Coolest Words: A Work in Progress

Coolest Words, Alphabetized (1,449)

Abacaxi: a large, sweet pineapple grown especially in Brazil

Abacination: type of torture, blinding the victim with a heated metal plate

Abacus: frame with rows of grooves along which beads are slid, used for calculating

Abecedarian: one who teaches or studies the alphabet; one who is just learning, beginner

Absinthe: wormwood liquor of a bright-green color

Abyss: immeasurably deep chasm, depth, or void; abode of evil spirits, hell

Acciaccatura: grace note, an embellishing note usually written in smaller size

Accismus: rhetoric term, affected or false refusal when the item in question is actually wanted

Acedia: ennui, state of torpor of listlessness; spiritual apathy

Acerbic: sharp or biting in character; sour or bitter in taste; caustic

Acervuline: aggregated, heaped up, bundled, collected or localized

Acherontic: infernal or fiery; gloomy, dismal; moribund

Acolyte: ranked clergy member; assistant in liturgical rites

Acroamatic: communicated orally, oral; applied to the teachings of Aristotle

Acropolis: fortified height or citadel; raised area holding a building or cluster of buildings

Acumen: quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight; wisdom, savvy

Adjudicate: to pronounce, hear, and settle; to decree by judicial sentence

Adumbrate: to explain faintly or opaquely outline; describe

Aegis: auspices, kindly endorsement and guidance; a type of shield

Aeipathy: continued passion; unyielding disease

Aeneous: brassy; a type of golden-green

Aeolian: pertaining to, of, related to, caused by or like the wind or Aeolus

Aeonian: continuing forever, eternal

Aerobic: depending on free oxygen or air; designating or involving exercise

Aerolith: a specific type of meteorite; meteorite

Aeronautical: of or relating to aeronauts or aeronautics

Aerugo: verdigris, metallic rust, particularly of brass or copper

Aesthetic: having a sense of the beautiful; pertaining to a sense of the beautiful

Aeviternal: eternal, endless, never-ending

Afflatus: strong creative impulse, especially as a result of divine inspiration; inspiration

Agathokakological: composed of both good and evil elements

Agglutinate: to unite as if by adhesive; heap together, string together, clump together; unify

Agnosticism: religion positing that any ultimate reality is unknown and likely unknowable

Agoraphobia: abnormal fear of open or public places

Agrarian: relating to rural matters; pertaining to cultivation, ownership and agriculture

Ahimsa: the doctrine of refraining from the harming of others or the taking of life

Aileron: small moveable platforms on the back of plane wings that alter air movements

Aitch: the letter “H”, the phonetic representation thereof

Akimbo: having the hand or hands on the hip(s) and the elbow(s) turned outward

Alabaster: dense translucent, white or tinted, fine-grained gypsum

Albatross: large, web-footed, gull-like seabird

Albedo: physics term, the ratio of reflected to incident light

Alcatote: foolish oaf, silly elf, witless person

Alchemy: ancient or arcane chemistry; science of elements made to elicit effects

Alembic: anything that refines, purifies, or transmutes; alchemical beaker

Alkahest: hypothetical universal solvent sought by the alchemists; azoth

Allegretto: music term, moderately fast tempo

Alluvium: unconsolidated sediments carried by water

Altazimuth: mount for astronomical telescopes that shows horizontal and vertical rotation

Amalgamation: consolidation, agglutination, integration, union, fusion

Amanuensis: a secretary; one who is employed to take dictation or to copy manuscript

Amaranth: deep-hued purple; type of purple flower; used as a metaphor for immortality

Ambidextrous: able to use both hands equally well; unusually skillful

Ambience: atmosphere; a particular environment or surrounding influence; aura

Ambivalence: simultaneous, conflicted feelings towards a thing, person, etc.

Ambrosia: the food of the gods; something overpoweringly delicious or fragrant

Amethyst: deep purple; deep-purple gemstone

Ampersand: the symbol (&) representing the word “and”

Amphigory: meaningless or senseless work of writing, especially one planned as a parody

Amphisbaena: Greek mythological being, a two-headed snake with a head on each end

Amphora: ceramic, two-handled vase with a narrow neck, usually containing alcohol

Anabibazon: a node of the moon’s orbit

Anachronism: chronological displacement of persons, events, objects, or customs

Anacoluthon: rhetoric term, abrupt shift in a sentence to another construction conflicting with the first

Analemma: sundial; figure-8 indicating sun’s declination

Anaptyxis: the insertion of an extra vowel in a body of a word ex. “athalete”

Anathema: malison, strong curse; that which one vehemently despises

Ancillary: auxiliary, not prioritized; of secondary importance, secondary, subordinate

Anent: regarding, concerning, pertaining to, involving

Angstrom: metric unit of length equal to one ten billionth of a meter (or 0.0001 micron)

Animadversion: adverse criticism prompted by a degree of hostility

Annihilate: to destroy completely, eliminate, kill in large numbers, obliterate

Anon: at another time, later; immediately, at once

Anschauung: phil. term, intuition or perception of sense-data with little or no rational interpretation

Antanaclasis: stylistic trope of repeating a word, but with a different meaning each time

Antebellum: before or existing before a war, especially the American civil war

Antediluvian: antiquated, extremely old, old-aged

Anthracite: glossy, hard coal which burns with a nearly smokeless flame

Anthropomorphic: described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes

Antipathy: strong feeling of aversion or repugnance, enmity, animosity

Anxiolytic: preventing or reducing anxiety; anti-anxiety medication; tranquilizer

Aperitif: alcoholic drink taken as an appetizer before a meal

Aperture: opening, such as a hole, gap, or slit; opening part of a camera

Aphelion: the point when the orbit of earth is furthest from the sun

Aphotic: devoid of light, especially of areas where no light naturally occurs

Apocryphal: of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious

Apollonian: serene, calm, or well-balanced; poised and disciplined; pertaining to Apollo

Apophenia: the perception of or belief in connectedness among unrelated phenomena

Apoplexy: a stroke; impairment or neuralgia from cerebral hemorrhage

Aposiopesis: abrupt stop of a thought in a sentence, as if the speaker could not continue

Apostasy: abandonment of one's religious faith, political party, one's principles, or a cause

Apostolicity: being of or contemporary with the Apostles in character

Apothecary: place which prepares and/or sells drugs and other medicine; pharmacy

Apothegm: terse, witty, and/or instructive saying, aphorism; generally accepted truth; maxim

Apotheosis: deification, quintessence, exaltation to divine rank or stature

Appendix: additional material referenced at the end of a book or another text

Apteryx: genus of flightless birds

Aquarelle: painting done in transparent watercolors; watercolor; watercolor painting

Arabesque: a ballet twirl; type of artistry involving a continuous, rotating design

Arbalest: medieval missile launcher designed on the crossbow; large crossbow

Arbitrary: determined by chance, whim, or impulse; not by necessity, reason, or principle

Arboretum: land or observatory on which many different trees or shrubs are grown for study or display

Archetype: original model or type after which similar things are patterned; prototype

Archipelago: landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands

Argyle: knitting pattern of varicolored, diamond-shaped areas on a solid background

Arithmetic: branch of math dealing with the properties and manipulation of numbers

Arpeggio: notes of a chord played in succession, either ascending or descending

Artemisia: type of plant, genus of aromatic shrubs or herbs

Asterisk: (*) used to indicate an omission, reference, a word, sound, or affix

Asteroid: small, irregularly-shaped rocky bodies that orbit the Sun; shaped like a star

Astrobleme: scar on the earth's surface left from the impact of a meteorite; crater

Ataraxy: calmness of the mind and emotions; tranquility; state of tranquilization

Ataxia: loss of the ability to coordinate muscular movement; failure of coordination

Athanasy: quality of being deathless; immortality

Athenaeum: institution for the promotion of literary or scientific learning; phrontistery

Aura: distinctive and pervasive quality or character; air, atmosphere; emanation

Automaton: self-operating machine or mechanism, especially a robot

Autumnal: pertaining to, like, relating, or evocative of autumn

Avalanche: fall or slide of a large mass of snow or rock; overwhelming amount; flood

Aviatrix: a female aviator; a female pilot

Awakening: rousing, quickening; act of waking from sleep; revival of interest or attention

Axolotl: specific member of a genus of salamanders

Azimuth: horizontal angular distance from a reference direction

Azoth: mythologized universal solvent; panacea

Baccalaureate: bachelor’s degree; valedictory speech

Bacchanalia: riotous, boisterous, or drunken festivity; orgy; drunken feast

Bacchante: carousing woman; priestess or woman votary of Bacchus, female bacchant

Badinage: playful or frivolous repartee or banter; cheeky back-and-forth speech

Bailiwick: person's area of interest, skill, or authority; special domain; bailiff’s office

Balatron: buffoon, clown, jackanapes, joker

Balistraria: arrow-slit, narrow opening through which arrows might be discharged

Ballast: heavy material specially set to improve strength and control; bed of coarse gravel

Balustrade: architecture, series of balusters or parapets

Banderilla: a decorated dart that is shot into the neck of the bull during a bull fight

Barathea: soft fabric of silk and cotton; silk and wool, or all wool

Barathrum: a bottomless pit, hole, or abyss, Hell

Bardiglio: finely-grained, multi-gray Italian marble

Baroque: of, relating to, or like of a style in art and architecture of a time

Basilica: large, public building used by the Romans, usually as a courtroom or meeting hall

Basilisk: legendary serpent with lethal breath and glance, usually turning its prey to stone

Bayonet: blade adapted to fit the muzzle-end of a rifle and as a weapon in close combat

Bdelygmia: a litany of abuse; a series of critical epithets, descriptions, or attributes

Behemoth: something of enormous size and power; huge animal, machine, or creature

Belabor: to attack, strike; to explain or insist on excessively; scold

Bellicose: inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile, belligerent, pugnacious

Bellwether: leader or indicator of future trends, trendsetter

Belvedere: roofed structure, on top of another building, which commands a large view

Benthos: the bottom of a body of water, the living things at the bottom of a water body

Berceuse: lullaby, song used to put someone to sleep

Bersatrix: babysitter, maternal caretaker

Bethesda: a hallowed, sanctified, or holy place; a chapel; holy ground

Betwixt: between, in an intermediate position

Bezaleel: the shadow of God, God’s shadow

Bibliophile: someone who loves (and usually collects) books; book collector

Bijouterie: pl. trinkets or jewelry, gallery thereof, display thereof

Bildungsroman: coming-of-age novel, movie, or story

Bivouac: temporary military or squad encampment

Blatherskite: babbling, foolish person, person given to voluble, senseless talk

Blellum: an idle, indiscreet talker, noisy fainéant; informant

Blitzkrieg: swift, sudden military offensive; swift, decisive strike

Blunderbuss: insensitive, blundering person; short musket of wide bore and flared muzzle

Boeotian: marked by stupidity and philistinism; crudely obtuse, loutish

Bolster: to support and strengthen; structural part used to support and strengthen

Borasca: a squall, usually accompanied by thunder and lightning

Boulevard: broad street, avenue; broad spectrum of something

Bouleversement: reversal of fortunes; overturning of something; tumult

Bourgeoisie: the middle class; the middle class in Communist theory

Braggadocio: arrogant person, braggart; arrogant or boastful behavior

Bravura: music term, brilliant technique or style in performance, piece requiring high skill

Brecciate: to form rock into breccia (rocks made of sharp fragments set in a grainy matrix)

Breviloquence: speech characterized by brevity; shortness, briefness

Bricolage: something made or put together using any materials that happen are available

Brontide: a sound like distant thunder, can be due to seismic causes

Brummagem: cheap and showy, meretricious, gaudy, tawdry; ersatz, second-rate

Brumous: pertaining or relating to winter; foggy, misty, dull and sunless, cold

Brusque: abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt

Bruxer: one who suffers habitual, involuntary grinding or clenching of the teeth

Bulwark: wall of material built for defense, rampart; protection from external danger

Burnish: to polish; the shine of a polished surface

Caballero: skilled horseman, cavalier; gentleman

Cacafuego: swaggering braggart or boaster; spitfire, firebrand

Cachinnation: act of laughing hard, loudly or convulsively; guffawing, cackling

Cacoethes: uncontrollable urge or desire, especially for something harmful; mania; addiction

Cacography: bad or illegible handwriting or penmanship

Cadaver: corpse, specifically one dressed for a procedure

Cadenza: musical or literary improvisation

Calamity: great misfortune, misery, disaster, an event which causes such

Calcaneus: the heel bone

Calibrate: to check, adjust, or determine by comparison with a standard

Calico: coarse, brightly printed cloth; a type of pattern

Caliginous: misty, dim, obscure, dark, gloomy, tenebrous

Calliope: musical instrument fitted with steam whistles, played from a keyboard

Callipygian: having a beautiful, admirable, or sexy butt

Calypso: rare orchid; a tribal and fervid dance

Camouflage: actions or devices intended to disguise or mislead, usually natural

Cancrizans: backwards movement; crab walking; music moving backwards

Candelabra: pl. branched candlestick with several candles

Carapace: bony or chitinous case or shield covering the back of an animal or creature

Carcinogen: an agent or substance that causes cancer

Caricature: expression or interpretation of exaggerated details or quirks of something

Carmagnole: short jacket with wide lapels; spirited dance to a particular song

Cartesian: of or relating to the philosophy of Descartes

Cashielaws: old Scottish instrument of torture, consisting of a heated iron case for the leg

Castanet: small, percussion instruments made of hard material which are clicked together

Catachresis: inappropriate use of one word for another; malapropism

Cataclysm: violent upheaval that causes great destruction or brings about a vital change

Catacombs: pl. vault, tomb, crypt, ossuary, often labyrinthine

Catafalque: decorated platform or framework on which a coffin rests

Catalexis: poetic term, absence of one or more syllables in a line of verse, especially in the last foot

Catalyst: that which affects or inspires activity in something without being affected itself

Cataphract: suit of armor for a man and horse

Cataract: large or tall waterfall; a deluge; opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye

Catatonia: condition typified by stupor, stereotypy, mania, and/or rigidity of the limbs

Catharsis: purgation; emotional purification; relieving of emotional tensions

Cathedral: large, presiding, and/or important church; emanating from a chair of authority

Cathismata: pl. one of the 20 divisions in a Greek Psalter

Cathode: negative-charged electrode being the source of electrons entering a device

Catholicon: a supposed medicine to cure all diseases, panacea

Causerie: informal discussion or chat; short conversational piece of writing or criticism

Cauterize: to burn or sear with a caustic brand, usually for medical purposes

Cavalcade: a procession of riders or carriages; a procession of vehicle of ships

Cavalier: given to haughty disregard of others; gallant or courtly gentleman

Caveat: admonition, caution; warning against certain acts; formal notice of warning

Cavil: to object or criticize adversely for trivial reasons; flimsy objection or qualm

Celeripedean: quick-footed, swift, fast-running

Celestial: heavenly, of a higher plane, empyreal; of or pertaining to space

Cenobite: member of a convent or other religious community; cloistered or reclusive person

Cenotaph: an unmarked grave

Centurion: commander of a century (100 soldiers); high-ranking official or leader

Cerebellum: part of the brain that regulates coordination and voluntary muscle movement

Cerumen: yellow, wax-like secretion from the external ears, “earwax”

Chagrin: disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure

Chantpleure: to cry while singing; to cry and sing simultaneously

Chaos: lack of order; condition or place of disorder or confusion; riotous mass, a jumble

Charisma: personal attractiveness or interestingness that enables you to influence others

Chatoyant: like or resembling a cat’s eye

Chevelure: head of hair, tresses; hair on the head; a nebulous envelop (as around a comet)

Chiaroscuro: art term, composition of strong contrasts in light and dark

Chiasmus: rhetoric term, an inverse sentence, “One should eat to live, not live to eat”

Chicanery: trickery, buffoonery; deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry, deception

Chimerical: created by or as if by a wildly fanciful imagination; highly improbable, absurd

Chiropteran: pertaining to bats, mammalian order

Chitinous: of or resembling chitin; having a carapace or protective shell of chitin

Chondrule: small, round granule of outer space origin seen embedded in some meteorites

Choreography: the art of creating and arranging dances or ballets

Chrematistic: of, relating to, or occupied in the gaining of wealth

Chrysoberyl: a rare hard yellow green mineral, used as a gemstone

Chthonic: of or relating to the underworld, stygian, infernal

Ciborium: vessel; receptacle for the Blessed Sacrament; consecrated wafers for a religious rite

Cicatrix: deep, permanent scar resultant of serious injury

Cinnabar: bright red, glowing red

Cinquefoil: five-leaved; plant with limbs that are five-leaved; five-pointed leaves

Circadian: relating to or exhibiting approximately 24-hour periodicity

Circuitous: having a circular or winding course; indirect; roundabout

Cislunar: of or relating to the space between earth and the moon or the moon’s orbit

Clairvoyant: having the “power” to envision things that can’t be perceived by the senses

Claque: group of fawning admirers; group of persons hired to applaud at a performance

Clarion: medieval trumpet with clear shrill tones; clear and shrill; loud burst of sound

Claviger: one that keeps or has the keys; custodian; warden

Clavilux: machine that generates light via music

Clepsydra: device that measured time by marking regulated flow of water via an opening

Clerisy: the well-educated or learned class; intelligentsia; cognoscenti

Climax: highest or most intense point in the making or resolution of something; summit

Clinquant: glittering as gold; glittering with tinsel; showily ornate or ostentatious

Clithridiate: keyhole-shaped; resembling a keyhole

Cloister: monastatic establishment; convent of living

Cnidarian: any invertebrate animal, as a hydra, jellyfish, sea anemone, or coral

Coalesce: to fuse, intersect, or entwine to create a unity; to unify by an external means

Coccyx: the end of the vertebral column in humans and tailless apes

Cochlear: of or relating to the cochlea of the ear

Codicil: addendum, supplement, appendix, or revision to a will; a supplement or appendix

Coelacanth: a prehistoric fish, initially thought to be extinct

Coercion: the act of coercing; the use of pressure, threats, blackmail, or intimidation

Coeval: of the same age, date, or duration; equally old; lasting through the same era

Cognomen: familial name; surname, especially a third name

Cognoscente: person who has expert or superior knowledge in a subject; connoisseur

Cognoscitive: having the power of knowing; having the ability to know or discover

Colcothar: brownish-red oxide of iron

Collectanea: selection of pieces of writing by an author or by several authors

Colliquate: to change from solid to liquid; to liquefy

Colloquial: informal, as in speech; conversationally informal

Colophon: inscription at the end of a book; an identifying emblem for a book

Coloratura: elaborate or technical vocal music with florid ornamentation

Colossus: huge statue; something likened to a huge statue, as in size or importance

Colporteur: book merchant; bible salesman; salesman of religious tracts

Comatose: of, relating to, or affected with coma; unconscious; marked by lethargy, torpid

Concatenate: to link together; to unite in a series or chain

Conchitic: composed of shells, containing many shells

Concinnity: harmony in the arrangement or fitness of parts with respect to a whole

Concomitant: phenomenon that naturally accompanies or follows something; concurrent

Concourse: large open space for the gathering or passage of crowds; broad thoroughfare

Concrescence: growing together of related parts; the amassing of physical particles

Conduit: means by which something is transmitted; channel for conveying fluids

Conflagration: large destructive fire, holocaust, inferno

Congelifraction: splitting or disintegration of rocks as a result of the freezing of the water

Conjuration: the act or art of conjuring; magic spell or incantation; magic trick or effect

Conquistador: a conqueror, especially one of the 16th-century Spanish soldiers

Constellation: specific arrangement of stars to form an image

Contagion: disease that is or may be transmitted by direct or indirect contact; epidemic

Contextualize: to place or study in context; to make clear by establishing context

Continuum: coherent whole characterized as a collection, sequence, or progression

Contretemps: inopportune or embarrassing occurrence or situation; dispute, argument

Contusion: bruise; an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration

Convalesce: to recover or recuperate; recover from a serious injury

Convivial: amicable, sociable; fond of feasting, drinking, and good company

Coquelicot: a type of plant, red poppy

Coracle: small rounded boat made of waterproof material stretched over a frame

Coriander: aromatic herb, herb used in a variety of perfumes

Corinthian: architecture term, pertaining to Corinth or its culture

Cormorant: large, aquatic bird; a greedy, rapacious person

Corpulent: of a bulky body; excessively heavy or fat, stout, portly

Corrigenda: error to be revised, especially a printer's error; list of errors with corrections

Cortical: of, relating to, derived from, or consisting of cortex

Coruscate: sparkle, reflect brightly, shine, shimmering

Cosmogony: astrophysical study of the origin and progress of the universe and its theories

Cosmogyral: whirling around the cosmos; traversing or spinning around the cosmos

Cosmonaut: a Russian or Soviet astronaut

Cosmopolitan: pertaining to the world at large, without localized prejudices

Coterie: tightly-knit group of persons having a common purpose or interest; cadre, clique

Coterminous: having the same or coincident boundaries; coextensive in range or scope

Coxcomb: conceited, self-impressed dandy; conceited fool; narcissistic person

Coxswain: captain, steersman; person who steers a ship's boat and has charge of its crew

Crambazzle: worn-out old man, curmudgeon, rabblerousing old-timer

Craquelure: fine pattern of dense cracking formed on the surface of paintings

Crepuscular: pertaining to the evening; of or resembling twilight; active at twilight

Criterion: standard, rule, or test on which a judgment or decision can be based

Cromlech: circle of monoliths or stones usually enclosing a dolmen (tomb) or mound

Crpytozoology: study or search of creatures whose existence has not been substantiated

Crucible: severe, searching test or trial; container to be used with metals at high heat

Crucifix: representation of the cross on which Jesus died

Cruciverbalist: one who is skillful in creating or solving crossword puzzles

Crwth: ancient Celtic musical instrument

Cryogenic: of or relating to low temperatures; requiring or suitable to cryogenic storage

Cumulonimbus: type of cloud that augurs, foretells, or indicates bad weather

Cunctipotent: all-powerful, omnipotent, endless in power

Cuneiform: wedge-shaped; a Sumerian language

Curvilinear: consisting of or bound by curved lines; represented by a curved line

Cuvette: a small, transparent, often tubular laboratory vessel

Cwm: a valley, dell, field, heath; to copulate with a ewe

Cygnet: a baby swan, young swan

Cynegetics: the art or arts related to hunting of animals, people, or things

Cynophilist: dog-lover; one who loves or appreciates dogs

Cynosure: that which garners great attention by calling to its brilliance; interest

Cyrenaic: pertaining to a philosophical tenet (that pleasure is the only good in life)

Cytherean: pertaining to beauty or the goddess, Aphrodite

Daemon: subordinate deity; guardian spirit; demon

Decollate: to behead, decapitate; remove or cut the head off of something

Decorticate: to remove the bark or outer covering from; husk

Decussate: shaped or resembling an X; to intersect, to cross or become crossed like an X

Dedimus: a writ giving a private person permission to act as a judge

Degringoladé: a rapid decline or deterioration, as in strength, position, or condition

Delenda: that which needs to be deleted; something that has been deleted

Deliquesce: to dissolve; transform into liquid from a solid

Delirium: state of mental disarray and unstable consciousness from intoxication or fever

Delitescent: hidden, concealed; kept secret

Demagogue: rabble-rouser, firebrand; one who appeals to emotions and prejudices

Demesne: a lord’s privately owned manor or section of land

Demigod: the offspring of a god and a mortal, usually gifted with exceptional powers

Demiurge: something conceived as an autonomous creative force or decisive power

Demi-vierge: a woman who behaves provocatively and permissively without giving up her sexual virginity

Dendrite: short fiber that conducts toward the cell body of the neuron; branch; branching

Denigrate: disparage, to attack the character or reputation of; speak ill of, defame

Denizen: inhabitant, resident; one that frequents a particular place, occupant

Denouement: final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot

Desiccate: to dry up or cause to dry up; to deprive or exhaust of moisture

Desperado: bold or desperate outlaw or criminal; violent or reckless felon

Detritus: remnants of disintegration; vaporized or eroded matter; loose, leftover material; particles

Diablerie: dealing with the devil or devils; witchcraft, sorcery; consorting with demons

Diadem: crown worn as a sign of royalty; royal power or dignity; object worn as a crown

Diametric: of, relating to, or along a diameter; exactly opposite, contrary

Diaphanous: light, delicate, gossamer, translucent

Diaspora: dissemination, dispersion; random or selective re-distribution

Dichotomy: division into or of two usually contrary parts or opinions; division into or of two sects

Dilapidate: to bring or fall into a state of partial ruin, decay, or disrepair

Dilettante: one who dabbles in an occupation or hobby without serious intent

Dimension: measure of spatial extent, especially width, height, or length; extent, scope

Diocese: ecclesiastical district under the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop

Dionysian: wild, irrational, and undisciplined; of an ecstatic, orgiastic, or irrational nature

Dioscuric: describing a twin, whether person or event; of a twin, of a duplicate

Dirigible: an airship; vehicle or method of transportation using the air

Dirigisme: economic planning and control by the state

Discotheque: nightclub that features dancing to recorded or live music

Divisi: music term, divided, separated

Dogmatic: lacking tolerance, compliance, or breadth of view, forcibly assertive

Doldrums: a spell or state of listlessness or despondency; blues, sadness; period of ennui

Dolorifuge: something that banishes or mitigates grief; an escape or remedy to despair

Doppelganger: double of a living person, especially one that haunts its counterpart

Dowry: natural gift, endowment, talent, money or property given to a bride’s husband

Drachma: the primary unit of currency in Greece before the adoption of the euro

Draconian: exceedingly harsh, severe, dogmatic, or rigorous; marked by cruelty or severity

Dragoon: to compel by coercion, threats, or crude means; armed soldier or cavalry

Dramaturgy: devices used in writing plays to distinguish plays from other literary forms

Drepaniform: hooked, curved, or shaped like a sickle; falcate, falciform

Drogulus: a presence with no evidence whatsoever of its presence; thing-in-itself

Dulcimer: stringed instrument having three or four strings and a fretted fingerboard

Duumvirate: two people holding the same office; two people working in conjunction; duo

Dynamitard: one that uses dynamite for anarchistic or other political acts of violence

Dyslexia: disorder in which lexical figures are perceived in a chaotic order

Dyspeptic: having a morose disposition; relating to dyspepsia; irritable

Ecclesiastical: of or pertaining to the church or the clergy; churchly; clerical

Echolalia: immediate and involuntary repetition of words or phrases just spoken by others

Echt: not fake or counterfeit; real, genuine; authentic, legitimate

Eclipsareon: a device for illustrating and demonstrating eclipses

Ectocanthion: point at which the outer ends of the upper and lower eyelids meet

Ectoplasm: mystical, viscous substance that exudes from the body of a medium

Ecumenical: of worldwide scope or suitability; universal; relating to the Christian church

Ecumenopolis: one city comprising the world that is held to be a prospect of the future

Edifice: large building or construct; complex set of beliefs

Effervesce: to bubble over; to boil with frothy bubbles; to excite

Effluvium: foul discharge or emanation; emission

Efflux: something that flows out or forth; effluence; passing or expiration, as of time

Eftsoons: soon afterward; immediately

Egregious: flagrant, conspicuously bad or offensive; glaring; outrageously bad

Eiderdown: down of a duck used as stuffing for quilts or pillows

Eidetic: of, relating to, or marked by extremely detailed and vivid recall of visual images

Eidolon: ghost, specter, revenant; reappearing, continuously visiting or persisting image

Eidos: formal content of the mental or intellectual makeup of a culture or social group

Eldritch: strange or unearthly; eerie or aberrant; terrifying; alien

Electrum: a pale yellow alloy of silver and gold

Eleemosynary: of, relating to, or dependent on charity; contributed as an act of charity

Elegiac: resembling or characteristic of or appropriate to an elegy; triste, sad, mournful

Elenchus: logical refutation by proving the opposite, argument thereof

Elision: omission of a vowel, consonant, or syllable in pronunciation

Elixir: solution of alcohol and water; substance believed to maintain life indefinitely

Elliptical: of, relating to, or having the shape of an ellipse; with a word or words omitted

Elysian: blissful, delightful; pertaining to the Elysian Fields or Elysium

Elysium: section of the underworld; resting place of heroes and the virtuous

Emaciate: to make abnormally thin or weak, typically due to illness

Embarcadero: a landing place, especially a landing place on an island waterway

Embargo: prohibition; a prevention of commerce; government-imposed trade barrier

Embryo: an organism in its early stages of development

Emerald: deep, dark green

Emeritus: retired from active service, usually for age, but retaining one's rank or title

Emissary: an agent sent on a mission to represent or advance the interests of another

Empirical: derived from or guided by experience or experimentation, as opposed to theory

Empyreal: related to the empyrean, celestial

Enamel: vitreous, usually opaque, protective or decorative coating or shell

Enceinte: pregnant, carrying a baby, gravid; line of fortification enclosing a town or castle

Encomium: eulogy; warm, glowing praise; formal expression of praise as a tribute

Engastrimyth: ventriloquist; manipulator of vocalizations and props as entertainment

Enigma: person, thing, or situation that is mysterious, puzzling, or ambiguous

Ennui: listlessness, weariness, discontent

Ensiform: sword-shaped; shaped like or resembling a sword

Entelechy: actuality; fully realized essence; actuality opposed to potentiality

Enterprise: undertaking, especially one of risk or complication; business organization

Entropy: the quantitative measure of disorder in a system

Envenomate: to poison; to put poison in or into something

Epicacracy: Schadenfreude; sadism, pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others

Epicurean: hedonistic; gastronomical; pertaining to good taste

Epigone: inferior imitator; disciple; second-rate replica; counterfeit

Epileptic: pertaining to epilepsy; flickering rapidly, seizing

Epithelium: type of body tissue

Epizeuxis: rhetoric term, in which a word is repeated with vehemence or emphasis

Epoch: era; period marked by distinct character or reckoned from a fixed point or event

Epoxy: two-part adhesive that cures (dries) by chemical interaction between the two parts

Equestrian: of, relating to, or featuring horseback riding

Equilibrium: state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces

Equinox: an annual event wherein after the sun reaches a height, night and day occur simultaneously

Equipoise: equal distribution of weight or balance; balanced

Ersatz: being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation; artificial, synthetic

Erubescent: becoming red, reddening; becoming ruddy

Erudite: characterized by great knowledge or insight; learned or scholarly

Escadrille: a small squadron, usually of six; a small team, typically of six airplanes

Escalade: the act of scaling a wall, usually with a ladder or rope

Escamotage: juggling; hand trickery, sleight of hand; legerdemain

Eschatology: philosophy or theology focused on the end of the world or analysis thereof

Eschew: to avoid, shun, dispense with, or abstain from

Esclavage: a necklace having several rows of chains, beads, or jewels

Escritoire: writing desk; desk designed for studies

Esculent: edible, able or safe to be eaten

Escutcheon: shield; shield on a coat of arms; ornamental or protective plate

Esker: long, winding ridge of gravel and other sediment left by melted ice from a stream

Esoterica: item or thing that is esoteric, obscure, rare, or valuable

Espionage: act or practice of spying or of using spies to obtain secret information

Esssse: pl. archaic plural of ashes

Estuary: inlet or arm of the sea; an open river that connects to the sea

Esurient: hungry, greedy; hedonistic in the pursuit of things

Ethereal: heavenly; airy in substance; spectral; insubstantial and light

Etiolate: to stunt growth; deprive of strength; to whiten by blocking sunlight exposure

Eucalyptus: tall type of Australian tree

Eucrasia: a normal state of health, physical well-being

Eugenics: study of methods of improving genetic qualities by selective breeding

Eupeptic: cheerful, happy; having a good digestion; chipper

Euphoria: feeling of great happiness or well-being; felicity

Eutectic: of, relating to, or formed at the lowest temperature, as in a melting point

Evanescent: brief, transient, ephemeral

Eviscerate: to disembowel, exenterate; to remove the viscera of something

Excelsior: fine, curled wood shavings

Excogitate: to contemplate with diligence and care to obtain intuitive grasp thereof

Excoriate: to tear or wear off the skin of, abrade

Excruciate: to inflict severe pain on, torture; to agonize, intensify pain, or distress

Exegesis: critical explanation, analysis, or interpretation of a text or portion of a text

Exhilaration: liveliness, high spirits, elation; state of stimulation

Exigent: needing immediate action, urgent; requiring much effort or expense, demanding

Exiguous: excessively scanty, meager; inadequate

Existential: of, relating to, or dealing with existence; pertaining to existentialism

Exodus: a going out; departure or emigration, usually of a large number of people

Exorbitant: greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation, excessive; expensive

Exoskeleton: external supportive or protective structure or framework, often of an insect

Exoteric: freely dispersed; comprehensible to or suited to the public; popular; external

Expatiate: to speak or write at length or in considerable detail; expound, elaborate

Expectorate: to eject from the mouth, spit; to spit phlegm; to summon phlegm and expel it

Expostulate: to reason earnestly with someone to dissuade or correct, remonstrate

Expulsion: act of expelling or state of being expelled; act of being forced or driven out

Expunge: to strike out, obliterate, or to mark for deletion

Expurgate: cleanse of something morally harmful, offensive or erroneous

Exsanguinate: to drain of blood; to be drained of blood

Extinguish: to quench; snuff out, put an end to; kill; to put out a fire or flame; destroy

Extrapolate: to infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information

Extricate: to release from an entanglement or difficulty; disengage; unravel

Exuviate: to shed a shell, molt, unsheathe

Eyethurl: window, aperture or hole to be viewed through with the eyes

Facsimile: copy or reproduction of an item, typically a book

Fainéant: sluggard; do-nothing, ne’er-do-well; idle and ineffectual

Falciform: curved; convex; sickle-shaped, drepaniform

Famulus: a sorcerer’s apprentice or assistant

Fanfaronade: bragging or blustering manner or behavior; fanfare; riotous applause

Farrago: assortment or a medley; a conglomeration; confused mixture, hodgepodge

Fatigue: weariness from work or exertion; military apparel; physical enfeeblement

Feldspar: a specific group of minerals and rocks

Felsenmeer: an assemblage of rock fragments completely mantling the surface of an area

Fiasco: complete and utter failure; failure; disappointment; social gaffe or failure

Fiduciary: of, having to with, or involving a confidence, trust, or trust for another

Fissure: long narrow opening; a crack or cleft; process of splitting or separating; division

Florilegium: a volume or collection of brief extracts or writings; an anthology

Foehn: warm, dry wind descending or blowing down the side of a mountain

Formaldehyde: colorless gaseous or liquid compound, usually used for preservation

Formulaic: being of no special quality or type, average; routine; undistinguished

Foudroyant: dazzling, scintillating; sudden and overwhelming

Foxfire: organic luminescence, especially from certain fungi on decaying wood

Frisson: moment of intense excitement; a shudder; shiver of ecstasy or suspense

Fulcrum: point, structure, or support on which a lever pivots

Fulgurate: to emit flashes of lightning; to dart like lightning; to resemble lightning

Fuliginous: having the color of soot; dark, dusky, charcoal-colored

Fulminate: to issue a thunderous verbal attack or denunciation; to explode; detonate

Fumarole: hole in an area of volcanic activity from which gases and hot smoke escape

Fuselage: central body of an aircraft, to which the wings and tail assembly are attached

Fusillade: salvo; rapid discharge of firearms

Fysigunkus: person devoid of curiosity; insouciant person

Gaffe: clumsy social error; a faux pas; blunder; social miscommunication

Galaxy: collection of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity

Galimatias: meaningless talk, gibberish; nonsense

Gallimaufry: jumble, hodgepodge, mélange, imbroglio, farrago, miscellany

Galvanize: to stimulate or shock with an electric current; to arouse to awareness or action

Gambit: opening move, maneuver, stratagem, or ploy, usually one used at an early stage

Garrison: body of troops stationed in a fortified place; permanent military post

Garrulous: given or prone to conversation; loquacious, talkative, predisposed to chatting

Gasconade: extravagant boasting, boastful talk; arrogant self-praise

Gaucherie: awkwardness; inexperience; embarrassments

Gazebo: freestanding, roofed, usually open-sided structure; belvedere

Gelignite: gelatin dynamite with specific components

Gemsbok: large antelope with long, straight horns

Gemutlich: warm and congenial; pleasant or friendly, amicable, convivial

Gendarmerie: French police force; force of gendarmes

Geometry: the pure mathematics of points and lines and curves and surfaces

Germane: fitting; being both pertinent and fitting; relevant and appropriate

Ghyll: ravine; stream; woody or wooden glen; dell

Gigahertz: a unit of frequency equal to one billion cycles per second

Girandole: a mirror having attached candle holders

Glyph: a sigil or specific insignia; a letter of language; an arcane mark

Gnathonic: sycophantic fawning; flattering; deceitfully flattering

Gnomon: indicator provided by the arm whose shadow indicates the time on the sundial

Gnosis: esoteric knowledge of spiritual truth; complex and thinly distributed knowledge

Gobemouche: a silly, gullible, or credulous person; person with a mouth agape

Golgotha: a place of burial; cemetery; catacomb; necropolis

Goliath: person or thing of massive size and/or power; colossus, behemoth

Googolplex: 10 to the power of googol (10 to the hundredth power)

Gossamer: delicate, light, flimsy; transparent and thin, like a spider’s silk

Gravamen: the material, basis, or significant part of a grievance or complaint

Gravitas: substance, weightiness, profundity, high seriousness, dignity

Grazioso: a direction in music, graceful, smooth, or elegant in style

Grenadier: soldier who uses and carries grenades; infantryman; one who throws grenades

Griffonage: cacography, bad penmanship; careless handwriting; crude or illegible scrawl

Grimalkin: cat, especially an old female cat; old woman considered to be ill-tempered

Grimoire: textbook of sorcery and magic; magical or mystical tome; esoteric book

Grimthorpe: to remodel an old building without knowledge or care to retain its previous character

Grobian: a slovenly, crude, and often boorish individual; boor, lout

Guerdon: to reward; a reward, recompense, or payment

Gulag: Russian prison camp for political prisoners; large prison for specific prisoners

Gymnastics: exercises designed to promote and show strength, balance, and agility

Gyrfalcon: a large arctic falcon

Haecceity: property that uniquely identifies an object, compare quiddity

Halberdier: a soldier, guard, or attendant armed with a halberd

Halcyon: legendary kingfisher; tranquil, calm, without strife, serene

Hamulus: a small hook or hook-like process, especially at the end of a bone

Haphazard: aimless, chaotic; typified by lack of order, planning, or by variability

Harbinger: one that indicates or foreshadows what is to come, a forerunner; prophesier

Harlequinade: harlequin’s main piece; comic pranks; lively buffoonery

Harmartia: tragic or fatal flaw; fault; character flaw

Harridan: scolding old woman; nag; nasty, bad-tempered woman

Haruspex: priest who practiced divination through the medium of animal entrails

Hauberk: medieval coat of armor, usually made of chain mail

Hecatomb: large-scale sacrifice or slaughter, massacre; a tribute to the Gods; a large amount

Hegemony: predominant influence; dominance, supremacy, preeminence

Heliocentric: having or relating to the Sun as the center or core

Heliotrope: light purple; type of flower

Helix: a spiral; spiral-shaped object or string

Hendiadys: rhetoric term, ex. grace and favor instead of gracious favor

Heresiarch: leader, founder, or chief advocate of a heresy or heretical movement or sect

Hermeneutics: theory, study, and methodology of interpretation

Hermetic: wholly sealed, chiefly against the entry of air; impervious to outside influence

Heteroscedastic: pertaining to a sequence of random variables

Heterotopia: phil. term, place or space that functions in non-hegemonic conditions

Heuristic: of or relating to trial analysis using self-teaching tactics to better performance

Hiatus: gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break or pause; sabbatical

Hiemal: of, pertaining to, like, or relating to winter

Hieroglyphic: picture writing system; a writing system that uses symbols or pictures

Hierophant: explainer or solver of mysteries or phenomena; expositor

Hirsute: covered with hair hairy, having a large amount of hair or body hair

Hoarfrost: rime; frozen dew that forms a white coating on a surface

Holocaust: great or complete devastation or destruction, especially by fire; sacrifice

Homoeuteleuton: rhetorical term, in which alike words or phrases are used like rhymes

Homogenous: of the same or similar nature or kind; of uniform structure or makeup

Homunculus: diminutive human; small human as a product of alchemical processes

Horologium: an instrument (as a clock) used for measuring time

Horripilation: bristling of the body hair, as from fear or cold; goose bumps

Hubris: excessive pride; overbearing arrogance; blind vanity

Hyacinth: tropical American herb; red, transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone

Hybrid: word made of parts from different languages; offspring of two different things

Hydralulus: pipe organ using water pressure to maintain the air supply

Hydraulic: of, involving, moved by, or operated by a fluid or liquid; under pressure

Hydroplane: to skim a surface; to skim along on the surface of the water, as in a car

Hyperbole: figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect

Hyperborean: of the far north; very cold, frigid, gelid

Hyphenate: to divide or connect (syllables, word elements, or names) with a hyphen

Hypochondriac: one who believes in or purports exaggerated illnesses; valetudinarian

Hypothesis: proposition set forth as an explanation to specific phenomena; speculation, conjecture

Iambic: consisting of iambs or characterized by their predominance

Iatrogenic: induced by a physician, be it words, therapy, or treatment

Iceberg: large mass of ice floating at sea, usually broken off of a polar glacier

Ichor: fluid that flows like blood in the veins of the gods; any bloodlike fluid

Iconoclast: one who attacks established beliefs, ideals, customs, or institutions; maverick

Icosahedron: a figure or solid geometric shape formed by 20 sides or plane faces

Idiosyncrasy: characteristic, habit, mannerism, etc., that is peculiar to an individual

Imbolc: ancient Celtic festival

Imbroglio: extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation

Immolate: to kill, sacrifice, or destroy, almost always with fire

Immure: to enclose with walls, ensconce

Impecunious: lacking money, having very little or no money; penniless

Impervious: impenetrable; incapable of being affected or harmed; not susceptible

Impetus: a drive or compelling force; motivation; a reason to do something

Implosion: the act of bursting inward; a volatile collapse with violent results

Impluvium: of a Roman house, rectangular pool in an atrium used to gather rain water

Impresario: sponsor who books and stages public attractions; director or manager thereof

Imprimatur: a sign or mark of approval; insignia of approval

Incalescent: becoming hotter or growing more ardent; boiling

Incendiary: causing or capable of causing fire; combustible; inflammatory

Inchoate: in an initial or early stage, incipient; imperfect; partial; unfinished

Incisive: penetrating, clear, and sharp, as in operation or expression

Incognito: with one's identity disguised or concealed; under an assumed name or identity

Incorporeal: ghostly; ethereal; lacking material form or substance, immaterial

Incunabulum: book printed before 1501

Indefatigable: incapable or seemingly incapable of being fatigued; tireless, inexhaustible

Ineluctable: unavoidable; inescapable; inevitable; not to be avoided, changed, or resisted

Inenubilable: incapable of being cleared of clouds; unclear, indistinct, inexplicable

Inferno: hell; place of fiery heat or destruction; place of human suffering, misery, or death

Infinitesimal: so small as to approach zero; immeasurably or incalculably minute

Infinity: quality or condition of being infinite; unbounded space, time, or quantity

Infrastructure: the underlying foundation or basic framework; structural content

Ingravescent: gradually becoming more severe; worsening, usually of a medical condition

Iniquity: violation of right or duty; wicked act, sin; gross immorality or injustice

Inoculate: introduce an idea or view into the mind of, inculcate; inject a serum or vaccine

Insomnia: inability to get ample sleep; difficulty falling or staying asleep; sleeplessness

Intaglio: an engraving or incised figure in stone or other hard material

Integer: any of the natural numbers (positive or negative) or zero

Intelligentsia: the intellectual elite of a society; group of intellectuals; social class thereof

Interrobang: punctuation that is a question mark superimposed onto an exclamation point

Interval: intervening period of time; period of temporary cessation, pause

Intransigent: refusing to conduct a position, usually an extreme one; uncompromising

Inundate: deluge; to fill quickly beyond capacity; to cover with water, drench; overwhelm

Iota: infinitesimal amount, small amount, bit, mote, scintilla

Irascible: marked by ire, a hot temper, and resentful anger

Iscariotic: traitorous, treacherous; given to betrayal; having committed betrayal

Isinglass: thin sheet(s) of translucent mica

Isochronal: uniform in time, having equal duration; recurring at regular intervals

Isosceles: of a triangle, having two equal sides

Isotope: atom whose nucleus contains an abnormal number of neutrons

Isthmus: narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land

Jackanapes: impudent person; impertinent person; dislikable person

Jacqueminot: a type of flower, a crimson rose

Jaguar: large, spotted feline mammal of Central and South America

Jettatura: power of the “evil eye”; the “evil eye”; harsh stare used by superstitious people

Jettison: to cast off a ship or overboard; to remove something extraneous; omit or forgo

Jocular: characterized by joking, kidding, or facetiousness; given to joking

Jonquil: widely cultivated ornamental plant

Juxtapose: to place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast

Kabuki: highly-stylized, classical Japanese dance-drama

Kairos: opportune time and/or place; the right time to say or do the right or crucial thing

Kakistocracy: government lead by unscrupulous, unsuitable, or unqualified people

Kaleidoscope: optical item that utilizes mirrors to create interior symmetrical visions

Kamikaze: sacrificial action or attack; attack or action requiring suicide to execute

Katabatic: of or relating to the downward motion of air

Katzenjammer: loud, harsh noise; a hangover; state of depression or bewilderment

Katzenklavier: “cat piano”, a specific hypothetical instrument using cats meows to create music

Ken: range of knowledge or perception; range of vision or sight; consciousness

Kinetic: relating to the motion of matter and the forces and energy associated therewith

Kiosk: small structure, often open on one or more sides, used as a newsstand or booth

Kismet: fate, fortune, chance; faith in such things

Kitsch: something of tawdry design or content created to have popular appeal; camp

Knickknackatory: a collection or arrangement of knickknacks

Kvetch: to complain persistently and whiningly; chronic, whining complainer; whiner

Labyrinth: maze; puzzlingly complex or circuitous plan

Lacerate: to cut or tear irregularly; to distress, mangle, or slash

Lachrymose: dolorous, showing sorrow; crying, weeping; bleary, tearful

Laconic: brief in speech; matter-of-fact; terse, using few words

Lacquer: varnish that dries via evaporation

Lacuna: omission or empty space; gap in chronology

Lacustrine: of or having to do with a lake or lakes; found or formed in lakes

Lagniappe: gift for extended patronage; gift or compensation for valued customers

Lamprey: eel-shaped fish with a sucking mouth

Laodicean: indifferent or lukewarm in politics and or religion

Lapis Lazuli: a gemstone of intense blue

Larmoyant: lachrymose; given to tears or weeping; tearful, crying

Latitudinarian: holding, having, or expressing broad or tolerant views

Lavadero: a laundry room; a place designated for washing gold

Legerdemain: sleight of hand; show of skill or deceitful cleverness

Leitmotif: musical passage associated to a specific situation, character, or idea

Lemniscate: the infinity symbol; any figure-eight symbol

Lethargy: the quality or state of being lazy or indifferent; lassitude, apathy; ennui

Lethologica: inability to remember a word or put your finger on the right word

Leveret: baby rabbit, a young rabbit

Leviathan: very large animal, especially a whale; something of unusually large size

Lexicon: wordbook or dictionary; vocabulary of a language

Lexiphanes: pretentious word user; bombastic or magniloquent person

Limbo: region on the border of hell or heaven; a condition of oblivion or neglect

Lithium: silvery, soft, highly-reactive metal

Lithosphere: outermost shell of a planet; the crust and uppermost mantle

Litterateur: literary-minded person; one devoted to the study or writing of literature

Lixiviation: act of separating the soluble from the insoluble substances via water or a solvent

Logocracy: governmental system in which words are the ruling power

Logodaedalus: someone skilled in the employment or manipulation of words

Logolepsy: the obsession or an obsession with words, what they mean, or the words themselves

Logomachy: dispute about words; battle of words, war of words

Logorrhea: excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness; loquacity

Longueur: long and tedious passage in a work of literature, music, or performing art

Lothario: man who seduces women; incubus; rake, roué

Lucifugous: avoiding, evading, disliking, or fleeing from light or light sources

Lucubration: laborious study or meditation; writing produced by laborious effort or study

Luddite: person who fears or loathes technology; person opposed to technology

Lugubrious: gloomy or dismal, especially exaggerated

Macabre: gruesome; disturbing or horrifying due to concern with death and/or injury

Macedoiné: mixture of diced fruits and vegetables; medley, mixture

Machiavellian: suggestive of or characterized by expediency, deceit, and cunning

Machination: intrigue, crafty and involved plot to achieve typically sinister ends

Macrocosm: the entire world; the universe; any large-scale system

Maelstrom: very powerful whirlpool; large, swirling body of water; a turbulent situation

Mafufunyana: disorder or mental affliction; evil spirits; evil spirits causing illness

Magisterial: of, relating to, or having the features of a master or teacher; authoritative

Magnanimous: noble in mind and heart; generous in forgiving; selfless

Magnesium: light, silvery-white, moderately hard metallic element

Magniloquent: lofty and profuse in speech; grandiloquent; pompous in speech; bombastic

Malaise: bodily weakness; nondescript illness; vague feeling of discomfort

Malapropos: out of place; inappropriate; in an inopportune or inappropriate manner

Malcontent: dissatisfied with existing conditions; a chronically dissatisfied person

Malfeasance: misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official

Malison: curse, malediction, execration

Mammon: pelf, greed; wealth as a device of evil or false object of worship and devotion

Manifesto: announcement of intentions, opinions, or motives, usually of a political nature

Manifold: many and varied; of many kinds; multiple; having many features or forms

Manuscript: form of a literary work submitted for publication, especially handwritten

Maquette: scale model of a large item, usually of a house

Mar: to inflict damage; to impair the soundness, perfection, or integrity of something; spoil, besmirch, sully

Maraschino: cordial made from the fermented juice of the marasca cherry

Marasmus: a type of protein deficiency; state of emaciation

Marginalia: notes in the margin or margins of a book

Marionette: a puppet bound by strings and controlled with wooden bars

Marzurka: Polish dance resembling the polka, frequently adopted as a ballet form

Masquerade: festive gathering characterized by participants wearing masks

Matriculate: to become admitted to membership in a body, society, or institution

Matrix: situation within which something else originates, develops, or is contained

Matutinal: of, relating to, or occurring in the morning; early

Maudlin: tearfully or weakly emotional; effusively sentimental

Maugre: in spite of; notwithstanding

Mausoleum: large, stately tomb or building housing several tombs

Maximum: greatest possible amount; greatest value of function

Megalith: very large stone used in various prehistoric architectures or monumental styles

Megalomania: mental condition typified by delusions of wealth, power, or omnipotence

Megrim: caprice or fancy; depression or unhappiness; melancholy; migraine; vertigo

Melancholia: depression, severe depression; gloominess

Memorabilia: pl. things remarkable and worthy of remembrance or record

Menagerie: collection of animals in cages or enclosures, zoo; diverse hodgepodge; gallery

Mendicant: beggar; depending on alms for a living; practicing begging

Mephistophelian: of or relating to Mephistopheles; fiendish, diabolical, malevolent; crafty, cunning

Mephitic: poisonous, toxic, noxious; lethally dangerous; insidious; putrid

Mercenary: motivated solely by a desire for money or material gain; hired gun

Mercurial: fickle; erratic; ingenious; changeable; eloquent

Meretricious: drawing attention in a vulgar manner; gaudy, tawdry, superficially attractive

Meridian: of, pertaining to, or at noon; imaginary line that extends from the North to South poles

Mermithergate: ant that has a changed appearance as a result of a nematode infection

Mestizo: a person of mixed racial ancestry

Metabolism: processes occurring in an organism that are needed for the upkeep of life

Metalloid: element that has both metallic and nonmetallic properties

Metallurgical: of, pertaining to, or relating to metallurgy

Metamorphosis: transformation, as by magic or sorcery; drastic physical or mental change

Metempsychosis: reincarnation’ transmigration of souls

Metheglin: type of mead, alcoholic liquor made of fermented honey

Mezzanine: partial story between two main stories of a building; lowest balcony of theater

Miasma: atmosphere of disease; fine mist of effluvium or bacteria; noxious emanation

Microscopic: so small as to be invisible or indistinct without the use of the microscope

Millennium: one thousand years; period of a thousand years

Mimesis: imitation or representation of the world, mostly in literature and art; mimicry

Miniscule: very small; diminutive, when compared to a normal counterpart

Misanthropy: hatred, faithlessness, or mistrust of humankind

Misericordia: amercement (law); thin-bladed dagger; luxury given to a member of a sect

Misnomer: an incorrect designation, term, or nomenclature

Mistigris: a joker or blank card that the holder can play as any card; wild card in a game

Mitochondrion: organelle in the cytoplasm of cells that functions in energy production

Mitrailleuse: a machine gun; a type of rudimentary machine gun

Mnemonic: relating to, assisting, or intended to assist the memory

Modicum: small, moderate, or token amount; a limited quantity or amount; small portion

Molecular: of, relating to, produced by, or consisting of molecules

Monocoque: object or method that braces by using the exterior, instead of an inner frame

Morass: area of low-lying, soggy ground; something that hinders, engulfs, or overwhelms

Moratorium: suspension of activity; period of time during when something is not allowed

Morceau: a small literary or musical composition

Moribund: approaching death; about to die; on the verge of becoming obsolete

Mormorando: musical direction, murmuring or with a murmuring sound

Mosaic: artwork, picture, or design made by setting small colored pieces into a surface

Mountebank: charlatan, quack; peddler of swindle and kitsch made to pilfer money

Muzjik: Russian peasant; peasant, gypsy, pauper

Myopic: nearsighted; unable or unwilling to act wisely; lacking tolerance or insight

Myriad: multitude, litany; an amount of something, usually large; collection in large numbers

Myrmidon: loyal follower; subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly

Myrrh: fragrant resin gum from a type of tree, used chiefly for perfume

Mystagouge: a person who interprets mysteries and mysticism or initiates others into them

Mystique: the special, esoteric skill or mysterious faculty essential in a calling or activity

Mythologem: recurrent pattern, event, or theme in myths, such as revenge or self-sacrifice

Mythopoeic: pertaining to the making of myths

Nacreous: iridescent or pearly, like mother-of-pearl or nacre

Nadir: the absolute lowest point; opposite of the zenith or apogee; lowest point

Naïveté: inexperience; quality of being naïve; artlessness

Naos: an ancient, classical temple; inner portion of a Greek temple

Narthex: enclosed passage between the main entrance and the nave of a church

Nautilus: cephalopod mollusk, usually fossilized

Nebulae: pl. collection of astral gases

Necromancy: the art or practice of magically conjuring up the souls of the dead

Necropolis: cemetery, especially a large and elaborate one belonging to an ancient city

Nenuphar: a water lily, especially an Egyptian lotus

Neophyte: a newly ordained priest; a beginner or novice; a recent convert to an organization

Nepenthe: drug of forgetfulness; anti-depression drug; remedy for sorrow

Nepheliad: cloud nymph; nymph designated or of the clouds

Nephritic: of, relating to, or like a kidney or the kidneys; renal; of or having nephritis

Nephrolith: a kidney stone; stone lodged in a kidney

Nepotism: bias shown to relatives (e.g. hiring them based on the connection instead of merits)

Neutralize: to make neutral, counterbalance or counteract the effect of; render ineffective

Nexus: means of union; the link of a connected series or group; the core or center, as of a matter

Nihilism: phil. term, total and absolute destructiveness or destruction, lack of belief in anything

Nimbus: dark, grey cloud bearing rain; splendid atmosphere or aura; cloudy radiance

Nimiety: excess, overabundance, superfluity

Niveous: snowy or resembling snow; like, of, relating to, or made of snow

Noctilucence: cloud phenomenon typified by brightness or emitting light at night; visible or glowing at night

Nocturne: work of art or piece of music dealing with or evocative of evening or night

Noetic: of, relating to, requiring, based in, originating in, or apprehended by the intellect

Nosism: the use of “we” in speaking of oneself; the act of speaking of oneself as multiples

Nostalgia: bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past

Noumenal: regarding a thing that can be thought of, but not perceived in experience

Novitiate: novice, neophyte; the living place of a novice; the state of being a novice

Noyade: destruction or execution by drowning; a murder by drowning

Nuclear: deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy

Nucleus: central part about which other parts are grouped or gathered; core, nexus; plexus

Nugatory: having little or no consequence; worthless, trivial, insignificant

Nullibicity: state of non-existence; quality or state of being nowhere

Nullifidian: a person having no faith, religion, convictions, or beliefs

Numeral: symbol used to represent, denote, or symbolize a number

Numina: pl. presiding divinity or spirits of a place or places; creative energies; collective genius

Numismatics: study or collection or currency, coins, paper money, etc

Oasis: fertile, vibrant, or green spot in a desert or wasteland

Obdurate: hardened in misconduct or iniquity; stubbornly defiant; deep and unrelenting

Obelisk: tall, four-sided stone pillar, tapered and monolithic, that rises to a pointed top

Obfuscate: to cloud over, obscure, make dark or unclear, to muddle, confuse, bewilder

Objet d’art: an object of art; valuable or highly artistic piece or work

Obliterate: to do away with completely so as to leave no trace; to erase

Oblivion: condition or quality of being completely forgotten; void; forgetfulness

Obloquy: abusively detractive language or utterance; calumny, censure, harsh criticism

Obsequious: fawning, sycophantic, servile

Obtenebrate: to darken as if by shadowing; to darken; to make dark or evil

Ocarina: a simple wind instrument or toy having a mouthpiece and finger holes

Octothorpe: the symbol (#), also known as the crosshatch, hash, or numeral sign

Ocular: of, pertaining to, or for the eyes; of the nature of an eye; optic

Oculus: an architectural part resembling or suggestive of an eye or eyes

Odalisque: female servant; a female servant in a harem

Odium: disgrace from a hateful action; enmity, strong dislike; contempt

Odyssey: a long wandering or series of adventurous journeys; long and perilous trek

Oeillade: an amorous glance; ogle

Ogygian: ancient, primeval; antediluvian, antiquated, very old

Olfactory: of, relating to, or connected with the sense of smell (human or otherwise)

Oligarchy: political system governed by a few people, compare democracy

Olio: mixture, medley; hodgepodge, jumble; meat and vegetable stew

Omnibus: of, regarding, or giving many things or classes; having or including many items

Omniligent: reading or having read everything; characterized by encyclopedic reading

Omniscient: having total knowledge; knowing everything; having infinite wisdom

Omphaloskepsis: contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation; navel-gazing

Onanism: masturbation; the act of masturbation; coitus interruptus

Oneiric: of, relating to, or suggestive of dreams

Oneiromancy: practice of divination through the interpretation of dreams

Oneironaut: person who explores dream worlds, usually associated with lucid dreaming

Opacity: opaqueness; obscurity; impenetrability

Operose: laborious; done with or requiring much toil; very busy; industrious

Ophidian: snake-like; similar to, shaped like, or relating to snakes

Ophyron: the space between a human’s eyebrows

Opprobrium: harsh criticism; censure, obloquy; disgrace due to poor social conduct

Opsimath: a person who learns or begins to learn late in life

Opusculum: minor work of literature

Orbicular: circular or spherical; of, like, relating to, or resembling a sphere or orb

Orexis: the feeling and striving aspect of the mind as contrasted with the intellectual

Orismology: the science of defining technical terms and making those terms

Orison: prayer; benediction; blessing; invocation; supplication

Ornithopter: aircraft-shaped machine that is held aloft and propelled by wing movements

Orphean: pertaining to immense musical talent; extreme bravery; involving strong drama and pathos

Orrery: device that shows the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons

Osmosis: diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane

Ossuary: place, container, or receptacle for holding the bones of the dead

Ostensible: apparent, evident, or conspicuous; being such in appearance

Ostracize: to banish; expel from a community or group; excommunicate; to make a pariah of

Otiose: indolent, lazy; serving no useful purpose; futile; being a leisure

Oubliette: dungeon with the only opening at the top

Oultrepreu: very brave; having extreme or a dangerous level of valor

Ouroboros: a circular symbol of a snake or dragon eating its own tail, representing infinity or wholeness

Outrecuidant: arrogant, cocksure; self-assertive

Overzealous: excessively enthusiastic; fanatic; overly passionate

Ovoviviparous: producing eggs that do not require nourishment from the mother

Oxydactyl: having slender, tapered digits or fingers

Oxylophyte: plant that thrives in or is restricted to acidic soil

Oyez: “yes”, “hear, hear”, usually used thrice in a row, to conduct the opening of a court of law

Ozymandian: typified by great hubris or greed met with tragic destruction through vanity

Pabulum: material for intellectual sustenance; food, aliment, nourishment

Pagination: system by which pages are numbered; arrangement of pages in a book

Palanquin: a covered sedan chair, carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers

Palaver: conference or discussion; idle chat; chat with flattery of cajolery involved

Palimpsest: erased parchment, which is then reused; manuscript written over earlier ones

Palingenesis: metempsychosis; doctrine of transmigration of souls

Panacea: a cure-all; medicine, herb, or concoction designed or functioning as a cure-all

Panchreston: widely inclusive, often formulaic thesis planned to cover all areas of a topic

Pandemic: widespread, general epidemic that affects a large area and population

Pandiculation: the act of stretching and yawning, especially upon waking; yawning

Panjandrum: important or self-important person; self-important, pompous official

Panoply: a full collection or array; full set of armor

Panopticon: prison designed so that the overseer can see all of the prisoners at all times

Panoramic: unbroken view of an entire surrounding area; inclusive presentation; survey

Pantomime: communication through gestures and facial movements

Papyrus: tall, aquatic plant; paper made from the papyrus plant

Paradigm: clearly defined archetype; typical example or pattern of something

Paradox: seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that is or may be true; enigma

Paragon: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; a peerless example

Parallax: apparent dislocation of an object seen from two points not perceived as the same

Paralysis: loss or impairment of the ability to move a body part; inability to move

Parameter: factor that determines a range of variations; a boundary

Paramour: lover, especially one in an adulterous relationship; lover; an illicit lover

Paranoia: psychological disorder characterized by delusions of persecution or grandeur

Parapet: low protective wall or railing along the edge of a raised structure

Parapraxis: minor error; Freudian slip; slip of the tongue

Parazonium: a long, triangular dagger, wide at the hilt end and coming to a point

Pariah: a social outcast; person that is despised or avoided; one who is rejected by others

Parochial: narrowly restricted in scope or outlook; provincial; pertaining to a parish; myopic

Paronomasia: a pun; word play; punning; reciting or devising puns

Paroxysm: a sudden attack, convulsion, or seizure, of an emotional or medical nature

Parvenu: noveau-riche; person raised to new status, but lacks the dignity associated with it

Pasquinade: public farce, satire, or lampoon

Pastiche: literary patchwork; hodgepodge; collision of genres used to create a new item; collage

Patina: natural tarnish from wear of usage and passage of time; verdigris

Patois: dialect other than the usual or literary dialect; uneducated or provincial language

Patzer: an amateur or inferior chess player

Pauldron: either of two metal plates worn with a suit of armor to protect the shoulders

Peccadillo: insignificant sin or wrongdoing; trifling fault or minor flaw

Peccavi: admission of guilt or confession

Pellucid: translucently clear; limpid; lucid; transparently shimmering

Peloton: main body of riders in a bicycle race

Pendulum: body suspended from support so it swings freely under the influence of gravity

Penultimate: next to the last in a series; relating to a penult; pertaining to the penultimate

Penumbra: partial shadow; space of partial illumination

Peradventure: mayhaps; it may be; maybe; possibly; perhaps

Percolate: to filter; to cause to filter; to cause to pass through pores or small holes

Peregrination: course of travel; journey; extensive voyage, especially on foot

Perfervid: intense and impassioned; motivated by personal passion

Perfidy: treachery; deliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust; betrayal

Perforate: to pierce, punch, or bore a hole or holes in; stab through, penetrate

Perfunctory: done routinely and with little interest or care; lacking in enthusiasm

Pergelisol: permanently or perennially frozen ground; permafrost

Pergola: framework that supports climbing plants; arbor

Periapt: charm worn as superstitious protection against mischief, evil, and disease; amulet

Periphery: line that forms the boundary; limited circumference of sight; perimeter

Permeate: to pervade; to spread or flow throughout; to diffuse through

Permutation: complete change; a transformation; act of altering a set of objects in a group

Pernicious: ruinous; tending to cause serious injury; deadly, lethal; causing great harm

Perpetuity: the quality or condition of being perpetual, ceaseless, or continual

Perplex: to cause to be puzzled over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally

Persiflage: frivolous, bantering talk; bantering talk with derisive treatment of a subject

Perspicacious: having keen mental perception and insight; discerning; keen-sighted

Perspicuous: easily understood; lucid; well-stated; transparently clear; understandable

Perturb: to disturb in mind or make uneasy; to cause to be worried or alarmed

Petard: explosive device used in warfare to breach a wall; kind of firecracker

Petrichor: scent of rain on soil, dirt, or in the atmosphere after a period of dryness

Phaeochrous: dusky, shady; subfusc; overcast; obscure

Phalanx: bone of a finger; compact or close-knit body of people; military squadron

Phantasmagoria: shifting series of phantasms, illusions, or deceptive images

Philanthropy: the effort or drive to further the well-being of humankind; generosity

Phlox: genus of American herbs

Phoenix: mythical bird of fire which rises from its ashes in a cycle of rebirth

Photon: physics term, a quantum of electromagnetic radiation or energy

Phrontistery: athenaeum, establishment for study, thinking, and/or learning

Phthisis: disease characterized by the wasting away or atrophy of the body or a part of it

Phylactery: amulet or charm which protects from harm; receptacle containing a holy relic

Picaroon: a pirate; to act as a pirate; a pirate ship; one who lives by his wits; rouge

Picayune: of little value; paltry, measly, meager; of minimal or low value

Pinnigrade: walking by means of fins or flippers

Piquant: aromatic; appetizing; appealingly provocative; piquing the senses or mind

Pizzicato: music term, played by plucking rather than bowing

Planetesimal: small asteroid which orbited the sun before the solar system was made

Plasma: distinct phase of matter, separate from the traditional solids, liquids, and gases

Plastron: under part of a turtle or tortoise shell; breastplate beneath a coat of chain mail

Plateau: elevated, mostly level expanse of land; relatively stable level, period, or state

Platonic: not involving sexual relations; involving friendship and sexless affection

Plexus: any complex structure containing an intricate network of parts

Pluterperfect: beyond perfect or perfection; more than perfect

Pneumatic: of or relating to air or other gases; propelled or utilized by air pressure

Pococurante: nonchalant, indifferent; lukewarm in opinion; insouciant

Podium: small platform for the conductor of an orchestra, for a public speaker, etc

Pogrom: massacre; organized massacre or persecution of a minority group; genocide

Poignant: profoundly moving; touching; physically or emotionally painful

Polarize: to cause polarization; to divide sharply into opposing factions, groups, etc.

Poltergeist: noisy and mischievous ghost; ghost capable of manipulating physical objects

Poltroon: a base or abject coward; cowardly person

Polyglot: one who speaks multiple languages; containing matter in several languages

Polymath: person of great learning in several fields of study; polyhistor

Polymerization: chemical process that combines several monomers to form a polymer

Poniard: dagger typically having a slender square or triangular blade

Pontificalibus: the vestments and accoutrements of a cardinal or pope

Portcullis: gate of an iron or wooden grating used in the entry to a castle or fortified town

Portico: porch or walkway with a roof supported by columns, often leading into an entrance

Posterity: succeeding or future generations collectively; future generations

Postmortem: of, pertaining to, or occurring in the time following death

Pother: commotion; disturbance; state of nervousness; cloud of smoke or dust that chokes

Pragmatic: practical as opposed to idealistic, artistic, or intellectual

Prestidigitation: act of or skill in performing magic or conjurations; sleight of hand

Prevaricate: to deviate from the truth; speak equivocally or evasively; to lie

Prismatic: refractive light of a spectrum; brilliantly colored

Proaulion: a porch; court before a building; vestibule; portico opening into a main room

Progenitor: direct ancestor; originator of a line of descent; precursor, forefather

Prognosticate: augur, foretell, predict, foresee; to make a prediction about

Prolegomenon: mental training leading to added grasp, growth, or knowledge in a field

Promethean: boldly creative; defiantly original; deviating genius

Promulgate: make known (as a decree or dogma) by open declaration; proclaim

Propaedeutic: needed as preparation for learning, study, or understanding

Propaganda: concepts spread to help or harm a person, group, institution, or nation, etc.

Propinquity: nearness in place; approximate location; proximity; vicinity

Proprioception: the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body

Proscenium: Greek or Roman theater stage; the part of a stage in front of the curtain

Proselytize: to recruit for another religion, faith, or ideal; to convert or cause to convert

Prosthesis: an artificial device made to replace a missing part of the body

Protean: readily taking on varied forms or meanings; showing sizeable variety or diversity

Protuberance: something, such as a bulge, knob, or swelling that protrudes

Providence: divine guidance or care; divine foresight

Prurient: having, relating to, or typified by lascivious or lustful thoughts or desires

Pseudomartyr: false, pretended, or affected martyr

Psithurisma: whisper; sound of wind through the trees; sound of wind-rustled leaves

Psyche: the mind or self as a functional entity; center of thought, feeling, and motivation

Psychosomatic: regarding a malady having bodily effects but comes from mental disarray

Pterodactyl: flying dinosaur of a mostly tailless variety

Puerile: jejune; naïve; belonging to childhood; juvenile, immature, childish

Puissant: powerful, mighty, doughty, strong, potent; forceful, forcible

Pulchritude: attractiveness; great physical beauty and appeal; gorgeousness

Pulverize: to pound, crush, or grind into a powder or dust; to demolish; disintegrate

Pyramid: figure with a polygonal base and triangular facets that meet at a common point

Pyre: heap of combustibles for burning a corpse as a funeral rite; heap of combustibles

Pyrexia: elevation of body temperature to an abnormal level; fever

Pyrotechnics: art of making or using fireworks; the use of fireworks for display purposes

Pyrrhic: of a victory, having high levels of casualties or damage on both sides

Quaalude: tablet or capsule of methaqualone

Quaff: to drink, imbibe; to drink heartily

Quagmire: fen, bog, swamp; difficult or precarious situation, predicament

Quandary: state of uncertainty or perplexity, predicament, dilemma

Quantum: quantity or amount; a large quantity or bulk; specific amount; small amount

Quaquaversal: directed outward from a common center to all points; omnidirectional

Quarantine: period of isolation or detention; strict isolation

Quarkonium: physics term, flavorless meson whose makeup are a quark and its antiquark

Quartz: common, gemstone-like material characterized by translucence

Quasar: astronomical object that emits massive amounts of electromagnetic radiation

Quasihemidemisemiquaver: a 128th note

Quatorzain: a poem of 14 lines resembling a sonnet but lacking the rhyming or structure

Quercitron: type of tree, a type of tree bark used in tanning and dyeing

Quicquidlibet: whatever one pleases; anything whatsoever; typified by absolute volition

Quiddity: the real nature of a thing; the essence; quibble; eccentricity; trifling quirk

Quidnunc: one who is curious and given to speculating, especially about trivial things; gossiper

Quietus: finishing stroke; anything that effectually ends or settles; death; end

Quincunx: display of five objects with one at each corner of a square and one at the center

Quinquevir: one of five officials appointed for some special object, council, or purpose

Quintessence: fifth element; perfect embodiment

Quisby: idler; one who doesn’t work; ne’er-do-well; impecunious; odd, queer

Quisquose: something which is difficult to deal with

Quixotic: foolishly impractical, especially in the pursuit of ideals; excessively romantic

Quoddamodotative: existing or behaving in a certain manner

Quodlibet: subtle, debatable, or elaborate argument or point, usually on a formal position

Quomodocunquize: to make or attempt to make money in any way possible

Quotidian: mundane; occurring every day, daily

Quoz: absurd, weird, queer; absurd person; weird object; hard to quantify

Raconteur: one who tells stories and anecdotes with skill, brio, and wit; skilled storyteller

Radii: pl. the radius of a circle/sphere is any line segment from its center to its perimeter

Ragnarok: the “Twilight of the Gods”; destruction of the world; great devastation

Rapport: relation or connection, especially an agreeable or sympathetic one; mutual affinity

Rariora: pl. unusual collector’s items; outstanding items; prize pieces

Rastaquouere: social climber; social upstart; man of finished and polished manners

Ratiocination: conclusion; process of logical reasoning or exact thinking; reasoning

Recalcitrant: reluctant; difficult to manage or operate; not responsive to treatment; unruly

Recherché: elegant; refined or tasteful, sophisticated

Recidivism: act of repeating punished act; chronic tendency to repeat crimes

Reciprocity: the quality or state of requiting; mutual dependence

Recondite: esoteric; difficult to understand or beyond the reach of normal comprehension

Rectrix: a large tail feather of a bird, important for controlling the direction of flight

Recumbentibus: knockout punch, either verbal or physical; lethal bludgeon; powerful hit

Redivivus: revived, resurrected; come back to life; resuscitated

Redolent: piquant, aromatic, or memory-invoking

Regalia: the emblems and symbols of royalty, such as the crown and scepter; jewelry

Regicide: the killing of a king; the act of killing a king

Regimen: a systematic plan designed to improve and maintain health

Relinquish: voluntarily cease to keep or claim; surrender

Reliquary: receptacle, such as a coffer or shrine, for keeping or displaying sacred relics

Rendezvous: meeting at a given time and place; to go to or arrive at a meeting place

Renegade: one who rejects a cause or ideology for another; deserter; outlaw; rebel

Repartee: swift, witty reply; conversation marked by the exchange of witty retorts

Replica: copy or reproduction of a work of art, especially one made by the original artist

Repudiate: to reject the validity or authority of; refuse to accept or be associated with

Requiem: mass for a deceased person; song for the deceased; solemn chant; dirge

Requiescat: prayer for the repose of the soul of the dead or a dead person

Reredos: back of a hearth of a fireplace; ornate screen on the wall at the back of an altar

Resplendent: sublime; full of color; dazzling; splendid

Resurrect: to raise from the dead; restore to life, revive; bring back from the cusp of death

Retrogress: to regress; to get worse or fall back to a previous condition

Revenant: specter, ghost; one who returns after a long absence

Reverie: an idle daydream; a thought of idle desire; a surrendering to imagination

Rhapsody: impassioned, inspired, or vibrant literature or music

Rhetoric: art or study of using cogent and effective speech, skill in the usage of language

Rhizome: fleshy, creeping underground stem by which certain plants propagate

Rhododendron: ornamental evergreen shrub

Rigmarole: complex protocol or procedure; confused, rambling, or incoherent discourse

Rime: white ice that forms when water droplets freeze to the outer surfaces of objects

Riparian: of, on, or relating to the banks of a natural course of water, stream, or river

Riposte: quick thrust used after parrying a lunge; reactive action, maneuver, or retort

Risorgimento: a time of renewal or renaissance; revival

Rixatrix: scolding or quarrelsome woman

Rodomontade: pretentious boasting or bragging; bluster, ranting, vain speech

Rorqual: genus of whales; type of whale

Roseate: rose-colored, rosy; optimistic, cheerful and bright; promising

Rostrum: dais, pulpit, podium, or other elevated platform for public speaking

Rubicon: point of no return; limit which, when reached, requires absolute commitment

Rubicund: ruddy, reddish; inclined to a healthy rosiness; having a ruddy complexion

Rupestrian: of or composed of rock; sculpted with or by rock

Sabbatical: extended period of leave, typically a year or semester

Saboteur: person who commits or practices sabotage; deliberate damager of something

Saccade: any of the rapid jumps the eyes make from fixed points to others, as in reading

Sacrosanct: regarded as sacred and inviolable; immune to criticism or violation

Salmagundi: mixture or assortment; potpourri; medley

Salubrious: health-giving; healthy; healthful; relating to good health

Samhain: Celtic harvest festival which served as the foothold for Halloween

Samovar: metal urn with a spigot at the base, teapot

Samsara: in Hinduism and Buddhism, the eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth

Samurai: member of hereditary warrior class in feudal Japan; warrior of the Bushido

Sanctity: holiness of life or character; saintliness; condition of being considered sacred

Sangfroid: composure or coolness as shown in danger; imperturbability

Sardonyx: type of stone (onyx) with sandy bands

Satellite: celestial body that orbits a planet, a moon; object designed to orbit a planet

Saturnalian: of unrestrained and intemperate jollity; riotously merry; dissolute

Satyriasis: excessive, often uncontrollable sexual desire in a man, compare nymphomania

Sawbones: physician, especially a surgeon

Scabbard: theca; leather or metal sheath used to store a blade or cutting weapon

Scacchic: of, pertaining to, or related to chess or the playing of chess

Schadenfreude: satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune; sadism

Schism: separation or division into factions; discord; disunion

Schizoid: of or relating to or characteristic of schizophrenia or the effects thereof

Scholium: marginal annotation or comment; annotation; note in an appendix

Schwerpunkt: application of decisive force at or on a critical point

Scialytic: dispersing shadows, typically by using light

Scintilla: an infinitesimal item or mote

Scoliosis: abnormal lateral curvature of the spine; affliction thereof

Scramasax: long and heavy knife used by the Franks, having a blade often 20 inches long

Scrivener: transcriber; professional or public copyist or writer; scribe; notary public

Scythestone: stone for sharpening scythes; a whetstone

Sedition: revolt against authority; insurrection; propaganda inciting revolt

Seismic: of, subject to, or caused by an earthquake or earth vibration; earthshaking

Seizure: act, condition, or instance of seizing or being seized; fit; spasm, convulsion

Selcouth: unusual, rare, unique, or strange

Semidiurnal: of, relating to, occurring, or performed during half a day or twice a day

Semiotician: one who studies, applies, or explains the theories of semiotics

Sempiternal: eternal, lasting forever; ceaseless, endless

Seppuku: hara-kiri; ritual suicide by disembowelment formerly practiced by samurai

Sepulcher: a burial vault; receptacle for sacred relics, especially in an altar

Sequester: to relegate to a small space; to cause to withdraw into seclusion

Seraglio: harem; harem house, brothel, living quarters thereof

Seraphim: pl. six-winged angels

Serpentarium: a place where snakes are kept, as for exhibition

Sesquipedalian: having many syllables; long worded; given to or typified by the use of long words

Sestina: poem of six six-line stanzas and a three-line envoy

Sforzando: music, suddenly or strongly accented

Sfumato: definition or form without hasty outline by mild gradation from light to shadow

Shibboleth: word or saying or image used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief

Sidereal: of, related, pertaining to, or determined by the stars or constellations

Silhouette: picture as an outline, often a human profile, filled in by a solid color

Simulacrum: image or representation; false, unreal, or vague simulation or semblance

Sinecure: an easy occupation or one which requires almost no responsibility

Sirocco: hot, humid south or southeast wind of southern Italy

Sisyphean: pertaining to or involving endless labor; pertaining to Sisyphus

Skein: complex tangle; ribbon; length of thread or yarn wound in a loose long coil

Skewer: to stab; to drive a skewer through; a long, sharpened metal or wooden stick

Snickersnee: knife resembling a sword; large knife; the act of fighting with knives

Sobriquet: nickname; moniker; adopted name

Sojourn: brief visit; stopover; jaunt

Solarium: sunroom; room, gallery, or glassed-in porch exposed to the sun

Solecism: an impropriety; nonstandard grammatical construction; violation of etiquette

Solidus: the backslash symbol (\); gold coin of ancient Rome; bezant

Solipsism: philosophical idea that only one's own mind is sure to exist

Solivagant: wandering alone or aimlessly; a lone wayfarer or wanderer

Solstice: one of two times in the year when the sun is furthest from the equator

Somnolent: drowsy, sleepy; inducing or tending to induce sleep; soporific

Soporific: inducing or tending to induce sleep; drowsy; substance that induces sleep

Sovereign: monarch or other supreme ruler; chief ruler with supreme power

Spatiotemporal: of, relating to, or existing in both space and time; relating to space-time

Sphragistic: relating to, pertaining to, or of seals and signets

Spoonerism: transposition of sounds of two or more words, especially a ludicrous one

Sprachgefühl: feeling or intuitive grasp for linguistics or language; character of language

Stamina: physical or moral strength to deal with illness, fatigue, or hardship; endurance

Stentorian: powerful in sound; extremely loud; vociferous

Sternocostal: of, relating to, situated between the sternum and ribs, or pertaining to the two together

Stillicide: water falling from the roof of a house or a gutter

Stochastic: typified by conjecture; conjectural; process using a group of random variables

Stratosphere: any great height or degree; upper region of the atmosphere

Stygian: gloomy and dark; infernal, hellish; of or relating to the river Styx

Subfusc: of a dark, dull, or somber color; dingy, drab, dull

Subjugate: enslave; vanquish; bring under domination or control, usually by conquest

Subordinate: secondary; inferior; a person lower in rank; lower in rank or importance

Subterfuge: deceptive stratagem or device; deception via artifice to evade, hide, or escape

Succinct: briefly stated; laconic, terse

Succor: to aid or assist in a time of need; assistance

Surplus: excess; quantity much larger than is needed; superfluity, overage

Surreptitious: stealthy; kept secret; hidden

Susurrus: a whisper; something which resembles a whisper

Swath: width of a scythe-stroke; strips, circles, etc. made by something

Sybarite: person devoted to pleasure and luxury; a voluptuary; hedonist

Sycophant: person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage

Symbiosis: mutual biological synergy between two dissimilar organisms

Symposium: conference for discussion of a particular topic

Symptom: subjective evidence of disease; phenomenon serving as evidence

Synapse: junction or network of nerve impulses

Synchronicity: theory of, coincidence of two or more curiously similar events

Synecdoche: a reference to a part of something as opposed to the whole, e.g. girl as “skirt” ship as “sail”

Syzygy: alignment or unity of specific objects, notably in space or literature

Tableaux: pl. deliberate pictures; arrangements; vivid, graphic descriptions

Tacenda: things to not be mentioned or things to be passed over in silence

Taciturn: reticent, quiet; not talkative; insouciant

Talisman: item marked with magic signs though to confer magical powers or repel evil

Tantamount: equivalent to; equal to; equivalent in value, significance, or effect

Tantivy: sounding like a horse galloping; at full gallop; fast, furious gallop

Tapestry: heavy cloth woven with rich, varicolored designs or scenes, often hung on walls

Tatterdemalion: person wearing ragged or tattered clothing; ragamuffin; ragged, tattered

Tchotchke: knickknack; collectible; trinket, bibelot, bijou

Tectrix: one of the coverts on a bird’s wing

Tedium: quality or condition of being tedious; tediousness or boredom

Telefacsimile: a fax machine; a document sent over a telephone line

Tellurian: terrestrial; inhabiting the earth; pertaining to the earth; earthen

Telos: the end of a goal-oriented process; ultimate goal; philosophical ultimate

Tendril: plant’s tentacle; clasping, twining, and/or slender outgrowth of a vine's stem

Tenebrous: hard to understand; dark and gloomy; without light, shadowy

Tephra: solid matter that is ejected into the air by an erupting volcano, e.g. scoria, dust, and/or ashes

Tergiversate: equivocate; to change one's attitude or opinions rapidly

Termagant: quarrelsome, scolding woman; a shrew, harridan

Terminus: destination; ultimate point; final point in space or time; an end or extremity

Terpsichorean: pertaining, relating to, or referring to dancing or the art thereof

Tessellation: tile pattern without gaps or extraneous spaces; mathematical pattern

Tesserect: four-dimensional equivalent or analogue of a cube

Testament: person’s last will; that which serves as evidence of a specific event or quality

Testatrix: a female testator, a woman writing her last will and testament

Textile: cloth, especially one manufactured by weaving or knitting; a fabric

Thalassocrat: one who has maritime supremacy, of a ruler, expert seaman, or trader

Thaumaturgical: relating to thaumaturgy; magical; supernatural; like magic; illusory

Theca: sheath, scabbard; capsule, covering, case

Theophage: one who eats a god, be it a fraction or the whole, figuratively speaking

Theophany: religious epiphany or appearance of God to a person

Theremin: melodic instrument of the electronic family

Thermonuclear: of, relating to, or derived from fusion of atomic nuclei at high heat

Thionine: artificial red or violet dyestuff, usually for microscopic stains

Thole: to suffer or undergo; to endure; to tolerate; fulcrum for oars on a boat

Threnody: song, hymn, or poem reflecting on mourning or a tribute to the deceased

Thylacine: Extinct Tasmanian Tiger

Thymoleptic: psychologically energizing; drug designed to reverse depression

Tincture: trace or vestige; color or tint; substance that colors, dyes, or stains; infusion

Tintinnabulation: ringing or sounding of bells; the sound of bells

Tourbillion: whirlwind, whirlpool, vortex, tornado

Tourmaline: multifarious gemstone of grossly differing colors

Trajectory: the path of a projectile or other moving body through space; selected course

Transmundane: existing or extending beyond the physical world

Transverse: extending or lying across; in a crosswise direction; at angles to the long axis

Trapezoid: quadrilateral having two parallel sides

Traumatic: psychologically painful; of, pertaining to, or produced by a trauma or wound

Treatise: formal essay; systematic, usually extensive written discourse on a subject

Trebuchet: medieval catapult for hurling heavy stones or objects

Tregetour: juggler, mummer; conjurer

Tremulous: marked by trembling, quivering, or shaking

Tribulation: great affliction, trial, or distress, suffering; agony; a trying experience

Trillium: type of flower, an ephemeral perennial

Trinity: group consisting of three closely related members; unity of three special objects or people

Triptych: work of art consisting of three pieces acting as one image or set of motifs

Tristiloquy: speech characterized by sadness or gloominess

Triumph: victory, win, or conquest; to prevail; prove superior; exult, cheer over a victory

Triumvirate: group of three men responsible for public administration or civil authority

Trochaic: of, relating to, made up of, or consisting of trochees

Troglodyte: hermit, recluse; person considered to be reclusive, out of date, or brutish

Truculent: vehement; brutal; disposed to fight, pugnacious; expressing bitter opposition

Tryst: an agreement, as between lovers, to meet at a certain time and place; a date; rendezvous

Tsunami: very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption

Tungsten: rare, metallic element with a bright-gray color and a metallic luster

Tycoon: very wealthy or powerful businessman; a business leader, king, magnate, or mogul

Tzigane: gypsy; Hungarian gypsy

Ubiquitous: being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent

Ultima: last or final syllable; the last person, place, or thing in a series

Ultimatum: serious, final statement of terms made by one party to another

Ultracrepidate: to criticize beyond the sphere of one's knowledge

Ululate: loudly lament; howl or wail, as with grief; yell

Umbrage: offense, affront; the shade beneath a tree; shade; suspicion; reason for doubt

Umquhile: erstwhile, formerly, some time ago, bygone, quondam

Uniaxial: having one, of, relating to, or affecting one axis

Usquebaugh: a type of Scottish whiskey; whiskey

Uxorial: of a wife; relating to, involving, or characteristic of a wife

Vacillate: to waver between actions or decisions; to hesitate

Vacivity: vacuity, emptiness; absence; space with a lack of matter

Vacuum: a space entirely devoid of matter; absence of matter; vacuity

Vale: the world; life; mortal or earthly life

Valetudinarian: sickly or weak person; hypochondriac

Vanguard: foremost leading group in an army; position of forefront of new developments

Vaporize: to turn into vapor, to evaporate; to kill; to vanish; to dissolve solid material

Vaticinate: prophesy, prognosticate, augur, foretell

Vavasor: superior vassal with other vassals beneath

Vehement: zealous, ardent, impassioned; typified by influence of expression or fervor

Vehicular: of, relating to, or intended for vehicles, especially motor vehicles

Velleity: a flimsy wish or desire; a desire of little consequence; a wish of superficiality

Ventriloquist: puppeteer utilizing vocal techniques and manipulations

Veracity: truth; state of being true, trueness

Verdigris: patina formed on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces exposed to the atmosphere

Verecund: bashful, shy, modest, demure

Verisimilitude: the appearance or semblance of truth or reality in a fictional medium

Vermiculate: to adorn or decorate with wavy or winding lines; worm-eaten; sinuous

Vermilion: vivid red to reddish-orange

Vernacular: everyday language spoken by a people as distinguished from the literary

Vertiginous: of, relating to, typified by, or affected with vertigo or dizziness; whirling

Vespertine: crepuscular; pertaining to, of, or related to the evening

Vestibule: a small entryway between the outer door and the interior of a building

Vestigial: of, relating to, or constituting a vestige (trace, mark, or sign left by something)

Vexation: the act of annoying, irritating, or vexing; quality or condition of being vexed

Viaticum: the Eucharist being given along with the anointment of the sick or dying

Vicarious: performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another

Viceroy: governor; representative of a sovereign

Vichyssoise: thick type of potato soup

Vicissitudes: changes of circumstances of fortune; the variability that comes with life

Victuals: food to be eaten; provisions; food cache, pabulum, comestibles, nutrients

Videlicet: to wit, that is, namely

Vigesimal: based on, pertaining to, or related to 20

Vignette: a sketch; brief literary or visual event; description

Vindicate: clear from an accusation, imputation, or suspicion; to justify, defend, or avenge

Visceral: pertaining to the viscera; relating to deep feelings and emotions as opposed to the intellect

Viscid: having an adhesive quality; gluey, sticky; thick, like molasses

Vista: view, prospect, perspective; spectrum of peripheral boundaries

Visurient: hungry for visual stimuli; pertaining to the desire evoked from vision

Vitiate: impair; spoil; to the reduce quality of; to make worse

Vitreous: of or resembling glass, as in color, composition, brittleness, or luster; glassy

Vitriolic: filled with bitter criticism or malice; acerbic

Vituperate: to rebuke or criticize harshly or abusively; to berate, scold, or condemn

Vivisection: act of cutting into living animals, especially for the purpose of research

Vivisepulture: the act of being buried alive or burying alive

Vociferous: loud, stentorian; vehement; angrily impassioned

Volksgeist: intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and/or political thoughts of a time; zeitgeist

Voluminous: having great volume; fullness, size, or number; large

Vortex: whirling mass of water or air, especially one in which a force of suction operates

Vraic: kelp, seaweed; collected seaweed to be used as fertilizers

Wagnerian: of, relating to, or characteristic of Richard Wagner, his operas, or his theories

Wanweird: an unhappy fate; the misery of life; a sad fate

Wappenshaw: periodic check-up or review of troops or persons under arms

Warlockry: practice of black magic or conjurations; practice of being a warlock

Wasabi: very pungent green Japanese condiment made from the root of the herb; Wasabi

Wegotism: excessive use of the word “we”; the habit of referring to oneself as “we”

Welkin: the vault of the sky; heavens; celestial abode of the gods

Weltanschauung: inclusive grasp or image of the universe and of humanity's relation to it

Whorl: swirling object; tornado; form that coils or spirals; a curl or swirl

Widdershins: in a contrary or counterclockwise direction; wrong direction; unlucky

Wight: creature; a human being; living being, entity

Witzelsucht: a disorder, excessive facetiousness and inappropriate or pointless humor

Wizen: to dry up; to wither, shrivel, or wrinkle

Woebegone: affected with or marked by deep sorrow, grief, or wretchedness

Wroth: angry, wrathful, furious, irate; full of wrath or rage

Wyvern: type of dragon, typically without legs

Xanthous: yellow; having yellow skin or light brown skin

Xenodochial: friendly or especially kind to strangers or foreigners

Xenoglossy: language learned spontaneously and without prior knowledge

Xenolith: rock fragment foreign to the igneous mass in which it occurs

Xenophobe: person who fears or hates foreigners, strange customs, or strange places

Xertz: to gulp a beverage down enthusiastically, heartily, and/or quickly; to quaff

Xiphoid: shaped like a sword, ensiform; sword-like

Xylem: woody part of plants, the supporting and water-conducting tissue

Xyresic: sharp as a razor, razor-sharp

Xysti: pl. covered portico of a gymnasium

Ycelpt: to call, name; named, called, known as

Yestreen: during last evening; yesterday evening, last evening

Ylem: primordial material which all the elements supposedly have been derived from

Zaftig: of a woman, having a full rounded figure; pleasingly plump, buxom, full-bodied

Zaibatsu: powerful family-controlled commercial combine of Japan; conglomerate

Zeitgeist: spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristics of a period or generation

Zelatrix: older nun in charge of disciplining younger nuns; female zelator

Zenith: point on the celestial sphere that is above the observer; highest point; maximum

Zenzizenzizenzic: the eighth power of a number

Zeppelin: large dirigible balloon; rigid airship supported by gas power

Zetetic: proceeding by inquiry; investigating; opening with a question

Zeugma: syllepsis, type of pun, "You held your breath and the door for me"

Ziggurat: temple tower of the ancients; having the form of a terraced pyramid

Zingaro: a gypsy, an Italian gypsy; mendicant, beggar; vagabond

Zitella: maiden, unmarried woman, bachelorette

Zither: a type of instrument, similar to the steel guitar or the dulcimer

Zoanthropy: mental disorder in which one believes oneself to be an animal

Zodiac: region in the heavens on either side to the ecliptic, divided into 12 constellations

Zweihander: large sword designated to be used with two hands

Zygomatic: pertaining to, connecting with, or involving a or the cheekbone

Zyzzyva: a particular type of weevil