WORDCRAFT DICTIONARY, U-Z
Note:
clickable items link to Wordcraft Archives, which may have further notes
ubiety; ubication the state of being in a particular place (contrast nullibiety;
see Archives)
ubiquitous present or appearing everywhere; omnipresent (of persons
freq. with humorous exaggeration = turning up everywhere)
ubuntu (Nguni or Xhosa, in
ucalegon eponym: a neighbor whose
house in on fire (One source says that in ancient Greek,
"ucalegon" means Mr. What-Me-Worry?)
UFO
(knitting)
unfinished object; a project languishing
while you work on other projects
ukulele a small
four-stringed guitar popularized in
ullage the amount that a container (a
bottle, cask, tank, etc.) falls short of being full; also, the amount
lost by leakage, evaporation, etc. in shipping or storage
Ultima Thule a distant territory or
destination; a remote goal or ideal ('
ultra-crepidarian giving opinions on topics beyond one's knowledge. From
Latin "beyond the sole".
After the tale of shoemaker who criticized the way an artist had drawn part of
a sandal. When the artist then corrected the error, the emboldened
shoemaker went on to disparage how the legs were painted. To which the artist
snapped "Ne supra crepidam judicaret,"
or "Let him not criticize above the sole." (crepida = sole or sandal) In other words, the cobbler was qualified
to judge footwear but only footwear. In effect, the word means,
"Shoemaker, stick to thy last."
ululate (UL-u-late) to howl or wail,
like a dog or a wolf. adj. ululant
umbilicus belly button
umbra complete shadow (with
blockage of every part of every light source)
umbrageΉ offense or
resentment at a slight or insult (see also other definition here)
umbrage² (adj. umbrageous) shadow or shade; or something that
provides it (also, a vague indication, a hint) see also other
definition here)
umbrella (etymology) at root, a device to protect from sun, not from rain.
(Latin "umbra" = shade)
umiak a large eskimo boat (woman's
boat?)
umlaut 1. a pronunciation,
common in German, where a, o, or u (which are normally "back vowels"
pronounced at the back of the mouth) are brought more to the front (like the
"front vowels" e and i). 2. The two-dot symbol that German
uses to show this pronunciation, as δ, φ, or ό. (English
uses this symbol for other purposes; see diaresis.
German sometimes indicates the umlaut sound-change by putting an 'e' after the
a, o, or u (Goethe).)
umpire (etymology) from nonpere 'not-peer'
unasinous being equally
stupid
Uncle Sam eponym: personification of the
Uncle Tom eponym (offensive):
a black person humiliatingly subservient or deferential to white people
unction excessive, ingratiating
compliments, a kind of "oiliness"
unctuous excessively
flattering or ingratiating, esp. when
affected or insincere;
oily
undercast a solid cloud layer, as viewed
from above [mostly used in pilot reporting of in-flight weather conditions. not
in OED]
understrapper obsolete: a petty fellow; an
underling or subordinate
underwhelm to fail to excite, stimulate, or
impress (adj. underwhelming)
underwrite to assume risk, as when offering
an insurance policy or bringing a corporation's new securities issue to the
public. (underwriter one who buys a stock or
bond issue from a company, to resell it to investors.)
undine a female water
spirit
ungainly clumsy; awkward (contrast gainly)
ungoogle - one source claims: to try to combat revenge googling
unit bias the tendency to think that a unit
of some entity is the appropriate and optimal amount
unlawful combatant see illegal combatant
unremitting never relaxing or slackening;
persistent
up-do a style of dressing women's hair by sweeping it up
and securing it away from the face and neck
upland trout a mythical fish which is such so
delicious a pan fish that tenderfeet are often sent into the woods to catch
them. However, the upland trout is extremely difficult to catch, because it
nests in trees. <wink>
uranic eponym: of the heavens;
celestial; astronomical (also, pertaining to uranium)
Uriah Heep eponym: a man who is
hypocritically humble
urning a homosexual man (say some);
a homosexual (say others) [coined by Magnus Hirschfeld, German sexologist]
ursine like a bear
Ursprache a language that is the ancestor of another or of a
group of languages
ushabti see shabti
uti possidetis the principle that unless
otherwise stated: 1. upon a peace treaty, each belligerent keeps the
captured territories then holds 2. when a political subdivision becomes
achieves independence, its keeps the same boundaries it previously had
utopia toponym: an imagined perfect place
uvula the thing that hangs down from
the back of the mouth (which children invariably think is a tonsil)
uxoravalent capable of sex only those other than one's wife (contrast uxorovalent)
uxoricide murder of one's wife; a man who commits such murder
uxorious overly doting upon one's wife
uxorovalent capable of sex
only with one's wife (contrast uxoravalent)
vade
mecum [Latin, go-with-me]
a ready-reference book; a manual. hence also: something regularly
carried about by a person
vadose of or relating to
water just above the phreatic water,
in the zone of aeration
vagary a wild or fanciful notion or
act; a whim
vainglorious boastful self-importance;
"too big for his britches"; "having a swelled head"
valetudinarian a sickly or weak person, esp.
one constantly and morbidly concerned with his health
Valhalla toponym (often ironic; often lower case): the place of honor for
heroic combatants
validictorian (
vamoose informal: to
depart suddenly and hurriedly
vamp 1. the
upper front part of a shoe or boot 2. [eponym: abbreviation of vampire]
a woman who uses sexual attraction to exploit men (verb: to so use)
van the
vanguard; the forefront
van dyke eponym: a trim, pointed style of beard
vanity google see Google
vaquero a cowboy; a
cattle-driver [esp. used in
varlet a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
vatic of or about a prophet
velar articulated with the back of the
tongue touching or near the soft palate [velum the
soft palate]
vellicate 1. to move with spasmodic
convulsions; to twitch 2. to pull off; to pluck, as: Women villicate
their eyelashes.]
vellum fine parchment made from the skin
of a young animal: lamb, calf, etc. (or paper resembling same)
velocipede an early bicycle push by pedals on the front wheel, or by pushing
feet along the ground
velodrome an arena for bicycle racing or motorcycle racing
venal corruptible; open to bribery
(contrast venial, veneryΉ, venery²)
veneryΉ sexual love (adj. venereal)
(contrast venal and items listed there)
venery² the act or sport of hunting (adj.
venatic; venatical) (contrast venal
and items listed there)
venial (also here) (of a fault or
offence) forgivable; not heinous; slight and
pardonable (contrast venal and items listed there)
ventifact a stone that has been shaped,
polished, or faceted by wind-driven sand
verbiage two very different meanings: 1. derogatory: verbosity; wordiness 2. the manner of expressing
something in words ("Messages and orders must use concise, military
verbiage." G. S. Patton)
verdure the lush greenness of
flourishing vegetation; also, metaphorically: a fresh or flourishing
condition: the verdure of childhood (see also link here)
Verfremdungseffekt the 'alienation effect'; the drama technique
of keeping the audience aware that they are watching a drama, of not
causing them to think of it as actual events unfolding before them
verge (noun) 1. a
rod or staff of authority, or the "penis" of certain
invertebrates 2. something that borders (British: a paved or
planted strip of land at the edge of a road; shoulder)
vermeologist one who treats of worms; a helminthologist
vermiculturist one who farms, breeds and cares for worms
vermilion a bright red or
scarlet
vernalagnia; vernorexia a romantic mood brought on by spring (also known as spring fever)
vernier eponym: a small auxiliary device to make fine adjustment in
the main device
veronica eponym: a bullfighting pass in which the cape passes slowly
over the bulls face
vertiginous (lit. or fig.)
dizzying, disorienting; the feeling of looking down from a frightening height
verwaltungsvereinfachungsmassnahmen Austrian, for the government's
effort to simplify the language of its public documents (how ironic!)
vespertine of, related to or happening in
the evening
vexillology the study of flags
viands 1. foods, esp.
very choice or delicious dishes (the singular form exists, but is very rare) 2.
provisions, food
viatical agreement investment in the life span of an old or dying person:
a purchase, for a fee, of the right to their life insurance proceeds upon their
death
Victorian eponym: exaggeratedly proper in manners
vig [short for vigorish] 1.
the interest paid to a loan shark 2. a charge taken by a bookie, on bets
vigesimation the act of putting to death every twentieth man (note:
may be a phony "word".)
vigintillion the number expressed as a 1 followed by
sixty-three zeros
vilipend 1. to
view with contempt; despise. 2. to speak ill of; disparage
villain (etymology) M.L. villanus
"farmhand," L. villa "country house". (Why would
folks from rural areas would be considered villainous? To answer, see pagan.)
villanelle a 19 line poem of 5 tercets (3 lines) and a
final quatrain, with a certain refrain pattern
vinaceous wine-colored (the
color of red wine). With rare exceptions, this word is used only in
descriptions of birds.
vincible capable of being overcome or
defeated (contrast the familiar word invincible)
vindaloo a hot Indian curry dish, Portuguese in origin
vindictive seeking revenge
vinegaroon; vinegarroon
a whip scorpion, of the southwestern
viper 1. a
poisonous snake with large hinged fangs 2. a spiteful or treacherous
person
virago a domineering,
violent, or bad-tempered woman.
virescent the light green of
a newly-budded leaf
virga scientific name
for snow or rain which evaporates before reaching the ground
virgule the / sign (also known as
the diagonal, the separatrix, the slant, the slash, and the solidus)
virid bright green
[Latin viridis 'green']
viridian a bluish-green color
virus something which infects your computer [see malware]
vis et armis by force [The
usual term seems to be vi et armis.]
visagiste a make-up artist
viscera (plural noun;
sing. viscus) the internal organs in the main
cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen
viticulture grape-growing
[Latin vitis 'vine']
vitiligo a skin condition, characterized
by patches of unpigmented skin
vituperation sustained, harshly abusive
language; invective
vixen 1. a shrewish
ill-tempered woman 2. a female fox
vlog video Web log
vlogger blogger with video camera
vol-au-vent a small light puff
pastry filled with a meat or fish ragout
volpone eponym: a cunning schemer; a miser
volte face a complete and
abrupt reversal of policy, position, etc.; an about-face
voluble (also here) characterized
by ready or rapid speech; talkative (stressing fluency or glibness)
voluptuary a sensualist; one addicted to gratifying sensual appetites
voluptuous 1. regarding unrestrained pleasure to the senses; a
voluptuous ripe fruit; a full, voluptuous figure. 2. devoted to sensual
pleasures; directed toward or arising from same
vomeronasal organ a specialized part of the olfactory (smell) system, whose
primary function appears to be in sensing pheromones. Has been thought absent in higher primate
adults, but data now suggest it may be present in adult humans.
voodoo characterized by
deceptively simple, almost magical, solutions or ideas; deceptive or delusive
nonsense
votary a devoted [almost
religiously so] follower, adherent, or advocate
vox populi (also here) the opinions or
beliefs of the people.
Short for vox populi vox Dei, "the voice of the people is the voice of
God", meaning that popular opinion of ordinary people reveals God's will,
and should be obeyed. The full version first appeared in a letter to
Charlemagne, from his adviser Alcuin.
vug a small unfilled cavity in a lode
or in rock [Cornish dialect vooga underground chamber]
vulcanization eponym: a treatment giving rubber strength,
stretch, etc.
vulgar etymologically, meaning common,
from the Latin word vulgus. As in the Vulgate translation of the Bible,
so-called because that translation, into everyday Latin, made the book
accessible to the common people of ancient
vulgarian an unrefined
person, especially one flaunting newly-acquired power or wealth
vulpine fox-related
wabbit Scottish:
exhausted or unwell
wadi a streambed (in
wahine 1. a
Polynesian woman. 2. a woman surfer
wailing wall a place to vent
one's woes or (less often) to seek relief from them
wainwright a wagon-maker
waldo a mechanical
agent, such as a gripper arm, controlled by a human limb
walpurgisnacht or walpurgis night the eve of May Day,
when witches ride to a rendezvous; also, something having a nightmarish
quality
wamble (also here)
to
move unsteadily or with a weaving, wobbling or rolling motion (noun: an
upset stomach; a
wobble or roll)
wand (verb) to check (a person) with
a metal-detecting wand, as at an airport
wandering queer slang; west coast
wanker Australian slang: one
who masturbates. A good all-purpose insult.
wannabe 1. one who aspires to a role or position. 2. one who
imitates the behavior, customs, or dress of an admired person or group. 3.
a product designed to imitate the qualities or characteristics of something
wanton 1. immoral or unchaste;
lewd (noun: one who so behaves) 2.
unrestrainedly excessive, as wanton waste
war horse a respected veteran,
reliable and competent but uninspired and a little bit past his time [also
used for things, such as a play or hymn]
warren a colony of
rabbits (also, an overcrowded or maze-like area)
wasabi a pungent, green Japanese
condiment. Often served to accompany sushi.
waspish
1. like a wasp (sharply
irritable, or showing irritation) 2. like
a WASP (disparaging:
of the power elite or the social elite of White Anglo Saxon Protestants)
wassail a festivity characterized by much drinking; a
toast to drinking someone's health at festivity. verb: to drink to the
health of
wastrel 1. a spendthrift; one who
squanders money 2. an idler; a loafer; a good-for-nothing
waterboarding interrogation technique,
variously defined. The prisoner is tied head-down on an inclined board, cellophane
or a cloth is wrapped over his face, and water is poured over him. Produces an
overwhelming sensation of drowning.
watergate Is the term being used for
"political scandal", much as one's '
wattle and daub wattle², overlaid
with clay, as a construction material.
wattleΉ,² 1. the red fleshy skin hanging at the throat of
a turkey or chicken, or like neck-skin on other birds or on lizards 2. a framework of stakes with branches
interwoven, to form a fence
weathercock a weathervane
shaped like a rooster (technically, shaped like a cockerel a young
domestic cock) Also used to mean
something very changeable or fickle.
weave impression or weave emphasis
(in art conservation) a damage
(irreversible?) that frequently occurs with lining or relining
an old painting (adding another layer of canvas behind the original, for
stronger support). During lining the
paint is heated up and softened, and the weave of the canvas can be pressed
into the paint, ruining the original texture of the brushwork.
webster a weaver [the root
means "web", a nice image.]
wedlock (etymology)
ween (archaic:)
to think; suppose; believe
weir 1. a dam 2. a fence,
etc. built in a stream, to trap fish
welch eponym: to renege on a
deal
wellerism eponym: a familiar phrase
put in the mouth of one whose situation humorously brings to mind another
meaning of that phrase. The double meaning may be by punning on sound, by a
double-meaning of a word, or by a contrast of figurative and literal usages.
See Tom Swiftie; croaker.
wellhead; wellspring a source, spring, or fountain; also, a principal source; a
fountainhead: a wellspring of ideas. (One source suggests that a wellspring
is not usually just the beginning point but also source of continuing supply)
well-heeled well-off
financially [from cock-fighting]
weltanshauung worldview; a comprehensive view
of the world and human life; the overall perspective from which one sees and
interprets the world (literally, "world-view")
welter a confused muddle; a chaotic
jumble
weltschmerz; Weltschmerz sadness over the evils of the
world; esp. as a romantic pessimism. more generally: sentimental
pessimism. literally "world pain".
werowance Powhatan Indian word for a petty
chief, usually at the village level
whelm 1. to ruin
or destroy by covering completely (typically with water, but also with earth,
snow, etc.) 2. to similarly engulf or bear down upon (as flood, storm,
avalanche) [closer to overwhelm)
whippersnapper a diminutive or insignificant person, especially a
sprightly or impertinent young fellow
whipping boy a scapegoat (originally,
a boy formerly educated with a prince or other young nobleman and punished in
his stead since one may not whip a prince!)
whirling dervish one in constant frenzied activity
whistle pig the Appalachian Mountain term for
a woodchuck (a/k/a groundhog)
white knight
(corporate takeovers) a friendly acquirer, sought out by a target firm to rescue it from
an unwelcome acquirer
white noise 1. constant
background noise; esp. one that drowns out other sounds 2. meaningless
or distracting commotion, hubbub, or chatter
white paper
(reader
note: from formal documents presented to the British Parliament, setting
out policy options; called "white papers" because of their white
covers. contrast Green Papers, which are less formal, consultative
documents.)
white-shoe relating to a long-established business known for reputable service to
a wealthy clientele
whitewash to give something a false appearance of good, by concealing
or glossing over its faults (noun: something that does so; the act of
doing so)
whizzer an American name
for a hummer firework
whoa a command used to a horse to
tell it to slow down. Also sometimes used figuratively to human beings.
whomperjawed askew; not fitting
properly; also: flabbergasted
whoreson a low, scurvy
fellow (also adj.)
whortleberries blueberries. Also known in
widdiful one who deserves hanging, a gallows-bird; a scamp, rascal (also used as adj.)
wifty ditsy
wight [pronounced like the color white]
a living being; a creature (obsolete)
wikiality the notion that any random falsehood can become reality if you can
merely persuade enough people to believe it [Stephen Colbert coinage; not in
dictionaries]
willgill
a hermaphrodite or an effeminate man [a
very expressive name for an hermaphrodite, will being for the man and gill (with g soft) for
Gillian or Juliana, on the woman's part. Samuel Pegge's alphabet of
Kenticisms 1735-1736]
williwaw sudden gust of wind; a squall
wimpy [etymology] weak and ineffectual
[from character in the Popeye comics]
windmill-tilt noun: a fruitless and frustrating
venture [Wall Street Journal, June 29, 2006]
windrow 1. row of leaves or snow,
heaped up by the wind. 2. a long row of cut hay or grain left to dry in
a field before being bundled. verb: to arrange into a windrow
wing it to attempt a task
without sufficient preparation, and be forced to improvise
winkle a small edible marine snail, steamed in wine or baked
winkle-hawk; winkle-hole a rectangular rent made in cloth
winklepicker a style of shoe (boot?) with pointed toes so extreme that
they're said to be usable for picking winkles from their shells (1960s through
at least 1980)
WIP
(knitting) Work In Progress
witches broom a cluster of
short, dense branches, as from insects or disease
withy a strong, flexible twig, used in making baskets and the like,
often from the willow
witling a pretender to wit or smartness
witticaster a witling; i.e., a
pretender to wit or smartness
woad a blue dye; the plant from which
that dye is produced
woebegone 1. obsolete:
beset with woe; oppressed with misfortune, sorrow, etc. 2. showing
distress, misery, anguish, or grief
wolfsbane see aconite
wood; to see publishing: to see
a book before the release date; premature circulation
word salad the confused, and often repetitious, language that is symptomatic
of various mental illnesses
worm computers: a like
virus, but can copy itself onto other computers [see malware]
worrywart one who tends to worry unduly, esp.
about unimportant things [from comics]
wort beermaking: the mixture
of malt and water before fermentation starts
wowser 1. an obnoxiously puritanical killjoy 2.
something so excellent as to be eye-catching and attention-grabbing
wrack 1. dried seaweed 2. wreckage,
esp. of a ship cast ashore
Wundercammer a chamber or
cabinet of wonders; spec. a place exhibiting the collection of a
connoisseur of curiosities, such as became common from the late Renaissance
onwards
wye
Xanadu toponym: an idyllic, exotic, or luxurious place
Xanthippe or Xantippe
eponym: an ill-tempered woman [The name
of Socrates wife. Well, if you had
to live with the likes of him, what would you
be like?]
xanthism excess yellow pigment
xenophobe one unduly fearful of foreigners (xenophobic;
xenophobia)
xiphoid sword-shaped (see gladiate,
ensiform); also as a noun, in anatomy: the bottom part of the
breastbone ("sternum"), also called the xiphoid
process, or the xiphisternum
XOR exclusive "or" (A or B but not both)
yaffle an armful (of dried and salted cod-fish, kindling, etc.); a
load (verb: to gather an armful)
yahoo a boorish, crass, or stupid
person (from Gulliver's Travels)
yapp binding eponym: a
style of leather bookbinding, with soft limp edges that overlap and thus
protect the exposed edges of the pages.
yarborough eponym: a hand, at whist or bridge (13 cards), with no
card 10 or above: no 10, jack, queen, king, or ace (which is, by the way, an
ungodly bad hand)
yashmak the veil worn by Muslim women when in public
yegg eponym: a burglar; orig.
a safecracker
yellow dog a contemptible person (adj:
mean and contemptible)
yellow dog democrat
an unswerving loyalist of the
yellow journalism
[etymology] sensationalistic journalism
yellow-dog contract
an employment contract barring the employee from joining a union
yeoman (older meaning:)
an attendant/assistant to an official, etc. (and more specifically: a
servant in a royal or noble household (usually above the lowest level, a groom
or page)
(current meaning: 1. a diligent, dependable worker 2. a farmer who
cultivates his own land)
yestreen yesterday evening
Yggdrasil great tree in Norse mythology
ylem hypothesized form of matter
existing before the Big Bang
yobbo Australian slang: a rude or
ignorant person
yonic having to do with the vagina
(from Sanskrit, I believe). (the feminine counterpart of phallic.)
yonsei see issei
Young Turk eponym: an insurgent
younker a young man
yump slang; rally-driving: to
leave the ground when going over a ridge or crest (also noun)
yupster a yuppie hipster
zabernism toponym: the misuse of military power or
authority; bullying, aggression
zaftig Yiddish: full-bosomed and
shapely; pleasingly plump
zagharoot arabic; pl. zaghareet: a
high-pitched ululation done with the tongue; a sound of honor (not in general
dictionaries)
Zamboni eponym: a machine used to resurface ice
rinks
zarf a metallic cuplike stand used
for holding a small handleless coffee cup; the cup is called a finjan.
These terms refer to such cups and stands as used in the middle east. However,
our language seems to be co-opting zarf to use when one takes coffee in a
plastic cone, cheap and disposable but too thin to allow one to hold it with
hot coffee. The plastic holder with handle, to hold that disposable cone, can
be called a zarf.
zeitgeber an environmental
cue (as the length of daylight, or the temperature) that helps to regulate an
organism's biological clock
Zelig
(eponym) a
chameleon-like person always manages to be present everywhere
zephyr eponym: a gentle breeze
zetetic inquiring; investigative: zetetic minds
zeugma sometimes used as synonym for syllepsis (see
that term). Sometimes used as a more general term unlike syllepsis, the two
senses of the word punned upon need not differ.
ziggurat a temple tower having the form of a terraced pyramid
zilch [etymology] nothing; a quantity
so insignificant as to amount to nothing [from comics?]
zinnia eponym: a certain flower
Zoilus; Zoilist eponym: a
carping, malignant critic
zoosemiotics loosely, "animal
language," but including signals other than sound, such as a dog's
tail-wagging. coined 1963; I have not found it in any published dictionary
zugzwang situation in which one is in a
tenable position, but is forced to act and any action will worsen his position
Zukunftsangst fear of the future
zygote the cell resulting
from the fusion of egg and sperm [from Greek zugotos yoked]