2020 August Vocabulary

+11 words

• diffluent   adjective
  Flowing away or tending to do so, especially apart or in different directions; easily dissolving. From Proto-Indo-European *dwís “in two” + PIE *bhleu- “to swell, well up, overflow”.
• espadrilles   noun
  Traditional rope-soled casual shoes historically worn by peasants in Occitania and Spain. From esparto, the tough grass that the shoes are traditionally woven from. From Proto-Indo-European *spei- “sharp point (especially of a plant)”.
• hebetude   noun
  Mental dullness and lethargy. From Latin hebes “blunt, dull”.
• infelicitious   adjective
  Not appropriate for the occasion; regrettably awkward. From Proto-Indo-European *ne- “not” + PIE *dhe(i)- to “suckle, produce, yield fruits”.
• mamaluke   noun (slang)
  A guy who’s not properly manly; incompetent, dull. Would never survive without the support of his family dragging him up, getting him jobs, and so on. A dumbass—but harmless, not too bad. Every Italian-American family has one. From Arabic mamlūk “slave”.
• maudlin   adjective
  What Tolly is. Mawkishly and effusively sentimental, especially due to drunkenness. (Unfortunately, Tolly can be perfectly sober and maudlin.) French form of Magdalene, reference to Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’s mournful folllowers.
• neurasthetnic   adjective
  Physically and mentally exhausted, with headaches, anxiety, heart palpitations, neuralgia, and depressed mood, associated with stress. From Proto-Indo-European *(s)neuro- “tendon, sinew” + PIE *ne- “not” + Greek sthenos “strength, power, ability, might”.
• obiter dictum   noun
  A passing judicial remark which is not necessary for the decision of the current court case at hand. The opinion may or may not bear persuasion or influence in later cases. Latin phrase meaning “by the way”.
• panache   noun
  What Ansel has in overabundance. Verve and showy, elegant confidence in style and action. From Middle French pennache “tuft of feathers”, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *pet- “to rush, to fly”.
• salutary   adjective
  Beneficial; promoting health. From Proto-Indo-European *sol- “whole, well-kept”.
• theriodic   malignant
  Malignant. No etymologies found.