The English word stilliform means “drop-shaped,” from Latin stilla, meaning “drop.” The same drippy root turns up in distill, “to drip down,” and instill, “to put in drop by drop,” and the spelling stilliform even has a row of tall, narrow letters that look a little like falling drops. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of ““Stilliform” Refers to a Shape Like a Liquid Drip”
I think one of the most beautiful words in the English language is the word stiliform.
Do you know this word, Grant?
Stiliform.
Stiliform.
That actually sounds bad.
It sounds like a medical problem.
No, it’s actually quite lovely.
Stiliform means drop-shaped.
It’s from the Latin stilla, which means drop.
And it’s a relative of drippy words like distill, which means to drip down, and to instill, which means to put in drop by drop.
I just think it’s so lovely.
S-T-I-L-L-I-F-O-R-M.
It has those beautiful long, thin letters in the middle.
Like they’re kind of dripping.
So if someone is a drip, you can call them stiliform, and they won’t know that they’re supposed to be offended.
I suppose that’s true.
My, you’re still a form, yes.
I like that too.
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