Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Wednesday Word: Scrimshaw

scrimshaw |ˈskrimˌ sh ô|verb [ trans. ]adorn (whalebone, ivory, shells, or other materials) with carved or colored designs.nouna piece of work done in such a way.• the art or technique of producing such work :craftsmen demonstrate sailmaking and scrimshaw.ORIGIN early 19th cent.: of unknown origin; perhaps influenced by the surname Scrimshaw.

I came across this word recently while listening to The Atrocity Archives, a pretty good urban fantasy novel that mixes science with demonology.

I like the sound of this word--it has whimsy. As a name it's frightfully British. I'm going to store it away for later use.

2 comments:

  1. One I've come across a few times.

    I really enjoyed that Charles Stross series myself. :)

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    Replies
    1. The way it mixes science with demonology is refreshing.

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