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Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Weird Word Wednesday

deictic
adjective  deic·tic \ˈdīk-tik also ˈdāk-\
Popularity: Bottom 30% of words
Definition of deictic
:  showing or pointing out directly
Origin and Etymology of deictic
Greek deiktikos able to show, from deiktos, verbal of deiknynai to show — more at diction


First Known Use: 1876

Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth & magic.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Weird Word Wednesday

dehisce
verb  de·hisce \di-ˈhis\
Popularity: Bottom 30% of words
Definition of dehisce
Dehisced dehiscing
intransitive verb
:  to split along a natural line; also :  to discharge contents by so splitting
Origin and Etymology of dehisce
Latin dehiscere to split open, from de- + hiscere to gape; akin to Latin hiare to yawn — more at yawn


First Known Use: 1657

Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth & magic.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Weird Word Wednesday

degauss
verb  de·gauss \(ˌ)dē-ˈgau̇s\
Popularity: Bottom 20% of words
Definition of degauss
transitive verb
:  to remove or neutralize the magnetic field of
degausser noun
Origin and Etymology of degauss
de- + gauss, after Karl F. Gauss


First Known Use: circa 1940

Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth & magic.

Monday, September 12, 2016

Wednesday, September 07, 2016

Weird Word Wednesday

defalcate
verb  de·fal·cate \di-ˈfal-ˌkāt, -ˈfȯl-, dē-; ˈde-fəl-\
Popularity: Bottom 20% of words
Definition of defalcate
Defalcated defalcating
archaic
transitive verb
:  deduct, curtail
intransitive verb
:  to engage in embezzlement
defalcator play \-ˌkā-tər\ noun
Origin and Etymology of defalcate
Medieval Latin defalcatus, past participle of defalcare, from Latin de- + falc-, falx sickle


First Known Use: 1541

Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth & magic.