- rapture - ecstasy; felicity, state of sheer happiness; happiness to the point of delirium
- rariora - pl. unusual collector’s items, outstanding items, prize pieces
- ratatouille - a type of french dish, vegetable stew
- realm - a region, kingdom, plane, domain, or territory
- recherché - elegant; refined or tasteful; sophisticated
- recidivism - act of repeating punished act; chronic tendency to repeat crimes
- reciprocity - the quality or state of requiting; mutual dependence
- redivivus - revived; come back to life; resurrected; resuscitated
- redolent - piquant, aromatic, or memory-invoking
- regalia - the emblems and symbols of royalty, such as the crown and scepter; jewelry
- relinquish - voluntarily cease to keep or claim; surrender
- reliquary - a receptacle, such as a coffer or shrine, for keeping or displaying sacred relics
- renaissance - a rebirth or revival; renewal of cultural and intellectual thought
- repartee - swift, witty reply; conversation marked by the exchange of witty retorts
- palimpsest - erased parchment, which is then reused; manuscript written over earlier ones
- replica - copy or reproduction of a work of art, especially one made by the original artist
- resonance - quality of being resonant; extension of sound via sympathetic vibration
- resplendent - sublime, full of color, or dazzling; splendid
- revenant - specter; ghost; one who returns after a long absence
- reverie - an idle daydream; a thought of idle desire; a surrendering to imagination
- rhapsody - impassioned, inspired, or vibrant literature or music
- rimulose - characterized by or having small chinks, fissures, or cracks
- risorgimento - a time of renewal or renaissance; revival
- roseate - rose-colored, rosy; optimistic; cheerful and bright; promising
- roué - a rake; rouge; philanderer; lothario
- rupestrian - of or composed of rock; sculpted with or by rock
- sable - black; type of animal with a deep, black pelt
- salient - prominent or conspicuous; most important
- saline - salty; pertaining to salt
- salubrious - health-giving; healthy; healthful; relating to good health
- salve - remedial lotion or substance to soothe or allays
- sangfroid - composure or coolness as shown in danger; imperturbability
- sanguine - of a healthy reddish color; ruddy; blood-red; of the color of blood
- sapience - rationality, compare sentience; wisdom or sagacity
- sapphire - bright blue; valuable gemstone of a bright yet deep blue
- sardonyx - type of stone (onyx) with sandy bands
- satellite - celestial body that orbits a planet; a moon; object designed to orbit a planet
- scarlet - a type of bright-red color
- scepter - a rod or wand, usually adorned in regalia
- schefflera - a type of shrubby, tropical plants which are cultivated for their showy foliage
- scialytic - dispersing or dismissing shadows, typically with light, often of a lamp
- scilicet - to wit, that is; namely
- scintilla - an infinitesimal item or mote; tiny thing
- scion - an heir or descendant; a twig or shoot used for grafting, of a tree, shrub, or plant
- sclera - the whites of the eyes
- scoliosis - abnormal lateral curvature of the spine; affliction thereof
- scythe - agricultural implement with a long, curving blade fastened to a long handle
- seizure - act, condition, or instance of seizing or being seized; fit; spasm, convulsion
- selcouth - unusual; rare, unique, or strange
- selenian - designating, relating to, pertaining to, or of the moon
- semblance - apparent form of something, especially when the reality is different
- semiotician - one who studies, applies, or explains the theories of semiotics
- sempiternal - eternal, endless, lasting forever, ceaseless
- senescence - state of being old or growing old; cellular decomposition, studies thereof
- sentient - aware; characterized by the ability to feel or perceive; conscious
- sequacious - pertaining to sequence or order; following
- sequence - succession; an arrangement, either a related or continuous series
- sequester - to relegate to a small space; to cause to withdraw into seclusion
- seraglio - harem, harem house, brothel; living quarters thereof
- seraphim - pl. six-winged angels
- serenade - courtesy performance given to honor or express love for someone; to serenade
- serendipity - occurrence and progress of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way
- serenity - calmness, tranquility, relaxation
- sesquipedalian - having many syllables; long-winded with words; given to or typified by the use of long words
- sestina - poem of six six-line stanzas and a three-line envoy
- seven - the seventh integer in a series, “7”
- sforzando - direction in music, suddenly or strongly accented
- sfumato - definition or form without hasty outline by mild gradation from light to shadow
- shadow - a shade within clear boundaries, produced by obscuration of light
- shallow - lacking physical depth; lacking depth of intellect, emotion, or knowledge
- shimmer - to shine with a subdued, flickering, or wavering light
- shiver - a tremble; to tremble, shudder, or shake
- shrivel - to wither due to lack of moisture; to cause to contract; to cause to lose momentum
- sibilant - hissing; making a sound that resembles hissing
- sibyl - prophetess; fortune-teller; female prognosticator
- sidereal - of, related, pertaining to, or determined by the stars or constellations
- sidle - walk in a furtive or timid manner, especially obliquely or roundabout
- sienna - yellowish-brown; a type of clay
- sierra - ridge of a mountain or mountains
- sigil - a seal, signet, or glyph; sign or image considered magical
- silence - state or quality of soundlessness; lack of sound
- silhouette - a picture as an outline, often a human profile, filled in by a solid color
- silkscreen - stencil method of printing, in which a design is put on silk or other fine mesh
- tristiloquy - a speech characterized by sadness or gloominess
- silver - shimmering gray color; a type of metal
- simplicity - state or quality of being simple; freedom of complexity or intricacy
- simulacrum - an image or representation; false, unreal, or vague simulation or semblance
- sinecure - an easy occupation or one which requires almost no responsibility
- siphon - to suck through; to absorb through an appendage
- sirocco - hot, humid south or southeast wind of southern italy
- sisyphean - pertaining to or involving endless labor; pertaining to sisyphus
- sittella - a small, gregarious songbird
- sleep - state of slumber; position of rest for the physical and mental being of a living being
- slender - long and thin; tall
- slice - a thin section of something; to slash or remove a small section of
- slither - to glide or slide like a reptile
- sluice - artificial channel for conducting water, with a valve or gate to regulate the flow
- smolder - to burn without an accompanying flame; to undergo slow and compressed combustion
- sobriquet - nickname; moniker; adopted name
- soigné - elegant; sophisticated; well-groomed
- sojourn - brief visit; stopover; jaunt
- solace - comfort or consolation in a time of sadness or distress
- solecism - an impropriety; nonstandard grammatical construction; a violation of etiquette
- solemn - serious; dignified; formal; stern
- soliloquy - dramatic monologue; intense speech with exposition but not addressed
- solipsism - philosophical idea that only one's own mind is sure to exist
- solstice - one of two times in the year when the sun is furthest from the equator
- sommelier - a waiter expertly trained in alcoholic beverages; wine steward
- sonata - music, series of three solos
- sonnet - fourteen-line poem with specific rhyme scheme
- soothe - to allay, alleviate; to relax; pacify
- sorcerer - practitioner of sorcery; wizard; warlock; magician
- sotto voce - soft-voiced; emphasis on quiet speech
- soubrette - saucy, coquettish woman in comedies
- soufflé - a light, fluffy baked dish
- sough - a soft, gentle sigh; a murmuring, purling, or rustling sound
- souvenir - keepsake; memento; something of sentimental value
- specious - superficially plausible, but actually wrong; misleading in appearance
- spinal - pertaining to, relating to, of, or using the spine
- spiral - helix; string in a successively concentric pattern
- splice - to infuse, join, or interweave; unite
- spool - cylinder with ridges that has spirals string around it
- stasis - equilibrium causing a peaceful inactivity via equal opposing forces
- stiletto - high-heel with sharp point; a small dagger
- stillicide - water falling from the roof of a house or a gutter
- sublime - noble; exalted; majestic; empyreal
- succinct - briefly stated; laconic; terse
- succor - to aid or assist in a time of need; assistance
- suffuse - gradually spread through or over, typically with light, color, music, or liquid
- suicide - the act of murdering oneself
- surreptitious - stealthy; kept secret; hidden
- sussurant - whispering; making a continuous, low, and indistinct sound
- sussurous - pertaining to whispering; whispering
- susurrus - a whisper; something which resembles a whisper
- svelte - suave, urbane, and savvy; slender; lithe; polished; sophisticated
- swain - a young man; suitor; ephebe
- swath - width of a scythe-stroke; strips or radii made by something
- swerve - to abruptly turn or deviate from an otherwise straight course
- sweven - dream; vision; premonition
- swoon - fainting spell; a collapse from ecstasy
- syllable - unit of spoken language consisting of a single uninterrupted sound
- sylph - graceful woman; fairy; air elemental
- sylvan - relating to or characteristic of woods or forest regions; forest sprite
- symbiosis - mutual biological synergy between two dissimilar organisms
- symphony - extended orchestral movements
- symposium - conference for discussion of a particular topic
- synchronicity - theory of, study of the coincidences of two or more curiously similar events
- synecdoche - a reference to a part as opposed to the whole, girl as “skirt” ship as “sail”
- syzygy - alignment or unity of specific objects, notably in space terms or literary terms
- tableaux - deliberate picture; arrangement; vivid, graphic description
- tacenda - things to not be mentioned or things to be passed over in silence
- taciturn - reticent; quiet, not talkative; insouciant
- talisman - item marked with magic signs though to confer magical powers or repel evil
- tapestry - heavy cloth woven with rich, varicolored designs or scenes, often hung on walls
- teleology - the study of the philosophical concept of the telos
- tellurian - terrestrial; inhabiting the earth; pertaining to the earth; earthen
- tenuous - long and thin; slender; flimsy; without great substance; diluted
- tercet - group of three lines of verse, often rhyming together or with another triple
- terpsichorean - pertaining, relating to, or referring to dancing or the art thereof
- tessellation - tile pattern sans gaps or extraneous spaces; a specific mathematical pattern
- tête-à-tête - a private conversation between two people
- theophany - religious epiphany or appearance of god to a person
- thionine - artificial red or violet dyestuff, usually for microscopic stains
- threnody - song, hymn, or poem reflecting on mourning or a tribute to the deceased
- thylacine - the extinct tasmanian tiger
- tilt - to cause to slope, as by raising one end; incline
- tintinnabulation - ringing or sounding of bells; the sound of bells
- tiramisu - a type of dessert made with cake and espresso
- tolutiloquent - speech characterized by rapidity
- torrential - resembling, flowing in, or forming torrents
- tourmaline - multifarious gemstone of grossly differing colors
- traipse - to walk; to wander without destination; gad; aimlessly or blithely walk
- tranquility - peace, serenity, calmness, relaxation
- transience - brevity, briefness; evanescence; shortness; the state of being temporary
- tregetour - juggler; mummer; conjurer
- tremulous - marked by trembling, quivering, or shaking
- trillium - a type of flower
- trinity - group consisting of three closely related members; a unity of three special objects
- triste - sad; mournful; dismal; depressed
- tryst - agreement, as between lovers, to meet at a certain time and place; a date between two people
- turquoise - a type of blue-green color
- ubiquitous - being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent
- ultramarine - a type of intense bluish-purple
- umbrage - offense; affront; the shade beneath a tree; shade; suspicion; reason for doubt
- umbrella - apparatus used as a personal rain repellant
- vaccinate - to inoculate with a vaccine of prepared medicine
- vacillate - to waver between actions or decisions; to hesitate
- vacivity - emptiness; absence; space with a lack of matter
- vacuity - emptiness; absence; lack of matter in a space; vacuum
- valance - an ornamental drapery hung across a top edge, as of a bed, table, or canopy
- vale - the world; life; mortal or earthly life
- valiant - possessing valor; brave; marked by or done with valor
- vanilla - ordinary; conventional; flavored with vanilla; flavor extracted from vanilla bean
- vaticinate - prophesy, prognosticate, augur, foretell
- vaudeville - a bygone slapstick era of specific comedic style(s)
- vavasor - superior vassal with other vassals beneath
- velleity - flimsy wish or desire; perfunctory hope or dream
- vellum - mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on
- velvet - soft type of material used in clothing
- veneer - thin surface layer; superficial layer as an enhancement to inferior material
- venial - pardonable; easily excused or pardoned; trivial
- ventriloquist - puppeteer utilizing vocal techniques and manipulations
- veracity - truth; state of being true, trueness
- veranda - open, roofed porch or portico on the outside of a building
- verisimilitude - the appearance or semblance of truth or reality in a fictional medium
- vernal - pertaining to spring
- verve - energy; brio; élan; vigor; joie de vivre
- vespertine - crepuscular; pertaining to, of, or related to the evening
- vestibule - a small entryway between the outer door and the interior of a building
- vestigial - of, relating to, or constituting a vestige (trace, mark, or sign left by something)
- vesuviate - to erupt; explode; fulminate
- vetanda - taboo or forbidden things or topics
- vexation - the act of annoying, irritating, or vexing; quality or condition of being vexed
- vicennial - happening every twenty years
- viceroy - governor; representative of a sovereign
- vicious - having the nature of vice; evil, immoral, or depraved
- vicissitudes - changes of circumstances of fortune
- victuals - food to be eaten; provisions; food cache; pabulum; comestibles; nutrients
- videlicet - to wit, that is; namely
- vigesimal - based on, pertaining to, or related to 20
- vignette - a sketch; brief literary or visual event; description; tableau
- villain - dramatic or fictional character who is typically at odds with the hero
- vincible - able to be harmed; vulnerable, susceptible, or vulnerable
- vinyl - a type of multi-use plastic resin
- viola - a musical instrument having similar qualities and appearance to a violin
- violet - a shade of deep purple
- violin - a stringed instrument played with a bow
- viridian - a type of blue-green pigment
- virtuoso - ace; someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field, especially music
- vis-à-vis - “face to face” opposite to; in relation to; in regard to; a meeting of two people
- visceral - pertaining to the viscera; relating to deep emotions as opposed to the intellect
- vista - view; prospect; perspective; spectrum of peripheral boundaries
- visurient - hungry for visual stimuli; pertaining to the desire evoked from vision
- vitiate - to impair, spoil, or to the reduce quality of; to make worse, worsen
- vivacity - brio; esprit; alacrity
- vivify - to invigorate; revive; energize; galvanize
- vivisepulture - the act of being buried alive or burying alive
- vociferous - loud; stentorian; vehement; angrily impassioned
- voluminous - having great volume, fullness, size, or number; large
- wan - pallid; of a sickly complexion
- warble - trill; croon; purr; chirrup
- weather - state of the atmosphere at a given time and place
- whilom - formerly; former; erstwhile
- whimsy - quaint or fanciful idea; a whim; capricious humor or playful disposition
- whisper - soft speech produced without full voice; something uttered very softly
- winceyette - cotton cloth; cloth made of cotton that has a raised surface
- winnow - to filter out; to remove unnecessary or undesirable parts
- wisteria - a genus of twisting, woody, and climbing vines
- wyvern - a type of dragon, typically portrayed without legs
- xenodochial - friendly or especially kind to strangers or foreigners
- xenoglossy - language learned spontaneously and without prior knowledge
- xysti - pl. covered portico of a gymnasium
- yowl - to utter a loud long cry of grief, pain, or distress; to wail; wail
- zenith - point on the celestial sphere that is above the observer; highest point; maximum
- zephyr - slight burst of gentle wind; gentle breeze
- zitella - maiden; unmarried woman, bachelorette
- zyzzyva - a type of weevil
mar 17 2013 ∞
mar 24 2013 +