Round 3672: Vote for ONCETHMUS

[Daniel B. Widdis]

Below are eleven purported definitions for ONCETHMUS, only one of which is true.

I'll set a ~ 36-hour voting deadline, reserving the right to close early if all submitters have voted.  That's 7 am PDT/10am EDT/1400 UTC/3pm BST/4pm CEST on Wednesday, August 12 and 2 am NZST on Thursday.

*** ONCETHMUS ***

1. Hist. A horned whale that was fancifully described in bestiaries, but that is now identified with the narwhal, Monodon monoceros.

2. A strip of land that was once an isthmus, but due to erosion or a rise in sea levels is now submerged some or all of the time.

3. A rumbling noise produced by the movement of gas through the intestines.

4. a family of slugs (suborder Stylommatophora)

5. The swim bladder of a fish.

6. A bray.

7. Inflammation of the big toe.

8. a tube connecting two bacteria enabling gene transfer during conjugation.

9. A Hungarian herbal liqueur made from over 40 herbs and spices, matured in oak barrels.

10. A medium-sized rodent adapted to life among rocky outcrops of the mountains and plateaus of Anatolia.

11. a Greek slave in Ephesus who was the leader of those who caused the riot that led to Paul's imprisonment [See Acts 19 for the event, Oncethmus is named in the apocryphal book "Didache"]

[Shani Naylor]

I'll kick off by voting for the two defs I most enjoyed reading: 1 & 2

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[Tim Bourne]

8 & 10, please.

Tim B 

[Paul Keating]

#3 is the least unlikely, and #2 is the most entertaining.

P

[John Barrs]

I'll go shortest and longest #6 amd #11  JohnnyB

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[Tim Lodge]

I think there's a word for 3, which I can't remember, but I don't think it's this one.  I have to vote for Bray, as that's where I live,  My other vote goes to the unlikely conjugating bacterial tube  (amo, ams, amat, amamus ...). That's 6 and 8, please.

             6. A bray.

             8. a tube connecting two bacteria enabling gene transfer during conjugation.

--  Tim L

[Chowie]

I'll go with 2 and 5. Amazing group of definitions! 

~Bending under the weight of His mercies~

​ The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only Son, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

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[Eric Boxer]

I'll vote for 10 and 11.

Eric

[Tony Abell]

I'll go with 6 and 11:

> 6. A bray.

[France International/Mike Shefler]

I'll go with 1 and 6.

--Mike

[nancygoat]

I'll take 5 and 6, although I greatly admire the cleverness of some of the others.

Nancy

[Efrem Mallach]

Might be medical, so 3 and 7.

That said, it probably isn't.

Efrem

=========================

> On Aug 10, 2026, at 10:18 PM, Daniel B. Widdis <wid...@dixonary.net> wrote:
>
> Below are eleven purported definitions for ONCETHMUS, only one of which is true.
>
> I'll set a ~ 36-hour voting deadline, reserving the right to close early if all submitters have voted. That's 7 am PDT/10am EDT/1400 UTC/3pm BST/4pm CEST on Wednesday, August 12 and 2 am NZST on Thursday.
>
> *** ONCETHMUS ***
>
>

> 3. A rumbling noise produced by the movement of gas through the intestines.
>
>
>