Tuesday, March 10, 2020
30 Words Containing the Letters sm
30 Words Containing the Letters sm 30 Words Containing the Letters sm 30 Words Containing the Letters sm By Mark Nichol After writing a post about the suffix -ism, I explored the class of words that include the letters s and m in sequence in which the letters are not a consonant blend (as in small) or in which the s is not at the end of a prefix (as in besmirch and dismiss); with some exceptions (specified), they have in common an origin in Greek. Here are the qualifying words I found that do not use the suffix -ism or do not refer exclusively to a medical or scientific condition or phenomenon (though a couple of specialized terms that have acquired one or more figurative senses are included). 1. abysmal: very bad; abysm is a poetic alternative to abyss, from the Late Latin abyssus, meaning ââ¬Å"bottomless pitâ⬠(which derives abyssos, meaning ââ¬Å"bottomless pool,â⬠although the sm ending either resulted from the superlative abyssimus or was created in imitation of Greek words) 2. basmati: a variety of rice, from Hindi, meaning ââ¬Å"something fragrantâ⬠3. cataclysm: a deluge, from kataklysmos, meaning ââ¬Å"floodâ⬠or ââ¬Å"inundationâ⬠4. charisma: charm, from kharisma, meaning ââ¬Å"favorâ⬠or ââ¬Å"divine giftâ⬠; originally referred to exceptional authority or leadership 5. chasm: a deep crack, from khasma, meaning ââ¬Å"gulfâ⬠6. chiasmus: the inversion for rhetorical effect of two or more clauses (as in Voltaireââ¬â¢s quotation ââ¬Å"The instinct of a man is to pursue everything that flies from him, and to fly from all that pursues himâ⬠), from khiasmos, meaning ââ¬Å"crosswise or diagonal arrangementâ⬠7. chiliasm: belief in Christââ¬â¢s 1,000-year reign on Earth, ultimately from khilioi, meaning ââ¬Å"a thousandâ⬠or referring to the number 1,000 8. chrism: a balm in oil used in church rituals, from khrisma, meaning ââ¬Å"an anointingâ⬠9. cosmetic: a substance used in improving oneââ¬â¢s appearance (the plural form, cosmetics, refers to such products collectively), or, as an adjective, pertaining to personal beautification- and the words have an additional sense of ââ¬Å"superficialâ⬠or ââ¬Å"for the sake of appearancesâ⬠- from kosmetikos, meaning ââ¬Å"skilled in adorning or arrangingâ⬠; these words and cosmetology, the term for the study of beautification, are related to cosmos (see below) in the sense of order or arrangement 10. cosmos: the universe (referred to as ââ¬Å"the cosmosâ⬠), from kosmos, meaning ââ¬Å"orderâ⬠or ââ¬Å"orderly arrangementâ⬠; more often seen as cosmic, the adjectival form, and cosmo- is the root word of cosmology (a word for the study of the universe) and other words, and a form of the root is also seen in macrocosm, meaning ââ¬Å"something seen as a miniature version of something larger,â⬠and microcosm, meaning ââ¬Å"a large system consisting of many smaller onesâ⬠11. desmesne: a domain or estate, or possession or use of oneââ¬â¢s land, from a respelling in Anglo-French of the Middle English term demeine (ââ¬Å"domainâ⬠) 12. dismal: wretched, from the Latin phrase dies mali (ââ¬Å"evil daysâ⬠) 13. enthusiasm: eagerness or zeal, from enthousiasmos, meaning ââ¬Å"divine inspirationâ⬠14. gismo: gadget (variant spelling of gizmo, of unknown origin) 15. iconoclasm: criticism of conventional beliefs or standard institutions, from eikonoklastes, meaning ââ¬Å"image breakerâ⬠; originally referred to literal destruction of images and objects considered idolatrous 16. jasmine: a plant, from Persian 17. kismet: fate, from Arabic qisma, meaning ââ¬Å"portionâ⬠or ââ¬Å"lotâ⬠18. melisma: one of several specific types of musical expression, from melisma, meaning ââ¬Å"songâ⬠or ââ¬Å"melodyâ⬠19. mesmerize: captivate, or hold spellbound, from the name of hypnosis pioneer Anton Mesmer 20. miasma: a literal or figurative cloud or fog of an unhealthy or unpleasant or obscuring nature, from miasma, meaning ââ¬Å"pollutionâ⬠21. orgasm: sexual excitement, from orgasmos, meaning ââ¬Å"excitementâ⬠or ââ¬Å"swellingâ⬠(also a verb referring to the sensation); the noun refers, by extension, to any stimulating experience (note also two slang terms modeled on orgasm: geekgasm, referring to a nerdââ¬â¢s exultation about, for example, a new computer program or video game, and eargasm, the result of an extremely pleasurable song or sound 22. osmosis: movement of a liquid through a solid, or, figuratively, learning or understanding something easily or smoothly; this word is an invention of New Latin and does not come from Greek 23. paroxysm: a sudden attack or a convulsion, from paroxysmos, meaning ââ¬Å"irritationâ⬠or ââ¬Å"exasperationâ⬠; now also used colloquially to refer to an outburst of emotion 24. phantasm: a ghost or illusion, from phantasma, meaning ââ¬Å"imageâ⬠or ââ¬Å"phantomâ⬠; a related word is phantasmagoria, referring to an exhibition of optical effects or illusions, a constantly changing scene, or a bizarre collection 25. prism: a medium or a shape that refracts light, from prisma, meaning ââ¬Å"something sawnâ⬠; also, figuratively, something that colors, distorts, or slants oneââ¬â¢s perspective 26. sarcasm: a form of darkly humorous criticism in which the words stated are the opposite of the intended meaning, as in ââ¬Å"Well, that went well!â⬠for a disastrous incident, from sarkasmos, meaning ââ¬Å"jestâ⬠or ââ¬Å"tauntâ⬠27. schism: originally referred to dissension within the Catholic Church but now also pertains to any disagreement in philosophy or policy, from skhisma, meaning ââ¬Å"divisionâ⬠28. seismic: pertaining to earthquakes, from seismos, meaning ââ¬Å"a shaking,â⬠ââ¬Å"a shock,â⬠or ââ¬Å"an earthquakeâ⬠; several words derived from the root seismo-, such as seismology (the name for the study of earthquakes) and seismograph (the word for a device that measures the motions of an earthquake) also exist (seismic also might be used to describe something of hugely significant import) 29. spasm: a sudden violent muscular contraction, ultimately from spasmos, meaning ââ¬Å"convulsionâ⬠; also loosely employed to refer to an emotional outburst 30. talisman: a good-luck charm or something believed to have magical or miraculous powers, from telesma, meaning ââ¬Å"consecrationâ⬠Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? 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