Friday, September 28, 2012

Follow Friday #17


Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. This week's question is...

Q: What is the BIGGEST word you've seen used in a book lately - that made you stop and look it up? Might as well leave the definition and book, too.

Ohmygoodness, I love big words. The complicated, fancy, never-used words. Like Ornethology - the study of birds. Well, actually, that is used - it was the name of an after-school choir at our school one time. Not really a book.
ANYWAYS. Onto my answer. Umm... I know so many words that I rarely have to look them up. (How can I not apply these words to my writing?!)
One of my favorites (I have this on my little dictionary, which is really a bunch of useless words/definitions I typed up on a wordpad document) is MACHICOLATIONS.

MACHICOLATIONS -
an opening in the floor between the corbels of a projecting gallery or parapet, as on a wall or in the vault of a passage, through which missiles, molten lead, etc., might be cast upon an enemy beneath. (n.)


I found this in Eragon, a little less than a year ago. Around last January. Kinda long ago, but still a really cool, really useless word.

And to elaborate, a machicolation is that hole where medieval peoples would pour boiling oil/water/something similar on invading enemies below, if the enemies managed to make it past the main defence. This usually refers to castles: as in, if an enemy made it over the drawbridge and through that main gate, they'd pour something nasty on them from a hole in the ceiling to incapacitate and therefore kill them.

Don't I manage the funniest words. How many of you thought of this? What was your word? Leave a comment, I promise I don't bite people! :)

8 comments:

  1. I didn't know that word either :)

    http://carabosseslibrary.blogspot.com/2012/09/follow-friday_28.html

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  2. Funnily enough, I was just wondering the other day if those holes had an official name. Yes, I'm the kind of nerd who ponders things like that. lol, anyway, I am loving your blog, I'm your newest follower hoppin on through from Parajunkee's FF :)

    -Kate the Book Buff
    Recent Post: Follow Friday: What’s Your Vocab Kryptonite?

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  3. I don't know this word either. Happy Weekend!

    My FF

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  4. That's a new word for me!
    New follower hopping by!
    My ff:
    http://bookwormmia.blogspot.com/2012/09/feature-follow-5.html

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  5. Hi, I'm a new follower via GFC =)
    Haha, never heard that one before :o
    Rinn
    http://rinnreads.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/feature-follow-2.html

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  6. Oh goodness. I studied medieval archaeology and I didn't even know that word!

    I'm a new follower. Here's My FF. Stop by?

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  7. Uff! what a word :-)

    New Follower.

    This is the link to my FF
    http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2012/09/friday-feature-and-follow-4.html

    ReplyDelete