Language

Elucidation (noun) e-loo-sid-ay-shun Explanation that makes something clear; clarification. Mid 16th century: from late Latin…

Explicandum (noun) (philosophy) eks-plik-an-dum The fact, thing, or expression which is to be explained or…

Defang (verb) dee-fang Make (something) harmless or ineffectual. Poetic, as in to remove the fangs…

Muleteer (noun) Moo-le-teer A person who drives mules. Mid 16th century: from French muletier, from…

Paradisiacal (adj) pa-rad-ais-ay-ik-al (of a place or state) ideal or idyllic; heavenly. From paradise. Middle…

Zaibatsu (noun) Zai-bat-zoo A large Japanese business conglomerate. Japanese, from zai ‘wealth’ + batsu ‘clique’.…

Pradakshina (noun) (Hinduism) pra-dak-shi-na The action of walking clockwise round a person or deity as…

Macrolepidoptera (noun) mak-ro-lep-id-op-te-ra The families of butterflies and moths whose members are large enough to…

Vestigial (adj) ves-tidj-ee-al Forming a very small remnant of something that was once greater or…

Porangi (adj) (NZ) (informal) por-ang-ee Mad; crazy. Maori. (more…)