Challenge IV Vocabulary

Brier

(also briar pipe) a tobacco pipe made from nodules borne at ground level by a large woody plant of the heath family, the white-flowered shrub of the heath family that bears these nodules, native chiefly to France and Corsica (mid 19th century: from French bruyère 'heath, heather', from medieval Latin brucus.)

Fowl

(also domestic fowl) a bird of the order Galliformes that is kept for its eggs and flesh; a rooster or hen, birds collectively, especially as the quarry of hunters (Old English fugol 'bird', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vogel and German Vogel, also to fly1.)

Wrangle

(North American) a person in charge of horses or other livestock on a ranch, a person engaging in a lengthy and complicated quarrel or dispute

Deputize

(North American) make (someone) a deputy, temporarily act or speak as a deputy

Caligula

(ad 12-41), Roman emperor 37-41; born Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus. His reign was notorious for its tyrannical excesses.

Meager

(of something provided or available) lacking in quantity or quality, (of a person or animal) lean; thin (Middle English (in the sense 'lean'): from Old French maigre, from Latin macer.)

Long-winded

(of speech or writing) continuing at length and in a tedious way

Bleary

(of the eyes) unfocused or filmy from sleep or tiredness

Muggy

(of the weather) unpleasantly warm and humid (mid 17th century: from dialect mug 'mist, drizzle', from mug 'to drizzle', probably from Old Norse; compare with Icelandic mugga 'to snow in calm weather', Norwegian mugga 'to drizzle'.)

Interlock

(of two or more things) engage with each other by overlapping or by the fitting together of projections and recesses, a device or mechanism for connecting or coordinating the function of different components, (also interlock fabric) a fabric knitted with closely interlocking stitches that allow it to stretch, typically used in underwear

Howbeit (archaic)

nevertheless; however

Incommensurable

not able to be judged by the same standard as something; having no common standard of measurement (mid 16th century (in the mathematical sense): from late Latin incommensurabilis, from in- 'not' + commensurabilis (see commensurable).) (mid 16th century (in the mathematical sense): from late Latin incommensurabilis, from in- 'not' + commensurabilis (see commensurable).)

Impermeable

not allowing fluid to pass through, not liable to be affected by pain or distress; insusceptible or imperturbable (late 17th century: from French imperméable, or from late Latin impermeabilis, from in- 'not' + permeabilis (see permeable).)

Spurious

not being what it purports to be; false or fake, (of a line of reasoning) apparently but not actually valid (late 16th century (in the sense 'born out of wedlock'): from Latin spurius 'false' + -ous.)

Unsung

not celebrated or praised

Untrammeled

not deprived of freedom of action or expression; not restricted or hampered

Impenitent

not feeling shame or regret about one's actions or attitudes (late Middle English: from ecclesiastical Latin impaenitent- 'not repenting', from Latin in- 'not' + paenitere 'repent'.)

Our Father

The Lord's Prayer (definition derived from Wikipedia)

Heave

[with object and adverbial of direction] lift or haul (a heavy thing) with great effort, [with object] produce (a sigh), rise and fall rhythmically or spasmodically, make an effort to vomit; retch, an act of heaving, especially a strong pull (Old English hebban, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heffen and German heben 'lift up'.)

Convent

a Christian community under monastic vows, especially one of nuns, (also convent school) a school, especially one for girls, attached to and run by convent, the building or buildings occupied by a convent (Middle English: from Old French, from Latin conventus 'assembly, company', from the verb convenire (see convene). The original spelling was covent (surviving in the place name Covent Garden); the modern form dates from the 16th century.)

Tantra

a Hindu or Buddhist mystical or magical text, dating from the 7th century or earlier, adherence to the doctrines or principles of the tantras, involving mantras, meditation, yoga, and ritua (Sanskrit, literally 'loom, principle, doctrine', from tan 'stretch'.)

Sorority

a society for female students in a university or college, typically for social purposes (mid 16th century: from medieval Latin sororitas, or from Latin soror 'sister' (on the pattern of fraternity).)

Sheen

a soft luster on a surface, (literary) shine or cause to shine softly (early 17th century: from obsolete sheen 'beautiful, resplendent'; apparently related to the verb shine.)

Plaster

a soft mixture of lime with sand or cement and water for spreading on walls, ceilings, or other structures to form a smooth hard surface when dried, cover (a wall, ceiling, or other structure) with plaster, (plaster something with) cover a surface with (large numbers of pictures or posters), (plaster something over) present a story or picture conspicuously and sensationally in (a newspaper or magazine) (Old English, denoting a bandage spread with a curative substance, from medieval Latin plastrum (shortening of Latin emplastrum, from Greek emplastron 'daub, salve'), later reinforced by the Old French noun plastre. Sense 1 dates from late Middle English.)

Gypsum

a soft white or gray mineral consisting of hydrated calcium sulfate. It occurs chiefly in sedimentary deposits and is used to make plaster of Paris and fertilizers, and in the building industry (late Middle English: from Latin, from Greek gupsos.)

Vow

a solemn promise, (vows) a set of promises committing one to a prescribed role, calling, or course of action, typically to marriage or a monastic career, solemnly promise to do a specified thing (Middle English: from Old French vou, from Latin votum (see vote); the verb is from Old French vouer.)

Oath

a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one's future action or behavior, a sworn declaration that one will tell the truth, especially in a court of law, a coarse or blasphemous word or phrase used to express anger or other strong emotion (Old English āth, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch eed and German Eid.)

Polemic

a speech or piece of writing expressing a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something, (usually polemics) the art or practice of engaging in controversial debate or dispute, expressing or constituting a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something; polemical (mid 17th century: via medieval Latin from Greek polemikos, from polemos 'war'.)

Trust territory

a territory under the trusteeship of the United Nations or of a country designated by it.

Spar

a thick, strong pole such as is used for a mast or yard on a ship, the main longitudinal beam of an airplane wing (Middle English: shortening of Old French esparre, or from Old Norse sperra; related to Dutch spar and German Sparren.)

Pin

a thin piece of metal with a sharp point at one end and a round head at the other, used especially for fastening pieces of cloth (late Old English pinn, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch pin 'pin, peg', from Latin pinna 'point, tip, edge'.)

Baton

a thin stick used by a conductor to direct an orchestra or choir, a short stick or tube passed from runner to runner in a relay race, a long stick carried and twirled by a drum major, a police officer's club, a staff symbolizing office or authority, especially one carried by a field marshal (early 16th century (denoting a staff or cudgel): from French bâton, earlier baston, from late Latin bastum 'stick'.)

Adjunct

a thing added to something else as a supplementary rather than an essential part, a person who is another's assistant or subordinate, connected or added to something, typically in an auxiliary way (early 16th century (as an adjective meaning 'joined on, subordinate'): from Latin adjunctus, past participle of adjungere (see adjoin).)

Token

a thing serving as a visible or tangible representation of a fact, quality, feeling, etc. (Old English tāc(e)n, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch teken and German Zeichen, also to teach.)

Sham

a thing that is not what it is purported to be, pretense, a person who pretends to be someone or something they are not, bogus; false, falsely present something as the truth, pretend to be or to be experiencing (late 17th century: perhaps a northern English dialect variant of the noun shame.)

Sanction

a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule, (sanctions) measures taken by a nation to coerce another to conform to an international agreement or norms of conduct, typically in the form of restrictions on trade or on participation in official sporting events, official permission or approval for an action, official confirmation or ratification of a law, give official permission or approval for (an action), impose a sanction or penalty on (late Middle English (as a noun denoting an ecclesiastical decree): from French, from Latin sanctio(n-), from sancire 'ratify'. The verb dates from the late 18th century.)

Underhanded

acting or done in a secret or dishonest way

Infringe

actively break the terms of (a law, agreement, etc.), act so as to limit or undermine (something); encroach on (mid 16th century: from Latin infringere, from in- 'into' + frangere 'to break'.)

Fennel

an aromatic yellow-flowered European plant of the parsley family, with feathery leaves (Old English finule, fenol, from Latin faeniculum, diminutive of faenum 'hay'.)

Sortie

an attack made by troops coming out from a position of defense, an operational flight by a single military aircraft, a short trip or journey, an attempt to participate in a new activity or sphere, come out from a defensive position to make an attack (late 18th century: from French, feminine past participle of sortir 'go out'.)

Pretense

an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true, a false display of feelings, attitudes, or intentions, (pretense to) a claim, especially a false or ambitious one (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French pretense, based on medieval Latin pretensus 'pretended', alteration of Latin praetentus, from the verb praetendere (see pretend).)

Injunction

an authoritative warning or order.

Accolade

an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit, an expression of praise or admiration, a touch on a person's shoulders with a sword at the bestowing of a knighthood (early 17th century: from French, from Provençal acolada, literally 'embrace around the neck (when bestowing knighthood)', from Latin ad- 'at, to' + collum 'neck'.)

Biplane

an early type of aircraft with two pairs of wings, one above the other.

Sprite

an elf or fairy, a computer graphic which may be moved on-screen and otherwise manipulated as a single entity (Middle English: alteration of sprit, a contraction of spirit.)

Hearing

an opportunity to state one's case, (Law) an act of listening to evidence in a court of law or before an official, especially a trial before a judge without a jury

Surly

bad-tempered and unfriendly (mid 16th century (in the sense 'lordly, haughty, arrogant'): alteration of obsolete sirly (see sir, -ly1).)

Shrewish

bad-tempered or aggressively assertive (typically used of a woman)

Prefigure

be an early indication or version of (something) (late Middle English: from ecclesiastical Latin praefigurare 'represent beforehand', from prae 'before' + figurare 'to form, fashion'.)

Be part and parcel of

be an essential feature or element of [parcel here is in archaic sense 'part, portion'.]

Bode

be an omen of a particular outcome (Old English bodian 'proclaim, foretell', from boda 'messenger', of Germanic origin; related to German Bote, also to bid1.)

Befit

be appropriate for; suit (late Middle English: from be- + fit1.)

Brazen

bold and without shame, harsh in sound, (brazen something out) endure an embarrassing or difficult situation by behaving with apparent confidence and lack of shame (Old English bræsen 'made of brass', from bræs 'brass', of unknown ultimate origin.)

Doughty (archaic or humorous)

brave and persistent (late Old English dohtig, variant of dyhtig, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch duchtig and German tüchtig.)

Hew

chop or cut (something, especially wood or coal) with an axe, pick, or other tool, make or shape (something) by cutting or chopping a material such as wood or stone (Old English hēawan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch houwen and German hauen.)

Vindicate

clear (someone) of blame or suspicion, show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified (mid 16th century (in the sense 'deliver, rescue'): from Latin vindicat- 'claimed, avenged', from the verb vindicare, from vindex, vindic- 'claimant, avenger'.)

Pollard

cut off the top and branches of (a tree) to encourage new growth at the top, a tree whose top and branches have been pollarded (mid 16th century: from the verb poll + -ard.)

Illicit

forbidden by law, rules, or custom (early 16th century: from French, or from Latin illicitus, from in- 'not' + licitus (see licit).)

Prognosticate

foretell or prophesy a future event (late Middle English: from medieval Latin prognosticat-, from the verb prognosticare 'make a prediction' (see prognostic).)

Absolution

formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment, an ecclesiastical declaration of forgiveness of sins (Middle English: via Old French from Latin absolutio(n-), from the verb absolvere (see absolve).)

Renounce

formally declare one's abandonment of (a claim, right, or possession), reject and stop using or consuming, refuse to recognize or abide by any longer, declare that one will no longer engage in or support (late Middle English: from Old French renoncer, from Latin renuntiare 'protest against', from re- (expressing reversal) + nuntiare 'announce'.)

Epochal

forming or characterizing an epoch; epoch-making

Indiscriminate

done at random or without careful judgment, (of a person) not using or exercising discrimination (late 16th century (in the sense 'haphazard, not selective'): from in-1 'not' + Latin discriminatus, past participle of discriminare (see discriminate).)

Nitpick

engage in fussy or pedantic fault-finding

Machinate

engage in plots and intrigues; scheme (early 16th century: from Latin machinat- 'contrived', from machinari 'contrive', from machina (see machine).)

Impanel (also empanel)

enlist or enroll (a jury), enroll (someone) on to a jury (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French empaneller, from em- 'in' + Old French panel 'panel'.)

Enlist

enroll or be enrolled in the armed services, engage (a person or their help or support) (mid 16th century (formerly also as inlist): from en-1, in-2 'in, on' + list1, perhaps suggested by Dutch inlijsten 'put on a list'.)

Ardor

enthusiasm or passion (late Middle English: via Old French from Latin ardor, from ardere 'to burn'.)

Disparate

essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison, containing elements very different from one another (late Middle English: from Latin disparatus 'separated', from the verb disparare, from dis- 'apart' + parare 'to prepare'; influenced in sense by Latin dispar 'unequal'.)

Malign

evil in nature or effect; malevolent, speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner (Middle English: via Old French maligne (adjective), malignier (verb), based on Latin malignus 'tending to evil', from malus 'bad'.)

Poignant

evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret (late Middle English: from Old French, literally 'pricking', present participle of poindre, from Latin pungere 'to prick'.)

Stagy

excessively theatrical; exaggerated

Dispensation

exemption from a rule or usual requirement, permission to be exempted from the laws or observances of the Church, a system of order, government, or organization of a nation, community, etc., especially as existing at a particular time, (in Christian theology) a divinely ordained order prevailing at a particular period of history, the action of distributing or supplying something (late Middle English: from Latin dispensatio(n-), from the verb dispensare (see dispense).)

Affable

friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to (late Middle English: via Old French from Latin affabilis, from the verb affari, from ad- 'to' + fari 'speak'.)

Luminous

full of or shedding light; bright or shining, especially in the dark, (of a color) very bright; harsh to the eye (late Middle English: from Old French lumineux or Latin luminosus, from lumen, lumin- 'light'.)

Merriment

gaiety and fun

Garner

gather or collect (something, especially information or approval) (Middle English (originally as a noun): from Old French gernier, from Latin granarium 'granary', from granum 'grain'.)

Reputed

generally believed to exist or be something specified, but not definitely the case, widely known and well thought of

Benign

gentle and kindly, (of a climate or environment) mild and favorable, not harmful to the environment, (Medicine) (of a disease) not harmful in effect, (of a tumor) not malignant (Middle English: from Old French benigne, from Latin benignus, probably from bene 'well' + -genus '-born'. Compare with gentle1.)

Christen

give (a baby) a Christian name at baptism as a sign of admission to a Christian Church, give to (someone or something) a name that reflects a notable quality or characteristic, dedicate (a vessel, building, etc.) ceremonially (Old English crīstnian 'make Christian', from crīsten 'Christian', from Latin Christianus, from Christus 'Christ'.)

Recast

give (a metal object) a different form by melting it down and reshaping it, present or organize in a different form or style, allocate the parts in (a play or film) to different actors

Orientalize

give (something) an Asian character or style

Enrapture

give intense pleasure or joy to

Pendulous

hanging down loosely (early 17th century: from Latin pendulus 'hanging down' (from pendere 'hang') + -ous.)

Ape

imitate the behavior or manner of (someone or something), especially in an absurd or unthinking way (Old English apa, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch aap and German Affe.)

Indomitable

impossible to subdue or defeat (mid 17th century (in the sense 'untameable'): from late Latin indomitabilis, from in- 'not' + Latin domitare 'to tame'.)

Impassable

impossible to travel along or over

Obscure

keep from being seen; conceal, make unclear and difficult to understand, overshadow (late Middle English: from Old French obscur, from Latin obscurus 'dark', from an Indo-European root meaning 'cover'.)

Jollity

lively and cheerful activity or celebration, the quality of being cheerful (Middle English: from Old French jolite, from joli (see jolly1).)

Norse

the Norwegian language, especially in its medieval form, the Scandinavian language group, Norwegians or Scandinavians, especially in medieval times, relating to medieval Norway or Scandinavia, or their inhabitants or language (from Dutch noor(d)sch, from noord 'north'; compare with Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian Norsk.)

Resumption

the action of beginning something again after a pause or interruption (late Middle English (in the sense 'the action of reassuming possession of lands etc.'): from Old French resumption or late Latin resumptio(n-), from Latin resumpt-, past participle of resumere (see resume).)

Expulsion

the action of depriving someone of membership in an organization, the process of forcing someone to leave a place, especially a country, the process of forcing something out of the body (late Middle English: from Latin expulsio(n-), from expellere 'drive out' (see expel).)

Penitence

the action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentance

Investiture

the action of formally investing a person with honors or rank, a ceremony at which honors or rank are formally conferred on a particular person (late Middle English: from medieval Latin investitura, from investire (see invest).)

Truancy

the action of staying away from school without good reason; absenteeism

Compulsion

the action or state of forcing or being forced to do something; constraint, an irresistible urge to behave in a certain way, especially against one's conscious wishes (late Middle English: via Old French from late Latin compulsio(n-), from compellere 'to drive, force' (see compel).)

Judicature

the administration of justice, (the judicature) judges collectively; the judiciary (mid 16th century: from medieval Latin judicatura, from Latin judicare 'to judge'.)

Fauna

the animals of a particular region, habitat, or geological period, a book or other work describing or listing the animal life of a region (late 18th century: modern Latin application of Fauna, the name of a rural goddess, sister of Faunus.)

Topography

the arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features of an area, a detailed description or representation on a map of the natural and artificial features of an area (late Middle English: via late Latin from Greek topographia, from topos 'place' + -graphia (see -graphy).)

Embroidery

the art or pastime of embroidering cloth, cloth decorated with embroidery, embellishment or exaggeration in the description or reporting of an event (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French enbrouderie, from enbrouder 'embroider'.)

Proxy

the authority to represent someone else, especially in voting, a person authorized to act on behalf of another, a document authorizing a person to vote on another's behalf, a figure that can be used to represent the value of something in a calculation (late Middle English: contraction of procuracy.)

Nape

the back of a person's neck (Middle English: of unknown origin.)

Infrastructure

the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise (early 20th century: from French (see infra-, structure).)

Fatalism

the belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable, a submissive outlook, resulting from a fatalistic attitude

Clergy

the body of all people ordained for religious duties, especially in the Christian Church (Middle English: from Old French, based on ecclesiastical Latin clericus 'clergyman' (see cleric).)

Chronostratigraphy

the branch of geology concerned with establishing the absolute ages of strata.

Cosmogony

the branch of science that deals with the origin of the universe, especially the solar system, a theory regarding the origin of the universe (late 17th century: from Greek kosmogonia, from kosmos 'order or world' + -gonia '-begetting'.)

Excogitate

think out, plan, or devise (early 16th century: from Latin excogitat- 'found by process of thought', from the verb excogitare, from ex- 'out' + cogitare 'think'.)

Baleful

threatening harm; menacing, having a harmful or destructive effect

Fastidious

very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail, very concerned about matters of cleanliness (late Middle English: from Latin fastidiosus, from fastidium 'loathing'. The word originally meant 'disagreeable', later 'disgusted'. Current senses date from the 17th century.)

Torrid

very hot and dry, full of passionate or highly charged emotions arising from sexual love (late 16th century: from French torride or Latin torridus, from torrere 'parch, scorch'.)

Lurid

very vivid in color, especially so as to create an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect, of a description) presented in vividly shocking or sensational terms, especially giving explicit details of crimes or sexual matters (mid 17th century (in the sense 'pale and dismal in color'): from Latin luridus; related to luror 'wan or yellow color'.)

Verve

vigor and spirit or enthusiasm (late 17th century (denoting special talent in writing): from French, 'vigor', earlier 'form of expression', from Latin verba 'words'.)

Trenchant

vigorous or incisive in expression or style (Middle English (in trenchant (sense 2)): from Old French, literally 'cutting', present participle of trenchier (see trench).)

Frequent

visit (a place) often or habitually (late Middle English (in the sense 'profuse, ample'): from French, or from Latin frequens, frequent- 'crowded, frequent', of unknown ultimate origin.)

Picturesque

visually attractive, especially in a quaint or pretty style, (of language) unusual and vivid (early 18th century: from French pittoresque, from Italian pittoresco, from pittore 'painter' (from Latin pictor). The change from -tt- to -ct- was due to association with picture.)

Penance

voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong, a Christian sacrament in which a member of the Church confesses sins to a priest and is given absolution. In the Roman Catholic Church often called sacrament of reconciliation, a religious observance or other duty required of a person by a priest as part of this sacrament to indicate repentance (Middle English: from Old French, from Latin paenitentia 'repentance', from the verb paenitere 'be sorry'.)

Aboriginal

(Aboriginal) relating to the indigenous peoples of Australia or their languages, inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of colonists; indigenous, (Aboriginal) a person belonging to one of the indigenous peoples of Australia, an aboriginal inhabitant of a place (mid 17th century: from Latin aborigines 'original inhabitants' (see aborigine) + -al.)

Vascular

(Anatomy, Zoology, & Medicine) relating to, affecting, or consisting of a vessel or vessels, especially those which carry blood (late 17th century: from modern Latin vascularis, from Latin vasculum (see vasculum).)

Bunt

(Baseball) (of a batter) gently tap (a pitched ball) without swinging in an attempt to make it more difficult to field, (of a batter) help (a base runner) to progress to a further base by bunting a ball, (Baseball) an act or result of bunting a pitched ball (mid 18th century: probably related to the noun butt1 (the original sense).)

Caravan

(British) a vehicle equipped for living in, typically a trailer towed by a car and used when traveling for recreation, a covered horse-drawn wagon, (North American) a covered truck; a van, any large group of people, typically with vehicles or animals, traveling together in single file (late 15th century (in caravan (sense 2)): from French caravane, from Persian kārwān. The sense 'covered horse-drawn wagon' dates from the early 19th century.)

Ether

(Chemistry) a pleasant-smelling colorless volatile liquid that is highly flammable. It is used as an anesthetic and as a solvent or intermediate in industrial processes, any organic compound with a structure similar to ether, having an oxygen atom linking two alkyl or other organic groups (late Middle English: from Old French, or via Latin from Greek aithēr 'upper air', from the base of aithein 'burn, shine'. Originally the word denoted a substance believed to occupy space beyond the sphere of the moon. ether (sense 3) arose in the mid 17th century and ether (sense 1) in the mid 18th century.)

Field

(Cricket & Baseball) play as a fielder, catch or stop (the ball), send out (a team or individual) to play in a game (Old English feld (also denoting a large tract of open country; compare with veld), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch veld and German Feld.)

Crusader

(Crusader) a fighter in the medieval Crusades, a person who campaigns vigorously for political, social, or religious change; a campaigner

Bandwidth

(Electronics) a range of frequencies within a given band, in particular that used for transmitting a signal, the transmission capacity of a computer network or other telecommunication system, the energy or mental capacity required to deal with a situation

Inflect

(Grammar) change the form of (a word) to express a particular grammatical function or attribute, typically tense, mood, person, number, case, and gender, vary the intonation or pitch of (the voice), especially to express mood or feeling, vary the pitch of (a musical note), influence or color (music or writing) in tone or style (late Middle English (in inflect (sense 3)): from Latin inflectere, from in- 'into' + flectere 'to bend'.)

Fief

(Law, historical) an estate of land, especially one held on condition of feudal service, a person's sphere of operation or control (early 17th century: from French (see fee).)

Cognate

(Linguistics) (of a word) having the same linguistic derivation as another; from the same original word or root (e.g., English is, German ist, Latin est, from Indo-European esti), (formal) related; connected (early 17th century: from Latin cognatus, from co- 'together with' + natus 'born'.)

Wash

(North American informal) a situation or result that is of no benefit to either of two opposing sides

Precinct

(North American) a district of a city or town as defined for police purposes, the police station situated in a precinct, an electoral district of a city or town served by a single polling place, (usually precincts) the area within the walls or perceived boundaries of a particular building or place, an enclosed or clearly defined area of ground around a cathedral, church, or college (late Middle English (denoting an administrative district): from medieval Latin praecinctum, neuter past participle (used as a noun) of praecingere 'encircle', from prae 'before' + cingere 'gird'.)

Treason

(also high treason) the crime of betraying one's country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government, the action of betraying someone or something (Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French treisoun, from Latin traditio(n-) 'handing over', from the verb tradere.)

Minister

(also minister of religion) a member of the clergy, especially in Protestant churches, (also minister general) the superior of some religious orders, (in certain countries) a head of a government department, a diplomatic agent, usually ranking below an ambassador, representing a state or sovereign in a foreign country, (minister to) attend to the needs of (someone), act as a minister of religion, administer (a sacrament) (Middle English (in minister (sense 2 of the noun)); also in the sense 'a person acting under the authority of another'): from Old French ministre (noun), ministrer (verb), from Latin minister 'servant', from minus 'less'.)

Turpentine

(also oil of turpentine) a volatile pungent oil distilled from gum turpentine or pine wood, used in mixing paints and varnishes and in liniment (Middle English: from Old French ter(e)bentine, from Latin ter(e)binthina (resina) '(resin) of the turpentine tree', from terebinthus (see terebinth).)

Wood

(also woods) an area of land, smaller than a forest, that is covered with growing trees (Old English wudu, from a Germanic word related to Welsh gwŷdd 'trees'.)

Maiden

(archaic) a girl or young woman, especially an unmarried one, (of a woman, especially an older one) unmarried, being or involving the first attempt or act of its kind (Old English mægden, from a Germanic diminutive meaning 'maid, virgin'; related to German Mädchen, diminutive of Magd 'maid', from an Indo-European root shared by Old Irish mug 'boy, servant'.)

Bereft

(bereft of) deprived of or lacking (something), (of a person) sad and lonely, especially through someone's death or departure (late 16th century: archaic past participle of bereave.)

Sack

(chiefly in historical contexts) plunder and destroy (a captured town, building, or other place), the pillaging of a town or city (mid 16th century: from French sac, in the phrase mettre à sac 'put to sack', on the model of Italian fare il sacco, mettere a sacco, which perhaps originally referred to filling a sack with plunder.)

Glory Be

(especially in Roman Catholic use) the doxology beginning "Glory be to the Father."

Villa

(especially in continental Europe) a large and luxurious country residence, a large country house of Roman times, having an estate and consisting of farm and residential buildings arranged around a courtyard (early 17th century: from Italian, from Latin.)

Impeach

(especially in the US) charge (the holder of a public office) with misconduct, call into question the integrity or validity of (a practice) (late Middle English (also in the sense 'hinder, prevent'; earlier as empeche): from Old French empecher 'impede', from late Latin impedicare 'catch, entangle' (based on pedica 'a fetter', from pes, ped- 'foot'). Compare with impede.)

Extant

(especially of a document) still in existence; surviving (mid 16th century (in the sense 'able to be publicly seen or reached'): from Latin exstant- 'being visible or prominent, existing', from the verb exstare, from ex- 'out' + stare 'to stand'.)

Tepid

(especially of a liquid) only slightly warm; lukewarm, showing little enthusiasm (late Middle English: from Latin tepidus, from tepere 'be warm'.)

Vociferous

(especially of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous

Convoluted

(especially of an argument, story, or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow, (mainly technical) intricately folded, twisted, or coiled (late 18th century: past participle of convolute, from Latin convolutus, past participle of convolvere 'roll together, intertwine' (see convolve).)

Quake

(especially of the earth) shake or tremble, (of a person) shake or shudder with fear, an act of shaking or quaking (Old English cwacian.)

Prandial

(formal or humorous) during or relating to dinner or lunch (mid 18th century: from Latin prandium 'meal' + -al, perhaps via early modern Latin prandialis.)

Fritter

(fritter something away) waste time, money, or energy on trifling matters, dwindle; diminish (early 18th century: based on obsolete fitter 'break into fragments, shred'; perhaps related to German Fetzen 'rag, scrap'.)

Hem

(hem someone/something in) surround and restrict the space or movement of someone or something (Old English 'border of a piece of cloth', of West Germanic origin. The verb senses date from the mid 16th century.)

Alarums and excursions

(humorous) confused activity and uproar

Deacon

(in Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox Churches) an ordained minister of an order ranking below that of priest, (in some Protestant churches) a lay officer appointed to assist a minister, especially in secular affairs, appoint or ordain as a deacon (Old English diacon, via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek diakonos 'servant' (in ecclesiastical Greek 'Christian minister').)

Follow suit

(in bridge, whist, and other card games) play a card of the suit led, conform to another's actions

Architrave

(in classical architecture) a main beam resting across the tops of columns, specifically the lower third entablature, the molded frame around a doorway or window, a molding around the exterior of an arch (mid 16th century: from French, from Italian, from archi- 'chief' + -trave from Latin trabs, trab- 'a beam'.)

Daimyo

(in feudal Japan) one of the great lords who were vassals of the shogun (Japanese, from dai 'great' + myō 'name'.)

Hobgoblin

(in mythology and fairy tales) a mischievous imp or sprite, a fearsome mythical creature (mid 16th century: from hob2 + goblin.)

Marquis

(in some European countries) a nobleman ranking above a count and below a duke. Compare with marquess, another term for marquess (Middle English: from Old French marchis, reinforced by Old French marquis, both from the base of march2.)

Sacrament

(in the Christian Church) a religious ceremony or ritual regarded as imparting divine grace, such as baptism, the Eucharist and (in the Roman Catholic and many Orthodox Churches) penance and the anointing of the sick, (also the Blessed Sacrament or Holy Sacrament) (in Roman Catholic use) the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, especially the bread or Host, a thing of mysterious and sacred significance; a religious symbol (Middle English: from Old French sacrement, from Latin sacramentum 'solemn oath' (from sacrare 'to hallow', from sacer 'sacred'), used in Christian Latin as a translation of Greek mustērion 'mystery'.)

Parish

(in the Christian Church) a small administrative district typically having its own church and a priest or pastor, (US) (in Louisiana) a territorial division corresponding to a county in other states (Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French and Old French paroche, from late Latin parochia, from Greek paroikia 'sojourning', based on para- 'beside, subsidiary' + oikos 'dwelling'.)

Rector

(in the Episcopal Church) a member of the clergy who has charge of a parish, (in the Roman Catholic Church) a priest in charge of a church or of a religious institution, (in the Church of England) the incumbent of a parish where all tithes formerly passed to the incumbent, the head of certain universities, colleges, and schools (late Middle English: from Latin rector 'ruler', from rect- 'ruled', from the verb regere.)

Armageddon

(in the New Testament) the last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgment, a biblical hill of Megiddo, an archaeological site on the plain of Esdraelon, south of present-day Haifa in Israel, the place where the last battle between good and evil will be fought, a dramatic and catastrophic conflict, typically seen as likely to destroy the world or the human race (Greek, from Hebrew har mĕgiddōn 'hill of Megiddo' (Rev. 16:16).)

Rosary

(in the Roman Catholic Church) a form of devotion in which five (or fifteen) decades of Hail Marys are repeated, each decade preceded by an Our Father and followed by a Glory Be, a string of beads for keeping count in a rosary or in the devotions of some other religions, a book containing a rosary (late Middle English (in the sense 'rose garden'): from Latin rosarium 'rose garden', based on rosa 'rose'.)

Vicar

(in the Roman Catholic Church) a representative or deputy of a bishop, (in the Episcopal Church) a member of the clergy in charge of a chapel, (in the Church of England) an incumbent of a parish where tithes formerly passed to a chapter or religious house or layman, (in other Anglican Churches) a member of the clergy deputizing for another, a cleric or choir member appointed to sing certain parts of a cathedral service (Middle English: via Anglo-Norman French from Old French vicaire, from Latin vicarius 'substitute', from vic- 'change, turn, place' (compare with vice2).)

Beatification

(in the Roman Catholic Church) declaration by the Pope that a dead person is in a state of bliss, constituting a first step toward canonization and permitting public veneration (early 16th century (in the sense 'action of making blessed'): from Old French, or from ecclesiastical Latin beatificatio(n-), from beatificare 'make blessed', from Latin beatus 'blessed'.)

Weft

(in weaving) the crosswise threads on a loom over and under which other threads (the warp) are passed to make cloth (Old English weft(a), of Germanic origin; related to weave1.)

Warp (n., weaving)

(in weaving) the threads on a loom over and under which other threads (the weft) are passed to make cloth (Old English weorpan (verb), wearp (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch werpen and German werfen 'to throw'. Early verb senses included 'throw' and 'hit with a missile'; the sense 'bend' dates from late Middle English. The noun was originally a term in weaving (see warp (sense 2 of the noun)).)

Incommensurate

(incommensurate with) out of keeping or proportion with, another term for incommensurable (sense 1 of the adjective)

Incumbent

(incumbent on/upon) necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility, (of an official or regime) currently holding office, the holder of an office or post, the holder of an ecclesiastical benefice. (late Middle English (as a noun): from Anglo-Latin incumbens, incumbent-, from Latin incumbere 'lie or lean on', from in- 'upon' + a verb related to cubare 'lie'.)

Mug

(informal) a person's face, (informal) make faces, especially silly or exaggerated ones, before an audience or a camera (early 16th century (originally Scots and northern English, denoting an earthenware bowl): probably of Scandinavian origin; compare with Norwegian mugge, Swedish mugg 'pitcher with a handle'.)

Bender

(informal) a wild drinking spree (late 15th century (denoting instruments such as pliers, for bending things): from bend1 + -er1.)

Plug away

(informal) proceed steadily and laboriously with a journey or task

Petulant

(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered (late 16th century (in the sense 'immodest'): from French pétulant, from Latin petulant- 'impudent' (related to petere 'aim at, seek'). The current sense (mid 18th century) is influenced by pettish.)

Invest

(invest someone/something with) provide or endow someone or something with (a particular quality or attribute), endow someone with (a rank or office) (mid 16th century (in the senses 'clothe', 'clothe with the insignia of a rank', and 'endow with authority'): from French investir or Latin investire, from in- 'into, upon' + vestire 'clothe' (from vestis 'clothing'). invest (sense 1) (early 17th century) is influenced by Italian investire.)

Gird

(literary) encircle (a person or part of the body) with a belt or band, secure (a garment or sword) on the body with a belt or band, surround; encircle, (gird oneself) prepare oneself for something difficult or challenging (Old English gyrdan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gorden and German gürten, also to girdle1 and girth.)

Smite

(literary) strike with a firm blow, (archaic) defeat or conquer (a people or land), (usually be smitten) (especially of disease) attack or affect severely, (archaic) a heavy blow or stroke with a weapon or the hand (Old English smītan 'to smear, blemish', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch smijten and German schmeissen 'to fling'.)

Deportment

(mainly North American) a person's behavior or manners (early 17th century (denoting behavior in general): from French déportement, from the verb déporter (see deport).)

Concubine

(mainly historical) (in polygamous societies) a woman who lives with a man but has lower status than his wife or wives (Middle English: from Old French, from Latin concubina, from con- 'with' + cubare 'to lie'.)

Intercalary

(of a day or a month) inserted in the calendar to harmonize it with the solar year, e.g., February 29 in leap years, of the nature of an insertion (early 17th century: from Latin intercalarius, from intercalare (see intercalate).)

Momentous

(of a decision, event, or change) of great importance or significance, especially in its bearing on the

Virulent

(of a disease or poison) extremely severe or harmful in its effects, (of a pathogen, especially a virus) highly infective, bitterly hostile (late Middle English (originally describing a poisoned wound): from Latin virulentus, from virus 'poison' (see virus).)

Fray

(of a fabric, rope, or cord) unravel or become worn at the edge, typically through constant rubbing (late Middle English: from Old French freiier, from Latin fricare 'to rub'.), a situation of intense activity, typically one incorporating an element of aggression or competition, a battle or fight (late Middle English: from archaic fray 'to quarrel', from affray 'startle', from Anglo-Norman French afrayer (see affray).)

Coagulate

(of a fluid, especially blood) change to a solid or semisolid state, cause (a fluid) to change to a solid or semisolid state (late Middle English: from Latin coagulat- 'curdled', from the verb coagulare, from coagulum 'rennet'.)

Elasticized

(of a garment or part of a garment) made with rubber thread or tape and able to be stretched easily

Seeth

(of a liquid) bubble up as a result of being boiled, (of a person) be filled with intense but unexpressed anger, (of a place) be crowded with people or things moving about in a rapid or hectic way, (of a crowd of people) move in a rapid or hectic way (Old English sēothan 'make or keep boiling', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zieden.)

Limpid

(of a liquid) free of anything that darkens; completely clear, (of a person's eyes) unclouded; clear, (especially of writing or music) clear and accessible or melodious (late Middle English: from Latin limpidus; perhaps related to lymph.)

Effervescent

(of a liquid) giving off bubbles; fizzy, vivacious and enthusiastic (late 17th century: from Latin effervescent- 'boiling up', from the verb effervescere (see effervesce).)

Stilted

(of a manner of talking or writing) stiff and self-conscious or unnatural, standing on stilts

Lynch

(of a mob) kill (someone), especially by hanging, for an alleged offense with or without a legal trial, (informal) severely criticize or condemn (someone) (mid 19th century: from Lynch's law, named after Capt. William Lynch, head of a self-constituted judicial tribunal in Virginia c. 1780.)

Labyrinthine

(of a network) like a labyrinth; irregular and twisting, (of a system) intricate and confusing

Placid

(of a person or animal) not easily upset or excited, (especially of a place or stretch of water) calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity (early 17th century: from French placide, from Latin placidus, from placere 'to please'.)

Nonchalant

(of a person or manner) feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety, interest, or enthusiasm (mid 18th century: from French, literally 'not being concerned', from the verb nonchaloir.)

Incisive

(of a person or mental process) intelligently analytical and clear-thinking, (of an account) accurate and sharply focused (late Middle English (in the sense 'cutting, penetrating'): from medieval Latin incisivus, from Latin incidere 'cut into' (see incise).)

Uncouth

(of a person or their appearance or behavior) lacking good manners, refinement, or grace, (especially of art or language) lacking sophistication or delicacy (Old English uncūth 'unknown', from un-1 'not' + cūth (past participle of cunnan 'know, be able').)

Indefatigable

(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly (early 17th century: from French, or from Latin indefatigabilis, from in- 'not' + de- 'away, completely' + fatigare 'wear out'.)

Incorriglible

(of a person or their tendencies) not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed, an incorrigible person (Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin incorrigibilis, from in- 'not' + corrigibilis (see corrigible).)

Orthodox

(of a person or their views, especially religious or political ones, or other beliefs or practices) conforming to what is generally or traditionally accepted as right or true; established and approved, (of a person) not independent-minded; conventional and unoriginal, (of a thing) of the ordinary or usual type; normal, (usually Orthodox) (of Jewish people or Judaism) strictly keeping to traditional doctrine and ritual, (usually Orthodox) relating to the Orthodox Church (late Middle English: from Greek orthodoxos (probably via ecclesiastical Latin), from orthos 'straight or right' + doxa 'opinion'.)

Quaver

(of a person's voice) shake or tremble in speaking, typically through nervousness or emotion, a shake or tremble in a person's voice (late Middle English (as a verb in the general sense 'tremble'): from dialect quave 'quake, tremble', probably from an Old English word related to quake. The noun is first recorded (mid 16th century) as a musical term.)

Hoarse

(of a person's voice) sounding rough and harsh, typically as the result of a sore throat or of shouting (Old English hās, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hees. The spelling with r was influenced in Middle English by an Old Norse cognate.)

Squeamish

(of a person) easily made to feel sick, faint, or disgusted, especially by unpleasant images, such as the sight of blood, (of a person) having strong moral views; scrupulous (late Middle English: alteration of dialect squeamous, from Anglo-Norman French escoymos, of unknown origin.)

Decrepit

(of a person) elderly and infirm, worn out or ruined because of age or neglect (late Middle English: from Latin decrepitus, from de- 'down' + crepitus, past participle of crepare 'rattle, creak'.)

Eponymous

(of a person) giving their name to something, (of a thing) named after a particular person

Shamble

(of a person) move with a slow, shuffling, awkward gait, a slow, shuffling, awkward gait (late 16th century: probably from dialect shamble 'ungainly', perhaps from the phrase shamble legs, with reference to the legs of trestle tables (such as would be used in a meat market: see shambles).)

Congenial

(of a person) pleasant because of a personality, qualities, or interests that are similar to one's own, (of a thing) pleasant or agreeable because suited to one's taste or inclination

Voluble

(of a person) talking fluently, readily, or incessantly, (of speech) characterized by fluency and readiness of utterance (Middle English (in senses 'rotating about an axis' and 'having a tendency to change'): from French, or from Latin volubilis, from volvere 'to roll'. The modern meanings arose in the late 16th century.)

Shudder

(of a person) tremble convulsively, typically as a result of fear or revulsion, (especially of a vehicle, machine, or building) shake or vibrate violently, an act of shuddering (Middle English (as a verb): from Middle Dutch schūderen, from a Germanic base meaning 'shake'.)

Flourish

(of a person) wave (something) around to attract the attention of others (Middle English: from Old French floriss-, lengthened stem of florir, based on Latin florere, from flos, flor- 'a flower'. The noun senses 'ornamental curve' and 'florid expression' come from an obsolete sense of the verb, 'adorn' (originally with flowers).)

Boisterous

(of a person, event, or behavior) noisy, energetic, and cheerful; rowdy, (of wind, weather, or water) wild or stormy (late Middle English (in the sense 'rough, stiff'): variant of earlier boistuous 'rustic, coarse, boisterous', of unknown origin.)

Accredited

(of a person, organization, or course of study) officially recognized or authorized

Desolate

(of a place) deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness, feeling or showing misery, unhappiness, or loneliness, make (a place) bleakly and depressingly empty or bare, (usually be desolated) make (someone) feel utterly wretched and unhappy (late Middle English: from Latin desolatus 'abandoned', past participle of desolare, from de- 'thoroughly' + solus 'alone'.)

Squalid

(of a place) extremely dirty and unpleasant, especially as a result of poverty or neglect, showing or involving a contemptible lack of moral standards (late 16th century: from Latin squalidus, from squalere 'be rough or dirty'.)

Beset

(of a problem or difficulty) trouble or threaten persistently, surround and harass; assail on all sides, hem in; enclose (Old English besettan, from be- 'about' + settan (see set1).)

Allusive

(of a remark or reference) working by suggestion rather than explicit mention

Trite

(of a remark, opinion, or idea) overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness (mid 16th century: from Latin tritus, past participle of terere 'to rub'.)

Meander

(of a river or road) follow a winding course, (of a person) wander at random, (of a speaker or text) proceed aimlessly or with little purpose, a winding curve or bend of a river or road, a circuitous journey, especially an aimless one, an ornamental pattern of winding or interlocking lines, e.g., in a mosaic (late 16th century (as a noun): from Latin maeander, from Greek Maiandros, the name of a river (see Menderes).)

Circuitous

(of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way (mid 17th century: from medieval Latin circuitosus, from circuitus 'a way around'(see circuit).)

Keen

(of a sense) highly developed, having or showing great perception or insight, having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm, (keen on) interested in or attracted by (someone or something) (Old English cēne 'wise, clever', also 'brave, daring', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch koen and German kühn 'bold, brave'. Current senses date from Middle English.)

Mutinous

(of a soldier or sailor) refusing to obey the orders of a person in authority, willful or disobedient (late 16th century: from obsolete mutine 'rebellion' (see mutiny) + -ous.)

Volatile

(of a substance) easily evaporated at normal temperatures, liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse, (of a person) liable to display rapid changes of emotion (Middle English (in the sense 'creature that flies', also, as a collective, 'birds'): from Old French volatil or Latin volatilis, from volare 'to fly'.)

Onerous

(of a task, duty, or responsibility) involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome (late Middle English: from Old French onereus, from Latin onerosus, from onus, oner- 'burden'.)

Opportune

(of a time) well-chosen or particularly favorable or appropriate, done or occurring at a favorable or useful time; well-timed (late Middle English: from Old French opportun(e), from Latin opportunus, from ob- 'in the direction of' + portus 'harbor', originally describing the wind driving towards the harbor, hence 'seasonable'.)

Connote

(of a word) imply or suggest (an idea or feeling) in addition to the literal or primary meaning, of a fact) imply as a consequence or condition (mid 17th century: from medieval Latin connotare 'mark in addition', from con- 'together with' + notare 'to note' (from nota 'a mark').)

Fester

(of a wound or sore) become septic; suppurate, (of food or garbage) become rotten and offensive to the senses, (of a negative feeling or a problem) become worse or more intense, especially through long-term neglect or indifference, (of a person) undergo physical and mental deterioration in isolated inactivity (late Middle English: from the rare word fester 'fistula', later 'festering sore', or Old French festrir (verb), both from Old French festre (noun), from Latin fistula 'pipe, reed, fistula'.)

Perfunctory

(of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection (late 16th century: from late Latin perfunctorius 'careless', from Latin perfunct- 'done with, discharged', from the verb perfungi.)

Expedient

(of an action) convenient and practical although possibly improper or immoral, (of an action) suitable or appropriate, a means of attaining an end, especially one that is convenient but considered improper or immoral (late Middle English: from Latin expedient- 'extricating, putting in order', from the verb expedire (see expedite).)

Gore

(of an animal such as a bull) pierce or stab with a horn or tusk (late Middle English (in the sense 'stab, pierce'): of unknown origin.)

Molt

(of an animal) shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth, (of hair or feathers) fall out to make way for new growth, a loss of plumage, skin, or hair, especially as a regular feature of an animal's life cycle (Middle English moute, from an Old English verb based on Latin mutare 'to change'. For the intrusive -l-, compare with words such as fault.)

Arbitrate

(of an independent person or body) reach an authoritative judgment or settlement (mid 16th century: from Latin arbitrat- 'judged', from arbitrari, from arbiter 'judge, supreme ruler'.)

Headless

(of an object) lacking a tip, end, or top par

Untanned

(of animal skin) not converted into leather by tanning

Calve

(of cows and certain other large animals) give birth to a calf, (of an iceberg or glacier) split and shed (a smaller mass of ice) (Old English calfian, from cælf 'calf'.)

Fallow

(of farmland) plowed and harrowed but left unsown for a period in order to restore its fertility as part of a crop rotation or to avoid surplus production, (of a sow) not pregnant, a piece of fallow or uncultivated land (Old English fealgian 'to break up land for sowing', of Germanic origin; related to Low German falgen.), a pale brown or reddish yellow color (Old English falu, fealu, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vaal and German fahl, falb.)

Succulent

(of food) tender, juicy, and tasty (early 17th century: from Latin succulentus, from succus 'juice'.)

Rugged

(of ground or terrain) having a broken, rocky, and uneven surface, (of a machine or other manufactured object) strongly made and capable of withstanding rough handling, having or requiring toughness and determination, having attractively strong, rough-hewn features (typically used of a man) (Middle English (in the sense 'shaggy', also (of a horse) 'rough-coated'): probably of Scandinavian origin; compare with Swedish rugga 'roughen', also with rug.)

Indelible

(of ink or a pen) making marks that cannot be removed, not able to be forgotten or removed (late 15th century (as indeleble): from French, or from Latin indelebilis, from in- 'not' + delebilis (from delere 'efface, delete'). The ending was altered under the influence of -ible.)

Arid

(of land or a climate) having little or no rain; too dry or barren to support vegetation, lacking in interest, excitement, or meaning (mid 17th century: from French aride or Latin aridus, from arere 'be dry or parched'.)

Trackless

(of land) having no paths or tracks on it, (of a vehicle or component) not running on a track or tracks

Brilliant

(of light or color) very bright and radiant, exceptionally clever or talented, outstanding; impressive, a diamond of brilliant cut (late 17th century: from French brillant 'shining', present participle of briller, from Italian brillare, probably from Latin beryllus (see beryl).)

Serried

(of rows of people or things) standing close together (mid 17th century: past participle of serry 'press close', probably from French serré 'close together', based on Latin sera 'lock'.)

Bedevil

(of something bad) cause great and continual trouble to, (of a person) torment or harass

Flagrant

(of something considered wrong or immoral) conspicuously or obviously offensive (late 15th century (in the sense 'blazing, resplendent'): from French, or from Latin flagrant- 'blazing', from the verb flagrare.)

Abate

(of something perceived as hostile, threatening, or negative) become less intense or widespread, cause to become smaller or less intense (Middle English (in the legal sense): from Old French abatre 'to fell', from a- (from Latin ad 'to, at') + batre 'to beat' (from Latin battere, battuere 'to beat').)

Glib

(of words or the person speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow (late 16th century (also in the sense 'smooth, unimpeded'): ultimately of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'slippery' and German glibberig 'slimy'.)

Naturalize

(often be/become naturalized) admit (a foreigner) to the citizenship of a country, (of a foreigner) be admitted to the citizenship of a country, alter (an adopted foreign word) so that it conforms more closely to the phonology or orthography of the adopting language, regard as or cause to appear natural (mid 16th century: from French naturaliser, from Old French natural (see natural).)

Poll

(often the polls) the process of voting in an election, a record of the number of votes cast in an election, (the polls) the places where votes are cast in an election, short for opinion poll, record the opinion or vote of, (of a candidate in an election) receive a specified number of votes (Middle English (in the sense 'head'): perhaps of Low German origin. The original sense was 'head', and hence 'an individual person among a number', from which developed the sense 'number of people ascertained by counting of heads' and then 'counting of heads or of votes' (17th century).)

Redolent

(redolent of/with) strongly reminiscent or suggestive of (late Middle English (in the sense 'fragrant'): from Old French, or from Latin redolent- 'giving out a strong smell', from re(d)- 'back, again' + olere 'to smell'.)

Shackle

(shackles) a pair of fetters connected together by a chain, used to fasten a prisoner's wrists or ankles together, used in reference to something that restrains or impedes, a metal link, typically U-shaped, closed by a bolt, used to secure a chain or rope to something, chain with shackles, restrain; limit (Old English sc(e)acul 'fetter', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schakel 'link, coupling'.)

Orient

(the Orient) (literary) the countries of Asia, especially eastern Asia, the special luster of a pearl of the finest quality, (literary) situated in or belonging to the east; oriental, (of the sun, daylight, etc.) rising (late Middle English: via Old French from Latin orient- 'rising or east', from oriri 'to rise'.)

Acrimonious

(typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter (early 17th century (in the sense 'bitter, pungent'): from acrimony + -ous.)

Springer

(usually springer spaniel) a small spaniel of a breed originally used to spring game. There are two main breeds, the English springer spaniel, typically black and white or brown and white, and the less common red and white Welsh springer spaniel, a cow or heifer near to calving

Textile

(usually textiles) a type of cloth or woven fabric, (textiles) the branch of industry involved in the manufacture of cloth, (informal) used by nudists to describe someone wearing clothes, especially on a beach, (informal) used by nudists to describe something relating to or restricted to people wearing clothes (early 17th century: from Latin textilis, from text- 'woven', from the verb texere.)

Pope

(usually the Pope) the Bishop of Rome as head of the Roman Catholic Church, the head of the Coptic Church, the Bishop or Patriarch of Alexandria (Old English, via ecclesiastical Latin from ecclesiastical Greek papas 'bishop, patriarch', variant of Greek pappas 'father'.)

Toll

(with reference to a bell) sound or cause to sound with a slow, uniform succession of strokes, as a signal or announcement, (of a bell) announce or mark (the time, a service, or a person's death), a single ring of a bell (late Middle English: probably a special use of dialect toll 'drag, pull'.)

Dissipate

(with reference to a feeling or other intangible thing) disappear or cause to disappear, disperse or scatter, squander or fritter away (money, energy, or resources) (late Middle English: from Latin dissipat- 'scattered', from the verb dissipare, from dis- 'apart, widely' + supare 'to throw'.)

Pagoda

a Hindu or Buddhist temple or sacred building, typically a many-tiered tower, in India and East Asi, an ornamental imitation of a Hindu or Buddhist pagoda (late 16th century: from Portuguese pagode, perhaps based on Persian butkada 'temple of idols', influenced by Prakrit bhagodī 'divine'.)

Mullah

a Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law (early 17th century: from Persian, Turkish, and Urdu mullā, from Arabic mawlā.)

Sultan

a Muslim sovereign, (the Sultan) (historical) the sultan of Turkey (mid 16th century: from French, or from medieval Latin sultanus, from Arabic sulṭān 'power, ruler'.)

Ragbag

a bag in which scraps of fabric and old clothes are kept for use, a miscellaneous collection of something

Lexeme

a basic lexical unit of a language, consisting of one word or several words, considered as an abstract unit, and applied to a family of words related by form or meaning. (1940s: from lexicon + -eme.)

Girdle

a belt or cord worn around the waist, a woman's elasticized corset extending from waist to thigh, a thing that surrounds something like a belt or girdle, the part of a cut gem dividing the crown from the base and embraced by the setting, a ring around a tree made by removing bark, encircle (the body) with or as a girdle or belt, surround; encircle, cut through the bark all the way around (a tree or branch), typically in order to kill it or to kill a branch to make the tree more fruitful (Old English gyrdel, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gordel and German Gürtel, also to gird1 and girth.)

Plumage

a bird's feathers collectively (late Middle English: from Old French, from plume 'feather'.)

Suffragan

a bishop appointed to help a diocesan bishop, a bishop in relation to their archbishop or metropolitan (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French and Old French, representing medieval Latin suffraganeus 'assistant (bishop)', from Latin suffragium (see suffrage).)

Bitumen

a black viscous mixture of hydrocarbons obtained naturally or as a residue from petroleum distillation. It is used for road surfacing and roofing (late Middle English (denoting naturally occurring asphalt used as mortar): from Latin.)

Flax

a blue-flowered herbaceous plant that is cultivated for its seed (linseed) and for textile fiber made from its stalks, extile fiber obtained from the flax plant (Old English flæx, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vlas and German Flachs, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin plectere and Greek plekein 'to plait, twist'.)

Ferry

a boat or ship for conveying passengers and goods, especially over a relatively short distance and as a regular service, a service for conveying passengers or goods by boat or ship, the place from which a ferry service operates, a service using another mode of transportation to convey passengers and goods, especially aircraft, convey in a ferry or other ship or boat, especially across a short stretch of water, transport from one place to another on short or regular trips (Middle English: from Old Norse ferja 'ferry boat', of Germanic origin and related to fare.)

Delegation

a body of delegates or representatives; a deputation, the act or process of delegating or being delegated (early 17th century (denoting the action or process of delegating; also in the sense 'delegated power'): from Latin delegatio(n-), from delegare 'send on a commission' (see delegate).)

Jury

a body of people (typically twelve in number) sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court, a body of people selected to judge a competition (late Middle English: from Old French juree 'oath, inquiry', from Latin jurata, feminine past participle of jurare 'swear' (see juror).)

Lore

a body of traditions and knowledge on a subject or held by a particular group, typically passed from person to person by word of mouth (Old English lār 'instruction', of Germanic origin: related to Dutch leer, German Lehre, also to learn.)

Tome (mainly humorous)

a book, especially a large, heavy, scholarly one (early 16th century (denoting one volume of a larger work): from French, via Latin from Greek tomos 'section, roll of papyrus, volume'; related to temnein 'to cut'.)

Soapbox

a box or crate used as a makeshift stand by a public speaker, a thing that provides an opportunity for someone to air their views publicly

Vignette

a brief evocative description, account, or episode, a small illustration or portrait photograph which fades into its background without a definite border, portray (someone) in the style of a vignette (late Middle English (in vignette (sense 3 of the noun); also as an architectural term denoting a carved representation of a vine): from French, diminutive of vigne 'vine'.)

Vermillion

a brilliant red pigment made from mercury sulfide (cinnabar), a brilliant red color (Middle English: from Old French vermeillon, from vermeil, from Latin vermiculus, diminutive of vermis 'worm'.)

Frieze

a broad horizontal band of sculpted or painted decoration, especially on a wall near the ceiling, a horizontal paper strip mounted on a wall to give a similar effect, (Architecture) the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice (mid 16th century: from French frise, from medieval Latin frisium, variant of frigium, from Latin Phrygium (opus) '(work) of Phrygia'.)

Obi

a broad sash worn around the waist of a Japanese kimono (Japanese, literally 'belt'.), a kind of sorcery practiced especially in the Caribbean (Akan, from bayi 'sorcery'.)

Fluke

a broad triangular plate on the arm of an anchor, either of the lobes of a whale's tail (mid 16th century: perhaps from fluke2 (because of the shape).)

Peat

a brown deposit resembling soil, formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter in the wet acidic conditions of bogs and fens, and often cut out and dried for use as fuel and in gardening, (usually peats) a cut piece of peat (Middle English: from Anglo-Latin peta, perhaps of Celtic origin.)

Mason

a builder and worker in stone, (Mason) a Freemason, build from or strengthen with stone, cut, hew, or dress (stone) (Middle English: from Old French masson (noun), maçonner (verb), probably of Germanic origin; perhaps related to make.)

Monastery

a building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows (late Middle English: via ecclesiastical Latin from ecclesiastical Greek monastērion, from monazein 'live alone', from monos 'alone'.)

Mausoleum

a building, especially a large and stately one, housing a tomb or tombs (late 15th century: via Latin from Greek Mausōleion, from Mausōlos, the name of a king of Caria (4th century bc), to whose tomb in Halicarnassus the name was originally applied.)

Edifice (formal)

a building, especially a large, imposing one, a complex system of beliefs (late Middle English: via Old French from Latin aedificium, from aedis 'dwelling' + facere 'make'.)

Barmbrack

a bun or cake rich in currants

Tuft

a bunch or collection of threads, grass, hair, etc., held or growing together at the base (late Middle English: probably from Old French tofe, of unknown origin. The final -t is typical of phonetic confusion between -f and -ft at the end of words; compare with graft1.)

Sheaf

a bundle of grain stalks laid lengthwise and tied together after reaping, a bundle of objects of one kind, especially papers, bundle into sheaves (Old English scēaf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schoof 'sheaf' and German Schaub 'wisp of straw', also to the verb shove.)

Whist

a card game, usually for two pairs of players, in which points are scored according to the number of tricks won (mid 17th century (earlier as whisk): perhaps from whisk (with reference to whisking away the tricks); perhaps associated with whist2.)

Fetter

a chain or manacle used to restrain a prisoner, typically placed around the ankles, a restraint or check on someone's freedom to do something, typically one considered unfair or overly restrictive, restrain with chains or manacles, typically around the ankles, restrict or restrain (someone) in an unfair or undesirable fashion (Old English feter, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch veter 'a lace', from an Indo-European root shared by foot.)

Prefect

a chief officer, magistrate, or regional governor in certain countries, a senior magistrate or governor in the ancient Roman world (late Middle English (in prefect (sense 2)): from Old French, from Latin praefectus, past participle of praeficere 'set in authority over', from prae 'before' + facere 'make'. prefect (sense 1) dates from the early 19th century.)

Eddy

a circular movement of water, counter to a main current, causing a small whirlpool, a circular movement of wind, fog, or smoke, (of water, air, or smoke) move in a circular way (late Middle English: probably from the Germanic base of the Old English prefix ed- 'again, back'.)

Magistrate

a civil officer or lay judge who administers the law, especially one who conducts a court that deals with minor offenses and holds preliminary hearings for more serious ones (late Middle English: from Latin magistratus 'administrator', from magister 'master'.)

Velvet

a closely woven fabric of silk, cotton, or nylon, that has a thick short pile on one side, soft downy skin that covers a deer's antler while it is growing (Middle English: from Old French veluotte, from velu 'velvety', from medieval Latin villutus, from Latin villus 'tuft, down'.)

Compendium

a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject, especially in a book or other publication, a collection of things, especially one systematically gathered (late 16th century: from Latin, 'profit, saving' (literally 'what is weighed together'), from compendere, from com- 'together' + pendere 'weigh'.)

Crest

a comb or tuft of feathers, fur, or skin on the head of a bird or other animal, the top of a mountain or hill, the curling foamy top of a wave, reach the top of (something such as a hill or wave) (Middle English: from Old French creste, from Latin crista 'tuft, plume'.)

Niche

a comfortable or suitable position in life or employment, a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service, a shallow recess, especially one in a wall to display a statue or other ornament, denoting products, services, or interests that appeal to a small, specialized section of the population (early 17th century (in niche (sense 3 of the noun)): from French, literally 'recess', from nicher 'make a nest', based on Latin nidus 'nest'.)

Farce

a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations, the genre of farce, an absurd event (early 16th century: from French, literally 'stuffing', from farcir 'to stuff', from Latin farcire. An earlier sense of 'forcemeat stuffing' became used metaphorically for comic interludes 'stuffed' into the texts of religious plays, which led to the current usage.)

Cockpit

a compartment for the pilot, and sometimes also the crew, in an aircraft or spacecraft, a compartment for the driver in a racing car, a sunken area in the after deck of a boat providing space for members of the crew, a place where cockfights are held, a place where a battle or other conflict takes place (late 16th century (in cockpit (sense 2)): from cock1 + pit1. cockpit (sense 1) dates from the early 20th century and derives from an early 18th-century nautical term denoting an area in the aft lower deck of a man-of-war where the wounded were taken, later coming to mean 'the 'pit' or well from which a yacht is steered'; hence the place housing the controls of other vehicles.)

Panolpy

a complete or impressive collection of things, a splendid display (late 16th century (in the sense 'complete protection for spiritual warfare', often with biblical allusion to Eph. 6:11, 13): from French panoplie or modern Latin panoplia 'full armor', from Greek, from pan 'all' + hopla 'arms'.)

Anemia

a condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells or of hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in pallor and weariness (early 19th century: via modern Latin from Greek anaimia, from an- 'without' + haima 'blood'.)

Gallimaufry

a confused jumble or medley of things, (US) a dish made from diced or minced meat, especially a hash or ragout (mid 16th century: from archaic French galimafrée 'unappetizing dish', perhaps from Old French galer 'have fun' + Picard mafrer 'eat copious quantities'.)

Hodgepodge (North American)

a confused mixture (late Middle English: alteration of hotchpotch by association with Hodge (a nickname for the given name Roger), an archaic British term used as a name for a typical agricultural worker.)

Conundrum

a confusing and difficult problem or question, a question asked for amusement, typically one with a pun in its answer; a riddle (late 16th century: of unknown origin, but first recorded in a work by Thomas Nashe, as a term of abuse for a crank or pedant, later coming to denote a whim or fancy, also a pun. Current senses date from the late 17th century.)

Fusee

a conical pulley or wheel, especially in a watch or clock, a large-headed match capable of staying lit in strong wind, (North American) a railroad signal flare (late 16th century (denoting a spindle-shaped figure): from French fusée 'spindle-ful', based on Latin fusus 'spindle'.)

Reliquary

a container for holy relics (mid 16th century: from French reliquaire, from Old French relique (see relic).)

Course

a continuous horizontal layer of brick, stone, or other material in a building (Middle English: from Old French cours, from Latin cursus, from curs- 'run', from the verb currere.)

Arcade

a covered passageway with arches along one or both sides, a covered walk with stores along one or both sides, (Architecture) a series of arches supporting a wall, or set along it (late 17th century: from French, from Provençal arcada or Italian arcata, based on Latin arcus 'bow'.)

Cloister

a covered walk in a convent, monastery, college, or cathedral, typically with a wall on one side and a colonnade open to a quadrangle on the other, a convent or monastery, (the cloister) monastic life, seclude or shut up in or as if in a convent or monastery (Middle English (in the sense 'place of religious seclusion'): from Old French cloistre, from Latin claustrum, clostrum 'lock, enclosed place', from claudere, 'to close'.)

Cycloid (Mathematics)

a curve (resembling a series of arches) traced by a point on a circle being rolled along a straight line (mid 17th century: from Greek kukloeidēs 'circular', from kuklos 'circle'.)

Hovel

a small, squalid, unpleasant, or simply constructed dwelling (late Middle English: of unknown origin.)

Rib

a curved member supporting a vault or defining its form, mark with or form into raised bands or ridges (Old English rib, ribb (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch rib(be) and German Rippe. Sense 1 of the verb dates from the mid 16th century; the sense 'tease' was originally a US slang usage meaning 'to fool, dupe' (1930s).)

Spool

a cylindrical device on which film, magnetic tape, thread, or other flexible materials can be wound; a ree, a cylindrical device attached to a fishing rod and used for winding and unwinding the line as required, wind (magnetic tape, thread, etc.) on to a spool (Middle English (denoting a spool for thread): shortening of Old French espole or from Middle Low German spōle, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch spoel and German Spule. The verb dates from the early 17th century.)

Yard

a cylindrical spar, tapering to each end, slung across a ship's mast for a sail to hang from (Old English gerd (in yard1 (sense 2)), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch gard 'twig, rod' and German Gerte.)

Festival

a day or period of celebration, typically a religious commemoration, an annual celebration or anniversary, an organized series of concerts, plays, or movies, typically one held annually in the same place (Middle English (as an adjective): via Old French from medieval Latin festivalis, from Latin festivus, from festum, (plural) festa 'feast'.)

Motif

a decorative design or pattern, a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition, (Music) a short succession of notes producing a single impression; a brief melodic or rhythmic formula out of which longer passages are developed, an ornament of lace, braid, etc., sewn separately on a garment (mid 19th century: from French.)

Ravine

a deep, narrow gorge with steep sides (late 17th century: from French, 'violent rush (of water)' (see ravin).)

Lieutenant

a deputy or substitute acting for a superior, a naval officer of a high rank, in particular a commissioned officer in the US Navy or Coast Guard ranking above lieutenant junior grade and below lieutenant commander, a police or fire department officer next in rank below captain (late Middle English: from Old French (see lieu, tenant).)

Progeny

a descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring (Middle English: from Old French progenie, from Latin progenies, from progignere 'beget' (see progenitor).)

Spite

a desire to hurt, annoy, or offend someone, deliberately hurt, annoy, or offend (someone) (Middle English: shortening of Old French despit 'contempt', despiter 'show contempt for'.)

Catch

a device for securing something such as a door, window, or box (Middle English (also in the sense 'chase'): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French cachier, variant of Old French chacier, based on Latin captare 'try to catch', from capere 'take'.)

Spur

a device with a small spike or a spiked wheel that is worn on a rider's heel and used for urging a horse forward, a hard spike on the back of the leg of a rooster or male game bird, used in fighting, a steel point fastened to the leg of a gamecock, give an incentive or encouragement to (someone) (Old English spora, spura, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch spoor and German Sporn, also to spurn.)

Malady (literary)

a disease or ailment (Middle English: from Old French maladie, from malade 'sick', based on Latin male 'ill' + habitus 'having (as a condition)'.)

Hash

a dish of cooked meat cut into small pieces and cooked again, usually with potatoes, (North American) a finely chopped mixture, a mixture of jumbled incongruous things; a mess, make (meat or other food) into a hash, (hash something out) come to agreement on something after lengthy and vigorous discussion (late 16th century (as a verb): from French hacher, from hache (see hatchet).)

Knave (archaic)

a dishonest or unscrupulous man, • another term for jack1 in cards (Old English cnafa 'boy, servant', of West Germanic origin; related to German Knabe 'boy'.)

Rout

a disorderly retreat of defeated troops, a decisive defeat, defeat and cause to retreat in disorder (mid 16th century (in rout2 (sense 2)): alteration of the verb root2. rout2 (sense 1) dates from the early 19th century.)

Prefecture

a district under the government of a prefect, a prefect's office or tenure, the official residence or headquarters of a prefect (late Middle English: from Latin praefectura, from praefectus '(person) set in authority over' (see prefect).)

Citadel

a fortress, typically on high ground, protecting or dominating a city (mid 16th century: from French citadelle, or from Italian cittadella, based on Latin civitas 'city' (see city).)

Diocese

a district under the pastoral care of a bishop in the Christian Church (Middle English: from Old French diocise, from late Latin diocesis, from Latin dioecesis 'governor's jurisdiction, diocese', from Greek dioikēsis 'administration, diocese', from dioikein 'keep house, administer'.)

Auspice (archaic)

a divine or prophetic token. (mid 16th century (originally denoting the observation of bird flight in divination): from French, or from Latin auspicium, from auspex 'observer of birds', from avis 'bird' + specere 'to look'.)

Spaniel

a dog of a breed with a long silky coat and drooping ears, used in similes and metaphors as a symbol of devotion or obsequiousness (Middle English: from Old French espaigneul 'Spanish (dog)', from Latin Hispaniolus 'Spanish'.)

Mastiff

a dog of a large, strong breed with drooping ears and pendulous lips (Middle English: from Old French mastin, based on Latin mansuetus 'tame'.)

Libation

a drink poured out as an offering to a deity, the pouring out of a drink as an offering to a deity (late Middle English: from Latin libatio(n-), from libare 'pour as an offering'.)

Pratfall (informal)

a fall on to one's buttocks, a stupid and humiliating action

Pestilence (archaic)

a fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague (Middle English (also denoting something morally corrupting): from Old French, from Latin pestilentia, based on pestis 'a plague'.)

Hedge

a fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs, a contract entered into or asset held as a protection against possible financial loss, a word or phrase used to allow for additional possibilities or to avoid commitment, for example, etc., often, usually, or sometimes, surround or bound with a hedge, limit or qualify (something) by conditions or exceptions, avoid making a definite decision, statement, or commitment, protect oneself against loss on (a bet or investment) by making balancing or compensating transactions (Old English hegg, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heg and German Hecke.)

Onslaught

a fierce or destructive attack, a large quantity of people or things that is difficult to cope with (early 17th century (also in the form anslaight): from Middle Dutch aenslag, from aen 'on' + slag 'blow'. The change in the ending was due to association with (now obsolete) slaught 'slaughter'.)

Trope

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression, a significant or recurrent theme; a motif (mid 16th century: via Latin from Greek tropos 'turn, way, trope', from trepein 'to turn'.)

Ultimatum

a final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations (mid 18th century: from Latin, neuter past participle of ultimare 'come to an end'.)

Alabaster

a fine-grained, translucent form of gypsum, typically white, often carved into ornaments, made of alabaster (late Middle English: via Old French from Latin alabaster, alabastrum, from Greek alabastos, alabastros.)

Cleft

a fissure or split, especially one in rock or the ground, a vertical indentation in the middle of a person's forehead or chin, a deep division between two parts of the body (Middle English clift: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kluft and German Kluft, also to cleave1. The form of the word was altered in the 16th century by association with cleft1.)

Fez

a flat-topped conical red hat with a black tassel on top, worn by men in some Muslim countries (formerly the Turkish national headdress) (early 19th century: from Turkish fes (perhaps via French fez), named after Fez, once the chief place of manufacture.)

Gaggle

a flock of geese, (informal) a disorderly or noisy group of people (Middle English (as a verb): imitative of the noise that a goose makes; compare with Dutch gaggelen and German gackern.)

Remonstrance

a forcefully reproachful protest, (the Remonstrance) a document drawn up in 1610 by the Arminians of the Dutch Reformed Church, presenting the differences between their doctrines and those of the strict Calvinists (late 16th century (in the sense 'evidence'): from Old French, or from medieval Latin remonstrantia, from remonstrare 'demonstrate, show' (see remonstrate).)

Liturgy

a form or formulary according to which public religious worship, especially Christian worship, is conducted, a religious service conducted according to a liturgy, (the Liturgy) the Eucharistic service of the Eastern Orthodox Church (also called the Divine Liturgy) (mid 16th century: via French or late Latin from Greek leitourgia 'public service, worship of the gods', from leitourgos 'minister', from lēitos 'public' + -ergos 'working'.)

Testimonial

a formal statement testifying to someone's character and qualifications, a public tribute to someone and to their achievements (late Middle English: from Old French testimonial 'testifying, serving as evidence', from late Latin testimonialis, from Latin testimonium (see testimony).)

Quadrangle (Geometry)

a four-sided plane figure, especially a square or rectangle, a square or rectangular space or courtyard enclosed by buildings, (US) the area shown on a standard topographic map sheet of the US Geological Survey (late Middle English: from Old French, or from late Latin quadrangulum 'square', neuter of quadrangulus, from Latin quadri- 'four' + angulus 'corner, angle'.)

Balm

a fragrant ointment or preparation used to heal or soothe the skin, something that has a comforting, soothing, or restorative effect, a tree which yields a fragrant resinous substance, especially one used in medicine, (also lemon balm or sweet balm) a bushy herb of the mint family, with leaves smelling and tasting of lemon (Middle English (in the sense 'preparation for embalming, fragrant resinous substance'): from Old French basme, from Latin balsamum (see balsam).)

Trestle

a framework consisting of a horizontal beam supported by two pairs of sloping legs, used in pairs to support a flat surface such as a tabletop (Middle English: from Old French trestel, based on Latin transtrum 'beam'.)

Cassock

a full-length garment of a single color worn by certain Christian clergy, members of church choirs, acolytes, and others having some particular office or role in a church (mid 16th century: from French casaque 'long coat', from Italian casacca 'riding coat', probably from Turkic kazak 'vagabond'. Compare with Cossack.)

Kiln

a furnace or oven for burning, baking, or drying, especially one for calcining lime or firing pottery, burn, bake, or dry in a kiln (Old English cylene, from Latin culina 'kitchen, cooking stove'.)

Canon

a general law, rule, principle, or criterion by which something is judged, a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine (Middle English (in the sense 'canon regular'): from Old French canonie, from Latin canonicus 'according to rule' (see canonic). The other sense dates from the mid 16th century.)

Luster

a gentle sheen or soft glow, especially that of a partly reflective surface (early 16th century: from French, from Italian lustro, from the verb lustrare, from Latin lustrare 'illuminate'.)

Shtick (informal)

a gimmick, comic routine, style of performance, etc. associated with a particular person, a person's special talent, interest, or area of activity (1960s: Yiddish, from German Stück 'piece'.)

Ecliptic (Astronomy)

a great circle on the celestial sphere representing the sun's apparent path during the year, so called because lunar and solar eclipses can occur only when the moon crosses it, of an eclipse or the ecliptic (late Middle English: via Latin from Greek ekleiptikos, from ekleipein 'fail to appear' (see eclipse).)

Pantheon

a group of particularly respected, famous, or important people, a building in which the illustrious dead of a nation are buried or honored, all the gods of a people or religion collectively (late Middle English (referring especially to the Pantheon, a large circular temple in Rome): via Latin from Greek pantheion, from pan 'all' + theion 'holy' (from theos 'god').)

Deputation

a group of people appointed to undertake a mission or take part in a formal process on behalf of a larger group (late Middle English (in the sense 'appointment to an office or function'): from late Latin deputatio(n-), from the verb deputare (see depute).)

Entourage

a group of people attending or surrounding an important person (mid 19th century: French, from entourer 'to surround'.)

Board

a group of people constituted as the decision-making body of an organization (Old English bord, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch boord and German Bort; reinforced in Middle English by Old French bort 'edge, ship's side' and Old Norse borth 'board, table'.)

Sect

a group of people with somewhat different religious beliefs (typically regarded as heretical) from those of a larger group to which they belong, (often derogatory) a group that has separated from an established Church; a nonconformist Church, a philosophical or political group, especially one regarded as extreme or dangerous (Middle English: from Old French secte or Latin secta, literally 'following', hence 'faction, party', from the stem of sequi 'follow'.)

Convoy

a group of ships or vehicles traveling together, typically accompanied by armed troops, warships, or other vehicles for protection, (of a warship or armed troops) accompany (a group of ships or vehicles) for protection (late Middle English (originally Scots, as a verb in the senses 'convey', 'conduct', and 'act as escort'): from French convoyer, from medieval Latin conviare (see convey).)

Incense

a gum, spice, or other substance that is burned for the sweet smell it produces, the smoke or perfume of incense, perfume with incense or a similar fragrance (Middle English (originally as encense): from Old French encens (noun), encenser (verb), from ecclesiastical Latin incensum 'something burnt, incense', neuter past participle of incendere 'set fire to', from in- 'in' + the base of candere 'to glow'.)

Trance

a half-conscious state characterized by an absence of response to external stimuli, typically as induced by hypnosis or entered by a medium, a state of abstraction, put into a trance (Middle English (originally as a verb in the sense 'be in a trance'): from Old French transir 'depart, fall into trance', from Latin transire 'go across'.)

Headstream

a headwater stream.

Emblem

a heraldic device or symbolic object as a distinctive badge of a nation, organization, or family, (emblem of) a thing serving as a symbolic representation of a particular quality or concept (late 16th century (as a verb): from Latin emblema 'inlaid work, raised ornament', from Greek emblēma 'insertion', from emballein 'throw in, insert', from em- 'in' + ballein 'to throw'.)

Shogun

a hereditary commander in chief in feudal Japan. Because of the military power concentrated in his hands and the consequent weakness of the nominal head of state (the mikado or emperor), the shogun was generally the real ruler of the country until feudalism was abolished in 1867 (Japanese, from Chinese jiāng jūn 'general'.)

Ragout

a highly seasoned dish of meat cut into small pieces and stewed with vegetables (from French ragoût, from ragoûter 'revive the taste of'.)

Vassal (historical)

a holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance, a person or country in a subordinate position to another (late Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin vassallus 'retainer', of Celtic origin; compare with vavasour.)

Hospice

a home providing care for the sick or terminally ill (early 19th century: from French, from Latin hospitium, from hospes, hospit- (see host1).)

Lintel

a horizontal support of timber, stone, concrete, or steel across the top of a door or window (Middle English: from Old French, based on late Latin liminare, from Latin limen 'threshold'.)

Entablature

a horizontal, continuous lintel on a classical building supported by columns or a wall, comprising the architrave, frieze, and cornice (early 17th century (formerly also as intablature): from Italian intavolatura 'boarding' (partly via French entablement 'entablement'), from intavolare 'board up' (based on tavola 'table').)

Diadem

a jeweled crown or headband worn as a symbol of sovereignty (Middle English: from Old French diademe, via Latin from Greek diadēma 'the regal headband of the Persian kings', from diadein 'bind round'.)

Inquest (Law)

a judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts relating to an incident, such as a death (Middle English from Old French enqueste, based on Latin inquirere (see inquire).)

Magnum opus

a large and important work of art, music, or literature, especially one regarded as the most important work of an artist or writer (late 18th century: from Latin, 'great work'.)

Battalion

a large body of troops ready for battle, especially an infantry unit forming part of a brigade typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel, a large, organized group of people pursuing a common aim or sharing a major undertaking (late 16th century: from French bataillon, from Italian battaglione, from battaglia 'battle', from Latin (see battle).)

Cormorant

a large diving bird with a long neck, long hooked bill, short legs, and mainly dark plumage. It typically breeds on coastal cliffs and is noted for its voracious appetite (Middle English: from Old French cormaran, from medieval Latin corvus marinus 'sea raven'. The final -t is on the pattern of words such as peasant.)

Reservoir

a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply, a supply or source of something, a place where fluid collects, especially in rock strata or in the body (mid 17th century: from French réservoir, from réserver 'to reserve, keep'.)

Shoal

a large number of fish swimming together (late 16th century: probably from Middle Dutch schōle 'troop'. Compare with school2.), an area of shallow water, especially as a navigational hazard, (of water) become shallower (Old English sceald (adjective), of Germanic origin; related to shallow.)

Drop cloth (North American)

a large sheet for covering furniture or flooring to protect it from dust or while decorating. British term dust sheet.

Portmanteau

a large trunk or suitcase, typically made of stiff leather and opening into two equal parts, (also portmanteau word) a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, for example motel (from 'motor' and 'hotel') or brunch (from 'breakfast' and 'lunch'), consisting of or combining two or more aspects or qualities (mid 16th century: from French portemanteau, from porter 'carry' + manteau 'mantle'.)

Aircraft carrier

a large warship equipped to serve as a base for aircraft that can take off from and land on its deck

Stud

a large-headed piece of metal that pierces and projects from a surface, especially for decoration, an upright support in the wall of a building to which sheathing, drywall, etc., are attached, a rivet or crosspiece in each link of a chain cable (Old English studu, stuthu 'post, upright prop'; related to German stützen 'to prop'. The sense 'ornamental metal knob' arose in late Middle English.)

Cardinal

a leading dignitary of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinals are nominated by the Pope, and form the Sacred College which elects succeeding popes (now invariably from among their own number), (also cardinal red) a deep scarlet color like that of a cardinal's cassock, a New World songbird of the bunting family, with a stout bill and typically with a conspicuous crest. The male is partly or mostly red in color, of the greatest importance; fundamental (Old English, from Latin cardinalis, from cardo, cardin- 'hinge'. cardinal (sense 1 of the noun) has arisen through the notion of the important function of such priests as 'pivots' of church life.)

Shroud

a length of cloth or an enveloping garment in which a dead person is wrapped for burial, a thing that envelops or obscures something, (shrouds) a set of ropes forming part of the standing rigging of a sailing vessel and supporting the mast from the sides, wrap or dress (a body) in a shroud for burial, cover or envelop so as to conceal from view (late Old English scrūd 'garment, clothing', of Germanic origin, from a base meaning 'cut'; related to shred. An early sense of the verb (Middle English) was 'cover so as to protect'.)

Joist

a length of timber or steel supporting part of the structure of a building, typically arranged in parallel series to support a floor or ceiling (late Middle English giste, from Old French, 'beam supporting a bridge', based on Latin jacere 'lie down'.)

Parasol

a light umbrella used to give shade from the sun (early 17th century: from French, from Italian parasole, from para- 'protecting against' + sole 'sun' (from Latin sol).)

Frontier

a line or border separating two countries, the extreme limit of settled land beyond which lies wilderness, especially referring to the western US before Pacific settlement, the extreme limit of understanding or achievement in a particular area (late Middle English: from Old French frontiere, based on Latin frons, front- 'front'.)

Liniment

a liquid or lotion, especially one made with oil, for rubbing on the body to relieve pain (late Middle English: from late Latin linimentum, from Latin linire 'to smear'.)

Farrow

a litter of pigs, an act of giving birth to a litter of pigs, (of a sow) give birth to (piglets) (Old English fearh, færh 'young pig', of West Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek porkos and Latin porcus 'pig'.)

Doxology

a liturgical formula of praise to God (mid 17th century: via medieval Latin from Greek doxologia, from doxa 'appearance, glory' (from dokein 'seem') + -logia (see -logy).)

Trek

a long arduous journey, especially one made on foot, a tourist hike, go on a long arduous journey, typically on foot (mid 19th century: from South African Dutch trek (noun), trekken (verb) 'pull, travel'.)

Furrow

a long narrow trench made in the ground by a plow, especially for planting seeds or for irrigation, a rut, groove, or trail in the ground or another surface, make a rut, groove, or trail in (the ground or the surface of something) (Old English furh, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch voor and German Furche, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin porca 'ridge between furrows'.)

Sash

a long strip or loop of cloth worn over one shoulder or around the waist, especially as part of a uniform or official dress (late 16th century (earlier as shash, denoting fine fabric twisted round the head as a turban): from Arabic šāš 'muslin, turban'.), a frame holding the glass in a window, typically one of two sliding frames (late 17th century: alteration of chassis, interpreted as plural.)

Rut

a long, deep track made by the repeated passage of the wheels of vehicles, (the rut) an annual period of sexual activity in deer and some other mammals, during which the males fight each other for access to the females, (of a deer or other mammal) engage in the rut or annual period of sexual activity (late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin rugitus, from rugire 'to roar'.)

Kimono

a long, loose robe with wide sleeves and tied with a sash, originally worn as a formal garment in Japan and now also used elsewhere as a robe (mid 17th century: Japanese, from ki 'wearing' + mono 'thing'.)

Yen

a longing or yearning, feel a longing or yearning (late 19th century (in the sense 'craving for a drug'): probably from Chinese yǎn 'craving', possibly reinforced by yān 'opium'.)

Peal

a loud ringing of a bell or bells, a loud repeated or reverberating sound of thunder or laughter, (of a bell or bells) ring loudly or in a peal, (of laughter or thunder) sound in a peal (late Middle English: shortening of appeal.)

Fen

a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land (Old English fen(n), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch veen and German Fenn.)

Bungalow

a low house, with a broad front porch, having either no upper floor or upper rooms set in the roof, typically with dormer windows (late 17th century: from Hindi baṅglā 'belonging to Bengal', from a type of cottage built for early European settlers in Bengal.)

Clod

a lump of earth or clay, (informal) a stupid person (often used as a general term of abuse) (late Middle English: variant of clot.)

Lathe

a machine for shaping wood, metal, or other material by means of a rotating drive which turns the piece being worked on against changeable cutting tools (Middle English: probably from Old Danish lad 'structure, frame', perhaps from Old Norse hlath 'pile, heap', related to hlatha (see lade1).)

Elixir

a magical or medicinal potion, a particular type of medicinal solution (late Middle English: via medieval Latin from Arabic al-'iksīr, from al 'the' + 'iksīr from Greek xērion 'powder for drying wounds' (from xēros 'dry').)

Bough

a main branch of a tree (Old English bōg, bōh 'bough or shoulder', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch boeg 'shoulders or ship's bow', German Bug 'ship's bow' and 'horse's hock or shoulder', also to bow3.)

High road

a main road, a direct or certain route or course, (North American) a morally superior approach towards something

Corps

a main subdivision of an armed force in the field, consisting of two or more divisions, a branch of a military organization assigned to a particular kind of work, a body of people engaged in a particular activity, short for corps de ballet (late 16th century: from French, from Latin corpus 'body'.)

Squire

a man of high social standing who owns and lives on an estate in a rural area, especially the chief landowner in such an area, (historical) a young nobleman acting as an attendant to a knight before becoming a knight himself, (of a man) accompany or escort (a woman) (Middle English (in squire (sense 2 of the noun)): shortening of Old French esquier 'esquire'.)

Eunuch

a man who has been castrated, especially (in the past) one employed to guard the women's living areas in an Asian court, an ineffectual person (Old English, via Latin eunuchus from Greek eunoukhos, literally 'bedroom guard', from eunē 'bed' + a second element related to ekhein 'to hold'.)

Abbot

a man who is the head of an abbey of monks.

Suitor

a man who pursues a relationship with a particular woman, with a view to marriage, a prospective buyer of a business or corporation (late Middle English (in the sense 'member of a retinue'): from Anglo-Norman French seutor, from Latin secutor, from sequi 'follow'.)

Hallmark

a mark stamped on articles of gold, silver, or platinum in Britain, certifying their standard of purity, a distinctive feature, especially one of excellence, stamp with a hallmark, designate as distinctive, especially for excellence (early 18th century (as a noun): from Goldsmiths' Hall in London, where articles were tested and stamped with such a mark.)

Matron

a married woman, especially a dignified and sober middle-aged one (late Middle English (in matron (sense 2)): from Old French matrone, from Latin matrona, from mater, matr- 'mother'.)

Tonic

a medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigor or well-being, something with an invigorating effect, giving a feeling of vigor or well-being; invigorating (mid 17th century: from French tonique, from Greek tonikos 'of or for stretching', from tonos (see tone).)

Quadrivium

a medieval university curriculum involving the "mathematical arts" of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. Compare with trivium (Latin, literally 'the place where four roads meet' (in late Latin 'the four branches of mathematics'), from quadri- 'four' + via 'road'.)

Malcontent

a person who is dissatisfied and rebellious, dissatisfied and complaining or making trouble (late 16th century: from French, from mal 'badly, ill' + content 'pleased'.)

Frank

a member of a Germanic people that conquered Gaul in the 6th century and controlled much of western Europe for several centuries afterward (Old English Franca, of Germanic origin; perhaps from the name of a weapon and related to Old English franca 'javelin' (compare with Saxon); reinforced in Middle English by medieval Latin Francus and Old French Franc, of the same origin and related to French.)

Goth

a member of a Germanic people that invaded the Roman Empire from the east between the 3rd and 5th centuries. The eastern division, the Ostrogoths, founded a kingdom in Italy, while the Visigoths went on to found one in Spain, (goth) a style of rock music derived from punk, typically with apocalyptic or mystical lyrics, a member of a subculture favoring black clothing, white and black makeup, and goth music (Old English Gota, superseded in Middle English by the adoption of late Latin Gothi (plural), from Greek Gothoi, from Gothic Gutthiuda 'the Gothic people'.)

Councilor

a member of a council (late Middle English: alteration of counselor, by association with council.)

Juror

a member of a jury (late Middle English: from Old French jureor, from Latin jurator, from jurare 'swear', from jus, jur- 'law'.)

Freemason

a member of an international order established for mutual help and fellowship, which holds elaborate secret ceremonies

Friar

a member of any of certain religious orders of men, especially the four mendicant orders (Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, and Franciscans) (Middle English: from Old French frere, from Latin frater 'brother'.)

Salian

a member of the Salii, a 4th-century Frankish people living near the IJssel River, from whom the Merovingians were descended, relating to the Salii

Chaplain

a member of the clergy attached to a private chapel, institution, ship, branch of the armed forces, etc. (Middle English: from Old French chapelain, from medieval Latin cappellanus, originally denoting a custodian of the cloak of St Martin, from cappella, originally 'little cloak' (see chapel).)

Manacle

a metal band, chain, or shackle for fastening someone's hands or ankles, fetter (a person or a part of the body) with manacles (Middle English: from Old French manicle 'handcuff', from Latin manicula, diminutive of manus 'hand'.)

Militia

a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency, a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities in opposition to a regular army (late 16th century (in sense 'system of military discipline and tactics'): from Latin, literally 'military service', from miles, milit- 'soldier'.)

Foible

a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone's character, (Fencing) the weaker part of a sword blade, from the middle to the point. Compare with forte1. (late 16th century (as an adjective in the sense 'feeble'): from obsolete French, in Old French fieble (see feeble). Both noun senses also formerly occurred as senses of the word feeble and all date from the 17th century.)

Amalagam

a mixture or blend (late 15th century: from French amalgame or medieval Latin amalgama, from Greek malagma 'an emollient'.)

Dummy

a model of a human being, something designed to resemble or be a substitute for something, (Bridge) the declarer's partner or the exposed hand of the declarer's partner, an imagined fourth player in whist (late 16th century: from dumb + -y1. The original sense was 'a person who cannot speak', then 'an imaginary fourth player in whist' (mid 18th century), whence 'a substitute for the real thing' and 'a model of a human being' (mid 19th century))

Armillary sphere

a model of the celestial globe constructed from rings and hoops representing the equator, the tropics, and other celestial circles, and able to revolve on its axis (mid 17th century: from modern Latin armillaris 'relating to an armilla', an astronomical instrument consisting of a hoop fixed in the plane of the equator (sometimes crossed by one in the plane of the meridian), used by the ancient astronomers to show the recurrence of equinoxes and solstices; from Latin armilla 'bracelet'.)

Diorama

a model representing a scene with three-dimensional figures, either in miniature or as a large-scale museum exhibit, (mainly historical) a scenic painting, viewed through a peephole, in which changes in color and direction of illumination simulate changes in the weather, time of day, etc., a miniature movie set used for special effects or animation (early 19th century: coined in French from dia- 'through', on the pattern of panorama.)

Whorl

a pattern of spirals or concentric circles, (Zoology) each of the turns or convolutions in the shell of a gastropod or ammonoid mollusk, spiral or move in a twisted and convoluted fashion (late Middle English (denoting a small flywheel): apparently a variant of whirl, influenced by Old English wharve 'whorl of a spindle'.)

Monogram

a motif of two or more letters, typically a person's initials, usually interwoven or otherwise combined in a decorative design, used as a logo or to identify a personal possession, decorate with a monogram (late 17th century: from French monogramme, from late Latin monogramma, from Greek.)

Hinge

a movable joint or mechanism on which a door, gate, or lid swings as it opens and closes or which connects linked objects, a central point or principle on which everything depends, attach or join with or as if with a hinge, (hinge on) depend entirely on (Middle English henge; related to hang.)

Automaton

a moving mechanical device made in imitation of a human being, a machine that performs a function according to a predetermined set of coded instructions, especially one capable of a range of programmed responses to different circumstances, used in similes and comparisons to refer to a person who seems to act in a mechanical or unemotional way (early 17th century: via Latin from Greek, neuter of automatos 'acting of itself', from autos 'self'.)

Mucosa

a mucous membrane (late 19th century: modern Latin, feminine of mucosus (see mucous).)

Overtone

a musical tone which is a part of the harmonic series above a fundamental note, and may be heard with it, (often overtones) a subtle or subsidiary quality, implication, or connotation (mid 19th century: from over- + tone, suggested by German Oberton.)

Nymph

a mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful maiden inhabiting rivers, woods, or other locations, an immature form of an insect that does not change greatly as it grows, e.g. a dragonfly, mayfly, or locust. Compare with larva (late Middle English: from Old French nimphe, from Latin nympha, from Greek numphē 'nymph, bride'; related to Latin nubere 'be the wife of'.)

Glen

a narrow valley (late Middle English: from Scottish Gaelic and Irish gleann (earlier glenn).)

Gorge

a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it, the neck of a bastion or other outwork; the rear entrance to a fortification, a mass of ice obstructing a narrow passage, especially a river (Middle English (as a verb): from Old French gorger, from gorge 'throat', based on Latin gurges 'whirlpool'. The noun originally meant 'throat' and is from Old French gorge; gorge (sense 1 of the noun) dates from the mid 18th century.)

Oleoresin

a natural or artificial mixture of essential oils and a resin, e.g. balsam.

Warren

a network of interconnecting rabbit burrows, a densely populated or labyrinthine building or district (late Middle English: from an Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French variant of Old French garenne 'game park', of Gaulish origin.)

Tabloid

a newspaper having pages half the size of those of a standard newspaper, typically popular in style and dominated by headlines, photographs, and sensational stories (late 19th century: from tablet + -oid. Originally the proprietary name of a medicine sold in tablets, the term came to denote any small medicinal tablet; the current sense reflects the notion of 'concentrated, easily assimilable'.)

Altercation

a noisy argument or disagreement, especially in public (late Middle English: from Latin altercatio(n-), from the verb altercari (see altercate).)

Squabble

a noisy quarrel about something petty or trivial, quarrel noisily over a trivial matter (early 17th century: probably imitative; compare with Swedish dialect skvabbel 'a dispute'.)

Layman

a nonordained male member of a Church

Succession

a number of people or things sharing a specified characteristic and following one after the other, the action or process of inheriting a title, office, property, etc., the right or sequence of inheriting a position, title, etc. (Middle English (denoting legal transmission of an estate or the throne to another, also in the sense 'successors, heirs'): from Old French, or from Latin successio(n-), from the verb succedere (see succeed).)

Procession

a number of people or vehicles moving forward in an orderly fashion, especially as part of a ceremony or festival, the action of moving forward as part of a ceremony, a relentless succession of people or things (late Old English, via Old French from Latin processio(n-), from procedere 'move forward' (see proceed).)

Typeface (Printing)

a particular design of type

Taskmaster

a person who imposes a harsh, heavy amount of work on someone

Epoch

a period of time in history or a person's life, typically one marked by notable events or particular characteristics, the beginning of a distinctive period in the history of someone or something (early 17th century (in the Latin form epocha; originally in the general sense of a date from which succeeding years are numbered): from modern Latin epocha, from Greek epokhē 'stoppage, fixed point of time', from epekhein 'stop, take up a position', from epi 'upon, near to' + ekhein 'stay, be in a certain state'.)

Benefice

a permanent Church appointment, typically that of a rector or vicar, for which property and income are provided in respect of pastoral duties (Middle English: via Old French from Latin beneficium 'favor, support', from bene 'well' + facere 'do'.)

Acolyte

a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession, an assistant or follower (Middle English: from Old French acolyt or ecclesiastical Latin acolytus, from Greek akolouthos 'follower'.)

Notary (in full notary public)

a person authorized to perform certain legal formalities, especially to draw up or certify contracts, deeds, and other documents for use in other jurisdictions (Middle English (in the sense 'clerk or secretary'): from Latin notarius 'secretary', from nota 'mark'.)

Dignitary

a person considered to be important because of high rank or office (late 17th century: from dignity, on the pattern of the pairs propriety, proprietary.)

Secretary

a person employed by an individual or in an office to assist with correspondence, keep records, make appointments, and carry out similar tasks, an official of a society or other organization who conducts its correspondence and keeps its records, an official in charge of a government department, a writing desk with shelves on top of it (late Middle English (originally in the sense 'person entrusted with a secret'): from late Latin secretarius 'confidential officer', from Latin secretum 'secret', neuter of secretus (see secret).)

Amnesiac

a person experiencing a partial or total loss of memory, experiencing or relating to a partial or total loss of memory

Charlatan

a person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill; a fraud (early 17th century (denoting an itinerant seller of supposed remedies): from French, from Italian ciarlatano, from ciarlare 'to babble'.)

Novice

a person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation, a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows, an animal, especially a racehorse, that has not yet won a major prize or reached a level of performance to qualify for important events (Middle English: from Old French, from late Latin novicius, from novus 'new'.)

Hermaphrodite

a person or animal having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics, either abnormally or (in the case of some organisms) as the natural condition, of or denoting a person, animal, or plant having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics (late Middle English: via Latin from Greek hermaphroditos (see Hermaphroditus).)

Carrier

a person or company that undertakes the professional conveyance of goods or people

Creditor

a person or company to whom money is owed

Byword

a person or thing cited as a notorious and outstanding example or embodiment of something, a word or expression summarizing a thing's characteristics or a person's principles

Superior

a person or thing superior to another in rank, status, or quality, especially a colleague in a higher position, the head of a monastery or other religious institution (late Middle English: from Old French superiour, from Latin superior, comparative of superus 'that is above', from super 'above'.)

Harbinger

a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another, a forerunner of something (Middle English: from Old French herbergere, from herbergier 'provide lodging for', from herberge 'lodging', from Old Saxon heriberga 'shelter for an army, lodging' (from heri 'army' + a Germanic base meaning 'fortified place'), related to harbor. The term originally denoted a person who provided lodging, later one who went ahead to find lodgings for an army or for a nobleman and his retinue, hence, a herald (mid 16th century).)

Bête noire

a person or thing that one particularly dislikes (French, literally 'black beast'.)

Emissary

a person sent on a special mission, usually as a diplomatic representative (early 17th century: from Latin emissarius 'scout, spy', from emittere 'send out' (see emit).)

Delegate

a person sent or authorized to represent others, in particular an elected representative sent to a conference, a member of a committee, entrust (a task or responsibility) to another person, typically one who is less senior than oneself, send or authorize (someone) to do something as a representative (late Middle English: from Latin delegatus 'sent on a commission', from the verb delegare, from de- 'down' + legare 'depute'.)

Courtier

a person who attends a royal court as a companion or adviser to the king or queen. (Middle English: via Anglo-Norman French from Old French cortoyer 'be present at court', from cort (see court).)

Beneficiary

a person who derives advantage from something, especially a trust, will, or life insurance policy (early 17th century: from Latin beneficiarius, from beneficium (see benefice).)

Renegade

a person who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of principles, a person who behaves in a rebelliously unconventional manner, having treacherously changed allegiance (late 15th century: from Spanish renegado, from medieval Latin renegatus 'renounced', past participle (used as a noun) of renegare, from re- (expressing intensive force) + Latin negare 'deny'.)

Patron

a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity, a customer, especially a regular one, of a store, restaurant, or theater (Middle English: from Old French, from Latin patronus 'protector of clients, defender', from pater, patr- 'father'.)

Benefactor

a person who gives money or other help to a person or cause (late Middle English: from Latin, from bene facere 'do good (to)' (see benefaction).)

Neophyte

a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief, a new convert to a religion, a novice in a religious order, or a newly ordained priest (late Middle English: via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek neophutos, literally 'newly planted' but first used in the sense 'new convert' by St Paul (1 Tim. 3:6), from neos 'new' + phuton 'plant'.)

Pilgrim

a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons, (usually Pilgrim) a member of a group of English Puritans fleeing religious persecution who sailed in the Mayflower and founded the colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620, a person who travels on long journeys, travel or wander like a pilgrim (Middle English: from Provençal pelegrin, from Latin peregrinus 'foreign' (see peregrine).)

Recluse

a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people (Middle English: from Old French reclus, past participle of reclure, from Latin recludere 'enclose', from re- 'again' + claudere 'to shut'.)

Founder

a person who manufactures articles of cast metal; the owner or operator of a foundry, (of a ship) fill with water and sink, (of a plan or undertaking) fail or break down, typically as a result of a particular problem or setback (Middle English (in the sense 'knock to the ground'): from Old French fondrer, esfondrer 'submerge, collapse', based on Latin fundus 'bottom, base'.)

Celebrant

a person who performs a rite, especially a priest at the Eucharist, (North American) a person who celebrates something (early 17th century: from Latin celebrant- 'celebrating', from the verb celebrare (see celebrate).)

Pensioner

a person who receives a pension.

Deputy

a person whose immediate superior is a senior figure within an organization and who is empowered to act as a substitute for this superior, a parliamentary representative in certain countries (late Middle English: from Old French depute, from late Latin deputatus, past participle of deputare (see depute).)

Snob

a person with an exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth who seeks to associate with social superiors and dislikes people or activities regarded as lower-class, a person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people (late 18th century (originally dialect in the sense 'cobbler'): of unknown origin; early senses conveyed a notion of 'lower status or rank', later denoting a person seeking to imitate those of superior social standing or wealth. Folk etymology connects the word with Latin sine nobilitate 'without nobility' but the first recorded sense has no connection with this.)

Confidant

a person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others (mid 17th century: alteration of confident (as a noun in the same sense in the early 17th century), probably to represent the pronunciation of French confidente 'having full trust'.)

Colleague

a person with whom one works in a profession or business (early 16th century: from French collègue, from Latin collega 'partner in office', from col- 'together with' + legare 'depute'.)

Vagrant

a person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place and lives by begging, characteristic relating to or living the life of a vagrant, moving from place to place; wandering (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French vagarant 'wandering about', from the verb vagrer.)

Gait

a person's manner of walking, the paces of an animal, especially a horse or dog (late Middle English (originally Scots): variant of gate2.)

Behest (literary)

a person's orders or command (Old English behǣs 'a vow', from a Germanic base meaning 'bid'; related to hight.)

Bearing

a person's way of standing or moving, the way one behaves or conducts oneself

Testament

a person's will, especially the part relating to personal property, something that serves as a sign or evidence of a specified fact, event, or quality, (in biblical use) a covenant or dispensation (Middle English: from Latin testamentum 'a will' (from testari 'testify'), in Christian Latin also translating Greek diathēkē 'covenant'.)

Nuisance

a person, thing, or circumstance causing inconvenience or annoyance (late Middle English (in the sense 'injury, hurt'): from Old French, 'hurt', from the verb nuire, from Latin nocere 'to harm'.)

Epitaph

a phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone, something by which a person, time, or event will be remembered (late Middle English: from Old French epitaphe, via Latin from Greek epitaphion 'funeral oration', neuter of ephitaphios 'over or at a tomb', from epi 'upon' + taphos 'tomb'.)

Mosaic

a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass, a colorful and variegated pattern, a combination of diverse elements forming a more or less coherent whole, decorate with a mosaic, combine (distinct or disparate elements) to form a picture or pattern (late Middle English: from French mosaïque, based on Latin musi(v)um 'decoration with small square stones', perhaps ultimately from Greek mousa 'a muse'.)

Pilgrimage

a pilgrim's journey, a journey to a place associated with someone or something well known or respected, go on a pilgrimage (Middle English: from Provençal pelegrinage, from pelegrin (see pilgrim).)

Haven

a place of safety or refuge, an inlet providing shelter for ships or boats; a harbor or small port (late Old English hæfen, from Old Norse hǫfn; related to Dutch haven, German Hafen 'harbor'.)

Vantage

a place or position affording a good view of something: (Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French, shortening of Old French avantage 'advantage'.)

Portent

a sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen, future significance (late 16th century: from Latin portentum 'omen, token', from the verb portendere (see portend).)

Shrine

a place regarded as holy because of its associations with a divinity or a sacred person or relic, marked by a building or other construction, a place associated with or containing memorabilia of a particular revered person or thing, a casket containing sacred relics; a reliquary, a niche or enclosure containing a religious statue or other object (Old English scrīn 'cabinet, chest, reliquary', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schrijn and German Schrein, from Latin scrinium 'chest for books'.)

Mecca

a place that attracts people of a particular group or with a particular interest

Repository

a place, building, or receptacle where things are or may be stored, a place in which something, especially a natural resource, has accumulated or where it is found in significant quantities, person or thing regarded as a store of information or in which something abstract is held to exist or be found (late 15th century: from Old French repositoire or Latin repositorium, from reposit- 'placed back', from the verb reponere (see repose2).)

Forum

a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged, a website or web page where users can post comments about a particular issue or topic and reply to other users' postings (late Middle English (in forum (sense 3)): from Latin, literally 'what is out of doors', originally denoting an enclosure surrounding a house; related to fores '(outside) door'. forum (sense 1) dates from the mid 18th century.)

Quarry

a place, typically a large, deep pit, from which stone or other materials are or have been extracted, extract (stone or other materials) from a quarry (Middle English: from a variant of medieval Latin quareria, from Old French quarriere, based on Latin quadrum 'a square'. The verb dates from the late 18th century.), an animal pursued by a hunter, hound, predatory mammal, or bird of prey, a thing or person that is chased or sought (Middle English: from Old French cuiree, alteration, influenced by cuir 'leather' and curer 'clean, disembowel', of couree, based on Latin cor 'heart'. Originally the term denoted the parts of a deer that were placed on the hide and given as a reward to the hounds.)

Vista

a pleasing view, especially one seen through a long, narrow opening, a mental view of a succession of remembered or anticipated events (mid 17th century: from Italian, literally 'view', from visto 'seen', past participle of vedere 'see', from Latin videre.)

Acrostic

a poem, word puzzle, or other composition in which certain letters in each line form a word or words (late 16th century: from French acrostiche, from Greek akrostikhis, from akron 'end' + stikhos 'row, line of verse'. The change in the ending was due to association with -ic.)

Bard (archaic or literary)

a poet, traditionally one reciting epics and associated with a particular oral tradition, (the Bard or the Bard of Avon) Shakespeare (Middle English: from Scottish Gaelic bàrd, Irish bard, Welsh bardd, of Celtic origin. In Scotland in the 16th century it was a derogatory term for an itinerant musician, but was later romanticized by Sir Walter Scott.)

Node (technical)

a point at which lines or pathways intersect or branch; a central or connecting point, a piece of equipment, such as a PC or peripheral, attached to a network, (Botany) the part of a plant stem from which one or more leaves emerge, often forming a slight swelling or knob, (Anatomy) a lymph node or other structure consisting of a small mass of differentiated tissue (late Middle English (denoting a knotty swelling or a protuberance): from Latin nodus 'knot'.)

Enclave

a portion of territory within or surrounded by a larger territory whose inhabitants are culturally or ethnically distinct, a place or group that is different in character from those surrounding it (mid 19th century: from French, from Old French enclaver 'enclose, dovetail', based on Latin clavis 'key'.)

Orison (archaic)

a prayer (Middle English: from Old French oreison, from Latin oratio(n-) 'speech' (see oration).)

Hail Mary

a prayer to the Virgin Mary used chiefly by Roman Catholics, beginning with part of Luke 1:28. Also called Ave Maria, a recitation of a Hail Mary prayer, (American Football) a long, typically unsuccessful pass made in a desperate attempt to score late in the game, a plan or project with little chance of success

Winepress

a press in which grapes are squeezed in making wine.

Keynote

a prevailing tone or central theme, typically one set or introduced at the start of a conference, (Music) the note on which a key is based

Oracle

a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or prophecy was sought from the gods in classical antiquity, a place at which divine advice or prophecy was sought, a person or thing regarded as an infallible authority or guide on something (late Middle English: via Old French from Latin oraculum, from orare 'speak'.)

Cleric

a priest or religious leader, especially a Christian or Muslim one (early 17th century: from ecclesiastical Latin clericus 'clergyman', from Greek klērikos 'belonging to the Christian clergy', from klēros 'lot, heritage' (Acts 1:26).)

Province

a principal administrative division of certain countries or empires, (one's province) an area of special knowledge, interest, or responsibility (late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin provincia 'charge, province', of uncertain ultimate origin.)

Jester

a professional joker or "fool" at a medieval court, typically wearing a cap with bells on it and carrying a mock scepter, a person who habitually plays the fool

Bastion

a projecting part of a fortification built at an angle to the line of a wall, so as to allow defensive fire in several directions, a natural rock formation resembling a bastion, an institution, place, or person strongly defending or upholding particular principles, attitudes, or activities (mid 16th century: from French, from Italian bastione, from bastire 'build'.)

Effigy

a sculpture or model of a person, a roughly made model of a particular person, made in order to be damaged or destroyed as a protest or expression of anger (mid 16th century: from Latin effigies, from effingere 'to fashion (artistically)', from ex- 'out' + fingere 'to shape'.)

Buttress

a projecting support of stone or brick built against a wall, a projecting portion of a hill or mountain, a source of defense or support, provide (a building or structure) with projecting supports built against its walls, increase the strength of or justification for; reinforce (Middle English: from Old French (ars) bouterez 'thrusting (arch)', from boter 'to strike or thrust' (see butt1).)

Adage

a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth (mid 16th century: from French, from Latin adagium 'saying', based on an early form of aio 'I say'.)

Anthology

a published collection of poems or other pieces of writing, a published collection of songs or musical compositions issued in one album (mid 17th century: via French or medieval Latin from Greek anthologia, from anthos 'flower' + -logia 'collection' (from legein 'gather'). In Greek, the word originally denoted a collection of the 'flowers' of verse, i.e. small choice poems or epigrams, by various authors.)

Scaffold

a raised wooden platform used formerly for the public execution of criminals, a structure made using scaffolding, attach scaffolding to (a building) (Middle English (denoting a temporary platform from which to repair or erect a building): from Anglo-Norman French, from Old French (e)schaffaut, from the base of catafalque.)

Band

a range of frequencies or wavelengths in a spectrum (especially of radio frequencies) (late Old English (in band1 (sense 4 of the noun)), from Old Norse, reinforced in late Middle English by Old French bande, of Germanic origin; related to bind.)

Brigadier

a rank of officer in the British army, above colonel and below major general (late 17th century: from French (see brigade, -ier).)

Alcove

a recess in the wall of a room or garden (late 16th century: from French alcôve, from Spanish alcoba, from Arabic al-qubba 'the vault'.)

Pension

a regular payment made during a person's retirement from an investment fund to which that person or their employer has contributed during their working life (late Middle English (in the sense 'payment, tax, regular sum paid to retain allegiance'): from Old French, from Latin pensio(n-) 'payment', from pendere 'to pay'. The current verb sense dates from the mid 19th century.)

Rite

a religious or other solemn ceremony or act, a body of customary observances characteristic of a Church or a part of it, a social custom, practice, or conventional act (Middle English: from Latin ritus '(religious) usage'.)

Anchorite (historical)

a religious recluse (late Middle English: from medieval Latin anchorita (ecclesiastical Latin anchoreta), from ecclesiastical Greek anakhōrētēs, from anakhōrein 'retire', from ana- 'back' + khōra, khōr- 'a place'.)

Brocade

a rich fabric woven with a raised pattern, typically with gold or silver thread (late 16th century: from Spanish and Portuguese brocado (influenced by French brocart), from Italian broccato, from brocco 'twisted thread'.)

Tributary

a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake (late Middle English (in tributary (sense 2)): from Latin tributarius, from tributum (see tribute). tributary (sense 1) dates from the early 19th century.)

Axle

a rod or spindle (either fixed or rotating) passing through the center of a wheel or group of wheels (Middle English (originally axle-tree): from Old Norse ǫxultré.)

Vault

a roof in the form of an arch or a series of arches, typical of churches and other large, formal buildings, a large room or chamber used for storage, especially an underground one, a secure room in a bank in which valuables are stored, a chamber beneath a church or in a graveyard used for burials (Middle English: from Old French voute, based on Latin volvere 'to roll'.)

Gamecock

a rooster bred and trained for cockfighting. Also called game fowl.

Walk

a route recommended or marked out for recreational walking (Old English wealcan 'roll, toss', also 'wander', of Germanic origin. The sense 'move about', and specifically 'go about on foot', arose in Middle English.)

Colonnade

a row of columns supporting a roof, an entablature, or arcade, a row of trees or other tall objects (early 18th century: from French, from colonne 'column', from Latin columna.)

Despot

a ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way (mid 16th century: from French despote, via medieval Latin from Greek despotēs 'master, absolute ruler'. Originally (after the Turkish conquest of Constantinople) the term denoted a minor Christian ruler under the Turkish empire. The current sense dates from the late 18th century.)

Autocrat

a ruler who has absolute power, someone who insists on complete obedience from others; an imperious or domineering person (mid 18th century: from French autocrate, from Greek autokratēs, from autos 'self' + kratos 'power'.)

Gradation

a scale or a series of successive changes, stages, or degrees, a stage or change in a series of successive degrees, a minute change from one shade, tone, or color to another (mid 16th century: from Latin gradatio(n-), based on gradus 'step'.)

Monsoon

a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, blowing from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon), or from the northeast between October and April (the dry monsoon), the rainy season accompanying the wet monsoon (late 16th century: from Portuguese monção, from Arabic mawsim 'season', from wasama 'to mark, brand'.)

Outwork

a section of a fortification or system of defense which is in front of the main part, work harder, faster, or longer than (someone else)

Archdeacon

a senior Christian cleric (in the early Church a deacon, in the modern Anglican Church a priest) to whom a bishop delegates certain responsibilities (Old English arce-, ercediacon, from ecclesiastical Latin archidiaconus, from ecclesiastical Greek arkhidiakonos, from arkhi- 'chief' + diakonos (see deacon).)

Bishop

a senior member of the Christian clergy, usually in charge of a diocese and empowered to confer holy orders (Old English biscop, bisceop, based on Greek episkopos 'overseer', from epi 'above' + -skopos '-looking'.)

Vertigo

a sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height, or caused by disease affecting the inner ear or the vestibular nerve; giddiness (late Middle English: from Latin, 'whirling', from vertere 'to turn'.)

Melodrama

a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions, the genre of melodrama, language, behavior, or events that resemble melodrama (late 18th century: from Italian melodramma, from Greek melos 'music' + Italian dramma 'drama'.)

Revlusion

a sense of disgust and loathing (mid 16th century (in revulsion (sense 2)): from French, or from Latin revulsio(n-), from revuls- 'torn out', from the verb revellere (from re- 'back' + vellere 'pull'). revulsion (sense 1) dates from the early 19th century.)

Ward

a separate room in a hospital, typically one allocated to a particular type of patient, an administrative division of a city or borough that typically elects and is represented by a councilor or councilors, a person, usually a minor, under the care and control of a guardian appointed by their parents or a court (Old English weard (in ward (sense 5 of the noun), also 'body of guards'), weardian 'keep safe, guard', of Germanic origin; reinforced in Middle English by Old Northern French warde (noun), warder (verb) 'guard'.)

Carillon

a set of bells in a tower, played using a keyboard or by an automatic mechanism similar to a piano roll, a tune played on a carillon (late 18th century: from French, from Old French quarregnon 'peal of four bells', based on Latin quattuor 'four'.)

Transmitter

a set of equipment used to generate and transmit electromagnetic waves carrying messages or signals, especially those of radio or television, a person or thing that transmits something

Pack

a set of playing cards (Middle English: from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pak (noun), pakken (verb). The verb appears early in Anglo-Latin and Anglo-Norman French in connection with the wool trade; trade in English wool was chiefly with the Low Countries.)

Deluge

a severe flood, (the Deluge) the biblical Flood (recorded in Genesis 6-8), a heavy fall of rain, a great quantity of something arriving at the same time, inundate with a great quantity of something, flood (late Middle English: from Old French, variant of diluve, from Latin diluvium, from diluere 'wash away'.)

Arbor

a shady garden alcove with sides and a roof formed by trees or climbing plants trained over a wooden framework (Middle English (also denoting a lawn or flower bed): from Old French erbier, from erbe 'grass, herb', from Latin herba. The phonetic change to ar- (common in words having er- before a consonant) was assisted by association with Latin arbor 'tree'.), an axle or spindle on which something revolves, a device holding a tool in a lathe (mid 17th century: from French arbre 'tree, axis'. The spelling change was due to association with Latin arbor 'tree'.)

Sheepfold

a sheep pen.

Vessel

a ship or large boat, a hollow container, especially one used to hold liquid, such as a bowl or cask, (chiefly in or alluding to biblical use) a person, especially regarded as holding or embodying a particular quality (Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French vessel(e), from late Latin vascellum, diminutive of vas 'vessel'.)

Excursion

a short journey or trip, especially one engaged in as a leisure activity, a deviation from a regular pattern, path, or level of operation (late 16th century (in the sense 'act of running out', also 'sortie' in the phrase alarums and excursions (see alarum): from Latin excursio(n-), from the verb excurrere 'run out', from ex- 'out' + currere 'to run'.)

Rivet

a short metal pin or bolt for holding together two plates of metal, its headless end being beaten out or pressed down when in place, a device similar to a rivet for holding seams of clothing together, join or fasten (plates of metal) with a rivet or rivets, hold (someone or something) fast so as to make them incapable of movement (Middle English: from Old French, from river 'fix, clinch', of unknown ultimate origin.)

Bulletin

a short official statement or broadcast summary of news, a regular newsletter or printed report issued by an organization or society (mid 17th century (denoting an official warrant in some European countries): from French, from Italian bullettino, diminutive of bulletta 'passport', diminutive of bulla 'seal, bull'.)

Fable

a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral, a story, typically a supernatural one incorporating elements of myth and legend, myth and legend, a false statement or belief, tell fictitious tales, fabricate or invent (an incident, person, or story) (Middle English: from Old French fable (noun), from Latin fabula 'story', from fari 'speak'.)

Cudgel

a short, thick stick used as a weapon, beat with a cudgel (Old English cycgel, of unknown origin.)

Herring

a silvery fish that is most abundant in coastal waters and is of great commercial importance as a food fish in many parts of the world. (Old English hǣring, hēring, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch haring and German Hering.)

Spindle

a slender rounded rod with tapered ends used in hand spinning to twist and wind thread from a mass of wool or flax held on a distaff, a rod or pin serving as an axis that revolves or on which something revolves (Old English spinel, from the base of the verb spin.)

Jog

a slight push or nudge (late Middle English (in the sense 'stab, pierce'): variant of jag1.)

Chapel

a small building for Christian worship, typically one attached to an institution or private house, a part of a large church or cathedral with its own altar and dedication, a room or building in which funeral services are held (Middle English: from Old French chapele, from medieval Latin cappella, diminutive of cappa 'cap or cape' (the first chapel being a sanctuary in which St Martin's cloak was preserved).)

Currant

a small dried fruit made from a seedless variety of grape originally grown in the eastern Mediterranean region, now widely produced in California, and much used in cooking (Middle English raisons of Corauntz, translating Anglo-Norman French raisins de Corauntz 'grapes of Corinth' (the original source).)

Panel

a small group of people brought together to discuss, investigate, or decide on a particular matter, especially in the context of business or government (Middle English: from Old French, literally 'piece of cloth', based on Latin pannus '(piece of) cloth'. The early sense 'piece of parchment' was extended to mean 'list', whence the notion 'advisory group'. panel (sense 1 of the noun) derives from the late Middle English sense 'distinct section of a surface'.)

Initiated

a small group of people who share obscure knowledge

Islet

a small island (mid 16th century: from Old French, diminutive of isle (see isle).)

Phylactery

a small leather box containing Hebrew texts on vellum, worn by Jewish men at morning prayer as a reminder to keep the law (late Middle English: via late Latin from Greek phulaktērion 'amulet', from phulassein 'to guard'.)

Outpost

a small military camp or position at some distance from the main force, used especially as a guard against surprise attack, a remote part of a country or empire, something regarded as an isolated or remote branch of something

Trinket

a small ornament or item of jewelry that is of little value (mid 16th century: of unknown origin.)

Grotto

a small picturesque cave, especially an artificial one in a park or garden, an indoor structure resembling a cave (early 17th century: from Italian grotta, via Latin from Greek kruptē (see crypt).)

Voucher

a small printed piece of paper that entitles the holder to a discount, or that may be exchanged for goods or services. (early 17th century: from vouch.)

Sepulcher

a small room or monument, cut in rock or built of stone, in which a dead person is laid or buried, lay or bury in or as if in a sepulcher, serve as a burial place for (Middle English: via Old French from Latin sepulcrum 'burial place', from sepelire 'bury'.)

Eyelet

a small round hole in leather or cloth for threading a lace, string, or rope through, a metal ring used to reinforce an eyelet hole, a small hole ornamented with stitching around its edge, used as a form of decoration in embroidery, a small hole or slit in a wall for looking through, make eyelets in (fabric) (late Middle English oilet, from Old French oillet, diminutive of oil 'eye', from Latin oculus. The change in the first syllable in the 17th century was due to association with eye.)

Terebinth

a small southern European tree of the cashew family that was formerly a source of turpentine (late Middle English: from Old French therebinte, or via Latin from Greek terebinthos.)

Recess

a small space created by building part of a wall further back from the rest, a hollow space inside something, (usually recesses) a remote, secluded, or secret place (mid 16th century (in the sense 'withdrawal, departure'): from Latin recessus, from recedere 'go back' (see recede). The verb dates from the early 19th century.)

Nodule

a small swelling or aggregation of cells in the body, especially an abnormal one, (usually root nodule) a swelling on a root of a leguminous plant, containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria, a small rounded lump of matter distinct from its surroundings, for example, of flint in chalk, carbon in cast iron, or a mineral on the seabed (late Middle English: from Latin nodulus, diminutive of nodus 'knot'.)

Turret

a small tower on top of a larger tower or at the corner of a building or wall, typically of a castle, a low, flat armored gun emplacement, typically one that revolves, in a ship, aircraft, fort, or tank (Middle English: from Old French tourete, diminutive of tour 'tower'.)

Grove

a small wood, orchard, or group of trees (Old English grāf, of Germanic origin.)

Imp

a small, mischievous devil or sprite, a mischievous child (Old English impa, impe 'young shoot, scion', impian 'to graft', based on Greek emphuein 'to implant'. In late Middle English, the noun denoted a descendant, especially of a noble family, and later a child of the devil or a person regarded as such; hence a 'little devil' or mischievous child (early 17th century).)

Cranny

a small, narrow space or opening (late Middle English: from Old French crane 'notched', from cran, from popular Latin crena 'notch'.)

Bauble

a small, showy trinket or decoration, something that is superficially attractive but useless or worthless (Middle English: from Old French baubel 'child's toy', of unknown origin.)

Oxidize

combine or become combined chemically with oxygen

Schism

a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief, the formal separation of a Church into two Churches or the secession of a group owing to doctrinal and other differences. See also Great Schism (late Middle English: from Old French scisme, via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek skhisma 'cleft', from skhizein 'to split'.)

Stupor

a state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility (late Middle English: from Latin, from stupere 'be amazed or stunned'.)

Repose

a state of rest, sleep, or tranquility, composure, be lying, situated, or kept in a particular place, lie down in rest (late Middle English: from Old French repos (noun), reposer (verb), from late Latin repausare, from re- (expressing intensive force) + pausare 'to pause'.), place something, especially one's confidence or trust, in (late Middle English (in the sense 'put back in the same position'): from re- 'again' + the verb pose1, suggested by Latin reponere 'replace', from re- (expressing intensive force) + ponere 'to place'.)

Principality

a state ruled by a prince, (the Principality) (British) Wales, (principalities) (in traditional Christian angelology) the fifth highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy (Middle English (denoting the rank of a prince): from Old French principalite, from late Latin principalitas, from Latin principalis 'first, original' (see principal).)

Monument

a statue, building, or other structure erected to commemorate a famous or notable person or event, a statue or other structure placed by or over a grave in memory of the dead, a building, structure, or site that is of historical importance or interest, an outstanding, enduring, and memorable example of something (Middle English (denoting a burial place): via French from Latin monumentum, from monere 'remind'.)

Distaff

a stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning, of or concerning women (Old English distæf: the first element is apparently related to Middle Low German dise, disene 'distaff, bunch of flax'; the second is staff1. distaff (sense 2 of the noun) arose because spinning was traditionally done by women.)

Resin

a sticky flammable organic substance, insoluble in water, exuded by some trees and other plants (notably fir and pine), also synthetic resin) a solid or liquid synthetic organic polymer used as the basis of plastics, adhesives, varnishes, or other products (late Middle English: from Latin resina; related to Greek rhētinē 'pine resin'. Compare with rosin.)

Parchment

a stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal and used as a durable writing surface in ancient and medieval times, a manuscript written on parchment, (also parchment paper) a type of stiff translucent paper treated to resemble parchment and used for lampshades, as a writing surface, and in baking (Middle English: from Old French parchemin, from a blend of late Latin pergamina 'writing material from Pergamum' and Parthica pellis 'Parthian skin' (a kind of scarlet leather).)

Obelisk

a stone pillar, typically having a square or rectangular cross section and a pyramidal top, set up as a monument or landmark, a mountain, tree, or other natural object shaped like an obelisk (mid 16th century: via Latin from Greek obeliskos, diminutive of obelos 'pointed pillar'.)

Granary

a storehouse for threshed grain, a region producing large quantities of corn (late 16th century: from Latin granarium, from granum 'grain'.)

Lyre

a stringed instrument like a small U-shaped harp with strings fixed to a crossbar, used especially in ancient Greece. Modern instruments of this type are found mainly in East Africa. (Middle English: via Old French lire and Latin lyra from Greek lura.)

Lattice

a structure consisting of strips of wood or metal crossed and fastened together with square or diamond-shaped spaces left between, used as a screen or fence or as a support for climbing plants, an interlaced structure or pattern resembling a lattice (Middle English: from Old French lattis, from latte 'lath', of Germanic origin.)

Emplacement

a structure on or in which something is firmly placed, a platform or defended position where a gun is placed for firing (mid 18th century: French, from emplacier 'to put in a certain place or position', from em- 'in' + placer 'to place', from place 'a place'.)

Dolt

a stupid person (mid 16th century: perhaps a variant of dulled, past participle of dull.)

Hieroglyph

a stylized picture of an object representing a word, syllable, or sound, as found in ancient Egyptian and other writing systems (late 16th century: back-formation from hieroglyphic.)

Brigade

a subdivision of an army, typically consisting of a small number of infantry battalions and/or other units and forming part of a division, an organization with a specific purpose, typically with a military or quasi-military structure, form into a brigade, associate with (someone or something) (mid 17th century: from French, from Italian brigata 'company', from brigare 'contend', from briga 'strife'.)

Lemma

a subsidiary or intermediate theorem in an argument or proof, a heading indicating the subject or argument of a literary composition, an annotation, or a dictionary entry (late 16th century: via Latin from Greek lēmma 'something assumed'; related to lambanein 'take'.)

Flare

a sudden brief burst of bright flame or light, a device producing a bright flame, used especially as a signal or marker (mid 16th century (in the sense 'spread out one's hair'): of unknown origin. Current senses date from the 17th century.)

Convulsion

a sudden, violent, irregular movement of a limb or of the body, caused by involuntary contraction of muscles and associated especially with brain disorders such as epilepsy, the presence of certain toxins or other agents in the blood, or fever in children, (convulsions) uncontrollable laughter, an earthquake or other violent or major movement of the earth's crust, a violent social or political upheaval (mid 16th century (originally in the sense 'cramp, spasm'): from Latin convulsio(n-), from the verb convellere (see convulse).)

Ransom

a sum of money or other payment demanded or paid for the release of a prisoner, the holding or freeing of a prisoner in return for payment of ransom, obtain the release of (a prisoner) by making a payment demanded, hold (a prisoner) and demand payment for their release, release (a prisoner) after receiving payment (Middle English: from Old French ransoun (noun), ransouner (verb), from Latin redemptio(n-) 'ransoming, releasing' (see redemption). Early use also occurred in theological contexts expressing 'deliverance' and 'atonement'.)

Bounty

a sum paid for killing or capturing a person or animal (Middle English (denoting goodness or generosity): from Old French bonte 'goodness', from Latin bonitas, from bonus 'good'. The sense 'monetary reward' dates from the early 18th century.)

Bookend

a support for the end of a row of books to keep them upright, often one of a pair, (informal) occur or be positioned at the end or on either side of (something

Sovereign (n.)

a supreme ruler, especially a monarch (Middle English: from Old French soverain, based on Latin super 'above'. The change in the ending was due to association with reign.)

Cross section

a surface or shape that is or would be exposed by making a straight cut through something, especially at right angles to an axis, a thin strip of organic tissue or other material removed by making two straight parallel cuts through it, a diagram representing what a cross section would reveal, a typical or representative sample of a larger group, especially of people

Theodolite

a surveying instrument with a rotating telescope for measuring horizontal and vertical angles (late 16th century (originally denoting an instrument for measuring horizontal angles): from modern Latin theodelitus, of unknown origin.)

Cult

a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object, a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister, a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing, [usually as modifier] a person or thing that is popular or fashionable, especially among a particular section of society (early 17th century (originally denoting homage paid to a divinity): from French culte or Latin cultus 'worship', from cult- 'inhabited, cultivated, worshipped', from the verb colere.)

Miter

a tall headdress worn by bishops and senior abbots as a symbol of office, tapering to a point at front and back with a deep cleft between (late Middle English: from Old French, via Latin from Greek mitra 'belt or turban'.)

Mast

a tall upright post, spar, or other structure on a ship or boat, in sailing vessels generally carrying a sail or sails, a tall upright structure on land, especially a flagpole or a television or radio transmitter, (US) (in full captain's mast) (in the US Navy) a session of court presided over by the captain of a ship, especially to hear cases of minor offenses (Old English mæst, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch mast and German Mast.)

Cistern

a tank for storing water, especially one supplying taps or as part of a flushing toilet, an underground reservoir for rainwater (Middle English: from Old French cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista 'box' (see cist).)

Spire

a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, typically a church tower, the continuation of a tree trunk above the point where branching begins, especially in a tree of a tapering form, a long tapering object (Old English spīr 'tall slender stem of a plant'; related to German Spier 'tip of a blade of grass'.)

Impost

a tax or similar compulsory payment, (Horse Racing) the weight carried by a horse as a handicap (mid 16th century: from French (earlier form of impôt), from medieval Latin impostus, from Latin impositus, past participle of imponere (see impose).), the top course of a pillar that supports an arch (late 15th century: from Italian imposta, feminine past participle of imporre, from Latin imponere (see impose).)

Pedagogue

a teacher, especially a strict or pedantic one (late Middle English: via Latin from Greek paidagōgos, denoting a slave who accompanied a child to school (from pais, paid- 'boy' + agōgos 'guide').)

Dowsing

a technique for searching for underground water, minerals, or anything invisible, by observing the motion of a pointer (traditionally a forked stick, now often paired bent wires) or the changes in direction of a pendulum, supposedly in response to unseen influences (mid 16th century: perhaps imitative; compare souse.)

Digression

a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing

Sojourn (formal)

a temporary stay, stay somewhere temporarily (Middle English: from Old French sojourner, based on Latin sub- 'under' + late Latin diurnum 'day'.)

Credulity

a tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true

Flail

a threshing tool consisting of a wooden staff with a short heavy stick swinging from it, wave or swing or cause to wave or swing wildly (Old English, of West Germanic origin, based on Latin flagellum 'whip' (see flagellum); probably influenced in Middle English by Old French flaiel or Dutch vlegel.)

Mikado (historical)

a title given to the emperor of Japan (Japanese, from mi 'august' + kado 'gate' (the gate of the Imperial palace being a place where the emperor traditionally held audiences). Compare with Porte.)

Superscription

a title or inscription at the top of or on the outside of a document

Auger

a tool with a helical bit for boring holes in wood, a tool with a large helical bit for boring holes in the ground (Old English nafogār, from nafu (see nave2) + gār 'piercer'. The n was lost by wrong division of a nauger; compare with adder1 and apron.)

Taint

a trace of a bad or undesirable quality or substance, a thing whose influence or effect is perceived as contaminating or undesirable, an unpleasant smell, contaminate or pollute (something), affect with a bad or undesirable quality (Middle English (as a verb in the sense 'convict, prove guilty'): partly from Old French teint 'tinged', based on Latin tingere 'to dye, tinge'; partly a shortening of attaint.)

Vestige

a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists, [usually with negative] the smallest amount (used to emphasize the absence of something) (late Middle English: from French, from Latin vestigium 'footprint'.)

Headwater

a tributary stream of a river close to or forming part of its source

Varmint (North American informal or dialect)

a troublesome wild animal, a troublesome and mischievous person, especially a child (mid 16th century: alteration of vermin.)

Tassel

a tuft of loosely hanging threads, cords, or other material knotted at one end and attached for decoration to home furnishings, clothing, or other items (Middle English (also denoting a clasp for a cloak): from Old French tassel 'clasp', of unknown origin.), a small piece of stone or wood supporting the end of a beam or joist (mid 17th century: from obsolete French, from Latin taxillus 'small die'.)

Vaudeville

a type of entertainment popular chiefly in the US in the early 20th century, featuring a mixture of specialty acts such as burlesque comedy and song and dance, a stage play on a trivial theme with interspersed songs (mid 18th century: from French, earlier vau de ville (or vire), said to be a name given originally to songs composed by Olivier Basselin, a 15th-century fuller born in Vau de Vire in Normandy.)

Sieve

a utensil consisting of a wire or plastic mesh held in a frame, used for straining solids from liquids, for separating coarser from finer particles, or for reducing soft solids to a pulp, used figuratively with reference to the fact that a sieve does not hold all its contents, put (a food substance or other material) through a sieve, (usually sieve something out) remove (unwanted items), (sieve through) examine in detail (Old English sife (noun), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch zeef and German Sieb.)

Pauper

a very poor person (late 15th century: from Latin, literally 'poor'. The word's use in English originated in the Latin legal phrase in forma pauperis, literally 'in the form of a poor person' (allowing nonpayment of costs).)

Pittance

a very small or inadequate amount of money paid to someone as an allowance or wage (Middle English: from Old French pitance, from medieval Latin pitantia, from Latin pietas 'pity'.)

Precipice

a very steep rock face or cliff, especially a tall one (late 16th century (denoting a headlong fall): from French précipice or Latin praecipitium 'abrupt descent', from praeceps, praecip(it)- 'steep, headlong'.)

Gale

a very strong wind, (a gale of/gales of) a burst of sound, especially of laughter (mid 16th century: perhaps related to Old Norse galinn 'mad, frantic'.)

Upheaval

a violent or sudden change or disruption to something, an upward displacement of part of the earth's crust

Cog

a wheel or bar with a series of projections on its edge, which transfers motion by engaging with projections on another wheel or bar, each of the projections on a cog (Middle English: probably of Scandinavian origin and related to Swedish kugge and Norwegian kug.)

Porcelain

a white vitrified translucent ceramic; china, (usually porcelains) articles made of porcelain, articles made of porcelain collectively (mid 16th century: from French porcelaine, from Italian porcellana 'cowrie shell', hence 'chinaware' (from its resemblance to the dense polished shells).)

Feudal

according to, resembling, or denoting the system of feudalism, absurdly outdated or old-fashioned (early 17th century: from medieval Latin feudalis, from feudum (see fee).)

Consort

a wife, husband, or companion, in particular the spouse of a reigning monarch, a ship sailing in company with another, habitually associate with (someone), typically with the disapproval of others (late Middle English (denoting a companion or colleague): via French from Latin consors 'sharing, partner', from con- 'together with' + sors, sort- 'lot, destiny'. The verb senses are probably influenced by similar senses (now obsolete) of the verb sort.)

Lynx

a wild cat with yellowish-brown fur (sometimes spotted), a short tail, and tufted ears, found chiefly in the northern latitudes of North America and Eurasia, the fur of the lynx (Middle English: via Latin from Greek lunx.)

Prevailing wind

a wind from the direction that is predominant at a particular place or season

Cherub

a winged angelic being described in biblical tradition as attending on God. It is represented in ancient Middle Eastern art as a lion or bull with eagles' wings and a human face, and regarded in traditional Christian angelology as an angel of the second highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy, (plural cherubim or cherubs) a representation of a cherub in art, depicted as a chubby, healthy-looking child with wings, (plural cherubs) a beautiful or innocent-looking child (Old English cherubin, ultimately (via Latin and Greek) from Hebrew kĕrūḇ, plural kĕrūḇīm. A rabbinic folk etymology, which explains the Hebrew singular form as representing Aramaic kĕ-raḇyā 'like a child', led to the representation of the cherub as a child.)

Witticism

a witty remark (1677: coined by Dryden from witty, on the pattern of criticism.)

Empress

a woman who is a sovereign ruler of great power and rank, especially one ruling an empire, the wife or widow of an emperor (Middle English: from Old French emperesse, feminine of emperere (see emperor).)

Bosom

a woman's chest, (usually bosoms) a woman's breast, a part of a woman's dress covering the chest, (literary) (the bosom of) the loving care and protection of, used to refer to the chest as the seat of emotions, (of a friend) close or intimate (Old English bōsm, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch boezem and German Busen.)

Blouse

a woman's loose upper garment resembling a shirt, typically with a collar, buttons, and sleeves, a loose linen or cotton garment of a type worn by peasants and manual workers, typically belted at the waist, a type of jacket worn as part of military uniform, make (a garment) hang in loose folds (early 19th century (denoting a belted loose garment worn by peasants): from French, of unknown origin.)

Corset

a woman's tightly fitting undergarment extending from below the chest to the hips, worn to shape the figure, a fitted garment extending from below the chest to the hips, worn by men or women to support a weak or injured back (Middle English: from Old French, diminutive of cors 'body', from Latin corpus. The sense 'close-fitting undergarment' dates from the late 18th century, by which time the sense 'bodice' had mainly historical reference.)

Loanword

a word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification.

Headword

a word that begins a separate entry in a reference work such as a dictionary.

Foundry

a workshop or factory for casting metal (early 17th century (earlier as foundery): from found3 + -ry, perhaps suggested by French fonderie.)

Heifer

a young female cow that has not borne a calf (Old English heahfore, of unknown origin.)

Foal

a young horse or related animal, (of a mare) give birth to a foal (Old English fola, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch veulen and German Fohlen, also to filly.)

Page

a young person employed in a hotel or other establishment to run errands, open doors, etc., a young boy attending a bride at a wedding, (historical) a boy in training for knighthood, ranking next below a squire in the personal service of a knight, (historical) a man or boy employed as the personal attendant of a person of rank (Middle English (in the sense 'youth, uncouth male'): from Old French, perhaps from Italian paggio, from Greek paidion, diminutive of pais, paid- 'boy'. Early use of the verb (mid 16th century) was in the sense 'follow as or like a page'; its current sense dates from the early 20th century.)

Caustic

able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action, sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way (late Middle English: via Latin from Greek kaustikos, from kaustos 'combustible', from kaiein 'to burn'.)

Brusque

abrupt or offhand in speech or manner (mid 17th century: from French, 'lively, fierce', from Italian brusco 'sour'.)

Celibate

abstaining from marriage and sexual relations, typically for religious reasons, having or involving no sexual relations, a person who abstains from marriage and sexual relations (early 19th century (earlier (mid 17th century) as celibacy): from French célibat or Latin caelibatus 'unmarried state' + -ate2.)

Temperance

abstinence from alcoholic drink, the quality of moderation or self-restraint (Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French temperaunce, from Latin temperantia 'moderation', from temperare 'restrain'.)

Condone

accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue, approve or sanction (something), especially with reluctance (mid 19th century: from Latin condonare 'refrain from punishing', from con- 'altogether' + donare 'give'.)

Venerable

accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character, (in the Anglican Church) a title given to an archdeacon, (in the Roman Catholic Church) a title given to a deceased person who has attained a certain degree of sanctity but has not been fully beatified or canonized (late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin venerabilis, from the verb venerari (see venerate).)

Canonical

according to or ordered by canon law, included in the list of sacred books officially accepted as genuine, accepted as being accurate and authoritative

Reputedly

according to what people say or believe; supposedly

Concede

admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it, surrender or yield (something that one possesses) (late 15th century: from French concéder or Latin concedere, from con- 'completely' + cedere 'yield'.)

Espouse

adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life) (late Middle English (in the sense 'take as a spouse'): from Old French espouser, from Latin sponsare, from sponsus 'betrothed', past participle of spondere.)

Counsel

advice, especially that given formally, (plural same) the lawyer or lawyers conducting a case, give advice to (someone), give professional help and advice to (someone) to resolve personal or psychological problems (Middle English: via Old French counseil (noun), conseiller (verb), from Latin consilium 'consultation, advice', related to consulere (see consult). Compare with council.)

Narcoleptic

affected by or relating to an extreme tendency to fall asleep, tending to induce sleep; soporific, a person affected by an extreme tendency to fall asleep

Pompous

affectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important (late Middle English: from Old French pompeux 'full of grandeur', from late Latin pomposus, from pompa 'pomp'.)

Variegate

alter in appearance, especially by adding different colors, make more diverse or varied

Vacillate

alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive (late 16th century (in the sense 'sway unsteadily'): from Latin vacillat- 'swayed', from the verb vacillare.)

Campanile

an Italian bell tower, especially a freestanding one (mid 17th century: from Italian, from campana 'bell'.)

Facility

an ability to do or learn something well and easily; a natural aptitude, absence of difficulty or effort (early 16th century (denoting the means or unimpeded opportunity for doing something): from French facilité or Latin facilitas, from facilis 'easy' (see facile).)

Burlesque

an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody, humor that depends on comic imitation and exaggeration; absurdity, a variety show, typically including striptease, cause to appear absurd by parodying or copying in an exaggerated form (mid 17th century: from French, from Italian burlesco, from burla 'mockery', of unknown origin.)

Profusion

an abundance or large quantity of something (mid 16th century: via French from Latin profusio(n-), from profundere 'pour out'. Early use expressed the senses 'extravagance', 'squandering', and 'waste'.)

Ambassador

an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country, a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity (late Middle English: from French ambassadeur, from Italian ambasciator, based on Latin ambactus 'servant'.)

Backlog

an accumulation of something, especially uncompleted work or matters that need to be dealt with

Turf war (informal)

an acrimonious dispute between rival groups over territory or a particular sphere of influence

Reprisal

an act of retaliation (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French reprisaille, from medieval Latin reprisalia (neuter plural), based on Latin repraehens- 'seized', from the verb repraehendere (see reprehend). The current sense dates from the early 18th century.)

Tribute

an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration, something resulting from something else and indicating its worth, denoting or relating to a group or musician that performs the music of a more famous one and typically imitates them in appearance and style of performance (late Middle English (in tribute (sense 2)): from Latin tributum, neuter past participle (used as a noun) of tribuere 'assign' (originally 'divide between tribes'), from tribus 'tribe'.)

Scandal

an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage, the outrage or anger caused by a scandalous action or event, rumor or malicious gossip about scandalous events or actions, a state of affairs regarded as wrong or reprehensible and causing general public outrage or anger (Middle English (in the sense 'discredit to religion (by the reprehensible behavior of a religious person)'): from Old French scandale, from ecclesiastical Latin scandalum 'cause of offense', from Greek skandalon 'snare, stumbling block'.)

Sow

an adult female pig, especially one which has farrowed, the female of certain other mammals, e.g. the guinea pig (Old English sugu; related to Dutch zeug, German Sau, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin sus and Greek hus 'pig'.)

Council

an advisory, deliberative, or legislative body of people formally constituted and meeting regularly, a body of people elected to manage the affairs of a city, county, or other municipal distric, an ecclesiastical assembly, an assembly or meeting for consultation or advice (Old English (in the sense 'ecclesiastical assembly'): from Anglo-Norman French cuncile, from Latin concilium 'convocation, assembly', from con- 'together' + calare 'summon'. Compare with counsel.)

Dipsomaniac

an alcoholic, especially one who experiences intermittent bouts of craving for alcohol

Innuendo

an allusive or oblique remark or hint, typically a suggestive or disparaging one (mid 16th century (as an adverb in the sense 'that is to say, to wit', used in legal documents to introduce an explanation): Latin, 'by nodding at, by pointing to', ablative gerund of innuere, from in- 'towards' + nuere 'to nod'. The noun dates from the late 17th century.)

Index

an alphabetical list of names, subjects, etc., with references to the places where they occur, typically found at the end of a book, an indicator, sign, or measure of something, a pointer on an instrument, showing a quantity, a position on a scale, etc., record (names, subjects, etc.) in an index (late Middle English: from Latin index, indic- 'forefinger, informer, sign', from in- 'towards' + a second element related to dicere 'say' or dicare 'make known'; compare with indicate. The original sense 'index finger' (with which one points), came to mean 'pointer' (late 16th century), and figuratively something that serves to point to a fact or conclusion; hence a list of topics in a book ('pointing' to their location).)

Reservation

an area of land set aside for occupation by North American Indians or Australian Aboriginal people (late Middle English (denoting the Pope's right of nomination to a benefice): from Old French, or from late Latin reservatio(n-), from reservare 'keep back' (see reserve).)

Patrician

an aristocrat or nobleman, (North American) a member of a long-established wealthy family, a member of a noble family or class in ancient Rome (late Middle English: from Old French patricien, from Latin patricius 'having a noble father', from pater, patr- 'father'.)

Colonel

an army officer of high rank, in particular (in the US Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps) an officer above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general (mid 16th century: from obsolete French coronel (earlier form of colonel), from Italian colonnello 'column of soldiers', from colonna 'column', from Latin columna. The form coronel, source of the modern pronunciation, was usual until the mid 17th century.)

Tavern (mainly archaic)

an establishment for the sale of beer and other drinks to be consumed on the premises, sometimes also serving food; a bar or pub (Middle English: from Old French taverne, from Latin taberna 'hut, tavern'. Compare with tabernacle.)

Calamity

an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster (late Middle English (in the sense 'disaster and distress'): from Old French calamite, from Latin calamitas.)

Omen

an event regarded as a portent of good or evil, prophetic significance (late 16th century: from Latin.)

Facsimile

an exact copy, especially of written or printed material, another term for fax1 , make a copy of (late 16th century (originally as fac simile, denoting the making of an exact copy, especially of writing): modern Latin, from Latin fac! (imperative of facere 'make') and simile (neuter of similis 'like').)

Glut

an excessively abundant supply of something, supply or fill to excess (Middle English: probably via Old French from Latin gluttire 'to swallow'; related to glutton.)

Conflagration

an extensive fire which destroys a great deal of land or property (late 15th century (denoting consumption by fire): from Latin conflagratio(n-), from the verb conflagrare, from con- (expressing intensive force) + flagrare 'to blaze'.)

Guise

an external form, appearance, or manner of presentation, typically concealing the true nature of something (Middle English: from Old French, of Germanic origin; related to wise2.)

Ailment

an illness, typically a minor one

Simulacrum

an image or representation of someone or something, an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute (late 16th century: from Latin, from simulare (see simulate).)

Celestial sphere

an imaginary sphere of which the observer is the center and on which all celestial objects are considered to lie

Harrow

an implement consisting of a heavy frame set with teeth or tines which is dragged over plowed land to break up clods, remove weeds, and cover seed, draw a harrow over (land), cause distress to (Middle English: from Old Norse herfi; obscurely related to Dutch hark 'rake'.)

Array

an impressive display or range of a particular type of thing, an ordered series or arrangement, an arrangement of troops, display or arrange (things) in a particular way (Middle English (in the senses 'preparedness' and 'place in readiness'): from Old French arei (noun), areer (verb), based on Latin ad- 'towards' + a Germanic base meaning 'prepare'.)

Arbitrator

an independent person or body officially appointed to settle a dispute

Intimation

an indication or hint, the action of making something known, especially in an indirect way

Trustee (Law)

an individual person or member of a board given control or powers of administration of property in trust with a legal obligation to administer it solely for the purposes specified, a state made responsible for the government of a trust territory by the United Nations

Commission

an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people, an order for something, especially a work of art, to be produced, a work produced in response to a commission, a group of people officially charged with a particular function, an amount of money, typically a set percentage of the value involved, paid to an agent in a commercial transaction, give an order for or authorize the production of (something such as a building, piece of equipment, or work of art), order or authorize (a person or organization) to do or produce something (Middle English: via Old French from Latin commissio(n-), from committere 'entrust' (see commit).)

Astrolabe (mainly historical)

an instrument formerly used to make astronomical measurements, typically of the altitudes of celestial bodies, and in navigation for calculating latitude, before the development of the sextant. In its basic form (known from classical times), it consists of a disk with the edge marked in degrees and a pivoted pointer (late Middle English: from Old French astrelabe, from medieval Latin astrolabium, from Greek astrolabon, neuter of astrolabos 'star-taking'.)

Sextant

an instrument with a graduated arc of 60° and a sighting mechanism, used for measuring the angular distances between objects and especially for taking altitudes in navigation (late 16th century (denoting the sixth part of a circle): from Latin sextans, sextant- 'sixth part', from sextus 'sixth'.)

Eisegesis

an interpretation, especially of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text. (from Dictionary.com)

Dragoman

an interpreter or guide, especially in countries speaking Arabic, Turkish, or Persian (late Middle English: from obsolete French, from Italian dragomanno, from medieval Greek dragoumanos, from Arabic tarjumān 'interpreter'.)

Entr'acte

an interval between two acts of a play or opera, a piece of music or a dance performed during an entr'acte (mid 19th century: French, from (earlier form of entracte), from entre 'between' + acte 'act'.)

Interstice

an intervening space, especially a very small one (late Middle English: from Latin interstitium, from intersistere 'stand between', from inter- 'between' + sistere 'to stand'.)

Tremor

an involuntary quivering movement, (also earth tremor) a slight earthquake, a sudden feeling of fear or excitement, a tremble or quaver in a person's voice (early 17th century: from Latin tremor, from tremere 'to tremble'.)

Helix

an object having a three-dimensional shape like that of a wire wound uniformly in a single layer around a cylinder or cone, as in a corkscrew or spiral staircase (mid 16th century (in the architectural sense 'spiral ornament'): via Latin from Greek.)

Receptacle

an object or space used to contain something, (North American) an electrical outlet into which the plug of an electrical device may be inserted (late Middle English: from Latin receptaculum, from receptare 'receive back', frequentative of recipere (see receive).)

Relic

an object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest, a part of a deceased holy person's body or belongings kept as an object of reverence, an object, custom, or belief that has survived from an earlier time but is now outmoded, (relics) all that is left of something (Middle English: from Old French relique (originally plural), from Latin reliquiae (see reliquiae).)

Eclipse

an obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination, a loss of significance, power, or prominence in relation to another person or thing, (of a celestial body) obscure the light from or to (another celestial body), deprive (someone or something) of significance, power, or prominence (Middle English: from Old French e(s)clipse (noun), eclipser (verb), via Latin from Greek ekleipsis, from ekleipein 'fail to appear, be eclipsed', from ek 'out' + leipein 'to leave'.)

Field marshal

an officer of the highest rank in the British and other armies

Marshal

an officer of the highest rank in the armed forces of some countries, including France, (US) a federal or municipal law office, the head of a police department, (North American) the head of a fire department, an official responsible for supervising public events, especially sports events or parades, arrange or assemble (a group of people, especially soldiers) in order (Middle English (denoting a high-ranking officer of state): from Old French mareschal 'farrier, commander', from late Latin mariscalcus, from Germanic elements meaning 'horse' (compare with mare1) and 'servant'.)

Register

an official list or record, for example of births, marriages, and deaths, of shipping, or of historic places, a book or record of attendance, for example of students in a class or school or guests in a hotel (late Middle English: from Old French regestre or medieval Latin regestrum, registrum, alteration of regestum, singular of late Latin regesta 'things recorded', from regerere 'enter, record'.)

Roll

an official list or register of names, a document, the total numbers on an official list of names, typically an official record, in scroll form (Middle English: from Old French rolle (noun), roller (verb), from Latin rotulus 'a roll', variant of rotula 'little wheel', diminutive of rota.)

Herald

an official messenger bringing news, a person or thing viewed as a sign that something is about to happen, be a sign that (something) is about to happen (Middle English: from Old French herault (noun), herauder (verb), of Germanic origin.)

Directive

an official or authoritative instruction, involving the management or guidance of operations (late Middle English (as an adjective): from medieval Latin directivus, from direct- 'guided, put straight', from the verb dirigere (see direct).)

Edict

an official order or proclamation issued by a person in authority (Middle English: from Latin edictum 'something proclaimed', neuter past participle of edicere, from e- (variant of ex-) 'out' + dicere 'say, tell'.)

Diplomat

an official representing a country abroad, a person who can deal with people in a sensitive and effective way (early 19th century: from French diplomate, back-formation from diplomatique 'diplomatic', from Latin diploma (see diploma).)

After deck

an open deck toward the stern of a ship

Glade

an open space in a forest (late Middle English: of unknown origin; perhaps related to glad1 or gleam, with reference to the comparative brightness of a clearing (obsolete senses of glade include 'a gleam of light' and 'a bright space between clouds').)

Aperture

an opening, hole, or gap, a space through which light passes in an optical or photographic instrument, especially the variable opening by which light enters a camera (late Middle English: from Latin apertura, from apert- 'opened', from aperire 'to open'.)

Conjecture

an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information, an unproven mathematical or scientific theorem, form an opinion or supposition about (something) on the basis of incomplete information (late Middle English (in the senses 'to divine' and 'divination'): from Old French, or from Latin conjectura, from conicere 'put together in thought', from con- 'together' + jacere 'throw'.)

Priest

an ordained minister of the Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican Church having the authority to perform certain rites and administer certain sacraments, a person who performs religious ceremonies and duties in a non-Christian religion (Old English prēost, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch priester, German Priester, based on ecclesiastical Latin presbyter 'elder' (see presbyter).)

Campaign

an organized course of action to achieve a goal, a set of organized actions that a political candidate undertakes in an attempt to win an election, a series of military operations intended to achieve a particular objective, confined to a particular area, or involving a specified type of fighting, work in an organized and active way toward a particular goal, typically a political or social one (early 17th century (denoting a tract of open country): from French campagne 'open country', via Italian from late Latin campania, from campus 'level ground' (see camp1). The change in sense to 'a series of military operations' arose from an army's practice of 'taking the field' (i.e. moving from a fortress or town to open country) at the onset of summer.)

Brooch

an ornament fastened to clothing with a hinged pin and catch (Middle English: variant of broach, a noun originally meaning 'skewer, bodkin', from Old French broche 'spit for roasting', based on Latin brocchus, broccus 'projecting'. Compare with broach1.)

Canopy

an ornamental cloth covering hung or held up over something, especially a throne or bed, the transparent plastic or glass cover of an aircraft's cockpit, the expanding, umbrella-like part of a parachute, made of silk or nylon, the uppermost trees or branches of the trees in a forest, forming a more or less continuous layer of foliage (late Middle English: from medieval Latin canopeum 'ceremonial canopy', alteration of Latin conopeum 'mosquito net over a bed', from Greek kōnōpeion 'couch with mosquito curtains', from kōnōps 'mosquito'.)

Headdress

an ornamental covering or band for the head, especially one worn on ceremonial occasions

Cornice

an ornamental molding around the wall of a room just below the ceiling, a horizontal molded projection crowning a building or structure, especially the uppermost member of the entablature of an order, surmounting the frieze, an overhanging mass of hardened snow at the edge of a mountain precipice (mid 16th century: from French corniche, from Italian cornice, perhaps from Latin cornix 'crow' (compare with corbel), but influenced by Greek korōnis 'coping stone'.)

Frontlet

an ornamental piece of cloth hanging over the upper part of an altar frontal (late 15th century (in frontlet (sense 2)): from Old French frontelet, diminutive of frontel (see frontal2).)

Molding

an ornamentally shaped outline as an architectural feature, especially in a cornice, material such as wood, plastic, or stone shaped for use as a decorative or architectural feature

Inundation

an overwhelming abundance of people or things, flooding

Hardline

an uncompromising adherence to a firm policy, (hard-line) uncompromising; strict

Substrate

an underlying substance or layer, the surface or material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment, the substance on which an enzyme acts, a material which provides the surface on which something is deposited or inscribed, for example the silicon wafer used to manufacture integrated circuits (mid 18th century: anglicized form of substratum.)

Spinster (dated or derogatory)

an unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage. (late Middle English (in the sense 'woman who spins'): from the verb spin + -ster; in early use the term was appended to names of women to denote their occupation. The current sense dates from the early 18th century.)

Effluvium

an unpleasant or harmful odor, secretion, or discharge (mid 17th century: from Latin, from effluere: 'flow out'.)

Courtyard

an unroofed area that is completely or mostly enclosed by the walls of a large building.

Haughty

arrogantly superior and disdainful (mid 16th century: extended form of obsolete haught, earlier haut, from Old French, from Latin altus 'high'.)

Column

an upright pillar, typically cylindrical and made of stone or concrete, supporting an entablature, arch, or other structure or standing alone as a monument, a vertical division of a page or text, one or more lines of people or vehicles moving in the same direction (late Middle English: partly from Old French columpne, reinforced by its source, Latin columna 'pillar'.)

Explicate

analyze and develop (an idea or principle) in detail, analyze (a literary work) in order to reveal its meaning (mid 16th century: from Latin explicat- 'unfolded', from the verb explicare, from ex- 'out' + plicare 'to fold'.)

Ire

anger (Middle English: via Old French from Latin ira.)

Salic

another term for Salian.

Evidentiary (mainly US law)

another term for evidential.

Repetitious

another term for repetitive

Asunder (archaic)

apart; divided, into pieces (Old English on sundran 'in or into a separate place'; compare with sunder.)

Patronizing

apparently kind or helpful but betraying a feeling of superiority; condescending

Crop up

appear, occur, or come to someone's notice unexpectedly

Designate

appoint (someone) to a specified position, officially assign a specified status or ascribe a specified name or quality to, signify; indicate, appointed to an office or position but not yet installed (late 16th century: from Latin designat- 'designated', from designare, based on signum 'a mark'.)

Apposite

apt in the circumstances or in relation to something (late 16th century: from Latin appositus, past participle of apponere 'apply', from ad- 'towards' + ponere 'put'.)

Belabor

argue or elaborate (a subject) in excessive detail, attack or assault (someone) physically or verbally (late Middle English: from be- + the verb labor.)

Intrigue

arouse the curiosity or interest of; fascinate, make secret plans to do something illicit or detrimental to someone, the secret planning of something illicit or detrimental, a secret love affair, a mysterious or fascinating quality (early 17th century (in the sense 'deceive, cheat'): from French intrigue 'plot', intriguer 'to tangle, to plot', via Italian from Latin intricare (see intricate). intrigue (sense 1 of the verb), which was influenced by a later French sense 'to puzzle, make curious', arose in the late 19th century.)

Typeset

arrange the type or process the data for (text that is to be printed)

Graduated

arranged in a series or according to a scale, (of an instrument or container) marked with units of measurement

Appraise

assess the value or quality of, (of an official or expert) set a price on; value (late Middle English (in the sense 'set a price on'): alteration of apprize, by association with praise. The current sense dates from the mid 19th century.)

Thereat (archaic or formal)

at that place, on account of or after that

Pretentious

attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed (mid 19th century: from French prétentieux, from prétention (see pretension1).)

Resplendent

attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous (late Middle English: from Latin resplendent- 'shining out', from the verb resplendere, from re- (expressing intensive force) + splendere 'to glitter'.)

Quaint

attractively unusual or old-fashioned (Middle English: from Old French cointe, from Latin cognitus 'ascertained', past participle of cognoscere. The original sense was 'wise, clever', also 'ingenious, cunningly devised', hence 'out of the ordinary' and the current sense (late 18th century).)

Ascribe

attribute something to (a cause), (usually be ascribed to) attribute (a text, quotation, or work of art) to a particular person or period, (usually be ascribed to) regard a quality as belonging to (Middle English: from Latin ascribere, from ad- 'to' + scribere 'write'.)

Shirk

avoid or neglect (a duty or responsibility), [no object, usually with negative] (shirk from) be unwilling to do (something difficult) (mid 17th century (in the sense 'practice fraud or trickery'): from obsolete shirk 'sponger', perhaps from German Schurke 'scoundrel'.)

Gaucherie

awkward, embarrassing, or unsophisticated ways (late 18th century: French, from gauche (see gauche).)

Bereave

be deprived of a loved one through a profound absence, especially due to the loved one's death: (as noun the bereaved) (Old English berēafian (see be-, reave). The original sense was 'deprive of' in general.)

Superintend

be responsible for the management or arrangement of (an activity or organization); oversee (early 17th century: from ecclesiastical Latin superintendere, translating Greek episkopein.)

Thrash

beat (a person or animal) repeatedly and violently with a stick or whip, hit (something) hard and repeatedly, move in a violent and convulsive way, (thrash around) struggle in a wild or desperate way to do something, defeat heavily in a contest or match, a violent or noisy movement, typically involving hitting something repeatedly (Old English, variant of thresh (an early sense). Current senses of the noun date from the mid 19th century.)

Flog

beat (someone) with a whip or stick as punishment or torture, (informal) promote or talk about (something) repetitively or at excessive length (late 17th century (originally slang): perhaps imitative, or from Latin flagellare 'to whip', from flagellum 'whip'.)

Flagging

becoming tired or less dynamic; declining in strength

Implore

beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something (early 16th century: from French implorer or Latin implorare 'invoke with tears'.)

Burgeon

begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish, a bud or young shoot (Middle English: from Old French bourgeonner 'put out buds', from borjon 'bud', based on late Latin burra 'wool'.)

Buffoonery

behavior that is ridiculous but amusing

Astern

behind or toward the rear of a ship or aircraft, (of a ship) backward; stern foremost (late Middle English: from a-2 (expressing position or direction) + stern2.)

Heresy

belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine, opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted (Middle English: from Old French heresie, based on Latin haeresis, from Greek hairesis 'choice' (in ecclesiastical Greek 'heretical sect'), from haireomai 'choose'.)

Heretical

believing in or practicing religious heresy, holding an opinion at odds with what is generally accepted

Congressional

belonging or relating to a national legislative body, especially that of the US, relating to a formal meeting or series of meetings between delegates

Authorial

belonging or relating to the writer of a book, article, or document

Supple

bending and moving easily and gracefully; flexible, not stiff or hard; easily manipulated, make more flexible (Middle English: from Old French souple, from Latin supplex, supplic- 'submissive', from sub- 'under' + placere 'propitiate'.)

Muddle

bring into a disordered or confusing state, confuse (a person or their thoughts), busy oneself in an aimless or ineffective way, an untidy and disorganized state or collection, a mistake arising from or resulting in confusion (late Middle English (in the sense 'wallow in mud'): perhaps from Middle Dutch moddelen, frequentative of modden 'dabble in mud'; compare with mud. The sense 'confuse' was initially associated with alcoholic drink (late 17th century), giving rise to 'busy oneself in a confused way' and 'jumble up' (mid 19th century).)

Hail

call out to (someone) to attract attention (Middle English: from the obsolete adjective hail 'healthy' (occurring in greetings and toasts, such as wæs hæil: see wassail), from Old Norse heill, related to hale1 and whole.)

Lull

calm or send to sleep, typically with soothing sounds or movements, cause (someone) to feel deceptively secure or confident, (of noise or a storm) abate or fall quiet, a temporary interval of quiet or lack of activity (Middle English: imitative of sounds used to quieten a child; compare with Latin lallare 'sing to sleep', Swedish lulla 'hum a lullaby', and Dutch lullen 'talk nonsense'. The noun (first recorded in the sense 'soothing drink') dates from the mid 17th century.)

Reprieve

cancel or postpone the punishment of (someone, especially someone condemned to death), abandon or postpone plans to close or put an end to (something), a cancellation or postponement of a punishment, a temporary escape from an undesirable fate or unpleasant situation (late 15th century (as the past participle repryed): from Anglo-Norman French repris, past participle of reprendre, from Latin re- 'back' + prehendere 'seize'. The insertion of -v- (16th century) remains unexplained. Sense development has undergone a reversal, from the early meaning 'send back to prison', via 'postpone a legal process', to the current sense 'rescue from impending punishment'.)

Spring

cause (a game bird) to rise from cover (Old English spring (noun), springan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German springen. Early use in the senses 'head of a well' and 'rush out in a stream' gave rise to the figurative use 'originate'.)

Train

cause (a plant) to grow in a particular direction or into a required shape (late Middle English: from Old French train (masculine), traine (feminine), from trahiner (verb), from Latin trahere 'pull, draw'. Early noun senses were 'trailing part of a robe' and 'retinue'; the latter gave rise to 'line of traveling people or vehicles', later 'a connected series of things'. The early verb sense 'cause a plant to grow in a desired shape' was the basis of the sense 'instruct'.)

Extenuate

cause (an offense) to seem less serious (late Middle English (in the sense 'make thin'): from Latin extenuat- 'made thin', from the verb extenuare (based on tenuis 'thin').)

Jog someone's memory

cause someone to remember something suddenly

Confound

cause surprise or confusion in (someone), especially by acting against their expectations, prove (a theory, expectation, or prediction) wrong, defeat (a plan, aim, or hope), (often be confounded with) mix up (something) with something else so that the individual elements become difficult to distinguish (Middle English: from Old French confondre, from Latin confundere 'pour together, mix up'. Compare with confuse.)

Contentious

causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial, involving heated argument, (of a person) given to arguing or provoking argument (late Middle English: from Old French contentieux, from Latin contentiosus, from content- 'striven', from the verb contendere.)

Vertiginous

causing vertigo, especially by being extremely high or steep, relating to or affected by vertigo (early 17th century: from Latin vertiginosus, from vertigo 'whirling about' (see vertigo).)

Capitulate

cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; surrender (mid 16th century (in the sense 'parley, draw up terms'): from French capituler, from medieval Latin capitulare 'draw up under headings', from Latin capitulum, diminutive of caput 'head'.)

Veer

change direction suddenly, suddenly change an opinion, subject, type of behavior, etc., (of the wind) change direction clockwise around the points of the compass, a sudden change of direction (late 16th century: from French virer, perhaps from an alteration of Latin gyrare (see gyrate).)

Decadent

characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline, luxuriously self-indulgent, a person who is luxuriously self-indulgent, (often Decadent) a member of a group of late-19th-century French and English poets associated with the Aesthetic Movement (mid 19th century: from French décadent, from medieval Latin decadentia (see decadence).)

Ostentatious

characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice

Jovial

cheerful and friendly (late 16th century: from French, from late Latin jovialis 'of Jupiter' (see Jove), with reference to the supposed influence of the planet Jupiter on those born under it.)

Clamber

climb, move, or get in or out of something in an awkward and laborious way, typically using both hands and feet, an awkward and laborious climb or movement (Middle English: probably from clamb, obsolete past tense of climb.)

Correspondence

close similarity, connection, or equivalence, communication by exchanging letters, emails, or other messages (late Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin correspondentia, from correspondent- 'corresponding' (see correspondent).)

Linen

cloth woven from flax, garments or other household articles such as sheets made, or originally made, of linen (Old English līnen (as an adjective in the sense 'made of flax'), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch linnen, German Leinen, also to obsolete line 'flax'.)

Garb

clothing or dress, especially of a distinctive or special kind, dress in distinctive clothes (late 16th century: via French from Italian garbo 'elegance', of Germanic origin; related to gear.)

Vesture (literary)

clothing; dress (Middle English: from Old French, based on Latin vestire 'clothe'.)

Conflate

combine (two or more texts, ideas, etc.) into one (late Middle English (in the sense 'fuse or melt down metal'): from Latin conflat- 'kindled, fused', from the verb conflare, from con- 'together' + flare 'to blow'.)

Coalesce

come together to form one mass or whole, combine (elements) in a mass or whole (mid 16th century: from Latin coalescere 'grow together', from co- (from cum 'with') + alescere 'grow up' (from alere 'nourish').)

Make amends

compensate or make up for a wrongdoing (Middle English: from Old French amendes 'penalties, fine', plural of amende 'reparation', from amender (see amend).)

Encyclopedic

comprehensive in terms of information, relating to or containing names of famous people and places and information about words that is not simply linguistic

Hermeneutic

concerning interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts, a method or theory of interpretation (late 17th century: from Greek hermēneutikos, from hermēneuein 'interpret'.)

Chthonic

concerning, belonging to, or inhabiting the underworld (late 19th century: from Greek khthōn 'earth'+ -ic.)

Auspicious

conducive to success; favorable, giving or being a sign of future success (late 16th century: from auspice + -ous.)

Maritime

connected with the sea, especially in relation to seafaring commercial or military activity, living or found in or near the sea, bordering on the sea, denoting a climate that is moist and temperate owing to the influence of the sea (mid 16th century: from Latin maritimus, from mare 'sea'.)

Emblazon

conspicuously inscribe or display a design on, depict (a heraldic device) on something

Derision

contemptuous ridicule or mockery (late Middle English: via Old French from late Latin derisio(n-), from deridere 'scoff at'.)

Vitrify

convert (something) into glass or a glasslike substance, typically by exposure to heat (late Middle English: from French vitrifier or based on Latin vitrum 'glass'.)

Proselytize

convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another, advocate or promote (a belief or course of action)

Promissory (mainrly Law)

conveying or implying a promise (late Middle English: from medieval Latin promissorius, from promiss- 'promised', from the verb promittere (see promise).)

Gild

cover thinly with gold, give a specious or false brilliance to (Old English gyldan, of Germanic origin; related to gold.)

Gilded

covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint, wealthy and privileged

Downy

covered with fine soft hair or feathers, filled with soft feathers, soft and fluffy

Fictive

creating or created by imagination (early 17th century (but rare before the 19th century): from French fictif, -ive or medieval Latin fictivus, from Latin fingere 'contrive, form'.)

Wonky

crooked; off-center; askew, (of a thing) unsteady; shaky, not functioning correctly; faulty (early 20th century: fanciful formation.), (North American informal) having or characterized by an enthusiastic or excessive interest in the specialized details of a particular subject or field, especially political policy, (derogatory) studious or hard-working (1970s: from wonk + -y1.)

Vitriol

cruel and bitter criticism (late Middle English (denoting the sulfate of various metals): from Old French, or from medieval Latin vitriolum, from Latin vitrum 'glass'.)

Precipitous

dangerously high or steep, (of a change to a worse situation or condition) sudden and dramatic, (of an action) done suddenly and without careful consideration (mid 17th century: from obsolete French précipiteux, from Latin praeceps, praecip(it)- 'steep, headlong' (see precipitate).)

Somber

dark or dull in color or tone; gloomy, oppressively solemn or sober in mood; grave (mid 18th century: from French, based on Latin sub 'under' + umbra 'shade'.)

Annul

declare invalid (an official agreement, decision, or result), declare (a marriage) to have had no legal existence (late Middle English: from Old French anuller, from late Latin annullare, from ad- 'to' + nullum 'nothing'.)

Embroider

decorate (cloth) by sewing patterns on it with thread, produce (a design) on cloth with thread, add fictitious or exaggerated details to (an account) to make it more interesting (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French enbrouder, from en- 'in, on' + Old French brouder, broisder 'decorate with embroidery', of Germanic origin.)

Studded

decorated or augmented with studs

Trounce

defeat heavily in a contest, rebuke or punish severely (mid 16th century (also in the sense 'afflict'): of unknown origin.)

Tardy

delaying or delayed beyond the right or expected time; late, slow in action or response; sluggish (mid 16th century: from French tardif, -ive, from Latin tardus 'slow'.)

Consign

deliver (something) to a person's custody, typically in order for it to be sold, send (goods) by a public carrier, consign someone/something to) assign; commit decisively or permanently (late Middle English (in the sense 'mark with the sign of the cross', especially at baptism or confirmation, as a sign of dedication to God): from French consigner or Latin consignare 'mark with a seal'.)

Stipulate

demand or specify (a requirement), typically as part of a bargain or agreement (early 17th century: from Latin stipulat- 'demanded as a formal promise', from the verb stipulari.)

Throwaway

denoting or relating to products that are intended to be discarded after being used once or a few times, (of a remark) expressed in a casual or understated way, a thing intended or destined to be discarded after brief use or appeal

Cuneiform

denoting or relating to the wedge-shaped characters used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia, Persia, and Ugarit, surviving mainly impressed on clay tablets, cuneiform writing (late 17th century: from French cunéiforme or modern Latin cuneiformis, from Latin cuneus 'wedge'.)

Gainsay (formal)

deny or contradict (a fact or statement), speak against or oppose (someone) (Middle English: from obsolete gain- 'against'+ say.)

Dismal

depressing; dreary, (of a person or a mood) gloomy, (informal) pitifully or disgracefully bad (late Middle English: from earlier dismal (noun), denoting the two days in each month which in medieval times were believed to be unlucky, from Anglo-Norman French dis mal, from medieval Latin dies mali 'evil days'.)

Eclectic

deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources, a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources (late 17th century (as a term in philosophy): from Greek eklektikos, from eklegein 'pick out', from ek 'out' + legein 'choose'.)

Alight

descend from a train, bus, or other form of transport, (of a bird) descend from the air and settle (Old English ālīhtan, from ā- (as an intensifier) + līhtan 'descend' (see light3).), on fire; burning, shining brightly (late Middle English: probably from the phrase on a light (= lighted) fire.)

Anomalous

deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected (mid 17th century: via late Latin from Greek anōmalos (from an- 'not' + homalos 'even') + -ous.)

Wiles

devious or cunning stratagems employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants, (wile something away) another way of saying while something away (see while) (Middle English: perhaps from an Old Norse word related to vél 'craft'.)

Unwieldy

difficult to carry or move because of its size, shape, or weight, (of a system or bureaucracy) too big or badly organized to function efficiently (late Middle English (in the sense 'lacking strength, infirm'): from un-1 'not' + wieldy (in the obsolete sense 'active').)

Elusive

difficult to find, catch, or achieve, difficult to remember or recall (early 18th century: from Latin elus- 'eluded' (from the verb eludere) + -ive.)

Abstruse

difficult to understand; obscure (late 16th century: from Latin abstrusus 'put away, hidden', from abstrudere 'conceal', from ab- 'from' + trudere 'to push'.)

Allay

diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry), relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger) (Old English ālecgan 'lay down or aside'.)

Divine

discover (something) by guesswork or intuition, have supernatural or magical insight into (future events), discover (water) by dowsing (late Middle English: from Old French deviner 'predict', from Latin divinare, from divinus (see divine1).)

Haggle

dispute or bargain persistently, especially over the cost of something, a period of persistent bargaining (late 16th century (in the sense 'hack, mangle'): from Old Norse hǫggva 'hew'.)

Upstage

divert attention from (someone) towards oneself, (of an actor) move towards the back of a stage to make (another actor) face away from the audience, at or towards the back of a stage, situated or occurring at the back of a stage

Bifurcate

divide into two branches or forks, forked; branched (early 17th century: from medieval Latin bifurcat- 'divided into two forks', from the verb bifurcare, from Latin bifurcus 'two-forked', from bi- 'having two' + furca 'a fork'.)

Deign

do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity (Middle English: from Old French degnier, from Latin dignare, dignari 'deem worthy', from dignus 'worthy'.)

Primordial

existing at or from the beginning of time; primeval, (especially of a state or quality) basic and fundamental (late Middle English: from late Latin primordialis 'first of all', from primordius 'original' (see primordium).)

Air

express (an opinion or grievance) publicly, broadcast (a program) on radio or television (Middle English (in air (sense 1 of the noun)): from Old French air, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr, denoting the gas. air (sense 2 of the noun) is from French air, probably from Old French aire 'site, disposition', from Latin ager, agr- 'field' (influenced by sense 1). air (sense 3 of the noun) comes from Italian aria (see aria).)

Rebuke

express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions, an expression of sharp disapproval or criticism (Middle English (originally in the sense 'force back, repress'): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French rebuker, from re- 'back, down' + bukier 'to beat' (originally 'cut down wood', from Old French busche 'log').)

Snuff

extinguish (a candle), trim the charred wick from (a candle), (informal) kill or put an end to in an abrupt or sudden manner, the charred part of a candle wick (late Middle English: of unknown origin.), powdered tobacco that is sniffed up the nostril rather than smoked, inhale or sniff at (something) (late Middle English (as a verb): from Middle Dutch snuffen 'to snuffle'. The noun dates from the late 17th century and is probably an abbreviation of Dutch snuftabak.)

Smelt

extract (metal) from its ore by a process involving heating and melting, extract a metal from (ore) by smelting (mid 16th century: from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German smelten; related to the verb melt.)

Intrepid

fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect) (late 17th century: from French intrépide or Latin intrepidus, from in- 'not' + trepidus 'alarmed'.)

Exuberant

filled with or characterized by a lively energy and excitement (late Middle English (in the sense 'overflowing, abounding'): from French exubérant, from Latin exuberant- 'being abundantly fruitful', from the verb exuberare (based on uber 'fertile').)

Ascertain

find (something) out for certain; make sure of (late Middle English (in the sense 'assure, convince'): from Old French acertener, based on Latin certus 'settled, sure'.)

Vellum

fine parchment made originally from the skin of a calf, smooth writing paper imitating vellum (late Middle English: from Old French velin, from veel (see veal).)

Silt

fine sand, clay, or other material carried by running water and deposited as a sediment, especially in a channel or harbor, a bed or layer of silt, become filled or blocked with silt, fill or block with silt (late Middle English: probably originally denoting a salty deposit and of Scandinavian origin, related to Danish and Norwegian sylt 'salt marsh', also to salt.)

Angle

fish with rod and line (Old English angul (noun); the verb dates from late Middle English.)

Fit

fix or put (something) into place, (often be fitted with) provide (something) with a particular component or article (late Middle English: of unknown origin.)

Postpartum (Medicine & Veterinary Medicine)

following childbirth or the birth of young (mid 19th century: from Latin post partum 'after childbirth'.)

Mendicant

given to begging, of or denoting one of the religious orders that originally relied solely on alms, a beggar, a member of a mendicant order (late Middle English: from Latin mendicant- 'begging', from the verb mendicare, from mendicus 'beggar', from mendum 'fault'.)

Propitious

giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable (late Middle English: from Old French propicieus or Latin propitius 'favorable, gracious'.)

Contraband

goods that have been imported or exported illegally, trade in smuggled goods, (also contraband of war) goods forbidden to be supplied by neutrals to those engaged in war, (during the US Civil War) a black slave who escaped or was transported across Union lines, imported or exported illegally, either in defiance of a total ban or without payment of duty, relating to traffic in illegal goods (late 16th century: from Spanish contrabanda, from Italian contrabando, from contra- 'against' + bando 'proclamation, ban'.)

Freight

goods transported in bulk by truck, train, ship, or aircraft, (US) a freight train, a load or burden, transport (goods) in bulk by truck, train, ship, or aircraft (late Middle English (in the sense 'hire of a ship for transporting goods'): from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German vrecht, variant of vracht 'ship's cargo'. Compare with fraught.)

Poise

graceful and elegant bearing in a person, composure and dignity of manner, be or cause to be balanced or suspended, (be poised) (of a person or organization) be ready to do something (late Middle English (in the sense 'weight'): from Old French pois, peis (noun), peser (verb), from an alteration of Latin pensum 'weight', from the verb pendere 'weigh'. From the early senses of 'weight' and 'measure of weight' arose the notion of 'equal weight, balance', leading to the extended senses 'composure' and 'elegant bearing'.)

Intill

gradually but firmly establish (an idea or attitude, especially a desirable one) in a person's mind, put (a substance) into something in the form of liquid drops (late Middle English (in instill (sense 2)): from Latin instillare, from in- 'into' + stillare 'to drop' (from stilla 'a drop').)

Suffuse

gradually spread through or over (late 16th century: from Latin suffus- 'poured into', from sub- 'below, from below' + fundere 'pour'.)

Veneration

great respect; reverence

Sardonic

grimly mocking or cynical (mid 17th century: from French sardonique, earlier sardonien, via Latin from Greek sardonios 'of Sardinia', alteration of sardanios, used by Homer to describe bitter or scornful laughter.)

Treacherous

guilty of or involving betrayal or deception, (of ground, water, conditions, etc.) hazardous because of presenting hidden or unpredictable dangers (Middle English (in treacherous (sense 1 of the adjective)): from Old French trecherous, from trecheor 'a cheat', from trechier 'to cheat'.)

Spurt

gush out in a sudden and forceful stream, cause to gush out suddenly, move with a sudden burst of speed, a sudden gushing stream, a sudden marked burst or increase of activity or speed (mid 16th century: of unknown origin.)

Equinoctial

happening at or near the time of an equinox, relating to equal day and night, at or near the equator (late Middle English (in the sense 'relating to equal periods of day and night'): via Old French from Latin aequinoctialis, from aequinoctium (see equinox).)

Sub rosa (formal)

happening or done in secret, in secret (Latin, literally 'under the rose', as an emblem of secrecy.)

Intractable

hard to control or deal with, (of a person) difficult or stubborn (late 15th century: from Latin intractabilis, from in- 'not' + tractabilis (see tractable).)

Scathe (archaic)

harm; injure (Middle English: from Old Norse skathi (noun), skatha (verb); related to Dutch and German schaden (verb).)

Hoity-toity

haughty or snobbish (mid 17th century (as noun in the sense 'boisterous or silly behavior', then as adjective meaning 'lively and playful'): from obsolete hoit 'indulge in riotous mirth', of unknown origin.)

Impinge

have an effect or impact, especially a negative one, advance over an area belonging to someone or something else; encroach (mid 16th century: from Latin impingere 'drive something in or at', from in- 'into' + pangere 'fix, drive'. The word originally meant 'thrust at forcibly', then 'come into forcible contact'; hence 'encroach' (mid 18th century).)

Copulate

have sexual intercourse (late Middle English (in the sense 'join'): from Latin copulat- 'fastened together', from the verb copulare, from copula (see copula).)

Theocentric

having God as a central focus

Photosensitive

having a chemical, electrical, or other response to light

Poised

having a composed and self-assured manner, having a graceful and elegant bearing

Stately

having a dignified, unhurried, and grand manner; majestic in manner and appearance

Pernicious

having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way (late Middle English: from Latin perniciosus 'destructive', from pernicies 'ruin', based on nex, nec- 'death'.)

Cryptic

having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure, (of a crossword) having difficult clues which indicate the solutions indirectly (early 17th century: from late Latin crypticus, from Greek kruptikos, from kruptos 'hidden'. cryptic (sense 2) dates from the late 19th century.)

Aromatic

having a pleasant and distinctive smell, a substance or plant emitting a pleasant and distinctive smell (late Middle English: via Old French from late Latin aromaticus, from Greek arōmatikos, from arōma (see aroma).)

Perspicacious

having a ready insight into and understanding of things (early 17th century: from Latin perspicax, perspicac- 'seeing clearly'+ -acious.)

Pungent

having a sharply strong taste or smell, (of comment, criticism, or humor) having a sharp and caustic quality (late 16th century (in the sense 'very painful or distressing'): from Latin pungent- 'pricking', from the verb pungere.)

Numinous

having a strong religious or spiritual quality; indicating or suggesting the presence of a divinity (mid 17th century: from Latin numen, numin- 'divine will'+ -ous.)

Viscous

having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid; having a high viscosity (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French viscous or late Latin viscosus, from Latin viscum 'birdlime'.)

Sinuous

having many curves and turns, lithe and supple (late 16th century: from French sinueux or Latin sinuosus, from sinus 'a bend'.)

Composed

having one's feelings and expression under control; calm

Promiscuous

having or characterized by many transient sexual relationships demonstrating or implying an undiscriminating or unselective approach; indiscriminate or casual, consisting of a wide range of different things (early 17th century: from Latin promiscuus 'indiscriminate', (based on miscere 'to mix') + -ous. The early sense was 'consisting of elements mixed together', giving rise to 'indiscriminate' and 'undiscriminating', whence the notion of 'casual'.)

Parti-colored

having or consisting of two or more different colors (early 16th century: from the adjective party2 + colored.)

Salacious

having or conveying undue or inappropriate interest in sexual matters (mid 17th century: from Latin salax, salac- (from salire 'to leap') + -ious.)

Irascible

having or showing a tendency to be easily angered (late Middle English: via French from late Latin irascibilis, from Latin irasci 'grow angry', from ira 'anger'.)

Erudite

having or showing great knowledge or learning (late Middle English: from Latin eruditus, past participle of erudire 'instruct, train' (based on rudis 'rude, untrained').)

Shrewd

having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute (Middle English (in the sense 'evil in nature or character'): from shrew in the sense 'evil person or thing', or as the past participle of obsolete shrew 'to curse'. The word developed the sense 'cunning', and gradually gained a favorable connotation during the 17th century.)

Resourceful

having the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties

Coterminous

having the same boundaries or extent in space, time, or meaning (late 18th century: alteration of conterminous.)

Helical

having the shape or form of a helix; spiral

Prosaic

having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty, commonplace; unromantic (late 16th century (as a noun denoting a prose writer): from late Latin prosaicus, from Latin prosa 'straightforward (discourse)' (see prose). Current senses of the adjective date from the mid 18th century.)

Judicious

having, showing, or done with good judgment or sense (late 16th century: from French judicieux, from Latin judicium 'judgement' (see judicial).)

Titular

holding or constituting a purely formal position or title without any real authority, denoting a person or thing from whom or which the name of an artistic work or similar is taken, denoting any of the parish churches in Rome to which cardinals are formally appointed (late 16th century (in the sense 'existing only in name'): from French titulaire or modern Latin titularis, from titulus (see title).)

Deference

humble submission and respect (mid 17th century: from French déférence, from déférer 'refer' (see defer2)

Incarcerate

imprison or confine (mid 16th century (earlier (late Middle English) as incarceration): from medieval Latin incarcerat- 'imprisoned', from the verb incarcerare, from in- 'into' + Latin carcer 'prison'.)

Astir

in a state of excited movement, awake and out of bed (late 18th century: from a-2 'on' + the noun stir1.)

Delirious

in an acutely disturbed state of mind resulting from illness or intoxication and characterized by restlessness, illusions, and incoherence of thought and speech, in a state of wild excitement or ecstasy

Pristine

in its original condition; unspoiled, clean and fresh as if new; spotless (mid 16th century (in the sense 'original, former, primitive and undeveloped'): from Latin pristinus 'former'. The senses 'unspoilt' and 'spotless' date from the 1920s.)

Subsume

include or absorb (something) in something else (mid 16th century (in the sense 'subjoin, add'): from medieval Latin subsumere, from sub- 'from below' + sumere 'take'. The current sense dates from the early 19th century.)

Motley

incongruously varied in appearance or character; disparate, an incongruous mixture, the particolored costume of a jester (late Middle English: of unknown origin; perhaps ultimately related to mote.)

Debauched

indulging in or characterized by sensual pleasures to a degree perceived to be morally harmful; dissolute

Affected

influenced or touched by an external factor, artificial, pretentious, and designed to impress

Interpolate

insert (something of a different nature) into something else (early 17th century: from Latin interpolat- 'refurbished, altered', from the verb interpolare, from inter- 'between' + -polare (related to polire 'to polish').)

Inculcate

instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction, teach (someone) an attitude, idea, or habit by persistent instruction (mid 16th century: from Latin inculcat- 'pressed in', from the verb inculcare, from in- 'into' + calcare 'to tread' (from calx, calc- 'heel').)

Conciliatory

intended or likely to placate or pacify

Fervor

intense and passionate feeling (Middle English: via Old French from Latin fervor, from fervere 'to boil'. Compare with fervent and fervid.)

Meddle

interfere in or busy oneself unduly with something that is not one's concern, (meddle with) touch or handle (something) without permission (Middle English (in the sense 'mingle, mix'): from Old French medler, variant of mesler, based on Latin miscere 'to mix'.)

Intercalate

interpolate (an intercalary period) in a calendar, insert (something) between layers in a crystal lattice, geological formation, or other structure: (as adjective intercalated) (early 17th century: from Latin intercalat- 'proclaimed as inserted in the calendar', from the verb intercalare, from inter- 'between' + calare 'proclaim solemnly'.)

Encroach

intrude on (a person's territory or a thing considered to be a right), advance gradually beyond usual or acceptable limits (late Middle English (in the sense 'obtain unlawfully, seize'; formerly also as incroach): from Old French encrochier 'seize, fasten upon', from en- 'in, on' + crochier (from croc 'hook', from Old Norse krókr).)

Embroil

involve (someone) deeply in an argument, conflict, or difficult situation (early 17th century: from French embrouiller 'to muddle'.)

Calamitous

involving calamity; catastrophic or disastrous

Sordid

involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt, dirty or squalid (late Middle English (as a medical term in the sense 'purulent'): from French sordide or Latin sordidus, from sordere 'be dirty'. The current senses date from the early 17th century.)

Arduous

involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring (mid 16th century: from Latin arduus 'steep, difficult'+ -ous.)

Tongue-in-cheek

ironic, flippant, or insincere, in an ironic, flippant, or insincere way

Sequester

isolate or hide away, take legal possession of (assets) until a debt has been paid or other claims have been met, (US) a general cut in government spending (late Middle English: from Old French sequestrer or late Latin sequestrare 'commit for safekeeping', from Latin sequester 'trustee'.)

Swill

kitchen refuse and scraps of waste food mixed with water for feeding to pigs (Old English swillan, swilian (verb), of unknown origin. The noun dates from the mid 16th century.)

Cutlery

knives, forks, and spoons used for eating or serving food, (North American) cutting utensils, especially knives for cutting food (Middle English: from Old French coutellerie, from coutelier (see cutler).)

Incontinence

lack of voluntary control over urination or defecation, lack of self-restraint

Desultorily

lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm, (of conversation or speech) going constantly from one subject to another in a halfhearted way; unfocused, occurring randomly or occasionally (late 16th century (also in the literal sense 'skipping about'): from Latin desultorius 'superficial' (literally 'relating to a vaulter'), from desultor 'vaulter', from the verb desilire.)

Nondescript

lacking distinctive or interesting features or characteristics, a nondescript person or thing (late 17th century (in the sense 'not previously described or identified scientifically'): from non- + obsolete descript 'described, engraved' (from Latin descriptus).)

Ephemeral

lasting for a very short time, (chiefly of plants) having a very short life cycle (late 16th century: from Greek ephēmeros (see ephemera) + -al.)

Transient

lasting only for a short time; impermanent, staying or working in a place for only a short time, a person who is staying or working in a place for only a short time, a momentary variation in current, voltage, or frequency (late 16th century: from Latin transient- 'going across', from the verb transire, from trans- 'across' + ire 'go'.)

Dissolute

lax in morals; licentious (late Middle English: from Latin dissolutus 'disconnected, loose', from the verb dissolvere (see dissolve).)

Laity

lay people, as distinct from the clergy, ordinary people, as distinct from professionals or experts (late Middle English: from lay2 + -ity.)

Suede

leather with the flesh side rubbed to make a velvety nap (mid 17th century: from French (gants de) Suède '(gloves of) Sweden'.)

Subsidiary

less important than but related or supplementary to something, (of a company) controlled by a holding or parent company, a company controlled by a holding company (mid 16th century (in the sense 'serving to help or supplement'): from Latin subsidiarius, from subsidium 'support, assistance' (see subsidy).)

Stalwart

loyal, reliable, and hardworking, a loyal, reliable, and hardworking supporter or participant in an organization or team (late Middle English: Scots variant of obsolete stalworth, from Old English stǣl 'place' + weorth 'worth'.)

Prostrate

lying stretched out on the ground with one's face downward, completely overcome or helpless, especially with illness, distress, or exhaustion, (prostrate oneself) lay oneself flat on the ground face downward, especially in reverence or submission, (of distress, exhaustion, or illness) reduce (someone) to extreme physical weakness (Middle English: from Latin prostratus 'thrown down', past participle of prosternere, from pro- 'before' + sternere 'lay flat'.)

Diamantine

made from or reminiscent of diamonds (mid 16th century (in the sense 'hard as diamond'): from French diamantin, from diamant 'diamond'.)

Ceramic

made of clay and hardened by heat, relating to the manufacture of ceramic articles, (ceramics) pots and other articles made from clay hardened by heat, (ceramic) the material from which ceramic articles are made (early 19th century: from Greek keramikos, from keramos 'pottery'.)

Henchman

mainly derogatory a faithful follower or political supporter, especially one prepared to engage in crime or dishonest practices by way of service, historical a squire or page of honor to a person of rank (Middle English, from Old English hengest 'male horse'+ man, the original sense being probably 'groom'. In the mid 19th century the sense 'principal attendant of a Highland chief' was popularized by Sir Walter Scott, whence the current (originally US) usage.)

Dispell

make (a doubt, feeling, or belief) disappear (late Middle English: from Latin dispellere, from dis- 'apart' + pellere 'to drive'.)

Impart

make (information) known; communicate, bestow (a quality) (late Middle English (in the sense 'give a share of'): from Old French impartir, from Latin impartire, from in- 'in' + pars, part- 'part'.)

Ordain

make (someone) a priest or minister; confer holy orders on, order or decree (something) officially, (especially of God or fate) prescribe; determine (something) (Middle English (also in the sense 'put in order'): from Anglo-Norman French ordeiner, from Latin ordinare, from ordo, ordin- (see order).)

Fluster

make (someone) agitated or confused (early 17th century (in the sense 'make slightly drunk'): perhaps of Scandinavian origin and related to Icelandic flaustra 'hurry, bustle'.)

Vex

make (someone) feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters (late Middle English: from Old French vexer, from Latin vexare 'shake, disturb'.)

Placate

make (someone) less angry or hostile (late 17th century: from Latin placat- 'appeased', from the verb placare.)

Stifle

make (someone) unable to breathe properly; suffocate, restrain (a reaction) or stop oneself acting on (an emotion), prevent or constrain (an activity or idea) (late Middle English: perhaps from a frequentative of Old French estouffer 'smother, stifle'.)

Consolidate

make (something) physically stronger or more solid, reinforce or strengthen (one's position or power), combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent whole (early 16th century (in the sense 'combine into a whole'): from Latin consolidare, from con- 'together' + solidare 'make firm' (from solidus 'solid').)

Remonstrate

make a forcefully reproachful protest (late 16th century (in the sense 'make plain'): from medieval Latin remonstrat- 'demonstrated', from the verb remonstrare, from re- (expressing intensive force) + monstrare 'to show'.)

Adjudicate

make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter, act as a judge in a competition, pronounce or declare judicially (mid 17th century: from Latin adjudicat- 'awarded judicially', from the verb adjudicare (see adjudge). The noun adjudication dates from the late 16th century.)

Beckon

make a gesture with the hand, arm, or head to encourage someone to come nearer or follow, attract the attention of or summon someone by making a gesture with the hand, arm, or head, seem to be appealing or inviting (Old English bīecnan, bēcnan, of West Germanic origin; related to beacon.)

Image

make a representation of the external form of, make a visual representation of (something) by scanning it with a detector or electromagnetic beam, form a mental picture or idea of (Middle English: from Old French, from Latin imago; related to imitate.)

Recompense

make amends to (someone) for loss or harm suffered; compensate, pay or reward (someone) for effort or work, make amends to or reward someone for (loss, harm, or effort), compensation or reward given for loss or harm suffered or effort made (late Middle English: from Old French, from the verb recompenser 'do a favor to requite a loss', from late Latin recompensare, from Latin re- 'again' (also expressing intensive force) + compensare 'weigh one thing against another'.)

Exploit

make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource), use (a situation or person) in an unfair or selfish way, benefit unfairly from the work of (someone), typically by overworking or underpaying them, a bold or daring feat (Middle English: from Old French esploit (noun), based on Latin explicare 'unfold' (see explicate). The early notion of 'success, progress' gave rise to the sense 'attempt to capture', 'military expedition', hence the current sense of the noun. Verb senses (mid 19th century) are from modern French exploiter.)

Treble

make or become three times as large or numerous (late Middle English: from treble1, because it was the highest part in a three-part contrapuntal composition.)

Consecrate

make or declare (something, typically a church) sacred; dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose, (in Christian belief) make (bread or wine) into the body or blood of Christ (late Middle English: from Latin consecrat- 'dedicated, devoted as sacred', from the verb consecrare, from con- (expressing intensive force) + sacrare 'dedicate', from sacer 'sacred'.)

Retch

make the sound and movement of vomiting, vomit, a movement or sound of vomiting (mid 16th century: variant of dialect reach, from a Germanic base meaning 'spittle'.)

Clamorous

making a loud and confused noise, expressing or characterized by vehement protests or demands

Malignant

malevolent, (of a disease) very virulent or infectious, (of a tumor) tending to invade normal tissue or to recur after removal; cancerous. Contrasted with benign (mid 16th century (also in the sense 'likely to rebel against God or authority'): from late Latin malignant- 'contriving maliciously', from the verb malignare. The term was used in its early sense to describe Royalist sympathizers during the English Civil War.)

Spotty

marked with spots, (North American) of uneven quality; patchy

Sediment

matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; dregs, settle as sediment, deposit (something) as a sediment (mid 16th century: from French sédiment or Latin sedimentum 'settling', from sedere 'sit'.)

Guild

mid 16th century (in the sense 'withdrawal, departure'): from Latin recessus, from recedere 'go back' (see recede). The verb dates from the early 19th century, an association of people for mutual aid or the pursuit of a common goal, (Ecology) a group of species that have similar requirements and play a similar role within a community (late Old English: probably from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch gilde, of Germanic origin; related to yield.)

Striptease

mid 17th century: from French, from Italian burlesco, from burla 'mockery', of unknown origin.

Reconnaissance

military observation of a region to locate an enemy or ascertain strategic features, preliminary surveying or research (late 18th century: from French, from reconnaître 'recognize' (see reconnoiter).)

Middling

moderate or average in size, amount, or rank, neither very good nor very bad (late Middle English (originally Scots): probably from mid- + the adverbial suffix -ling.)

Paramount

more important than anything else; supreme, having supreme power (mid 16th century (in the sense 'highest in jurisdiction' in the phrases lord paramount and paramount chief): from Anglo-Norman French paramont, from Old French par 'by' + amont 'above'.)

Straggle

move along slowly, typically in a small irregular group, so as to remain some distance behind the person or people in front, grow, spread, or be laid out in an irregular, untidy way, an untidy or irregularly arranged mass or group (late Middle English: perhaps from dialect strake 'go'.)

Undulate

move or go with a smooth up-and-down motion, have a smoothly rising and falling form or outline, (Botany & Zoology) (especially of a leaf) having a wavy surface or edge (mid 17th century: from late Latin undulatus, from Latin unda 'a wave'.)

Camaraderie

mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together (mid 19th century: from French, from camarade 'comrade'.)

Myopic

nearsighted, lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight

Oblique

neither parallel nor at a right angle to a specified or implied line; slanting, not explicit or direct in addressing a point, not explicit or done in a direct way (late Middle English: from Latin obliquus.)

Intestate

not having made a will before one dies, relating to a person who dies without having made a will, a person who has died without having made a will (late Middle English: from Latin intestatus, from in- 'not' + testatus 'testified, witness' (see testate).late Middle English: from Latin intestatus, from in- 'not' + testatus 'testified, witness' (see testate).)

Undiscriminating

not having or showing good judgment or taste.

Ignoble

not honorable in character or purpose, of humble origin or social status (late Middle English (in ignoble (sense 2)): from French, or from Latin ignobilis, from in- 'not' + gnobilis, older form of nobilis 'noble'.)

Incongruous

not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something (early 17th century: from Latin incongruus (from in- 'not' + congruus 'agreeing, suitable', from the verb congruere) + -ous.)

Lay

not ordained into or belonging to the clergy, not having professional qualifications or expert knowledge, especially in law or medicine (Middle English: from Old French lai, via late Latin from Greek laïkos, from laos 'people'. Compare with laic.)

Abstemious

not self-indulgent, especially when eating and drinking (early 17th century: from Latin abstemius, (from ab- 'from' + a word related to temetum 'alcoholic drink') + -ous.)

Flippant

not showing a serious or respectful attitude (early 17th century: from flip1 + -ant, perhaps on the pattern of heraldic terms such as couchant and rampant. Early senses included 'nimble' and 'talkative', hence 'playful', giving rise to the current use 'lacking seriousness'.)

Lax

not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful, (of the limbs or muscles) relaxed, (of the bowels) loose (late Middle English (in the sense 'loose', said of the bowels): from Latin laxus.)

Unrelenting

not yielding in strength, severity, or determination, (of a person or their behavior) not giving way to kindness or compassion

Mediate

ntervene between people in a dispute in order to bring about an agreement or reconciliation, intervene in (a dispute) to bring about an agreement, bring about (an agreement or solution) by intervening in a dispute, connected indirectly through another person or thing; involving an intermediate agency (late Middle English (as an adjective in the sense 'interposed'): from late Latin mediatus 'placed in the middle', past participle of the verb mediare, from Latin medius 'middle'.)

Obsequious

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree (late 15th century (not depreciatory in sense in early use): from Latin obsequiosus, from obsequium 'compliancy', from obsequi 'follow, comply with'.)

Memorabilia

objects kept or collected because of their historical interest, especially those associated with memorable people or events (late 18th century: from Latin, neuter plural of memorabilis 'memorable'.)

Adulation

obsequious flattery; excessive admiration or praise (late Middle English: from Latin adulatio(n)-, from adulari 'fawn on'.)

Finagle

obtain (something) by devious or dishonest means, act in a devious or dishonest manner (1920s (originally US): from dialect fainaigue 'cheat'; perhaps from Old French fornier 'deny'.)

Providential

occurring at a favorable time; opportune, involving divine foresight or intervention (mid 17th century: from providence, on the pattern of evidential.)

Isochronous

occurring at the same time, occupying equal time (early 18th century (in the sense 'equal in duration or in frequency'): from modern Latin isochronus (from Greek isokhronos, from isos 'equal' + khronos 'time') + -ous.)

Serendipitous

occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way

Spasmodic

occurring or done in brief, irregular bursts, caused by, subject to, or in the nature of a spasm or spasms (late 17th century: from modern Latin spasmodicus, from Greek spasmōdēs, from spasma (see spasm).)

Dominical

of Sunday as the Lord's day, of Jesus Christ as the lord (Middle English: from late Latin dominicalis, from Latin dominicus, from dominus 'lord, master'.)

Episcopal

of a bishop or bishops, (of a Church) governed by or having bishops (late Middle English: from French épiscopal or ecclesiastical Latin episcopalis, from episcopus 'bishop', from Greek episkopos 'overseer' (see bishop).)

Tawny

of an orange-brown or yellowish-brown color, an orange-brown or yellowish-brown color (Middle English: from Old French tane, from tan 'tanbark'; related to tan1.)

Provincial

of or concerning a province of a country or empire, of or concerning the regions outside the capital city of a country, especially when regarded as unsophisticated or narrow-minded, an inhabitant of a province of a country or empire, an inhabitant of the regions outside the capital city of a country, especially when regarded as unsophisticated or narrow-minded, (Christian Church) the head or chief of a province or of a religious order in a province (late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin provincialis 'belonging to a province' (see province).)

Concentric

of or denoting circles, arcs, or other shapes which share the same center, the larger often completely surrounding the smaller (late Middle English: from Old French concentrique or medieval Latin concentricus, from con- 'together' + centrum 'center'.)

Diurnal

of or during the day, daily; of each day (late Middle English (as a term in astronomy): from late Latin diurnalis, from Latin diurnus 'daily', from dies 'day'.)

Portentious

of or like a portent, done in a pompously or overly solemn manner so as to impress

Bestial

of or like an animal or animals, savagely cruel and depraved (late Middle English: via Old French from late Latin bestialis, from Latin bestia 'beast'.)

Evidential (formal)

of or providing evidence (early 17th century: from medieval Latin evidentialis, from Latin evidentia (see evidence).)

Cultic

of or relating to a cult or cults (my definition)

Primeval

of or resembling the earliest ages in the history of the world, (of feelings or actions) based on primitive instinct; raw and elementary (mid 17th century: from Latin primaevus (from primus 'first' + aevum 'age') + -al.)

Despotic

of or typical of a despot; tyrannical

Sidereal

of or with respect to the distant stars (i.e. the constellations or fixed stars, not the sun or planets). (mid 16th century (in the form sydereal): partly from obsolete French sidereal, and partly from Latin sidereus (from sidus, sider- 'star') + -al.)

Astral

of, connected with, or resembling the stars, relating to a supposed nonphysical realm of existence to which various psychic and paranormal phenomena are ascribed, and in which the physical human body is said to have a counterpart (early 17th century: from late Latin astralis, from astrum 'star'.)

Interstitial

of, forming, or occupying interstices

Vernal

of, in, or appropriate to spring (mid 16th century: from Latin vernalis, from vernus 'of the spring', from ver 'spring'.)

Enroll

officially register as a member of an institution or a student on a course, recruit (someone) to perform a service (late Middle English (formerly also as inroll): from Old French enroller, from en- 'in' + rolle 'a roll' (names being originally written on a roll of parchment).)

Flout

openly disregard (a rule, law or convention) (mid 16th century: perhaps from Dutch fluiten 'whistle, play the flute, hiss (in derision)'; German dialect pfeifen auf, literally 'pipe at', has a similar extended meaning.)

Indigenous

originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native (mid 17th century: from Latin indigena 'a native' (see indigene) + -ous.)

Tracery (Architecture)

ornamental stone openwork, typically in the upper part of a Gothic window, a delicate branching pattern

Openwork

ornamental work in cloth, metal, leather, or other material with regular patterns of openings and holes

Filigreed

ornamental work of fine (typically gold or silver) wire formed into delicate tracery (late 17th century (earlier as filigreen, filigrane): from French filigrane, from Italian filigrana (from Latin filum 'thread' + granum 'seed').)

Out of kilter

out of harmony or balance (early 17th century: of unknown origin.)

Egregious

outstandingly bad; shocking (mid 16th century (in egregious (sense 2)): from Latin egregius 'illustrious', literally 'standing out from the flock', from ex- 'out' + grex, greg- 'flock'. Sense 1 (late 16th century) probably arose as an ironic use.)

Inundate

overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with, flood (late 16th century: (earlier (late Middle English) as inundation) from Latin inundat- 'flooded', from the verb inundare, from in- 'into, upon' + undare 'to flow' (from unda 'a wave').)

Travail

painful or laborious effort, labor pains, engage in painful or laborious effort, (of a woman) be in labor (Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin trepalium 'instrument of torture', from Latin tres 'three' + palus 'stake'.)

Char

partially burn (an object) so as to blacken its surface, (of an object) become blackened or discolored by partial burning, material that has been charred (late 17th century: apparently a back-formation from charcoal.)

Androgynous

partly male and partly female in appearance; of indeterminate sex (early 17th century: from Latin androgynus (see androgyne) + -ous.)

While something away

pass time in a leisurely manner (Old English hwīl 'period of time', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wijl, German Weile; the conjunction is an abbreviation of Old English thā hwīle the 'the while that'.)

Borne

past participle of bear1, carried or transported by the thing specified

Cajole

persuade (someone) to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery (mid 17th century: from French cajoler.)

Perforate

pierce and make a hole or holes in (late Middle English (as an adjective): from Latin perforat- 'pierced through', from the verb perforare, from per- 'through' + forare 'pierce'.) Don — a university teacher, especially a senior member of a college at Oxford or Cambridge. [transferred colloquial use of the Spanish title (see above).] (early 16th century (in don1 (sense 2 of the noun)): from Spanish, from Latin dominus 'lord, master'.)

Forlorn

pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely, (of an aim or endeavor) unlikely to succeed or be fulfilled; hopeless (Old English forloren 'depraved, morally abandoned', past participle of forlēosan 'lose', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch verliezen and German verlieren, and ultimately to for- and lose. forlorn (sense 1) dates from the 16th century.)

Install

place (someone) in a new position of authority, especially with ceremony, establish (someone) in a new place, condition, or role (late Middle English (in install (sense 2)): from medieval Latin installare, from in- 'into' + stallum 'place, stall'. install (sense 1) dates from the mid 19th century.)

Superimpose

place or lay (one thing) over another, typically so that both are still evident

Foliage

plant leaves collectively (late Middle English foilage (in the sense 'design resembling leaves'): from Old French feuillage, from feuille 'leaf', from Latin folium. The change in the first syllable was due to association with Latin folium.)

Tarot

playing cards, traditionally a pack of 78 with five suits, used for fortune-telling and (especially in Europe) in certain games. The suits are typically swords, cups, coins (or pentacles), batons (or wands), and a permanent suit of trump, a card game played with tarot cards, a tarot card (late 16th century: from French, from Italian tarocchi, of unknown origin.)

Instantiate

represent as or by an instance, (be instantiated) (Philosophy) (of a universal or abstract concept) have an instance; be represented by an actual example (1940s: from Latin instantia (see instance) + -ate3.)

Outfit

provide with equipment

Liken

point out the resemblance of someone or something to (Middle English: from like1 + -en1.)

Ware

pottery, typically that of a specified type, manufactured articles of a specified type, (wares) articles offered for sale (Old English waru 'commodities', of Germanic origin, perhaps the same word as Scots ware 'cautiousness', and having the primary sense 'object of care'; related to ware2.)

Praxis (formal)

practice, as distinguished from theory, accepted practice or custom (late 16th century: via medieval Latin from Greek, literally 'doing', from prattein 'do'.)

Extol

praise enthusiastically (late Middle English: from Latin extollere, from ex- 'out, upward' + tollere 'raise'.)

Eulogize

praise highly in speech or writing

Till

prepare and cultivate (land) for crops (Old English tilian 'strive for, obtain by effort', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch telen 'produce, cultivate' and German zielen 'aim, strive', also ultimately to till1. The current sense dates from Middle English.)

Cultivate

prepare and use (land) for crops or gardening, break up (soil) in preparation for sowing or planting: (as adjective, with submodifier cultivated), raise or grow (plants), especially on a large scale for commercial purposes (late 16th century: from medieval Latin cultivat- 'prepared for crops', from the verb cultivare, from cultiva (terra) 'arable (land)', from colere 'cultivate, inhabit'.)

Expound

present and explain (a theory or idea) systematically and in detail, explain the meaning of (a literary or doctrinal work) (Middle English expoune (in the sense 'explain (what is difficult)'): from Old French espon-, present tense stem of espondre, from Latin exponere 'expose, publish, explain', from ex- 'out' + ponere 'put'. The origin of the final -d (recorded from the Middle English period) is uncertain.)

Predominant

present as the strongest or main element, having or exerting control or power (mid 16th century: from Old French, from medieval Latin predominant- 'predominating', from the verb predominari (see predominate).)

Embalm

preserve (a corpse) from decay, originally with spices and now usually by arterial injection of a preservative, preserve (someone or something) in an unaltered state (Middle English: from Old French embaumer, from em- 'in' + baume 'balm', variant of basme (see balm).)

Affect

pretend to have or feel (something), use, wear, or assume (something) pretentiously or so as to make an impression on others (late Middle English: from French affecter or Latin affectare 'aim at', frequentative of afficere 'work on, influence', from ad- 'at, to' + facere 'do'. The original sense was 'like, love', hence '(like to) use, assume, etc.'.)

Insidious

proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects, treacherous; crafty (mid 16th century: from Latin insidiosus 'cunning', from insidiae 'an ambush or trick', from insidere 'lie in wait for', from in- 'on' + sedere 'sit'.)

Convulsive

producing or consisting of convulsions

Licentious

promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters (late Middle English: from Latin licentiosus, from licentia 'freedom'.)

Ancillary

providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization, institution, industry, or system, additional; subsidiary, a person whose work provides necessary support to the primary activities of an organization, institution, or industry, something which functions in a supplementary or supporting role (mid 17th century: from Latin ancillaris, from ancilla 'maidservant'.)

Hit a nerve

provoke a reaction by referring to a sensitive topic

Retribution

punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act (late Middle English (also in the sense 'recompense for merit or a service'): from late Latin retributio(n-), from retribut- 'assigned again', from the verb retribuere, from re- 'back' + tribuere 'assign'.)

Revoke

put an end to the validity or operation of (a decree, decision, or promise), (in bridge, whist, and other card games) fail to follow suit despite being able to do so (late Middle English: from Old French revoquer or Latin revocare, from re- 'back' + vocare 'to call'.)

Habilitate

qualify for office, especially as a teacher in a German university (early 17th century: from medieval Latin habilitat- 'made able', from the verb habilitare, from habilitas (see ability).)

Nimble

quick and light in movement or action; agile, (of the mind) quick to comprehend (Old English nǣmel 'quick to seize or comprehend', related to niman 'take', of Germanic origin. The -b- was added for ease of pronunciation.)

Fallout (noun)

radioactive particles that are carried into the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion or accident and gradually fall back as dust or in precipitation, [usually with modifier] airborne substances resulting from an industrial process or accident, the adverse side effects or results of a situation

Demur

raise doubts or objections or show reluctance, the action or process of objecting to or hesitating over something (Middle English (in the sense 'linger, delay'): from Old French demourer (verb), demeure (noun), based on Latin de- 'away, completely' + morari 'delay'.)

Stochastic (technical)

randomly determined; having a random probability distribution or pattern that may be analyzed statistically but may not be predicted precisely (mid 17th century: from Greek stokhastikos, from stokhazesthai 'aim at, guess', from stokhos 'aim'.)

Expurgate

remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a text or account) (early 17th century (in the sense 'purge of excrement'): from Latin expurgat- 'thoroughly cleansed', from the verb expurgare, from ex- 'out' + purgare 'cleanse'.)

Commemorate

recall and show respect for (someone or something), celebrate (an event, a person, or a situation) by doing or building something (late 16th century: from Latin commemorat- 'brought to remembrance', from the verb commemorare, from com- 'altogether' + memorare 'relate' (from memor 'mindful').)

Profligacy

reckless extravagance or wastefulness in the use of resources, licentious or dissolute behavior

Calcine

reduce, oxidize, or desiccate by roasting or exposing to strong heat (late Middle English: from medieval Latin calcinare, from late Latin calcina 'lime', from Latin calx, calc- 'lime' (see calx).)

Repudiate

refuse to accept or be associated with, deny the truth or validity of (late Middle English (originally an adjective in the sense 'divorced'): from Latin repudiatus 'divorced, cast off', from repudium 'divorce'.)

Venerate

regard with great respect; revere (early 17th century (earlier (Middle English) as veneration): from Latin venerat- 'adored, revered', from the verb venerari.)

Rebuff

reject (someone or something) in an abrupt or ungracious manner, an abrupt or ungracious refusal or rejection of an offer, request, or friendly gesture (late 16th century: from obsolete French rebuffer (verb), rebuffe (noun), from Italian ri- (expressing opposition) + buffo 'a gust, puff', of imitative origin.)

Spurn

reject with disdain or contempt (Old English spurnan, spornan; related to Latin spernere 'to scorn'; compare with spur.)

Parochial

relating to a church parish, having a limited or narrow outlook or scope (late Middle English: from Old French, from ecclesiastical Latin parochialis 'relating to an ecclesiastical district', from parochia (see parish).)

Municipal

relating to a city or town or its governing body (mid 16th century (originally relating to the internal affairs of a state as distinct from its foreign relations): from Latin municipalis (from municipium 'free city', from municeps, municip- 'citizen with privileges', from munia 'civic offices') + capere 'take'.)

Festive

relating to a festival, cheerful and jovially celebratory (mid 17th century: from Latin festivus, from festum, (plural) festa 'feast'.)

Papal

relating to a pope or to the papacy (late Middle English: from Old French, from medieval Latin papalis, from ecclesiastical Latin papa 'bishop (of Rome)'.)

Seismic

relating to earthquakes or other vibrations of the earth and its crust, relating to or denoting geological surveying methods involving vibrations produced artificially by explosions, of enormous proportions or effect (mid 19th century: from Greek seismos 'earthquake' (from seien 'to shake') + -ic.)

Heraldic

relating to heraldry

Monastic

relating to monks, nuns, or others living under religious vows, or the buildings in which they live, resembling or suggestive of monks or their way of life, especially in being austere, solitary, or celibate (late Middle English (in the sense 'anchoritic'): from late Latin monasticus, from Greek monastikos, from monazein 'live alone'.)

Slavish

relating to or characteristic of a slave, typically by behaving in a servile or submissive way, showing no attempt at originality, constructive interpretation, or development:

Antiquarian

relating to or dealing in antiques or rare books, a person who studies or collects antiques or antiquities (early 17th century: from Latin antiquarius (see antiquary).)

Nominative

relating to or denoting a case of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives (as in Latin and other inflected languages) used for the subject of a verb, of or appointed by nomination as distinct from election (late Middle English: from Latin nominativus 'relating to naming', translation of Greek onomastikē (ptōsis) 'naming (case)'.)

Desiccate

remove the moisture from (something); cause to become completely dry (late 16th century: from Latin desiccat- 'made thoroughly dry', from the verb desiccare.)

Metropolitan

relating to or denoting a metropolis, often inclusive of its surrounding areas, relating to or denoting the parent state of a colony or dependency, (Christian Church) relating to or denoting a metropolitan or his see, (Christian Church) a bishop having authority over the bishops of a province, in particular (in Orthodox Churches) one ranking above archbishop and below patriarch, an inhabitant of a metropolis or large city (late Middle English (in the ecclesiastical sense): from late Latin metropolitanus, from Greek mētropolitēs 'citizen of a mother state', from mētropolis (see metropolis).)

Temperate

relating to or denoting a region or climate characterized by mild temperatures, showing moderation or self-restraint (late Middle English (in the sense 'not affected by passion or emotion'): from Latin temperatus 'mingled, restrained', from the verb temperare.)

Preliterate

relating to or denoting a society or culture that has not developed the use of writing

Forensic

relating to or denoting the application of scientific methods and techniques to the investigation of crime, relating to courts of law, (forensics) scientific tests or techniques used in connection with the detection of crime (mid 17th century: from Latin forensis 'in open court, public', from forum (see forum).)

Paleolithic

relating to or denoting the early phase of the Stone Age, lasting about 2.5 million years, when primitive stone implements were used. Compare with Mesolithic, Neolithic, (the Paleolithic) the early phase of the Stone Age, lasting about 2.5 million years, when primitive stone implements were used. Also called Old Stone Age (mid 19th century: from paleo- + Greek lithos 'stone' + -ic.)

Deliberative

relating to or intended for consideration or discussion

Heliacal (Astronomy)

relating to or near the sun (mid 16th century: via late Latin from Greek hēliakos (from hēlios 'sun') + -al.)

Peripheral

relating to or situated on the edge or periphery of something, of secondary or minor importance; marginal, (of a device) able to be attached to and used with a computer, although not an integral part of it, (Computing) a peripheral device

Pathological

relating to pathology, involving, caused by, or of the nature of a physical or mental disease, (informal) compulsive; obsessive

Ballistic

relating to projectiles or their flight, moving under the force of gravity only (late 18th century: from ballista + -ic.)

Rabbinical

relating to rabbis or to Jewish law or teachings.

Pedagogical

relating to teaching

Ecclesiastical

relating to the Christian Church or its clergy

Merovigian

relating to the Frankish dynasty founded by Clovis and reigning in Gaul and Germany c. 500-750, a member of the Merovingian dynasty (from French mérovingien, from medieval Latin Merovingi 'descendants of Merovich' (Clovis' grandfather, semi-legendary 5th-century Frankish leader).)

Gothic

relating to the Goths or their extinct East Germanic language, which provides the earliest manuscript evidence of any Germanic language (4th-6th centuries AD), of or in the style of architecture prevalent in western Europe in the 12th-16th centuries, characterized by pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses, together with large windows and elaborate tracery, the language of the Goths, the Gothic style of architecture (from French gothique or late Latin gothicus, from Gothi (see Goth). It was used in the 17th and 18th centuries to mean 'not classical' (i.e. not Greek or Roman), and hence to refer to medieval architecture which did not follow classical models (Gothic (sense 2 of the adjective)) and a typeface based on medieval handwriting (Gothic (sense 4 of the adjective)).)

Medieval

relating to the Middle Ages, (informal) very old-fashioned or primitive (early 19th century: from modern Latin medium aevum 'middle age'+ -al.)

Frankish

relating to the ancient Franks or their language, the West Germanic language of the ancient Franks

Somatic

relating to the body, especially as distinct from the mind (late 18th century: from Greek sōmatikos, from sōma 'body'.)

Rustic

relating to the countryside; rural, having a simplicity and charm that is considered typical of the countryside, made in a plain and simple fashion (late Middle English (in the sense 'rural'): from Latin rusticus, from rus 'the country'.)

Lexical

relating to the words or vocabulary of a language, relating to or of the nature of a lexicon or dictionary (mid 19th century: from Greek lexikos 'of words' (from lexis 'word') + -al.)

Secretarial

relating to the work or position of a secretary

Primitive

relating to, denoting, or preserving the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of something, (of behavior, thought, or emotion) apparently originating in unconscious needs or desires and unaffected by objective reasoning, not developed or derived from anything else (late Middle English (in the sense 'original, not derivative'): from Old French primitif, -ive, from Latin primitivus 'first of its kind', from primus 'first'.)

Redress

remedy or set right (an undesirable or unfair situation), remedy or compensation for a wrong or grievance (Middle English: the verb from Old French redresser; the noun via Anglo-Norman French redresse.)

Scold

remonstrate with or rebuke (someone) angrily, (of a bird) call loudly and persistently (Middle English (as a noun): probably from Old Norse skáld 'skald'.)

Unveil

remove a veil or covering from, in particular uncover (a new monument or work of art) as part of a public ceremony, show or announce publicly for the first time

Depose

remove from office suddenly and forcefully (Middle English: from Old French deposer, from Latin deponere (see deponent), but influenced by Latin depositus and Old French poser 'to place'.)

Ecumenical

representing a number of different Christian Churches, promoting or relating to unity among the world's Christian Churches (late 16th century (in the sense 'belonging to the universal Church'): via late Latin from Greek oikoumenikos from oikoumenē 'the (inhabited) earth'.)

Garble

reproduce (a message, sound, or transmission) in a confused and distorted way, a garbled account or transmission (late Middle English (in the sense 'sift out, cleanse'): from Anglo-Latin and Italian garbellare, from Arabic ġarbala 'sift', perhaps from late Latin cribellare 'to sieve', from Latin cribrum 'sieve'.)

Compulsory

required by law or a rule; obligatory, involving or exercising compulsion; coercive (early 16th century (as a noun denoting a legal mandate which had to be obeyed): from medieval Latin compulsorius, from compuls- 'driven, forced', from the verb compellere (see compel).)

Granular

resembling or consisting of small grains or particles, having a roughened surface or structure (late 18th century: from late Latin granulum (see granule) + -ar1.)

Varnish

resin dissolved in a liquid for applying on wood, metal, or other materials to form a hard, clear, shiny surface when dry, apply varnish to, disguise or gloss over (a fact) (Middle English: from Old French vernis, from medieval Latin veronix 'fragrant resin, sandarac' or medieval Greek berenikē, probably from Berenice, a town in Cyrenaica.)

Circumscribe

restrict (something) within limits (late Middle English: from Latin circumscribere, from circum 'around' + scribere 'write'.)

Repeal

revoke or annul (a law or congressional act), the action of revoking or annulling a law or congressional act (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French repeler, from Old French re- (expressing reversal) + apeler 'to call, appeal'.)

Rescind

revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement) (mid 16th century: from Latin rescindere, from re- (expressing intensive force) + scindere 'to divide, split'.)

Maraud

roam in search of things to steal or people to attack, raid and plunder (a place) (late 17th century: from French marauder, from maraud 'rogue'.)

Pillage

rob a (place) using violence, especially in wartime, steal (something) using violence, especially in wartime, the action of pillaging a place or property, especially in wartime (late Middle English (as a noun): from Old French, from piller 'to plunder'.)

Coarse

rough or loose in texture or grain, made of large grains or particles, (of a person's features) not elegantly formed or proportioned, (of food or drink) of inferior quality, (of a person or their speech) rude, crude, or vulgar (late Middle English (in the sense 'ordinary or inferior'): origin uncertain; until the 17th century identical in spelling with course, and possibly derived from the latter in the sense 'ordinary manner'.)

Horseplay

rough, boisterous play

Longitudinal

running lengthwise rather than across, relating to longitude; measured from east to west, (of research or data) involving information about an individual or group gathered over a period of time

Enunciate

say or pronounce clearly, express (a proposition, theory, etc.) in clear or definite terms, proclaim (mid 16th century (as enunciation): from Latin enuntiat- 'announced clearly', from the verb enuntiare, from e- (variant of ex-) 'out' + nuntiare 'announce' (from nuntius 'messenger').)

Berate

scold or criticize (someone) angrily (mid 16th century: from be- 'thoroughly'+ rate2.)

Chide

scold or rebuke (Old English cīdan, of unknown origin.)

Latitude

scope for freedom of action or thought (late Middle English: from Latin latitudo 'breadth', from latus 'broad'.)

Muckrake

search out and publicize scandal about famous people

Ravish (archaic, dated, and literary, respectively)

seize and carry off (someone) by force, (of a man) rape (a woman), fill (someone) with intense delight; enrapture

Thresh

separate grain from (a plant), typically with a flail or by the action of a revolving mechanism (Old English therscan, later threscan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dorsen and German dreschen. Compare with thrash.)

Embattle

set (an army) in battle array, fortify (a building or place) against attack (Middle English: from Old French embataillier.)

Upend

set or turn (something) on its end or upside down

Asceticism

severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons

Sodomy

sexual intercourse involving anal or oral copulation. (Middle English: from medieval Latin sodomia, from late Latin peccatum Sodomiticum 'sin of Sodom' (after Gen. 19:5, which implies that the men of Sodom practiced homosexual rape) (see Sodom).)

Tremulous

shaking or quivering slightly, timid; nervous (early 17th century: from Latin tremulus (from tremere 'tremble') + -ous.)

Whet

sharpen the blade of (a tool or weapon), excite or stimulate (someone's desire, interest, or appetite) (Old English hwettan, of Germanic origin; related to German wetzen, based on an adjective meaning 'sharp'.)

Shimmer

shine with a soft tremulous light, a soft, slightly wavering light (late Old English scymrian, of Germanic origin; related to German schimmern, also to shine. The noun dates from the early 19th century.)

Galvanize

shock or excite (someone) into taking action, coat (iron or steel) with a protective layer of zinc (early 19th century (in the sense 'stimulate by electricity'): from French galvaniser (see Galvani, Luigi).)

Truncate

shorten the duration or extent of, shorten by cutting off the top or end (late 15th century: from Latin truncat- 'maimed', from the verb truncare.)

Condescend

show feelings of superiority; be patronizing, do something in a haughty way, as though it is below one's dignity or level of importance (Middle English (in the sense 'give way, defer'): from Old French condescendre, from ecclesiastical Latin condescendere, from con- 'together' + descendere 'descend'.)

Blithe

showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper (Old English blīthe, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch blijde, also to bliss.)

Insolent

showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect (late Middle English (also in the sense 'extravagant, going beyond acceptable limits'): from Latin insolent- 'immoderate, unaccustomed, arrogant', from in- 'not' + solent- 'being accustomed' (from the verb solere).)

Devious

showing a skillful use of underhanded tactics to achieve goals, (of a route or journey) longer and less direct than the most straightforward way (late 16th century: from Latin devius (from de- 'away from' + via 'way') + -ous. The original sense was 'remote'; the later sense 'departing from the direct route' gave rise to the figurative sense 'deviating from the straight way' and hence 'skilled in underhand tactics'.)

Disdainful

showing contempt or lack of respect

Spiteful

showing or caused by malice

Complacent

showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements (mid 17th century (in the sense 'pleasant'): from Latin complacent- 'pleasing', from the verb complacere.)

Tawdry

showy but cheap and of poor quality, sordid or unpleasant (early 17th century: short for tawdry lace, a fine silk lace or ribbon worn as a necklace in the 16th-17th centuries, contraction of St Audrey's lace: Audrey was a later form of Etheldrida (died 679), patron saint of Ely where tawdry laces, along with cheap imitations and other cheap finery, were traditionally sold at a fair.)

Gumption (informal)

shrewd or spirited initiative and resourcefulness (early 18th century (originally Scots): of unknown origin.)

Anfractuous (rare)

sinuous or circuitous (late 16th century: from late Latin anfractuosus, from Latin anfractus 'a bending'.)

Inland

situated in the interior of a country rather than on the coast, in or toward the interior of a country, the parts of a country remote from the sea or borders; the interior

Intramural

situated or done within the walls of a building, (mainly North American) taking place within a single educational institution, forming part of normal university or college studies, situated or done within a community (mid 19th century: from intra- 'within' + Latin murus 'wall' + -al.)

Fore

situated or placed in front, the front part of something, especially a ship, (to the fore) in or to a conspicuous or leading position (Old English (as a preposition, also in the sense 'before in time, previously'): of Germanic origin; related to Dutch voor and German vor. The adjective and noun represent the prefix fore- used independently (late 15th century).)

Guile

sly or cunning intelligence (Middle English: from Old French, probably from Old Norse; compare with wile1.)

Anoint

smear or rub with oil, typically as part of a religious ceremony, (anoint something with) smear or rub something with (any other substance), ceremonially confer divine or holy office upon (a priest or monarch) by smearing or rubbing with oil, nominate or choose (someone) as successor to or leading candidate for a position (Middle English: from Old French enoint 'anointed', past participle of enoindre, from Latin inungere, from in- 'upon' + ungere 'anoint, smear with oil'.)

Dress

smooth the surface of (stone) (Middle English (in the sense 'put straight'): from Old French dresser 'arrange, prepare', based on Latin directus 'direct, straight'.)

Infantry

soldiers marching or fighting on foot; foot soldiers collectively (late 16th century: from French infanterie, from Italian infanteria, from infante 'youth, infantryman', from Latin infant- (see infant).)

Congeal

solidify or coagulate, especially by cooling, take shape or coalesce, especially to form a satisfying whole (late Middle English: from Old French congeler, from Latin congelare, from con- 'together' + gelare 'freeze' (from gelu 'frost').)

First responder (North American)

someone designated or trained to respond to an emergency

Dross

something regarded as worthless; rubbish, foreign matter, dregs, or mineral waste, in particular scum formed on the surface of molten metal (Old English drōs (in the sense 'scum on molten metal'); related to Dutch droesem and German Drusen 'dregs, lees'.)

Counterirritation

something such as heat or an ointment that is used to produce surface irritation of the skin, thereby counteracting underlying pain or discomfort

Mainspring

something that plays a principal part in motivating or maintaining a movement, process, or activity, the principal spring in a watch, clock, or other mechanism

Evanescent

soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing (early 18th century (in the sense 'almost imperceptible'): from Latin evanescent- 'disappearing', from the verb evanescere (see evanesce).)

Homage

special honor or respect shown publicly (Middle English: Old French, from medieval Latin hominaticum, from Latin homo, homin- 'man' (the original use of the word denoted the ceremony by which a vassal declared himself to be his lord's 'man').)

Prodigal

spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant, having or giving something on a lavish scale, a person who spends money in a recklessly extravagant way (late Middle English: from late Latin prodigalis, from Latin prodigus 'lavish'.)

Sumptuous

splendid and expensive-looking (late Middle English (in the sense 'made or produced at great cost'): from Old French somptueux, from Latin sumptuosus, from sumptus 'expenditure' (see sumptuary).)

Deface

spoil the surface or appearance of (something), for example by drawing or writing on it (Middle English: from Old French desfacier, from des- (expressing removal) + face 'face'.)

Diffuse

spread or cause to spread over a wide area or among a large number of people, spread out over a large area; not concentrated, lacking clarity or conciseness (late Middle English: from Latin diffus- 'poured out', from the verb diffundere, from dis- 'away' + fundere 'pour'; the adjective via French diffus or Latin diffusus 'extensive', from diffundere.)

Aver (formal)

state or assert to be the case (late Middle English (in the sense 'declare or confirm to be true'): from Old French averer, based on Latin ad 'to' (implying 'cause to be') + verus 'true'.)

Plunder

steal goods from (a place or person), typically using force and in a time of war or civil disorder, the violent and dishonest acquisition of property, property acquired illegally and violently (mid 17th century: from German plündern, literally 'rob of household goods', from Middle High German plunder 'household effects'. Early use of the verb was with reference to the Thirty Years War (reflecting German usage); on the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642, the word and activity were associated with the forces under Prince Rupert.)

Despoil

steal or violently remove valuable or attractive possessions from; plunder (Middle English: from Old French despoillier, from Latin despoliare 'rob, plunder' (from spolia 'spoil').)

Rawhide

stiff untanned leather, (North American) a whip or rope made of rawhide

Hosiery

stockings, socks, and tights collectively.

Masonry

stonework, the work of a mason, (Masonry) freemasonry (late Middle English: from Old French maçonerie, from maçon (see mason).)

Conciliate

stop (someone) from being angry or discontented; placate; pacify, act as a mediator (mid 16th century (in conciliate (sense 2)): from Latin conciliat- 'combined, gained', from the verb conciliare, from concilium (see council).)

Taut

stretched or pulled tight; not slack, (especially of muscles or nerves) tense; not relaxed, (of writing, music, etc.) concise and controlled, (of a ship) having a disciplined and efficient crew (Middle English tought 'distended', perhaps originally a variant of tough.)

Wallop

strike or hit (someone or something) very hard, heavily defeat (an opponent), a heavy blow or punch (Middle English (as a noun denoting a horse's gallop): from Old Northern French walop (noun), waloper (verb), perhaps from a Germanic phrase meaning 'run well', from the bases of well1 and leap. Compare with gallop. From 'gallop' the senses 'bubbling noise of a boiling liquid' and then 'sound of a clumsy movement' arose, leading to the current senses.)

Batter ("batter all the way to ...")

strike repeatedly with hard blows, subject (one's spouse, partner, or child) to repeated violence and assault, censure, criticize, or defeat severely (Middle English: from Old French batre 'to beat' (from Latin battuere) + -er3.)

Animosity

strong hostility (late Middle English (originally in the sense 'spirit, courage'): from Old French animosite or late Latin animositas, from animosus 'spirited', from Latin animus 'spirit, mind'. The current sense dates from the early 17th century.)

Flounder

struggle or stagger helplessly or clumsily in water or mud, struggle mentally; show or feel great confusion, be in serious difficulty (late 16th century: perhaps a blend of founder3 and blunder, or perhaps symbolic, fl- frequently beginning words connected with swift or sudden movement.)

Obstinate

stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so, (of an unwelcome phenomenon or situation) very difficult to change or overcome (Middle English: from Latin obstinatus, past participle of obstinare 'persist'.)

Induce

succeed in persuading or influencing (someone) to do something, bring about or give rise to (late Middle English (formerly also as enduce): from Latin inducere 'lead in', from in- 'into' + ducere 'to lead', or from French enduire. Compare with endue.)

Occult

supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena, of, involving, or relating to supernatural, mystical, or magical powers or phenomena, beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or experience; mysterious, communicated only to the initiated; esoteric (late 15th century (as a verb): from Latin occultare 'secrete', frequentative of occulere 'conceal', based on celare 'to hide'; the adjective and noun from occult- 'covered over', from the verb occulere.)

Irrigate

supply water to (land or crops) to help growth, typically by means of channels, (of a river or stream) supply (land) with water, (Medicine) apply a continuous flow of water or liquid medication to (an organ or wound) (early 17th century: from Latin irrigat- 'moistened', from the verb irrigare, from in- 'into' + rigare 'moisten, wet'.)

Surmise

suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it, a supposition that something may be true, even though there is no evidence to confirm it (late Middle English (in the senses 'formal allegation' and 'allege formally'): from Anglo-Norman French and Old French surmise, feminine past participle of surmettre 'accuse', from late Latin supermittere 'put in afterward', from super- 'over' + mittere 'send'.)

Preeminent

surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way (late Middle English: from Latin praeeminent- 'towering above, excelling', from the verb praeeminere, from prae 'before' + eminere 'stand out'.)

Flabbergast (informal)

surprise (someone) greatly; astonish (late 18th century: of unknown origin.)

Sea-girt (literary)

surrounded by sea

Usurp

take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force, take the place of (someone in a position of power) illegally; supplant (Middle English (in the sense 'appropriate a right wrongfully'): from Old French usurper, from Latin usurpare 'seize for use'.)

Sup (dated or Northern English)

take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls, a sip of liquid (Old English sūpan (verb), sūpa (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zuipen, German saufen 'to drink'.)

Appropriate

take (something) for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission, devote (money or assets) to a special purpose (late Middle English: from late Latin appropriatus, past participle of appropriare 'make one's own', from ad- 'to' + proprius 'own, proper'.)

Assimilate (into)

take in (information, ideas, or culture) and understand fully, absorb and integrate (people, ideas, or culture) into a wider society or culture, cause (something) to resemble; liken (late Middle English: from Latin assimilat- 'absorbed, incorporated', from the verb assimilare, from ad- 'to' + similis 'like'.)

Displace

take over the place, position, or role of (someone or something), cause (something) to move from its proper or usual place, (usually be displaced) force (someone) to leave their home, typically because of war, persecution, or natural disaster, remove (someone) from a job or position of authority against their will (mid 16th century: from Old French desplacer.)

Bluster

talk in a loud, aggressive, or indignant way with little effect, (of a storm, wind, or rain) blow or beat fiercely and noisily, loud, aggressive, or indignant talk with little effect (late Middle English: ultimately imitative.)

Seductive

tempting and attractive; enticing (mid 18th century: from seduction, on the pattern of pairs such as induction, inductive.)

Soporific

tending to induce drowsiness or sleep, sleepy or drowsy, tediously boring or monotonous, a drug or other agent that induces sleep. (mid 17th century: from Latin sopor 'sleep' + -fic.)

Abbey

the building or buildings occupied by a community of monks or nuns, a church or house that was formerly an abbey. (Middle English: from Old French abbeie, from medieval Latin abbatia 'abbacy', from abbas, abbat- (see abbot).)

Metropolis

the capital or chief city of a country or region, a very large and densely populated industrial and commercial city (late Middle English (denoting the see of a metropolitan bishop): via late Latin from Greek mētropolis 'mother state', from mētēr, mētr- 'mother' + polis 'city'.)

Festivity

the celebration of something in a joyful and exuberant way, a festive celebration, (festivities) activities or events celebrating a special occasion (late Middle English: from Old French festivite or Latin festivitas, from festivus 'festive', from festum, (plural) festa 'feast'.)

Pivot

the central point, pin, or shaft on which a mechanism turns or oscillates, a person or thing that plays a central part in an activity or organization, turn on or as if on a pivot (late Middle English: from French, probably from the root of dialect pue 'tooth of a comb' and Spanish pu(y)a 'point'. The verb dates from the mid 19th century.)

Coronation

the ceremony of crowning a sovereign or a sovereign's consort (late Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin coronatio(n-), from coronare 'to crown, adorn with a garland', from corona (see crown).)

Primate

the chief bishop or archbishop of a province (Middle English: from Old French primat, from Latin primas, primat- 'of the first rank', from primus 'first'.)

Archbishop

the chief bishop responsible for an archdiocese (Old English, from arch- 'chief' + biscop (see bishop), replacing earlier heah-biscop 'high-bishop'.)

Diction

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing, the style of enunciation in speaking or singing (mid 16th century (denoting a word or phrase): from Latin dictio(n-), from dicere 'to say'.)

Bodice

the close-fitting upper part of a dress, covering the chest and back above the waist (mid 16th century (originally bodies): plural of body, retaining the original pronunciation. The term probably first denoted an undergarment, then known as a pair of bodice, although this sense is not recorded until the early 17th century.)

Dissolution

the closing down or dismissal of an assembly, partnership, or official body, (technical) the action or process of dissolving or being dissolved, disintegration; decomposition, debauched living; dissipation (late Middle English: from Latin dissolutio(n-), from the verb dissolvere (see dissolve).)

Philately

the collection and study of postage stamps (mid 19th century: from French philatélie, from philo- 'loving' + Greek ateleia 'exemption from payment' (from a- 'not' + telos 'toll, tax'), used to mean a franking mark or postage stamp exempting the recipient from payment.)

Peroration

the concluding part of a speech, typically intended to inspire enthusiasm in the audience (late Middle English: from Latin peroratio(n-), from perorare 'speak at length' (see perorate).)

Senescence (Biology)

the condition or process of deterioration with age, loss of a cell's power of division and growth

Tenure

the conditions under which land or buildings are held or occupied, the holding of an office, a period for which an office is held, guaranteed permanent employment, especially as a teacher or professor, after a probationary period, give (someone) a permanent post, especially as a teacher or professor (late Middle English: from Old French, from tenir 'to hold', from Latin tenere.)

Stubble

the cut stalks of grain plants left sticking out of the ground after the grain is harvested, short, stiff hairs growing on a part of the body that has not been shaved for a while, especially on a man's face (Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French stuble, from Latin stupla, stupula, variants of stipula 'straw'.)

Archdiocese

the district for which an archbishop is responsible

Nestorianism

the doctrine that there were two separate persons, one human and one divine, in the incarnate Christ. It is named after Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople (428-31), and was maintained by some ancient churches of the Middle East. A small Nestorian Church still exists in Iraq.

Feudalism

the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection

Inception

the establishment or starting point of an institution or activity (late Middle English: from Latin inceptio(n-), from incipere 'begin'.)

Primacy

the fact of being primary, preeminent, or more important, the office, period of office, or authority of a primate of certain churches (late Middle English: from Old French primatie, from medieval Latin primatia, from Latin primas, primat- 'of the first rank' (see primate1).)

Mare

the female of a horse or other equine animal (Old English mearh 'horse', mere 'mare', from a Germanic base with cognates in Celtic languages meaning 'stallion'.)

Hearth

the floor of a fireplace, the area in front of a fireplace, used as a symbol of one's home, the base or lower part of a furnace, where molten metal collects (Old English heorth, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch haard and German Herd.)

Aggregation

the formation of a number of things into a cluster, a cluster of things that have come or been brought together, (on the internet) the collection of related items of content so that they can be displayed or linked to

Clapper

the free-swinging metal piece inside a bell that is made to strike the bell to produce the sound

Lèse majesté

the insulting of a monarch or other ruler; treason (late Middle English: from French lèse-majesté, from Latin laesa majestas 'injured sovereignty'.)

Judiciary

the judicial authorities of a country; judges collectively (late Middle English (as adjective in the sense 'judicial'): via French from Latin iudiciarius, from iudicium 'judgement'. The noun use dates from the early 17th century.)

Lettering

the letters written or printed on something

Corps de ballet

the members of a ballet company who dance together as a group, the members of the lowest rank of dancers in a ballet company (early 19th century: French.)

Papacy

the office or authority of the Pope, the tenure of office of a pope (late Middle English: from medieval Latin papatia, from papa 'pope'.)

Jurisdiction

the official power to make legal decisions and judgments, the extent of the power to make legal decisions and judgments, a system of law courts; a judicature, the territory or sphere of activity over which the legal authority of a court or other institution extends (Middle English: from Old French jurediction, from Latin jurisdictio(n-), from jus, jur- 'law' + dictio 'saying' (from dicere 'say').)

Embassy

the official residence or offices of an ambassador, the staff working in an embassy, the position or function of an ambassador (late 16th century (originally also as ambassy denoting the position of ambassador): from Old French ambasse, based on Latin ambactus 'servant'. Compare with ambassador.)

Repute

the opinion generally held of someone or something; the state of being regarded in a particular way, the state of being highly thought of; fame, be generally regarded to be or as being (but not definitely the case) (late Middle English: from Old French reputer or Latin reputare 'think over', from re- (expressing intensive force) + putare 'think'.)

Periphery

the outer limits or edge of an area or object, a marginal or secondary position in, or part or aspect of, a group, subject, or sphere of activity (late 16th century (denoting a line that forms the boundary of something): via late Latin from Greek periphereia 'circumference', from peripherēs 'revolving around', from peri- 'around' + pherein 'to bear'.)

Pinion

the outer part of a bird's wing including the flight feathers, tie or hold the arms or legs of (someone), bind (the arms or legs) of someone, cut off the pinion of (a wing or bird) to prevent flight (late Middle English: from Old French pignon, based on Latin pinna, penna 'feather'.)

Semblance

the outward appearance or apparent form of something, especially when the reality is different (Middle English: from Old French, from sembler 'seem', from Latin similare, simulare 'simulate'.)

Trappings

the outward signs, features, or objects associated with a particular situation, role, or thing (late Middle English: derivative of trap2.)

Belfry

the part of a bell tower or steeple in which bells are housed, a bell tower or steeple housing bells, especially one that is part of a church (Middle English berfrey, from Old French berfrei, later belfrei, of West Germanic origin. The change in the first syllable was due to association with bell1.)

Loin

the part of the body on both sides of the spine between the lowest (false) ribs and the hipbones, (loins) (mainly literary) the region of the sexual organs, especially when regarded as the source of erotic or procreative power (Middle English: from Old French loigne, based on Latin lumbus.)

Penumbra

the partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast by an opaque object, (Astronomy) the shadow cast by the earth or moon over an area experiencing a partial eclipse, (Astronomy) the less dark outer part of a sunspot, surrounding the dark core (mid 17th century: modern Latin, from Latin paene 'almost' + umbra 'shadow'.)

Stonework

the parts of a building that are made of stone, the work of a mason

Middle Ages

the period of European history from the fall of the Roman Empire in the West (5th century) to the fall of Constantinople (1453), or, more narrowly, from c. 1100 to 1453.

Heyday

the period of a person's or thing's greatest success, popularity, or vigor (late 16th century (denoting good spirits or passion): from archaic heyday!, an exclamation of joy, surprise, etc.)

Dotage

the period of life in which a person is old and weak (late Middle English: from dote + -age.)

Novitiate

the period or state of being a novice, especially in a religious order, a novice, especially in a religious order, a place housing religious novices (early 17th century: from ecclesiastical Latin noviciatus, from Latin novicius 'new' (see novice).)

See

the place in which a cathedral church stands, identified as the seat of authority of a bishop or archbishop (Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French sed, from Latin sedes 'seat', from sedere 'sit'.)

Flora

the plants of a particular region, habitat, or geological period, a treatise on or list of the plant life of a particular region or period (late 18th century: from Latin flos, flor- 'flower'.)

Fork

the point where something, especially a road or river, divides into two parts, either of the two parts where a road or river divides (Old English forca, force (denoting a farm implement), based on Latin furca 'pitchfork, forked stick'; reinforced in Middle English by Anglo-Norman French furke (also from Latin furca).)

Vivisection

the practice of performing operations on live animals for the purpose of experimentation or scientific research (used only by people who are opposed to such work, ruthlessly sharp and detailed criticism or analysis (early 18th century: from Latin vivus 'living', on the pattern of dissection.)

Absenteeism

the practice of regularly staying away from work or school without good reason

Triage

the preliminary assessment of patients or casualties in order to determine the urgency of their need for treatment and the nature of treatment required, the process of determining the most important people or things from amongst a large number that require attention, conduct a preliminary assessment of (patients or casualties) in order to determine the urgency of their need for treatment and the nature of treatment required (early 18th century (in the sense 'the action of sorting items according to quality'): from French, from trier 'separate out'. The current sense dates from World War I, with reference to the military system of assessing the wounded on the battlefield.)

Cathedral

the principal church of a diocese, with which the bishop is officially associated (Middle English (as an adjective, the noun being short for cathedral church 'the church which contains the bishop's throne'): from late Latin cathedralis, from Latin cathedra 'seat', from Greek kathedra.)

Merrymaking

the process of enjoying oneself with others, especially by dancing and drinking

Emendation

the process of making a revision or correction to a text, a correction or revision to a text

Catharsis

the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions (early 19th century (in catharsis (sense 2)): from Greek katharsis, from kathairein 'cleanse', from katharos 'pure'. The notion of 'release' through drama (catharsis (sense 1)) derives from Aristotle's Poetics.)

Gnomon

the projecting piece on a sundial that shows the time by the position of its shadow (mid 16th century: via Latin from Greek gnōmōn 'indicator, carpenter's square' (related to gignōskein 'know').)

Celestial equator

the projection into space of the earth's equator; an imaginary circle equidistant from the celestial poles

Aegis

the protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization, (in classical art and mythology) an attribute of Zeus and Athena (or their Roman counterparts Jupiter and Minerva) usually represented as a goatskin shield (early 17th century (denoting armor or a shield, especially that of a god): via Latin from Greek aigis 'shield of Zeus'.)

Conviviality

the quality of being friendly and lively; friendliness

Sphericity

the quality of being spherical (my own definition)

Obstinacy

the quality or condition of being obstinate; stubbornness

Sterility

the quality or condition of being sterile

Nap

the raised hairs, threads, or similar small projections on the surface of fabric or suede (used especially with reference to the direction in which they naturally lie (late Middle English noppe, from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German noppe 'nap', noppen 'trim the nap from'. nap2 (sense 2 of the noun) is probably from knapsack.)

Stern

the rearmost part of a ship or boat (Middle English: probably from Old Norse stjórn 'steering', from stýra 'to steer'.)

Pedigree

the record of descent of an animal, showing it to be purebred, a purebred animal, the recorded ancestry, especially upper-class ancestry, of a person or family, the background or history of a person or thing, especially as conferring distinction or quality, a genealogical table (late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French pé de grue 'crane's foot', a mark used to denote succession in pedigrees.)

Comb

the red fleshy crest on the head of a domestic fowl, especially a rooster (Old English camb, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kam and German Kamm.)

Midriff

the region of the front of the body between the chest and the waist (Old English midhrif, from mid1 + hrif 'belly'.)

Probation

the release of an offender from detention, subject to a period of good behavior under supervision, the process or period of testing or observing the character or abilities of a person in a certain role, for example, a new employee (late Middle English (denoting testing or investigation): from Old French probacion, from Latin probatio(n-), from probare 'to test, prove' (see prove). The legal use dates from the late 19th century.)

Dregs

the remnants of a liquid left in a container, together with any sediment or grounds, the most worthless part or parts of something (Middle English: probably of Scandinavian origin and related to Swedish drägg (plural).)

Restitution

the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner, recompense for injury or loss, the restoration of something to its original state (Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin restitutio(n-), from restituere 'restore', from re- 'again' + statuere 'establish'.)

Resisution

the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner:

Formality

the rigid observance of rules of convention or etiquette, stiffness of behavior or style, (usually formalities) a thing that is done simply to comply with requirements of etiquette, regulations, or custom, (a formality) something that is done as a matter of course and without question; an inevitability (mid 16th century (in the sense 'accordance with legal rules or conventions'): from French formalité or medieval Latin formalitas, from formalis (see formal).)

Salat

the ritual prayer of Muslims, performed five times daily in a set form (Arabic, plural of salāh 'prayer, worship'.)

Ditto

the same thing again (used in lists and accounts and often indicated by a ditto mark under the word or figure to be repeated), (informal) used to indicate that something already said is applicable a second time (early 17th century (in the sense 'in the aforesaid month'): from Tuscan dialect, variant of Italian detto 'said', from Latin dictus 'said'.)

Chronometry

the science of accurate time measurement.

Pathology

the science of the causes and effects of diseases, especially the branch of medicine that deals with the laboratory examination of samples of body tissue for diagnostic or forensic purposes, mental, social, or linguistic abnormality or malfunction (early 17th century: from modern or medieval Latin pathologia (see patho-, -logy).)

Ornithology

the scientific study of birds (late 17th century: from modern Latin ornithologia, from Greek ornithologos 'treating of birds'.)

Wholesale

the selling of goods in large quantities to be retailed by others, being sold in large quantities to be retailed by others, on a large scale, done on a large scale; extensive, sell (goods) in large quantities at low prices to be retailed by others (late Middle English: originally as by whole sale 'in large quantities'.)

Precession (physics)

the slow movement of the axis of a spinning body around another axis due to a torque (such as gravitational influence) acting to change the direction of the first axis. It is seen in the circle slowly traced out by the pole of a spinning gyroscope (late 16th century (as a term in astronomy, referring to the precession of the equinoxes): from late Latin praecessio(n-), from praecedere 'go before' (see precede).)

PIle

the soft projecting surface of a carpet or a fabric such as velvet or flannel, consisting of many small threads (Middle English (in the sense 'downy feather'): from Latin pilus 'hair'. The current sense dates from the mid 16th century.)

Knell (literary)

the sound of a bell, especially when rung solemnly for a death or funeral, used in reference to an announcement, event, or sound that warns of the end of something, (of a bell) ring solemnly, especially for a death or funeral, proclaim (something) by or as if by a knell (Old English cnyll (noun), cnyllan (verb), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch knal (noun), knallen (verb) 'bang, pop, crack'. The current spelling (dating from the 16th century) is perhaps influenced by bell1.)

Cockfight

the sport (illegal in certain countries) of setting two gamecocks to fight each other. Such birds often have had their legs fitted with metal spurs

Notoriety

the state of being famous or well known for some bad quality or deed

Cachet

the state of being respected or admired; prestige, a distinguishing mark or seal, a flat capsule enclosing a dose of unpleasant-tasting medicine (early 17th century: from French, from cacher in the sense 'to press', based on Latin coactare 'constrain'.)

Primogeniture

the state of being the firstborn child, (also right of primogeniture) the right of succession belonging to the firstborn child, especially the feudal rule by which the whole real estate of an intestate passed to the eldest son (early 17th century: from medieval Latin primogenitura, from Latin primo 'first' + genitura 'geniture'.)

Dereliction

the state of having been abandoned and become dilapidated, (usually dereliction of duty) the shameful failure to fulfill one's obligations (late 16th century: from Latin derelictio(n-), from the verb derelinquere (see derelict).)

Cohabitation

the state of living together and having a sexual relationship without being married, the state or fact of living or existing at the same time or in the same place

Gaiety

the state or quality of being lighthearted or cheerful, merrymaking or festivity (late 16th century: from French gaieté, from gai (see gay).)

Phonetics

the study and classification of speech sounds

Anthropology

the study of human societies and cultures and their development. Also called cultural anthropology, social anthropology, the study of human biological and physiological characteristics and their evolution. Also called physical anthropology.

Metonymy

the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the track for horse racing (mid 16th century: via Latin from Greek metōnumia, literally 'change of name'.)

Patronage

the support given by a patron, the power to control appointments to office or the right to privileges, a patronizing or condescending manner, the regular business given to a store, restaurant, or public service by a person or group (late Middle English: from Old French, from patron 'protector, advocate' (see patron).)

Freemasonry

the system and institutions of the Freemasons, (freemasonry) instinctive sympathy or fellow feeling between people with something in common

Heraldry

the system by which coats of arms and other armorial bearings are devised, described, and regulated, armorial bearings or other heraldic symbols, colorful ceremony

Rigging

the system of ropes, cables, or chains employed to support a ship's masts (standing rigging) and to control or set the yards and sails (running rigging), the ropes and wires supporting the structure of an airship, biplane, hang glider, or parachute

Altar

the table in a Christian church at which the bread and wine are consecrated in communion services, a table or flat-topped block used as the focus for a religious ritual, especially for making sacrifices or offerings to a deity (Old English altar, alter, based on late Latin altar, altarium, from Latin altus 'high'.)

Suspension

the temporary prevention of something from continuing or being in force or effect, the official prohibition of someone from holding their usual post or carrying out their usual role for a particular length of time, the system of springs and shock absorbers by which a vehicle is cushioned from road conditions, a mixture in which particles are dispersed throughout the bulk of a fluid, the state of being dispersed in a fluid, (Music) a discord made by prolonging a note of a chord into the following chord (late Middle English: from French, or from Latin suspensio(n-), from the verb suspendere (see suspend).)

Discrimination

the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of ethnicity, age, sex, or disability, recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and anotherm, the ability to discern what is of high quality; good judgment or taste

Crown

the upper part of a cut gem, above the girdle (Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French corune (noun), coruner (verb), Old French corone (noun), coroner (verb), from Latin corona 'wreath, chaplet'.)

Casuistry

the use of clever but unsound reasoning, especially in relation to moral questions; sophistry, the resolving of moral problems by the application of theoretical rules to particular instances

Sophistry

the use of fallacious arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving, a fallacious argument

Sorcery

the use of magic, especially black magic

Benediction

the utterance or bestowing of a blessing, especially at the end of a religious service, (Benediction) a service in which the congregation is blessed with the Blessed Sacrament, held mainly in the Roman Catholic Church, devout or formal invocation of blessedness, the state of being blessed (late Middle English: via Old French from Latin benedictio(n-), from benedicere 'wish well, bless', from bene 'well' + dicere 'say'.)

Lexicon

the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge, a dictionary, especially of Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, or Arabic, (Linguistics) the complete set of meaningful units in a language (early 17th century: modern Latin, from Greek lexikon (biblion) '(book) of words', from lexis 'word', from legein 'speak'.)

Fleece

the woolly covering of a sheep or goat, the amount of wool shorn from a sheep in a single piece at one time, a soft warm fabric with a texture similar to sheep's wool, used as a lining material, a jacket or other garment made from a fleece fabric (Old English flēos, flēs, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vlies and German Vlies.)

Angeology

theological dogma or speculation concerning angels

Duress

threats, violence, constraints, or other action brought to bear on someone to do something against their will or better judgment, (Law) constraint illegally exercised to force someone to perform an act (Middle English (in the sense 'harshness, severity, cruel treatment'): via Old French from Latin duritia, from durus 'hard'.)

Jaded

tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something (late 16th century (in the sense 'disreputable'): from jade2.)

Unduly

to an unwarranted degree; inordinately

Reign in

to limit or control (someone or something), to make (an animal) stop by using reins (definition from merriam-webster.com)

Afield

to or at a distance, in the field (in reference to hunting) (Middle English (in afield (sense 2)): from a-2 'on, in' + field.)

Overshadow

tower above and cast a shadow over, cast gloom over, appear much more prominent or important than, be more impressive or successful than (another person) (Old English ofersceadwian (see over-, shadow).)

Desecrate

treat (a sacred place or thing) with violent disrespect; violate (late 17th century: from de- (expressing reversal) + a shortened form of consecrate.)

Patronize

treat in a way that is apparently kind or helpful but that betrays a feeling of superiority, frequent (a store, theater, restaurant, or other establishment) as a customer, give encouragement and financial support to (a person, especially an artist, or a cause)

Quiver

tremble or shake with a slight rapid motion, cause (something) to make a slight rapid motion, a slight trembling movement or sound, especially one caused by a sudden strong emotion (Middle English: from Old English cwifer 'nimble, quick'. The initial qu- is probably symbolic of quick movement (as in quaver and quick).)

Candid

truthful and straightforward; frank, (of a photograph of a person) taken informally, especially without the subject's knowledge (mid 17th century (in the Latin sense): from Latin candidus 'white'. Subsequent early senses were 'pure, innocent', 'unbiased', and 'free from malice', hence 'frank' (late 17th century). Compare with candor.)

Veridical (formal)

truthful, coinciding with reality (mid 17th century: from Latin veridicus (from verus 'true' + dicere 'say') + -al.)

Plow

turn up the earth of (an area of land) with a plow, especially before sowing (late Old English plōh, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ploeg and German Pflug. The spelling plough became common in England in the 18th century; earlier (16th-17th centuries) the noun was normally spelled plough, the verb plow.)

Adamantine (literary)

unbreakable

Gratuitous

uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted, given or done free of charge (mid 17th century: from Latin gratuitus 'given freely, spontaneous'+ -ous.)

Insensibility

unconsciousness, inability to feel something, especially to be moved emotionally, lack of awareness or concern; indifference (late Middle English: partly from Old French insensibilite or late Latin insensibilitas (from in- 'not' + Latin sensibilis 'sensible', from sensus 'sense'), partly from in-1 'without' + sensibility.)

Suppurate

undergo the formation of pus; fester (late Middle English (in the sense 'cause to form pus'): based on Latin sub- 'below' + pus, pur- 'pus'.)

Arcane

understood by few; mysterious or secret (mid 16th century: from Latin arcanus, from arcere 'to shut up', from arca 'chest'.)

Untoward

unexpected and inappropriate or inconvenient

Forbidding

unfriendly or threatening in appearance

Offhand

ungraciously or offensively nonchalant or cool in manner, without previous thought or consideration

Trifling

unimportant or trivial

Unfettered

unrestrained or uninhibited

A pox on (archaic)

used to express anger or intense irritation with someone or something

Penance

voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong, a Christian sacrament in which a member of the Church confesses sins to a priest and is given absolution. In the Roman Catholic Church often called sacrament of reconciliation, a religious observance or other duty required of a person by a priest as part of this sacrament to indicate repentance, impose a penance on (Middle English: from Old French, from Latin paenitentia 'repentance', from the verb paenitere 'be sorry'.)

Circumambulate (formal)

walk all the way around (something)

Tread (staircase)

walk in a specified way, the top surface of a step or stair (Old English tredan (as a verb), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch treden and German treten.)

Stagger

walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall, [with object and adverbial of direction] continue in existence or operation uncertainly or precariously, astonish or deeply shock, an unsteady walk or movement (late Middle English (as a verb): alteration of dialect stacker, from Old Norse stakra, frequentative of staka 'push, stagger'. The noun dates from the late 16th century.)

Mull

warm (a beverage, especially wine, beer, or cider) and add spices and sweetening to it (early 17th century: of unknown origin.)

Admonish

warn or reprimand someone firmly, advise or urge (someone) earnestly (Middle English amonest 'urge, exhort', from Old French amonester, based on Latin admonere 'urge by warning'. Later, the final -t of amonest was taken to indicate the past tense, and the present tense changed on the pattern of verbs such as abolish; the prefix became ad- in the 16th century by association with the Latin form.)

Brine

water strongly impregnated with salt, seawater, salty water that has been used to preserve a specified food, soak or preserve in salty water (Old English brīne, of unknown origin.)

Bog

wet muddy ground too soft to support a heavy body, (be/get bogged down) be or become stuck in mud or wet ground, be prevented from making progress in a task or activity (Middle English: from Irish or Scottish Gaelic bogach, from bog 'soft'.)

Propitiate

win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them (late Middle English (as propitiation): from Latin propitiat- 'made favorable', from the verb propitiare, from propitius 'favorable, gracious' (see propitious).)

Entwine

wind or twist together; interweave

Astride

with a leg on each side of, extending across, with a leg on each side of something, (with reference to a person's legs) apart

Apropos

with reference to; concerning, very appropriate to a particular situation (mid 17th century: from French à propos '(with regard) to (this) purpose'.)

Slog

work hard over a period of time, [with adverbial of direction] walk or move with difficulty or effort, hit forcefully and typically wildly, especially in boxing, a spell of difficult, tiring work or travelling (early 19th century: of unknown origin; compare with slug2.)

Envelop

wrap up, cover, or surround completely, (of troops) surround (an enemy force) (late Middle English (formerly also as invelop(e)): from Old French envoluper, from en- 'in' + a second element (also found in develop) of unknown origin.)