Word of the Day

Word of the Day

mattoid (n)

A semi-insane person

"That man," said the Doctor in a low, earnest voice, "is a mattoid."

"A what?" said the Vicar.

"A mattoid. An abnormal man. Did you notice the effeminate delicacy of his face? His tendency to quite unmeaning laughter? His neglected hair? Then consider his singular dress..."

The Vicar's hand went up to his chin.

"Marks of mental weakness," said the Doctor.
--H.G. Wells, "The Wonderful Visit"

God, I loved reading Wells's science-fiction novels as a kid, especially The Time Machine, the full text of which is online here. It still seems like the most perfectly written SF novel ever, to me.