megillah

[muh-gil-uh
for 2. also Seph. Heb. muh-gee-lah]

1. American English Slang
a. a lengthy, detailed explanation or account
b. a lengthy and tediously complicated situation or matter

2. Hebrew a scroll, esp. the one containing the Book of Esther. Others are the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, the Book of Ruth, and ( Read more... )

gabardine

[gab-er-deen, gab-er-deen1. is a tough, tightly woven fabric used to make suits, overcoats, trousers and other garments. The fiber used to make the fabric is traditionally wool, spun into a worsted yarn, but may also be cotton, synthetic or mixed. The fabric is smooth on one side and has a diagonally ribbed surface on the other. ( Read more... )

snuggery

[snuhg-uh-ree]

(n): Chiefly British
A snug position or place.


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concupiscent

[kon-kyoo-pi-suhnt, kong-]

(adj):
1. lustful or sensual.
2. eagerly desirous.

Call the roller of big cigars,
The muscular one, and bid him whip
In kitchen cups concupiscent curds.
Let the wenches dawdle in such dress
As they are used to wear, and let the boys
Bring ( Read more... )

neologism

[nee-ol-uh-jiz-uhm]

1. A new word, expression, or usage.
2. The creation or use of new words or senses.
3. Psychology The invention of new words regarded as a symptom of certain psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia.
4. Theology A new doctrine or a new interpretation of scripture ( Read more... )

illeism

(n): the tendency in some individuals to refer to themselves in the third person.

Wikipedia.com has a cool list of famous illeists. Among the listed are: Julius Caesar, Norman Mailer (in The Fight), Elmo (Sesame Street), Bob Dole, Groundskeeper Willie, Jesus Christ (possibly; it's a disputed term), Dobby, Joseph Stalin, Gollum, Richard ( Read more... )

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asterism

[as-tuh-riz-uhm]

(n):
1. Printing Three asterisks in a triangular formation used to call attention to a following passage.
2. Astronomy A cluster of stars smaller than a constellation.
3. Mineralogy A six-rayed starlike figure optically produced in some crystal structures by reflected or transmitted light.

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contumacious

[kon-t(y)oo-MAY-shuhs]

adjective: obstinate; stubbornly disobedient; rebellious; persistently, willfully, or overtly defiant of authority. Often used in a legal context to refer to lawyers, witnesses, plaintiffs, defendants, etc., who refuse to obey the Court's orders.

contumacious derives from Latin contumax, contumac-, "insolent ( Read more... )

Stillicide

(n): A continual falling or succession of drops; rain water falling from the eaves.
Whatever in my field of vision dwelt ( Read more... )