aborning - adverb - while being born or created

abrogate - verb - to cancel or repeal by authority; annul

admixture - noun - 1. the compound formed by mixing different substances together 2. that which is mixed with anything - verb - the act of mixing; mixture

adumbrate - verb - 1. to outline in a shadowy way, sketch 2. to suggest beforehand; foreshadow in a vague way 3. to obscure, overshadow

aegis - noun - 1. from Greek myth, a shield born by Zeus and, later, by his daughter Athena and occasionally by Apollo 2. a protection 3. sponsorship, auspices

ague - noun - 1. an acute fever 2. [medical] an intermittent fever, attended by alternate cold and hot fits (often used in reference to the fevers associated with malaria) 3. the cold fit or rigor of the intermittent fever; as, fever and ague 4. a chill, or state of shaking, as with cold

alacrity - adjective - 1. cheerful willingness; eagerness 2. speed or quickness; celerity

aliment - noun - 1. anything that nourishes; food 2. means of support; necessity - verb - to supply with aliment; nourish

amphora - noun - a two-handled jar with a narrow neck used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to carry wine or oil (N.B. plural amphorae)

anadem - verb - [old poetic] a wreath or garland for the head

anele - verb - [archaic] to anoint, especially in the last rites (N.B. not to be confused with anneal, which despite also being an obscure, archaic, and (or) obsolete word, means something entirely different)

anharmonically - adverb - not harmonically, in an un-harmonic manner (N.B. an- is a prefix meaning "without" or "not")

anneal - verb - 1. [obsolete] to fire or glaze, as in a kiln 2. to heat (glass, metals, etc.) and then cool, sometimes slowly, to prevent brittleness 3. to strengthen and temper (the mind, will, etc.) (N.B. not to be confused with anele—despite being pronounced in exactly the same way)

anoxia - noun - absence of oxygen; a pathological deficiency of oxygen

apothegm - noun - 1. a short, pithy saying 2. a terse remark, conveying some important truth 3. a sententious precept or maxim

apotheosis - noun - 1. the act of raising a person to the status of a god; deification 2. the glorification of a person or thing 3. a glorified ideal

apposite - adjective - strikingly appropriate and relevant; applicable; well adapted; suitable

architrave - noun - 1. the lowest part of an entablature, a beam resting directly on the tops, or capitals, of the columns 2. the molding around a doorway, window, etc. (N.B. an entablature is the upper section of a classical building, resting on the columns and constituting the architrave, frieze, and cornice)

argent - adjective - 1. [archaic] silver 2. [obsolete] silver coin, money 3. [heraldry] the representation of the metal silver: indicated in engravings by a plain white field - noun - 4. [old poetic] silvery

arras - noun - a tapestry; a rich figured fabric; especially a screen or hangings of heavy cloth with interwoven figures

arrogation - noun - 1. the act of arrogating, or making exorbitant claims; the act of taking more than one is justly entitled to 2. seizure by the government

aspersion - noun - 1. a) an unfavorable or damaging remark; slander b) the act of defaming or slandering 2. a sprinkling, as with water or dust, in a literal sense 3. [rare] a sprinkling with holy water, as at a baptism

aspirant - noun - one who aspires; one who eagerly seeks some high position or object of attainment - adjective - seeking recognition, distinction, or advancement

aspirate - verb - 1. to begin (a word) or precede (a sonorous speech sound) with a puff of breath resulting in the sound H 2. to follow (a consonant, especially a stop) with a puff of suddenly released breath (in English we usually aspirate the sound represented by P, T, or K when it begins a word) 3. to suck in or draw in, as by inhaling 4. [medical] to remove (fluid or gas), as from a body cavity, by suction - noun - 1. the speech sound H 2. an expiratory breath puff such as follows the initial P, T, or K in English 3. a consonant articulated with a following puff of breath - adjective - articulated with a preceding or following puff of breath

atelier - noun - a workshop or studio, especially for an artist or designer

atrabilious - adjective - 1. inclined to melancholy 2. having a peevish disposition; surly

attenuate - verb - 1. to make slender or thin 2. to dilute or rarefy 3. to lessen in severity, value, amount, intensity, etc.; weaken 4. [electronics] to reduce the strength (of an electrical impulse) - adjective - [botany] tapering gradually to a point, as the base of a leaf

augur - noun - 1. [Roman antiquity] an official diviner who foretold events by the singing, chattering, flight, and feeding of birds, or by signs or omens derived from celestial phenomena, certain appearances of quadrupeds, or unusual occurrences 2. one who foretells events by omens; a soothsayer; a diviner; a prophet - verb - 1. to predict, especially from signs or omens; foretell 2. to serve as an omen of; betoken

avaunt - interjection - [archaic] begone! go away! (N.B. useful for telemarketers)

banquette - noun - 1. a gunners' platform extending along the inside of a trench or parapet 2. [South] a raised way; sidewalk 3. an upholstered bench, especially one along a wall in a restaurant

battlewain - noun - a large wagon for use in battle (N.B. see wain)

begauded - adjective - bedecked gaudily; decorated with gauds or showy trinkets or colors

behung - adjective - hung (with something); decorated (with something)

belorn - adjective - bereft; forlorn

beneficent - adjective - 1. characterized by or performing acts of kindness or charity 2. producing benefit; beneficial

benignant - adjective - 1. pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence; favorable 2. gracious; characterized by kindness and warm courtesy, especially of a king to his subjects

beryl - noun - beryllium aluminum silicate, BeAl₂Si₆O₁₈, a very hard, lustrous mineral that is a source of beryllium and that occurs in hexagonal crystals, usually blue, green, pink, or yellow in color: emerald and aquamarine are two gem varieties of beryl

berserkergang - noun - a group of frenzied warriors (N.B. a berserker is one of a band of ancient Norse warriors legendary for their savagery and reckless frenzy in battle)

bilious - adjective - 1. of, relating to, or containing bile; biliary 2. a) characterized by an excess secretion of bile b) relating to, characterized by, or experiencing gastric distress caused by a disorder of the liver or gallbladder 3. resembling bile, especially in color (greenish) 4. having a peevish disposition; ill-humored

borer - noun - 1. a tool used for drilling 2. an insect or insect larva, such as the corn borer, that bores into the woody parts of plants 3. any of various mollusks that bore into soft rock or wood

brachiation - noun - swinging by the arms from branch to branch (N.B. brachiate is having arms or armlike appendages)

bryony - noun - any of a genus Bryonia of perennial vines of the gourd family with large fleshy roots and greenish flowers

caducity - noun - 1. the quality or state of being perishable 2. senility

caesure - noun - variant spelling of caesurae which means 1. a metrical break in a verse, occurring in the middle of a foot and commonly near the middle of the verse; a sense pause in the middle of a foot 2. a pause in a line of verse dictated by sense or natural speech rhythm rather than by metrics 3. a pause or interruption, as in conversation 4. [music] a pause or breathing at a point of rhythmic division in a melody

capriole - noun - 1. a leap that a horse makes with all fours, upwards only, without advancing, but with a kick or jerk of the hind legs when at the height of the leap 2. a leap or caper, as in dancing - verb - to perform a capriole

caracole - noun - 1. a half turn to right or left performed by a horse and rider 2. [archaic] a staircase in a spiral form - verb - to perform a caracole

carbuncle - noun - 1. a painful localized bacterial infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue that usually has several openings through which pus is discharged 2. a) a deep-red garnet, unfaceted and convex b) [obsolete] a red precious stone 3. [heraldic] a charge or bearing supposed to represent the precious stone having eight scepters or staves radiating from a common center; also called escarbuncle

carcanet - noun - [archaic] a jeweled necklace, collar, or headband

carillon - noun - 1. set of stationary bells, each producing one tone if the chromatic scale, now usually sounded by means of a keyboard 2. a smaller instrument imitating this electronically, usually by amplifying the sounds made by striking metal tubes, bars, etc. instead of bells 3. a composition for the carillon 4. an organ stop producing a carillon-like sound

casque - noun - a helmet

catafalque - noun - 1. a wooden framework, usually draped, on which the body in a coffin lies in state during an elaborate funeral 2. Roman Catholic Church a coffinlike structure used to represent the dead at a requiem Mass after the actual burial

catechize - verb - 1. to teach, especially in the principles of Christian dogma, discipline, and ethics by the method of questions and answers 2. to question or examine closely or methodically

cautery - noun - 1. an instrument or substance for cauterizing 2. the act of cauterizing

celerity - noun - swiftness in acting or moving; speed

cenotaph - noun - an empty tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person who is buried elsewhere

censer - noun - an ornamented container in which incense is burned

cerement - noun - a cerecloth; a shroud (N.B. a cerecloth is cloth treated with wax or a similar substance, especially one used formerly to wrap a dead person for burial)

cerulean - adjective - azure; sky-blue

chancre - noun - 1. a dull red, hard, insensitive lesion that is the first manifestation of syphilis 2. an ulcer, lesion, or sore located at the initial point of entry of a pathogen

chasuble - noun - a sleeveless outer vestment worn over the alb by priests at Mass

chatelaine - noun - the keeper of a castle; castellan

chatoyant - adjective - having a changeable color or luster like the eye of a cat - noun - a gem or polished stone, as the cat's-eye, with such luster

chiaroscuro - noun - 1. the technique of using light and shade in pictorial representation 2. the arrangement of light and dark elements in a pictorial work of art 3. a) awoodcut technique in which several blocks are used to print different shades of a color b) a woodcut print made by this technique

chirurgeon - noun - archaic variation of surgeon

circinate - adjective - 1. ring-shaped 2. [botany] rolled up in the form of a coil with the tip in the center, as an unexpanded fern frond - verb - [obsolete] to make a circle around; to encompass

clewed - adjective - 1. rolled or coiled in to a ball 2. [nautical] with "up," used to describe a square sail with its lower corners raised by means of clew lines

coign - noun - 1. a) an exterior angle of a wall or other piece of masonry b) any of the stones used in forming such an angle, often being of large size and dressed or arranged so as to form a decorative contrast with the adjoining walls 2. a keystone 3. [printing] a wedge-shaped block used to lock type in a chase 4. a wedge used to raise the level of a gun

colloquy - noun - 1. a conversation, especially a formal discussion; conference 2. a written dialogue

concatenation - noun - 1. a linking together or being linked together in a series 2. a series of things or events regarded as causally or dependently connected

concupiscence - noun - strong desire or appetite, especially sexual desire; lust

consonance - noun - 1. harmony or agreement of elements or parts; accord 2. a pleasing combination of simultaneous musical sounds; harmony of tones 3. [prosody] a partial rhyme in which consonants in stressed syllables are repeated but vowels are not (example: mocker, maker)

cordon - noun - 1. a cord or ribbon bestowed or borne as a badge of honor; a broad ribbon, usually worn after the manner of a baldric, constituting a mark of a very high grade in an honorary order 2. a rich and ornamental lace or string, used to secure a mantle in some costumes of state 3. in fortifications, the coping of the scarp wall, which projects beyond the face of the wall a few inches 4. a line of people, military posts, or ships stationed around an area to enclose or guard it 5. [botany] a tree or shrub, especially a fruit tree such as an apple or pear, repeatedly pruned and trained to grow on a support as a single ropelike stem

corselet - noun - 1. a piece of armor worn to protect the trunk, often the body breastplate and backpiece taken together; also used for the entire suit of the day, including breastplate and backpiece, tasset and headpiece 2. an undergarment that is a combination of a light corset and a brassiere

corybantic - adjective - of, pertaining to, or resembling, the Corybantes or their rites; frantic, frenzied

coruscate - verb - to give off flashes of light; glitter; sparkle

coruscation - noun - 1. a coruscating; sparkling 2. a flash or gleam of light 3. a sudden brilliant display, as of wit

cotillion - noun - 1. a ball at which young ladies are presented to society 2. a lively dance originating in France in the 18th century 3. a tune which regulates the dance 4. a kind of woolen material for women's skirts

countervail - verb - 1. to make up for; compensate 2. to counteract; be successful, useful, etc. against; avail against 3. [archaic] to match or equal; to avail (against something)

cromlech - noun - 1. a prehistoric monument consisting of monoliths encircling a mound 2. a dolmen (N.B. a dolmen is a Neolithic tomb or monument consisting of a large, flat stone laid across upright stones)

crozier - noun - 1. a staff with a crook at the top, carried by or before a bishop or abbot as a symbol of his pastoral function 2. [botany] the coiled tip of a young fern frond (N.B. the more-used spelling is crosier)

cruse - noun - 1. a small earthenware container, such as a pot or jar, for holding liquids 2. a bottle for holding water, oil, honey, etc 3. a cup or dish

curvet - noun - a light leap by a horse, in which both hind legs leave the ground just before the forelegs are set down - verb - 1. to leap in a curvet 2. to prance; frolic

cynosure - noun - 1. a) the constellation Ursa Minor, to which, as containing the polar star, the eyes of mariners and travelers were often directed b) the North Star in the constellation Ursa Minor 2. that which serves to direct or to guide 3. any person or thing that is a center of attention or interest

deflagration - noun - a burning up; conflagration, especially an intense, rapid one

deliquesce - verb - 1. a) to melt away b) to disappear as if by melting 2. [chemistry] to dissolve gradually and become liquid by attracting and absorbing moisture from the air, as certain salts, acids, and alkalies 3. a) [botany] to branch out into numerous subdivisions that lack a main axis b) to become fluid or soft on maturing, as certain fungi

demesne - noun - 1. [law] possession (of real estate) in one's own right 2. [historical] the land or estate belonging to a lord and not rented or let but kept in his own hands 3. the land around a mansion; lands of an estate 4. a region or domain; also used figuratively

demnify - verb - 1. the opposite of indemnify 2. to endanger; to expose to the possibility of loss, damage, etc.

descry - verb - 1. to catch sight of; discern (distant or obscure objects) 2. to discover by careful observation or scrutiny; detect; discern; recognize

despication - noun - an expression of despite; a looking down, a despising, an expression of such

desuetude - noun - the condition of not being used or practiced any more; disuse

detrition - noun - a wearing away or down by friction

devolve - verb - 1. to be passed on or transferred to another 2. degenerate or deteriorate gradually 3. [archaic] to roll onward or downward 4. to pass by transmission or succession; to be handed over or down

discomfit - verb - 1. to make uneasy or perplexed; disconcert 2. to thwart the plans of; frustrate 3. [archaic] to defeat in battle; vanquish

discomfiture - noun - 1. frustration or disappointment 2. lack of ease; perplexity and embarrassment 3. [archaic] defeat

disport - verb - to amuse oneself in a light, frolicsome manner 2. to display - noun - a frolicsome diversion

dolomite - noun - 1. a common rock-forming mineral, CaMg(CO3)₂, often occurring in extensive beds 2. any of several rocks similar to dolomite in composition

doughty - adjective - 1. able; strong; valiant; redoubtable 2. marked by stouthearted courage; brave

dromond - noun - [archaic] in the Middle Ages, a large, fast-sailing galley, or cutter; a large, swift war vessel

dudgeon - noun - 1. anger or resentment: now chiefly in the phrase in high dudgeon, very angry, offended, or resentful 2. [obsolete] a wood, perhaps boxwood, used for dagger hilts 3. a hilt of this wood or a dagger with such a hilt

effluvium - noun - an unpleasant smell or exhalation, as of gaseous waste or decaying matter

effrontery - noun - impudence or boldness in confronting or in transgressing the bounds of duty or decorum; insulting presumptuousness; shameless boldness; barefaced assurance

eland - noun - either of two large African antelopes (Taurotragus oryx or T. derbianus) having a light brown or grayish coat and spirally twisted horns

eldritch - adjective - weird; eerie

embrasure - noun - 1. an opening (for a door, window, etc.), especially one with the sides slanted so that it is wider on the inside than on the outside 2. an opening (in a wall or parapet) with the sides slanting outward to increase the angle of fire of a gun

encyst - verb - to enclose in a cyst

eremite - noun - a religious recluse; hermit

etiolate - verb - 1. to cause to be pale and unhealthy 2. to deprive of strength; weaken 3. [botany] to cause (a plant) to develop without chlorophyll by preventing exposure to sunlight; to blanch or bleach by depriving of sunlight

etiology - noun - 1. assignment of a cause, an origin, or a reason for something 2. the science and study of the causes or origins of disease 3. the cause or origin of a disease or disorder as determined by medical diagnosis

exaction - noun - 1. an exacting, as of money, time, etc. 2. an excessive demand; extortion 3. an exacted fee, tax, etc.

excoriation - noun - 1. the act of excoriating or flaying, or state of being excoriated, or stripped of the skin 2. an abrasion; a raw irritated lesion 3. [obsolete] stripping of possession; spoliation 4. severe censure

excrudescence - noun - [medical] a projecting, external growth caused by the outbreak of some kind of infection or disease; external signs of a disease (N.B. possibly similar to excrescence, anything growing out unnaturally from anything else or recrudescence, a fresh outbreak of a dormant disease)

exculpation - noun - the act of exculpating from alleged fault or crime; that which exculpates; excuse

execration - noun - 1. the act of execrating; a cursing, denouncing, etc. 2. a curse 3. a person or things cursed or detested

exigency - noun - 1. the condition or quality of being exigent; urgency 2. a situation calling for immediate action or attention 3. [plural] pressing needs; demands; requirements

expostulate - verb - to reason with a person earnestly, objecting to that person's actions or intentions; remonstrate (with)

expostulation - noun - 1. the act of expostulating or reasoning with a person in opposition to some impropriety of conduct; remonstrance 2. earnest and kindly protest; dissuasion 3. an expression of opposition to a course of action

exudation - noun - the act of exuding; sweating; a discharge of humors, moisture, juice, or gum, as through pores or incisions; also, the substance exuded

febrifuge - noun - any substance for reducing fever; antipyretic (N.B. an antipyretic is, likewise, anything that reduces fever)

febrile - adjective - 1. of or characterized by fever; feverish 2. caused by fever

feoffment - noun - 1. a grant of lands as a fee 2. [law] a gift or conveyance in fee of land or other corporeal hereditaments, accompanied by actual delivery of possession 3. [law, rare] the instrument or deed by which corporeal hereditaments are conveyed

flinders - noun - small pieces or splinters; fragments

fretwork - noun - 1. ornamental work consisting of three-dimensional frets; geometric openwork 2. any minute play of light and shade, dark and light, or the like

fructify - verb - 1. to bear fruit; become fruitful 2. to make fruitful or productive

fundament - noun - 1. [obsolete] a foundation 2. the natural features of a land surface unaltered by humans 3. an underlying theoretical basis or principle 4. the part of the body on which one sits; the buttocks; specifically in anatomy the anus

furze - noun - a thorny, dense evergreen shrub (Ulex europaeus), with beautiful yellow flowers, very common upon the plains and hills of Great Britain; also called gorse and whin

gangrel - noun - [now chiefly dialect] a roving beggar; vagrant

gavotte - noun - 1. a seventeenth-century dance like the minuet, but faster and livlier 2. the music for this, in 4/4 time

gibber - verb - to prattle and chatter unintelligibly - noun - unintelligible or foolish talk

gibbous - adjective - 1. protuberant; rounded and bulging 2. designating the moon, a planet, etc. in that phase in which more than half, but not all, of the face reflects sunlight to the earth 3. humpbacked; kyphotic (N.B. kyphotic means hunchbacked)

gimbal - noun - a device consisting of two rings mounted on axes at right angles to each other so that an object, such as a ship's compass, will remain suspended in a horizontal plane between them regardless of any motion of its support

glauconite - noun - the green mineral found in greensand and used as a fertilizer and water softener

glister - noun - glitter; brilliance - verb - to bright; to sparkle; to be brilliant; to shine; to glisten; to glitter

gobbet - noun - 1. a piece or chunk, especially of raw meat 2. a bit or morsel 3. a small amount of liquid; a drop

gracile - adjective - graceful; gracefully slender

grampus - noun - 1. a cetacean (Grampus griseus) related to and resembling the dolphins but lacking a beaklike snout 2. any of various similar cetaceans, such as the killer whale

greensward - noun - green, grassy turf

guy - verb - 1. hold up to ridicule; mock 2. to steady, guide, or secure with a rope, cord, or cable - noun - 1. a man, informally 2. a rope, cord, or cable used to steady, guide, or secure something

harridan - noun - a woman regarded as scolding and vicious; a worn-out strumpet; a vixenish woman; a hag

hatchment - noun - 1. the act of achieving or performing; an obtaining by exertion; successful performance; accomplishment 2. a great or heroic deed; something accomplished by valor, boldness, or praiseworthy exertion; a feat 3. [heraldic] an escutcheon or ensign armorial; now generally applied to the funeral shield commonly called hatchment (N.B. an escutcheon is a shield or shield-shaped surface on which a coat of arms is displayed)

hawser - noun - a large rope for towing, mooring, or securing a ship

heuristic - adjective - 1. [computer science] relating to or using a problem-solving technique in which the most appropriate solution of several found by alternative methods is selected at successive stages of a program for use in the next step of the program 2. of or relating to a general formulation that serves to guide investigation 3. of or constituting an educational method in which learning takes place through discoveries that result from investigations made by the student - noun - a commonsense rule (or set of rules) intended to increase the probability of solving some problem

hieratic - noun - 1. of or used by priests; priestly; sacerdotal 2. designating or of the abridged form of cursive hieroglyphic writing once used by Egyptian priests (N.B. sacerdotal is 1. of priests or of the office of priests 2. priestly characterized by belief in the divine authority of the priesthood)

hove - verb- past participle of heave; often used nautically, as hove to, etc.

imbricated - adjective - having regularly arranged, overlapping edges, as roof tiles or fish scales

immedicable - adjective - that which cannot be healed; incurable

impercipience - noun - quality or state of being unable to see or perceive

impercipient - adjective - not perceiving, or not able to perceive (N.B. more commonly imperceptive)

importunate - adjective - 1. troublesomely urgent; overly persistent in request or demand 2. troublesome

inanition - noun - 1. exhaustion from lack of food or an inability to assimilate it 2. lack or strength of spirit; the absence or loss of social, moral, or intellectual vitality or vigor

incarnadine - adjective - 1. flesh-colored; pink 2. red; especially blood-red - noun - the color of either flesh or blood

inchoate - adjective - 1. an initial or early stage; recently or just begun; incipient; beginning; partially but not fully in existence or operation 2. imperfectly formed or developed; existing in its elements; incomplete 3. [law] not yet made complete, certain, or specific 4. [law] not yet transformed into actual use or possession 5. [law] of or relating to a crime (as attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy) which consists of acts that are preliminary to another crime and that are in themselves criminal - verb - [obsolete] to begin

indefeasible - adjective - not be defeated; not defeasible; incapable of being annulled or made void (N.B. something defeasible can be undone or voided)

indurate - verb - 1.to make hard; harden, as rock, tissue, etc. 2. to make callous, stubborn, or unfeeling 3. to inure; accustom 4. to make enduring; confirm; establish

ineluctable - adjective - not to be avoided, changed, resisted, or escaped; certain; inevitable

innurturance - noun -the opposite of nurturance; that is, neglect; lack of care or protection

insatiaty - adjective - insatiableness (N.B. spelled insatiety in the dictionary)

insentience - noun - the state of lacking consciousness or ability to perceive sensations

intaglio - noun - 1. a design or figure carved, incised, or engraved into a hard material so that it is below the surface 2. something, as a gem or stone, ornamented with such a design or figure; opposed to cameo 3. the art or process of making such designs or figures 4. a method of printing from a plate on which incised lines, which carry the ink, leave a raised impression 5. a die cut to produce a design in relief

intransigence - noun - the trait of being intransigent; stubbornly refusing to compromise

inutile - adjective - [obsolete] lacking in utility or serviceability; not useful; unprofitable

invidiously - adverb - in a manner arousing resentment, ill will, or animosity

irenic - adjective - promoting peace; peaceful; pacific; favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation

irrefrangible - adjective - 1. that which cannot be broken or violated 2. that which cannot be refracted

jacol - noun - obsolete form of jackal

jaconet - noun - a lightweight cotton cloth resembling lawn used for clothing, neckcloths, bandages, etc. (N.B. lawn in this sense is a light cotton or linen fabric of very fine weave; also spelled jacconet)

jocund - adjective - sprightly and lighthearted in disposition, character, or quality; cheerful; gay; airy; lively; sportive

judder - verb - to shake rapidly or spasmodically; to vibrate conspicuously

knaggy - adjective - knotty; rough; figuratively, rough in temper

knurled - adjective - 1. full of knots; gnarled 2. milled, as the head of a screw, or the edge of a coin; covered with a series of small ridges or grooves that aid in gripping

kohl - noun - cosmetic preparation, such as powdered antimony sulfide, used especially in the Middle East to darken the rims of the eyelids

lamia - noun - 1. [classical mythology] any of a class of monsters, half woman and half serpent, supposed to lure people, especially children, in order to suck their blood 2. a vampire; female demon; sorceress

lassitude - noun - a state or feeling of weariness, diminished energy, or listlessness

malefic - adjective - causing disaster; harmful; evil

malison - noun - [archaic] a curse

massif - noun - 1. a large mountain mass or compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range 2. large section or block of the earth's crust that is more rigid than the surrounding rock and has been moved or displaced as a unit, often so as to form peaks of a mountain range

medicament - noun - a medicine; substance for curing or healing, or for relieving pain

mendacious - adjective - not truthful; lying or false

merchantry - noun - 1. the body of merchants taken collectively; as, the merchantry of a country 2. the business of a merchant; merchandise

miasmic - adjective - 1. of noxious stench from atmospheric pollution 2. filled with vapor

miscegenation - noun - marriage or sexual relations between a man and a woman of different races

moire - adjective - 1. having a watered, or wavy, pattern, as certain fabrics, stamps, or metal surfaces - noun - a watered pattern pressed into cloth, etc. with engraved rollers

moonstone - noun - a nearly pellucid variety of feldspar, showing pearly or opaline reflections from within (N.B. pellucid is admitting the passage of light; transparent or translucent or transparently clear in style or meaning)

mordant - adjective - 1. biting, cutting, caustic, or sarcastic, as speech, wit, etc. 2. causing corrosion 3. acting as a mordant - noun - 1. a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring matter, as a metallic compound that combines with the organic due to form an insoluble colored compound, or lake, in the fiber of the fabric 2. an acid or other corrosive substance used in etching to bite lines, areas, etc. into the surface

morganite - noun - rosy-pink variety of beryl, valued as a semiprecious gem

mummer - noun - 1. masked or costumed merrymaker, especially at a festival 2. a) one who acts or plays in a pantomime b) an actor

nystagmus - noun - an involuntary, rapid movement of the eyeball usually from side to side

obligato - adjective - not to be left out, indispensable; used of an accompaniment that is an integral part of a musical piece (N.B. also spelled obbligato)

obloquy - noun - 1. verbal abuse of a person or thing; censure or vituperation, especially when widespread or general 2. ill repute, disgrace, or infamy resulting from this

occlude - adjective - 1. to close, shut, or block (a passage) 2. to prevent the passage of; shut in or out 3. to conceal, hide, or obscure 4. [chemistry] to retain or absorb (a gas, liquid, or solid)

ocher - adjective - 1. an earthy clay colored by iron oxide, usually yellow or reddish brown: used as a pigment in paints 2. the color of ocher; especially, dark yellow

odalisque - noun - a concubine or woman slave in a harem

opalescence - noun - a reflection of a milky or pearly light from the interior of a mineral, as in the moonstone; the state or quality of being opalescent

opalescent - adjective - exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal; having a play of lustrous rainbow-like colors

ophite - noun - 1. a mottled green rock composed of diabase 2. any of various green rocks, such as serpentine 3. [obsolete] of or pertaining to a serpent

organdy - noun - a kind of transparent light muslin, used for trim, curtains, and light apparel

oriel - noun - a large window built out from a wall and resting on a bracket or a corbel; bay window

oriflamme - noun - 1. the ancient royal standard of France, a red silk banner with flame-shaped streamers 2. any battle standard 3. any symbol of courage or devotion

otiose - adjective - 1. being at leisure; idle; indolent; lazy 2. serving no useful purpose; superfulous or useless 3. ineffective or futile

palanquin - noun - [historical] a covered litter used in South Asia, usually for one person, carried by poles on the shoulders of two or more men

pediment - noun - 1. [archaic] originally, in classical architecture, the triangular space forming the gable of a simple roof; hence, a similar form used as a decoration over porticoes, doors, windows, etc.; also, a rounded or broken frontal having a similar position and use 2. [geology] a broad, gently sloping rock surface at the base of a steeper slope, often covered with alluvium, formed primarily by erosion

penitent - adjective - feeling pain, sorrow or remorse on account of sins or offenses; repentant; contrite; sincerely affected by a sense of guilt, and resolved on amendment of life - noun - 1. one who is penitent 2. a person performing penance under the direction of a confessor

penteconter - noun - a Grecian vessel with fifty oars

percipience - noun - the faculty, act, or power of perceiving; perception, especially keen perception

phosphene - noun - a luminous impression caused by excitation of the retina by mechanical or electrical means rather than by light, as when the eyeballs are pressed through closed lids

pith - noun - 1. [botany] the soft, spongelike, central cylinder of the stems of most flowering plants, composed mainly of parenchyma 2. [zoology] the soft inner substance of a feather or hair 3. the essential or central part; the heart or essence 4. strength; vigor; mettle 5. significance; importance 6. [archaic] spinal cord or bone marrow - verb - 1. to remove the pith from (a plant stem) 2. to sever or destroy the spinal cord of, usually by inserting a needle into the vertebral canal 3. to kill (cattle) by cutting the spinal cord

plaint - noun - 1. an utterance of grief or sorrow; lamentation; hence, a mournful song; a lament 2. a complaint 3. [legal] a private memorial tendered to a court, in which a person sets forth his cause of action

pleural - adjective - of or pertaining to the pleura or pleurae, or to the sides of the thorax (N.B. pleura are the thin serous membrane in mammals that envelops each lung and folds back to make a lining for the chest cavity)

politesse - noun - politeness

poniard - noun - a dagger - verb - to stab with a dagger

porphyry - noun - rock containing relatively large conspicuous crystals, especially feldspar, in a fine-grained igneous matrix

potentate - noun - 1. one who has the power and position to rule over others; a monarch 2. one who dominates or leads a group or an endeavor

promptitude - noun - the quality of being prompt; promptness

propitious - adjective - 1. favorably inclined or disposed; gracious 2. boding well; favorable; auspicious 3. that favors or furthers; advantageous

provender - noun - 1. dry food for domestic animals, as hay, straw, corn, oats, or a mixture of ground grain; feed 2. [rare or obsolete] food or provisions

puissance - noun - [now chiefly literary] power; strength; might; force; potency

purblind - adjective - 1. originally, completely blind 2. partly blind 3. slow in perceiving or understanding

purposive - adjective - 1. serving some purpose 2. having a purpose

putative - adjective - generally regarded as such; supposed

rapine - noun - 1. the act of plundering; the seizing and carrying away of things by force; spoliation; pillage; plunder 2. [obsolete] ravishment; rape

ratline - noun - 1. any of the small ropes fastened horizontally to the shrouds of a ship and forming a ladder for going aloft 2. the material used for these ropes

reave - verb - 1. [archaic] to take away by violence; seize; rob 2. [archaic] to break, split, tear, or the like

reck - verb - 1. [archaic] to make account of; to care for; to heed; to regard; to have caution 2. [poetic] to concern; used impersonally

recusancy - noun - 1. refusal to submit to established authority; originally the refusal of Roman Catholics to attend services of the Church of England 2. the state of being recusant; nonconformity

rede - verb - 1. to give advice to; counsel 2. to interpret; explain - noun - 1. advice or counsel 2. [archaic] a narration

reft - adjective - robbed or bereft (of something) (past tense and past participle of reave)

refulgence - noun - the quality of being refulgent; brilliancy; splendor; radiance

refulgent - adjective - casting a bright light; radiant; brilliant; resplendent; shining; splendid

relict - noun - 1. [ecology] an organism or species of an earlier time surviving in an environment that has undergone considerable change 2. something that has survived; a remnant 3. a widow

ribband - noun - 1. a ribbon, especially one awarded for some achievement 2. a flat rail attached to posts in a palisade

riposte - noun - 1. a quick thrust given after parrying an opponent's lunge in fencing 2. a retaliatory action, maneuver, or retort - verb - 1. to make a return thrust 2. to retort quickly

roil - verb - 1. to make (a liquid) cloudy, muddy, or unsettled by stirring up sediment 2. to stir up; agitate 3. to make angry or irritable; rile

roulade - noun - [music] an embellishment consisting of a rapid run of several notes sung to one syllable 2. a slice of meat rolled around a filling and cooked

rove - adjective - 1. [nautical] past participle of reeve (N.B. as an adjective, to reeve is to pass through a hole, ring, pulley, or block or to fasten by passing through or around)

rue - noun - 1. sorrow; regret; disappointment; grief 2. [botany] a perennial suffrutescent plant (Ruta graveolens), having a strong, heavy odor and a bitter taste; herb of grace; used in medicines - verb - to feel sorrow; to regret

sackbut - noun - a medieval instrument resembling the trombone

sapid - adjective - 1. having a taste, especially a pleasing taste; savory 2. agreeable to the mind; interesting; engaging

sark - noun - [Scottish] a shirt

scathless - adjective - unharmed

scull - noun - 1. a long oar used at the stern of a boat and moved from side to side to propel the boat forward 2. one of a pair of short-handled oars used by a single rower 3. a small light racing boat for one, two, or four rowers, each using a pair of sculls - verb - [nautical] to impel (a boat) with a pair of sculls, or with a single scull or oar worked over the stern obliquely from side to side

sempiteinal - adjective - everlasting; perpetual; eternal

seraphic - adjective - 1. a celestial being having three pairs of wings 2. [Christianity] the first of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology 3. of or pertaining to a seraph: angelic; sublime; pure; refined; having a sweet nature befitting an angel or cherub

seriated - adjective - arranged or occurring in a series or in rows

serried - adjective - placed close together; crowded; compact, as soldiers in ranks

sibilation - noun - utterance with a hissing sound; also, the sound itself; a hiss

silverine - adjective - silvery; like silver

sinecure - noun - 1. originally, a church benefice not involving the care of souls 2. any office or position providing an income or other advantage but requiring little or no work

sirocco - noun - 1. a hot, steady oppressive wind blowing from the Libyan deserts across the Mediterranean into southern Europe, often bringing dust and sometimes accompanied by rain 2. any hot, oppressive wind, especially one blowing toward a center of low barometric pressure 3. a windstorm that lifts up clouds of dust or sand

somnolence - noun - sleepiness; drowsiness; inclination to sleep

sough - noun - a soft, low, murmuring, sighing, or rustling sound - verb - to make a sough

spate - noun - 1. a sudden flood, rush, or outpouring 2. [British] a) a flash flood b) a freshet resulting from a downpour of rain or melting of snow c) a sudden, heavy fall of rain (N.B. a freshet is a sudden overflow of a stream resulting from a heavy rain or a thaw)

spavined - adjective - affected with spavin; lame (N.B. spavin is a disease of horses in which a deposit of bone (bone spavin) or an infusion of lymph (bog spavin) develops in the hock joint, usually causing lameness)

stertorously - adverb - in a noisy and stertorous manner (N.B. stertor is loud, raspy, labored breathing, or snoring, caused by obstructed respiratory passages)

stippled - adjective - 1. drawn, engraved, or painted in dots or short strokes 2. dotted, flecked, or speckled 3. engraved by means of dots, in distinction from engraving in lines

suborn - verb - 1. to get or bring out through bribery or other illegal methods 2. to induce or instigate (another) to do something illegal, especially to commit perjury

subsume - verb - 1. to include within a larger class, group, order, etc. 2. to show (an idea, instance, etc.) to be covered by a rule, principle, etc.

succubus - noun - a demon or fiend; especially, a lascivious spirit supposed to have sexual intercourse with the men by night; a succuba

suppurate - verb - to form or discharge pus; fester

suspiration - noun - the act of sighing, or fetching a long and deep breath; a deep respiration; a sigh

susurration - noun - a soft, whispering or rustling sound; a murmur

susurrus - noun - a soft, whispering or rustling sound; a murmur

suzerainty - noun - the position or power of a suzerain (N.B. suzerain is 1. a feudal lord 2. a state in its relation to a semiautonomous state over which it exercises political control)

temerity - noun - foolhardy disregard of danger; recklessness

tersity - noun - the quality of being terse, brief; tersness

thaumaturge - noun - a performer of miracles or magic feats

theurgy - noun - 1. an occurrence or accomplishment or a sequence of these, especially when remarkable or extraordinary, viewed as effected by supernatural or divine agency 2. a set if acts or incantations taken to be capable of producing such occurrences or accomplishments

thews - noun - 1. muscular power; bodily strength 2. muscles or sinews

thorp - noun - [archaic] a group of houses in the country; a small village, a hamlet, a dorp; now chiefly occurring in names of places and persons, such as Althorp

threnody - noun - a song of lamentation; funeral song: also threnode

thurible - noun - a censer of metal, for burning incense, having various forms, held in the hand or suspended by chains; used especially at mass, vespers, and other solemn services

thurifer - noun - an acolyte who carries a thurible

tincture - noun - 1. a coloring or dyeing substance; a pigment 2. a tinge or shade of color; a tint 3. [heraldry] one of the metals, colors, or furs used in armory 4. a quality that colors, pervades, or distinguishes; a slight quality added to anything 5. a trace or vestige 6. the finer and more volatile parts of a substance, separated by a solvent; an extract of a part of the substance of a body communicated to the solvent 7. [medical] a solution (commonly colored) of medicinal substance in alcohol, usually more or less diluted; spirit containing medicinal substances in solution - verb - 1. to stain or tint with a color 2. to infuse, as with a quality; impregnate

tintinnabulating - verb- ringing like a bell (N.B. tintinnabulation is the ringing sound of bells and tintinnabulary is of bells or the ringing of bells)

tittle - noun - 1. a dot or other small mark used as a diacritic 2. a very small particle; iota; jot (N.B. a diacritic is a diacritical mark; such a mark is any of various marks, as a macron or cedilla, added to a letter or symbol to indicate its pronunciation or to distinguish it in some way)

traduce - verb - 1. to say untrue or malicious things about; defame; slander; vilify 2. to make a mockery of; betray

travertine - noun - a light-colored, usually concretionary limestone deposited around limy springs, lakes, or streams (N.B. a concretion is a solidified mass, specifically in geology, something encased in sedimentary rock, which was created by the formation of layers of mineral matter around it)

trenchant - adjective - 1. fitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp 2. keen; biting; caustic; severe; as, trenchant wit 3. forceful, effective, and vigorous 4. distinct; clear-cut

trencher - noun - 1. a wooden board or platter on which food is carved or served 2. [archaic] the pleasure of the table; food 3. one that digs trenches

trireme - noun - an ancient Greek or Roman galley, usually a warship, with three banks of oars on each side

tumescence - noun - 1. a swelling; distention 2. a swollen or distended part

tumid - adjective - 1. swollen; bulging 2. inflated or pompous

vellum - noun - 1. a) a fine parchment made from calfskin, lambskin, or kidskin, rendered clear and white and used for the pages and binding of books b) a work written or printed on this parchment 2. a heavy off-white fine-quality paper resembling this parchment

verdure - noun - 1. the fresh-green color of growing things; greenness 2. green growing plants and trees; green vegetation 3. vigorous or flourishing condition

vermeil - noun - 1. [obsolete or old poetic] the color vermilion 2. gilded or gold-colored copper, bronze, or silver (N.B. vermilion is a bright red pigment or a bright red or scarlet color)

viand - noun - 1. an article of food 2. [plural] food of various kinds; especially choice dishes

viga - noun - [Southwestern] a rafter or roofbeam, especially a trimmed and peeled tree trunk whose end projects from an outside adobe wall

virga - noun - light rain that evaporates before it reaches the ground

viridian - noun - a bluish-green pigment, hydrated chromic oxide, Cr₂O₃

virtu - noun - 1. excellence or merit in objects of art, curios, and the like 2. such objects or articles collectively 3. a taste for or knowledge of such objects

viscid - adjective - 1. having a cohesive and stick fluid consistency; viscous 2. covered with a viscid substance

vitiate - verb - 1. to make imperfect, faulty, or impure; spoil; corrupt 2. to weaken morally; debase; pervert 3. to make (a contract or other legal instrument) ineffective; invalidate (N.B. also used as an adjective, vitiated)

vizard - noun - 1. a part of a helmet, arranged so as to lift or open, and so show the face; the openings for seeing and breathing are generally in it 2. a mask used to disfigure or disguise 3. the fore piece of a cap, projecting over, and protecting the eyes

weal - noun - 1. a sound, healthy, or prosperous state of a person or thing; prosperity; happiness; welfare 2. a raised mark on the skin (as produced by a blow) - verb - to promote the weal of; to cause to be prosperous

whelm - verb - 1. to cover with water or other fluid; to cover by immersion in something that envelops on all sides; to overwhelm; to engulf 2. to cover completely, as if with water; to overcome

wold - noun - 1. a treeless, rolling plain, especially a high one; a moor 2. an herb (Reseda luteola) related to mignonette, growing in Europe, and to some extent in America used by dyers to give a yellow color; also called dyer's broom, dyer's rocket, dyer's weed, wild woad (N.B. may also be spelled weld)