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Word of the Week (183): ENFESTED (probability 14239), by David Sutton

ENFESTED is a Spenserian word that means embittered. There is no verb ENFEST* - it is one of those tricky words that look very like past participles but for which there is no corresponding root verb. There are rather a lot of these: here are a few others that may have a particular potential to mislead:

ABLUTEDWashed clean. No ABLUTE*.
ADDORSEDTurned back to back. No ADDORSE.
BITUMEDImpregnated with bitumen. No BITUME*.
CROZZLEDBlackened or burned at the edges. No CROZZLE*.
ENFILEDIn heraldry, thrust through like a sword. No ENFILE*,
ENMOSSEDCovered with moss. No ENMOSS*.
LANOLATEDCovered with lanolin. No LANOLATE*.
NANCIFIEDEffeminate. No NANCIFY*.
OPALISEDMade smooth like opal. No OPALISE*.
OPALIZEDMade smooth like opal. No OPALIZE*.
REVULSEDAffected with revulsion. No REVULSE*.
SAPONATEDTreated or combined with soap. No SAPONATE*.
SCRODDLEDOf pottery, made of clay scraps of different colours. No SCRODDLE*.
SPIRATEDOf sounds, voiceless. No SPIRATE*.
UMBRATEDFaintly traced. No UMBRATE*.
WRIZLEDWrinkled. No WRIZLE*.


And take particular care with BE- words: do not, for example, infer verbs from BEDOTTED, BEGORED, BEINKED, BEMAZED, BEPATCHED, BEPLUMED, BERINGED, BEROUGED, BETAXED, BETUMBLED or BEUNCLED.


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