My Science School

Meaning: The word strobe corresponds to a light or lamp that flashes on and off quickly.

Origin: Strobe is arrived by shortening the word stroboscope. It has been used as the shortened form of strobe light from 1949 and as an adjective from 1942. Stroboscope is an instrument for studying light using periodic motion. In use from 1896, it is arrived at by adding the suffix scope to the Greek word strobos meaning "a twisting, act of whirling".

Usage: Strobe beacons were used in NASA's final Mercury mission to see if tracking was possible by astronauts.

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Meaning: The word twitch is used both as a verb and as a noun. The verb form corresponds to give or cause to give a short, sudden jerking or convulsive movement. The noun form meanwhile, denotes a short, sudden jerking or convulsive movement.

Origin:  The verb form of the word has been around since the late 12th Century. The word is derived from to-twic-chen, meaning "pull apart with a quick jerk, which is related to Old English twiccian meaning "to pluck, gather, catch hold of." which in turn has a Proto-Germanic root. The noun form of the word has been in existence from the 1520s. The word, which has seen steady usage through the centuries, saw an increased usage this century. The frequency of usage has been especially pronounced in the last decade or so, nearly doubling from before. This can be attributed to the popular American video live streaming service that shares the same name.

Usage:  She tried to suppress her smile but felt a twitch in the comer of her mouth.

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Meaning:  As a verb to teem with something is to be full of or swarming with it.

Origin: This word is derived from the Old English 'timan', which originally meant to bring forth offspring' or 'to give birth to' in the late 16th Century.

Usage: The river teems with fish.

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Meaning: Pronounced taw-tee-uh, this noun refers to a type of thin, round Mexican bread made from maize or wheat flour.

Origin: This Spanish word from the 17th Century has its origins in the Spanish words "torta", meaning cake and "-illa", a diminutive suffix derived from the Latin word "ella".

Usage: The sweet aroma of sugared tortilla filled our room.

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Meaning: This intransitive verb refers to talking foolishly or nonsensically.

Origin: In use since 1868, the word blither is a variant of blether - meaning "talk nonsense" - a northern British and Scottish word, with origins in the word blather, with the same meaning.

Example: So blither if you like, she said softly.

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The word insipid corresponds to lacking flavour and being weak or tasteless. It can also be used to denote lacking interest or vigour.

Origin:  The word, which has been in usage since 1610s, comes from French insipide, from Latin inspidus meaning tasteless.

The figurative meaning of being uninteresting or dull was first recorded in English in the 1640s, probably from Medieval Latin. The word saw a rapid decline in usage in the 19th Century, but has maintained that level since then.

Usage: Despite an insipid performance in first half of the play, the children more than made up in the second half to make it an enjoyable show overall.

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Meaning: The word cauldron corresponds to a large metal pot with a lid and a handle that is used for cooking over an open fire. Cauldron can also denote a situation that is characterised by instability and strong emotions

Origin: The word has been around since 1300 and is derived from Anglo-French caudrun, Old North French caudern from augmentative of Late Latin caldaria meaning "cooking pot from Latin calidarium used for "hot bath", from calidus meaning warm, hot. The 1 was inserted in 15th Century in imitation of Latin.

The word which has been in constant usage through the centuries, has enjoyed a burst of popularity in the recent decades.

Usage:  The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium was a cauldron of emotions when Real Madrid welcomed Manchester City for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final in 2022.

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Meaning: A confidant is someone to whom secrets can be entrusted, and especially a very close friend.

Origin: This word comes from the Italian confidente, meaning 'having trust in' which in turn is derived from Latin 'confidere' meaning to put one's trust in, have confidence in.

Usage: He has since become a close friend and confidant.

Meaning: The noun refers to a device that sends out a radio signal to show the position of something such as a ship, aircraft, etc. It also refers to a good example that gives people hope or encouragement.

Origin: It is said to have originated from the Old English word beacen, meaning "sign, portent, lighthouse", which, in turn, is from the West Germanic word baukna, meaning "beacon, signal".

Usage: The blink of beacon could be seen for miles. Her words were a beacon of hope for all of us.

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Meaning: Used commonly in Asia, this noun is used to refer to a warehouse.

Origin: The word appears to have several origins, including from the Portuguese word gudao and Malay word gudang, both referring to a warehouse. Interestingly, it has an Indian connection too. Godown is said to have originated from the Tamil word kidangu, again referring to a warehouse.

Usage: We waited in front of the old godown fro three hours.

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