Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

WORD FOR THE DAY: MEPHITIS
2000 Most Challenging and Obscure Words | October 5, 2016 | Norman Schur

Posted on 10/05/2016 3:46:07 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell

;


In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day".

MEPHITIS [meh FYE tis]

hear it pronounced

noun

This is the term for a noxious emanation from the earth, such as a poison gas, but the word is also applied to something less deadly, like any foul, noisome stench, even if not actually poisonous.

The adjective is mephitic (muh FIT ik), describing any offensive odor, noxious or not.

Exposure to mephitic exhalations are to be avoided; they may or may not be poisonous but they certainly are exceedingly offensive.

Swamps give off mephitic odors. Living within smelling range of the mephitic emanations from certain industrial operations, like oil refineries, can be unhealthful, and is undoubtedly unpleasant.

it is often not worthwhile putting up with the mephitic odors of a compost pile, despite its value as fertilizer.

Mephitis was taken over as is from Latin; mephitic from Late Latin mephiticus. Appropriately enough, mephitine (see apitrine) means "pertaining to skunks."


TOPICS: Word For The Day
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-43 next last
Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the Word for the Day in a sentence.
The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day.



1 posted on 10/05/2016 3:46:07 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

Is there a mephitis around Uranus?


2 posted on 10/05/2016 3:50:40 AM PDT by Keli Kilohana (Editor, ZARR CHASM CHRONICAL [sic], Sore, WV)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

Mephitiis, Hillary Clinton’s natural stae.


3 posted on 10/05/2016 3:51:28 AM PDT by Fai Mao (PIAPS for Prison 2016)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell; xsmommy; secret garden; VRWCmember; SoothingDave; Texan5; NicknamedBob; ...
Word For The Day, Wednesday, October 5, 2016 -- MEPHITIS

O! What great fun we shall have with today's WFTD. Play on, Lads and Lassies. Beware the skunk in the bushes.


4 posted on 10/05/2016 3:53:24 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Stop the Left and save the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Keli Kilohana

5 posted on 10/05/2016 3:58:43 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Stop the Left and save the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Fai Mao

6 posted on 10/05/2016 4:00:53 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Stop the Left and save the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

I was listening to the recent Motörhead extended play album, and man, the new mephitis is pretty damned awesome. Rest In Peace, Lemmy!


7 posted on 10/05/2016 4:31:12 AM PDT by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

8 posted on 10/05/2016 4:31:58 AM PDT by Daffynition (*Donald Trump represents the WILL of the PEOPLE.*~ Don King 09.24.16)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

On every front, leftists will fight us
Their mouths spewing vile mephitis
Our side should fight back
Even go on attack
Shouldn’t act like we’re weak with arthritis


9 posted on 10/05/2016 5:12:37 AM PDT by TruthShallSetYouFree (If Hillary's last name were anything but Clinton, she'd already be behind bars.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell
Mephitis -- This is the term for a noxious emanation from the earth, such as a poison gas, but the word is also applied to something less deadly, like any foul, noisome stench, even if not actually poisonous.

Yep. I try to avoid the smell of mephane.

10 posted on 10/05/2016 5:14:47 AM PDT by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fai Mao
A haiku:

Hill'ry's mephitis
Surprisingly not brimstone
but rather, Depends

11 posted on 10/05/2016 5:19:05 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (Don't be a lone wolf. Form up small leaderlesss cells ASAP !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

The mephitis coming from the Hildabeast Campaign is so overwhelming that even I, an anti-abortion believer, was thinking it might not be a bad thing if only their mothers had used it on them.


12 posted on 10/05/2016 5:19:06 AM PDT by thingumbob (I'm a bitter clinger...I dare you to take my gun)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

Mephitis: A city in western Tennessee on the Mississippi river.


13 posted on 10/05/2016 5:26:31 AM PDT by upchuck ("It's either Donald Trump or 1,000 years of darkness on this planet." ~ Roger Stone)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

For eight years I’ve tried to resist this administration’s scandal, criminality, and stench, but mephitis nearly gone.


14 posted on 10/05/2016 5:27:49 AM PDT by nickedknack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TruthShallSetYouFree

15 posted on 10/05/2016 5:35:04 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Stop the Left and save the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: T-Bone Texan

16 posted on 10/05/2016 5:38:32 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Stop the Left and save the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: thingumbob

17 posted on 10/05/2016 5:43:42 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Stop the Left and save the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: nickedknack

18 posted on 10/05/2016 5:47:56 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Stop the Left and save the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

19 posted on 10/05/2016 5:53:57 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Stop the Left and save the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

Well hey, thanks for that, I think.


20 posted on 10/05/2016 6:27:27 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (Don't be a lone wolf. Form up small leaderlesss cells ASAP !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-43 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson