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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, June 28, 2017

Weird Word Wednesday

eider
noun  ei·der \ˈī-dər\
Popularity: Bottom 30% of words
Editor's Note: Did You Know?


Definition of eider
1
:  any of several large northern sea ducks (genera Somateria and Polystica) having fine soft down that is used by the female for lining the nest —called also eider duck

Origin and Etymology of eider
Dutch, German, or Swedish, from Icelandic æthur, from Old Norse æthr


First Known Use: 1743

Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Weird Word Wednesday

eicosanoid
noun  ei·cos·a·noid \ī-ˈkō-sə-ˌnȯid\
Popularity: Bottom 40% of words


Definition of eicosanoid
:  any of a class of compounds (such as the prostaglandins) derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as arachidonic acid) and involved in cellular activity

Origin and Etymology of eicosanoid
eicosa- containing 20 atoms (from Greek eikosa- twenty, from eikosi) + -noic, suffix used in names of fatty acids (from -ane + -oic) + 1-oid — more at vigesimal

First Known Use: 1980

Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.


Wednesday, June 07, 2017

Weird Word Wednesday

egregious
adjective  egre·gious \i-ˈgrē-jəs\


Definition of egregious
1
archaic :  distinguished
2
:  conspicuous; especially :  conspicuously bad :  flagrant egregious errors
egregious padding of the evidence — Christopher Hitchens
egregiously adverb
egregiousness noun

Origin and Etymology of egregious
Latin egregius, from e- + greg-, grex herd — more at gregarious


First Known Use: circa 1534


Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.