Shrimp

SHRIMP

-noun

1. any of various chiefly marine decapod crustaceans of the genus Crangon and related genera, having a slender flattened body with a long tail and a single pair of pincers

2. any of various similar but unrelated crustaceans, such as the opossum shrimp and mantis shrimp

3. Also called: freshwater shrimp. any of various freshwater shrimplike amphipod crustaceans of the genus Gammarus, especially G. pulex

4. Also called: sand shrimp. any of various shrimplike amphipod crustaceans of the genus Gammarus, especially G. locusta

5. (informal) a diminutive person, especially a child

-verb

6. (intr.) to fish for shrimps

A stealth bun

Airport shrimps

Reminiscences

Of street food

Long gone

 

Cat

CAT

-noun

1. Also called: domestic cat. a small domesticated feline mammal, Felis catus (or domesticus), having thick soft fur and occurring in many breeds in which the colour of the fur varies greatly: kept as a pet or to catch rats and mice

2. Also called: big cat. any of the larger felines, such as a lion or tiger

3. any wild feline mammal of the genus Felis, such as the lynx or serval, resembling the domestic cat

4. (old-fashioned) a woman who gossips maliciously

5. (slang) a man; guy

6. (nautical) a heavy tackle for hoisting an anchor to the cathead

7. a short sharp-ended piece of wood used in the game of tipcat

-verb

8. (trans.) to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails

9. (trans.) (nautical) to hoist (an anchor) to the cathead

10.(intr.) a slang word for vomit

Death will come with your eyes,

In the morning you always come back.

The cats will know:

You have a face of carved stone.

(A found poem taken from Cesare Pavese )

Actuary

ACTUARY

-noun

a person qualified to calculate commercial risks and probabilities involving uncertain future events, especially in such contexts as life assurance

Nothing prepared us for this

Despite the warning of actuaries

First the sky started to bleed all over

Drained from its very substance

And then the earth and our lives

 

Exigency

EXIGENCY

-noun

1. the state of being exigent; urgency

2. (often plural) an urgent demand; pressing requirement

3. an emergency

There is this thing

This feeling of exigency

That transpires from art

Painted in darkness

A compulsion

Contrition

CONTRITION

-noun

1. deeply felt remorse; penitence

2. (Christianity) detestation of past sins and a resolve to make amends, either from love of God (perfect contrition) or from hope of heaven (imperfect contrition)

They fight back

Bitten by some sort of contrition

But the armour is strong yet

And old habits hard still

Nous

NOUS

-noun

1. (metaphysics) mind or reason, especially when regarded as the principle governing all things

2. (British, slang) common sense; intelligence 

We stumble about

Following vague instincts

Indifferent to nous

Germane

GERMANE

-adj.

(postpositive) usually followed by “to” related (to the topic being considered); akin; relevant

I fail to see

How this is germane to the object

Of our visit here

Yet am fascinated

By waves and tentacles.

Mash

MASH

-noun

1. a soft pulpy mass or consistency

2. (agriculture) a feed of bran, meal, or malt mixed with water and fed to horses, cattle, or poultry

3. (especially in brewing) a mixture of mashed malt grains and hot water, from which malt is extracted

4. (British, informal) mashed potatoes

5. (Northern England, dialect) a brew of tea

-verb (trans.)

6. to beat or crush into a mash

7. to steep (malt grains) in hot water in order to extract malt, especially for making malt liquors

8. (Northern England, dialect) to brew (tea)

9. (archaic) to flirt with

Mashed red

Hidden ginger a covert flame

Brand new virgin oil

Baked white