51吃瓜 of the Day
concupiscent
adjective
lustful or sensual.
More about concupiscent
Not many Latin words are as easy to break down into their component parts as concupiscent is. The first element is a variant of the preposition and prefix cum 鈥渨ith,鈥� here used as an intensive prefix (鈥渢horoughly鈥�). The second element is the Latin root cup- 鈥渄esire.鈥� The third, -isc, is the inceptive (also called inchoative) suffix (鈥渂eginning to 鈥︹��). The final element is -ent, the inflectional stem of the present participle; concupiscent literally means 鈥渂eginning to strongly desire鈥� or simply “desirous.” Concupiscent entered English in the 14th century.
how is concupiscent used?
He looks at Faust鈥檚 romance with Gretchen (Camilla Horn) with an agonized tenderness, and at Mephisto鈥檚 courtship of the concupiscent Marthe (Yvette Guilbert) with rib-shaking ribaldry.
He’d have bet his Porsche, from that one look, that she had summed him up as one more concupiscent old guy, easily manipulated.
palpebral
adjective
of or relating to the eyelids.
More about palpebral
The Latin noun palpebra (also palpebrum) 鈥渆yelid鈥� is composed of the verb 辫补濒辫腻谤别 鈥渢o touch, stroke, caress鈥� and -brum, a suffix forming nouns of instruments, e.g., 肠补苍诲脓濒腻产谤耻尘 鈥渁 stand for holding several candles, candelabra.鈥� 笔补濒辫腻谤别 derives from a complicated Proto-Indo-European root 辫腻濒- (from 辫别菨濒-) and its many variants, e.g., pel-, 辫别濒菨-, 辫濒脓-, etc. 鈥渢o touch, feel, flutter, float.鈥� A palpebra is 鈥渟omething that flutters (quickly).鈥� The root is also the source of Latin 辫补濒辫颈迟腻谤别 鈥�(of a pulse) to beat, pulsate,鈥� 辫腻辫颈濒颈艒 鈥渂utterfly, moth,鈥� and Old English 蹿脓濒补苍 鈥渢o examine by touch,鈥� English feel. Palpebral entered English in the mid-18th century.
how is palpebral used?
adrift on a gold-brown leather recliner, / the little finger of her left hand tapping / on the crocheted antimacassar, / palpebral twitches of chronic hypnagogia.
In his palpebral vision, she beckoned.
More about mump
The rare English verb mump is akin to the equally rare Dutch mompen 鈥渢o mumble, grumble,鈥� and the magnificent German verbs mumpfen 鈥渢o chew with one鈥檚 mouth full鈥� and mimpfeln 鈥渢o mumble while eating.鈥� The Germanic verbs most likely derive from a Proto-Indo-European root 尘别耻菨- 鈥渂e silent,鈥� from which English also derives mum 鈥渟ilent,鈥� Latin 尘奴迟耻蝉 鈥渟ilent, mute,鈥� and Greek 尘耻蝉迟岣梤颈辞苍 鈥渟ecret rite, mystery,鈥� a derivative of 尘煤蝉迟脓蝉 鈥渁n initiate,鈥� a derivative of 尘耻别卯苍 鈥渢o initiate, instruct, teach,鈥� itself a derivative of 尘煤别颈苍 鈥渢o close the eyes, mouth, or other opening鈥� (lest one reveal what is not to be revealed). Mump entered English in the 16th century.
how is mump used?
Up, Dullard! It is better service to enjoy a novel than to mump.
Come, my dear fellow, do not spoil the excellent impression you have already made. I am sure to mump and moan is not in you …