WORDCRAFT DICTIONARY, A
Note:
clickable items link to Wordcraft Archives, which may have further notes
23 skidoo see skidoo
40 winks see forty winks
400 the term the 400 is alphabetized under four hundred
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 (also here) to
renounce under oath; forswear (also 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 endlessly; forever [Latin, to
infinity]
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 eolian]
aeolipyle; aeolipile a hollow ball that turns through steam
escaping through valves
aeromancy divination by the air [dictionary at mancy
lists 54 form of divination]
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 quote?:
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
agnate adj.:
related on the father's side; noun: a person so related
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
albatross
metaphorical: a burden
or encumbrance, particularly a marker of guilt, etc. (literal: a very large white seabird with long narrow
wings) [also, in golf: three
under par on a hole; compare a birdie and an eagle]
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
alectromancy divination by cocks [dictionary at mancy
lists 54 form of divination]
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)
alienist a psychiatrist
alinea the Ά sign (more
commonly called pilcrow)
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
alluvial made of or relating to alluvium;
that is, soil deposited by flowing water
alluvion 1. same as 'alluvium' 2. the flow of water against a
shore or bank 3. inundation by water; flood
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)
alphitomancy divination by meal, flour, or bran [dictionary at mancy lists 54 form of divination]
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
amphiscian same as ascian: an inhabitant of the
tropics
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 (contrast 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 (contrast antimony)
antinopomancy divination by the entrails of human beings [dictionary at mancy lists 54 form of divination]
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)
apophoret (very rare:) 1. a New-Years gift 2. a
hosts gift for the guest to take home (in other words, a goodie bag?)
apoplexy (adj. apoplectic)
a fit of extreme anger; rage [also the name of a medical condition]
apostate a person who renounces a belief or principle (verb: apostatize)
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]
apotropaic intended to ward
off evil (an apotropaic amulet)
apparatchik an unquestioningly loyal subordinate,
especially in politics
appoggiatura an embellishing musical note
apricot (etymology) Arabic al
('the') became attached to the fruit's name birquq
apron (etymology) a protective garment covering the front of ones
clothes and tied at the back
aprosexia medical: an abnormal inability to focus
one's attention
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").
aqueous cleaning when an art-conservator uses spit
to clean grime from a painting
aquiline eagle-like (usually
referring to a nose like an eagles beak)
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)
arithmancy divination by numbers [dictionary at mancy
lists 54 form of divination]
armalcolite eponym: a mineral not of earth, found on
the moon, named for astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin
and Collins
arrant utter; complete
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
ascian an inhabitant
of the tropics (where, twice a year, the sun is directly overhead, and so one
casts no shadows)
asinine like a donkey
aspergill see aspergillum, below
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 reputed 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
astragalomancy divination by dice [dictionary at mancy
lists 54 form of divination]
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 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 [bizarre etymology] a forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her
(Grose) Also called quicunque vult
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 female 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 salt same as attic wit, below
attic wit dry, delicate
wit [toponym: see atticism, below]
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
auditory (noun) archaic:
an audience
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.
augery divination by the flight or entrails of birds [dictionary at mancy lists 54 form of divination]
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
autosquop tiddlywinks: to shoot a wink that ends up coming to rest under
another wink, squopped (official definition from the North American
Tiddlywinks Association. For more winks terms, see squidger.)
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: figure-skating jump; contrast, lutz, salchow.) skate forward on left foot on outside edge (thus curving left, into
the spin); jump and spin. Do however many spins plus a half-spin, so that when you land you are going backward
axilla the armpit
axinomancy divination by saws [dictionary at mancy
lists 54 form of divination]
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
