I was browsing through the dictionary the other night (oh, shut up. I find it interesting, and if you find me interesting, you probably like reading the dictionary, too) and I came across this gem
( Read more... )
"chaffy bract" is a lovely set of words, too! The gentle "ch", the uplifting "affy", the round "br" and the nice sharp "act" to finish it off. And now I must run out the door.
This is fabulous. I think my new LJ name will be: "a chaffy bract" because who knows what it means? No one. It'll be my little secret. And, um, you. You can know. But no one else!
[ad. L. gl{umac}ma (rare) hull, husk (of grain); cf. F. glume.]
One of the chaff-like bracts which form the calyx or outer envelope in the inflorescence of grasses and sedges; the husk of corn or other grain.
[1577 B. GOOGE Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 26b, Gluma is the huske of the corne whose top is the aane. 1699 Phil. Trans. XXI. 300 Each gluma or husk terminates in three Awns, two of which are even, the other somewhat longer.] 1789 E. DARWIN Bot. Gard. II. (1791) 9 note, The chaffy scales of the calyx..and the glume in some Alpine grasses..grow into leaves. 1831 LOUDON Encycl. Agric. (ed. 2) 888 Rye-grass..is now cut..when it is just coming into flower; and therefore to collect the glumes or empty husks can be of no use as seed. 1880 A. R. WALLACE Isl. Life 472 Their seeds, often enveloped in chaffy glumes. 1896 EDMONDS Bot. for Beginners 85 Each flower [of wheat] is contained within a flowering glume and a pale.
You, sir, are an enormous nerd and I want to *smish* you for providing that definition. :-) NOw I know what a glume is. And how many people in the world can say the same? (Except for all of us here, and the OED researchers).
What do you think you have to go through to get a job working for the OED? Do you think there's some sort of definition-gauntlet where they throw odd or unusual words at you and ask you to provide a detailed definition? And if you can't you're beaten by sticks?
Comments 27
Reply
And now I must run out the door.
Reply
But what is a glume?
Reply
Bot.
[ad. L. gl{umac}ma (rare) hull, husk (of grain); cf. F. glume.]
One of the chaff-like bracts which form the calyx or outer envelope in the inflorescence of grasses and sedges; the husk of corn or other grain.
[1577 B. GOOGE Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 26b, Gluma is the huske of the corne whose top is the aane. 1699 Phil. Trans. XXI. 300 Each gluma or husk terminates in three Awns, two of which are even, the other somewhat longer.] 1789 E. DARWIN Bot. Gard. II. (1791) 9 note, The chaffy scales of the calyx..and the glume in some Alpine grasses..grow into leaves. 1831 LOUDON Encycl. Agric. (ed. 2) 888 Rye-grass..is now cut..when it is just coming into flower; and therefore to collect the glumes or empty husks can be of no use as seed. 1880 A. R. WALLACE Isl. Life 472 Their seeds, often enveloped in chaffy glumes. 1896 EDMONDS Bot. for Beginners 85 Each flower [of wheat] is contained within a flowering glume and a pale.
* * *
I love the OED. :-)
Reply
What do you think you have to go through to get a job working for the OED? Do you think there's some sort of definition-gauntlet where they throw odd or unusual words at you and ask you to provide a detailed definition? And if you can't you're beaten by sticks?
Yeah, that would be a cool job.
Reply
And I don't know, but I want that job.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment