As a self-confessed book geek and a linguist enthusiast, I have a real passion for all things lexicon! One of the many things which always makes me smile is learning new words and being able to use them in a sentence. I’ve always believed I am a little strange when it comes to discourse. I often find myself having a certain word stuck in my head for an entire day. No reason why and no commonalities between the words but it is always there in my head for that day, going round and round like a Catherine wheel. I also occasionally see words when I am speaking which I think is down to my obsession with spelling and being able to spell every word possible correctly. It is one of my lifetime ambitions. I believe that words are almost burnt in my brain so I am able to visualise them whenever they come in to my head.
So I wanted to post an entry to my blog to share some wonderful words which you may not have ever heard of and almost certainly will never have used. They have been compiled from a variety of different sources and over a number of years and I hope they give you as much joy as they did for me.
Rivulose – adjective – marked by many narrow and crooked lines. Sinewy in appearance.
This word is Latin in origin and is linked to the word ‘rivulet’ which when you consider the image of a rivulet, would make sense.
Bibliophile – noun – a lover or collector of books.
‘phile’ meaning to have a love or fondness of something and ‘biblio’ deriving from the Latin meaning ‘book’.
Apiculate – adjective – ending in a sharp point.
Often used by botanists when referring to plants. Basically sounds better than ‘quite pointy’.
Hedonism – noun – The pursuit of pleasure and self-indulgence.
Acquiesce – verb – The act of agreeing to do something either verbally or in writing. I chose this word purely for the way it is spelt.
Facetious – adjective – To be cheeky, rude or impolite to someone.
Oxymoron – noun – 2 words or a phrase which are used together but directly contradict one another (therefore makes no sense!) e.g ‘We can be alone together’
Mellifluous – adjective – Used when describing a sound that is pleasant to hear.
Nefarious – adjective – wicked, dastardly.
Petrichor – noun – Ever wondered what that smell is after it has been particularly dry and then it rains? Well, wonder no more. It is an earthy, damp smell that is known as ‘petrichor’.
Vellichor – noun – The strange wistfulness aroused when entering used bookshops.
Bookish-Night-Owl