Semi-Urban Cartography

* I use a few dictionary references. My New Comprehensive A-Z Crossword Dictionary is quite useful for abstractions both established and potential. For a thesaurus (of course) I use Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus (Updated & Expanded 3rd Edition). My basic dictionary is The Concise Oxford English Dictionary which I got for Christmas in 1996. Lastly, I go to www.dictionary.com for words outside of the dictionary or a coalescing of definitions (a frequent need).

Complected

I wanted to describe something as “fair/fairly complected”. The white leg of a woman, to be exact. Although my table top dictionary doesn’t have the word (complex, complexion) I found it on-line. I have my doubts that the definition of the word has expanded since 1997 when my current dictionary was published.

Sapphirine

To describe someone’s eyes. Having the qualities of sapphires. I look at it on the page — it’s my new favorite word.

Fugue

It seemed like the best way to describe a fever state. Coming out of a “fugue” in this poem though feels like a state of fevered talking. A fugue of crazy talking.

Diaspora

When we ‘make diaspora’ from union.

Rampart

Another word familiar from culture, as in ‘o’er the ramparts we watched’ that I knew it’s meaning in context but needed to see it in the form of a dictionary entry.

Wheelbarrow

Seeking the origin of ‘barrow’ vs. ‘barrel’ and whether the word had been modified over much time.

Surcease

Dream of words frequently. I bring them out of sleep then have to utilize them — somehow. This is one of those words that may have been made up but found it fit a niche.

Extant

I found myself correctly using the word in an existential mash-up of mathematics and poetry.

Arroyo

Not ‘Bronson’ but the river gulch

Brine

I wanted to see if there was anything in the definition besides fluid. In the dictionary, the extent dealt with fluids however I felt strongly that the word had the capacity for expansion.

Yeoman

I use the term, yeoman’s work often

Exhume/exhumation

All tenses considered. The ‘exhumation of” or the ‘desire to exhume’ something.

Ardent

One of my favorite words.

Alloy

I am quite addicted to words that depict the result of something. An alloy is the fusion of metals/blend of ores. Words that are in essence a description of core elements made new.

Remonstrate/remonstrance

Needed to see the difference with demonstrate/demonstration.