Monday, February 1, 2010

World Theme: Gossamer

Here's the definition from Merriam Webster to start, will add on to this later, probably. Surprisingly evocative for a dictionary entry, actually.

Main Entry: 1gos·sa·mer
Pronunciation: \ˈgä-sə-mər also ˈgäz-mər, ˈgä-zə-\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English gossomer, from gos goose + somer summer
Date: 14th century
1 : a film of cobwebs floating in air in calm clear weather
2 : something light, delicate, or insubstantial
gos·sa·mery \-mə-rē\ adjective

A fine film of cobwebs often seen floating in the air or caught on bushes or grass.
adj.  Sheer, light, delicate, or tenuous. See Synonyms at airy.

[Middle English gossomer : gos, goose; see goose + somer, summer (probably from the abundance of gossamer during early autumn when geese are in season); see summer1.]


And some random thematic lists of words...

geese
spiders
insects
mayflies

haze
light
iridescence
transparency
stillness
lake
glass
reflection
dream
surreal
 
suspended
floating
dissipating
immaterial
frail

feathers
cobwebs
air
cirrus
wings

filament
crystal
ice
frost

spiral
net
thread
droplet
orb
wisp
filament
hair

Main Entry: sus·pend 
Pronunciation: \sə-ˈspend\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French suspendre, from Latin suspendere, from sub-, sus- up + pendere to cause to hang, weigh
Date: 14th century
transitive verb ... 2 a : to cause to stop temporarily ...
4 : to hold in an undetermined or undecided state ...
5 a : hang; especially : to hang so as to be free on all sides except at the point of support b : to keep from falling or sinking by some invisible support (as buoyancy) ed in the air>...
6 a : to keep fixed or lost (as in wonder or contemplation) b : to keep waiting in suspense or indecision
7 : to hold (a musical note) over into the following chord
intransitive verb 1 : to cease operation temporarily


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