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NOUNS (A-C)

aardwolf: n. - a mammal native to southern and eastern Africa that resembles the hyena, has gray fur with black stripes, and feeds mainly on termites and insect larvae
abalone: n. - an edible sea mollusk that breathes through holes in its ear-shaped shell; the interior of the shell is lined with a richly coloured mother-of-pearl, though the outside is rough and mostly brown {image}
abecedarian: n. (see also adj.) - 1. one who teaches or studies the alphabet: a tyro 2. one who is just learning: amateur, beginner, novice
ablution: n. - 1. the act of washing or cleansing; specifically, the washing of the body, or some part of it (as in a religious rite) 2. the water used in cleansing
ablutophobia: n. - fear of washing or bathing
abnegation: n. - self denial
abulia: n. - abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions
abutment: n. - 1. the part of a structure that bears the weight or pressure of an arch or the end of a bridge 2. a structure that anchors the cables of a suspension bridge 3. the point of contact between two objects or parts
acacia: n. - 1. any of a large genus of leguminous shrubs and trees of warm regions with leaves pinnate or reduced to phyllodes and white or yellow flower clusters (used to construct various things within the original Hebrew Tabernacle) 2. a water-soluble gum obtained from several acacias and used especially in the manufacture of inks, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, and confections: gum arabic
acarophobia: n. - fear of itching
acclivity: n. - an upward slope, as of a hill: ascent
acedia: n. - apathy, inactivity or laziness in the practice of virtue or good deeds; putting off what God asks you to do, or not doing it at all; "lack of care" (one of the seven deadly sins): (in matters of spirituality or morality) ennui, laziness, slothfulness, torpor
acequia: n. - a canal or ditch for distributing water throughout dry land (usually farm land), especially a community-operated waterway used in the American Southwest for irrigation
acetazolamide: n. - a diuretic drug (meaning that it increases the flow of urine) used to treat edema, glaucoma, and epilepsy
Achilles’ heel: n. - a vulnerable point
acolyte: n. - 1. historically, a man who has received the highest of the four minor orders in the Roman Catholic church, being ordained to carry the wine and water and the lights at the Mass; today the acolyte's duties are done by lay persons as alter servers (both male and female) 2. one who assists the clergyman in a liturgical service by performing minor duties 3. a devoted follower or attendant: assistant
acrolect: n. - the language style among the varieties within a speech community that is closest to the standard or prestigious form of the language, especially in an area where a creole is spoken
acrostic n. - 1. a poem, series of lines, or word puzzle in which certain letters, usually the first in each line, form a word or phrase 2. a puzzle shaped like a square grid where letters arranged in the square read the same down as they do across: word square
acumen: n. - quickness of perception or discernment; shrewdness shown by keen insight
addax: n. - an antelope that has long spiraling horns and lives in desert regions of North Africa
aerie: n. - 1. the lofty nest of a bird of prey (such as a hawk or eagle) 2. any habitation, house, or stronghold at a high altitude
aesthete:n. - one having or affecting great sensitivity to beauty, as in art or in nature
aetiology: n. - [see: etiology]
afflatus: n. - a divine imparting of knowledge: inspiration
agave: n. - tropical American plants with basal rosettes of fibrous sword-shaped leaves and flowers in tall spikes, some cultivated for ornament or for fiber: American aloe, century plant
agglutination: n. (see also adj.) - 1. the gluing together or uniting of separate elements or objects: adhesion 2. a group, clump, or mass formed by the gluing together or uniting of separate elements or objects: clumped mass 3. the clumping together of red blood cells or bacteria, usually in response to a particular antibody 5. the adhesion of wound surfaces in healing 6. (Linguistics) the process of forming compound words, derivatives, or inflections by combining simple words or word components without alteration; for example, 'disestablishment' from 'dis', 'establish', and 'ment'
agitprop: n. - propaganda, especially propaganda disseminated through literature, drama, music, or art
agraphia: n. - the loss of the ability to write or to express thoughts in writing, especially because of a brain lesion (damage to the brain due to injury or disease)
ahimsa: n. - (Hinduism, Buddhism & Jainism) a doctrine holding that all forms of life are sacred and urging the avoidance of violence, including a vow of noninjury to all living things in thought, word, or deed; in Sanskrit, literally "avoidance of injury" (Mahatma Ghandi embraced this concept and greatly influenced its spread into the West)
aikidō: n. - a Japanese martial art similar to judo which emphasizes blending with an attack and redirecting the attacker's energy, as opposed to meeting force with force. Aikidō techniques primarily use wrist, joint, and elbow grips to immobilize or throw one's opponent. This skill is only used as a tool of self defense, never agression. In addition to physical fitness and techniques, mental training, controlled relaxation, and development of "spirit" (ki) are emphasized throughout aikidō training. The name combines three Japanese words: ai ("union," "harmony," "mutual," "together," "joining," or "to coordinate"), ki ("spirit," "life force" or "breath control"), and dō ("way," "path" or "art"). Proponents translate aikidō as "the way of unifying ki," "the art of adapting the spirit" or "the way of harmony with the spirit of the universe." Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), a Japanese farmer and master martial artist, founded aikidō sometime between 1922 and 1931, supposedly after a divine revelation. He specifically wanted to create a martial art in which a person could defend himself (or herself) without injuring the attacker
ailurophile: n. - one who loves cats
ailurophobia: n. - fear of cats
alacrity: n. - promptness in response; cheerful readiness
alameda: n. - a public promenade bordered with trees
Albion: n. - England or Great Britain
alektorophobia: n. - fear of chickens
alembic: n. - 1. an apparatus formerly used for distilling, consisting of two vessels connected by a tube (the larger container is gourd-shaped and is heated from below) {image: 1, 2} 2. anything that transforms, purifies, or refines
alienist: n. - 1. a psychiatrist who specializes in the legal aspects of psychiatry (as determining sanity or capacity to stand trial) 2. [archaic] a doctor specializing in the treatment of mental illness psychiatrist
algorithm: n. - a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem in a finite number of steps that often involves repetition of an operation
Allāh: n. - (Islam) the Arabic name of the one and only God, used among Muslims and Arab Christians; in Islam there are 99 descriptive names of God (such as ar-Rahman, "the Merciful," and ar-Rahim, "the Compassionate") but none of these, including Allah, are considered proper names. To name God would reduce him into a human framework. The high number of names express the incapacity of man to grasp the total nature of God; literally, "the god"
alliteration: n. - (Rhetoric) the use of the same consonant letter or sound at the beginning of muliptle words in a phrase or a sentence, especially at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse, as in "around the rock the ragged rascal ran" [see also: assonance, consonance]
allodoxaphobia: n. - fear of opinions
alluvial fan: n. - a gradually sloping mass of alluvium [the sand, clay, silt, etc. gradually deposited by moving water] that widens out like a fan from the place where a stream begins to slow down
alluvium: n. (see also adj.) - particles of rock, clay, silt, mud or sand carried by rushing streams and deposited where the stream slows down (also can be carried and deposited by glaciers)
alopecia: n. - loss of hair, wool, or feathers: baldness
alpaca: n. - 1. a domesticated mammal in Peru, related to the llama and having fine, long wool 2. a glossy cotton or rayon and wool fabric
alterity: n. - the quality or state of being radically alien to the conscious self or a particular cultural orientation: otherness
amalgam: n. - 1. an alloy of mercury with another metal or metals, used especially (with silver) as a dental filling 2. a mixture or compound of different things: blend, combination
amaranth: n. (see also adj.) - 1. a plant grown for ornament and sometimes as a grain crop or leafy vegetable. Its flowers have long drooping heads of green, red, or purple 2. according to legend, a flower that never fades 3. a synthetic red food dye
ambergris: n. - a waxy substance secreted by the sperm whale and found floating at sea or washed ashore, used in perfume to slow down the rate of evaporation (the floating masses are sometimes from sixty to two hundred and twenty-five pounds in weight)
ambit: n. - 1. an external boundary: circuit, circumference, compass, rim 2. the boundaries or limits of a district or place 3. an area in which something acts, operates, or has power or control: extent, orbit, purview, range, reach, scope, sphere, sweep
amicus curiae: n. - an inidividual or group who advises the court on legal points, usually someone who wants to influence the outcome of a lawsuit but is not an actual party involve in the suit; for example, the ACLU often submits materials to support a person who claims a violation of civil rights even though that person is represented by a lawyer (literally "friend of the court" in Latin)
amphigory: n. - a nonsensical writing (usually verse)
anabasis: n. - 1. a going or marching up; an advance, especially a military advance: expedition 2. a difficult and dangerous military retreat
anablephobia: n. - fear of looking up
anacampserote: n. - something which can bring back a long-lost love (originally, an herb said to have this ability)
anadiplosis: n. - (Rhetoric) the repetition of the final words of a line or phrase at the beginning of the next, as in "He was tormented by fears - fears that were soon to be realized" or "Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,/ Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain..." —Philip Sidney
anagoge: n. - 1. a spiritual or mystical interpretation of a word or passage rather than a literal or moral one, especially an interpretation that detects allusions to heaven or the afterlife in a sacred text 2. an allegorical interpretation of a passage in the Bible as an allusion to or foreshadowing of people or events in the New Testament
anagram: n. - a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase (for example, ‘meat’ is an anagram of ‘team’ and ‘stain’ is an anagram of ‘satin’)
analgesic: n. (see also adj.) - a medicine used to reduce or eliminate pain without the loss of consciousness by the patient: anodyne, painkiller, pain pill, pain reliever, salve
analysand: n. - a person undergoing psychoanalysis
anamnesis: n. - 1. the ability to remember past occurrences: recollection 2. the complete case history of a medical or psychiatric patient, especially in the patient’s own words: medical record 3. in the Christian celebration of Communion, the commemoration or recollection of the passion and death of the Lord 4. in philosophy, a theory of Plato's concerning the restoration of knowledge forgotten by the soul in the process of birth: unforgetting
anaphora: n. - 1. (Rhetoric) the use of the same word or phrase at the beginning of several successive clauses, sentences, lines, or verses, as in "She didn't speak. She didn't stand. She didn't even look up when we came in" or "we cannot dedicate- we cannot consecrate-we cannot hallow this ground" —Abraham Lincoln [see also: epistrophe] 2. (Linguistics) the use of a word to refer back to a word used earlier (often a regular grammatical substitute, such as a pronoun or the verb 'do'), used to avoid repetition. In the sentence "I told Paul to close the door and he did so," the clause "he did so" is an example
anaphylactic shock: n. - a sudden, severe, sometimes fatal allergic reaction that is caused by exposure to a foreign substance, such as a drug or bee venom, after a preliminary or sensitizing exposure
anaphylaxis: n. - hypersensitivity to a substance, such as foreign protein or a drug, that is caused by exposure to a foreign substance after a preliminary exposure
anastrophe: n. - (Rhetoric) a change in the normal order of words, usually done for the sake of emphasis, as in "troubles, everybody's got" instead of "everybody's got troubles," or "echoed the hills" instead of "the hills echoed"
antanaclasis: n. - (Rhetoric) a form of speech in which a key word is repeated and used in a different, often contrary, way for a play on words, as in "The craft of a politician is to appear before the public without craft," or "Your argument is sound...all sound" —Benjamin Franklin, or "If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm" —Vince Lombardi
anathema: n. - 1. a curse, especially a curse declared by church authority and accompanied by excommunication 2. a person or thing that is cursed or strongly disliked
anchorite: n. – a person who renounces the world and has retired into seclusion for religious reasons: eremite, hermit, recluse [antonym: cenobite]
androphobia: n. - fear of men
anemophobia: n. - fear of air
anencephaly: n. - a congenital birth defect that develops when the head end of the neural tube (the structure which gives rise to the central nervous system) fails to close, resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain (especially the forebrain, which includes the cerebrum and is necessary for thinking and coordination). The remaining brain tissue is often exposed; it is not covered by bone or skin. Infants born with anencephaly are usually blind, deaf, and unconscious. The fetus usually has a flat head (if there is any skull at all), a shrunken neck (if any), and bulging eyes. Though the lack of a functioning cerebrum permanently rules out the possibility of ever gaining consciousness, some infants with anencephaly may be born with a rudimentary brainstem, allowing reflex actions such as breathing and responses to sound or touch to occur. The disorder is one of the most common disorders of the fetal central nervous system. Approximately 1,000 to 2,000 babies are born with anencephaly each year in the U.S. About 95% of women who learn that they will have an anencephalic baby choose to have an abortion. Of the remaining 5%, about 55% are stillborn. The rest usually live only a few hours or days. There is no cure or effective treatment for this condition. Anencephaly can often be diagnosed before birth through screening of the mother's blood for the level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and a detailed ultrasound examination. The addition of ample vitamin B, folic acid, to the diet of women of child-bearing age significantly reduces the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs), including both anenchephaly and spina bifida (another common and major type of NTD), though it is not known why {diagram, infant, fetus 1, & fetus 2} [see also: myelomeningocele, spina bifida, spina bifida occulta]
anglophobia: n. - fear of Englishness
angry fruit salad: n. - slang for a poorly designed user interface or Web page that uses too many bright colors
angst: n. - 1. an acute feeling of anxiety or dread without a specific cause, often accompanied by depression: anguish, distress, fright, gloom, worry 2. (Philosophy) a generalized anxiety about the state of the world or about personal freedom
anima: n. - (Latin) literally, "spirit" or "mind" 1. (Psychology) in Jungian psychology, the internal feminine aspect of a man's personality [see also: animus] 2. (Psychology) in Jungian psychology, the part of the psyche which is directed inwards, in touch with the subconscious; the true inner self as opposed to the outer persona [see also: persona]
animadversion: n. - 1. an unfavorable or censorious comment, especially a remark meant to criticize or reproach someone 2. strong criticism or disapproval; the act of criticizing someone else: censure, reproof, stricture
animism: n. - 1. the doctrine that all natural objects (including plants and inanimate objects) and the universe itself have individual souls or consciousness 2. the belief in the existence of spirits or souls that can or do exist separately from their bodies 3. the hypothesis holding that an immaterial or supernatural force (such as spirit) animates and organizes the universe
animus: n. - (Latin) literally, "mind" or "soul" 1. an attitude or feeling that motivates somebody's actions; an animating or energizing spirit 2. the intention to do something: disposition, purpose 3. a feeling or display of animosity or strong dislike: antagonism, antipathy, enmity, grudge, hostility, ill will, rancor 4. (Psychology) in Jungian psychology, the internal masculine aspect of a woman's personality [see also: anima]
anklebiter: n. - 1. a mocking term for a small child: crib lizard, crotchfruit, offspring, rug rat, spawn, semen demon 2. (Stock Investment) stock issued with a relatively low total market value (less than $500 million): small-capitalization stocks [antonym: large-capitalization stocks]
anlage: n. - 1. a fundamental principle, especially one which a certain theory is based or founded; the foundation of a future development 2. (Biology) the initial clustering of embryonic cells from which a part or an organ develops: bud, germ, primordium 3. (Psychology) a genetic predisposition to a given trait or personality characteristic
annelid: n. - a phylum of usually elongated segmented coelomate invertebrates (earthworms, various marine worms, and leeches)
anniellidae: n. - legless lizards
anodyne: n. (see also adj.) - 1. a medicine or drug that relieves pain and suffering, such as aspirin, codeine, opium, and morphine: analgesic, painkiller, pain pill, salve 2. a source of soothing comfort or which relaxes someone
anteambulo: n. - (Latin) literally, "walking before" or "walking in front of" 1. someone employed to conduct others to their seats or an official doorkeeper; an usher 2. (Ancient Greece & Rome) a slave, servant, or client who walked ahead of his or her master or patron through a crowd and compelled people to clear a path for him
anthrophobia: n. - fear of flowers
antibiotic: n. - a medicine or chemical that can destroy or limit the growth of harmful bacteria
anticholinergic drug: n. - a drug of a group used to control stress by inhibiting or blocking the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at a receptor site on a nerve cell; it can also be used to reduce spasms of smooth muscle (such as that, for example, in the bladder) [see also: anticholinergic (adj.)]
anti-emetic: n. - a drug or medication which prevents nausea and vomitting, used to treat motion sickness and the side effect of ill feelings or nausea from chemotherapy [antonym: emetic]
antigram: n. - an anagram which means the opposite of the original word or phrase (for example, 'restful' is the antigram of 'fluster' and ‘real fun’ is the antigram of ‘funeral’)
antiloquist: n. - one who contradicts or denies; a contradictor or opposer
antimetabole: n. - (Rhetoric) a figure of speech in which the same words or ideas are repeated in transposed order (AB-BA), as in "I know what I like, and like what I know" [see also: chiasmus]
antimony: n. - a silvery-white, brittle, yet soft element which has the appearance and physical properties of metal but does not react chemically like a metal. Antimony is used in semiconductors, batteries, antifriction alloys, small arms, tracer bullets, and cable sheathing. Antimony oxide is added to textiles and plastics to prevent them from catching fire and is also used in paints (especially enamels), ceramics, and fireworks. It must be used with caution because exposure to high levels of antimony can be poisonous and cause symptoms similar to those of arsenic poisoning. In small doses, antimony causes headache, dizziness, and depression. Larger doses cause violent and frequent vomiting, and will lead to death in a few days. Breathing high levels for a long time can irritate the eyes and lungs and can cause heart and lung problems, stomach pain and ulcers, diarrhea, and vomiting. Antimony left on the skin causes irritation and can trigger lichen planus (a recurring itchy inflammatory rash on the skin or in the mouth). However, one positive usage is in medication to treat leishmaniasis (an infection caused by a protozoan parasite). In the air, antimony attaches to very small particles that may stay there for many days. Most antimony ends up in soil, where it attaches strongly to particles that contain iron, manganese, or aluminum. Antimony is found at low levels in some rivers, lakes, and streams. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows 0.006 parts of antimony per million parts of drinking water (0.006 ppm). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set an occupational exposure limit of 0.5 milligrams of antimony per cubic meter of air (0.5 mg/m3) for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek. Its symbol is Sb and its atomic weight is 120
antinomianism: n. - 1. a belief held by some Protestants that Christians are not bound by established laws, especially moral laws, but should rely on faith and divine grace for salvation 2. the doctrine that moral laws do not apply to Christ 3. the notion that certain persons with privileged status do not have to obey their own dictates, as in "Do as I say, not as I do." 4. the belief that moral laws are relative in meaning and application as opposed to fixed or universal 5. the belief that once a believer is saved, they are not bound to follow moral laws and can sin freely, because they are forgiven of past and future transgressions
antiphon: n. - a verse, hymn, psalm, or song to be chanted or sung in response during a liturgy
antiphoner: n. - a book of hymns or psalms sung or chanted as a response (antiphons)
antipode: n. - 1. a direct or diametric opposite; the exact opposite 2. something occupying a directly opposed position 3. (Chemistry) a molecule whose atoms are arranged in a directly opposite manner
antiquary: n. - an expert or collector of antiquities: antiquarian
antonomasia: n. - 1. the use of a proper name to designate a member of a class (as a "Solomon" for a "wise ruler") 2. the use of an epithet or title in place of a proper name (as "the Bard" for "Shakespeare")
anuptaphobia: n. - fear of staying single
apéritif: n. - a small alcoholic drink (often liquor or wine) served as an appetizer before a large meal, especially when done to stimulate the appetite
aphagia: n. - 1. the inability to swallow 2. the refusal of a person to eat because swallowing is painful
aphasia: n. - partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken or written language, resulting from damage to the brain caused by injury or disease
aphelion: n. - the point in the path of a celestial body (as a planet) that is farthest from the sun [antonym: perihelion]
aphenphosmphobia: n. - fear of being touched
aphorism: n. - 1. a concise statement of a principle 2. a short, pithy, instructive saying: adage
aplomb: n. - assurance of manner or of action: confidence, coolness, poise, sang-froid, self-assurance, self-possession, sureness
apogee: n. - 1. the farthest or highest point: culmination 2. the point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth [antonym: perigee]
apologia: n. - a formal (usually written) defense or justification of a belief, theory, policy, or action; formerly referred to as an apology
apologism: n. - (Philosophy) the belief that it is wrong for humans to alter the natural conditions of life. It is opposed to the idea that absolute "progress" is a desirable goal for human effort. For example, Social Darwinists who defended the "natural laws" of the economy selecting for the "fittist" individuals to survive and succeed were following apologism, while people who favored aiding the poor and incapacitated through welfare were following meliorism (which is the belief that human effort brings social progress) [antonym: meliorism]
apologist: n. - somebody who argues in defense or justification of a controversial doctrine, policy, belief, or institution
apophasis: n. - an ironic rhetorical device where the speaker or writer emphasizes a fact by saying that it will not be mentioned, or invokes a subject by denying that it should be invoked (can relate to positive or negative qualities); such as, "I will not bring up the question of age now that you are forty," and "She is talented, not to mention rich.": cataphasis, paralipsis, preterition
apophatism: n. - the religious belief that God cannot be known but is completely 'other' and must be described in negative terms (in terms of what God is not: God is not ignorant, God is not a creation, God is not subject to the rules of space or time, God is not knowable, God's essence cannot be spoken of, etc.) [antonym: cataphatism]
apoptosis: n. - a process in which mechanisms within a cell trigger its own destruction without releasing harmful substances into the surrounding area. This is necessary in order to make room for new cell growth and to rid the body of old, unnecessary, and unhealthy cells. The human body replaces perhaps a million cells a second. When this process does not work right, diseased cells that should be eliminated may hang around and develop into cancer or leukemia. When apoptosis works overly well, it kills too many cells and inflicts grave tissue damage, such as in strokes and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer, Huntington and Parkinson diseases: cell suicide, programmed cell death
apotheosis: n. - 1. elevation to divine status: deification 2. the perfect example: quintessence
appellate court: n. - a court with the power to review and reverse the decisions of lower courts: court of appeals
appendectomy: n. - surgical removal of the vermiform appendix
apposition: n. - 1. the position of two things that are next to each other: collocation, juxtaposition 2. (Rhetoric) a grammatical relationship in which a word or phrase is placed next to another in order to qualify or explain it. In the sentence "My son, an actor, lives with me," the phrase "My son, an actor" is an example of apposition 3. (Physiology) growth of a cell wall in which layers of material are deposited onto already existing ones
apraxia: n. - a mental disorder where one is unable to perform purposeful, coordinated movements or manipulate objects, but is not suffering from paralysis or damage to muscles, bone, or sensory organs
aptagram: n. - an anagram in which the new word or phrase has a similar meaning to the original word
arabesque: n. (see also adj.) - 1. an ornamental style that employs flowers, leaves, fruit, curves, geometric patterns, and sometimes animal and human outlines to produce an intricate pattern of interlaced lines 2. an elaborate or intricate pattern, especially a spiraling, undulating, or serpentine line or linear motif 3. a piece of classical music characterized by decoratively ornate, fanciful melodies, especially one written for solo piano 4. (Ballet) a posture in which the body is bent forward from the hip on one leg with one arm extended forward and the other arm and leg backward
arachibutyrophobia: n. - fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth
arachnoid: n. (see also adj.) - (Anatomy) the middle of the three membranes (meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord (so-called because it looks like a cobweb) [see also: dura mater, pia mater]
arbalest: n. - a crossbow, especially of medieval times
Areopagus: n. - a hill in ancient Athens where the highest judicial and legislative assemby met
argot: n. - an often more or less secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group: jargon, lingo
argy-bargy: n. - a lively or disputatious discussion: argument, dispute
arras: n. - a wall hanging or curtain of heavy handwoven fabric with pictorial designs, especially one of Flemish origin: tapestry
arthropod: n. - an invertebrate animal that has jointed limbs, a segmented body, and an exoskeleton made of chitin; this phylum includes insects, arachnids (spiders), myriapods (centipedes and millipedes), and crustaceans (crabs, lobster, etc.)
asafetida: n. - a brownish, bitter, foul-smelling gum resin or juice obtained from the roots of several plants (from Persia and the East Indies) in the parsley family, formerly used in medicine as an antispasmodic
asceticism: n. - the doctrine that a life of extreme self-denial, harsh discipline, abstention from pleasure or comfort, non-indulgence, chastity and austerity will release the soul from bondage to the body and permit union with the divine
Ashkenazi: n. - (Judaism) a member of the branch of European Jews, historically Yiddish-speaking, who settled in central and northern Europe [see also: Sephardim]
ashram: n. - (Hinduism) 1. a secluded retreat where a Hindu guru instructs a group of disciples in the practice of yoga and other Hindu disciplines. Children are often sent there to be educated 2. a commune or communal house whose members share spiritual goals and practices
Asperger's Syndrome: n. - a mild autistic disorder characterized by awkwardness in social interaction, delayed motor milestones (clumsiness), a pretentiously scholarly vocabulary, repetitive behavior patterns, preoccupation with very narrow interests, and sometimes highly above average performance in a narrow field. However, basic language skills, cognitive function, and self-help skills do not suffer delayed development
asperity: n. - 1. something that is hard to endure because of its harshness or severity: hardship, rigor 2. the quality of being severe in the way that you speak and behave: acrimony, brusqueness, gruffness, harshness, ill temper, inflexibility, irritability, roughness, severity, sharpness, strictness 3. the roughness of a surface: bumpiness, unevenness 4. roughness or harshness, as of sound or of a climate 5. a tiny projection from a surface; a point or bump 6. (Earthquakes) an area on a fault that is stuck, often where the earthquake rupture begins
aspersion: n. - 1. a damaging or derogatory remark: slander 2. the act of defaming or slandering 3. a sprinkling with water, especially in religious ceremonies
assonance: n. - (Rhetoric) a style of rhyme in which the same vowel sounds are used with different consonants in the stressed syllables of the two or more words, as in 'penitent' and 'reticence' [see also: alliteration, consonance]
asthenia: n. - an abnormal loss of strength or energy: debility, weakness
astrolabe: n. - a compact astronomical instrument used by ancient Greeks and others to measure the the altitude of the sun or other celestial bodies (replaced by the sextant in 1767)
asymptote: n. - 1. (Mathematics) a line that draws increasingly nearer to a curve without ever meeting it (usually, a curve approaching infinity), especially when graphing a function in calculus. Sometimes aspymtotes can also be curved; a straight line that is the limiting value of a curve; a line whose distance to a given curve tends to zero {image} 2. the point at which a population reaches numerical stability, when the number of individual people, creatures, plants, etc. is neither growing nor shrinking
asynchrony: n. - the relation that exists when things occur at unrelated times; lack of temporal concurrence; absence of synchronism
asyndeton: n. - (Rhetoric) a stylistic scheme in which conjunctions are deliberately omitted from a sentence in which they would normally be used to coordinate a series of words or phrases, as in “He has provided the poor with jobs, with opportunity, with self-respect.” Often this is done to punctuate the statement's rhythm or to emphasize strong feeling [antonym: polysyndeton]
atavism: n. (see also adj.) - 1. the recurrence of a genetic feature that has been absent for several generations; the appearance in an individual of characteristics presumed to have been present in some remote ancestor; reversion to an earlier biologic type: throwback 2. the recurrence of or return to a previous style, manner, outlook, approach, or behavior after a period of absence: throwback
ataxia: n. - the loss of full control over one's bodily movements, symptomatic of some nervous disorders; lack of voluntary muscle control or coordination; unsteady movements and a staggering gait
ataxophobia: n. - fear of disorder or untidiness
atelier: n. - a workshop or studio, especially for an artist or designer
atelophobia: n. - fear of imperfection
athazagoraphobia: n. - fear of being ignored or forgotten
atlatl: n. - a rod, board or wooden shaft fitted with a projection (as a hook, thong or socket) at the rear end used to steady the butt of a spear or dart during the throwing motion until the weapon is released. This device usually has finger grips at one end, where stones were often fastened for added weight. It functions as an artificial extension of the thrower's arm, giving him increased leverage and range and allowing him to hurl a spear accurately a much greater distance than he could by unaided hand. Such spear throwers were used in Europe during the Palaeolithic era and throughout the New World in pre-Columbian times prior to the appearance of the bow and arrow, most notably by the Aztecs and in western North America from about 6500 BC till 500 AD. A similar device was used in the Arctic and in Australia, where it is called a woomera {image}
aubergine: n. - 1. (Brit.) an egg-shaped fruit having shiny skin, typically dark purple but occasionally white or yellow, often cooked and eaten as a vegetable: brinjal, eggplant, garden egg, mad apple {image} 2. (Brit.) a hairy upright herb native to southeastern Asia but widely cultivated for its large glossy edible fruit commonly used as a vegetable: eggplant bush 3. (U.S.) a dark reddish-purple or blackish-purple color
aulophobia: n. - fear of flutes
aureole: n. - 1. a radiance encircling the head or body, as in religious paintings: halo 2. the illuminated area around the sun, etc., as when seen in a mist or during an eclipse; the sun's corona
auroraphobia: n. - fear of the Northern Lights
auscultation: n. - the act of listening to sounds arising within organs (as the lungs) as an aid to diagnosis and treatment
autodidact:n. - one who is self-taught
automatonophobia: n. - fear of wax statues
autophobia: n. - fear of being oneself
axiom: n. - 1. a self-evident, necessary, or universally recognized truth that requires no proof; a proposition whose truth is so evident at first sight that no reasoning or demonstration can make it plainer: postulate 2. (Logic & Mathematics) a proposition that is not susceptible to proof or disproof, whose truth is assumed to be self-evident, usually for the sake of studying the consequences that follow from it 3. a saying that widely accepted on its own merits: maxim 4. an established rule or law; a universally accepted principle
axiomatization: n. - (Mathematics) the process of defining or creating a system of axioms (self-evident truths) from which mathematical theories can be derived
axolotl: n. - any of several salamanders of mountain lakes of Mexico and the western U.S. that often retains its external gills as an adult
ayatollah: n. - (Islam) a high-ranking Shiite leader in Iran who is a prominent scholar on religious law and its interpretation and who has political power as well; literally, "sign of God"
azimuth: n. - 1. (Navigation & Astronomy) an angle measured from some reference point on a circle (usually north or south) clockwise along the horizon. When starting from north, an object that is due north has an azimuth of 0 degrees. If due east, its azimuth is 90 degrees. If due west, its azimuth is 270 degrees, etc. Azimuth is used with altitude (height) to describe the position of a star in the sky {image} 2. in a tape deck, the angular relationship between the head gap and the tape path, which must be perfectly aligned at 90 degrees in order for the tape to play smoothly and correctly
Baal Shem Tov: n. - a Jewish mystic who founded Hasidism, which asserted that even a simple, uneducated peasant could approach God and emphasized prayer, the observance of commandments, and ecstatic, personal mystical experiences; literally, "Master of the Good Name"
Babbitt: n. - a business or professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards
bacteriophage: n. - a virus that infects bacteria. Like other viruses, bacteriophages (also called simply "phages") contain either RNA or DNA, but never both. The phage injects its genetic material into a bacteria cell, then uses the cell's RNA to reproduce itself. Eventually, this leads to rupture of the bacterial cell wall, typically releasing 100 to 200 new viruses. Some bacteriophages, however, remain dormant for a long time after forcing their genetic material into their host. For this reason, altered phages have become important tools for genetic engineers (such as those doing cloning research)
Bactrian camel: n. - a (usually domesticated) two-humped camel, originally from the cold deserts central Asia but now found only in the Gobi Desert
badinage: n. - a light, playful talk: banter, drollery, gibe, jesting, joke, mockery, raillery, repartee, retort, ripping, wisecrack, witticism
bagatelle: n. - 1. a thing of little or no importance: trifle 2. a short, light musical or literary piece 3. a game played with a cue and balls on an oblong table having cups or arches at one end
Bahį'ķsm: n. - a religion founded in Iran in 1863 by Bahį'u'llįh. It incorporates Christian and Islamic tenets, emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind, has no public rituals or sacraments, and praying is done in private. Many adherents live in the United States
baldachin: n. - 1. a cloth canopy supported at each corner by a pole and carried over a venerated person or a sacred object in a religious procession, especially the Holy Sacrament in Roman Catholic processions 2. a ceremonial canopy of cloth or stone over an altar, shrine, throne, pulpit, or doorway, especially in a Christian church 3. a rich embroidered fabric of silk and gold
balderdash: n. - senseless talk or writing: nonsense
balestra: n. - (Fencing) an attack where a fencer makes a jump toward the opponent followed immediately by a lunge
ballast: n. (see also v.) - 1. heavy material carried in the hold of a ship (especially one that has no cargo), in the keel of a sailing boat, or in the gondola of a hot air balloon, to give the craft increased stability and to prevent capsizing 2. anything that serves no particular purpose except to give bulk or weight to something or that provides additional stability 3. anything that gives mental, moral, or political stability or steadiness 4. gravel, broken stone, or slag used to form the base of a railway track or road to give stability, provide drainage, and distribute loads 5. gravel used in making concrete and in earthworks 6. a circuit that maintains the current flow in a fluorescent or mercury lamp at the desired constant value
ballast resistor: n. - (Electronics) a device that maintains the current in a circuit at a constant value by varying its resistance in order to counteract changes in voltage or temperature: barretter
baluster: n. - 1. one of the upright, usually rounded or vase-shaped supports of a handrail, as found on the side of a staircase: column, leg, pilaster, pillar, post, stem 2. an upright support, such as a furniture leg, having a similar shape 3. a railing, as along a path or stairway: balustrade, banister, handrail
balustrade: n. - 1. a row of balusters topped by a rail 2. a low parapet or barrier
banshee: n. - a female spirit believed to wail outside a house as a warning that a death will occur soon in the family
barbican: n. - an outer defensive work, especially a tower at a gate or bridge
bardolater: n. - a person who idolizes Shakespeare
barophobia: n. - fear of gravity
barretter: n. - (Electronics) a resistor inserted into a circuit that maintains the current in a circuit at a constant value by varying its resistance in order to counteract changes in voltage or temperature: ballast resistor
barrister: n. - 1. (Great Britain) a lawyer who is a member of one of the Inns of Court and who is qualified to represent clients in the higher law courts in England and Wales. Most specialize in certain areas of the law in order to advise clients referred to them 2. (Canada) a lawyer who represents clients in any court
bastion: n. - 1. a projecting part of a fortification 2. a fortified area or position 3. something that is considered a stronghold: bulwark
battlement: n. - a parapet with open spaces for shooting, such as you often see built on top of a castle wall, tower, or fort
belladonna: n. - 1. a poisonous herb native to Europe and Asia having bell-shaped flowers of purplish-brown or green, glossy black berries, and roots and leaves that yield atropine: deadly nightshade {flowers, berries} 2. a medicinal drug made from the extremely poisonous belladonna plant: atropine, deadly nightshade

bellwether: n. - 1. a male sheep, usually wearing a bell, that leads the flock 2. a leader, especially of a sheep-like crowd 3. anything suggesting the general tendency or direction of events, style, etc.
belonephobia: n. - fear of pins and needles
belvedere: n. - 1. a roofed structure, especially a small pavilion or tower on top of a building, situated so as to command a wide scenic view 2. a densely branched Eurasian plant with foliage which turns purple-red in autumn: burning bush, fire bush, summer cypress
benison: n. - a spoken blessing: benediction
Beowulf: n. - an inexpensive supercomputer created by clustering off-the-shelf personal computer components linked by a high-speed network and powered by Linux. Each of the networked computers executes a portion of the program in parallel. The term originated with the Beowulf Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. {Penny-pinching Hrothgar solved his problem of calculating the taxes for international Heorot Corporation by using Beowulf clusters: Each PC on the network was responsible for one line of the 1040 form and schedules; however, one part of the Linux code accidentally lopped off the revenues from the Grendel Conglomerate.}
berserker: n. - one of the ancient Norse warriors who had sworn allegiance to the sky god Odin. They were legendary for working themselves into a frenzy (often involving alocohol) before a battle and fighting with reckless savagery and insane fury regardless of wounds, often fighting unarmored or even naked [see also: berserk (adj. & adv.)]
bete noire: n. - something or someone particularly detested or avoided: bugbear
bibelot: n. - a small household ornament or decorative object: gewgaw, gimcrack, trinket
bibliotherapy: n. - a form of supportive psychotherapy in which carefully selected reading materials are used to assist a subject in solving personal mental or emotional problems; a form of therapy or self-help that uses books as therapeutic tools
bidet: n. - 1. a fixture similar in design to a toilet that is straddled for bathing the genitals and the posterior parts: sitz bath 2. a small horse formerly allowed to each trooper or dragoon for carrying his baggage
bifurcation: n. - a forking, or division into two branches
Big Blue: n. - slang for IBM, which uses blue as its corporate color
bildungsroman: n. - (German) a novel about the childhood and early adolescence of a character's life, with special attention paid to his or her moral, psychological, and intellectual development; literally, "education-novel" [see also: künstlerroman]
bilker: n. (see also v.) - 1. a person who cheats or swindles someone else 2. a person who hinders or prevents the efforts, plans, or desires of someone else 3. a person who avoids paying a debt to someone else 4. a person who escapes from someone or something 5. (Cribbage) a person who balks or spoils their opponent's crib score
billabong: n. - an Australian native term, from billa (water) + bong (dead), for a backwater channel forming a lagoon or pool
billet: n. (see also v.) - 1. a civilian house where soldiers are lodged temporarily 2. an official order stating that a householder has to provide temporary living quarters for a member of the armed forces 3. a short, thick piece of wood, especially firewood 4. (Metallurgy) a small bar of iron or steel in semifinished state in need of further processing 5. an employment position, together with its tasks: job 6. one of a series of regularly spaced, log-shaped segments used horizontally as ornamentation in the moldings of Norman architecture
billet-doux: n. - a love letter
billingsgate: n. - coarsely abusive, foul, or profane language
biloquist: n. - a person with power to speak in two distinct voices
biome: n. - a large community of plants and animals that occupies a distinct region, often determined by local climate and soil conditions. The earth contains ten biomes: deserts, savannas, grasslands, montanes, temperate forests, taigas, tundras, tropical rain forests, tropical dry forests, and islands. The two basic water biomes are freshwater and saltwater regions: bioclimatic zone
bionics: n. - 1. using knowledge of human biology and other systems in nature, such as the ability of plants to store solar energy or the aerodynamic design of bird wings, as a model for designing better machines 2. the use of electronic devices to replace damaged limbs and organs
biopsy: n. - an examination of tissues or liquids taken from a living person in order to determine the presence, cause, or extent of a disease
bivouac: n. - an encampment for the night, usually under little or no shelter
blackguard: n. - 1. a thoroughly dishonest, unprincipled, contemptible person: cad, devil, rogue, scoundrel, vagrant, villain 2. a foul-mouthed or verbally abusive person
blandishment: n. - speech or action that flatters and tends to coax, entice, or persuade: allurement
blenk: n. (see also v.) - a cheerful glance
Blue Laws: n. - state or local laws which rigorously prohibit certain activities (working, commercial activity, entertainment, sports, drinking alcohol) on Sunday to honor the Christian Sabbath. They were first employed during the 18th century in the Puritan town of New Haven, Connecticut. "Blue" was slang for puritanical. In most cases blue laws have been repealed, but vestiges remain at least informally
bluster: n. (see also v.) - 1. a violent, boisterous blowing 2. violent commotion 3. loudly boastful or threatening speech
booboisie: n. - a class of people regarded as stupid or foolish
boodle: n. - 1. a collection or lot of persons or things: caboodle 2. bribe money 3. a large amount, especially of money
bon vivant: n. - somebody who enjoys the luxuries in life, especially good food and wine
bonhomie: n. - good nature; pleasant and easy manner
borborygmus: n. - the rumbling sounds made by moving gases in the stomach and intestine
boskage: n. - a mass of trees or shrubs: thicket
botox: n. - a toxin derived from botulinum toxin Type A which has been used in the United States since 1990 to treat wrinkes around the eyes and mouth. It is also used to treat dystonia, a neurological disorder which causes muscle spasming. Botox stops nerve impulses from reaching nerve endings in the location where it is injected. Botox injections can take 5-10 days to kick in, and may only last anywhere from a few weeks to a month once new nerve endings start growing back
boulevardier: n. - 1. a frequenter of city boulevards, especially in Paris 2. a sophisticated, worldly, and socially active man; a man who frequents fashionable places: man-about-town
bouleversement: n. - complete overthrow; a turning upside down: reversal
bovarism: n. - 1. the distance between the way the world actually is and how an individual perceives it, regardless of whether or not the differences are intentional: (a) the act of engaging in a romantic escape from reality (b) mankind's ability to conceive reality other than it actually is, often a tragic mistake or character flaw in literature 2. the domination of an exaggerated, glamorized, or romantic view of oneself, especially when it causes problems in dealing with reality (from the title character of Gustave Flaubert's novel Madame Bovary): conceitedness
bowsprit: n. - a stout rounded pole of wood or metal used to support rigging that projects forward from the bow (front) of a boat, to which the stays (heavy rope or wire support cables) of the foremast (the main mast near the front of the ship) are fastened: spar {diagram, photo}
breviary: n. - 1. (Roman Catholic Church) a liturgical book containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially the hourly prayers recited daily by certain priests and members of religious orders. Before the advent of printing, breviaries were written by hand and were often richly decorated with initials and miniature illustrations telling stories in the lives of Christ or the saints, or stories from the Bible 2. a brief account or summary: abridgment, compend
bricolage: n. - construction or something constructed by using whatever comes to hand
brigandage: n. - a robber or bandit, especially one belonging to an outlaw band: thief
brinjal : n. - 1. (S. Afr.) an egg-shaped fruit having shiny skin, typically dark purple but occasionally white or yellow, often cooked and eaten as a vegetable: aubergine, eggplant, garden egg, mad apple {image} 2. (S. Afr.) a hairy upright herb native to southeastern Asia but widely cultivated for its large glossy edible fruit commonly used as a vegetable: eggplant bush
brio: n. - enthusiastic vigor: liveliness, spirit, vivacity
brocade: n. - 1. a rich oriental silk fabric with raised patterns in gold and silver 2. a fabric characterized by raised designs
bromidrophobia: n. - fear of body smells
Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR): n. - a .30-caliber air-cooled, automatic or semiautomatic, magazine-fed rifle, operated by gas pressure, weighing 20 pounds, capable of firing between 200 and 350 rounds per minute with an effective range of 600 m (2,000 ft), often provided with a rest for the barrel, used by U.S. troops in World Wars I and II and the Korean War {image}
bukkake: n. - a group sex practice where a series of men take turns ejaculating on a kneeling woman or man. At the end of the process, the recipient usually drinks the semen
busker: n. - a person who entertains (as by playing music) in public places
buss: n. (see also v.) – a kiss, especially if rude or playful; a smack: osculation 2. a small strong vessel with two masts and two cabins
cabal: n. (see also v.) - 1. a secret group of conspirators or plotters which seeks power through intrigue, particularly one formed for political purposes: camarilla, faction, junta 2. a plot to carry out some harmful or illegal act (especially a political plot): conspiracy 3. an exclusive group of people: clique
cachinnation: n. (see also v.) - loud or immoderate laughter
cacophobia: n. - fear of ugliness
cacophony: n. - harsh or discordant sound, especially in words or phrases: dissonance
caddy: n. - 1. a container that holds the CD-ROM 2. a box used to hold floppy disks when not in use
cadre: n. - 1. a core of trained personnel around which an organization is formed 2. a cell of indoctrinated leaders active in promoting the interests of a revolutionary party 3. a member of a tightly knit organization or revolutionary party 4. a framework upon which a larger entity can be built: scheme
caduceus: n. - 1. (Mythology) the official staff or wand of Hermes or Mercury, the messenger of the gods. Originally said to be a herald's staff of olive wood, it was later fabled to have two serpents coiled about it and two wings at the top 2. an insignia modeled on Hermes's staff and used as the symbol of the medical profession 3. a herald's wand or staff, especially in ancient times
caesura: n. - 1. a metrical break in a verse occurring in the middle of a foot and indicated in scanning by a double vertical line (eg. “The prop | er stud | y || of | mankind | is man.” -- Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man) 2. any break, pause, or interruption (as in conversation)
caftan: n. - 1. a full-length garment with elbow-length or long sleeves, worn chiefly in eastern Mediterranean countries 2. a westernized version of this garment consisting of a loose, usually brightly colored waist-length or ankle-length tunic
cairn: n. - 1. a pile of rough stones raised to mark a spot for walkers and climbers or as a memorial to someone who died or was buried at that spot: barrow, burial mound, tumulus 2. (Cairn) a small terrier with a shaggy, rough coat of hair, originally bred in Scotland
Caldecott Award: n. - the award annually given by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished picture book for children published in the United States during the preceding year, restricted to artists who are citizens or residents of the United States [see also: Newbery Award]
caldera: n. - a large crater where there used to be a volcano, caused by a major eruption followed by the collapse of the volcano's cone into a depression shaped like a wide bowl. This happens because too much of the magma underneath is lost for the cone to remain supported. A caldera is typically much wider than the volcano opening from which it was formed. Later, minor eruptions may build small cones on its floor. Some caldera fill with water, as did Crater Lake in Oregon
caliber: n. - 1. the degree of someone's ability, intelligence, merit, or character: quality 2. the internal diameter of a pipe, cylinder, or the barrel of a firearm 3. the external diameter of a projectile such as a bullet or a shell
caligynephobia: n. - fear of beautiful women
caliph: n. - (Islam) the civil and religious leader of Islam for Sunni Muslims (but rejected by Shiites), considered to be the successor of Muhammad, a representative of Allāh on earth, and by tradition always male; from Arabic khalifah, literally "successor"
calligraphy: n. - 1. highly decorative handwriting 2. the art of writing beautifully using special pens or brushes 2. a script written with a brush (especially Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic writing) that is highly valued for its elegant and artistic style
callithump: n. - a noisy, boisterous band or parade
calumet: n. - a highly ornamented ceremonial pipe of the American Indians
calumny: n. - 1. the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to damage another's reputation 2. a misrepresentation intended to blacken another's reputation
camarilla: n. - a group of unofficial, private or secret advisers to a person of authority, especially such a group involved in intrigues and secret plots: cabal, clique, faction, junta
camion: n. - 1. a large truck designed to carry heavy loads, usually without sides: lorry 2. a flat, low, heavy horse cart without sides, used for haulage: dray 3. a bus
camphor: n. - a strong-smelling resin obtained from the wood or leaves of the camphor tree, then synthesized and used for a variety of purposes, inlcuding: as an insect repellent, in creams to relieve mild pain and itching, and in the manufacture of celluloid film, plastics, and explosives
canard: n. - 1. a deliberately false report or rumor, especially something silly or derogatory intended as a joke; an unfounded rumour or story: fabrication, hoax 2. (Computing) a mistaken and confused belief 3. (Cooking) a duck intended or used for food 4. a set of small, fixed or variable wings in front of the main wings near the nose of an aircraft, attached in order to create extra horizontal stability {image: see definition 5} 5. an aircraft whose horizontal stabilizing surfaces are closer to the front of the plane than the main wing, rather than behind the main wing, which is currently common (it was named a canard due to the aircraft supposedly looking like a duck from the ground) {image}
carafe: n. - 1. a glass or metal bottle with a narrow neck, a flared lip and a stopper, used for serving water or wine: decanter, flagon, pitcher {image} 2. a glass pot with a pouring spout and a handle, used especially with a drip coffeemaker to brew and serve coffee
carapace: n. - 1. a protective, shell-like covering like that of a turtle or crustacean 2. something likened to a shell that serves to protect or isolate from external influence
caravansary: n. - (Islam) an elaborate inn-type complex built around a large court (for housing animals) used by cross-country caravans in central and western Asia
carbine: n. - a lightweight automatic rifle or musket with a short barrel, historically used by cavalry soldiers. Relatively modern models include the M1, M2, M3, M4, the XM8 and the De Lisle Carbine {image: 1, 2, 3, 4}
carnophobia: n. - fear of meat
carom: n. (see also v.) - 1. a collision followed by a rebound: glance, ricochet 2. a shot in billiards in which the cue ball contacts one object ball and then the other 3. a shot in pool in which the object ball is rebounded off another ball and into a pocket
carrion: n. - the rotting flesh of a dead animal
carte blanche: n. - unconditional power to act at one's own discretion; unconditional authority and complete freedom
cartomancist: n. - 1. a tarot reader 2. one who psychically interprets information from photo's, drawings, writings or pictures
caryatid: n. - (Architecture) a supporting column or pillar which has been sculpted into the form of a draped woman, especially one supporting the frieze or porch of a classical Greek temple {image}
Casbah: n. - 1. a North African castle or fortress 2. the native section of a North African city
cassock: n. - a close-fitting robe with straight sleeves, skirts reaching to the ankles, and buttons down the front, worn by Roman Catholic (and Anglican) clergy; priests wear black, bishops purple, cardinals red, and the Pope white (in most Western countries, the clergy have generally abandoned the cassock as everyday clothing in favour of a clerical suit of more conventional design): soutane {image}
castigatory: n. - a kind of chair formerly used for punishing scolding, abrasive, nagging women (and also dishonest tradesmen) by fastening them in it, usually in front of their doors, to be pelted and hooted at by the mob, but sometimes to be taken to the water and ducked: cucking stool, tumbrel, trebuchet
casuist: n. - someone whose reasoning is subtle and often deceptive: sophist
catafalque: n. - 1. a decorated platform or framework on which a coffin rests during a funeral 2. (Roman Catholic) a structure resembling a coffin that is used to represent a dead person at a requiem mass given after the person’s funeral
cataphasis: n. - an ironic rhetorical device where a writer or speaker draws attention to something negative by claiming to ignore it; such as, "Let's not mention my opponent's habit of lying," and "Far be it from me to question your stupid civilization or its dumb customs.": apophasis, paralipsis, preterition
cataphatism: n. - the religious belief that God can be known and can be described in positive, affirmative terms (in terms of what God is, rather than what he is not: God is all-knowing, the creator, ominpresent, eternal, loving, just, etc.) [antonym: apophatism]
cataplasm: n. - a warm, soft, moist and sometimes medicated mass (such as clay, flour, plant material, bread, meal, or other adhesive substance) spread on cloth and placed on a sore, a cut, an aching muscle, or inflamed body part to ease pain, improve circulation, sooth irritation, prevent infection, or hasten the expression of pus: plaster, poultice
catbird seat: n. - a position of great prominence or advantage
catechumen: n. - 1. a new convert who is being taught the principles, doctrine and discipline of Christianity by a catechist before receiving baptism or confirmation: neophyte 2. one who is being instructed in a subject at an elementary level
caterwaul: n. (see also v.) - 1. a shrill, discordant sound 2. a noisy quarrel 3. a multi-octave yowl usually performed as a duet by two cats that are getting ready to rumble; a harsh cry
catoptrophobia: n. - fear of mirrors or seeing oneself in a mirror: eisoptrophobia
caucus: n. - 1. a closed meeting of people in the same political party or faction, usually to select candidates or to decide on policy 2. a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause
cavalcade: n. - 1. a procession of riders, horse-drawn carriages, vehicles or ships 2. a dramatic sequence or procession: series
cavil: n. (see also v.) - a trivial or frivolous objection: quibble
celerity: n. - rapidity of motion or action: quickness, swiftness
celluloid: n. (see also adj.) - 1. one of the earliest invented plastics, a colorless flammable material made from nitrocellulose and camphor, formerly used to make photographic film 2. the photographic film formerly used for making movies: motion-picture film 3. the movies as a medium or art form: the cinema, motion pictures
cellulose: n. - a complex carbohydrate made up of glucose units and obtained from the cell walls of plants, it is important in the manufacture of many products, such as plastics, paper, textiles, cellophane, pharmaceuticals, synthetic fibers, photographic film (celluloid), and explosives
cenobite: n. – a member of a religious order living in common, such as at a convent or monastery [antonym: anchorite, eremite]
certiorari: n. - a writ issued by a higher court to obtain records on a case from a lower court so that the case can be reviewed
chador: n. - a loose-fitting, full-body outer garment worn as traditional dress by Hindu and Muslim women. The chador, which also covers the head, is made of lightweight fabric that is usually black
chagrin: n. (see also v.) - strong feelings of embarrassment, annoyance or confusion due to disappointment or failure; anger at being let down: dismay, displeasure, frustration, humiliation, hurt pride, moritification, shame, vexation
chaise: - 1. a light, open carriage with two wheels and drawn by one horse, often has a collapsible hood 2. a long chair for reclining
chanteuse: n. - a woman who is a concert or nightclub singer
chapelle ardente: n. - 1. a framework holding burning candles over a coffin or catafalque; literally, "burning chapel" 2. the chapel or room in which the corpse of a sovereign or other exalted personage lies in state pending the funeral service
charientism: n. - 1. a gracefully or artfully veiled insult 2. the expression of an unpleasant thing in an agreeable manner: euphemism
chaussure: n. - a foot covering of any kind: boot, footgear, shoe, sock
chawbacon: n. - a stereotypically stupid, uncultured country man: bumpkin, hick, rube, rustic, yahoo, yokel
chiasm: n. - 1. an intersection or crossing of two lines 2. (Anatomy) a crossing of two fibrous bundles (such as tendens, nerves, or tracts) in the form of the letter X 3. (Cytogenetics) the site at which two homologous chromosomes make contact (thus appearing to be crossed), enabling the exchange of genetic material during the prophase stage of meiosis
chiasmus: n. - (Rhetoric) a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases, more concisely described as reverse parallelism. In its classical application, chiasmus would have been used for structures that do not repeat the same words and phrases, as in “He went to the country, to the town went she” [see also: antimetabole]
chibi: n. - 1. in the context of anime (Japanese cartoons) or manga (Japanese comic books), this word refers to drawing a character in a very particular and highly stylized way: with very short, stubby bodies that are about the same size as the head, large puppy-dog eyes, and the lack of a detailed anatomy. (For example, they often lack fingers. Instead, they look as if they are wearing mittens or have fingers shaped like baby hands. Also, most chibi have have v-shaped "nubs" rather like pointed ballerina shoes rather than normal feet.) Chibi are typically known to be super-cute, speak in childlike voices, and often have a mischievous or indignant personality. A chibi rendition of a character is usually done for humor. Sometimes, in the Western fandom, it is used to denote a child version of a character, (for example: Chibi Vegeta, Chibi InuYasha, or Chibi Sailor Moon) 2. (Japanese) a short person or child. If used to describe a teenager or adult, this word likely is meant as an insult: dwarf, runt, shrimp
chickabiddy: n. - 1. a chicken: fowl 2. a trivial term of endearment for a child
chiffonier: n. - 1. a narrow, high chest of drawers or bureau, often with a mirror attached 2. one who gathers rags and odds and ends: ragpicker 3. a receptacle for rags or shreds
chignon: n. - a roll or knot of hair worn at the back of the head, especially at the nape of the neck
chilblains: n. - itchy or painful inflamation of the hands and feet caused by exposure to cold and moisture
chiliasm: n. - (see also adj.) - the belief in Jesus Christ's Second Coming, and that he will reign on earth for 1,000 years, thereby beginning the final conflict between good and evil (the end of the world), based on the book of Revelation in the Bible: millenarianism, millennialism, millenniumism
chintz: n. (see also adj.) - 1. a glazed cotton fabric usually printed with a brightly colored pattern, used for bed covers, quilts, curtains and upholstery 2. a printed or stained calico fabric made in India
chin-wag: n. - (slang) light informal conversation for social occasions: banter, causerie, chitchat, gab, gossip, small talk, tittle-tattle
chipotle: n. - a wrinkled, reddish-brown jalapeno pepper that is smoked and dried, then used in salad dressings, grilled chicken, salsas, and other dishes to add a smoky, sweet flavor
chouse: n. (see also v.) - 1. one who is easily cheated: gull, simpleton, tool 2. a trick: imposition, sham 3. a swindler
chrestomathy: n. - 1. a selection of passages compiled as an aid to learning a language 2. a volume of selected passages or stories of an author
chromatophobia: n. - fear of colors
chypre: n. - perfume made from sandalwood
cicatrix: n. - 1. a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue: scar 2. (Botony) a scar left on a stem where a leaf used to be attached
cilice: n. - a garment of horse hair or camel hair formerly worn by monks: hair shirt, haircloth
cincture: n. (see also v.) - 1. something that encircles or surrounds 2. a belt, girdle, sash, or something worn round the body 3. one of the vestments of Catholic clergy -- a long, white, rope-like cord with tassled ends, tied around the waist, symbolizing chastity and purity
cineast: n. - 1. a devotee of motion pictures; film enthusiast 2. film producer: moviemaker
circumlocution: n. - the use of many words to express an idea that might be expressed by few; indirect or roundabout language
civet: n. - 1. any of various carnivorous catlike mammals of Africa and Asia having anal scent glands that secrete a fluid with a musky odor: civet cat 2. the thick yellowish musky fluid secreted by a civet cat, used in the manufacture of perfumes 3. the fur of a civet cat
civil rights: n. - the nonpolitical rights of a citizen; the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress
claque: n. - 1. a group hired to applaud at a performance 2. a group of fawning admirers or sycophants
claymore: n. - a large, double-edged, two-handed broadsword formerly used by Scottish Highlanders
cleft lip: n. - a separation of the upper lip that can extend into the nose, but which can be corrected through surgery {image}
cleft palate: n. - a condition in which the two plates of the skull that form the hard palate (roof of the mouth) are not completely joined, and perhaps do not meet at all. In some cases, a cleft lip [see entry above] is present as well {Drawings, Photograph}
clemency: n. - 1. a disposition to forgive and spare offenders: mercy 2. an act or instance of mercy or leniency 3. mildness, especially of weather
climacteric: n. – 1. a major turning point or critical stage 2. the period in a woman’s life that marks the end of her reproductive capacity: menopause 3. the period in a man’s life corresponding to female menopause usually marked by less well-defined physiological and psychological changes and a reduction in sexual activity, although fertility is retained 4. the marked and sudden rise in the respiratory rate of fruit just prior to full ripening
clubfoot: n. - a deformity of the foot, usually marked by a curled shape or twisted position of the ankle, heel, and toes making it impossible to place the sole flat on the ground: talipes {image}
clusterfist: n. - a close-fisted or grasping person: cheapskate, glutton, hoarder, hog, miser, moneygrubber, muckworm, niggard, penny pincher, scrooge, tightwad
coadjutor: n. - 1. one who aids another: assistant, coworker, helper, second 2. an assistant to a bishop, especially one designated to succeed the bishop
Cockaigne:n. - an imaginary land of great luxury and ease
cockalorum: n. - 1. a boastful, self-important little man with an unduly high opinion of himself 2. boastful talk: braggadocio
codex: n. - 1. the earliest form of book (manuscript pages held together by stitching, which replaced scrolls and wax tablets), especially of an ancient classic or the Scriptures. Today's books are based on the same form 2. an official or standard list of drug formulas and or chemical descriptions
coeval:n. (see also adj.) - one of the same age; a contemporary
cognomen: n. - 1. a familiar name for a person, such as a shortened version of a person's given name (eg. 'Joe' for 'Joseph') or a descriptive nickname acquired through usage over a period of time (eg. 'Billy the kid'): moniker, nickname, sobriquet 2. the name used to identify the members of a family: family name, last name, surname 3. in ancient Rome, the third and usually last name of a (male) citizen, indicating the person's house or family (eg. "Caesar" in "Gaius Julius Caesar")
cognoscente: n. - a person with special knowledge of a subject: connoisseur
cohort: n. - 1. a united group or band of people, especially of warriors or followers (originally one of the 10 divisions of a Roman legion, consisting of 300 to 600 men) 2. a companion or associate: colleague 3. a group of people sharing a common factor such as the same age or the same income bracket, especially in a statistical survey 4. an accomplice: abettor 5. (Biology) a group of animals of the same species, identified by a set of common characteristics, which are studied over a period of time as part of a scientific or medical investigation 6. in a clinical study, a well-defined group of subjects or patients who have had a common experience or exposure and are then followed up for the incidence of new diseases or events
coitophobia: n. - fear of sexual intercourse
colloquist: n. - a speaker in a dialogue (or colloquy)
colloquy: n. - 1. a formal, high-level, or serious conversation: colloquium, conference, debate, dialogue, discussion, forum, seminar, symposium 2. a gathering for discussion of theological questions 3. (Congress) a pre-scripted floor dialogue between the chairman of a committee and another congressman, conducted to clarify the intent behind certain provisions for purposes of legislative history 4. a discussion during a hearing between the judge and the defendant usually to ascertain the defendant's understanding of his or her rights and of the court proceedings 5. a written work in the form of a dialogue, especially a literary work
combine: n. - a large piece of farm equipment used to harvest grain
compendium: n. - 1. a concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work; an abstract 2. a list or collection of various items; a publication containing a variety of works
compunction: n. - 1. anxiety arising from awareness of guilt: regret 2. distress of mind over an anticipated action or result 3. a twinge of misgiving: doubt, qualm, scruple
concatenation: n. - a series or order of things depending on each other, as if linked together: chain, succession.
concinnity: n. - harmony or elegance of design especially of literary style in adaptation of parts to a while or to each other
concomitant: n. (see also adj.) - something that accompanies or is collaterally connected with something else: accompaniment
concordat: n. - 1. a formal agreement: compact, covenant 2. an agreement between the pope and a government for the regulation of church affairs
confection: n. - 1. a sweet food or fancy dish prepared from a variety of ingredients 2. a food rich in sugar: candy, dessert 3. an elaborately constructed thing; a piece of fine craftsmanship 4. a frivolous, amusing, or contrived play, book, or other artistic or literary work
congeries: n. - the sum total of many different things taken together; a disorderly collection: aggregation, assortment, conglomeration, heap
conker: n. - (U.K.) a horse chestnut, without its spiny outer casing, used in the game of conkers
conkers: n. - (U.K.) a game, usually for two people, each with a conker threaded onto a string, in which players try to smash the opponent’s conker by hitting it with their own (the game used to be played with snail shells instead of horse chestnuts)
conquian: n. - a card game for two played with 40 cards from which all games of rummy developed
Conservative Judaism: n. - the branch of Judaism that accepts most of the principles and practices of traditional Judaism but supports the modification and relaxing of certain Mosaic laws (when authorized by the Conservative rabbinate) in order to fit modern circumstances, such as some of the dietary laws [see also: Orthodox Judaism and Reform Judaism]
consonance: n. - 1. agreement or harmony: accord 2. (Rhetoric) the repitition of similar-sounding consonants, especially at the ends of words in prose or verse, such as between "strong" and "ring" [see also: alliteration, assonance, consonance] 3. a combination of notes that sound pleasing when played simultaneously: concordance, harmoniousness [antonym: dissonance]
consubstantiation: n. - (Protestantism) the doctrine, proposed by Martin Luther, that the substance of the body and blood of Jesus coexists with the substance of the consecrated bread and wine in Eucharist [antonym: transubstantiation]
conurbation: n. - a collection or continuous network of urban communities
convalescence: n. - the period needed for gradually regaining one's health and strength after an illness, an injury, or a surgical operation, often involving bed rest: recovery, recuperation
conventicle: n. - a secret or unauthorized religious meeting, especially an illegal one, such as those held by dissenters (Quakers) in England and Scotland in the 16th and 17th centuries
coolie: n. - 1. in South Asia, China, and parts of East and Southeast Asia, an offensive term for a local man hired cheaply to do manual labor 2. an offensive term for somebody brought to the United States from China during the 19th century to construct railroads, or generally any person brought from the far east to do physical labor 3. an offensive term for an employee who is treated as merely one of many unworthy of concern 4. (drug slang) a cigarette laced with cocaine
coquette: n. (see also v.) - a woman who makes teasing sexual or romantic proposals without sincere intent or affection; a vain, trifling woman, who endeavors to attract admiration in order to gratify vanity: heartbreaker, minx, player, seducer, siren, tease, vamp, vixen
cormorant: n. - 1. a genus of sea birds having a sac under the beak for holding fish 2. a voracious eater: glutton
corniche: n. - 1. a road that winds along the side of a steep coast or cliff 2. a very expensive convertible produced by Rollz Royce in the ‘60s and ‘70s
corpulence: n. - the condition of being excessively fat: obesity
corpus callosum: n. - the thick, white band of nerve fibers connecting the right and left halves of the brain in humans and other mammals
cortege: n. - 1. the group following and attending to some important person: entourage, retinue 2. a funeral procession
Corybant: n. (see also adj.) - one of the attendants or priests of the Phrygian goddess Cybele, noted for wildly emotional processions and rites including lively music and ecstatic dances
cosmogony: n. (see also adj.) - 1. the branch of astrophysics that studies the origin, evolution and structure of the universe 2. the creation or origin of the world or universe 3. a specific theory or model of the origin and evolution of the universe
cotillion: n. - 1. a formal dance or ball, especially one at which young ladies are presented to society 2. a lively, complex dance which originated in France and is related to the quadrille, it was popular in the 18th century 3. a piece of music used for the French dance mentioned above
coulrophobia: n. - fear of clowns
courseware: n. - educational software
covey: n. - 1. a family or small flock of game birds (especially partridge, grouse, or quail) 2. a small group, as of people
cravat: n. - a scarf or band of fabric worn around a man's neck, tied in a slipknot with the long ends overlapping vertically in front, usually tucked inside an open-necked shirt or formal vest: neckerchief, tie {image}
cravat bandage: n. - a bandage made by bringing the point of a triangular bandage to the middle of the base and then folding lengthwise to the desired width {image}
creel: n. - 1. a large wicker basket worn on the back or suspended from the shoulder, used especially by anglers (people trying to catch fish using a rod, line and hook) for carrying fish 2. a wicker trap for catching fish or lobsters 3. a rack, bar, or set of bars in a spinning machine which holds the bobbins or spools
crinoline: n. - 1. an open-weave fabric of horsehair or cotton that is usually stiffened and used especially for some women's hats and between the fabric and lining of a curtain or piece of clothing to make it thicker or warmer 2. a full, stiff skirt or underskirt made of crinoline: hoopskirt
crisp sets: n. - (Fuzzy Logic) the term used in fuzzy logic to describe traditional set theory. That is, an object either belongs to a set, or does not
crosier: n. - (also spelled 'crozier') 1. a staff with a shepherd's crook or a cross at the end, carried by or before an abbot, bishop, or archbishop as a symbol of office {images: 1 & 2} 2. a part of a plant that has a curled end, for example, the frond of a fern {image}
crotchet: n. - 1. a highly individual and usually eccentric opinion or preference: eccentricity, kink, kinkiness, quirk, twist 2. a peculiar trick or device
crotchfruit: n. - a child or children. Perhaps inspired by the expression the fruit of one’s loins, this term began among supporters of child-free public spaces, but has since spread to parents who use it jokingly: anklebiters, crib lizards, offspring, semen demons, spawn, rug rats
cryptogram: n. - a text or message that is in code or cipher (for example, the cryptogram ‘mutcpimmuq’ represents ‘longfellow” where m = l, u = o, etc.)
cud: n. - 1. food regurgitated from the first stomach to the mouth and chewed again (as cattle do) 2. something held in the mouth and chewed, such as a wad of tobacco
cull: n. (see also v.) - something picked out from others, especially something rejected because of inferior quality
cum licentia: n. - (Latin) printed in old books to inform readers that the work was published with the approval of existing ecclesiastical or secular (usually royal) authorities. The Roman Catholic Church still requires "imprimatur" and "nihil obstat" in books representing its official teachings; literally, "with license": cum privilegio, imprimatur, nihil obstat
cumshaw: n. - 1. a material favor or gift, usually money, given in return for service: bonus, gratuity, largess, tip, present 2. a payoff: bribe
cum privilegio: n. - (Latin) printed in old books to inform readers that the work was published with the approval of existing ecclesiastical or secular (usually royal) authorities. The Roman Catholic Church still requires "imprimatur" and "nihil obstat" in books representing its official teachings; literally, "with permission": cum licentia, imprimatur, nihil obstat
cunnilingus: n. - sexual stimulation of a woman’s genitals using the tongue and lips
cupidity: n. - eager or excessive desire, especially for wealth: avarice, greed
cupola: n. - 1. a vertical, cylindrical furnace for melting iron for casting 2. a roof in the form of a dome 3. a small, round, domed structure on a tracked, armored vehicle (as for observation)
curé: n. - a parish priest in a French-speaking country: vicar
curettage: n. - the removal of tissue or growths from the interior of a body cavity, such as the uterus, by scraping with a curette
curling: n. - a game played on ice by two teams of four players each, in which a heavy, thick disk of stone or iron (the curling stone) is slid toward a target circle at the other end of the rink: players may sweep the ice before the moving disk to remove ice particles and other foreign matter and control the course and speed of the disk
curriculum vitę: n. - a summary of a person’s education, previous occupations, and skills sent with a job application: résumé
cynosure: n. - 1. anything which strongly calls attention to itself; a center of attraction 2. something which serves to guide or direct 3. [Capitalized] the northern constellation Ursa Minor, which contains the North Star; also, the North Star itself
cypre: n. - large tropical American tree grown for its abundant creamy white flowers and valuable wood
cytogenetics: n. - the branch of biology that studies the cellular aspects of heredity (especially chromosomes)
cytology: n. - the branch of biology that studies the structure and function of cells

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