TWB

former Scripps National Spelling Bee contestant (placed T-33rd out of 281 participants) | all word information is obtained from Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged) | may not be posting as much because of busy schedule

[thatwordblog]

Nienock

\ˈnēnək\

noun :  an aquatic plant (Nelumbo lutea) of the eastern U.S. with large usually emerged leaves, very large yellow flowers, and deeply pitted fruits - courtesy of Merriam Webster

origin unknown

[thatwordblog]

drinn

\ˈdrin\

noun : a coarse prickly weedy grass (Aristida pungens) of northern Africa

Arabic darīn dry herbage

[thatwordblog]

galiongee

\ˈgal-yən-ˌjē, -lēə-, ˌgal-yən-ˈjē\

noun : a Turkish sailor

Turkish kalyonçi man-of-war’s man, from kalyon man-of-war, galleon, from Italian galeone, from Old Spanish galeón

[thatwordblog]

pawpaw

\ˈpä-(ˌ)pȯ, ˈpȯ-\

noun : a North American tree (Asimina triloba) of the custard-apple family with purple flowers and an edible green-skinned fruit

probably modification of Spanish papaya

alternate papaw

[thatwordblog]

Moselle

\mō-ˈzel\

noun : a white wine from the Moselle valley

German Moselwein, from Mosel Moselle, river in Germany + German Wein wine

[thatwordblog]

equipollent

\ˌē-kwə-ˈpä-lənt, ˌe-\

adjective : equal in force, power, or validity

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin aequipollent-, aequipollens, from aequi- equi- + pollent-, pollens, present participle of pollēre to be able

[thatwordblog]

psilophyton

\sīˈläfəˌtän\

noun : any plant or fossil of a genus (the type of the family Psilophytaceae) of small wiry herbaceous Paleozoic plants with underground rhizomes and apical sporangia

New Latin, from psil- + phyton

[thatwordblog]

stickum

\ˈsti-kəm\

noun : a substance that adheres or causes adhesion

stick + -um (probably alteration of 'em them)

[thatwordblog]

camorra

\kə-ˈmȯr-ə, -ˈmär-\

noun : a group of persons united for dishonest or dishonorable ends

Italian

[thatwordblog]

jorobado

\¦hȯrə¦bau̇\

noun : either of two moonfishes (Vomer setipinnis and Selene vomer)

American Spanish, from Spanish, humpbacked, from joroba humpback (from Old Spanish hadruba, from Arabic dialect—Spain—haduba, hudūba, from Arabic hadaba) + -ado -ate (from Latin -atus)

[thatwordblog]

politburo

\ˈpä-lət-ˌbyu̇r-(ˌ)ō, ˈpō-lət-, pə-ˈlit-\

noun : the main group of people in a Communist government who make decisions about policy

Russian politbyuro, from politicheskoe byuro political bureau

[thatwordblog]

cassiri

\¦kasə¦rē\

noun : a drink resembling beer made by allowing cassava juice to ferment

Carib cassirí, of Tupian origin; akin to Tupi cassirí, caxirí cassiri

[thatwordblog]

oopuhue

\ōˌōpəˈhüē\

noun : any of a family (Tetraodontidae) of chiefly tropical scaleless marine bony fishes which can distend themselves to a globular form and most of which are highly poisonous (also called puffer fish)

Hawaiian ʽoʽopu-hue, from ʽoʽopu gobioid fish + hue gourd

[thatwordblog]

dummkopf

\ˈdu̇m-ˌkȯpf\

noun : a blockhead

German, from dumm stupid + Kopf head

[thatwordblog]

Cimmerian

\sə-ˈmir-ē-ən\

adjective : very dark or gloomy

Latin Cimmerii, a mythical people, from Greek Kimmerioi

[thatwordblog]

wokas

\ˈwōkəs\

noun : a western American spatterdock (Nuphar polysepalum)

Klamath wókas seed of the wokas

[thatwordblog]

trotteur

\R träˈtər, +V -ˈtər‧; −R -ˈtə̄, + vowel in a word following without pause -ˈtər‧ or -ˈtə̄ also -ˈtə̄r\

noun : a woman’s tailored garment (as a suit, coat, dress, or hat) suitable for walking or outdoor wear

French, from trotter to trot (from Middle French troter) + -eur -or