WOW: Yawp

15/08/201509/02/2016 / afairymind / 5 Comments

This post is in response to Heena Rathore P.’s Word of the Week (WOW). This weekly challenge is a great way of improving your vocabulary. If you wish to participate, simply create a post with your word and leave a link in a comment on Heena’s WOW post.

I’m finally nearing the end of the alphabet! This week’s letter is Y – a dreadful one to find an interesting word for but I eventually found something I hope you all like.

Here’s my WOW for this week:
Word
yawp

Pronunciation
yôp

Part of Speech
verb (intransitive) and noun

Past particle: yawped
Gerund: yawping

Meaning
verb
1. to utter a loud or sharp shout or cry; bawl
2. to complain whiningly

noun
1. a harsh or sharp cry
2. a noisy, foolish or raucous utterance

Word Origin
1300-50 – yolpen – thought to be of imitative origins. Possibly a variant of ‘yelp’.

Synonyms
1. bawl, roar, howl, shriek, squeal, yell, yelp, yip,
2. complain, grizzle, snivel, whine, yammer

Use in a Sentence
verb
1. Katherine yawped a loud cry that echoed through the hills.

2. Martin sighed, forcing himself to patience – he wasn’t sure just how long he could stand to listen to the old man’s constant yawping .

Image from Pixabay

noun
1. Bradley’s gave a loud yawp of shock as the kitten leapt onto his head.

Image from Pixabay

2. Victoria sometimes wondered, as she listened to the youngsters in their raucous interactions, whether they realised just what foolish yawps they were uttering.

Image from Pixabay

WOW: Xenomania

01/08/2015 / afairymind / 4 Comments

I’m now up to X in the alphabet and unfortunately there are very few words to choose from. I hope you all like the one I’ve chosen, even though there’s very little information I could include about it!

Here’s my WOW for this week:

Word
Xenomania

Pronunciation
xen-o-ma-ni-a

Part of Speech
noun

Meaning
A mania for, or an inordinate attachment to, foreign customs, institutions, manners, fashions, etc.

Word Origin
From Greek: “Xenos” (ξένος) foreigner and “Mania” (μανία) an excessive enthusiasm or desire; an obsession

Antonyms
xenophobia

Use in a Sentence
1) Billy’s xenomania was starting to get out if hand – he’d always had a love of American culture but dressing the dog in a cowboy outfit was a step too far!

By Donrooley (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

2) The people of Athens were captivated by Helen Leune’s inspirational speech on the nature of xenomania.

Description English: Helene Leune, who gave a speach about xenomania in Parnassos, Athens, Greece in 1911. By Πινακοθήκη (Πινακοθήκη, No. 124-125, June-July 1911) [ Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

WOW: Widdershins

27/07/201527/07/2015 / afairymind / 10 Comments

Here’s my WOW for this week:

Word
Widdershins (or withershins)

Pronunciation
wid-der-shins (wĭd′ər-shĭnz′)

Part of Speech
adverb

Meaning
In a direction that is contrary to the apparent direction of the sun; counterclockwise – sometimes considered to be unlucky or inviting misfortune

Word Origin
First recorded 1505-15 – mainly of Scottish use. From the Middle Low German weddersinnes, from Middle High German widersinnes: literal translation ‘against the way’ (i.e.’ in the opposite direction’) – probably from Old High German widar + sinnes

Synonyms
anticlockwise, counterclockwise

Antonyms
clockwise, deosil

Use in a Sentence
1) Great Aunt Helena could hardly believe her eyes – did those foolish children not realise that dancing widdershins would surely invite the most dreadful misfortune into the house?

By Myles Birket Foster (1825–1899) (Bonhams) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

2) The hand began spinning widdershins around the clock-face as the time machine whirred into life.

Image from Pixabay

WOW: Variegated

11/07/201511/07/2015 / afairymind / 5 Comments

Here’s my WOW for this week:

Word
Variegated

Pronunciation
var-i-e-ga-ted (vâr′ē-ĭ-gā′tĭd)

Part of Speech
Adjective

Related Forms
Verb: variegate
Noun: variegation
Adjective: unvariegated

Meaning
1. having discrete markings in different colours
2. including many different things: full of variety

Word Origin
1660s – from Latin variegat- ‘made varied’ (from the verb variegare, from varius ‘diverse’) + ed

Synonyms
1) chromatic, coloured, colourful, kaleidoscopic, motley, mottled, multicoloured, multihued, polychromatc, polychrome, polychromus, prismatic, rainbow, varicoloured, varied, versicolour, versicoloured

2) assorted, divers, diverse, diversified, heterogeneous, miscellaneous, mixed, motley, multifarious, multiform, sundry, varied, various

Antonyms
colourless, monotone, monochrome, monochomatic, solid, unvariegated

Use in a Sentence
1) With the vividly variegated hues of their garments the dancer were as entrancing as a flock of exotic of birds.

Image from Wikimedia Commons, uploaded by WalterPro4755

2) The contents of their grocery shop was always a variegated selection.

Image from Wikimedia Commons, uploaded by Mattes

3) I’ve never before realised just how many plants and flowers in my garden can be described as variegated.

The final plant pictured in the gallery I found to be particularly interesting. It’s a single plant but the clumps of flowers are all slightly different shades – it definitely fits the word ‘variegated’!

WOW: Ululate

28/06/2015 / afairymind / 6 Comments

Here’s my WOW for this week:

Word
Ululate

Pronunciation
ul-u-late /uhl-yuh-leyt

Part of Speech
Noun

Related Forms
Verbs: ululated, ululating
Adjective: ululant
Noun: ululation

Meaning
1. to howl or hoot, as a dog or an owl.
2. to utter shrill, wordless lamentations;wail.

Word Origin
First recorded use 1615-25 – from Latin ululātus past participle of ululār, meaning to howl / shriek – thought to be of imitative origin – connection with ulula, meaning ‘screech owl’.

Synonyms
1) bawl, bay, howl, lament, moan, wail, yowl

2) cry, keen, lament, shriek, shout

Antonyms
be quiet, whimper

Use in a Sentence
1) Gathered in the darkening woodland, the group ululate in joyous imitation of the wolf.

Image from Wikimedia – by By Hillebrand Steve, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

2) Those gathered at the graveside expressed their grief in a symphony of mournful ululation.

A group of Greek women lamenting and mourning the dead

WOW: Tempestuous

20/06/2015 / afairymind / 5 Comments

Here’s my WOW for this week:

Word
tempestuous

Pronunciation
tempestuous

Part of Speech
Adjective

Related Forms
Adverb: tempestuously
Noun: tempestuousness

Meaning
1. of or relating to a tempest
2. violent or stormy emotions or actions

Word Origin
First recorded use 1500-10 (Middle English), from Late Latin tempestuōsus

Synonyms
1. boisterous, blustery, furious, gusty, inclement, raging, squally, stormy, turbulent, wild, windy

2. boisterous, emotional, excited, feverish, flaming, heated, hysterical, impassioned, intense, passionate, stormy, turbulent, uncontrolled, violent, wild

Antonyms
calm, peaceful, quiet, serene, tranquil, undisturbed, unruffled

Use in a Sentence
1. The tempestuous seas raged against the lighthouse, angry waves crashing against unyielding walls.

Trwyn Du lighthouse in stormy seas – Image from Wikimedia, contributed by Steve F

2. Their relationship had always been tempestuous, characterised by frequent fights and passionate reconciliations.

Image from Wikimedia – contributed by epSos.de

WOW: Serried

07/06/2015 / afairymind / 2 Comments

Here’s my WOW for this week:

Word
serried

Pronunciation
serried

Part of Speech
Adjective

Related Forms
Adverb: serriedly
Noun: serriedness

Meaning
In close or compact formation

Word Origin
First recorded use C17 (1667, in ‘Paradise Lost’): from Old French serré, meaning ‘close-packed’, from serrer, meaning ‘to shut up’.

Synonyms
arranged, assembled, close, compact, dense, massed, phalanxed

Use in a Sentence
1. The crowds cheered from the roadside as the troops paraded past in serried ranks, their steps in perfect unison.

Image from Wikimedia – by Sergeant Steven Hughes

2. The fans filled the stadium in a serried mass, uncaring of their close proximity in their eagerness to worship their idol.

Image from Wikimedia – By FXR

WOW: Raconteur

30/05/201530/05/2015 / afairymind / 4 Comments

Here’s my WOW for this week:

Word
Raconteur

Pronunciation
Rac-on-teur (răk′ŏn-tûr′, rak-uh n-tur)

Part of Speech
Noun

Meaning
A person skilled in telling stories and anecdotes

Word Origin
First recorded use: C19th (1820-30) – French from raconter, meaning ‘to relate’; from Old French re- +aconter, ‘to count up’ or ‘reckon’.

Synonyms
anecdotist, narrator, recounter, relater, storyteller, spinner of yarns, teller, teller of stories,

Use in a Sentence
1. When asked to name her hero only one name was upon Rawiya’s lips: Scheherazade, the greatest raconteur to ever spin a tale.

Image from Wikimedia – by Sladen, Douglas Brooke Wheelton, 1856-1947

2. Even as a child Nelson was a skilled raconteur, always able to keep his audience entertained.

Image from Wikimedia

WOW: Querulous

23/05/2015 / afairymind / 6 Comments

Here’s my WOW for this week:

Word
querulous

Pronunciation
quer-u-lous (kwĕr′ə-ləs)

Part of Speech
Adjective

Related Forms
Adverb: querulously
Noun: querulousness

Meaning
1. inclined to make whining, peevish complaints
2. characterised by or proceeding from a complaining, fretful attitude

Word Origin
15th Century: from Latin querulus from querī to complain

Synonyms
bearish, bemoaning, cantankerous, captious, carping, censorious, complaining, critical, cross, deploring, discontented, dissatisfied, fault-finding, fretful, grouchy, grousing, grumbling, hard to please, irascible, irritable, lamenting, out of sorts, peevish, petulant, plaintive, ratty, snappy, sour, testy, tetchy, touchy, uptight, whining, whiny, waspish

Antonyms
contented, easy to please, equable, placid, uncomplaining, uncritical, undemanding

Use in a Sentence
1. Maggie’s dreaded the times when her father came to stay – a querulous old man, his entire stay consisted of a litany of complaints.

Image from Wikimedia – uploaded by CGP Grey

2. Lily’s constant crying and querulous tones had long since worn Maria’s nerves to a frazzle and she counted the minutes until the child could be returned to her mother.

Image from wikimedia – uploaded by istolethetv

WOW: Predilection

17/05/2015 / afairymind / 4 Comments

Here’s my WOW for this week:

Word
predilection

Pronunciation
pre-di-lec-tion (prĕd′l-ĕk′shən)

Part of Speech
Noun

Meaning

a predisposition, preference, bias or strong liking

Word Origin

C18th – from French prédilection, from Old French, from Medieval Latin praedīlēctus, past participle of praedīligere, to prefer : Latin prae-, pre-+ Latin dīligere, to love

Synonyms

bias, fancy, fondness, leaning, liking, love, inclination, partiality, penchant, predisposition, preference, proclivity, proneness, propensity, taste, tendency, weakness

Antonyms

antipathy, aversion, disinclination, disinterest, dislike, hate, hatred, impartiality, loathing, repugnance

Use in a Sentence
1) Arthur had a predilection for malt whiskey, fine food and expensive cigars.

Image from Wikimedia Commons: by Iwoelbern

2) Melissa’s mother had always warned her that her predilection for boys with motorbikes would someday land her in trouble.

Image from Wikimedia Commons: by StateStreet

The Storyteller's Abode

Enter a world of make believe!

Words

WOW: Yawp

WOW: Xenomania

WOW: Widdershins

WOW: Variegated

WOW: Ululate

WOW: Tempestuous

WOW: Serried

WOW: Raconteur

WOW: Querulous

WOW: Predilection

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