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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 
    wwftd email

G

gaberlunzie

[origin unknown]  /gab er LUN zie/

Scot.  a strolling beggar, peddler or tinker

gadarene

[from the demon-possessed Gadarene swine that rushed into the sea (Matthew 8:28)]

headlong, precipitate   Gadarene poets - T. E. Lawrence

gadzookery

Brit.  the use of archaisms (as in a historical novel)

gafty

Cheshire dialect  sly; tricky; cunning; not to be trusted; mischievous {Joseph Wright's Eng. Dialect Dict.}

galeanthropy

the delusion that one is a cat

galericulate

[fr. L. galea, helmet]  covered as with a hat

galgenhumor

[G., Galgenhumor]  /GAL gen hyu mor/  gallows-humor

galimatias

nonsensical talk; gibberish; gobbledygook

galliard

archaic  1) gay, lively  2) stouthearted

galliardise

[fr. F. galliard]  (or galliardize)  /GAL yeh(r) dize/

archaic  exuberant merriment, (extreme) gaiety

gallimaufry

[F. galimafrée]  medley, jumble

gallionic

[characteristic of Gallio, a Roman proconsul whose refusal to take action is recorded in Acts xviii. 17]

usu. capitalized : marked by indifference or easygoing carelessness of irresponsibility

galluptious

wonderful, delightful, delicious [also galoptious, and perhaps best, goluptuous after voluptuous]

galumph

to move with a clumsy heavy tread -- coined by Lewis Carroll

gamboge

[fr. N.L. gambogium]   /gam boje/

1) an orange to brown gum resin that becomes bright yellow when powdered, used by artists as a yellow pigment and in medicine as a cathartic

2) a strong yellow that is redder and less strong than yolk yellow or light chrome yellow

gambrinous

being full of beer

gamine

a homeless girl: urchin

gammer

a rustic title for an old woman, corresponding to gaffer for a man (regarded as a corruption of grandmother)

gammerstang

Brit.  a tall, awkward person, usually a woman

gamophobia

an extreme fear of marriage

ganch

to execute by impaling on stakes or hooks

gangue

[fr. F., < G. Gang, vein of metal]  /gan/  (var.: gang)

the worthless rock or earthy matter in a mineral deposit

gaposis

a gap between buttoned buttons or closed snaps on a garment

garboil

a confused disordered state: turmoil

She's dead, my queen: Look here, and at thy sovereign leisure read the garboils she awaked; at the last, best: see when and where she died. - Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra

garbology

the study of society or culture by examining or analyzing its refuse

garderobe

[fr. F. garderobe, < garde-r, to keep + robe]  /GA(r)D robe/

now only Hist.  properly, a locked-up wardrobe (or its contents); by extension, a private room, a bed-chamber; a privy, built into or extending out from a wall

gardyloo

Scot.  used as a warning cry when throwing slops from the window into the street

garniture

embellishment, trimming; a set of decorative objects

gasbaggery

a nonce-word which refers to garrulous politicians

gasconade

boasting, bravado

gasogene

[F. gazogène, from gaz, gas + o-gene]  a late Victorian device for producing carbonated water

gastrolith

[gastro-, stomach + -lith, related to stone]

a stone or pebble ingested by an animal to aid in food processing or buoyancy

gastropub

[fr. gastro- in gastronomic, etc. + pub]

Brit.  a public house which specializes in serving high-quality food (as opposed to pub-grub)

gaudiloquent

[fr. L. gaudium, joy + -loquus, speaking]  obs. rare  speaking with joy or happiness

gavage

[F.]  /ga VAZH/  introduction of material into the stomach by a tube: forced-feeding (as of poultry or infants)

gaydar

[portmanteau of gay + radar]  slang  the supposed ability to discern whether a person is homosexual, at a glance

gazump

Brit./Austral.  to unfairly acquire a property by bidding more than an offer that has already been accepted

gazunder

UK colloq.  to arbitrarily reduce the offered price for a property, esp. near the date of exchange of contracts; cf. gazump (from gazump + under)

geck

an object of scorn; a dupe

gegenschein

[G., counter-glow]  /GAY gen shine/

the 'opposition effect,' a diffuse, faint light sometimes visible almost directly opposite the sun in the night sky, thought to be sunlight reflected by dust particles in the atmosphere - best seen in September and October

geis

[Irish]  /gesh?/  (also gaysh, geas; pl. geasa)

Irish folklore  a solemn injunction, prohibition, or taboo; a moral obligation

gelastic

[fr. Gk gelastos, laughable]  /juh LAS tik/  serving the function of laughter, risible

gelid

extremely cold: icy

gemebund

[L. gemebundus]  /JEM eh bund/  inkhorn term, rare  groaning; sighing

gemeinschaft

a spontaneous social relationship characterized by strong reciprocal bonds of sentiment and kinship within a common tradition

gemelliparous

/gem el LIP ah rous/  [from L. gemellus, twin + parere, to produce]  

rare  producing twins

gemutlich

[G.] agreeably pleasant: comfortable

gemütlichkeit

[G., fr. gemütlich, congenial]  /geh MOOT lik kite/  cordiality, warm friendliness

genethlialogy

[Gk genethlialogía, casting of destinies]  /jeh neth lee OL uh jee/

the science of calculating positions of the heavenly bodies on nativities; the act or art of casting nativities; astrology

hence, genethlialogic

genizah

[Heb., hiding place < ganaz, to hide]  /geh NEE zah/  (also geniza)

a repository for Hebrew documents and sacred books that are no longer in use, e.g. because they are old and worn, but must not be destroyed

geocacher

[see next]  one who participate in geocaching

geocaching

[blend of geo + cache]  a type of scavenger hunt in which participants are given the geographical coordinates of a cache of items, which they then locate using GPS navigation; hence, geocacher

geomancy

[ad. L. geomantia, a. late Gk geomanteia]

divination by means of signs derived from the earth; hence, usually, divination by means of lines or figures formed by a series of random dots

geophagous

[fr. geo-, of earth + -phagia, eating]  earth-eating

gephyrophobia

[fr. Gk gephyra, bridge + phobos, fear]  an abnormal and persistent fear of crossing bridges

gephyrophobiac

someone who fears crossing bridges

gerascophobia

a morbid, irrational fear of, or aversion to, growing old

gerful

[fr. gere (a wild or changeful mood) + -ful]  obs.   changeful; wild, wayward

gerontic

[fr. Gk geront-, old man + -ic]  of or relating to decadence or old age   gerontic nursing

gesellschaft

a rationally developed mechanistic type of social relationship characterized by impersonally contracted associations between persons

gest

a tale of adventures, esp: a romance in verse; adventure, exploit

gezorgenplatz

nonsense word   a random thingname  (various spellings)

gharnao

a raft made of inverted ceramic pots

ghastful

1) full of fear, timid, scared

2) dreadful, frightful, terrible 3) ghastly

ghost word

an accidental word form never in established usage; especially: one arising from an editorial or typographical error or a mistaken pronunciation (as phantomnation or dord)

giaour

an infidel

gibbet

a gallows

gigantomachize

[fr. Gk gigantomachia, war of the giants against the gods]

obs.   to rise in revolt against one's betters

gilderoy

Newf. dial.  /GIL de roy/  a proud person

gilflurt

[see also flirt-gills, Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet]

obs  a proud minks, a vain capricious woman  {Grose's 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue}

gillie

Scot.  a professional fishing and hunting guide (also ghillie)

gilravage

[origin unknown]

chiefly Scot.  to practice intemperate eating and drinking; to be noisy and boisterous in merrymaking

girouette

[F] a rooster-shaped weather vane

glabella

the space between the eyebrows, just above the nose

glabrous

smooth, esp: having a surface without hairs or projections

glaikit

[ME (Scot) glaikit]  chiefly Scottish  foolish, giddy, thoughtless

glandaceous

[from L. gland-, the fruit of the oak]  yellowish-brown : acorn-colored

glaver

[fr. M. Eng. glaveren]  obs.  to talk in a deceitfully kind or pleasant manner: flatter

gleek

to joke or jest, to gibe

gleg

Scot.  quick, sharp

glisk

[origin unknown]  chiefly Scot.

1) a glimpse  2) a gleam or glimmer  3) a brief moment: instant

gloppen

[fr. ON glupna, to be downcast]  Brit. dialect  surprise, shock, astonish

glossator

[fr. L. glossare, to gloss]

1) one that makes textual glosses; a commentator; spec. one of the mediæval commentators on the texts of Civil and Canon Law

2) a compiler of a glossary

glossatorial

of the nature of glosses

glossolalia

speaking in tongues

glossomachicall

[as if f. Gk. glossomachos, f. glosso, tongue + -machos, fighting]

obs. nonce-word  given to wordy strife

glottogonic

[see next]  /glot oh GON ik/  relating to the origin of language

glottogony

[fr. Gk glossa, tongue + gonikos, of the seed]  /glo TOG uh nee/

the study of the (putative) origin of language

glurge

improbable stories with moralistic undertones, intended to tug at your heartstrings; coating a kernel of an idea with a saccharine layer of deception to make the inspiration that much easier to swallow

glutinous

[fr. L. glutinosus < gluten, glue]  /GLOOT (e)n us/

of the nature of or resembling glue; sticky

glutless

[fr. glut, satiate + -less]  nonce-word  insatiable

glyptic

the art or process of carving or engraving esp on gems

gnatho

[fr. L. Gnatho, a parasite in Terrence's play, The Eunuch]

a person resembling the Gnatho of Terence; a parasite, sycophant

gnathonic

[see previous]  obsequious, toadying, parasitical, flattering and deceitful

gnathonize

obs. rare  to act the sycophant; to play the smell-feast, to flatter {Blount, 1656}

gnome

[fr. Gk. gnome, thought, judgement, opinion]

a short pithy statement of a general truth; a proverb, maxim, aphorism, or apophthegm

gnome

[fr. L. gnomus]  

1) an ageless and often deformed dwarf who lives in the earth and usu. guards treasure

2) an elemental being (in the theory of Paracelsus) that inhabits the earth

gnomon

an object that by the length of it shadow indicates the hour of the day

gobemouche

[F., flycatcher] a credulous person; esp. one who believes everything he hears

gobsmacked

[prob. from Irish/Gaelic gob, mouth + smack; literally, smacked in the mouth]

UK slang  flabbergasted, astounded; speechless or incoherent with amazement

goditorium

[after auditorium]  slang  a church, perhaps a huge and gaudy one

goety

[fr. Gk goeteia]  /GO ed y/  archaic  witchcraft or magic performed by the invocation and employment of evil spirts; necromancy

golem

artificial man endowed with life

gombeen

Irish  usury; chiefly used attrib. as gombeen-man, a money-lender, usurer

gomeral

Brit. dialect  a half-wit; dunce, fool

gonfalon

a flag that hangs from a crosspiece or frame

gongoozler

[perhaps from Lincolnshire dial. gawn + gooze]  Brit. slang or dial.  originally, an idler who stares at length at activity on a canal; hence, an idle spectator

goniometer

an instrument for measuring angles; direction finder

gonkulator

[gonk + calculator]  /GON kyoo lay tur/

1) a pretentious piece of equipment that actually serves no useful purpose

2) a word used in place of an actual technical term for a mechanical device

google

[a play on the word googol, reflecting the immense amount of information  to be found on the web]  to search the web with a standard search engine such as Google® or Yahoo!

googol

the figure 1 followed by 100 zeroes (10 raised to the hundredth power)

googolplex

the figure 1 followed by a googol of zeroes (10 raised to the googol power)

goombah

[fr. It. dial. compare, gumbare : literally, godfather]

1) a close friend or associate - esp. among Italian- American men

2) mafioso; broadly: gangster  3) a macho Italian-American man

goop

[arbitrary formation]  slang (orig. U.S.)  a stupid or fatuous person

gorbellied

corpulent

gorgeosity

[a blend of gorgeous + generosity (?)]  an abundance (generosity) of gorgeousness

gorgonize

stupefy, petrify

gork

medical slang  a patient with unknown ailments (god only really knows)

gormless

Brit.  stupid, brainless

gormlessness

[gormless + -ness]  the state of lacking intelligence; foolishness

gormster

[related to gormless < gorm, gaum, gome : understanding]

someone of little sense or discernment, a fool

goropism

[eponymous]  Leibniz coined the term (after Goropius Becanus, who tried to prove that Dutch was the Ur Sprache of all languages) to characterize the practice of basing historical linguistic relationships on absurd etymologies

gowpen

 /GAU pen/  Scot.  a double handful

A hanfu' o' trade is worth a gowpen o' gold. - old Scottish proverb

gracile

[L. gracilis]  /GRAS ul/ or /GRAS ile/

1) gracefully slender  2) graceful

gralloch

[fr. Sc. Gaelic grealach, entrails]  UK  to remove the offal from (a deer)  also transf.  

gramarye

/GRAM er eye/  occult learning, magic, necromancy

grammaticaster

[med. L. f grammatic-us + -aster, expressing incomplete resemablance]  /gram MAT i CAS ter/

contemptuous  a petty grammarian; a pretentious grammatical pedant

grammatolatry

[fr. Gk grammato- + Eng. -latry, worship of or fanatical devotion to]  /GRAM eh TAL eh tree/

the worship of letters or words; fig. concern for the letter with disregard for the spirit  cf. epeolatry

grandiloquence

lofty or pompous eloquence: bombast

grandiloquent

characterized by lofty or pompous eloquence: bombastic

grandiloquism

[fr. L. grandiloqu-us + -ism]  the practice of using bombastic language

granfalloon

any large bureaucratic figment of people's imagination

(sing along with Bokonon:)

If you wish to study a granfalloon,

Just remove the skin of a toy balloon.

- Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle

grangerism

[fr. James Granger who published a 'Biographical History of England', with blank leaves for the reception of engraved portraits or other pictorial illustrations of the text.]

the practice of illustrating a book with engravings, prints, etc. cut from other books

grangerize

to illustrate a book with engravings, prints, etc. cut from other books

granitic

[fr. granite]  having unyielding firmness or austere inflexibility

grannyism

[granny + -ism]  (also old-grannyism)  a characteristic or mannerism of an old woman

graphospasm

writer's cramp

grassation

[fr. L. grassari to go about, attack, rage against]

obs.  an act of attacking violently; a lying in wait to attack

gratulate

 archaic  congratulate

graunch

[imitative, compare crunch]

UK dial.  to make a crunching or grinding sound  (also graunchy)

graunching

Brit.  crunching, grinding

graupel

granular snow pellets

graustark

1) an imaginary place of high romance

2) a highly romantic piece of writing

gravamen

the material part of a complaint

gravaminous

obs.  grievous, annoying, distressing

gravedinous

[ad. L. gravedinosus, fr. gravedo, heaviness]

obs. rare  drowsy, heavy-headed {in Bailey}; hence, perhaps, gravedinously

graveolent

rank smelling, fetid

gravitas

high seriousness

gregarian

[fr. L. gregarius < grex  flock, herd]  obs., rare  belonging to the herd or common sort; common  (cf. gregarious)

gregarization

[fr. L. gregaria, the gregarious phase of locusts]  the swarming of locusts

gregger

Hebrew  (also gragger, grogger)  a rattle noisemaker {A Popular Dict. of Jadaism}

gregicide

[fr. L. grex flock, crowd + -cide (after regicide)]

nonce-wd.  involving the slaughter of the common people

gremial

of or relating to the lap or bosom

greyhoundy

[gray + hound + -y]  resembling a greyhound dog in appearance

gribble

a small crustaceon which destroys submerged timber

gridironic

[fr. gridiron, after ironic]  related to the game of (American) football  [suitable for ironic usage]

grimalkin

a cat; esp: an old female cat

grimgribber

a lawyer; also, technical jargon, as in legal matters

grimoire

a magician's manual for invoking demons and spirits of the dead

grimpen

[unknown origin] a marshy area (?)

grimthorpe

Brit.  to remodel or restore an old building without proper grounding or knowledge of its authentic character or without exercising care to remain faithful to its original quality and uniqueness

grinagog

a perpetual grinner

grith

[fr. Old Norse gridh : domicile, asylum]

obs. exc. Hist.  protection or sanctuary provided by Old English law to persons in certain circumstances

grivoiserie

[F.] lewd and lascivious behavior

groak

one who stands around while others eat, in hopes he will be asked to join

grobian

a crude, slovenly person; a lout

grockle

[origin uncertain]  Brit. dialect, mildly disparaging

holiday-maker or tourist (esp. in southwest England); a summer visitor

grosz

[Polish] 1/100 of a zloty

grotendous

[portmanteau (coined by Neal Stephenson)]   neologism   grotesque, horrendous

grotendously

see previous

grotty

wretchedly shabby; of a poor quality

growlery

a retreat for times of ill humor

This, you must know, is the growlery. When I am out of humour, I come and growl here. -- Dickens, Bleak House

grue

[Scot., akin to OHG ingruen, to shiver, shudder]  /gru/

[v] to shiver or shudder especially with fear or cold  [n] 1) a shiver  2) a gruesome quality or effect

grum

glum, morose

grumbletonian

[fr. grumble, after Grindletonian (a British sect)]  a discontented person; a grumbler

gruntle

[by back-formation fr. disgruntle]  to put in good humor  [originally, to grumble, complain (or grunt)]

gruntled

[see previous]  satisfied, pleased

gry

[fr. Gk gru grunt of a pig; dirt under the nail]

obs.  anything of little value, as the paring of the nails {Johnson, 1805}

guano

[Sp., fr. Quechua huanu dung]  seafowl (or bat) excrement used as fertilizer

gubbins

Brit.  a collection of unimportant objects

gubernate

[fr. L. guberno, to steer/govern]  obs. rare  to govern; hence, gubernation (and gubernatorial)

gubernatiion

now rare  the act of governing:  governance

guddle

[prob. imitative]  /GUD ul/  hence, guddling

1) to grope for fish in their lurking places

2) chiefly Scot.  to feel one's way with or as if with the hands: grope

gudget

[perhaps related to F. goujat, an army valet; a soldier's boy]  Scot., obs.  a camp-follower; hence, a person of menial or low type

guerdon

[Middle F.]  /GER dun/

something that one has earned or gained: reward, recompense

guetapens

[F. guet-apens, < MF, de guet apens, with premeditation]

ambush, snare, trap  a trick to lure him into some guetapens

guffin

[of unknown origin]  Brit. dial. and slang  a stupid, clumsy person

guidwillie

Scot.  cordial, cheering

gulosity

greediness

gulous

[fr. L. gula - gullet, gluttony]  obs. rare  gluttonous

gump

a complete nitwit

gumpheon

Scot.  a funeral banner

gunge

[of uncertain origin; perh. associated with goo, grunge, gunk, etc.]

Brit. slang  any messy or clogging substance, esp. one considered otherwise unidentifiable; also, general rubbish, clutter, filth

gunkhole

a slimy bay or anchorage

gurning

making funny, ugly or scary faces

gurry

the parts left over after cleaning fish

gutterblood

Scot. 1) a low-bred person; one of the rabble

2) someone brought up one's immediate neighborhood, who is on equal footing as to their station

guttle

to eat greedily

gyascutis

a large imaginary four-legged beast with legs on one side longer than on the other for walking on hillsides

gymnosophist

one of a sect of naked ascetics of ancient India

gynecocracy

political supremacy of women

gynotikolobomassophilia

a proclivity for nibbling on women's earlobes

gyre

to move in a circle or spiral

gyrovague

a monk who was in the habit of wandering from monastery to monastery

H

haboob

[Arab. habub, blowing furiously]  /ha BOOB/

a hot, violent wind which causes duststorms or sandstorms, esp. of the Sahara in Sudan

habromania

[fr. Gk Habros, graceful, + mania, insanity]

Psych.  a morbid impulse toward gaity

habromanic

euphoric

hackbut

harquebus; a matchlock gun invented in the 15th century

hackette

[hack + -ette]  a jocular or disparaging term for a female journalist

hadal

of, relating to or being parts of the ocean below 6000 meters

hadeharia

constant use of the word 'hell'

hadiwist

[had-I-wist; from (archaic) wit, to know; akin to Latin videre, to see]

obs.  the awareness that, if only one had known, one must have acted otherwise; a vain regret, or the heedlessness or loss of opportunity which leads to it

haecceity

[from L. haec, this]  /hek-SEE-ih-ty/  

Scholastic Philos.  that which gives something its unique quality: thisness (compare quiddity, whatness)

haggersnash

[Sc. term applied to tart language {Jamieson}]

Scot. dialect  a spiteful person

hagiography

biography of saints; idealizing or idolizing biography

hagiophobia

the fear of saints or holy things

hagriding

[hag + ride, cf. hagridden]  archaic  tormenting

hagseed

the offspring of a hag

ha-ha

[fr. F. haha, an expression of surprise] a ditch with a retaining wall used to divide lands without defacing a landscape: sunk fence

haka

[Maori]   /HA kuh/

a Maori ceremonial war dance involving chanting, a version of which is performed by New Zealand rugby teams before a match

halal

[fr. Arab. halal, lawful]  to kill an animal in the manner prescribed by Muslim law; hence, lawful food; also attrib. and as adj.

halation

a spreading of light beyond its proper boundaries

halcyon

golden, peaceful, happy, prosperous

halieutics

the art or practice of fishing

halitotic

[fr. L. halitus, breath]  /HAL uh TOT ic/?  (characterized by) having bad breath

hallux

the big toe

hamartia

tragic flaw

hamartiologist

jocular?  an expert on the subject of sin

hamartiology

a part of theology treating the doctrine of sin

hand-ahin

the back, left-hand horse of a plow team  [cf. furrahin]

handsel

1) a gift made as a token of good wishes or luck especially at the beginning of a new year

2) something received first (as in a day of trading) and taken to be a token of good luck

3 a) a first installment: earnest money b) earnest, foretaste

hangashore

[hang + ashore]  Newf. dial  a lazy person (a fisherman who doesn't fish)

hantu

[Malay.] an evil spirit, a ghost

hapax legomenon

[Gk, something said only once]  a word evidenced by a single citation

haplography

[fr. Gk haplo- single + -graphy writing]  /hap LOG ruh fee/

the inadvertent omission of a repeated letter(s) in writing (e.g. writing philogy for philology)  compare haplology, for pronunciation

haplology

the contraction of a word by the omission of one or more similar sounds or syllables (as in mineralogy for mineralology or prob-ly for probably)

haptic

relating to the sense of touch

harbouration

Cheshire dial.  a collection (of unpleasant things?)

hardscrabble

1) being or relating to a piece of barren or barely arable soil

2) marked by poverty

harridan

an ill-tempered scolding woman: shrew

hart

the male of the red deer esp when over five years old; stag

haruspex

an inspector of entrails

haruspicy

[fr. L. Haruspex, the title of a lower order of priests who performed the act]  /huh RUS puh see/

divination from the entrails of sacrificial animals (see extispicy])

haver

[origin unknown]

chiefly Brit.  to hem and haw: stall for time (as by useless talk)

Scot.  to talk foolishly; babble  Tom havered on

havering

stalling for time  she was exasperated by all this havering

hebdomad

a group of seven; a week

hebetate

to make dull or obtuse

hebetation

[ad. L. hebetare, fr. hebes: dull]  /heh buh TAY shun/  (see also: hebetude)

the state of being dull; lethargy; stupidity

Aphrodite--sitting graveolent in her royal hebetation, surrounded by all her holouries... - John Gardner

hebetude

lethargy, dullness

hecatomb

[fr. L. hecatombe < Gk hekatombe]  /HEK uh tome/ (or -tum)

1) an ancient Greek and Roman sacrifice consisting typically of 100 oxen or cattle  transf. and fig.: 2) the sacrifice or slaughter of many victims 3) a large number or quantity

hector

to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure

hederated

[fr. L. hederatus]  /HED ur ated/

adorned or crowned with ivy

hedgehoggy

[hedgehog + -y]  archaic  having a prickly nature, of a forbidding appearance or manner; tending to arouse aversion

hedgehogginess

see previous

hedonics

the doctrine of pleasure; that part of ethics which treats of pleasure

hedonometer

an apparatus for measuring pleasure

hegemon

[fr. Gk. hegemon, leader]  /HEJ uh mon/

one that exercises hegemony; a leading or dominant power

hegemony

[Gk hegemonia, fr. hegemon leader, fr. hegeisthai to lead]  /hi JE muh ne/

preponderant influence or authority over others: domination

hegira

a journey esp when undertaken to escape from a dangerous or undesirable situation; exodus

heidyin

usu. in the phrase 'high heidyins'  /hi heed yins/

Scot.  (high) head one(s)

heisenbug

[after Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle]

Programming jargon  a software bug that alters its behavior or disappears when you try to isolate it or examine it  (compare schroedinbug)

helliferocious

[blend of hellacious + ferocious]  Hist:  hellaciously ferocious

helluation

[fr. L. helluari, to gormandize]  obs. rare  'A devouring gluttony' {Blount}

hemidemisemiquaver

a 1/64 note in music [see also demisemiquaver]

hemipygic

[fr. Gk hemi- half + pyg, buttocks + -ic]  jocular nonce-word  having only one buttock (or, half-assed)

hendecasyllabic

[(n), a] (a verse or poem) consisting of eleven syllables

hendiadys

[L., one through two]  /hen DIE uh dis/

the expression of an idea by the use of two words connected by conjunction which normally would be expressed by an adjective and a substantive; e.g., grace and favor instead of gracious favor

henotheism

worship of one god, without denying the existence of others

henotic

[fr. the G. word for unification]   promoting harmony or peace, unifying; irenic  cf. henotheism

heresiarch

[L.L. haeresiarcha, from L.Gk hairesiarches]  /huh REE zee ark/

the founder of a heresy or the leader of a heretical sect

hermeneutical

of or relating to hermeneutics: interpretive (also hermeneutic)

hermeneutics

the study of the methodological principles of interpretation (as of the Bible)

hermetic

[fr. Hermes Trismegistus] 1) mysterious, occult; recondite 2) sealed airtight

herpetical

[fr. Gk herpein, to creep]  /her PED ik al/

1) of the nature of herpes  2) rare  related to serpents

herpetological

[fr. Gk herpeto, a creeping thing]  relating to the study of reptiles and amphibians

hesitude

[fr. L. haes- (< haerere, to hold fast) + -tude]  obs. rare  doubtfulness

hesternal

[fr. hesternus, of yesterday]  pertaining to yesterday

hesternopothia

[fr. L. hesternus + pother(?), mental tumult]  jocular  a pathological yearning for the good old days  

hesychastic

soothing, calming, as some ancient Greek music

[fr. the Hesychasts, fourteenth century Eastern mystics who contemplated their navels, seeing therein the Divine Light]

heteroclite

[F. < Gk. heteroklitos, different form]  /HE-tuh-ruh-klite/

[adj] 1) irregular or abnormal; anomalous  2) Gram. irregular in inflection

[n] 1) a person or thing that deviates from the ordinary rule or form; fig., a maverick  2) Gram. a word irregularly inflected

heteroclitical

[F. hétéroclite]  deviating from the ordinary rule; irregular, abnormal

heterological

non-self-descriptive (used by Hofstadter to describe words such as monosyllabic and long)

heterozetesis

ignoratio elenchi

heuristic

of or relating to exploratory problem-solving methods that utilize self-educating techniques to improve performance

hexaemeron

the (biblical) six days of creation

hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia

[fr. Gk hexa^kosioi-, six hundred + hexekonta-, sixty + hex, six + -phobia]

fear of the number six-hundred and sixty-six  hence, hexakosioihexekontahexaphobiac

hexerei

[Pennsylvania German, fr. G. Hexe, witch]  /hek seh RYE/  witchcraft

hibernaculum

[L. hibernaculum, winter residence < hibernare]

1) obs.  a greenhouse for wintering plants

2) a shelter occupied in winter by a dormant animal

hiccius doctius

/HICK shius DOCK shius/  a slang word for a juggler; one that plays fast and loose

hiemal

[fr. L. hiems, winter]  /HYE uh mul/  

now rare  characteristic of or relating to winter; wintry (see also hibernal, brumal)

hilasmic

[fr. the Gk word for propitiation]  rare  propitiatory

himation

rectangular garment draped over left shoulder and wrapped around the body (ancient Greece)

hinky

[of uncertain origin]  US informal

1) dishonest or suspect  he knew the guy was hinky

2) unreliable  my brakes are a little hinky

hipped

[fr. hypochondria, by shortening and alt.]  /hipt/

1) marked by worry, depression, or hypochondria

2) absorbed to an extreme or unreasonable degree: obsessed (usu. used with on)

hircine

characteristic of a goat, esp its odor

hircismus

having smelly armpits

hircosity

[fr. L. hircus, billy goat, thus by extension from that legendary aspect of a goat's character]  goatishness, lewdness

hirdum dirdum

Brit. dial.  an uproar  (cf. dirdum)

hirple

Scot.  to walk lamely (rhymes with purple)

hirsute

roughly hairy, esp. coarse pubic hair

hirsutulous

see next

hirtellous

[fr. L. hirtus : rough, hairy + -ellus (diminutive suffix)]  /hur TEL us/  (also hirsutulous)

finely hirsute  thickened hirtellous leaves

hirudinal

[fr. L. hirudinem, leech]  obs.  of or pertaining to a leech

historicity

[prob. fr. F. historicité, < L. historicus]

1) the quality or state of being historic esp. as opposed to ficticious or legendary

2) a condition of being placed in the stream of history; also: a result of such placement

hobson-jobson

/HOB sun JOB sun/  1) a glossary of colloquial Anglo-Indian words and phrases

2) the alteration of a word or phrase borrowed from a foreign language to accord more closely with the orthoepy and orthography of the borrowing language; as in English hoosegow from Spanish juzgado, or British plonk from French vin blanc

Hobson's choice

the option of taking the one thing offered or nothing [after Thomas Hobson (1544-1630), English keeper of a livery stable, from his requirement that customers take either the horse nearest the stable door or none]

(also, rhyming slang for voice)

hoddypeak

[fr. hoddy-dod, a shell-snail + peak] obs.  a fool, simpleton, blockhead

hodiernal

[fr. L. hodiernus]  /ho di UR nal/  of or belonging to the present day   cf. diurnal

hoggerel

Brit.  a young sheep

hogg-night

Scot.  Hogmanay

It is still the custom in parts of Scotland for persons to go from door to door on New Year's Eve asking in rude rhymes for snacks or money (hog meaning a piece of money, is any silver coin - sixpence, shilling, or five-shilling).

Hogmanay

Scot.  New Year's Eve

hogshead

a large cask measuring 54 gallons

hoick

[prob. alt. of hike]  to move or pull abruptly: yank

holophrasis

expression of a complex of ideas in a single word

holour

obs. - Chaucer  a whoremonger

holouries

fornicators and debauchees, usually female

Aphrodite -- sitting graveolent in her royal hebetation, surrounded by all her holouries

  - John Gardner, Jason and Medeia

holus-bolus

[prob. reduplication of bolus, a large pill]  /HO lus BO lus/

all at once: altogether

homeopape

[coined by P. K. Dick, prob. fr. homeo-, similar + pape, paper]

a futuristic (hardcopy) newspaper that has been filtered such that you see only the news which interests you

homiletics

[fr. Gk homiletos, conversation]

plural but singular in construction  the art of preaching

hominist

someone who advocates equal rights for men

honeyfuggle

[fr. honey + fugle] (also -fugle, -fackle, -fogle)

U.S. colloq.  a) to dupe, deceive, swindle  b) to obtain by cheating or deception

honorificabilitudinitatibus

[fr. med. L. honorificabilitudinitas, honorableness (roughly)]

with honorableness; also honorificabilitudinity

hoodoo

U.S., of African origin

1) a body of practices of sympathetic magic traditional esp. among blacks in the southern U.S.: voodoo

2) a natural column of rock in western No. America, formed usu. by differential weathering; an earth-pillar, often in fantastic form

3) something that brings bad luck

hookem-snivey

[fr. earlier hook and snivey, prob. fr. hook (to steal)]

NE U.S. (orig. Brit.)  petty; deceitful, sneaky (Brit. sp. is often hookum-snivey)

hoon

[origin unknown, but perhaps a blend of hooligan and goon]

Austral./NZ slang  1) a lout or hooligan

2) someone, esp. a young man, who drives fast and recklessly

3) an act of driving fast and recklessly

also, [v.] to drive fast and recklessly; so, hooning

hooplehead

[origin uncertain, but see Quinion]  a foolish, ridiculous or worthless person

hoopty

(or hoopty ride)  slang  any undesirable or less-than-ideal mode of transportation; a beat up old car, of the sort you see in Shaft movies  

moving quickly rolling swiftly in da hoopty ride

hornswoggle

colloq.  to get the better of; to cheat or swindle; to hoodwink, humbug, bamboozle

horologist

[fr. horology, concerned with measuring time + -ist]   /huh RAL uh just/

a person skilled in the practice or theory of horology; a maker of clocks or watches

horology

[fr. Gk hora, hour + Eng. -logy]  the science of measuring time

horrent

[fr. L. horrere to stand on end, bristle]  /HOR unt/

archaic  1) bristled  2) bristling

horripilation

the erection of the hair of the head or body from fear or cold

horrisonant

[fr. L. horrere + sonant]  sounding horribly; of terrible sound; also horrisonous

hors de combat

[F.] out of combat; disabled

hortatory

giving exhortation; advisory

hosel

a socket in the head of a golf club into which the shaft is inserted

houghmagandy

fornication

Houstonize

[after Texan Sam Houston]  eponym  to beat someone up, esp. a Congressman

howdah

a seat or covered pavilion on the back of an elephant or camel

howff

Scot.  haunt, resort

hoyden

woman of saucy, boisterous or carefree behavior

huckery

[fr. huckster, or origin unknown]

1) obs. ME  the business of a huckster {OED2}

2) NZ slang  ugly {Collins Eng. Dict. 5th Ed.}; often used to describe a woman or moll {Partridge}

huderon

Scot.(?) obs.  lazy {or slovenly, according to Jamieson}

huffduff

[fr. HFDF, initials for high frequency direction finder]

a device for determining the direction of shortwave radio signals, enabling their source to be located when bearings are obtained by two or more such devices

hugger-mugger

1) disorderly confusion; muddle 2) secrecy; concealment

humbucker

music  an electric guitar pickup that has a pair of coils of reverse polarity connected in series, so as to "buck the hum" (also known as 'humbucking pickups')

humbuggery

deception

humdudgeon

Scot.  1) a loud complaint or noise  2) an imaginary pain or illness

humectant

[see next]  [(n) adj]  (a substance) promoting  the retention of moisture  (ad. L.)

humectation

[fr. L. (h)umecto, to moisten]  /hyu mek TAY shun/

archaic  the act or process of moistening or wetting; irrigation; the condition of being moistened or wet

humicubation

[fr. L. humi, on the ground + cubare, to lie down]  /hyu mik yoo BAY shun/

obs., rare  lying on the ground, especially in penitence or humiliation

humuhumunukunukuapuaa

a small Hawaiian fish

hwyl

/HU il/  Welsh  an emotional quality which inspires and sustains impassioned eloquence; also, the fervor of emotion characteristic of Welsh gatherings

hylotheism

the doctrine equating god to matter, or the universe

hymeneal

[fr. L. hymenaeus  wedding song, wedding]  archaic  nuptial

hyperbole

/hi PER buh lee/  extravagant exaggeration

hyperbolic

/hi per BAH lik/  of, relating to, or marked by hyperbole

hyperborean

related to the extreme northern regions, frozen

hypercorrect

of, relating to, or marked by hypercorrection

hypercorrection

a linguistic construction or pronunciation produced by mistaken analogy with standard usage out of a desire to be correct, such as "open widely" or "on behalf of my wife and I"

hypercritical

[fr. hyper- + critical < L. critic-us]

extremely or unduly critical; addicted to excessive adverse criticism, esp. upon minute or trivial points

hypergol

any hypergolic agent

hypergolic

[fr. hyper-, extreme + Gk ergon, work]  /hi per GAH lik/

applied to two substances which spontaneously ignite or explode on contact

hyperhedonia

[fr. hyper-, above + Gk hedone, pleasure]  feeling abnormally great pleasure from a humdrum act

hypermiling

[coined in 2004 by Wayne Gerdes]

attempting to maximize gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to one's car and one's driving techniques

hypersnickety

[hyper- + snickety : fussy, pernickety]  /HY per SNIK iti/?

nonce-word  excessively over-particular

hyperthymia

[hyper- + Gk thymos soul, spirit]

Psych.  euphoria; excessive emotionalism (medically, considered a mild form of hypomania)

hyperurbanism

use of hypercorrect forms in language; also: such a form

hypnagogic

[F. hypnagogique, fr. Gk hupnos, sleep + agogos, leading]  /hip neh GAH jik/  (also hypnogogic)

1) sleep-inducing  2) of, relating to, or associated with the drowsiness preceding sleep (opposed to hypnopompic)

hypnopompic

[hypno- + Gk pompe, a sending away]  /hip neh POM pik/

associated with the semiconsciousness preceding waking

hypobulia

deficiency of will power

hypocorism

(use of) a pet name or nickname

hypophobia

lack of fear

hypostasis

/hi PAHS ta sis/

the substance or essential nature (of a person); an underlying principle

anger is just the hypostasis of drama, the digest of drama

hypotyposis

[Gk hypotyposis sketch, outline]  /hy po ty PO sus/  a vivid picturesque description

hysteron proteron

figure of speech consisting of the reversal of a natural/rational order;

e.g., then came the thunder and the lightning

I

icarian

1) flying beyond a safe height

2) unable to execute an ambitious project

ichnology

[from Gk ichnos, footprint + -ology]

that part of palæontology which treats of fossil footprints, or other traces

ichor

an ethereal fluid taking the place of blood in the veins of the Greek gods

ichthus

(also ichthys) a representation of a fish used in ancient times as a pagan fertility talisman or amulet, or as a Christian symbol for the Greek word ichthys interpreted as an acrostic; in modern usage you often see the symbol on the back of cars

ichthyolatry

the worship of fish

ichthyologist

[fr. Gk ichthys, fish + -ologist]  a zoologist who studies fishes

ichthyology

the study of fishes

ichthyomancy

fortunetelling with fish offal

ichthyophagous

[fr. Gk ikhthus, a fish, plus phagein, to eat + -ous]  /ik thE OFF uh gus/  feeding on fish

iconodule

Eccl. Hist.  one who worships or serves images (opposed to iconoclast) also, iconodulist

iconoduly

the worship of images

icosahedron

[Gk eikosaedron]  /eye kO suh HEE drun/  a polyhedron having 20 plane faces: link

ictus

recurring stress/accent in a rhythmic/metrical series of sounds; a mark indicating the syllable on which stress/accent occurs

ides

in the ancient Roman calendar, the eighth day after the nones, i.e. the 15th of March, May, July, October, and the 13th of the other months

idioglossia

see next

idiolalia

[NL fr. idio-, private + -lalia, speech]

an idiosyncratic language, one invented and spoken by only one or a very few people; often the private language of twins: idioglossia

idiopathic

from an unknown cause

idioticon

[fr. Gk idiotikos]  /id e OT ikon/  a dictionary of a dialect

idiotism

[(1) fr. L. idiotismus, common or vulgar manner of speaking  (2) idiot + -ism]

1) obs.  a peculiarity of phrase: idiom

2) archaic  a lack of knowledge: ignorance; idiocy

iggry

[Representing Egyptian colloq. Arab. pronunc. of ijri, imper. of jara, to run.] also iggri

int. Hurry up!  also as n. in phrase to get an iggri on

ignis fatuus

[L., foolish fire] deceptive goal or hope; light from marsh gas

ignominy

1) deep personal humiliation and disgrace

2) disgraceful or dishonorable conduct, quality or action

ignoratio elenchi

[L., ignorance of proof]  the fallacy of ignoring the point in question and arguing the wrong point

ignotarian

a person who avoids or limits the acquisition of (new) information  (compare infovore)

ignotism

[fr. L. ignot-us, unknown + -ism]  obs.  a mistake due to ignorance

ignotum per ignotius

[L.] the unknown (explained) by means of the more unknown: an annoyingly obscure explanation

ikebana

the Japanese art of formal flower arrangement

illaqueable

[fr. L. laqueare, to snare]  capable of being ensnared

illaqueate

[fr. L. illaqueare, to trick]  /eh LAK wee ayt/  archaic  to entangle, entrap, ensnare

illaqueation

[see previous]  /i lak wi A shon/

obs.  the act of entangling in a snare; esp. an entangling argument

illation

[L.] 1) the act of inferring or drawing conclusions

2) a conclusion drawn; a deduction (also called illative)

illecebrous

[fr. L. f. illicere, to entice]  inkhorn term  alluring, enticing, attractive

illeism

[fr. L. ille : he, that one, that + Eng. -ism]  /IL e ism/

orig. a nonce word of Coleridge, until jerked into current usage in referring to pop icons, such as certain sports figures, who became illeists

excessive use of third person pronoun, esp. in reference to oneself; by extension, referring to oneself by name; hence illeist, one who does this

illth

being poor or miserable (the opposite of wealth)

illuminati

people claiming to be unusually enlightened with regard to a subject

imbonity

[fr. L. imbonitas < im- + bonitas, goodness]  /im BON i tee/

obs. rare  the absence of good qualities, want of goodness

imborsation

[ad. It. imborsazione]  /im bur SAY shun/

an Italian mode of election in which the names of the candidates were put into a bag to be drawn by lot

imbrication

an overlapping of edges (as of tiles)

immane

[fr. L immanis brutal, frightful, enormous]  huge; monstrous in character

immanent

[fr. L. immanere, to remain]  inherent; subjective  (not to be confused with imminent)

immanentize

[fr. L. immanere + -ize]  to make immanent, to bring about

immanitous

nonce-word (Louis de Bernieres)  monstrous in size or strength; immane

immelmann

a turn in which an airplane in flight is first made to complete half of a loop and is then rolled half of a complete turn

immorigerous

[fr. im-, not + L. morigerus, compliant]  obs. obstinate, disobedient; rude, uncivil

imparlibidinous

[impar, unequal + libidinous]  /im PAHR li BID i nus/  (nonce/inkhorn term?)

very rare  relating to an unequal state of desire between two people

impavid

fearless; undaunted

impeccant

[fr. in- + L. peccare, to sin]  without sin; faultless

impercipience

lack of perception

imperdible

incapable of being destroyed or lost: indestructible, impregnable

imperscrutable

obs.  not capable of being searched out; inscrutable

impignorate

[fr. L. pignerare, to pledge]  obs.

[v] to place in pawn; to pledge or mortgage  [pple] pledged, pawned, mortgaged

impigrity

[fr. im- + L. piger slow, dull, sluggish]  obs. rare  quickness; diligence

impinguate

/im PING gwate/  obs.  to make fat; to fatten

imprecation

the act of cursing; to invoke evil upon

imprescriptible

[F.] not subject to prescription: inalienable; also, absolute

imprimatur

official license to print; sanction, approval

impudicity

immodesty, shamelessness

impuissant

powerless

impulregafize

[Urquhart's word, evidently coined to one-up Rebelais, who coined emburelucocquer for the nonce]

nonce-word  to strain(?)

inadequation

[in- + L. adaequare]  archaic  want of equivalence or exact correspondence

inamorata

a woman with whom one is in love or has intimate relations

inamorato

a male lover

inanition

lethargy

incalescence

a growing warm or ardent

incarnadine

flesh-colored; red, esp: blood red

inchoate

being only partly in existence, esp: imperfectly formed or formulated

incicurable

[fr. L. cicurare, to tame + in-]  that cannot be tamed

incogitable

[fr. L. incogitabilis, unthinking, unthinkable]

impossible to accept or believe: unthinkable, inconceivable

incogitancy

[fr. L. incogitantia]  /in COG i tan cy/

obs.  lack of thought or of the power of thinking: thoughtlessness

incompossible

[ad. L. incompossibilis]  /in kom POS sih bel/

now rare  not possible together; wholly incompatible or inconsistent; hence, incompossibility

inconcinnity

lack of suitability or congruity: inelegance

incondite

[fr. L. in- + condere, put together]

badly put together: crude  incondite prose

inconsonance

[fr. inconsonant, after consonance]  lack of harmony: disagreement

incrassate(d)

[fr. L. incrassare to fatten, make thick]   /in CRAS sate/

Botany, Zool.  thickened or swollen (inspissated)

incubus

an evil spirit that lies on [women] in their sleep; a nightmare

incunabulum

1) a book printed from movable type before 1501

2) artifact of an earlier age

indagate

to search into; investigate

indehiscent

[in- + L. dehiscent, opening wide]  /in di HIS uhnt/

Botany  not splitting open at maturity: indehiscent fruit; hence, indehiscence

indevirginate

unsullied (not devirginate)

indigeneity

[indigenous + -eity, quality or condition]  /IN di jeh NAE ity (?)/

the quality of being indigenous or native: indigenousness

indign

[fr. L. indignus, not worthy]  /in DINE/

1) archaic  unworthy, undeserving  2) obs.  shameful, disgraceful

indite

[fr. ME enditen] (also endite)

a) make up, compose  (indite a poem)

b) to give literary or formal expression to

c) to put down in writing  (indite a message)

(a and b give more thought to the wording than the actual writing)

indocible

[ad. late L. indocibilis]  /in DOS i ble/

archaic  incapable of being taught: unteachable; hence: indocibility, indocibleness

indocile

[fr. L. indocilis]  /in DOS ile/  unwilling to be taught or disciplined: intractable

mustang, n. An indocile horse of the western plains. - Ambrose Bierce

indurate

[fr. L. indurare]  /IN duh rate/

[v] 1) to harden  2) to inure  3) to make callous

[a] hardened; obstinate    cf. obdurate

ineffable

unspeakable, indescribable  (see also inenarrable, below)

ineluctable

inevitable

inenarrable

incapable of being narrated; indescribable

inerrancy

exemption from error: infallibility

inexpugnable

[fr. L. in- + expugnabilis, capable of being overthrown]  /in-ik-SPUG-nuh-bul/  

impregnable, unassailable, invincible

inexpungible

[fr. L. in- + expungere, to cancel, obliterate]  /in-ik-SPUN-juh-bul/  

ineffaceable, indestructible

infandous

too horrible to mention, unspeakably awful

infarction

medical  necrosis

infibulation

the act of fastening with ring, clasp or stitches to prevent sexual intercourse

inficete

[fr. L. inficetus]  rare  unfacetious; not witty; dull, unfunny, deadly serious, humorless

infixation

the act of inserting (as a sound or a letter) as an infix

influencive

[fr. L. influens + -ive, due to Coleridge]  rare  influential

infonesia

[blend of information and amnesia]  cf. internesia

informal  the inability to remember where one saw a piece of information

infovore

[info- + L. vorus, devouring]  /IN fo vore/

(introduced as a scientific term by neuroscientists Irving Biederman and Edward Vessel, after carnivore, omnivore, etc.)

a person who indulges in and desires information gathering and interpretation

infracaninophile

a person who champions or favors the underdog

infralapsarian

pertaining to the doctrine of infralapsarianism (opposed to supralapsarian)

infralapsarianism

[fr. L. infra, later than + lapsus, fall]

a doctrine holding the view that God's election of some to everlasting life came after his prescience of the Fall of man, or that it contemplated man as already fallen, and was thus a remedial measure (opposed to supralapsarianism)

infrendiate

[fr. L. infrendere]  obs. rare  to gnash the teeth

infucation

the act of painting the face

infundibular

having the form of a funnel or cone

ingeminate

[fr. L. ingeminare; to redouble, repeat]  to repeat, reiterate (a word, statement, etc.), usually for the purpose of being emphatic or impressive

ingenuous

showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness; lacking craft or subtlety

ingravescence

[see next]  a worsening or increase in severity

ingravescent

[L., to become worse]  /in gra VES ent/  Medical  growing worse or more severe; also transf.

ingressant

[prob. borrowed from Sp. by Auden]  nonce-word  entering, ingoing

inimical

hostile; unfriendly; harmful, adverse

inimicitious

[fr. L. inimicitia, unfriendliness, enmity]  /in im ih SIH shuss/  obs.  inimical

iniquitous

characterized by gross injustice or wickedness; vicious

inkhorn

ostentatiously learned: pedantic

innubilious

cloudless

innumeracy

[after such pairs as illiterate : illiteracy]

marked by ignorance of mathematics and the scientific approach: mathematical illiteracy

innumerate

[see previous]  mathematically illiterate

inquorate

[quorate + in-]  not attended by a quorum

insalubrious

not conducive to health; unwholesome

insanable

[fr. L. insanabilis < sano, to heal]  obs.   that cannot be healed or remedied; incurable

insapory

[fr. L. sapor, taste]  obs. rare  tasteless, unsavory

inscient

[in- + L. scire, to know]

1) now rare  lacking knowledge; nescient, ignorant  2) rare  having inward knowledge or insight

insipience

a lack of intelligence

inspissate

to condense, thicken

instauration

[fr. L. instaurare  to renew, restore]

1) renovation, restoration  2) obs.  an act of starting or establishing something

insuavity

[fr. L. insuavitas < in- + suavis, sweet]  rare  unpleasantness; surliness

insufflate

to blow on or into; to disseminate by blowing

intemerate

[fr. in- + L. temerare, to violate]  pure, unspoiled

intenerate

[ad. L. tener, tender]  now rare  to make tender, soften (lit. and fig.)

interaulic

[fr. inter- + L. aula : hall, court]  /in TER au lik/

nonce-word  'Existing between royal courts' {Webster, 1864}

intercalate

to insert (as a day) in a calendar

interlacustrine

situated between lakes

internecion

[fr. L. internecare + -ion]  /in ter NESH un/

rare  (mutual) destruction, slaughter, massacre

internesia

[blend of internet + amnesia]  cf. infonesia

informal  the inability to remember either the location of or information contained on a web site  

interpellate

to question formally concerning an official action or policy or personal conduct

interregnum

the time during which a throne is vacant between two reigns; a lapse in a continuous series

interrobang

a punctuation mark {?!} designed for use esp. at the end of an exclamatory rhetorical question

interstice

a gap or break in something generally continuous

intertwingularity

a term coined by Ted Nelson to express the complexity of interrelations in human knowledge

intervenient

[fr. L. intervenire, to intervene]

1) coming in incidentally or extraneously  2) intervening  3) intermediary

intrigante

[F. < intriguer, to intrigue]  /in trE gahnt/

a woman who intrigues; a busybody (also intriguante)

intrinsicate

[app. fr. It. intrinsecato, familiar, confused in sense with intricato, intricate]

obs.  intricate, involved, entangled

introuvable

[F., incapable of being found]  /a[n] tru va bl[eh]/

[adj] immpossible to find; specif. of books (also as noun)

pamphlets, all now almost introuvable -- Times Lit. Suppl.

introvenient

[fr. L. introvenire, to come in]  obs. rare  coming in

inusitate

/in YEW si tate/  obs. rare  unwonted, unusual, out of use, unfamiliar

invigilate

1) to keep watch; esp. Brit  to supervise students at an examination

2) supervise, monitor

invigilator

chiefly Brit.  someone who watches examination candidates to prevent cheating; proctor (U.S.)

inwit

[ME., in + wit]  obs. (used as conscious archaism by modern writers)

1) conscience  2) reason, intellect, understanding; wisdom   (cf. agenbite of inwit)

ipsedixitism

an arbitrary or dogmatic argument; hence ipsedixitist, a dogmatic person

ipseity

[from L. ipse, self, himself]  individual identity: selfhood

iracund

easily angered

iracundulous

[fr. L. iracundus, inclined to anger]  nonce-wd  irascible; passionate

irenic

[fr. Gk irene, peace]  (also eirenic Brit)

conducive to or working toward peace, moderation or conciliation

irenology

the study or science of peace; compare polemology

iridology

[a. Gk. irido, comb. form of iris, + -logy]

in alternative medicine, the study of the iris as a basis for diagnosis

irony

primary use  the use of words to express something other than and esp. the opposite of the literal meaning

irpe

[origin unknown]  a fantastic grimace, or contortion of the body(?)

irredentism

advocating return of what is now foreign land to the former occupants

irrefragable

1) impossible to refute: irrefutable

2) impossible to break

irrefrangible

inviolable

irregardless

non-standard  regardless

irreption

[fr. L. irreptus]  /eh REP shun/  creeping or stealing in, stealthy entrance

the irreption of pseudoclassical plurals in technical language

irreptitious

characterized by creeping in, esp. into a text

irresolution

vacillation

irrisible

[fr. L. irredere, to laugh at]  obs. rare  worthy of derision; ridiculous

(but one 'modern' dictionary defines irrisible as 'not risible'; go figure.)

irrisory

[L. irrisorius < irridere, to laugh at]  /ih RIZ eh ree/  rare  mocking, derisive

irruption

1) a forcible or violent rush; a breaking in

2) of a natural population: a sudden upsurge in numbers

3) eruption

iscariotic

traitorous, treacherous

isepiptesis

[(NL, from is- + epi- + Gk. ptesis, flight]  /eye sep e(p) TEE sis/

rare  a line on a map or chart connecting localitites reached at one date by different individuals of a species of migratory bird (an isochronal line)

ithyphallic

obscene; lewd; indecent; salacious; lustful

izzard

zed

journey on

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