- About
- Dictionary of Obscure Words
-
Glossaries
TOPICAL WORD LISTSAdjectives of Relation
Bearing and Carrying
Carriages and Chariots
Causation and Formation
Colour Terms
Contour Lines
Dance Styles
Divination and Fortune-Telling
Ecclesiastical Terms
Fabric and Cloth
Feeding and Eating
Fighting and Combat
Forms and Shapes
Forms of Government
Forms of Worship
Forthright's Forsoothery
Grammatical Cases
Isms
Killers and Killing
Latin Adverbs and Prepositions
Love and Attraction
Manias and Obsession
Musical Instruments
Names for Names
Nautical Terms
Nonsense Words
Phobias
Pretenders and Dabblers
Rhetorical Devices
Sciences and Studies
Scientific Instruments
Sesquipedalian Words
Signs, Symbols, and Accents
Stones and Rocks
Styles of Speech
Three-Letter Rare Words
Units of Measurement
Unusual Animals
Words about Words
Words of Wisdom
- Numerals
- Lost Words
COMPENDIUM OF LOST WORDS
- Language Resources
- Bookstore
- Contact
Tweets by @schrisomalis
A
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | INDEX |
| Word | Definition |
| aardwolf | South African carnivorous fox-like quadruped |
| aasvogel | South African vulture |
| aba | garment of camel or goat hair; camel or goat-hair fabric |
| abacinate | to blind by putting red-hot copper basin near the eyes |
| abactor | cattle thief |
| abaculus | small tile for mosaic |
| abaft | toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft |
| abampere | unit equivalent to 10 amperes |
| abapical | at the lowest point |
| abarticular | not connected with the joint |
| abasement | action of humbling or degrading |
| abasia | inability to walk due to lack of muscular coordination |
| abask | in genial warmth |
| abatis | rampart of felled trees and branches |
| abatjour | skylight or device to direct light into a room |
| abattoir | public slaughterhouse |
| abature | trail through wood beaten down by a stag |
| abb | yarn used for warp |
| abba | Syriac or Coptic bishop |
| abbatial | of, like or pertaining to abbots or an abbey |
| abbozzo | preliminary sketch |
| abditive | remote; secret; hidden |
| abdominous | having a paunch or big belly |
| abducent | turning away; bearing away from |
| abeam | in a line at right angles to the length of a vessel, on the beam |
| abear | to bear; to comport; to behave |
| abecedarian | of, like or pertaining to the order of the alphabet; rudimentary |
| abecedism | word created from the initials of words in a phrase |
| abele | white poplar tree |
| abeng | Jamaican bugle made from cow horn |
| aberdevine | alternate name for the siskin |
| aberuncators | long tool for pruning tall branches |
| abessive | indicating absence or lack |
| abiectic | of, like or pertaining to fir trees or fir sap |
| abigail | a lady's maid |
| abigeus | cattle rustler |
| abiogenesis | spontaneous generation of living matter |
| abiotrophy | degeneration; loss of physical vitality or ability |
| abirritate | to alleviate irritation; to reduce sensitivity |
| abiturient | pupil leaving school for university |
| abject | humble; miserable; craven |
| ablactation | weaning of a child from its mother's milk |
| ablative | indicating direction from or time when |
| ablator | thermal protection on outside of spacecraft |
| ablaut | variation in root vowel of words to change meaning |
| ablegate | papal envoy or legate |
| ablepsia | blindness |
| ablow | in a blowing state |
| abluent | cleanser or cleansing product |
| ablution | ritual washing |
| ablutomania | mania for washing oneself |
| abnegate | to renounce or repudiate |
| abodement | an omen; a foretelling |
| aboideau | tide gate |
| abolla | Roman military cloak |
| abomasum | ruminant's fourth stomach |
| aboral | away from the mouth |
| abord | to accost; to approach |
| aborning | during birth; while being born |
| aborticide | killing of a fetus; abortion |
| abortuary | anti-abortion term for an abortion clinic |
| aboulia | loss of ability to make decisions |
| aboulomania | pathological indecisiveness |
| aboutsledge | largest blacksmith's hammer |
| abra | narrow mountain pass |
| abradant | a substance that abrades |
| abraid | to awaken or rouse |
| abraxas | gem engraved with mystical word and bearing human-animal figure |
| abreuvoir | joint or gap between two stones in masonry |
| abroach | in a condition to allow liquor to run out |
| abrosia | fasting |
| abscind | to pare, reduce, cut off or away |
| abscissa | horizontal distance from a fixed line to a point |
| abscission | cutting off; cutting away |
| absconce | lantern used in monasteries and night offices |
| abseil | to descend a rock face using a double rope |
| absentaneous | done in absence; pertaining to absence |
| absinthial | of, like or pertaining to wormwood; bitter |
| absinthism | disease resembling alcoholism |
| absit | leave to pass one night away from college |
| absolutism | doctrine of government by a single absolute ruler; autocracy |
| absolutive | indicating subject or object of intransitive verb |
| absolutory | forgiving or absolving |
| absonant | discordant; abhorrent |
| absorbefacient | causing or promoting absorption |
| absorptiometer | instrument for measuring solubility of gases in liquids |
| absquatulate | to decamp; to leave quickly; to flee |
| absterge | wipe clean; expunge; purge; purify |
| absurdism | doctrine that we live in an irrational universe |
| abterminal | going from the end inwards |
| abthane | monastic region of the old Irish church |
| abulia | lack of ability to make decisions; aboulia |
| abuna | Ethiopian patriarch |
| abusion | misuse; outrage; deception |
| abutment | masonry on a wall that supports an arch |
| abvolt | unit of electrical potential equal to one hundred millionth of a volt |
| aby | to make amends; atone; pay a penalty |
| abyssopelagic | of, like or pertaining to the depths of the ocean |
| academicism | doctrine that nothing can be known |
| acanaceous | bearing prickles or thistles; prickly |
| acantha | prickle |
| acanthous | spiny; prickly |
| acapnia | lack or deficiency of carbon dioxide |
| acapnotic | non-smoker; non-smoking |
| acariasis | irritating itching insect infestation |
| acaricide | killer of mites and ticks |
| acarine | of, like or pertaining to ticks or mites |
| acarology | study of mites |
| acarophobia | fear of itching or of insects causing itching |
| acarpous | sterile; not bearing fruit |
| acatalectic | having complete or full number of syllables in a poetic line |
| acatalepsy | the unknowableness of all things to a certainty |
| acatamathesia | inability to understand data presented to the senses |
| acates | provisions that have been purchased |
| acatour | provisioner; quartermaster |
| acaudate | tailless |
| acaulescent | having a very short stem |
| accelerometer | instrument for measuring acceleration or vibrations |
| accend | to kindle |
| accensor | acolyte |
| accentor | songbird |
| acceptilation | remission of debt or liability through fictitious repayment |
| accessit | prize for students in second place; honourable mention |
| acciaccatura | very short note played before a longer one |
| accidence | grammar book; science of inflections in grammar |
| accidentalism | theory that events do not have causes |
| accidie | sloth; physical torpor |
| accinge | to gird |
| accipiter | bandage worn around the nose |
| accipitral | like a bird of prey; rapacious |
| accipitrine | of, like or pertaining to falcons and hawks |
| accismus | in rhetoric, pretending to refuse something |
| accite | to cite; to summon |
| acclinate | sloping upwards |
| acclivity | upward slope |
| accloy | to hobble with a horseshoe nail |
| accolade | curved architectural moulding; vertical line joining two musical staves |
| accolent | neighbouring |
| accollé | of a heraldic animal, entwined or collared |
| accosted | in heraldry, two figures placed side by side |
| accoucheur | male midwife |
| accoucheuse | female midwife |
| accourage | to encourage |
| accourt | to entertain |
| accoy | to subdue; to pacify; to soothe |
| accrementition | increase or growth by adding similar material |
| accretion | accumulation; addition of parts to form a whole |
| accubation | reclining as on a couch |
| accubitum | crescent-shaped couch |
| accusative | indicating direct object of a verb |
| acedia | listlessness; sloth |
| aceldama | site or scene of violence or bloodshed |
| aceology | therapeutics |
| acequia | irrigation ditch |
| acerate | of, like or resembling a needle |
| acerbate | to embitter; to irritate |
| acerous | lacking horns or antennae |
| acersecomic | one whose hair has never been cut |
| acervate | heaped; clustered |
| acervuline | like or in small mounds or heaps |
| acescence | becoming sour; souring; turning of milk |
| acetabulum | small anatomical cup or hollow, such as a sucker |
| acetarious | referring to plants that are used in salads |
| acetimeter | instrument for measuring strength of vinegar |
| achaenocarp | any dry indehiscent fruit |
| acharné | furious or desperate (of a battle) |
| achene | small one-seeded fruit or naked seed of plant |
| achloropsia | colour-blindness with respect to green |
| achor | eruption or scab on the head |
| achromatopsia | colour-blindness |
| achroous | colourless |
| acicular | needle-shaped |
| acidaemia | undue acidity of blood |
| acidimeter | instrument for measuring concentration of acids |
| acidulous | sharp or bitter-tasting |
| acierate | to turn into steel |
| acinaceous | full of kernels |
| acinaciform | scimitar-shaped |
| aciniform | shaped like a berry |
| acinus | berry which grows in clusters |
| acipenser | sturgeon |
| ackamarackus | pretentious or deceptive nonsense |
| aclinic | having no inclination or magnetic dip |
| acock | defiantly |
| acoemeti | ancient monastic order who maintained eternal choir service |
| acology | study of medical remedies |
| acolous | limbless |
| acolouthic | of, like or pertaining to an after-image or other after-sensation |
| acopic | curing or relieving fatigue |
| acoria | pathologically great appetite |
| acosmism | disbelief in existence of eternal universe distinct from God |
| acouasm | ringing noise in head |
| acquest | object which is acquired |
| acracy | government by none; anarchy |
| acratia | impotence |
| acre-breadth | old unit of length of 22 yards |
| acritochromacy | colour-blindness |
| acroamatic | esoteric |
| acrocephalous | having a pointed or peaked skull |
| acrography | the art of making wood blocks in relief |
| acrolith | wooden statue with stone extremities |
| acrologic | of, like or pertaining to initials |
| acromegaly | glandular disorder causing gigantism of extremities |
| acronical | occurring at nightfall or sunset |
| acronym | word formed from initial letters of another word |
| acronyx | ingrown nail |
| acropathy | disease or illness of the extremities |
| acrophobia | fear of heights |
| acrophonic | using a symbol for the initial sound of a thing |
| acropodium | pedestal upon which a statue rests |
| acroscopic | looking or moving towards the apex |
| acroteleutic | phrase or words at the end of a psalm |
| acroterion | pedestal or ornament at the angle of a pediment |
| acrotism | absence of pulsing |
| actinism | action of solar radiation causing chemical change |
| actinograph | instrument used to calculate time of photographic exposure |
| actinometer | instrument for measuring incident radiation |
| actinotherapy | use of ultraviolet rays as medical therapy |
| acton | stuffed jacket worn under armour; haqueton |
| actuate | communicate motion to; cause |
| aculeate | prickly; pointed; stinging; a stinging insect |
| aculeiform | shaped like a thorn |
| acultomancy | divination using needles |
| acuminate | tapered; pointed; to sharpen |
| acutiator | sharpener of weapons |
| acutorsion | twisting artery with needle to stop bleeding |
| acyanopsia | colour-blindness with respect to blue |
| acyesis | female sterility |
| acyrology | incorrect diction or pronunciation |
| adactylous | lacking fingers or claws |
| adamantine | unbreakable; impenetrable |
| adamitism | nakedness for religious reasons |
| adaxial | next to or towards the axis |
| addax | large African antelope |
| addax | spiral-horned antelope dwelling in the Sahara desert |
| additament | thing added or appended; heraldic ornament |
| addititious | of, pertaining to or resulting from addition |
| addle | putrid; barren; muddled |
| addorsed | turned back to back in heraldry |
| adduce | cite as proof or instance |
| adeciduate | evergreen; coniferous |
| adeem | to cancel a bequest by destruction of the object |
| adelaster | provisional name for a plant whose flowers are unknown |
| adelphogamy | sharing of a wife by two or more brothers |
| ademption | revocation of donation by donor |
| adenalgia | painful swelling of a gland |
| adenia | glandular swelling |
| adeniform | shaped like a gland |
| adenography | descriptive work on the glandular system |
| adenoid | of, like or pertaining to or like a gland |
| adenology | study of glands |
| adenotomy | removal or excision of gland |
| adespota | anonymous works |
| adessive | indicating place where or proximity to |
| adevism | denial of gods of mythology and legend |
| adharma | unrighteousness |
| adhibit | to attach; to admit; to administer |
| adhocracy | government in an unstructured fashion; an unstructured organization |
| adiabatic | without transference of heat |
| adiaphoresis | absence of perspiration; inability to perspire |
| adiaphorism | doctrine of theological indifference or latitudinarianism |
| adiaphoron | tenet or belief on which a theological system is indifferent |
| adiapneustia | defective perspiration |
| adiathermancy | impermeability to radiant energy |
| adipescent | becoming fat or fatty |
| adipic | of, like or pertaining to fatty substances |
| adipocere | fatty substance occurring in corpses left in moist areas |
| adipsia | absence or lack of thirst |
| adit | opening or passage into a mine |
| adjudge | to decide; to award |
| adjutage | nozzle |
| adjutant | enormous Indian stork |
| adjutor | helper; assistant |
| adjuvant | substance added to make vaccine more effective |
| admanuensis | one who takes an oath on a religious book |
| admaxillary | connected to or near the jaw |
| admeasurement | the act of measuring or apportioning |
| adminicle | that which supports or aids, especially evidence |
| adnascent | growing on some other thing |
| adnominal | indicating adjective used as a noun |
| adnomination | punning |
| adnoun | adjective serving or used as a noun |
| adonise | to adorn oneself |
| adoptionism | belief that Christ was the adopted and not natural son of God |
| adoral | near the mouth |
| adosculation | impregnation by contact alone or by wind |
| adown | in a descending direction |
| adoxography | good writing on a trivial subject |
| adoxy | beliefs that are neither orthodox nor heterodox |
| adpress | to press together |
| adrogation | adoption of a boy or girl before adolescence |
| adscititious | added; additional |
| adscript | attached or feudally bound to the soil or earth |
| adsorb | to attract and stick to the surface |
| adumbrate | indicate faintly; foreshadow |
| adunc | hooked |
| aduncate | shaped like a hook or crook |
| adust | burnt; scorched |
| advection | horizontal movement of air |
| advehent | bringing inwards |
| advenient | due to outside causes |
| adventitious | accidental; casual |
| adventive | a thing or person coming from outside |
| adversaria | miscellaneous notes; commonplace books |
| adversative | word or phrase expressing opposition |
| advert | refer to in speech or writing |
| advertorial | advertisement presented as if it were editorial material |
| advesperate | darken; become late |
| advocaat | liqueur containing rum and raw eggs |
| advowson | right of presentation to church living |
| adynamia | helplessness; lack of strength |
| adynaton | rhetorical use of a nearly impossible situation for emphasis |
| adytum | sacred part of a temple or church; church chancel |
| adzebill | prehistoric flightless bird of New Zealand |
| aedile | magistrate in charge of games, markets or buildings |
| aedoeology | science of generative organs |
| aegilops | stye in inner corner of eye |
| aegis | protection; support |
| aegrotat | medical certificate of illness excusing student's sickness |
| aeneous | shining bronze colour |
| aeolian | giving forth a tone as if produced by the wind |
| aeolipyle | hollow ball that turns through steam escaping through valves |
| aeolistic | long-winded |
| aeolotropy | variation in physical properties on basis of position |
| aeonian | lasting for an immeasurably long period of time |
| aepyornis | gigantic flightless bird of Madagascar |
| aerenchyma | respiratory tissue |
| aeriform | of the form or shape of gas; gaseous |
| aerious | of the nature of air; airy |
| aerobe | organism requiring oxygen to survive |
| aerobiology | study of airborne organisms |
| aerodonetics | science or study of gliding |
| aerogenesis | forming or generating gas or air |
| aerography | descriptive work on the atmosphere |
| aerolite | meteorite |
| aerolith | stone that falls from the sky; meteorite |
| aerolithology | study of aerolites; meteorites |
| aerology | study of the atmosphere |
| aeromancy | divination by means of the weather |
| aerometer | instrument for measuring weight or density of gas |
| aerophane | thin crinkled semi-transparent fabric |
| aerophilately | collecting of air-mail stamps |
| aerophobia | fear of flying or draughts |
| aerophone | musical instrument like a concertina |
| aerophore | instrument used to inflate stillborn child's lungs |
| aeropleustic | of, like or pertaining to aerial navigation |
| aerostat | any lighter-than air craft; balloon |
| aerostatics | science of air pressure; art of ballooning |
| aeruginous | of, like or pertaining to copper-rust or verdigris |
| aerugo | rust of any metal |
| aesc | letter used in Old English for 'ae' |
| aesopian | conveying meaning only to those in a secret movement |
| aesthesia | sensibility |
| aesthesiogenic | producing or causing a sensation |
| aestheticism | doctrine that beauty is central to other moral principles |
| aestival | of, like or pertaining to summer |
| aethrioscope | instrument for measuring temperature variations due to sky conditions |
| aeviternal | everlasting; endless |
| aeviternity | eternal existence |
| afebrile | not suffering from fever |
| affabulation | moral of a fable |
| affeer | to assess; to reduce to a fixed sum |
| afferent | bearing, bringing or carrying towards |
| affiance | to trust; to betroth |
| affine | a relation by marriage |
| afflated | inspired |
| afflatus | inspiration; divine impetus |
| afforce | to strengthen a jury by adding skilled people |
| afforest | to cover with forest; to convert into hunting grounds |
| affranchise | to free from slavery or similar obligation |
| affray | an attack or assault; an alarm or fright |
| affrayer | disturber of the peace |
| affreightment | hiring of a vessel |
| affreux | frightening |
| affricate | consonant that begins as a plosive and ends as a fricative |
| affronté | of two heraldic animals, facing one another |
| affusion | pouring on; as of baptismal water |
| afore | before |
| afterclap | unexpected damaging or unsettling after-effect |
| afterdeck | deck behind a ship's bridge |
| aftergame | rematch; means employed after first turn of affairs |
| afterguard | men who work the aft sails on the quarterdeck and poop deck |
| afterhand | subsequently |
| afterings | last milk drawn when milking a cow |
| afterpiece | minor piece after a play |
| aftershaft | second shaft coming out of the quill of a feather |
| afterwil | locking of the barn after the cows have been let out |
| agacerie | allurement; coquetry |
| agalactia | failure or inability to produce milk |
| agalloch | eaglewood |
| agamist | one who opposes marriage |
| agamogenesis | reproduction by non-sexual means |
| agape | selfless Christian love; a feast in celebration of such love |
| agapeistic | characterized by Christian love |
| agapet | lover of women |
| agapetae | churchwomen who live platonically with celibate men |
| agapism | ethics of love |
| agastopia | admiration of part of another's body |
| agatewear | type of ceramic resembling agate stone |
| agathism | belief in ultimate triumph of good despite evil means |
| agathodaimon | one's good genius; the good part of one's conscience |
| agelast | one who never laughs |
| agennesic | sterile; impotent |
| agenocratia | opposition to birth control |
| agentive | indicating agent performing an action |
| ageotropic | moving or turning away from the earth |
| agersia | quality of not growing old |
| ageusia | damage to the sense of taste |
| agger | artificial mound or elevation for military use |
| aggerose | in heaps; piled up |
| aggiornamento | modernization of ideas of the Catholic church |
| aggrade | to raise level of a surface through depositing detritus |
| aggrandize | increase power or rank of; make greater |
| aggrate | to gratify or please |
| aggry | type of West African glass beads |
| agio | premium paid on foreign currency exchange |
| agiotage | playing the stock market; speculation |
| agist | to charge with a public burden; to take in to graze for payment |
| agistment | land tax assessed for cattle pasturing |
| aglet | metal point attached to a lace or string |
| agma | symbol or sound for a velar nasal consonant "ng" |
| agminate | grouped |
| agnail | sore, corn or hangnail on the toe or foot |
| agname | name over and above the ordinary name and surname |
| agnation | kinship |
| agnize | to acknowledge or confess |
| agnomen | additional name; surname; nickname |
| agnomination | rhetorical use of similar-sounding words for effect |
| agnosic | unable to recognize familiar objects due to brain damage |
| agnosticism | doctrine that we can know nothing beyond material phenomena |
| agnosy | ignorance |
| agoge | tempo or sequence in melody in ancient Greek music |
| agogic | accenting a musical note by slightly dwelling on it |
| agomphosis | looseness in the teeth |
| agone | ago |
| agonic | making no angle |
| agonism | competition; effort; striving |
| agonistes | someone in the grip of inner conflict |
| agonistic | of, like or pertaining to or being aggressive or argumentative |
| agonistics | art and theory of prize-fighting |
| agoraphobia | fear of open spaces |
| agouti | tropical rabbit-sized rodent |
| agowilt | sudden sickening and unnecessary fear |
| agraffe | hooked clasp used by masons to hold blocks together |
| agrapha | sayings of Jesus not found in the canonical gospels |
| agraphia | inability to write |
| agravic | having no gravity; pertaining to the condition of zero-gravity |
| agrestic | of the fields; rural; unpolished |
| agriology | the comparative study of primitive peoples |
| agrize | to horrify; to disfigure |
| agrizoiatry | medicine specializing in wild animals |
| agrobiology | study of plant nutrition; soil yields |
| agrology | study of agricultural soils |
| agromania | intense desire to be in open spaces |
| agronomics | study of productivity of land |
| agrostography | writing about grasses |
| agrostology | science or study of grasses |
| agrypnia | insomnia |
| agrypnotic | anything taken to aid wakefulness |
| aguardiente | Spanish or Portuguese brandy |
| agyiophobia | fear of crossing busy streets |
| agynary | lacking female genitals |
| ahimsa | the duty of sparing animal life; non-violence |
| ahull | with sails furled and helm lashed to the lee-side |
| ai | three-toed sloth |
| aichmophobia | fear of sharp or pointed objects |
| aiger | tidal wave occurring in rivers |
| aigrette | a spray of jewels; ornamental feather plume; an egret |
| aiguille | sharp; needle-like peak of rock |
| aileron | flap on airplane wing for lateral balance |
| ailette | plate of armour worn on shoulder |
| ailuromancy | divination by watching cats' movements |
| ailurophilia | love of cats |
| ailurophobia | fear of cats |
| aioli | garlic-flavoured mayonnaise |
| airscrew | aircraft propeller |
| aischrolatry | worship of filth, dirt, or smut |
| aisling | a vision or dream |
| ait | small island in lake or river |
| aitchbone | rump bone of cattle; rump cut of beef |
| aiué | elderly; senior |
| akeratophorous | not horned |
| akinesia | loss of ability to move |
| ala | membranous outgrowth on a plant or animal |
| alabamine | alternate name for the element astatine |
| alack | expression of sorrow or regret |
| alalia | loss of ability to speak |
| alameda | public walkway between rows of poplar trees |
| alamode | lightweight glossy silk |
| alamort | half-dead; dejected |
| alannah | term of endearment used with one's child |
| alar | of, like or pertaining to the wing or shoulder |
| alastrim | mild form of smallpox |
| alate | lately |
| alation | state of having wings; position of wings on a creature |
| alaudine | of, like or pertaining to skylarks |
| alb | long white robe worn by priests |
| albarello | cylindrical jar used to hold drugs |
| albata | variety of German silver |
| albe | although; albeit |
| albedo | whiteness, as of a celestial object |
| albescent | becoming white; whiteness |
| albicant | whitish; becoming white |
| albificative | able to whiten or be whitened |
| albion | medieval astronomical device for finding positions of planets |
| albocracy | government by white people |
| albolith | white cement formed from magnesia and silica |
| albugineous | like the white of an eye or an egg; white-coloured |
| alcahest | alchemical universal solvent |
| alcatote | silly elf |
| alcine | of, like or pertaining to elks; of, like or pertaining to auks |
| alcoholometer | instrument for measuring proportion of alcohol in solutions |
| alcovinometer | instrument to measure strength of wine |
| aleatoric | depending on contingencies or chance |
| aleberry | beverage made from ale, spices, and dried bread |
| alecost | costmary, an herb used in flavouring ale |
| alectormancy | divination by sacrificing a rooster |
| alectryomachy | cock-fighting |
| alectryomancy | divination by watching a rooster gather corn kernels |
| alee | on or toward the lee |
| alegar | vinegar made by turning ale sour |
| alembicated | over-refined |
| alepine | mixed wool and silk or mohair and cotton fabric |
| alethiology | study of truth |
| aleuromancy | divination using flour or meal |
| alexia | inability to read |
| alexipharmic | antidote |
| alfet | cauldron of boiling water used during trials by ordeal |
| alforge | wallet or leather bag |
| algedonics | science of pleasure and pain |
| algefacient | cooling |
| algetic | causing or producing pain |
| algicide | killer of algae |
| algid | cold; chilly |
| alginuresis | painful urination |
| algolagnia | sexual pleasure derived from inflicting pain |
| algology | study of algae |
| algophobia | fear of pain |
| algor | coldness; shivering fit |
| algraphy | art of printing from aluminum plates |
| alible | nourishing |
| alicorn | mythical wavy-horned bull, often used as heraldic device |
| alidade | revolving index on astrolabe or other instrument for reading gradations |
| alieniloquy | speech on subjects other than the matter at hand; off-topic speech |
| aliform | wing-shaped |
| aligerous | winged |
| aliicide | killing of someone other than oneself; murder |
| aliped | having wings on the feet |
| aliphatic | of, like or pertaining to fat or fats in general |
| aliquant | number dividing into another with a remainder |
| aliquot | number dividing into another without leaving a remainder |
| aliter | requiring a different law to be applied; it is otherwise; in other words |
| aliunde | from elsewhere |
| alk | sap or resin from turpentine trees |
| alkalimeter | instrument for measuring strength of alkalines |
| alkanet | reddish plant-based dye |
| allantiasis | food poisoning resulting from inadequate preservation |
| allantoid | shaped like a sausage |
| allative | indicating movement towards |
| allemain | enormous pudding out of which acrobats leap |
| allemande | courtly baroque dance in which the arms are interlaced |
| alliaceous | of, like or pertaining to garlic; garlicky |
| allicient | attracting something else |
| allision | intentional collision of two ships |
| allocatur | amount allowed for costs |
| allochthonous | formed or produced elsewhere or externally |
| allodic | not subject to a superior |
| allogamy | cross-fertilization |
| allogeneous | different |
| allography | writing another individual's signature |
| allolalia | speech disorder featuring randomly spoken words |
| allonge | paper attached to commercial bill requiring signatures |
| allonym | other person's name used by an author |
| alloquy | speaking to another or many others; an address |
| allotheism | belief in or worship of strange gods |
| allotriophagy | craving for strange foods |
| allotropy | of an element, having more than one form |
| alluvion | effect of water impacting on shoreline |
| allwhere | elsewhere; everywhere |
| almacantar | circle of altitude, parallel to the horizon |
| almagest | textbook or handbook, especially dealing with astronomy |
| almandine | violet-coloured garnet |
| almoner | giver of alms; social worker in a hospital |
| almuce | cloth or fur hood |
| alnager | inspector of cloth |
| alogism | illogical statement |
| alomancy | divination using salt |
| alopecia | baldness; hair loss |
| alopecoid | of or resembling a fox |
| alow | below |
| alpaca | fine wool made from alpaca hair |
| alpenglow | reddish glow appearing at sunrise or sunset in mountains |
| alpenstocker | mountain climber |
| alpestrine | of, like or pertaining to alpine regions |
| alphenic | sugary candy used in medicine |
| alphitomancy | divination using loaves of barley |
| alphonsin | instrument used to extract bullets from bodies |
| alt | high musical tone |
| altarage | payment to priest for mass; offerings at altar |
| alterity | state of being different |
| alternatim | alternately |
| altiloquence | pompous or high speech |
| altisonant | high-sounding |
| altitonant | thundering on high or loudly |
| altricial | having young requiring care for a lengthy period |
| aludel | pear-shaped pot used in sublimation |
| aluminiferous | bearing aluminum |
| alveary | beehive; area of the ear where wax collects; word-list |
| alveolate | of or like a honeycomb |
| alveromancy | divination using sounds |
| alviducous | purgative |
| alvine | of the belly |
| ama | a Japanese pearl-diver |
| amadelphous | outgoing; gregarious |
| amain | to a high degree; exceedingly; at full speed |
| amanous | lacking hands |
| amanuensis | one employed to write from dictation |
| amaranth | imaginary flower reputed never to fade |
| amaranthine | immortal; undying; deep purple-red colour |
| amasesis | inability to chew |
| amasthenic | focusing light rays to a single point |
| amathophobia | fear of dust |
| amaxophobia | fear of riding in a car |
| ambages | windings; roundabout ways; delays |
| ambeer | juice from chewing tobacco |
| amberjack | spiny-finned Atlantic sport fish |
| ambiloquous | using dubious or ambiguous expressions |
| ambisinistrous | awkward in the use of both hands |
| ambit | circuit; scope; compass; confines |
| ambo | early Christian raised reading desk or pulpit |
| ambry | recess for church vessels; cupboard or niche |
| ambsace | bad luck; a low score |
| ambulatory | aisle down the east end of a church |
| ambulomancy | divination by taking a walk |
| ambulophobia | fear of walking |
| ambustion | burn or scald |
| amende | fine or reparation paid |
| ament | a person who fails to develop mentally |
| amerce | to fine; to deprive; to punish |
| ametropia | abnormal optical refraction |
| amice | strip of fine linen worn as cloak or wrap by priest at mass |
| amicicide | murder of a friend |
| amidmost | in the very middle |
| amidships | midway between the bow and stern of a ship |
| ammeter | instrument for measuring electrical current |
| ammophilous | sand-loving; preferring to dwell in sand |
| amnicolist | one who lives near a river |
| amniomancy | divination by examining afterbirth |
| amorce | percussion cap for a toy pistol |
| amoret | love sonnet or song |
| amoretto | a cherub or spirit of love |
| ampelidious | of, like or pertaining to vines |
| ampelography | scientific description of the vine |
| ampere | unit for measuring amount of electrical current |
| amphibiolith | fossilized amphibian |
| amphibolic | able to turn both backwards and forwards; double-jointed |
| amphibology | ambiguity in language; dual grammatical meaning |
| amphigean | occurring in both hemispheres of the brain or body |
| amphigory | a nonsense verse |
| amphimixis | interbreeding; intermixing of two individuals' genetic matter |
| amphipneust | animal with both lungs and gills |
| amphisbaena | mythical two-headed serpent or lizard |
| amphiscian | of, like or pertaining to torrid regions |
| amphiuma | aquatic American salamander with two pairs of small feet |
| amphoriloquy | cavernous voice of a patient heard over a patient's lung cavity |
| amplect | to embrace |
| amplexus | rutting of frogs and toads |
| ampliative | supplemental; additional |
| amplivagant | stretching far; having a great scope |
| ampulla | vessel for holy oil or wine for coronations or rituals |
| amrita | Hindu ambrosia bestowing immortality |
| amygdaloid | almond-shaped; of, like or pertaining to tonsils |
| amyloid | containing or pertaining to starch; starchy |
| amyous | lacking muscle |
| an | if |
| ana | in equal quantities |
| anabasis | journey leading upwards; first phase of an illness |
| anabiosis | return to life after apparent death |
| anacampserote | something which can bring back a lost love |
| anacamptic | reflecting or reflected light; sound or water |
| anacardic | of, like or pertaining to cashews |
| anacathartic | causing vomiting or expectoration |
| anachoric | foreign or geographically absurd relating to a country |
| anaclastic | refractive; of, like or pertaining to refraction |
| anaclitic | dependent on other phenomenon or ability |
| anacoenosis | rhetorical questioning of hearers or opponents for opinions on a matter |
| anacoluthon | moving to new topic of discussion before finishing current one |
| anacrisis | interrogation accompanied by torture |
| anacrusis | syllable prior to the normal rhythm of a verse |
| anacusic | completely deaf |
| anadem | wreath, fillet or band |
| anadiplosis | repeating last word of clause at beginning of next clause |
| anadromous | fish which ascend rivers to spawn |
| anaerectic | destructive |
| anaesthesiology | study of anaesthetics |
| anagalactic | coming from or existing beyond our own galaxy |
| anaglyph | ornament in low relief |
| anaglyptics | art of carving in bas-relief |
| anaglyptography | art of engraving so as to give the subject an embossed appearance |
| anagnorisis | recognition leading to denouement of a play |
| anagogy | mystical interpretation |
| anagraphy | art of constructing catalogues |
| analects | crumbs that fall from the table |
| analemma | sundial |
| analepsis | repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis; pleonasm |
| analgia | inability to feel pain |
| anamnesis | reminiscence; prayer recalling death and resurrection of Jesus |
| anamorphic | changing to a more complex form |
| anandrious | impotent |
| ananym | name written backward; often used as synonym |
| anapeiratic | caused by excessive use |
| anapest | two short metrical syllables followed by one long one |
| anaphalantiasis | falling out of the eyebrows |
| anaphia | loss of sense of touch |
| anaphora | repetition of a word at beginning of successive phrases for emphasis |
| anapnea | recovery of one's breath; restoration of breath |
| anastasic | convalescent |
| anastrophe | reversing or inverting word order as rhetorical device |
| anatine | of, like or pertaining to ducks |
| anatocism | compound interest |
| anatreptic | overcoming; overturning |
| anaudia | loss of voice |
| anaunter | on the chance; lest |
| anbury | soft fleshy tumour in horses |
| anchorite | one withdrawn from the world for religious reasons |
| ancillary | auxiliary; secondary |
| ancipitous | two-edged and flattened |
| ancistroid | hook-shaped |
| ancon | elbow |
| anconoid | of, like or pertaining to the elbow |
| ancoral | of, shaped like or resembling an anchor |
| ancress | female religious recluse |
| andiron | iron bar used to support the end of a log in a fire |
| andragogy | science of teaching adults |
| androcracy | government by men |
| androlepsia | governmental kidnapping for political purposes |
| andromania | nymphomania |
| androphagy | cannibalism |
| aneabil | single; unmarried |
| anear | nearly; almost |
| anele | to administer extreme unction to |
| anemocracy | government by the wind or by whim |
| anemograph | instrument for measuring pressure and velocity of wind |
| anemography | treatise on the winds |
| anemology | study of winds |
| anemometer | instrument for measuring wind velocity |
| anemophilous | pollinated by wind |
| anencephalic | lacking a brain |
| anent | about; concerning |
| anergia | failure of immune system; loss of energy |
| anesis | tuning to a lower musical pitch |
| aneuria | lack of nervous energy |
| anfractuous | full of windings and intricate turnings |
| angary | the right of a belligerent to seize neutral property |
| angelocracy | government by angels |
| angelolatry | worship of or belief in angels |
| angelology | study of angels |
| angelot | musical instrument resembling a lute |
| angelus | prayer said in morning, at noon and at sunset |
| angiogenesis | production of blood vessels |
| angiography | description or examination of the blood vessels |
| angiology | study of blood flow and lymphatic system |
| anglice | in plain English |
| anglomania | craze or obsession with England and the English |
| anglophilia | love or fondness for England or the English |
| anglophobia | fear of England or the English |
| angora | silk-like fabric made from wool of angora goats |
| angstrom | unit of one ten-billionth of a meter |
| anguiform | shaped like a snake |
| anguilliform | shaped like an eel |
| anguine | of, like or pertaining to snakes |
| anhedonia | an unresponsiveness to pleasure |
| anhelation | shortness of breath |
| anhidrosis | absence of perspiration |
| anhinga | long-necked fish-eating tropical American bird |
| aniconic | symbolizing without aiming at resemblance |
| anicular | like an old woman |
| anile | imbecilic; senile; like a very old woman |
| animadvert | to comment critically on; to censure |
| animalism | belief that humans are mere animals |
| animastic | spiritual; animate |
| animé | of a heraldic animal, having eyes differently-coloured from the animal itself |
| animism | attribution of soul to inanimate objects |
| anion | positively charged ion |
| anisothenic | being of unequal strength |
| anker | liquid measure of 8 1/2 gallons |
| ankus | spiked elephant goad |
| ankyloglossia | condition where motion of tongue is impeded; state of being tongue-tied |
| ankyroid | hook-shaped |
| anlace | short two-edged dagger |
| anneal | to heat and cool metal gradually to temper |
| annectent | having intermediate features between two taxa |
| annihilationism | doctrine that the wicked are utterly destroyed after death |
| annodated | shaped like the letter S |
| annomination | pun; play on words |
| annuent | nodding or moving of the head |
| annulated | furnished with rings, wearing rings |
| annulet | small ring around a classical column |
| annulose | ringed; composed of rings |
| anoa | small wild ox of Indonesia |
| anocathartic | emetic; causing vomiting or expectoration |
| anodontia | toothlessness |
| anodyne | something that relieves pain or suffering |
| anoesis | sensation not accompanied by understanding of it |
| anogenic | formed from below or beneath |
| anole | arboreal American lizard with ability to change colour |
| anomia | inability to remember names |
| anomic | in a state lacking social order and norms |
| anomie | condition of lacking accepted social values or standards |
| anomphalous | without a navel |
| anon | at once; immediately |
| anonym | person whose name is not given; pseudonym |
| anonymuncule | minor anonymous writer |
| anopheline | of, like or pertaining to malarial mosquitoes |
| anopisthographic | bearing writing or inscription only on one side |
| anopsia | blindness |
| anorchous | lacking testicles |
| anosmia | lack or loss of sense of smell |
| anotic | lacking ears |
| ansate | having a handle or hand-like shape |
| anserated | of a heraldic cross, having the extremities cleft |
| anserine | of, like or pertaining to geese |
| anta | pier produced by thickening wall at one end |
| antalgic | alleviating or relieving pain |
| antanaclasis | repetition of key word of phrase as a play on words |
| antapology | response to an apology |
| antarchy | opposition to government; anarchy |
| anteambulo | usher |
| antechapel | anteroom to a chapel or church |
| antechinus | carnivorous mouselike Australian marsupial |
| antejentacular | before breakfast |
| anteloquy | a preface |
| antelucan | before dawn or daylight |
| antemundane | before one's own birth; before the creation of the world |
| antenniferous | bearing antennae |
| antepast | foretaste |
| antependium | covering or cloth over pulpit or altar |
| antephialtic | preventing nightmares |
| antepone | to put before; to prefer |
| anteprandial | before dinner |
| antevenient | preceding |
| anthelion | luminous ring seen on a cloud opposite the sun |
| anthelminthic | destroying or expelling worms |
| anthesis | full bloom |
| anthography | scientific description of flowers |
| anthomancy | divination using flowers |
| anthomania | obsession with flowers |
| anthophilous | loving or frequenting flowers |
| anthorism | counter-definition; redefinition of opponent's term for rhetorical effect |
| anthracomancy | divination using burning coals |
| anthrophobia | fear of humans |
| anthropobiology | study of human biology |
| anthropocentrism | belief that humans are central to the universe |
| anthropogenesis | origin of human beings |
| anthropoglot | animal with human tongue; animal capable of speech |
| anthropolatry | worship of human beings |
| anthropolith | fossilized human skeleton |
| anthropomancy | divination using human entrails |
| anthropomorphization | attribution of human qualities to animals |
| anthropopathy | ascription of human feelings to inanimate object |
| anthropophaginian | cannibal |
| anthropophagous | eating humans |
| anthroposophy | knowledge of the nature of humanity; human wisdom |
| anthropotheism | belief that gods are only deified men |
| anthypophora | refuting an objection using a contrary inference |
| antibasilican | opposed to monarchic principle |
| antiblastic | providing natural immunity against harmful substances |
| antibromic | eliminating offensive odours |
| antichresis | enjoyment of mortgaged property in lieu of interest payments |
| antichthon | hypothetical second Earth on the opposite side of the sun |
| anticlimax | expression whose last part is decreased in effect from the prior part |
| anticryptic | camouflaged; having protective resemblance to environment |
| antidisestablishmentarianism | doctrine opposed to removing Church of England's official religion status |
| antigalactic | preventing the secretion of milk |
| antigropelos | waterproof leggings |
| antilapsarianism | denial of doctrine of the fall of humanity |
| antilegomena | books of the New Testament not part of early Christian Bible |
| antilogarithm | number of which a given number is the logarithm |
| antilogism | statement of three propositions containing contradiction |
| antilogy | contradiction |
| antiloquy | speaking against some idea; contradicting or gainsaying |
| antimacassar | protective covering for back of sofa or chair |
| antimetabole | figure in which words or phrases are repeated but in inverse order |
| antimetathesis | inversion of the parts of an antithesis |
| antimnemonic | damaging the memory; eliminating memories |
| antimony | brittle, bluish-white metallic element |
| antinomianism | doctrine of the rejection of moral law |
| antinomy | contradiction between two logical conclusions |
| antipedobaptism | denial of validity of infant baptism |
| antiperistasis | opposition or resistance |
| antiphon | anthem sung as a response during church service |
| antiphrasis | use of words in a sense opposite to literal |
| antipudic | concealing private parts of the body |
| antiscian | dweller on the exact opposite side of the world |
| antistrophe | repetition of words in reverse order |
| antistrophon | turning of opponent's own argument against them |
| antithalian | opposed to mirth or fun |
| antithesis | contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangement of words or clauses |
| antitypy | resistance to being penetrated |
| antonomasia | use of descriptive phrase or epithet instead of proper name |
| antre | cave |
| antrorse | turned upward and forward |
| anuptaphobia | fear of staying single |
| anuresis | inability to urinate |
| anurous | tailless |
| anzactile | army biscuit |
| aorist | expressing simple past time with no continuance |
| apaesthesia | numbness or loss of sensation in a limb |
| apagoge | proof by showing the falsehood of the opposite |
| apanage | privilege of office; especially one given to younger offspring |
| apantomancy | divination using objects at hand |
| aparithmesis | rhetorical answer to a proposition |
| apatetic | of an animal's coloration or markings |
| apay | to satisfy |
| apercu | brief outline; glimpse; intuitive insight |
| aperient | laxative |
| aphagia | inability to eat or swallow |
| aphemia | loss of ability to produce articulate speech |
| apheresis | taking away a sound or syllable at the beginning of a word |
| aphesis | loss of initial unaccented vowel from beginning of a word |
| aphicide | killer of aphids |
| aphidicide | killer of aphids |
| aphnology | science of wealth |
| aphologistic | flameless |
| aphotic | lightless |
| aphrasia | inability to speak |
| aphrodisiomania | abnormal sexual interest |
| aphthong | silent letter |
| apian | of, like or pertaining to bees |
| apiarian | of, like or pertaining to bees or beekeeping |
| apical | of or at the apex |
| apiculate | ending in a small apex or point |
| apiculture | beekeeping |
| apiology | study of bees |
| apistia | faithlessness in marriage |
| apivorous | eating bees |
| aplanatic | a lens free of spherical aberration |
| apocalypticism | doctrine of the imminent end of the world |
| apocarteresis | suicide by starvation |
| apocatastasis | final restitution of all things at the appearance of the Messiah |
| apocatastisis | reversion or restoration to original position |
| apocope | cutting off the last sound of a word |
| apocrisiary | papal secretary |
| apodal | lacking feet |
| apodictic | necessarily true beyond contradiction |
| apodosis | main concluding clause in a conditional sentence |
| apodysophilia | feverish desire to undress |
| apograph | exact copy; facsimile |
| apolaustic | dedicated to the search for enjoyment |
| apologetics | defense and proof of Christianity or other doctrine |
| aponia | painlessness |
| apopemptic | valedictory |
| apophasis | saying something by stating that you will not mention it |
| apophoret | a gift given to celebrate a new year |
| apophthegm | brief saying; proverb; epigram |
| aporia | professed but false doubt of what to say or choose, for rhetorical effect |
| aposiopesis | suddenly stopping in the middle of a speech for emphasis |
| apositia | dislike of or distaste for food |
| apostasy | renunciation of former beliefs |
| apostil | marginal note |
| apostrophe | addressing of a personified thing rhetorically |
| apotelesm | casting of a horoscope |
| apothegm | a short, instructive saying or formula |
| apotheosis | elevation to divine status; a perfect example |
| apotropaic | designed to turn away evil |
| apparitor | officer in court who attends to execute orders; harbinger |
| appaumé | having the palm displayed |
| appendant | attached to; hanging from; adjunct |
| apperception | mind's perception of itself as a conscious agent |
| appersonation | irrational belief that one is another person |
| appetence | strong craving or powerful desire |
| applanate | flat; flattened; compressed |
| appointé | in heraldry, having two things touching at the ends |
| apport | to transport objects without material agency |
| appose | to place in juxtaposition or proximity |
| apposite | appropriate |
| approbation | approval; consent |
| apprompt | to borrow |
| appropinquity | nearness |
| appui | to support militarily |
| appulse | a striking against something |
| appurtenance | a subordinate or adjunct part of |
| apricate | to bask in the sun |
| apricide | killing of a boar |
| aprique | sunny |
| apse | rounded extension of church or other building |
| apselophesia | loss of sense of touch |
| apsidal | shaped like an apse |
| apterygial | wingless; finless |
| aptotic | uninflected; indeclinable |
| aptronym | name that suits its owner |
| apyrexy | period of intermission in a fever |
| aquamanile | ewer in the form of a human or animal figure for ceremonial handwashing |
| aquaphobia | fear of water |
| aquarelle | watercolour painting |
| aquifer | a rock formation containing water |
| aquiform | watery; liquid |
| aquilated | in heraldry, adorned with eagle's heads |
| aquiline | of, like or pertaining to eagles; hooked like an eagle's beak |
| araba | wheeled Middle Eastern carriage |
| arachibutyrophobia | fear of peanut butter sticking to roof of mouth |
| arachnivorous | feeding on spiders |
| arachnology | study of spiders |
| arachnophobia | fear of spiders |
| araneidan | of, like or pertaining to spiders |
| araneiform | shaped like a spider |
| araneous | transparent; delicate; like a spider's web |
| araphorostic | seamless |
| aration | ploughing |
| arbalest | type of crossbow |
| arborescent | branched; branching; tree-shaped |
| arboricide | killing of trees |
| arboricolous | growing on or living in trees |
| arboriform | shaped like a tree |
| arbrolatry | worship of start |
| arbuscle | dwarf or shrub-like tree |
| arbustum | orchard; copse of trees |
| arcanna | red chalk used to mark trees |
| arcate | bow-shaped |
| arceate | to prevent; to ward off |
| archaeolatry | worship of archaic things or old customs |
| archelogy | the study of first principles |
| archet | violin box |
| archididascalian | of, like or pertaining to headmasters |
| archididascalos | school principal |
| archiloquy | first part of a speech |
| archimandrite | head of a monastery or convent |
| archimime | chief buffoon or mimic |
| architectonics | of, like or pertaining to the arrangement of knowledge |
| architecuralization | adaptation of non-architectural entities for architectural purposes |
| architrave | parts surrounding a door or window, especially the top |
| archology | science of the origins of government |
| arciform | shaped like a bow |
| arctician | one skilled in navigating arctic regions |
| arctogaeal | of the arctic regions of the earth |
| arctoid | bear-like |
| arctophile | collector of teddy bears |
| arctophily | study of teddy bears |
| arcuate | arched; bow-shaped |
| ard | plough used to scratch top surface of soil |
| ardass | fine silk |
| arefy | to dry up; to wither |
| arenaceous | like, growing in or consisting of sand |
| arenoid | sandy; like sand |
| areology | study of Mars |
| areometer | instrument used for measuring specific gravity |
| areopagitic | of, like or pertaining to tribunals or courts |
| aret | to assign or allot |
| aretaics | the science of virtue |
| arete | sharp mountain ridge |
| argali | large-horned Asian wild sheep |
| argand | gas or oil lamp |
| argent | the heraldic colour silver or white |
| argentiferous | bearing silver |
| argentocracy | government by money |
| argil | clay used in making pottery |
| argillaceous | clayey; of or resembling clay |
| argol | crust formed on wine kept too long or improperly |
| argol | dried cow dung used as fuel |
| argosy | a large merchant ship; a rich supply |
| arguendo | for the sake of argument |
| arguria | silver poisoning |
| argute | shrill; keen; shrewd |
| argyll | silver gravy dish |
| arietine | of, like or pertaining to rams |
| arietinous | shaped like a ram's head |
| aright | right; correctly |
| ariolation | divination in general |
| aristarch | a severe critic |
| aristarchy | government by the best |
| aristology | the science or art of dining |
| arithmancy | divination using numbers |
| arithmocracy | government by simple majority |
| arithmogram | number composed of numerical values of letters in a word |
| arithmography | writing a number using letters; gematria |
| arithmomania | obsessive preoccupation with numbers |
| armamentarium | collective equipment available to a doctor |
| armet | round iron helmet |
| armigerous | entitled to bear arms |
| armillary | like or composed of rings |
| armipotent | having strong weapons; militarily potent |
| armisonant | resounding with noises of battle or weapons |
| armlet | piece of armour for the arm |
| armomancy | divination by examining one's shoulders |
| armure | twilled woollen or silk fabric |
| aroint | begone |
| arpeggione | stringed instrument like the cello |
| arpent | unit of land area slightly smaller than an acre |
| arpenteur | land surveyor |
| arrant | downright; unmitigated |
| arras | tapestry covering a wall |
| arrasene | embroidery fabric of wool and silk |
| arrect | attentive; erect; raised up |
| arrendator | one who rents or farms at a yearly rent |
| arreptitious | ecstatic; frantic; hasty or hurried |
| arrestant | substance causing an insect to stop moving |
| arrhizal | lacking roots |
| arris | sharp edge on stone; meeting of two surfaces |
| arrogate | to claim unduly as one's own; to ascribe |
| arrondi | of a heraldic device, having rounded sides |
| arrosive | gnawing; chewing; corroding |
| arthrology | study of joints |
| arthroscope | instrument for examining interior of a joint |
| arundiferous | bearing or producing reeds |
| arundinaceous | like or having the properties of a reed |
| arval | of, like or pertaining to ploughed land |
| ascesis | the practice of disciplining oneself; asceticism |
| asceticism | doctrine that self-denial of the body permits spiritual enlightenment |
| ascham | box for keeping bows and arrows dry |
| ascian | inhabitant of the equatorial zone |
| aseity | self-origination |
| ashlar | squared stone used in building walls |
| ashplant | walking stick |
| asinine | of, like or pertaining to asses; stupid |
| asitia | lack of appetite |
| askefise | one who blows on ashes to bring them to flame |
| asomatous | lacking a body; incorporeal |
| asonia | deafness to specific pitches of sound |
| asperge | to sprinkle |
| aspergilliform | shaped like a brush |
| aspergillum | vessel for sprinkling holy water |
| asperity | roughness of surface or sound |
| asperse | slander; disparage |
| aspersed | in heraldry, covered with an indefinite number of small figures |
| aspersory | vessel for holding holy water |
| aspheterism | denial of the right to private property |
| aspidate | shield-shaped |
| aspidomancy | divination by sitting and chanting within a circle |
| asportation | to carry property away wrongfully |
| assart | to reclaim for agriculture by clearing away trees |
| assecuration | marine insurance |
| assentation | insincere or glib assent |
| asseveration | positive or earnest affirmation |
| assibilate | to pronounce with a hiss or sibilant |
| assiduity | persevering application to a pursuit |
| assizer | officer or judge in charge of weights and measures |
| associative | indicating association with or accompaniment by |
| assoil | to absolve; to acquit |
| assot | to befool; to besot |
| assuefaction | habituation |
| assuetude | accustomedness; habit |
| assurgent | ascending; rising; curving upward |
| astacology | the science of crayfish |
| astatic | in equilibrium |
| asteism | refined irony |
| asterism | cluster of three asterisks arranged in triangle to draw attention to passage |
| astern | at the stern of a ship |
| astheniology | study of diseases of weakening and aging |
| asthenopia | muscular weakening of the eyes |
| astichous | not in rows |
| astragal | small semicircular moulding; dice |
| astragalomancy | divination using dice or knucklebones |
| astraphobia | fear of being struck by lightning |
| astrapophobia | fear of thunder and lightning |
| astriction | binding obligation |
| astringe | to draw together; to tighten |
| astrionics | electronics as applied to space flight |
| astrobleme | scar on the earth's surface from meteorite impact |
| astrobolism | sun-stroke |
| astrogeology | study of extraterrestrial geology |
| astrognosy | knowledge of fixed stars |
| astrogony | theory of the origin of stars |
| astrolatry | worship of stars |
| astrologaster | a foolish or petty astrologer |
| astromancy | divination using stars |
| astrometeorology | study of effect of stars on climate |
| astrophile | person interested in astronomy |
| astroseismology | study of star oscillations |
| astrut | protrudingly; distendedly |
| asynartetic | having two members with different rhythms |
| asyndeton | rhetorical device of omitting conjunctions |
| atactic | irregular |
| ataraxia | tranquility; freedom from anxiety; stoicism |
| atavism | reversion to early or ancestral type |
| ateknia | childlessness |
| atelier | artist's studio or workshop |
| ateliosis | imperfect development; developmental irregularity |
| athanasy | deathlessness |
| athanor | alchemist's self-feeding digesting furnace |
| atheling | Anglo-Saxon prince or nobleman |
| athenaeum | literary or scientific association |
| athermic | lacking heat |
| athetesis | rejection of a passage as spurious |
| athetosis | nervous twitching of digits and extremities |
| athwart | across; in opposition to; sideways; transversely |
| athymia | melancholy |
| atimy | loss of honour; disgrace |
| atlantes | male figures used as columns |
| atlas | rich satin fabric |
| atmatertera | great-grandfather's grandmother's sister |
| atmology | the science of aqueous vapour |
| atmometer | instrument for measuring evaporating capacity of air |
| atocia | female sterility |
| atokous | lacking offspring |
| atomism | belief that the universe consists of small indivisible particles |
| atony | muscular weakness |
| atpatruus | great-grandfather's grandfather's brother |
| atrabiliary | melancholy; hypochondriac |
| atrabilious | melancholy; splenetic; acrimonious |
| atrament | blacking; ink; black dye |
| atresia | absence or irregular closure of a passage in the body |
| atrichia | baldness |
| atrous | jet black |
| attainder | the loss of civil rights for high treason |
| attaint | disgrace; sully; infect; taint |
| attemper | to adapt or alter quality by adding to something |
| attenuate | make thin; reduce in value |
| atticism | expression characterized by conciseness and elegance |
| attingent | touching |
| attollent | lifting up; raising |
| attorn | to transfer to another |
| attrahent | attracting or drawing |
| attrist | to sadden |
| attrite | repentant through fear of punishment |
| attuition | operation between sensation and perception |
| aubade | musical announcement of dawn; sunrise song |
| aubergine | eggplant |
| aubin | horse's gait between an amble and a gallop |
| auceps | hawker or bird-tender |
| aucupate | to hunt birds; to pursue prey with vigilance |
| audile | person more attuned to sound than the other senses |
| audiology | study of hearing |
| audiometer | instrument for measuring acuity of hearing |
| audiophile | one who loves accurately reproduced recorded sound |
| audism | belief that people who can hear are superior to people who are deaf |
| augean | filthy; difficult |
| augend | number to which another number is added |
| aught | at all |
| aularian | of, like or pertaining to a hall in a university |
| aulete | flautist |
| aulic | courtly; ceremonious; genteel |
| auncel | crude balance for weighing |
| aurantiaceous | of, like or pertaining or pertaining to oranges or orange trees |
| aureity | property of being golden in colour or substance |
| aureole | radiant light around head or body of holy personage |
| auricomous | having golden or blond hair |
| auricular | of, like or pertaining to the ear; spoken secretly |
| auriferous | bearing gold |
| aurifex | goldsmith |
| auriform | shaped like an ear |
| aurigation | charioteering |
| aurigraphy | writing or engraving in gold |
| aurilave | instrument for cleaning the ear |
| auriphrygia | gold embroidery |
| auriscope | instrument for examining the ear |
| aurochs | extinct wild ox |
| aurulent | gold-coloured |
| auscultation | listening to sounds arising within organs |
| auslaut | final sound of a word or syllable |
| austringer | keeper of goshawks |
| austromancy | divination using wind |
| autarchy | government by an absolute ruler |
| autarkic | self-sufficient; independent |
| autecology | study of ecology of one species |
| autocephality | ecclesiastical self-government |
| autocide | killing of oneself; suicide |
| autocide | killing of oneself or another by means of a motor vehicle |
| autocoprophagy | eating one's own feces |
| autocracy | government by one individual |
| auto-da-fe | burning of a heretic |
| autodidact | self-taught person |
| autogenesis | spontaneous generation |
| autognosis | knowledge of or about oneself |
| autography | writing in one's own hand |
| autolatry | self-worship |
| autology | scientific study of oneself |
| automorphism | ascription to others of one's own characteristics |
| automysophobia | fear of being dirty |
| autonym | a writer's real name; work published under writer's own name |
| autophagy | feeding on body's own tissues |
| autophanous | self-luminous |
| autophobia | fear of solitude |
| autoschediasm | anything extemporized |
| autosoterism | belief that one can obtain salvation through oneself |
| autotelic | being an end in itself |
| autothaumaturgist | person pretending to be mystical or mysterious |
| autotheism | belief that one is God incarnate or that one is Christ |
| autotropic | growing in a straight line |
| auxanometer | instrument for measuring growth of plants |
| auxesis | increase in size; hyperbole or augmentation of meaning |
| auxology | science of growth |
| auxometer | instrument for measuring magnifying power |
| aval | of, like or pertaining to a grandparent |
| avalement | allowing knees to flex while skiing |
| avaunt | away; hence; to boast |
| aveniform | shaped like oats |
| aventail | movable front of a helmet |
| averruncate | to ward off; to uproot |
| averruncator | pole for pruning trees |
| aversant | in heraldry, with a hand turned towards the back |
| avicide | killing of birds |
| avicular | of, like or pertaining to birds |
| avinosis | air sickness |
| avionics | the science of electronic devices for aircraft |
| avital | ancestral |
| avizandum | private consideration of a case by a judge |
| avocet | long-legged wading bird with upward-curving bill |
| avolitional | involuntary |
| avulse | to pluck or tear away by force |
| avuncular | like an uncle; of, like or pertaining to uncles |
| awn | beard or similar bristly growth on stalk of grain |
| axilla | armpit |
| axiniform | shaped like an axe-head |
| axinomancy | divination using an axe or hatchet |
| axiology | the science of the ultimate nature of values |
| axolotl | salamander dwelling in mountainous lakes |
| aye-aye | nocturnal lemur-like animal of Madagascar |
| azimuth | arc of the horizon |
| azoth | alchemical name for mercury |
| azuline | blue |
| azure | light or sky blue; the heraldic colour blue |
| azymous | unleavened |
I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.