Word of the day: samite

The word of the day is samite:

1. a heavy silk fabric, sometimes interwoven with gold, worn in the Middle Ages.

"rich silk cloth," c.1300, from O.Fr. samit, from M.L. samitum, examitum, from Medieval Gk. hexamiton (source of O.C.S. oksamitu, Rus. aksamit "velvet"), prop. neut. of Gk. adj. hexamitos "six-threaded," from hex "six" + mitos "warp thread" (see mitre). The reason it was called this is variously explained. Obsolete c.1600; revived by Tennyson. Ger. Sammet "velvet" is from French.

(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/samite)

"The bishop's envoy wore a black velvet chasuble over his dazzlingly white vestments, and the monk was resplendent in yards of samite and gilt embroidery."

 - Connie Willis, Doomsday Book

Word of the day: chasuble

The word of the day is chasuble:

1. a sleeveless outer vestment worn by the celebrant at Mass.

c.1300, cheisible, from O.Fr. chesible (Mod.Fr. chasuble), from M.L. cassubula, from L.L. *casipula, from L. casula, dim. of casa "cottage, house" (see casino), used by c.400 in transf. sense of "outer garment."

(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chasuble)

"The bishop's envoy wore a black velvet chasuble over his dazzlingly white vestments, and the monk was resplendent in yards of samite and gilt embroidery."

 - Connie Willis, Doomsday Book

Word of the day: wadmal

The word of the day is wadmal:

1. a bulky woolen fabric woven of coarse yarn and heavily napped, formerly much used in England and Scandinavia for the manufacture of durable winter garments.

(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wadmal)

"They unloaded two large chests while Kivrin and the girls watched, several wadmal bags, and an enormous wine cask."

 - Connie Willis, Doomsday Book

Word of the day: cresset

The word of the day is cresset:

1. a metal cup or basket often mounted on a pole or suspended from above, containing oil, pitch, a rope steeped in rosin, etc., burned as a light or beacon.

(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cressets)

"The church was cold, in spite of all the lights.  They were mostly cressets, set along the walls and in front of the Holly-banked statue of St. Catherine, though there was a tall, thin, yellowish candle set in the greenery of each of the windows, but the effect was probably not what Father Roche had intended."

 - Connie Willis, Doomsday Book

Word of the day: cottar

The word of the day is cottar:

a peasant or farm laborer who occupies a cottage and sometimes a small holding of land usually in return for services

Middle English cottar, from Medieval Latin cotarius, from Middle English cot

First Known Use: 14th century

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cottar)

"Father Roche called Mother to tend a sick cottar."

 - Connie Willis, Doomsday Book

Word of the day: woad

The word of the day is woad:

1. a European plant, Isatis tinctoria, of the mustard family, formerly cultivated for a blue dye extracted from its leaves.
2. the dye extracted from this plant.

O.E. wad, from P.Gmc. *waido- (cf. Dan. vaid, O.Fris. wed, M.Du. wede, Du. wede, O.H.G. weit, Ger. Waid "woad"), probably cognate with L. vitrium "glass" (see vitreous). Old type of blue dye processed from plant leaves, since superseded by indigo. Fr. guède, It. guado are Gmc. loan-words.

"My dress is all wrong, of far too fine a weave, and the blue is too bright, dyed with woad or not."

 - Connie Willis, Doomsday Book

Word of the day: fillet

The word of the day is fillet:

2. a narrow band of ribbon or the like worn around the head, usually as an ornament; headband.

early 14c., "headband," from O.Fr. filet, dim. of fil "thread." Sense of "cut of meat or fish" is early 15c., apparently so called because it was prepared by being tied up with a string.

(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fillet)

"Her long, fair hair was held back by a fillet and fell loosely onto her shoulders."

 - Connie Willis, Doomsday Book