I know I should have moved on to my next book club book, but I found another vocabulary word from The Night Circus that I really want to share: amalgamation.
Maybe it’s just because this word reminds me of dentist bills (ever have to pay for “amalgam” fillings?), but it sparked my curiosity when I read it. Here’s how Morgenstern used it:
The image in the glass, which could be a grey-haired man in a finely tailored coat, or could be an amalgamation of reflections from customers and waiters and bent and broken light from the street, ripples slightly before becoming completely indistinguishable. 1
Here’s the information from Webster’s:
Amalgam \ə-‘mal-gəm\ n, from Middle English amalgame: an alloy of mercury with another metal that is solid or liquid at room temperature and is used especially in making tooth cements; a mixture of different elements
Amalgamation \ə-mal-gə-‘mā-shən\ n : the state of being amalgamated or the result of amalgamating.
Clearly, Morgenstern isn’t talking about tooth cement, but rather the combinations of reflections and colors that could suggest the image of a man. Such a lovely word!
Word Nerd Workout: use amalgamation in a sentence. (Well, maybe first you have to practice SAYING it. I did include the pronunciation guide.) Here’s my try. You moms out there should enjoy this:
When I pulled the fabric cover off of the car seat, I found a multicolored blob, an amalgamation of goldfish crackers, pretzels and cheerios held together by raisins and an unknown yellow substance. *gross*
Now your turn, and thanks for stopping by. Be sure to come back on the first Friday of June for a vocabulary REVIEW; it’s been six months folks, we need to see if we’re retaining any good vocabulary knowledge!
Related posts:
1. Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus, New York: Random House, Inc. 2011, p. 379.
Julia
I don’t even have kids, but I find similar snack amalgamations in my own car. Oops.
LOL! I’m sure you’re not the only one, Emily!
I don’t think anybody can top your sentence!! Every mama knows that 🙂
As his biting words hit my ears, an amalgamation of emotions swelled in my heart.
I love the way you make your readers think 🙂
Thank you! Glad you enjoy thinking! 😉 Great sentence!
Hi Julia. I’m a fellow MNINB Platform Challenger, and also a fellow word nerd! As such, I am greatly enjoying your posts, and have nominated you for a Liebster Blogger Award. It’s a “pass-it-on” award for blogs that don’t yet have enormous followings. You can get the details through my latest post at http://www.justventurescoaching.com. I look forward to reading more of your work!
Thanks so much Bonnie! Nice to “meet” you!
I don’t know if you have seen any of the posts about the Liebster Award, but I am nominating your blog for one. You can read the post at http://mapoetpoems.blogspot.com/2012/05/liebster-award-given-blogger-to-blogger.html. I stopped by because of the name of the blog, but I’ll come back because of your writing.
Thanks Michelle! I really appreciate it! I look forward to getting to know you!
Yay, amalgamation is a fabulous word! And, I’m seriously glad that I’m not the only one who finds such nice surprises in the car. Or highchair pad.
Ok here goes:
Her memory of her mother was an amalgamation of all the female caregivers she’d had during her childhood.
Excellent! Glad you like my word!