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SELFCIDE NOUN an act of killing oneself; suicide ...1692 obs. ETYMOLOGY from self- + -cide (forming nouns with the sense ‘the killing of the person, animal, etc.)’, as an alteration of suicide FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1692 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...The author several times saith that the law of nature is the law of God, and yet all wickedness is lawful by the law of nature. - That no Homicide, or Selfcide, or Fratricide, or Patricide is against the law of nature. If so, 'tis a wise law thar forbids nothing. Also that there must be a law of God winking at most unnatural impieties..." From: Athenae Oxonienses. An Exact History of All the Writers and Bishops, Who have had their Education in The most ancient and famous University of Oxford, From the Fifteenth Year of King Henry the Seventh, Dom. 1500, to the End of the Year 1690 By Anthony Wood
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JONNOP NOUN a policeman ...1938 Aust. sl. ETYMOLOGY a contraction of John Hop (a male police officer [rhyming slang for 'cop']) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1938 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Anyway, a sneakin' coot of a police-boy stationed at the the Compound got to hear of it and told the jonnops. You see, at the Compound, they was callin' this lubra Missus Constantinople, same's they do when a lubra's got a whiteman playin' round with her, y' know. Well, the jonnops come along..." From: Capricornia - Xavier Herbert PODSNAPPIAN ADJ. relating to, or characteristic of Dickens's Mr. Podsnap; complacent, self-satisfied, blinkered, narrow-minded ...1866 ETYMOLOGY from the name of John Podsnap (a character in Charles Dickens' Our Mutual Friend (1865), known for his complacency and refusal to face up to unpleasant facts) + -ian FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1866 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...With Podsnappian dislike of improprieties, they fear lest it should "bring a blush to the cheek of a young person," and hence demand that the very existence of this class of crimes should be ignored in fiction as well as in every-day life..." From: The Galaxy. An Illustrated Magazine of Entertaining Reading. September 1, 1866, to December 15, 1866 The Seventh Commandment in Modern Fiction - W.L. Alden NOCIBLE ADJ. harmful, hurtful, injurious ...1490 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from Latin nocibilis (2nd–3rd century), from Latin nocēre (to hurt, injure), + -bilis (-ble) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1490 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...And no thynge there ys soo gretely greuable. but that it is alle ynoughe facylle vnto her to be experymented for the entreteynynge of her loue wherinne she myghte be deceyued for the grete serche that she doeth wythoute ceasse for to eschew alle thynges that in this caas myghte be nocible and contrarye to her..." From: Here fynyssheth the boke yf Eneydos, compyled by Vyrgyle, which hathe be translated oute of latyne in to frenshe, and oute of frenshe reduced in to Englysshe by me Wyllm Caxton, the xxij. daye of Iuyn. the yere of our lorde. M.iiij.Clxxxx. The fythe yere of the regne of kynge Henry the seuenth — Boke of Eneydos - William Caxton CHARGEOUS ADJ. 1. burdensome; expensive, costly; troublesome, severe, oppressive ...1380 obs. 2. of the nature of a load; onerous, heavy ...a1382 obs. ETYMOLOGY from Anglo-Norman chargeous, -jous = Old French chargeus, from Romance type cargoso, from carga (charge) + -ous FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1380 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "... Suppose we þat þes newe ordris, stondinge alle þes olde ordris, ben chargious to þe Chirche in worldli goodis þat þei dispenden. For noumbre of preestis brouȝt in bi Crist was sufficient for Cristis hous, and for þe same hous ben now moo and worse..." From: Select Works of John Wyclif EFFOCATE VERB to choke, to strangle ...1656 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from Latin effōcāt- ppl. stem of effōcāre, from ex (out) + faux (throat) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1656 - Effocate, to choak, or strangle From: Glossographia; or, A dictionary interpreting all such hard words, whether Hebrew, Greek or Latin - Thomas Blount INGROTEN VERB to cram with food or drink, to glut, to devour ...c1440 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from in- + groten (vb. to glut) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE c1440 - GROTON, or ingroton wythe mete or drynke (grotyyn, or ingrotyyn, K.) Ingurgito From: Promptorium Parvulorum Sive Clericorum Edited by Albert Way WANKLY ADJ. weak, feeble, frail, delicate, shaky from weakness; unstable, wobbly, tottering; unsteady, not to be relied upon, precarious ...1795 rare, chiefly Eng. dial. ETYMOLOGY from wankle (adj. unsteady, insecure, precarious; unstable, wobbly; changeable, unsettled; inconstant, fickle, not to be relied on) + -y FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1795 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...I am a widow woman, at your service, Sir, (curtsey) buried my husband, (curtsey) about six weeks ago, (curtsey) - an ailing man, Sir, (curtsey) - always weak and wankly, (curtsey) - Could do nothing for many ears, Sir..." From: Gleanings Through Wales, Holland, and Westphalia: With Views of Peace and War at Home and Abroad - Mr. Pratt (Samuel Jackson) UNAVISY ADJ. not well-advised, imprudent ...c1420 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from un- + avisy (advisee obs. adj. well-advised, prudent) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE c1420 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...chese þe sadnesse of an alde wyse man̛ than̛ þe vnavesy lightenesse of ȝonge men̛. For ȝong men̛ often tymes traystand̛ to mekiƚƚ in thaire awenn̛ doghtynes thurgh þaire awen̛ foly ere mescheued̛..." From: Prose Life of Alexander (a Middle English prose romance, found in the mid-fifteenth century Lincoln Thornton Manuscript. Edited by J.S. Westlake for the Early English Text Society) FEMALIZE VERB to become effeminate or unmanly; to make feminine or female ...1674 obs. ETYMOLOGY from female (adj.) + ize FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1674 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Leon. Fie! fie! I hate you now — I must be coy, Though he's sharp set, too easie Love will cloy: Men are so Femaliz'd, so idle grown, They court the Coy, and slight what may be won..." From: The Spanish Rogue - Thomas Duffett ROSICAL ADJ. resembling a rose in colour; rosy ...1631 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY of uncertain origin; possibly an error for rosiall at roseal (adj.), or from rose (n. the flower) + -ical FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1631 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Oh most diuine Angellica, Natures sole wonder, thou excellent ornament of Beauty, thy louely Face painted with a crimson die, thy rosicall Chéekes surpassing Snow in whitenesse, thy decent Necke like purest Iuory, hath like a Fowlers net intangled my yéelding heart: whereby it is for euermore imprisoned in thy breast..." From: The Most Pleasant History of Tom a Lincolne: That Renowned Souldier, the Red-rose Knight, who for his Valour and Chivalry, was Surnamed the Boast of England. Shewing his honourable victories in Forraigne Countries, with his Strange Fortunes in the Fayrie Land - Richard Johnson TRANQUILLOUS ADJ. free from agitation or disturbance; tranquil, calm, serene, placid, quiet, still, peaceful ...1638 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from Latin tranquillus (tranquil adj.) + -ous FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1638 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Then out of doores with Tarquin, what's he that may fit in a calme valley, and will chuse to repose in a tempestuous mountaine, but a mad-man? that may live in tranquillous pleasures, and will seek out a kingdomes cares, but a mad-man? who would seek innovation in a Common-wealth in publike..." From: The Dramatic Works of Thomas Heywood (1874) The Rape of Lucrece - Thomas Heywood HIDDY ADJ. 1. (also HIDDIE) lofty, towering ...1632 obs. 2. drunk ...1989 US college sl. VERB to hide ...Bk1888 Eng. dial. ETYMOLOGY (for adj. 1) possibly a variant of heady (adj. of such great height as to make one giddy) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1632 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...We once were Trojans, once this was faire Troy, And Trojans grace: now angrie Iove our joy Gives to the Greeks: Greeks lord it over us, Out citie fir'd, we most calamitous. The hiddie horse standing within our town, Hath armed men disgorg'd: fire up and down Sinon triumphant throws: some strongly stand To keep our gates wide ope:ne're did our land..." From: The XII Aeneids of Virgil, the most renowned Laureat-pince of Latine-poets; translated into English deca-syllables, by Iohn Vicars MATAEOLOGIAN also MATEOLOGIAN NOUN one who discourses or speculates vainly or fruitlessly; one who indulges in nonsense; an empty talker ...1653 rare ETYMOLOGY from Middle French mateologien (vain discourser) from ancient Greek ματαιολόγος (adj. talking at random); from ancient Greek μάταιος (vain) + -λόγος (speaking) + French -ien (ian) probably after théologien (theologian) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1653 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Then he said to Grangousier, Do you see this young boy? he is not as yet full twelve yeares old; let us try (if it please you) what difference there is betwixt the knowledge of the doting Mateologians of old time, and the young lads that are now. The trial pleased Grangousier, and he commanded the Page to begin..." From: The First book of the Works of Mr. Francis Rabelais - Translated by Thomas Urquhart SWADDISH ADJ. clownish, loutish ...1593 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from swad (n. a country bumpkin; a clodhopper; a loutish or clownish fellow) + -ish FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1593 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Nash, Nash, Nash, (quoth a louer of truth, and honesty) vaine Nash, railing Nash, craking Nash, bibbing Nash, baggage Nash, swaddish Nash, rogish Nash, Nash the bellweather of the scribling flocke, the swishswash of the presse, the bumm of Impudēcy, the shambles of beastlines, the poulkat of Pouls-churchyard, the shrichowle of London, the toade-stoole of the Realme, the scorning-stocke of the world, & the horrible Cōfuter of foure Letters..." From: Pierces Supererogation Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse - Gabriel Harvey ESCULENT ADJ. suitable for food, eatable ...1626 NOUN anything that is eatable or fit for food; especially, vegetables ...1633 ETYMOLOGY from Latin esculentus (fit for eating, good to eat), from esca (food) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1626 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...But a Number of Herbs are not Esculent at all; As Worme-Wood, Grasse, Greene-Corne, Century, Hyssope, Lavender, Balme, &c. The Causes are, for that, the Herbs, that are not Esculent, doe want the two Tastes, in which Nourishment resteth..." From: Sylva Sylvarum, Or, A Naturall Historie: In Ten Centuries - Francis Bacon PENDILATORY ADJ. pendulous, dangling ...1653 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from French pendiller (to dangle, to hang) + -atory FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1653 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...I have seen above five hundred hanged, but I never saw any have a better countenance in his dangling and pendilatory swagging; truly if I had so good a one, I would willingly hang thus all my life-time;..." From: The First Book of the Works of Mr. Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick - François Rabelais BOBADIL NOUN a blustering braggart who pretends to prowess; a swaggering boaster ...1771 ETYMOLOGY from the the name of Bobadil, a boastful character in Ben Jonson's Every Man in his Humor FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1771 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Stay, stay, my good Bobadil, I have not done with you yet; let me just hint to you, that you have no more title to sense and understanding, than you have to real spirit and courage..." From: Newmarket: Or, An Essay on the Turf: Containing, Amongst Other Grave and Weighty Matters, a Parallel ... between Newmarket Races, and the Olympic Games... By Philip Parsons LOGOMANIAC NOUN a person who is insanely interested in words ...1870 ETYMOLOGY from Greek λόγος (word) + maniac FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1870 - see EXAMPLE BELOW EXAMPLE "...We have outgrown the customs of those logo-maniacs, or word-worshippers, whom old Ralph Cudworth, in his True Intellectual System of the Universe, p. 67, seems to have had in view, when he affirms, "that they could not make a Rational Discourse of anything, though never so small, but they must stuff it with their Quiddities, Entities, Essences, Haecceities, and the like..." From: Shakespeare and the Emblem Writers: An Exposition of Their Similarities of Thought and Expression: preceded by a view of emblem-literature down to A.D. 1616 - Henry Green DIRITY NOUN direness, dreadfulness, terribleness, cruelty ...1586 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from Latin dīritās (fearfulness, frightfulness, dire event) from dīrus (fell, dreadful, dismal, mournful) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1586 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...as if, how merciful soever God be in remitting, pardoning, forgiving all their transgressions, nevertheless so unappeasable is the rigour and dirity of his corrective justice, that till transgressors have endured, either in this world or another, vexation proportionable unto the pleasure..." From: The Works of Richard Hooker A Learned Sermon of The Nature of Pride - Richard Hooker |
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