sat·ur·nine (sat-er-nine | sætərnaɪn)
late Middle English, from Medieval Latin
adjective
reserved, reluctant, sluggish
His saturnine disposition makes him a very relaxing pet to keep around.
June 4, 2012
Saturnine
January 15, 2012
cockatrice
cock·a·trice (kok-uh-tris | kɒkətrɪs)
Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin
noun
a legendary monster with a deadly glance, supposedly hatched by a serpent from the egg of a cock, and commonly represented with the head, legs, and wings of a cock and the body and tail of a serpent
He gave me a poisonous stare comparable to that of a cockatrice.
Submitted by deadstillcurious
October 15, 2011
apocryphal
a·poc·ry·phal ( uh-poc-ruff-ull | əpɒkrəfəl )
Medieval Latin
adjective
dubious, of doubtful authenticity
All of these claims are wildly apocryphal.
August 23, 2011
diaphanous
di·aph·a·nous (dahy-af-uh-nuhs | daɪˈæfənəs)
Medieval Latin < Greek
adjective
1) very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or transluscent
2) delicately hazy
A diaphanous mist settled on the city in the early hours of the morning.
(Source: dictionary.reference.com)
August 22, 2011
preternatural
pre·ter·nat·u·ral (pree-ter-nach-er-uhl, -nach-ruhl | ˌpritərˈnætʃərəl,-ˈnætʃrəl)
Medieval Latin
adjective
1) out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal
2) outside of nature; supernatural
Chas started buying real estate in his early teens and seemed to have an almost preternatural understanding of international finance.
Example taken from http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/preternatural.
(Source: dictionary.reference.com)
August 22, 2011
predilection
pre·di·lec·tion (pred-l-ek-shuhn, preed |ˌprɛdlˈɛkʃən,ˌprid)
French/Medieval Latin
noun
a tendency to think favorably of something in particular; partiality; preference:
a predilection for Bach
Submitted by captainthermostat.
August 18, 2011
zenith
ze·nith (zee-nith or, especially British, zen-ith | zɛnɪθ)
Middle English < Medieval Latin < Old Spanish < Arabic
noun
1) the point on the celestial sphere vertically above a given position or observer
2) a highest point or state; culmination
Just when Frieza thought his enemy’s power had reached its zenith, Goku turned super saiyan in the middle of the battle for Namek.
(Source: dictionary.reference.com)
August 17, 2011
quintessential
quin·tes·sen·tial (kwin-tuh-sen-shuhl | ˌkwɪntəˈsɛnʃəl)
Middle English < Medieval Latin
adjective
1) of the pure and essential essence of something
2) of or pertaining to the most perfect embodiment of something
Many consider Charles Dickens the quintessential Victorian author.
Submitted by ryanewolf.
(Source: dictionary.reference.com)
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