Best word of the week was verbify: to use as a verb. Since verbify itself is used as a verb, it is one of a special subclass of words known as autological words. Autological means that it possesses a property that it describes (noun is a noun, short is short). Heterological means it possesses a property that it does not describe (long is not long). A major paradox arises when we ask if autological and heterological are themselves autological or heterological.
Fortunately, someone has already written about it.
Also, I've always wanted to know what the front, hinged part of the medieval helmet was called, and now I know: ventail. Life: complete.
I also finally found (I think) a list of how OSPD4 (the dictionary edition I have been using this year) and OSPD5 differ—the 5,000 new words. Thank goodness for all those Scrabble aficionados who saved me the trouble of going back and comparing the two side by side. Thank you, thank you.
Fortunately, someone has already written about it.
Also, I've always wanted to know what the front, hinged part of the medieval helmet was called, and now I know: ventail. Life: complete.
I also finally found (I think) a list of how OSPD4 (the dictionary edition I have been using this year) and OSPD5 differ—the 5,000 new words. Thank goodness for all those Scrabble aficionados who saved me the trouble of going back and comparing the two side by side. Thank you, thank you.
⚛ Units of the Week
Var: a unit of reactive power
Vara: a Spanish unit of length
Vat: a monetary unit of Vanuatu
Verst: a Russian measure of distance
Vicenary: pertaining to the number twenty
Volt: a unit of electromotive force
!!! Unexpected Words of the Week
Uropygia: the humps from which birds' tail feathers grow
Usufruct: the legal right to use another's property so long as it is not damaged or altered
Utilidor: an insulated system of pipes for use in arctic regions
Valonia: a substance obtained from dried acorn cups and used in tanning and dyeing
Vandyke: a short, pointed beard
Varletry: a group of common people
Verderer: an officer in charge of the royal forests of England
Verjuice: the juice of sour or unripe fruit
Vermoulu: eaten by worms
Veronica: a handkerchief bearing the image of Christ's face
Verruca: a wart
Vesica: a bladder
Vesicant: a chemical warfare agent that induces blistering
Vibrio: any of a genus of bacteria shaped like a comma
Vibrissa: one of the stiff hairs growing about the mouth of certain animals
Victoria: a light carriage
Viduity: the quality or state of being a widow
Volvulus: a twisting of the intestine that causes obstruction
Vomica: a cavity in the body containing pus
Vum: interjection, used to express surprise
♡ Favorite Words of the Week
Ursiform: having the form of a bear
Venosity: the quality or state of being venous
Verbify: to use as a verb (meta-word!)
Vernal: pertaining to spring
Verticil: a circular arrangement, as of flowers or leaves, about a point on an axis
Verve: vivacity
Virga: wisps of precipitation evaporating before reaching ground
Voidness: the quality or state of being void
Var: a unit of reactive power
Vara: a Spanish unit of length
Vat: a monetary unit of Vanuatu
Verst: a Russian measure of distance
Vicenary: pertaining to the number twenty
Volt: a unit of electromotive force
!!! Unexpected Words of the Week
Uropygia: the humps from which birds' tail feathers grow
Usufruct: the legal right to use another's property so long as it is not damaged or altered
Utilidor: an insulated system of pipes for use in arctic regions
Valonia: a substance obtained from dried acorn cups and used in tanning and dyeing
Vandyke: a short, pointed beard
Varletry: a group of common people
Verderer: an officer in charge of the royal forests of England
Verjuice: the juice of sour or unripe fruit
Vermoulu: eaten by worms
Veronica: a handkerchief bearing the image of Christ's face
Verruca: a wart
Vesica: a bladder
Vesicant: a chemical warfare agent that induces blistering
Vibrio: any of a genus of bacteria shaped like a comma
Vibrissa: one of the stiff hairs growing about the mouth of certain animals
Victoria: a light carriage
Viduity: the quality or state of being a widow
Volvulus: a twisting of the intestine that causes obstruction
Vomica: a cavity in the body containing pus
Vum: interjection, used to express surprise
♡ Favorite Words of the Week
Ursiform: having the form of a bear
Venosity: the quality or state of being venous
Verbify: to use as a verb (meta-word!)
Vernal: pertaining to spring
Verticil: a circular arrangement, as of flowers or leaves, about a point on an axis
Verve: vivacity
Virga: wisps of precipitation evaporating before reaching ground
Voidness: the quality or state of being void
(Pages 631–644)