Tagged Questions
3
votes
2answers
111 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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
What do you call the latter part of a sentence which spans two pages?
Does the sentence fragment after the simulated pagebreak (the horizontal rule) have a specific term associated with it?
The start of a new paragraph includes an indent ...
1
vote
3answers
67 views
What do we call for the old colored brown page of an old book
I want to know what that brown and a bit rough-textured paper called. Or if there is a word for it or none.
3
votes
1answer
67 views
Is there a word to describe the organisation of cells?
For example whether an organism is unicellular or multicellular would be its _.
There is a word 'cellularity', though I don't think that is quite the word I am looking for.
2
votes
2answers
60 views
A soft substance that can be used to seal a seam between a bathtub and a wall [closed]
I need to go shopping for a certain thing, but do not know a proper English word for it.
It is a soft substance usually sold in a tube that can be used to seal a seam between a bathtub and a wall. It ...
-2
votes
1answer
43 views
Name for a special type of abbreviation, such as “mart” for “market”
Is there a name for when an abbreviation deviates greatly from the main word, as "mart" does for "market"?
6
votes
3answers
91 views
Is there a word for selecting yourself as the target audience for an invention or product?
Let me explain this with an example. An inventor faces a problem, he decides to develop a solution for it. Initially, he is the main target audience for his invention.
I was wondering if there was an ...
9
votes
3answers
513 views
Bringing word into existence just by calling and using it
Sometimes, when I read essays, I see that writers make up words and by using them, they bring those words into existence.
For example:
In her article "Juban America", Ruth Behar uses the term ...
0
votes
4answers
204 views
A word to express “removing some parts of history from history books by authorities”
In some countries some parts of history books of students have been removed by authorities of the time. For example, it has happened for Achaemenid Empire (a part of ancient Iran history) 2 years ago ...
1
vote
1answer
82 views
Correct translatation of the German word “Folgeverhalten” in the technical domain of control feedback systems
I have asked various online dictionaries about the translation of the German word Folgeverhalten.
At these dictionaries it is translated as "subsequent behaviour" or "following behavior". I am in ...
0
votes
2answers
128 views
Is there a word for start and end of a time period? [closed]
Is there a word used to describe the extremities of an arbitrary time period? The word "weekend" refers to the end of a week, but it's limited to the week and it only describes the end, but not the ...
0
votes
1answer
80 views
Term for “sum of durations”
While writing to a friend, I attempted to ask which web browser they used most. In the end, I asked which browser they used “more frequently”, but this was not the true object of my curiosity. By ...
2
votes
1answer
38 views
Word for a pane showing fictional characters in columns [closed]
In the manga/anime world you sometimes come across panes that show some of the characters of a certain manga or anime series arranged into columns. Here are some examples:
Bleach Gotei 13
Bleach ...
3
votes
2answers
119 views
Hypernym for “conjunction” and “disjunction”
Is there a hypernym for conjunction and disjunction, in their logical senses? Just using "junction" doesn't seem right to me.
0
votes
1answer
261 views
What's it called when you switch the order of two words around?
What's it called when you switch the order of two words around, completely changing their meaning?
For example, simply childish becomes childishly simple.
Or wonderfully sarcastic becomes ...
8
votes
2answers
216 views
Term for things like “naughty step” where the step is not what is naughty
Can anyone remind me of the grammatical term for the apparent misapplication of an attributive adjective, as in the phrase "the naughty step" (where it is not the step itself that is naughty but the ...
1
vote
1answer
135 views
What do you call a statement like “How to perform a change of ownership” [closed]
What do you call a statement similar to the following?
"How to perform a change of ownership"
I wish to request user input by asking a question such as:
"Please enter your title in the ...
1
vote
2answers
141 views
Term for the identification of the person speaking in a dialogue
Consider the following piece of dialogue:
Peter: Hello, Mary! How do you do?
Mary: Hi, Peter! Fine, and you?
What is the term for the part in bold, the specification of who is to speak a ...
3
votes
5answers
154 views
Is there a word for something that gets “acted upon”?
For instance, say I have two individuals and one is active, the other passive. I know I can call the active person the "actor"—he "acts upon" the passive person. But what do I call the "acted upon"? ...
0
votes
4answers
267 views
What's the word for something that's too direct and plain rather than poetic?
When someone writes poetry that's almost like plain English sentences, what may we call that?
Consider this, for example. This is an example of that plain, stated as it is, poetry (completely made ...
0
votes
4answers
96 views
The centrality that does not need to be named
Suppose we are looking at Internet domain names. Every country has its own two-letter abbreviation (.fr, .uk, .ca, .za, etc.) — except for the US, as far as I know. They have .com, .org, .edu, ...
1
vote
2answers
76 views
Word request: section of a book dealing with odd miscellaneous topics
I vaguely remember that there's a term for a section of a book which deals in odd miscellaneous topics -- not exactly the same as "appendix". Any suggestions?
The words I can think of are all dancing ...
7
votes
1answer
329 views
Different types of whistling
Are there terms or succinct phrases that describe the different ways of whistling listed below?
The standard put-your-lips-together-and-blow
Tongue against bottom teeth
Sticking two fingers (thumb ...
3
votes
5answers
161 views
What is the term for groups of numerals within a large number?
I am writing software in which I would like to be able to return the groups of numerals within a large number. For example, given a number 123,456,789, my software would return 123 then 456 then 789.
...
7
votes
3answers
307 views
Term for a word that is unintentionally made up of two or more other words?
For example, therapist may be split into the + rapist, neither of which (arguably) has anything to do with the original words.
Another example would be conflagration: con + flag + ration. Or ...
7
votes
2answers
304 views
Longer than a word — smaller than a sentence
What would you call a linguistic construct that is just big enough to convey a meaning within a context, longer than a word but not having the length and proper form of a complete sentence? Like, for ...
0
votes
2answers
91 views
Term for a firm used as a public front to hide an illegal operation
What do you call a firm used as a public front to hide an illegal operation?
This would be a term for, for e.g.,
A law firm used to hide a money laundering operation;
A DVD corner shop where ...
9
votes
3answers
266 views
What's the literary term for an instruction to the reader at the beginning or end of a book?
Books and other texts can have a motto at the beginning (or at the end), or a dedication. But they sometimes include a command, directive or instruction to the reader as prologue or epilogue. It could ...
21
votes
8answers
1k views
What do you call a computer window when it is not maximized or minimized?
What do you call a computer window when it is not maximized or minimized? I have been using unmaximized, but I feel there is a more precise way.
0
votes
2answers
49 views
Is there a hypernym for persons and companies as entities?
I have to describe owners of certain properties and those can be persons or companies. I was thinking of naming them entities, but that seems too broad.
2
votes
2answers
196 views
What is the term for those cylindrical metal or plastic protrusions?
What is the term for those cylindrical metal or plastic protrusions that are inserted into mounting holes to mount a thing onto another thing? At first I thought of tab, but to me that makes it sound ...
2
votes
3answers
108 views
Word for delimiters which are placed after each item? [closed]
The word "separator" can be used to describe delimiters which are placed between items. For instance, in this sequence:
"abbbabbbabbbabbba"
The 'b's separate the 'a's.
I'm looking for a word ...
3
votes
3answers
155 views
Architectural term for inward-facing corners [closed]
A T has eight corners. Six of these point outwards and two (the armpit) corners face inwards. In reference to a building, what is the term to describe the inward corners?
The closest I've come up ...
3
votes
2answers
282 views
Human body with “skin peeled off” or “without skin” [closed]
My art teacher used a word when describing a sculpture of a human without his skin (exposing muscle beneath). What was that word?
1
vote
0answers
68 views
Terminology for the sub-structures of laws & legislations [closed]
I am working on a paper for Russian history class that deals with emancipation reform of 1861. Basically reform was accomplished through legislature, made of 17 acts, and each act was made of ...
-1
votes
1answer
135 views
What term describes the relationship between 'collectivism' and 'collectivisation'?
What is collectivism, in terms of grammar, of collectivisation?
Put another way:
Collectivism is the [which word?] of collectivisation?
Another example word pair might be centralism and ...
4
votes
1answer
137 views
Word for passing a vehicle going the other way
Is there another word besides "pass" that more accurately specifies the act of two vehicles going past each other in opposite directions, as opposed to overtaking a vehicle going the same direction?
...
0
votes
1answer
130 views
What is the opposite of an agent noun?
Is there a simple phrase to describe the object of an agent noun performing an action?
The adviser helped the advisee.
The employer fired the employee.
Is there a phrase similar to "agent ...
1
vote
1answer
79 views
Megafauna is to animals as what is to insects?
I'm aware of several species of "giant" insects, such as the Meganeura (giant dragonfly) and the Arthropleura (giant centipede) — but I was wondering if anyone knew of a loose term similar to ...
3
votes
3answers
123 views
Painting term for the reflective lighting of a surface?
In oil painting especially, I believe there is a technical word for the light that's reflected from one surface onto another (in the scene that's being painted). For example, if there's a ...
8
votes
3answers
732 views
Term for a person who can read but cannot write
I'm looking for a term to accurately describe a person who can only read but cannot write. While I'm primarily concerned with people who have never learned to write, I would also be interested in any ...
1
vote
2answers
106 views
Is there a term for referencing the main character in a first-person song?
Is there a specific word for the protagonist when the singer sings from the protagonist's point of view?
For example, in the song "Two Is Better Than One" by Boys Like Girls:
I remember what you ...
1
vote
3answers
128 views
“The author is by Katherine Patterson” — what is the term for the error in this sentence?
I am marking some student work and one of the sentences was
The author is by Katherine Patterson.
What is the term for the error in this sentence?
1
vote
2answers
158 views
Term for “a pattern that repeats once induced”
For example, let's say that I went to sleep one night at 5:00 am. Out of exhaustion, I would most likely sleep until the late afternoon. Since I woke up so late, I wouldn't be tired until very early ...
2
votes
1answer
622 views
What are questions like “why did the chicken cross the road” called?
What are questions like
Why did the chicken cross the road?
called? I want to know if there is a particular term given to these type of questions.
3
votes
2answers
424 views
Terminology for pairs of words with the same meaning, similar or same pronunciation but different spelling
Is there a term describe word pairs like colour/color that have the same meaning, similar or same pronunciation but a different spelling?
The most common examples I can think of are English/American ...
7
votes
4answers
441 views
What are specific cartoon-type interjections like “cough” and “sigh” called in English?
In comics, for example those by Walt Disney, interjections that describe or emphasize in words what the characters in the image are doing are quite commonly used (cough, sigh, tweet).
According to ...
