art – Comes from a base word meaning “put together”; its original general meaning referred to any kind of skill. More…
deipnosophist – If you are skilled at table talk, you are a deipnosophist. More…
kung fu – From Chinese words translating to “merit master” or “one who is highly skilled.” More…
linguished – Means “skilled in languages.” More…
mechanical pencil – Pushes graphite out by a mechanism such as a spring or a screw. More…
pinwheel – Originally a mechanism in a clock. More…
gadget – May come from French gachette, which is or has been applied to various pieces of mechanism, or from Gaget, the person who created the first so-called gadgets—miniature Statues of Liberty sold in Paris—or from a Navy term for a tool or mechanical device for which one could not recall the name. More…
rack, pinion – Rack is the linear gear and pinion is the circular gear in a mechanism. More…
fingerfull – A pinch or small quantity. More…
quantulum – A small quantity. More…
dreg – A small remnant or a small quantity. More…
dribs and drabs – First recorded in the 19th century; both of the words mean “small quantity or amount,” making this an emphatic phrase. More…
obstriction – An obligation. More…
convert into, convert to – Convert into means to change from one thing to another; convert to means to switch allegiance, loyalty, or obligation. More…
delinquent – Literally “completely having left” one’s duty or obligation. More…
likely, liable – Use likely if you mean “probable, expected”; use liable if you mean “bound by law or obligation.” More…
boscage – A mass of growing trees or shrubs—or a depiction of a wooded landscape. More…
nature strip – An area of grass beside a roadway, possibly with a few trees or shrubs, lying between the footpath part and the roadway proper. More…
balm, balsam – Greek balsamon is the source of both balm and balsam; it was an oily resin of various trees and shrubs. More…
topiary – Describing shrubs and trees that are trimmed, it is derived from Latin topiarius, “ornamental gardener.” More…
disquisition – A diligent or systematic search, a thorough investigation or research. More…
primary source – A direct source of information or research, a document not emended by a third party. More…
secondary source – Information or research that is derivative, such as a comment by a historian, an encyclopedia article, or a critical essay. More…
Rh factor – Named for the rhesus monkeys used in research to identify blood types. More…
runcible spoon – A three-pronged fork curved like a spoon and used as a serving utensil. More…
cochleare – A spoon or spoonful of a medical prescription. More…
spoon bread – Soft cornbread served with a spoon; it is also called egg bread or butter bread. More…
em dash, en dash – The em dash is the long dash used in punctuation whose length is based on the width of the letter M; the en dash is shorter (the width of an N) and the hyphen is even shorter. More…
punctual – From Latin punctum, “point,” it can mean “pertaining to punctuation,” or “of or relating to a point in space.” More…
square brackets, parentheses, braces – Square brackets were formerly called crotchets, round brackets are commonly called parentheses, and curly brackets are called braces; the punctuation called brackets derives from the bookshelf type, implying that, in writing, these marks “lift up” a section of a sentence. More…
stigmeology – The art of punctuation. More…
joke – Latin jocus, “jest, joke,” gave us joke. More…
ludicrous – Early senses of ludicrous, from the adjective ludic, were “sportive,” “intended as jest” and “spontaneously playful.” More…
juggle, juggler – Juggle is from Latin joculus, a diminutive of jocus, and a juggler was originally a jester. More…
peanut – Takes its name from its resemblance to peas in a pod and has these synonyms: pinda, goober, groundnut, ground pea, earthnut, and monkey nut; “peanut” appeared in the early 19th century. It is not a nut but a legume (pea). More…
pisiform – Shaped like a pea. More…