|
namelings
|
npl
|
1706
-1706
|
|---|
|
persons bearing the same name
|
| The namelings Martin Luther and Dr. King shared a concern with political reform.
|
|
nepheliad
|
n
|
1818
-1821
|
|---|
|
cloud-nymph
|
| Like a nepheliad, the skydiver dove gracefully through the clouds.
|
|
nequient
|
adj
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
not being able
|
| While the other students understand algebra, you are still nequient in this simple art.
|
|
nerterology
|
n
|
1800
-1800
|
|---|
|
learning relating to the dead or the underworld
|
| Her inquiries into nerterology were inspired by a youthful visit to a medieval crypt.
|
|
nidifice
|
n
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
a nest
|
| The lizard climbed into the nidifice, only to be eaten by the mother eagle.
|
|
noscible
|
adj
|
1654
-1654
|
|---|
|
knowable; well-known
|
| It is noscible that no amount of training can make up for experience in the field.
|
|
novaturient
|
adj
|
1679
-1679
|
|---|
|
desiring changes or alterations
|
| The novel's author rightly rejected the novaturient wishes of the screenwriters
|
|
nubivagant
|
adj
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
moving throughout or among clouds
|
| The glider flew like a nubivagant bird before emerging out of the clouds and into view.
|
|
obacerate
|
v
|
1656
-1658
|
|---|
|
to stop one's mouth
|
| When he swore onstage, several audience members obacerated themselves.
|
|
obarmate
|
v
|
1623
-1658
|
|---|
|
to arm against
|
| Let us obarmate ourselves for the upcoming battle against the Mongols!
|
|
obrumpent
|
adj
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
breaking; bursting
|
| The guests were startled to attention by the sound of obrumpent balloons.
|
|
obstrigillate
|
v
|
1623
-1656
|
|---|
|
to oppose; to resist
|
| I will not obstrigillate the efforts of my opponent to besmirch my good name.
|
|
occaecation
|
n
|
1608
-1691
|
|---|
|
the act of blinding
|
| After his occaecation, he was unable to enjoy simple pleasures such as reading.
|
|
occulcation
|
n
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
act of treading on or trampling
|
| Repeated occulcations of this field by soldiers have left it useless for agriculture.
|
|
odynometer
|
n
|
1889
-1893
|
|---|
|
instrument for measuring pain
|
| Suspecting his patient's illness to be feigned, he pulled out his trusty odynometer.
|
|
omniregency
|
n
|
1616
-1670
|
|---|
|
universal rulership; state of complete authority
|
| The principle of omniregency is now seriously mistrusted, and not only by radicals.
|
|
oncethmus
|
n
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
braying
|
| The oncethmus of most politicians is far worse than that given off by any beast.
|
|
operiment
|
n
|
1650
-1656
|
|---|
|
a covering
|
| If you don't get an operiment for your classic car, it will rust away in a brief time.
|
|
oporopolist
|
n
|
1671
-1725
|
|---|
|
fruit-seller
|
| Our oporopolist's oranges often offer odd odours.
|
|
orgiophant
|
n
|
1886
-1886
|
|---|
|
one who presides over orgies
|
| The orgiophant had dozens of hangers-on who sought to attend his parties.
|
|
ossifragant
|
adj
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
bone-breaking
|
| The ossifragant wrestler earned a reputation for brutality, so no one would fight him
|
|
ovablastic
|
adj
|
1922
-1922
|
|---|
|
making eggs burst open in the womb
|
| The doctor rejected the ovablastic technique, finding it to violate his moral principles.
|
|
palintocy
|
n
|
1693
-1847
|
|---|
|
repayment of interest paid on a loan
|
| I understand you can't pay me everything, but I demand a palintocy, at the very least.
|
|
palmoscopy
|
n
|
1857
-1890
|
|---|
|
observation of heartbeat or pulse as part of medical diagnosis
|
| Even without his medical bag, he could use palmoscopy to diagnose her heart attack.
|
|
pamphagous
|
adj
|
1702
-1702
|
|---|
|
eating everything; all-consuming
|
| To the pamphagous victor goes the Golden Wiener of Triumphal Consumption!
|
|
panchymagogue
|
n
|
1657
-1893
|
|---|
|
medicine purging all the humours from the body
|
| What you need is a good panchymagogue to get you back on your feet!
|
|
pannuscorium
|
n
|
1858
-1860
|
|---|
|
soft leather cloth used on the tops of shoes and boots
|
| The pannuscorium of his old shoes was covered in indelible stains.
|
|
papicolist
|
n
|
1633
-1810
|
|---|
|
one who worships the pope; a papist
|
| Today, even papicolists grudgingly admit that papal infallibility cannot be literally true.
|
|
parepochism
|
n
|
1685
-1685
|
|---|
|
error in dating or assigning time period
|
| The antique dealer was well known for his parepochisms, so we didn't feel too bad.
|
|
paterophobia
|
n
|
1840
-1840
|
|---|
|
fear of the early Church fathers
|
| The Romans' paterophobia mellowed over time, until Christianity was fully accepted.
|
|
patration
|
n
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
perfection or completion of something
|
| The patration of my dissertation will be an occasion for great merriment.
|
|
pecuarious
|
adj
|
1656
-1658
|
|---|
|
serving or belonging to beasts or cattle
|
| The children tossed the pecuarious leavings at one another, to their parents' dismay.
|
|
pedegorize
|
v
|
1665
-1665
|
|---|
|
to construct a pedigree; to derive through a pedigree
|
| The owners of the racehorse took great efforts to pedegorize her carefully.
|
|
penarious
|
adj
|
1656
-1658
|
|---|
|
of or pertaining to victuals or provisions
|
| The quartermaster is in charge of penarious matters, so stay out of his business!
|
|
penintime
|
adj
|
1686
-1718
|
|---|
|
second from inmost
|
| Venus, our solar system's penintime planet, is Earth's twin in many regards.
|
|
perantique
|
adj
|
1883
-1883
|
|---|
|
very antique or ancient
|
| She treasured the perantique mirror even though the glass was somewhat warped.
|
|
pessundate
|
v
|
1656
-1658
|
|---|
|
to cast down or ruin
|
| The Roman Empire was pessundated by its economic woes rather than moral decline.
|
|
phalerate
|
adj
|
1656
-1702
|
|---|
|
ornamented; decorated
|
| The phalerate umbrella-stand in the corner of the room attracted the guests' attention.
|
|
phasianic
|
adj
|
1884
-1884
|
|---|
|
of or pertaining to pheasants
|
| Our phasianic hunting-trips have become increasingly futile in recent years.
|
|
philargyrist
|
n
|
1633
-1663
|
|---|
|
lover of money; covetous person
|
| I am no philargyrist, but I like to live well, so charity isn't in my best interest.
|
|
phlyarologist
|
n
|
1867
-1867
|
|---|
|
one who talks nonsense
|
| He was a petty phlyarologist who could rarely hold an intelligent conversation.
|
|
phoenigm
|
n
|
1646
-1858
|
|---|
|
reddening of the skin; reddish medical application
|
| The phoenigm of his cheeks after the race testified both to his fatigue and his elation.
|
|
phylactology
|
n
|
1966
-1966
|
|---|
|
science of counter-espionage
|
| Though phylactology reached its peak in the Cold War, it is arguably still important.
|
|
pication
|
n
|
1684
-1684
|
|---|
|
application of warm pitch to the skin as medical treatment
|
| While it seems harsh, pication is effective for cleansing pores and restoring skin tone.
|
|
pigritude
|
n
|
1623
-1656
|
|---|
|
slothfulness
|
| Despite the college student's pigritude, he continued to maintain a 'B' average.
|
|
piladex
|
n
|
1897
-1901
|
|---|
|
game where an inflated bag is hit with hand to keep aloft across a table
|
| From piladex to hacky-sack, pastimes involving hitting objects are known to all ages.
|
|
pilimiction
|
n
|
1847
-1874
|
|---|
|
passing of hair-like bodies in the urine
|
| His doctor was particularly concerned about his pilimiction, for obvious reasons.
|
|
plebicolar
|
adj
|
1626
-1820
|
|---|
|
courting or appealing to the common people
|
| He profited from his plebicolar demeanour, and avoided the fate of many other nobles.
|
|
plegnic
|
adj
|
1612
-1664
|
|---|
|
acting by a blow; striking like a hammer; percussive
|
| Her plegnic pounding of the piano-keys contrasted sharply with her tiny frame.
|
|
plenisphere
|
n
|
1912
-1912
|
|---|
|
a perfect sphere
|
| The iridescent plenispheres in the sky told him that someone was blowing bubbles.
|
|
pocilliform
|
adj
|
1846
-1846
|
|---|
|
shaped like a little cup
|
| The golf ball hardly budged from its pocilliform resting-spot atop the tee.
|
|
poliadic
|
adj
|
1886
-1886
|
|---|
|
of the nature of a local or tutelary god
|
| Respect for poliadic spirits and deities continued long after the region converted.
|
|
pomarious
|
adj
|
1656
-1775
|
|---|
|
of or belonging to an orchard or fruit-garden
|
| Newton's pomarious enlightenment concerning gravity is no more than a myth.
|
|
ponask
|
v
|
1922
-1963
|
|---|
|
to cook game by splitting it and roasting it on a spit
|
| We ponasked the freshly-caught pheasant at our campsite.
|
|
portmantologist
|
n
|
1887
-1934
|
|---|
|
one who studies or coins portmanteau words
|
| Rather than being a portmantologist, why not use perfectly good existing words?
|
|
prandicle
|
n
|
1656
-1658
|
|---|
|
small meal
|
| In those years, she would take several prandicles during the course of each day.
|
|
prebition
|
n
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
act of offering, showing or setting before
|
| The prebition of his treasure-find to the king earned him great honour and esteem.
|
|
pregnatress
|
n
|
1765
-1765
|
|---|
|
female power that generates or gives birth to something
|
| As the pregnatress of our little group, her opinion was still highly regarded.
|
|
prescited
|
adj
|
1400
-1660
|
|---|
|
foreknown or predestined for damnation; condemned
|
| If you believe some of us are prescited from birth, there is no reason to do good works.
|
|
primifluous
|
adj
|
1657
-1657
|
|---|
|
that which flows first
|
| The primifluous wines of the evening were excellent, unlike the plonk served later.
|
|
privign
|
n
|
1605
-1654
|
|---|
|
stepson
|
| Though he was only her privign, she always treated him as if he were her own child.
|
|
psalloid
|
adj
|
1756
-1895
|
|---|
|
resembling a harp or stringed instrument
|
| Her renown as a maker of psalloid instruments led to a position at the royal court.
|
|
psephograph
|
n
|
1906
-1907
|
|---|
|
machine for automatically recording votes
|
| These newfangled computers are no more reliable than an old-fashioned psephograph.
|
|
pseudisodomous
|
adj
|
1601
-1850
|
|---|
|
style of wall construction using stones of different thickness
|
| The use of pseudisodomous brickwork gives the room an antique feel.
|
|
ptochology
|
n
|
1891
-1891
|
|---|
|
study of beggars and unemployment
|
| If we want to understand the roots of poverty, we must undertake work in ptochology.
|
|
pudify
|
v
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
to cause to be ashamed
|
| Your remarks do not pudify me, for you are as guilty of such offenses as I am!
|
|
pugnastics
|
n
|
1830
-1830
|
|---|
|
displays of pugilistic ability
|
| Ali's pugnastics were much more impressive than his overly boastful showmanship.
|
|
pullarian
|
adj
|
1652
-1652
|
|---|
|
of or pertaining to chicken or fowl
|
| Our pullarian mascot was trampled by the opposing team's offensive line.
|
|
pyroleter
|
n
|
1878
-1878
|
|---|
|
double-pump fire extinguisher that produces carbonic acid
|
| The pyroleter was insufficient to combat the fire at the old library.
|
|
quadragintireme
|
n
|
1799
-1799
|
|---|
|
vessel with forty rows of oars
|
| He couldn't have reached the battle even if he had been commanding a quadragintireme.
|
|
quadrimular
|
adj
|
1664
-1664
|
|---|
|
lasting for four years
|
| The quadrimular interval between Olympiads is a long wait in terms of athletes' careers.
|
|
quaeritate
|
v
|
1657
-1657
|
|---|
|
to question; to inquire
|
| If I might quaeritate, why are we headed in the wrong direction on the trail?
|
|
quercivorous
|
adj
|
1858
-1858
|
|---|
|
feeding on oak trees
|
| The proliferation of quercivorous insects is a boon rather than a bane to the ecosystem.
|
|
quibbleism
|
n
|
1836
-1836
|
|---|
|
practice of quibbling
|
| His carping and quibbleism earned him much scorn, a fact of which he was oblivious.
|
|
quotientive
|
adj
|
1871
-1871
|
|---|
|
indicating how often
|
| She set up the schedule using a quotientive formula to ensure fairness.
|
|
radicarian
|
adj
|
1880
-1880
|
|---|
|
pertaining to the roots of words
|
| A radicarian knowledge of Latin is of central importance for English etymology.
|
|
ramifactive
|
adj
|
1766
-1766
|
|---|
|
developing into a branch; forming a branch
|
| Despite the infertility of the soil, the trees retained a limited ramifactive capacity.
|
|
recineration
|
n
|
1657
-1683
|
|---|
|
second reduction to ashes
|
| The recineration of his book manuscript in the second fire drove him over the edge.
|
|
redamancy
|
n
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
act of loving in return
|
| Despite his lack of redamancy, her passion for him was unabated for several years.
|
|
rendling
|
n
|
1784
-1784
|
|---|
|
curdling or setting of cheese
|
| Seeing the realization slowly dawn upon her was like witnessing the rendling of cheese.
|
|
resarciate
|
v
|
1656
-1657
|
|---|
|
to mend; to make amends
|
| She wanted to resarciate their friendship before it was damaged irreparably.
|
|
rhedarious
|
adj
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
of or serving as a carriage or chariot
|
| His fancy for rhedarious transport was seen as old-fashioned by his friends.
|
|
rhodologist
|
n
|
1911
-1924
|
|---|
|
one who studies and classifies roses
|
| Any rhodologist knows that a rose by any other name does not smell as sweet.
|
|
rimestock
|
n
|
1662
-1834
|
|---|
|
old almanac with runic writings
|
| He bought the old rimestock at auction, but was unaware of its calendric function.
|
|
riviation
|
n
|
1676
-1676
|
|---|
|
fishing
|
| While anglers are the sort who enjoy quiet contemplation, I find riviation to be boring.
|
|
roblet
|
v
|
1674
-1755
|
|---|
|
to lead astray
|
| He roblets his intended victims in the old part of the city before mugging them.
|
|
rogalian
|
adj
|
1656
-1656
|
|---|
|
of or pertaining to a great fire
|
| The books' authors were rightly incensed at their works' rogalian fate under the censors.
|
|
rogitate
|
v
|
1656
-1658
|
|---|
|
to ask frequently
|
| "Are we there yet?", the kids rogitated, apparently unaware of their parents' frustration.
|
|
roomthily
|
adj
|
1674
-1674
|
|---|
|
spatially; with respect to space
|
| His bachelor apartment is roomthily challenged, to say nothing of the smell.
|
|
rupography
|
n
|
1838
-1838
|
|---|
|
art of taking impressions of coins or medals in sealing wax
|
| The police confiscated my rupography tools, thinking that I used them for forgery.
|
|
ruricolous
|
adj
|
1730
-1858
|
|---|
|
living in the country or in fields
|
| Though the city has its attractions, I much prefer the quiet ruricolous life.
|
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.
