SPERMACETI

spermaceti

(noun) a white waxy substance from oil of the sperm whale

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

from Greek sperma meaning "seed", and ceti, the genitive form of "whale"

Noun

spermaceti (uncountable)

A wax obtained from the head of sperm whales and used to make cosmetics etc.

Anagrams

• imprecates

Source: Wiktionary


Sper`ma*ce"ti, n. Etym: [L. sperma sperm + cetus,gen. ceti, any large sea animal, a whale, Gr. Sperm, Cetaceous.]

Definition: A white waxy substance obtained from cavities in the head of the sperm whale, and used making candles, oilments, cosmetics, etc. It consists essentially of ethereal salts of palmitic acid with ethal and other hydrocarbon bases. The substance of spermaceti after the removal of certain impurities is sometimes called cetin. Spermaceti whale (Zoöl.), the sperm whale.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

13 November 2024

OSTENSIBLE

(adjective) appearing as such but not necessarily so; “for all his apparent wealth he had no money to pay the rent”; “the committee investigated some apparent discrepancies”; “the ostensible truth of their theories”; “his seeming honesty”


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Coffee Trivia

Plain brewed coffee contains almost no calories, while coffee with dairy products, sugar, and other flavorings is much higher in calories. An espresso has 20 calories. A nonfat latte has 72, while a flavored one has 134.

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