Seldom-Used Words

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A good Monday to you all,

optative - adj 1.a. of, relating to, or constituting a mood of verbs that is expressive of wish or desire b. of, relating to, or constituting a sentence that is expressive of wish or hope 2. expressing wish or desire
 
Olyte

Can't let Allard complain about being the only one posting again! :D

Olyte, diligent. The word is common in the Border counties of England and Scotland.

An olyte mother makes a lazy daughter. Allan Ramsay: Scotch Proverbs

Source: Mackay, Lost Beauties of the English Language
 
Thanks, Carlus, I appreciate your support and the great word you added. I wasn't gonna whine about my solo postings, because everyone is busy, including me. I like to take the time to add a new word, but sometimes that is more of a commitment than one has time for, and I understand that perfectly well.

opprobrium - noun 1. something that brings disgrace 2.a. public disgrace or ill fame that follows from conduct considered grossly wrong or vicious: INFAMY b. CONTEMPT, REPROACH
 
I read this word in National Geographic, an article about lions in the wilds of Africa, and it referred to death;

ineluctable - adj not to be avoided, changed, or resisted: INEVITABLE
 
It's kinda late for me, but I wanted to post one word today, at least;

ophite - noun any of various usually green and often mottled or blotched rocks
 
It is the weekend, once again, and this time it is an American three-day affair with Labor Day on Monday.

I am adding this next one because of a silver mine of the same name in Virginia City, Nevada, which was part of the Comstock Lode, discovered in 1857.

Ophir - noun a Biblical land rich in gold
 
It is the weekend, once again, and this time it is an American three-day affair with Labor Day on Monday.

I am adding this next one because of a silver mine of the same name in Virginia City, Nevada, which was part of the Comstock Lode, discovered in 1857.

Ophir - noun a Biblical land rich in gold

Do I remember something about
Quinquimarine from Nenevah
in fairest Ophir ?
 
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It is the weekend, once again, and this time it is an American three-day affair with Labor Day on Monday.

I am adding this next one because of a silver mine of the same name in Virginia City, Nevada, which was part of the Comstock Lode, discovered in 1857.

Ophir - noun a Biblical land rich in gold

There is also an old town, which used to be almost a ghost town and is being reborn as a playground of the rich, in Colorado, near Telluride, CO, named Ophir. Thirty years ago, my wife and I used to vacation there, in an old miner's shack that belonged to a friend of hers. It's high in the Colorado mountains, just over Ophir Pass--a four-wheel drive road--from Silverton, CO.

Ophir was, of course, a mining town. The miners built the town at the base of an old rockslide. It wasn't done sliding, and one day it wiped out most of the town--excepting only the jail, which had a prisoner in it. It moved the jail a hundred feet, or so. Must've scare the shit out of the poor guy inside it.

They rebuilt the town a few hundred feet west of the rockslide; the old jail is still where the rockslide left it. I don't think the slide has moved any since those days, but...
 
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Handley, I don't know what you are referring to, sorry.

Carlus, thanks for the great story about the town of Ophir, Colorado. It is a wonderful name, Biblical or otherwise.

I am going to post these next three because I find them so interesting and I want to remember them;

ophidian - adj of, relating to, or resembling snakes

ophiology - noun a branch of herpetology dealing with snakes

ophiophagous - adj feeding on snakes
 
Do I remember something about
Quinquimarine from Nenevah
in farest Ophir ?

Quinquerime of Ninevah from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory ,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood and cedar wood and sweet white wine.


first verse of "Cargoes" by John Masefield

My word(s) Orders- four by which Chaucer referred to the original four orders of medicant friars Slightly problematic in that there were at least five orders, Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Servites and Augustinians. I suspect that Chaucer forgot about the Servites.

Later the Franciscans split into 3 or four sub groups and the other orders tended to do the same but not so much.
 
Quinquerime of Ninevah from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory ,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood and cedar wood and sweet white wine.


first verse of "Cargoes" by John Masefield

Thank you. I recall we did it at school; a long time ago.
 
Quinquerime of Ninevah from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory ,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood and cedar wood and sweet white wine.


first verse of "Cargoes" by John Masefield

My word(s) Orders- four by which Chaucer referred to the original four orders of medicant friars Slightly problematic in that there were at least five orders, Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Servites and Augustinians. I suspect that Chaucer forgot about the Servites.

Later the Franciscans split into 3 or four sub groups and the other orders tended to do the same but not so much.

Quinquereme?
 
Ishtat to the rescue! Thanks for answering Handley's question. I, being an American, was clueless to the reference.

ophicleide - noun a deep-toned brass wind instrument consisting of a large tapering tube bent double
 
Ishtat to the rescue! Thanks for answering Handley's question. I, being an American, was clueless to the reference.

ophicleide - noun a deep-toned brass wind instrument consisting of a large tapering tube bent double

It was replaced by a Tuba in the orchestra
 
Quinquerime of Ninevah from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory ,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood and cedar wood and sweet white wine.


first verse of "Cargoes" by John Masefield

My word(s) Orders- four by which Chaucer referred to the original four orders of medicant friars Slightly problematic in that there were at least five orders, Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Servites and Augustinians. I suspect that Chaucer forgot about the Servites.

Later the Franciscans split into 3 or four sub groups and the other orders tended to do the same but not so much.


I believe the word is mendicant, as in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendicant .



 
And I believe you are right, Trysail.

I am off to a Blackberry Festival today with friends. I hope you all have a wonderful day, too.

operant(1) - adj 1. EFFECTIVE 2. of or relating to the observable or measurable
 
Good day, everyone. This next word reminds me of my childhood and the stories my mother read to me at bedtime.

open sesame - noun [French open sesame, the magical command used by Ali Baba to open the door of the robbers' den in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves] : something that unfailingly brings about a desired end
 
Good day, everyone. This next word reminds me of my childhood and the stories my mother read to me at bedtime.

open sesame - noun [French open sesame, the magical command used by Ali Baba to open the door of the robbers' den in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves] : something that unfailingly brings about a desired end

An expression used today by anyone having trouble with a door and having an audience at the same time.
 
Good one, Handley, I must remember to use that next time.

Of all the 'open' words in my dictionary, I am only going to post this next one;

open-and-shut - adj perfectly simple: OBVIOUS
 
Here are a couple of words that go together;

ooze(2) - noun 1. a decoction of vegetable material used for tanning leather 2. the action of oozing 2. something that oozes

ooze leather - noun leather usually made from calfskins by a vegetable tanning process and having a soft suede finish on the flesh side
 
Here are a couple of words that go together;

ooze(2) - noun 1. a decoction of vegetable material used for tanning leather 2. the action of oozing 2. something that oozes

ooze leather - noun leather usually made from calfskins by a vegetable tanning process and having a soft suede finish on the flesh side

Ooze: Mud tends to 'ooze'; it's thick and moves slowly. So does treacle and thick oil (high viscosity). Blood may be said to Ooze from a wound.

And Ooze Leather is magic for making your own pistol holster.
 
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