Upwords & Downwords XI Trivia Quiz

Answer: chaperon

In its earlier usage, 'chaperon' referred to an older, usually married woman who would accompany a young unmarried woman in public for her protection in keeping with the principles of propriety. Usually the specific intent of chaperoning is to prevent inappropriate social or sexual interactions, or to prevent accusations of impropriety.

Answer: Acheron

In Greek myth, Acheron was a river in Hades over which Charon ferried the souls of the newly dead. It was one of the five rivers of Hades, the other four being Cocytus (lamentation), Phlegethon (fire), Lethe (forgetfulness) and Styx (hate).

Plato in his "Phaedo" declared Acheron to be one of the greatest rivers in the world, second only to Oceanus.

Answer: cornea

The cornea provides most of the eye's optical power. According to Bruce Goldstein's "Sensation and Perception", "together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, and as a result helps the eye to focus, accounting for approximately 80 percent of its production to 20 percent of the lens focusing power".

Because of the prime importance of transparency, the cornea is avascular (lacks blood vessels). In fact, the cornea is the only part of the human body that has no blood supply. It gets oxygen directly from the air, and nutrients via diffusion from tear fluid on the outside and from the aqueous humor and neurotrophins (supplied by nerve fibers that innervate it) on the inside.

Answer: ocean

Almost three quarters of Earth's surface is covered by ocean. The five major sub-divisions are, in descending order of size, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Southern or Antarctic Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are sometimes further subdivided into northern and southern portions (i.e. North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic).

The Southern Ocean is sometimes subsumed into the southern portions of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, while the Arctic is sometimes considered a sea of the Atlantic. Together, the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic Oceans make up the modern Seven Seas (as in the idiom, "sail the Seven Seas").

Answer: acne

Acne is an inflammatory skin condition caused by changes in pilosebaceous skin structures (hair follicles and their associated sebaceous glands). It is characterized by comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) and pimples, especially on the face, back, and chest. In severe cases, cysts and nodules form resulting in scarring.

Acne is most common during adolescence, and affects more than 85 percent of teenagers. It frequently continues into adulthood, but in most cases it diminishes over time and tends to disappear, or at least diminish. Side effects may include physical scarring (in more severe cases), and psychological issues, such as reduced self-esteem and depression.

The onset of acne has been linked with heredity, hormonal activity, stress, and exposure to or use of certain chemical compounds (such as halogen-containing compounds, dioxins, lithium barbiturates, anabolic steroids, and androgens). Bacteria in the pores, excessive scratching, and the accumulation of dead skin cells also contribute to and exacerbate inflammatory activation.

Answer: nacre

Nacre, or mother of pearl, is the iridescent internal layer of certain mollusk shells. It is often used to make decorative objects. Pearls and the internal layers of pearl oyster shells and freshwater pearl mussel shells are made of nacre.

Nacre is composed of brittle hexagonal platelets of aragonite (calcium carbonate crystals) arranged in a continuous parallel lamina separated by sheets of organic matrix composed of elastic biopolymers. The mixture affords strength and resilience to the material. The thickness of the aragonite platelets is comparable to the wavelength of visible light, which gives nacre its iridescent property (due to light being reflected at different viewing angles).

Answer: nectar

In classical mythology, nectar was the life-giving drink of the gods, which if consumed by mortals, conferred immortality upon them. The word 'nectar' is derived from the Latin 'nectar' meaning 'drink of the gods', which in turn originated from the Greek 'nektar', presumed to be a compound of the elements 'nek-' (death) and '-tar' (overcoming).

In Greek myth, nectar is very closely related to the other form of sustenance for the gods, ambrosia. The two terms may not have originally been distinguished and are in some instances interchangeable, but Homer refers to nectar as the drink and ambrosia as the food of the gods.

Answer: certain

The word 'certain' has a variety of meanings. In one usage, it means indubitable, or doubtless, as in "it is certain that he will be there". In another, it is used to indicate something indefinite, as in "certain members of his family will be there".

Answer: canister

A canister is a metallic cylinder packed with shot or projectiles and was used as ammunition in a firearm or cannon for antipersonnel warfare. The canister disintegrated after discharge, and the shot scattered to cause a wide swath of destruction.

Answer: miscreant

Archaically, the word 'miscreant' referred to holding a false or unorthodox religious belief. Miscreant notions were heretical, and a miscreant alternatively termed a heretic or infidel.

'Miscreant' derives from the Middle English 'miscreaunt' (heretic), from the Old French present participle of 'mescroire' (to disbelieve: mes-, wrongly, not; + croire, to believe.