Wednesday 27 June 2012

Wondrous Words Wednesday 27/6/12




Wondrous Words Wednesday is a fabulous weekly meme hosted by Bermuda Onion, where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our weekly reading.  

This weeks words come from Michael Scott's The Sorceress. I've dipped into The Sorceress before for some Wondrous Words. Here are some more. 

1. Bascinet (Noun)

Over that was a smooth metal bascinet helmet with a long nose guard. 

A medieval European open-faced military helmet. Wiki. 


2. Shamshir (Noun)

3. Claymore (Noun)

A curved shamshir sword dangled by his side and an enormous claymore sword was strapped to his back. 

Shamshir- curved Persian sabre. Wiki

Picture source


Claymore- Scottish variant of the late medieval two-handed longsword. Wiki

Picture source

4. Harpies (Noun)

She had already known the answer; nearly two centuries earlier, she had fought a nest of Next Generation harpies on the Palatine Hill above Rome in Italy. 

Greek mythology- a winged spirit best known for constantly stealing all food from Phineus.

Picture source


5. Cuirass (Noun)

The creature surged to her feet and brushed strands of sticky web off her leather cuirass.


A piece of armour, formed of a single or multiple pieces of metal or other rigid material, which covers the front of the torso. Wiki

6. Cantrips (Noun)

He had never forgiven her for defeating him on Mount Etna and over the centuries had spent a fortune collecting spells, incantations and cantrips that would destroy her. 

i) Scots. A magic spell; a witch's trick.
ii) British. A deceptive move; a sham. The Free Dictionary


7. Trilithon (Noun)

"Look for the third perfect trilithon to the left," Flamel whispered. 

A structure consisting of two large vertical stones (posts) supporting a third stone set horizontally across the top (lintel). Wiki. It's perfectly obvious when you think about it lith means stones, so three stones. 



6 comments:

bermudaonion said...

I'd probably have to look up every other word if I read that book. I've heard harpy used like shrew before. Thanks for playing along!

Jackie McGuinness said...

I agree with Bermuda Onion, I didn't know any of these words except I had also heard harpy used for a shrew.

Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews said...

Hi Louise,

I have also heard of the alternative version of 'Harpies' and I also knew of 'claymore', but the rest were a mystery to me ... Even the last one 'trilithin', which I am ashamed about, as I only live a very short distance from Avebury and Stonehenge and both places are full of stone circles and 'trilithons'...I bow my head in disgust at myself!!

Great interesting post, thanks,

Yvonne

Anonymous said...

After just watching a program about this, I knew # 7.

Margot said...

It's always a pleasure to read about your new words. I think it's because you read books that are different from mine. I also like that you give us a picture or two. Anyway, thanks

Anonymous said...

I am always amazed how many words there are (that I don't know, not that I should know) that describe building construction parts.