Here are some words you probably never had in your high school vocabulary quizzes. These are often not the preferred definition, and may be pretty obscure. For instance, a ferrule is a metal ring or cap placed on a post to prevent splitting. And a punt is primarily a football kick or a small shallow boat.
Try throwing these into conversation.
Armsaye: The armhole in clothing.
Chanking: Spat-out food, such as rinds or pits.
Feat: A dangling curl of hair
Ferrule: The metal band on a pencil that holds the eraser in place.
Harp: The small metal hoop that supports a lampshade.
Keeper: The loop ion a belt that keeps the end in place after it has passed through the buckle.
Punt: Indentation at the bottom of some wine and champagne bottles. It gives added strength to the bottle but lessens its holding capacity.
Liripipe: The long tail on a graduate's academic hood.
Octothorpe: The symbol "#" on a telephone handset.
Phosphenes: The lights you see when you close your eyes hard. Technically the luminous impressions are due to the excitation of the retina caused by pressure on the eyeball.
Scroop: The rustle of silk.
Snorkel Box: A mailbox with a protruding receiver to allow people to deposit mail without leaving their cars.
Spraints: Otter dung.
Tang: The projecting prong on a tool or instrument.
[Via Cannongate.net]
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