WORDCRAFT DICTIONARY, A-B
Note:
clickable items link to Wordcraft Archives, which may have further notes
a baculo "by means of the
rod" used of an argument appealing to force rather than reason
aa lava having a rough surface [Hawaiian, 'to burn']
ab ovo from the beginning [Latin, 'from the egg']
abarcy insatiableness [from Bailey's
1731 dictionary; may be erroneous]
abattoir a
slaughterhouse
abbey-lubber old term of
reproach for a lazy monk
abbozzo a rough,
preliminary sketch (not necessarily pictorial; could be a sketch of an opera)
abderian given
to laughter; particularly, inclined to foolish or incessant merriment
abecedarian n. one who is just
learning; a beginner; adj. elementary
abecedarian poem a poem having verses
beginning with the successive letters of the alphabet
abigail eponym: a lady's maid
abishag eponym:
the child of a woman by a man married to someone else
abjure to
renounce under oath; forswear (also discussed here)
ablution the
act of washing oneself (or another person), typically as part of a religious
rite. (Typically used in the plural, as in performed his ablutions.)
abomasum the fourth division of the stomach in ruminant animals (cows,
sheep, and deer, which chew the cud), in which digestion takes place. The prior
three portions are the rumen, the reticulum, and the omasum
(also known as manyplies or psalterium). Fascinating, huh?
absquatulate to
make off hurriedly, decamp, abscond [with a guilty sense, as He
absquatulated with the silver.]
abstemious moderate and sparing, as in
eating or in lifestyle
abysmal of ocean depths below bathyal (4000 meters)
Acacia Avenue Brit;
facetious: any middle-class suburban street
acanthocephala a type of intestinal
worms
acarophobia fear of mites, small insects
or worms
acaudal
tailless
access admission to sexual
intercourse: During coverture, access of the husband shall be presumed,
unless the contrary be shown. Blackstone
accinge to gird up one's loins [from L. for belt]
accipitrine hawk-like (as, an accipitrine
nose, like a hawk's beak)
acclimatization the process of inuring to a new
climate, or the state of being so inured
accoucheuse
midwife (accoucheur male midwife; obstetrician)
accumbent lying down, reclining (biology:
leaning upon something)
accusative language one where the form of a noun indicates whether it is subject,
object etc. [contrast English, with uses word-order]
acedia
spiritual torpor and apathy; ennui. (also the formal name of one of the
seven deadly sins)
aceldama a field of blood; a bloody battlefield
acetabulum the hip socket
Achilles' heel eponym: a
seemingly small but actually crucial weakness
achiote a hard seed
from the annatoo tree, achiote is pounded into a powder or made into a paste.
It has a mild, earthy flavor.
aclastic not refracting; applied to substances which do not refract
the rays of light which pass through
acnestis the part of a mammal it cannot reach to scratch
acolyte a
devoted follower or attendant
aconite a poisonous
plant bearing spikes of hooded pink or purple flowers. a/k/a monkshood,
wolfsbane
across
the board covering all categories
ad hominem
argument countering an opponent's argument by attacking the
opponent, rather than the argument he makes
ad infinitum without limit; endlessly
adamite
1. a religious sect that worships in the nude,
or a nudist a sect whose members, purporting to return to Adam's
pure condition, cast off their clothing as part of worship. 2. Adam's
descendant as opposed inferior creatures descended from inferior men said to
have created before Adam
addax a long-horned desert antelope
of
addlepated befuddled; confused
adonis eponym: a very
handsome young man
adunation a uniting; a union
adust scorched or burn-darkened
brown
aeolian harp a wind
harp: an open box over which are stretched strings that sound when the wind
passes over them. [see entry for eolian]
aeolipyle;
aeolipile a hollow ball that turns through steam escaping through
valves
Aesir the Norse gods
aesthete one of
excessive or affected pursuit and admiration of beauty. aestheticize
to depict in an idealized or artistic manner
afflatus a
strong creative impulse. lit. or fig.: born of divine inspiration
afterglow 1. a glow seen when
the illumination has gone (as just after sunset) 2. the lingering a feeling
of a past, usually pleasant emotion
agalaxy failure of
lactation; failure of the due secretion of milk after childbirth
agelast someone who never laughs
agenbite of inwit the remorse of conscience
agitron see squeans
aglet the
plastic sheath, on the end of a shoelace, to facilitate its passing through
eyelet holes
agley adv. off to one side;
awry, out of kilter
agnomen see cognomen
agnostic coinage: one believes that nothing can
be known concerning the existence of God.
agraphia inability to write
(as a manifestation of brain-disease)
ahimsa a Buddhist and
Hindu doctrine expressing belief in the sacredness of all living creatures and
urging the avoidance of harm and violence
aileron a hinged
surface in the trailing edge of an aircrafts wing
airball (from basketball) a highly-visible total miss
akimbo hand on hip position with
elbow turned outward
alacrity brisk eagerness or
enthusiasm
alalaes war-cries
alaudine like a skylark
albedo the
spongy white tissue on the inside of the rind of citrus fruit (has further
definitions)
albinism
whiteness due to absence of pigment; contrast leucism
alcedama a
battlefield; a place with dreadful associations (accent on second syllable.
Aramaic "field of blood")
alchemy from the Greek word for the juices or infusions of plants
alcopop a sweet fizzy alcoholic drink
that tastes as if it does not contain alcohol
alfonsin; alphonsin eponym:
a surgical instrument for extracting bullets from wounds
algetic relating to or causing pain (opposite of analgesic)
algid cold;
chilly [much of its usage is metaphoric]
algorism eponym: use of the Arabic
number system (rather than, say, Roman numerals)
algorithm eponym: a step-by-step
procedure for solving a problem in a finite number of steps, often involving
repetition of an operation
Alice blue eponym:
a pale grayish-blue color, supposedly the eye-color of Alice Roosevelt
Longworth (1884-1980)
Alice in Wonderland eponym:
illusory; unreal
alienist a psychiatrist
aliquot dividing into exactly (e.g.,
3 is an aliquot part of 12, but not of 13)
allelopathy the release, by a plant, of chemicals that inhibit the growth
of other plants nearby
alliaceous smelling (or
tasting) like garlic or onions
alligator (etymology) a large New-World
reptile, akin to the crocodile. alligatoring the cracking of paint,
varnish etc. into a crazed pattern like alligator hide
allivion 1.
same as 'alluvium' 2. the flow of water against a shore or bank 3.
inundation by water; flood
alluvial made
of or relating to alluvium; that is, soil deposited by flowing water
alluvium
sediment deposited by flowing water, as in a riverbed, flood plain, or delta
alpha male a male
in a pack of wolves, etc., to whom other members submit (in humans: dominant
man; a man who controls the activities of a group and to whom others defer)
Alphonse and Gaston eponym:
two people who treat each other with excessive, often self-defeating deference
also-ran a loser in a race or contest. (Wordcrafter note: tends to
imply a unimportant and forgettable one, not close enough to be notable.)
alveolar pertaining to the ridge just
behind the teeth
amazon eponym: a tall,
aggressive, strong-willed woman
ambeer chiefly Southern U.S.
saliva colored by tobacco chewed or held in the mouth; tobacco juice. etymology
Alteration (influenced by beer, with reference to color and foam of the
spittle) of amber (from its color)
ambrosia something very
pleasing to taste or smell (also, a dessert of oranges and shredded
coconut)
amicus
curiae law: a person who, though not a party
to a lawsuit, is permitted to file a brief because of his strong interest in
the legal issue
ammunition (etymology) 1. the material
to charge firearms, cannon, etc.: shot, shell, powder 2. points used as
to support in argument
amour propre;
amour-propre self-esteem; typically
with sense of excessive pride; vanity. (literally, love of oneself) [also here]
ampersand the & sign. Schoolboys
recited the Latin meaning "and by itself is 'and'," (in Latin,
"and per se and"), and the phrase became shortened to ampersand.
amphibology;
amphiboly an ambiguity which results from ambiguous grammar: nothing is good enough for you
amphigory 1. (OED)
a burlesque writing filled with nonsense; a composition without sense, as a
Latin nonsense-verse 2. (actual usage) rubbish, twaddle, poppycock,
in writing or speech
Amphitryon eponym: a generous
entertainer; a good host
amplexus the
mating embrace of a toad or a frog. technical word with fine potential for
figurative use: a woman must suffer much amplexus before she meets her Prince
Charming
amuse-bouche (ah-mewz-BOOSH) or amuse-gueule a "palate
teaser": a bite of food served before a meal to whet the palate; more
whimsical than hors d'oeuvres, and smaller than appetizers, often bite-sized
anabasis an advance, esp.
a military one (contrast katabasis);
also: the onset of a disease
anabatic of or relating
to rising wind currents (converse: katabatic)
anabolism the metabolic process of
building up tissues in the body (contrast catabolism)
anachorism something set in the wrong
place (compare anachronism)
anachronism something set in the wrong time
(e.g., a radio in a play set in ancient Greece) 2. the thing thus misplaced
Anacreontic eponym: erotic;
convivial; such a song or poem
anadromous (see also here) migrating 'up', from the sea to fresh water, to spawn
(e.g., salmon); contrast catadromous
anagapesis
a loss of feelings for one formerly loved
analects selected
miscellaneous written passages (often used as a title)
anamorphic projection optical distortion which
stretches or compresses an image in one dimension but not the other
ananias eponym: a liar
anantapodoton a rhetorical device in which
the main clause is implied but not stated: If you think I'm going to sit
here and take your insults
ananym a name written backwards as
pseudonym or password
anapestic see iambic
anaphora 1. rhetoric: repeating
at the beginning of successive parallel phrases: "But in a larger sense,
we can not dedicate we can not consecrate we can not hallow this
ground". (contrast epistrophe) 2. linguistics: using a pronoun,
etc., to refer back, as the her in Anne asked Edward to pass her the salt.
(contrast cataphora)
anatine like a duck
anaxiphilia the
act of falling in love with the wrong person
ancien rιgime a political or
social system that has been replaced by a more modern one
anconeal
relating to the elbow
andropause the
male equivalent of menopause. (An alternate term is viropause.)
anguine snake-like; serpent-like
anile
old-womanish; like a doddering old woman. (the feminine counterpart of senile)
anililagnia sexual desire for older women
(Mrs. Byrne's Dict. and on-line private dicts.)
ankh a figure resembling a cross,
with a loop or ring forming a handle instead of the upper arm. used in ancient
Egyptian art as a symbol of life.
Annie Oakley eponym:
a free ticket or pass
annus mirabilis a year
notable for disasters or wonders; a fateful year
anorak a kind of heavy waterproof jacket,
usually hooded
anorexic of severe economy of style and expression [A rare use: in AHD
but not in OED, MW, etc.; arguably the uses are as a metaphor, not as a word.]
anserine goose-like
Anshauung
intuition; sense awareness or perception
Antaean eponym: mammoth, or of
superhuman strength
antagonym a word that has two opposite meanings; a contronym
antalaphobia fear of floods
antanaclasis a form
of pun: repeating a word but with a different meaning. (Your argument is
sound, nothing but sound.)
antapology a
reply to an apology ('apology' in the old sense of 'a defense or
justification')
antebellum of the period
preceding a particular war (but almost always used with reference to the U.S.
Civil War; that is, pre-1861)
antediluvian of the
period before Noah's flood; also very antiquated, so extremely old as
seeming to belong to an earlier period; as, an antediluvian vehicle
antejentacular before
breakfast
antepenultimate the
third-to-last (note: ultimate means "the last", and penultimate
means "the next-to-last")
anteric
seeking vengeance for slighted love
anthemion a pattern of honeysuckle or palm leaves in a radiating
cluster, used as a motif in Greek art
anthimeria using a word of one class as if it were a another; typically
using a noun as a verb
anthology a collection of
literary pieces, such as poems, short stories, plays
anthropic of or
belonging to a human being; of a human sort
anthropic
principle the principle that theories of the universe are
constrained by the need to allow for man's existence in it as an observer
anthropocene* the epoch in which
human activity has been shaping the earth
antibias bias in the opposite direction
antimacassar a cover for the back of a
chair, to protect it from hair oil
antimony a
brittle, silvery-white elemental metal (see antinomy)
antinomian of the rejection the moral law (note: not the
adjective form of 'antinomy')
antinomy a
paradox in which two contradictory principles are both correct (see antimony)
antipelargy mutual kindness, esp. the
kindness of an adult to his or her aged parent
antiphon a verse or song to
be chanted or sung in response
antipodes literally,
any two places on diametrically opposite sides of the earth. figuratively,
something that is the exact opposite or contrary of another (from Greek
antipodes, "people with feet opposite ours". anti-
"opposite" + pous "foot")
antistrophe 1. the repetition of
words in reversed order 2. the repetition of a word or phrase at the end
of successive clauses
antonomasia use of a descriptive epithet in lieu of the true name
("Her Majesty" for "Queen Elizabeth") or vice versa
apartheid a
condition of segregation, or a policy/practice of segregating. contrast ubuntu
apercu;
aperηu a discerning insight
aphasia inability to use or understand language, due to
brain injury
aphoristic marked by aphorism
(a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage)
Apician eponym: epicurean;
peculiarly dainty in food
apikoros (pl. apikorsim) a Jew who
denies the fundamental tenets of the Jewish faith; a Jewish apostate. Not in
dictionaries, but sometimes used. A Hebrew word, which came originally from
Greek.
apocalyptic 1.
portending widespread devastation or ultimate doom 2. wildly
unrestrained; esp. in exaggerated predictions of a disastrous outcome
apocryphal of doubtful authenticity
apodyopsis the act of mentally
undressing someone (Grandiloquent Dict. on-line; not verifiable)
apogee metaphoric: the culmination or highest point reached
apollo a young man of
great physical beauty
Apollonian eponym: 1. characterized by clarity,
harmony, and restraint 2. serenely high-minded; noble
apology* a formal justification; a
defense (as in the sense of apologist)
apoplexy (adj. apoplectic) a fit of extreme anger; rage
[also the name of a medical condition]
apostrophe (rhetoric) addressing an
absent or imaginary person or thing: O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory?
apothegm a short pithy instructive
saying; a maxim
apotheosis a model example [compare epitome]
apparatchik an
unquestioningly loyal subordinate, especially in politics
appoggiatura an embellishing musical note
apricot (etymology) Arabic al ('the') became attached
attached to the fruit's name birquq
apron (etymology) a protective garment covering the front of ones clothes
and tied at the back
aptonym an appropriate name, such as
William Wordsworth, the poet, or Margaret Court, the tennis
champion. Some sources insert a letter r after the t, which your
lexicographer suggests is purposeless and violates the pattern of such words as
homonym and synonym (we do not say "homornym" or "synornym").
arachibutyrophobia fear
of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth
arachnoid mater see dura
mater
arachnology the scientific study of
spiders and related organisms
Arcadia;
arcadia a region offering rural simplicity and contentment
arcanum (plural arcana) 1.
a secret; a mystery 2. specialized or mysterious knowledge
arch (adj.) mischievous, roguish
architrave see entablature
arκte a sharp, narrow mountain
ridge or spur
argosy a large
merchant ship, or a fleet of ships; also, a rich source or supply: an
argosy of adventure lore
argus eponym: a watchful
guardian (Argus-eyed = vigilantly observant)
argy-bargy Scottish: quarrelsome; or a lively
or disputatious discussion
aristarch eponym: a severe
critic (adj. aristarchian)
armalcolite a mineral not of eath, found on the moon, named for
astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins
arras toponym: a tapestry wall hanging
arroyo a deep and usually dry gully cut by an intermittent stream
artamesia sexual
dissatisfaction in a woman due to the premature climax of her partner
artesian toponym; of a well or spring: with water rising
spontaneously to the surface, due to underground pressure [as a result of the
water-pocket lying at an angle]
arvo Australian slang: afternoon
asanka the number expressed as a 1 followed by forty-five zeros
asinine like a donkey
aspergill;
aspergillum an instrument, such as a brush or a perforated container, for
sprinkling holy water
asperse 1. to
sprinkle 2. to spread false or damaging charges or insinuations against
[more familiar is to cast aspersions]
aspersorium 1. an
aspergill 2. the basin or other vessel for holy water
asphodel a
flower of the lily family, with white, pink, or yellow flowers clusters of
flowers
assanka the number expressed as a 1 followed by sixty-three zeros; a vigintillion
assassin (etymology) from Arabic
hashishiyyin "hashish-users," after a fanatical Muslim sect reputated
to murder opponents after intoxicating themselves with hashish
assiduity constant or close
attention to what one is doing (note: the adjective form, assiduous,
is much more common)
assiduous working with constant, persistent attention; unremitting
assimilation a regular sound change where one sound in a word
changes to match an adjacent sound. For example, sub + pose = subpose,
which became suppose
assize a
session of a court
assonance 1. rough similarity;
approximate agreement. 2. repetition of vowel sounds, esp. in
stressed syllables, an in tilting at windmills
asteism genteel irony; polite and
ingenious mockery
asthenia marked loss of strength;
weakness
asthenosphere a zone of the earth's
mantle that lies beneath the lithosphere and consists of several hundred
kilometers of deformable rock
asymptotic
a straight line that continually approaches
a given curve but does not meet it, but forms its limiting value
asyndeton omission of conjunctions, for
rhetorical effect: I came, I saw, I conquered. Contrast polysyndeton
atavism return of a trait after a period
of absence; or, one who exhibits atavism. a "throwback"
atavism the return of a
trait or behavior after a period of absence; throwback
atavistic from atavism:
pertaining to the return of a trait or behavior after a period of absence;
throwback
ateliotic relating to a form of infantilism, with childish
face and voice and underdevelopment, not affecting intelligence
Athanasian wench, or quicunque vult a
forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her (Grose)
athenaeum eponym: a place with
print materials to read; or, an institution to promote learning (e.g.
a literary or science club, or a library)
atlas (pl. atlantes) a
telamon (pl. telamones); that is, a figure of a man used as a supporting
column (the femele version, a caryatid, is much more common)
atlatl a stick used to throw a spear
faster, farther and harder than a man otherwise could
atomistic consisting of many separate,
often disparate elements: an atomistic culture
attic wit;
attic salt dry, delicate
wit
atticism toponym: extreme elegance of speech. [from the
district of Attica, where Athens is situated]
attrit to lose by attrition
au courant (oh'
koo-rahn') up-to-date
au pair a foreign girl employed to help with housework and childcare
in exchange for board and lodging
augean eponym: 1. exceedingly
filthy from long neglect 2. requiring heroic efforts to clean or
correct: the Augean task of reforming the bureaucracy. etymology: one of
Hercules' twelve labors was to clean in one day the stables of King Augeas,
which had not been cleaned for thirty years. Hercules cleaned them by diverting
a river.
augerino a
large mythical corkscrew-shaped worm that burrows underneath the dry lands of
the American southwest. It intensely dislikes water and therefore aggressively
attacks watercourses, draining the water out of irrigation ditches and canals.
Quite a nuisance to humans.
aurorean
belonging to dawn, or resembling it in brilliant hue
auscultation the act of listening
auspicious
literally, "bird omens", as used by the ancient Romans to forecast
the future. avis = 'bird" and specere = 'to see'
autocide the use of a
vehicle to commit suicide
auto-da-fι the burning of a heretic
autodidact a self-taught person
autogenous self-generated; produced
independently. Medicine: originating with the subject's own body, as, an
autogenous graft
autolatry worship of oneself
autological (of a word) self-descriptive;
e.g., 'polysyllabic' is a polysyllabic word. Contrast heterological
automatism mechanical, seemingly aimless
behavior characteristic of various mental disorders
autovoxiphillia love of one's own voice
availability bias the tendency to judge
the likelihood of an event by how readily examples can be brought to mind
avaricious immoderately desirous of
acquiring e.g. wealth
avian like a bird
avuncular of or like an uncle; hence
kind and indulgent
axel eponym: a kind of jump
in figure skating
axilla the armpit
ayurvedic pertaining to the ancient Hindu science of health and
medicine: ayurvedic herbs
azygous not one of a pair; single: the azygous muscle of the uvula
Babbitt eponym: a business or
professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards
Babylonish toponym: Babel-like, confused in
language (among other meanings)
bacchanal
(accent on either first or last syllable) 1. a bacchanalia (oft. cap.) 2.
a participant in one
bacchanalia eponym:
a riotous, boisterous, or drunken festivity; an orgy (adjective form is bacchanalian)
backlist publisher's list of older titles kept in print
baculum penis bone (which many animals have)
badinage playful repartee; banter
Baedeker eponym:
a guidebook to countries or a country; more generally, a guidebook to places
bafflegab gobbledygook
bakeapple a low plant growing in bogs and
producing an amber berry in late summer; cloudberry
bakelite eponym: tradename of
an early, successful plastic
balaclava toponym: a close-fitting woolen hat
covering the head and encircling the neck
baldachin toponym: a ceremonial canopy over an
altar, throne, or doorway.
balkanized;
Balkanized fragmented into small and mutually hostile units
ballade a poem of three stanzas plus
an envoy (brief concluding stanza), each ending with the same refrain
ballcock the floating ball that
controls the water level inside your toilet tank
ballistophobia fear of bullets,
ammunition and guns
