Xeno

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

Xeno

n.
the smallest measurable unit of human connection, typically exchanged between passing strangers—a warm smile, a sympathetic nod, a shared laugh about some odd coincidence—moments that are fleeting and random but still contain powerful emotional nutrients that can alleviate the symptoms of feeling alone.

Ancient Greek ξένος (xénos), alien, stranger. Pronounced “zee-noh.”

Hobsmacked

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O’Erpine

a person looking at a grave

Semaphorism

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Chrysalism

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Aulasy

a blurry image of a house on the road

Tillid

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