Of late I have found myself having to resort to the dictionary a great deal. I thought I would share the words I've been looking up so that you (whoever you are) can get really good scores when doing the "Improve your wordpower" page in old copies of Reader's Digest in doctors' waiting rooms.
1. Demiurge - Sounds as if it ought to be half an urge, but turns out to mean an ancient Greek magistrate or a deputy god responsible for creating the material universe.
2. Acromeglic – Medical term to describe someone suffering from a form of pituitary cancer which causes them to make too much growth hormone (notable sufferer = Andre The Giant!). To my great upset, I found this word in one of my sister’s columns. So much for my theory that I’m the bright one...
3. Pismire – Another one that sounds like one thing but means another. Actually an ant.
4. Quintain – A target for practising jousting.
5. Halidome – holy place, sanctuary.
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