Word of the Day – O – Page 4

Word of the Day: OPIPAROUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin opiparus (richly furnished, sumptuous),
from opem (wealth, means) + parāre (to prepare, furnish, equip) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“…With sweet odours and perfumes, generous wines, opiparous fare, &c., besides the gallantest young men, the fairest virgins, puellae scitulae ministrantes, the rarest beauties the world could afford, and those set out with costly and curious attires…”

From: The Anatomy of Melancholy
By Democritus Junior (Robert Burton)
The Cure of Melancholy. Memb. IV. Exercise Rectified of Body and Mind

Word of the Day: OBACERATE

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin obacerat-, past participial stem of obacerāre (to contradict),
probably from ob- (ob-) + a second element of uncertain origin

EXAMPLE
He coughed loudly in the hopes of obacerating the hysterical, babbling woman.

Word of the Day: OBGANIATE

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin obgannire (to speak menacingly, to mutter or growl) + -ate

EXAMPLE
As the night went on, and the more wine she consumed, she started to ramble and obganiate herself.

Word of the Day: OPIFEROUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin opifer (help-bringing),
from opem (help) + -fer

EXAMPLE
“…I heard that a hardy little band tried to read it through , but fell asleep after having read the opiferous leaves of the first chapter . I speak not of the puffs , profusely given to it by generous friends , interested or stipended parties…”

From: Critical Dialogue Between Aboo and Caboo On A New Book:
Or A Grandissime Ascension
Edited by E. Junius (A.E. Rouquette), 1880

Word of the Day: ORAFLE

ETYMOLOGY
from Old French orafle (giraffe),
from Arabic zarāfa , zurāfa (giraffe)

EXAMPLE
“…Þere also be many bestes þat ben clept Orafles, In Arabye þei ben clept Gerfauntz, þat is a best pomelee or spotted…”

From: Mandeville’s Travels, a1425
Edited by Paul Hamelius, 1919

Word of the Day: OPERATORIOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin operatorius (creating, forming) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“…For no Lesse are they effectuall to transubstantiate the cup, then their wordes spoken of the bread are operatorius & myghty to transubstātiate the bread. For as they say of the bread, Thys is my body, so say they of the Cup, This cup is the new testament…”

From: Two Notable Sermons
By John Bradford, 1574

Word of the Day: OVERSLOP

ETYMOLOGY
Old English oferslop (in Old Norse yfirsloppr),
from over- + slop (a smock)

EXAMPLE
“…By cause of which men sholde hym reuerence
That of his worshipe rekketh he so lite
His ouerslope nys nat worth a myte
As in effect to hym / so moot I go
It is al baudy and to-tore also…”

From: Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale
By: Geoffrey Chaucer, c1395

Word of the Day: OCCISE

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin occīs-, past participial stem of occidere (to kill)

EXAMPLE
“…[ ] was vmquhile to vtheris done disprise
Witnes, Acteon quhome that je gart occise,
With his awin doggis quhair je him haistelie
Conuertit in ane Hart throw jour fantice…”

From: Ane treatise callit the court of Venus
– John Rolland, 1575

Word of the Day: OSTREOPHAGOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin ostrea (oyster) + -o- connective + -phagous (combining form, feeding on a specified kind of food)

EXAMPLE
“…A great advantage to the ostreophagous part of our population…”

From: Daily News (London), February 17, 1882

Word of the Day: OPINANT

ETYMOLOGY
from opine + -ant,
possibly from French opinant (someone who gives an opinion in a deliberation)

EXAMPLE
“…The opinions differ pretty much according to the nature of the opinants. I say the Duke and Tom could have held out, that they meant to hold out, that they did hold out, and that there has been fistifying enough…”

From: Roundabout Papers.
On Some Late Great Victories
By William Makepeace Thackeray, 1860