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| Word | Definition |
| kagu | long-legged bird of New Caledonia |
| kainotophobia | fear of change |
| kaiserin | wife of a kaiser |
| kaka | olive-brown parrot native to New Zealand |
| kakaki | West African ceremonial trumpet |
| kakidrosis | body odour |
| kakistocracy | government by the worst |
| kakorrhaphiophobia | fear of failure |
| kalamkari | fabric coloured by repeated dyeing |
| kaleidophone | instrument for demonstrating sound waves by lines of light |
| kalimba | African musical instrument made of metal strips along a hollow wooden tube |
| kalology | study of beauty |
| kalon | beauty that is more than skin deep |
| kalpis | a water jar |
| kalyptra | veil worn by Greek women |
| kamagraphy | making copies of original paintings using treated canvas |
| kame | steep irregular ridge |
| kamelaukion | tall cylindrical hat worn by Orthodox priests |
| kamerad | to surrender |
| kamik | knee-length sealskin boot |
| kaneh | Hebrew measure of 6 cubits |
| kantar | Turkish unit of weight equal to approximately 100 pounds |
| kantele | Finnish zither |
| kantikoy | to dance as an act of worship |
| kapnography | means of producing designs on smoked glass surfaces |
| kapnography | process for producing designs on smoked glass |
| karabiner | steel link with clip on side used in mountaineering |
| karezza | prolonged sex avoiding orgasm |
| karrozzin | Maltese horse-drawn carriage |
| karst | rough limestone country with underground drainage |
| karyokinesis | division of cell nucleus |
| karyology | study of cell nuclei |
| karyotype | appearance, number and arrangements of chromosomes |
| kasha | porridge or gruel-like dish made from crushed buckwheat |
| katabasis | going down; military retreat |
| katabothron | underground water-channel |
| katathermometer | instrument for measuring the cooling power of air |
| katharometer | instrument measuring changes in composition of gases |
| kathenotheism | polytheism in which several gods are considered supreme in succession |
| katzenjammer | hangover; uproar; clamour |
| kausia | Macedonian felt hat with broad brim |
| kava | narcotic drink prepared from Polynesian plant |
| kazachoc | Slavic fast dance in which dancer squats and kicks out legs alternately |
| kazatzka | Slavic folk dance performed by a couple |
| kea | green parrot of New Zealand |
| keb | ewe that gives birth to stillborn lamb |
| kebbie | a shepherd's crook |
| keck | to retch; to feel disgust |
| keckle | to protect by binding with rope |
| ked | wingless fly that feeds on livestock |
| kedge | small anchor to keep a ship steady |
| keelhaul | to punish by dragging under keel of ship |
| keelson | lengthwise wooden or steel beam in ship for bearing stress |
| keeve | a large tub |
| kef | state of dreamy or drug-induced repose |
| keffel | a horse; a nag |
| keister | burglar's tool kit |
| keloid | hard scar tissue which grows over injured skin |
| kelpie | mischievous water spirit |
| kelt | coarse fabric made of black and white wool |
| kelter | nonsense |
| kemb | to comb |
| kemp | coarse, rough strand of wool |
| kennebecker | knapsack |
| kenodoxy | the love or study of vain-glory |
| kenophobia | fear of empty spaces |
| kenosis | Christ's rejection of his divine side upon assuming human form |
| kenotism | doctrine that Christ rid himself of divinity in becoming human |
| kenspeckle | easily recognizable or distinguishable |
| kent-bugle | an obsolete keybugle |
| kente | hand-woven African silk fabric |
| kentledge | pig-iron used as ballast in ship's hold |
| kep | to catch an approaching object or falling liquid |
| kephalonomancy | divination using a baked ass's head |
| kerasine | horny; made of horn |
| keratogenic | causing growth of horn, skin or hair |
| keratometer | instrument for measuring curvature of the cornea |
| keraunograph | instrument for recording distant thunderstorms |
| keraunoscopia | divination using thunder |
| kereru | pigeon variety of New Zealand |
| kerf | cut, notch or groove; quantity of something cut at the same time |
| kermes | brilliant red colour; a red dye derived from insects |
| kermesse | cycle race held in an urban area |
| kermis | indoor charity fair |
| kern | Irish foot-soldier |
| kern | part of typeface letter that sticks out beyond its body |
| kern | to granulate |
| kersey | coarse woollen cloth |
| kerseymere | twilled fine wool |
| kerygma | preaching of the Christian gospel |
| kerygmatic | of, like or pertaining to preaching the Gospel |
| ket | carrion; matted wool |
| ketch | small two-masted sailing vessel |
| ketjak | traditional Balinese dance accompanied by male chorus |
| kettlestitch | stitch made at head and tail of section of book to connect sections |
| kex | dry hollow plant stalk |
| keybugle | bugle with keys |
| keyline | outline showing shape and position of an illustration |
| keystone | to double the wholesale price for retail |
| khaddar | homespun cotton cloth |
| khor | a dry watercourse; a ravine |
| kiang | wild Tibetan horse |
| kibble | the bucket of a well |
| kibble | to grind cereal coarsely |
| kibe | chapped area of skin |
| kickie-wickie | a wife |
| kickshaws | a trinket; a cheap, worthless article |
| kidder | a forestaller; a huckster |
| kiddle | stake-fence set in stream for catching fish |
| kidlet | a very little kid |
| kidology | study of kidding |
| kidology | deceptive trickery; nonsense |
| kier | bleaching vat |
| kif | drug like marijuana smoked in North Africa |
| kilderkin | old unit of capacity equal to 1/2 barrel or 18 gallons |
| kilfud-yoking | a fireside disputation |
| killas | clay slate |
| killcow | a bully; a swaggerer |
| killcrop | greedy insatiable baby; a changeling |
| killock | small anchor |
| kilobase | unit of measure of length of nucleic acid chain equal to 1000 base pairs |
| kinchin | a child |
| kincob | embroidered silk with gold and silver threads |
| kindergraph | photograph of a child |
| kinderspiel | a children's cantata or play |
| kine | cows |
| kinematics | study of motion |
| kinescope | cathode ray tube for a television |
| kinesics | study of gestural communication |
| kinetheodolite | theodolite used in tracking missiles and satellites |
| kinetics | study of forces producing or changing motion |
| kinetogenic | causing movement |
| kinetoscope | instrument for producing curves by combination of circular movements |
| kingpost | perpendicular beam in frame of roof |
| kinkajou | carnivorous South American raccoon-like mammal |
| kinkle | a slight kink |
| kip | skin of a young animal |
| kip | unit of weight equivalent to 1000 pounds |
| kippage | state of displeasure or anger |
| kir | drink of black currant syrup and white wine |
| kirking | first attendance of a couple at church after marriage |
| kirpan | small sword or dagger worn by Sikhs |
| kirsch | liqueur made from the wild cherry |
| kirtle | man's or woman's tunic or coat |
| kish | solid graphite that separates from pig-iron |
| kismet | fate; destiny |
| kissel | thickened fruit purée dessert |
| kistvaen | tomb covered with stone slabs |
| kit | a small pocket violin |
| kitenge | brightly coloured East African cotton fabric |
| kith | knowledge; one's native land; one's friends |
| kitthoge | left-handed; awkward |
| klangfarbe | tone-colour; timbre |
| klaxon | loud mechanical horn |
| kleenebok | small South African antelope |
| klendusic | able to withstand disease due to protective mechanism |
| kleptocracy | government by thieves |
| klipspringer | small African antelope |
| klopemania | kleptomania |
| knackish | cunning; crafty |
| knag | knot in wood |
| knarred | gnarled; knotty |
| kneelet | knee armour |
| knickerbockers | loose breeches gathered in at the knee |
| knick-knackatory | collection of knick-knacks |
| knickpoint | discontinuity in river profile due to intersection of new erosion curve |
| knissomancy | divination using burning incense |
| knitch | bundle of wood tied together |
| knobber | a stag in its second year |
| knop | loop or tuft in yarn |
| knosp | unopened bud of a flower; ornament shaped like a bud |
| knout | to flog; to scourge |
| knubble | to beat with the fists |
| knur | knob or knot in wood |
| knurl | small excrescence or protuberance; to make knurls on |
| koan | nonsensical question given to Buddhist students for contemplation |
| kob | African water antelope |
| kobold | spirit of the mines |
| kohl | eye-shadow; mascara |
| kohlrabi | variety of cabbage |
| koine | dialect that spreads to become common language of a region |
| kolo | Central European folk dance having a ring of dancers |
| komatik | sled with wooden runners |
| konimeter | instrument measuring amount of dust in air |
| koniology | study of atmospheric pollutants and dust |
| koniscope | instrument for measuring dust in air |
| kop | bank of terracing at a football field |
| kora | musical instrument similar to a harp |
| kore | ancient Greek statue of a draped maiden |
| koto | obnoxious-sounding Japanese stringed instrument |
| kouprey | wild ox of Cambodia |
| kouros | statue of a nude male |
| kraken | legendary sea monster |
| krasis | addition of water to sacramental wine |
| kraurosis | shrivelling of the skin |
| kreatophagia | eating of raw meat |
| kremlin | a Russian citadel |
| kreng | whale carcass after blubber is removed |
| kriegspiel | war-game used to teach strategy |
| krimmer | tightly curled grey or black lamb's wool |
| kritarchy | government by judges |
| krobylos | tuft of hair on the top of the head |
| krummhorn | ancient double-reed wind instrument |
| krypsis | doctrine that Christ secretly exercised divine powers |
| ktenology | science of putting people to death |
| kudu | African antelope with spiralling horns |
| kumiss | fermented mare's milk |
| kummel | cumin-flavoured liqueur |
| kurgan | prehistoric burial mound |
| kurta | loose shirt or tunic |
| kurtosis | relative degree okf sharpness of peak of distribution curve |
| kuru | brain disease transmitted by cannibalism |
| kvass | Eastern European rye beer |
| kwashiorkor | tropical disease of infants due to protein deficiency |
| kyle | narrow strait |
| kylin | Chinese mythical animal |
| kyllosis | club foot |
| kyloe | small long-haired cattle |
| kymatology | study of wave motion |
| kymograph | instrument for recording fluid pressure |
| kyphorrhinos | humped nose |
| kyphosis | hunchbacked condition |
| kyrie | religious petition for mercy |
| kyrielle | string of short lines in stanzas all ending with the same word |
| kyriolexy | the use of literal expressions |
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.