Reading Words @failenglishunpossible - Tumblr Blog

Psephology

the statistical study of elections and trends in voting.

#greek #noun #the-internet

Psephology

the statistical study of elections and trends in voting.

#greek #noun #the-internet

Cavil

make petty or unnecessary objections: they cavilled at the cost.

#verb #latin #tearsofthegiraffe-mccallsmith

Puisne

(in the UK and some other countries) denoting a judge of a superior court inferior in rank to chief justices.

#adjective #old-french #tearsofthegiraffe-mccallsmith

Spoor

the track or scent of an animal: they searched around the hut for a spoor | [ mass noun ] : the trail is marked by wolf spoor.

#noun #middle-dutch #tearsofthegiraffe-mccallsmith

Clerestory

the upper part of the nave, choir, and transepts of a large church, containing a series of windows.

• a series of windows in another large building that are similar to those in a clerestory.

• a raised section of roof running down the centre of a railway carriage, with small windows or ventilators.

#noun #middle-english #hardboiledwonderland-murakami

Craze

produce a network of fine cracks on (a surface): the loch was frozen over but crazed with cracks.

#verb #scandinavian #hardboiledwonderland-murakami

Operant

an item of behaviour that is not a response to a prior stimulus but something which is initially spontaneous, which may reinforce or inhibit recurrence of that behaviour.

#noun #latin #hardboiledwonderland-murakami

Inhere

exist essentially or permanently in: the potential for change that inheres within the adult education world.

#verb #latin #hardboiledwonderland-murakami

Vituperate

blame or insult (someone) in strong or violent language.

#verb #latin #snowflowerandthesecretfan-see

Enfeoff

(under the feudal system) give (someone) freehold property or land in exchange for their pledged service.

#verb #old-french #snowflowerandthesecretfan-see

Karst

landscape underlain by limestone which has been eroded by dissolution, producing ridges, towers, fissures, sinkholes and other characteristic landforms.

#noun #german #snowflowerandthesecretfan-see

Sinecure

a position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit.

#noun #latin #uni

Emollient

1 having the quality of softening or soothing the skin.

2 attempting to avoid confrontation or anger; calming or conciliatory: the president's emollient approach to differences.

#adjective #latin #the-law

Encomium

a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly.

#noun #latin #the-law

Paranoiac