Ive gotten alot of feedback on my wordlist. Im glad its liked. However the list itself has become awkward, ungainly, and clumsy. So Ive painstakingly alphabetized it (by first letter, not entire word), and its a good thing I did, i noticed a few duplicates and some numbers skipped, so that will be taken care of. I urge anyone who has a favorite word to mail them to me so I can add them, and of course I will credit you in the list.
RECENT UPDATE (6/8/06) New Words #'s 157,236,636
-A-
Apomixis - reproduction without meiosis or formation of gametes
Antidisestablishmentarianism - opposition to the
belief that there should be no national religion in a
country [submitted by invisiman88@yahoo.com]
Antediluvian - extremely old and antiquated
Antiquary - an antiquarian
Allele - one member of a pair of genes that occupy a certain position on a certain chromosome
Anachronism - one that is out of chronological order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time
Abysmal - resembling an abyss in depth; unfathomable
Abu Dhabi - a sheikdom and city of eastern Arabia on the Persian Gulf
Amok - in a frenzy to do violence or kill
Atlatl - a throwing device usually consisting of a stick fitted with a thong or socket to steady the butt of a spear or dart and extend the length it travels
Aerie - the nest of a bird, such as an eagle, built on a cliff or other high place
Aerophagia - the abnormal, spasmodic swallowing of air, especially as a symptom of hysteria
Antinomianism - the belief that moral laws are relative in meaning and application as opposed to fixed or universal
Apocrypha - writings or statements of questionable authorship or authenticity
Aftermath - the consequences of an event, especially a disastrous one, or the period of time during which these consequences are felt
Avenger - an inflicter of punishment on somebody for a wrong done
Alarum - an alarm
Avatar - somebody who embodies, personifies, or is the manifestation of an idea or concept
Acetabulum - the curved cavity on the side of the hipbone where the end of the thighbone fits
Aegis - a shield; protection
Arcane - known or understood by only a few
Abstruse - difficult to understand
Architeuthis - a large marine animal of unknown nature, often reported to have been seen at sea, but never yet captured; also, a genus of gigantic cephalopods, allied to the squids, found esp. in the North Atlantic and about New Zealand
Avian - of, relating to, or characteristic of birds
Archidiskidon - a genus of Elephantidae
Architrave - the lowest part of an entablature; rests immediately on the capitals of the columns
Afflatus - divine inspiration
Abreaction - purging of emotional tensions
Apocope - the loss of one or more sounds or letters at the end of a word (as in sing from Old English singan)
Aposiopesis - a sudden breaking off of a thought in the middle of a sentence, as though the speaker were unwilling or unable to continue
Antepenult - the third syllable from the end in a word, as te in antepenult
Aceldama - a place with dreadful associations
Apothegm - a terse, witty, instructive saying
Auscultation - the act of listening
Axemic - not contaminated by or associated with any other living organisms
Anhedonia - lack of pleasure or of the capacity to experience it
Aegrotat - an unclassified degree granted a university student who has fulfilled all requirements for graduation but was prevented by illness from attending the final examinations
Ahimsa - the principle of noninjury to living beings
Albedo - the fraction of light reflected from a body or surface. For example, earth's albedo is around 0.39
Aa - lava having a rough surface
Alembic - something that refines, purifies, or transforms
Armigerous - bearing or entitled to bear heraldic arms
Astrobleme - a scar on the earth's surface caused by the impact of a meteorite
Apodictic - demonstrably true
Argufy - to argue a point
Acedia - spiritual torpor and apathy; ennui
Alkahest - the hypothetical universal solvent once sought by alchemists
Aureole - a circle of light or radiance surrounding the head or body of a representation of a deity or holy person; a halo
Algolagnia - sexual gratification derived from inflicting or experiencing pain
Anadiplosis - rhetorical repetition at the beginning of a phrase of the word or words with which the previous phrase ended; for example, "He is a man of loyalty - loyalty always firm"
Areology - the study of the planet Mars
Azoth - Mercury considered in alchemy to be the primary source of all metals
Amenorrhea - abnormal suppression or absence of menstruation
Amensalism - a symbiotic relationship between organisms in which one species is harmed or inhibited and the other species is unaffected
Anthelion - a luminous, white, halolike area occasionally seen in the sky opposite the sun on the parhelic circle
Argus-eyed - extremely observant; vigilant
-B-
Balbriggan - a knitted, unbleached cotton fabric for underwear
Brimstone - fiery or passionate rhetoric
Blitzkrieg - a swift, sudden military offensive, usually by combined air and mobile land forces
Bivouacked - made a temporary encampment often in an unsheltered area
Bellicose - warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious
Ballyhoo - sensational or clamorous advertising or publicity
Baboon - any of several large terrestrial African and Asian monkeys of the family Cercopithecidae, especially of the genus Papio or Chaeropithecus and related genera, characterized by an elongated, doglike muzzle, a short tail, and bare calluses on the buttocks
Batholith - a large mass of igneous rock that has melted and intruded surrounding strata at great depths
Baroque - of, relating to, or characteristic of a style in art and architecture developed in Europe from the early 17th to mid-18th century, emphasizing dramatic, often strained effect and typified by bold, curving forms, elaborate ornamentation, and overall balance of disparate parts
Birefringence - the splitting of one ray of light into two in an anisotropic medium
Bayou - an area of slow-moving water, often overgrown with reeds, leading from a river or lake
Bazaar - a street market in Middle Eastern countries
Bedizen - to dress or adorn in gaudy manner
Bloviate - to speak or write in a pompous manner
Bovicide - to kill a cow
Betrothed - promised to give in marriage
Bailiwick - one's special province or domain
Blucher - a high shoe or half boot
Brank - a device consisting of a metal frame for the head and a bit to restrain the tongue, formerly used to punish scolds, usually used in the plural
Bathykolpian - deep-bosomed
Berserk - destructively or frenetically violent
Bruxism - the habitual, involuntary grinding or clenching of the teeth, usually during sleep, as from anger, tension, fear, or frustration
Borborygmus - a rumbling noise produced by the movement of gas through the intestines
Baldric - a belt, usually of ornamented leather, worn across the chest to support a sword or bugle
Bissextile - of or pertaining to the leap year or the extra day in the leap year
Birl - to cause a floating log to spin rapidly by rotating with the feet
Bireme - an ancient galley equipped with two tiers of oars on each side
Bradykinin - s biologically active polypeptide, consisting of nine amino acids, that forms from a blood plasma globulin and mediates the inflammatory response, increases vasodilation, and causes contraction of smooth muscle
Bezoar - a hard indigestible mass of material, such as hair, vegetable fibers, or fruits, found in the stomachs or intestines of animals, especially ruminants, and humans. It was formerly considered to be an antidote to poisons and to possess magic properties
Brumal - occurring in or related to winter
Brannigan - a noisy or confused quarrel; a drinking spree; a binge
Bildungsroman - a novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character
Bricolage - something made or put together using whatever materials happen to be available
-C-
Coup de Grace - deathblow delivered to end the misery of a mortally wounded victim
Claddagh - a ring with a raised design of two hands clasping a crowned heart, usually given as a token of love or friendship
Cnidoblast - a cell in the epidermis of coelenterates in which a nematocyst is developed
Crepitate - to make a crackling or popping sound; crackle
Catafalque - a decorated platform or framework on which a coffin rests in state during a funeral
Cozen - to deceive or obtain by deceit
Cheval-de-frise - an obstacle, typically made of wood, covered with barbed wire or spikes, used to block the advancing enemy
Couvade - a practice in certain cultures in which the husband of a woman in labor takes to his bed as though he were bearing the child
Chelicera - either of the first pair of fanglike appendages near the mouth of an arachnid, such as a spider, often modified for grasping and piercing
Cenospecies - a group of related ecospecies capable of interbreeding so as to produce at least partially fertile hybrids
Cryptococcosis - a systemic infection caused by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans that can affect any organ of the body but most often occurs in the central nervous system
Conurbation - a large urban area involving several contiguous communities, formed as a result of expansion of neighboring areas
Costermonger - one who sells fruit, vegetables, fish, or other goods from a cart, barrow, or stand in the streets
Catalexis - the absence of one or more syllables in a line of verse, esp. in the last foot
Clepsydra - a water clock
Collyrium - an eye-salve or eyewash
Camorra - a secret group united for unscrupulous purposes
Charnel - a repository for the bones or bodies of the dead
Cathexis - concentration of emotional energy on an object or idea
Caryatid - a supporting column sculptured in the form of a draped female figure
Catoptromancy - divination by means of mirrors
Continuum - a continuous extent, succession, or whole, no part of which can be distinguished from neighboring parts except by arbitrary division
Callipygian - having shapely buttocks
Cenotaph - empty tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person who is buried elsewhere
Corybantic - wild; frenzied; uncontrolled
Chrestomathy - a selection of passages compiled to aid in learning a language
Callithump - a noisy boisterous parade
Campanology - the art of bell ringing
Cwm - a steep-walled semicircular basin in a mountain; may contain a lake
Crwth - an ancient Celtic stringed instrument that was bowed or plucked
Colporteur - a peddler of religious books
Conquian - a card game for two played with 40 cards from which all games of rummy developed
Chaotic - lacking a visible order or organization
Crepuscular - pertaining to twilight
Chthonic - dwelling in or under the earth; also, pertaining to the underworld
Coruscant - sparkling or glittering
Christian - pertaining to Christ or his religion
Cipher - one having no influence or value; a nonentity
Cantankerous - ill-tempered and quarrelsome; disagreeable
Carotid - either of the two major arteries, one on each side of the neck, that carry blood to the head
Cutpurse - a pickpocket
Catastrophic - of, relating to, or involving a catastrophe
Celebratory - used for celebrating
Constabulary - the body of constables of a district or city
Catacomb - an underground cemetery consisting of chambers or tunnels with recesses for graves, often used in the plural
Cathedral - the principal church of a bishop's diocese, containing the episcopal throne
Conflagration - a fire extending to many objects, or over a large space; a general burning
Cadaver - a dead body, especially one intended for dissection
Cyclical - of, relating to, or characterized by cycles
Cunnilingus - oral stimulation of the clitoris
Cyclopean - relating to or suggestive of a Cyclops
Chicanery - deception by trickery
Caldera - a large crater formed by volcanic explosion or by collapse of a volcanic cone
-D-
Deus ex machina - a person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty
Denitrify - to remove nitrogen or nitrogen groups from (a compound)
Dystopia - an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror
Dervish - a member of any of various Muslim ascetic orders, some of which perform whirling dances and vigorous chanting as acts of ecstatic devotion
Dactyloscopy - an image of the fingerprints
Doppelganger - a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its fleshly counterpart
Defenestrate - to throw out of a window
Didgeridoo - a musical instrument of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, consisting of a long hollow branch or stick that makes a deep drone when blown into
Diablerie - sorcery
Diopter - a unit of measurement of the refractive power of lenses equal to the reciprocal of the focal length measured in meters
Dingle - a small wooded valley; a dell
Demesne - manorial land retained for the private use of a feudal lord
Didactic - inclined to teach or moralize excessively
Darkle - to become concealed in the dark
Debridement - surgical excision of dead, devitalized, or contaminated tissue and removal of foreign matter from a wound
Draconian - extremely harsh or cruel
Daedal - ingenious and complex in design or function; intricate
Dysesthesia - a condition in which light physical contact of the skin causes pain
Dol - a unit for measuring the intensity of pain
Diplopia - double vision
Dirl - a vibration or tingling sensation
Diprotic - having two hydrogen ions to donate to bases in an acid-base reaction
Dentigerous - having or furnished with teeth
Dolichocranial - having a relatively long skull with a cranial index of 74.9 or less
Dudgeon - a state or fit of intense indignation
Dysphemism - the substitution of a harsher, deprecating or offensive term in place of a relatively neutral term
Dragoman - an interpreter or guide
Dextrorotatory - of or relating to an optically active chemical that rotates the plane of polarized light to the right, or clockwise
Dasypygal - having hairy buttocks
Dornick - a coarse damask
Dybbuk - in Jewish folklore, the wandering soul of a dead person that enters the body of a living person and controls his or her behavior
Despot - a person who wields power oppressively; a tyrant
-E-
Eftsoons - soon afterward; presently
Enfilade - gunfire directed along the length of a target, such as a column of troops; or a target vulnerable to sweeping gunfire
Exuviae - the cast-off skins or coverings of various organisms, such as the shells of crabs or the external coverings of the larvae and nymphs of insects
Endergonic - requiring energy
Enclitic - a clitic that is attached to the end of another word; i.e. Give 'em the works, the pronoun 'em is an enclitic
Ecdysiast - s striptease artist
Edaphic - of or relating to soil, especially as it affects living organisms; influenced by the soil rather than by the climate
Eclogue - a pastoral poem, usually in the form of a dialogue between shepherds
Evaginate - to cause (a body part) to turn inside out by eversion of an inner surface
Eutectic - of, relating to, or formed at the lowest possible temperature of solidification for any mixture of specified constituents, used especially of an alloy whose melting point is lower than that of any other alloy composed of the same constituents in different proportions
Embolus - a mass, such as an air bubble, a detached blood clot, or a foreign body, that travels through the bloodstream and lodges so as to obstruct or occlude a blood vessel
Exonym - a name used by foreigners to refer to a place or people, instead of the name used by those who live there
Exergue - a space on the reverse of a coin or medal, usually below the central design and often giving the date and place of engraving
Esplanade - a flat open stretch of pavement or grass, especially one designed as a promenade along a shore
Ersatz - being a substitute or imitation
Ennui - listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; boredom
Ecesis - the successful establishment of a plant or animal species in a habitat
Ecdysone - a steroid hormone produced by insects and crustaceans that promotes growth and controls molting
Esemplastic - having the capability of moulding diverse ideas or things into unity
Estival - relating to or occurring in summer
Epizootic - affecting a large number of animals at the same time within a particular region or geographic area, used of a disease
Eustasy - a uniform global change in sea level
Euhemerism - a theory attributing the origin of the gods to the deification of historical heroes
Eschatology - belief about or in the end of the world or the last things
Eidolon - an unsubstantial image: phantom
Epexegesis - additional explanation or explanatory matter
Eolian - borne, deposited, produced, or eroded by the wind
Eupeptic - of, relating to, or having good digestion
Eclaircissement - clarification, enlightenment
Ecdysis - the act of molting or shedding an outer cuticular layer (as in insects and crustaceans)
Ellipsis - omission or suppression of parts of words or sentences
Exonerate - to free from a responsibility, obligation, or task
Empirical - derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
Existentialism - a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts
Esoteric - intended for or understood by only a particular group
Egalitarian - affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people
Eleemosynary - relating to or given as charity
Elixir - a panacea or a quick or magical cure
Extortion - the crime of obtaining something such as money from somebody using illegal methods of persuasion
Excrescence - something growing out from something else
Etiolate - to blanch or bleach; to make sickly
Emblazon - to adorn (a surface) richly with prominent markings
Eclectic - selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles
Erudite - characterized by extensive reading or knowledge; well instructed; learned
-F-
Fisticuffs - a fistfight
Finagle - to obtain or achieve by indirect, usually deceitful methods
Facade - an artificial or deceptive front
Flabbergasted - caused to be overcome with astonishment; astounded
Flux - constant or frequent change; fluctuation
Fakir - a religious Muslim, especially a Sufi, who lives by begging
Folklore - traditional stories and explanations passed down in a community or country
Fealty - the fidelity owed by a vassal to his feudal lord
Freckle - a small brownish spot on the skin, often turning darker or increasing in number upon exposure to the sun
Foehn - a warm dry wind blowing down the side of a mountain
Furfuraceous - consisting of or covered with flaky particles
Forsaken - to leave altogether; abandon
Fartlek - a method of training, originally developed for runners, that involves intense activity interspersed with low effort. For example, sprinting and walking
Frittle - a temporary mark on the skin caused by the impression of a textured surface
Festschrift - a volume of learned articles or essays by colleagues and admirers, serving as a tribute or memorial especially to a scholar
Futilitarian - one who believes that human striving is futile
Filoplume - a hairlike feather having few or no barbs, usually located between the contour feathers
Floccinaucinihilipilification - estimating something as worthless
Fess - a wide horizontal band forming the middle section of an escutcheon
Fianchetto - the development in chess of a bishop from its original position to the second square of the adjacent knight's file
Faux-naif - marked by a false show of innocent simplicity
Filiopietistic - of or relating to an often immoderate reverence for forebears or tradition
Fickle - characterized by erratic changeableness or instability, especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious; a mundane word....(ykwya)
Fremitus - a palpable vibration, as felt by the hand placed on the chest during coughing or speaking
Fabliau - a medieval verse tale characterized by comic, ribald treatment of themes drawn from life
Foofaraw - excessive or flashy ornamentation
Facinorous - extremely wicked
Filemot - the color of a dead or faded leaf: dull brown or yellowish brown
Fossick - to search for mineral deposits, usually over ground previously worked by others; to search for small items
Frottage - the act of rubbing against the body of another person, as in a crowd, to attain sexual gratification
Fugue - an imitative polyphonic composition in which a theme or themes are stated successively in all of the voices of the contrapuntal structure
Fumarole - a hole in a volcanic area from which hot smoke and gases escape
-G-
Gubernatorial - of or relating to a governor
Gerrymandering - to divide a geographic area into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections
Gargoyle - a roof spout in the form of a grotesque creature projecting from a gutter to carry rainwater clear of the wall
Gesticulation - a motion of the body or limbs in speaking
Gnarly - full of knots; knotty; twisted; crossgrained
Griffin - a fabulous beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion
Galligaskins - loosely fitting hose or breeches worn in the 16th and 17th centuries
Giaour - a nonbeliever; an infidel
Gynandromorph - an organism having both male and female characteristics, especially an insect exhibiting a mixture of male and female tissues or sex organs
Gnosticism - the doctrines of certain pre-Christian pagan, Jewish, and early Christian sects that valued the revealed knowledge of God and of the origin and end of the human race as a means to attain redemption for the spiritual element in humans and that distinguished the Demiurge from the unknowable Divine Being
Guerrilla - a member of an irregular, usually indigenous military or paramilitary unit operating in small bands in occupied territory to harass and undermine the enemy, as by surprise raids
Gossamer - something delicate, sheer, and filmy
Genuflect - to bend the right knee to the floor and rise again as a gesture of religious respect
Grok - to understand
Gimcrack - a trivial mechanism; a device; a toy; a pretty but useless or worthless object
Gadabout - one who roams about in search of amusement or social activity
Gonfalon - a banner suspended from a crosspiece, especially as a standard in an ecclesiastical procession or as the ensign of a medieval Italian republic
Gregarious - seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable
Grog - liquor (as rum) cut with water
Geotaxis - movement of a motile organism using the earth's gravity for orientation
Gardyloo - warning cry formerly used on throwing slops into the streets from the windows
Gravamen - the part of a charge or an accusation that weighs most substantially against the accused
Gnomon - the raised arm of a sundial that indicates the time of day by its shadow
Gyrovague - a monk who travels from one place to another
Glyph - a symbolic figure that is usually engraved or incised
Gnash - to grind or strike together
Glossal - of or pertaining to the tongue
Gens - a patrilineal clan of ancient Rome composed of several families of the same name claiming a common ancestor and belonging to common religious cult
Glabrous - having no hairs, projections, or pubescence; smooth
Gynecomastia - abnormal enlargement of the breasts in a male
Gyve - a shackle or fetter, especially for the leg
Geoid - the hypothetical surface of the earth that coincides everywhere with mean sea level
Glyptograph - an engraved inscription on a precious stone
Gossypol - a toxic pigment, C30H30O8, obtained from cottonseed oil and detoxified by heating, that has been experimentally shown to inhibit sperm production
Gallimaufry - a jumble; a hodgepodge
Grimoire - a manual of black magic (for invoking spirits and demons)
-H-
Hypaethral - wholly or partly open to the sky
Hierophant - an interpreter of sacred mysteries or arcane knowledge
Haustellum - a portion of the proboscis that is adapted as a sucking organ in many insects
Hex - an evil spell; a curse; or one that brings bad luck
Haboob - a penetrating sandstorm or dust storm with violent winds, occurring chiefly in Arabia, North Africa, and India
Hebdomadal - weekly
Hapax Legomenon - a word or form that has only one recorded use
Hebephrenia - a type of schizophrenia characterized by foolish mannerisms, senseless laughter, delusions, hallucinations, and regressive behavior
Hendiadys - the expression of an idea by two nouns connected by and (as cups and gold) instead of by a noun and an adjective (as golden cups)
Henotheism - belief in one god without denying the existence of others
Hypolimnion - the layer of water in a thermally stratified lake that lies below the thermocline, is noncirculating, and remains perpetually cold
Haplology - the loss of one of two identical or similar adjacent syllables in a word, as in Latin nutrix, `nurse,' from earlier nutritrix
Horripilation - the bristling of the body hair, as from fear or cold; goose bumps
Habergeon - a short, sleeveless coat of mail
Hemelytron - one of the forewings of a hemipterous insect, having a thick membranous apex
Heteroecious - spending different stages of a life cycle on different, usually unrelated hosts. Used of parasites such as rust fungi and tapeworms
Hylozoism - the philosophical doctrine holding that all matter has life, which is a property or derivative of matter
Hallux - big toe, more generally, the innermost digit on the hind foot of animals, it is usually backward-directed in birds
Haruspex - a diviner in ancient Rome basing his predictions on inspection of the entrails of sacrificial animals
Hypaethral - wholly or partly open to the sky
Hierarchy - a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system
Harlequin - to play the droll; to make sport by playing ludicrous tricks
Harbinger - one that indicates or foreshadows what is to come; a forerunner
Hippopotamomonstrososessiquippadaliaphobia - fear of long words
Homunculus - a miniature, fully formed individual
Hobbledehoy - a gawky adolescent boy
Hecatomb - a large-scale sacrifice or slaughter
Hellspawn - creature born in the depths of hell
Hijinks - good-humored boisterousness, frequently including mischievousness and pranks
Hagiography - biography of a saint or the saints
-I-
Indefatigable - incapable or seemingly incapable of being fatigued
Impute - attribute to a source or cause
Imbibe - to drink
Incognito - with one's identity disguised or concealed
Infrangible - unable to be broken or separated into pieces
Impaler - a piercer; somebody or something with a pointed object
Iambic - consisting of a short syllable followed by a long one, or of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented
Incunabulum - a book printed before 1501
Infundibuliform - having the form of a funnel or cone
Iatrogenic - induced inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures
Isohyet - a line drawn on a map connecting points that receive equal amounts of rainfall
Incarnate - invested with bodily nature and form
Idiosyncrasy - a structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group
Inveigle - to win over by coaxing, flattery, or artful talk
Isometropia - equality of refraction in both eyes
Illeist - one who refers to oneself in the third person
Idiopathy - a disease of unknown origin or one having no apparent cause
Irredentist - one who advocates the recovery of territory culturally or historically related to one's nation but now subject to a foreign government
Illiquid - not readily converted into cash
Inion - the most prominent projecting point of the occipital bone at the base of the skull
Isostasy - equilibrium in the earth's crust such that the forces tending to elevate landmasses balance the forces tending to depress landmasses
Impetus - an impelling force; an impulse; the force or energy associated with a moving body (submitted by aluminumsteel@yahoo.com)
Ipse dixit - an assertion without supporting proof
Impecunious - lacking money; penniless
Imprimis - in the first place
Ithyphallic - having the penis erect. Used of graphic and sculptural representations
-J-
Jabot - an ornamental cascade of ruffles or frills down the front of a shirt, blouse, or dress
Jurat - a certification on an affidavit declaring when, where, and before whom it was sworn
Jerid - a blunt javelin used by the people of the Levant, especially in mock fights
Juxtapose - to place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast
Jacktar - a sailor
Jussive - a word, mood, or form used to express command
Juggernaut - anything requiring blind sacrifice; or a massive relentless force, person, institution, etc. that crushes everything in its path
Jilt - to deceive or drop (a lover) suddenly or callously
Jokulhaups - massive flooding as the result of volcanic activity beneath a glacier
Juju - a fetish or charm
Jargoon - a colorless (or pale yellow or smoky) variety of zircon
Janissary - a member of a group of elite, highly loyal supporters
Jubilation - a celebration or other expression of joy
Jinx - an unseen force that is thought to bring bad luck
-K-
Kindred - having a similar or related origin, nature, or character
Kenning - a figurative, usually compound expression used in place of a name or noun, especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry; for example, storm of swords is a kenning for battle
Killjoy - one who spoils the enthusiasm or fun of others
Kudzu - an eastern Asian vine (Pueraria lobata) having compound leaves and clusters of reddish-purple flowers. It is grown for fodder, forage, and root starch, and is a widespread weed in the southeast United States
Kef - a state of dreamy tranquility
Karst - an area of irregular limestone in which erosion has produced fissures, sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns
Kulturkampf - a conflict between secular and religious authorities
Kakistocracy - government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens
Keld - a well, fountain, spring
Kloof - a deep ravine
Knobkerrie - a short club with one knobbed end, used as a weapon by warriors of certain South African peoples
Kinnikinnick - a preparation made from dried leaves, bark, and sometimes tobacco and smoked especially by certain Native American peoples, also bearberry
Kylix - a shallow, stemmed, two-handled drinking cup of ancient Greece
Kvetch - to complain persistently and whiningly
Klezmer - a traditionally itinerant Jewish folk musician of eastern Europe performing in a small band, as at weddings
Kwashiorkor - severe protein malnutrition, especially in children after weaning, marked by lethargy, growth retardation, anemia, edema, potbelly, skin depigmentation, and hair loss or change in hair color
-L-
Legerdemain - sleight of hand, a show of skill or deceitful cleverness
Labia - lips
Labyrinthian - of, relating to, resembling, or constituting a labyrinth
Leviathan - the largest or most massive thing of its kind
Laissez-Faire - noninterference in the affairs of others
Loquacious - tending to talk a great deal
Lop - to cut off something, for example, hair or a limb, with one stroke
Lanugo - a covering of fine, soft hair, as on a leaf, an insect, or a newborn child
Laager - a defensive encampment encircled by armored vehicles or wagons
Lagan - cargo or equipment thrown into the sea but attached to a float or buoy so that it can be recovered
Loxodromic - of or relating to the path of a ship that maintains a fixed compass direction, shown on a map as a line crossing all meridians at the same angle
Legato - in a smooth, even style without any noticeable break between the notes; used chiefly as a direction
Lachrymose - given to shedding tears
Leitmotif - a melodic phrase that accompanies the reappearance of a idea, person, or situation; a dominant and recurring theme
Liege - a lord or sovereign to whom allegiance and service are due according to feudal law
Logomachy - a controversy marked by verbiage
Lagniappe - a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase
Lissom - limber; supple; flexible
Loricate - covered with an armor, such as scales or bony plates on reptiles
Lovat - a predominantly dusty color mixture (as of green) in fabrics
Lithiasis - pathological formation of mineral concretions in the body
Limicolous - living in mud
Lexeme - the fundamental unit of the lexicon of a language. Find, finds, found, and finding are forms of the English lexeme find
Limn - to describe; to depict by painting or drawing
Lixiviate - to wash or percolate the soluble matter from
Lorgnette - a pair of eyeglasses or opera glasses on a handle
Lionize - to look on or treat (a person) as a celebrity
Lissom - easily bent; supple, also having the ability to move with ease; limber
Litotes - a figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite, as in This is no small problem
-M-
Meretricious - of or pertaining to prostitutes; having to do with prostitutes
Myxomatosis - a highly infectious, usually fatal disease of rabbits that is caused by a pox virus and is characterized by many skin tumors similar to myxomas
Mesencephalon - the midbrain
Milchig - derived from or made of milk or dairy products
Melisma - a passage of several notes sung to one syllable of text, as in Gregorian chant
Macaronic - of or containing a mixture of vernacular words with Latin words or with vernacular words given Latinate endings
Mandrake - a southern European plant (Mandragora officinarum) having greenish-yellow flowers and a branched root, this plant was once believed to have magical powers because its root resembles the human body
Manticore - a legendary monster having the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion
Microseism - a faint earth tremor caused by natural phenomena, such as winds and strong ocean waves
Madeleine - something that evokes memory or nostalgia
Moly - a magic herb with black roots and white flowers that was given to Odysseus by Hermes to ward off the spells of Circe
Murrain - any of various highly infectious diseases of cattle, as anthrax; a pestilence or dire disease
Marquetry - material, such as wood or ivory, inlaid piece by piece into a wood surface in an intricate design and veneered to another surface, especially of furniture, for decoration
Morphallaxis - the regeneration of a body part by means of structural or cellular reorganization with only limited production of new cells, observed primarily in invertebrate organisms, such as certain lobsters
Megrim - low spirits
Mammatocumulus - a cumulus or cumulostratus storm cloud having breast-shaped protuberances below
Myrmecology - the scientific study of ants
Menstruum - a solvent, esp. one used in extracting and preparing drugs
Machicolation - an opening between the corbels which support a projecting parapet, or in the floor of a gallery or the roof of a portal for shooting or dropping missiles upon assailants attacking the base of the walls
Mythopoeic - of or relating to the making of myths
Myrobalan - a dried astringent fruit much resembling a prune
Malocclusion - faulty contact between the upper and lower teeth when the jaw is closed
Misopaedia - hatred of children, especially one's own
Mondegreen - a word or phrase resulting from mishearing a word or phrase
Mooncalf - a daydreamer or absent-minded person
Menology - a calendar, especially one commemorating specific people
Monopsony - a market condition where there is only one buyer for a product or service that's being sold by many
Metaplasm - a change in a word, for example by adding, omitting, inverting, or transposing its letters, syllables, or sounds
Mammothrept - a child raised by its grandmother; hence, a spoiled child
Malarky - exaggerated or foolish talk, usually intended to deceive
Maelstrom - a violent or turbulent situation
Minion - an obsequious follower or dependent; a sycophant
Masturbatory - of or relating to masturbation
Maharajah - a king or prince in India ranking above a rajah, especially the sovereign of one of the former native states
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine - a drug designed to have the effects of amphetamines but to avoid the drug laws
Manubrium - a handle-shaped anatomical part
Martyrdom - death that is imposed because of the person's adherence of a religious faith or cause
Motet - a polyphonic composition based on a sacred text and usually sung without accompaniment
Mulct - to defraud
Malevolent - having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious
