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Based on the Wiktionary Word of the Day Archive. Some editing of the list to remove ones that would be too easy in question form, and some editing of the descriptions to make them shorter or fit the questions better.

680 facts:

Aah
   means   
An Indication of Amazement, Surprise or Enthusiasm

Abaculus
   means   
A Small Mosaic Tile
Usually made of marble or glass.


Abasia
   means   
Inability to Control Muscles in Walking

Aberrant
   means   
Deviating from the Proper Course

Abirritate
   means   
To Diminish the Sensibility Of; to Debilitate

Abluvion
   means   
Substance or Things Washed Away

Aboriginal
   means   
One of the Original Inhabitants of a Region
Should be capitalized for the first inhabitants of Australia


Aboulia
   means   
The Absence of Will-power or Decisiveness
Especially as a symptom of mental illness. Frequently spelled abulia.


Abozzo
   means   
Rough, Preliminary Sketch

Abreuvoir
   means   
Gap Between Stones in Masonry

Abrogate
   means   
To Abolish, Cancel or Void

Absquatulate
   means   
To Leave Quickly or in a Hurry

Abstemious
   means   
Practicing Moderation in Drink
From Latin-later Shakespeare included it to refer to moderation in sex (Tempest)


Abstruse
   means   
Highly Technical Information

Acaulescent
   means   
Having a Very Short Stem

Acushla
   means   
Term of Address: Darling
From the Irish: ícuisle - O pulse (of my heart)


Addubitation
   means   
Suggestion of Doubt

Adoxography
   means   
Literature, Fine Writing on Trivial or Base Subject

Aerumnous
   means   
Full of Trouble
As in the lemon of a used car you bought


Affidavit
   means   
A Written Statement Made on Oath

Agathokakological
   means   
Made up of Both Good and Evil

Agerasia
   means   
A Lack of the Signs of Age

Agon
   means   
A Struggle or Contest
Especially between the protagonist and antagonist in a literary work


Agrestic
   means   
Rude

Airling
   means   
A Young Thoughtless Person

Alacrity
   means   
Cheerful Willingness

Alastor
   means   
An Avenging Deity or Spirit
Masculine personification of Nemesis. Frequently evoked in Greek tragedy


Albite
   means   
Common White Feldspar
Composed of a silicate of alumina and soda. It is a common constituent of granite and of various igneous rocks.


Aleatory
   means   
Accidental

Alectryomachy
   means   
Cock-fighting

Alembic
   means   
A Flask Formerly Used for Distilling
An early chemical apparatus, consisting of two retorts connected by a tube, used to purify substances by distillation. A retort is a glassware device used for distillation or dry distillation of substances. It consists of a spherical vessel with a long downward-pointing neck.


Alexithymia
   means   
Inability to Describe Emotions in a Verbal Manner

Algedonic
   means   
Pertaining to Both Pleasure and Pain

Algorithm
   means   
A Step-by-step System of Solving a Problem
Especially in computers


Alpenglow
   means   
A Rosy Glow Seen Near Sunset or Sunrise on the Summits of Mountains
Especially snow covered mountains


Amadelphous
   means   
Gregarious

Amanuensis
   means   
One Employed to Take Dictation, or Copy Manuscripts

Amative
   means   
Pertaining to Love; Amorous

Ambisinistrous
   means   
Clumsy
Having two left hands


Ameliorate
   means   
To Make Better, to Improve
To heal or solve a problem


Anachorism
   means   
Something out of Place in or Foreign to a Country

Anachronism
   means   
The Erroneous Dating of an Event
A chronological mistake


Analgesia
   means   
Absence of Pain
This is distinct from anesthestia, which is the absence of all sensation (numbness), including touch and temperature.


Anaphora
   means   
The Repetition of a Phrase at the Beginning of Phrases, Sentences, or Verses
Used for emphasis


Anathema
   means   
A Ban or Curse Pronounced With Religious Solemnity by Ecclesiastical Authority
Accompanied by excommunication


Anguine
   means   
Snakelike
Pertaining to snakes or serpents. Synonym: ophidian.


Animadversion
   means   
Strong Criticism

Antediluvian
   means   
Extremely Outmoded
'before the flood'


Anthropomorphic
   means   
Given Human Attributes

Antidisestablishmentarianism
   means   
A Political Philosophy Opposed to the Separation of Church and State

Antipodal
   means   
Diametrically Opposite
... though in fact diametric and opposite mean the same thing. This often used expression literally means oppositely opposite (which is redundant)


Aplomb
   means   
Self-confident Assurance

Apolaustic
   means   
Devoted to Enjoyment

Apotropaic
   means   
Intended to Ward off Evil

Apraxia
   means   
Total or Partial Loss of the Ability to Perform Coordinated Movements or Manipulate Objects in the Absence of Motor or Sensory Impairment

Apropos
   means   
Fitting, Appropriate

Arachnidism
   means   
The Condition of Being Poisoned As a Result of a Spider's Bite

Archipelago
   means   
A Large Group of Islands

Arcuate
   means   
Curved or Arched Like a Bow

Ardor
   means   
A Great Warmth of Feeling; Fervor; Passion

Arithmogram
   means   
Number Composed of Numerical Values Assigned to Letters in a Word

Arrogate
   means   
To Lay Claim to Without Justification
As in a US President arrogating the power of Congress to declare war


Asinine
   means   
Utterly Stupid
The noun form is 'asininity'.


Asperate
   means   
To Make Rough of Uneven

Assuage
   means   
To Lessen the Intensity Of; to Pacify; to Soothe

Asthenic
   means   
Extremely Thin or Wasted

Asymptote
   means   
A Value Which a Function Approaches but Never Reaches

Atheist
   means   
One Who Denies That There Can Be Any Knowledge of God or of Supernatural Things

Atokous
   means   
Lacking Offspring

Atrabilious
   means   
Gloomy

Atrate
   means   
A Mourner
One dressed in black


Aural
   means   
Relating to the Sense of Hearing
As distinct from "oral"


Austral
   means   
Of, Relating To, or Coming from the South

Avarice
   means   
An Excessive or Inordinate Desire of Gain
Greediness after wealth; covetousness; cupidity.


Avoirdupois
   means   
Weight, Heaviness
"Yet until middle age and avoirdupois overtook her, Mary was no slouch."-John Updike


Avolition
   means   
Lack of Initiative or Goals
One of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.


Bacchanalia
   means   
Drunken Behaviour
Festival of Bacchus


Balanophagy
   means   
The Eating of Acorns

Ballyhoo
   means   
Sensational or Clamorous Advertising or Publicity

Balter
   means   
To Dance Clumsily

Banausic
   means   
Dully Mechanical

Bathos
   means   
Anticlimax With Humorous Effect, Spurious Pathos; Triteness

Bawdily
   means   
In a Bawdy Manner; Lewdly or Obscenely

Bedizen
   means   
Dress Gaudily

Behemoth
   means   
A Great and Mighty Beast
Described in Job 40:15-24, used to illustrate God's mightiness.


Behoove
   means   
To Be Necessary or Advantageous
Also used as a transitive verb.


Bellicose
   means   
Warlike in Nature; Aggressive; Hostile
From the Latin 'bellum' meaning war.


Bellwether
   means   
Anything That Indicates Future Trends

Bestir
   means   
To Put Into Brisk or Vigorous Action

Biblioclasm
   means   
Destruction of Books; Destructive Criticism of Bible

Bicrural
   means   
Two-legged

Bifurcate
   means   
Split Into Two Branches or Forks

Billow
   means   
A Large Wave, Swell, Surge, or Undulating Mass of Water, Smoke or Sound

Blandiloquence
   means   
Complimentary Language or Speech

Blandish
   means   
To Coax With Gentle Persuasion
More efficacious than "to brandish"


Blarney
   means   
The Ability to Talk Constantly; Persuasive Flattery

Blind Freddy
   means   
An Imaginary Incapacitated Person

Bloviate
   means   
To Speak or Discourse at Length in a Pompous or Boastful Manner

Blurt
   means   
To Speak Quickly or Without Thought
To divulge inconsiderately, to utter suddenly and unadvisedly.


Bonhomie
   means   
Friendliness; Urbane Manner

Boondoggle
   means   
A Waste of Time And/or Money
A pointless activity


Boustrophedon
   means   
Writing Where the Reading Direction Changes Every Line
Reading direction changes from right-to-left to left-to-right each line.


Brazen-faced
   means   
Impudent
Open and without shame


Brobdingnagian
   means   
Enormous, Huge, Far Larger Than is Customary for Such a Thing

Bromopnea
   means   
Bad Breath

Brouhaha
   means   
An Uproar
Not quite as much as a ruckus.


Buffaloing
   means   
Deceiving or Hoodwinking

Bumbershoot
   means   
An Umbrella
American origin


Bumptious
   means   
Self-conceited; Forward; Pushing

Burke
   means   
Murder Without Leaving a Trace on the Body

Burnoose
   means   
A Hooded Cloak Worn by Arabs

Cachet
   means   
Prestige, Distinctive Mark or Quality; Seal

Cachexia
   means   
A General Wasting of the Body

Cachinnator
   means   
One Who Laughs Too Often or Too Loud

Cachou
   means   
A Pastille Used to Sweeten the Breath

Cacogenics
   means   
The Study of Degeneration of Offspring

Cacology
   means   
Incorrect Diction

Cacophony
   means   
A Mix of Discordant Sounds
Dissonance


Caesura
   means   
A Pause or Interruption in a Poem, Music, Building or Other Work of Art

Cahoots
   means   
Secret Partnership
Slang


Caitiff
   means   
A Despicable Coward

Calamistration
   means   
The Act or Process of Curling the Hair

Calenture
   means   
A Heatstroke or Tropical Fever

Callipygian
   means   
Having Well-formed Buttocks

Callisteia
   means   
Beauty Prizes

Calumny
   means   
Defamation
Also called vilification, slander or libel. A falsification or misrepresentation intended to disparage or discredit another


Canescent
   means   
Becoming White; Hoary

Caprice
   means   
An Impulsive Seemingly Unmotivated Notion or Action

Cardinal
   means   
Of Fundamental Importance

Casuistry
   means   
Solving of Moral Dilemmas by the Application of General Principles of Ethics

Casuist
   means   
Sophist Resolver of Questions of Conscience

Catafalque
   means   
A Platform Used to Display or Convey a Coffin During a Funeral
Often ornate


Catalepsy
   means   
Rigid or Trance-like Fit

Catty-corner
   means   
Diagonal
Or as an adverb: in a diagonal position.


Cavalcade
   means   
A Company of Riders

Celerity
   means   
Speed

Cenobiotic
   means   
Pertaining to a Community Life
As of monks or uni-cellular organisms


Chalcedony
   means   
Blue or Grey Variety of Quartz

Chaplet
   means   
A Wreath or Garland for the Head
Usually made from flowers.


Charlatan
   means   
Fraud
A person who pretends to more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses


Chicanery
   means   
Deception
By quibbling or sophistry


Chorizo
   means   
Spicy Pork Sausage
Spanish


Chortle
   means   
A Joyful Laugh

Chrestomathy
   means   
A Collection of Written Passages, Used to Learn an Unfamiliar Language

Chromatid
   means   
Either of the Two Strands of a Chromosome That Separate During Mitosis

Chthonic
   means   
Dwelling in or Under the Earth
Often referring to the gods of the underworld


Churlish
   means   
Rude

Chutzpah
   means   
Impudence
Or - unbelievable audacity. From the Yiddish "khutspe".


Cimicine
   means   
Smelling Like Bugs

Cingulate
   means   
Having Girdle

Clancular
   means   
Done or Kept in Secret

Clandestine
   means   
Done or Kept in Secret
Sometimes to conceal an illicit or improper purpose.


Cleave
   means   
To Split

Cledonism
   means   
Using Circumlocution to Avoid Speaking Words Deemed Unlucky

Coadjuvant
   means   
Co-operating

Cockalorum
   means   
A Little Man With an Unduly High Opinion of Himself

Collenchyma
   means   
Supportive Tissue of Plants

Colossal
   means   
Extremely Large or on a Great Scale
The Greek Colossus of Rhodes is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.


Complot
   means   
Plot, Conspiracy

Compotation
   means   
A Drinking Party

Concatenate
   means   
Link Together; Form Into Series

Concatenation
   means   
A Series or Order of Things Depending on Each Other, As if Linked Together
A chain, a succession.


Concinnous
   means   
Harmonious; Fit, Elegant

Concubitant
   means   
Marriageable

Concupiscent
   means   
Having Strong Sexual Desires

Condign
   means   
Well Deserved or Well Merited
Usually of punishment


Condyle
   means   
The Rounded Prominence at the End of a Bone

Confabulate
   means   
To Chat

Conflagration
   means   
A Large Fire Extending to Many Objects, or over a Large Space
A general burning.


Confrication
   means   
A Rubbing Together; Friction

Consenescence
   means   
The Act of Growing Old Together

Conspue
   means   
To Spit With Contempt

Constult
   means   
To Act Stupidly Together

Contaminate
   means   
To Pollute
Can be used specifically to mean expose to radioactive material. Also, a noun meaning the same as contaminant.


Contretemps
   means   
An Inopportune or Embarrassing Occurrence

Contrite
   means   
Sincerely Penitent or Feeling Regret or Sorrow, Especially for One's Own Actions
Apologetic.


Convival
   means   
Festive

Convolute
   means   
To Make Something Unnecessarily Complex

Coruscate
   means   
To Give off Light; to Reflect in Flashes; to Sparkle

Cosmopolitan
   means   
All-inclusive; Affecting the Whole World

Couth
   means   
Refined, Sophisticated

Crapulous
   means   
Sick from Excessive Indulgence in Drinking or Eating
Surcharged with liquor; alcoholism; drunk; given to excesses


Crepitus
   means   
A Crackling Sound Heard over Broken Bone, an Inflamed Lung, or Damaged Joint.
As of pneumonia patients


Crevasse
   means   
Deep Chasm in Glacier

Ctenophile
   means   
A Lover of Combs

Cucullate
   means   
Hooded; Hood-shaped

Curule
   means   
Applied to Curved-legged Chair Occupied by High Officials of Ancient Rome

Curvilinear
   means   
Consisting of or Bounded by Curved Lines

Czigany
   means   
Gypsy

Daube
   means   
Braised Meat Stew

Deasil
   means   
Clockwise
Following the direction of the sun's movement


Decalvant
   means   
Depilatory
Medical jargon. From the Latin Decalvare - to make bald


Decastich
   means   
Ten Line Poem

Declivity
   means   
A Downward Slope As a Hill

Defatigable
   means   
Easily Tired or Wearied; Capable of Being Fatigued

Defenestrate
   means   
To Eject or Throw from a Window
The word comes from the Latin de ("from; out of") and fenestra ("window").


Deflagrate
   means   
Burn up Suddenly

Defoliate
   means   
Strip Leaves from a Tree
Or bush or any plant, really. Also can be used as an adjective.


Deipnosophist
   means   
One Who Excels at Conversations at the Dinner Table

Demi-monde
   means   
Class of Women of Doubtful Reputation

Denouement
   means   
The Outcome or End Result

Depascent
   means   
Eating

Depone
   means   
To Testify Under Oath

Desiderium
   means   
An Ardent Longing for a Thing Lost
Such as youth


Desuetude
   means   
The State of Being No Longer Used or Practiced

Detente
   means   
The Relaxing of Tension Between Rivals
Esp. between nations


Deteriorism
   means   
Attitude That Things Will Get Worse

Detersion
   means   
An Act of Cleansing

Dexterous
   means   
Skillful

Dextral
   means   
On Right-hand Side

Dextrorotatory
   means   
Turning Clockwise or to the Right

Diacritic
   means   
A Special Mark Added to a Letter to Indicate a Different Pronunciation, Stress, Tone, or Meaning

Diatribe
   means   
An Abusive, Bitter Denunciation

Dictatorial
   means   
Overbearing

Didactic
   means   
Intended to Teach

Diffugient
   means   
Dispersing

Diffuse
   means   
Widely Scattered
Obviously different from "defuse"


Dingle
   means   
A Small, Narrow, Usually Wooded Valley

Diphthong
   means   
A Complex Vowel Sound That Begins With the Sound of One Vowel and Ends With the Sound of Another Vowel

Disambiguation
   means   
Clarification

Disavow
   means   
To Refuse Strongly and Solemnly to Own or Acknowledge
To deny responsibility for, approbation of, and the like; to disclaim; to disown


Discombobulate
   means   
To Throw Into a State of Confusion
To befuddle or perplex


Discrepancy
   means   
An Inconsistency Between Facts or Sentiments

Disembark
   means   
To Go Ashore
From a ship, or leave a vehicle or aircraft


Disparate
   means   
Composed of Inherently Different or Distinct Elements
Incongruous


Dispendious
   means   
Extravagant, Costly

Doctored
   means   
Altered; Falsified

Doucer
   means   
Sweetness, Sweetener; Bribe; Gratuity; Gentleness of Manner

Doyen
   means   
One Who is Knowledgeable or Uniquely Skilled As a Result of Long Experience in a Field of Endeavor

Draconian
   means   
Unusually Severe
See: Java Jive


Dyslogy
   means   
Unfavourable Speech; Censure

Eccentric
   means   
Not at or in the Centre

Eclectic
   means   
Selecting, Especially the Best from a Number of Sources; Comprising Selected Pieces

Eclogue
   means   
A Poem in the Form of a Conversation Between Shepherds
In classical literature, a poem featuring rural themes and structured as a dialogue among shepherds.


Egregious
   means   
Outstandingly Bad

Egress
   means   
An Exit or Way out

Eleemosynary
   means   
Relating to Charity, Alms, or Almsgiving

Elucubration
   means   
To Produce by Long and Intensive Effort
Especially writing


Elumbated
   means   
Weak or Lame in the Loins
???


Emaciation
   means   
The Act of Making Very Lean

Eminently
   means   
In an Prominent Manner

Emunctory
   means   
Relating to Nose Blowing

Encompass
   means   
To Form a Circle Around; to Encircle

Enlistee
   means   
Any New Member of an Organization or Supporter of a Cause

Ennui
   means   
Boredom

Ensconce
   means   
To Place in a Secure Environment

Eon
   means   
Eternity
However, in Astronomy, it means one billion years. Which only seems like an eternity.


Epigenetics
   means   
The Study of the Processes Involved in the Genetic Development of an Organism
Especially the activation and deactivation of genes


Epizeuxis
   means   
The Repetition of Words With Vehemence or Emphasis
As in, "alone, alone, all alone, alone on a wide wide sea" -- Coleridge


Eponymous
   means   
Named After a Person
As in a tribe, place, crater, law that is named after a person etc.


Eponym
   means   
A Person from Whom Something E.g. a Place, Takes Its Name
A person, real or imaginary, from whom something e.g. a tribe, a nation or a place takes its name. Brut, the supposed grandson of Aeneas, is the eponym of the Britons


Equipoise
   means   
A State of Balance; Equilibrium

Erinaceous
   means   
Relating to or Resembling Hedgehogs

Erratum
   means   
An Error in Printing

Ersatz
   means   
Something Made in Imitation; an Effigy or Substitute

Erudite
   means   
Learned, Scholarly, With Emphasis on Knowledge Gained from Books

Eschar
   means   
A Dry, Dark Scab or Scar, Especially As a Result of Burning

Eschew
   means   
To Avoid; to Shun

Exacerbate
   means   
Make Worse

Excrescence
   means   
Something, Usually Abnormal, Which Grows out of Something else

Exiguous
   means   
Extremely Scanty; Meager

Exophagy
   means   
The Practice, Amongst Cannibals, of Not Eating One's Relatives or Members of One's Tribe

Expectorate
   means   
To Cough up Fluid from the Lungs

Expurgate
   means   
To Edit out Rude, Incorrect, Offensive, Useless, or Otherwise Undesirable Information
To cleanse; to purge.


Exuvia
   means   
Remains of a Moulted Exoskeleton

Famulus
   means   
Attendant to a Sorcerer, Magician

Farcy
   means   
A Livestock Disease
A highly contagious disease of horses, mules, and donkeys -- caused by the bacterium Actinobacillus mallei.


Fascicle
   means   
A Bundle or Cluster

Favonian
   means   
Of or Relating to the West Wind

Febrile
   means   
Feverish, or Having a High Temperature

Fecundity
   means   
Fertility

Felicificability
   means   
Capacity for Happiness

Fermata
   means   
The Holding of a Musical Note or Rest for Longer Than Its Usual Duration
Also the notation of such a prolongation, usually represented as a dot with a semi-circle above it, written above the clef.


Fescennine
   means   
Extremely Rude

Finifugal
   means   
Shunning the End of Anything
Such as a good meal, a good book, etc


Fissiparous
   means   
Factious, Tending to Break Into Pieces

Flabbergasted
   means   
Being Appalled, Amazed, or Stunned

Fleeten
   means   
The Color of Skim Milk

Flibbertigibbet
   means   
A Flighty or Silly or Excessively Talkative Person

Floccinaucinihilipilification
   means   
The Concept That Something is Worthless
Flok-sih-noh-see-Nee-hee-lee-Pee-lih-fih-Kay-shun


Flotsam
   means   
Floating Wreckage
Also refers to vagrant populations.


Foible
   means   
A Weakness

Foment
   means   
To Instigate or Foster Discord or Rebellion

Forbear
   means   
To Refrain

Forebear
   means   
Ancestor

Fortuitous
   means   
Accidental
Not necessarily fortunate


Fortuity
   means   
A Chance Event

Fraternise
   means   
To Associate With Others in a Brotherly or Friendly Manner

Friable
   means   
Easily Crumbled or Broken
As opposed to eggs which are fryable


Funambulate
   means   
To Walk on Ropes; to Tightrope-walk

Fustian
   means   
Pompous or Bombastic As Language

Gallimaufry
   means   
A Jumble

Gallinaceous
   means   
Relating to or Resembling Chickens or Pheasants

Galvanise
   means   
To Shock or Stimulate Into Sudden Activity

Gambol
   means   
To Frolic
Unlike to gamble


Gangling
   means   
Lanky
Not to be confused with ganglion, which are not really that tall.


Gauche
   means   
Awkward or Lacking in Social Graces; Bumbling

Gewgaw
   means   
A Trinket or Bauble, Something Gaudy and Useless

Gibbous
   means   
Characterized by Convexity; Protuberant

Gimcrack
   means   
Showy but of Poor Quality; Worthless

Gingival
   means   
Pertaining to Gums; Alveolar

Glabrous
   means   
Smooth and Bald

Glaucous
   means   
Of a Pale Grayish or Bluish Green
Glaucous leaves


Gobbledygook
   means   
Nonsense

Gobemouche
   means   
One Who Believes Any Absurdity
From French, literally, with his mouth open swallowing flies


Gossamer
   means   
A Fine Film or Strand As of Cobwebs
Floating in the air or caught on bushes etc.


Grampus
   means   
Marine Mammal Resembling a Dolphin

Grandiloquence
   means   
Pompous Speech

Gravelblind
   means   
Having Minimal Vision

Guano
   means   
A Substance Composed Chiefly of the Excrement of Seafowl and Used As Fertilizer

Guffaw
   means   
A Boisterous Laugh

Hagiarchy
   means   
Government by Priests

Hagiography
   means   
A Biography of a Saint

Halcyon
   means   
In Classical Legends, a Bird Said to Nest on the Sea and to Calm the Waters to Make This Possible
Usually identified with the kingfisher, and derived from the Greek myth of Alcyone.


Hamate
   means   
Hooked at the Tip
Anatomically


Hara-kiri
   means   
Suicide by Disembowelling
Literally translated as "belly cut". Hara-kiri is a informal term for seppuku.


Harangue
   means   
An Impassioned, Disputatious Public Speech
Can be either a verb or a noun - you can harangue someone, or you can deliver a harangue.


Hashmark
   means   
An Insignia Worn on the Uniform to Indicate Years of Service

Hedonism
   means   
The Belief That Pleasure or Happiness is the Highest Good in Life

Helical
   means   
Relating to or Having the Form of a Helix

Helical
   means   
Spiral; Pertaining to Helix

Hermeneutics
   means   
The Study or Theory of the Methodical Interpretation of Text, Especially Holy Texts

Heterogenic
   means   
Occurring in the Wrong Sex
As a beard on a woman or large breasts on a man


Hiatus
   means   
A Break or Pause

Hispid
   means   
Bristly

Hithermost
   means   
Nearest on This Side

Homely
   means   
Plain

Homodoxian
   means   
A Person Who Has the Same Opinion As You

Homologous
   means   
Exactly or Relatively Corresponding in Structure

Hornswoggle
   means   
To Deceive

Hullabaloo
   means   
An Uproar or Fuss

Hydroplane
   means   
To Skim the Surface of a Body of Water While Moving at High Speed

Hyperbole
   means   
Extravagant Rhetorical Exaggeration

Hypertrophy
   means   
An Increase in the Size of an Organ Due to Swelling of the Individual Cells

Hypocrisy
   means   
A Façade of Virtue or Morality

Iatrogenic
   means   
Pertaining to Symptoms Caused Unintentionally by a Doctor

Iconoclast
   means   
One Who Opposes Orthodoxy and Religion
One who adheres to the doctrine of iconoclasm


Idiocrasy
   means   
Constitutional Peculiarity

Ignominious
   means   
Marked by Shame or Disgrace

Ignominy
   means   
Dishonour

Illutible
   means   
Unable to Be Washed Away

Imbue
   means   
Soak; Dye; Impregnate; Permeate

Immolate
   means   
To Sacrifice, Particularly by Fire

Impugn
   means   
To Assault or Attack

Inaniloquent
   means   
Given to Talking Inanely

Inanition
   means   
Mental or Spiritual Hollowness

Incombustible
   means   
Not Capable of Catching Fire and Burning
Not flammable


Indelible
   means   
Unable to Be Washed Away
Having the quality of being difficult to remove, wash away, blot out, or efface


Induratize
   means   
To Harden the Heart
As in to make stubborn, insensitive or callous


Inequity
   means   
Unfairness

Infix
   means   
To Instil

Innocuous
   means   
Harmless

Insouciant
   means   
Marked by Blithe Unconcern; Nonchalant

Intercessor
   means   
Mediator
Or negotiator


Internecine
   means   
Mutually Destructive
Most often applied to warfare


Intractable
   means   
Untreatable, Unsolvable

Intransigent
   means   
Unwilling to Compromise
Unreasonable; irreconcilable; stubborn.


Intrinsic
   means   
Inward: Inherent

Irksome
   means   
Disagreeable or Troublesome by Reason of Long Continuance or Repetition
Bothersome; annoying; irritating; wearisome; tedious.


Iterative
   means   
Repetitious

Jactancy
   means   
Boasting

Jejune
   means   
Childish

Jingoism
   means   
Excessive Patriotism or Aggressive Nationalism
Advanced chauvinism


Jocoserious
   means   
Half Serious and Half in Jest

Jocular
   means   
Humorous or Amusing

Jostle
   means   
To Shove

Jussive
   means   
Signifying Command (grammar)

Juxtapose
   means   
Put Side by Side

Katabasis
   means   
Military Retreat

Kindle
   means   
To Start or Light (a Fire)

Kinesthesia
   means   
The Sensation or Perception of Motion

Knur
   means   
A Bump or Knot, As on a Tree

Knurl
   means   
A Bump or Knot, As on a Tree

Knurl
   means   
Knob

Knurl
   means   
Ridge on the Edge of a Metal Object
E.g a coin or on a thumbscrew as an aid in gripping.


Kreska
   means   
A Diacritic Closely Resembling an Acute Accent

Lachrymiform
   means   
Having a Form of a Tear; Tear Shaped

Lachrymose
   means   
Tearful or Sorrowful
Sad, pertaining to tears, weeping, causing tears or crying


Lackadaisical
   means   
Without Enthusiasm

Lamia
   means   
Female Enchantress or Demon

Lamprophony
   means   
Speaking in Clear, Loud Voice

Latibulate
   means   
To Hide Oneself in a Corner

Legerdemain
   means   
Sleight of Hand
"magic" trickery


Libidinous
   means   
Having Lustful Desires
Characterized by lewdness; sensual; lascivious.


Lilliputian
   means   
A Very Small Person or Being
Comes from the diminutive inhabitants featured in "Gulliver's Travels"


Limpid
   means   
Clear, Particularly Transparent or Bright

Logolepsy
   means   
An Obsession With Words

Logorrhoea
   means   
Excessive Talking

Lollygag
   means   
To Dawdle; to Be Lazy or Idle; to Avoid Necessary Work or Effort

Longueur
   means   
A Long and Boring Passage in a Literary Work

Loquacious
   means   
Talking Too Freely

Louche
   means   
Of Questionable Taste or Morality

Luciferous
   means   
Luminous

Lugubrious
   means   
Gloomy

Lunitidal
   means   
Pertaining to Tidal Movements Dependent on the Moon

Macabre
   means   
Gruesome; Pertaining to Death

Macaronic
   means   
Using Two Languages
In Medieval times, a play or poem using both Latin and vernacular languages.


Macron
   means   
Mark Placed over Long Vowels

Magada
   means   
Bridge of Stringed Musical Instrument

Magniloquent
   means   
Using High-flown Language; Bombastic

Malevolence
   means   
Hostile Attitude or Feeling

Masticate
   means   
To Chew

Matutinal
   means   
Active or Wide Awake in the Morning

Maunder
   means   
To Speak in a Disorganized or Desultory Manner
To babble, prattle, or ramble.


Mauve
   means   
A Bright Purple Synthetic Dye

Medulla
   means   
Marrow or Pith

Mellifluous
   means   
Flowing With Honey or Sweetness
As in a mellifluous voice


Mendacious
   means   
Untruthful

Mephitis
   means   
A Noxious or Pestilential Exhalation from the Earth, As Poison Gas

Meralgia
   means   
Neuralgia of Thigh

Mercurial
   means   
Volatile

Mete
   means   
A Boundary or Other Limit
A boundary-marker


Micturient
   means   
Having a Strong Desire to Urinate

Mizzle
   means   
A Mist-like Rain
Fo shizzle.


Mollify
   means   
To Soften in Feeling or Temper
Pacify; appease


Monad
   means   
A Single Entity or Unit

Mondegreen
   means   
A Form of Error Arising from Mishearing a Spoken or Sung Phrase
Refers to the verse "They hae slain the Earl Amurray and laid him on the green".


Moradacious
   means   
Tending to Bite; Caustic, Sarcastic

Mountebank
   means   
One Who Sells Dubious Medicines

Muss
   means   
Disarrange

Myrmecology
   means   
The Study of Ants

Myrmidon
   means   
A Blindly Obedient Follower

Nadir
   means   
The Point of the Celestial Sphere Directly Opposite the Zenith
Inferior pole of the horizon; point of the celestial sphere directly under the place where we stand.


Namby-pamby
   means   
Insipid and Sentimental
After the satirical poem 'Namby Pamby' written by Henry Carey in 1725.


Narcolepsy
   means   
A Condition Marked by Short Fits of Heavy Sleep

Natatorium
   means   
An Indoor Swimming Pool

Nebula
   means   
A Vast Gaseous Area of the Universe

Nefarious
   means   
Infamous for Being Wicked

Nemorous
   means   
Forested; Full of Trees, Dark With Shady Groves

Neoplasm
   means   
An Abnormal New Growth of Disorganized Tissue in Animals or Plants

Neoteny
   means   
Retention of Juvenile Characteristics in Adults

Niche
   means   
A Cavity, Hollow, or Recess
Generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament.


Nihilarian
   means   
One Who Deals With Things of No Importance

Nirvana
   means   
The Absence of All Longing

Noceur
   means   
A Late-night Person
As in a party animal


Noctambulation
   means   
Sleepwalking
Also somnambulism


Noema
   means   
The Perceived As Perceived

Normalize
   means   
To Format in a Standardized Manner
To make consistent


Novercal
   means   
Stepmotherly

Noxal
   means   
Nosious; Pertaining to Damage

Nucleus
   means   
The Massive, Positively Charged Central Part of an Atom Made up of Protons and Neutrons
Discovered by Lord Rutherford. From the Latin for little nut, or kernel.


Nugatory
   means   
Trivial, Trifling or of Little Importance

Obdurate
   means   
Obstinate; Hard-hearted

Obfirmation
   means   
Hardness of the Heart; Obduracy

Objurgate
   means   
To Condemn Severely or Scold

Obloquy
   means   
Abuse; Disgrace

Obstreperous
   means   
Noisily and Stubbornly Defiant

Ocarina
   means   
A Simple Musical Wind Instrument Shaped Somewhat Like an Elongated Egg With a Mouthpiece and Finger Holes

Odalisque
   means   
A Female Slave or Concubine in a Harem

Odious
   means   
Arousing or Meriting Strong Dislike, Aversion, or Intense Displeasure

Oenophilist
   means   
A Connoisseur of Wine

Oeuvre
   means   
A Work of Art

Oleaginous
   means   
Oily Personality

Oligist
   means   
Haematite

Oniochalasia
   means   
The Purchasing of Objects As a Form of Mental Relaxation

Onomatopoeia
   means   
The Property of a Word of Sounding Like What It Represents
Bang, boom etc


Orrery
   means   
A Clockwork Model of the Solar System

Orthodox
   means   
In Accordance With Standard or Authorized Practice
Having correct or accepted opinions; approved


Orthogonal
   means   
Pertaining to Right Angles; Perpendicular

Osculable
   means   
Able to Be Kissed

Oxymoron
   means   
A Figure of Speech in Which Two Words of Opposing Meanings Are Used Together to Express Two Contrasting Qualities in One Concept

Oxyphonia
   means   
Excessive Shrillness of Voice

Palanquin
   means   
A Covered Type of Litter for a Stretched-out Passenger, Carried on Four Poles on the Shoulders of Four or More Bearers
As formerly used in eastern Asia


Palaver
   means   
Idle Chatter

Palpebral
   means   
Of or Pertaining to the Eyelids

Panurgic
   means   
Ready for Anything

Paracme
   means   
The Point at Which One's Prime is Past

Paradiddle
   means   
A Percussive Exercise Which Involves Playing Four Even Strokes in the Order 'right Left Right Right' or 'left Right Left Left'

Paradigm
   means   
A Model or Example

Paradox
   means   
Apparently Self-contradictory Statement; Heterodox Statement

Paramorphism
   means   
Structural Alteration of a Mineral Without Change to the Chemical Composition

Pare
   means   
To Trim or Shave
Although, I wouldn’t try paring your beard.


Pariah
   means   
Social Outcast

Patrimony
   means   
Inherited Property

Peccability
   means   
The Capacity for Sinning

Pedantic
   means   
Overly Concerned With Formal Rules and Trivial Points of Learning

Pejorist
   means   
One Who Thinks the World is Getting Worse

Penultimatum
   means   
The Final Demand Before the Ultimatum

Peregrinate
   means   
To Travel from Place to Place, or from One Country to Another
Especially on foot; hence, to sojourn in foreign countries.


Phantasmagoria
   means   
A Series of Events Involving Rapid Changes in Light Intensity and Colour

Phenakism
   means   
Deception or Trickery

Philodox
   means   
A Person in Love With His Own Opinion

Philter
   means   
A Love Potion

Phthisis
   means   
A Disease Characterized by the Wasting Away or Atrophy of the Body or Its Parts

Phylogenetics
   means   
The Systematic Study of Organism Relationships Based on Evolutionary Similarities and Differences

Pidgin
   means   
A Simplified or Auxillary Language
As in pidgin English; a linguistic effort to bridge the gap between peoples with no common language


Pinguid
   means   
Oily

Pithy
   means   
Forceful & Brief

Piton
   means   
A Metal Spike With a Hole for a Rope
Used by mountain climbers


Plangent
   means   
Having a Loud or Deep Sound

Pleonasm
   means   
Use of Unnecessary or Redundant Words

Plethora
   means   
Excessive Abundance
Originally a pathological condition meaning excessive blood or other bodily fluids


Poltroon
   means   
An Abject Coward

Polyglot
   means   
A Person Who Can Read/write Many Languages
Also can be used as an adjective.


Polyhedron
   means   
A Solid Figure Having Many Faces

Poobah
   means   
A Person Holding Multiple Offices or Positions of Power, All at the Same Time
A term from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. In this operetta, the haughty character Pooh-Bah holds numerous exalted offices, including Lord Chief Justice, Master of the Buckhounds, Lord High Auditor, Groom of the Back Stairs, and Lord High Everything Else. The name has come to be used as a mocking title for someone self-important or high-ranking and who exhibits an inflated self-regard. Also 'Grand Poobah'.


Poppycock
   means   
Nonsense

Porous
   means   
Full of Tiny Pores That Allow Fluids or Gasses to Pass Through

Posthaste
   means   
Quickly

Posthumous
   means   
After Death



Facts contributed by:


Nakul

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