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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

M

macarism

[Makarism.. is a transliteration of the Greek word meaning 'blessing' (cf. Rom. 4:6, 9; Gal. 4:15) - Richard N. Soulen, ed., Handbook of Biblical Criticism]

Theol.  a beatitude; also gen. (rare) : joy in another's happiness

macaronic

1) characterized by a mixture of vernacular words with Latin words

2) characterized by a mixture of two languages

macaronicism

macaronic in style

macerate

[fr. L. macerare   to soften, steep]

1) to cause to waste away, esp. by fasting  2) to soften by or as if by steeping in a liquid

machicotage

[F.]  /ma shi KO tazh/

the embellishment of the solo part of plain song by the insertion of ornaments between the authentic tones

macquereau

pimp, procurer

macrologist

a dull conversationalist, usually met at dinners and parties

macrology

long and tedious talk; prolonged discourse without ideas; superfluity of words

macroscian

[fr. Gk makros, long + skia, shadow]  /muh KRASH iun/

[adj.] having a long shadow  [n] a person whose shadow is long, specif. an inhabitant of the polar regions

macrotous

having great big ears

macroverbumsciolist

nonce word 1) a person who is ignorant of large words

2) a person who pretends to know a word, then secretly refers to a dictionary

maculate

[fr. L. maculatus]  archaic or literary  1) marked with spots: blotched  2) besmirched, defiled, impure

maenad

a woman participant in orgiastic Dionysian rites

maffick

to celebrate with boisterous rejoicing

mafflard

[fr. maffle, to mumble or stammer + -ard]   /MAFF lard/  obs.  a stammering or blundering fool

maffle

Brit. dial.  to speak indistinctly: mumble, stammer; to cause to become confused or bewildered

magiric

[fr. Gk magiros(?), cook]  obs. rare  of or relating to cookery; the art of cooking

magniloquence

[fr. L. magniloquus]  /mag NI lo kwents/  the quality or state of being magniloquent: speaking in or characterized by a high-flown often bombastic style or manner

magnisonant

high-sounding

maieutic

relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas from another

majuscule

[fr. L. majusculus, rather large]  /MA jus kyul/  compare minuscule

[n] a large (capital) letter  [adj] uppercase; so, majuscular

makeweight

[make + weight]

1) something added on a scale to make a desired weight

2) an unimportant person or thing thrown in to fill a gap

3) a counterweight; a counterbalance

malacissation

obs. rare  the act of making soft or supple

malapert

impudently bold: saucy

malapropos

in an inappropriate or inopportune way

malebolge

[It., from the eighth circle of Dante's Inferno, Malebolge f. L. malus, evil + bogia, valley]  /mal eh BOLGE/

literary  a pool of filth; a hellish place or condition

malefic

[fr. L. maleficus, wicked]

1) having an unfavorable or malignant influence: baleful

2) malicious

maleficate

[fr. L. maleficare, to enchant]  obs., rare  to exert a baleful influence on; to bewitch

maleficiate

[fr. L. maleficiare, to bewitch]  obs.  bewitched

malism

the belief that the world is evil

malison

[fr. LL. malediction-]  curse, malediction

malkin

Brit. 1) an untidy woman: slattern; 2) cat; hare

mallemaroking

the carousing of seamen on board Greenland whaling ships

malnoia

[fr. mal- : ill, wrong + Gk nous, mind]  /mal NOI ah/

a vague feeling of mental discomfort

malversation

corruption in an office, trust or commission; corrupt administration

mameluke

[fr. Arabic mamluk, slave]  /MAM uh look/

1) usu. cap.   a member of an Arabic military class, originally composed of slaves

2) lowercase  (in Muslim countries) a slave

mammothrept

rare  a child brought up (and spoiled) by its grandmother

mancinism

the condition of being left-handed

Manichaean

characterized by a belief in religious or philosophical dualism

manqué

[F.]  /ma{n}kay/  short of or frustrated in the fulfillment of one's aspirations or talents (a poet manqué)

manso

[prob. fr. Vulgar Latin mansus, tame]

[n]  a meek, tame, or cowardly person or animal, esp. a tame or timid bull

[adj] of a bull: tame, timid, lacking in aggression

mansuetude

[fr. L. mansuetus, tame]  the quality or state of being gentle: meekness, tameness

mantic

prophetic

manticratic

[fr. Gk mantisi, prophet + -cratic]  (found only in Lawrence)

of the rule by the prophet's family or clan

manumission

the act of manumitting; freeing from slavery

manxome

a nonsense word invented by Lewis Carroll to describe the Jabberwock: (perhaps) fearsome, monstrous; (or) related to the Manx cat

maquette

[F. fr. It. macchietta, little sketch]  /ma KET/

a sculptor's small preliminary model or sketch; a model of a room or building

marabout

[F. fr. Port. marabuto < Arabic murabit posted, stationed]  /MAR uh boo(t)/

a Muslim hermit or saint, esp. in northern Africa; a dervish monk believed to have supernatural power

marc

[F. fr. marchier, to trample]  /mark/

1) the pulpy residue left after a fruit has been pressed

2) brandy made from the residue of wine grapes after pressing

maritodespotism

[fr. L. maritus, husband + despotism]  /MAR i toh DES puh tiz'm/

ruthless, tyrannical domination by a husband  (see also uxorodespotism)

maritorious

[humorously fr. L. maritus, husband]  nonce-word  fond of one's husband

dames maritorious ne'er were meritorious

marmalize

[origin uncertain; perhaps fr. marmalade, after pulverize]

Brit. slang  (also marmalise) to thrash; to crush or destroy; also fig.: to defeat decisively

marmoreal

[fr. L. marmoreus < marmor, marble]  /mar MOR ee ul/

resembling marble, as in smoothness, whiteness, or hardness

marplot

one who frustrates or ruins a plan or undertaking by his meddling

masculinist

an advocate of men's rights, opp. feminist; cf. hominist

mastigophorer

obs.  a fellow worthy to be whipped

mataeology

needless or foolish conversation

mataeotechny

obs.  an unprofitable art or science (from Greek roots meaning vain art)

matelot

[F.]  /MAT low/  British  sailor

materteral

suggestive of an aunt; cf. avuncular

mathesis

[Gk., action of learning]  archaic  mental discipline; learning or science, esp. mathematics

matinal

[fr. L. matutinus, of the morning]  pertaining to the matins (morning prayers); see also matutinal

matriotism

nonce-word  love of one's mother country or of one's alma mater

mattoid

[fr. It. matto, mad + -oid, resembling]  /MAD oid/

[adj] semi-insane  [n] a semi-insane person; a borderline psychopath

matutinal

[fr. L. matutinus, early]  /mat yoo TI nul/  relating to or occurring in the morning

matutolagnia

antemeridian sexual desire

matutolypea

getting up on the wrong side of the bed

maudle

[back-formation fr. maudlin]  obs. rare  to make maudlin; to talk in a maudlin manner

mauger

[adj]  dial.  thin, emaciated

[n]  obs.  ill will: spite

[prep]  archaic  in spite of; notwithstanding

maunder

grumble (Brit); to wander slowly and idly; to speak indistinctly or disconnectedly

maundy

1) the celebration of washing the feet of the poor (on Maundy Thursday)

2) alms distributed in connection with this celebration

3) obs.  feast

mazuma

[Yiddish]  money, cash

medicaster

a medical quack

megalonisus

[fr. Gk megalo- great, exagerrated + L. nisus, striving]  /meg ah LON ih sus/?

very rare  a tendency to exaggerate(?)  {Mrs. Byrne}

megalophonous

[fr. Gk megalophonos, loud-voiced]

rare  of imposing sound; clamourous

megatherial

resembling the megatherium; fig., ponderous unwieldy (the megatherium is an extinct, giant slothlike creature)

megrim

migraine, vertigo; whim, pl.: low spirits

meiotic

deliberately understated

meleagrine

[fr. L. (ad Gk. meleagris,a guinea fowl]  /mel e A grine/

belonging to a genus of American gallinaceous birds; pertaining to or like a turkey

meliorism

the belief that the world tends to become better and that humans can aid its betterment

melisma

see next

melismatic

[fr. Gk melisma, a song or tune]

Music  relating to, or being a melisma, the style of singing several notes to one syllable of text (cf. Gregorian chant)

melomaniac

an abnormally dedicated musical fan

meme

[fr. Gk mimema; shortening of mimeme]

an idea which spreads (coined by Richard Dawkins, in The Selfish Gene)

memorous

[fr. L. memorosus memorable, mindful]  obs. rare  memorable

menckenian

characterized by vitriolic social criticism (in the style of H.L. Mencken)

mendaciloquence

[fr. L. mendacium, falsehood + -iloquent, speaking]  lying as a fine art; adroit prevarication

mendaciloquent

obs. rare  skillful or artful at telling lies

mendacious

given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth

mendacious tales of his adventures

menhir

a single upright rude monolith of usually prehistoric origin

menology

a calendar of the feastdays of saints and martyrs (see also feria)

mensch

[Yiddish, a human being] a person of integrity and honor

menstruum

[Med. L., literally., menses]  a substance that dissolves a solid or holds it in suspension: solvent

menticide

[fr. L. ment-, mens; mind + cidium, killing]

the undermining or destruction of a person's mind or will, esp. by systematic means such as mental and physical torture, extensive interrogation, suggestion, training, and narcotics: brainwashing

mentimutation

[fr. L. mens, mind + mutation]  /men ti myoo TAY tion/  obs. rare  a change of mind

the exceedingly rare mentimutations of a major league umpire - David Grambs

mephitic

foul-smelling

meracious

[L. meracus, fr. merus pure, unmixed]  /meh RAY shus/

obs. rare  pure, unadulturated; hence, strong, racy

merdivorous

[fr. L. merda, dung + -ivorous]  dung-eating

meretricious

[fr. L. meretrix - a prostitute]

1) of or relating to a prostitute : having the nature of prostitution   meretricious relationship

2) tawdrily and falsely attractive  meretricious trash; pretentious

merry-andrew

one who entertains people by means of antics and buffoonery; a clown; properly (in early use), a mountebank's assistant

meshugaas

[Yiddish] /mish eh GOSS/  lit.  insanity, madness; usu. used in a lighter vein

mesonoxian

[fr. Gk meso-, middle + L. nox, night]   /mezz uh NOCK see un/?

obs. rare  of or belonging to midnight {Cockeram}

mesopygion

[fr. Gk meso-, middle + pyge, the rump]  rare the cleavage of the buttocks

metagrobolize

to puzzle or mystify

metagrobologist

one who does or makes puzzles

metamorphosable

rare  (after F.)  that is able or liable to change form

metanalysis

[fr. meta- + analysis]  /me teh NA leh ses/

a reanalysis of the division between sounds or words resulting in different constituents (as in the development of an apron from a napron)

metastasize

[fr. NL metastasis] //

Pathol.  to spread to other parts of the body by metastasis; in extended use, to change form or matter; to transform

metempsychosis

passing of the soul into another body

metemptosis

[fr. Gk meta- + emptosis, falling]  /met emp TOE sis/

Astron. obs.  the suppression of a (leap) day in the calendar to prevent the date of the new moon being set a day too late, or the suppression of the bissextile day once in 134 years (the opposite to this is the proemptosis, or the addition of a day every 330 years, and another every 2,400 years)

metensomatosis

[fr. Gk meta- + en- + somat-,  soma, body + -osis]

the migration of a soul from body to body  (to be confused with metempsychosis)

metic

[from Gk metoikos, fr. meta, change and oikos, house]

an alien resident of an ancient Greek city who had some civil privileges

meticulosity

[fr. meticulous (after curious:curiosity)]  /muh tik yuh LAS ud ee/

the quality or state of being meticulous: meticulousness

metonymy

/met ON ah me/  a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government or of the sword for military power

metromania

[fr. Gk metron  measure, meter + -mania]  (also metromanie)  excessively fond of writing verses

metrosexual

an urban male with a strong aesthetic sense who spends a great deal of time and money on his appearance and lifestyle (aesthete, bon vivant, epicure, sensualist)

mezzobrow

a middlebrow, in a fashionable and superior way (coined in the U.S. in the 1920s)

micawberish

characteristic of an improvident person who lives in expectation of an upturn in his fortunes

mickle

Scot.  great, much

microlipet

a very small portion(?); someone who gets worked up about trivial things: a nitpicker

micrologist

a specialist in micrology, see following

micrology

[fr. Gk mikrologia minute discussion, frivolity]  /mahy KROL uh jee/

attention to petty details or distinctions; nitpicking

micrology

[fr. micro- + -logy]  a science dealing with the handling and preparation of microscopic objects for study

micronymy

[micro-, small + -onymy, method of denotation]

obs. nonce word  the use of short terms or names in scientific nomenclature

midden

a dust-bin; a dungheap

millenarian

1) apocalyptic

2) of or relating to 1000 years

millihelen

[fr. milli-, thousandth + Helen (of Troy, whose beauty supposedly launched a thousand ships)]

jocular  the quantity of beauty required to launch precisely one ship

mim

Scot. and dial.  affectedly shy or modest, demure; also, affecting great moderation in eating and drinking (Jamieson)

miminy-piminy

(also niminy-piminy)

[adj] ridiculously delicate or over-refined; finicky

[n] finicky or affected compostion

minacious

[fr. L. minax, threatening]  /meh NAY shus/  

now rare  meanacing, threatening: minatory

minatory

[fr. L. minari, to threaten]  having a menacing quality: threatening

minger

[prob. fr. minging : stinking; foul, unpleasant]

Brit. slang (derogatory)  an ugly or unattractive person, esp. a woman

mingy

mean, stingy

mirabile dictu

[L., wonderful to relate]  incredible

mirabiliary

[fr. L. mirabilis, marvel]

obs.  a person who deals in marvels, a miracle-worker; a collector of marvelous things

mirabilist

[fr. L. mirabilis, wonderful] one who works wonders; a conjuror

miridically

[fr. L. miridicus, < mirus, wonderful]  obs. rare  amazingly, remarkably

mirific

[fr. L. mirare, to wonder]  (also mirifical)

causing or working wonders: marvelous

mirifical

see previous

misandry

a hatred of men

misanthrope

one who hates or distrusts mankind

miscible

[fr. L. miscere, to mix]  /MIS uh bul/

capable of being mixed: mixable

mise-en-scene

[F. mise en scène, putting into the scene]  /meez ahn sen/

narrowly, a stage setting; broadly, visual style

miserabilism

[fr. L miserabilis, miserable]  /MIZ er(a) ba LIZ em/

a philosophy of pessimism; self-indulgent pessimism; gloomy negativity

mishanter

misadventure; misfortune; mishap

misocainea

[fr. Gk misos, hatred + kainos, new]  /miso KINE eah/

an abnormal aversion to new things or ideas  (cf. misoneism)

misocapnist

one who hates tobacco/smoking

misodoctakleidist

someone who hates to practice the piano (of unknown origin)

misogamist

one who hates marriage

misogynist

one who hates or distrusts women

misology

a hatred of argument, reasoning or enlightenment

misoneism

a hatred, fear or intolerance of innovation or change

misopedia

a severe dislike of children, esp one's own

misoscopist

1) a hater of beauty  2) a recluse

misosophy

[fr. Gk misosophos, hating wisdom]  the hatred of wisdom

misprision

[borrowed fr. F. as a legal term]  /mis PRI zhun/

1a) neglect of an official duty  b) concealing of treason or felony by one who did not participate in the act  c) seditious conduct against the governement or courts

2) a mistake, or the mistaking of one thing for another

misprision

[fr. misprize]  contempt, scorn; failure to appreciate or recognize the value of something

misprize

[MF mesprisier, fr. mes- mis- + prisier, to appraise]  /mis PRIZE/

1) to hold in contempt: despise  2) undervalue

mistemious

[fr. mis-, bad + L. temetum, intoxicating beverage]

nonce-word?  marked by the misuse of alcohol: drunken

mitch

see next

mitching

[fr. mitch, to pilfer; to lurk or skulk; to play truant]

Brit. regional  skulking, lurking; playing truant

mithridate

[after Mithridates VI, who is said to have acquired tolerance for poison]

an antidote against poison

mithridatism

[see previous]  tolerance or immunity to a poison acquired by taking gradually larger doses of it

mitigate

[fr. L. mitigare, to soften]  to make less intense or serious or severe; appease

mizzle

1) to rain in very fine drops: drizzle

2) Brit.  to depart suddenly: absquatulate

moai

[fr. Rapanui (the Polynesian language of Easter Island), literally: statue, figurine]

any of the gigantic carved stone figures found on Easter Island

moanworthy

rare  worthy of moans; lamentable

modoc

[origin unknown]  U.S. slang, now rare  (also modock)

a person who takes up aviation for reasons of self-promotion or social prestige; also, a pilot who talks boastfully about flying, but rarely flies

moeurs

[F.] the behaviour, customs, or habits of a people or a group of people

autres temps, autres moeurs  (other times, other customs)

mog

to move away; jog

mogigraphia

writing only with difficulty; writer's cramp

mogue

Brit. slang, orig. regional  to deceive, fool, trick; to play a joke on, make fun of

moider

[origin uncertain]  /MOI dur/  Irish & Brit. dial.  (also moither, etc.)

[tv] 1) to perplex, bewilder  2) to distract, bother

[iv] 1) to talk incoherently: be delirious  2) to wander about aimlessly or confusedly

(not to be confused with U.S. vernacular for murder)

moiety

1) one of two equal parts: half; one of two approximately equal portions  2) component, part; obs.  a small portion: fraction

moil

hard work: drudgery; confusion, turmoil

moira

[Gk]  individual destiny, will of the gods: fate

moirologist

[fr. Gk moira, fate]  obs. rare  a hired mourner (cf. Sc. saulie)

(not to be confused with morologist)

mokita

[Papuan]  the truth that everyone knows but no one talks about

mole

Chem.  the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; gram molecule

moliminous

[fr. L. molimin- + -ous]  /mo LIM in us/?

obs.  massive, cumbrous; weighty, momentous

molligrant

Scot.  a wailing lamentation: complaint

mollitude

rare  softness; effeminacy; weakness

mollock

[an alteration of morlock, to frolic, dance; play about, perhaps after rollick]

Brit. coloq.  to cavort; spec. to engage in sexual play; also fig.

mome

[n] a stupid, boring person

mome

[a factitious word introduced by Lewis Carroll]

nonce-word  [adj] (explained by Carroll as) grave, solemn

momist

[obs. fr. Momus, the Greek god of ridicule, who for his judgments of the gods was banished from heaven; hence a fault-finder, a captious critic (a daughter, disciple or son of Momus is a facetious or humorously disagreeable person; a wag, a buffoon]  /MOM ist/  a fault-finder

mommixity

[(?) fr. mommuck, to bother]  nonce-word?  fuss, bother

"All this mommixity and foofaraw was compressed into a street no more than three paces wide.." - Louis de Bernières, Birds Without Wings

momser

[fr. Hebrew mamzer]

1) a child who is born out of wedlock; a bastard  2) slang  a contemptible person, a jerk

mondegreen

the mishearing of a song lyric

mongo

[origin unknown]  /MAWNG goh/  New York City dial.  an object retrieved from rubbish; a scavenger

monish

now rare, chiefly literary and archaic  to admonish; to give counsel, warning, or criticism

monomyth

[mono- single, one + myth; coined by James Joyce and borrowed by John Campbell]

an archetypal myth; a theme that underlies a number of superficially different myths: the hero's journey

monopsony

[fr. mon(o)- + Gk opsonia, purchase of food]  /muh NOP suh nee/

a market situation in which there is only one buyer

mook

an incompetant or stupid person, a gullible person; a contemptible person (esp. with reference to low social status)  cf. moke

mooncalf

simpleton, blockhead

moonglade

the track made by moonlight on water

mooreeffoc

Mooreeffoc is a fantastic word, but it could be seen written up in every town in this land. It is Coffee-room, viewed from the inside through a glass door, as it was seen by Dickens on a dark London day; and it was used by Chesterton to denote the queerness of things that have become trite, when they are seen suddenly from a new angle. - J. R. R. Tolkien, On Fairy-stories

mordacious

[ad. L. mordax fr. mordere, to bite + Eng. -ious]  /mo(r) DAY shus/

1) biting or given to biting  2) biting or sharp in manner: caustic

mordant

[see previous]  biting and sarcastic in manner, thought or style

moreish

[more + -ish]  Brit. colloq.  of food or drink: that makes one want to have more

morganatic

[fr. NL matrimonium ad morganaticam; literally, marriage with morning gift (or, that's all she got)]

of, relating to, or being a marriage between a member of a royal or noble family and a person of inferior rank in which the rank of the inferior partner remains unchanged and their children have no claim to royal possessions or title

morigeration

obedience, compliance, obsequiousness

morigerous

[fr. L. morem gerere, to humor or comply with the wishes of a person]  also, morigerant

obedient, compliant, submissive

morologist

[morology + -ist < Gk moros, foolish]  /moh ROHL uh jist/

obs. rare 1) a boring fool who speaks utter nonsense; 'a foolish talker' {Bailey, 1727}

2) a student of fools or folly

morology

1) the study of foolish and nonsensical talking

2) deliberate nonsense or foolishness for effect

morosis

[NL]  idiocy; fatuity; stupidity

morosoph

[fr. Gk morosophos  foolishly wise, wise fool]

now rare  a) a wise fool, a jester  b) a foolish pedant or would-be philosopher

mosker

a person who pawns articles for more than their real value

motch

to eat little, slowly, quietly and secretly; to consume or waste imperceptibly

hence, motching, fond of dainties, with the idea of eating in secret; (also) slow, quiet eating, with the idea of fondness for good living; imperceptible use, with the notion of thriftlessness

mother

[fr. Fris. moder(?)]  /muhth er/

dregs, sediment; scum; mold; esp. the lees or sediment of wine; the scum rising to the surface of wine or beer (not to be confused with your mother)

mothery

[see previous]  thick, moldy

moulage

an impression made for use as evidence in a criminal investigation

mountebank

1) a person who sells quack medicines from a platform

2) a boastful unscrupulous pretender: charlatan

mountweazel

[after Lillian Virginia Mountweazel, a fountain designer turned photographer who never existed]

a bogus entry purposely inserted into a reference work: a copyright trap

muckle

Irish or N. Eng. dial.  var. of mickle,  great, much

muculent

[L. muculentus, sniveling < mucus]

slimy; moist, and moderately viscous; resembling mucus

mudlark

[fr. mud + lark]

1) archaic  an urchin who grubs for a living along the tide flats of the English Thames

2) someone who scavenges in river mud for items of value (riverside equivalent of a beachcomber)

mudsill

1) the lowest sill of a structure, usually suspended in soil or mud

2) a person of the lowest stratum of society

muff

A dull, stupid person. Sir Henry Muff, one of the candidates in Dudley's interlude, called The Rival Candidates (1774), is a stupid, blundering dolt. - Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

muffish

[fr. colloq. muff, itself of uncertain origin, but see Brewer for muff]

Brit. colloq.  foolish; incompetent; clumsy

muffishness

foolishness; awkwardness

muffism

[fr. muff, an oaf + -ism]  /MUF izm/

UK colloq. obs.  the action characteristic of a muff or incompetent person; foolishness

mugwump

a bolter from the Rep. party in 1884; a political independent

muliebrity

[fr. L. mulier, woman]  the state of being a woman: womanhood; femininity  

mulierosity

[fr. L. mulierositas, excessive fondness for women]

obs. rare  a (excessive) fondness for women; also, mulierose : (excessively) fond of women

mulligrubs

a state of depression of spirits; a fit of megrims or spleen; in early use in the phrase: sick of the ~; hence, jocularly  stomach-ache or colic

multivious

[L. multivius, having many ways]  /mul TI vi us/

now rare  having many ways or roads; going in many directions

mumchance

[fr. G. mummenschanze, a dice game that mummers played]  /mum chans/

archaic  silent; unable to speak

mummery

a performance by mummers (pantomimes); a ridiculous, hypocritical or pretentious ceremony

mumping

Brit. slang  to obtain by begging or scrounging; the acceptance of small bribes

mumpsimus

someone who obstinately clings to old ways, in spite of the clearest evidence that s/he is wrong

mundicidious

[fr. L. mundus, world + -cidious (-cida, killer)]  /mun di SID ee us/  (cf. homicidious, also rare)

obs. rare  likely or able to destroy the world

mundivagant

[fr. L. mundus, world + vago, to wander]  /mun DIV uh gant/

rare  wandering through the world {Johnson, 1755}; world-wandering

mundungus

foul-smelling tobacco

murcid

[fr. L. murcidus, lazy]  /MUR sid(?)/  obs. rare  slothful

murdermonger

1) rare  a writer or purveyor of murder stories

2) a person who commits or incites murder; a professional murderer

murdermongeress

[fr. mudermonger]  nonce-word  a female writer of murder mysteries

I repeat that one book by this murdermongeress

Will last you as long as the Library of Congress.

  - Ogden Nash (writing of Agatha Christie)

murdrum

[ML]  /MUR drum/  early English law, now hist.

1) the killing of someone in a secret manner

2) a fine imposed by the Crown on a manor or hundred (district) in which such a killing had been committed (also called the murder fine)

murmuration

[fr. L. murmuratio, muttering, grumbling]

1a) now chiefly literary: the act of murmuring; the uttering of low continuous sounds or complaining noises  b) Scot. obs.  rumoring; the action of spreading rumors

2) of starlings: a flock

murth

[origin uncertain]  /murth/  also: morth, mort

(obs?) N. Eng. dial.  a great quantity, an abundance  a murth of cold

musaceous

of, pertaining to, or resembling bananas or plantains

musard

[F., fr. muser  to loiter, trifle]  /MU sard/

obs.  a dreamer; an absent-minded person

mussitate

[fr. L. mussitare, to mutter]  obs.  to mutter

mussitation

muttering to oneself soundlessly; murmuring

musteline

[fr. L. mustelinus, of a weasel]  relating to or characteristic of a weasel or similar fur-bearing mammals such as badger and otter

mutatis mutandis

[L.] 1) with the necessary changes having been made

2) with the respective differences having been considered

mutuatitial

[fr. L. mutuatio, a borrowing]  /myoo choo uh TISH ul/

obs. rare  [adj] borrowed  [n] something which is borrowed

muzzy

muddled or confused in mind; lacking in clarity, dull, gloomy

mycterism

[fr. a Gk word meaning to sneer at]  /MIK ter izm/  rare  a disdainful gibe or scoff

myrmidon

[fr. Gk Myrmidon, one of a legendary Thessalian people accompanying Achilles to the Trojan War]

a loyal follower, esp: a subordinate who follows orders unquestioningly or pitilessly

myrmidonize

[myrmidon + -ize]  obs. rare  to make hard, to harden

mysophobia

an abnormal fear of filth

mysterium

a hypothetical substance to which a galactic radio emission at 1665 megahertz was attributed until it was identified as an exceptionally strong component of a set of four lines emitted by the hydroxyl radical, OH

mythomane

[back-formation fr. mythomania]  one who has an excessive propensity for lying or exaggerating

mythomania

an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating

mythopoeia

[fr. Gk mythopoiia, the making of myths]

the creation of myths  (cf. mythopoeic)

mythopoeic

relating to the making of myths

mythopoesis

mythopoeia

N

naff

Brit. slang  worthless, useless; tacky, tasteless, unfashionable; hence, naffly : in a naff manner

naffin

[origin uncertain, but see It. gnaffa, a dreary man]

Brit. colloq.  one who is almost an idiot

nanometric

[fr. nanometer, after metric]

pertaining to a nanometer, which is a billionth part of a meter (pretty small)

napiform

turnip shaped

nates

the buttocks

natiform

resembling the buttocks

naufragous

causing shipwrecks

naumachia

an ancient Roman spectacle representing a naval battle

nauscopy

the alleged ability to spot land or ships at sea from far away

nautch

an entertainment in India consisting chiefly of dancing by professional dancing girls

neanimorphic

[fr. Gk neanikos, youthful]  looking younger than one's years

neatherd

a herdsman

nebbish

Yiddish  a timid, meek or ineffectual person

nebulochaotic

[fr. L. nebula, mist, fog + chaotic]

nonce-word, obs.  hazily confused

necessarium

[post-classical L., privy]  /NES eh SAR ium/

Hist.  a privy, esp. in a monastery; humorous  a toilet, lavatory

necessitous

[fr. necessity + -ous, after F. nécessiteux]

1) needy, destitute  2) urgent, pressing  3) necessary

necrological

/nek ruh LOJ uh kul/  of, relating to, or having the nature of a necrology

necrology

an obituary

necromancy

the practice of communicating with the spirits of the dead in order to predict the future

necromimesis

feigning death; the delusion of being dead

nefandous

[fr. classical L. nefandus : wicked, impious, abominable]

/neh FAN dous/  archaic  unspeakable, unmentionable

nelipot

[fr. Gk nelipous (nelipodos), unshod, barefooted]  /NEL i pot/

someone who walks about barefooted

nemophilist

rare  one who is fond of forest or forest scenery; a haunter of the woods

neologization

[fr. neologize [v] < neology [n]]  

rare  the coining of new words or phrases  (coined by Th. Jefferson)

neoteric

recent in origin: modern

nepenthe

a drug used by the ancients to give relief from pain and sorrow; hence anything soothing and comforting

nephalism

refers to total abstinence from alcoholic drinks

nephelococcygia

[first used in the play The Birds, written in 414 B.C. by the Greek comic poet Aristophanes, this was to be a city in the clouds; fr. nephele, cloud + kokkyx, cuckoo]  /ne fê lê kak SI jee yê/

1) capitalized  cloud cuckooland  2) the act of finding shapes in clouds

nephologist

[see next]  one who studies clouds

nephology

[fr. Gk nephos, cloud + -ology]  /neh FOL eh jee/

the scientific study of clouds; the branch of meteorology that deals with clouds

nescience

lack of knowledge or awareness: ignorance; the doctrine that nothing is truly knowable

nescio

[classical L., cf. nescience]  

obs., rare  taken into thieve's jargon; a claim not to know: I do not know

nibby

[cf. Sc. nebby, nebbie]  U.S. regional  nosy, inquisitive, interfering

nictitate

to wink

niddering

[fr. a misreading of nithing in an early text]  archaic  a cowardly person; a wretch  [adj.]  cowardly

nidification

the act, process or technique of building a nest

nidor

the savory aroma of cooked food, especially meat

nidus

1) a nest in which small animals deposit their eggs

2) a breeding place for germs

3) fig.  a source or origin; a place where some quality or principle is fostered

niffy

[fr. niff, an unpleasant smell (perhaps fr. sniff)]

Brit. informal  having an unpleasant smell: malodorous

niggardly

stingy; scanty

night-foundered

distressed for want of knowing the way in the night

nihilarian

[fr. L. nihil, nothing + -arian, producer]  /NI eh lar ian/?

obs. rare  a person who deals with things of no importance; someone with a meaningless job

nihilartikel

[fr. L. nihil, nothing + G. artikel]  /NI hil AR ti kul/

a deliberately erroneous entry in a dictionary or other reference book  (cf. esquivalience, for instance)

nihilification

rare  the action of setting aside or slighting

nihilism

1) the belief that existence is senseless

2) the belief that conditions are so bad as to make destruction desirable; terrorism

nihil obstat

[L., nothing hinders]

1) certification of a book by an official censor

2) official approval

nikhedonia

[fr. Nike, the Greek goddess of victory + hedoné, pleasure]  the pleasure derived from anticipating success

nilometer

an instrument for measuring the height of water in the Nile during flood

nimiety

excess, redundancy

nimious

now chiefly as a Scot. legal term  overmuch, excessive; inordinate

nimrod

[fr. Nimrod, a mighty hunter]

1) not capitalized  a hunter  2) N. Amer. slang  a stupid or contemptible person; an idiot

nincompoopery

the action(s) of a fool or simpleton

ninnyhammer

[app. fr. ninny + hammer (fr. hammer-headed?)]  a fool, simpleton; a blockhead

nipperkin

[of obscure origin]  rare  1) a measure or vessel of small capacity used for liquors

2) Scot.  the quantity of liquor that can be contained in such; a small quantity of wine, ale or spirits

Nissen hut

[after Peter Nissen, Brit. mining engineer]  a prefabricated shelter with a semicircular arching roof of corrugated iron sheeting and a concrete floor  (cf. Quonset hut)

nisus

/NIE sus/  a mental or physical effort to attain an end: striving

nival

of or relating to a region of perennial snow

niveous

of or relating to snow, relating to snow (as in whiteness): snowy

nocent

causing injury; harmful

noctilucent

[fr. L. nox, night + lucere, to shine]

1) rare  luminescent at night or in the dark (see next)

2) Meteorol.  designating a cloud that appears luminescent at night; specif. a silvery or bluish-white cloud occasionally seen in summer at high latitudes

noctilucous

shining at night, phosphorescent

noctivagant

wandering by night

noctuary

[fr. L. noctu, by night + Eng. -ary; after diary]

archaic  a journal of nocturnal incidents

noctuolent

[fr. L. noctu, by night + olent, redolent of]

obs. rare  of a flowering plant: more strongly scented at night than during the day

nocuous

[fr. L. nucere, to harm]  /NAH kyu wus/

harmful; noxious    hence: nocuously, nocuousness (both rare)

nodus

complication, difficulty

noetic

based on purely intellectual apprehension

noisome

noxious, unwholesome; offensive to the senses, esp: smell

noli me tangere

[L.] do not touch me

nolleity

[fr. L. nolle, be unwilling]  /nol LEE ity/

rare  unwillingness (also nolition)  cf. velleity/volition

nomocentrism

[fr. Gk nomos, law] centered in the law

nomothetic

[fr. Gk nomothetikos, of legislation]  /nom uh THET ik/  relating to law; based in general laws

nonce-word

a word occurring, used, or made only once or for a special occasion

nonesuch

a person or thing without an equal

nooning

[after morning, evening]

1) rare  midday  2) a rest taken an noon; a lunch break  3) a midday meal

nosism

[fr. L. nos, we + -ism]  conceit on part of a group; use of 'we' in speaking of oneself

nosocomology

the study of hospital management

nostrum

a panacea

notaphilist

[fr. L. nota, note + -phile]  /no TAF il ist/

a person who studies notaphily; a collector of banknotes

noumenon

in the philosophy of Kant: an object of purely intellectual intuition: the thing-in-itself; contrast with phenomenon

nouniness

[fr. nouny + -ness]  the (excessive) use of nouns or nominal constructions; also, (Linguistics)  the state or condition of being noun-like

nouny

having or using many nouns; noun-like

novercal

[fr. L. novercalis, of or like a stepmother, hostile]  /no VUR kul/

now rare  stepmotherly; freq. in extended use: cruel, malicious, hostile

novercant

[see previous]  obs. rare  having characteristics attributed to a stepmother; hostile

novio

[Sp.] sweetheart; lover

nowanights

[now + anight(s), at night; after nowadays]  on present nights (in contrast with the past)

noyade

[F.] /nwa YAD/

[n] a mass execution carried out by drowning, as practiced at Nantes in France during the Reign of Terror; also fig

[v] to execute by drowning

nubivagant

[fr. classical L. nubivagus, wandering among the clouds]

obs. rare  passing through the clouds

nudiustertian

[fr. L. nudius tertius]  obs. rare  of the day before yesterday

nudzh

[Yinglish, from nudge]  /nooj/ or perhaps /nooj-eh/  also nudge, nooge

[n] one who persistently pesters, annoys, or complains

[vt] to annoy persistently; pester  [vi] to complain or carp persistently

nugacity

[fr. L. nugacitas]  /noo GAS i ty/

1) trifling, triviality, futility

2) a trifling or frivolous idea

nugatory

of little or no consequence; trifling , inconsequential; inoperative

nugiperous

[fr. L. nugae, nonsense or trifles]  /nju DZI pur us/?

obs. rare  given to inventing trifles

nullibicity

[fr. L. nullibi, nowhere]  (or nullibiety, or nullibility)

the condition or attribute of being nowhere; non-existence

nullibiety

see previous

nullibiquitous

[fr. L. nullibi, nowhere + -biquitous, cf. ubiquitous]

rare   existing nowhere

nullifidian

[n] 1) one of no faith or religion; a skeptic in matters of religion

2) transf.  one who lacks faith; a disbeliever

[adj] having no faith or belief

nulliverse

a world devoid of any unifying principle or plan

nulutative

[coined by David Brin in "The Uplift War"]  neologism  a nonsense word suggesting a future mental process  associative, extrapolative, intuitive, holographic, or nulutative

numinous

1) supernatural, mysterious

2) filled with a sense of the presence of divinity

3) appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense: spiritual

nuncupate

to declare publicly or solemnly; to proclaim formally

nuncupative

not written: oral  as in nuncupative will

nundination

[L.]  archaic  an act or instance of bartering: sale

nupson

fool, simpleton

nutant

[fr. L. nutare, to nod]  chiefly Bot.  nodding; drooping

nutarian

a vegetarian whose diet is based on nut products

nyaff

Scot. and Irish  a diminutive, insignificant, or contemptible person; often as wee nyaff

nychthemeral

[fr. nychtermeron + -al] of or relating to a nychthemeron or 24-hr period

nychthemeron

[fr. Gk nyx, night + hemera, day]  /nik THEM er on/

the full period of a night and a day

nycterent

[fr. G. nycto- < nyx, night]  (relating to) one who hunts by night

nyctinastic

relating to or caused by nyctinasty

nyctinasty

[G. nyktinastie]  /NIK teh NAS ti/

Botany  plant movement associated with diurnal changes of temperature or light; e.g. the shutting of the petals of a flower at night

nympholepsy

[fr. Gk numpholeptos]  /NIM feh LEP sy/

1) a frenzy supposed by ancient peoples to have been induced by nymphs

2) an emotional frenzy, as for something unattainable

O

obacerate

[fr. L. obacerare, to contradict, interrupt]  to shut someone's mouth; contradict

obaceration

[see previous]  /oh BASS uh RAY shun/?  obs. rare  the act of shutting someone's mouth

obambulate

[fr. L. obambulare, to walk to]  /oh BAM byuh late/

archaic  to walk about; wander aimlessly

obdormition

numbness caused by pressure on a nerve, as when your foot is asleep

obelus

[L. < Gk obelos  spit, pointed pillar]

1) a mark (- or ÷) used in ancient manuscripts to indicate spurious or doubtful passages; also, the division sign

2) the dagger sign (†) used as a reference mark or to indicate that a person listed is deceased

obflisticate

U.S. colloq., obs. rare  humorous alteration of obfuscate, perh. after flustrate

obfuscate

1) to cast into darkenss, obscure

2) to confuse, bewilder

objurgate

to castigate

objurgation

a harsh rebuke

objurgatory

[L. objurgatorius]  /ob JURG uh tor ee/  expressing (a harsh or violent) rebuke

objurgatrix

a scolding, sharp-tongued, shrewish woman, a Xanthippe; a common scold  :)

oblast

a political subdivision of a republic in the [former] USSR

oblectation

pleasure; satisfaction; recreation; delight

obligurate

[fr. L. obligurire, perh. a misreading of abligurire]

obs. rare  to feast, to spend (time) feasting(?)  cf. abligurition

oblivionize

[fr. L. oblivion-, forgetfulness + -ize]

now rare  to consign to oblivion

Oblomovian

[fr. Ivan Goncharov's novel, Oblomov]  characterized by sloth or lassitude

Oblomovism

[see previous]  sluggish inertia

obloquy

1) abusive language  2) ill repute

obluctation

[fr. L. obluctari, to offer resistance]  (not to be confused with oblectation!)

obs. rare  the action of striving or struggling against something

'a struggling or striving against; resistance' {Webster, 1828}

obmutescence

the act of becoming or keeping silent or mute

obnixely

[fr. L. obnixus  strenuous, resolute]  obs. rare  earnestly, strenuously  (cf. obnixiously)

obnubilate

to becloud

obnunciate

[fr. L. obnuntiare]  obs. rare  to announce an unfavorable omen

(and thus prevent, stop, or render void, some public transaction)

obnunciation

the act of obnunciating

obreptitious

done or obtained by trickery, or by concealing the truth

obscurantism

[fr. L. obscurare, to obscure]  opposition to the spread of knowledge; deliberate vagueness or abstruseness

obscurantist

a person who opposes reform and enlightenment

obsecrate

to beseech, supplicate or beg

obstipation

a severe and obstinate constipation

obstringe

obs. rare  to constrain, to put under obligation (from L. stringere - to tie, bind)

obstruent

causing obstruction; esp of a body passage

obstupefactive

[L. obstupefacere, to stupefy]  obs. rare  obstructing the mental powers; stupifying  {Johnson, 1828}

obtest

to beseech, supplicate

obtortion

rare  a twisting, distortion, wresting, perversion

obtractuous

obs. rare  slanderous, calumnious (erroneously from obtrect)

obtrect

obs.  to disparage: slander

obtrectation

slander; detraction; calumny  [marked little used in 1828]

obtund

to lessen the violence of; to dull

obturation

an obstruction

obvallate

[fr. L., surround with a wall]  obs. rare

[v] to surround with, or as with, a wall  [adj] walled-up

obvaricate

[fr. L. obvaricator, a person who obstructs another]  

obs. rare  to obstruct (a person or a person's progress)

obvelation

[fr. L. obvelare, to cover over]  rare  a veiling over, a hiding or concealing

obvolute

overlapping, convolute (coiled)

occultation

the state of being hidden from view

oche

darts  /(h)a' key/  (formerly /hockey/)

the line behind which a darts player must stand; the throwing-line

ochlocracy

government by the mob

ochlophobia

the fear of crowds (mobs)

ochone

Irish/Scot.  used as an expression of regret or grief

ocker

[fr. the name Oscar]  Austral. slang  a rough, uncultivated, or aggressively boorish Australian man (esp. as a stereotype); thus ockerdom, ockerish, ockerism

octarine

the color of magic (as used by Terry Pratchett)

octothorp(e)

the symbol # on a telephone or keyboard

(hash mark, pound sign, number sign)

odalisque

a female slave; a concubine in a harem

odobene

walrus-like

odontalgia

a toothache

oeillade

[F.]  /uh(r) yahd/  a glance of the eye; esp: ogle

off-piste

[see piste]  away from prepared ski runs   off-piste slopes

also transf.

offscum

archaic  that which is skimmed off; scum, dross, refuse; fig., that which is rejected as vile or worthless

ogerhunch

[origin unknown]  /OH ger huns/

Any frightful or loathsome creature, especially a bat. - Thomas Edmondston, A Glossary of the Shetland and Orkney Dialect, 1866

ogrous

[apparently adj. form of ogre]   /OH grus/?

having the appearance or characteristics of an ogre: ogreish

ogry

[from ogre, presumably]  resembling, or pertaining to, an ogre(?)

ogygian

[of or pertaining to Ogyges, a mythical king of ancient Attica, or to a great deluge in Attica in his days]

ancient, primeval; of obscure antiquity

oicotype

[fr. Gk oikos  house, dwelling + type]  /OY ko type/?  

a term proposed by Carl Wilhelm von Sydow to designate a local or regional form of a migratory folktale

oikology

[fr. Gk oikos, house + -logy]  rare  the science of the home; home economics; (the science of?) housekeeping

okhrana

[fr. Russ. oxrana, lit. guarding, protection, security]  /ah KRAH nuh/  (also okhranka)

Hist., in Imperial Russia  a secret police department set up in 1881 (after the assassination of Tsar Alexander II) to maintain state security and suppress revolutionary activities, and abolished after the February Revolution in 1917; transf. the security services of the Soviet Union or its successors

olamic

[fr. Hebrew olam; an age, eternity]  now rare  everlasting, eternal

oleaginous

resembling or having the properties of oil; unctuous

oligophagous

eating only a few specific kinds of food

oligophrenia

feeblemindedness

oligopolist

[see next]  one who supports limited competition

oligopoly

[fr Gk oligos, few + polein, to sell]  /ol uh GOP uh lee/

few sellers, many buyers: a sellers' market  (compare oligospsony)

oligopsony

few buyers, many sellers

Ollendorffian

in the stilted language of foreign phrase-books

ology

[abstracted from words with this ending]  /ALL eh jee/

an informal term for some unidentified branch of learning

omadhaun

(also amadan)  Irish  fool, idiot, simpleton

omasum

the third of the four stomachs of a ruminant (see reticulem)

ombibulous

[coined by H. L. Mencken; ultimately fr. L. imbibere, to drink in + omni, all]

referring to someone who drinks anything

omerta

It. dial.  /o MER ta/  refusal to give evidence by those concerned with Mafia activities : code of silence

ominate

[fr. L. ominari, to prognosticate; cf. omen]

[vt] archaic 1) to prophesy from signs and omens: augur 2) to be a portent or omen of

[vi] obs. 1) to utter prophecies or forebodings 2) to serve as a prophecy

omneity

that which is essentially all; that which comprehends all: allness

omnigenous

[L. omnigenus, fr. omnis, all + genus, kind]  /om NIH jen ous/

composed of or containing all kinds

omnilegent

[fr. omni- + L. legere, to read]  /om nilujunt/

reading or having read everything; having encyclopedic curiosity and knowledge

no historians have been more omnilegent, more careful of the document - George Saintsbury

omninescience

ignorance of everything, universal ignorance

omniscian

[fr. L. omniscius + -an]  obs. rare  a person who knows, or professes to know, everything

omnishambles

[omni-, all + shambles]

Brit.  a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations; a complete screw-up in all areas

omnist

[fr. classical L. omnis, all + -ist]

rare  one that believes in all faiths or creeds

omnisufficiency

obs., rare  the quality of being 'all-sufficient'

omphalopsychite

/om pha LAHP si kite/  one who contemplates his own navel; a name given the Hesychasts

omphaloskepsis

the contemplation of one's own navel to induce a mental trance

oneiric

of or relating to dreams; dreamy

oneirocrite

[fr. MF onirocrite, as trans. fr. Rabelais; < Hell. Gk, judge or interpreter of dreams]

obs. rare  a person who interprets dreams

oneirocritical

of, relating to or specializing in the interpretation of dreams

oniomania

an uncontrollable urge to buy things

onolatry

[fr. Gk onos, ass]  /oh NOL atry/  rare {until discovered by the net}

worship of the donkey or ass; also by extension, excessive admiration for or devotion to foolishness

onomasiologic

[fr. Gk onomasia, name + -ology]  /on uh may see uh LOJ ik/

Linguistics  relating to the gathering or comparison of lists of words that designate similar or associated concepts

onomastic

[Gk onomastikos, fr. onomazein to name]  /ah nuh MAS tik/

of, relating to, or consisting of a name or names; relating to onomastics

onomasticon

[blend of onomastic + lexicon]  /ON uh MAE stik on/

a vocabulary or lexicon of proper names or place names

onomastics

the science or study of the origins and forms of proper names of persons or places

onomatomania

[NL]  /AHN uh MAD uh MANE ea/

uncontrollable obsession with words or names or their meanings or sounds; esp. a mania for repeating certain words or sounds

onomatope

[back-formation fr. onomatopoeia]  an onomatopoeic word

onomatopeed

[fr. previous]  /AN eh ma TOPT/ or /-to PEED/ (?)

used onomatopoeia

onomatopoeia

the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it

ontogeny

the development or course of development of an individual organism (compare phylogeny)

ontology

a branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature and relations of being

onychophagia

[fr. Gk. onycho, nail + -phagia, eating]  /on i kO PHA juh, -jee uh/

Psychiatry  habitual biting of the nails, esp. as a symptom of emotional disturbance

onychophagy

nail-biting

onymous

bearing a name (not anonymous)  an onymous article in a magazine

oofy

wealthy, rich; hence oofiness, wealthiness

ooglification

[fr. uglification ooglified]  /oog li fi KAY shun/

the substitution of an "oo" sound for another vowel sound in a word to form a slang (or slangier) word

(e.g., snoot for snout)

oojah

Brit. slang  a "what's its name?", a thing whose name has been forgotten

oojah-cum-spiff

[origin uncertain]  (see previous) fine, all right

oolly

[India]  /OOL ly/  a lump or loop of iron, as wootz, when taken as a pasty mass from the crucible

operose

[fr. L. operosus  laborious, industrious] 1) tedious, wearisome  2) industrious, diligent

ophelimity

economic gratification

ophicleide

[F. fr. Gk ophis, snake + kleid-, key]

a keyed brass instrument of the bugle family with a baritone range that was the structural precursor of the bass saxophone and was replaced by the tuba and euphonium in brass sections

ophiophagous

rare  a snake-eater

ophiophilist

[fr. Gk ophio-, serpent + philos, loving]  rare  a person who loves snakes

opificer

[fr. L. opifex: craftsman, artisan + -er]  /uh PIF uh ser/

obs.  an artificer; a workman; one who creates something

opiniatry

[fr. F. opiniâtreté]  /eh PIN ieh tri/

now rare  the quality or state of being opinionated: mental obstinacy or inflexibility; also opiniatrety (obs.)

opioic

[opi(um) + -oid]  /OH pee oid/

[n]  an opium-like substance produced naturally in the brain

[adj]  possessing some properties characteristic of opiate narcotics but not derived from opium

opisometer

[fr. Gk opiso, backwards + -meter]  /AH peh SAH med er/

an instrument with a revolving wheel for measuring curved lines, as on a map

opisthenar

[fr. Gk opisth- + thenar]  the back of the hand

opprobrious

1) expressing contemptuous reproach: scurrilous  opprobrious epithets

2) bringing disgrace; shameful or infamous  opprobrious conduct

opprobrium

something that brings disgrace; infamy, contempt

oppugn

to fight against; to call in question

opsigamy

[fr. Gk opse, late + gamos, marriage]  /op SIG uh mee/

marriage late in life  (cf. opsimathy)

opsimath

[fr. Gk opsimathes, late in learning]

one who acquires knowledge or learning late in life

opsimathy

education late in life

opusculum

a minor work

orchidectomy

surgical removal of one or both testes: castration

orectic

pertaining to the desires and their satisfaction; hence, impelling to gratification

In psychoanalytic writings, the orectic is often contrasted with the cognitive.  - The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology

orexis

[Gk orexis, desire]  /aw REK sis/

Psych.  the aspect of mental activity concerned with emotion and desire rather than cognition; appetite, desire

organoleptic

[F. organoleptique, fr. Gk roots]

1) being, affecting, or relating to qualities of a substance that stimulate the sense organs

2) involving use of the sense organs

organon

an instrument for acquiring knowledge; specif. a body of principles of scientific or philosophic investigation

organonymy

[organ + -onymy]  /OR guh NAH nuh me/

1) Anat., obs. rare  the nomenclature of the body organs

2) rare  the study of the names of musical instruments

orgulous

proud

oriflamme

a banner, symbol or ideal inspiring devotion or courage

orignal

[fr. Canadian French orignac)]  Canad., now rare  the original aboriginal name of the N.A. moose

orismologic

pertaining to orismology

orismology

[fr. Gk orismos, definition + -ology]  the science of defining technical terms

orlop (deck)

the lowest deck of a ship having 4 or more decks

ornature

rare  ornamentation, adornment, decoration: embellishment; ornament

ornithocopros

the dung of birds: guano

ornithorhynchus

[shortened from Ornithorhynchus anatinus]  the duckbilled platypus

orogeny

the process of mountain making, esp by folding of the earth's crust

orrery

an apparatus showing the relative positions and motions of bodies in the solar system by balls moved by wheelwork

ort

a morsel left at a meal: scrap

orthoepy

the customary pronunciation of a language; the study thereof

orthographic

orthogonal; correct in spelling

oscar

[Rhyming slang on Oscar Asche (an Australian actor)] cash, money

oscine

[fr. L. oscen]   /OS Ine/  of or relating to a large suborder of passerine birds that includes most songbirds

oscitancy

/OS i tan see/  1) the act of yawning  2) the state of being drowsy or inattentive; dullness

oscitant

yawning

oscitation

1) the act of being inattentive 2) the state of being drowsy

osculate

to kiss

osirify

to identify with Osiris; (broadly) to deify; (perhaps) to give a new life in another world

Oslerian

[fr. the name of Sir William Osler (1849-1919), Canadian physician]

of or relating to Osler or to his theories and methods of practicing internal medicine

osmidrosis

see bromidrosis

ossuary

a depository for bones of the dead

ostend

to show, reveal; to manifest, exhibit

ostent

[fr. L. ostentum, something shown, a prodigy]

now rare  a sign, portent, wonder, prodigy

ostentiferous

[fr. L. ostentifer, portentous]   obs. rare  bringing omens or unnatural or supernatural manifestations

ostrobogulous

[attributed to Victor B. Neuburg, British writer]  /OS tro BOG ju lus/

chiefly humorous  slightly risqué or indecent; bizarre, interesting, or unusual

hence, ostrobogulation and ostrobogulatory

otiant

[fr. L. otiari, to be at leisure]  /OH she unt/

now rare  idle; resting; unemployed  (cf. otium)

otiose

/OH she ows/  1) lacking use or effect, functionless  2) being at leisure, idle  3) sterile, futile

otium

[classical L., leisure, ease, peace]  now rare  leisure; free time; ease

otium cum dignitate

[fr. classical L. cum dignitate otium]  leisure with dignity; specif. retirement from public life

otosis

mishearing; alteration of words caused by misapprehension of the sound

oubliette

a dungeon with an opening only at the top

outcumlins

[G. Ankömmling, a stranger]

Strangers [Coming from without; not dwelling in the neighborhood.] - Wm Holloway, A general Dictionary of Provincialisms, 1838

outmantle

[out- + mantle, to cover]  /out MAN tel/  obs. rare  to excel in dress or ornament

outpassion

to exceed in passion

outrecuidance

[F.]  rare  extreme self-conceit: presumption

overegg

[Yorkshire, 'we mustn't over-egg the pudding']

fig., orig. Brit. regional  to embellish or supply to excess, to overexaggerate

owling

the practice of smuggling wool (or sheep) out of England, formerly illegal, and done chiefly by night; by extension, to carry on any contraband trade

Oxbridge

[conflation of Oxford + Cambridge]

[n] 1) a fictional university, esp. regarded as a composite of Oxford and Cambridge  2) the universities of Oxford and Cambridge regarded together, esp. in contrast to other British universities

[adj]  regarding Oxbridge, often with implication of superior social or intellectual status

oxter

Scot.  the armpit

oytser

[Yiddish, fr. Hebrew o-tsar, treasure]  /OY tser/

1) a treasure  2) ironically  by no means a treasure

ozostomia

foulness of breath

proceed

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