Definitions

Oct. 7th, 2010 10:28 am
gwynhefar: (Default)
[personal profile] gwynhefar
bast: (n) 1. The inner bark of the lime or linden, which, cut into strips and coarsely plaited, is sold as ‘Russia matting’; also applied generally to flexible fibrous barks, and other similar materials, and in Physiological Botany to all fibres of the same cellular structure.
2. A rope, mat, etc. made of bast.
3. Bastardy
4. Sanctuary, refuge, asylum.



kenaf: (n) The fibre of an Indian plant, Hibiscus cannabinus, used for making ropes and coarse cloth; brown Indian hemp (also ambari hemp); the plant itself.



bagasse: (n) 1. The refuse products in sugar-making, whether from the cane or from beet.
2. A disease of the lungs, due to inhalation of the dust of bagasse.



factotum: (n) 1. In Latin phrases: 'Dominus factotum', used for ‘one who controls everything’, a ruler with uncontrolled power; 'Johannes factotum', a Jack of all trades, a would-be universal genius.
2. One who meddles with everything, a busybody.
3. A man of all-work; also, a servant who has the entire management of his master's affairs.
4. In Printing: An ornamental block having a space in the centre for the insertion of a capital letter of an ordinary fount of type is called a ‘factotum initial’, or more properly a ‘factotum’.



anadiplosis: (n) Reduplication; the beginning of a sentence, line, or clause with the concluding, or any prominent, word of the one preceding.



columbarium: (n) 1. A pigeon-house, dove-cote; a pigeon-hole.
2. In Roman Antiquity: A subterranean sepulchre, having in its walls niches or holes for cinerary urns; also one of these niches or recesses; A similar structure in a modern crematorium.
3. A hole left in a wall for the insertion of the end of a beam.



catholicon: (n) 1. An electuary supposed to be capable of evacuating all humours; a universal remedy or prophylactic; panacea.
2. A universal formula.
3. A comprehensive treatise.

Of course, I can't help thinking it sounds like a convention for Catholic geeks, with panels on translating the Bible into Klingon, and how to make a rosary out of used computer chips.


immanentize: (v) To make immanent: indwelling, inherent; actually present or abiding in; remaining within.



eschaton: (n) The divinely ordained climax of history.

The phrase "immanentize the eschaton" refers to a Catholic term for the sin of most heretic groups who attempt to either create heaven of hell in this world instead of waiting for it in the next.



ontogeny: (n) 1. In Biology: The origin and development of the individual organism; ontogenesis.
2. The branch of science that deals with ontogenesis.



machinima: (n) The practice or technique of producing animated films using the graphics engine from a video game. Also: a film produced in this way; such films as a genre.



tmesis: (n) The separation of the elements of a compound word by the interposition of another word or words. As in, 'abso-fuckin-lutely' - nice to have a name for it, isn't it?



presbyopia: (n) Deterioration of near vision occurring with advancing age, owing to increasing rigidity of the lens of the eye with reduction in the power of accommodation.



autotomy: (n) The casting off or ejection of some part or parts of the body as a reflex action peculiar to some animals when disturbed or in order to escape. Like a lizard detaching its tail to get away.


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