51吃瓜 of the Day
necropolis
noun
a cemetery, especially one of large size and usually of an ancient city.
More about necropolis
Necropolis, Greek for 鈥渃ity of the dead, corpse city,鈥� first appears in the works of the Greek historian and geographer Strabo (c 63 b.c.-c 21a.d.). It was originally the name of the cemetery district in Alexandria, Egypt (founded by Alexander the Great in 323 b.c.). Greek 苍别办谤贸蝉 means 鈥渃orpse鈥� (its plural 苍别办谤贸颈 means 鈥渢he dead鈥�); its combining form necro- forms the first half of necromancy (divination through communication with the dead, one of the blackest of the black arts). 狈别办谤贸蝉 comes from the Proto-Indo-European root nek- 鈥渄eath,鈥� with a variant nok- 鈥渢o kill.鈥� From the same root Latin has the noun nex (stem nec-) 鈥渕urder, violent death鈥� (as in internecine, whose original English meaning was 鈥渄eadly鈥�). From the variant nok- Latin derives the verb 苍辞肠脓谤别 鈥渢o harm鈥� (source of nocent and innocent) and the adjective noxius 鈥済uilty, delinquent, harmful, injurious.鈥� Greek 辫贸濒颈蝉 鈥渃ity,” more properly “citadel, fortified high place,鈥� is related to Sanskrit 辫奴虂谤, puram 鈥渃ity,鈥� as in Singapore 鈥淟ion City,鈥� ultimately from Sanskrit 蝉颈峁乭补- 鈥渓ion鈥� and 辫奴虂谤, puram. Necropolis entered English in the 19th century.
how is necropolis used?
The column of mourners moved under the archway into the necropolis, progressing slowly up the hill towards a spot where Fidelma could see several other torches burning.
Just beyond an island of hemlocks the road divides into the cluttered plain of the necropolis, grey and white as an overexposed snapshot.
timorous
adjective
full of fear; fearful: The noise made them timorous.
More about timorous
Timorous, 鈥渇earful,鈥� has several spellings in Middle English, e.g., tymerous, timerous, temerous, which all come via Old French temeros, timoureus from the Medieval Latin adjective 迟颈尘艒谤艒蝉耻蝉 鈥渇earful,鈥� a derivative of the Latin noun timor 鈥渇ear,鈥� itself a derivative of the verb 迟颈尘脓谤别 鈥渢o fear, be afraid.鈥� (There is no further reliable etymology for the Latin.) The English and French spellings tim- and tem- betray a confusion going back to at least the 14th century between derivations of the Latin verb 迟颈尘脓谤别 鈥渢o fear鈥� and adverb temere 鈥渞ashly, recklessly鈥� (the source of the English noun temerity). From the English variant spelling timerous (鈥渇earful鈥�), English forms the uncommon noun temerity 鈥渇earfulness, timidity,鈥� which is also spelled timerite and temerity, the latter spelling continuing that confusion. Timorous entered English in the 15th century.
how is timorous used?
Besides these fearful things, he was expected to do what terrified him into the very core of his somewhat timorous heart.
Though the fellow is far from being timorous in cases that are not supposed preternatural, he could not stand the sight of this apparition, but ran into the kitchen, with his hair standing on end, staring wildly, and deprived of utterance.
More about dirigible
Dirigible is a shortening of 鈥渄irigible balloon,鈥� a translation of the French ballon dirigeable 鈥渟teerable balloon.鈥� Dirigible and dirigeable are derivatives of the Latin verb 诲墨谤颈驳别谤别 鈥渢o guide, align, straighten鈥� and the common suffix -ible 鈥渃apable of, fit for.鈥� Dirigible in its literal sense 鈥渃apable of being directed鈥� dates from the late 16th century; the sense referring to the balloon or airship dates from the late 19th century.
how is dirigible used?
With gas cells collapsing, framework breaking up, and controls out of order, the great dirigible had reared and plunged and finally had fallen 3,000 feet into the Pacific.
Being up in that tower was like being in a dirigible above the clouds.