Word Definitions

Question 1

Palimpsest (define)

Answer 1

A manuscript or document that has been erased or scraped clean, for reuse of the paper, parchment, vellum, or other medium on which it was written - Something bearing the traces of an earlier, erased form

Question 2

Sartorial (define)

Answer 2

Of or relating to the tailoring of clothing - The sartorius is also a muscle running down the thigh, the longest in the human body

Question 3

Denouement (define)

Answer 3

The conclusion or resolution of a plot; in which the strands of plot are drawn together y matters explained y resolved

Question 4

Apotheosis (define)

Answer 4

The fact or action of becoming or making into a god; deification.

Question 5

Bildungsroman (define)

Answer 5

From German “bildung” (to shape) + “roman” (novel) - A novel tracing the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character, usually from childhood to maturity - A subset of the coming-of-age story - Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship (1796) by Goethe considered the 1st example

Question 6

Roman à clef (define)

Answer 6

From French for “novel with a key” - A piece of fiction, especially a novel, containing real-life people and/or events, overlaid with a façade of fiction

Question 7

Caisson (define)

Answer 7

(engineering) An enclosure, from which water can be expelled, in order to give access to underwater areas for engineering works etc. - A temporary watertight structure that is pumped dry to enclose an area underwater and allow construction work on a ship, bridge, or rig to be carried out - Similar to a cofferdam

Question 8

Palanquin (define)

Answer 8

A covered type of litter for a stretched-out passenger, carried on four poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers, as formerly used in Eastern Asia

Question 9

Milieu (define)

Answer 9

A person’s social setting or environment

Question 10

Parsimony (define)

Answer 10

Great reluctance to spend money unnecessarily - The principle of using the least resources or explanations to solve a problem - From Latin word parsimonia (frugality)

Question 11

Genitive (define)

Answer 11

(grammar) Of or pertaining to the case (as the second case of Latin and Greek nouns) which expresses origin or possession, corresponding to the possessive case in English - An inflection pattern (of any given language) that expresses origin or ownership y possession

Question 12

Dative (define)

Answer 12

(grammar) The case of a noun which expresses the remoter or indirect object, generally indicated in English by “to” or “for” with the objective

Question 13

Gestalt (define)

Answer 13

In psychology, an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts - In theory, when the human mind forms a “gestalt”, the whole has a reality of its own, independent of the parts

Question 14

Largess (define)

Answer 14

Generosity in the giving of gifts or money - The gifts or money given in such a way - A benevolent demeanor

Question 15

Pragmatic (define)

Answer 15

Practical; concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice, not just theory

Question 16

Didactic (define)

Answer 16

Instructive or intended to teach or demonstrate, especially with regard to morality - Excessively moralizing - From Greek for “skilled in teaching”

Question 17

Psyche (define)

Answer 17

The human soul, mind, or spirit - (psychology) The human mind as the central force in thought, emotion, and behavior of an individual

Question 18

Polemic (define)

Answer 18

A person who writes in support of one opinion, doctrine, or system, in opposition to another; one skilled in polemics; a controversialist; a disputant - A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something - From Ancient Greek for “of war”

Question 19

Esoteric (define)

Answer 19

Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest, or an enlightened inner circle - Having to do with concepts that are highly theoretical and without obvious practical application; often with mystical or religious connotations

Question 20

Pneumatics (define)

Answer 20

The branch of mechanics that deals with the mechanical properties of gases - From Greek pneumatikos (“relating to wind or air”)

Question 21

Ontology (define)

Answer 21

The branch of metaphysics that addresses the nature or essential characteristics of being and of things that exist; the study of being as being

Question 22

Equivocal (define)

Answer 22

Having two or more equally applicable meanings; capable of double or multiple interpretation; ambiguous; uncertain

Question 23

Erudite (define)

Answer 23

Learned, scholarly, with emphasis on knowledge gained from books - From Latin ērudītus, participle of ērudiō (“educate, train”), from e- (“out of”) + rudis (“rude, unskilled”)

Question 24

Luddite (define)

Answer 24

Someone who opposes technological change - From Ned Ludd, the folkloric leader of a group of early 19th-century English textile workers who destroyed machinery because it would harm their livelihood