STERIGMATA npl. spore-bearing projections in some fungi
Anagram of MAGISTRATE
Word of the Day – STERIGMATA
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Monthly Archives: March 2012
Word of the Day – PSORALEN
PSORALEN /SAW.ruh.len/ n. a naturally occurring chemical used to treat skin conditions
Psoralen occurs naturally in several common plants, including parsnips, figs, parsley and celery. It is mainly used to treat skin conditions such as acne, PSORIASIS, EKZEMA, and VITILIGO (that’s the skin pigmentation disease Michael Jackson had).
The chemical works because of its tendency to increase the skin’s ability to absorb light, which then does the actual healing. Unfortunately, this property of psoralen also leads to an increased chance of developing skin cancer, which prompted its ban from being used in sun tanning products in the mid 1990s.
Word of the Day – LINGULAR
LINGULAR /LING.gyoo.lar/ n. relating to a tongue or tongue-like object
Example: “At low tide the protruding sandbank had a lingular appearance which befitted its proximity to the river’s mouth.”
Anagram of ALLURING
Word of the Day – SILESIA
SILESIA n. a cotton fabric used for lining clothes such as tweed waist coats
The material is named after the region of Poland, Silesia, in which it was first produced.
Anagram of LIAISES
Word of the Day – HYDRA
HYDRA n. a tiny freshwater creature in the same genus as jellyfishes and sea anemones
It is named after the capitalized Hydra: a many-headed snake in Greek mythology whose heads would grow back in twice the number when severed.
The real hydra has a similarly eery quality of being able to multiply on being divided.
The term hydra is also used metaphorically to describe a manifold problem or evil that cannot be overcome with a single effort.
Example: “This predicament is a hydra, which we’re going to have to tackle from multiple directions.”
Word of the Day – LANDSLEIT
LANDSLEIT /LAHNTS.lite/ n. a man who lives and works on the land
Anagram of INSTALLED
Word of the Day – DEODAR
DEODAR /DEE.oh.dar/ n. a Himalayan cedar tree
Anagram of ADORED.
Word of the Day – CORANTO
CORANTO /koh.RAN.toh/ n. a lively Renaissance dance, also known as the COURANTE
Anagram of CARTOON
If you’ve watched at least one ‘Kings and Queens’ movie set in the Renaissance period, I’m sure you’ll recognize the style…
Word of the Day – WEAKON
WEAKON n. a type of particle responsible for mediating the so-called weak interaction in particle physics
The picture above illustrates the steps involved in a process called beta-decay, which is mediated by a weakon called the W- boson. There are two other known weakons called the W+ and Z bosons.
I wrote a bit of background on these particles recently here.
Anagram of AWAKEN
Word of the Day – TRIJET
TRIJET /TRY.jet/ n. a plane powered by three jet engines
Anagram of JITTER
Word of the Day – EXSERT
EXSERT /ek.SURT/ v. to protrude or thrust
Today’s word is often encountered in biology in one of the adjectival forms, EXSERTED or EXSERTILE.
Example: “The woodpecker uses its exsertile tongue to secure an insect before eating.”
Anagram of EXERTS
Word of the Day – PHENETOLE
PHENETOLE /FEN.i.tohl/ n. an oily and colorless organic compound, also known as ethyl phenyl ether
Anagram of TELEPHONE
Word of the Day – NILGHAI
NILGHAI /NIL.gie/ n. a large Indian antelope
This one has lots of variant spellings too: NILGAI, NILGAU, NILGHAU, NYLGHAI, and NYLGHAU.
Anagram of HAILING
Word of the Day – ALGOID
ALGOID adj. relating to or resembling algae
Example: “Standing with our backs to the flow, and hooking the heels of our wellies over the upstream edge of the concrete to avoid being swept away, we would slowly shuffle sideways across the weir, on our insteps, inches at a time, whilst trying desperately not to slip on the slimy algoid surface, and ignoring the splashes that made it inside our boots.”
Anagram of DIALOG
Word of the Day – CORBAN
CORBAN /KOR.ban/ n. an offering to God in fulfillment of a vow
The picture above shows the Hebrew word corban etched into stone along with drawings of two pigeons which were presumably used as a biblical sacrifice.
Example: “After this he (Pilate) raised another disturbance, by expending that sacred treasure, which is called corban, upon aqueducts, whereby he brought water from the distance of four hundred furlongs”
Anagram of CARBON