Malotype

Cover image for the Malotype word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Malotype

n.
a certain person who embodies all the things you like the least about yourself—a seeming caricature of your worst tendencies—which leaves you feeling repulsed and fascinated in equal measure, having stumbled upon a role model of exactly the kind of person you never want to be.

Latin malus, bad + typus, a kind of sculptor’s mold. A mold is essentially a negative image of the object you want to sculpt—so if you’re trying to shape yourself, perhaps a good first step is to scoop away the negative space. Pronounced “mal-uh-tahyp.”

Kairosclerosis

Cover image for the Kairosclerosis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Vaucasy

Cover image for the Vaucasy word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Hem-Jawed

an abstract image of someone touching their face

Austice

a leaf imprint in the mud

Apolytus

Cover image for the Apolytus word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Keyframe

a large rock in the water with emanating ripples