Words for a Wednesday ~ February 8

Week Two!

Here are a few words to help you build your vocabulary and/or build your score in the games Scrabble or Words with Friends.

Our first word is brant.  Does anyone know what this one is?  I'm wondering if any hunters know...

Brant:  A small goose about the size of a mallard having a black head, neck, and chest.  These geese normally breed in Artic regions and spend winters along both coasts. The Brant along the Atlantic have light gray bellies, while those off the Pacific Coast have black bellies and were at one time considered a separate species.  Word origin: 1535–45; short for brantgoose, brentgoose;  akin to Old Norse brandgās, German Brandgans.

Our second word is tarn.

Tarn: The Free Dictionary by Farlex calls it "A small mountain lake, especially one formed by glaciers", while Merriam-Webster adds that it is a steep-banked (small mountain lake).  Interesting variation.  Word origin: Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse tjörn pool.

And finally, our third word is our two letter word for the week.  How many times have you come across the word qi in a scrabble or word game?  I've seen it (and used it) quite a bit.  It can be worth a good number of points if strategically placed!

Qi:  A variation of the word "chi".  The circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional Chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body, essential for good health.  Qi/Chi is of central importance in some Eastern systems of medical treatment (as acupuncture) and of exercise or self-defense (as tai chi).  Word origin: 1850; Chinese (Beijing) qì, literally, air, breath.

Sources: All definitions listed above were determined in part or entirety by researching definitions in the Encarta Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, The Free Dictionary by Farlex, or their online versions/websites.  In addition, this week we used additional interesting information from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology online.