This tag is for questions seeking a single word that fits a meaning. If you actually seek a phrase, or don't care, see the "phrase requests" tag too.
0
votes
1answer
7 views
Better wording for “Among other [stuff]”
I have the following problem. I need to say
Among other information, [the message] will contain information about the following...
I don't like the repetition of "information" here. I thought ...
0
votes
2answers
45 views
Is there a specific term in English for the smell of the early morning?
I'm not looking for words like "freshness" for example, but a word that is used exclusively to denote this specific smell.
1
vote
4answers
71 views
Use of “permission” in technical writing
In a request for proposal (RFP) I am attempting to edit the following sentence-fragment which isn't grammatically correct:
"...except for staff permissioned to update..."
My problem is with the ...
-1
votes
1answer
50 views
Is there a specific word in English (a noun) for the strong smell of spaces like cellars, basements and storerooms?
Due to the lack of sunlight, usually located fully underground in the house and kept shut almost all the time , basements tend to release a very strong odour that fills your nostrils whenever you open ...
2
votes
2answers
61 views
What is the word to describe trying to find the right word for something?
There is a "meanings" tag on English.SE, but I would like the opposite way around — I have a meaning already, I want the word (if it exists) for doing just this.
4
votes
2answers
47 views
Word for 'that which requires something'?
If A requires B, then B is the requirement. In this relationship what is A?
In this context, I'm describing academic courses where B is a course that fulfills the requirements for course A.
0
votes
1answer
29 views
Word meaning “close in time, or current”
Is there a word that can be used to describe something that is either close in time, or currently happening?
Something like "proximate" or "imminent", but without the implication that the thing has ...
2
votes
5answers
88 views
Can the phrase 'is contained in' be substituted by a single word?
If a lunchbox contains an apple, then the apple is contained in a lunchbox. Is it possible to replace the phrase 'is contained in' with a single word? I can't think of one, and the thesaurus hasn't ...
-2
votes
0answers
26 views
Word for user/reader/etc [closed]
Is there a general word to describe the following words:
User/End User
Reader
Audience
I imagine that it would be used as follows: "Use of the [word] in instruction manuals is common and has the ...
0
votes
0answers
27 views
I want to know a one word for the person who always make your day [closed]
Is their a single word to describe a person that how happy you are to have them?. Like some people are your "lucky charm" as that they bring luck in your life by some reason. So, in that way can we ...
-1
votes
1answer
44 views
Word for long chain of causes [closed]
What may be the conceptual, phenomenal word for
a long chain of complex causes and reasons, that doesn't believe in coincidences, accidentalities, karma etc.?
4
votes
1answer
60 views
Unambiguous Opposite of “The Subtitle of a Film”
A word to refer to the "The Far Side of the World" part in the film title Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (MC:FSW) might be subtitle. By here, the "Master and Commander" part is called ...
-2
votes
1answer
33 views
Antonym for force (verb) [closed]
What is the antonym for the verb force? (i.e. antonym of 'urge or force (a person) to an action')
0
votes
3answers
119 views
How do you properly say “missing each other” (that's SO the wrong word!)?
Imagine I sent a message to someone over Instant Messaging, and then went offline.
5 minutes later, they come online, send me a message and go offline.
10 minutes later, I come online, find their ...
3
votes
1answer
118 views
What is the English equivalent of the phrase “ménage à trois”?
Merriam-Webster defines ménage à trois as:
an arrangement in which three persons (as a married pair and the lover of one of the pair) share sexual relations especially while living together
I ...
2
votes
1answer
63 views
A word that means “to become one's name”
I'm looking for a word which indicates that a person has adopted a quality suggested by their name, e.g. a person named Grace who is indeed graceful, or perhaps someone named Shepherd who has become a ...
3
votes
2answers
112 views
What is the term used to describe the relationship between two words that are both the opposite of another word, but also the opposite of each other? [duplicate]
To start this off light, I was initially thinking about this with Oreos. There are fresh Oreos, and then there are two different ways they can go stale: dry/hard (in low humidity) and soft/mushy (in ...
1
vote
4answers
64 views
What's the word that means: something that allows/helps something else? [closed]
I've been on a quest to find a word that I knew, but eventually forgot. It's not a common word. I remember I liked its aesthetics. I searched synonyms for all words I could think of, and I still can't ...
5
votes
1answer
57 views
A word for “living contemporary”
My teacher always says that I cannot use the word contemporary when talking about living people.
According to him you could say for instance: He was a contemporary of Shakespeare, but you couldn't ...
10
votes
6answers
635 views
Opposite word for “cursive”, as related to writing
I looked up the etymology entry at etymonline.com for cursive, which reads:
1784, from French cursif (18c.), from Medieval Latin cursivus “running,” from Latin cursus “a running,” from past ...
2
votes
3answers
96 views
How to refer to the part of the desk where one usually puts the speakers?
Here's a picture of one:
Is there a simple but clear way of referring to it?
0
votes
0answers
34 views
What would be an alternative to using “disappear” transitively? [closed]
For reasons which are beyond my understanding "disappear" can be used transitively. But - I want an alternative. That is, I'd like to replace the word 'disappear' in the following sentence:
He ...
7
votes
5answers
324 views
what is the adjectival form of the word “noun?”
What is the adjectival form of the word 'noun'?
Every result I get is for the adjectival form of a noun, not the word 'noun' itself.
2
votes
2answers
44 views
'Whereas' as conjunction between main clause and subordinate clause?
I am wondering if I can use 'whereas' as a conjunction between a main and a subordinate clause, with the subordinate clause following and giving a reason supporting the statement in the main clause. ...
-2
votes
1answer
50 views
Onomatopoeia for Physical Objects [closed]
Here's something I was thinking about the other day: is there a word like "onomatopoeia" that can be used to describe words that sound like what they describe?
This can include, for example, seeing a ...
-3
votes
2answers
73 views
One word for “seemingly small but very important” [closed]
I need one word (if there is any) for "seemingly small but very important".
3
votes
5answers
132 views
Similar numbers [closed]
Say, I have two numbers which are almost equal:
A = 1.000000000000000000000001
and
B = 1.000000000000000000000002
What is the right way to say that they are "almost the same"?
A is almost ...
-2
votes
3answers
65 views
Offer / Quotation / Proposal? [closed]
I'm looking for a word to describe a piece of paper I hand to my customer - to offer (well, ...) something for a specified amount of money.
Let's say I send my customer a letter with the content ...
1
vote
3answers
93 views
What do you call a person who leads a charge?
What do you call a person who leads a charge, or otherwise leads a body of soldiers into combat 'from the front'?
My context is historical but with a request this specific I'll take what I can get.
0
votes
0answers
48 views
A term for heterosexual victims of homophobia [closed]
Would there be a term for heterosexual victims of homophobia? Is there a term for homosexual victims of homophobia? In either case, the victims could simply be referred to as victims, but I'm ...
5
votes
2answers
265 views
Is there a word for someone born through incest?
The word 'bastard' is used liberally throughout Game of Thrones and it made me wonder about the children born through incest.
2
votes
2answers
56 views
What is the term for replacing one word/phrase with one that is more friendly/appropriate
I apologize for such a simple and stupid question but the word is completely skipping my mind and my google fu seems to be failing me for this one.
An example would be something along the lines of ...
3
votes
3answers
79 views
A word for a favor/debt that cannot be repaid
I just feel like unrepayable isn't actually a word. Thesauri are not much helpful.
Consider a case in which someone saves your child's life. There is nothing you can ever do to pay them back for this ...
0
votes
0answers
29 views
We taste tastes, smell scents, hear sounds, see sights, but is there a word for things we feel with our skin? [duplicate]
How do you refer to 'things touched' in the abstract?
-2
votes
2answers
31 views
Best word for virtual community [closed]
Can anyone suggest a list of words that posses the meaning 'Virtual Community' ?
0
votes
0answers
28 views
Is there a single word choice for 'View History'? [closed]
I would like to replace the words 'View History' into a single word so that the single word can fit into the following sentence:
I wish to perform { single word to replace View History } operation on ...
6
votes
3answers
204 views
Word that means “plagiarism” but only in relation to plagiarized ideas
I'm looking for a word that has the same meaning as "plagiarism" but in relation to plagiarized ideas only, i.e. not related to writing, art work, drawing etc.
7
votes
3answers
80 views
What is the equivalent word for “screening” when referring to recorded sound only?
In other words:
theater : performance ::
film : screening ::
audio tape : ??
It doesn't happen very often, but in exceptional circumstances there exist audio recordings that are rare ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
What do you call a quote collector?
EDIT: As Chris Taylor made note of, there are multiple types of quotes. I mean quotes as in phrases written/spoken by someone (not insurance quotes, etc.).
Is there a single word that describes ...
6
votes
8answers
465 views
Is there a word to describe someone who keeps trying to do something but always fails?
Is there a word that describes someone who continually tries something but always fails? This isn't describing in the positive sense - as in someone who never gives up - but more about the negative ...
2
votes
2answers
139 views
Is there a term to describe words whose pronunciation bears no relationship to their spelling?
The English language is peppered with wonderfully weird spelling/pronunciation combinations. For example
colonel, pronounced kur-nl, probably my favorite there isn't even an r in the word!
...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Word for ascribing animal-like mentality to humans (opposite of anthropomorphize)
I'm wondering if there is a word that, essentially, means the opposite of anthropomorphize- roughly, assigning animal-like attributes or mentality to a human. Beastialize doesn't seem to fit the bill ...
-1
votes
0answers
60 views
What is the best word for “food items” in food store?
I am looking for a word that best fits the meaning for food items and food products that are on sale in a grocery store.
Dictionary either says "food", but it seems too general to me, because that ...
2
votes
3answers
65 views
Looking for a good word that means “an open statement”
I'm trying to think of a word that means something along these lines:
An open statement. Not a number. Not something absolute. Not something calculable. A free statement. A literary premise.
E.g. ...
7
votes
4answers
196 views
How can I disambiguate “shorter”?
Consider the following two boxes with the provided dimensions:
A:
10 inches long
10 inches wide
10 inches tall
B:
11 inches long
12 inches wide
13 inches tall
I wish to communicate the side ...
2
votes
3answers
72 views
Metaphor for an important discovery
"Joe Blogg's Damascus" can be used as a metaphor to denote a sudden turning point in attitude, behaviour or some other feature of Joe Blogg's life.
What would be a similar metaphor for an important ...
2
votes
6answers
157 views
Non-derogatory term similar to “inflexible”
I'm looking for a word that's somewhat similar to inflexible, but non-derogatory, used to describe a characteristic of a person or their habits.
For example, let's say we have someone who really ...
-3
votes
1answer
73 views
Word for “unaware of surroundings” [closed]
What's a word that describes a person that does not recognize their surroundings of where they live?
2
votes
2answers
59 views
jargon for taking leftover budget funds in one calendar year and using them the next year
There's a term for taking leftover budget funds in one calendar year and using them the next year, in the context of government budgeting.
I am having a brain freeze and can't remember it or find it ...
2
votes
2answers
39 views
Category name for “Other fun stuff” vs “Other serious stuff”
On my website, I currently have seven categories.
Games
Art
Music
Video
Text
Other
Misc
"Other" is for other things that are fun, like games, art, music, video, and text. For example, a fireworks ...
