Join Bermuda Onion and others as we explore the new-to-us words we’ve come across this week!
1. Cynosure (ˈsī-nə-ˌshu̇r)
“The cross is the pivot as well as the centre of New Testament thought. The exclusive mark of the Christian faith, the symbol of Christianity and its cynosure.”
~Samuel Zwemer, quoted in John Stott’s The Cross of Christ
Definition: a center of attraction or attention
2. Lycanthrope (lī-kən-ˌthrōp)
“If you asked me last week if I had anything in common with Twilight star Robert Pattinson, I would have said, ‘Yes, we’re both bipeds, we have hair that borders on Conan O’Brien height levels and we’re constantly harassed by lycanthropes.‘”
~Jon Acuff, from Stuff Christians Like
Definition: 1. a werewolf, 2. a person affected with lycanthropy
3. Laboratoryoratory, availaboratoryle, elaboratoryorate
“He was a reconstructive surgeon and often performed liver transplants on children, but felt stymied by the lack of donor livers availabloratoryle.”
~Winston and Oliwenstein from Superhuman: The Awesome Power Within
Okay, this isn’t a serious new word. I’m just flummoxed at how an editor could miss three glaringly obvious additions of “oratory” to other words. All three of these were found within three pages. What on earth?