Word of the Week - Recent Winners including Author Joe Craig!

Below are some recent ‘words of the week’ submitted by students and staff in the Discovery and War Memorial Libraries.  The word can be a favourite or unusual one and the winner has their word displayed in the Libraries and receives a prize!

We were recently visited by acclaimed author, Joe Craig, best known for his Jimmy Coates series of books.  Whilst he was here, Joe entered our Word of the Week competition with the word chthonic, which means dark or hellish.  His winning entry was displayed in the frame in our War Memorial Library.

Discovery Library

Bemused

Verb: To be puzzled or confused.

chosen by Emma (7MB)

Azure

Noun: A bright blue colour

chosen by Melanie (7FH)

   

Anthropology

Noun: The study of human beings and their customs.

chosen by Rosanna (7MP)

Juxtaposition

Noun: To put things that are not similar next to each other.

chosen by George (7MB)

Zephyr

Noun: A soft, gentle wind. 

chosen by Joshua (8AM)

Derelict

Adjective: Deserted or abandoned; falling into ruins.

chosen by Isabelle (7CS)

Zoonanthella

Adjective: Any various yellow-brown algae that live with cells of other organisms, especially certain corals and other marine invertebrates.

chosen by Leah (7MP)

Lachrymose

Adjective: Tearful or given to weeping

chosen by Christopher (7MP)

Xenophobia

Noun: A dislike or prejudice against people from other countries.

chosen by Charlotte (7CH)

Misnomer

Noun: A wrong or unsuitable name for a person, place or thing.

chosen by Rosanna (7MP)

Incandescent

Noun: Glowing with heat; full of strong emotions.

chosen by Christopher (7MP)

Ambrosia

Verb: The food of the Greek and Roman gods; something extremely pleasant to taste or smell.

chosen by Ruth (7MB)

Exhumation

Noun: The action of digging up something buried, especially a corpse

chosen by William (7SH)

Absquatulate

Verb: To leave somewhere abruptly.

chosen by Comert (9ST)

War Memorial Library

Triskaidekaphobia

Adjective: Extreme fear of the number thirteen

chosen by  Christopher (10SF)

Synecdoche

Noun:Having simultaneous understanding, for example, in Geography when a landmark or building makes you think about a whole city. 

chosen by Ms O'Dell (Geography)

Gentrification 

Noun:  A process where middle class residents move to a traditionally working class area of a city, changing the character of the area. 

chosen by William (10OD)

Squally

Adjective: Stormy, threatening weather

chosen by Mr A Murphy (PE)

Encryption

Noun: A type of data protection that scrambles confidential data when an unauthorised user tries to intercept it.

chosen by Danny (12WB)

Sympathise

Verb: To feel or express sympathy or compassion for someone or something

chosen by Emre (12TD)

Yclept

Adjective: By the name of; called.

chosen by Hakeem (12CI)

Ephemeral

Adjective: Lasting a short amount of time.

chosen by Ms Payton (Drama)

Defenestration

Noun: The act of throwing someone out of a window.

chosen by Christopher (10SF)

Mondegreen

Noun: A misunderstood or misinterpreted phrase from a poem or song lyric, which results in the phrase acquiring a new, and usually humorous, meaning.

chosen by Mrs Nolan (Librarian)

Ostentatious 

Adjective: Characterised by pretentious or showy display; designed to impress.

chosen by James (12CP)

Pessimistic

Verb: PTending to the see the worst aspect of things.

chosen by Conor (13NA)

Chthonic 

Noun:  Dark, hellish; relating to the underworld.

chosen by Joe Craig (author)

Lawrencium

Noun: A chemical element artificially produced from californium. d.

chosen by Gabriella (10AT)