Uncommon Words from A to Z Trivia Quiz

Answer: remote or hidden

The word abditive is an adjective which comes from the Latin 'abditivus', meaning removed or separated from. It is defined as capable of or tending to conceal. Used in a sentence, one might say: Because she was naturally abditive, she hated being in the spotlight. Talk about being obscure! The very definition hints at concealment and obscurity.

Answer: excessive teeth grinding

Unrelated to talking or eating, bruxism is the grinding, gnashing or clenching of teeth, i.e., moving the jaw when the teeth are clenched together. This activity often occurs at night during sleep. It is a common condition, and many people are unaware that they do it. Sleep bruxism is considered "a sleep related movement disorder".

Answer: to laugh loudly

The word cachinnate is an intransitive verb which comes from the Latin 'cachinnare' which means to laugh loudly or immoderately. It has been used in the English language since the 19th century. There is also a connotation that the laughter is inappropriate. An example would be a phrase from John Burroughs which says that someone "cachinnated till his sides must have ached".

Answer: Australian cockatoo

The rose-breasted cockatoo or galah is a bird that can be found in most parts of mainland Australia. It is pink and gray in color, has a life span of about forty years, and is one of the most common cockatoos. It is one of the smaller species, with a bright pink chest, light gray wings and a whitish-pink crest, with bone-colored bill and feet. The irises of male galahs are dark brown to black, while the female eyes are pinkish red to reddish brown. Its scientific name is Eolophus roseicapilla.

Answer: excessive use of words

Logorrhea, like diarrhea, is an inability to stop something more unpleasant from flowing, in this case, words. It comes from the Greek 'logos' (word) and 'rhea' (to flow). Logorrhea can refer to verbosity, loquacity or a psychological communication disorder characterized by excessive, often incoherent talkativeness. Logorrhea is a common trait among politicians, i.e., "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing".

Answer: psychological drowsiness

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder which involves difficulty regulating the sleep-wake cycles and causes overwhelming drowsiness. It can involve sleep paralysis, hallucinations and, occasionally, cataplexy, i.e., partial or total loss of muscle control. This condition leads to a tendency to fall asleep in relaxed settings, creating embarrassment and potential problems (e.g. when driving a car).

While the cause is unknown, it may involve genetic factors and abnormal neurological issues.

Answer: song of Thanksgiving

A paean is a "song of praise or triumph". The word came from the Greek 'paian', which was a hymn of Thanksgiving to the god Apollo. It has come to mean a hymn, tribute or encomium, i.e., a work which honors its subject. Paian was the Homeric name for the physician of the gods. An example of its use comes from Edward Sackville-West when he wrote to "unite their voices in a great paean to liberty".

Answer: using long words

The adjective 'sesquipedalian' has been around since 1650, and means having many syllables, or someone given to using long words. It is derived from the Latin 'sesquipedalis' or words "a foot and a half long", e.g., the polysyllabics - antidisestablishmentarianism or, possibly, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. How many people do you know who use big words to obfuscate the real meaning?

Answer: unsteady or unstable

As an adjective, it comes from the Old English, 'wancol', which has many connotations including tottering, shaky, mutable, wavering, crooked and insecure. The word was used in Middle English in "Bestiary" in 1300; however, it is not included in Roget's Thesaurus. In Dutch, 'ultemate wankel' can be translated as 'extremely shaky'.

Answer: ice resurfacer

Ever been to a hockey game? If so, then you would have seen a zamboni machine used to clean and smooth the surface of an ice sheet, usually in an ice rink. It is a hand pushed device invented by American inventor and engineer, Frank Zamboni in 1949, first surfacing (or resurfacing) in the city of Paramount, California. Zamboni started out in the refrigeration business and, in 1942, he moved to the Iceland Skating Rink where resurfacing the ice was time-consuming and costly...seven years later, the Zamboni was born.

In 1953 he received the patent for his invention.