Recrudescence [ree-kroo-des-uhns or rə-kruh-desuhns]
noun

Definition:
A recurrence, breakout, or revival of something after a previous period of abatement or inactivity.

Etymology:
From the Latin, recrudescentia, 'to break out again', formed from re-, 'to happen again', and crudescere 'to become raw'.

Usage:
Recently, there has been a recrudescence ( Read more... )

Surcease [sər-sēs]
verb, noun

Definition:
1. verb: to refrain from action, to come to an end, or to put to an end.
2. noun: cessation, especially if temporary.

Etymology:
From the French, sursise, 'omission', which is the past participle of surseoir, 'to refrain, delay, or suspend', from the Latin suspersedere, 'supersede'.

Usage:
Kitty, I love you, ( Read more... )

Agroof, Agrufe, or Agruif [uh-gruef]
adverb

Definition:
To fall flat on one's face, or to be face downwards and prone.

Etymology:
From the Norse, á grúfu, 'face-down' or 'on the belly'.

Usage:
My roommate has absolutely no coordination skills and is often found agroof, moaning piteously.

Extra info:
This word is obscure, but I find it quite awesome that ( Read more... )

Tappen [tæp-pən]
noun

Definition:
A plug of indigestible materials that forms in a bear's anus during hibernation.

Etymology:
From the Swedish/Norwegian, tapp-en, 'the plug'.

Usage:
That cork is stuck in that wine bottle tighter than a tappen in a bear's behind.

Notes/Additional Info:
And now it's possible that you all hate me for that mental image. You are ( Read more... )

Melisma [mi-liz-muh]
noun

Definition
Singing a single syllable while changing over notes in succession.

Etymology
From the Hellenistic Greek melisma, 'song', 'air' or 'melody', which comes from the ancient Greek, melos, 'song', and isma, '-ism'.

Usage
Beyonce is well known for her use of melisma in her music.

Extra Information
A classic example of melisma ( Read more... )

Quiescent [qwiː-ɛs-ənt, qwaɪ-ɛs-ənt]
adjective

Definition
1. something that is quiet, inactive, dormant, motionless
2. medical: a disease showing no symptoms
3. grammar: a letter, usually a consonant, that is not sounded
4. electronics: the absence of an input to a device that is ready to receive one

Etymology
From the Latin quiescens, the present ( Read more... )

Embolalia, Embololalia [em-bə-lā-lē-ə, -lal-ē; em-bə-lō-lā-lē-ə, -lal-ē]
noun

Definition
The conscious or unconcious use of meaningless sounds or words in speech such as filler words or stammerings.

Etymology
From the Greek (most likely derived from Latin) embolo- or emboli-, 'that which is thrown into something else'.

Usage
I, um, may have a slight, uh ( Read more... )

Evince [i-vin(t)s]
verb

Definition
1. To show or demonstrate clearly
2. To overcome, subdue, or prevail over

Etymology
From Latin evincere, 'to vanquish', which comes from e-, 'out', and vincere, 'to conquer'

Usage
From the United States' Declaration of Independence: "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object ( Read more... )

Tessellate [tes-uh-leyt]
verb

Definition
To form a pattern using plane figures or polygons so that there are no gaps or overlaps, such as in a mosaic.

Etymology
From Latin tessellatus, 'mosaic', which comes from tessella, 'small cube', a dimunitive form of tessera, 'square'.

Usage
I'm trying to figure out how to tessellate these tiles into an appealing ( Read more... )