Word of the Day

[tmjva]

Synonym for celerity:

Hie

As in:  Hie thee hence.

[Kersus]

zoonosis noun \ˌzō-ə-ˈnō-səs, zō-ˈän-ə-səs\
plural zoonoses
a disease communicable from animals to humans under natural conditions

A good Scrabble word

Covid prediction.

[Oedipussy Rex]

Sough /səf,sou/
verb
(of the wind in trees, the sea, etc.) make a moaning, whistling, or rushing sound.
"the soughing of the wind in the canopy of branches"

noun
a moaning, whistling, or rushing sound as made by the wind in the trees or the sea.

[Oedipussy Rex]

Melisma /məˈlɪzmə/
noun
(plural melismata; adj. melismatic)

(music) a group of notes sung to one syllable of text.
"Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, and Céline Dion are well known for their heavy use of melisma and belting, and the term 'oversinging' is most often applied to well-loved singers such as the aforementioned by people who feel negatively towards the singers of the style."

Personal note: My uneducated, uninformed take is that melisma should be part of the melody, not just embellishment. Take Whitney Houston. In the line, "For I-I-I-I, will always love you-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-etc." The "I" is melismatic. It could be sung as a single note, but that changes the melody. That stuff on the "you"? Showing off. Skillfully done showing off. Impressively executed showing off, but not really necessary to the song, and thus, in my mind, not a melisma, despite it fitting the sparse definition. Basically, if it's something you'd unthinkingly include when humming a song, it's a melisma.

The Beatles did melisma well.

Handel's Messiah does it exceptionally well. Not that I hum oratorios on a regular basis.