Defining Moments Trivia Quiz

Answer: diastema

From the Greek, diastema means 'space between', and refers to a person who has a gap between his upper front teeth. In rodents and ungulates, it can also refer to the space between teeth with different functions, e.g., biting teeth and grinding teeth. Examples of diastemic individuals include David Letterman and Lauren Hutton.

Answer: prognathism

Prognathism is the term used to describe a jutting jaw, i.e., a jaw which protrudes beyond the normal line of the 'coronal plane of the skull'. The term is derived from the Greek 'pro' meaning forward, and 'gnathos' for jaw. The result of such a condition can lead to a misalignment of the top and bottom teeth, also called a malocclusion.

Answer: callipygian

From the late first century B.C., there is a white marble statue, located in Naples, called the Venus Callipyge (or Aphrodite Kallipygos) which is translated as "Venus of the beautiful buttocks". The derivation is from the Greek 'kalos' for beauty, and 'puge' for buttocks. With the advent of celebutants like Kim Kardashian, butt injections and buttocks enlargement have become 'all the rage'.

Answer: ecdysis

Ecdysis is the process by which some species shed their skin, as seen in reptiles, or casting off an outer shell or layer, as evidenced by insects. It can also be known as moulting or sloughing, where an animal casts off part of its body in one of its developmental stages. In ecdysis, when a new covering is formed, the empty exoskeleton is called exuviae.

Answer: unctuous

The word unctuous is an adjective which means smug, ingratiating, sycophantic and insincerely flattering. Statements that are obsequious, fawning and servile are unctuous, as in when someone tries to 'suck up' to a superior or someone in a position of power, in a manner which is less than honest and forthright. Unctuous can also mean oily or greasy.

It is from the Latin 'unguere', to anoint.

Answer: galamatias

It is interesting to me that a word that sounds so haughty and arrogant actually means confused, unintelligible and meaningless speech, nonsense, gibberish and gobbledygook. The language seems to have a great many synonyms for verbal garbage. The word is borrowed from the French, with the colloquial meaning of hotchpotch and mishmash.

Answer: fatuous

In keeping with the previous word, we have the adjective fatuous which describes that which is foolish or inane, nonsensical, silly, childish or puerile. From the Latin 'fatuus', meaning foolish or lacking in intelligence, a person can be fatuous, as can a remark. In an argument, if you want to show your erudition, rather than calling someone stupid or ignorant, use fatuous instead.

Answer: urticaria

Moving over to the field of science and medicine, we have urticaria, more commonly known as hives. Hives exhibits itself in swollen red bumps or wheals/welts on the skin. They are triggered by a reaction to foods, medications or other irritants to which a person may be allergic, and these hives can itch or burn or sting. They are usually treatable without a doctor.

Answer: ubuntu

Ubuntu is a South African Bantu noun derived from Zulu and Xhosa. It is an African philosophy which describes the quality which encompasses the virtues of compassion, kindness and humanity; a quality that is too often lacking in the crass, selfish, materialistic modern societies. It is a belief "in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity".

Answer: perspicacity

Finally we have a more common noun, perspicacity, which is defined as keen mental perception, insight and a deep understanding. A person who is perspicacious is observant, discerning, perceptive and astute, in short, wise. The word comes from the Latin "perspicax" for seeing clearly. By now, if you are truly perspicacious, I don't need to go any further.