#11 : Cypher : noun

1. a method of secret writing using substitution or transposition of letters according to a key
2. a secret message
3. the key to a secret message
4. an obsolete name for zero
5. any of the Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, etc, to 9) or the Arabic system of numbering as a whole
6. a person or thing of no importance; nonentity
7. a design consisting of interwoven letters; monogram
8. music a defect in an organ resulting in the continuous sounding of a pipe, the key of which has not been depressed.


verb
1. to put (a message) into secret writing
2. (intr)(of an organ pipe) to sound without having the appropriate key depressed
3. rare to perform (a calculation) arithmetically


Wow that's a lot of definitions! We saw this sign on a walk along the canal today and didn't really know what it meant, so I guess in a way it is a cypher, understandable only to those in the know!

#11 : interpolation : in-tur-puh-LEY-shuhn : noun

1. The act or process of introducing something additional or extraneous between other parts
2. Something interpolated, as a passage introduced into a text.
3. Mathematics. A. The process of determining the value of a function between two points at which is has prescribed values. B. A similar process using more than two points at which the function has prescribed values. C. The process of approximating a given function by using its values at a discrete set of points.


This is from a ma-HOO-sive electronics text book that I was given recently. I have no idea what it's showing because the book is from 1976 so it's all out of date... oh well.

#10 : Fusty : FUHS - tee : adjective

1. Having a stale smell; moldy; musty.
2. Old-fashioned or out-of-date, as architecture, furnishings, or the like.
3. Stubbornly conservative or old-fashioned; fogyish.


Another thing snapped in the JungleLand christmas decorations! Slightly bizarre and definitely old fashioned!

#9 : Adventive : ad-VEN-tiv : adjective

1. Not native and usually not yet well established, as exotic plants or animals.
noun
1. A not native and usually not yet well established plant or animal.


This is a picture of the base of a christmas tree they'd recently put in JungleLand, St. John's Garden Centre, Barnstaple. It doesn't look that well established yet!

#8 : Solatium : soh-LEY-shee-uhm : noun

1. Something given in compensation for inconvenience, loss or injury.

2. Law. Damages awarded to a plaintiff as compensation for personal suffering or grief arising from injury.

This is a difficult word! What on earth?!

Anyway...

:-)

Hiemal : HAHY-uh-muhl : adjective

1. Of or pertaining to winter; wintry.


Happy christmas everyone!


As it's christmas day, I didn't put much effort into this photo and it's somewhat predictable. It's a christmas tree!

:-)

#6 : canticle : KAN-ti-kuhl : noun

1. A song, poem, or hymn especially of praise
2. One of the nonmetrical hymns or chants, chiefly from the bible, used in church services.


I feel like there's a bit of a theme going on with these "word of the day"s... It's a bit like it's Christmas or something.


Anyway, here's today's picture. Fairly unimaginative again but it's been a busy day!

:-)

#5 : Swaddle : SWOD-l : verb

1. To bind an infant with long, narrow strips of cloth to prevent free movement.
2. To wrap (anything) round with bandages.
3. (Noun) A long, narrow strip of cloth used for swaddling or bandaging.


I know, late again.


The picture for this is probably quite predictable for this time of year. It shows a nativity scene with Jesus "wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger".

Lovely.

#4 - Calvous : KAL-vuhs : adjective

1. Lacking in all or most of the hair on the head; bald.


I made the clever move of leaving the SD card in the card reader today so didn't have camera for most of the day. Good one!


This photo may seem a little strange...

... but I have grown a lot of more aware of the baldness of my top lip ever since I shaved off my tash. (See below - I did not take this photo, but included it for reference!)

Not the best photo, but I think it illustrates the point.


:-)


*EDIT* - New better photo uploaded!

... and so the lateness continues...

Ok, so I'm late for the second time! Yesterday was a bit crazy so I didn't get time to post, but I took some pictures!

Word #2
lucent : [loo-suhnt] : adjective

1. shining.
2. translucent; clear.

The first picture I snapped of an advert in the union... a rubbish photo really but as I study electronics, 'LED' caught my eye! I'm a geek at heart. They are more energy efficient, and they would last longer (hence saving you money)

Second picture is a view from a window at uni of a small part of Leeds at night. I thought the shining lights would put across the word well. Classic, but still pretty!

Word #3

brogue : [brohg] : noun

1. Any strong regional accent.
2. An Irish accent in the pronunciation of English.
3. A durable, comfortable, low-heeled shoe, often having decorative perforations and a wing tip.
4. A coarse, usually untanned leather shoe once worn in Ireland and Scotland.
5. Brogan.
6. A fraud; trick; prank.

A strange word to try taking a photo of... thankfully I read some of The Lord of the Rings today and this dialogue between Frodo and Sam has some proper local language! I love it.




I know it's technically not Irish, or Scottish, but it is regional.

:-)

Day 1 - 19th Dec 2011 - A late start... meh.

So, it seems that it's a bit in fashion with Jo, Jen and Emily to do this so I thought I would gatecrash their challenge and start (fashionably) late. The challenge being to pick a random word from a dictionary every day for two weeks and take a photo representing that word (in this case, I'm just going to use dictionary.com's word of the day since I don't own a paper dictionary). It sounds fun. Let's do it!

Day #1... Word #1: ectype: a reproduction; copy.

A photo of my lecture notes from which I have just been revising. Don't they look exciting! They are all different in this photo, however these are all copies of a powerpoint presentation and they were probably each photocopied at least a hundred times!

I hope my first blog is satisfactory.