Necropolis - a cemetery, especially a large and elaborate one belonging to an ancient city
Nook - a small corner, alcove, or recess, especially one in a large room
Niche - a cranny, hollow, or crevice, as in rock
Ne'er-do-well - an idle, irresponsible person
Nescience - lack of knowledge
Notochord - a flexible rodlike structure that forms the main support of the body in the lowest chordates; a primitive backbone
Numen - a spirit believed by animists to inhabit certain natural phenomena or objects
Niacin - a white crystalline acid, C5H4NCOOH, that is a component of the vitamin B complex found in meat, wheat germ, dairy products, and yeast and is used to treat and prevent pellagra, also called nicotinic acid
Nainsook - a soft, light cotton material, often with a woven stripe
Newel - a center column that supports the steps of a spiral staircase
Nepenthe - a potion used by the ancients to dull pain and sorrow
Neuroglia - the delicate network of branched cells and fibers that supports the tissue of the central nervous system
Niddering - a coward or wretch
Nyctalopia - night blindness: a condition in which vision is faint or completely lost at night or in dim light
Narghile - a tobacco pipe in which the smoke is drawn through water before reaching the lips
Noumenon - in the philosophy of Kant, an object as it is in itself independent of the mind, as opposed to a phenomenon
Neve - the upper part of a glacier where the snow turns into ice
Natriuresis - excretion of excessive amounts of sodium in the urine
Nyctitropism - the tendency of the leaves of some plants to change their position at nightfall
Nisus - an effort or endeavor to realize an aim
Nystagmus - a rapid, involuntary, oscillatory motion of the eyeball
Noetic - of, relating to, originating in, or apprehended by the intellect
-O-
Oakum - loose hemp or jute fiber, sometimes treated with tar, creosote, or asphalt, used chiefly for caulking seams in wooden ships and packing pipe joints
Ommatidium - one of the structural elements, resembling a single simplified eye, that make up the compound eye of insects and other arthropods
Oenomel - an ancient Greek beverage consisting of wine and honey
Octothorpe - the symbol #
Oxyuriasis - infestation with pinworms
Otalgia - pain in the ear; earache
Omphalos - the navel; a central part; a focal point
Onomastic - of, relating to, or explaining a name or names
Orthoepy - the study of the pronunciation of a language
Opsimath - one who begins learning late in life
Oniomania - compulsive shopping; excessive, uncontrollable desire to buy things
Oxter - the armpit
Oculogyric - of or relating to the turning of the eyeballs in the sockets
Olecranon - the large process on the upper end of the ulna that projects behind the elbow joint and forms the point of the elbow
Oxycephaly - a congenital abnormality of the skull in which the top of the head assumes a conical or pointed shape
Obsequy - a funeral rite or ceremony
Opisthograph - a manuscript, parchment, or book having writing on both sides of the leaves
Orrery - a mechanical model of the solar system
Ormolu - any of several copper and zinc or tin alloys resembling gold in appearance and used to ornament furniture, moldings, architectural details, and jewelry
Ouroboros - a circular symbol of a snake or dragon devouring its tail, standing for infinity or wholeness; also written uroboros
Oriflamme - an inspiring standard or symbol
Omphaloskepsis - contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation
Ort - a morsel left at a meal: scrap
Oppugn - to fight against
Oubliette - a dungeon with an opening only at the top
Oology - a branch of ornithology dealing with birds' eggs
Oneiromancy - divination by means of dreams
Oneiric - of or relating to dreams
Onslaught - an attack; an onset; esp., a furious or murderous attack or assault
Onomatopoeia - words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to
Obloquy - ill repute
-P-
Primordial - Being or happening first in sequence of time; original
Peep - to speak in a hesitant, thin, high-pitched voice
Pacifism - opposition to war or violence as a means of resolving disputes
Psychotropic - having an altering effect on perception, emotion, or behavior
Panache - a bunch of feathers or a plume, especially on a helmet
Posthumous - occurring or continuing after one's death
Phosphorescence - persistent emission of light following exposure to and removal of incident radiation
Papyrus - an ancient manuscript written on material made from the papyrus plant
Phalanstery - a self-sustaining cooperative community of the followers of Fourierism
Phaeton - a light, four-wheeled open carriage, usually drawn by a pair of horses
Pyx - a chest in a mint in which specimen coins are placed to await assay
Portcullis - a grating of iron or wooden bars or slats, suspended in the gateway of a fortified place and lowered to block passage
Polyp - a small stalk-shaped growth sticking out from the skin or from a mucous membrane
Plague - a disease that spreads very rapidly, infecting very large numbers of people and killing a great many of them, or an outbreak of such a disease
Paean - a song or other expression of praise or joy
Pharmacopoeia - a book containing an official list of medicinal drugs together with articles on their preparation and use
Perspicacity - clearness of understanding
Palimpsest - an object a place whose older layers or aspects are apparent
Primogeniture - the state of being the first-born or eldest child of the same parents
Panjandrum - an important or self-important official
Perplex - to confuse or trouble with uncertainty or doubt
Prowess - superior strength, courage, or daring, especially in battle
Polemics - controversial arguments, especially ones refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine
Philter - a potion or charm supposed to cause the person taking it to fall in love
Pleiotropism - the control by a single gene of several distinct and seemingly unrelated phenotypic effects
Prolix - extending to a great length; unnecessarily long; wordy
Pantheism - a doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe
Pellagra - a disease caused by a deficiency of niacin and protein in the diet and characterized by skin eruptions, digestive and nervous system disturbances, and eventual mental deterioration
Pronk - jump straight up, as of kangaroos
Phrenology - the study of the shape and protuberances of the skull, based on the now discredited belief that they reveal character and mental capacity
Prothalamion - a song in celebration of a marriage
Paladin - a champion of a medieval prince
Polydipsia - excessive or abnormal thirst
Pogonip - a dense winter fog containing frozen particles that is formed in deep mountain valleys of western U.S.
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis - a pneumoconiosis caused by the inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust
Phyllotaxis - the arrangement of leaves on a stem and in relation to one another
Polysyndeton - the repetition of connectives or conjunctions in close succession for rhetorical effect, as in the phrase here and there and everywhere
Polyhistor - a person with broad knowledge
Psephology - the study of political elections
Panopticon - a building, as a prison, hospital, library, or the like, so arranged that all parts of the interior are visible from a single point
Pococurante - Indifferent, apathetic, nonchalant
Polemology - the science and study of human conflict and war
Palanquin - a covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers, formerly used in eastern Asia
Pachycephalosaurus - bipedal herbivore having 10 inches of bone atop its head; largest bone-headed dinosaur ever found
Parallax - an apparent change in the direction of an object, caused by a change in observational position that provides a new line of sight
Pernicious - tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly
Pahoehoe - lava with a smooth glassy surface
Philomath - a lover of learning
Partagium - a fold of skin between the fore and hind limbs of flying squirrels, flying lizards, etc., enabling them to glide through the air
Pamprodactylous - having all toes pointing forward, as in certain birds
Phylactery - an amulet
Pablum - trite, insipid, or simplistic writing, speech, or conceptualization
Parfleche - an untanned animal hide soaked in lye and water to remove the hair and then dried on a stretcher
Pergola - an arbor formed of columns supporting trelliswork on which climbing plants are often trained
Purfle - to finish or decorate the border or edge of
Pemphigus - any of several acute or chronic skin diseases characterized by groups of itching blisters
Parthenocarpy - the production of fruit without fertilization
Periapt - a charm worn as protection against mischief and disease; an amulet
-Q-
Quixotic - like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance; absurdly chivalric; apt to be deluded
Quagmire - a difficult or precarious situation; a predicament
Quisling - a traitor who collaborates with the invaders of his country esp. by serving in a puppet government
Quaquaversal - sloping downward from the center in all directions
Qiviut - the soft wool lying beneath the long coat of the muskox, valued for its use as a fiber
Quondam - that once was; former: “the quondam drunkard, now perfectly sober”
Quipu - a record-keeping device of the Inca empire consisting of a series of variously colored strings attached to a base rope and knotted so as to encode information, used especially for accounting purposes
Querulous - given to complaining; peevish
Quantic - a homogeneous polynomial having two or more variables
-R-
Recherché - uncommon; rare
Rostrate - having a beaklike part
Roborant - restoring vigor or strength
Retromingent - urinating backwards
Raptorial - subsisting by seizing prey; predatory
Rancor - bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will
Rapturous - filled with great joy or rapture; ecstatic
Roorback - a defamatory falsehood published for political effect
Refocillate - to revive by warmth
Rale - an abnormal respiratory sound characterized by fine crackles
Rakehell - a licentious or immoral person
Rechauffe - warmed leftover food
Rasik - realm, in Hindi folklore, in which everyone is young, attractive, and nearly always engaged in erotic play
Remontant - blooming more often than once in a season
Ricin - a poisonous protein extracted from the castor bean and used as a biochemical reagent
Riboflavin - a B vitamin that prevents skin lesions and weight loss
Ricochet - to rebound at least once from a surface
-S-
Skulduggery - crafty deception or trickery or an instance of it
Subjugate - to bring under control; conquer
Ska - music originating in Jamaica in the 1960s, having elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, and calypso
Summon - to give notice to, or command to appear
Somnophore - one who induces sleep
Swarthy - having a dark complexion or color
Solfatara - a volcanic area that gives off sulfurous gases and steam
Superfluous - being beyond what is required or sufficient
Stomata - the minute pores in the epidermis of a leaf or stem through which gases and water vapor pass
Septicemia - a systemic disease caused by pathogenic organisms or their toxins in the bloodstream
Stasis - a condition of balance among various forces; motionlessness
Strabismus - a visual defect in which one eye cannot focus with the other on an object because of imbalance of the eye muscles
Slipshod - marked by carelessness; sloppy or slovenly
Sanskrit - the extinct Indo-European language of ancient India
Sabotage - an action taken to undermine or destroy somebody's efforts or achievements
Saprozoic - obtaining nourishment by absorption of dissolved organic and inorganic materials, as in protozoans and some fungi
Splanchnic - of or relating to the viscera; visceral
Syrinx - the vocal organ of a bird, consisting of thin vibrating muscles at or close to the division of the trachea into the bronchi
Syzygy - the straight-line conjunction or opposition of three celestial bodies
Squalor - shabbiness and dirtiness resulting from poverty or neglect
Shibboleth - a word or phrase frequently used, or a belief strongly held, by members of a group that is usually held by outsiders as meaningless
Snollygoster - somebody whose actions are motivated by self-interest rather than by high principles
Schadenfreude - a malicious satisfaction in the misfortunes of others
Simulacrum - a representation; an insubstantial or vague semblance
Seafaring - following a life at sea
Slake - to satisfy or quench
Submerge - to hide from view; obscure
Superstition - an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome
Sumptuary - laws intended to restrain or limit the expenditure of citizens in apparel,food, furniture, etc
Seraphim - the first of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology
Sthenic - notably or excessively vigorous or energetic
Solipsism - a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing
Scissile - capable of being cut smoothly or split easily
Subfusc - of a dark, dull, or somber color
Strafe - to attack (ground troops, for example) with a machine gun or cannon from a low-flying aircraft
Sternutation - the act of sneezing
Sennight - a week
Sockdolager - a decisive blow or remark
Syllogism - a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion; for example, All humans are mortal, the major premise, I am a human, the minor premise, therefore, I am mortal, the conclusion
Specter - s ghostly apparition; a phantom
Sacrilegious - violating what is considered sacred
Sequela - a pathological condition resulting from a previous disease or injury
Sialagogue - an agent that promotes the flow of saliva
Sanguinolent - mixed or tinged with blood
Stoloniferous - bearing or forming stolons
Shadoof - a device consisting of a long suspended pole weighted at one end and having a bucket at the other end, used in the Near East and especially Egypt for raising water, as for the irrigation of land
Scripophily - the hobby of collecting historic stock and bond certificates; also, such a collection
Shako - a stiff, cylindrical military dress hat with a metal plate in front, a short visor, and a plume
Snickersnee - a knife resembling a sword; the act of fighting with knives
Scotopia - the ability to see in darkness or dim light; dark-adapted vision
Scintillating - to throw off sparks; flash (submitted by Pilot9585@aol.com )
Stagflation - economic condition marked by lack of growth (stagnation) and persistent, substantial increase in prices (inflation)
Septentrion - the north
Synaesthesia - a condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a color; a sensation felt in one part of the body as a result of stimulus applied to another, as in referred pain; the description of one kind of sense impression by using words that normally describe another
Scrobiculate - marked with many shallow depressions, grooves, or pits
Syndactyly - the condition of having two or more fused digits, as occurs normally in certain mammals and birds, or a congenital anomaly in humans characterized by two or more fused fingers or toes
Samovar - a metal urn with a spigot, used to boil water for tea and traditionally having a chimney and heated by coals
Sirocco - a hot humid south or southeast wind of southern Italy, Sicily, and the Mediterranean islands, originating in the Sahara Desert as a dry dusty wind but becoming moist as it passes over the Mediterranean
Storax - an aromatic resin obtained from the snowbell
Scry - to see or predict the future by means of a crystal ball
-T-
Thaumatology - the study of miracles
Thrombocytopenia - an abnormal decrease in the number of platelets in circulatory blood
Talisman - an object marked with magic signs and believed to confer on its bearer supernatural powers or protection
Truculence - a disposition or apparent disposition to fight, especially fiercely
Teknonym - a name derived from a child's name that is used to address a parent
Tor - a rocky heap on the top of a hill
Targe - a light shield or buckler
Trochanter - any of several bony processes on the upper part of the femur of many vertebrates
Tantamount - equivalent in effect or value: a request tantamount to a demand
Tergiversation - desertion of a cause, party, or faith
Tmesis - separation of parts of a compound word by the intervention of one or more words (as what place soever for whatsoever place)
Tartuffe - a religious hypocrite
Tupek or Tupik - tent that is an Eskimo summer dwelling
Transuranic - having an atomic number greater than 92
Torpid - having lost motion or the power of exertion or feeling: dormant, numb
Talion - a punishment identical to the offense, as the death penalty for murder
Theomachy - strife or battle among gods
Tragus - the projection or little flap in front of the ear
Telamon - a figure of a man used as a supporting pillar
Trichotillomania - a compulsion to pull out one's hair
Thalweg - a line, as drawn on a map, connecting the lowest points of a valley
Tantivy - at full gallop; at full speed
Tonotopic - denoting a spatial arrangement of structures such that certain tone frequencies are transmitted, as in the auditory pathway
Triune - being three in one
Ted - to spread or strew for drying
Thyestean - of or relating to the eating of human flesh; cannibal
Totipalmate - having webbing that connects each of the four anterior, as in water birds
Totipotency - the ability of a cell, such as an egg, to give rise to unlike cells and thus develop into a new organism or part
Trapunto - quilting in which the design is outlined with running stitches and then padded from underneath
Trepanning - to perforate the skull with a trepan, to relieve pressure
Taiga - a subarctic, evergreen coniferous forest located just south of the tundra and dominated by firs and spruces
Toadstool - An inedible or poisonous fungus with an umbrella-shaped fruiting body
Titillation - to stimulate by touching lightly; tickle
Thanatology - the study of death and dying, especially in their psychological and social aspects
Transcendentalism - A literary and philosophical movement asserting the existence of an ideal spiritual reality that transcends the empirical and scientific and is knowable through intuition
Tome - a book, especially a large or scholarly one
Tintinnabulation - the ringing or sounding of bells
Teetotum - a top, usually having four lettered sides, that is used to play various games of chance
Terpsichorean - of or relating to dancing
Teratoma - a tumor consisting of different types of tissue, as of skin, hair, and muscle, caused by the development of independent germ cells
Tetragrammaton - the four Hebrew letters usually transliterated as YHWH or JHVH, used as a biblical proper name for God
Thaumaturgy - the working of miracles or magic feats
Threshold - the point where a new era or experience begins
Tithe - one tenth of one's income or produce paid voluntarily or as a tax for the support of a church or its clergy
Thixotropy - becoming fluid when shaken or stirred and returning to a gel state when allowed to stand
Tautonym - a species name in which the epithet for the species is the same as that of the genus, for example, the name of the filarial worm Loa loa, this kind of name is used for animal but not plant species
Tchotchke - a trinket; a knickknack
Tuyère - the pipe, nozzle, or other opening through which air is forced into a blast furnace or forge to facilitate combustion
Tatterdemalion - a person dressed in tattered clothing
-U-
Ultimatum - a final statement of terms made by one party to another
Usurper - one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another
Ullage - the amount of liquid lost from a container through evaporation or leakage
Upas - a poisonous or harmful influence or institution
Uxorial - of, relating to, or characteristic of a wife
Uvarovite - an emerald-green mineral, a variety of garnet
Undercroft - a crypt, especially one used for burial under a church
Ukase - any order or decree issued by an authority; an edict
Unguis - a nail, claw, or hoof
Usurer - one who lends money at interest, especially at an exorbitant or unlawfully high rate
Uliginose - muddy; oozy; slimy; also, growing in muddy places
Umlaut - a change in a vowel sound caused by partial assimilation especially to a vowel or semivowel occurring in the following syllable
Uncial - of or relating to a style of writing characterized by somewhat rounded capital letters and found especially in Greek and Latin manuscripts of the fourth to the eighth century A.D.
-V-
Valgus - characterized by an abnormal outward turning of a bone, especially of the hip, knee, or foot
Vatic - of or characteristic of a prophet; oracular
Velleity - volition at its lowest level; a mere wish or inclination
Ventail - the lower movable part of the front of a medieval helmet, fitting over the mouth or neck
Virescence - the state or process of becoming green, especially the abnormal development of green coloration in plant parts normally not green
Venal - open to bribery; mercenary: capable of betraying honor, duty, or scruples for a price; corruptible
Vademecum - a book for ready reference: manual
Vacuum - the absence of matter
Vavasour - a feudal tenant who ranked directly below a baron or peer
Vampire - a reanimated corpse that is believed to rise from the grave at night to suck the blood of sleeping people
Vestigial - occurring or persisting as a rudimentary or degenerate structure
Visceral - perceived in or as if in the viscera; profound
Volleybox - a game my roommate and I made up (ok, so this ones not real, sue me)
Vomitory - the tunnellike passages of an amphitheater or stadium between the seats and the outside wall or passageway
Vitrified - changed or made into glass or a glassy substance, especially through heat fusion
Vivisection - the act or practice of cutting into or otherwise injuring living animals, especially for the purpose of scientific research
Verbicide - deliberate distortion of the sense of a word (as in punning)
Vale - a valley, often coursed by a stream; a dale
-W-
Weregild - the price of a man's head; a compensation paid of a man killed
Wanderlust - a very strong or irresistible impulse to travel
Wraith - an apparition of a living person that appears as a portent just before that person's death
Whelm - to cover with water; submerge
Warpath - a course that leads to warfare or battle
Wood - [OLD ENGLISH] mentally unbalanced, insane
Wamble - to move in a weaving, wobbling, or rolling manner
Whilom - having once been, former
Wassail - a salutation or toast given in drinking someone's health or as an expression of good will at a festivity or the drink used in such toasting, commonly ale or wine spiced with roasted apples and sugar; also a festivity characterized by much drinking
Wedeln - a snow skiing style in which the skier executes a series of short quick parallel turns by moving the backs of the skis from side to side at a constant speed
Wyvern - a two-legged dragon having wings and a barbed tail
Wan - unnaturally pale, as from physical or emotional distress
Writhe - to twist, as in pain, struggle, or embarrassment
-X-
Xiphosuran - an arthropod of the order Xiphosura, which includes the horseshoe crab and many extinct forms
Xylose - a white crystalline sugar, C5H10O5, used in dyeing and tanning and in diabetic diets
Xerophilous - flourishing in or adapted to a dry hot environment
Xanthocroid - having light complexion and hair
Xanthippe - an ill-tempered woman
Xenoplastic - involving or occurring between distantly related individuals
Xerothermic - both dry and hot
Xerosis - an abnormal dryness of the skin, eyeballs, or mucous membranes
Xylophagous - feeding on or living in wood
Xebec - a usually 3-masted Mediterranean sailing ship with long overhanging bow and stern
Xanthic - tending toward a yellow color, or to one of those colors, green being excepted, in which yellow is a constituent, as scarlet, orange, etc
-Y-
Yahweh - a name for God assumed by modern scholars to be a convention for pronouncing the Tetragrammaton
Yclept - called; named
Yare - set for action: ready
Yurt - a circular, domed, portable tent used by nomadic peoples of central Asia
Yawl - a two-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel similar to the ketch but having a smaller jigger- or mizzenmast stepped abaft the rudder
Yggdrasil - in Norse mythology, the great ash tree that holds together earth, heaven, and hell by its roots and branches
Yapok - an aquatic opossum (Chironectes minimus) of tropical America, having dense fur, webbed hind feet, and a long tail
Yataghan - a Turkish sword or scimitar having a double-curved blade and an eared pommel, but lacking a handle guard
Yegg - a thug or burglar, especially a safecracker
Yeanling - the young of a sheep or goat; a lamb or kid
Yoni - a stylized representation of a vulva worshiped as a symbol of a goddess or Shakti
-Z-
Zarf - a chalicelike holder for a hot coffee cup, typically made of ornamented metal, used in the Middle East
Zonule - a small zone, as of a ligament
Zymurgy - the branch of chemistry that deals with fermentation processes, as in brewing
Zoon - an animal developed from a fertilized egg
Zeugma - a construction in which a single word, especially a verb or an adjective, is applied to two or more nouns when its sense is appropriate to only one of them or to both in different ways, as in "He took my advice and my wallet"
Zoolatry - animal worship
Zugzwang - a situation in a chess game in which a player is forced to make an undesirable or disadvantageous move
Zygodactylic - having two toes projecting forward and two projecting backward, as certain climbing birds
Zenzizenzizenzic - the eighth power of a number
Zeitgeber - an environmental cue, as the length of daylight or the degree of temperature, that helps to regulate the cycles of an organism's biological clock
Zymology - the chemistry of fermentation
Zucchetto - a skullcap worn by certain Roman Catholic clerics, varying in color according to rank
Zephyr - something that is airy, insubstantial, or passing
Zealot - a fervent and even militant proponent of something
Zeitgeist - the spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation
