Word of the Week 10

Plas∙ti∙na∙tion \ ‘plas-ti-nā-shən\ n:

A technique used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts. Water and fats are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not decay, and even retain most properties of the original sample. [1]

Where first seen or heard: The Buffalo News [2]

When: July 9, 2009

Usage in a sentence: “Last week, my family and I visited Bodies: The Exhibition (New York, NY), where the exhibits are all preserved using plastination.”

(http://www.boostermps.com/blog/uploaded_images/plastination2-703537.jpg)

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastination

[2] http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/728336.html

Word of the Week 9

Vu∙vu∙ze∙la \ ‘vü- vü-ze-lä\ n:

A Zulu term for a blowing horn, about a meter in length, commonly used in soccer matches in South Africa [1]

Where first seen or heard: BBC Sport: Brazil vs. South Africa [2]

When: June 25, 2009

Usage in a sentence: “To me, the most annoying noisemakers in sports are the air horn, the thunder stick, and the vuvuzela.”

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vuvuzela

[2] http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8115181.stm

Word of the Week 8

Tchotch∙ke \ ‘chäch-kə, tsäts-\ n:

1. A Yiddish word for trinkets, derived from a Slavic word for “toys”. [1], [2]
2. Connotation for worthlessness or disposability, as well as tackiness. [2]

Where first seen or heard: NFT: Not for Tourists Guide to NEW YORK CITY

When: June 23, 2009

Usage in a sentence: “Tourists may be attracted to the numerous tchotchke shops in the Washington Square and Times Square neighborhoods of Manhattan, New York City.”

(http://www.archimuse.com/mw2005/papers/drake/drake4.jpg)

[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tchotchke

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchotchke

Word of the Week 7

Verst \ ‘vərst\ n:

An obsolete Russian unit of length, equal to 500 sazhen, or 0.6629 mile (1.067 kilometer), long. [1],[2]

Where first seen or heard: The Eight by Katherine Neville

When: June 16, 2009

Usage in a sentence: “Tomorrow, I’ll run over 9 verst around my neighborhood.”

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verst

[2] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verst

Word of the Week 6

Ki∙a∙su \ kiaⁿ-su\ n:

1. Afraid to lose out to others. Always wanting the upper hand or something for free. [1]

2. Literally “fear of losing” (Hokkien, Mandarin). [2]

Where first seen or heard: Singapore

When: Early 2005

Usage in a sentence: “Sometimes I think Singaporeans will appreciate the kiasu approach of Long Islanders when it comes to driving- cutting off people, running red lights, driving on the shoulder, driving without lights on in the rain, driving with high beams, anything to get to their destination faster- of course without the rule-breaking.”

[1] An Essential Guide to Singlish. Singapore: Gartbooks, 2003.

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiasu

Word of the Week 5

Men∙hir \ ‘men-,hir\ n:

a single upright rough monolith usually of prehistoric origin. [1]

Where first seen or heard: The Adventures of Asterix (series of comic strips)

When: Mid-1990s

Usage in a sentence: “Jawaad fondly remembered Obelix tossing a menhir or two at the Romans when the word came up in the National Spelling Bee.”

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjtyKc65K_1wihTWYlOQMVHUzYtM_8F6aIrjo8TI0r4Qu8ObIMExPRrw0StJSyEzmMkmhor2MZhDcqv4SQVvDKQwdBqTEXY1gN5LfwUsb3WdRYrAhV7kOBsdEHnx5-Uq3LD4kC2WXeg/s1600-h/obelixgif)

[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menhir

Word of the Week 4

Ax∙o∙lotl \ ak-sə-,lä-t^əl \ n:

Any of several salamanders of mountain lakes of Mexico and the western United States that live and breed in larval form without metamorphosing. [1]

Where first seen or heard: Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee

When: May 28^th, 2009

Usage in a sentence: “That axolotl is one cute-looking amphibian.”

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GR-vGwEqPuyS4GiBX92zOq_gyhwrvLL3g7IrwtjUHZ7rVN9284xQaRNuf5WpMaHgn-AX3A_5xHaQGnXwRIEuYEHJefUtKamc33e-35-WJyhl2ysm_FK9tA8T2GyEEFzNXckArRpRsyo/s400/axolotl.jpg)

[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axolotl

Word of the Week 3

Cam∙ber \ kam'bər \ n:

1. A slight convex curve of a surface, as of a road, ship’s deck, or a beam. Sometimes referred to the cant of a surface.
2. In automotive wheel alignment, a slight tilt given to each of a pair of wheels on an axle. [1]

Where first seen or heard: Complete Book of Running [2]

When: May 18^th, 2009

Usage in a sentence: “Be careful when you drive in residential neighborhoods, or the streets’ camber will cause you to jump the curb and wreck someone’s lawn.”

[1] http://www.yourdictionary.com/camber

[2] Burfoot, Amby, ed. Complete Book of Running. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2004.

Word of the Week 2

Ho∙mun∙cu∙lus \ hō-mŭng'kyə-ləs \ n:

1. A diminutive human
2. A miniature fully formed individual which adherents of the early biological theory of preformation believed to be present in the sperm cell. [1]
3. In neuroscience, a distorted human figure to represent various body parts’ usage of the cerebral cortex. Also known as the ‘little man inside the brain.’ [2],[3]

Where first seen or heard: From Nabeel, my baby brother

When: May 14th, 2009

Usage in a sentence: “If you have an Extra Sour Warhead, your homunculus would have a really enormous tongue.”

(http://www.juergenhaenggi.ch/Bilder/Homunculus.png)

[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/homunculus

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homunculus

[3] http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/flash/hom.html

Word of the Week 1

Car∙bo-load∙ing \ ‘kärbō-lōdiŋ \ n : a strategy employed by endurance athletes such as marathon runners to maximize the storage of glycogen in the muscles [1], and involves the decreasing of activity and increasing of carbohydrate consumption to about 70% of daily calorie intake about 3 to 4 days before the event [2].

Where first seen or heard: MarathonRookie.com’s Half Marathon Training for Beginners [3]

When: May 2^nd, 2009

Usage in a sentence: “About 4 days before the Buffalo Half Marathon, Jawaad is going to reduce his runs to about 2 miles each and begin carbo-loading.”

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate_loading. Accessed May 7, 2009.
[2] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/carbohydrate-loading/MY00223. Accessed May 7, 2009.
[3] http://www.marathonrookie.com/half-marathon-training.html. Accessed May 2, 2009.