1word1day | Entries tagged with t

thurible [thoor-uh-buhl]

noun

a censer, specifically a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services

examples
1. Many looks were accessorized by personal fog machines, swung like ritual thuribles, emitting puffs of smoke into the air, blurring the edges. New York Times 2023 March 4 "The Brilliant Alchemy of Rick Owens"

2. Altar boys parade with palm fronds, a priest swings a thurible, a young woman joins her hands in prayer. Time. "Celebrating Faith in China’s Underground Churches" 28 March 2016

origin
Middle English thurribul, from Latin thuribulum, from thur-, thus incense, from Greek thyos incense, sacrifice, from thyein to sacrifice

calzephyr

Toscatarta - noun.

I don't think I've posted a Swedish word before, but here's a delicious one--tosca, toscakaka or toscatarta--it all refers to a moist sponge cake topped with caramelized almonds.

Was the name inspired by the opera or a racehorse? This recipe site dives into the name origins and has a video if you want to try making it for yourself.

Watch on YouTube

stonepicnicking_okapi

tannoyed [(tænɔɪ]

adjective

1. produced by a sound-amplifying apparatus used as a public-address system especially in a large building or area (British)

examples

1. He could hear trains as they squealed to a halt every few minutes at one of the platforms in the station opposite. There were tannoyed announcements, too, and occasional drunken shouts from pedestrians. Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin

2. But on Friday the expensive peace and quiet to be found in the De Russie's private garden were spoiled by the jarring sound of a tannoyed rant echoing across Rome's rooftops. "Austerity drive spells end for the dolce vita as Italians fear for their lifestyles" The Guardian 2011

origins
Derived from the name of the company which made the apparatus in the UK, Tannoy Ltd, a manufacturer of public address systems. "Tannoy" is a syllabic abbreviation of tantalum alloy, which was the material used in a type of electrolytic rectifier developed by the company.

tannoyed

stonepicnicking_okapi

tantalus [tan-tl-uhs]

noun

1. a stand or rack containing visible decanters, especially of wines or liquors, secured by a lock; a case in which bottles may be locked with their contents tantalizingly visible

examples

1. A tantalus containing three kinds of spirit, all of a liqueur excellence, stood always on this table of luxury; but the fanciful have asserted that the whisky, brandy, and rum seemed always to stand at the same level. The Wisdom of Father Brown G.K. Chesterton

2. Carstairs made a gesture towards the tantalus on the table. Afterwards Kathlyn Rhodes

origin

Latin, from Greek Tantalos, from the Greek myth of Tantalus, a wicked king and son of Zeus; condemned in Hades to stand in water that receded when he tried to drink and beneath fruit that receded when he reached for it

simplyn2deep

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Teratoid (adjective)
teratoid [ ter-uh-toid ]

adjective
1. Biology. resembling a monster.

Related Words
atrocious, dreadful, egregious, freakish, frightful, grotesque, gruesome, heinous, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, inhuman, intolerable, obscene, odious, outrageous, preposterous, terrible, vicious

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

Origin: First recorded in 1875–80; terat- + -oid

Example Sentences
She was rushed into life-saving surgery, but the diagnosis was an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor, or ATRT, the most common brain cancer in infants and one of the deadliest.
From Washington Post

Doctors said Allia had an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor, a rare, fast-growing cancer of the brain and the spinal cord.
From New York Times

Platten sang the hit with a cancer patient, 7-year-old Jeremiah Succar, at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles after finding out through social media that Succar was a huge fan of the song since he was diagnosed with stage-four atypical rhabdoid teratoid in May.
From Time

The fact that this life is being lived right now by developer Ryan Green and his wife as their son undergoes treatment after treatment for Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumors makes this game even more painful and poignant.
From Forbes

Routh suffered from an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor.
From Seattle Times

calzephyr

Truculent - noun.

A word we may see more of these days, truculent and truculence refer to a person, policy, or event being aggressively hostile, cruel or extremely harsh.

stonepicnicking_okapi

torschlusspanik

[toːɐ̯ʃlʊsˈpaːnɪk]

noun
1. eleventh hour panic (the fear that time to act is running out)

example
We were talking about reaching the ends of books, and she introduced me to a great German phrase: torschlusspanik. She translated it as "door-shutting panic."
The Work of Art: how something comes from nothing by Adam Moss

origin
German. From Tor +‎ Schluss +‎ Panik, literally “gate-shut panic”. For safety reasons city gates used to be shut at nightfall (Torschluss, from Tor +‎ Schluss), leaving latecomers no other choice than to stay outside, thereby exposing them to various dangers.

gate

stonepicnicking_okapi

tautology [tau·tol;o·gy; tȯ-tä-lə-jē]

noun:
1. needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word
2. logic: a statement that is true by virtue of its logical form alone (e.g. "It will snow tomorrow, or it will not snow tomorrow.")

Examples:
1. Yes, a win is a win, but tautologies aside, for the Niners, a win with Purdy playing like one of the finest quarterbacks in the NFL on Sunday would speak volumes.
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
2. In this tautology, the act of spending is proof that the spending is justified.
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024

Origin:
First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin tautologia, from Greek tautología “repetition of something already said” (a term in rhetoric); tauto-, -logy

calzephyr

Thanatopsis - noun.

Today's word, just in ahead of Halloween, is thanatopsis, which means

It's a combination of two Greek words, thanat(o) meaning death and opsis meaning sight or appearance. Thanatopsis is a view, contemplation or description of death. The most famous thanatopsis is a poem--hehe--of the same name by William Cullen Bryant.

stonepicnicking_okapi

tourbillion

[toor-bil-yuhn; toor-bee--yawn]

noun

1. whirlwind sense
2. a vortex especially of a whirlwind or whirlpool
3. watch mechanism: A mechanism in a watch that rotates the balance wheel, balance spring, and escapement to reduce the effects of gravity on the watch's movement. The rotating cage that holds these parts rotates at a rate of about one revolution per minute. The tourbillon was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet and patented in 1801. Tourbillons are often displayed on the face of modern wristwatches.
4. firework: a sky rocket with a spiral flight

example

1.
The watch is also the first edition to feature a double-hairspring tourbillion movement in a Streamliner case. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2022
2. I have known before what it is to be in what our neighbours have called a tourbillon, but never on such a scale as this. --Tales of Terror and Mystery Arthur Conan Doyle 1894

origin
Anglo-French turbeillun, from Latin turbin-, turbo top, whirlwind, whirl, from turba confusion

sallymn

tonsorial [ton-sawr-ee-uhl, -sohr-]

adjective:
1 of or relating to a barber or barbering
2 relating to hairdressing
3 manipulation

Examples:

I've got a confession to make - I've been cutting my own hair. And judging by the tonsorial terrors I've been seeing in my neighbourhood, I bet you have been, too. (Charles Purcell, I've been cutting my own hair: Confessions of a DIY barber, The Sydney Morning Herald, August 2021)

Why, that suggests there's something wrong with it. That it's some sort of ailment and that all bald men desire a return to the tonsorial abundance of our youth (or at least, of our early middle age). (Peter Ormerod, A cure for baldness is the last thing I want, The Guardian, June 2022)

Thwarted just when he has the throat of the villain he most wants in his hands - the evil Judge Turpin, who sent the then-named Benjamin Barker to prison years earlier on false charges - the brooding tonsorial artist expands his killing plans to include all who sit in his barber chair. (Lisa Schwarzbaum, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Entertainment, January 2008)

In front of a tonsorial saloon on the avenue our boys espied a Dutchman who formerly carried on business in Pawtucket. (Ansel D Nickerson, A Raw Recruit's War Experiences)

Our hats removed, the results of Old Colonial's tonsorial operations are made fully apparent. (William Delisle Hay, Brighter Britain!)

(click to enlarge)

Origin:

'pertaining to barbers,' 1765, from -al + Latin tonsorius 'of or pertaining to shearing or shaving,' from tonsor 'a shaver, barber, shearer, clipper,' from tonsus, past participle of tondere 'to shear, shave, clip, crop,' from PIE tend-, from root tem- 'to cut.' (Online Etymology Dictionary)

Tonsorial is a fancy word that describes the work of those who give shaves and haircuts. (It can apply more broadly to hairdressers as well.) It derives from the Latin verb tondēre, meaning 'to shear, clip, or crop.' (Another descendant, tonsor, is an archaic word for a barber.) You might be more familiar with the related noun tonsure, which refers to the shaven crown or patch worn by monks and other clerics, or the religious rite of clipping the hair of one being admitted as a cleric. The verb tonsure means 'to shave the head of' or 'to confer the tonsure upon.' (Merriam-Webster)

simplyn2deep

Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024

Taciturn (adjective)
tac·i·turn [tas-i-turn]

adjective
1. inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.
2. dour, stern, and silent in expression and manner.

Other Words From
tac i·turn ly adverb
un·tac i·turn adjective
un·tac i·turn ly adverb

Related Words
aloof, dour, laconic, reticent

See synonyms for Taciturn on Thesaurus.com
Synonyms
1. silent, uncommunicative, reticent, quiet.

Origin: First recorded in 1765–75; from Latin taciturnus, “quiet, maintaining silence,” equivalent to tacit(us) “silent” ( tacit ) + -urnus adjective suffix of time

Example Sentences
His is a particularly taciturn manifestation of masculinity.
From The Daily Beast

No one would confuse him the taciturn, forgetful and vengeful Senate Majority Leader.
From The Daily Beast

Tall and taciturn, he exuded the easy authority of a young man used to money and the deference that came with it.
From The Daily Beast

The exuberant, indefatigable Democrat from Oregon and the dour, taciturn Republican from New Hampshire made an odd couple.
From The Daily Beast

The usually taciturn Zakhilwal spoke spiritedly and aggressively for the first hour of his impeachment.
From The Daily Beast

simplyn2deep

Tuesday, Jun. 4, 2024

Tortuous (adjective)
tor·tu·ous [tawr-choo-uhs]

adjective
1. full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked: a tortuous path.
2. not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; intricate; circuitous: tortuous negotiations lasting for months.
3. deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings, methods, or policy; devious.

Can be confused: torturous (see usage note at torturous).

Other Words From
tor tu·ous·ly adverb
tor tu·ous·ness noun
non·tor tu·ous adjective
non·tor tu·ous·ly adverb
un·tor tu·ous adjective
un·tor tu·ous·ly adverb
un·tor tu·ous·ness noun

See synonyms for Tortuous on Thesaurus.com
Synonyms
1. bent, sinuous, serpentine.
2. evasive, roundabout, indirect.

Origin: First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin tortuosus, equivalent to tortu(s) “a twisting” ( torquere “to twist, bend” + -tus suffix of verbal action) + -osus adjective suffix; -ous

Example Sentences
All of the various things I do I love doing, and occasionally I find them tortuous.
From The Daily Beast

In 2011, after tortuous negotiations, a deal was struck for $1.2 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years.
From The Daily Beast

So why take the tortuous and offensive back-door route to appreciating Wharton?
From The Daily Beast

The Quetta Shura official says the negotiations with the French were tortuous.
From The Daily Beast

Now, negotiations will be much slower and more tortuous, but likely will begin before 2010.
From The Daily Beast

sallymn

turpitude [tur-pi-tood, -tyood]

noun:
1 vile, shameful, or base character; depravity
2 a vile or depraved act

Examples:

Article 87 (c) of the constitution states that to qualify for a member of the federal parliament, the person must not have been convicted of a criminal offence involving 'moral turpitude'. (Tika R Pradhan, Even with a murder conviction, lawmakers might still be able to hold on to their seats, The Kathmandu Post, October 2019)

Renovated, the farmhouse with its square courtyard offers the happiness of a life in the country, far from the turpitude of big cities. (How do you bring the sun into an old square courtyard farmhouse facing north?, Espaciel, September 2020)

It is the worst form of moral turpitude because in academic plagiarism there is tangible evidence as the plagiarised material is scanned and identified, but in discussion and discourse the perpetrator easily gets scot free after committing intellectual vandalism. (M Nadeem Nadir, Intellectual vandalism, The Express Tribune, January 2024)

In the household of my childhood, saying you were sick was an evil as great as lying, a turpitude that had a special name. (Mary Schmich, Why getting the flu might actually be good - for your psyche, at least, Chicago Tribune, January 2024)

It is indeed well that you have come to me: for, innocent of the world's turpitude, you fare to a city of strange sins and strange witcheries and sorceries. (Clark Ashton Smith, The Witchcraft of Ulua)

I've never been disbarred, committed or convicted of moral turpitude, and the only time I was arrested, it was a case of mistaken identity... I didn't know the guy I hit was a cop. (Paul Levine, To Speak for the Dead)

Origin:

'depravity, infamy, inherent baseness or vileness,' late 15c, from Old French turpitude (early 15c), from Latin turpitudinem (nominative turpitudo) 'baseness,' from turpis 'vile, foul, physically ugly, base, unsightly,' figuratively 'morally ugly, scandalous, shameful,' a word of uncertain origin. (Online Etymology Dictionary)

simplyn2deep

Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024

Tumult (noun)
tu·mult [too-muhlt, tyoo-]

noun
1. violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar: The tumult reached its height during the premier's speech.
2. a general outbreak, riot, uprising, or other disorder: The tumult moved toward the embassy.
3. highly distressing agitation of mind or feeling; turbulent mental or emotional disturbance: His placid facade failed to conceal the tumult of his mind.

WORDS RELATED TO TUMULT
agitation, commotion, convulsion, disturbance, excitement, ferment, fracas, hassle, maelstrom, outcry, pandemonium, quarrel, riot, strife, turbulence, turmoil, unrest, upheaval, ado, affray

See synonyms for tumult on Thesaurus.com
OTHER WORDS FOR TUMULT
1. disorder, turbulence.
2. revolt, revolution, mutiny.
3. excitement, perturbation.

SYNONYM STUDY FOR TUMULT
1. See ado.

Origin: 1375–1425; late Middle English tumult ( e ) < Latin tumultus an uproar, akin to tumere to swell

HOW TO USE TUMULT IN A SENTENCE
It’s not just kids whose needs have fueled economic spending in this era of tumult.
BEYOND GAMESTOP: ARE YOU READY FOR AN ECONOMIC MOONSHOT? | CHARU KASTURI | JANUARY 31, 2021 | OZY

Notwithstanding the recent tumult, we remain one country, not two.
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT: 'US VS. THEM' THINKING IS TEARING AMERICA APART. BUT HERE'S WHY I'M STILL HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE | MADELEINE ALBRIGHT | JANUARY 15, 2021 | TIME

Newspaper headlines cut to the heart of the tumult in sharp banner headlines.
SAVE THE SARCASM FOR OTHER DEMOCRACIES. AMERICA IS FINE | DEBASISH ROY CHOWDHURY | JANUARY 11, 2021 | TIME

It’s a reality at the center of fresh tumult in the food media world.
INDIAN AMERICANS: THE NEW VOICES BRINGING DIVERSITY TO FOOD WRITING | SHAAN MERCHANT | JANUARY 7, 2021 | OZY

Now O’Meara finds herself staving off not just friend requests but also a tumult of inquiries from people wanting to riff on “And the People Stayed Home.”
THE STORY BEHIND ‘AND THE PEOPLE STAYED HOME,’ THE LITTLE POEM THAT BECAME SO MUCH MORE | NORA KRUG | DECEMBER 10, 2020 | WASHINGTON POST

simplyn2deep

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023

Torpid (adjective)
tor·pid [tawr-pid]

adjective
1. inactive or sluggish.
2. slow; dull; apathetic; lethargic.
3. dormant, as a hibernating or estivating animal.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH TORPID
turbid, turgid

OTHER WORDS FROM TORPID
tor·pid·i·ty, tor·pid·ness, noun
tor·pid·ly, adverb

WORDS RELATED TO TORPID
apathetic, benumbed, comatose, dead, dopey, dormant, drowsy, dull, faineant, heavy, hebetudinous, idle, inactive, indifferent, indolent, inert, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, latent

See synonyms for torpid on Thesaurus.com
SYNONYM STUDY FOR TORPID
3. See inactive.

OTHER WORDS FOR TORPID
2. indolent

See antonyms for torpid on Thesaurus.com
OPPOSITES FOR TORPID
1. energetic

ORIGIN: First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin torpidus “numb,” equivalent to torp(ere) “to be stiff or numb” + -idus -id

HOW TO USE TORPID IN A SENTENCE
torpid as Spain had become, there was still one point on which she was exquisitely sensitive.
THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND FROM THE ACCESSION OF JAMES II. | THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAY

I did not forget to mention the Companies, but find people, as I expected, torpid.
PRIVATE LETTERS OF EDWARD GIBBON (1753-1794) VOLUME 1 (OF 2) | EDWARD GIBBON

Its indolence, and anger at the stirring of inward strife by nature, caused it to assume a torpid indifference.
PAPERS FROM OVERLOOK-HOUSE | CASPER ALMORE

Professor Smawl ate heavily and retired to her tent to lie torpid until evening.
IN SEARCH OF THE UNKNOWN | ROBERT W. CHAMBERS

His torpid head fell back on the chair, and his outstretched hands hung lifeless, yellow, and rigid on his knees.
DREAM TALES AND PROSE POEMS | IVAN TURGENEV

med_cat

Tikkun Olam (Hebrew): Improving the world.

A mission we are all tasked with, during our time here.

You may read more about the meaning and the history of this concept here:

The World is Broken, So Humans Must Repair It: The History and Evolution of Tikkun Olam

simplyn2deep

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023

Tyro (noun)
tyro or ti·ro [ tahy-roh ]

noun, plural ty·ros.
1. a beginner in learning anything; novice.

Also, tiro.

OTHER WORDS FROM TYRO
ty·ron·ic [tahy-ron-ik], adjective

WORDS RELATED TO TYRO
abecedarian, amateur, apprentice, cadet, colt, greenhorn, learner, neophyte, newcomer, novice, novitiate, pupil, recruit, rookie, starter, student, tenderfoot, trainee

See synonyms for tyro on Thesaurus.com
OTHER WORDS FOR TYRO
1. neophyte, learner

ORIGIN: First recorded in 1605–15, tyro is from the Latin word tiro “recruit”

HOW TO USE TYRO IN A SENTENCE
The veriest tyro in natural history would see that at the first glance of the massive skeleton.
NOTES AND QUERIES, NUMBER 196, JULY 30, 1853 | VARIOUS

The youngest tyro, watching from the wings, observes great incidents and becomes their hasty historian.
A HOOSIER CHRONICLE | MEREDITH NICHOLSON

The moment was critical; the veriest tyro felt the storm-spirit brooding over the hall.
A HOOSIER CHRONICLE | MEREDITH NICHOLSON

The hero of The Odyssey was, self-confessedly, no tyro, but was himself “in artifice well framed and in imposture various”.
ARCHAIC ENGLAND | HAROLD BAYLEY

In Rome he first became acquainted with rules and technicalities, in which the merest tyro was before him.
ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA, 11TH EDITION, VOLUME 11, SLICE 8 | VARIOUS

med_cat

Tzedakah, n.: charity, in Hebrew

The root of this word is not "love" as in the English word "charity", but "justice".

As the Sages wrote--

On three things does the world stand: Torah study, chesed (deeds of lovingkindness), and tzedakah.

calzephyr

Teocalli - noun.

Teocallis are terraced, Mesoamerican pyramids where important rituals occurred. A temple sits at the top of the pyramid.

CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

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Word of the Day!

Entries tagged with t

Monday Word: Thurible

Wednesday Word: Toscatarta

Word: Tannoyed

Monday Word: tantalus

Tuesday word: Teratoid

Wednesday Word: Truculent

Monday Word: Torschlusspanik

Monday Word: Tautology

Thursday Day Word: Thanatopsis

Monday Word: Tourbillon

Sunday Word: Tonsorial

Tuesday word: Taciturn

Tuesday word: Tortuous

Sunday Word: Turpitude

Tuesday word: Tumult

Tuesday word: Torpid

Saturday phrase: Tikkun Olam

Tuesday word: Tyro

Friday word: Tzedakah

Thursday Word: Teocalli

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