by Dwane | Mar 24, 2015 | Ebook, Education, English, Italian, Latin
Cavalcade: A procession of riders on horseback. Or, a cavalcade might also be a ceremonial procession, as in, a parade. Cavalcades no longer require horses. These days, a cavalcade could be a procession of vehicles, as in, “the presidential cavalcade.” Several years...
by Dwane | Mar 21, 2015 | Ebook, Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Equerry: a personal attendant of a member of the royal family. Historically, the equerry was the royal stable. The equerry was also the name of those in charge of the horses of a nobleman. This word looks like it desperately wants to derive from the Latin word equus,...
by Dwane | Mar 16, 2015 | Ebook, Education, English, Greek, Vocabulary
Hippocampus: a mythological creature. The hippocampus was part dolphin, part horse. Archaeologists have found paintings to the hippocampus in the ruins of Pompeii. Hippocampus may also refer to a genus of fish with a neck and head that look remarkably like a...
by Dwane | Mar 9, 2015 | Ebook, Education, English, Greek, Vocabulary
Semaphore: A signaling system. A semaphore uses flags, lights, or mechanical arms to send messages, usually to travelers. You might see a semaphore next to the railroad tracks. The word might also refer to a system of sending messages by holding the arms or flags in...
by Dwane | Mar 7, 2015 | Ebook, Education, English, Greek, Vocabulary
Pyrophoric: liable to ignite spontaneously when exposed to air. You know, like.. Charlie Sheen. While a pyrophoric chemical might ignite, a pyrophoric alloy will produce sparks when struck. Lighter flints, for example, are pyrophoric. The flintlock mechanism in...
