This week we upgrade to Webster's Third New International Dictionary and Seven Language Dictionary, Unabridged: Volume 2, H-R. Unfortunately, the randomly selected word this week is really rather useless. It's "hydrorhiza".
Hydrorhiza: "a rootstock or decumbent stem by which a hydroid is attached to other objects."
This bring up the question, what is a hydroid?
Answer. Hydroid: "one of the Hydroida; the polyp form of a hydrozoan as distinguished from the medusa form."
...Not helpful. We'll go one step further and see if we can figure it out.
Hydroida: " an order of Hydrozoa comprising forms of alternating a well-developed asexual polyp generation with a generation of free medusae or of abortive medusoid reproductive structures on the polyps."
...This is getting us nowhere. Let's just say that it has something to do with jellyfish. I went a couple steps farther myself and jellyfish were mentioned so...they probably relate to the meaning. Now we need a real word- a useful word to be pretentious with. After all, if we get called on our word usage, we need to be able to explain the meaning to prove ourselves pretentious. Here goes.
Hovenia: "a genus of Asiatic trees or shrubs having alternate serrate leaves, small greenish flowers, and indehiscent fruit."
Now I hope you all have hovenia trees so that you can casually mention them in conversation.
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