Word Of The Week!

I started a Word Of The Week feature/event/whatever last summer. I had been frequently coming across words I didn’t know and thought I’d share them with the blog world. Well, then I went and got myself pregnant. So there was sickness among other things keeping me from continuing to post this. I miss doing it though, so I’m going to start it up again. I will likely only post on weeks where I find a word or words I want to share. Also, my baby is due at the beginning of July, so if it stops for a while again over the summer (likely the whole blog will be on pause), don’t be surprised.

I’ve decided, to make things simpler for myself, to use Wiktionary and Wikipedia as my sources for definitions. If I can not find a definition/explanation on one of these two sites, then I’ll go out into the interwebs to find something. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll try to glean a definition from the context of the story.

From In The Skin Of A Lion:

Naphtha [Lamp] (pg 14)
• Naturally-occurring liquid petroleum.
• Any of a wide variety of aliphatic or aromatic liquid hydrocarbon mixtures distilled from petroleum or coal tar, especially as used in solvents or petrol.
• A naphtha lamp is what young Patrick used to light his home one evening.

From Herman Wouk Is Still Alive:

Assignation (pg 7 – if you print it)
• An appointment for a meeting, generally of a romantic or sexual nature.
• Modern usage of the word has narrowed the meaning to an agreed upon place for illicit sex. The earlier use of the word was broader an in general more innocent.
• A reader might think that assignation is being used in reference to the two women in the van, but it’s actually referring to the elderly couple at the rest stop.

I hope I find the time and the words to post again next week. Anyone else come across a new word or two?