Category Archives: Words

\ ES-tuh-veyt \  , verb; 1.To spend the summer, as at a specific place or in a certain activity. 2.In zoology, to spend a hot, dry season in an inactive, dormant state, as certain reptiles, snails,insects, and small mammals. We used to estivate in the mountains of Western North Carolina.  I’ll never forget those days.  Here are some of those memories: Some things should never change.  My family should always refer to me as the “Hula Hoop Champ of ’92.”  The Reader’s Digest in the downstairs bathroom at Grandma’s should always readContinue reading “estivate.”

\HAHY-uh-lahyn\ , adjective; 1.Glassy or transparent. noun: 1.In biochemistry, a horny substance found in hydatid cysts, closely resembling chitin. adjective: 1.Of or pertaining to hyaline. noun: 1.In biochemistry, a transparent substance found in cartilage, the eye, etc., resulting from the pathological degeneration of tissue. I am sitting next to a hyaline window at Barnes and Noble.   TheContinue reading “hyaline.”

\ DAHY-vuh-geyt \  , verb; 1.To wander; stray. 2.To digress in speech.    Pirates of the Caribbean is on tv.  Rumor is the Black Pearl was anchored outside of Clearwater not too long ago.  The only kind of boat I’m any good at maneuvering is a canoe, which usually does not need an anchor, but just a rope.  “A rope walked into a bar,Continue reading “divagate.”

\ IM-pi-treyt \  , verb; 1.To entreat; ask for.    Is it too much to impetrate… For a date? A soul mate? To eat donuts and gain no weight? To sleep in but never be late? To believe in serendipitous fate?

 \ lil-i-PYOO-shuhn \  , adjective; 1.Extremely small; tiny; diminutive. 2.Trivial. Today I felt like a lillipute.  (I know this isn’t a word…but I’ve been thinking it all day.  Just de-adjectivized it.) I am now working at UNCA as well as Mars Hill.  Same thing, different days, except they don’t know that I don’t know what I’m doing…yet.  Whispered to the chef todayContinue reading “lilliputian.”

 \ OH-lee-oh \  , noun; 1.A mixture of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge. 2.A dish of many ingredients. 3.A medley or potpourri, as of musical or literary selections; miscellany. My friend, Jenny, won the olio satchel contest of 2009.  As we were waiting for our turn to dominate the foosball table, the girls had an olio contest to see who had the most random things in their purse.  It came at a very fortunate time, for I hadn’t cleaned outContinue reading “olio.”

\ kon-san(g)-GWIN-ee-us \  , adjective; 1.Of the same blood; related by birth; descended from the same parent or ancestor. Thanksgiving is a great day to enjoy your consanguineous family.  Today’s our first Thanksgiving without Grandma.  Just the slight thought of it makes us emotional.  It’s funny how little things stick out as big gems.  Grandma with her watered down white zinfandel, asking John ‘to get over here and carve this turkey’, andContinue reading “consanguineous.”

\ WEEL \ , noun; 1.Well-being, prosperity, or happiness. 2.A raised mark on the surface of the body produced by a blow. 3.(Obsolete:) the state or body politic. My legs are sore and my hat smells like the campfire.  Both are signs of pure weal from the weekend.  I close my eyes and can see the rolling mountains of the Blue Ridge in view from the peak of Big Hump.  The fresh crisp air of 32 degrees wasContinue reading “weal.”

 \ id-ee-uh-GLOS-ee-uh \  , noun; 1.A private form of speech invented by one child or by children who are in close contact, as twins. 2.A pathological condition in which a person’s speech is so severely distorted that it is unintelligible. I have the most incredible twin brother known to any twin sister or twin brother out there.  Not just because he has the sweetest pumpkin of a dog, or because he leaves the best rambling voicemails, but also because of our idioglossia.  What a lucky girl I am to have him.  IContinue reading “idioglossia.”

\ ih-MEND \ , verb; 1.To free from faults or errors; correct. 2.To edit or change a text. I’d like to emend the misconception of “cafeteria food”.  It’s 2010 and steaks are being grilled.  In a cafeteria near you. I’d love to emend the “you’re 25 and should be dating or close to marriage or having children by now” misconception.  It’s 2010 and people wait til they’ve triedContinue reading “emend.”