- fount - a source of a desirable quality or commodity
- badinage - humorous or witty conversation
- welter - a chaotic mass or jumble
- inculcate
- peremptory
- sagacious having or showing keen mental discernment or judgement; shrewd.
- perspicuous clearly expressed and easily understood; lucid.
- graticule a network of lines representing meridians and parallels, on which a map or plan can be represented.
- aegis - the protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization.
- trope - a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.
- plenary - (of a meeting) to be attended by all participants at a conference or assembly, who otherwise meet in smaller groups.
- nadir - the lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization.
- aliquot - forming an exact proper divisor.
- chiliad - a group of 1000.
- capacious - spacious.
- legerdemain - skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks.
- emendation - a correction or change, as of a text.
- filigree - ornamental work of fine wire formed into delicate tracery
- azimuth
- aver
- inveigle
- abstemious
- winnow
- proscenium - the part of a theater stage in front of the curtain.
- tyro - a beginner or novice.
- codex - an ancient manuscript text in book form.
- desuetude - a state of disuse: "I do not believe (and the progress of electricity and modern mechanism forbids me to believe) that Gutenberg's invention can do otherwise than sooner or later fall into desuetude as a means of current interpretation of our mental products."
- demonym - name for a resident of a locality derived from the name of the locality : Malian from Mali.
- sonorous - (of a person's voice or other sound) imposingly deep and full.
- putative - generally considered or reputed to be.
- missive - a letter, esp. a long or official one.
- mellifluous - sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.
- aril - an extra seed-covering, typically colored and hairy or fleshy, e.g. around a pomegranate seed.
- seigniorage - profit made by a government by issuing currency, esp. the difference between the face value of coins and their production costs.
- anthelmintic - (chiefly of medicines) used to destroy parasitic worms.
- vermifuge - an anthelmintic medicine.
- brook - tolerate or allow (something, typically dissent or opposition) : Jenny would brook no criticism of Matthew.
- aspersion - an attack on the reputation or integrity of someone or something : i don't think anyone is casting aspersions on you.
- kerfuffle - a commotion or fuss, esp. one caused by conflicting views : there was a kerfuffle over the chairmanship.
- kinesthesia - awareness of the position and movement of the parts of the body by means of sensory organs (proprioceptors) in the muscles and joints.
- laminar - physics (of a flow) taking place along constant streamlines; not turbulent.
- nonce - coined for or used on one occasion : a nonce usage.
- epigenesis - the theory, now generally held, that an embryo develops progressively from an undifferentiated egg cell
- recondite - little known; abstruse : the book is full of recondite information
- omnibus - a volume containing several novels or other items previously published separately : an omnibus of her first trilogy.
- matt - alternate spelling for matte
- louche - disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way: the louche world of the theater.
- idyll - an extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque episode or scene, typically an idealized or unsustainable one : the rural idyll remains strongly evocative in most industrialized societies. / a short description in verse or prose of a picturesque scene or incident, esp. in rustic life.
- perseverate - repeat or prolong an action, thought, or utterance after the stimulus that prompted it has ceased.
- equanimity - mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, esp. in a difficult situation.
- proprioception - the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body.
- divaricate - stretch or spread apart; diverge widely: her crow's feet are divaricating like deltas.
- comportment - behavior; bearing : he displayed the comportment expected of the rightful king.
- salutary - (esp. with reference to something unwelcome or unpleasant) producing good effects; beneficial : a salutary reminder of where we came from.
- apostate - a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle.
- ontological - the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being.
- surfeit - an excessive amount of something : a surfeit of food and drink.
- ascetic - characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons : an ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and manual labor | a narrow, humorless, ascetic face.
- inchoate - just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary : a still inchoate democracy.
- verdant - (of countryside) green with grass or other rich vegetation.
- loupe - a small magnifying glass used by jewelers and watchmakers.
- repartee - conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies.
- riposte - a quick clever reply to an insult or criticism.
- scanty - small or insufficient in quantity or amount : scanty wages. (of clothing) revealing; skimpy : the women looked cold in their scanty gowns.
- shill - an accomplice of a hawker, gambler, or swindler who acts as an enthusiastic customer to entice or encourage others.
- sublimate - (esp. in psychoanalytic theory) divert or modify (an instinctual impulse) into a culturally higher or socially more acceptable activity : people who will sublimate sexuality into activities which help to build up and preserve civilization | he sublimates his hurt and anger into humor.
- privation - a state in which things that are essential for human well-being such as food and warmth are scarce or lacking : years of rationing and privation | the privations of life at the front. formal the loss or absence of a quality or attribute that is normally present : cold is the privation of heat.
- oftener
- luxuriate - enjoy oneself in a luxurious way; take self-indulgent delight : she was luxuriating in a long bath.
- bulrush - cattail.
- bespoke - (of an appearance or action) suggest; be evidence of: the attractive tree-lined road bespoke money.
- impute - represent (something, esp. something undesirable) as being done, caused, or possessed by someone; attribute : the crimes imputed to Richard.
- egregious - outstandingly bad; shocking : egregious abuses of copyright.
- protent - a sign or warning that something, esp. something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen : they believed that wild birds in the house were portents of death.
- didactic - intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive : a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice.
- apotheosis - the highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax : his appearance as Hamlet was the apotheosis of his career.
- larch - a coniferous tree with bunches of deciduous bright green needles, found in cool regions of the northern hemisphere.
sep 16 2007 ∞
jul 20 2016 +