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list of wwftds

Herein is a complete list of "wwftd"s™ dating from ca. 1987 to present. This started as a "word for the day up on the blackboard" sort of thing and has degenerated into its current form; irregular distribution to a mail list via e-mail... and now this.

 Copyright © 1995-2020 -- Michael A. Fischer  
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

aa (also a'a)
Hawaiian  /ah ah/  lava having a rough surface
abacinate
[fr. L. abicinare]  /A bas eh nate/
to blind a person by placing hot irons near the eyes
abacot
[a corruption of the word bycoket, a kind of cap or head-dress]   /AB ah kot/
The cap of state, used in old times by our English kings, wrought up in the figure of two crowns {Johnson, 1828}
abattoir
[F.]  /AB eh twar/  a slaughterhouse; something likened to a slaughterhouse
abdabs
Brit slang  terror, the frights, nerves  (often heard as the screaming abdabs)
abderian
[fr. Abdera, a town in Thrace, the home of Democritus, see next]  often. capitalized
1) given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment
2) foolish
abderite
[fr. the Greek city Abdera, whose inhabitants were reputedly stupid]
1) a native or inhabitant of Abdera
2) a simpleton, scoffer (so called from Democritos, the laughing philosopher, a native of Abdera)
abditory
[fr. L. abditorium]  a place for hiding or preserving articles of value
abdominous
[fr. L. abdomen, belly]  having a protuberant belly; pot-bellied
abecedarian
[fr. L. abecedarius, alphabetical]  /A bee see DAR ian/
1) one who teaches or studies the alphabet
2) one learning the rudiments of something
also used adjectivally
abhorfulness
[formed after fearfulness, cheerfulness, etc.]  obs. rare  abhorrence
abigail
[after Abigail, serving woman in the play The Scornful Lady, by Beaumont and Fletcher]  a lady's waiting maid
abigeus
[fr. L. abigeatus, cattlestealing]  /ab IG ee us/  a cattle rustler
ablation
[fr. L. ablatio, a taking away]  surgical removal
abligurition
[fr. L. abligurire, to spend in luxurious indulgence]  /ab lig yoor ISH un/
obs.  lavish spending on food and drink
abnihilisation
[fr. L. ab nihilo, from nothing]  so, creation from nothing
abomasum
the fourth of the four stomachs of a ruminant (see omasum)
abreaction
[part translation of G. Abreagierung, catharsis; fr. L. reagere, to react]  (but contrast catharsis)
Psych.  the expression and emotional discharge of unconscious material (as a repressed idea or emotion) by verbalization especially in the presence of a therapist
abscondence
[fr. L. abscondere]  /abs KAN dunce/
fugitive concealment; secret retirement; hiding
abscondite
[L. abscondite : abstrusely, profoundly, secretly]  (cf. abscond)  /abs CON dite/?
inkhorn term  abstruse, obscure: recondite
abscotchalater
[related to absquatulate?]  one hiding from the police
abseil
Brit.  to descend a rock face using a double rope: rappel
absonous
[fr. L. absonus, discordant]  now rare
1) unharmonious, dissonant  2) absurd; unreasonable
absquatulate
[a factitious word, simulating a Latinate form]
U.S.  to decamp; to suddenly take leave and squat elsewhere
absquatulation
the action of absquatulating
abstergent
[fr. L. abstergére, to wipe off]  cleansing or scouring
abstupiate
obs.  greatly to esteem riches {Cockerham}
abulia
[fr. Gk a- + boulé, will]  abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions
abusion
[L. abusion-em]  obs.  misuse, perversion; deceit; Rhet.  catachresis; outrage, wrong; reviling, insult
abydocomist
[fr. Gk abudokomes, after the town Abydos, whose inhabitants were known for inventing slanders and boasting of them] /ab ee duh CO mist/
a liar who boasts of his or her falsehoods
acalculia
[modern L.]  the inability to do simple arithmetic
acapnotic
[fr. Gk akapnos, without smoke]  a non-smoker
acataleptic
[fr Gk akataleptos]  [adj] incomprehensible
[n] a person who suspends judgment in the belief that certainty is impossible
accidie
/AK suh dee/  acedia: apathy, boredom
accidious
[fr. L. accidia, heedlessness, torpor]  slothful (cf. acedie, acedia)
accinge
[fr. L. accingere, to undertake]  to gird up one's loins, apply oneself
accismus
[Gk akkismos]  /ak SIZ mas/
Rhetoric  a form of irony, a pretended refusal of something one desires
accouchement
[F.]  lying in, esp: parturition
accubation
[fr. L. accubare, to lie near to]  the act of reclining while eating
acedia
[L.]  a condition leading to listlessness and want of interest in life; apathy, boredom
aceldama
[fr. Syr. okel damo, the field of blood]  a field of bloodshed
acersecomic
[fr. Gk akersekomes, with unshorn hair]  obs.  a person whose hair has never been cut
Achates
a loyal friend [from the faithful companion of Aeneas]
achromatic
refracting light without dispersion; not readily colored; neutral; diatonic
achromatopsia
[fr. Gk akhromatos, without color + -opsia]
/a krO muh TAHP see ah/
a visual defect marked by total color blindness, the colors of the spectrum being seen in grayscale tones
ackamarackus
[origin unknown]  (possibly coined by Damon Runyon)
U.S. slang, now rare  pretentious nonsense; something intended to deceive; humbug
ackman (also arkman)
[fr. ark + man]  a maritime robber and murderer
acousma
/a KUZ ma/  (also acouasm) a simple auditory hallucination, such as buzzing or ringing
acousticophobia
fear of noise
acrasia
see akrasia
acroamatic
abstruse, pertaining to deep learning: esoteric
acushla
[Irish, beat of my heart]  /ah KUSH la/  term of address or endearment: darling
acyrology
[ad L. acyrologia, a. Gk akyrolgia]  /ah sir OL uh jee(?)/
obs. rare  incorrect speech or use of language
adamantive
[fr. adamant + -ive (or a misprint of adamantine)]
obs. rare  immovable, impregnable: adamantine
addlepate
a confused person
ademonist
[fr. Gk a-, not + daimon, spirit]  (also adæmonist)
someone who denies the existence of demons or the Devil
adequate
[fr. L. adaequo]  obs.  to make equal, to be equal to
adequation
[fr. L. adaequare, to make or become equal]
1) the result of making equal: equivalence  2) the act of making equal: commensuration
3) Linguistics  a semantic process whereby the meaning of a word or phrase changes under the influence of the type of context in which it typically occurs
adfenestrate
nonce-word  to enter surreptitiously through a window (coined by Dick Koster)
adfenestration
nonce-word  the (esp. surreptitious) act of entering through a window (adapt, adopt and improve - M. Fischer)
adhomination
[fr. L. ad hominem, with respect to a particular person or group]  personalization
ad hominem
[NL, to the man]  appealing to a person's feelings or prejudices rather than his intellect
adiabolist
someone who denies the existence of the devil
adiaphanous
[fr. a- + med.L. diaphanus < Gk diaphanes]  /ae di AHF enes/
not translucent or opaque (not diaphanous)
adiaphorous
doing neither good nor harm (in Logic...or as a medicine)
adipose
[fr. L. adip-, fat]  of or relating to animal fat: fatty
adiposity
[NL adiposus]  a tendency to fatness
adit
[fr. L. aditus approach < adire to go to]  a nearly horizontal shaft to the surface in a mine
adjuvant
[F. fr. L. adjuvare, to aid]  /AH juh vant/
1) serving to aid or contribute : auxiliary
2) involving the use of or functioning as a medical aid
adoxography
[fr. Gk adoxos, inglorious + -graphy, writing]  /ad ok SOG ra fee/
fine writing on a trivial or base subject
adscititious
/AD si TISH us/  not inherent or essential; derived from something extrinsic
adumbrate
[fr. L. adumbrare < ad- + umbra, shadow]
1) to foreshadow vaguely: intimate  2) to suggest or disclose partially  3) to overshadow, obscure
aduncity
[fr. L. aduncus, hooked]  now rare
esp. with reference to the nose: the quality of being hooked or crooked; also fig.
advertently
[fr. L. advertere, to turn to]  rare  heedfully
aegir
a tidal bore, or a high wave caused by tidal flow
aegis
[L. fr. Gk aigis, lit., goatskin]  /ee jis/  protection, defense; patronage, sponsorship
aegrotat
[L., he is ill]  a student's written medical excuse
aeolian
often capit., from the Gk god of winds  giving forth or marked by a moaning or sighing sound or musical tone produced by or as if by the wind
aeolist
obs. rare  a pretender to inspiration or spiritual regeneration  (used by Jonathan Swift)
aerious
[L. aereus]  obs.  of the nature of air, airy
NB: said to be the shortest word to contain the (5)vowels in alphab. order
aesculapian
of or relating to the medical profession (or a staff with one snake curling around it)
aestivate (or estivate)
[fr. L. aestivare to spend the summer]  to pass the summer in a state of torpor
aetataureate
nonce-word  of or pertaining to a golden age; coined as by Michael Chabon, in the phrase: the usual hallmark of the aetataureate delusion
afflatus
[L. < afflare, to blow on]  a creative impulse, an inspiration
after-dream
a depressive letdown, as after a period of drug-induced euphoria; a muddled state upon wakening from a vivid dream (originally a nonce-word from Poe)
afterwit
knowledge gained too late to do any good (the locking of the barn door after the cows have gotten away)
aftosa
[Am. Sp., < Sp. fiebre aftosa, aphthous fever]  /af TOE suh/
hoof-and-mouth disease  (cf. Hud; Bill Cosby)
agapé
1) a love feast practiced by early Christians in connection with the Last Supper
2) unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another, as: the fatherly concern of God for humankind; the brotherly concern for others
agastopia
admiration of a particular part of someone's body
agathism
[fr. Gk agathos, good]  /AE gath ism/
the doctrine that all things tend towards ultimate good, as distinguished from optimism which holds that all things are now for the best
agathist
[fr. Gk agathos, good + -ist; cf. optimist]  /AG ah thist/
rare  an adherent of the doctrine that all things tend toward ultimate good
agathokakological
[fr. Gk agathos, good + kakos, bad + -logical]  nonce-word  composed of good and evil
For indeed upon the agathokakological globe there are opposite qualities always to be found. -- Robert Southey
agelast
[fr. Gk agelastos, not laughing]  someone who never laughs
...I think in the main I would call them unfortunates without any option but to look on the universe realistically. - Davis Grubb,  Ancient Lights
agenbite of inwit
the remorse of conscience  [In Joyce's Ulysses adopted from Dan Michel's title Ayenbite of Inwyt]
agenhina
a guest at an inn who, after having stayed for three nights, was considered one of the family by Saxon law
aggeration
[fr. L. aggerare, to heap up]  a heaping up; an accumulation  <aggerations of sand>
aggerose
[fr. L. aggerosus(?)]   /ad jer OSE/
obs.  full of heaps; formed in heaps {in Bailey}
a quantity of aggerose foreign coins - David Grambs
agible
[ad. L. agibilis, fr. agere, to do]  obs.  feasible; practicable
agiotage
speculative dealing on the stock exchange
aglet
[a. F. aiguillette]  the (usu. plastic or metal) tag covering the ends of a lace
agita
[It. dialect < acido, heartburn]  acid indigestion; a feeling of agitation or anxiety
agnatic (also agnate)
[L. agnatus]  related on the father's side  (compare enatic)
agnoiology
[fr. Gk agnoia, ignorance]  the philosophical study of ignorance
agnosia
/ag NO zhia/  Psych.  Freud's term for loss of perception; e.g., prosopagnosia - an inability to recognize faces, autotopagnosia - the inability to localize and name the part's of one's own body
agomphious
[fr. Gk agomphios]  toothless  see also: edentulous
agon
the dramatic conflict between the chief characters in a literary work
agonistes
[Gk] one that is engaged in a struggle
agoraphobia
fear of open spaces
agraffe
[F. agrafe > agrafer, to hook onto]  /uh GRAF/
1) a kind of hook, which fastens to a ring, used as a clasp
2) the wire cage holding down the cork in a bottle of champagne  (also, F. muselet)
agrammatist
[fr. Gk agrammatos, illiterate]
rare  'an unlearned, illiterate man.'  {Bailey, 1731}
agreemony
agreeableness; a nonce-word, probably intended to suggest acrimony
agrestic
[fr. L. agrestis + English -ic]  of or relating to the fields or country: rustic, unpolished, uncouth
agrypnia
[fr. Gk agrypnos wakeful, sleepless]  wakefulness; sleeplessness
ai
[Port. or Sp. < Tupi]  a South American three-toed sloth  (compare unau)
aibohphobia
[phobia melded with phobia reversed, fr. LL. -phobia, fear of something]  /AI boh ~/
jocular  the fear of (or aversion to) palindromes
aichmophobia
[fr. Gk aichmê, spear point]  /IKE mo ~/
the fear of sharp or pointed objects
ailurophobia
the fear of or aversion to cats
akathisia
[fr. a- + Gk kathisis, sitting]  an inability to sit down because of intense anxiety
akrasia
[Gk akrasia, lacking command (of oneself)]  (also acrasia)
weekness of will; lack of self-control
alamodality
the quality of being a la mode, or of following the fashion of the time; fashionableness
aleconner
Brit.  an official appointed to look to the goodness of ale and beer; also, one of the officers chosen by the liverymen of London to inspect the measures used in public houses (but the office is a sinecure)  [also called aletaster]
alembic
[fr. Gk ambix spouted cup, cap of a still]  an apparatus formerly used in distilling; also fig.
alembicate
[fr. prev. < Gk ambix + Eng. -ate]
to distill as if by passing through an alembic: refine to an essence; by extension, to over-refine
alembication
distillation; overrefinement, precosity
alethiology
[from Gk alethia, truth + -logy]  the doctrine of truth, that part of logic which treats of truth
alexithymia
[fr. Gk lexis word, diction + thumos soul, as the seat of emotion; thus "without words for emotions"]
Psych.  an inability to recognize and express one's own feelings, esp. in words
alexithymic
[see previous]  unable to express one's own feelings
algid
[fr. L. algere, to feel cold]  cold, chilly
algolagnia
[NL]  a perversion (as sadism or masochism) characterized by pleasure and especially sexual gratification in inflicting or suffering pain
algophilia
[NL]  a morbid pleasure in inflicting or suffering pain
algophobia
[NL] a morbid fear of pain
algorism
[ad. mL., fr. Arab. al-Khuwarizmi (Arab mathematician)]  
the Arabic, or decimal system of numeration; hence, arithmetic
(to be confused with, ultimately the source of, algorithm)
alieniloquy
[ad. mL. alieniloquium, fr. alien-us foreign + loqui to speak]  a talking wide of the purpose, or not to the matter at hand
alkahest
[NL alchahest]  the universal solvent sought by alchemists
allegresse
[F.] joy, gladsomeness
alliaceous
[fr. L. allium, garlic]  /a lee A shus/  having the smell or taste of garlic or onions
allochiria
[NL < Gk allo- other + cheir hand]  a condition in which a sensation is referred to a point other than the true one (esp. the corresponding point on the other side of the body)
allopoiesis
the process whereby an organization produces something other than itself (compare autopoiesis)
alogism
[fr. L. alogia, unreasonableness]  illogical statement; absurdity
alopecia
[L. < Gk alo pekia]  loss of hair: baldness
alpenglow
[fr. G. Alpenglühen, Alps glow]  a reddish glow seen near sunset or sunrise on the summits of mountains
altercate
[fr. L. altercari, to dispute or wrangle]  /ALL tur kate/
to dispute with zeal: wrangle
alterity
[fr. F. altérité]  /al TER ity/
the state of being other or different; diversity, otherness
altisonant
[fr. L. altus, high + sonare, to sound]  /al TIS oh nant/
archaic   lofty or pompous: high-sounding; loud
altitudinarian
[fr. altitude, after latitudinarian]  aspiring to great heights
amadelphous
[fr. Gk hamadelphous]  living in society or in flocks(?); gregarious
amanuensis
[L.]  one employed to take dictation or to copy manuscript
amaranthine
[fr. Gk amarantos, immortal]  undying, everlasting, unfading
ambagious
[fr. L. ambagiosus]  archaic  1) roundabout, circuitous 2) periphrastic 3) devious
ambergris
a waxy substance found floating in or on the shores of tropical waters, believed to originate in the intestines of the sperm whale, and used in perfumery as a fixative
ambilevous
[fr. L. ambi- both + lævus, left]  left-handed on both sides, as it were: ambisinistrous
ambisinister
[fr. L. ambi- both + sinister, on the left side]
clumsy (or incompetent) with both hands; with two left hands
ambisinistrous
clumsy, maladroit (the opposite of ambidextrous): ambilævous
ambit
[fr. L. ambire, to go round]
1) a circuit, compass, or circumference
2) esp. a space surrounding a house, castle, town, etc.; the precincts, liberties, verge
3) the confines, bounds, limits of a district
4) fig. sphere of influence; scope
ambsace
snake eyes dice roll; bad luck; smallest amount or most worthless thing
amerce
[fr. OF. a merci, at (one's) mercy]  /uh MURS/
to punish by a fine, the amount of which is left to the discretion of the court; broadly  to punish
amitate
[fr. L. amita, paternal aunt + Eng. -ate]
1) a special relationship obtaining among some peoples between a niece and her paternal aunt
2) the authority of a woman over her brother's children and the rights and responsibilities associated therewith--compare avunculate
ampelography
[fr. Gk ampelos, vine] the study of grapevines (wine)
amphibolous
[fr. Gk amphibolos]  1) obs.  ambiguous; doubtful  2) Logic  capable of two meanings
amphigory
[F. amphigouri]  nonsense writing, usu. in verse
amphitryon
[fr. Molière's comedy, in which Amphitryon (foster-father of Hercules) gives a fine dinner]
/æm'fitrion/  a host, an entertainer to dinner
amphoric
[fr. L. amphora + -icus]  having a hollow sound as if produced by blowing across the mouth of a bottle
amplexus
[L.] Zool.  the mating embrace of frogs and toads
ampullosity
[fr. mL. ampullos-us + -ity]  rare  swollen or pretentious inanity; turgidity of language, bombast
amurcous
[fr. L. amurca, lees of oil + -ous]  stinking; filled with dregs
amuse-bouche
[F., literally, (that which) entertains (the) mouth]  /ah moo(z) boosh/
a small complimentary appetizer offered at some restaurants
amygdala
[L. amygdala, almond]  /ah MIG duh luh/
an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the anterior portion of the brain's temporal lobe, concerned with the control of motivation and aggression
ana
[fr. NL. -ana, collected quotations from]  a collection of memorable sayings or anecdotes of a person
anabasis
[Gk, act of going up]  1) a military advance  2) a difficult and dangerous military retreat
anabatic
[fr. Late Gk anabatikos]  upward moving, rising
anacampserote
[fr. Gk anakamp-tikos, to bend back + eros, love]
a herb feigned to restore departed love; hence, something which can bring back a lost love
anachorism
nonce-word  something out of place or unsuited to its location; a geographical incongruity
anaclitic
[fr. Gk aniklitos, for reclining]  of, relating to, or characterized by the direction of love toward an object (as the mother) that satisfies nonsexual needs (as hunger)
anacoluthon
[fr. Gk anakolouthos, inconsistent]  syntactical inconsistency or incoherence within a sentence
anacreontic
[after Greek poet Anacreon]
[n] drinking song or light lyric  [adj] convivial or amatory in tone or theme
anacrisis
[fr. Gk anakrinein, to interrogate]  interrogation accompanied by torture
anacronym
[blend of anachronistic + acronym]
an acronym [heh] where few people remember what the letters stand for
anacrusis
[fr. Gk anakrouein, to push back, begin a song]  an upbeat, specif: one or more notes preceding the first downbeat of a musical measure
anadiplosis
[fr. Gk anadiploun to double, reduplicate]  the repetition of a prominent (usu. last) word in one phrase at the beginning of the next, often with extended or altered meaning.
anadromous
[fr. Gk anadramein, to run upward]  ascending rivers from the sea for breeding  (compare catadromous)
salmon are anadromous
anagapesis
[fr. Gk agapésis, affection + an- not, without, wanting]  
/an eh gap EE sis/  rare  a loss of feelings for one formerly loved
anagogy
[from Gk anagoge]  (also anagoge)  /an uh GOH jee/  
mystical interpretation of words (esp. Scripture)
analects
[fr. Gk analegein, to collect]  selected miscellaneous written passages
analemma
a plot of the position of the sun in the sky at a certain time of day (as noon) at one locale measured at regular intervals throughout the year that has the shape of a figure 8
analogiverous
[fr. analogy + L. -vorus < vorare, to devour]  /analo JIV orous/
rare  craving analogies or parallels(?)
anamnesis
[Gk < anamimnesko, to remind one]  /an am NEE sus/
the recalling of things past; recollection, reminiscence
anamorphose
[see next]  rare  to represent by anamorphosis; to distort into a monstrous projection
anamorphosis
[fr. Gk anamorphoun, to transform]  a distorted image (unless viewed in a special manner)
anaphora
[Gk, act of carrying up]  repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect
we cannot dedicate -- we cannot cannot consecrate -- we cannot hallow -- this ground
anaptyxis
[Gk, unfolding]  the development of a vowel between two consonants (see epenthesis)
anastrophe
[Gk, turning back]  inversion of the usual syntactical order of words for rhetorical effect
anathematize
[fr. Gk anathema, something devoted to evil]  to pronounce a curse upon, to denounce: execrate
anatidaephobia
nonce-word  the fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you [coined by Gary Larson, The Far Side]
anatiferous
[L. anatifer-us, duck producing]  obs. rare   producing ducks or geese(!)
(OED goes on to add, "i.e. producing barnacles, formerly supposed to grow on trees, and dropping off into the water below, to turn to 'Tree-geese', whence also the trivial name of the Barnacle, Lepas anatifera.")
anchorite
[Gk anachoretes]  one who lives in seclusion usually for religious reasons
anecdotage
[anecdote + -age] or [anecdote + dotage]
1) anecdotes collectively  2) facetious  garrulous old age  Grandfather is in his anecdotage.
anemocracy
nonce-word  government by the wind
anencephalic
[Gk anenkephalos, having no brain]  /an en ce PHAL ic/
characterized by partial or total absence of the brain
anfractuous
[LL anfractuosus]  full of twists and turns; winding
anhedonia
[NL. fr. Gk an-, without + hedone, pleasure]  /an hE DO nE uh/  Psych.  the inability to feel pleasure
anile
[fr L. anilis]  of, relating to, or suggesting a doddering old woman
animadversion
[fr L. animadversus]  hostile criticism; critical or censorious remark
animadvert
[from L. animus, mind + advertere, to turn to]
1) to take notice; to observe
2) to consider or remark by way of criticism or censure; to express censure (usu. with on or upon)
animus
1) basic attitude or governing spirit : disposition, intention
2) a usually prejudiced and often spiteful or malevolent ill will
3) an inner masculine part of the female personality in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung
annomination
[F. < L. agnomination-em]  paronomasia
annosity
[fr. L. annosus, full of years]  fullness of years, length of life; agedness
anodyne
[Gk anodynos]  serving to assuage pain; a drug that allays pain; something that soothes
anoetic
[a + noetic (Gk noetos, to perceive)]  unthinkable
anomia
[fr a- + L. nomen, name]  Path.  (a form of aphasia) a difficulty in finding the right words or the inability to remember names
anomie
[fr. Gk anomia, lawlessness]  a state of being characterized by disorientation, anxiety and isolation
anonymuncule
obs.  an insignificant anonymous writer
anophelosis
[possibly from Gk anopheles  useless, hurtful]  a morbid state brought about by extreme frustration
anozinize
neologism  (see quote)  http://tinyurl.com/6hkdamn : to interdict or obstruct
anserine
characteristic of a goose; silly
Antaean
[fr. Antaeus, a giant overcome by Hercules, whose strength was renewed by contact with the earth]  /an TEE en/
1) of very great size: mammoth  2) possessed of superhuman strength with suggestions of earthiness
antediluvian
before the Flood
antejentacular
[fr. L. ante-, before + jentacul-um, breakfast]
archaic  before breakfast  (compare postprandial)
antelucan
[fr. L. ante, before + lux, light]  of or pertaining to the hours just before dawn
antemosaic
being before the time of Moses
antemundane
[fr. ante- + mundus, world; after mundane < L. mundanus, belonging to the world]
existing or occurring before the creation of the world
antepenultimate
before the next to the last  (compare penultimate)
anthimeria
[fr. Gk anthos, flower + meros, part; “the term carries with it the idea of ‘flowerizing’ or ‘making decorative’”]
the substitution of one part of speech for another; typically a noun used as a verb -- also known as (and for example) "verbing a noun"
anthropic
of or relating to human beings or the period of their existence on earth
anthropometry
/an thruh POM i tree/  the study of human body measurement for use in anthropological classification and comparison  (the measure of a man :)
anthropophagous
[L. anthropophagus]  /æn thruh POH fag us/  man-eating; feeding on human flesh
anthropophuism
the ascription of human nature to God or to the gods
antientropic
[anti- + entropy]  tending towards order (as of man's intellectual power)
antigodlin
[origin unknown]  also antigoglin  U.S. dialect (Midl., SW)
[adj] lopsided, out of line: askew  [adv] at an angle; crosswise, diagonal(ly)
he went antigodlin across the field
antimacassar
a cover to protect the back or arms of furniture
antinomian
1) one who holds that moral law is of no use because faith alone is necessary to salvation
2) one who rejects a socially established morality
antinomy
[fr. Gk antinomia, < anti- + nomos, law]  /an TIN uh me/
1) opposition between two laws or rules  2) a contradiction between principles or conclusions; a paradox
antiphrasis
[fr. Gk antiphrazein, to express by the opposite]
the use of words in senses opposite to the generally accepted meanings; or the use of a word in this way usually for humorous or ironical purposes; hence, antiphrastic
antiphrastically
in an antiphrastic manner
antipodal
situated at the opposite side of the earth or moon; diametrically opposed
antipriscianistical(l)
[fr. Priscian-us, a celebrated Roman grammarian]  obs. nonce-word  ungrammatical
antiscian
[fr. Gk anti, opposite + skia, shadow]  /an TISH iun/
pertaining to those who live on the same meridian, but on the opposite side of the equator, so that their shadows at noon fall in opposite directions
antithalian
[from anti- + Thalia, the Muse of Comedy]  /anti THA lian)/
disapproving of festivity and laughter
antumbra
[L. umbra, shadow + ant-, against]
the so-called "negative" shadow of the Moon that appears when the Moon is on the far side of its orbit and its umbral shadow is not long enough to reach Earth
antumbral
referring to an antumbra
aperient
gently moving the bowels: laxative
aphasia
inability to use or comprehend words
apocatastasis
the state of being restored or reestablished: restitution
apocolocyntosis
pumpkinification (apotheosis); extravagant or absurdly uncritical glorification
apodictic
[fr. Gk apodeiktos, demonstrable]  evident beyond contradiction; expressing absolute certainty
apodysophilia
[fr .Gk apodyein, to strip off + -philia]  exhibitionism
apodysophiliac
an exhibitionist
apogenous
loss of reproductive function
apolaustic
[Gk apolaustikos, devoted to enjoyment]  /ap uh LOS tik/
devoted to seeking enjoyment; self-indulgent
apopemptic
[fr. Gk apopemptikos, to send away]  /ap uh PEMP tic/  pertaining to dismissal; valedictory  
apophasis
a figure of speech which alludes to something specific by denying that it will be mentioned
(e.g., "I won't mention the fact that Representative Smith has been supporting three children from adulterous relationships.")  [compare paraleipsis]
apophenia
the spontaneous perception of connections and meaningfulness in unrelated things; seeing patterns where none, in fact, exist
apophoret
obs.  a new year's gift
aporia
rhetorical device of pretending not to know what to do or say; passage expressing a doubt or difficulty; e.g., Hamlet's to be or not to be soliloquy
aposematic
[fr. Gk apo-, away from + sema, sign]
Zool  being conspicuous and serving to warn (applied to coloration of animals)
aposiopesis
leaving a thought incomplete
apostasy
defection
apostrophize
[fr. Gk apostrophein, to turn away]   /uh PAS truh fize/
1) (vt) to address an absent person or a usually personified thing rhetorically; i.e. to address by apostrophe  (Carlyle's O Liberty, what things are done in thy name! is an example of apostrophe)
2) (vi) to make use of an apostrophe (')
apotelesm
1) obs.  fulfillment; result
2) in astrology, the casting of a horoscope
apothegm
a short, pithy and instructive saying or formulation: aphorism; also apopthegm
apothegmatic
[fr. Gk apophthegmatikos, sententious]  /apeh THEG mad ik/  also apophthegmatic
relating to or characteristic of apothegms; sententious; pithy
hence, apothegmatical (and apophthegmatical)
apotheosis
deification; quintessence
apotropaic
/a pa trO PAY ic/  designed to avert evil
appellatived
having an appellative: named
appetition
[fr. L. appetitus]  a longing for or seeking after something: desire
appetitious
[fr. appetition, on the form of ambition/ambitious]
obs.  belonging to, of the nature of, or suited to, appetite
appropinquate
to come near to; to approach
apricate
[fr. L. apricari, to bask in the sun]  /AE pri kate/
archaic, rare  to bask in the sun; to expose to sunlight
aprication
basking in the sun
apricity
[fr. L. apricus, exposed to the sun]  obs. rare
warmth in the sun, sunshine {N. Bailey, 1731}
the warmness of the sun in winter {Cockeram, 1623}
aponeer
[fr. OF. naperon + Eng. -eer]  UK, obs.  a shopkeeper or tradesman
aprosexia
Medical  an abnormal inability to focus one's attention
apteral
[fr. Gk apteros, wingless]
archaic  having no columns along the sides; used especially of a classical temple  
aptronym
a name that is aptly suited to its owner
aptyalism
[fr. a- + Gk ptuelismos, salivation]  /A TIE uh liz um/
absence of or deficiency in secretion of saliva  (cf. ptyalism for excessive flow)
arachibutyrophobia
the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth
arborescent
[L] 1) approaching the size of a tree  2) branching like a tree
arcadian
idyllically pastoral; especially: idyllically innocent, simple, or untroubled
archimage
[Gk archimagos]  (also archimagus)  /AR kuh maje/
a great magician, wizard, or enchanter
archon
chief magistrate in ancient Athens; presiding officer
arcology
the fusion of architecture with ecology
arctophilist (arctophile)
a collector of teddy bears
arctophily
the collecting of teddy bears
arghness
[fr. argh (Teut. : cowardly, pusillanimous, timid, fearful) + -ness]
obs.  cowardice, pusillanimity, timidity
argle-bargle
(also argy-bargy) disputatious argument, bandying of words, wrangling  [chiefly Brit., from argue and by reduplication]
argutation
obs.  cavilling, cavil, quibble; subtle disputation
aristology
the science of dining
armamentarium
[L., armory, arsenal]
1) the total store of available resources
2) array (as of materials): collection  3) essential components: apparatus
armil
[see next]  1) bracelet
2) an ancient astronomical instrument for determining equinoxes and solstices by the shadows cast by the sun
armillary
[fr. L. armilla, bracelet, iron ring]  [adj] of or pertaining to bracelets or hoops;  [n] an armillary sphere
armillary sphere
a skeleton celestial globe or sphere, consisting merely of metal rings or hoops representing the equator, ecliptic, tropics, arctic and antarctic circles, and colures, revolving on an axis
aroint
[origin unknown]  archaic
verb imperative: begone, used with reflexive thee
aroint thee, witch - Shakespeare
vt: to drive away by or as if by an exclamation or curse
arrant
thoroughgoing, confirmed; notoriously or outstandingly bad
(compare errant)
arras
1) a wall hanging or tapestry  2) a curtain or wall hanging, esp. one of Flemish origin
arreptitious
obs.  1) liable to raptures, ecstatic, frantic, mad
2) characterized by having been hastily seized or caught up; hasty, hurried
arriviste
/air e VEEST/ one who is bent on arriving; i.e., on making a good position for himself in the world; a pushy or ambitious person  cf. parvenu
arse-verse
[L. arse verse, to turn back fire]  a Tuscan-Latin incantation against fire; cf. L. averte ignem
arsy-versy
[fr. arse + L. versus, via reduplication]  heels-over-head, topsy-turvey
arsis
the accented or longer part of a poetic foot; the point where an ictus is put
arudshield
[?] "the velvet-covered razor," an elegant, logical, theoretical technique for cutting through cant to truth, celebrating the simplest explanation among a panoply of complexities or obfuscations, and resembling Ockham's razor - Madeleine Cosman's Medieval Wordbook (1996)
ascian
one without a shadow -- applied to the inhabitants of the torrid zone, where the sun is vertical at noon for a few days every year
askesis
asceticism
asomatous
incorporeal, immaterial
assentation
[fr. L. assentari, to agree with]  ready assent especially when insincerely or obsequiously given
asseveration
an earnest affirmation
assiduous
diligent; persistent
assot
[fr. F. assoter < L. ad- + sot, a fool]   /as SOT/  obs.  to make a fool of, infatuate, befool
asteism
Rhet.   genteel irony, polite and ingenious mockery;
a... handsome way of deriding another - Chambers
asterism
[Gk asterismos]  a group or cluster of stars; a constellation
astucious
[F. astucieux, fr. L. astutus, astute]  /as TU cious/
archaic  subtle; cunning; astute
astunomologist
[fr. Gk astunomos, city magistrate]  policeman  (nonce-word coined by Burgess?)
"'I never saw the necessity of an astunomologist on the team.'...'It comes from the Greek for policeman.. Policeman sounds horrible, of course.'" - Anthony Burgess, The End of the World News (1983)
asyndeton
[fr. Gk asyndetos, unconnected]  /ah SIN deh tahn/
Rhet.  a figure which omits the conjunctions that ordinarily join coordinate words or clauses
e.g., I came, I saw, I conquered
ataraxia
[ad. Gk, impassiveness]  /ad eh RAK see eh/  also ataraxy
calmness untroubled by emotional disquiet: intellectual detachment, imperturbability; perfect peace of mind
atavism
throwback; recurrence due to genetic recombination
athanasia
immortality, deathlessness
athanor
[ad. Arab. attannur, the furnace]  /ATH en or/
also, formerly, athenor
an alchemist's furnace designed to maintain uniform heat
atman
the supreme universal self
atrabilious
melancholy or morose; hypochondriac
aubade
a song or poem greeting the dawn or about lovers parting at dawn
au fait
[F.] in adv. phrase  being well instructed in, thoroughly conversant with, expert or skillful in
augean
extremely formidable or difficult and occasionally distasteful
cleaning the Augean stables was one of the labors of Hercules; thus, an Augean task
aurification
working on or with gold; turning into gold (see next)
aurify
[fr. L. aurum, gold + -fy]  to turn into gold
aurivorous
[fr. L. aurum, gold + vorare, to devour]  /au-RI-ver-us/  gold-devouring, feeding on gold
auspicate
[from L. auspex, bird augur] 1) archaic  to indicate in advance as though by an omen: portend, auger
2) to begin or inaugurate with a ceremony intended to bring good luck
auspicating the trip with a cocktail
autarchic
marked by autocratic rule
autarchy
absolute sovereignty
autarkic
self-sufficient
autarky
(self-sufficiency, independence; specif: national economic independence
autochthon
see next  one sprung from the ground he inhabits, aborigine , native
autochthonously
[fr. classical L. autocthon + -ous + -ly]
indigenously; in the place where it originated
autodidact
a self-taught person
autological
[fr. Gk autos, self + logos, word]  self-descriptive, self-referential
used to refer to words such as polysyllabic, English, pronounceable, common, olde, noun, word  (compare heterological)
automagically
[blend of automatic + magically]  /aw toh MAJ i klee/
now chiefly computer jargon  automatically, esp. in a way that seems ingenious or inexplicable; as if by magic
autopathy
[fr. Gk autopatheia]  /ah TAHP uh thee/
now rare  (an excessive) feeling for oneself
autopisty
[fr. Gk autos, self + pistos, to be trusted]  self-authentication
autopoiesis
the process whereby an organization produces itself; literally, self-production (not to be confused with allopoiesis)
"an example of autopoiesis is a cell or an organism; allopoiesis is exemplified by an assembly line." - from Klaus Krippendorff's Dictionary of Cybernetics
autopoietic
"it runs by itself" - Alan Wolfe; cf. poietic
autoptic
[fr. Gk autoptikos, of an eyewitness]
seen for oneself; self-obvious  an autoptic report on the Far East
autoschediastic
impromptu, offhand, slight, hasty, not fully considered
autotelic
having a purpose in and not apart from itself; intrinsically rewarding
avernal
[fr. L. Avernalis, of Avernus, a lake near Pozzouli, Italy (now Lago Averno); reputed bacause of its depth and stench to lead to the underworld]  (also avernian)  /ah-VERN-ul/ or /ah-VER-nee-un/
infernal, chthonic
averruncator
an instrument (on a pole) for pruning trees
avidulous
[diminutive fr. L.]  obs.  somewhat greedy  
avolate
[fr. L. avolare, to fly off or away]
obs.   to fly away, escape, exhale, evaporate
avuncular
suggestive of an uncle, esp in kindliness or geniality
avunculate
[ab L. avunculus]
1) a special relationship obtaining among some tribal peoples between a nephew and his maternal uncle
2) authority of a man over his sister's family affairs but especially over her children and the reciprocal rights and responsibilities associated therewith--compare amitate
aweless (also awless)
1) without dread; fearless, undaunted, unappalled
2) without awe; irreverent, presumptuous, rude
3) obs.  that inspires no awe
axiopistic
[see next]  believable
axiopisty
[fr. Gk axiopistos, trustworthy < axios, worthy + pistos, to be trusted]  /aks ee AH pih stee/
obs. rare  the quality that makes something believable: trustworthiness


B

babblative
given to babbling; prattling, prating, loquacious
bablatrice
nonce-word  a female babbler
babliaminy
nonce-word  a babbler
baccivorous
[fr. L. bacca, berry + varare, to devour]
/bak SIV er uhs/  feeding on berries
backchat
[back + chat]
a) gossipy or bantering conversation: small talk
b) good humored repartee  c) UK  impertinent or impudent replies
backwardation
Commerce  postponement by seller of delivery of stock; premium paid to buyer for such postponement; compare contango
baculus
a staff (as of a bishop)
bada-bing
also: bada-bing, bada-boom  [imitative of a rimshot(?)]
exclamation to emphasize that something will happen effortlessly and predictably
badaud
[F., an onlooker, gawker] a gawker  C'est un franc badaud
badinage
a playful repartee; banter
badmash
[ fr. Urdu]  a bad character; a worthless person
badot
[ad. F. badaud gaping fool, idler]  /ba DOH/  obs. rare  silly  (cf. badaud)
bafflegab
slang  official or professional jargon which confuses more than it clarifies: gobbledegook
baggagery
[fr. a now obs. sense of baggage: rubbish, refuse]
obs. rare  worthless rabble; the offscourings of society; cf. savagery
bagnio
[It. bagno, literally, public baths]  /BAN yo/  
1) a brothel  2) obs.  a prison  3) obs.  a public bathhouse
bahookie
[alteration of behind(?)]  /buh HOO kee/  Scot. colloq., humorous  the buttocks
bailiwick
[fr. bailiff + ME wik, town]  /BAY leh wik/
1) a person's specific area of interest, skill or authority
2) the office or jurisdiction of a bailiff
balaclava
a knit hat which covers the head and neck
balatron
[ad. L. balatron-em, babbler, prater, buffoon]
obs. rare  a joker, a clown; esp. one who babbles
balatronic
of or pertaining to buffoons
baldachin
a rich embroidered fabric of silk and gold; a cloth canopy fixed or carried over a VIP
baldric
an often ornamental belt worn over one shoulder to support a sword or bugle
ballhooter
a lumberjack who rolls logs down a hill
ballicatter
[Newf.]  a ridge of ice formed along the (ocean) shoreline by waves and freezing spray
ballycumber
[neologism, from the British place name]
one of the six half-read books lying somewhere in your bed - Douglas Adams & John Lloyd
balneary
[fr. L. balneum, bath]  /BAL nee er ee/  (also balneal)
of or relating to a bath, bathing, or a bathroom
balneology
the science of the therapeutic use of baths
balter
[prob. fr. ON]  obs. 1) to tread clumsily, to tumble about  2) to stick together
baltering
[fr. balter]  tumbling  
The baltering torrent Shrunk to a soodling thread. - Auden
banausic
relating to or concerned with earning a living -- used pejoratively
contempt for the banausic occupations - T. S. Eliot
also: utilitarian, practical
such mundane and banausic considerations as comfort and durability - G. B. Boyer
banjax
Anglo-Ir. slang  to batter or destroy (a person or thing); to ruin; to confound, stymie
banting
[after William Banting, 19th century English undertaker and dietitian]
a method of dieting for obesity by avoiding sweets and carbohydrates; used humorously by extension
also, vb. to bant, bangtingism, etc.
bantling
[prob. a corruption of G. bänkling, a bastard]
a baby, a very young child; (sometimes used contemptuously) a brat
barathrum
[L., from Gk, a pit, gulf] a) a deep pit at Athens, into which condemned criminals were thrown
b) the abyss, hell  c) an insatiable extortioner or glutton
barbican
an outer defensive work; esp a tower at a gate or bridge
bardo
[Tibetan, literally, between two]  /BAR dO/
Lamaism  the intermediate or astral state of the soul after death and before rebirth
bardolater
a worshipper of the Bard
bardolatrous
tending to or characterized by bardolatry
bardolatry
the worship of Shakespeare
barfulous
jocular  said of something that would make anyone barf, if only for aesthetic reasons
bargee
bargeman
barghest
a goblin in English folklore
barlafumble
[fr. parley, call for truce + ?]  Scot. obs.
a call for a truce by one who has fallen in fighting or play; a request for a time out
Barmecidal
providing only the illusion of abundance
[from Barmecide, a wealthy Persian, who invited a beggar to a feast of imaginary food in a tale of The Arabian Nights' Entertainments]
barmecide
[adj] illusory, imaginary; such as to disappoint
[n] a giver of benefits that are illusory or disappointing
barrack
Brit.  to shout at derisively or sarcastically
barracoon
an enclosure or barrack formerly used for temporary confinement of slaves or convicts
barratry
1) the purchase or sale of ecclesiastical preferment, or of offices of state
2) the acceptance of bribes by a judge
3) Marine Law  fraud, or gross and criminal negligence, on the part of the master or mariners of a ship, to the prejudice of the owners, and without their consent
4) the offence of habitually exciting quarrels, or moving or maintaining lawsuits; vexatious persistnace in, or incitement to, litagation
bascule
[F, see-saw]  an apparatus or structure in which one end is counterbalanced by the other on the principle of the seesaw or by weights (as in a bascule bridge)
bastinado
a beating with a stick or cudgel
bathetic
characterized by bathos
bathycolpian
[fr. Gk bathukolpos]  (also bathukolpian) deep-bosomed
bathysiderodromophobia
the fear of subways, undergrounds or metros
batophobia
an abnormal fear of being near an object of great height, such as a skyscraper or mountain
batrachian
[fr. Gk batrachos, frog]  /buh TREY kee uhn/  relating to tailless amphibians, esp. frogs and toads
batrachomyomachia
[fr. the name of a mock heroic Gk poem, which means "the battle of the frogs and mice"]
/ba TRAK o MY o makia/  a storm in a puddle; much ado about nothing
battels
[fr. batten(?), to thrive and prosper; to fatten]
UK, esp. Oxford univ.  college accounts for board and provisions supplied from kitchen and buttery; generally, the whole of a person's college accounts
battledore
a badminton racket
battology
a needless repetition of words in speaking or writing
bavardage
[F.]  /ba va(r) DAZH/  small talk, chitchat
bavin
[origin unknown]  /BAV un/
Brit.  a bundle of brushwood or kindling used for fuel; by extension applied contemptuously to anything worthless
bayard
[fr. bayard, a bay-colored horse]  /BAY urd/  Bold as blind Bayard.. - ancient proberb
obs.  one who has the self-confidence of ignorance  
bdellometer
a mechanical leech, for the purpose of leeching blood
bdellotomy
 [fr. Gk bdella, leech]  /de LOT eh my/
the surgical application of leeches; the practice of cutting leeches to empty them of blood while they continue to suck
beadle
a minor parish official whose duties include ushering and preserving order
bebeloglyphic
(Alexander Theroux nonce-word?)  profane, unholy writing  
...the words themselves sank down into the ink crimped paper and perversely seemed to have an existence only on the other side of the page: a bebeloglyphic of revolt and refusal, backwards in dead black.
bebother
(coined by Tolkien in The Hobbit)  bother about  Confusticate and bebother those dwarves!
beckmesser
[G., after Sixtus Beckmesser, pedantic musical philistine in Wagner's opera Die Meistersinger]  /BEK mes u(r)/
usu. capitalized  a critic or teacher of music characterized by timid and excessive reliance upon rules: pedant
becquerel
[after Antoine H. Becquerel French physicist]  /bek uh rel/  
a unit of radioactivity equal to one nuclear decay per second
beddage
[bed + -age]  the total number of beds in a facility such as a hospital
bedder
Cambridge Univ.  one who makes the beds and performs other necessary domestic duties for residents in college
bedenim
[be-, to make, cover, etc. + denim]  covered in denim; e.g., wearing blue jeans
bedizen
to dress or adorn with gaudy finery or vulgarity
beldam
an old woman, esp an ugly one: hag
belles lettres
light, entertaining and often sophisticated literature
belletristic
of or concerned with belles lettres
bellibone
[fr. F. belle et bonne]  obs.  a woman excelling both in beauty and goodness; a fair maid
Beltane
the Celtic May Day festival, marked by the lighting of bonfires and the performance of various rites of purification  (see also Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasadh/Lammas)
benignity
[fr. MF. benignité]  /bi NIG nuh tee/ (rhymes with dignity)
1) the state of being gracious  2) archaic  kindness
benison
[fr. LL. benedictio]  blessing, benediction
benthic
[fr. Gk benthos, depth]  occurring at the bottom of a body of water, or in the depths of the ocean
benthos
[see previous]  organisms that live at or near the bottom of the sea
besom
/BEEZ um/  broom, esp. one made of twigs
bespoke
Brit. 1) custom-made  2) making or selling custom-made clothes: a bespoke tailor
bêtise
[F., from bête, beast, fool, foolish]  /bay TEZE/
1) a stupid or foolish act or remark  2) studpidity; folly
bevan
[from the name Bevan(?)]  (see also: bogan, westie)
Aust. dial.  a loutish, unfashionable male; someone of the working class or from the wrong side of town who wears ugg (thick sheepskin) boots and flannel shirts, drives a panel van and listens to heavy rock
bevue
[F., blunder]  /bay voo/  inadvertent error
bewray
[fr. ME bewreien, fr. be- + wreyen: to accuse, inform on, from OE wregan; ultimately fr. Gothic wrohjan: to accuse]
archaic
1) to make known : divulge, disclose; esp. to reveal (as a secret) to one's disadvantage often unintentionally
2) to reveal the true character of
bezonian
a low fellow or scoundrel
bibelot
a small household ornament or decorative object: knickknack  (see also tchotchke)
bibliobibuli
people who read too much and so are generally oblivious to the world around them - coined by H.L. Mencken
biblioclasm
[f. biblio- + Gk klasmos, breaking]  /BIB lee uh klaez um/  /BIB lee uh klast/
destruction of books, or of the Bible
biblioclast
a destroyer of books, or of the Bible; hence biblioclastic  (little more than nonce-words)
bibliomania
[fr. Gk biblio-, book + mania, madness]
a rage for collecting and possessing books; thus, bibliomaniac and bibliomaniacal
bibliophagist  (bibliophage)
[fr. biblio-, book + Gk phagos, devouring]  /bi BLI uh FA jist/  
a devourer of books: bookworm
bibliopole
[fr. L. bibliopola, bookseller < Gk bibliopoles]  a dealer esp. in rare or curious books
bibliothec
[fr. L. bibliotheca, collection of books, library]  /BIB li o thec/
[n] a librarian  [adj] belonging to a library or a librarian
bibliothecarial
of or relating to a library
bibulous
highly absorbent; inclined to drink; of or relating to drink or drinking
bildungsroman
psychological novel dealing with the early moral delvelopment of the protagonist
billet-doux
[F.] love letter
billingsgate
coarsely abusive language
bimanous
[fr. L. bimanus or F. bimane]  /BI meh nehs/  
having two hands: two-handed  (also bimanal)
bimillenary
1) a span of 2,000 years
2) a 2,000th anniversary
bindlestiff
a tramp who carries a bundle of possessions or a bedroll
binotonous
(cf. monotonous)  consisting of two tones or notes
biro
[named after László József Biró (1899-1985), Hungarian inventor of the ballpoint]
Brit. trademark  a kind of ballpoint pen  (cf. BIC ballpoint)
bissextile
relating to the extra day in a leapyear (the second sixth day)
bitt
1) a post or pair of posts on the deck of a ship for securing lines
2) a post of metal or wood on a wharf around which to fasten lines: bollard
bizarrerie
[F.]  /buh ZAR uh REE/  1) a bizarre quality  2) something bizarre
blackleg
scab
blague
[F.]  /blag/
[n] humbug, claptrap, raillery
[vi] to talk pretentiously and usually inaccurately: lie boastfully
blandiloquence
mildly flattering talk
blandishment
something that tends to coax or cajole: allurement
blat
[fr. v. blat, to bleat]
1) a bleat or bleatlike cry  2) a senseless or raucous noise
the never-ending blat of airhorns piercing the dusk - E.L.DeGolyer
blatherskite
a blustering, talkative fellow
blatterer
[L blaterare to prate, babble]
dialect  one who blatters; a babbler; a noisy, blustering boaster
he blattered along and managed to inquire about pretty much everybody - Mark Twain
also blatteration - a blattering
blatteroon
a constant talker, one afflicted with logorrhea
bleezed
a little flustered, as by drink [Jamieson]
bleezy
Scot.  affected in the eyes, as by alcohol
blellum
Scot.  a blabber
blennophobia
a morbid fear of slime
bletcherous
neologism  disgusting in design or function; esthetically unappealing (seldom used of people)
bletherskate
Scot.  blatherskite: a BSer
bling-bling
[taken from gangsta rap]  (or bling) expensive jewelry and other accoutrements
blooter
[origin uncertain]  UK, Scot.
[n] 1) a hard and usu. wild kick of a ball; also fig.  2) a fool, an oaf, a bumbler; a babbler
[v] to do something to excess; to blunder or babble  e.g., to hit with force; to smash, to kick a football extremely hard or wildly; to drink heavily
bloviate
to orate verbosely or windily
bluey
Austral.  a swagman's bundle of personal effects
also, for no accountable reason, a red-headed man
blunderkin
[fr. blunder(er) + -kin]
obs. rare  a blundering fellow, a muddlepate
blurfled
nonce-wd  intoxicated
blutherbung
East Lincolnshire  (also blutterbung)  obs.  to break down in speech; to lose the thread of conversation, confound
bo
fellow; pal, buddy
boak
chiefly Scot.  (also bolk)
[v] to belch; to vomit  [n] a belch, an eructation
boanthropy
the delusion that one is an ox
boation
a crying; a roaring; a bellowing
bobbasheely
[fr. Choctaw itibapishily, my brother with whom I was suckled]
U.S. dialect (Gulf States)  /?/
[n] a very close friend, chum  [v] associate with someone in a friendly fashion
Bob's your uncle
[origin uncertain]  UK interj.  used to show the simplicity of something; there you are
bodewash
buffalo chips (or cow dung), esp. when burned as fuel
bodger
Brit. dial. [n] a chair-leg turner
Austral. slang  [adj] inferior, worthless; (of names) false, assumed
bodgery
[fr. bodger < bodge, var. of botch]
rare (pre-web, that is)  botched work, bungling
bodkin
[Middle English bodekin]  dagger, stiletto; blunt needle
boeotian
/bee O shun/  a dull, obtuse person
The ancient Boetians loved agricultural and pastoral pursuits, so the Athenians said they were as dull and thick as their own atmosphere.
boffin
Brit.  a scientific expert; esp. one involved in technological research
bogart
 /BOE gard/  U.S. slang  to selfishly take or keep something; hog  Don't Bogart that joint!
bogatyr
a medieval Russian heroic warrior, akin to Western European knight errant
boggard
(also boggart)  /BOG gehd/ or /BOG geht/
Brit.  a spectre, goblin, or bogy; in dialectal use, esp. a local goblin or sprite supposed to haunt a particular gloomy spot, or scene of violence
bogometer
/bog OM eter/  a conversational device used for the rhetorical measurement of bogosity
bogosity
/bog OS ity/  jargon  the degree to which something is bogus (i.e., bad)
boke
[ME bolken; related to belch]  (also boak)  Scot.   to retch or vomit
bollard
1) a post of metal or wood on a wharf around which to fasten lines
2) a post or pair of posts on the deck of a ship for securing lines: bitt
bolus
a large pill; a soft rounded mass of chewed food
bombination
buzzing, droning
bonfire night
[bonfire, fr. bone + fire = fire of bones, + night]
UK, usu. capitalized  a night on which bonfires are lit in celebration; specif. Guy Fawkes night, November 5th
bonking
cycling jargon  when endurance cyclists have used every ounce of fuel in their bodies and cannot continue
bonnibel
[possibly fr. F. bonne et belle]  archaic  fair maid, bonny lass  cf. the equivalent bellibone
boniface
the proprietor of a hotel, nightclub or restaurant: innkeeper
boobocracy
government by boobs
booboisie
/boob wa ZEE/  boobs as a class; the general public regarded as consisting of boobies
boogid
[fr. Objibwe boogijizh, to fart at someone]  a fart
boohai
/boo-HAI/  NZ  an out of the way, remote or non-existent place; often in up the boohai to mean lost, or up the boohai shooting pukakas meaning lost, possibly in the head
boojum
[coined by Lewis Carroll, see The Hunting of the Snark]
an imaginary animal, a particularly dangerous kind of snark;
also fig. The dreadful Boojum of Nothingness. - W. H. Auden
borak
[fr. Ab. (Wathawurung) burag]  /boraek/  also borac(k), borax
Austral. and NZ slang  nonsense, humbug; banter; esp. in phr. to poke (the) borak, to make or poke fun (see also, taking the mickey)
The old boy had been poking borak at him about anthropology... - Herbert (1975)
borasco
[Sp. borrasca]  /bo ROS ca/  (also borasca)
a squall often attended with a thunderstorm occurring especially in the Mediterranean
borborology
[fr. Gk borboros, filth + -logia, discoursing]  rare  filthy talk
borborygmic
[fr. Gk borborugmos, intestinal rumbling]  relating to intestinal rumbling caused by moving gas
borborygmus
[see previous]  rumbling in the guts
boreal
related to northern regions
Bork
[an eponym from Judge Robert Bork]  U.S. political slang  to defame or vilify (a person) systematically, esp. in the mass media, usu. with the aim of preventing his or her appointment to public office; to obstruct or thwart (a person) in this way
bosky
having abundant trees or shrubs; of or relating to a woods
bosthoon
Irish  an awkward fellow; a tactless, senseless person: boor, dolt
bouleverse
[F. bouleverser] obs., rare  to upset, overturn
bouleversement
[see previous]  /boole VER suh MA(n)/
1) a violent disturbance; tumult  2) a turning upsidedown: reversal
bouquiniste
[F., fr. bouquin, old book]  /bukeeneest/  (also, the anglicized bouquinist)
a dealer in secondhand books
bourse
exchange, specif: a European stock exchange
boustrophedonic
having alternate lines written in opposite directions
boutade
[F.] a sudden outburst or outbreak; a caprice; a whim
bovarism
[after Madame Bovary]  (domination by) a romantic or unreal conception of oneself: conceit
bovaristic
conceited
bowssen
[fr. Cornish beuzi, to drown, submerge]  /BAUS un/
in Cornwall  to immerse in water as a treatment for insanity; hence, bowssening
boxology
[box + -ology, science or discipline of]
1) a hierarchical presentation of software-architecture using boxes and arrows
2) pejoratively  reduction of a scientific hypothesis to a series of boxes connected by arrows in lieu of a definitive exposition of the hypothesis referencing careful studies
brabble
squabble
brachylogy
[Gk brachylogia]  /bra KIL uh jee/  conciseness of expression; also  a condensed expression
brandophilist
a collector of cigar bands
brannigan
a drinking spree; a noisy altercation or quarrel
brassica
[L., cabbage]  /BRASS ikuh/
plants of the mustard family, including cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and turnip
breviloquence
brief but effective speech
breviloquent
characterized by breviloquence
bricolage
[F. < bricoler, to putter about]  /BREE ko LAZH/
construction achieved by using whatever comes to hand; also, something constructed in this way
bricolé
1) bank shot, rebound
2) harness for moving armaments
bricoleur
[F., handy-man] someone who continually invents his own strategies for comprehending reality
brimborion
[F.] a thing without value or use; trash, nonsense
brinicle
[brine + icicle]  a brine icicle formed beneath sea ice when a flow of extremely cold, saline water is introduced to an area of ocean water
brisance
the shattering or crushing effect of an explosion
brobdingnagian
on a giant scale
bromidrosis (or bromhidrosis)
the secretion of foul-smelling sweat; body odor  (also known as osmidrosis or kakidrosis)
brumal
indicative of or occurring in the winter
brumalia
a pagan festival held at the winter solstice from which some features of the celebration of Christmas seem to have originated
brummagem
[alteration of Birmingham, Eng. (fr. the counterfeit coins made there in the 17th C.]  showy and cheap; meretricious
brumous
[fr. F. brume, fog]  /BREW mus/  foggy, misty
brusquerie
[F.] abruptness of manner
brutter
ballhooter
buccinator
[fr. L. bucinator, a trumpeter]  /BUK suh nA tur/
(of) the thin, flat muscle forming the wall of the cheek - so called from its use in blowing wind instruments (also attrib.)
bugbear
an object or source of dread
bulbitate
obs.  to befoul one's trousers {'to befilth one's breech' - Cockerham}
bullyrag
intimidate by bullying; badger
bumbledom
[from Bumble, a parish beadle in Oliver Twist]  the actions and mannerisms of pompous but inefficient government officials
bumblepuppy
1a) the old game of nine-holes  b) whist or bridge played without a system
2) a game in which a ball slung to a post is struck with a racket by each player in opposite directions, the object being to wind the string entirely around the post; also the post so used
bumf
[short for bum fodder]  Brit.  paperwork
bumfuzzle
dial.  to confuse, perplex or fluster
bumwhush
UK dialect  ruin, obscurity, annihilation
bundling
[fr. bundle (vi)]  traditional
a former custom of an unmarried couple's occupying the same bed without undressing, esp. during courtship
bupkis
absolutely nothing
burd-alone
obs. Scot., a rare archaism in modern poetry
also, burd-alane or burdalane
all alone; friendless  (Jamieson gives a narrower sense: 'used to denote one who is the only child left in the family')
burelage
[F.] /BUR(uh) lazh/
fine lines printed on stamp paper as protection against fraud or forgery
burke
1) to suppress quietly or indirectly {burke an inquiry}
2) bypass, avoid
bushonics
nonstandard English which features tangled syntax, mispronunciations, run-on sentences, misplaced modifiers and a wanton disregard for subject-verb agreement
bushwa
[probably a euphemism for BS]  (also bushwah)  rubbish, nonsense
busker
Brit.  one who entertains esp by singing or reciting on the street or in a pub
butty
[fr. butter + -y]  Brit. informal  a sandwich
buxiferous
[fr. L. buxifer, box-bearing]  rare  bearing or producing box-trees (a small evergreen)


C

cabala
or cabbala or cabbalah or kabala or kabbala or kabbalah, also qabbala or qabbalah
/keh BAH leh/ or /KAH beh leh/
1) a medieval and modern system of Jewish theosophy, mysticism, and thaumaturgy marked by belief in creation through emanation and a cipher method of interpreting Scripture
2a) a traditional, esoteric, occult or secret matter  b) esoteric doctrine or mysterious art
caboosh
UK  an aggregate; usu. in the phrase the whole caboosh: all, everything, everyone
ca'canny
[fr. the Scot. verbal phrase to ca' (call) canny; to go cautiously, quietly, gently, carefully, warily -- see Burns and Scott]
moderation, caution, spec. the practice of 'going slow' at work
cacestogenous
[fr. Gk kakestos, ill-being + -genous, of or relating to origin or development]  /kak us TOJ un us/?
very rare  caused by unfavorable home environment
cachalot
a sperm whale
cachinnate
to laugh loudly or immoderately
cack-handed
[perhaps from L. cacare]
chiefly Brit.  1) left-handed; back-handed  2) awkward; clumsy
cacodaemon
[Gk kakodaimon, possessed by an evil genius]  evil spirit, devil
cacodoxy
[Gk kakodoxia, bad repute]  incorrect doctrine, heresy, heterodoxy
cacoepy
[Gk kakoepeia, bad language]  incorrect pronunciation
cacoethes
[L. (fr. Gk), bad state or habit]  /ka ke WEE theez/  an uncontrollable or insatiable desire: mania
cacoethes loquendi
[L.]  the irresistible urge to speak
cacoethes scribendi
[L.]  the irresistible urge to write
cacogen
[fr. Gk kakogenes, baseborn]  an antisocial person
cacographer
[see next]  a bad writer or speller
cacography
[as fr. Gk kako-, bad + -graphia, writing]  bad handwriting; bad spelling
cacozelia
[Gk kakozelia  unhappy imitation; affectation]  /ka ko ZEEL i a/
studied affectation in diction or style, as in a speech filled with pedantic latinisms and inkhorn terms
cacumninate
[fr. L. cacuminare to point]  obs.  to make sharp or pointed
cadastral
[F. fr. Gk katastikhon, a list or register]  /kuh DAS trul/
of a map or survey  showing or recording property boundaries, subdivision lines, buildings, and other details
caduceus
symbol of the medical profession, two snakes winding around the staff of Caduceus (but see aesculapian)
caducity
[F. caducité < L. caducus, fallen]  the quality of being transitory or perishable; senility
caducous
[fr. L caducus < cadere, to fall]   /kuh DYU kus/
1) falling off easily or before the usual time
2) Law  subject to caducity: lapsed
caesura
break, interruption
cafard
[F.] severe depression or apathy; also, idiomatically, the blues
cahooting
[fr. cahoots]  conspiring, plotting
cahoots
[perhaps fr. F. cahute, cabin, hut]  collaboration, collusion
caitiff
being base, cowardly or despicable
calefacient
[fr. L. calefacere, to make warm]
[n] a medicinal agent which produces warmth or a sense of heat  [adj] producing warmth
calefaction
1) warming  2) the state of being warmed
calefactive
rare  having the tendency to warm; warming
calembour
a pun
calends
the first day of the ancient Roman month from which days were counted backwards to the Ides
caliginosity
[fr. L. caliginosus: see caliginous and -ity]  /kuh lij uh NOS i tee]
archaic  dimness of sight; darkness
caliginous
misty, dark, murky, obscure
calix
a cup; esp: an ecclesiastical chalice
callipygian
having beautiful buttocks
callithump
a noisy, boisterous mock serenade, a charivari (shivaree)
callomania
[fr. Gk kallos, beauty + -mania]
Psych.  having delusions of one's own inordinate beauty
calque
loan translation: a compound/derivative/phrase that is introduced into a language from translation of the constituents of a term
caltrop
a device with four metal points so arranged so that one points upward as a hazard
calumny
the malicious uttering of false charges calculated to damage another's reputation
camarilla
a group of unofficial often secret and scheming advisors; cabal
cambist
[F. cambiste, fr. It. cambista]  one who deals in bills of exchange or who is skilled in the science and practice of exchange; a banker
cambistry
the science of exchange
camorra
a group of people united for dishonest or dishonorable ends
campanology
the art of bell ringing
canaille
[F., fr. It. canaglia  pack of dogs, rabble < L. canis]
1) the proletariat; the masses  2) rabble; riffraff
canard
a false or unfounded report or story
cancrizans
[fr. ML pr. ppl. of cancrizare, to go backwards, fr. L. cancr-, cancer, crab + LL -izare -ize]
/KAE(NG) kruh zanz/
Music  having the theme or subject repeated backwards note for note; cf. crab form or crab canon
a cancrizans canon
canicular
[fr. L. canicula, little dog < canis]
1) relating to the Dog Star, or its rising (ab. Aug. 11)  2) of or relating to the dog days of summer
canoodle
[perh. from Eng. dialect canoodle: donkey, fool, silly lovemaker; perh. alt. of noodle (blockhead)]
pet, fondle, caress
cantrip
[origin uncertain, perhaps alt. of caltrop]  1) Scot.  a magic spell, a witch's trick  
2) chiefly British  a deceptive move; a sham
3) Fantasy  a spell associated with words (somatic), as opposed to a spell associated with a hand gesture
capelocracy
[fr. Gk kapelos, shop-keeper + -cracy]  the shopkeeping interest, or class
capernoited
[perh. fr. capernaite (a believer in transubstantiation)]  /KAP er noi ted/
Scot.  1) crabbed, peevish  2) muddleheaded, tipsy
caponier
[a. F. caponnière, ad. Sp. caponera in same sense]  /kae peh NIE(r)/?
a covered passage across a moat or ditch
captation
[fr. L. captare, to chase]
the use of artful endeavors or appeals to secure something, esp. approval or applause
caracole
1) a half-turn in dressage  2) a spiral staircase
caravanserai
an inn where caravans rest at night; usually a large bare building surrounded by a court
careen
[fr. F. (en) carène, (on) the keel]
1) to lurch or swerve while in motion  2) to rush headlong or carelessly; career
3) Nautical  a) to lean to one side, as a ship sailing in the wind  b) to turn a ship on its side for cleaning or repair\
career
[fr. F. carrière, racecourse]  to move at full speed
carfax
Brit.  a junction where four or more roads converge
carious
[ab. L. cariosus]  /KAR ee us/  decaying, rotten (with dry rot)
cark
[ME carke to load, burden] worry; trouble, distress
carker
a whining, troublesome child
carking
burdensome, annoying
carlot
a peasant, in the pejorative sense
And he hath bought the cottage and the bounds
That the old carlot once was master of.
   -Shakespeare, As You Like It
carminative
expelling gas from the alimentary canal so as to relieve colic
carnac
an elephant driver, a mahout
carnaptious
[fr. Sc. knap, to bite]  /ka(r) NAP shus/
Scots & Irish dial.  bad-tempered, irritable, grumpy
carneous
[from L. carneus]  obs.  1) consisting of flesh, fleshy  2) flesh-colored, pale red: incarnadine
carnifex
an executioner, esp. the public executioner in ancient Rome
carnous
fleshy, pulpy (of fruits or roots)
carrefour
[F. fr. L. quadrifurcus, having four forks]  /kah ruh FUR/
1) a crossroads, a carfax  2) a public square, plaza
carriwitchet
[origin unknown]   /kar eh WICH et/
a hoaxing or riddling question; a pun, a quibble
cartomancy
fortune-telling by the use of playing cards
caryatid
a draped female figure supporting an entablature
caseifaction
the act of turning into cheese
...built at the outskirts of town especially for this unprecedented caseifaction...
-Thomas Pynchon
Cassandra
one that predicts misfortune or disaster
castrametation
[fr. L. castra, camp + metari, to measure out]  the art or science of laying out an encampment
castrophenic
[var. of castrophrenic (NB 2nd 'r') + -phen, to show]
nonce-wd  demonstrating a belief that one's thoughts are being stolen; generally, paranoiac
castrophrenic
relating to the belief that one's thoughts are being stolen
casuist
[fr. F. casuiste < Sp. casuista]  /KAZH oo ist/  someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious
casuistry
/KAZH oo i strE/
1) specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead
2) a resolving of specific cases of conduct through interpretation of ethical principles or religious doctrine
catachresis
[L. fr. Gk katachresis, misuse]  use of a wrong word in a context; strained use of a word or phrase
catachrestic
characterized by the misuse of words for the context
catachthonian
[fr. Gk kata : down, under + chthonios, of the ground]  subterranean; also, catachthonic
catadromous
living in fresh water and going to the sea to spawn  (compare anadromous)
catadromous eels
catamite
a boy kept for purposes of sexual perversion
catasophistry
obs, rare  quibbling, deceit (from a Gk word meaning to outwit, to evade by quibbling)
catasta
[L., scaffold, stage for selling slaves, etc.]
Hist.  a block on which slaves were exposed for sale; a stage or bed of torture used in early Christian times
catastarian
(perhaps) related to slavery or torture
catastrophonical
a nonsense word, from Marston
"A sign of good shaving, my catastrophonical fine boy." - John Marston, The Dutch Courtezan
catawampus
also cattywampus  Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.
1) askew; awry  2) positioned diagonally; cater-cornered
catchpole
[fr. Anglo-French cachepole, literally, chicken chaser, fr. cacher + pol chicken,  < Latin pullus]  also catchpoll
a sheriff's deputy or bailiff; esp. one who makes arrests for failure to pay a debt: bumbailiff (disparaging)
cateran
[fr. Sc. Gaelic ceithearn ,band of fighting men]  a former military irregular or brigand of the Scot. Highlands
cathect
Psych.  to charge with mental energy; to give (ideas, etc.) an emotional loading
catillate
[fr. L. catillare, to lick a plate]  to lick dishes  {Cockerham}
catoptric
relating to a mirror, produced by reflection
causerie
[F.]  /koz ree/
informal talk or discussion, esp. on literary topics; also, a chatty article or paragraph
cautelous
obs. or archaic  deceitful, crafty, artful, wily
cecity
[fr. L. caecitas]  blindness, lack of sight  (usu. fig.)
ceilidh
[Gaelic]  /KAY lee/  Irish & Scot.
1) a friendly call: visit  2) a social gathering with traditional music, dancing, and storytelling
cenesthesis
[NL coen- + esthesia]  (also, coenaesthesis)  general sensibility; awareness of one's own body
cenotaph
a tomb or monument erected in honor of a person whose body is elsewhere
centenarian
a person who is over one-hundred years old
centicipitous
[fr. L. centum + caput, head]   /cen ti CIP i tous/?
obs. rare  hundred-headed {in Bailey}
cephalization
[fr. Gk kephala, head + -ize + -ation]  /SEF uh li ZA shun/
Biol.  the degree to which the head is developed and dominates over the rest of the body
cerebrotonia
a pattern of temperament that is marked by a cerebrotonic personality or characteristics
cerebrotonic
[fr. L. cerebrum, brain + tonic, producing tension]
designating or characteristic of a type of personality which is introverted, intellectual, and emotionally restrained, usu. associated with an ectomorphic physique
cereologist
[fr. Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture]  /cee ree AWL uh jist/  (also cerealogist)
one who studies or investigates crop circles
cereology
the study or investigation of crop circles
cerumen
ear wax
cervisial
[from L. cervisia (cerevisia), beer + -al]  (also cerevisial)
humorous  of or pertaining to beer
chaffer
haggle; barter; Brit.  chatter
chairoplane
[fr. chair, after aeroplane]  /CHAIR uh plane/
a roundabout with seats suspended by chains  a chairoplane erected on a fairground
chalcenterous
having bowels of brass: tough
champaign
an expanse of level, open country: plain
chandelle
[F., candle] an abrupt, climbing turn of an airplane
chantpleure
[F. chantepleure]  archaic  to sing and weep at the same time
chaogenous
[Gk chaos + genos, born]  /kay OJ en us/  arising out of (born amidst) chaos
charabanc
[F.] a sightseeing motor coach
charientism
[fr. Gk charientismus, expression of an unpleasant thing in an agreeable manner]
obs.  a gracefully veiled insult
charrette
a final, intensive effort to finish a project (usu. architectural) before a deadline
chartopaigniologist
[fr. Gk charte[s], a sheet of paper + pagnios, playful + -ologist, person who studies]
nonce-word (Anthony Burgess)  an expert in gambling
chatmate
[fr. chat + mate]  obs. rare  a gossip
chatoyant
[F.] changing in luster or color (like a cat's eyes)
chav
[perhaps fr. Romani chavo, unmarried male]
Brit. slang (derogatory)  a young person of a type characterized by brash and loutish behavior and the wearing of designer-style clothes; usu. with connotations of a low social status [OED]
cheechako
a newcomer (to Alaska or the Yukon); tenderfoot
cheongsam
[fr. Ch. chčuhng-saam, literally, long gown]  /CHON sam/
a long dress of southern Chinese origin with a slit skirt and a stand-up collar  (so that's what that's called)
cherophobia
/KEER uh ~/  an irrational fear of merriment or gaiety
chiack
[prob. alter. of cheek]   /CHAHY uhk/  (also chyack)
Australia  to jeer at; tease; deride
chiaroscuro
the quality of being veiled or partly in shadow
chickee
[fr. Creek chiki]  /CHIK ee/  (var. of chikee)
a Seminole Indian house built on stilts, with open sides and a thatched roof of palm leaves
chiliad
1) a group of 1000
2) a period of 1000 years: millennium
chiliastic
of or relating to 1000 years: millenarian
chillax
[blend of chill (out) + relax]  slang   to relax, take it easy, calm down
chironomy
[L. chironomia < Gk cheir-, hand + -nomia, management]  /kai RAHN uh mee/
obs.  the art or science of gesticulation, or of moving the hands according to rule in oratory, pantomime, and esp. Gregorian chant
chirospasm
writer's cramp
chitinous
[fr. Gk chiton]
made of or resembling the hard horny substance (chitin) of which the integument of insects or crustaceans is composed
choate
[back-formation from inchoate]  /KO ate/  [adj] complete
choplogic
[fr. chop (obs.), to bandy back and forth + logic]
involved and often specious argumentation
chork
Scot.  to make the sound that feet do with shoes full of water
chott
a shallow saline lake of northern Africa; the dried bed of such a lake
chouse
[origin uncertain]  /chaus/  (also chowse)
mainly UK colloq.  to cheat, trick, defraud
chrematistics
the study of wealth; the science of political economy
chrestomathic
teaching what is useful; devoted to the learning of useful matters
chrestomathy
a volume of selected passages or stories of an author
chronophagic
[fr. Gk chronos, time + phagos, devouring]  time-eating
chronotherapy
treatment of a sleep disorder by changing sleeping and waking times in an attempt to reset the patient's biological clock
chthonic
pertaining to the gods and spirits of the underworld, infernal
chthonophagia
[fr. Gk chthon-, earth + -phagia, eating]
U.S., Medical  an irresistable urge to eat earth
chubasco
[Sp. fr. Port. chuvasco]  /chu BAH skO/
a severe squall of rain and wind especially along the west coast of Central America
chuffed
[orig. northern Eng. dial. meaning proud]  /chuft/
UK  1) proud, satisfied; pleased, delighted  2) (usu. with neg. modifier; e.g, dischuffed, bum-chuffed) displeased, disgruntled
chumbolone
[of uncertain origin, perhaps a comflation of chump and strombolone?]
Italian-American slang  a stupid idiot
chunter
Brit.  to mutter, murmur; to grumble, find fault, complain (also chunner)
cicerone
a guide who conducts sightseers
cicisbeo
a professed gallant of a married woman
cinerarium
a place to receive the ashes of the cremated dead
cinereal
[fr. L cinereus, ash-colored]  /si NER ee ul/  cinereous: ashen
cinereous
see previous
cingulomania
[fr. L. cingere, to encircle + -mania]  /SING gyoo loh MAY nee uh/
the strong desire to hold someone in your arms
circumambages
instances of deviousness or indirectness in speech or writing: circumlocutions
circumambient
[fr. L. circumambire, to surround in a circle]  being on all sides: encompassing; surrounding
circumbendibus
an indirect or roundabout course, esp. in speaking or writing: circumlocution
circumfloribus
humorous nonce-word  flowery and long-winded
circumforaneous
a wandering from place to place;  as a circumforaneous musician
circumjacent
[fr. L. circumjacere, to lie around]  /sir kum JAY sent/
adjacent on all sides: surrounding
cirque
a deep, steep-walled basin on a mountain usu. forming the blunt end of a valley
cisalpine
situated on this side of the Alps  (compare cismontane)
cismarine
situated on this side of the ocean
cismontane
situated on this side of the mountains, esp. the Alps  (cf. cisalpine)
cispontine
[fr. cis-, near side + L. pons, bridge]  /si|spon TINE/
situated on this or the nearer side of the bridge (in London, north of the Thames)
compare transpontine
claque
a group hired to applaud at a performance; a group of sycophants
clart
[origin unknown]  Scot. and northern Eng. dial.
a) sticky or claggy dirt, mud, filth; (with pl.), a daub of sticky dirt
b) a dirty person (Sc.); a ‘cheap and nasty’ thing; hypocritical talk or flattery (north. Eng.)
clarty
[origin unknown]  Scot.  dirty, muddy; sticky, gooey
claudication
the quality or state of being lame: limping
claustration
a) the action of enclosing or confining in a cloister  b) transf. and fig.  (cf. exclaustration)
claustrophial
[fr. L. claustrum, confined space + -phile]
nonce-word used by Harlan Ellison to describe a space which could only be appreciated by someone who desires to be confined
clemmed
[fr. ME forclemmed, pinched with hunger]  /klem'd/
UK dial.  hungry; famished
clerihew
a light verse quatrain rhyming aabb and usually dealing with a person named in the initial rhyme
clerisy
[Introduced by Coleridge to express a notion no longer associated with the clergy]
the educated and intellectual people considered collectively; the literati or intelligentsia
clinchpoop
a lout, jerk, clod, boor, slob, boob, fathead, sap
clink
Scot.  cash, money
clinomania
[fr. Gk klin- sloping, inclining + -mania]
an overwhelming desire to stay in bed; esp. on a snowy (or rainy) day
clinquant
glittering of gold or tinsel
cliometrician
one who uses mathematics/computers to analyze historical data
cliosophic
[fr. Gk kleiein to tell of, celebrate + -sophic, of wisdom; cf. Clio, the muse of history]
rare  in praise of wisdom (usu. capitalized)
cloaca
[L.]  a sewer
cloacal
pertaining to a sewer; hence, concerned with or replete with obscenity or out-and-out indecency
clochard
[F. fr. clocher, to limp < L. cloppicare]  /klO SHAR/  a tramp; vagrant
clodpate
a combination of a clod and a blockhead
clodpoll
[clod + poll, head]  a stupid person: blockhead, clodpate
clowder
[var. of dial. clodder, clotted mass]  a group of cats
clumperton
a clownish, clumsy lout
clusterfist
obs.  1) a clumsy-fisted fellow; a clown, boor, lout
2) a close-fisted or grasping fellow; a tightwad
clyster
an enema
cobwebbery
[cobweb + -ery]  the spinning of cobwebs; a texture of cobwebs; fig.
cock-a-hoop
exulting; awry
Cockaigne
an imaginary land of great luxury and ease
Everyone was seeking renewal, a golden century, a Cockaigne of the spirit. - Umberto Eco
cockalorum
1) a self-important little man
2) the game of leapfrog
3) boastful talk
codswallop
slang, chiefly Brit.  nonsense, drivel, rubbish
coenaculous
[fr. L. cenaculum (erroneously spelt coen-), dining or supping-room]
/ke NA cue lous/?  that eats suppers; supper-loving
coenesthesis
Psychol.  /se nes THE sis/
general sense or feeling of existence arising from the sum of bodily impressions; the vital sense (also coenesthesia)
cofishes
other fish in a group; by transf. coworkers, cohorts (a Christopher Moore nonce-word)
cogitabund
[fr. L. cogitabundus, thinking; fr. cogitare, to think]
archaic  given to deep thought, having the appearance of being in deep meditation: pensive
cognoscente
someone who is knowledgeable about a subject
cohibit
inkhorn term  to restrain
cohobate
[fr. L. cohobare, perh. fr. Arab. ka'aba, to repeat an action]  /KO ah bate/
old Chem.  to redistill (a distillate) one or more times hence
cohobation
a repeated distillation
collachrymate
[fr. L. collacrimare, to weep together]
obs. rare  to weep together with, or in sympathy with; to commiserate
collachrymation
a weeping together
collieshangie
Scot.  squabble, brawl
collineomaniac
very rare  a hunter
collogue
[of obscure origin]  /kuh LAUG/
1) obs.   to deal flatteringly or deceitfully  2) dialect : to intrigue, conspire  3) to talk privately: confer
collop
1) a small piece or slice, especially of meat  2) a fold of fat flesh
God knows thou art a collop of my flesh. - W. Shakespeare, 1 Henry IV
colluctation
[fr. L. colluctari, to struggle]  archaic  a wrestling or struggling together; strife, conflict, opposition
collywobbles
[prob. by folk etymology from NL. cholera morbus]  bellyache
colophon
an identifying device used by a printer or publisher
colporteur
[F.]  a peddler of religious books
colure
[fr. Gk kolouros dock-tailed]  /KUL (j)u(r)/
Astron.  each of two great circles which intersect each other at right angles at the poles, and divide the equinoctial and the ecliptic into four equal parts; one passes through the equinoctial points, the other through the solstitial points, of the ecliptic
comity
[fr. L. comitas, courtesy]  friendly quality of social atmosphere, social harmony
comminate
[back-formation from commination]  to threaten; to denounce
commination
[fr. L. comminari, to threaten]  /kom uh NAY shun/  a formal denunciation; also used loosely
comminute
to crush, pulverize, reduce to minute particles: triturate
commorant
[fr. L. commorari  to tarry, abide]
obs.  abiding, dwelling, resident; hence, commorance (or commorancy) a usual place of residence
compenetrate
[med. L compenetrare]  to penetrate throughout: pervade, permeate thus, compenetration : pervasive penetration, mutual permeation
comperendinate
[fr. L. comperendinare, to defer (a trial)]  /kom per EN di nate/
obs.  to delay, to postpone {Johnson, 1805}
comperendination
delay; dilatoriness
comportation
[fr. L. comportare, to carry together]  obs.  a bringing together; an assemblage
compotation
[fr. L. compotatio, a drinking party] the act of drinking or tippling together
computronium
[coined by physicists Morgolus and Toffoli, for programmable matter(?)]
hypothetical material engineered to maximize its use as a computing substrate
conbobberation
[con + bobber(?) + ation; perh. from Anglo-Indian bobbery, a "row"]
U.S. colloq. (humorous)  obs. rare  a disturbance
concernment
[concern + -ment]  the thing in which one is concerned or interested; affair; business : a particular bearing upon the interest or happiness of one; importance; moment; meddling : emotion of mind; solicitude.
 - Rev. John Boag's Imperial Lexicon, c. 1850
concinnity
[see next]  harmony or elegance of design especially of literary style in adaptation of parts to a whole or to each other
concinnous
[L. concinnus  neatly arranged, elegant]  /kuhn SIN uhs/
characterized by concinnity: neat, elegant; harmonious
concrescence
a growing together: coalescence
concumbence
[fr. L. concumbere, to lie together]  obs.  a lying together
concupiscible
[fr. L. concupiscere]
lustful, desirous; archaic  that merits desire, suitable to be longed for or lusted after; greatly desirable
condign
deserved, appropriate
condorm
obs.  to sleep together (with one) {Cockerham}
confabulate
[fr. L. confabulari, to chat together]  /kun FAB yu late/
1) to talk familiarly together, converse, chat
2) Psych.  to fabricate imaginary experiences as compensation for memory gaps
confabulatory
/kun FAB yu luh tory/  marked by familiar talk; colloquial
conflate
1a) to bring together: fuse b) confuse(?)
2) to combine (as two readings of a text) into a composite whole
confricate
obs.  to rub together
confusticate
[fantastic alteration of confound or confuse]  colloq.
to confuse, confound, perplex
Confusticate and bebother those dwarves!   - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
congeries
aggregation, collection
congou
[ad. Chinese kung-fu work, and workman, kung-fu-ch'a, app. tea on which work or effort is expended - omission of the f is the foreigner's corruption (Prof. Legge)]  /KUN(j) go/
a fine grade of black tea imported from China
conjobble
to chat together; 'to concert, to settle, to discuss: a low cant word' - Johnson
conjubilant
[L.] rare  rejoicing together; shouting together with joy
consilience
[fr. L. consilere  < con- + silere, to leap]  /kun SIL iens/
jumping together, bridging the gaps to join together
consist
[fr. the verb, to consist of]   /CON sist/
[n] makeup or composition by classes, types, or grades and arrangement
consuetude
[fr. L. consuetudo, custom]  social usage: custom
consuetudinary
[fr. L. consuetudinarius, customary]  /con swi TUD inary/
[adj] according to consuetude: customary; (in law) based on custom as opp. to statutory or written
[n] Law  a book describing the customs of a particular group, esp. a religious one
contango
[perhaps an alteration of continue]  /cuhn TANG go/
Commerce  charge paid by purchaser for postponing payment from one settling day to next; compare backwardation
contemperation
obs.  accommodation; also, compromise
contortuplicate
[ad. L. contortuplicat-us < contortus, twisted together + plicatus, folded]
Bot.  twisted back upon itself; also in extended use
contrafibularities
[fr. contra-, against + fibula, a bone in the lower leg]  nonce-word
while sounding congratulatory, the elements suggest pulling someone's leg
Blackadder: Oh, well, in that case, sir, I hope you will not object
if I also offer the Doctor my most enthusiastic contrafibularities.
Dr. Samuel Johnson: What?
Blackadder: Contrafribularites, sir? It is a common word down our way.
Dr. Samuel Johnson: Damn! [writes in the book]
 - Edmund Blackadder, Blackadder the Third
contravivulating
nonce-word  twisting, convoluted (?)
contriturate
to pulverize
contubernal
living or messing together; intimate
contumacious
stubbornly disobedient, rebellious
contumation
[fr. contumacious, by false analogy after vexatious, vexation, etc.]  inkhorn term(?)
obs., rare  disobedience to authority; rebellious stubbornness : contumacy
contumelious
insolently abusive and humiliating
contumulate
[fr. L. contumulare, to entomb]  obs. rare  buried or entombed together
conurbation
an aggregation or continuous network of urban communities
conviciate
[fr. L. conviciari, to revile, rail at]  obs.  to revile, reproach, slander, rail at
conviciatory (convitiatory)
obs.  wrangling, railing; reproachful
coof
Scot.  a stupid fellow: dolt, lout
coolth
[as in warmth]  the state or occasion of being cool: coolness
copoclephilist
[fr. Gk kope, handle + kleis, key + -phile]  /co po CLEF il ist/?
a collector of key rings
copoclephily
the collecting of key-rings
coprolalia
the uncontrollable use of obscene language
coprolite
fossilized excrement
coprophagous
excrement eating
coprophilia
abnormal liking for excrement
Corinthian
a sporting rake, a fast man; a licentious libertine
cormorant
[fr. OF, raven-of-the-sea]
[n]  1) a rapacious sea-bird  2) a gluttonous, greedy, or rapacious person
[adj]  greedy, rapacious
cornobble
[fr. cor-, with(?) + nobble, to strike, hit, beat up]  /kor NOB bul/  to beat on the head {Phelps}
cornobbled
hit with a fist
cornscateouos
[corn + L. scatare, to bubble, gush, well, spring, or flow forth] /corn SKAY sious(?)/
signifies warm, damp air  Cornscateous air is everywhere. - Old Farmer's Almanac
cornucopiosity
nonce-word  cornucopia-like arrangement or profusion
corpocracy
[blend of corporate + bereaucracy]
1) a corporate bureaucracy, esp. one characterized by ineffective management
2) a society where the interests of large corporations inform economic and political decisions
corposant
[fr. Port. and OSp. corpo santo > L. corpus sanctum, holy body]  /KOR peh sant/
an electrical discharge accompanied by ionization of the surrounding atmosphere: St. Elmo's Fire
corrigendum
an error in a printed work discovered after printing and shown with its correction on a separate sheet
corroboree
Austral.  a noisy festivity, tumult
coruscant
[fr. L. coruscare to quiver, flash]  shining, glittering
corybantic
orgiastic
coryphaeus
the leader of the Greek chorus; hence,
1) the leader of a chorus
2) the leader of a party or school of thought
cosmopsis
[fr. cosmic + -opsis, view]
a cosmic view of life, which leads one to psychological paralysis (see novelist John Barth's heros)
costermonger
a hawker of fruits, vegetables, fish, etc.; to sell fruits, vegetables, etc.
costive
[fr. L. costiver, to bind]
1) affected with constipation, causing constipation
2) slow in action or expression
3) stingy, niggardly
costiveness
constipation; also fig.,  stultification
costrel
[Anglo-French]  an earthenware or leather bottle with loops for attachment to the belt
coulrophobia
[ostensibly fr. Gk koulon, limb; related to kolobathristes, one who goes on stilts]
an irrational fear of clowns
crabbit
Scot. dialect  ill-tempered, grumpy, curt, disagreeable, in a bad mood (esp. in the morning) - often used in Ken this, yer a crabbit get, so ye are.
[n] (see crab) one who by their nature or temperament conveys an aura of irritability
craic
Irish  /crack/  the combined sensation of good conversation, good company, good times etc.: great fun
crambo
rhyming game; doggerel
crapulosity
[see next]  /crap yu LOS ity/
A) an inclination to drunkenness or gluttony
B) by transf.  something which is complete rubbish
crapulous
[fr. L. crapula < Gk kraipaleme  intoxication, drunken headache]
suffering from overindulgence in food or drink
craquelure
[F.]  /kra kloor/
a network of fine cracks that may appear on the surface of an oil painting as it ages; also in extended use
crassitude
[ad. L. crassitudo, f. crassus, crass]  /KRAS uh t(y)ud/
1) obs.  thickness (as of a solid body)
2) the quality or state of being crass: grossness; excessive dullness of intellect, obtuseness; also, an instance of this
crastinate
[fr. L. crastinum, tomorrow]  obs. (inkhorn term?)
= procrastinate, delay
crastination
= procrastination
credenda
[L.] things to be believed: articles of faith
crepitant
having or making a crackling sound
crepuscular
of or relating to twilight: dim
cri de coeur
 [F., cry from the heart]  /kree de KOER/  an impassioned outcry (as of appeal or protest)
cringeworthy
[eponymous, after Cuthbert Cringeworthy (Beano comics)]
informal, orig. Brit.  causing feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness
criticaster
an inferior or petty critic
cromulent
nonsense word  used in an ironical sense to mean legitimate, and therefore, in reality, spurious and not at all legitimate (assumes common knowledge of the Simpsons reference)
croodle
to cower or crouch down; to draw oneself together, as for warmth; to cling close together, or nestle close to a person: snuggle
crotchet
[n] a highly individual and usually eccentric opinion or preference
crotcheteer
[crotchet (whim) + -eer] one who has a crotchet or who thrusts his crotchets on others
crowkeeper
[crow + keeper]  obs.  a person employed to scare off crows
crozzled
[origin unknown]  Brit. dial.  charred, burnt to a coal
cruciverbalist
a designer or aficionado of crossword puzzles
crudification
the process or result of making something crude; an example of this
crumenically
[fr. L. crumena, purse]
humorous nonce-word  in relation to the purse; related to money
crwth
Welsh  crowd (an ancient Celtic musical instrument; an early form of the fiddle)
cryptoscopophilia
the urge to look through the windows of homes you walk past
cryptozoology
/KRIP tuh zoe AH luh gee/
the study of the lore concerning legendary animals esp. in order to evaluate the possibility of their existence
cuckold
a man whose wife is unfaithful
cuckquean
a woman whose husband is unfaithful
culacino
[It.] a mark left on a surface(?) by a moist glass
culch
1) clean trash or rubbish  2) a person or thing not highly regarded
culicide
a poison that kills mosquitoes
cullet
[perh. fr. F. cueillette act of gathering, < L. collecta]  /KUH let/
broken or refuse glass used to facilitate melting in glassmaking
cullibility
[fr. cully, to make a fool of + -bility]  archaic  gullibility
cully
cheat; deceive
cumatic
[fr. Gk kumat, wave; after L. cumatilis]  obs.  sea-colored, blue
cumber-ground
[fr. cumber, to block up]
a person or thing that uselessly cumbers the ground; a useless or unprofitable occupant of a position
cumulose
[fr. L. cumulus, a heap]  cf. cumulus (heap-like) clouds
1) obs.  full of heaps {in Bailey}  2) of a soil deposit  consisting chiefly of accumulated organic matter
cunctation
delay; procrastination
cunctative
delaying
cunctatory
[fr. L. cunctari, to delay]  /KUNK tuh tuh ri/  (not so) rare  delaying
cunctipotent
[fr. L. cunctus, all + potens, powerful)]  rare  all powerful, omnipotent
cupidity
1) inordinate desire for wealth: avarice, greed
2) strong desire: lust
curglaff
Scot. dial.  the shock felt when plunging into cold water
curple
[corruption of Sc. crupper]  (rhymes with purple, cf. hirple)
Scot.  1) the hind-quarters or rump of a horse  2) transf. the rump, posterior
cwm
Welsh  valley; cirque
cyanthropy
the delusion that one is a dog
cymbiform
[from L. cymba, boat + form]  Anat., Bot.  boat-shaped
cymotrichous
[fr. Gk kuma, wave + trich-, hair]  /SY ma tre kes/
Anthrop.  having wavy hair
cymotrichy
[see previous]  wavy-hairedness
cymric
/KIM ric/  [from W. cymru, Welsh]  usu. capitalized
of, relating to, or characteristic of the non-Gaelic Celtic people of Britain or their language; specif : Welsh
cynarctomachy
bear baiting with a dog
cynosure
center of attention

discontinue (not)


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