Saturday, January 26, 2008

Ingravescent

Ingravescent is medical term which means getting worse. Scary, eh? I hope none of the word imps have to hear that from a doctor any time soon. Fortunately, the infection at the bottom of my foot (from playing in a river) is not ingravescent any more. It's the opposite, at last. By the way, your invented meanings were appreciated. Thanks and congratulations to Maalie for a winning entry on the poll. Great work.

7 comments:

Sandra Dodd said...

Ingravescent is an alchemy term, but applies too to alcoholic drinks with powdered gold in them or to make-up with specks of real gold.

Alijah Fitt said...

ingravescent is the putrid, cheesey smell of the gunk that accumulates in the tiny earring holes in your ears, it is especially ingravescent when the ears become infected.

Thinks! said...

Ingravescent describes a public place such as a nightclub or shopping centre when no-one is about. (i.e. reminiscent of a graveyard)

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Maalie said...

Ingravescent is the opposite of egravescent, and derives from the chimney-sweeping trade. When the brooms are pushed up the chimney they are ingravescent. When they are pulled down they are egravescent.

lorenzothellama said...

Ingravescent is a relatively new word. It means to put on a credit card that which you cannot afford to buy.

Merriam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Merriam said...

Ingravescent is the word you use to describe the strawberry-toothpaste smell of the air freshener in grocery store bathrooms.