(Squared-rigged xebec of the 1780-1815 period - Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
When I open my Miriam-Webster Dictionary (copyright 1963) it lists only one page of words beginning with 'x.' One of the letter definitions state this letter is used to represent an unknown quantity. So, for today's blog, I'll just cite a few of the little-known words that begin with this letter.
I'll bet you didn't know Socrates's wife was named Xanthippe. Urban Dictionary tells us a well known anecdote about Xanthippe is the one where she was so angry with her husband that she threw a bucket of washing water on him. Because of her supposedly argumentative nature, the name has been adopted (in the modern era) as a word for a scolding, ill-tempered woman. (https://www.behindthename.com/name/xanthippe)
A xebec is a three-masted Mediterranean sailing ship used mostly for trading with long overhanging bow and stern.
The final word listed on the page is xylotomy which is the art of preparing sections of wood for microscopic examination.
And that ends today's lesson about useful words that begin with the letter 'x.'
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