Thanatopsis - noun.

Today's word, just in ahead of Halloween, is thanatopsis, which means

It's a combination of two Greek words, thanat(o) meaning death and opsis meaning sight or appearance. Thanatopsis is a view, contemplation or description of death. The most famous thanatopsis is a poem--hehe--of the same name by William Cullen Bryant.

tonsorial [ton-sawr-ee-uhl, -sohr-]

adjective:
1 of or relating to a barber or barbering
2 relating to hairdressing
3 manipulation

Examples:

I've got a confession to make - I've been cutting my own hair. And judging by the tonsorial terrors I've been seeing in my neighbourhood, I bet you have been, too. (Charles Purcell, I've been cutting ( Read more... )

Taciturn (adjective)
tac·i·turn [tas-i-turn]

adjective
1. inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.
2. dour, stern, and silent in expression and manner.

Other Words From
tac i·turn ly adverb
un·tac i·turn adjective
un·tac i·turn ly adverb

Related Words
aloof, dour, laconic, reticent

See synonyms for Taciturn ( Read more... )

Tuesday, Jun. 4, 2024

Tortuous (adjective)
tor·tu·ous [tawr-choo-uhs]

adjective
1. full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked: a tortuous path.
2. not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; intricate; circuitous: tortuous negotiations lasting for months.3. deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings ( Read more... )

turpitude [tur-pi-tood, -tyood]

noun:
1 vile, shameful, or base character; depravity
2 a vile or depraved act

Examples:

Article 87 (c) of the constitution states that to qualify for a member of the federal parliament, the person must not have been convicted of a criminal offence involving 'moral turpitude'. (Tika R Pradhan, Even with a ( Read more... )

Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024

Tumult (noun)
tu·mult [too-muhlt, tyoo-]

noun
1. violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar: The tumult reached its height during the premier's speech.
2. a general outbreak, riot, uprising, or other disorder: The tumult moved toward the embassy.3. highly distressing agitation of mind or feeling; ( Read more... )

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023

Torpid (adjective)
tor·pid [tawr-pid]

adjective
1. inactive or sluggish.
2. slow; dull; apathetic; lethargic.
3. dormant, as a hibernating or estivating animal.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH TORPID
turbid, turgid

OTHER WORDS FROM TORPID
tor·pid·i·ty, tor·pid·ness, noun
tor·pid·ly, adverb

WORDS RELATED TO TORPID ( Read more... )

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023

Tyro (noun)
tyro or ti·ro [ tahy-roh ]

noun, plural ty·ros.
1. a beginner in learning anything; novice.

Also, tiro.

OTHER WORDS FROM TYRO
ty·ron·ic [tahy-ron-ik], adjective

WORDS RELATED TO TYROabecedarian, amateur, apprentice, cadet, colt, greenhorn, learner, neophyte, newcomer, novice, novitiate, pupil, recruit, rookie ( Read more... )

Teocalli - noun.

Teocallis are terraced, Mesoamerican pyramids where important rituals occurred. A temple sits at the top of the pyramid.


( Read more... )

Takahē - noun.

The takahē (Porphyrio hochstetteri) is a flightless bird from New Zealand.

Once thought to be extinct, a small population was found on New Zealand's South Island in 1948. The birds are still endangered, however.

Funnily enough, there was a North Island takahē (Porphyrio mantelli) which is extinct. It is a separate species from ( Read more... )