Word of the Day
More about volute
Volute is a technical word, a noun used in architecture, ornamental decoration, and marine biology. It comes from French volute or from Latin volūta “scroll.” Volūta is a noun use of volūtus, the past participle of volvere “to turn.” Volute entered English in the late 17th century.
how is volute used?
The interior of the tiny temple was dim, and wisps of incense smoke made graceful volutes in the air.
My, how light this Alonso de Avila was, forced to walk on mere earth only because of the richness and gravity of his damask and jaguar-skin suits, his gold chains, and his tawny mantle decorate with a reliquary–all of it lightened, let me assure you, by the feathers in his cap and the volutes of his mustache, the wings of his face.
dissemble
verb
to conceal one's true motives, thoughts, etc., by some pretense; speak or act hypocritically.
More about dissemble
Dissemble comes from late Middle English dissemile, dissimill, an alteration of the verb dissimule (from Old French dissimuler “to keep one’s intentions hidden,” from Latin dissimulāre, “to disguise or conceal one’s thoughts”), and associated in form with the noun semblance and the obsolete verb semble (from Old French sembler, from Latin similāre and simulāre “to pretend”). Dissemble entered English in the sense “to pass over, ignore, neglect” in the 16th century.
how is dissemble used?
He counted heavily on his ability to dissemble, knowing that every decent lawyer had at least several drops of dissimulation in his blood.
I didn’t know how to dissemble, I quite openly acknowledged the mistakes I made, and didn’t try hard to hide them.
dopester
noun
a person who undertakes to predict the outcome of elections, sports events, or other contests that hold the public interest.
More about dopester
The dope at the heart of this Americanism refers to information, data, or news. This slang term dates to 1905–10.
how is dopester used?
The 1954 season for predicting the Congressional elections is now in full swing and the political dopesters will be hard at it from now until Nov. 2, when the voters will select more than one-third of the Senators and all of the Congressmen who will sit in the Eighty-fourth Congress.
We make no prediction, not being either a dopester or an expert.