Words

Every word I picked up from the books I’ve reviewed, with what it means, how it’s used, and the book it came from.

A

anathema (noun)

Something intensely hated or rejected; originally a formal curse or excommunication issued by the church.

To the Founders, the idea of everything for everyone is anathema.

From Emergency Skin, N.K. Jemisin

I

ignominy (noun)

Public shame or disgrace, the kind that sticks to you.

The Founders treat having no skin as an ignominy, a public mark that you haven’t earned your place yet.

From Emergency Skin, N.K. Jemisin

K

kishin (noun)

In Soul Eater, a demon god: someone who has eaten innocent human souls and been taken over by madness.

Asura was the first kishin, and Death sealed him away under the academy.

From A Post About Nothing

M

mangaka (noun)

A person who writes and draws manga.

Kei Urana was an assistant on Fire Force before debuting as a mangaka with Gachiakuta.

From A Post About Nothing

S

shinki (noun)

In Noragami, the spirit of a dead person that a god names and turns into a weapon or a tool.

After his old shinki quits, Yato spends the first episode without a weapon.

From A Post About Nothing

V

vagaries (noun)

Unpredictable changes or whims in a situation or in someone’s behavior.

No matter how carefully I plan my week, the vagaries of work always find a way to wreck it.

From Emergency Skin, N.K. Jemisin