Seldom-Used Words

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I have never heard of this next one;

Oswego tea - noun a North American mint with showy bright scarlet irregular flowers
 
I seem to be the "only one" posting these days, but I will carry on, anyway;

ostiary - noun 1. DOORKEEPER 2. a member of the lowest of the Roman Catholic minor orders
 
Handley, it is nice to look forward to something, but getting through the Os to the Ms will take a while. I know you are a patient man and can wait, so I will look forward to your contribution, when we finally get there.

ostensorium - noun MONSTRANCE
 
I seem to be the "only one" posting these days, but I will carry on, anyway;

ostiary - noun 1. DOORKEEPER 2. a member of the lowest of the Roman Catholic minor orders

Can't let that be so—though we thank you for your dedication and your diligence.

ouph - modernized and corrupted into oaf, a sprite or goblin, less elegant, gentle, and prepossessing in appearance than a fairy.

"Urchins, ouphs, and fairies green and white." Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor
 
Carlus, thanks for your support. Merry Wives of Windsor is on my movie queue and I look forward to watching it, again, and I will look for ouphs, now that I know what the word means.

I am adding these next two words so I will start using them;

ostensible - adj 1. intended for display: OPEN TO VIEW 2. ALLEGED

ostensive - adj 1. obviously or directly demonstrative 2. OSTENSIBLE (2)
 
Handley, it is nice to look forward to something, but getting through the Os to the Ms will take a while. I know you are a patient man and can wait, so I will look forward to your contribution, when we finally get there.

ostensorium - noun MONSTRANCE

Well, it might have been nice to go a little further (for idiots like me, anyway).

ostensory /stens()ri/ n. Also in Fr. form ostensoir /stensw/, & in L form ostensorium /stensrm/, pl. -ia /-/. E18. [med.L ostensorium, f. as ostens-: see OSTENSIBLE, -ORY1.] RC Ch.
An open or transparent vessel used to display the Host to the congregation at mass; a monstrance.

You might wonder what on earth a 'Monstrance' is.

An open or transparent receptacle, usu. of gold or silver, for the exposition of the consecrated Host or (occas.) relics

Quite how one can have a transparent gold or silver receptacle is unexplained!!


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Excerpted from Oxford Talking Dictionary
Copyright © 1998 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 
Handley, a long time ago now, I married an Sicilian man in the Catholic Church, after I took catechism classes and was baptized. Before my husband passed away in 2010 of brain cancer, we stopped attending Mass. But, if I remember correctly, the receptacle that held the Host, was an intricate box of gold that looked like ornate lace with lots of space to view the contents within. It reminded me of the Moorish patterns used on buildings in Spain for ornamentation and shade, while still allowing for air flow. I can't remember the correct name of this kind of architecture right now, but hopefully it will come to me, soon. In conclusion, monstrance is an extremely odd name for the Host receptacle in my mind.

ossuary - noun a depository for the bones of the dead
 
... In conclusion, monstrance is an extremely odd name for the Host receptacle in my mind. ...

Monstrance may seem less strange when you realize that it comes from the Latin verb monstrar, to show, rather than from the Latin verb monere, to warn. The latter word is the root of the French verb monstre, which is itself the root of our word monster.

Another English word related to monstrance is demonstrate.
 
I seem to be the "only one" posting these days, but I will carry on, anyway;


It's summer; I am outdoors (a lot). My reading falls off precipitously and I, thus, encounter far fewer previously unknown words to contribute.


Nevertheless, I monitor this thread for neologisms and novelties.


 
Handley, I was completely wrong about the box that holds the Eucharistic wafers and the monstrance. The illustration in my dictionary shows it as a cross with a circular center piece, where one consecrated wafer can be viewed, either on a table, for it has a base, or right in front of you if carried by one of the faithful. If I get time, I will look for pictures and try to post one. It was lattice work that I was thinking of yesterday.

Carlus, as I was falling asleep last night, it occurred to me that demonstrate must be from the same root. Thanks.

Trysail, thanks for checking in and also for being an unseen participant.

ossification - noun 1.a. the natural process of bone formation b. the hardening (as of muscular tissue) into a bony substance 2. a mass or particle of ossified tissue 3. a tendency toward or state of being callous or conventional in outlook
 
Monstrance Images

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Carlus, as I was falling asleep last night, it occurred to me that demonstrate must be from the same root. Thanks.
also

remonstrate:
Etymology

From (the participle stem of) Late Latin remonstro, from Latin re- + monstro.

Verb

remonstrate (third-person singular simple present remonstrates, present participle remonstrating, simple past and past participle remonstrated)

  1. (intransitive) To object; to express disapproval (with, against).
  2. (intransitive, chiefly historical) Specifically, to lodge an official objection (especially by means of a remonstrance) with a monarch or other ruling body.
  3. (transitive, often with an object consisting of direct speech or a clause beginning with that) To state or plead as an objection, formal protest, or expression of disapproval.
  4. To point out; to show clearly; to make plain or manifest; hence, to prove; to demonstrate.
 
Old Nick: The Devil: from Neken, the evil spirit of the north.
Old One: The Devil.
Old Podger: The Devil.

As given in the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence; 1811.
 
Og, to the rescue once again. Thanks so much.

Harold, that makes a lot of sense.

ControllingKink, I wonder how many names there are for the Devil in all?

Ossianic - adj of, relating to, or resembling the legendary Irish bard Ossian, the poems ascribed to him, or the rhythmic prose style used by James Macpherson in his alleged translations
 
I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend. Mother nature watered the gardens last night, so I have a bit of a break to get some editing done today, hooray.

osmatic or osmic - adj depending chiefly on the sense of smell for orientation
 
Another rainy night for us and that mean a watering reprieve for me today, so I can get all sorts of other things done today before it gets too hot, again. I hope you all have a wonderful day.

osier - noun 1. any of the various willows whose pliable twigs are used for furniture and basketry 2. a willow rod used in basketry 3. any of several American dogwoods
 
I took a day off from the computer for some much needed fun with a few ladies I know;

orthoepy - noun 1. the customary pronunciation of a language 2. the study of the pronunciation of a language
 


The Oxford English Dictionary has put out a public appeal for anyone with documentation of the word "def" (in the sense of "cool" or "great") appearing before 1981 to come forward. The dictionary has recently been crowdsourcing some of its more problematic words.



 
I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend. Mother nature watered the gardens last night, so I have a bit of a break to get some editing done today, hooray.

osmatic or osmic - adj depending chiefly on the sense of smell for orientation

osmosis
Gradual, usu. unconscious assimilation or absorption of ideas, knowledge, etc.


Excerpted from Oxford Talking Dictionary
 
Trysail, that is very interesting and smart of the Oxford Dictionary group. After all, it the public, especially the youth, that make up slang. I still remember when "swell" was popular, and that was a long time ago.

Handley, very nice and now I do not need to add that one when I get there.

orrery - noun (Charles Boyle +1731 4th Earl of Orrery) an apparatus showing the relative positions and motions of bodies in the solar system by balls moved by wheelwork
 
Orul = to have a longing for. West of England dialect word as in for example

"She be orul for'un" ie. she is lovesick for him.

As old Wessex English this is not a 'cultivated usage but on the other hand Ornacy is precisely that, meaning, cultivated language.
 
Very interesting, Ishtat, thanks for sharing that unusual word and its usage.

orphrey - noun 1.a. elaborate embroidery b. a piece of such embroidery 2. an ornamental border or band esp. on an ecclesiastical vestment
 
orrery - noun (Charles Boyle +1731 4th Earl of Orrery) an apparatus showing the relative positions and motions of bodies in the solar system by balls moved by wheelwork

Some orrerys are works of art. All are fascinating machines.

orrery2.jpg


Orrery1372.png


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orrery1.jpg
 
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