June 22, 2009
plethora • \PLETH-uh-ruh\ • noun
an excessive quantity or fullness; also : profusion
EXAMPLE: A plethora of comedy dvds stood out amongst the many other titles of movies that sat in the.kenzo's entertainment center.
Did you know?
"Plethora" comes from a similar Greek word meaning "fullness." It was first used in English in the 16th century to describe a supposed medical condition marked by an excess volume of blood causing swelling and a reddish complexion. Later, the medical use of "plethora" was extended to indicate related medical conditions (such as an excess volume of bodily fluid or the red-skinned appearance of some newborns). These days, however, "plethora" is more often used in a general, non-medical sense, with the meaning "excess" or "abundance."
Originally posted by Piggle Humsy
bumpMORE!!!
🙂
July 28, 2009
mohair • \MOH-hair\ • noun
a fabric or yarn made wholly or in part of the long silky hair of the Angora goat; also : this hair
Example: Piggle Humsy was really excited to wear her new hat made from mohair that she bought when vacationing in Australia.
Did you know?
"Mohair" entered the English language in the 16th century, spelled variously as "mocayare," "mockaire," "mokayre," and "moochary." It was borrowed from Italian "mocaiarro," a word which itself was borrowed from Arabic "mukhayyar." The adjective "mukhayyar" meant "select" or "choice." How this Arabic adjective came to be the English noun "mohair" is a bit of a mystery. It is possible that "mukhayyar" was used as a colloquial noun in the sense of "wool of prime quality" (that is, "choice wool"😉. In English, the shift from "mocayare" and similar spellings to "mohair" was likely influenced by the more familiar English word "hair."
Originally posted by Ms Chelle
July 28, 2009mohair • \MOH-hair\ • noun
a fabric or yarn made wholly or in part of the long silky hair of the Angora goat; also : this hair
Example: Piggle Humsy was really excited to wear her new hat made from mohair that she bought when vacationing in Australia.
Did you know?
"Mohair" entered the English language in the 16th century, spelled variously as "mocayare," "mockaire," "mokayre," and "moochary." It was borrowed from Italian "mocaiarro," a word which itself was borrowed from Arabic "mukhayyar." The adjective "mukhayyar" meant "select" or "choice." How this Arabic adjective came to be the English noun "mohair" is a bit of a mystery. It is possible that "mukhayyar" was used as a colloquial noun in the sense of "wool of prime quality" (that is, "choice wool"😉. In English, the shift from "mocayare" and similar spellings to "mohair" was likely influenced by the more familiar English word "hair."
giggles
July 30, 2009
jackleg • \JACK-leg\ • adjective
1 a : characterized by unscrupulousness, dishonesty, or lack of professional standards
** b : lacking skill or training : amateur
2 : designed as a temporary expedient : makeshift
Example:
BruceSkywalker was pretty irritated with the jackleg plumber that was working in his house.
**Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence
Did you know?
Don't call someone "jackleg" unless you're prepared for that person to get angry with you. Throughout its more than 150-year-old history in English, "jackleg" has most often been used as a term of contempt and deprecation, particularly in reference to lawyers and preachers. Its form echoes that of the similar "blackleg," an older term for a cheating gambler or a worker opposed to union policies. Etymologists know that "blackleg" appeared over a hundred years before "jackleg," but they don't have any verifiable theories about the origin of either term.