clocks in a co-worker who hasnât yet arrived." Harper's Magazine
brelfie a selfie taken while breastfeeding: "The latest fad clogging up social media, heaping shame on those who dare commit the sin of bottle-feeding, is the brelfie: the tedious habit of posting a breastfeeding selfie, creating yet more #bressure on those who donât, or canât." Telegraph
The acting in this film is superb and the language is even better. As Rose and Jimmy wander around town making up scenarios, she uses such descriptions as "figures on a nunswept pier," for the people in her line of vision. Wilmington Town Crier
"doorfoolia is when you start to push open an opaque door at the exact instant someone on the other side of the door pulls the door open so that you stumble forward pushing air." (from Don Moyer of Calamityware)
"Jana Dambrogio, the Thomas F. Peterson conservator at M.I.T. Libraries, is analyzing how letter writers have tried through the ages to keep their correspondence sealed and unread until it reached the intended recipients. She has coined the word âletterlockingâ to describe methods of folding and gluing pages to deter snooping." A Trove of âLetterlocking,â or Vintage Strategies to Deter Snoops
"His bizarre allegorical stories fashion fantastical yet oddly believable worlds which deftly fuse 'magic' and 'realism' in a way critics have termed: 'stoicheiotical fidelity'."Â Blacklist Publishing
family + company: "In Issue No12, we take an insider's look at Zendeskâs impressive growth with co-founder Alexander Aghassipour; ustwo co-creator Matt âMillsâ Miller shows us how to create a âfampanyâ of 250 employees while putting fun first; travelling photographer and designer Dan Rubin examines his new career path â powered by Instagram; science geek Ariel Waldman calls on the web community to participate in space exploration; Basecamp co-founder Jason Fried defies the startup hype and makes a case for longevity in business; and the father of web standards, Jeffrey Zeldman, reflects on the web that was and the web that will be."
"A recent extension of the concept of genocide associates the prospect of nuclear destruction with the threat of 'omnicide' or 'anthropocide'âthe killing of all groups and individuals." The Politics of Gender
"And spoffle seems a perfectly suitable word for a soft baffle to muffle the pop and spit of aspirations, given its sound and the words it sounds like." Sesquiotica
Comments by erinmckean
erinmckean commented on the list algorithm-avoidant-inventions-D25p2r0HK_2pCayeZApKQ
just saw "boom nuts" for bullets https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-faPIXuQs7/
October 1, 2024
erinmckean commented on the word pedemat
But generally a "kneeler" is "a small mat upon which to kneel," as distinguished from a door-mat, and from a mat on which to stand (as at a lectern), which last mat is properly a pedemat. (Notes and Queries, 11 July 1896)
July 12, 2024
erinmckean commented on the word try
The AHD definition for the "rugby play" sense is out of date -- a try in rugby union is worth 5 points, and in rugby league a try is worth 4 points. In wheelchair rugby, a try is worth 1 point, unless it's wheelchair rugby league, in which case it's worth 4 points. Try_(rugby) from Wikipedia
May 22, 2024
erinmckean commented on the word somnivexillology
The study of flags that appear in dreams. (source)
February 21, 2024
erinmckean commented on the user bilby
Glad you're back!
November 21, 2023
erinmckean commented on the user bilby
Hi Bilby! I'm so sorry you're trapped in the nether world. Can you try clearing your cookies? It will make room for more hommous.
November 20, 2023
erinmckean commented on the word double bass
I've added it! (It will take a few days to show up because of our caching.) Thank you!
July 31, 2023
erinmckean commented on the word chiacoan peccary
Thanks vendingmachine! Our Kickstarter backers back in 2015 got the option of having their names appended to entries people found using the "Random Word" feature. The backer name will change with each reload, and only shows up when the word is found randomly (so not if the page is loaded via search or a direct click). Hope this helps!
February 22, 2023
erinmckean commented on the list city-names-with-three-or-more-words
I was advised by a correspondent that Saint Clair Shores, MI would be an addition to this list
December 12, 2022
erinmckean commented on the list antiwords-ReFxVvX-Gvibuy2mJlimO
I feel like antiwords are a specific category of semordnilaps but so far I've only found one (tbh I haven't looked very hard ...)
October 4, 2022
erinmckean commented on the user rjvas
Hi rjvas you can see API calls and responses at https://developer.wordnik.com/docs.
September 13, 2022
erinmckean commented on the list spy-satellite-s-05DmVv-j
I've added it manually for you, but weirdly nothing is showing up in the logs to suggest why it wouldn't be addable in the first place ...
May 15, 2022
erinmckean commented on the list spy-satellite-s-05DmVv-j
that's very weird, bilby! I'll take a look (using my spy satellite)
May 15, 2022
erinmckean commented on the list spy-satellite-s-05DmVv-j
đ
May 7, 2022
erinmckean commented on the word opie
Thanks for your comment! Wordnik is case-sensitive, so there is a page for Opie.
Unfortunately we have no control over what Google searches link to us. Wordnik's nonprofit mission is to share all the words of English, so we don't remove words, even those that have unsavory meanings. In addition, Wordnik is not intended for users under 13.
April 27, 2022
erinmckean commented on the word bugs
Hi bilby! I'll check into the cookie-length; it is set by our login provider but I might be able to tweak it!
Also your word lists are extremely valuable, don't let anyone tell you different. :)
March 3, 2022
erinmckean commented on the word Jack in the low cellar
Hi yarb! I marked your last comment as 'ham' so hopefully the spam filter will no longer block you!
January 14, 2022
erinmckean commented on the word rucking
"Piet, though probably in his forties, had the physique of a fifteen-year-old circus acrobat and was a fervid practitioner of the sport of rucking, which apparently was nothing more than running around with a heavy weight strapped to oneâs back." from Termination Shock, by Neal Stephenson
January 1, 2022
erinmckean commented on the word ephemerides
"Wright composed ephemeridesâtables giving the future positions of the sun, moon, planets, and principal fixed stars for use in navigation." from The Metaphysical Club
October 16, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word recapitulation
"This is the theory of recapitulation, or what is sometimes called the biogenetic law: ontogeny (the development of the individual organism) recapitulates phylogeny (the evolutionary history of the entire group)." from The Metaphysical Club
October 16, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word bettabilitarian
"So that I describe myself as a bettabilitarian. I believe that we can bet on the behavior of the universe in its contract with us. We bet we can know what it will be. That leaves a loophole for free willâin the miraculous senseâthe creation of a new atom of force, although I donât in the least believe in it." from The Metaphysical Club
October 16, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word nominalism
"Nominalism is the doctrine that reality is just one unique thing after another, and that general truths about those things are simply conventions of language, simply names." from The Metaphysical Club
October 16, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word psychophysics
"When William James went to Germany, in 1867, he did so to study what was then the hottest area in science: physiological psychology, sometimes called psychophysics." From The Metaphysical Club
October 16, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word jobbism
"He became, in effect, the Emerson of professionalismâor as he sometimes called it, âjobbism.â"The Metaphysical Club
October 14, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word john
Hi vendingmachine! I hear from John from time to time, I will pass on your good wishes when I hear from him again! There are a few lists that feature Wordienames, including best-wordie-user-names and wordie-members, if that helps?
October 10, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word blubber-lip
Yeah. :( Edited.
August 27, 2021
erinmckean commented on the user vendingmachine
Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss. Thinking of you and your family.
August 25, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word 404
good suggestion, bilby!
July 17, 2021
erinmckean commented on the list strine
Hi bilby! The strine list has returned (there was an empty comment gumming up the works, fixed now).
July 11, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word bugs
Hi bilby! Am looking into the missing list now (it's safely in the database, not sure why it isn't showing up ...)
July 9, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word I think I broke Wordnik
If you use %23 for the hash symbol it should work! (I hope.)
June 30, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word boon
Thanks bilby! Unfortunately when we had to update the examples API a while back we weren't able to do as good a job filtering the repeat offenders in the db. We're working on it (and other examples updates) and hope to have something in place by the end of the year.
June 11, 2021
erinmckean commented on the list sharks-sharks-and-more-sharks-ILZf4M-6DSX
Hi Vendingmachine, I'm so sorry for the hassle. I'm not sure what's going on with the list but I'm looking into it.
(The ILZf4M-6DSX is something we add to the URL to make sure every URL is unique.)
April 16, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word raie ultime
huh! I'll take a look! Thanks for the heads-up!
February 27, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word ba dum tss
Hi ry! we're working on tags, I hope they'll be back up before too much longer!
January 15, 2021
erinmckean commented on the word orbisculate
"Our father invented orbisculate in college to describe when a citrus fruit squirts in your eye, then proceeded to use it so often when we were growing up that we were shocked to discover it wasnât in the dictionary (also, kind of annoyed, since we found out when we lost a $5 bet to one of our friends)." orbisculate.com
December 2, 2020
erinmckean commented on the user lillysparrow
Hi Melissa! Wordnik is case-sensitive, so you can find the word 'tam' here: tam.
We did, in fact, include several out-of-copyright, old-fashioned dictionaries, including the Century Dictionary and the Webster's 1913 (GCIDE), as well as the modern American Heritage Dictionary. :)
Thank you for using Wordnik!
February 21, 2020
erinmckean commented on the user plainbroke
Hi plainbroke! Please check your spam folder or click on the "Settings" link on the user page -- you should find your key in one of those two places (if not both). If you're still having trouble, email us at apiteam@wordnik.com :)
January 19, 2020
erinmckean commented on the list polychronic-liquidators--cyf
oh yes! this was a very fertile source of WOTD words, thank you ry!
November 11, 2019
erinmckean commented on the user davewheaters
Hi! It looks like this definition is included at predate: "To prey upon something."
October 4, 2019
erinmckean commented on the word jean dimmock
hi vendingmachine! That list exists, I'm looking into why it's 404ing. Probably because the link is so long, I might have to tweak some settings. Thanks for letting me know!
August 15, 2019
erinmckean commented on the user qms
I am very sorry to share the news that qms passed away on the evening of July 4th, 2019. More information is available in his obituary, here.
Quentin will be deeply missed here at Wordnik, and to honor his memory we are adopting the word limerick in his name, permanently.
We are also planning a blog post to highlight some of Quentin's best-loved word-of-the-day limericks; if you'd like to suggest any to include, you can add those words to this list: best-of-qms-f3E-ECnAs3S (or just email them to us at feedback@wordnik.com).
July 26, 2019
erinmckean commented on the word bug report
Oh, thanks for the heads-up, I will check this out! (Unlikely to get fixed before the weekend, I'm afraid.)
June 4, 2019
erinmckean commented on the word hagiosideron
"The Greek Church, especially of the sixth and seventh centuries, used a wooden instrument called simantrum (semantron), and one of iron, called hagiosideron." Christian Art in the Place and in the Form of Lutheran Worship
May 28, 2019
erinmckean commented on the word improworsement
attn bilby
May 14, 2019
erinmckean commented on the word help
Hello Wordieniks ... We're making some much-needed improvements to the site and in the way of all improvements, things will get worse before they get better. :( Please holler to feedback@wordnik.com if you have trouble logging in, are missing data (it's just being moved, nothing has been lost) or have any other questions.
Comments, stats, and tags/favorites may be unavailable at random points through next weekend while we make updates.
I thank you for your patience and support!
May 12, 2019
erinmckean commented on the list strine
thanks for pointing that out, bilby! Will be looking into it. We put some long-string blockers in to thwart spammers but perhaps we were over-enthusiastic about it ...
March 12, 2019
erinmckean commented on the word snatiation
"Therefore, I propose the newly described condition be called the SNATIATION reflex--a combination of sneezing and satiation and easily remembered by the acronymous handle of Sneezing Non-controllably At a Time of Indulgence of the Appetite - a Trait Inherited and Ordained to be Named." âJudith G Hall, J Med Genet 1990;27:275-278
February 9, 2019
erinmckean commented on the word report
Thanks citizenbfk! The images do look odd ... we do pull from the Flickr API, based on text or tags associated with the image. Lots of things are 'reported on' so that's why we see the images we do. I guess people don't photograph their reports (or share their report photographs under an open license) as much as there are photographs featured *in* reports.
January 22, 2019
erinmckean commented on the word faq
hi madmouth list creation from a word page is borked at the moment (working on fixing it) but if you click on your name at the top right, the New List link should work (this link)
Sorry for the hassle!
August 8, 2018
erinmckean commented on the list twitterbotlist
hi vendingmachine! I think this list has been created with the help of our API (developer.wordnik.com)
July 26, 2018
erinmckean commented on the word aphilopony
An aversion to work: "He suggests that we make use rather of indifferent Greek terms like "philopony" (love of effort) and its opposite "aphilopony" (distaste for effort.)" The Nation's Health, Volume 9
June 4, 2018
erinmckean commented on the word purse puppy
"âAny guy, in my experience, who has to constantly tell you how tough he is ... is not a tough guy,â Avenatti said of Michael Cohen, the attorney who was the subject of FBI raids on Monday.
âHeâs closer to a purse puppy than a tough guy,â Avenatti said." Huffington Post
April 30, 2018
erinmckean commented on the word dysbiosis
"In theory, an overdose could result in something called a âdysbiosis,â where the gut is overgrown with an imbalance of organisms." Grub Street
April 6, 2018
erinmckean commented on the word coolager
"A coolager, according to the brand, is a "role model for women younger or older who want to envision their lives as uplifting, enlightened experiences instead of a series of planned events."" Racked
March 26, 2018
erinmckean commented on the word geoarbitrage
"Traveling the globe became a way for Smith to regulate his cost of living according to how much his various online hustles brought in, a strategy that Ferriss called âgeoarbitrage.â " NY Times
March 26, 2018
erinmckean commented on the word umpolished
Random word only selects words that have definitions, so umpolished would not be returned by clicking on the random word link. :)
February 27, 2018
erinmckean commented on the list just-one-thing
not a phrase, but ... one-upmanship?
February 26, 2018
erinmckean commented on the word hbty
heavy berets tank yaks
(also: y'all are wonderful)
February 14, 2018
erinmckean commented on the word dotation
hi Logophile77 -- if you are logged in, you should not be seeing ads. We only show ads to non-logged-in users.
December 29, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word RURP
"RURP - for Realized Ultimate Reality Piton - a tiny piton the size of a postage stamp used in thin, shallow seams. It was designed by Tom Frost and Yvon Chouinard in 1959, and manufactured by Chouinard Equipment in the 1960s." Wikipedia
October 17, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word Necrocene
"The Capitalocene, as McBrien reminds us, is also a Necrocene â a system that not only accumulates capital, but drives extinction (2016; also Dawson 2016)." Jason W. Moore
October 13, 2017
erinmckean commented on the list tip-top-toponymic
a recent WOTD might belong on this list: euripus
October 11, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word onlyness
Onlyness captures the idea that the way we create value in this modern economy is tied to our novel, original ideas. How âonlynessâ makes us powerful
August 23, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word flactinating
the act of tying your shoes @BookishLex
August 23, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word perennials
"It was coined by US internet entrepreneur Gina Pell, 49, who explains, âPerennials are ever-blooming, relevant people of all ages who know whatâs happening in the world, stay current with technology and have friends of all ages." Telegraph
August 13, 2017
erinmckean commented on the list autantonyms
what about dabster? It means both 'a skilled person' and 'a bungler'. :)
August 5, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word pandwich
a sandwich made with a mold that cuts the crusts off bread while sealing the edges, creating a pocket enclosing the filling Ichiban Kan
August 2, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word ultimology
"Ultimology is the study of that which is dead or dying in a series or process." LongNow.org
August 1, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word info-environmentalism
mentioned here: https://hapgood.us/2017/07/27/a-call-to-info-environmentalism/
August 1, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word carnist
"Vegan psychologist Melanie Joy would describe me as a âcarnistâ. Itâs a neologism that means Iâm conditioned to accept meat-eating is natural and that animals are categorised into edible, inedible, pets and predators, rather than equals." The Guardian
June 26, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word stitch-hacking
"Known for pushing forward the concept of reknitting with her own process of âstitch-hackingâ (where the stitches of a knitted fabric are reconfigured to retrospectively insert a new structural design), Amy developed this practice during her PHD at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design before finishing in 2013." Selvedge blog
June 15, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word sploot
A "sploot" is a very magical thing that often occurs when corgis lay on their tummies with their hind legs sticking out like a frog. The Dodo
June 14, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word cyberpaleo
"I call this the cyberpaleo human condition. It integrates the postscarcity economic logic of computation with the psychological structure of human play-that-works." Ribbonfarm
June 11, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word verbochromia
With some people certain words are accompanied by a sense of color, varying with different words (verbochromia). Imagery in Psychology
May 28, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word olfactism
"Again, there are secondary auditory sensations called 'phonisms,' secondary taste sensations called 'gustatisms,' secondary smell sensations called 'olfactisms,' and so on." Imagery in Psychology
May 28, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word dronie
The rise of the drone has even birthed a new genre of portraiture: the âdronie,â which Ecer describes as âthe aerial equivalent of the selfie.â The New Republic
May 5, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word athelemic
New Scientist used this term to refer to "metaphors without foundation" (e.g. "hoist with his own petard"). 17 May 2014
April 22, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word homogram
"But there is also the issue of confusability, or homograms â different identifiers that look similar or identical â which can cause frustration and bugs at best, security concerns at worst." Unicode Identifiers in Your Language
April 21, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word homogram
"A homogram is a poem in which every two adjacent words share a letter in common." Table of Forms
April 21, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word polypathy
"The polypathy of a lemma is a measure of the spread of its senses on the polarity scale." TWITA project notes
April 8, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word derp
"English has no word for "the constant, repetitive reiteration of strong priors". Yet it is a well-known phenomenon in the world of punditry, debate, and public affairs. On Twitter, we call it "derp"." NoahPinion Blog
March 26, 2017
erinmckean commented on the word epistocracy
Jamming the stub of the Greek word for âknowledgeâ into the Greek word for ârule,â Estlund coined the word âepistocracy,â meaning âgovernment by the knowledgeable.â The Case Against Democracy
November 12, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word aquel
"Easiest of all is The Spirit Ring, which is a stand-alone, or aquel, as some wag once dubbed books that for some obscure reason failed to spawn a subsequent series." Penric's Mission
November 11, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word Calexit
California succession (from California + exit, on the model of Brexit).
November 9, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word cholarchy
"The word âcholarchyâ is not to be found in any English dictionary â itâs exceedingly rare. I first learned it from my friend Sean B. Palmer in his weblog essay Lo! New Words, where he defines it as the âantonym of hierarchyâ, and credits Sean McGrath with popularizing it in his 2002 article The Opposite of Hierarchy (he also tried to spread it in a short blog post later that year)." The Word 'Cholarchy'
November 9, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word alakefic
"from Egyptian (couldnât care less about, laid back, uncaring. e.g., Heâs pretty alakefic about that)" Filling My Blanks
November 8, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word bicrement
Adding 2; one more than increment.
November 2, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word pupillometrics
"A more specific term, pupillometrics, refers to the evaluation of one's pupil size as an indicator of interest or emotion." Interesting Thing of the Day
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word pseudo-ostension
"Pseudo-ostension is the act of deliberately acting out an existing urban legend (e.g., children secreting pins in their Halloween treats to throw a scare into the community or pranksters in Pulaski, Virginia, placing syringes in payphone coin return slots in 1999)." Snopes
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word powcohol
powdered alcohol
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word potgut
The Uinta ground squirrel (Urocitellus armatus), commonly called a Potgut in northern Utah, is a species of rodent native to the western United States. WIkipedia
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word pocillo
"A shot or small portion of unsweetened coffee, now usually made either using a espresso machine or a moka pot, but traditionally made using a cloth drip, usually served in cups made for the purpose (called "tazitas de pocillo")." Delicatessen Cookbook
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word plyscraper
A plyscraper is a skyscraper made of wood. They may alternatively be known as mass timber buildings. Wikipedia
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word perceptronium
"Next, Tegmark discusses perceptronium, defined as the most general substance that feels subjectively self-aware." Why Physicists Are Saying Consciousness Is A State Of Matter, Like a Solid, A Liquid Or A Gas
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word peelaflee
"Thus peelaflee, he said, was a creature out of its element; a dandy attempting to play with men at the channelstane, for the dandy looks as if the wind had him peeled, and that he looked as if going to fly. A being much liker a warm room, sitting by the hip of a lisping lady, and a simmering trackpot. Peelaflees are all those who look better on a street than they do in the country." The Scots Magazine
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word patikis
"The boats had a nine foot beam and were flat bottomed and were called Patikis, which was the Maori name for flat fish or flounders." The Clean Slate
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word paraplyskjeletter
This might mean "umbrella skeleton"?
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word paranemic
"A DNA structure is defined as paranemic if the participating strands can be separated without mutual rotation of the opposite strands." Paranemic structures of DNA and their role in DNA unwinding.
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word pangynaskean
"When Mary Lyon refused to have the institution named after her, one of Mount Holyokeâs founding trustees, Edward Hitchcock, suggested naming the seminary âPangynaskean,â compounding three Greek words meaning âwhole woman making.â Mt Holyoke
October 23, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word paideuma
Frobenius's biographer, Janheinz Janz (Leo Frobenius: The Demonic Child) unpacked paideuma in this way: Frobenius thought there is an essence behind every culture, and that essence has a soul, and the soul of a given culture in history is its paideuma. Overweening Generalist
October 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word quaxing
"to shop, in the western world, by means of walking, cycling or public transit." NZ Herald
October 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word reborquel
reboot + sequel
October 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word sofalising
"But millions of Britons have given up on actual socialising in favour of âsofalisingâ â staying at home and talking to loved ones via electronic devices rather than in person, a poll has found."
Daily Mail
October 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word chewblet
"Next to ice, with the guidance of a restaurant supply company website, I note six common shapes of machine-produced cubes: square, half cube, crescent, flake, gourmet ("top hat"), and (my favorite) the soft, chewable cylinders known variously as pearl, gem, chewblet, and tubular nugget." Eater
September 9, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word mercorn
A mermaid unicorn.
September 7, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word bad gateway
so sorry about that, vendingmachine! If you run into bad gateways again, please do email us at support@wordnik.com, especially if you can let us know what words/pages you were trying to get to. That will help us find the root causes of the problem and, with any luck, fix them! Thank you!
August 30, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word heutagogy
"Heutagogyâthe concept first termed by Stewart Hase and Chris Kenyon in 2000 in âFrom andragogy to heutagogyâ âis the notion of self-determined learning." Heutagogical and transformational: Journeys of discovery, discomfort and breakthrough
August 29, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word panospheric
"Once SuperSat gets off the ground, the plan is to have it lock into a lunar orbit and map the surface with an HDTV camera and panospheric video." WIRED
August 21, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word lubitorium
"After that the engine passed into a building called the lubitorium, where oil and soft greases were piped under pressure direct from supply tanks to the various points needing lubrication." Railways of the USA
June 15, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word lavicious
You might mean lascivious?
May 5, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word fattism
Hi -- sorry about the warning, a few of the sites we link to DID have malware, but because of our redirects, ALL of the Wordnik example links are now throwing a warning. :-( We're removing the links to the affected sites but it's a very slow, manual process. :-(
Wordnik itself is not affected by malware.
In the meantime, if you want to see the original site for a link, the safest/easiest way is to copy/paste the whole example and google it.
April 17, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word gluggaveĂ°ur
Thanks for the reports on what I am going to call the Icelandic Problem (because that sounds cool). I'm not sure what's up but I will look into it.
One rubber-chicken-wavy solution that often seems to work in cases such as this is favoriting a problem word before trying to comment or list it.
April 15, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word onlyness
"Onlyness is that thing that only that one individual can bring to a situation. It includes the journey and passions of each human. Onlyness is fundamentally about honoring each person: first as we view ourselves and second as we are valued. Each of us is standing in a spot that no one else occupies. That unique point of view is born of our accumulated experience, perspective, and vision." from Onlyness (the topic and the talk at TEDxHouston)
April 13, 2016
erinmckean commented on the user RAMay
I think it may have to do with cookie expiration ... I'll look into it!
March 13, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word definotly
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Word of the Week. "Sample usage: "Everyone's saying we should go try that new live-squid restaurant, but I am definotely eating anything with moving tentacles."" Word of the week: definotly
March 10, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word enby
= 'NB', or non-binary, in terms of gender expression
March 5, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word predilection
there's a leading space (the percent-sign-20) in the url. We're working on a fix for this issue!
February 24, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word fairy egg
Tiny, yolkless eggs are sometimes known as witch eggs or fairy eggs. MyPetChicken.com
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word witch egg
Tiny, yolkless eggs are sometimes known as witch eggs or fairy eggs. MyPetChicken.com
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word cock egg
âCock Eggâ is a synonymous term for any type of abnormal egg. Granny-Miller.com
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word chordstick
A cross between a hammered dulcimer and an electric guitar, the construction of the chordstick allows for a more percussive playing technique, building atmospheric ambiance. Classical MPR
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word text neck
âText neck,â a term coined by a Florida chiropractor, Dean L. Fishman, is a repetitive stress injury resulting from hours spent with the head positioned forward and down while using electronic devices. NY Times
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word data gravity
My friend and former colleague Dave McCrory coined the idea of data gravity âthe inclination for pools of data to attract more and more data. DZone
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word wobbulator
Derbyshire confirms; each and every part of the song âwas constructed on quarter-inch mono tape,â she says, âinch by inch by inch,â using such recording techniques as âfiltered white noiseâ and something called a âwobbulator.â Open Culture
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word jafaican
Many other words belong to MLEâmulti-ethnic or multicultural London Englishâsometimes derided as jafaican, the speech variety strongly influenced by Caribbean usages and non-European accents and parodied by Ali G and TV comedy Phoneshop. Quartz
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word boocherator
We have some beer from the beererator (thereâs also a winerator and a boocherator for kombucha). California Sunday
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word Ameritude
The girls use their perky dance moves to threaten âenemies of freedomâ and explain âAmeritude,â which, according to the song, is âAmerican pride, itâs attitude, itâs who we are.â Quartz
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word re-commerce
And as Americans buy more and more holiday gifts online, theyâre also returning more, creating new opportunities for businesses prepared to handle what others donât want. Call it âre-commerce.â WIRED
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word hot path
On the CPU side, typically there is a âhot pathâ (a code that is visited often) that is not optimized. StrongLoop
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word scratching
âScratchingâ in the language of computer science means to reuse code that can be beneficial and effectively used for other purposes and easily combined, shared and adapted to new scenarios, which is a key feature in Scratch â âremixâ, in which users can download and build up on public projects uploaded and developed by other users. Wikipedia
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word scumreading
In Epic Mafia, there is a word for the act of scanning someoneâs messages for clues as to whether they are mafia: scumreading. The Guardian
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word jackpotted
In a city filled with slot machines spilling jackpots, it was a âjackpottedâ ATM that got the most attention Wednesday at the Black Hat security conference, when researcher Barnaby Jack demonstrated two suave hacks against automated teller machines that made them spew out dozens of crisp bills. WIRED
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word idiogenic
Each of these traits has a âbiogenicâ nature (itâs a matter of genetics); a âsociogenicâ nature (itâs a part of what our culture teaches us); and an âidiogenicâ nature (itâs just one of those things that makes us us). TED blog
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word minka
This story begins when Associated Press foreign correspondent John Roderick became the unlikely owner of an enormous, rundown farmhouse, or âminka.â AIA-MN
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word linebreeding
The proliferation of new breeds is in part a product of âlinebreeding,â a type of inbreeding in which a close relative occurs more than once in a puppyâs pedigree. Vice
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word originalism
He pioneered âoriginalism,â a theory holding that the Constitution should be interpreted in line with the beliefs of the white men, many of them slave owners, who ratified it in the late eighteenth century. The New Yorker, 29 Feb 2016
February 22, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word pultrusion
"Pultrusion is a continuous process for manufacture of composite materials with constant cross-section. The term is a portmanteau word, combining "pull" and "extrusion"." Wikipedia
February 9, 2016
erinmckean commented on the word Moody Monday
December 28 is officially Christmas comedown day. Todayâs the day that youâre most likely to be involved in some kind of family conflict or blazing row. ... Itâs because many people will be travelling back from visiting relatives for the festive season and perhaps also preparing to return to work the following day. It has been dubbed Moody Monday by Kwik Fit who commissioned the poll of 2,000 Britons. Metro UK
December 29, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word skoliosexual
According to Genderqueerid.com, skoliosexual refers to âsexual attraction to non-binary identified individuals" or those who do not identify as cisgender. Huffington Post
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word MAGOTS
Common diseases more likely to come from MAGOTS, or âmultiple assorted genes of tiny significance.â Medium @belldejour
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word barani
Or take this skill, called a baraniâa front flip with a half twistâon beam. New Republic
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word farinograph
Nearby was a squat device that looked like a photocopier â a farinograph, which assesses the strength of dough as it is mixed â and a cylindrical machine that tests raw grain for adequate levels of starch. New York Times
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word athluxury
The style of dress has earned a few nicknames, including soft dressing, sports luxe, and when it goes really upscale, athluxuryâthink Vladimir Putin in $1,600 sweatpants. Quartz
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word cyber-hipeoisie
Considering the contents of "Unplugged," his take on Wired's usurping of Mondo 2000's "cyber-hipeoisie" mouthpiece privileges, the publication couldn't have been timed more perfectly. Suck
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word engineerwash
Just as the heavy industry can greenwash to produce the appearance of environmental responsibility and the consumer industry can pinkwash to connect themselves to cause marketing, so the technology industry can âengineerwashââleveraging the legacy of engineering in order to make their products and services appear to engender trust, competence, and service in the public interest. The Atlantic
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word baugruppen
In practice, baugruppen are basically like condos, but with much more robust shared spaces and collective ownership rather than developer ownership. Vox
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word mirrortocracy
I better liked Mitch Kaporâs talk, which advised against becoming an ageist, racist, or sexist âmirrortocracyâ and calling it a meritocracy. Michael O. Church
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word bleisure
âBleisureâ trips, or ones that combine business and leisure, are rising fast as a common form of travel worldwide, according to a new report from Bridgestreet Global Hospitality published by Skift. Fusion
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word kalyptic
A kalyptic culture is typified by peacefulness, tolerance and individualism. Tamil Nation
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word cobot
Collaborative robots â or cobots â need to be configured so they're aware of their fleshy colleagues and slow or stop after an unexpected collision to avoid stabbing skin or slicing limbs. Bloomberg
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word HEAL
But it is equally important to train and encourage men to take jobs that require skills in health, education, administration and literacy, so-called HEAL jobs. New York Times
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word work-end
But after a slew of 4-5 day work-plus-weekend trips that one colleague has dubbed âthe work-end,â Iâve noticed my suitcase holds the same items, again and again: a striped breton shirt, a black crepe slip dress, a grey wool plaid scarf for the plane. Quartz
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word penastinate
To waste time throughout extra time with the aim of forcing - and then winning - a penalty shootout, eg: "Both teams are clearly penastinating now!" BBC
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word FOAF
There was even an effort called FOAF (which stands for âfriend of a friendâ and is pronounced âfofeâ) that described the social network between individuals. The New Republic
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word Goldfinching
But when the critical establishment rejects Tartt and other women who manage to create literary juggernauts, Weiner suggests that sexism is also partly to blame. âCall it Goldfinching,â she writes. The Atlantic
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word artpoe
The pieces were made by painstakingly manipulating a typewriter â rotating paper, adjusting spacing and overstriking letters â to make what the Sackners call âtyped artpoe.â New York Times
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word autoburbia
Yes, America still has a formidable high-tech and military industry, but, as James Kunstler and others have pointed out, for the last thirty years American society has become an economy centered on building more suburbs and filling them up with foreign cars, plasma TVâs and and the like. I call this living accommodation autoburbia. Island Breath
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word conspiritard
Halbigâs sandyhookjustice.com had by then drawn a benificent counterbalance, blogs like sandyhookfacts.com, devoted to debunking every crackpot claim put forward by the hoaxers, whom they referred to as âconspiratards.â The Trace
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word IES
This in turn makes them more likely to look for coping mechanisms, including 'stalking' their ex on social networks - officially known as interpersonal electronic surveillance (IES). Daily Mail
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word blarf
There's an Hermès black lambskin blanket-scarf â blarf? â that has certainly never seen a moment of inclement weather. Racked
December 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word zythophile
"Zythophile is a beer blog written by an unidentified British beer enthusiast. The name of the blog is a neologism meaning, according to the author, a lover of beer." Home Brew Talk
(likely from zythum, a kind of beer)
December 26, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word quaducant
"A quaducantâfollowing the Russian matryoshka nesting doll model of meatâwould be quail's breast meat stuffed in duck's breast meat stuffed in a deboned pheasant." Serious Eats
December 24, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word hungster
"a gangster who steals food" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word melopink
"a mix between pink, orange, and blue" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word hashlong
"when you make a hashtag that is too long" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word frangy
"frustrated and angry at the same time" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word veglo
"when you're little & your mum tells you that a really yuck vegetable is actually a really yummy lollie ( but it's not!)" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word NEB
"no eyebrows" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word TMEB
"too much eyebrow" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word frappy
"you're happy because it's Friday" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word insaniparty
"a really wild party or festival" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word BBOP
"bored because of parents" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word pinecon
"a mixture of pineapple and bacon" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word mopuff
"two combovers joining in the middle" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word terazmening
"terrible and amazing" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word JDOI
"from the Nike slogan: Just Do It" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word fleeno
"happiness in a crazy way" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word laugh attack
"when you're laughing non-stop and you start finding it really hard to breathe" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word out-tuner
"someone who sings loudly and out of tune. Usually an out-tuner thinks that they are an amazing singer and think a lot of their singing skills." (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word doreeno
"someone or something that is going absolutely crazy!" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word profoundart
"very skilled" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word phyrcrphobia
"a fear of hurting someone" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word sadtime
"it means you're sad because it's your bedtime" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word heaping
"it means you are happy because you are eating" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word bucky
a baby duck (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word buckies
"more baby ducks" see bucky (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word frechild
"freezing children" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word sisper
"to whisper about a secret" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word wronky
"to write wonky" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word capy
"come here because I'm happy" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word BE
"bulging eyes" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word BA
"book addict" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word cleatty
"clean and pretty" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word freighry
"frightened and scared" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word yoroody
"your room is tidy" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word yoroossy
"your room is messy" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word mesty
"mean and nasty" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word YLJLB
"you look just like Barbie" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word borzy
"bored and lazy" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word IDU
"I don't understand" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word colook
"a collector of book series" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word bovie
"a book that's turned into a movie" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word peacher
"a parent teacher" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word doit
"an abbreviation of do it" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word gongry
"go away because I'm angry" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word cericks
"cemented bricks" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word fomojis
"food emojis" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word gasquid
"gas that turns into liquid" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word friscuit
"a biscuit with fruit" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word wastiler
"someone who goes for a walk and strolls and whistles at the same time" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word replastic
"When the rubbish people recycle plastic and use it for different things" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word kerboffle
"confused" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word kerbobble
"a large crowd" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word wusles
"weak muscles" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word freakar
a "freaky creature" (from Aspendale Primary School, Melbourne)
December 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word kaleidophone
"I call it a kaleidophone,â he said.âThe idea is that it will convert any rhythmical sound, such as music, into pleasing and symmetrical, but always changing, visual patterns." Prelude to Space, by Arthur C. Clarke
November 22, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word grimdark
"Grimdark is a subgenre or a way to describe the tone, style, or setting of speculative fiction (especially fantasy) that is, depending on the definition used, markedly dystopian or amoral, or particularly graphic in its depiction of violence. In most grimdark literature the supernatural is a passive force, controlled by humansâunlike supernatural horror where the preternatural forces are most often an active entity with agency." Is it Grimdark or is it Horror?
November 5, 2015
erinmckean commented on the list politicians-nicknames
Hmm. I was just able to add my favorite, Governor Moonbeam
November 3, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word spiplomat
"Hey, there's another American on Ring City who's not a spy, a diplomat, or that deadly combination, the spiplomat." from Constellation Games
October 31, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word lert
I used to have a poster that read "Be a lert. The world needs more lerts!"
October 29, 2015
erinmckean commented on the list missing-word-candidates
that's a great idea, bilby! I'll see what I can do!
October 27, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word lucifaction
"In college I took a literature course which examined Marilynne Robinsonâs innovative use of spacesâespecially the domestic spaceâin her novel Housekeeping. My teacher also mentioned that the book actually includes a neologism- the word âlucifactions,â used to describe light on water, in the scene where the girls are out on the lake." HTMLGiant
October 27, 2015
erinmckean commented on the list richard-serra---verb-list-compilation--actions-to-relate-to-oneself
carbonization, time, context, location, mapping, friction, symmetry, equilibrium, reflection, tides, refraction, polarization, ionization, inertia, electromagnetic, waves, tension, gravity, entropy, nature, grouping, layering, and felting were all preceded by of, the rest by to.
Source: Richard Serra, "Verb List Compilation: Actions to Relate to Oneself"
October 25, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word winsey
It is an alternate spelling of the word wincey which is a kind of cloth. :-)
October 22, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word memail
"Sent to large numbers of correspondents using the reply-all button, memails contain no substance. Their sole function is to draw attention to the sender, using the fewest words possible. Recently received examples include "that's just great", "good news", "fantastic", or just plain "yup"."Â The Guardian
October 15, 2015
erinmckean commented on the user ValerieNyre
Hi Valerie! Information about the Wordnik API is at developer.wordnik.com. Documentation is here: http://developer.wordnik.com/docs.html
October 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word becomers
"Mr. Ascheim defines âbecomersâ not as a generation but as a life stage â âfrom your first kiss to your first kid,â or people roughly 14 to 34." NYTimes
October 9, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word buddy punching
"Kronosâs promotional videos emphasize the risk of time theft by employeesââIn a few minutes late?
Taking a few extra minutes on a break? It adds upââand some of the firmâs most invasive systems, which require employees to clock in with a finger scan, are meant to prevent âbuddy punching,â when an employee clocks in a co-worker who hasnât yet arrived." Harper's Magazine
October 7, 2015
erinmckean commented on the list a-selfie-list
brelfie a selfie taken while breastfeeding: "The latest fad clogging up social media, heaping shame on those who dare commit the sin of bottle-feeding, is the brelfie: the tedious habit of posting a breastfeeding selfie, creating yet more #bressure on those who donât, or canât." Telegraph
September 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word nunswept
The acting in this film is superb and the language is even better. As Rose and Jimmy wander around town making up scenarios, she uses such descriptions as "figures on a nunswept pier," for the people in her line of vision. Wilmington Town Crier
September 25, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word nunswept
"So are you going to write it all down? What'll you call it?"
"Figures on a Nunswept Pier." The Mirage
September 25, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word doorfoolia
"doorfoolia is when you start to push open an opaque door at the exact instant someone on the other side of the door pulls the door open so that you stumble forward pushing air." (from Don Moyer of Calamityware)
September 25, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word letterlocking
"Jana Dambrogio, the Thomas F. Peterson conservator at M.I.T. Libraries, is analyzing how letter writers have tried through the ages to keep their correspondence sealed and unread until it reached the intended recipients. She has coined the word âletterlockingâ to describe methods of folding and gluing pages to deter snooping." A Trove of âLetterlocking,â or Vintage Strategies to Deter Snoops
September 21, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word typogram
"A typogram is a word that, through the manipulation of the letterform itself, illustrates the meaning of the word." IAMALI Design
September 20, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word cognitonaut
"Cognitonaut is not something I own. It is something that anyone can be; an explorer of ideas." Bravo Child
September 19, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word stoicheiotical
"His bizarre allegorical stories fashion fantastical yet oddly believable worlds which deftly fuse 'magic' and 'realism' in a way critics have termed: 'stoicheiotical fidelity'."Â Blacklist Publishing
September 18, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word NATU
"This summer, a new, trendier one, emerged: NATU, for Netflix, Airbnb, Tesla and Uber." Monday Note
September 7, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word GAFA
"Here in Europe, the enemy is designated by acronyms. A year ago it was GAFA, for Google Amazon, Facebook, Apple." Monday Note
September 7, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word AFAB
"assigned female at birth"
September 4, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word hypercartoonism
"Arguably I would say that your work is a form of hypercartoonism. Itâs really sharp the same way hyperrealism is." Lisa Frank on Lisa Frank
September 2, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word fampany
family + company: "In Issue No12, we take an insider's look at Zendeskâs impressive growth with co-founder Alexander Aghassipour; ustwo co-creator Matt âMillsâ Miller shows us how to create a âfampanyâ of 250 employees while putting fun first; travelling photographer and designer Dan Rubin examines his new career path â powered by Instagram; science geek Ariel Waldman calls on the web community to participate in space exploration; Basecamp co-founder Jason Fried defies the startup hype and makes a case for longevity in business; and the father of web standards, Jeffrey Zeldman, reflects on the web that was and the web that will be."
September 2, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word anthropocide
"A recent extension of the concept of genocide associates the prospect of nuclear destruction with the threat of 'omnicide' or 'anthropocide'âthe killing of all groups and individuals." The Politics of Gender
August 31, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word mawalala
"And he told me about ngondi, the kinds of weather: mawalala is rain far off in the distance that doesn't ever come." The Poisonwood Bible
August 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word BINGO
"Big International NGO"
August 28, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word DILLIGAF
I read "Reasonably well-known in Australia" and thought that it was applying to bilby and not DILLIGAF ...
August 24, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word socionym
"names for categories of people (race, sexual orientation, nationality, etc.)" American Dialect Society
August 24, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word spoffle
"And spoffle seems a perfectly suitable word for a soft baffle to muffle the pop and spit of aspirations, given its sound and the words it sounds like." Sesquiotica
August 24, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word zombient
"relaxed but still unsettling tracks from horror (or horror-themed) games." N4G
August 24, 2015
erinmckean commented on the word epitrochasm
OED has this as "A hurried accumulation of several points."
August 22, 2015
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