OK, let's have a go with this one. You all know the rules better than I do. Send me your definitions please...

You now have at least one.

Not bad at all!

Daffynition sent.

Mine too.

Thanks everyone. I now have four fake definitions (including one from Geoff), plus the true one of course. Any more? How much longer do you think I should wait?

We normally wait till we have eight or nine. Sometimes it takes a long time, sometimes you get them in a day. I'll send you one in the next few minutes.

Received - thanks!

You can if you want make up your own fake definition (or more than one), Guy, especially if you find them slow in arriving from the others.

Ah, in that case I might think up a couple, since I'm keen to get the game started quickly. Hold on and I'll get back to you.

Having added a couple of my own I now have the required eight, so let's play!

1. A group of eight ancient Egyptian deities worshipped in Hermopolis

2. Lame: specifically used of lame shire horses

3. The larva of a goat moth, a very rare type of moth that is on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list

4. The nozzle of a watering-can

5. A fence or other structure that due to shifting ground or changed stream course has moved onto another's property

6. A clasp on a medieval cloak

7. An extinct amphibian of the family Scaphiopodidae, formerly found in southern Canada

8. A language spoken in the Rajput area of India

Please post your guess in the thread. Good luck!

I'll take #8

Although I really think worshippers of eight Egyptian deities sacrifice the lame larvae of a moth by inserting them in the nozzle of a watering can, burying them on shifting ground inside a medieval cloak clasped around the remains of an extinct toad.

Her mop olis? The city of hair stylists?

I'll go with a clasp on the cloak of an extinct amphibian who speaks ancient Egyptian.

No, wait- let's say it's #6.

4 please

6 please.

1. for me, please.

Since everyone who submitted definitions has now guessed, I presume I can reveal the answer...

The word has three syllables (og-do-ad), and is a similar formation to words such as "triad", from Greek ogdoos "eighth". (The relation with okto "eight" becomes apparent once you de-voice the consonants.) Its basic meaning is simply "a group of eight" or "the number eight", but it has acquired a more specialized use referring to the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, a group of eight ancient Egyptian deities (definition 1). Well done arnie!

The bluffs were as follows:

2. Lame: specifically used of lame shire horses - submitted by BobHale

3. The larva of a goat moth, a very rare type of moth that is on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list - submitted by Kalleh

4. The nozzle of a watering-can - submitted by me; guessed by BobHale

5. A fence or other structure that due to shifting ground or changed stream course has moved onto another's property - submitted by Geoff

6. A clasp on a medieval cloak - submitted by Proofreader; guessed by Kalleh and Geoff

7. An extinct amphibian of the family Scaphiopodidae, formerly found in southern Canada - submitted by me (again)

8. A language spoken in the Rajput area of India - submitted by Arnie; guessed by Proofreader

Thanks for playing, everyone!

Well done, Guy! I'm glad you've revived this moribund game.

It's not a moribund game...we were just taking a rest. BTW, Guy, arnie always wins.

Arnie, didn't you say you had a word?

I knew from somewhere the "group of eight" meaning, but I don't think I've heard of the gods before.

I've started a new game in another thread.

quote:

Originally posted by arnie:
I knew from somewhere the "group of eight" meaning, but I don't think I've heard of the gods before.

I originally came across the word in the preface to a book called "Chambers Words", which was simply a list (by length, and without definitions) of all the words in Chambers dictionary - useful for playing Scrabble and similar games. Frank Muir wrote the preface, and mentioned that you might want to check whether "ogdoad" was a word. Being a curious sort, I looked up its dictionary definition, saw it was "a group of eight", and buried it at the back of my mind.

When this game was suggested it suddenly came back to me as a suitable candidate, so I checked the definition on the internet. To my surprise I got all these references to Egyptian mythology as well as the standard definition, so I decided to use that one on the grounds that it sounded more like a bluff! (Strictly speaking I should have given the word as "Ogdoad" with a capital "O" - I hope that's not too much like cheating.)

Anyway, it was great fun to set, and I look forward to playing arnie's game.