Astringency

Astringency is also the dry, puckering mouthfeel caused by tannins found in many fruits such as blackthorn, bird cherry and persimmon fruits. The tannins denature the salivary proteins, causing a rough "sandpapery" sensation in the mouth. Astringency tastes unpleasant to many mammals (including humans), which tend to avoid eating astringent fruit; conversely, birds do not taste astringency and readily eat these fruit. It is thought that fruit astringency gives a selective advantage to some plant varieties because birds are better than mammals at long-distance seed dispersal, often flying a great distance before passing the seeds in their droppings.

velleity

1. Volition at its lowest level.

2. A mere wish or inclination.

source

Antiziganism

Antiziganism (pronounced /æntaɪˈzigənɪzm/) or Anti-Romanyism is hostility, prejudice or racism directed at the Roma people, commonly called Gypsies.

The root zigan is the basis of the word for the Roma people in many European languages. In most of those languages, the pronunciation is similar to the Hungarian cigány (pronounced [ˈtsiɡaːɲ]). The Roma — who have often been stereotyped as thieves, tramps, con men and fortune tellers — have been subject to various forms of discrimination throughout history.

Due in part to their semi-nomadic lifestyle and differences in language and culture, there has been a great deal of mutual distrust between the Roma and the more settled indigenous inhabitants of the areas to which the Roma migrated. This distrust has persisted even though Roma who migrated into Europe often converted to Christianity, and those who arrived in the Middle East became Muslims.

Spoliation

The act of despoiling or plundering.

source

Sparth

An Anglo-Saxon battle-ax, or halberd.

source

Zarpie

t's like cool, awsome, bombtasic, gnarly, and wicked at the same time.

Mopologist

An apologist for the Mormon Church

source