Thesaurus Thursday Glossary

comate - adj. hairy tufted

congeries - a collection of items or parts in one mass; assemblage; aggregation; heap.


crapulous adj. 1. characterized by gross excess in drinking or eating. 2. suffering from such excess.


dippy - foolish or somewhat crazy.

dirndl - A Dirndl is a type of traditional dress worn in southern Germany and Austria, based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants. It has a tight bodice, low neck, full skirt, lacy blouse, and apron. While appearing to be simple and plain, a properly-made, modern dirndl might be quite expensive.



In the south german dialects (bairisch), 'dirndl' originally referred to a young woman or a girl. Nowadays, 'dirndl' may equally refer to either a young woman, or to the dress as described in this article.

Dirndl is loosely based on Trachten, the traditional dress of Bavaria and Austria. Trachten is much older, and is very highly crafted and expensive. It has a different style and crest for each village, along with unusual hats and accessories.

Dirndl originated as a simplified form of Trachten, for Austrian servants uniforms in the 19th century (dirndlegewand means "maid's dress"). Simple forms were also worn commonly by working women in plain colours or a simple check.

The Austrian upper classes adopted it as high fashion in the 1870s.

The winter style has heavy, warm skirts and aprons made of heavy cotton, linen, velvet or wool, and long sleeves. The colors are usually rich and dark.

The summer style is lighter and more frivolous, has short sleeves, and is often made of lightweight cotton, silk or satin in brighter, summery colours.

Styles worn as national dress or to annual festivals can be highly ornamented with patterns and frills.

Accessories may include a long apron tied round the waist (mimicking the original form of a maid or peasant), a waistcoat or a wool shawl. For colder weather there are heavy dirndl coats in the same cut as the dresses, with a high neck and front buttons, thick mittens and wool hats.

The dirndl is generally restricted to Bavaria and Austria, but is also seen in these regions by women in the folk music business (which often targets an older conservative audience in Germany).


In Bavaria, it may often be seen on women working in tourism-related businesses, and sometimes waitresses in traditional-style restaurants or biergartens. However, despite being far from an everyday dress, a common woman in southern Bavaria may sometimes wear it at formal occasions (much like a Scotsman wearing a kilt) and certain traditional events. Surprisingly, it is hugely popular even among young women at the time of the Oktoberfest in Munich (and similar festivals in southern Germany), although most young women will only wear dirndl-style dresses (called Landhausmode), which may deviate by numerous ways and are often much cheaper.


(A typical Oktoberfest Dirndl)


Popular designs are often less plain and much more revealing and provocative (e.g. having a short skirt and/or displaying significant cleavage). A true dirndl at the Oktoberfest is usually a good way of distinguishing between a native Bavarian, and non-native visitors or residents in Bavaria.

Where the knot on the apron is an indicator of the woman's matial status. A knot tied on the woman's left side indicates she is single, a knot tied on the right means she is married, and a knot tied in back means the woman is widowed.

[Wikipedia]

factotum - n. an assistant who takes on a wide range of tasks and responsibilities



exegetical is a form of the word exegesis - critical explanation or interpretation, esp of Scripture.

frisson - n. a sudden passing sensation of excitement; a shudder of emotion; thrill



genu - n (pl genua) 1) the knee 2) a kneelike part or bend

gramineous (grə min′ē əs) put the schwa e or upside down e in the boxes...sounds like a soft "uh"
- adj. of the grass family; of or like grass; grassy
Etymology: L gramineus < gramen, grass

hetaera-n. 1) a highly cultured courtesan or concubine, esp in ancient Greece 2. any woman who uses her beauty and charm to obtain wealth or social position

Immure vt 1) to enclose within or as if within walls. 2) to imprison 3) to build into or entomb in a wall.



izzard - the letter z

Jipijapa - 1) a palm like plant of Central and South America 2) a Panama hat.

(and from The Columbia Encyclopedia)
(heepeehä´pä) (KEY) , city (1990 pop. 32,225), W Ecuador, on the equatorial lowlands. A few miles inland from the Pacific, Jipijapa is famous for thmanufacture of high-grade Panama hats, made from the jipijapa plant. It is also the trade center for an agricultural region.

Jingo - a person who professes belligerent patriotism and favors an aggressive foreign policy. [from the phrase by Jingo in a political song supporting use of British forces against Russia in 1878].

jute - 1) a strong coarse fiber used for making burlap, gunny, cordage, etc. obtained from two East Indian plants, Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius, of the linden family. 2) either of these plants.



kachina or katcina or katchina 1 any of a class of supernatural beings who play a role in the religious beliefs and rituals of Pueblo indian peoples. 2 a masked dancer impersonating such a being 3 a carved wooden doll representing a kachina.

kampong or campong - a small village or community of houses in Malay-speaking lands.



kapok - n. the silky down that invests the seeds of a tropical silk-cotton tree. Ceiba pentandra used for stuffing pillows, life jackets, etc., and for acoustical insulation.


Levant - to run away from a debt.



longanimity - n. patient endurance of hardship or injuries; forbearance

lupanar n a brothel; whorehouse.


madtom n any of several small North American freshwater catfishes of the genus Noturus, having a poisonous pectoral spine.


maffick - to celebrate with extravagant public demonstrations.

mecopterous - belonging or pertaining to an order (Mecoptera) of carnivorous insects characterized by a long snoutlike head with biting mouthparts at the tip, as the scorpionflies.




numen - n. divine or supernatural power of presence. esp. as associated with a particular place or objet.

nudibranch - n. any shell-less marine gastropod mollusk of the suborder Nudibranchia, having external, often branched respiratory appendages. OK, that's what my good ol' Webster's College Dictionary says...Wikepedia is easier to understand: Nudibranchs, also known as sea slugs, are soft-bodied marine snails belonging to the suborder Nudibranchia, the largest suborder of the order Opisthobranchia. There are more than 3,000 described species.

Here are some pics...






okapi - The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a mammal of the Ituri Rainforest in central Africa. Although it bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is most closely related to the giraffe. Native just to the Ituri forests situated in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it was known only to the local people until 1901.



Okapis have dark backs, with striking horizontal white stripes on the front and back legs, making them resemble zebras from a distance. These markings are thought to help young follow their mothers through the dense rain forest; they also serve as camouflage.

The body shape is similar to that of the giraffe, except that okapis have much shorter necks. Both species have very long (approx. 30 cm or 12 inch), flexible, blue tongues that they use to strip leaves and buds from trees.

The tongue of an okapi is long enough for the animal to wash its eyelids and clean its ears: it is one of the few mammals that can lick its own ears. Male okapis have short, skin-covered horns called "ossicones". They have large ears, which help them detect their predator, the leopard.

Okapis are 1.9 to 2.5 m (8.1 ft) long and stand 1.5 to 2.0 m (6.5 ft) high at the shoulder. They have a 30 to 42 cm (12 to 17 in) long tail. Their weight ranges from 200 to 250 kg (465 to 550 lb).

Okapis are largely diurnal and essentially solitary, coming together only to breed.

Okapis forage along fixed, well-trodden paths through the forest. They live alone or in mother-offspring pairs. They have overlapping home ranges of several square kilometers and typically occur at densities of about 0.6 animals per square kilometer.


A young okapi calf with its mother at Brookfield Zoo, Illinois



omphalos n. 1) the navel; umbilicus 2) the central point 3) any of a number of navel-shaped stones that functioned as cult objects in ancient Greek religion esp a stone in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, thought to mark the center of the earth.

onomastics - n. (used with a singular verb) the study of the origin, history, and use of proper names.

or'-dure n. dung; manure; excrement.

oriel n. a bay window, esp. one cantilevered or corbeled out from a wall.


oubliette - n a secret dungeon wih an opening only in the ceiling.


pannier or panier (pan'yer) n 1. a basket, esp a large one, for carrying goods, provisions, etc 2. one of a pair of baskets to be slung across the back of a pack animal. 3. Also called pannier drape on a dress, skirt, etc a puffed arrangement of drapery at the hips 4. an oval framework or a pair of hoops formerly used for distending the skirt of a dress at the hips.


passe-partout - 1. something that passes or provides passage everywhere, as a master key. 2. an ornamental mat for a picture 3. a method of framing in which a piece of glass is placed over a pictue and is affixed to a backing by means of adhesive strips of paper pasted over the edges. 4. paper prepared for this purpose.

pavane - n. 1) a stately dance dating from the 16th century. 2) the music for this dance.

pavid adj (it's pah' vid like apple not pay' vid like pavement by the way) timid, afraid, frightened.

pawl n. a pivoted bar adapted to engage with the teeth of a wheel so as to prevent movement or to impart motion. (makes me think of the "brakes" on my strollers)


peruke - a man's wig of the 17th and 18th centurids, ussu powedered and gathered at the back o th eneck with a ribbon; periwig.




Plaudit - 1) an enthusiastic expression of approval 2) a demonstration or round of applause.

poil n a yarn or thread made from silk, used for ribbon, velvet, and as the core of gold, silver, and tinsel yarn.

porrect - extending horizontally; projecting.


prate - 1) to talk excessively and pointlessly; babble 2) to utter in empty or foolish talk 3) the act of prating 4) empty or foolish talk


Preprandial - appropriate to the period just before dinner.

pretermit - v.t. 1. to let pass without notice; disregard. 2 to leave undone; neglect; omit. 3. to suspend or interrupt.

pursy - 1) short winded, esp from fatness, 2) fat or obese, 3) vain about one's wealth; purse-proud.



ramose - adj having many branches; branching


rapacious - adj 1) given to plundering. 2) inordinately greedy; predatory 3) (of animals) subsisting by the capture of living prey; predacious.

sallet - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The sallet (also called salade) was a war helmet that replaced the bascinet in northern Europe during the mid-15th century. Some sallets were close fitting except at the back of the head where they extended and formed a pointed tail. Some Italian ones followed the nape of the neck, and had an additional plate riveted on. Many sallets were worn with an extended, padded, gorget called a bevor that protected the wearer's jaw. Some sallet versions have occularia in the form of a slit in a visor, some have this slit in the front of the helm, or even in the brim. Most sallets needed no breathing holes, as there was a natural gap where it overlapped the bevor near the wearer's mouth. Some Italian sallets had a "bellows visor" with breaths cut into the visor.

This helmet design contrasted with the barbute which was popular in Italy at the same time. Unlike the sallet, the barbute itself protected the jaw and neck. So whereas the gorget or bevor were important counterparts to the sallet, they were usually absent in barbutes. Barbutes did not pivot. Sallets did not share the barbute's resemblance to classical Greek or Roman artifacts.

One characteristic that distinguishes early sallets from late sallets is the length of the helmet tail, which became more pronounced toward the end of the century. Some helmets are of intermediate design, incorporating elements of both the barbute and the sallet. In the early 16th century this evolved into the burgonet.



salvo - n 1) a simultaneous or successive discharge of artillery, rockets, etc 2) a round of gunfire given as a salute 3) a round of cheers or applause 4) a verbal attack as upon an opponent or rival

sanative - adj. having the power to heal.



sinistral adj 1) of, pertaining to, or on the left side; left. 2) having a preference for using the left hand or side; left-handed 3) (of certain gastropod shells) coiling counterclockwise, as seen from the apex

spital 1 a hospital, esp one for lazars (those with leprosy) 2 a shelter on a highway.



stodge-v.t. 1) to stuff full, esp. with food or drink; gorge ----v.i. 2) to trudge ---n. 3) food that is particularly filling.

squill - 1 the bulb of the sea onion, Urginea maritima of the lily family, cut ito thin slices and dried; used esp. as an expectorant 2 the plant itself 3 any related plant of the genus Scilla





surfeit - 1 excess; an excessive amount. 2 excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking. 3 an uncomfortably full feeling due to excessive eating or drinking 4 general disgust caused by excess or satiety 5 to supply or feed to excess or satiety; satiate 6 to indulge in something as food or drink, to excess.



Tomalley - the liver in a cooked lobster.

tonette - a small, end-blown flute made of plastic, which was once popular in American elementary music education. It has largely been superseded by the recorder. The range of the instrument is from middle C (c4) to d4. It is also known as a song flute.

The Tonette was introduced in 1938. Designed as a pre-band instrument, the tonette was nearly unbreakable, chromatic, and tunable. It was easy to blow and the fingering was simple. By 1941 over half of the grammar schools in the United States had adopted the Tonette as standard pre-band equipment. The Tonette's pleasant flute-like sound was also used for special novelty effects in radio, television and film.

In World War II the armed services found the Tonette to be an inexpensive and entertaining way for idle troops to pass the time.

Peter Schickele has described the tonette as "a cheap, synthetic recorder with amusing pretensions"; it is one of the instruments featured in the Gross Concerto by P. D. Q. Bach. **thanks to Wikipedia**



tre-ha'-la n. a sugary substance secreted by certain Asian beetles of the genus Larinus, forming their pupal covering.

xylomotous - (zi lot' e mes) adj boring into or cutting wood, as certain insects.

xanthus (zan' thes) adj 1) yellow 2) yellowish