In theory, the Wordcraft Dictionary includes interesting words used on this board. In practice, though, I must give thanks to those of you who have been helping my sporadic efforts to pull out those words. You might enjoy the list we've made of words used for the Bluffing Game this year, plus a few more, mostly ones (cwm, coney, corrie, fesse, squinch²) found while verifying the definitions of those Bluffing Game words.

Bluffmasters: It would help if, when you reveal the meaning of your bluff word, you include a link to your definition. Of course, we'll understand if you're relying on a source not on-line (such as Mrs. Byrne) or are supplementing from your own knowledge. Thanks!

acarophobia – fear of mites, small insects or worms
appoggiatura – an embellishing musical note
asteism – genteel irony; polite and ingenious mockery
boustrophedon – writing in the rows run alternately from left to right and from right to left, like an ox ploughing successive furrows [Gk. ox-turning]
brattice – a partition for ventilation in the shaft of a coal pit [to brattice up: to line the sides of a shaft, with planking]
chiliasm – doctrine that Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years
cirque – a steep-walled amphitheatre-like valley or hollow esp. the head of the glacier or stream. Also called a cwm (Wales), a coomb (England), a corrie (Scotland and Ireland)
coney – see hyrax
coomb – see cirque
corrie – see cirque
coypu – a beaver-like aquatic rodent native to south america, valued for its fur (see nutria)
cwm – see cirque
dassie – see hyrax
dorp – a hamlet or village
fesse – heraldry: a horizontal band across the middle of an escutcheon. fesse point (fess? point): the exact center of an escutcheon
formel – obs: a female eagle or hawk
galimatias – confused language, meaningless talk, nonsense; hence also, a mixture, medley
gallimaufry – an absurd medley; a hotchpotch
graben – a depression between geologic faults; a rift valley [Ger. graben = ditch] (compare horst)
gravitas – a serious or solemn demeanor; weighty dignity; staidness and sobriety
horst – a block of the earth's surface raised up, between two faults (compare graben)
howff – a place of resort; a refuge, a haunt
hyrax – one of a group of small mammels, herbivores somewhat like woodchucks. Also called coney, dassie
impignorate – to mortgage, mortgage; pledge, or pawn (also adjective)
krobylos – a tuft of hair on top of one's head
lectica – a kind of litter or portable couch used by the ancient Romans
marver – glassblowing: a smooth, hard, flat surface on which softened glass is rolled [Fr. marbre = marble]
nimmer – a pilferer; a petty thief
nombril – heraldry; more properly, 'nombril point': the center point of the bottom half of an escutcheon; that is, midway between the fesse point and the bottom point
nutria – the fur or skin of the coypu; also, the animal itself
peristerophily – love of, or collecting of, pigeons [not in OED; in Mrs. Bryne and some other private dictionaries]
perseity – medieval philosophy: the quality of having substance independently of any real object
pogonotrophy – the care and feeding of beards [Also pogonic – relating to beards; pogonologist – a writer on beards; pogonology – a treatise on beards; pogonotomy – the cutting of the beard; shaving]
quercitron – the black oak (also called quercitron oak); its bright orange inner bark; a yellow dye obtained from that inner bark
remplissage – padding a literary or musical work [not in OED; in Mrs. Bryne and some other private dictionaries. Fr. remplir to fill up]
retiary – of or like nets or netmaking
sérac – a pinnacle or sharp ridge of ice, among the crevasses of a glacier [Fr. sérac, a kind of white cheese]
se-tenant – group of stamps differing in color or design, but printed next to each other on the same sheet
sheltron; shiltron – a usually-circular formation of infantry, armed with very long lances, designed to thwart a cavalry charge
sphragistics – the scientific study of seals and signet rings
squinch¹ – a small arch built across the interior angle between two walls
squinch²– v.trans: to squeeze the eyelids or face together [squint + pinch]. intrans: to squeeze up so as to fill less place; to crouch ("squinch down"; "squinch over")
supeter – armor for the feet [OED's only source is a 1611 dictionary]
surculigerous – biol: producing suckers
tushery – a form of high-flown, pretentious writing; usually larded with archaisms, like that in some sentimentalized historical novels
winkle – a small edible marine snail, steamed in wine or baked
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)
yump – slang; rally-driving: to leave the ground when going over a ridge or crest (also noun)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wordcrafter,

WOW! What a great list of odd words! Fun! This is also a great source of what NOT to use next in the bluffing game. Who's turn is it to trick us? Oh nevermind - I just noticed that Kalleh started a new one. Great!

...It's five months later now -- does anyone have the time to bring this list up to date?

OK - I've updated the list I think:

acarophobia – fear of mites, small insects or worms
appoggiatura – an embellishing musical note
asteism – genteel irony; polite and ingenious mockery
boustrophedon – writing in the rows run alternately from left to right and from right to left, like an ox ploughing successive furrows [Gk. ox-turning]
brattice – a partition for ventilation in the shaft of a coal pit [to brattice up: to line the sides of a shaft, with planking]
canities - whiteness of the hair
chiliasm – doctrine that Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years
cirque – a steep-walled amphitheatre-like valley or hollow esp. the head of the glacier or stream. Also called a cwm (Wales), a coomb (England), a corrie (Scotland and Ireland)
colporteur - A hawker; specifically, one who travels about selling and distributing religious tracts and books.
coney – see hyrax
coomb – see cirque
corrie – see cirque
coypu – a beaver-like aquatic rodent native to south america, valued for its fur (see nutria)
cwm – see cirque
dassie – see hyrax
dorp – a hamlet or village
enfeoff - To invest with a feudal estate or fee.
fesse – heraldry: a horizontal band across the middle of an escutcheon. fesse point (fess? point): the exact center of an escutcheon
formel – obs: a female eagle or hawk
galimatias – confused language, meaningless talk, nonsense; hence also, a mixture, medley
gallimaufry – an absurd medley; a hotchpotch
graben – a depression between geologic faults; a rift valley [Ger. graben = ditch] (compare horst)
gravitas – a serious or solemn demeanor; weighty dignity; staidness and sobriety
horst – a block of the earth's surface raised up, between two faults (compare graben)
howff – a place of resort; a refuge, a haunt
hyrax – one of a group of small mammels, herbivores somewhat like woodchucks. Also called coney, dassie
impignorate – to mortgage, mortgage; pledge, or pawn (also adjective)
karezza - prolonged coitus in which ejaculation of sperm is deliberately withheld called also coitus reservatus
krobylos – a tuft of hair on top of one's head
latibulize - To retire into a den, or hole, and lie dormant in winter; to retreat and lie hid
lectica – a kind of litter or portable couch used by the ancient Romans
marver – glassblowing: a smooth, hard, flat surface on which softened glass is rolled [Fr. marbre = marble]
merdiverous - Dung-eating
nelipot - Someone who is walking without shoes
nimgimmer - a physician or surgeon, particularly those who cure the venereal disease
nimmer – a pilferer; a petty thief
nombril – heraldry; more properly, 'nombril point': the center point of the bottom half of an escutcheon; that is, midway between the fesse point and the bottom point
nutria – the fur or skin of the coypu; also, the animal itself
peristerophily – love of, or collecting of, pigeons [not in OED; in Mrs. Bryne and some other private dictionaries]
perseity – medieval philosophy: the quality of having substance independently of any real object
pogonotrophy – the care and feeding of beards [Also pogonic – relating to beards; pogonologist – a writer on beards; pogonology – a treatise on beards; pogonotomy – the cutting of the beard; shaving]
quercitron – the black oak (also called quercitron oak); its bright orange inner bark; a yellow dye obtained from that inner bark
reest - To smoke or cure either meat or fish
remplissage – padding a literary or musical work [not in OED; in Mrs. Bryne and some other private dictionaries. Fr. remplir to fill up]
retiary – of or like nets or netmaking
sérac – a pinnacle or sharp ridge of ice, among the crevasses of a glacier [Fr. sérac, a kind of white cheese]
se-tenant – group of stamps differing in color or design, but printed next to each other on the same sheet
sheltron; shiltron – a usually-circular formation of infantry, armed with very long lances, designed to thwart a cavalry charge
sottisier - collection of jokes, quotes, or ridiculous remarks
supeter - armour for the feet
sphragistics – the scientific study of seals and signet rings
squinch¹ – a small arch built across the interior angle between two walls
squinch²– v.trans: to squeeze the eyelids or face together [squint + pinch]. intrans: to squeeze up so as to fill less place; to crouch ("squinch down"; "squinch over")
supeter – armor for the feet [OED's only source is a 1611 dictionary]
surculigerous – biol: producing suckers
tarantulate - To excite or govern the emotions by music
theremin - Considered the first electronic musical instrument, invented in 1919 by Russian born Lev Sergeivitch Termen, which he anglicized to Leon Theremin
tushery – a form of high-flown, pretentious writing; usually larded with archaisms, like that in some sentimentalized historical novels
virga - Scientific name for snow or rain which evaporates before reaching the ground
winkle – a small edible marine snail, steamed in wine or baked
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)
yump – slang; rally-driving: to leave the ground when going over a ridge or crest (also noun)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Caterwauller,

Wow, CW...you are a doll! Thanks!