# اكثر الناس لايعرفها
الجزء الاول
Words Most People Don’t Know
PART II
If you know the words on this list, then pat yourself on the back. You are, most assuredly, a genius of the highest order. If the words on this list are a mystery to you, then don’t be sad. You’re not alone. Learn a few of these and drop them into a conversation, and . . . voila! . . . instant genius!
abbess (AB-iss), noun
A head nun in charge of a convent; a mother superior.
The old ABBESS generally ran a strict convent, so on my birthday I was amazed to find she’ d left a box of chocolates on my reading table.
abecedarian (ay-bee-see-DARE-ee-un), noun A beginner; someone just learning the rudiments of a task, skill, job, etc. Paul is an expert in a sea kayak, but when it comes to snow skiing, he’s an ABECEDARIAN.
aboriginal (ab-uh-RIDGE-ih-nul), adjective
Indigenous or native to an area; the first of its kind in a region. Aboriginal pertains most commonly to the aborigines in Australia. However, the most complete definition of the word is something that existed first in an area. The aborigines in Australia were that area’s first inhabitants.
The General Assembly was presented with a petition on environmental matters signed by representatives of the world’s various ABORIGINAL peoples.
absinthe (AB-sinth), noun A green alcoholic liqueur flavored with wormwood and having narcotic qualities. Before the beverage was banned in the early part of this century, a great many Americans were addicted to ABSINTHE.
accede (ak-SEED), verb To give one’s consent. To accede is to signal one’s acceptance of something. To formally accept a high position is to accede.
Therefore, someone who accepts a position accedes to that office.
The college president eventually ACCEDED to the demands of the student demonstrators.
acculturation (uh-kul-chu-RAY-shun), noun
Alteration of one culture traceable to interaction with another. Acculturation describes the process of cultural influences as well as the means by which the culture of a particular culture is instilled in a human being.
While there are often severe adjustment problems among senior citizens who immigrate to this country, ACCULTURATION among younger children occurs remarkably quickly.
acuity (uh-KUE-uh-tee), adjective
Keen, as in the mind or the senses; deft.
Although Professor Kane admitted that Jordan’s chess ACUITY was impressive for one so young, he did not agree that the boy was ready to compete professionally.
adjure (ad-JOOR), verb To command solemnly as if under oath. To adjure is to command or enjoin solemnly, often under the threat of some sort of penalty. The witnesses were ADJURED to avoid any contact with the accused.
adumbrate (ADD-um-brate), verb To suggest or disclose something partially. The factory workers were nervous when they learned the owner had ADUMBRATED a plan for layoffs.
aesthetic (us-THET-ik), adjective
Of or related to a sense of what is attractive or beautiful. Also: related to sensation and feeling as contrasted with reason or logic. Aesthetics is the science that examines how people react to art and to beauty. Something that is aesthetically pleasing is in keeping with one’s standards of scale, structure, clarity, and attractiveness.
It is not my place to comment on the AESTHETICS of the car; I am here to report on whether it won the race, which it did.
afflatus (uh-FLAY-tuss), noun From the Latin meaning “a breathing on,” afflatus is inspiration that seems to come from divine origin. Beethoven himself often attributed his genius to AFFLATUS, rather than to his own abilities.
agape (ah-GAH-pay), noun
In Christianity, divine love for humanity, or human love that transcends customary boundaries. Agape is the Greek word for love. Today, it is often used to describe an unselfish love that goes beyond sexuality or other worldly concerns.
The nurse’s work among the poor and dispossessed seemed rooted, not in a well-meaning and temporary humanitarian instinct, but in a deeper and more profound AGAPE totally unfamiliar to most of us.
aggiornamento (uh-joarn-uh-MEN-toe), noun
This Italian word means modernization, the concern with bringing something up to date.
The AGGIORNAMENTO of the 1930s-era office building is taking much longer than expected because of the edifice’s antiquated wiring.
agglomerate (uh-GLAHM-uh-rate), verb To gather items into a ball or cluster. Phil is so lazy he seems to think his job is just to AGGLOMERATE all the pieces of paper in the recycle bin.
agrarian (uh-GRARE-ee-un), adjective
Relating to or concerning the land or farming.
It amazed the census taker that these farmers, living only a short drive from the big city, could maintain their small AGRARIAN community with so little difficulty.
ague (AG-you), noun A malarial fever marked by drastic fits of hot and cold sweats. Our expedition down the Nile came to an abrupt halt when our navigator was struck with an attack of AGUE.
aleatory (AY-lee-uh-tore-ee), adjective
Of or by chance. Also, relating to luck . . . especially bad luck.
If you’re honest with yourself, Bob, you’ ll have to admit that your current circumstances have more to do with your drinking than with the purely ALEATORY whims of nature.
alchemy (AL-kuh-mee), noun A medieval chemical philosophy in which the goal was to convert base metals into gold; also, any supposedly magical power of transformation or instant creation of wealth.
Staring at a printout indicating an 83-percent shortfall in projected income for the first three quarters, the president of the firm remarked bitterly that an ALCHEMY department would do the firm more good than its research and development team had.
amanuensis (uh-man-you-WHEN-suss), noun A secretary, especially one whose principal duties involve copying manuscripts or taking dictation. I didn’t spend seven years in college to be an AMANUENSIS to a no-talent hack who calls himself a writer!
amatory (AM-uh-tore-ee), adjective Having to do with sexual love. Jim hasn’t stopped sulking since Helen repelled his AMATORY advances at the office Christmas party.
amerce (uh-MERSS), verb To punish, especially to punish with a monetary amount set by a court. Barbara always watches her speed since she was AMERCED to the tune of a week’s pay.
amortize (AH-muhr-tize), verb To settle a debt by means of installment payments. Also: to write off an asset’s value over a certain period. To amortize is to liquidate with periodic payments.
The debt will be completely AMORTIZED in two years.
ampersand (AM-per-sand), noun The symbol “&”; represents the word “and.” For the corporate logo she was designing, the graphic artist decided to use an AMPERSAND instead of the bulkier word “and.”
anagram (AN-uh-gram), noun A word game in which the letters of one or more words are reassembled to make a new word or phrase. Frank loves ANAGRAMS. His favorite for “George W. Bush” is “Brew Egos Ugh!”
analogous (uh-NAL-uh-gus), adjective
Similar to such a degree that an analogy may be drawn. An analogy is a similarity or comparison between two items, ideas, or features; something is analogous to something else when it can be shown to share a significant corresponding element with it.
Historically, the American expansion westward to the Pacific is ANALOGOUS to the Russian expansion eastward across Siberia.
andante (on-DONT-ay), noun and adjective Moderately slow tempo. “Goodness, Sarah,” exclaimed the music teacher, “ it says ‘ANDANTE,’ but you don’t have to play it like a dirge!”
anfractuous (an-FRACK-chuh-wuss), adjective Full of windings and intricacies. This is a good word to describe extremely convoluted mysteries. The ANFRACTUOUS plot of the recent spy movie turned me off so much that I don’t intend to see the film’s sequel.
anglicize (ANG-gli-size), verb To render into the forms of English or to make similar to English. To anglicize
a word or name is to change it in a way that allows it to resemble other English words more closely. Many immigrants to this country anglicized family names (for instance, from Bodini to Bonney).
My grandfather came to this country in 1904 under the name of Mikhail Zarensky, which he ANGLICIZED to Michael Zare.
animadversion (an-uh-mad-VER-zhun), noun Extremely harsh criticism that typically suggests the criticizer disapproves of what is being criticized. The boss’s ANIMADVERSIONS led to high staff turnover.
animus (AN-uh-muss), noun From the Latin meaning “mind” or “spirit,” the word animus has two very different meanings. It can refer to a person’s basic governing spirit, but it also can refer to prejudiced ill will.
Don’s ANIMUS is one of calmness and peace since he took up practicing transcendental meditation.
anneal (UH-neal), verb To strengthen or toughen via difficult situations and experiences. Far from making him despondent, Bill seems ANNEALED since his marriage ended.
anomie (an-uh-MEE), noun In society, unrest or instability that arises from a collapse in values and systems of order; for an individual, feelings of alienation, insecurity, and discontent, largely do to one’s loss or confusion over ideals or purpose in life.
There were some who speculated that the dismal state of the economy, combined with a general feeling of ANOMIE among citizens, could lead the country to revolution.
anthropomorphic (an-thro-puh-MORE-fik), adjective Attributing human characteristics to animals or other nonhumans. Walt Disney knew that his ANTHROPOMORPHIC creations would be important to the success of his films.
antinomy (an-TIN-uh-me), noun Another word for “paradox,” the apparent contradiction between two apparently equally valid ideas, statements, etc. Yes, Sally, I think it’s an ANTINOMY to say you hate how expensive that store is when you’re always shopping there!
apercu (ap-er-SUE), noun From the French meaning “to perceive,” an apercu is an immediate impression one gets from a person, situation, etc. Also, an apercu is a brief outline or synopsis.
The professor’s APERCU of James Joyce’s Ulysses just left me feeling even more confused.
aphasia (uh-FAY-zhuh), noun
The inability, brought on by brain damage, to understand words and/or ideas.
After his car accident Marcus retained all of his physical faculties, but suffered minor APHASIA that made it difficult for him to speak coherently.
aphorism (AYF-ur-iz-um), noun A short saying that illustrates an important principle or observation. An aphorism is a concise summation of opinion or received wisdom, for example: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
Early American readers found Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac to be a rich repository of wit, political commentary, forecasts, humor, APHORISMS, and unapologetic gossip.
apogee (AP-uh-gee), noun Originally used to describe the distance at which an object circling the Earth is farthest away from the planet, apogee has come generally to mean “culmination” or “highest point.”
“You know, Steve,” Alison said, “ it’s a shame that the APOGEE of your life is being able to belch the entire alphabet.”
aporia (uh-PORE-ee-uh), noun
Often associated with philosopher Jacques Derrida and his theory of deconstruction, aporia is the jaw-dropping feeling that occasionally overcomes us when we contemplate the world’s paradoxes and mysteries.
Egg-laying mammals like the platypus fill me with APORIA.
argosy (are-guh-SEE), noun
Originally used to mean a large ship or fleet of ships, argosy is more commonly used to denote a rich supply of anything.
When the villagers walked into the deceased hermit’s home, they found his domicile to be an ARGOSY of discarded bottles, cans, and comic books.
argot (are-GO), noun This French word denotes “secret” words and idioms used by particular groups. With the advent of text messaging, it has become even more difficult to follow the ARGOT of teenagers.
arrogate (AIR-uh-gate), verb To demand something for oneself or to take control without authority. The way Nelson ARROGATES office meetings drives his coworkers crazy!
ascetic (uh-SET-ik), noun
A person who chooses a life of constant and strict self-denial, usually as an act of faith. An ascetic is someone who foregoes the conveniences of society in order to lead a life of self-discipline and contemplation. Asceticism is the body of beliefs and philosophies by which ascetics live their lives.
At first Michael had doubts about his religious calling, but he eventually discovered that his tendency toward solitude and introspection were well suited to the life of an ASCETIC.
assignation (as-ig-NAY-shun), noun A rather stuffy word for a rather “unstuffy” subject, an assignation is a secret meeting between lovers. The ASSIGNATIONS between the countess and the stable boy caused tongues to wag throughout the town.
atavistic (at-uh-VIS-tic), adjective
Having characteristics regressing to a more primitive type; resembling a distant relative.
I can’t help thinking that when the men all congregate around the barbecue, some ATAVISTIC instinct from the stone age is at work.
augur (AW-gur), verb To foretell future events, as though by supernatural knowledge or power; to divine; to indicate a future trend or happening. The chairman’s sour mood this morning does not AUGUR well for that budget proposal we made.
azimuth (AZ-uh-muth), noun The distance in degrees in a clockwise direction from the southernmost point of a body. The AZIMUTH between the main mast and the sea varied as the boat pitched in the waves.
bacchanalian (back-uh-NAIL-yuhn), adjective Drunken and carousing. The fraternity brothers seemed to have an insatiable appetite for BACCHANALIAN revelry.
basilica (buh-SILL-ih-kuh), noun An oblong building used as a Christian church, especially one built in medieval Italy with strong horizontal accents and little attempt at rhythmic internal design; a building reminiscent of such a structure.
The highlight of our visit to Rome was our visit to St. Peter’s BASILICA.
bathos (BATH-oss), noun Something excessively trivial, sentimental, or melodramatic; also, a ludicrous change from the high-minded to the commonplace. The play’s BATHOS made it hard for me to take it seriously, but June thought it was the most moving drama she had ever seen.
benighted (bee-NYT-ed), adjective Ignorant or unenlightened. Also: lost in night or darkness. A person in intellectual or moral darkness is said to be benighted. A culture or time that is considered primitive or crude can also be said to be benighted.
It was a BENIGHTED era of superstition and folly, yet its problems were not all that different from ours.
bibelot (BEE-buh-low), noun A beautiful trinket. The rest of the family dismissed the contents of Grandma’s jewelry box as junk, but I found a few BIBELOTS.
bibulous (BIB-yuh-luss), adjective Ah, a fancy word for one of humankind’s favorite activities: drinking! Bibulous is related to drinking or to drunkenness. You may think you’re “fine,” but your BIBULOUS activities will put you in the poorhouse or in jail one of these days!
bildungsroman (BILL-dungs-roh-man), noun Impress your friends with this German word for a coming-of-age novel, such as
The Catcher in the Rye or Bastard Out of Carolina. I enjoyed Professor Graham’s class, but I wish he hadn’t limited us to studies of BILDUNGSROMANS.
bilge (bilj), noun The lowest portion of a ship’s hull. The sailors ventured down to the bowels of the ship to find that the BILGE had sprung a leak.
biogenesis (bye-oh-JEN-ih-siss), noun The process of life arising from other living things. Biogenesis, a scientific word, was coined by T.H. Huxley in 1870. BIOGENESIS involves an unending regenerative cycle of life and death.
bluejacket (BLOO-jak-eht), noun A person enlisted in the United States or British Navy. Because San Diego is a big Navy town, many of its nightclubs cater to BLUEJACKETS and attract few civilians.
bonhomie (bohn-uh-MEE), noun A pleasant disposition. Bill’s attempts at BONHOMIE were usually futile, limited to a curt and forced “hello” for each staff member as the day began.
bouillabaisse (BOO-yuh-base), noun
A stew made from various kinds of fish, usually shellfish.
After Uncle Charlie helped us clean the fish and clams we’ d caught, Aunt Pattie showed us how to make her famous BOUILLABAISSE.
bovine (BO-vine), adjective
Of or resembling a cow or ox; dull.
The hardest part of teaching high school for me has been getting used to the look of BOVINE submissiveness on most of my students’ faces.
brummagem (BRUHM-uh-juhm), noun or adjective Describes something that looks great but performs poorly, or brummagem can be used as the name for such a thing. I would have been better off getting an old heap with a good engine than buying this snazzy-looking BRUMMAGEM.
bugaboo (BUG-uh-boo), noun An object of fear. Something that causes worry or dismay is a bugaboo.
I hope you’re not going to be swayed by the old BUGABOO that changing a package design is a sure way to kill a product.
bumptious (BUMP-shuss), adjective Overbearing or crudely assertive. Someone who is bumptious is overly pushy or impertinent. We had difficulty crossing the border because Nan got into a squabble with a BUMPTIOUS border guard.
burlesque (burr-LESK), adjective This French word concerns literary works or plays that mock conventions by grotesquely caricaturing them. The play was intentionally BURLESQUE because the dramatist was trying to point out the absurdity of racial hatred.
cadre (KAH-dray), noun This French word refers to the backbone or framework of a group, typically a government or military agency. Even after the war ended, a number of officers were left to form a CADRE in order to quell future unrest in the region.
cambric (KAM-brik), noun A variety of fine linen. My grandmother gave us a beautiful CAMBRIC tablecloth as a wedding present.
canard (kuh-NARD), noun A fabrication or unfounded story. Someone who spreads a rumor he knows to be false and harmful would be guilty of circulating a canard.
The claim that the president of the company is likely to resign soon has been throughly discredited, but you will still hear some members of the opposition spreading the CANARD.
canon (KAH-nun), noun A principle governing political or religious groups; a law or set of laws. Early in the play, Hamlet expresses his wish that God “ had not fix’ d his CANON ‘gainst self-slaughter.”
canonical (kuh-NON-ih-kuhl), adjective In accordance with or conforming to established (church) law. Also: accepted as belonging within a body of work (especially the Bible). Orthodox behavior can be said to be canonical.
The CANONICAL requirements of the sect were stringent and difficult to obey.
caste (kast), noun
A social class marked by strong hereditary and cultural ties. Caste also refers to the strict set of social boundaries and customs determined by birth within Hindu society.
When Roland married the daughter of a shopkeeper, he was accused by some of having betrayed his CASTE.
catarrh (kuh-TARR), noun An inflammation of the mucous membrane, especially one affecting the throat or nose. Dr. Alonzo promised us that his special elixir would relieve any and all illnesses, including influenza, CATARRH, and snakebite.
catharsis (kuh-THAR-siss), noun To purify and rejuvenate the body and spirit by purging them of whatever is causing problems; to release tensions and achieve renewal by an outpouring of emotion.
Jimmy’s therapist suggested that the young boy take up painting as a means of achieving a CATHARSIS after his father’s death.
censer (SEN-sur), noun A vessel for burning incense. Father Riley looked in vain for the altar boy, then placed the CENSER on the altar himself.
cerebellum (sare-uh-BELL-um), noun A region of the brain located at the back of the cerebrum and the brain stem; the portion of the brain concerned with muscle
coordination and bodily equilibrium.
Mary’s frequent dizziness after the car accident led doctors to believe that there might have been an injury to her CEREBELLUM.
cerulean (suh-RUE-lee-un), adjective
The color of the sky.
The brochure told me to expect perfectly CERULEAN skies, but it rained so much during my vacation that I never saw them.
chiaroscuro (kee-are-uh-SCURE-oh), noun This Italian word means a pattern of light and dark (or light and shadow) in a painting or literary work. The power of the painting comes from its CHIAROSCURO, which seems to indicate looming disaster.
chimera (KI-mer-uh), noun In Greek mythology, a chimera is a terrifying monster, a cross between a lion, a goat, and a dragon. In modern times the word has come to mean an illusion of the mind or a dream that can’t possibly be realized.
Leon’s painful shyness has become a CHIMERA that keeps him from realizing his goal
of finding true love.
chimerical (kih-MARE-ih-kull), adjective Fanciful, imaginary, or unreal. A chimerical event is one that seems dreamlike or surrealistic. A CHIMERICAL landscape greeted those brave enough to emerge from the ship.
chloroform (KLORE-uh-form), noun
A colorless, toxic liquid chemical possessing a strong ether smell, and sometimes used as an anesthetic.
Police found a CHLOROFORM soaked-rag on the floor of the study and surmised that the kidnappers had used it to knock Mr. Robinson out.
cinephile (SIN-uh-file), noun One who loves movies and is extremely knowledgeable about them. The word usually contains the suggestion that the movie-lover
prefers obscure cult or foreign films rather than Hollywood blockbusters.
Elaine is such a CINEPHILE that she won’t even go to see a film without subtitles.
circumflex (SUR-kum-flex), noun
An accent mark (^) placed over a letter to indicate a certain pronunciation.
Much to the dismay of the European journalists in town to cover the road race, the American typewriters in their hotels had no keys for CIRCUMFLEXES or other accent marks.
claque (klak), noun
A group of people hired to applaud at an entertainment event.
The first comedian was absolutely terrible; if it hadn’t been for the CLAQUE the management had assembled at the last minute, there wouldn’t have been any applause at all.
climacteric (klih-MACK-ter-ick), adjective or noun In ancient Greece, the climacterics were considered important years in a person’s life, times when great changes occurred. Today, one meaning of climacteric is “menopause,” but it also means any pivotal time in a person’s life.
After Gwen graduated from college and moved across the country, her life was filled with CLIMACTERIC events.
codger (KOD-jur), noun
A peculiar or eccentric man, generally of advanced years.
Our next-door neighbor was Mr. Pottman, a likeable CODGER who used to wash his car every afternoon, even if it had rained in the morning.
coeval (koh-EE-vuhl), adjective or noun Of the same period, having the same duration, or being of the same age.
It’s interesting to think that the squeaky clean Cleavers of Leave It to Beaver and the polite society-shunning members of the Beat Generation were COEVALS.
cogent (KOE-junt), adjective Compelling or convincing. Something that appeals effectively to the intellect or reason is said to be cogent. I must admit that my counterpart has put forward a COGENT argument in defense of his client.
cognomen (kog-NO-muhn), noun A nickname.
He doesn’t mind being called “Leopold,” but he prefers his COGNOMEN, “Lee.”
cognoscente (kon-yuh-SHEN-tee), noun A connoisseur; an expert. (Plural: cognoscenti.) When it comes to wine-tasting, Arthur is well respected as a COGNOSCENTE.
comity (KOM-ih-tee), noun
Courtesy; mutual civility.
The police were kind enough to grant me the COMITY of a private telephone call once I promised to stop removing pieces of clothing and flinging them at the sergeant.
complaisant (kum-PLAY-zunt), adjective Eager to please; agreeable. Complaisant is frequently confused with the similar-sounding “complacent,” which means “self-
satisfied.”
After months of personality problems with Trish, Fran suddenly found her quite COMPLAISANT.
conclave (KON-klave), noun
A secret meeting; also, the room in which this meeting is held.
Fearing he might crack under pressure, the rebels did not include Eli in the CONCLAVE in which they gathered to plan their attack strategy.
concupiscent (kahn-KYU-puh-cent), adjective Marked by strong desire, especially strong sexual desire. Connie’s CONCUPISCENT manner makes some people question her virtue.
conflate (kuhn-FLATE), verb Depending on the context, conflate means either a fusion—a coming together of disparate elements—or it means to confuse. I am completely CONFLATED by molecular physics.
confraternity (kahn-fruh-TURN-ih-tee), noun
An association of people united for a common cause.
Eager to improve the condition of our neighborhood playgrounds, Carol and I joined a town CONFRATERNITY that had formed for that purpose.
conoidal (kuh-NOYD-uhl), adjective Shaped like, or nearly like, a cone. My son’s paintings of CONOIDAL shapes are all the rage in his preschool.
consanguineous (con-san-GWIN-ee-us), adjective Related by blood; of common lineage. Two people or entities that are consanguineous are commonly descended. The word derives
from the Latin roots for “with” and “blood.”
The two brothers learned of their CONSANGUINEOUS relationship after a series of
blood tests. constant dollars (KON-stuhnt DOLL-urz), noun
In economics, a measure of monetary value in which the factors of inflation and deflation are accounted for; a base year’s currency value used to determine what costs would presumably have been in other years.
The figures on our division’s growth were extremely misleading because they had not
been converted to CONSTANT DOLLARS.
contravention (kon-truh-VEN-shun), noun An instance of contradiction or opposition; also, the condition of being overruled or disobeyed. Your appearance here without the full report is in blatant CONTRAVENTION of the instructions laid out in my memo.
controvert (KON-truh-vert), verb
To oppose with logical reasoning; to dispute or contradict.
No matter how many attempts the defense makes to CONTROVERT the details of this sequence of events, the fact remains that the defendant was seen leaving the building immediately after the murder.
contumely (kon-TYOO-muh-lee), noun
A rude display in speech or deed; contemptuous behavior. Contumely can also mean humiliating derision.
No matter how long he had held the grudge against Aaron, his CONTUMELY at the wedding was uncalled for.
convocation (kon-vo-KAY-shun), noun
An assembly of people gathered in response to a summons. Convocation also has a technical meaning within the Episcopal church: a gathering of laity requested by church officials.
The address Mr. Freling gave at the CONVOCATION challenged all graduates to excel.
corrigendum (kor-ih-JEHN-dum), noun An error to be corrected in a manuscript. (Plural: corrigenda.) The proofreader handed the manuscript back to Bill, who was horrified to find that it still contained hundreds of CORRIGENDA.
costive (KAH-stiv), adjective Specifically, costive refers to constipation or something that causes constipation. More generally, the word describes slow and sluggish people or things. I took my car to a mechanic because of my car’s increasingly COSTIVE performance.
countermand (KOUNT-er-mand), verb To cancel officially, especially to cancel a previous order. Once Harold began smoking again, he COUNTERMANDED the no-smoking policy he’ d recently adopted for his business.
crapulous (KRAP-yuh-luss), adjective From the Latin meaning “sick with gluttony,” crapulous describes someone who eats and drinks too much, or it describes the effects of eating and drinking too much. In other words . . . it’s a great way to describe a hangover.
Jim spent the day after the party in a CRAPULOUS state.
crepitate (KREPP-uh-tate), verb
To crack, crinkle, or pop. Crepitate has come to be a “polite” word for flatulence because flatulence often makes a cracking or popping sound.
Joe jumped up and sat down several times, as if to prove that his chair—and not he—was CREPITATING.
crepuscular (krih-PUSS-kya-lerr), adjective Having to do with twilight or things—like certain bugs—that are active at twilight. In addition, crepuscular means “dim.” There’s nothing like the CREPUSCULAR cast of the sky just before full dark falls.
cubism (KYOO-biz-um), noun A school of sculpture and painting that came to prominence in the early twentieth century in which forms are rendered as geometric structures.
Although Picasso is the first painter most people think of when asked to name a pioneer of CUBISM, his friend George Braque was equally important in the development of the movement.
cubit (KYOO-bit), noun
An archaic unit of measure, roughly equivalent to twenty inches.
Most editions of the Book of Genesis give the measurements of Noah’s Ark in CUBITS, although some editors have converted such passages to modern terms of measurement.
cygnet (SIG-nit), noun A young swan. The proud mother swan led her brood of CYGNETS toward the north end of the pond.
cynosure (SIN-uh-sure), noun Derived from the Latin word denoting the North Star, a cynosure is a center of attention or attraction. Even with all the games and the colorful parade, the fireworks were the obvious CYNOSURE of the Independence Day festivities.
dandle (DAN-dull), verb To bounce (a child) on one’s knees or in one’s arms. To calm the baby down, Aunt Irene DANDLED her on her knee and sang nursery
rhymes.
decasyllabic (dek-uh-sil-LAB-ik), adjective In verse, having ten syllables in one line. The epic poem followed a DECASYLLABIC form.
defalcate (dih-FAL-kate), verb
To embezzle.
No one knew for certain how the corrupt banker had made his fortune, but it was rumored that he had DEFALCATED funds from a bogus charitable organization.
deleterious (del-i-TEER-ee-us), adjective
Harmful or injurious. Deleterious is a word used primarily in legal circles to give a sense of formality to the assessment of harm.
My client was regularly subjected to high radiation levels, hazardous compounds, and many other DELETERIOUS environmental conditions.
delft (delft), noun A kind of glazed earthenware featuring blue and white patterns. My mother’s gift of DELFT cookware complemented our blue and white kitchen beautifully.
demimonde (DEMM-ih-mond), noun This French word initially described prostitutes. The word still carries with it that connotation, but in general, it refers to women who are considered to have loose morals due to their indiscreet or promiscuous behavior.
Unless you’re trying to get yourself labeled a DEMIMONDE, Sylvia, you need to stop hanging out with guys like Roger.
demiurge (DEM-ee-urj), noun From the Greek meaning “artisan,” a demiurge is a powerful creative force or a creative personality. After trying several different professions, Jake realized he was a marketing DEMIURGE.
dentifrice (DEN-ti-friss), noun
Any substance used to clean the teeth.
Dr. Sanchez gave me a lecture on the proper use of DENTIFRICES, and recommended
several brands I could purchase in any supermarket.
descant (DESS-kant), verb A descant is an improvised or composed harmonic melody sung above the main melody in a piece of music. As a verb, one descants if one talks or writes about a subject at great length.
The way Jay DESCANTS about obscure sports stars just tends to bore me to tears.
desideratum (di-sid-uh-RAH-tum), noun
A thing to be desired. Desideratum finds its plural in desiderata, which is also the name of a popular short writing that outlines worthy spiritual objectives.
He eventually accepted that her love was a fleeting DESIDERATUM, one he could learn in time to do without.
desuetude (DEHZ-wih-tyood), noun From the French meaning “to become unaccustomed,” desuetude means disuse or discontinuance. Telephones plugged into walls are one of many once-ubiquitous items that have fallen into DESUETUDE.
desultory (de-SUL-to-ree), adjective Aimless. A person or thing lacking guidance or progressing randomly can be said to be desultory. Unable to believe it was his last day on the job, Bill wandered through the building, DESULTORY.
dialectic (die-uh-LEK-tic), adjective and noun Having to do with logical arguments. (Also: dialectical.) As a noun, dialectic means the practice of arriving nearer to the truth by means of logical examination.
The DIALECTIC thoroughness with which Paul could destroy an opponent’s argument
was legendary.
didactic (die-DAK-tik), adjective Made or framed for the purpose of moral or ethical betterment. To say a work of art is didactic is to say that it forwards a clear vision of what is right and wrong, a vision the artist would like to pass on to his audience.
Simpson’s early writings let the reader draw his own conclusions, but his later work is extremely DIDACTIC.
dipsomaniacal (dip-so-muh-NIE-ih-kul), adjective Dipsomania is an uncontrolled craving for alcohol, so someone who suffers from this craving is considered dipsomaniacal. The private detective summed up his latest client, a booze-loving gold digger, as the “DIPSOMANIACAL dame.”
diphthong (DIF-thawng), noun A sound made by smoothly pronouncing two vowel sounds within one syllable. English is full of DIPHTHONGS, examples of which can be found in such words as boil, house, and smile.
dishabille (dis-uh-BEE-uhl), noun From the French meaning “to undress,” this word refers to someone who is dressed very casually or to someone with a careless manner.
“The only problem with working near the beach,” said Jack, “ is seeing all those elderly folks in various states of DISHABILLE.”
disport (dih-SPORT), verb To play or frolic. To find a diversion is to disport oneself. Jean and Michael DISPORTED themselves at the amusement park for the better part of the morning.
dowse (dowze), verb To search for water with a divining rod. A skeptical man by nature, my father refused to believe that we had succeeded in locating the right spot for our well by DOWSING.
doxology (doks-AH-lo-jee), noun A hymn praising God. This morning’s ceremony will conclude with the DOXOLOGY found on page 312 of your hymnals.
dromedary (DROM-uh-dare-ee), noun A camel of North Africa and Arabia possessing only one hump. For a small zoo such as ours to have a pair of DROMEDARIES is, I think, something of a coup.
dystopia (diss-TOPE-ee-uh), noun A utopia is a perfect world. A dystopia is the complete opposite, a world that has gone terribly wrong. A good example is Oceania, the setting for George Orwell’s novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.
With the rising price of gas and food, some are starting to wonder if the United States has become a DYSTOPIA.
ebonite (EBB-ah-nite), noun
Hard black rubber; vulcanite.
The sturdy EBONITE hoses, flimsy and prone to breakdown in last year’s model, were just one of the improvements the company made in its product line.
ebullition (ebb-uh-LISH-un), noun The tiny bubbles of a sparkling liquid; also, a sudden outpouring of strong emotion. The champagne’s delicate EBULLITION tickled my nose.
ecumenical (ek-yoo-MEN-ih-kul), adjective Universal. Ecumenical is often used to refer to the beliefs, movements, and actions common to the various branches of Christianity worldwide.
This is not a Protestant question or a Catholic question, but a matter of ECUMENICAL significance.
educe (ee-DYOOCE), verb To draw out. Educe also means to reason out or establish from given facts. Myron’s attempts to EDUCE his sister’s whereabouts were futile.
efflorescent (ef-flore-RES-sunt), adjective Blossoming. Efflorescent is a biological term used to describe the final development of something, but it is used by metaphor in other
contexts, as well.
The poet’s middle years were marked by some remarkable—and EFFLORESCENT— work of unparallelled quality.
effluent (EF-loo-unt), noun In general, something that flows out, but more specifically, an effluent is a fluid discharged as waste. EFFLUENT from the factory polluted the river for decades.
effulgent (ih-FULJ-unt), adjective Radiant; brilliantly shining. Something that is effulgent shines forth resplendently. The explosion, devastating though it was, left the night sky so effulgent that Belva could not help but marvel at the display.
effusion (ih-FYOO-zhun), noun
An outpouring; also, an unrehearsed flow of speech or writing that is emotional in nature.
Reviewing the old love letters he had written to Susan, Brian found it hard to believe that the EFFUSIONS of lovestruck prose he found on every page had actually come from his pen.
eidetic (EYE-dett-ick), adjective Describes a memory or mental image recalled with perfect clarity. I’ d studied the travel brochures so much that I had a perfectly EIDETIC vision of what to expect on the cruise ship.
eldritch (ELL-dritch), adjective Describes something (or possibly someone) eerie, spooky, supernatural, or unearthly. I was terrified by the ELDRITCH screeches until I realized they merely emanated from a cat in heat.
eleemosynary (eh-lee-MAHSS-uh-nair-ee), adjective Having to do with charity or charitable activity. Our boss is always reminding us that we’re a for-profit business, not an ELEEMOSYNARY organization.
elegy (ELL-uh-jee), noun
A poem of mourning; a poem reflecting on and praising the deceased.
At the funeral, Mitch read a touching ELEGY for his grandmother, reminding all present of the life of kindness and sacrifice she had led.
elocution (el-oh-KYOO-shun), noun An individual’s style of public speech. Unlike eloquence (see eloquent below), which has to do with the content of a person’s speech, elocution refers to the manner in which speech is delivered.
The cast’s ELOCUTION left a great deal to be desired.
emend (ee-MEND), verb
To change by means of editing; to correct (a text or reading).
Many of Shakespeare’s most famous lines, such as “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” are the result of a critic’s choice to EMEND a troublesome source text.
emeritus (ih-MARE-ih-tuss), adjective Emeritus describes the position of one who has retired but who still holds an honorary title corresponding to the position held prior to retirement.
Watkins has been awarded the position of Professor EMERITUS.
encomium (en-KOME-ee-um), noun
A formal (and often, a spoken) expression of extreme praise.
The evening, featuring warm ENCOMIUMS for basketball great Larry Bird from coaches, former opponents, and family members, concluded when his jersey was raised to the rafters and his number retired.
enervate (EN-ur-vate), verb To weaken. To enervate is to deprive of vitality, strength, or endurance. The vacation’s whirlwind pace actually served to ENERVATE Madge.
enfilade (EN-fuh-layd), noun From the French meaning “to thread a needle,” enfilade is a troop that is in a formation allowing it to be subject to sweeping gunfire, or it is the name for the sweeping gunfire itself. By extension, enfilade can refer to a barrage of any kind.
The attorney’s ENFILADE of harsh questions quickly caused the accused murderer to admit to his guilt.
entomology (en-tuh-MOL-uh-jee), noun The study of insects. Judy’s little boy so loved to collect bugs from the garden that we wondered if he might grow up to study ENTOMOLOGY.
epaulet (EP-uh-let), noun An ornamental shoulder piece worn on a military uniform. Ernie tried his best to sew the EPAULET back on his uniform before morning inspection.
epigraph (EP-ih-graff), noun
An inscription written on a stone, monument, or building; also, a short quotation coming at the beginning of a book or chapter.
The EPIGRAPH carved above the entrance to the college library, “That they may have life and have it abundantly,” confused some and inspired others.
epistemology (uh-PIST-uh-mall-uh-jee), noun The study of the nature of knowledge and understanding. The adjective form, which you might see, is epistemological. An interest in people’s purchasing habits led Martina to begin studying EPISTEMOLOGY.
eponymous (ih-PAHN-ih-muss), adjective An eponym is the name of a real or fictional person that has been adopted to name something else. Eponymous is the adjective form of the word.
Burt has created a website about EPONYMOUS American cities like Lincoln, Nebraska and Buffalo, New York.
equable (EK-wuh-bull), adjective Without variation. The island boasted a pleasant and EQUABLE climate, with temperatures in the low seventies virtually every day.
equanimity (ee-kwa-NIM-ih-tee), noun Even-temperedness; calmness. Someone who possesses equanimity keeps his composure even in a difficult situation. He rebutted each of the charges against him convincingly and with EQUANIMITY.
esplanade (ESS-pluh-nahd), noun An open, level strip of ground, usually near a body of water. While strolling along the ESPLANADE, we watched the rowing teams train for the upcoming regatta.
estuary (ESS-choo-ayre-ee), noun
The point of a water passage where a river empties into a tidal area.
Dr. Green argued against allowing the plant to be built so near the river, on the grounds that it would threaten several important species living in the ESTUARY.
etiolate (EE-tee-uh-late), verb To cause to become weak and sickly-appearing. Over time, Brad’s poor health choices increasingly ETIOLATED his once-handsome appearance.
etymology (et-ih-MOLL-uh-gee), noun The study of the development and history of words. A word’s etymology is its lineage or descent. I took a little Greek in school, so I think I can make an educated guess at this word’s ETYMOLOGY.
excelsior (ik-SEL-see-ur), noun Wood shavings used as a packing agent. The fragile china was shipped in sturdy wooden crates filled with EXCELSIOR.
excoriate (ik-SORE-ee-ate), verb
To denounce emphatically. Literally, excoriate means to remove the exterior (skin) of something.
To be EXCORIATED in this way is bad enough; to endure such remarks on the floor of
the Senate is a sad commentary on our times.
exculpate (EK-skul-pate), verb To remove responsibility or guilt from. To exculpate someone is to clear his name. The fact that I was convicted is immaterial; I have been fully EXCULPATED.
exigency (EK-si-jen-see), noun Something requiring immediate action or attention; an emergency. An exigency is an unexpected development of some urgency. The printer’s failure to meet the deadline presented us with an EXIGENCY we were ill-equipped to face.
exiguous (ex-IG-you-uss), adjective
Meager; small; scanty.
Dinner turned out to be an EXIGUOUS offering of two thin slices of chicken, three
green beans, and a potato—albeit quite artistically arranged.
expatiate (ick-SPAY-she-ate), verb To speak or write at length. The word typically suggests that you are speaking or writing at too much length. I just tuned out Tyrone as he began to EXPATIATE again on
his troubled relationship with Mavis.
expeditious (ek-spuh-DISH-uss), adjective Speedy and efficient. That which is conducted in a brisk manner is expeditious. Ryan came upon an EXPEDITIOUS means of solving the problem that had vexed the firm for so long.
expostulate (ick-SPAHSS-chew-late), verb To use reason and logic in an effort to talk someone out of doing something he or she intends to do. I EXPOSTULATED with Nora about the mistake I believed she was about to make, but she paid me no attention.
expressionism (ex-PRESH-un-iz-um), noun An art movement with roots in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in which external forms of reality are distorted as a means of communicating an interior vision of the artist.
For Edvard Munch, whose painting The Scream is perhaps the single most recognizable image of EXPRESSIONISM, the themes of isolation and anxiety were of paramount importance.
expurgate (EX-pur-gate), verb
To remove or delete something unacceptable or objectionable, (particularly, passages in a text).
Fearing a public backlash, the publisher promised that all offensive material would be EXPURGATED from future editions of the book.
extempore (iks-TEM-puh-ray), adjective
Without forethought or preparation; spontaneous, impromptu.
As he watched the note cards to his speech fly away in the breeze, Griswold stood before the crowd and wished, once again and more fervently than ever before, that he had the ability to deliver a magnificent speech EXTEMPORE.
fabulist (FAB-yuh-list), noun A liar. Someone who tells outrageously untrue stories is a fabulist. Sir Gerald, a notorious FABULIST, was not consulted for an authoritative account of the crime.
factitious (fack-TISH-us), adjective Lacking spontaneity; contrived. The news network’s FACTITIOUS commentary seemed to be mere talking points for the current presidential administration.
fainéant (FAY-knee-unt), adjective or noun Someone who is lazy and idle or the description of such a person. From a French contraction meaning “he does nothing.” I spent my vacation in such a FAINÉANT state that I found it hard to focus on work once I returned to my “real life.”
fantasia (fan-TAY-zhuh), noun Originally used to signify a musical piece with an irregular form, fantasia has come to denote anything considered unreal, weird, or grotesque.
I emerged from the darkened subway entrance and shaded my eyes from the FANTASIA of headlights and neon signs.
farouche (fuh-ROOSH), adjective From the French meaning “belonging outside,” farouche describes someone who is unsociable, cranky, and withdrawn. Your FAROUCHE behavior will not win you any friends. In fact, it will simply alienate you from everyone.
farrago (fuh-ROG-oh), noun
A careless mixture; mish-mash.
My four-year-old, who picked out his own outfit for the first time this morning, walked into the kitchen sporting a FARRAGO of mismatched clothing.
fealty (FEE-ul-tee), noun Loyalty. Literally, fealty describes the historical obligation of a vassal (a person granted use of land) to a lord. I don’t think you have any right to keep me from looking for another job; I never took
an oath of FEALTY here, sir.
febrile (FEE-brul), adjective Feverish. That which is marked by elevated body temperature is febrile. Due to Mother’s current FEBRILE condition, we are uneasy about her accompanying us on the trip.
femur (FEE-mur), noun The bone between the pelvis and the knee; the thighbone. The force of the tackle caused a hairline fracture that extended along the entire length of Eli’s right FEMUR.
ferrous (FAIR-us), adjective
Relating to iron; of or pertaining to a substance that contains iron.
To counteract the loss of iron during menstruation, many doctors suggest that their female patients take a FERROUS vitamin supplement every day.
ferule (FER-uhl), noun or verb A stick used to punish children, or the act of hitting with a ferule. More generally, the word is equivalent to “punish” or “punishment.”
Since my distracted state had led to the accident, I stood patiently as the other driver
FERULED me with harsh words. fiat (FEE-at), noun
An arbitrary pronouncement or decree. To rule by fiat is to constantly issue orders on one’s own authority, without any check or consultation.
The king issued a FIAT on the question of religious worship, but the citizenry ignored it.
fibula (FIB-you-luh), noun The large outer bone of the lower portion of the leg. The little brat kicked me so hard I thought for a moment that she might have broken my FIBULA.
filial (FILL-ee-ull), adjective
That which is due from or befitting a son or daughter; pertaining to a son a daughter.
Mother considered it my FILIAL responsibility to take over the family business when I graduated, but I wanted to pursue a career of my own.
filigree (FIL-uh-gree), noun or adjective Delicate decorative work made of twisted wire. The crown was adorned with beautiful jewels and intricate gold FILIGREE.
fillip (FILL-up), verb To strike or tap energetically. Also, to excite or stimulate, as though one were tapped. Unemployment FILLIPED my efforts to finish and publish my novel.
fjord (fyord), noun
A thin strip of sea flowing between cliffs or hills.
Prison officials were able to determine that the two escapees had managed to escape the island fortress by drugging the guards, crawling through a secret tunnel, and swimming out to the small motorboat accomplices had hidden in the FJORD.
flagitious (fluh-JISH-us), adjective Describes someone shamefully wicked or describes particularly heinous events. For many years, apartheid was the FLAGITIOUS wound around which South Africa was built.
flambé (flom-BAY), verb
To serve in flaming liquor (usually brandy).
Although the dinner was only so-so, the raspberry custard FLAMBÉ, which the waiter ignited at our table, was both dramatic and delicious.
floe (flow), noun A large chunk or sheet of floating ice. The penguins would amuse themselves for hours jumping and sliding off the broad, flat FLOES and careening into the water.
four-flusher (FOR-flush-ur), noun
In poker, a player who bluffs.
Our Friday-night poker games aren’t played with the highest degree of honesty; everyone involved is a well-known FOUR- FLUSHER.
fractious (FRAK-shuss), adjective Unruly; likely to cause disturbance or trouble. A fractious person is quarrelsome and difficult. Michael’s FRACTIOUS nature made him an unsuitable candidate for a career in customer service.
frangible (FRAN-juh-bull), adjective Easily breakable. The FRANGIBLE vase did not survive the cross-country move.
freebooter (FREE-boo-ter), noun A pirate; one who takes his loot—or booty—without asking. John quickly thought of Alan as a FREEBOOTER and not as a roommate splitting costs fifty-fifty.
friable (FRY-uh-bull), adjective Easily crumbled; brittle. The FRIABLE pottery was packed in layers of bubble wrap to prevent breakage.
frisson (free-SON), noun
A brief shudder of excitement; a thrill.
Maria felt a FRISSON of joy at winning the drama award, but it was tempered by the fact that one of the people she had beaten out was her best friend.
fugacious (fyoo-GAY-shuss), adjective Fleeting, transitory, short-lived. The FUGACIOUS mid-summer cold snap was a welcome relief from the heat.
fulminate (FUL-mih-nate), verb To explode. Also: to denounce loudly or forcefully. Someone who fulminates thunders forth or issues a dramatic attack. He FULMINATED against the bill on the floor of the Senate, but he knew he did not have the votes to defeat it.
fulsome (FUL-sum), adjective
Excessive and overdone, especially in a way inconsistent with good taste. Also: insincerely earnest in expression.
Although Marian greeted my work with FULSOME praise, it was clear to me within five minutes of our meeting that she hadn’t read a page of it.
fungible (FUHN-jih-bull), adjective A fancy way to say “interchangeable.” I don’t think a twelve-inch black and white television is FUNGIBLE for a forty-two inch color set.
funicular (fyoo-NICK-you-ler), adjective A funicular railway contains cars that are toted up and down hillsides by means of a cord or cable. Thus, something funicular is
related to ropes, cables, and cords as well as the tension on them.
We got to the site and couldn’t go climbing because Jenny had left behind all the necessary FUNICULAR equipment.
furbelow (FUR-buh-low), noun A showy ruffle. Deborah’s floor-length dress ended in a beautiful silk FURBELOW.
futurism (FYOO-chur-ih-zim), noun An early 20th-century arts movement stressing the dynamics and movements of the industrial age. Jones was fascinated by early industrial art; last semester he took a course on FUTURISM.
gamine (GAH-mean), adjective or noun A slight, diminutive girl who often is plucky or perky; or the description of such a girl. As the actress grew older and put on weight, she was no longer able to play the GAMINE roles that had made her reputation.
garrulity (guh-ROO-lih-tee), noun Talkativeness. Garrulity refers to one who is overly or habitually given to talking. If Michael’s insight only matched his GARRULITY, he would be quite popular.
gastropod (GAS-tro-pawd), noun
A variety of mollusk having no shell or a single spiral shell and moving by means of a ventral disk or foot.
June retorted that she hadn’t ever considered eating GASTROPODS in the United States, and saw no reason to do so in France no matter what they were called.
gazetteer (gah-zih-TEER), noun
A dictionary or index of geographical locations.
The Smiths’ method of deciding where to go on their vacation is to open the GAZETTEER at random and stab the page with a finger; whatever they land on will become their summer destination.
gelding (GEL-ding), noun A castrated animal and, by extension, an emasculated man. We called Al a GELDING, but he said he had no problem letting his wife, Mary, take charge of the couple’s financial decisions.
gemology (jeh-MALL-uh-jee), noun The study of gems. Despite a lifelong interest in GEMOLOGY, Lucas knew he was in no position to make a valid assessment of the stone’s worth.
gendarme (zhon-DARM), noun
An officer in a police force in any of several European countries, but particularly those of France.
After months of difficult undercover work, the Parisian GENDARME was able to recover the stolen artwork and return it to its rightful place in the Louvre.
gerontocracy (jare-un-TOCK-ruh-see), noun
A group in which the order and rule is kept by a group of elders; government by the older members of a society.
One of the potential drawbacks of a GERONTOCRACY, of course, is that people entrusted with great political power may well become mentally infirm.
gerontology (jare-un-TOL-uh-jee), noun
The field of medicine concerned with illnesses, diseases, and problems specific to old age.
My decision to enter the field of GERONTOLOGY was greeted with skepticism by my father, who had hoped I would follow in his footsteps and become a general practitioner.
gesticulate (jes-TICK-yoo-late), verb To employ gestures, especially in place of speech. Gesticulate usually implies more animation and excitement than the simpler gesture.
Unable to speak French, Michael was forced to GESTICULATE to try to make himself
understood.
glaucoma (glaw-KOE-muh), noun
A disease of the eye caused by increasing pressure on the eyeball, creating damage to the optic disk that, if severe enough, can cause loss of vision.
The portion of my annual visit to the eye doctor that I like the least is the GLAUCOMA test, in which a blast of air is shot into each eye at close range.
glissade (glih-SOD), noun
In mountain climbing, a slide down a steep, snow-covered slope.
The instructor had made the GLISSADE look easy, but as I looked after him down the slope, I had a feeling my own trek down wouldn’t be quite as smooth.
glissando (glih-SAHN-doe), adjective In music, a smooth transition between intervals, such as the sound a slide trombone or pedal steel guitar makes in moving from one note to another.
Since there is no way to “bend” its notes, the piano cannot produce a true
GLISSANDO.
Gnostic (NOSS-tik), adjective
Pertaining to or reminiscent of certain early Christian sects (known as Gnostics) who valued personal knowledge and inquiry as supreme religious values transcending physical experience. (Gnostic also can mean “pertaining to knowledge,” especially in the context of spirituality. It is not normally used as the opposite of agnostic.
The ancient GNOSTIC gospels, while not part of my formal church teaching, nevertheless made for illuminating reading.
gormandize (GORE-mun-dize), verb
To eat in a greedy, ravenous manner. Someone who gormandizes eats to satisfy a voracious appetite. Someone who does this is known as a gormand (or gourmand); this is very different from gourmet, which describes someone who cultivates refined tastes for food of the finest quantity.
Tom’s tendency to GORMANDIZE eventually made him an unwelcome dinner guest.
gourmand (GOOR-mahnd), noun One who eats well and to excess. A well-known GOURMAND, Uncle Abe was forced to change his eating habits after his heart attack.
gravid (GRAV-id), adjective Large, due to pregnancy. Jean’s GRAVID condition made it difficult for her to climb stairs.
gravitas (GRAV-ih-tahss), noun From the Latin meaning “heavy,” gravitas denotes seriousness and weightiness of thought. Jim’s boyish looks kept him from attaining the GRAVITAS he desired to convey.
grenadine (GREN-uh-deen), noun
Reddish-orange in color; also, a pomegranate-flavored syrup used in preparing mixed drinks.
Ted had planned to make Tequila Sunrises for the party, but as he had no GRENADINE to add a hint of red, he called the drinks “Tequila Sunbursts.”
grifter (GRIFF-ter), noun A person who engages in unseemly activities; a swindler, a dishonest gambler, etc. The small-town bar was filled with reprobates, toothless legions, and GRIFTERS. I felt right at home.
guerrilla (guh-RILL-uh), noun and adjective
A guerilla is a member of an informal group of fighters that attacks enemies with surprise raids, sabotage, booby traps, etc. When used as an adjective, the word guerilla describes these fighters or their actions.
The nation’s army could not defeat the GUERRILLAS, who seemed to swoop down invisibly from the mountains, wreak havoc, then disappear.
habiliment (huh-BIL-eh-ment), noun
A piece of clothing; a garment.
Much to the puzzlement of his staid colleagues, Professor Herriot looked upon the hippies of the 1960s, with their unorthodox choices in lifestyle and HABILIMENT, as welcome additions to a stagnant social order.
halyard (HAL-yurd), noun A tackle or rope usually used on ships to help hoist and lower sails. As the storm intensified, Mary told us to slacken the HALYARD while Billy tried to guide the boat back toward shore.
hardtack (HARD-tak), noun
A hard biscuit once common in the rations of sailors and soldiers. Hardtack did not spoil—a major logistical benefit.
By the end of the war, the Union soldiers were thoroughly sick of the HARDTACK and vegetable soup that had been the mainstay of their diet.
hegemony (he-JEM-uh-nee), noun Predominant influence, especially in reference to the affairs of nations. To say one nation practices hegemony over another is to
suggest that it exercises undue influence over conduct, mores, or administration within that nation.
Our foe’s HEGEMONY will not stop with his control of smaller nations; his aim is world domination.
hemophilia (hee-mo-FEE-lee-uh), noun
A blood defect usually affecting males but transmitted by females in which the blood fails to clot normally, often leading to uncontrolled hemorrhaging.
Because so many HEMOPHILIA patients have contracted the AIDS virus from contaminated blood, many will only accept transfusions using blood that has been donated by family and friends.
herbicide (URB-ih-syde), noun
A chemical that kills plants. Herbicide refers especially to that which eradicates weeds.
Although originally described as a comparatively harmless HERBICIDE, Agent Orange was (as thousands of soldiers learned much later) anything but.
hermaphrodite (hur-MAFF-ruh-dite), noun One who possesses both male and female reproductive organs. Sheldon brought back miniature statues of the island’s mythic hero, a HERMAPHRODITE warrior.
heterodox (HETT-uh-ruh-docks), adjective Holding unorthodox opinions, especially opinions concerned with religion. I believe George will grow out of his HETERODOX beliefs as he gets older.
hibachi (hih-BOCH-ee), noun
A small, table-top charcoal grill.
The manager of the apartment complex would not allow her tenants to keep full-sized gas or charcoal grills on the balconies, but she did make occasional allowances for HIBACHIS.
hinterlands (HIN-tur-lands), noun
An area far away from the coastline; also, an area far removed from a city.
The blizzard dumped nearly three feet of snow on my relatives in the HINTERLANDS, while those of us in town had to deal with icy rain and flooding.
hippodrome (HIP-uh-drome), noun Arena for events such as circuses and horse shows. Once a year Dad would take us down to the HIPPODROME in Springville for the 4-H Club’s exposition.
hirsute (HUR-soot), adjective Hairy.
“Here you are, my HIRSUTE friend,” Dr. Fredericks called out, “a nice juicy bone from the butcher.”
hoarfrost (HORE-frost), noun White, frozen dew that coats surfaces on winter mornings. A layer of HOARFROST had covered the drab garden in silver, and the children squealed that the frost fairies had come.
holistic (ho-LISS-tik), adjective Emphasizing wholeness and/or the cooperation of the constituent members of a thing. Holistic is often used to describe medical or healing practices that emphasize an organism’s totality, rather than focusing exclusively on one symptom or illness.
Fenwick takes a HOLISTIC approach to problem-solving that has drawn much positive attention.
homeopathy (ho-mee-OP-uh-thee), noun
A means of treating a disease by administering small doses of medicine that in large doses would bring about effects similar to the disease being treated.
HOMEOPATHY relies on the body’s ability to develop immune responses in warding off disease.
homiletics (hom-ih-LET-iks), noun
The art of preaching.
Rather than risk being swayed by the HOMILETICS of its proponents and opponents, Grandpa made it a point to read the text of every ballot initiative in full before deciding how he would vote on it.
hominid (HOM-ih-nid), noun A member of the animal family to which humans belong. Hominids are humans and their ancestors. The first ten minutes of the film depict the first use of tools by a group of ancient African HOMINIDS.
hookah (HOOK-uh), noun A large multistemmed smoking apparatus that cools smoke by passing it through water. Terry brought back many artifacts from her trip to India, including incense, silk saris, and even an antique HOOKAH.
hosanna (ho-ZAN-uh), noun From the Hebrew for “save us”; now an expression of praise, exaltation, and adoration typically heard in religious ceremonies; also, an instance of excessive praise.
Mel’s agent warned him not to take too seriously the HOSANNAS that came his way after he won the acting award.
house organ (HOUS-or-gun), noun A magazine or newsletter published by an organization for distribution within the organization. I read about Joanne’s promotion to sales manager in the last issue of On the Line, our HOUSE ORGAN.
hydraulic (hie-DROLL-ik), adjective Related to the study of water, its properties, circulation, and distribution; powered by water. Senator Graham argued that harnessing the river could provide HYDRAULIC power to three counties.
hyperthermia (hie-pur-THUR-mee-uh) noun Extreme increase of body heat. Hyperthermia derives from the Greek roots “hyper” and “thermia,” meaning “above” and “heat,”
respectively. (Compare with hypothermia.)
The reading is 108 degrees; we are dealing not with a simple fever, but with severe HYPERTHERMIA.
hypodermic (hi-puh-DUR-mik), noun Related to parts under the skin; made expressly for the purpose of introducing medications via injection. For Greg the mere sight of a HYPODERMIC needle was enough to produce a panic attack.
hyperopia (hi-pe-ROH-pee-uh), noun Farsightedness. Those who see distant things more clearly than those that are near experience hyperopia. Although Fran’s HYPEROPIA could have been corrected easily, she insisted on reading without glasses or contact lenses.
hypothermia (hie-po-THER-mee-uh), noun Extreme loss of body heat. Hypothermia derives from the Greek roots “hypo” and “thermia,” meaning “below” and “heat,”
respectively. (Compare with hyperthermia.)
After seven hours in the freezing water, the victims had already succumbed to the effects of HYPOTHERMIA.
ibid (IH-bid), abbreviation
Abbreviation for “ibidem,” literally “in the place mentioned before.” (The word is typically used in bibliographies and other reference materials to indicate that a quote from a previously referenced source is being repeated.)
Mark’s overreliance on a single source was evident in the paper’s bibliography, which consisted of one reference to Mill’s On Liberty and seventy-six notations reading “IBID.”
iconoclast (eye-KON-uh-klast), noun
A person who supports the destruction of holy images, or, more broadly, someone who challenges the status quo.
The first-year student’s repeated verbal attacks on the art department, the president of the university, and the capitalist structure of society earned him a reputation as an ICONOCLAST.
ideogram (ID-ee-o-gram), noun A symbol representing an idea rather than a word. For foreigners, the most difficult part of learning to write in Chinese is generally mastering its many IDEOGRAMS.
ignominy (ig-NOM-uh-knee), noun Public contempt or disgrace. After he accidentally burned down the writer’s home, Wally was treated with IGNOMINY by the town.
imbroglio (im-BROA-lee-o), noun An entanglement or complicated misunderstanding. Imbroglio refers to a delicate situation from which it is difficult to extricate
oneself.
The recent IMBROGLIO over conflict-of-interest violations has not improved the Mayor’s standing with voters.
immolate (IM-uh-late), verb To kill as if as a sacrifice, especially by fire. Immolate derives from a Latin word that pertained to sacrificial meals. The monk’s dramatic act of self-IMMOLATION made headlines around the world.
immure (i-MYOOR), verb To imprison or enclose behind walls; to shut in or confine. My compound fracture left me IMMURED in the hospital for weeks.
importune (im-por-TOON), verb To request repeatedly so as to be a bother. After months of IMPORTUNING his employer for a promotion that did not yet exist, Hank was asked to leave the company.
impressionism (im-PRESH-un-iz-im), noun An art movement of the late nineteenth century dedicated to reproducing the effect of light on objects, typically by means of short brush strokes.
The painter and sculptor Edgar Degas was one of the foremost practitioners of IMPRESSIONISM.
imprimatur (im-pruh-MAH-ter), noun Approval granted, usually by the Roman Catholic Church, to publish a book. After directing several revisions of the controversial book’s text, the Church finally gave its IMPRIMATUR.
incarnate (in-KAR-nut), adjective Embodied. Something that takes the bodily or physical form (especially human form) of “X” is said to be “X incarnate.” Sarah is not simply quiet; she is tranquility INCARNATE.
inchoate (in-KO-ate), adjective Incomplete. Inchoate refers to something still in early development. The concept, which Glenn readily admitted was INCHOATE, showed promise despite its flaws.
incorporeal (in-core-PORE-ee-al), adjective
Lacking form. Incorporeal derives from the Latin roots meaning “without the body.”
The moanings and low rumblings in the old house suggested INCORPOREAL visitors to Kate.
inculpate (in-KUL-pate), verb To incriminate. To blame for a wrongdoing is to inculpate. Myra’s frequent visits to the scene of the crime, in Sarah’s view, INCULPATED her as the guilty party.
indite (in-DITE), verb
To cause to come into being by means of artistic effort; to write or compose.
The dozens of letters that passed between the two contained a number of rather steamy poems INDITED under the influence of mutual passion.
ineffable (in-EFF-uh-bull), adjective Beyond the capacity of expression. Also: forbidden as a subject of conversation. Something that is ineffable is indescribable or unspeakable.
Carlton presented new acquaintances with a certain INEFFABLE charm that lingered long after one’s first meeting with him.
ineluctable (in-ee-LUK-tuh-bull), adjective Unavoidable; impossible to overcome. Something that is inevitable is ineluctable. Oedipus’ fate, we must remember, is INELUCTABLE; no amount of struggling will free him from it.
ingénue (AHN-zhuh-new), noun From the French meaning “naive,” an ingénue is an actress who specializes in playing the part of an innocent or unworldly young woman. The word also refers to this type of role in a film or on stage.
Since she hit thirty, that INGÉNUE has disappeared from the screen.
inimical (in-IM-ih-kul), adjective Harmful; injurious. Something that possesses a dangerous or hostile character can be said to be inimical. I’m afraid this work environment is INIMICAL to creative thinking.
intelligentsia (in-tell-uh-JENT-see-uh), noun The intellectual class and its social, political, and cultural habits and ideas. Daniel considers himself a member of the INTELLIGENTSIA. I just consider him a snob.
interstice (in-TUR-stis), noun A space between objects; a crevice or crack. Greg shimmied up the INTERSTICE between the two rocks.
inveigle (in-VAY-gul), verb
To tempt or persuade by using deception, artful talk, or flattery.
My daughter Sharon tried to INVEIGLE me into playing gin rummy by promising to clean up the kitchen for the next week, even though she knew she’d be at summer camp.
invidious (in-VID-ee-uss), adjective
Likely to damage a reputation.
Brent’s INVIDIOUS remarks to the president at the company picnic are probably the main reason he was passed over for promotion.
invocation (in-vuh-KAY-shun), noun The process or act of invoking. An invocation is a call to a higher power (usually God) for help. The priest offered a special INVOCATION at the beginning of the service.
jackanapes (JAK-uh-napes), noun An arrogant or impertinent person; especially, an impudent young man. If that JACKANAPES tells you to put his photo on the book jacket one more time, it will be the last day he works here as an editor.
jambalaya (jam-buh-LIE-uh), noun
A spicy Cajun dish featuring rice cooked with ham, sausage, chicken, shrimp, or oysters, and seasoned with herbs.
Anna had so much ham left over from Easter dinner that she decided to try to whip up a JAMBALAYA.
jejune (ji-JOON), adjective Dull or lackluster. Jejune can also mean immature or lacking in insight. Ralph’s JEJUNE fantasies of stardom brought only laughs of derision from his friends.
jitney (JIT-nee), noun A small car or bus charging a low fare. Grandpa told us stories of how he used to make his living driving a JITNEY around town.
jocund (JOK-und), adjective Given to merriment. Someone who possesses a cheery disposition is jocund. Tim’s JOCUND personality made him the life of the party.
judicature (JOO-di-kuh-choor), noun The authority of jurisdiction of a court of law. The rank, function, or authority of a judge is referred to as the judge’s judicature. This case is in fact within my JUDICATURE, despite counsel’s arguments to the contrary.
jujitsu (ju-JIT-soo), noun A Japanese art of unarmed self-defense, the strategy of which is to use an opponent’s strength and weight against him or her. Cornered by a pair of thugs in the alley, Justine was able to call upon her JUJITSU skills to fight her way to safety.
julienne (joo-lee-EN), adjective and noun
In thin strips (of vegetables); also, the soup containing such vegetables.
Lisa knew JULIENNE vegetables would look more elegant on the plates of her dinner guests than those cut in the normal way, but she wasn’t up for the hours of preparation it would take to slice up carrots and celery for a party of twenty.
junta (HOON-tuh), noun A group that rules a country, unofficially, following a coup d’etat. The JUNTA declared control of the country, but control was wrested away by former members of the ruling party.
juvenilia (joo-vuh-NILL-yuh), noun Early work by a creative artist, usually produced when the artist was young. What’s amazing is that even this poet’s JUVENILIA have a distinctive, nuanced voice.
kabala (kuh-BALL-uh), noun This word, which has a variety of spellings, denotes a body of mystical, ancient Hebraic writings. For whatever reason, celebrities—
including Madonna—have become fans of the kabala, thus causing it to gain popularity.
Jane’s newest obsession is the KABALA. I wonder what it will be next month.
kibbutz (ki-BUHTZ), noun A communal farm in Israel. For her senior year of college, Linda completed a specialized program by living and working on a KIBBUTZ.
kinesiology (kih-nee-see-OL-uh-jee), noun The study of physical movement and musculature. Kinesiology is the science concerned with the movement of muscles and related physical conditioning.
Only an expert in KINESIOLOGY could provide insight into Carl’s illness.
kith (kith), noun One’s friends and acquaintances. (Generally used with “kin.”) Linda enjoyed her job in Los Angeles, but she was willing to give it up to return to her KITH and kin back in Massachusetts.
kitsch (kitch), noun
From the German meaning “gaudy” or “trash,” kitsch refers to items that are overly sentimental and gaudy and which are thought indicative of bad taste.
The tourist trap’s gift shop was filled with row after row of souvenir KITSCH.
lamina (LAM-ih-nuh), noun A thin coating or sheet. The new window came wrapped in a clear plastic LAMINA to protect it.
lampoon (lam-POON), noun or verb As a noun, lampoon denotes a typically mean-spirited satire directed at a person, group, institution, etc. The verb form suggests the act of mocking someone.
Many felt Trina’s imitation of Jessica’s nervous tic was a cruel LAMPOON.
legato (leg-AH-toe), adjective In music, possessing a smooth, even, unbroken sound. The soothing LEGATO of the second movement always draws me into a quiet world of reflection.
legerdemain (lej-ur-duh-MANE), noun
Illusions performed by a magician; sleight-of-hand.
With his remarkable ability to make everyday objects seem to disappear, the Amazing Mannini was a true master of LEGERDEMAIN.
leitmotif (LIGHT-moe-teef), noun This German word denotes a recurring theme in a musical or opera associated with a particular character, situation, setting, etc. In general, leitmotif can signify a dominant theme in fiction or even in someone’s life.
Ian’s LEITMOTIF is the smell of never-washed and often-worn clothing.
lessor (LESS-or), noun A person or group granting a lease. The LESSOR must sign the agreement here, Mr. Watkins.
lexicography (lex-ih-KOG-ruh-fee), noun
The compiling, writing, and editing of dictionaries.
Though he had never intended to pursue a career in LEXICOGRAPHY, Jeremy spent twenty years with Merriam-Webster, working his way up from researcher to editor.
lexicon (LEK-sih-kon), noun A dictionary composed for a specific, narrowly defined (professional) audience. Lexicon can also mean the vocabulary associated with a specific discipline or group. Arthur, though not a doctor, was well versed in the LEXICON of medicine.
lissome (LISS-um), adjective Supple. Something that is easily bent is lissome. The LISSOME young gymnast’s body seemed to defy the laws of physics.
locution (loe-KYOO-shun), noun Style of speaking. A locution is also a particular word, expression, or phrase. Martin’s British LOCUTION would be a real asset during the many media appearances he would make over the next few years.
logy (LOW-gee), adjective Pronounced with a hard “g,” as in “gate,” logy describes someone or something lethargic or sluggish. On really cold days, my already LOGY car absolutely refuses to start.
lycanthrope (LIE-kan-thrope), noun A werewolf. The newest LYCANTHROPE flick was not as exciting as its advertisements.
machination (mak-uh-NAY-shun), noun A conniving plot. A crafty scheme meant to achieve an illicit end is a machination.
Carrie was familiar with Desmond’s MACHINATIONS when it came to winning raises.
maleficence (muh-LEF-ih-sence), noun The undertaking of evil or harmful acts. That which is mischevious or rooted in ill will could be said to possess maleficence. The long-ignored MALEFICENCE of the county’s corrupt prison system was finally exposed by a rookie Globe reporter.
marzipan (MAR-zuh-pan), noun
A popular candy made from almonds, egg whites, and sugar, often molded into the shapes of animals.
In Europe it is quite common to decorate a Christmas tree with edible decorations, including gingerbread men, MARZIPAN animals, and miniature fruitcakes.
materiel (muh-teer-ee-EL), noun Military equipment and weapons. We have solid evidence that enemy MATERIEL has been making it past the embargo, Mr. President.
matriarchy (MAY-tree-ark-ee), noun A society that traces descent and inheritance through the female line. If we lived in a MATRIARCHY, the husband and children would probably take the wife’s last name.
mawkish (MAW-kish), adjective Overly sentimental. Something that is emotional or maudlin is mawkish. Daytime soap operas irritated Melanie; she found them mawkish and unbelievable.
melanin (MEL-uh-nin), noun A dark pigment found in skin, eyes, and hair. Albino organisms lack MELANIN, and many have white hair, pale skin, and pale, sensitive eyes.
mendacious (men-DAY-shuss), adjective Lying or false. Someone who tells falsehoods could be said to be mendacious. Clark’s MENDACIOUS habits will catch up with him; one of these days his lies will be exposed.
mephitic (muh-FIT-ick), adjective Describes something poisonous or something with an offensive odor. After Mark burned dinner, the house was coated with a MEPHITIC odor that took hours to dissipate.
meritocracy (mare-ih-TOK-ruh-see), noun
A system in which those perceived as talented or intelligent are granted positions of preeminence.
Dara, who felt popularity rather than quality of work was the main factor in getting a promotion in her department, snorted when I alluded to a MERITOCRACY.
meretricious (mare-uh-TRISH-uss), adjective
Attracting attention by vulgar, trashy means; false or insincere.
Many critics claim that Madonna’s success is more the result of her MERETRICIOUS self-promotion talents than her musical talent.
metonymy (mih-TAHN-uh-mee), noun A figure of speech that uses a part of something to describe the whole thing, such as when a country singer says, “The bottle let me down.” “The bottle” stands for alcohol.
Sam says her favorite example of METONYMY is, “Now hiring smiling faces.”
microfiche (MEYE-kroh-feesh), noun
Microfilm that has been converted to small sheets so that it can be read from a special viewing machine.
Seven straight hours at the MICROFICHE machine perusing old newspaper articles on World War II left Elaine blurry-eyed, but with a firm historical sense of the setting of
her new novel.
misogamy (mih-SOG-uh-mee), noun Hatred of marriage. Someone who holds only contempt for the institution of marriage and refuses to take a husband or wife could be said to practice misogamy.
After his divorce, Brent’s mistrust of marriage bordered on MISOGAMY.
mohair (MO-hair), noun The hair of the angora goat; fabric or clothing made from this hair. Rudy loved the MOHAIR sweater I knitted for his birthday, but it gave him a rash.
moil (moyl), noun or verb Hard, grinding work or to engage in such work. The MOIL of paperwork made Sheila long for early retirement.
monograph (MON-uh-grqff), noun A scholarly article or essay on a certain topic. A monograph is usually intended for an academic audience and not for the general public.
Peterson’s MONOGRAPH on theoretical physics was well received in the scientific community, although it certainly makes for tough reading for the layman.
monophonic (mon-uh-FON-ik), adjective
Of or pertaining to sound reproduction using a single signal channel.
Although the group’s recordings were released for MONOPHONIC systems, the new compact disc features stereo remixes of their most famous songs.
morphology (more-FALL-uh-jee), noun The study of something’s form or structure. We spent a surprisingly interesting few minutes discussing the MORPHOLOGY of the duck-billed platypus.
motley (MOT-lee), adjective Of diverse composition. Something that shows many colors or facets could be said to be motley. (The word has come to carry negative overtones of raggedness or lack of union.)
It was Frederick’s job to mold the MOTLEY assemblage he had been given into a powerful fighting force.
mountebank (MOUNT-uh-bank), noun A charlatan; one who sells worthless medicines, potions, and the like; a fake. The line between visionary romantic and common MOUNTEBANK, for my father, was often a thin one.
multifarious (mul-tih-FARE-ee-uss), adjective Made of many components. Something that has a large number of parts is multifarious. From the air, New York’s MULTIFARIOUS skyline sparkled—as if beckoning to Mary to try her hand there.
myopia (mye-OH-pee-uh), noun
Inability to see distant things clearly. Figuratively, to suffer from myopia is to lack foresight.
My feeling is that by turning down that project, Fenster showed once again that he suffers from MYOPIA when it comes to marketing new consumer products.
nabob (NAY-bob), noun A wealthy person who is accustomed to luxury. Originally, a nabob was a person who returned to Europe from India with great riches.
All the city’s NABOBS, potentates, and intellectual stars showed up for Iris’s party.
nanosecond (NAN-o-sek-und), noun One billionth of a second; an extremely short period of time. It seemed the phone was on the hook for only a NANOSECOND before it rang again.
narcolepsy (NAR-ko-lep-see), noun The disorder of suddenly and unpredictably falling asleep. Someone who has narcolepsy is prone to unexpectedly succumb to the urge to sleep.
After learning he suffered from NARCOLEPSY, Brian realized how dangerous it would be for him to drive, and voluntarily returned his license to the Registry.
narcoma (nar-KO-muh), noun
A hazy state between sleep and wakefulness reminiscent of or signalling use of narcotics. To be in a narcoma is to be in a partially concious state associated with drug use.
Because she had worked in a city emergency room for four years, Ellen knew that the boy had slipped into NARCOMA.
natatorium (nay-tuh-TOR-ee-um), noun An indoor swimming pool. Although he had swum in hundreds of venues, Melvin still had a dream of competing in the world’s largest NATATORIUM.
necrology (nek-ROL-uh-jee), noun A list of people who have recently died. A necrology can also be an obituary. Benjamin scoured the long necrology for the name of his father, but it was not there.
necromancy (NEK-ruh-man-see), noun The supposed practice of gaining insight by means of communication with the dead. Necromancy can also mean “witchcraft.” NECROMANCY is still a part of many tribal rituals on the island.
nelson (NEL-sun), noun In wrestling, a kind of hold in which one places one’s arm under the opponent’s arm and applies pressure to the back of the opponent’s neck.
When I got Frank in a full NELSON, I knew I would win the match.
neolithic (nee-oh-LITH-ik), adjective
Of or pertaining to the latter part of the Stone Age, when ground stone weapons and tools first came into use. To dismiss something as neolithic is to say it is so unsophisticated as to belong to a much earlier era.
In these days of computers and word processors, many consider the old-fashioned manual typewriter positively NEOLITHIC.
neologism (nee-OL-uh-jiz-um), noun
A newly coined term or word.
The computer revolution has spawned not only new technologies but a wealth of NEOLOGISMS, such as “download” and “system crash,” that have quickly become part of our workday vocabulary.
neurology (noo-ROL-uh-gee), noun The study of the nervous system and its diseases. A neurologist is a doctor whose specialty is neurology. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is a fascinating account of NEUROLOGICAL disorders written for the layman.
nexus (NEK-sus), noun A linkage or connection. A nexus can also be the means by which two or more things are connected The stars in the cluster formed a NEXUS one could trace across the sky.
nimbus (NIM-bus), noun A halo-like source of light above the head of a saint or spiritual figure. The mosaic depicts Christ and his disciples with bright NIMBUSES.
nitid (NIT-id), adjective Bright and lustrous. After I changed back to more expensive dog food, my dog regained her NITID coat.
noggin (NOG-in), noun
A small drinking vessel; a mug.
Dinner at our favorite seaport restaurant always began with a generous helping of clam chowder served in old-fashioned ceramic NOGGINS.
noisome (NOY-sum), adjective
Ill-smelling and offensive; also, harmful.
That NOISOME gang of unwashed hooligans you call your friends will bring you to nothing but trouble, Steve.
nomenclature (NO-men-klat-cher), noun
A system of names for purposes of organization. A nomenclature is a technical, professional, or artistic set or system of names in a given discipline.
Harold had a good grasp of the fundamental principles of chemistry, but his knowledge of the NOMENCLATURE of chemical compounds was weak.
nonfeasance (non-FEEZ-unce), noun Failure to perform (a given duty). Someone who is bound to act in a certain way and does not is guilty of nonfeasance. The failure of the passersby to aid the injured woman was a heartrending example of urban apathy and NONFEASANCE.
nonillion (no-NILL-yun), noun
A very large number equal to 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
My parents’ claim that they had asked me to clean the garage one NONILLION times struck me as the sort of irresponsible exaggeration that relieved me of any obligation to do my chores.
nostrum (NAH-strum), noun From the Latin meaning “ours,” nostrums originally were patent medicines, purported to cure almost anything, sold by shady
characters. At present, a nostrum is any kind of cure-all or panacea for social ills that, in practice, would probably not really work.
Even if it could be done, Alex, giving all the poor a thousand bucks would only be a NOSTRUM.
nugatory (NOO-guh-toe-ree), adjective Worthless or in vain. That which is trifling or pointless is nugatory. I’m afraid the edict of the High Commissioner has rendered your request to have the prisoner freed NUGATORY.
numerology (noo-muh-ROL-uh-jee), noun The supposed practice of divining the future through analyzing the occult significance of numbers. Numerology is not the same as the science of mathematics.
Judy’s interest in NUMEROLOGY is the latest in a series of mystic doings; she was very big on Tarot cards last week.
numismatics (noo-miz-MAT-iks), noun Coin or currency collecting. Numismatics can also include the collecting of paper money or medals. I suppose my decision to put aside my newly minted Susan B. Anthony dollar coin marked my first foray into NUMISMATICS.
ocher (OAK-ur), noun A yellow or reddish-brown clay; the color typical of this clay. The shelves of the pottery shop were filled with dozens of OCHER vessels of varying sizes.
ochlophobia (ok-luh-FO-be-uh), noun
An illogical fear or dread of crowds.
Betty never realized she suffered from OCHLOPHOBIA until she moved to the city, where she had great difficulty walking to and from work during rush hour.
octogenarian (ok-tuh-juh-NARE-ee-un), noun A person in his or her eighties. An octogenarian is one who is between eighty and eighty-nine years old. Mrs. Reardon, an OCTOGENARIAN, attributes her longevity to drinking a glass of fruit juice every mornig.
oenophile (EE-nuh-file), noun
A wine connoisseur.
Len, a lifelong OENOPHILE, shuddered as I produced a bottle of Ripple to accompany our dinner of fish sticks and macaroni and cheese.
olfactory (ol-FAK-tuh-ree), noun Relating to the sense of smell. For me, walking past the bakery every morning on the way to school was an OLFACTORY delight.
oncology (on-KOL-uh-jee), noun
The study of tumors.
Abbey was worried when she found a lump in her breast, but the ONCOLOGY specialist told her it was a benign cyst.
الجزء الثاني كلمات اكثر الناس لايعرفها
Words Most People Don’t Know
PART II
If you know the words on this list, then pat yourself on the back. You are, most assuredly, a genius of the highest order. If the words on this list are a mystery to you, then don’t be sad. You’re not alone. Learn a few of these and drop them into a conversation, and . . . voila! . . . instant genius
ontogeny (on-TAHJ-uh-nee), noun
The cycle of development of an organism.
The chapter Anne was having trouble with described the ONTOGENY of the common housefly in minute detail, with particular emphasis on the maggot stage.
ontology (on-TALL-uh-gee), noun Study of the nature of being and existence. The adjective form is ontological. For several minutes, we had a lively conversation about the ONTOLOGY of the deep-fried Twinkie.
operose (OP-uh-roass), adjective Hard-working and industrious. Jack’s OPEROSE attention to detail is sure to send him quickly up the corporate ladder.
opprobrium (uh-PRO-bree-um), noun Infamy. Opprobrium is disgrace resulting from shameful action. Quentin knew that dropping out of school would bring only OPPROBRIUM from his father.
oracle (OR-uh-kul)t noun A means by which prophetic wisdom is imparted. Oracle is sometimes used figuratively to describe someone who is seen as offering completely dependable counsel or advice.
After Appomatox, Grant’s words seemed (much to his surprise) to be regarded as having issued from an ORACLE.
oracular (or-AK-yuh-lur), adjective
Resembling an oracle; said in a solemn or cryptic manner.
My boss, Mr. Twombey, always issued his pronouncements in a gloomy, ORACULAR fashion that left us wondering whether something horrible was about to happen.
ornithology (or-nih-THAHL-uh-jee), noun The study of birds. Her lifelong love of birds led Stella to seek a degree in ORNITHOLOGY.
orotund (OR-uh-tund), adjective (Of the voice or speech) possessing a full, big sound; sonorous; (of a style of speaking) overbearing or pretentious. The senator delivered an impassioned, if OROTUND, defense of the party’s trade policy.
osmosis (oss-MOE-sis), noun Gradual absorption, assimilation. Jerry rested his head on the textbook and closed his eyes, as if hoping to absorb the information in it by OSMOSIS.
ossify (OSS-ih-fye), verb To harden or become bonelike. Literally, ossify means “to change into a bone,” but it is often used to describe a rigidity of outlook or opinion.
The creative team’s concepts, which had originally seemed very promising, had OSSIFIED into a conventional set of ideas that no one found exciting.
outré (oo-TRAY), adjective From the French meaning “to pass beyond,” outré describes someone or something radically unconventional or outside the limits of what most consider proper.
It’s not OUTRÉ to go to a church picnic wearing an expletive-covered T-shirt, Sally. It’s just rude!
oxymoron (ahk-see-MORE-on), noun
A phrase in which contradictory or incongruous terms are used together, as in the phrase “poor little rich kid.”
When Ted said the term “military intelligence” always struck him as an OXYMORON, he meant it as a joke, but his cousin, a lifelong army officer, took grave offense.
palaver (puh-LAV-er), noun A parley or conference. Palaver can also refer to charming but insubstantial talk meant to persuade or cajole. Don’t be taken in by Frank’s PALAVER; he is not the agent for you.
palindrome (PAL-in-drome), noun
A word or sentence (such as pop or Not so, Boston) that reads the same forward and backward.
James’s dogged attempt to write a novel consisting solely of a single sixty-thousand-word PALINDROME led his relatives to wonder whether his best days as a writer of fiction were behind him.
panegyric (pan-uh-JEER-ick), noun
Formal, elaborate praise.
After Coach Henry retired, her former athletes filled the local paper with PANEGYRICS
concerning her character and accomplishments.
panjandrum (pan-JAN-drum), noun An important person; a bigwig. I was able to obtain a list of local business PANJANDRUMS to solicit for investment funds.
pantheism (PAN-thee-iz-um), noun A doctrine that espouses God’s manifestation in all things. Pantheism tends to identify Deity with the natural world. The word derives from the Greek roots for “all” and “God.”
It is fair to say that although she had no formal religious upbringing Edith tended toward the PANTHEISM she associated with certain Native American religious rites.
papal (PAY-pull), adjective Of or pertaining to the pope. A papal decree is one issued by the pope. The actor was unable to obtain a PAPAL audience, although he did meet with an archbishop while visiting the Vatican.
paraffin (PARE-uh-finn), noun
A white wax-like material used in the production of candles and wax paper.
So many customers had ordered Betty’s homemade Christmas candles that she had to send her son Wally out to buy more PARAFFIN.
paroxysm (PARE-uk-siz-um), noun An outburst. A paroxysm is a sudden action or an incidence reminiscent of something explosive. Joan broke out in PAROXYSMS of laughter at Pete’s joke.
parse (pahrss), verb To break a sentence down into its component parts. In recent years, the word also has come to mean analyzing, or breaking down, anything.
I spent my time after our argument PARSING every cutting remark she had made.
parsimonious (par-suh-MOAN-ee-uss), adjective
Stingy. Someone who is exceptionally frugal or thrifty could be considered parsimonious.
The old man’s PARSIMONIOUS ways were legend: it is said that in a lifetime of restaurant dining, he never once picked up a check.
parvenu (PAR-vuh-new), noun From the French meaning “upstart,” a parvenu is someone who has recently gained wealth, prestige, or an important position but has not yet figured out how to act appropriately in that new position.
The Clampett family, of classic television’s Beverly Hillbillies, is a great example of a PARVENU clan.
passim (PASS-im), noun A word used to indicate that a given source or element is used frequently throughout a written work. References to a fictitious writer named Kilgore Trout appear PASSIM in a number of Kurt Vonnegut’s novels.
patois (PAT-wah), noun
From the French meaning “clumsy speech,” patois refers either to rural speech or to jargon . . . basically any language that deviates from standard usage.
I’ve given up trying to follow the PATOIS of teenagers, the teacher complained.
patriarchy (PAY-tree-ark-ee), noun
A group ruled by a patriarch; an organization or clan in which lines of descent and inheritance are traced through the male.
Martha accused her father of running a PATRIARCHY, arguing that she deserved to take on the leadership of the company far more than her younger brother.
patrimony (PAT-rih-mo-nee), noun Heritage or legacy. Someone’s patrimony can be either a financial inheritance or an ancestral heritage. (A patrimony can also be a church endowment.)
The will outlined PATRIMONY payments totaling over one million dollars.
peerage (PEER-ihj), noun Countries, empires, kingdoms, etc. considered friendly toward another empire or country. The nation’s PEERAGE began to shift after it launched covert attacks against formerly friendly countries.
penurious (peh-NOOR-ee-uss), adjective Miserly. Penurious can also mean “lacking in means or extremely poor.” Joan, raised in comfortable surroundings, was not cut out for such a PENURIOUS lifestyle.
peony (PEE-uh-nee), noun A colorful plant bearing large petals; the state flower of Indiana. The florist assembled a lovely arrangement of PEONIES for Aunt Irene.
peregrination (pear-uh-grih-NAY-shun), noun Journeys or wanderings made on foot. Wally’s Sunday PEREGRINATIONS took him from shuttered shops to rivers spoiled by centuries of pollution.
peremptory (puh-REMP-tuh-ree), adjective Allowing for no rebuttal or overturning. A peremptory act is one that admits no possibility of denial or negotiation. Kings may issue PEREMPTORY declarations of war, Mr. Secretary; presidents are obliged to discuss such matters with Congress.
perfidy (PURR-fih-dee), noun Perfidy is a calculated breach of faith or trust. In wartime, such PERFIDY as you have been found guilty of yields only one sentence: death.
perigee (PEAR-uh-jee), noun The point at which a heavenly body, especially an orbiting body like the moon, is closest to the Earth. People all over the country got out their telescopes to see the meteor as it reached its PERIGEE.
peripatetic (per-ih-puh-TET-ik), adjective
Wandering. Someone who goes from one place to another is peripatetic.
These days, pursuing the presidency requires serious candidates to live a
PERIPATETIC lifestyle that profoundly affects one’s home and family life.
perspicacity (per-spih-KASS-ih-tee), noun Insightfuness. Someone who shows keen understanding displays perspicacity. The problem was a complex one that required the analysis of someone with great PERSPICACITY.
perspicuity (purr-spi-KYOO-ih-tee), noun
Clear and easy to understand. Perspicuity is generally used with regard to speech or writing.
The report from the accounting office was loaded with technical jargon; writing with
PERSPICUITY is not one of the talents of the people who work there.
pestle (PESS-ul), noun
A tool used to grind substances into a powder in a mortar.
During the excavation, the crew discovered a number of ancient food preparation items, including wooden PESTLES, clay crocks, and eating utensils made of polished bone.
phaeton (FAY-ih-tin), noun A lightweight four-wheeled passenger carriage drawn by horses. The PHAETON, once a common sight on any city street, was eventually phased out and replaced by the automobile.
phantasmagoria (fan-taz-muh-GORE-ee-uh), noun A dreamlike, constantly changing series of visions. The avant-garde film had no dialogue or plot in the traditional sense; it was essentially a PHANTASMAGORIA set to music.
phantasmagoric (fan-tazz-muh-GORE-ihk), adjective Describes the type of imagery one might see in a dream: mysterious, shifting scenes, filled with incongruous elements. The director’s PHANTASMAGORIC images delighted some audience members, while confusing the expectations of others.
pheromone (FARE-uh-mone), noun A substance released by an animal that produces specific physiological reactions or behavioral changes in other animals of the same species.
The perfume company’s claim that its new perfume contained PHEROMONES that would cause it to act as a human aphrodisiac was the subject of strict scrutiny by federal regulators.
philter (FIL-tur), noun
A magical love potion.
Thinking the glass contained Evian water, Veronica drained the PHILTER to its dregs; her eyes met those of the startled butler, and she melted with tenderness.
phraseology (fray-zee-ah-LO-jee), noun In language, the way phrases and words are employed. With her excellent diction, articulation, and PHRASEOLOGY, Holly had a gift for public speaking and debate.
physiognomy (fiz-ee-OG-nuh-mee), noun The human face (especially when regarded as a mirror of one’s emotional state). Physiognomy is also the practice of determining a person’s inclination or character from facial signals. There was a noticeable change in Doris’s PHYSIOGNOMY as Todd read her the news.
picayune (PIK-uh-yoon), adjective Petty. Something that is trifling or unimportant is picayune. Mr. Frankl apparently couldn’t be bothered with such PICAYUNE concerns as what color shirt to wear.
pied (pied), adjective Describes animals, plants, cloth designs, etc. featuring two or more colors. The poet Gerard Manley Hopkins believed the strangeness of PIED creatures and plants was a sign of God’s grace.
planar (PLAY-ner), adjective Flat or level, like a geometric plane. My boys spent the morning rolling a ball across the PLANAR surface of their new playhouse’s floor.
plangent (PLAN-jent), adjective Describes something loud and, typically, sorrowful. The PLANGENT locomotive whistle made Henry drop a tear in his beer.
plaudit (PLAW-dit), noun An expression of gratitude or praise. Plaudits (in the plural) is usually taken to mean “applause.” I am unworthy, my friends, of the PLAUDITS you have bestowed on me this evening.
playa (PLY-uh), noun
The lowest area of a desert, usually flat and sometimes covered with water.
The desert’s undrained PLAYA contained the only water for hundreds of miles.
plebiscite (PLEB-uh-site), noun A vote, open to all voters, which decides matters of public policy. The annexation was voted down in a PLEBISCITE.
plutocracy (ploo-TOK-ruh-see), noun Rule by the rich. Plutocracy can also refer to the overall influence of the wealthy in social affairs. “If PLUTOCRACY were likely to improve the nation’s standard of living,” Gerald said haughtily, “then I would be a plutocrat.”
polemics (puh-LEM-ik), noun The art of argument. Someone who is strong in the field of polemics is gifted in making points by means of controversial discourse with others.
The talk show host’s great asset was his skill in POLEMICS—not his personality.
politick (POL-ih-tik), verb To talk about or engage in politics. Barry spends hours POLITICKING with his associates.
polity (POL-ih-tee), noun A system of government. A nation’s polity is its structure of social and political functioning. The POLITIES of the Greek city-states, admired as they may be, cannot serve as a literal model for a modern industrial society.
polydipsia (pol-ee-DIP-see-uh), noun An abnormal or excessive thirst. The bartender, clearly uninterested in Ralph’s claim to suffer from POLYDIPSIA, told him flatly that he’ d had enough.
polyglot (POL-ee-glot), noun A person who speaks a number of languages. Someone fluent in French, German, and English would be a polyglot. The President’s translator, a POLYGLOT, served him well in missions to Germany, Portugal, and Mexico.
polymath (PAHL-ee-math), noun Someone who is learned in many different areas. Even though he never graduated from college, James is known as a POLYMATH.
pongee (pon-JEE), noun A thin, unbleached variety of silk. The gauze-like scarf was woven from a delicate PONGEE.
postern (POSS-turn), noun
A back or rear door or gate, especially in a castle or fort.
The fire marshall was unimpressed with our evacuation plan, which required guests, in the event of an emergency, to make their way through a dark, narrow hallway leading to a POSTERN.
preceptor (pri-SEP-tur), noun A school principal, teacher, or instructor. Our elementary school’s PRECEPTOR was a stern man who handed out swift discipline to troublemakers.
premillennial (pre-muh-LEN-ee-uhl), adjective In general, premillennial refers to a time just before the start of a new millennium, such as the 1990s. The word has gained increasing usage by some religious groups to describe the time just before the second coming of Jesus Christ, which they believe imminent.
Trudy left the church after she decided she did not subscribe to its PREMILLENNIAL views.
prestidigitation (press-tih-dih-jih-TAY-shun), noun Sleight of hand, or a magician’s work in general. The magician’s acts of PRESTIDIGITATION were a hit at my son’s birthday party.
priapic (pry-AP-ick), adjective
Related to the phallus or to a man who is obsessed with his masculinity.
The medication’s PRIAPIC warnings, that some erections could last longer than four hours, led to a series of jokes by late-night comics.
procrustean (pro-KRUS-tee-un), adjective Seeking to enforce doctrines or theories by violently eliminating all possible alternative viewpoints. Procrustean derives from the name of a fabled thief of ancient Greece who stretched or amputated his victims in order to make them fit a bed exactly.
The regime’s PROCRUSTEAN tactics are designed to completely eliminate all political dissent.
prognosticate (prog-NOSS-tih-kate), verb To predict. Someone who foretells the future prognosticates. As to the game’s final outcome, I refuse to PROGNOSTICATE.
prolix (pro-LIKS), adjective Tediously wordy. Something that is long and verbose is prolix. The report was utterly PROLIX; I gave up trying to finish reading it.
promulgate (PROM-ul-gate), verb To put forward publicly. To promulgate can also mean “to announce in an official capacity.” The news of the British attack was PROMULGATED by town criers.
protean (PRO-te-un), adjective
Versatile; changing form easily.
As further demonstration of his PROTEAN abilities as an actor, Ned agreed to appear in a six-week run of Henry IV, Part One, playing Falstaff and Hotspur on alternate nights.
provocateur (pruh-vock-uh-TURR), noun From the French meaning “challenger,” a provocateur is someone who deliberately causes trouble or sparks dissension. Mick revels in being a PROVOCATEUR, often wearing to church his T-shirts featuring satanic rock bands.
prurient (PROOR-ee-ent), adjective Lewd (said of an idea, representation, account, etcetera). A prurient interest is one focusing excessively on sex. “The idea,” Judge Cotlin wrote, “that Joyce’s Ulysses is designed mainly to excite the reader’s PRURIENT interest is absurd.”
pseudomorph (SOO-doh-morf), noun
A deceptive or irregular form.
I thought the shape on the floor was a bug and prepared to squash it with a book, when I realized it was merely a PSEUDOMORPH . . . a piece of dirt or an oddly-colored dust bunny.
punctilio (pungk-TIL-ee-o), noun A fine point of etiquette. “Don’t use dessert forks during the main course, please,” my grandmother intoned, reverting to one of her favorite PUNCTILIOS.
punctilious (punk-TILL-ee-uss), adjective Overly attentive to trifling details. Someone who takes great care to dispose of seemingly small matters in a formally correct way is punctilious.
The PUNCTILIOUS Mrs. Smith took issue with the seating arrangements we had suggested.
pusillanimous (pyoo-sih-LAN-ih-muss), adjective
Cowardly; profoundly lacking in noble qualities of courage and mettle.
The actor made a career of playing PUSILLANIMOUS types in movies and on
television, but he was apparently a robust and vigorous man of action in real life.
pyriform (PEER-uh-form), adjective Shaped like a pear. “If I get much more PYRIFORM, I’m going to have to rent a space in the produce section,” Vivian complained.
quahog (KO-hog), noun
An edible clam found off of the Atlantic coastline of North America.
Every summer Grandpa would take us to his beachhouse in Maine, where we’ d fish and dig for QUAHOGS in the quiet hours before dawn.
quark (kwork), noun An elementary particle. A quark is one of the smallest known quantities of matter. Phillip’s work in applied physics focused on the behavior of QUARKS in various environments.
quiescent (kwee-ESS-unt), adjective
Dormant; inactive.
The old QUIESCENT piano that had once rung out triumph after triumph had been standing in its oak-paneled room since the day of its master’s death.
quietus (kwhy-eat-us), noun Something that ends or settles a situation. Also, a word for death or retirement. The QUIETUS of the argument arrived when Marteeka made a point that Frieda could not refute.
quondam (KWAHN-dumm), adjective From the Latin meaning “at one time,” quondam means one-time or former. Professor Lightyear’s QUONDAM assistant turned to wickedness and soon became an evil genius.
ratiocinate (rash-ee-OSS-ih-nate), verb
To reason. To ratiocinate is to probe thoroughly by means of logical examination.
We have some of the best mathematical minds in the world working on this problem, and yet no one has proved able to RATIOCINATE with sufficient clarity to find a solution.
recidivism (rih-SID-ih-viz-um), noun Repeated relapse into a past condition or behavior. The rate of RECIDIVISM for inmates in this institution is woefully high, Warden.
redact (rih-DAKT), verb To revise or edit a manuscript into publishable form. Redact can have a negative connotation, suggesting that edits are made against a writer’s probable wishes.
Julie was livid when she found how the editors had REDACTED her careful, polished prose.
refulgent (rih-FUL-junt), adjective Radiant. A REFULGENT smile crossed Anna’s face when she learned that her loan had been approved.
remand (rih-MAND), verb
To send back.
The judge REMANDED the case much more quickly than had been expected, issuing an unusually thorough set of instructions for the lower court to follow.
remunerative (rih-MYOON-er-uh-tive), adjective Describes something that is profitable. Jane quit her day job after she found her online business was more REMUNERATIVE than she’ d expected.
restive (RES-tive), adjective Uneasy; impatient with delay. Someone who is impatient or uncomfortable with present surroundings could be said to be restive. The RESTIVE players gathered around the coach, eager to get the game underway.
reticulate (rih-TIK-yoo-lit), adjective Like a net or network. Also, as a verb (rih-TEK-yoo-late), to cause to take the form of a network. The maple leaf ’s fibers are RETICULATE in structure.
rhetoric (RET-ur-ik), noun The art of the effective use of language. Rhetoric is also speech or writing calculated to arouse passion. Are we ever going to move from empty RHETORIC to a sound plan of action on this issue?
riposte (rih-POAST), noun
In fencing, the thrust made in response to an opponent’s parry; also, a retaliatory remark or retort.
I thought Newman was good-natured enough to handle my jokes about his receding hairline, but his heated RIPOSTE about my weight problem indicated otherwise.
roué (roo-AY), noun
A licentious man; a libertine or lecher.
Although Ernest’s dalliances might have been understandable when he was a young man, they were more difficult for his family to forgive in his later years, when he came to resemble nothing so much as a tired and lonely old ROUÉ.
rubicon (ROO-bih-kon), noun A point beyond which permanent change is unavoidable. The word comes from the name of a river (the Rubicon) once crossed by Julius Caesar in an act that led irrevocably to war.
In signing the bill, the Governor may have crossed the RUBICON and forever closed the door on his prison reform program.
rusticate (RUSS-ti-kate), verb To move (a person) to the country. Rusticate can also mean “to accustom to country living.” I am afraid you will be unable to RUSTICATE Ken; he is a city boy through and
through.
saffron (SAFF-ron), noun
A variety of crocus that blooms in the autumn.
Also: a spice. Also: yellow-orange in color.
The September page of my calendar is my favorite: trees with leaves of red, orange, and gold, surrounded by a field of purple SAFFRON.
sake (SAH-kee), noun A wine-like Japanese beverage made with fermented rice. When he returned from California, my father and I dined on sushi and drank warm SAKE at his favorite Japanese restaurant.
sanctum (SANK-tum), noun
A holy, sacred place.
Brandon’s small home office contained little more than a computer, an encyclopedia, and a few pieces of furniture, but it was in this unprepossessing SANCTUM that he wrote his Pulitzer Prize–winning play.
sangfroid (san-FRWA), noun The state of being supremely composed or self-assured, especially in the face of adversity or danger. I always marveled at Janie’s SANGFROID before taking exams; I usually got so nervous I could hardly hold a pencil.
sanguinary (SANG-gwuh-nare-ee), adjective
Marked by bloodshed.
They awoke the next morning to find that the battle had been won, but not without cost: it had been the most SANGUINARY encounter of the two-year conflict.
sanguine (SAN-gwinn), adjective Possessing a positive attitude. Sanguine usually carries the sense of being cheerful despite obstacles or potential problems. Despite the many setbacks she had faced, Ellen remained SANGUINE.
saturnine (SAT-ur-neen), adjective Moody and morose. Someone who is saturnine is gloomy. For some months after the death of his cat, Cosgrove maintained a SATURNINE front.
scalene (SKAY-leen), noun In geometry, having no two equal sides.
In geometry we learned about the six kinds of triangles: right angle, acute, isosceles, obtuse, equilateral, and SCALENE.
schadenfreude (SHAH-dun-froy-duh), noun An instance of rejoicing at the misfortune of another. Wilson’s conviction on perjury charges set off a festival of SCHADENFREUDE among his many conservative detractors.
schematic (skuh-MAT-ik), adjective and noun Having to do with a diagram or scheme. As a noun, schematic can mean “a fully diagrammed plan or drawing.” Will you please refer to the SCHEMATIC design I have
reproduced on page twelve of your handbook?
scull (skull), noun and verb A long oar used in the stern of a boat; also, a light racing rowboat. As a verb: to propel a boat with a scull. Stewart loved to get up early in the morning and SCULL around the calm lake.
sedulous (SED-yuh-luss), adjective Done or crafted with skill, diligence, and care. The teen’s SEDULOUS labors at the desert site were rewarded by the discovery of triceratops bones in the third week of the dig.
semantic (suh-MAN-tic), noun
Related to or having to do with the diverse levels of meaning accompanying words and symbols.
Whether we identify them as “streetwalkers” or “prostitutes,” Mr. Mayor, is a matter of SEMANTICS; the fact is that the people plying their trade on our streets at night are reducing the quality of life in our town.
semantics (suh-MAN-tiks), noun The science of the way meaning is communicated through language. A semantic distinction is one focused on the way something is phrased, rather than its underlying reality.
Whether we say the compensation will be “appropriate” or “competitive” is really a matter of SEMANTICS; we know exactly how much we intend to pay the person we finally hire.
sententious (sen-TEN-shuss), adjective Tending to use many cliches or maxims in order to enlighten others. Someone who shares many sayings or stories in a sanctimonious or preachy way is sententious.
Polonius’s SENTENTIOUS manner of speaking clearly irritates Hamlet in this scene.
septuagenarian (sep-tuh-juh-NARE-ee-un), noun A person in his or her seventies. A septuagenarian is one who is between seventy and seventy-nine years old. Grandmother, now 69, is not looking forward to becoming a
SEPTUAGENARIAN.
seraphic (sih-RAFF-ick), adjective Characteristic of an angel. The music’s SERAPHIC tones left me feeling spiritually uplifted.
serriform (SAIR-uh-form), adjective Shaped like a saw-edge; having ridges reminiscent of saw-teeth. The two SERRIFORM pieces fit together perfectly, making a solid joint.
sesquipedalian (ses-quih-puh-DAY-lee-un), adjective
Appropriately, this word describes someone who uses really big, ponderous words. From the Latin meaning “a foot and a half.”
“That commentator uses such SESQUIPEDALIAN language that I doubt anyone knows what he’s talking about,” my father complained.
shako (SHACK-oh), noun A stiff, tall piece of military headgear, resembling a fez with an upright plume. The guard’s SHAKO trembled as he advanced toward us angrily.
shogun (SHO-gun), noun Before 1868, the commander of the Japanese military.
The SHOGUNS of ancient Japan are considered among the most notable strategists in military history.
simile (SIM-uh-lee), noun
A comparison in speech or writing. “Her smile is like the morning sun” is an example of a simile.
By asking, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” Shakespeare initiates a SIMILE he will develop fully in succeeding lines of the sonnet.
simulacrum (sim-yuh-LAY-krum), noun
A minor, unreal or eerie similarity. A simulacrum can also be an effigy.
The boy possessed only the barest SIMULACRUM of the classic DeBerris brow, but something told me his claim to be a descendant was valid.
sinecure (SIN-uh-kyoor), noun A job that is profitable although it requires only a marginal amount of work. Everyone’s annoyed that the boss gave her do-nothing son a SINECURE just to keep him from getting into trouble.
sloe (slo), noun A small fruit resembling a plum. Many people like the taste of SLOE gin, but Jennifer prefers the traditional variety flavored with juniper berries.
snafu (sna-FOO), noun An egregious but common error. Supposedly, the word “SNAFU” is an acronym of the phrase “Situation normal, all fouled up.”
sociometry (so-see-OM-uh-tree), noun The determination of preference among members of distinct social groups. Sociometry can also refer to distinctions accountable to social differences.
What we found is that the brand’s success or failure in a given area was due not mainly to income level, but to SOCIOMETRY.
solstice (SOL-stiss), noun
Either of the two yearly times during which the sun is furthest from the celestial equator; the longest and shortest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
(The longest day, known as the summer solstice, occurs in June; the shortest day, or winter solstice, is in December.)
During the Roman winter SOLSTICE festival, known as Saturnalia, revelers would put candles on trees and hold massive celebrations intended to persuade the fading sunlight to return.
somniferous (som-NIFF-er-us), adjective Describes something, such as drugs, that induces sleep. The professor’s SOMNIFEROUS voice caused many students to fall asleep during her lectures.
somnolent (SOM-nuh-lunt), adjective
Tired, sleepy.
Having worked all night on the paper, Gaylord dragged himself into the lecture hall and spent the hour casting a well-meaning but SOMNOLENT gaze in the direction of his professor.
sophistry (SOF-iss-tree), noun A seemingly convincing argument that is logically flawed. To accuse someone of sophistry is to say he is practicing sly doubletalk. I believe this jury is too sophisticated to be taken in by the SOPHISTRIES the defense has offered.
spate (spayt), noun A sudden outpouring; a flood or deluge. My request for a raise was greeted by a SPATE of hysterical laughter and occasionally obscene rantings from my boss, Mr. Walker.
stalactite (stuh-LACK-tite), noun
An icicle-shaped deposit hanging from the top of a cavern, formed by drips of water containing calcium or other minerals.
STALACTITES hang from the tops of caves; an easy way to remember this is that the second half of the word begins with a “t” for “top.”
stalagmite (stuh-LAG-mite), noun
A deposit, typically found on a cave floor, formed from the drippings of a stalactite.
STALAGMITES are found at the bottoms of caves; an easy way to remember this is that the second half of the word begins with a “g” for “ground.”
stultifying (STULL-tih-fie-ing), adjective
Likely to stifle or cause to be futile or ineffective.
It was on a STULTIFYINGLY hot August day in Memphis, Tennessee, that the idea of scaling back my daily running routine first occurred to me.
subaltern (sub-AWL-turn), adjective Low in position or rank; secondary in importance. Stop giving me all these SUBALTERN reasons for your behavior and tell me what your true motivation is!
sublimate (SUB-lih-mate), verb To transfer the force of an unacceptable inclination or impulse to a pursuit considered proper. To sublimate an urge is to redirect it to a wholesome purpose.
There is a popular—but unproven—notion that butchers are secretly violent, and that they choose their profession as a means of SUBLIMATING their passions.
supine (SOO-pine), adjective Lying down with the back to the floor. Supine can also mean “passive.” Damon found the marketing department SUPINE when it came to implementing ideas.
suppliant (SUH-plee-unt), noun or adjective One who asks humbly for something, or a description of someone who asks humbly. After he had an affair, Steve’s SUPPLIANT
behavior toward his wife became almost nauseating to his friends.
surcingle (SUR-sing-gul), noun A strap that holds a saddle or other apparatus on a domesticated animal. The worn leather SURCINGLE snapped, and Dan was thrown from the galloping horse.
surrealism (suh-REE-uh-liz-um), noun A twentieth-century movement in art and literature that emphasized the subconscious or irrational nature of perceived forms through the illogical placing and presentation of subject matter.
Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory,” which features the now-famous melting watches,
was immediately hailed as a masterpiece of SURREALISM.
surrealistic (suh-ree-uh-LISS-tik), adjective Unreal. Surrealistic art focuses on images or emotions that are otherworldly or profoundly removed from everyday experience. The astronauts made their way across the SURREALISTIC landscape of Mars.
susurration (suss-uh-RAY-shun), noun A soft, whispering sound. I sat there on the porch of my parents’ farmhouse, listening to the SUSURRATION of wind-driven stalks of wheat.
sward (swored), noun Land covered with thick grass. We decided that the large, flat SWARD would make an excellent location for a game of touch football.
sybarite (SIB-er-ite), noun
A person enamoured of luxury and pleasure.
Rodney lived the life of a SYBARITE, driving his Rolls-Royce around his summer cottage in Nice and wintering at his Virginia mansion.
syllogism (SIL-uh-jiz-um), noun A form of logical argument that features two propositions and finishes with a conclusion. An example of a syllogism would be “All elected Republican officials will be at the meeting; all the members of Congress from my state are elected Republican officials; therefore all the members of Congress from my state will be at the meeting.”
Aristotle’s formulation of the SYLLOGISM as a tool for logical analysis is one of the most significant contributions to Western thought.
sylph (silf), noun
A slim, graceful girl or woman.
Although the fashion industry now considered her to be the most exotic SYLPH on the scene, the fashion model had thought herself clumsy and awkward as a teenager.
symbiotic (sim-bee-OTT-ik), adjective
Characteristic of an intimate or mutually advantageous relationship, especially (in biology) one between dissimilar organisms.
In ocean life you often see SYMBIOTIC relationships between large and small fish, in which the smaller feed off of organisms existing on the larger, thereby keeping the larger fish clean and healthy.
talisman (TAL-iss-mun), noun
A lucky charm; an engraved object believed to possess occult powers.
Justin was all set for the big game until he reached into his pocket and found that his TALISMAN—a small piece of stone from the shores of Ireland, given to him by his mother—was missing.
tangelo (TAN-juh-lo), noun
A kind of citrus fruit; hybrid of a tangerine and a grapefruit.
The corner fruit market specialized in stocking the more exotic fruits and vegetables, and for most of the year was the only place in town where one could regularly purchase TANGELOS.
Taoism (DOW-is-um), noun A system of philosophy identified with the sage Lao-Tzu, and embodied most notably in his work Tao-te-ching, that holds that life lived simply and in accordance with natural laws and events is most in keeping with the Tao, or way, that underlies all existence.
Scholars may debate the fine points of a rational understanding of TAOISM, but a true practitioner probably expresses it best when she gracefully and thankfully accepts a proffered cup of tea.
taphephobia (taff-uh-FOE-bee-uh), noun
The abnormal fear of being buried alive.
After seeing the final scene of that horror film, The Grave Claims Its Own, I couldn’t
sleep, and I had an inkling of what it must be like to suffer from TAPHEPHOBIA.
tarantella (tar-un-TELL-ah), noun A spirited Italian dance in 6/8 time. Al, a dedicated foxtrotter, had a tough time dealing with his new wife’s seemingly endless fascination with the TARANTELLA.
taurine (TAW-rine), adjective Of or pertaining to bulls. Taurine can also refer to the zodiacal sign Taurus. Brian could display a certain TAURINE tenacity when it came to completing a project on time.
tautology (taw-TOL-uh-gee), noun Unnecessary repetition—in different words—of an already stated idea. To describe someone as a “wealthy member of the city’s upper class” would be a tautology.
Your description of Brian as a “ foreign illegal alien” is a TAUTOLOGY: every illegal alien is a foreigner.
taxonomy (tak-SON-uh-mee), noun
The science of formal classification and naming. In biology, taxonomy also has a more formal meaning related to the classification of organisms.
The newly discovered insect was dubbed “Liliput” by the researchers, although its formal name was a question of TAXONOMY that no one felt hurried to resolve.
technocracy (tek-NOK-ruh-see), noun Government by engineers, technicians, or other highly skilled members of society. Technocracy (a theory popularized in the 1930s) gave us the word technocrat, which refers to a person skilled in (economic or managerial) technique who holds a position of power and influence.
The claim that I would institute some sort of TECHNOCRACY simply because I am a
skilled manager ignores my years of service as a District Attorney.
telekinesis (tel-uh-kuh-NEE-siss), noun The supposed ability to move objects by means of mental energy. Telekinesis derives from the Greek roots for “from a distance” and “movement.”
Geller’s claim to possess powers of TELEKINESIS has been thoroughly discredited.
teleologic (tel-ee-uh-LAHJ-ick), adjective Describes the belief that there is an intelligent design or purpose discernible in nature. The natural camouflage some animals develop would seem to be proof that we live in a TELEOLOGIC universe.
telepathy (tuh-LEP-uh-thea), noun The supposed ability to read minds or communicate mentally. Telepathy is a form of ESP (extrasensory perception). I hope you’re not suggesting that I cheated on the exam by using TELEPATHY.
temblor (TEM-blor), noun
An earthquake. Temblor is derived from a Spanish verb meaning “to quake.”
Because residents had considered earthquakes unlikely to occur in the region, few structures had been built to withstand a major TEMBLOR.
tempera (TEM-pur-uh), noun A paint medium popularized during the Renaissance, generally composed of egg, oil, water, and pigment. Raphael’s early TEMPERA works have disintegrated badly over the centuries and are in need of restoration.
tenebrous (TEN-uh-bruhss), adjective Dark and gloomy. The TENEBROUS forest began to frighten some of the youngest hikers in the group.
testator (TESS-tay-tur), noun A male who sets out his wishes in a legal will. The female form of testator is testatrix. The TESTATOR, I’m afraid, made a serious mistake in failing to have the will witnessed.
testatrix (tess-TAY-triks), noun A female who sets out her wishes in a legal will. The male form of testatrix is testator. Let’s keep one thing in mind: Mother is the TESTATRIX, not you two, and she can dispose of her property in any way she sees fit.
Tetragrammaton (tet-ruh-GRAM-uh-ton), noun The written Hebrew word for God consisting of the four letters yod, he, vav, and he, and usually rendered YHVH. Tetragrammaton
is Greek for “having four letters.”
The sight of the TETRAGRAMMATON carved in stone above the altar always filled Paul with a sense of inner peace.
theocentric (the-oh-SEN-trik), adjective Placing God at the center (of a system of beliefs). That which focuses on God is theocentric. You’ ll find this writer’s philosophies a little more THEOCENTRIC than the last one we studied.
theocracy (thee-OK-ruh-see), noun
Government by religious leaders. Theocracy is the concentration of political power in the hands of church figures.
It was to prevent the excesses of THEOCRACY (or its cousin, government by divine right) that the Founding Fathers forbade establishment of a formal state religion.
timbre (TAM-bur), noun A quality of sound, usually musical, determined by its overtones; a distinctive quality or tone. I feel that the haunting TIMBRE of the oboe, when played by a master, is more moving than that of any other musical instrument.
toothsome (TOOTH-sum), adjective Pleasant or appealing (especially with regard to taste). Toothsome can also mean “alluring.” We concluded the feast with a TOOTHSOME banana split.
torpid (TORE-pid), adjective Sluggish; inactive; reminiscent of one in hibernation. My sister Helen was always involved in torrid romances; my boyfriends were invariably TORPID and uninteresting.
tort (tort), noun In law, a civil misdeed requiring compensation. Tort is a legal term sometimes misspelled as torte (see below.) You are incorrect in assuming this would be a criminal case; we are looking at a TORT, not a crime.
transcendental (tran-sun-DEN-tl), adjective Beyond the realm of normal experience or understanding. That which transcends our customary bounds of perception is transcendental.
While the astronauts reacted in different ways to the TRANSCENDENT experience of space travel, all were profoundly affected by the experience.
transvestism (tranz-VEST-iz-um), noun The act or practice of dressing for pleasure and gratification in the clothing of the opposite sex; especially, the practice of men dressing in women’s garments.
Milton Berle’s televised drag humor had far more to do with his willingness to do anything for a laugh than with any TRANSVESTISM on the comedian’s part.
treatise (TREE-tiss), noun A scholarly essay or written argument. A systematic written examination of a subject is a treatise. Mill’s TREATISE on the equality of women was revolutionary for its time.
tremolo (TREMM-uh-lo), noun A quality of musical sound marked by rapid repetition of one or two notes. The pianist played extravagantly, adding embellishments and trills of TREMOLO far too
often for my taste.
trenchant (TREN-chunt), adjective Incisive and discerning. Mart’s TRENCHANT observations on Scorsese’s films were a welcome addition to our discussion of major American directors.
trochee (TROE-kee), noun In poetry, a metrical element consisting of a two-syllable unit, the first stressed and the second unstressed. The word “given” is a TROCHEE.
troika (TROY-kuh), noun
A group of three individuals acting in concert to exert authority.
The photos he took at the historic conference included a memorable image of the victorious TROIKA: Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt.
troubadour (TROO-buh-dore), noun
A traveling medieval poet and singer; also, any wandering singer or minstrel.
After college, Ivan fancied himself something of a TROUBADOUR, and wandered from town to town in search of a coffeehouse willing to let him play.
truckle (TRUCK-le), verb To yield lamely or obsequiously. I begged you not to TRUCKLE to that real estate agent’s outrageous demands, but you wouldn’t listen.
trumpery (TRUMP-uh-ree), noun Worthless stuff; a thing or things without value; nonsense. Mark’s paper, composed between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. on the day it was due, used complicated language to disguise its poor construction, but the instructor had seen such TRUMPERY often enough to recognize it instantly.
truncheon (TRUN-chun), noun
A stick carried by police officers. A truncheon is a billy club.
The sight of the policemen beating the young demonstrators with TRUNCHEONS, when beamed to the nation on television, was more than enough to ruin the convention for the party.
tutelage (TOOT-l-ij), noun The act of providing guided instruction or protection. Tutelage can also mean “close instruction.” It was under Dr. Clay’s TUTELAGE that he came to understand how much craft was required to write a solid play.
tyro (TIE-roh), noun From the Latin meaning “recruit,” a tyro is a beginner or novice. Far from being a TYRO, my five-year-old has been playing baseball since he was only two.
ultimo (ul-TEE-mo), adjective Of or in the calendar month preceding the current one. On the 23rd ULTIMO, I was informed by counsel that an indictment would be forthcoming.
ultrasaurus (ul-truh-SORE-us), noun
A recently discovered species of dinosaur that is believed to have stood five stories high.
A dinosaur that would make a T. rex look like a pipsqueak may seem a farfetched notion, but scientists are now certain that the ULTRASAURUS was such a creature.
ululate (UL-yuh-late), verb
To howl.
Late at night, Bert sometimes thought he heard faint sounds of the old house’s former occupants ULULATING plaintively, as if imprisoned there.
umlaut (OOM-laut), noun
A symbol (ü) used, especially in German, to indicate special pronunciation of vowels.
The German sportswriters in town for the race were unhappy with the typewriters we had provided, as they did not have UMLAUTS.
unguent (UNG-gwunt), noun A locally applied ointment or salve. In treating poison ivy, calamine lotion or some similar UNGUENT is usually recommended.
unicameral (yoo-nih-KAM-uh-rul), adjective Featuring a single chamber or body. The new constitution provides for a UNICAMERAL legislature, rather than an upper and lower house.
ursine (UR-sin), adjective Bearlike. Ursine derives from the Latin word for “bear.” Mr. Hess was so glad to see me that he ran across the hall and gave me a fierce (I might say URSINE!) embrace.
uxoricide (uk-SOR-ih-side), noun The crime of murdering one’s wife. Eventually, the defendant was acquitted of UXORICIDE; his wife’s death was ruled a suicide.
uxorious (uk-SORE-ee-us), adjective
Submissive or doting toward one’s wife.
Although Grandpa makes a show of rebellion against Grandma’s strictures every now and then for our sake, he’s as UXORIOUS as they come.
variorum (var-ee-OR-ee-um), noun A version of a literary work that may contain several different versions of the work as well as notes and criticism.
For the introductory course on Chaucer, we were required to purchase an unabridged VARIORUM edition of The Canterbury Tales.
vaticide (VAT-uh-side), noun The act of murdering a prophet. Tom took the reviewer’s negative article on his religious poetry as an act tantamount to VATICIDE.
vegan (VEH-jun), noun A person who eats only vegetables, fruits, and grains and no animal products whatsoever. VEGAN since college, Wanda had a hard time finding restaurants that offered entrees she could eat.
vermilion (vur-MILL-yun), noun Scarlet red; bright red. In her trademark VERMILION pantsuit, Carrie really stood out in a crowd.
vertiginous (ver-TIJ-uh-nuss), adjective Having to do with whirling, spinning, or feeling dizzy. “Vertigo” is a dizzying sensation, sometimes inspired by heights, that can make you feel like you’re about to fall.
The cliff’s VERTIGINOUS face was awe-inspiring . . . and a little bit frightening.
viand (VIE-und), noun
An article of food.
Chef Jacques thought that any VIAND, whether prime rib or meatloaf, should be
served to the customer in a visually appealing way.
vicissitude (vih-SISS-ih-tude), noun
A fateful obstacle or turn of events.
Aware that most of us are hurt by love’s VICISSITUDES at some point during our lives, Max tried to forget the past and find someone new.
vitiate (VISH-ee-ate), verb To corrupt or impair the quality or effectiveness of something or someone. My boss’s constant criticism, far from improving my performance, actually VITIATED it.
vivify (VIV-ih-fie), verb
To bring to life; to make lively or active.
The characters in Keillor’s stories are VIVIFIED through his almost uncanny sense of human nature and his knowledge of the importance of seemingly small events.
vociferous (vo-SIF-er-us), verb
Crying out loudly; noisy, especially in anger.
Anticipating a VOCIFEROUS reaction, I waited until we were well outside of the crowded restaurant before telling my father I had totaled the car.
vulpine (VUHL-pine), adjective Cunning or crafty, like a fox. My son’s VULPINE grin let me know he was up to something of which I would not approve.
wayfaring (WAY-fare-ing), adjective Tending to travel by foot. A wayfaring person is one who walks as a means of conducting a journey. My father, like many other men of his generation, spent some time as a WAYFARING laborer during the depths of the Depression.
weltschmerz (VELT-schmayrtz), noun From the German meaning “world pain,” weltschmerz is a kind of lingering sorrow that some believe is a given in life. Mike likes to say he’s in the grip of WELTSCHMERZ, but the rest of us just say he’s a total drag.
whelp (hwelp), noun
The offspring of a female dog or of certain other animals. Also, as a verb: to give birth to (used in connection with a female dog, wolf, lion, or similar animal).
Where is that little WHELP—he’s taken my slipper again!
whey (whay), noun
In cheesemaking, the liquid that separates from milk curd during coagulation.
Many parents, when asked by their children to identify exactly what Miss Muffet is eating in the famous nursery rhyme, are at a loss to explain “curds and WHEY.”
whippet (WIP-it), noun
A short-haired, fast-running dog similar to a greyhound.
Like WHIPPETS straining before a race, the swimmers tensed at the edge of the pool, toes curled over the smooth stone of the starting line.
yabber (YAB-bur), verb
To jabber; to chatter meaninglessly.
I am not interested in any of your YABBERING about how busy you’ve been at home; I want to know why this work is a month and a half late.
yeshiva (yuh-SHEE-vuh), noun A place of instruction in the Orthodox Jewish tradition for children of elementary school age. When the YESHIVA released its children in the afternoon, the sounds of laughter echoed through the neighborhood.
yeti (YEH-tee), noun
The (legendary) Abominable Snowman.
Carl claims to have photographic evidence of the Loch Ness Monster, several UFOs, and a large grey YETI, but I have yet to see any of it.
yippie (YIP-pee), noun A participant in a radical youth movement of the 1960s, the Youth International Party; one whose actions are reminiscent of the rebelliousness and irreverence of that time.
The YIPPIE protestors were on a collision course with Mayor Daley’s riot police that night.
yob (yob), noun A hooligan or ruffian. The first YOB may have been a tough customer from Liverpool, where the phrase originated.
zeitgeist (TSIGHT-Giced), noun A German contraction meaning “time spirit,” zeitgeist refers to the taste and outlook—the “spirit”—common to a particular time. That band has survived for decades because it always seems to make an accurate assessment of the current ZEITGEIST.
zither (ZITH-ur), noun
A small, harp-like stringed instrument.
An autoharp is similar to a ZITHER in that it has many strings and is strummed; because it has keys, however, the autoharp is easier to play.
zymurgy (ZIE-mur-jee), noun The branch of chemistry concerned with fermentation. Though not true chemists, brewers and winemakers could be considered lay experts in the field of ZYMURGY
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