stalemate (n/v)

• n: a situation in which further action or progress by opposing or competing parties seems impossible ("the war had again reached stalemate")
• n: (chess) a position counting as a draw, in which a player is not in check but cannot move except into check
• v: to bring to or cause to reach stalemate ("the currently stalemated peace talks")
• mid 18th century: from obsolete stale (from Anglo-Norman French estale ‘position,’ from estaler ‘be placed’) + mate

daguerreotype (n)

• a photograph taken by an early photographic process employing an iodine-sensitized silvered plate and mercury vapor; an early photograph produced on a silver or a silver-covered copper plate
• mid 19th century: from French daguerréotype, named after L.-J.-M. Daguerre (see Daguerre, Louis), its French inventor

parabola (n)

• a curve that is shaped like the path of something that is thrown forward and high in the air and falls back to the ground
• a plane curve generated by a point moving so that its distance from a fixed point is equal to its distance from a fixed line : the intersection of a right circular cone with a plane parallel to an element of the cone
• something bowl-shaped (as an antenna or microphone reflector)
• from Greek parabolē, literally, comparison

quarry (n/v)

• n: obsolete : a heap of the game killed in a hunt; game; specifically : game hunted with hawks
• n: one that is sought or pursued : prey
• Middle English quirre, querre entrails of game given to the hounds, from Anglo-French cureie, quereie, from quir, cuir skin, hide (on which the entrails were placed), from Latin corium
• n: an open excavation usually for obtaining building stone, slate, or limestone
• n: a rich source
• n: a diamond-shaped pane of glass, stone, or tile
• from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *quadraria, from Late Latin quadrus hewn (literally, squared) stone, from Latin quadrum square
• v: to dig or take (stone or other materials) from a quarry ("an area where workers are quarrying for limestone")
• v: to make a quarry in (a place)

snuff (adj/n/v)

• adj: characterized by the sensationalistic depiction of violence; especially : featuring a real rather than a staged murder ("snuff movies")
• adj: "up to snuff" - of sufficient quality : meeting an applicable standard
• n: the charred part of a candlewick
• n: a preparation of pulverized tobacco to be inhaled through the nostrils, chewed, or placed against the gums
• n: obsolete : umbrage, offense
• n: chiefly Scottish : huff
• v: to crop the snuff of (a candle) by pinching or by the use of snuffers so as to brighten the light; to extinguish by or as if by the use of a candlesnuffer —often used with out
• v: to make extinct : put an end to —usually used with out ("snuffed out their hopes"); also : kill, execute ("snuffed the bad guys")
• v: to inhale through the nose noisily and forcibly; also : to sniff or smell inquiringly

Saint Paul (n)

• (geographical name) capital of the state of Minnesota; located in southeastern Minnesota on the Mississippi river adjacent to Minneapolis; one of the Twin Cities
• a Christian missionary (of Jewish descent) to the Gentiles; author of several Epistles in the New Testament; even though Paul was not present at the Last Supper he is considered an Apostle

referendum (n)

• an event in which the people of a county, state, etc., vote for or against a law that deals with a specific issue : a public vote on a particular issue
• the principle or practice of submitting to popular vote a measure passed on or proposed by a legislative body or by popular initiative; a vote on a measure so submitted ("the issue was decided by referendum")
• a diplomatic agent's note asking for government instructions
• from Latin, neuter of referendus, gerundive of referre to refer

colander (n)

• a bowl that has many small holes and that is used for washing or draining food; a perforated utensil for washing or draining food

narcolepsy (n)

• medical : a medical condition in which someone suddenly falls into a deep sleep while talking, working, etc. -- a condition characterized by brief attacks of deep sleep often occurring with cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations

ingrate (n)

• a person who does not show proper appreciation or thanks for something : an ungrateful person
• Latin ingratus ungrateful, from in- + gratus grateful — more at grace

spliff (n)

• a marijuana cigarette

endemic (adj)

• growing or existing in a certain place or region; common in a particular area or field; belonging or native to a particular people or country
• characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment ("problems endemic to translation"); ("the self-indulgence endemic in the film industry")
• an organism that is restricted or peculiar to a locality or region : an endemic organism
• French endémique, from endémie endemic disease, from Greek endēmia action of dwelling, from endēmos endemic, from en in + dēmos people, populace — more at demagogue

diaspora (n)

• a group of people who live outside the area in which they had lived for a long time or in which their ancestors lived; the movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland ("the black diaspora to northern cities"); people settled far from their ancestral homelands ("African diaspora"); the place where these people live
• the settling of scattered colonies of Jews outside Palestine after the Babylonian exile; the area outside Palestine settled by Jews; the Jews living outside Palestine or modern Israel
• Greek, dispersion, from diaspeirein to scatter, from dia- + speirein to sow

patrician (n)

• a person who is a member of the highest social class; a person of breeding and cultivation; a person of high birth : aristocrat
• a member of one of the original citizen families of ancient Rome
• from Anglo-French patrician, from Latin patricius, from patres senators, from plural of pater father

snigger (v/n)

• v: to snicker
• n: a snicker
• origin by alteration

gullet (n)

• the tube that leads from the mouth through the throat to the stomach; esophagus; broadly : throat
• an invagination of the protoplasm in various protozoans (as a paramecium) that sometimes functions in the intake of food
• the space between the tips of adjacent saw teeth
• from Anglo-French, diminutive of gule throat, from Latin gula — more at glutton

bhaji (n)

• an Indian savoury made of chopped vegetables mixed in a spiced batter and deep-fried; (In Indian cuisine) a small flat cake or ball of vegetables, fried; an Indian version of vegetable fritters

tut (interjection/v)

• interjection: used to express disapproval or disbelief

secularism (n)

• the belief that religion should not play a role in government, education, or other public parts of society; indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations

bob (n/v)

• v: to strike with a quick light blow : rap
• v: to move up and down in a short quick movement ("bob the head")
• v: to polish with a bob : buff
• v: to try to seize a suspended or floating object with the teeth
• v: obsolete : to deceive, cheat; to take by fraud: filch
• v: to cut shorter : crop ("bob a horse's tail")
• n: a short quick down-and-up motion
• n: Scottish : any of several folk dances
• n: obsolete : a blow or tap especially with the fist
• n: a small polishing wheel of solid felt or leather with rounded edges
• n: a short haircut on a woman or child
• n: a hanging ball or weight (as on a plumb line)
• n: a trifle ("bits and bobs")

mangy (adj)

• of an animal : having a skin disease that causes itching and loss of hair : suffering from mange; affected with or resulting from mange
• having thin or bare spots; having many worn or bare spots ("a mangy rug")
• seedy, shabby ("a mangy office")

conciliate (v)

• to make (someone) more friendly or less angry; to gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts; to make compatible : reconcile; to appease
• Latin conciliatus, past participle of conciliare to assemble, unite, win over, from concilium assembly, council

palaver (n/v)

• n: talk that is not important or meaningful; idle talk ("enough of this palaver -- we have a lot to discuss")
• n: excitement and activity caused by something that is not important
• n: a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication; conference, discussion
• n: misleading or beguiling speech
• Portuguese palavra word, speech, from Late Latin parabola parable, speech
• v: to talk profusely or idly
• v: to parley

glean (v)

• to gather or collect (something) in a gradual way
• to search (something) carefully
• to gather grain or other material that is left after the main crop has been gathered
• to gather grain or other produce left by reapers
• to gather information or material bit by bit
• to pick over in search of relevant material ("gleaning old files for information")
• to find out
• from Anglo-French glener, from Late Latin glennare, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish doglenn he selects

exultant (adj)

• very happy and excited; filled with or expressing great joy or triumph : jubilant ("an exultant cheer"; "exultant fans")

Sabbath (n)

• the seventh day of the week observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening as a day of rest and worship by Jews and some Christians
• Sunday observed among Christians as a day of rest and worship
• a time of rest
• from Latin sabbatum, from Greek sabbaton, from Hebrew shabbāth, literally, rest

bhang (n)

• a mildly intoxicating preparation of the leaves and flowering tops of uncultivated hemp; also : hemp 1a, c — compare marijuana, hashish
• Hindi bhāṅg & Urdu bhang hemp

infidel (n)

• a person who does not believe in a religion that someone regards as the true religion; an unbeliever with respect to a particular religion; one who acknowledges no religious belief ("a holy war against the infidels")
• one who is not a Christian or who opposes Christianity
• a disbeliever in something specified or understood
• from Middle French, from Late Latin infidelis unbelieving, from Latin, unfaithful, from in- + fidelis faithful — more at fidelity

tulwar (n)

• a type of curved sword or sabre from Indian Subcontinent, and is found in the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan

corroborate (v)

• to support or help prove (a statement, theory, etc.) by providing information or evidence; to support with evidence or authority : make more certain ("the witnesses corroborated the policeman's testimony")
• Latin corroboratus, past participle of corroborare, from com- + robor-, robur strength

goad (n/v)

• n: a pointed rod used to make an animal move forward
• n: someone or something that urges or forces someone to do something ("the threat of skin cancer—not to mention the prospect of wrinkles—should be sufficient goad for using sunscreen")
• n: something that pains as if by pricking : thorn
• v: to urge or force (someone) to do something ("tried to goad me into auditioning for the play")
• v: to incite or rouse as if with a goad; to drive cattle as with a goad
• from Old English gād spear, goad; akin to Langobardic gaida spear, and perhaps to Sanskrit hinoti he urges on

Jacobean (adj)

• of or relating to James I of England or the time (1603–25) when he was king
• (of furniture) in the style prevalent during the reign of James I, especially being the color of dark oak

fugue (n)

• a disturbed state of consciousness in which the one affected seems to perform acts in full awareness but upon recovery cannot recollect the acts performed
• a piece of music in which tunes are repeated in complex patterns -- a musical composition in which one or two themes are repeated or imitated by successively entering voices and contrapuntally developed in a continuous interweaving of the voice parts
• something that resembles a fugue especially in interweaving repetitive elements
• probably from Italian fuga flight, fugue, from Latin, flight, from fugere

gormless (adj)

• very stupid or foolish
• chiefly British: lacking intelligence : stupid ("a comedy show that invariably portrays the British aristocracy as a bunch of gormless twits")
• alteration of English dialect gaumless, from gaum attention, understanding (from Middle English gome, from Old Norse gaum, gaumr) + -less

cravat (n)

• a short, wide piece of cloth that is worn around the neck by men with its ends tucked inside the collar of a shirt or sweater; a band or scarf worn around the neck; a necktie
• French cravate, from Crabate, Cravate Croatian

monolith (n)

• a very large stone that is usually tall and narrow; especially : a stone that was put in position by people as a monument or for religious reasons
• a very large building or other structure ("the new office building is a massive steel and concrete monolith")
• a very large and powerful organization that acts as a single unit ("the media monolith owns a number of networks")
• French monolithe, from monolithe consisting of a single stone, from Latin monolithus, from Greek monolithos, from mon- + lithos stone

resin (n)

• a yellow or brown sticky substance that comes from some trees and that is used to make various products
• an artificial substance that is similar to natural resins and that is used to make plastics

sundry (adj)

• made up of different things; miscellaneous, various ("sundry articles")
• an indeterminate number ("recommended for reading by all and sundry")
• Middle English, different for each, from Old English syndrig, from sundor apart — more at sunder

ardent (adj)

• having or showing very strong feelings
• characterized by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support or activity ("ardent proponents of the bill")
• fiery, hot ("an ardent sun")
• shining, glowing ("ardent eyes")
• from Latin ardent-, ardens, present participle of ardēre to burn, from ardor

constable (n)

• a public official whose job is similar to that of a police officer but who is elected or appointed rather than hired; a public officer usually of a town or township responsible for keeping the peace and for minor judicial duties
• chiefly British : police officer; especially : one ranking below sergeant
• a high officer of a royal court or noble household especially in the Middle Ages
• the warden or governor of a royal castle or a fortified town
• from Anglo-French, from Late Latin comes stabuli, literally, officer of the stable

platonic (adj)

• of, relating to, or having a close relationship in which there is no romance or sex
• nominal, theoretical
• capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of Plato or Platonism
• Latin platonicus, from Greek platōnikos, from Platōn Plato

cadge (v)

• to persuade someone to give you (something) for free; to beg, sponge ("cadge a free cup of coffee")
• back-formation from Scots cadger carrier, huckster, from Middle English cadgear

censer (n)

• a vessel for burning incense; especially : a covered incense burner swung on chains in a religious ritual

votive (adj)

• consisting of or expressing a religious vow, wish, or desire : offered or performed as an expression of thanks or devotion to God ("a votive prayer"); ("a votive candle")
• offered or performed in fulfillment of a vow or in gratitude or devotion
• Latin votivus, from votum vow

posh (adj)

• very attractive, expensive, and popular; elegant, fashionable ("they live in a posh neighborhood")
• British: typical of or intended for the upper classes : highfalutin ("posh accents"); typical of people who have high social status

laconic (adj)

• using few words in speech or writing; involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious ("the sportscaster's color commentary tends to be laconic but very much to the point")
• Latin laconicus Spartan, from Greek lakōnikos; from the Spartan reputation for terseness of speech

loom (n/v)

• n: a frame or machine for interlacing at right angles two or more sets of threads or yarns to form a cloth
• from Old English gelōma tool; akin to Middle Dutch allame tool
• v: to appear in a large, strange, or frightening form often in a sudden way : to appear in an impressively large or great form
• v: to be close to happening : to be about to happen

chasm (n)

• a deep hole or opening in the surface of the earth ("a chasm in the ocean floor")
• a major division, separation, or difference between two people, groups, etc.
• Latin chasma, from Greek; akin to Latin hiare to yawn

doleful (adj)

• very sad; causing grief or affliction ("a doleful loss"); full of grief

demure (adj)

• quiet and polite; not attracting or demanding a lot of attention : not showy or flashy; reserved, modest ("she was wearing a demure gray suit")
• affectedly modest, reserved, or serious : coy; coquettish

tenuous (adj)

• not certain, definite, or strong : flimsy, weak, or uncertain; having little substance or strength ("tenuous influences"); shaky ("he has a tenuous grasp on reality")
• very thin; not thick : slender ("a tenuous rope")
• not dense : rare ("a tenuous fluid")
• Latin tenuis thin, slight

ethos (n)

• the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution; also : ethics ("the company made environmental awareness part of its business ethos")
• New Latin, from Greek ēthos custom, character

dotage (n)

• the period of old age : the time when a person is old and often less able to remember or do things; a state or period of senile decay marked by decline of mental poise and alertness ("he's now in that stage of his dotage where he has trouble remembering the simplest things")
• Middle English, from doten to dote

caterwaul (v)

• to make a very loud and unpleasant sound; to make a harsh cry ("some animal was caterwauling in my backyard last night")
• to protest or complain noisily ("he continues to caterwaul about having to take the blame")

conundrum (n)

• a confusing, intricate, or difficult problem ("the conundrum of how an ancient people were able to build such massive structures without the benefit of today's knowledge and technology")
• a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun
• a question or problem having only a conjectural answer ("giving parents a wealth of educational options sometimes presents a familiar inner-city conundrum: what if all your choices are bad ones?")

conjecture (n)

• an opinion or idea formed without proof or sufficient evidence; inference from defective or presumptive evidence; conclusion deduced by surmise or guesswork ("most of the book is conjecture, not fact")
• obsolete: interpretation of omens; supposition
• a proposition (as in mathematics) before it has been proved or disproved
• from Latin conjectura, from conjectus, past participle of conicere, literally, to throw together, from com- + jacere to throw

sieve (n/v)

• n: a kitchen tool that has many small holes and that is used to separate smaller particles from larger ones or solids from liquids
• n: a device with meshes or perforations through which finer particles of a mixture (as of ashes, flour, or sand) of various sizes may be passed to separate them from coarser ones, through which the liquid may be drained from liquid-containing material, or through which soft materials may be forced for reduction to fine particles
• v: to put (something) through a sieve; sift

proclivity (n)

• a strong natural liking for something that is usually bad : a tendency to do something that is usually bad; especially : a strong inherent inclination toward something objectionable
• Latin proclivitas, from proclivis sloping, prone, from pro- forward + clivus slope

madonna (n)

• the Madonna : the Virgin Mary : the mother of Jesus Christ; a painting or statue of the Virgin Mary
• archaic : lady —used as a form of respectful address
• obsolete : an Italian lady
• a morally pure and chaste woman
• Italian, from Old Italian ma donna, literally, my lady

vermiculate (adj)

• tortuous, involute
• full of worms; worm-eaten
• marked with irregular fine lines or with wavy impressed lines ("a vermiculate nut")

overhead (n)

• costs for rent, heat, electricity, etc., that a business must pay and that are not related to what the business sells; business expenses (as rent, insurance, or heating) not chargeable to a particular part of the work or product ("her company has very little overhead")

subjunctive (adj/n)

• adj: grammar : of or relating to the verb form that is used to express suggestions, wishes, uncertainty, possibility, doubt, etc. (in “I wish it were Friday,” the verb “were” is in the subjunctive mood)
• Late Latin subjunctivus, from Latin subjunctus, past participle of subjungere to join beneath, subordinate
• n: the subjunctive : the form that a verb or sentence has when it is expressing a suggestion, wish, uncertainty, possibility, etc.; a subjunctive verb or sentence

beacon (n/v)

• n: a strong light that can be seen from far away and that is used to help guide ships, airplanes, etc.; a lighthouse or other signal for guidance; a source of light or inspiration
• n: a radio signal that is broadcast to help guide ships, airplanes, etc.
• n: someone or something (such as a country) that guides or gives hope to others
• n: a signal fire commonly on a hill, tower, or pole
• Middle English beken, from Old English bēacen sign; akin to Old High German bouhhan sign
• v: to shine as a beacon; to furnish with a beacon ("a lone lighthouse beacons the entrance to the island's only harbor")

aberration (n)

• something (such as a problem or a type of behavior) that is unusual or unexpected ("for her, such a low grade on an exam was an aberration")
• the fact or an instance of deviating or being aberrant especially from a moral standard or normal state
• failure of a mirror, refracting surface, or lens to produce exact point-to-point correspondence between an object and its image
• unsoundness or disorder of the mind
• a small periodic change of apparent position in celestial bodies due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer
• an aberrant organ or individual

horticulture (n)

• the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants
• Latin hortus garden + English -i- + culture

stamen (n)

• botany : the part of a flower that produces pollen
• a microsporophyll of a seed plant; specifically : the pollen-producing male organ of a flower that consists of an anther and a filament
• Latin, warp, thread, from stare to stand

stigma (n)

• a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something
• botany : the top part in the center of a flower which receives the pollen; the usually apical part of the pistil of a flower which receives the pollen grains and on which they germinate
• archaic : a scar left by a hot iron : brand
• a mark of shame or discredit : stain ("bore the stigma of cowardice")
• an identifying mark or characteristic; specifically : a specific diagnostic sign of a disease
• stigmata plural : bodily marks or pains resembling the wounds of the crucified Jesus and sometimes accompanying religious ecstasy
• a small spot, scar, or opening on a plant or animal
• Latin stigmat-, stigma mark, brand, from Greek, from stizein to tattoo

chimera (n)

• Chimera (capitalized) : a monster from Greek mythology that breathes fire and has a lion's head, a goat's body, and a snake's tail; an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts
• something that exists only in the imagination and is not possible in reality; an illusion or fabrication of the mind; especially : an unrealizable dream ("a fancy, a chimera in my brain, troubles me in my prayer")
• an individual, organ, or part consisting of tissues of diverse genetic constitution
• Latin chimaera, from Greek chimaira she-goat, chimera; akin to Old Norse gymbr yearling ewe, Greek cheimōn winter

bunkum (n)

• foolish or untrue words or ideas; insincere or foolish talk: nonsense ("a cinematic depiction of the Middle Ages that was derided as pure bunkum by historians")
• Buncombe county, North Carolina; from a remark made by its congressman, who defended an irrelevant speech by claiming that he was speaking to Buncombe

conservatory (n)

• a school in which students are taught music, theater, or dance; (Italian conservatorio home for foundlings, music school, from Latin conservare) : a school specializing in one of the fine arts ("a music conservatory")
• a room or building with glass walls and a glass roof that is used for growing plants; a greenhouse for growing or displaying plants

hothouse (n)

• a heated building used for growing plants ("grows tomatoes in his hothouse all winter long")
• obsolete : bordello

bordello (n)

• a building in which prostitutes are available
• Italian, from Old French bordel, from borde hut, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English bord board

linchpin (n)

• a person or thing that holds something together : the most important part of a complex situation or system; one that serves to hold together parts or elements that exist or function as a unit ("the linchpin in the defense's case")
• a locking pin inserted crosswise (as through the end of an axle or shaft)

pulchritude (n)

• physical comeliness or beauty
• from Latin pulchritudin-, pulchritudo, from pulchr-, pulcher beautiful

anthropomorphic (adj)

• described or thought of as being like human beings in appearance, behavior, etc. ("anthropomorphic deities")
• considering animals, objects, etc., as having human qualities ("a story in which the characters are anthropomorphic animals")
• Late Latin anthropomorphus of human form, from Greek anthrōpomorphos, from anthrōp- + -morphos -morphous

quagmire (n)

• an area of soft, wet ground; soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
• a situation that is hard to deal with or get out of : a situation that is full of problems; a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position : predicament

gaggle (n)

• flock; especially : a flock of geese when not in flight
• a group of people
• a group, aggregation, or cluster lacking organization ("a gaggle of reporters and photographers")
• an indefinite number ("participated in a gaggle of petty crimes")
• Middle English gagyll, from gagelen to cackle

Kublai Khan (n)

• 1215–1294 founder of Mongol dynasty in China

retroussé (adj)

• turned up ("retroussé nose")
• French, from past participle of retrousser to tuck up, from Middle French, from re- + trousser to truss, tuck up

hachure (n)

• a short line used for shading and denoting surfaces in relief (as in map drawing) and drawn in the direction of slope
• French, from hacher to chop up, hash

nonagenarian (n)

• a person who is between 90 and 99 years old; a person whose age is in the nineties
• Latin nonagenarius containing ninety, from nonageni ninety each, from nonaginta ninety, from nona- (akin to novem nine) + -ginta (akin to viginti twenty)

papilloma (n)

• a benign tumor (as a wart) due to overgrowth of epithelial tissue on papillae of vascular connective tissue (as of the skin)

abrasion (n)

• an injury caused by something that rubs or scrapes against the skin
• the act or process of damaging or wearing away something by rubbing, grinding, or scraping
• an irritation; a wearing, grinding, or rubbing away by friction ("abrasion of rocks by wind and water")
• an abraded area of the skin or mucous membrane

oncogene (n)

• a gene having the potential to cause a normal cell to become cancerous

malinger (v)

• to pretend to be sick or injured in order to avoid doing work; to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work)
• French malingre sickly

William Tell (n)

• a heroic archer in Swiss legend who complies with an order to shoot an apple off his son's head

extant (adj)

• in existence : still existing : not destroyed or lost; currently or actually existing ("the most charming writer extant"); ("extant manuscript")
• archaic : standing out or above
• Latin exstant-, exstans, present participle of exstare to stand out, be in existence, from ex- + stare to stand

conjugate (adj/v)

• adj: joined together especially in pairs : coupled; acting or operating as if joined
• adj: having features in common but opposite or inverse in some particular
• adj: relating to or being conjugate complex numbers <complex roots occurring in conjugate pairs>
• adj: having the same derivation and therefore usually some likeness in meaning ("conjugate words")
• adj: of two leaves of a book : forming a single piece
• Middle English conjugat, from Latin conjugatus, past participle of conjugare to unite, from com- + jugare to join, from jugum yoke
• v: grammar : to list the different forms of a verb that show number, person, tense, etc.
• v: to give in prescribed order the various inflectional forms of —used especially of a verb
• v: to join together; to fuse in conjugation

capricious (adj)

• changing often and quickly; especially : often changing suddenly in mood or behavior; governed or characterized by caprice : impulsive, unpredictable
• not logical or reasonable : based on an idea, desire, etc., that is not possible to predict

ambrosia (n)

• the food of the Greek and Roman gods
• the ointment or perfume of the gods
• something extremely pleasing to taste or smell
• a dessert made of oranges and shredded coconut
• Latin, from Greek, literally, immortality, from ambrotos immortal, from a- + -mbrotos (akin to brotos mortal)

gingham (n)

• a cotton cloth that often is marked with a pattern of colored squares; a clothing fabric usually of yarn-dyed cotton in plain weave ("a red and white gingham tablecloth")
• modification of Malay genggang striped cloth

osmosis (n)

• biology : the process that causes a liquid (especially water) to pass through the wall of a living cell
• an ability to learn and understand things gradually without much effort -- a process of absorption or diffusion suggestive of the flow of osmotic action; especially : a usually effortless often unconscious assimilation ("learned a number of languages by osmosis")