For the sharing of obscure and rarely used words.

[Yfelsung]

I've never met a person who knew what it meant without me explaining it first.

That would make it rare and obscure, at least in the area I live in.

Perhaps you need to hang out with a brighter crowd.
BTW homunculus isn't that rare either.

I've seen several words on this thread so far that I hear used more often than both homunculus and ubiquitous.

Examples being:

Odious
Vapid
Egress
Argent
Puissance

All those words are used far more often than both homunculus and ubiquitous.

Vapid, Odious and Egress are actually pretty damn common words, at least around where I am from.

And Numpty actually. Numpty has effectively become the most commonly used term for "retarded" in the area I live. It's used more often than the word retarded itself.

 

[Welshidiot]

@ Yfelsung

I apologise for criticising your ignorance in isolation.
I guess I just didn't notice the other ignoramuses, but if I had I would certainly have berated them for their banal idiocy, before I berated you for yours.



















(yes,......it is meant as a joke)

 

[Yfelsung]

@ Yfelsung

I apologise for criticising your ignorance in isolation.
I guess I just didn't notice the other ignoramuses, but if I had I would certainly have berated them for their banal idiocy, before I berated you for yours.



















(yes,......it is meant as a joke)

That's all I ask

At let's be honest, every word in here is "rare and obscure" when you think about the vocabulary skills of your average mouth breather out there. They have enough time with they're, there and their.

 

[Welshidiot]

I present "finagle":

fi,·na,·gle/fəˈnāgÉ™l/Verb
1. Obtain (something) by devious or dishonest means.
2. Act in a devious or dishonest manner: "they finagled over the fine points"

 

[Lallapalalable]

I present "finagle":

fi,·na,·gle/fəˈnāgÉ™l/Verb
1. Obtain (something) by devious or dishonest means.
2. Act in a devious or dishonest manner: "they finagled over the fine points"

Now you're the one presenting fairly common words! Although I have been using this one wrong, it seems, as I rarely employ devious methods of obtainment.

 

[Welshidiot]

I present "finagle":

fi,·na,·gle/fəˈnāgÉ™l/Verb
1. Obtain (something) by devious or dishonest means.
2. Act in a devious or dishonest manner: "they finagled over the fine points"

Now you're the one presenting fairly common words! Although I have been using this one wrong, it seems, as I rarely employ devious methods of obtainment.

"If you're using it wrong, you may as well not be using it at all...", as the actress said to the bishop. (titty-pom)

 

[Lallapalalable]

Bathycolpian- adj. Having deep or pronounced cleavage

 

[Sparky]

Here's my favourite rarely used word:

Defenestration - the act of throwing someone or something out of a window

 

[televator]

Here's my favourite rarely used word:

Defenestration - the act of throwing someone or something out of a window

I can't believe there's a word just for that. I can picture a mob boss using it.

"Okay Franky, defenestrate our pal here from the 10th floor."

 

[Lallapalalable]

illeist- n. one who refers to oneself in the third person.

psilosopher- n. a superficial philosopher (hipster)

logomach- n. someone who argues over words

 

[Prolescum]

Sphragistics - The study of engraved seals. Disclaimer: No animals are harmed in the process.

 

[Lallapalalable]

Muliebrity- n. the state of being a woman.

 

[Prolescum]

Muliebrity- n. the state of being a woman.

I'm afraid you were beaten to that one by just over a year...

Prolescum[/url]"]
Muliebrity: The female equivalent of virility, the quality of being womanly.

 

[Lallapalalable]

Oh my. Well, its a very important word, and I am raising its awareness twofold.

I also just noticed another word I was going to add that has already been submitted, so maybe Im using the wrong channels to seek 'rare' words.

 

[Prolescum]

Oh my. Well, its a very important word, and I am raising its awareness twofold.

Hear hear!

 

[Dean]

So long as no-one else has beaten me to this, I have a very rare and obscure word indeed, one that you may have trouble hunting for online:

Irrumate & Irrumation -- The act of violently thrusting one's penis into another's mouth.

LOL.

As far as I am aware, the most commonly used word in replace of this is "fellatio", the transitional form of which being "fellate". Of course, "fellate" is just too pedestrian for this thread. But in any case: "Irrumate" is a very seldom used synonym. :|

 

[Prolescum]

@Dean

So long as no-one else has beaten me to this [...]

Not in this thread, but http://www.leagueofreason.org.uk/viewtopic.php?p=124569#p124569

Also, irrumatio and fellatio aren't synonymous. Although the actors are the same, the play has a different director.

 

[Gnug215]

Arrh, I have a couple:

mis,·an,·dry
-noun hatred of males.

---o---

nu,·mi,·nous
-adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or like a numen; spiritual or supernatural.
2. surpassing comprehension or understanding; mysterious: that element in artistic expression that remains numinous.
3. arousing one's elevated feelings of duty, honor, loyalty, etc.: a benevolent and numinous paternity.

---o---

latitudinarian \lat-uh-too-din-AIR-ee-un; -tyoo-\, adjective:

1. Having or expressing broad and tolerant views, especially in religious matters.
2. A person who is broad-minded and tolerant; one who displays freedom in thinking, especially in religious matters.
3. [Often capitalized] A member of the Church of England, in the time of Charles II, who adopted more liberal notions in respect to the authority, government, and doctrines of the church than generally prevailed.

---o---

cogent \KOH-juhnt\, adjective:

Having the power to compel conviction; appealing to the mind or to reason; convincing.

(Not that rare, but relevant for LoR. )
---o---

ne,·ot,·e,·ny (ne-ot'n-e) Pronunciation Key
n.
Retention of juvenile characteristics in the adults of a species, as among certain amphibians.

---o---


querulous \KWER-uh-luhs; -yuh\, adjective:

1. Apt to find fault; habitually complaining.
2. Expressing complaint; fretful; whining.

---o---

syz,·y,·gy /'s?z?d?i/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [siz-i-jee] Show IPA
-noun, plural -gies.

1. Astronomy. an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and either the moon or a planet: Syzygy in the sun-earth-moon system occurs at the time of full moon and new moon.
2. Classical Prosody. a group or combination of two feet, sometimes restricted to a combination of two feet of different kinds.
3. any two related things, either alike or opposite.

---o---

ineffable \in-EF-uh-buhl\, adjective:

1. Incapable of being expressed in words; unspeakable; unutterable; indescribable.
2. Not to be uttered; taboo.


Ineffable is from Latin ineffabilis, from in-, "not" + effabilis, "utterable," from effari, "to utter," from ex-, "out" + fari, "to speak."

---o---

logorrhea \law-guh-REE-uh\, noun:

1. Pathologically incoherent, repetitious speech.
2. Incessant or compulsive talkativeness; wearisome volubility.


Logorrhea is derived from Greek logos, "word" + rhein, "to flow."

---o---

desultory \DES-uhl-tor-ee\, adjective:

1. Jumping or passing from one thing or subject to another without order or rational connection; disconnected; aimless.
2. By the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject.
3. Coming disconnectedly or occurring haphazardly; random.
4. Disappointing in performance or progress.


Desultory comes from Latin desultorius, from desultor, "a leaper," from the past participle of desilire, "to leap down," from de-, "down from" + salire, "to leap."

(With this one and the two words above, I couldn't help but think of deluxe.)
---o---

crapulous \KRAP-yuh-lus\, adjective:

1. Given to or characterized by gross excess in drinking or eating.
2. Suffering from or due to such excess.

Crapulous is from Late Latin crapulosus, from Latin crapula, from Greek kraipale, drunkenness and its consequences, nausea, sickness, and headache.


---o---


fatuous \FACH-oo-uhs\, adjective:

1. Inanely foolish and unintelligent; stupid.
2. Illusory; delusive.


Fatuous comes from Latin fatuus, "foolish, idiotic, silly."

(Yeah... again.)
---o---

ratiocination \rash-ee-ah-suh-NAY-shun; rash-ee-oh-\, noun:

The process of logical reasoning.


Ratiocination is from Latin rationcinatio, from ratiocinari, "to compute, to calculate, to reason," from ratio, "reckoning, calculation, reason," from reri, "to reckon, to think."

---o---

cogitate \KOJ-uh-tayt\, intransitive verb:

1. To think deeply or intently; to ponder; to meditate.
2. To think about; to ponder on; to meditate upon; to plan or plot.


Cogitate comes from Latin cogitare, "to turn over in one's mind, to reflect, to think, to consider," from co- + agitare, "to put in constant motion, to drive about," from agere, "to drive." It is related to agitate.



---o---

recalcitrant \rih-KAL-sih-truhnt\, adjective:

Stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority or restraint.

Recalcitrant derives from Latin recalcitrare, "to kick back," from re-, "back" + calcitrare, "to strike with the heel, to kick," from calx, calc-, "the heel."

---o---

doff \DOF\, transitive verb:

1. To take off, as an article of clothing.
2. To tip or remove (one's hat).
3. To put aside; to rid oneself of.

Doff Middle English doffen, from don off, "to do off," from don, "to do" + off, "off."


---o---

collude \kuh-LOOD\, intransitive verb:

To act in concert; to conspire; to plot.

Collude derives from Latin colludere, from con-, "together" + ludere, "to play."


---o---

gregarious \grih-GAIR-ee-us\, adjective:

1. Tending to form a group with others of the same kind.
2. Seeking and enjoying the company of others.

Gregarious is from Latin gregarius, "belonging to a herd or flock," from grex, greg-, "herd, flock."


---o---


eructation \ih-ruhk-TAY-shuhn\, noun:

The act of belching; a belch.

Eructation comes from Latin eructatio, from eructare, from e-, "out" + ructare, "to belch."

---o---

solecism\SOL-uh-siz-uhm\ , noun;

1. A nonstandard usage or grammatical construction; also, a minor blunder in speech.
2. A breach of good manners or etiquette.
3. Any inconsistency, mistake, or impropriety.

Solecism comes from Latin soloecismus, from Greek soloikizein, "to speak incorrectly," from soloikos, "speaking incorrectly," literally, "an inhabitant of Soloi," a city in ancient Cilicia where a dialect regarded as substandard was spoken.


---o---
impecunious \im-pih-KYOO-nee-uhs\, adjective:

Not having money; habitually without money; poor.

Impecunious is derived from Latin im-, in-, "not" + pecuniosus, "rich," from pecunia, "property in cattle, hence money," from pecu, "livestock."


---o---


neologism \nee-OLL-uh-jiz-um\, noun:

1. A new word or expression.
2. A new use of a word or expression.
3. The use or creation of new words or expressions.
4. (Psychiatry) An invented, meaningless word used by a person with a psychiatric disorder.
5. (Theology) A new view or interpretation of a scripture.


The French word neologisme, from which the English is borrowed, is made up of the elements neo-, "new" + log-, "word" + -isme, -ism (all of which are derived from Greek).

---o---

omnific \om-NIF-ik\, adjective:

Creating all things; having unlimited powers of creation.

Omnific also occurs as omnificent and ominificence, a noun.


(Aha! A new "omni" word to use for God!)
---o---

eristic \e-RIS-tik\, adjective:

1. Pertaining to controversy or disputation; controversial.
2. Of argument for the sole purpose of winning, regardless of the reason.

noun:
1. Argument for the sole purpose of winning, regardless of the reason.
2. The art of disputation.

Eristic relates both to Eris, the Greek goddess of strife, as well as what Plato called eristic dialogue, a type of discourse with no reasonable goal beyond winning the argument.


---o---


acedia \uh-SEE-dee-uh\, noun:

1. Sloth.
2. Laziness or indifference in religious matters.

Acedia is a simple derivation from the Greek akedeia, "indifference."

---o---

philogyny \fi-LOJ-uh-nee\, noun:
Love of or liking for women (opposite of misogyny.)

Philogyny combines two Greek roots: philo, "love," and gyn, "woman."

---o---


impedimenta \im-ped-uh-MEN-tuh\, noun:
Baggage or other things that retard one's progress.
Impedimenta relates to the Latin impedire, literally "to shackle one's feet."


---o---

mussitate \MUHS-i-teyt\, verb:

To silently move the lips in simulation of audible speech.

"Oh, Anu, I never thought to see you again," he mussitates. (I have appeared to him in my original form.)
-- Dan Wick, The Devil's Tale
Mussitate comes from the Latin mussitare, "speak indistinctly." Mutter shares the same roots.


---o---

nympholepsy \NIM-fuh-lep-see\, noun:

1. A frenzy of emotion, as for something unattainable.
2. An ecstasy supposed by the ancients to be inspired by nymphs.


Nympholepsy stems from the Greeknympholeptos, "caught by nymphs."


---o---

idioglossia \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.

Idioglossia combines the Greek roots idio-, "particular to one," and gloss-, "tongue."


---o---

ambisinister \am-bi-SIN-uh-ster\, adjective:

Clumsy or unskillful with both hands.

Ambisinister is a combination of the Latin roots Ambi-, "both," and sinister, "to the left side."

---o---

confute \kuhn-FYOOT\, transitive verb:

To overwhelm by argument; to refute conclusively; to prove or show to be false.

Confute is from Latin confutare, "to check the boiling of a liquid; to put down; to silence."


---o---

Mudita, a Buddhist concept meaning "sympathetic joy" or "happiness in another's good fortune", is perhaps the exact opposite of Schadenfreude.

---o---

prolix \pro-LIKS; PRO-liks\, adjective:

1. Extending to a great length; unnecessarily long; wordy.
2. Tending to speak or write at excessive length.

Prolix is derived from Latin prolixus, "poured forth, overflowing, extended, long," from pro-, "forward" + liquere, "to be fluid."


---o---

oppugn \uh-PYOON\, verb:

1. To assail by criticism, argument, or action.
2. To call in question; dispute.

Oppugn is born from the combination the Latin op-, "to oppose, attack," and pugnare, "to fight," similar to pugilsim.



---o---
aporia \uh-PAWR-ee-uh\, noun:

1. Difficulty determining the truth of an idea due to equally valid arguments for and against it.
2. In rhetoric, the expression of a simulated or real doubt, as about where to begin or what to do or say.

Aporia derives from the Greek roots aporos, "impassable," and -ia, "the state or condition."


---o---

futilitarian \fyoo-til-i-TAIR-ee-uhn\, adjective:

Believing that human hopes are vain and unjustified.


Futilitarian is a satirical coinage from the 1820s combining "futility" and "utilitarian."

---o---

melismatic \mi-liz-MA-tik\, adjective:

Characterized by the singing of several notes to one syllable of text, for emotional impact, as in blues and other musical styles.


Melismatic finds its source in the Greek melisma, "music."

---o---

anoesis \an-oh-EE-sis\, noun:

A state of mind consisting of pure sensation or emotion without cognitive content.

Anoesis is derived from the Greek word noesis meaning reason or intellect and the prefix a- meaning not. Thus it means, no reason.

---o---


Hmm, long post. Looks like I had more than a couple.

 

[Prolescum]

impecunious

:lol: I haven't seen that one in years!

 

[Gnug215]

impecunious

:lol: I haven't seen that one in years!

Heh, I knew about "pecuniary", but I did not know there was an "im" version of it.