by Dictionary Scoop Give it a bit of time, and even the tiniest, most obscure corner of human knowledge will develop its own terminology. And the biggest generator of a specific lexicon in the world is science. Stepping into the realm of scientific discovery, we encounter a captivating linguistic landscape adorned with unusual …
Category Archives: dictionary
Savoring Food Words From Merriam-Webster
by Kevin Burton After last week’s posts about the Food Network, we set the table once more with words about food from our friends at Merriam-Webster dictionary. I have heard the chefs on TV drop some of these words, but other words on the list sound more like Roman or Jewish names from …
Getaway Day, Glorious Beyond (These) Words
by Kevin Burton It takes a little work to make a vacation happen doesn’t it? You don’t just up and go. You have to make sure everything is taken care of. Animals, if you have them. The homestead. Plus you have to arrange for accommodations on the road. But there comes a …
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That’s More Like It!, Real Scrabble Strategy
by Kevin Burton My mom and I have played a lot of Scrabble over the years. Neither of us pursued victory by waiting around for jawbreaker words such as the one ones featured in yesterday’s Scrabble post. Muzjiks? Bezique? Quetzal? Let me know when you get those sets of letters on your rack! …
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Interesting But Hard-To-Play Scrabble Words
by Kevin Burton As usual, Dictionary Scoop has an interesting list today. But this one has next to no value. It’s a list of the biggest, bangiest Scrabble words. The words that if successfully deployed, would bring the highest scores. But your chances of ever having these exact letters on your board …
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Twelve Legal Terms Everyone Should Know
by Dictionary Scoop If you have ever been befuddled by a legal term in a conversation, a document, TV, or elsewhere, you are certainly not alone. The law has a certain way with words and it can be tricky for the layman to fully understand their meaning. This article serves as a humble …
Plant Names That Sound Like Insults
by Kevin Burton If you’re not good at gardening, you can say that you have a “brown thumb.” You can say it, I won’t. Yes the antonym of “green thumb” which speaks to people who are good at gardening is “brown thumb.” But that sounds much worse than it needs to, so I’ll …
The Weird, Wacky Words Of The Wild West
by Dictionary Scoop Cowboys in the Old West not only tamed the inhospitable land, but they also forged their own language. They created unrefined similes and metaphors, broke the rules of grammar, flooded figures of speech with humor, and made a verb out of anything. In this article, we review 12 expressions we …
False Cognates Are Language Landmines
by Dictionary Scoop Ever encountered a word in another language that seemed familiar but left you confused? False cognates—words that appear similar but have unrelated meanings—are the culprits. These false friends can sometimes lead to hilarious or embarrassing misunderstandings, especially for language learners. Here are ten examples that demonstrate just how deceptive languages …
Words Whose Standard Spelling Has Changed
by Dictionary Scoop Just as a river constantly flows yet maintains its continuity, languages change and evolve over time. Words can shift in spelling, alter their meanings, or branch into entirely new concepts while retaining the essence that once defined them. Even in modern times, with dictionaries and education standardizing pronunciations and definitions, notable differences …
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