Pruritis, a mid 17th century Latin word, is simply an up-scale sounding word for itching. We all, on occasion, have an urgent need to scratch something on our bodies, usually in the middle of the back where you can't reach it. Itching can be caused from diseases like chicken pox, certain plants like poison ivy, dry skin, sunburn, insect bites and hair regrowth.
2. One who shows prejudice against men
Answer: misandrist
In the 21st century, we have heard the word misogynist used more than ever. The word refers to a woman-hater, anti-feminist or male chauvinist. Well, there is also a corresponding word meaning prejudice against men, i.e., misandrist. The word, first appearing in the late 19th century, is taken from the Greek 'miso', to hate, and 'andr' meaning man.
3. Letdown or disappointment
Answer: bathos
The literary term 'bathos' is a neologism coined by Alexander Pope in 1727. It was borrowed from the Greek word 'bathys', meaning deep. Pope used the term to describe an anticlimax which fails to have an emotional impact due to an unintentional lapse in mood, often from dialogue which goes from the sublime to the ridiculous.
4. Hair on the back of your neck stands up
Answer: horripilation
So you're watching Freddy Krueger enter your dreams; you begin to sweat and the hair on the back of your neck sticks up. Oh, the horripilation of it all! The word is from the Latin 'horripilatus', or bristling. Like goose bumps, horripilation is a bristling of the hair on the skin, and can be the result of fear or terror, chills, or illness.
5. Long-noosed rope to catch animals
Answer: riata
A loop of rope designed to be thrown around a target to restrain it is called a lariat, a lasso (in Wonder woman's case) or, from the Spanish, 'riata' or 'reata', meaning a lariat. Picture the wagon trains and cattle drives of the Old West where the cowboys would round up the mavericks with their lassos.
6. Loss of muscle tissue as a result of aging
Answer: sarcopenia
Sarcopenia is a medical term for the loss of muscle tissue as a result of aging. This is a natural part of the process of getting older. This can also affect the balance and the gait of senior citizens. While muscle mass begins to decline when we reach our forties, the deterioration speeds up in our 60s and 70s.
This condition may be exacerbated by poor nutrition, a sedentary life, lower protein production, or illness.
7. Hash sign
Answer: octothorpe
With new technological discoveries, the 'hash' sign or (in American usage) 'pound' sign has increased exponentially in popularity. The hashtag "#" or number sign is also called an octothorpe. It can be found on all typewriters, computers and telephone dials. The etiology of the octothorpe is uncertain, except for the fact that the "octo" represents the eight points of the symbol.
8. Urination
Answer: micturition
Some words for bodily functions just sound better than others. For example, doesn't eructation sound so much classier than a belch, and regurgitation seem so much more high-brow than hurling? So it is, too, with the word micturition. Micturition, a form of excretion, is a synonym for urination, peeing, weeing, and voiding. In other words, it is the discharge of urine from the bladder.
9. Dry skin
Answer: xerosis
No one will feel bad for you if you complain about dry skin, but if you tell someone you are suffering from "xerosis" or xeroderma, they may think they should call an ambulance. Xerosis cutis is the medical term for dry skin, derived from the Greek word 'xero' for dry. Like many conditions, it often gets worse with age, with rough skin showing scales and cracks.
Besides age, environment and genetics can play a part in this condition.
10. Devoted to the pursuit of wealth
Answer: mammonist
I always thought that someone devoted to the pursuit of wealth was just greedy, obsessive and narcissistic. While those adjectives fit, there is another word, a mammonist, which is even more specific and archaic. The word 'mammona' comes from the Latin, meaning wealth, and mammonists are dedicated to both the ideal and pursuit of wealth.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ponycargirl before going online.
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