Word of the Week
Created | Updated May 21, 2003
In the dim dark recesses of h2g2 history before we moved lock, stock and barrel to our new BBC home there used to be a front page feature The h2g2 Word of the Day. It was a way to highlight some of the lesser occurring or largely obscurer words in the English language. Sadly this feature was discontinued.
Until now...
Word for the Week
This week's word was vaguely revealed by Mike
Tea on 2nd Dec 2000.
I trust I have presented the word in a non-adumbrative method so you can all enjoy its full impact..
adumbration
n. 1. a sketchy or imperfect or faint
representation
2. the act of providing vague advance indications; representing beforehand
Chrome 101 has used the word in a fictional piece The Mean Streets of Cambridge. Having visited Cambridge on a number of occasions I was interested to see just how mean they actually were; well worth a read.
From the Archive
This week I look at work that is having particular significance to me at the moment as I fight off a cold in the midst of hay-fever season.
Rheum
n. The watery liquid that drips from your nose or eyes.
Strangely, despite my best efforts and searching the conversations, I was unable to locate the original nominator of this word. Maybe it was chucked in on a day that the italic in charge was similarly affected by attempting to fill the room with rheum.
The word crops up in an entry by 2 legs which is currently in Peer Review Systemic Lupus
Erythematosus (SLE), I just hope it's not what I'm suffering from.
The word has been used in a phonetic pun in the Green Room forum and also crops up The Smilodon Fan Club.
How can you contribute?
- Go and check out words in the archive to
avoid duplication. - Check out the discussion threads and nominate a word that you feel was overlooked before discontinuation.
- Suggest a new word or your forgotten word in the word of the week archive
conversation.
