spasmodic (adj)

• relating to or caused by a spasm; resembling a spasm especially in sudden violence ("a spasmodic jerk")
• happening suddenly and briefly at different times in a way that is not regular ("he made only spasmodic attempts to lose weight")
• acting or proceeding fitfully : intermittent ("spasmodic activity")
• subject to outbursts of emotional excitement : excitable

heather (n)

• a low-growing plant of northern areas that has small leaves and tiny white or purplish-pink flowers -- heath 2a; especially : a common Eurasian heath (Calluna vulgaris) of northern and alpine regions that has small crowded sessile leaves and racemes of tiny usually purplish-pink flowers and is naturalized in the northeastern United States

halal (adj)

• accepted by Muslim law as fit for eating -- sanctioned by Islamic law; especially : ritually fit for use ("halal foods")
• selling or serving halal food; selling or serving food ritually fit according to Islamic law ("a halal restaurant")
• Arabic "ḥalāl" - "permissible"

quiff (n)

• hair at the front of a person's head that is brushed upward
• (British) a prominent forelock

emporium (n)

• a store or shop; a place of trade; especially : a commercial center
• a retail outlet ("a hardware emporium" ; "a pizza emporium"); a store carrying many different kinds of merchandise
• from Latin, from Greek "emporion", from "emporos" - "traveler, trader," from "em- 2en- + poros" - "passage, journey"

cosh (n/v)

• n: a small, heavy weapon that is shaped like a stick
• n: (chiefly British) a weighted weapon similar to a blackjack
• perhaps from Romany "kaš, kašt" - "stick, piece of wood"
• v: to hit (someone) with a cosh ("he was coshed on the head")

kosher (adj/v/n)

• (adj): sanctioned by Jewish law; especially : ritually fit for use ("kosher meat")
• (adj): selling or serving food ritually fit according to Jewish law ("a kosher restaurant")
• (adj): being proper, acceptable, or satisfactory ("is the deal kosher?")
• Yiddish, from Hebrew "kāshēr" - "fit, proper"
• v: to make kosher
• n: the observance of kosher practices ("keep kosher")

blinker (n/v)

• n: a blinder -- a cloth hood with shades projecting at the sides of the eye openings used on skittish racehorses —usually used in plural
• v: to put blinders on

bric-a-brac (n)

• small objects that are used for decoration and are not usually valuable
• a miscellaneous collection of small articles commonly of ornamental or sentimental value : curios
• something suggesting bric-a-brac especially in extraneous decorative quality
• French "bric-à-brac"

per annum (adverb)

• in or for each year
• Medieval Latin

vainglorious (adj)

• having or showing too much pride in your abilities or achievements; marked by vainglory : boastful

edify (v)

• to teach (someone) in a way that improves the mind or character
• (archaic) to build, establish
• to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge : uplift; also : enlighten, inform ("these books will both entertain and edify readers")
• from Anglo-French "edifier," from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin "aedificare" - to instruct or improve spiritually, from Latin, to erect a house, from "aedes" - temple, house; akin to Old English "ād" - funeral pyre

parlance (n)

• language used by a particular group of people
• speech; especially : formal debate or parley
• manner or mode of speech : idiom
• from Old French, from "parler"

parley (v/n)

• v: to talk with an enemy or someone you disagree with especially in order to end a conflict; to speak with another : confer; specifically : to discuss terms with an enemy
• n: a conference for discussion of points in dispute; a conference with an enemy ("held a parley to debate the proposed change in the town's zoning laws")
• Middle English "parlai" - speech, probably from Middle French "parlee," from feminine of "parlé," past participle of "parler" - to speak, from Medieval Latin "parabolare", from Late Latin "parabola" - speech, parable

posterity (n)

• people in the future; the future generation ("posterity will remember her as a woman of courage and integrity"); ("a record of the events was preserved for posterity")
• the offspring of one progenitor to the furthest generation
• from Anglo-French "pusterité", from Latin "posteritat-, posteritas", from "posterus" - coming after

velodrome (n)

• a track designed for cycling
• French "vélodrome", from "vélo" - cycle (short for vélocipède) + -drome

Soho (n)

• district of cen London, England, in Westminster

chalet (n)

• a type of house that has a steep roof that extends past the walls; a cottage or house in chalet style
• a small house often in a group of similar houses where people go for vacations ("a mountain chalet for weekend getaways"); ("we stayed overnight at a ski chalet")
• a remote herdsman's hut in the Alps
• a Swiss dwelling with unconcealed structural members and a wide overhang at the front and sides
• French in origin

oasis (n)

• an area in a desert where there is water and plants; a fertile or green area in an arid region (as a desert)
• a pleasant place that is surrounded by something unpleasant; something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast ("the small park is a welcome oasis amid the city's many factories")
• a time or experience that is pleasant and restful
• Late Latin, from Greek

supine (adj)

• lying on your back with your face upward; marked by supination ("lying supine on the couch")
• willing to be controlled by others : weak or passive -- exhibiting indolent or apathetic inertia or passivity; especially : mentally or morally slack
• (archaic) leaning or sloping backward
• from Latin supinus; akin to Latin sub under, up to

gauche (adj)

• having or showing a lack of awareness about the proper way to behave : socially awkward; lacking social experience or grace; also : not tactful : crude ("it would be gauche to mention the subject"); ("would it be gauche of me to ask her how old she is?")
• crudely made or done ("a gauche turn of phrase")
• not planar ("gauche conformation of molecules")
• French, literally, left

dashiki (n)

• a usually brightly colored loose-fitting pullover garment

vicar (n)

• a priest in the Church of England who is in charge of a particular church and the area around it
• a pastor's assistant in an Episcopalian or Lutheran church
• one serving as a substitute or agent; specifically : an administrative deputy
• an ecclesiastical agent: as
  • a Church of England incumbent receiving a stipend but not the tithes of a parish
  • a member of the Episcopal clergy or laity who has charge of a mission or chapel
  • a member of the clergy who exercises a broad pastoral responsibility as the representative of a prelate
• from Anglo-French, from Latin vicarius, from vicarius vicarious

pulpit (n)

• a raised platform where a priest or minister stands when leading a worship service; the preaching profession; a preaching position
• from Anglo-French, from Late Latin pulpitum, from Latin, staging, platform

detritus (n)

• the pieces that are left when something breaks, falls apart, is destroyed, etc.; loose material (as rock fragments or organic particles) that results directly from disintegration
• a product of disintegration, destruction, or wearing away : debris
• miscellaneous remnants : odds and ends ("sifting through the detritus of his childhood"); ("he sifted through the detritus of a failed relationship")
• (medical) loose material resulting from disintegration (as of tissue)
• French détritus, from Latin detritus, past participle of deterere

inexorable (adj)

• not able to be stopped or changed
• not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : relentless ("inexorable progress")
• Latin inexorabilis, from in- + exorabilis pliant, from exorare to prevail upon, from ex- + orare to speak

Thespis (n)

• 6th cent. b.c. Greek poet

adventitious (adj)

• coming from another source and not inherent or innate ("a Federal house without adventitious later additions")
• arising or occurring sporadically or in other than the usual location ("adventitious roots")
• (medical) arising sporadically or in other than the usual location ("an adventitious part in embryonic development")
• (medical) occurring spontaneously or accidentally in a country or region to which it is not native ("an adventitious insect")
• (medical) not congenital ("adventitious deafness")

sable (n/adj)

• a small animal that lives in northern Asia and has soft, brown fur; a carnivorous mammal (Martes zibellina) of the weasel family that occurs chiefly in northern Asia (2) : any of various animals related to the sable
• the fur of the sable
• the color black or the usually dark brown color of the fur of the sable
• black clothing worn in mourning —usually used in plural
• from Anglo-French, from Middle Low German sabel sable or its fur, from Middle High German zobel, of Slavic origin; akin to Russian sobol' sable
• adj: dark, gloomy

rueful (adj)

• showing or feeling regret for something done
• exciting pity or sympathy : pitiable ("rueful squalid poverty)
• mournful, regretful ("troubled her with a rueful disquiet")

paragon (n)

• a person or thing that is perfect or excellent in some way and should be considered a model or example to be copied ("the one knight who is a paragon of virtue"); a model of excellence or perfection
• Middle French, from Old Italian paragone, literally, touchstone, from paragonare to test on a touchstone, from Greek parakonan to sharpen, from para- + akonē whetstone, from akē point; akin to Greek akmē point

panopticon (n)

• a circular prison with cells arranged around a central well, from which prisoners could at all times be observed
• mid 18th century: from pan- ‘all’ + Greek optikon, neuter of optikos ‘optic.’

revile (v)

• to speak about (someone or something) in a very critical or insulting way ("people reviled him for his callous behavior")
• to subject to verbal abuse : vituperate; to use abusive language: rail
• from Anglo-French reviler to despise, from re- + vil vile

moniker (n)

• a name or nickname

lair (n)

• the place where a wild animal sleeps; den
• a place where someone hides or where someone goes to be alone and to feel safe or comfortable; a refuge or place for hiding
• (dial British) : a resting or sleeping place : bed
• from Old English leger; akin to Old High German legar bed, Old English licgan to lie

pustule (n)

• a small blister or pimple on the skin containing pus
• (biology) a small raised spot or rounded swelling, especially one on a plant resulting from fungal infection

coventry (n)

• a state of ostracism or exclusion ("sent to Coventry")

covet (v)

• to want (something that you do not have) very much
• to wish for earnestly ("to covet an award")
• to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably
• to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another
• from Anglo-French coveiter, from Vulgar Latin *cupidietare, from Latin cupiditat-, cupiditas desire, from cupidus desirous, from cupere to desire

odoriferous (adj)

• yielding an odor : odorous
• morally offensive ("odoriferous legislation")

moribund (adj)

• no longer active or effective : close to failure; being in a state of inactivity
• very sick : close to death; being in the state of dying : approaching death
• ("an actor who is trying to revive his moribund career")
• Latin moribundus, from mori to die

dole (n/v)

• n: archaic : one's allotted share, portion, or destiny
• n: a giving or distribution of food, money, or clothing to the needy (2) : a grant of government funds to the unemployed
• n: something distributed at intervals to the needy; also : handout
• n: something portioned out bit by bit
• from Old English dāl portion
• n: archaic: grief, sorrow
• Middle English dol, from Anglo-French duel, dol, from Late Latin dolus, alteration of Latin dolor
• v: to give or distribute as a charity —usually used with out

crag (n)

• a steep rugged rock or cliff
• archaic : a sharp detached fragment of rock
• of Celtic origin; akin to Welsh craig rock
• (chiefly Scottish) neck, throat
• from Middle Dutch crāghe; akin to Old English cræga throa

albeit (conjunction)

• even though; conceding the fact that : even though : although ("it was an amazing computer, albeit expensive")
• Middle English, literally, all though it be

entrails (v)

• a person or animal's intestines or internal organs, especially when removed or exposed; guts, viscera
• the innermost parts of something ("digging copper out of the entrails of the earth")
• from Old French entrailles, from medieval Latin intralia, alteration of Latin interanea ‘internal things,’ based on inter ‘among’

surreptitious (adj)

• done in a secret way ("she had a surreptitious relationship with her employee")
• done, made, or acquired by stealth : clandestine (a surreptitious glance)
• from Latin surrepticius, from surreptus, past participle of surripere to snatch secretly, from sub- + rapere to seize

inordinate (adj)

• going beyond what is usual, normal, or proper ("they have had an inordinate number of problems with the schedule"); * exceeding reasonable limits : immoderate ("I waited an inordinate amount of time")
• archaic : disorderly, unregulated
• from Latin inordinatus, from in- + ordinatus, past participle of ordinare to arrange

balk (n/v)

• n: baseball : an occurrence in which a pitcher stops suddenly or makes an illegal movement after starting to throw a pitch; failure of a player to complete a motion; especially : an illegal motion of the pitcher in baseball while in position
• n: a ridge of land left unplowed as a dividing line or through carelessness
• n: beam, rafter
• n: hindrance, check ("the extravagant centerpiece proved to be a balk to the flow of conversation")
• n: the space behind the balkline on a billiard table
• akin to Old High German balko beam, Latin fulcire to prop, Greek phalanx log, phalanx
• v: to suddenly show that you do not want to do something : to refuse to do what someone else wants you to do
• v: of a horse, mule, etc. : to stop quickly and refuse to continue going ("the horse balked and would not jump the fence")
• v: of an engine : to fail to work in the usual or expected way
• v: (archaic) archaic : to pass over or by
• v: to check or stop by or as if by an obstacle : block
• v: to commit a balk in sports ("the runner on third base tried to make the pitcher balk")

ensconce (v)

• to firmly place or hide (someone or something); to shelter, conceal ("ensconced themselves within the protection of three great elms")
• to establish, settle ("ensconced in a new job"); ("he ensconced himself in front of the television")

exegesis (n)

• exposition, explanation; especially : an explanation or critical interpretation of a text ("a psychobiography that purports to be the definitive exegesis of the late president's character")
• from Greek exēgēsis, from exēgeisthai to explain, interpret, from ex- + hēgeisthai to lead

perdition (n)

• the state of being in hell forever as punishment after death; eternal damnation; hell ("sinners condemned to eternal perdition")
• archaic : utter destruction
• obsolete: loss
• from Anglo-French perdiciun, Late Latin perdition-, perditio, from Latin perdere to destroy, from per- through + dare to give

dictum (n)

• a statement or well-known remark that expresses an important idea or rule
• a noteworthy statement: as -- a formal pronouncement of a principle, proposition, or opinion ("a doctor must follow the dictum of “First, do no harm”)
• a judge's expression of opinion on a point other than the precise issue involved in determining a case
• Latin, from neuter of dictus, past participle of dicere

proxy (n)

• a person who is given the power or authority to do something (such as to vote) for someone else; a person authorized to act for another : procurator
• power or authority given to allow a person to act for someone else; the agency, function, or office of a deputy who acts as a substitute for another
• a document giving such authority; specifically : a power of attorney authorizing a specified person to vote corporate stock
• Middle English proxi, procucie, contraction of procuracie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin procuratia, alteration of Latin procuratio procuration

bearing (n)

• the way in which a person moves, stands, or behaves; the manner in which one bears or comports oneself
• a relation or connection
• a machine part in which another part turns or slides; an object, surface, or point that supports
• the act, power, or time of bringing forth offspring or fruit; a product of bearing: a crop
• a figure borne on a heraldic field
• pressure, thrust
• the situation or horizontal direction of one point with respect to another or to the compass; a determination of position

frill (n/v)

• n: a strip of cloth that is gathered into folds on one edge and attached to something (such as clothing or curtains) as a decoration
• n: something that is added but is not necessary; luxury
• n: a ruff of hair or feathers or a bony or cartilaginous projection about the neck of an animal
• n: affectation, air —usually used in plural ("intellectual frills and fustian")
• v: to provide or decorate with a frill
• perhaps from Dutch dialect (Brabant) frul ribbon bow, trifle

graft (n/v)

• n: a grafted plant
• n: the act of grafting
• n: (chiefly British) work, labor
• n: the acquisition of gain (as money) in dishonest or questionable ways; also: illegal or unfair gain
• v: to cause (a scion) to unite with a stock; also : to unite (plants or scion and stock) to form a graft
• v: to propagate (a plant) by grafting
• v: to join or unite as if by grafting
• v: to attach (a chemical unit) to a main molecular chain
• v: to implant (living tissue) surgically
• from Anglo-French greffe, graife stylus, graph, from Medieval Latin graphium, from Latin, stylus, from Greek grapheion, from graphein to write

cloy (v)

• to surfeit with an excess usually of something originally pleasing
• to disgust or sicken (someone) with an excess of sweetness, richness, or sentiment ("a romantic, rather cloying story"); sickly, syrupy, saccharine
• late Middle English: shortening of obsolete accloy ‘stop up, choke,’ from Old French encloyer ‘drive a nail into,’ from medieval Latin inclavare, from clavus ‘a nail’

plinth (n)

• a heavy base supporting a statue or vase; block or slab on which a pedestal, column, or statue is placed; (architecture) the lower square slab at the base of a column; the lowest member of a base : subbase
• from Latin plinthus, from Greek plinthos ‘tile, brick, squared stone'

dal (n)

• (in Indian cooking) a dried legume (as lentils, beans, or peas); also : an Indian dish made of simmered and usually pureed and spiced legumes
• Hindi & Urdu dāl

brandish (v)

• to wave or swing (something, such as a weapon) in a threatening or excited manner ("he brandished a knife at her")
• to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner
• an act or instance of brandishing
• from Anglo-French brandiss-, stem of brandir, from brant, braund sword, of Germanic origin

drawl (v/n)

• v: to speak slowly with vowel sounds that are longer than usual; to speak slowly with vowels greatly prolonged; to utter in a slow lengthened tone ("he drawled his name in a southern accent.")
• n: a drawling manner of speaking

judicious (adj)

• having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgment : discreet ("judicious planning now can prevent problems later")

diplomacy (n)

• the work of maintaining good relations between the governments of different countries; the art/practice of conducting negotiations b/t nations
• skill in dealing with others without causing bad feelings; skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility : tact ("this is a situation that calls for tactful diplomacy")

hot pants (n)

• very short and tight pants for women; very short shorts

mackintosh (n)

• chiefly British : raincoat; a slicker
• a lightweight waterproof fabric originally of rubberized cotton
• Charles Macintosh †1843 Scottish chemist & inventor

lurid (adj)

• causing shock or disgust : involving sex or violence in a way that is meant to be shocking; causing horror or revulsion : gruesome ("a lurid tale of violence and betrayal")
• shining or glowing with a bright and unpleasant color; shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke or cloud ("the lurid lighting of a nightclub")
• melodramatic, sensational; also : shocking ("paperbacks in the usual lurid covers")
• wan and ghastly pale in appearance
• of any of several light or medium grayish colors ranging in hue from yellow to orange
• Latin "luridus" - pale yellow, sallow

extrapolate (v)

• to form an opinion or to make an estimate about something from known facts; to infer (values of a variable in an unobserved interval) from values within an already observed interval
• to predict by projecting past experience or known data ("extrapolate public sentiment on one issue from known public reaction on others"; ("we can extrapolate the number of new students entering next year by looking at how many entered in previous years"); ("with such a small study it is impossible to extrapolate accurately")
• Latin extra outside + English -polate (as in interpolate)

prawn (n)

• a large shrimp
• a small lobster with long, slender claws

patois (n)

• a form of a language that is spoken only in a particular area and that is different from the main form of the same language; a dialect other than the standard or literary dialect; uneducated or provincial speech; the characteristic special language of an occupational or social group : jargon
• ("the medical patois that the hospital staffers used among themselves was incomprehensible to me")
• french

purdah (n)

• a custom among Muslims and some Hindus in which women stay separate from men or keep their faces and bodies covered when they are near men; seclusion of women from public observation among Muslims and some Hindus especially in India
• a state of seclusion or concealment
• Hindi & Urdu parda, literally, screen, veil

sonorous (adj)

• having a sound that is deep, loud, and pleasant
• producing sound (as when struck)
• full or loud in sound ("a sonorous waterfall that can be heard from a considerable distance")
• imposing or impressive in effect or style
• Latin sonorus; akin to Latin sonus - sound

codswallop (n)

• (British) nonsense ("that is a load of codswallop"); ("a trendy London restaurant serving bizarre concoctions that anyone with a brain and a stomach would dismiss as codswallop")

untoward (adj)

• not favorable : adverse, unpropitious ("untoward side effects")
• not proper or appropriate; improper, indecorous ("there was nothing untoward about his appearance")
• difficult to guide, manage, or work with : unruly, intractable ("tried to reason with the untoward child")
• marked by trouble or unhappiness : unlucky

troupe (n)

• a group of actors, singers, etc., who work together; a group of theatrical performers ("I desperately want to join our regional theater's acting troupe and perhaps get a lead role")
• company, troop
• French, from Middle French — more at troop

nonplus (n/v)

• n: a state of bafflement or perplexity : quandary
• v: to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do : perplex; ("I was nonplussed by his openly expressed admiration of me"); confound, faze
• Latin "non plus" - no more

apropos (adj)

• at an opportune time : seasonably
• by way of interjection or further comment : with regard to the present topic ("I went up to New York last weekend; apropos, have you seen your New York cousins lately?")
• French à propos, literally, to the purpose

sultan (n)

• a king or ruler of a Muslim state or country; a king or sovereign especially of a Muslim state
• from Arabic sulṭān

viceroy (n)

• a person sent by a king or queen to rule a colony in the past; the governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of a king or sovereign
• a showy North American nymphalid butterfly (Limenitis archippus) closely mimicking the monarch in coloration but smaller
• Middle French vice-roi, from vice- + roi king, from Old French rei, roi, from Latin reg-, rex

mullah (n)

• an educated Muslim trained in religious law and doctrine and usually holding an official post
• Turkish molla & Persian & Urdu mulla, from Arabic mawlā

sepoy (n)

• a native of India employed as a soldier by a European power
• Portuguese sipai, from Hindi & Urdu sipāhī, from Persian, cavalryman

kaffir (n)

• archaic : a member of a group of southern African Bantu-speaking peoples
• (chiefly South African): usually disparaging : a black African
• Arabic kāfir infidel

fête (v)

• to honor or entertain (someone) lavishly ("celebrity fêted by the media")
• late Middle English (in the sense ‘festival, fair’): from French, from Old French feste

okapi (n)

• an African ungulate mammal (Okapia johnstoni) that is closely related to the giraffe but has a relatively short neck, a coat typically of solid reddish chestnut on the trunk, yellowish white on the cheeks, and purplish-black and cream rings on the upper parts of the legs
• origin - Mvuba (language spoken west of Lake Edward, Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Sambuca (n)

• an Italian aniseed-flavored liqueur
• Italian, from Latin sambucus ‘elder tree’

coquette (n)

• a woman who likes to win the attention or admiration of men but does not have serious feelings for them; a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men
• French, feminine of coquet

snivel (v)

• to complain or cry in an annoying way ("millionaires sniveling about their financial problems")
• to run at the nose; to snuff mucus up the nose audibly : snuffle; to cry or whine with snuffling; to speak or act in a whining, sniffling, tearful, or weakly emotional manner
• akin to Dutch snuffelen to snuffle, snuffen to sniff

peccadillo (n)

• a small mistake/fault not regarded as very bad or serious; a slight offense
• Spanish pecadillo, diminutive of pecado sin, from Latin peccatum, from neuter of peccatus, past participle of peccare

duffer (n)

• a person who plays golf without much skill
• a clumsy or awkward person; an incompetent, ineffectual, or clumsy person; especially : a mediocre golfer ("we joined the other duffers at the course") ; ("he's a lovable old duffer")
• a peddler especially of cheap flashy articles
• something counterfeit or worthless
• Australian : a cattle rustler
• perhaps from duff, noun, something worthless

mutiny (n)

• a situation in which a group of people (such as sailors or soldiers) refuse to obey orders and try to take control away from the person who commands them ("the sailors staged a mutiny and took control of the ship")
• obsolete : tumult, strife
• forcible or passive resistance to lawful authority; especially : concerted revolt (as of a naval crew) against discipline or a superior officer
• mutine to rebel, from Middle French (se) mutiner, from mutin mutinous, from meute revolt, from Vulgar Latin *movita, from feminine of movitus, alteration of Latin motus, past participle of movēre to move

chaff (n/v)

• n: light jesting talk : banter
• n: the seed coverings+other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain; something comparatively worthless
• n: the scales borne on the receptacle among the florets in the heads of many composite plants
• n: material (as strips of foil or clusters of fine wires) ejected into the air for reflecting radar waves (as for confusing an enemy's radar detection)
• Middle English chaf, from Old English ceaf; akin to Old High German cheva husk
• v: to tease good-naturedly; to jest, banter ("a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings")

terra-cotta (adj/n)

• a reddish clay used for pottery+tiles; a glazed or unglazed fired clay used esp. for statuettes, vases, and architectural purposes (as roofing, facing, and relief ornamentation)
• something made of this material
• a brownish-orange color
• Italian terra cotta, literally, baked earth

spanner (n)

• chiefly British : wrench
• a wrench that has a hole, projection, or hook at one or both ends of the head for engaging with a corresponding device on the object that is to be turned
• German, instrument for winding springs, from spannen to stretch; akin to Middle Dutch spannen to stretch — more at span

proverbial (adj)

• of, relating to, or resembling a proverb; that has become a proverb or byword : commonly spoken of ("the proverbial smoking gun")
• commonly spoken of : widely known

ad hoc (adj/adv)

• for the particular end or case at hand without consideration of wider application; made or done without planning because of an immediate need; fashioned from whatever is immediately available : improvised ("large ad hoc parades and demonstrations")
• formed or used for a special purpose; concerned with a particular end or purpose ("an ad hoc investigating committee"); formed or used for specific or immediate problems or needs ("ad hoc solutions")
• Latin, "for this"
• other examples: ("we'll hire more staff on an ad hoc basis"); ("the mayor appointed an ad hoc committee to study the project")

dither (v)

• to delay taking action because you are not sure about what to do
• to shiver, tremble; to act nervously or indecisively : vacillate ("we don't have time to dither") ; ("she did not dither about what to do next")

officious (adj)

• used to describe an annoying person who tries to tell other people what to do in a way that is not wanted or needed ("an officious little man who was always telling everyone else how to do their jobs"); volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : meddlesome
• archaic: kind, obliging, dutiful
• informal, unofficial
• Latin officiosus, from officium service, office

mawkish (adj)

• sad or romantic in a foolish or exaggerated way; sickly or puerilely sentimental; ("a mawkish plea for donations to the charity")
• having an insipid often unpleasant taste

gabble (v)

• to talk quickly and in a way that is difficult to understand; to talk fast or foolishly : jabber; to say with incoherent rapidity : babble
• to utter inarticulate or animal sounds
• probably of imitative origin

sire (n)

• used formerly to address a man of rank or authority (such as a king or lord); archaic : a man of rank or authority; especially : lord —used formerly as a form of address and as a title
• a male parent of some animals (such as dogs and horses); the male parent of an animal and especially of a domestic animal
• a father, author, originator; archaic: male ancestor, forefather
• obsolete : an elderly man : senior
• from Anglo-French, lord, feudal superior, from Vulgar Latin *seior, alteration of Latin senior older — more at senior

creche (n)

• a set of statues that represents the scene of Jesus Christ's birth and that is displayed during Christmas; a representation of the Nativity scene
• a place where young children are cared for during the day while their parents are working : a day care center; a day nursery; foundling hospital
• a group of young animals (as penguins or bats) gathered in one place for care and protection usually by one or more adults
• French, from Old French creche manger, crib, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krippa manger — more at crib

beleaguer (v)

• to cause constant or repeated trouble for (a person, business, etc.); to beseige; to trouble, harass ("beleaguered parents"); ("an economically beleaguered city")
• Dutch belegeren, from be- (akin to Old English be-) + leger camp; akin to Old High German legar bed — more at lair

conflation (n)

• a blend, fusion; especially : a composite reading or text ("the word “robustious” is probably a conflation of “robust” and “boisterous”")

genteel (adj)

• of or relating to people who have high social status; of or relating to the gentry or upper class; having an aristocratic quality or flavor : stylish; elegant or graceful in manner, appearance, or shape
• pretending or trying to have the qualities and manners of people who have high social status; maintaining or striving to maintain the appearance of superior or middle-class social status or respectability
• having a quietly appealing or polite quality; free from vulgarity or rudeness
• marked by false delicacy, prudery, or affectation (2) : conventionally or insipidly pretty ("timid and genteel artistic style")
• Middle French gentil gentle

pagan (n)

• heathen; one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods : an irreligious or hedonistic person
• from Late Latin paganus, from Latin, civilian, country dweller, from pagus country district; akin to Latin pangere to fix

crone (n)

• a cruel or ugly old woman; a withered old woman ("a run-down house that was inhabited by a cantankerous crone who kept to herself")
• Middle English, a term of abuse, from Anglo-French caroine, charoine dead flesh — more at carrion

cantankerous (adj)

• often angry and annoyed ("a cantankerous old woman who insisted that nothing should ever be allowed to change")
• difficult or irritating to deal with ("a cantankerous mule")
• perhaps irregular from obsolete contack contention

Fajr prayer (n)

• "dawn prayer" (fajr = "dawn")
• the first of the 5 daily prayers offered by practising Muslims (the 5 daily prayers collectively form 1 pillar of the 5 Pillars of Islam)
• the worth of the Fajr daily prayer is explained as being God's most-favoured prayer since others are asleep; this has made the Fajr daily prayer the most essential and obligatory congregational prayer to be held by Muslims together in groups in mosques

hadith (n)

• a narrative record of the sayings or customs of Muhammad and his companions; the collective body of traditions relating to Muhammad and his companions
• Arabic ḥadīth, literally, speech, report

bungler (n)

• a person who makes mistakes in doing (something) : who doesn't do (something) well or successfully; who acts/works clumsily/awkwardly
• perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Icelandic banga to hammer

bhaji (n)

• an Indian savoury made of chopped vegetables mixed in a spiced batter and deep-fried; a small flat cake or ball of vegetables, fried

chutney (n)

• a thick sauce of Indian origin that contains fruits, vinegar, sugar, and spices and is used as a condiment
• Hindi caṭnī & Urdu chaṭnī

snog (v/n)

• v: kiss and caress amorously
• n: an act or spell of amorous kissing/caressing

mutinous (adj)

• (of a soldier or sailor) refusing to obey the orders of a person in authority ("your mutinous scheme has failed"); willful or disobedient
• late 16th century: from obsolete mutine ‘rebellion’

frivolous (adj)

• not having any serious purpose or value ("rules to stop frivolous lawsuits"); of little weight or importance; having no sound basis (as in fact or law); unworthy of serious attention; trivial
• (of a person) carefree and not serious
• from Latin frivolus ‘silly, trifling’

edict (n)

• an official order or proclamation issued by a person in authority; decree, order, command; a proclamation having the force of law
• from Latin edictum ‘something proclaimed,’ neuter past participle of edicere, from e- (variant of ex- ) ‘out’ + dicere ‘say, tell’

ontology (n)

• philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, existence, or reality, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations
• from modern Latin ontologia, from Greek ōn, ont- ‘being’

malaise (n)

• a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify ("a society afflicted by a deep cultural malaise")
• medical : a slight or general feeling of not being healthy or happy. : a problem or condition that harms or weakens a group, society, etc.; a condition of general bodily weakness or discomfort, often marking the onset of a disease; vague feeling of bodily discomfort, as at the beginning of an illness
• from French, from Old French mal ‘bad’ (from Latin malus ) + aise ‘ease’

sprite (n)

• an elf or fairy; an elfish person; small or elusive supernatural being; an elf or pixie; a disembodied spirit : ghost
• a computer graphic that may be moved on-screen and otherwise manipulated as a single entity
• a faint flash, typically red, sometimes emitted in the upper atmosphere over a thunderstorm due to the collision of high-energy electrons w/ air molecules
• Middle English: alteration of sprit, a contraction of spirit

__haj__j (n)

• the pilgrimage to Mecca, which every adult Muslim is supposed to make at least once in his/her lifetime: the 5th of the Pillars of Islam; takes place in the last month of the year; prescribed as a religious duty for Muslims
• from Arabic (al-) ḥajj ‘(the Great) Pilgrimage’

Mecca (n)

• birthplace of Muhammad, and thus the holiest city for Muslims; Muslims face in the direction of Mecca when they pray, and they are expected to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives;
• located in present-day Saudi Arabia

lungi (n)

• a usually cotton cloth used especially in India, Pakistan, and Burma for articles of clothing (as sarongs, skirts, and turbans, or a skirt in Burma, where it is the national dress for both sexes)
• Urdu: lungi

volatile (adj/n)

• adj: (of a substance) easily evaporated at normal temperatures; vaporous
• adj: liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse ("the political situation was becoming more volatile"); turbulent
• adj: (of a person) liable to display rapid changes of emotion
• adj: (of a computer's memory) retaining data only as long as there is a power supply connected
• n: a volatile substance

gyrate (v)

• to move or cause to move in a circle or spiral, especially quickly ("their wings gyrate through the water like paddle wheels")
• to dance in a wild or suggestive manner ("strippers gyrated to rock music on a low stage")
• from Latin gyrat- ‘revolved,’ from the verb gyrare, from Greek guros ‘a ring'

excrescence (n)

• a distinct outgrowth on a human or animal body or on a plant, especially one that is the result of disease or abnormality; growth, lump, swelling, module ("an excrescence on his leg")
• an unattractive or superfluous addition or feature ("removing the excrescences of later interpretation"); eyesore, monstrosity ("the new buildings were an excrescence")
• from Latin excrescentia, from excrescere ‘grow out,’ from ex- ‘out’ + crescere ‘grow’

loquacious (adj)

• tending to talk a great deal; talkative
• from Latin loquax, loquac- (from loqui ‘talk’) + -ious

Druid (n)

• a priest, magician, or soothsayer in the ancient Celtic religion
• related to Irish draoidh ‘magician, sorcerer'

ley-lines (n)

• imaginary lines between some important places such as hills, believed to be where there were very old paths; ley-lines are sometimes thought to have special powers

knoll (n)

• a small hill or mound ("she walked up the grassy knoll")
• of Germanic origin; related to German Knolle ‘clod, lump, tuber’ and Dutch knol ‘tuber, turnip’

sordid (adj)

• involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt ("the story paints a sordid picture of bribes and scams"); sleazy, dirty, seedy, unsavory, tawdry, debased, contemptible
• dirty or squalid ("the overcrowded housing conditions were sordid")
• from French sordide or Latin sordidus, from sordere ‘be dirty.’

signet (n)

• a small seal, especially one set in a ring, used instead of or with a signature to give authentication to an official document
• from Old French, or from medieval Latin signetum, diminutive of signum ‘token, seal’

argent (adj/n)

• adj: silver; silvery white ("the argent moon")
• n: silver as a heraldic tincture
• via Old French from Latin argentum ‘silver.’

chaise (n)

• a horse-drawn carriage for one or two people, typically one with an open top and two wheels (from French, variant of chaire) (see chair)
• chaise lounge (n): a reclining chair with a lengthened seat forming a leg rest (French, literally ‘long chair’)

dodder (v)

• to tremble or totter, typically because of old age ("spent and nerve-weary, I doddered into the foyer of a third-rate hotel"); totter, teeter, hobble, shamble, falter
• variant of obsolete dialect dadder ; related to dither

pulverize (v)

• to reduce to fine particles ("the brick of the villages was pulverized by the bombardment") grind, crush, pound, mince ("the seeds are pulverized into flour") to turn into dust
• (informal) to defeat utterly ("he pulverized the opposition")
• from late Latin pulverizare, from pulvis, pulver- ‘dust’

wog (n)

• (British) a person who is not white

carbuncle (n)

• a severe abscess or multiple boil in the skin, typically infected with staphylococcus bacteria ("treat the carbuncle with hot compresses")
• a bright red gem, in particular a garnet cut en cabochon
• from Old French charbuncle, from Latin carbunculus ‘small coal,’ from carbo ‘coal, charcoal’

portly (adj)

• (esp. of a man) having a stout body; somewhat fat; stout, plump
• (archaic) of a stately or dignified appearance and manner ("he was a man of portly presence")
• late 15th century: from port in the sense ‘bearing’ + -ly

satyagraha (n)

• sanskrit for "truth and firmness"
• a policy of passive political resistance, especially that advocated by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule in India; pressure for social and political reform through friendly passive resistance practiced by M. K. Gandhi and his followers in India
• Sanskrit, from satya ‘truth’ + āgraha ‘obstinacy’

manqué (adj)

• having failed to become what one might have been; unfulfilled ("a starlet manqué") -- French, past participle of manquer ‘to lack’

Jihad (n)

• (among Muslims) a war or struggle against unbelievers
• (Islam) the spiritual struggle within oneself against sin
• from Arabic jihād, literally ‘effort,’ expressing, in Muslim thought, struggle on behalf of God and Islam

Bukhari (n)

• a language, sometimes considered a dialect of Persian or of Tajik (but with Semitic influences), spoken in Central Asia by Bukharian Jews

attenuate (v)

• to reduce the force, effect, or value of ("her intolerance was attenuated by a rather unexpected liberalism"); diminished, impaired
• to reduce the amplitude of (a signal, electric current, or other oscillation) ("the patient's muscle activity was much attenuated")
• to reduce the virulence of (a pathogenic organism or vaccine)
• to reduce in thickness; make thin ("the trees are attenuated from being grown too close together")
• ADJ: reduced in force, effect, or physical thickness
• from Latin attenuat- ‘made slender,’ from the verb attenuare, from ad- ‘to’ + tenuare ‘make thin’ (from tenuis ‘thin’)

mitosis (n)

• (biology) a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth
• modern Latin, from Greek mitos ‘thread’

brogue (adj)

• a strong outdoor shoe with ornamental perforated patterns in the leather; a rough shoe of untanned leather, formerly worn in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands
• a marked accent, especially Irish or Scottish, when speaking English ("a fine Irish brogue") -- perhaps allusively from brogue1, referring to the rough footwear of Irish peasants

snooker (n/v)

• n: a game played with cues on a billiard table in which the players use a cue ball to pocket the other balls in a set order
• n: a position in a game of snooker or pool in which a player cannot make a direct shot at any permitted ball; a shot placing an opponent in such a position ("he needed a snooker to have a chance of winning the frame")
• v: to subject (oneself or one's opponent) to a snooker
• v: (US) to trick, entice, or trap ("they were snookered into buying books at prices that were too high")
• v: (British) to leave (someone) in a difficult position; thwart ("I managed to lose my car keys—that was me snookered")

paleolithic (adj)

• (archaeology) of, relating to, or denoting the early phase of the Stone Age, lasting about 2.5 million years, when primitive stone implements were used; the Paleolithic period; also called Old Stone Age
• from paleo- ‘of prehistoric times’ + Greek lithos ‘stone’ + -ic

octogenarian (n)

• a person who is from 80 to 89 years old ("his octogenarian mother-in-law")
• from Latin octogenarius (based on octoginta ‘eighty’) + -an

trilby (n)

• (British) a soft felt hat with a narrow brim and indented crown
• from the name of the heroine in G. du Maurier's novel Trilby (1894), in the stage version of which such a hat was worn

debauched (adj/v)

• indulging in or characterized by sensual pleasures to a degree perceived to be morally harmful; dissolute ("a debauched lifestyle")
• v: to destroy or debase the moral purity of; corrupt ("he debauched many women"); seduced, violated, ravished; perverted, ruined
• from French débaucher (verb) ‘turn away from one's duty’

cockney (n/adj)

• n: a native of East London, or the dialect/accent typical of cockneys
• adj: of or characteristic of cockneys or their dialect/accent ("cockney humor")
• early 17th century, originally in the sense ‘a town dweller regarded as affected or puny’

sidle (v/n)

• v: to walk in a furtive, unobtrusive, or timid manner, especially sideways or obliquely ("I sidled up to her"); creep, sneak, slink ("the sheriff sidled up to the window on the north side of the cabin")
• n: an act or instance of sidling
• late 17th century: back-formation from sideling (see sidelong)

Jeeves (n)

• a servant who appears in comic novels and short stories about the English upper classes by P. G. Wodehouse, a twentieth-century British author who spent most of his life in the United States
• a valet or butler especially of model behavior

somnambulist (n)

• a sleepwalker

coccyx (n)

• a small, triangular bone at the base of the spinal column in humans and some apes, formed of fused vestigial vertebrae
• via Latin from Greek kokkux ‘cuckoo’ (because the shape of the human bone resembles the cuckoo's bill)

turret (n)

• a small tower on top of a larger tower or at the corner of a building or wall, typically of a castle
• a low, flat armored gun emplacement, typically one that revolves, in a ship, aircraft, fort, or tank
• a rotating holder for tools, especially on a lathe
• a mollusk with a long, slender, pointed spiral shell, typically brightly colored and living in tropical seas
• from Old French tourete, diminutive of tour ‘tower’

quibble (v)

• to argue or raise objections about a trivial matter ("they are always quibbling about the amount they are prepared to pay"); object to, complain about, cavil it
• early 17th century (in the sense ‘play on words, pun’): diminutive of obsolete quib ‘a petty objection,’ probably from Latin quibus, plural of qui, quae, quod ‘who, what, which,’ frequently used in legal documents and so associated with subtle distinctions or verbal niceties

insouciance (n)

• casual lack of concern; indifference ("an impression of boyish insouciance"); nonchalance, unconcern
• French, from insouciant, from in- ‘not’ + souciant ‘worrying’ (present participle of soucier )

paisa coin (n)

• the word paisa is from Hindi & Urdu paisā, a quarter-anna coin, ultimately from Sanskrit term padāṁśa meaning 'quarter part', from pada "foot or quarter" and aṁśa "part"

Omar Sharif (n)

• an Egyptian actor; the surname Sharif means "noble" in Arabic; his films include Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965)...

dhoti (n)

• a garment worn by male Hindus, consisting of a piece of material tied around the waist and extending to cover most of the legs
• Hindi dhotī

incumbent (adj/n)

• adj: necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility ("it is incumbent on all decent people to concentrate on destroying this evil")
• adj: (of an official or regime) currently holding office ("the incumbent president had been defeated")
• n: the holder of an office or post ("the first incumbent of the post")
• n: (Christian church): the holder of an ecclesiastical benefice
• from Anglo-Latin incumbens, incumbent-, from Latin incumbere ‘lie or lean on,’ from in- ‘upon’ + a verb related to cubare ‘lie.’

au fait (adj)

• having a good or detailed knowledge of something ("you should be reasonably au fait with the company and its products")
• mid 18th century: from French, literally ‘to the fact, to the point.’