bdelloid

[prettygoodword]

bdelloid ('DEL-oyd) - adj., of, pertaining to, or resembling a leech.


Or according to some dictionaries, pertaining to rotifers of the class Bdelloidea, but since they're named that because they look like (teeny tiny) leeches, thus making the same point. Can refer to shape or simply to being a bloodsucker. As for the pronunciation, formally there is a /b/ sound at the front, but for most English speakers, this resolves as sort of a palatal stop -- like there's an apostrophe, sorta. Coined from Ancient Greek root bdélla, leech.


And with this repeat from several years ago, that wraps up a week of B-words. Back next week to the regular random access words.

---L.

Comments

[minoanmiss]

ooooh this would make a good insult. "You bottomless bdelloid!"

[prettygoodword]

I've been known to use it for certain political figures -- going back to Newt, who in an epigram I called more bdelloid than batrachian (which covers salamanders as well as frogs).

[minoanmiss]

cackles Well said, sir.