« 观众回忆录 | 首页 | Life of Edward Fitzgerald »


Invisible Cities Vocabularies


incunabula: 1. A book printed before 1501; an incunable. 2. An artifact of an early period.

demijohns: A large, narrow-necked bottle made of glass or earthenware, usually encased in wickerwork

stevedores: One who is employed in the loading or unloading of ships.

raffia: An African palm tree (Raphia ruffia) having large leaves that yield a useful fiber.

ephebe: A youth between 18 and 20 years of age in ancient Greece.

sirocco: A hot humid south or southeast wind of southern Italy, Sicily, and the Mediterranean islands, originating in the Sahara Desert as a dry dusty wind but becoming moist as it passes over the Mediterranean.

belvedere: A roofed structure, especially a small pavilion or tower on top of a building, situated so as to command a wide view.

odalisque: A concubine or woman slave in a harem

damascened: To decorate (metal) with wavy patterns of inlay or etching

marten: Any of several principally arboreal carnivorous mammals of the genus Martes, related to the weasel, mainly inhabiting northern forests, and having a slender body, bushy tail, and soft fur.

Levantine: The countries bordering on the eastern Mediterranean Sea from Turkey to Egypt.

noria: A water wheel with buckets attached to its rim, used to raise water from a stream, especially for transfer to an irrigation channel.

calcareous: Composed of, containing, or characteristic of calcium carbonate, calcium, or limestone; chalky.

logogriph: A word puzzle, such as an anagram or one in which clues are given in a set of verses.