Unknown Unaus Ululate Unbelievably

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "U".

UNIROYAL

Uniroyal tires. Wow-what a long history that tire has and all the different mergers, acquisitions, changes, etc. it has gone through. So much, in fact, that I can't even begin to explain it! However, the Uniroyal site does have a history section that highlights key events.

I forgot where I took this photo-I think at the Anagama kiln in Madrid, NM. It was back in 2009, so I can't be too sure.

UNIFOLIATE

Unifoliate: having only one leaf

Origin of UNIFOLIATE

uni- + Latin folium leaf — more at blade

First Known Use: 1849

I can say, with utmost certainty, that many of you can think of plants with unifoliate leaves!

UNCINATE

Uncinate. Ugh! Sounds like a dirty word, doesn't it? Common definition (common in my eyes anywya) is: un·ci·nate ( n s -n t , -n t). adj. Bent at the end like a hook; unciform. [Latin unc n tus, from unc nus, barb, from uncus, hook.] uncinate


However, in looking further on line for this word, I saw other definitions! Such as, the uncinate process, as in uncinate process of the ribs: which can be separate bones or projections from ribs. They are found in birds, some dinosaurs (particularly some coelurosaurian theropods), and sphenodonts (tuataras). An uncinate process on a rib overlaps the rib posterior to it, providing bracing to the rib cage. Uncinate processes found in dinosaur fossils were used to relate how some theropods breathed to that of penguins.

Sigh....and then there's the uncinate process of vertabra (similar to first meaning): a hook shaped process on the lateral borders (side edges) of the superior (top) surface of the vertebral bodies of the third to the seventh cervical vertebrae.

Well....it goes on. I'll stop here. I got overwhelmed. I thought it was just the hook shape thingy and then I realized that there was MORE.
 

UMBRETTE

Perhaps more readily known as the Hamerkop (from Wikipedia):

"The Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), also known as Hammerkop, Hammerkopf, Hammerhead, Hammerhead Stork, Umbrette, Umber Bird, Tufted Umber, or Anvilhead, is a medium-sized wading bird (56 cm long, weighing 470 g). The shape of its head with a curved bill and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, hence its name. It ranges from Africa, Madagascar to Arabia, in wetlands of a wide variety, including estuaries, lakesides, fish pond, riverbanks and rocky coasts in Tanzania. The Hamerkop is a sedentary bird that often show local movements. Is not globally threatened and is locally abundant in Africa and Madagascar."^[2] 

^{(Umbrette bird image source: Wikipedia)}

Apparently, this bird has lots of mysterious behaviors. I found a blog that gave a rather interesting list of this.

^UNAU

 ^{(image source: Wikipedia)}

Unau: a two toed sloth (not to be confused with the three toed sloth, please!). 

And, in case you forgot what ululate means:

To howl, wail, or lament loudly.

Admittedly, I don't know if two toed sloths make any noise at all, but now you can string together the meaning to my whacky title!