The Obscure Word Thread

nescience \NESH-uhn(t)s; NESH-ee-uhn(t)s\, noun:
Lack of knowledge or awareness; ignorance.
 
effulgence \i-FUL-juhn(t)s\, noun:
The state of being bright and radiant; splendor; brilliance.
 
monzonite (n) -- a coarse-grained igneous rock composed chiefly of plagioclase and orthoclase in approximately equal proportions, which small amounts of other minerals.
 
penultimate
–adjective 1.next to the last: the penultimate scene of the play.
2.of or pertaining to a penult.
 
wrasse (n) -- any of numerous chiefly tropical, often brightly colored marine fishes of the family Labridae
 
tmesis \TMEE-sis\, noun:
In grammar and rhetoric, the separation of the parts of a compound word, now generally done for humorous effect; for example, "what place soever" instead of "whatsoever place," or "abso-bloody-lutely."
 
chthonic \THONE-ik\, adjective:
Dwelling in or under the earth; also, pertaining to the underworld
 
objurgate \OB-juhr-gayt\, transitive verb:
To express strong disapproval of; to criticize severely.
 
Would calling someone a spathic leptosome be a conundrum?
No.
conundrum
–noun 1.a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words, as What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper.2.anything that puzzles.
 
Last edited:
propitious \pruh-PISH-uhs\, adjective:
1. Presenting favorable circumstances or conditions.
2. Favorably inclined; gracious; benevolent.
 
oxymoron
–noun, plural -mo⋅ra  /-ˈmɔr
thinsp.png
ə, -ˈmoʊr
thinsp.png
ə/ [-mawr-uh, -mohr-uh] Rhetoric. a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in “cruel kindness” or “to make haste slowly.”
 
Back
Top