Random words and their meanings

[Joshua]

well, For the past couple of days I've been sending people personal messages containing random words with the words meanings, and It appears to be a big hit, so here's a thread where you can post whatever random words you want and give the deffinitions of them, on a side note, lets keep it clean, kay


i'll start from the begining for those who didn't get them

P.S. even if you don't have any its still an extreamly interesting read, full of knowledge

[Joshua]

Tower of Silence

Tower for corpses: in Zoroastrianism, an open tower in which the dead are exposed to be eaten by vultures, the bones then being deposited in the center of the tower


Tower of Babel [tòw ər əv báyb’l, tòw ər əv bább’l]

High tower in biblical references: according to the Book of Genesis, an over ambitious tower that people on earth started to build, causing God to show his anger by making them speak different languages, which led to the collapse of the project and ultimately to the scattering of people across the world



Ishtar [ísh tr]

Babylonian mother goddess: in Babylonian and Assyrian mythology, the queen of heaven and goddess of fertility. Tammuz was her consort.
She was worshiped throughout the Middle East under various names, including the Phoenician Astarte.



Ygg·dra·sil [ígdrəss’l]

mythological ash tree: in Norse mythology, the great ash tree that overshadows the world, binding together earth, heaven, and hell

[Joshua]

Nihilism [n ə lìzzəm, n ə lìzzəm, níhi lìzzəm]

1. total rejection of social mores: the general rejection of established social conventions and beliefs, especially of morality and religion
2. belief that nothing is worthwhile: a belief that life is pointless and human values are worthless
3. disbelief in objective truth: the belief that there is no objective basis for truth
4. belief in destruction of authority: the belief that all established authority is corrupt and must be destroyed in order to rebuild a just society
5. or ni·hil·ism or Ni·hil·ismRussian political movement: a political movement in late 19th-century Russia that sought to bring about a socially just new society by destroying the existing one through acts of terrorism and assassination


Perjink [pər jíngk]

Scotland finicky: caring too much about neatness or unimportant details (humorous)


Ayurvedic medicine [y r váydik méddəssin, y r vdik méddəssin]

alternative medicine ancient Indian system of healing: an ancient Indian system of healing that assesses an individual’s constitution and lifestyle, and recommends treatment based on herbal preparations, diet, yoga, and purification. Also called Ayurveda


a·zan [aa zn]

Islamic call to prayer: the Islamic call to prayer that a muezzin repeats five times a day from the minaret of a mosque


Lilo [llō]

U.K. a trademark for an inflatable bed for use in swimming-pools or on the sea

[Joshua]

He·La cell [héllə sèl]

cultured cancer cell: a cell from a strain of human cervical cancer cells that is used in medical and biological research


HCG

biochemistry Abbr of human chorionic gonadotrophin


Er·in [érrin]

Ireland: the country of Ireland (literary)


Cam [kam]

machine part that transfers motion: an irregularly-shaped projection on a rotating shaft that changes rotary motion into a reciprocating up-and-down motion in another machine part (cam follower) that touches it


Josh·u·a [jóshoo ə]

book of the Bible: the book of the Bible that contains a narrative of the Hebrew invasion and partition of Canaan under Joshua’s command


Nick [nik]

1. notch: a small V-shaped cut or indentation in an edge or surface
2. small cut: a small cut on the skin
3. printing groove on type: a groove on the side of a piece of metal printing type, used to identify and orient it
4. U.K. police station: a police station (slang)
5. U.K. prison: prison (slang)
He spent ten years in the nick.



vt (past nicked, past participle nicked, present participle nick·ing, 3rd person present singular nicks)
1. notch or cut slightly: to make a notch, indentation, or small cut in something
The scythe blade had been nicked by a stone.

2. cheat: to cheat or defraud somebody (slang)
3. U.K. steal something: to steal something (slang)
4. U.K. arrest somebody: to place somebody under arrest (slang)
5. veterinary medicine incise horse’s tail: to make a cut in the tendons at the root of a horse’s tail to make the tail stick up


[15th century. Origin uncertain.]

in the nick of time at the critical or last possible moment

Jen·ny [jénnee]

1. zoology donkey: a female donkey
2. birds bird: a female bird (often used before a noun)
a jenny wren

3. marine biology female crab: a female crab. See also jimmy n.2
4. manufacturing See spinning jenny


[Early 17th century. From diminutive of names Jane , Jennifer , and a feminine version of Jack , often used to designate a tool or piece of machinery.]

[Joshua]

ae·py·or·nis [pee áwrniss]

huge extinct bird: a giant extinct flightless bird that lived in Madagascar. It reached a height of 2.7 m/9 ft and weighed up to 450 kg/1,000 lb.
Genus: Aepyornis Also called elephant bird


eph·or [é fàwr, éffər]

Dorian magistrate: in ancient Greece, one of five magistrates elected in any of various Dorian states, especially Sparta, to supervise the king


[Late 16th century. Directly or via Latin ephorus from Greek ephoros “overseer,” from horan “to see.”]


da ca·po [daa kpō]

music repeat from beginning: to be played or sung again from the beginning of the passage or piece (used as a musical direction) See also dal segno


[Early 18th century. From Italian , literally “from the head.”]


xy·lem [zləm]

type of plant tissue: plant tissue that carries water and dissolved minerals from the roots through the stem and leaves.
It also helps to support the plant and is the main constituent of wood.


[Late 19th century. From German, formed from Greek xulon “wood.”]