Saturday, January 30, 2010

Word 1137: Thalassic

adjective technical
of or relating to the sea

Word 1136: Rickrack


noun
braided trimming in a zigzag pattern, used esp. as decoration on clothes

Word 1135: Acedia

noun
spiritual or mental sloth; apathy

Word 1134: Fricandeau

noun ( pl. -deaux)
a slice of meat, esp. veal, cut from the leg
• a dish made from such meat, usually fried or stewed and served with a sauce

Word 1133: Inspirit

verb [ trans.] [usu. as adj.] ( inspiriting)
encourage and enliven (someone) : the inspiriting beauty of Gothic architecture

Word 1132: Crump

noun
a loud thudding sound, esp. one made by an exploding bomb or shell

Word 1131: Rattan


noun
the thin pliable stems of a palm, used to make furniture
• a length of such a stem used as a walking stick

Word 1130: Metope

noun Architecture
a square space between triglyphs in a Doric frieze

Word 1129: Statism

noun
a political system in which the state has substantial centralized control over social and economic affairs

Word 1128: Haut monde

noun ( the haut monde)
fashionable society

Word 1127: Purlin


noun
a horizontal beam along the length of a roof, resting on a main rafter and supporting the common rafters or boards

Word 1126: Brumous

adjective poetic/literary
foggy; wintry

Word 1125: Vinous

adjective
of, resembling, or associated with wine
• fond of or influenced by drinking wine
• of the reddish color of wine

Friday, January 29, 2010

Word 1124: Purpura

noun Medicine
a rash of purple spots on the skin caused by internal bleeding from small blood vessels

Word 1123: Maturate

verb [ intrans.] Medicine
(of a boil, abscess, etc.) form pus

Word 1122: Carbuncle

noun
1. a severe abscess or multiple boil in the skin, typically infected with staphylococcus bacteria
2. a bright red gem, in particular a garnet cut en cabochon

Word 1121: Seif


noun
a sand dune in the form of a long narrow ridge

Word 1120: Decollate

verb [ trans.]
behead (someone)

Word 1119: Panspermia

noun
the theory that life on the earth originated from microorganisms or chemical precursors of life present in outer space and able to initiate life on reaching a suitable environment

Word 1118: Ricin

noun Chemistry
a highly toxic protein obtained from the pressed seeds of the castor-oil plant

Word 1117: Ikebana


noun
the art of Japanese flower arrangement, with formal display according to strict rules

Word 1116: Corrie

noun ( pl. -ries)
a cirque, esp. one in the mountains of Scotland

Word 1115: Widow's mite

noun
a small monetary contribution from someone who is poor

Word 1114: Tole

noun
painted, enameled, or lacquered tinplate used to make decorative domestic objects

Word 1113: Picot


noun [ often as adj.]
a small loop or series of small loops of twisted thread in lace or embroidery, typically decorating the border of a fabric

Word 1112: Fakir

noun
a Muslim (or, loosely, a Hindu) religious ascetic who lives solely on alms

Word 1111: Hetaera

noun ( pl. -taeras or -taerae)
a courtesan or mistress, esp. one in ancient Greece akin to the modern geisha

Word 1110: Syllepsis

noun ( pl. -ses)
a figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different senses (e.g., caught the train and a bad cold) or to two others of which it grammatically suits only one (e.g., neither they nor it is working)

Word 1109: Falchion


noun
a broad, slightly curved sword with the cutting edge on the convex side

Word 1109: Zibeline

noun
1. a thick soft fabric made of wool and other animal hair, such as mohair, with a flattened silky nap
2. the fur of the sable

Word 1108: Kippa

noun
yarmulke

Word 1107: Gadroon

noun
a decorative edging on metal or wood, typically formed by inverted flutings

Word 1106: Skeg


noun
a tapering or projecting stern section of a vessel's keel, which protects the propeller and supports the rudder
• a fin underneath the rear of a surfboard

Word 1105: Encopresis

noun Medicine
involuntary defecation, esp. associated with emotional disturbance or psychiatric disorder

Word 1104: Pathetic fallacy

noun
the attribution of human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals, esp. in art and literature

Word 1103: Katabatic

adjective Meteorology
(of a wind) caused by local downward motion of cool air

Word 1102: Baldric


noun
a belt for a sword or other piece of equipment, worn over one shoulder and reaching down to the opposite hip

Word 1101: No-see-um

noun
a minute bloodsucking insect, esp. a biting midge

Word 1100: Hypergamy

noun
the action of marrying a person of a superior caste or class

Word 1099: Desorb

verb [ trans.] Chemistry
cause the release of (an adsorbed substance) from a surface
• [ intrans.] (of an adsorbed substance) become released

Word 1098: Moline


adjective [ postpositive] Heraldry
(of a cross) having each extremity broadened, split, and curved back

Word 1097: Sputum

noun
a mixture of saliva and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract, typically as a result of infection or other disease and often examined microscopically to aid medical diagnosis

Word 1096: Pro tem

adverb & adjective
for the time being

Word 1095: Abstract of title

noun Law
a summary giving details of the title deeds and documents that prove an owner's right to dispose of land, together with any encumbrances that relate to the property

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Word 1094: Ragout


noun
a highly seasoned dish of meat cut into small pieces and stewed with vegetables

Word 1093: Haggis

noun ( pl. same)
a Scottish dish consisting of a sheep's or calf's offal mixed with suet, oatmeal, and seasoning and boiled in a bag, traditionally one made from the animal's stomach

Word 1092: Clickwrap

adjective
denoting a legal agreement for which acceptance is confirmed by clicking on a screen icon, such as for software use

Word 1091: Gelt

noun informal
money

Word 1090: Testa


noun ( pl. -tae) Botany
the protective outer covering of a seed; the seed coat

Word 1089: Aposiopesis

noun ( pl. -ses) Rhetoric
the device of suddenly breaking off in speech

Word 1088: Sandhi

noun Phonetics
the process whereby the form of a word changes as a result of its position in an utterance (e.g., the change from a to an before a vowel)

Word 1087: Eclogue

noun
a short poem, esp. a pastoral dialogue

Word 1086: Seine


noun
a fishing net that hangs vertically in the water with floats at the top and weights at the bottom edge, the ends being drawn together to encircle the fish

Word 1085: Vinculum

noun ( pl. -la) Anatomy
a connecting band of tissue, such as that attaching a flexor tendon to the bone of a finger or toe

Word 1084: Nomothetic

adjective
of or relating to the study or discovery of general scientific laws

Word 1083: Paralipsis

noun Rhetoric
the device of giving emphasis by professing to say little or nothing about a subject, as in not to mention their unpaid debts of several million

Word 1082: Treen

noun [ treated as pl.]
small domestic wooden objects, esp. antiques

Word 1081: Muumuu


noun
a woman's loose, brightly colored dress, esp. one traditionally worn in Hawaii

Word 1080: Tisane

noun
an herbal tea, consumed esp. for its medicinal properties

Word 1079: Anagenesis

noun Biology
species formation without branching of the evolutionary line of descent

Word 1078: Fyke

noun
a bag net for catching fish

Word 1077: Phoresy

noun Zoology
an association between two organisms in which one (e.g., a mite) travels on the body of another, without being a parasite

Word 1076: Spica


noun Medicine a bandage folded into a spiral arrangement resembling an ear of wheat or barley

Word 1075: Lex fori

noun Law
the law of the country in which an action is brought

Word 1074: Orle

noun Heraldry
a narrow border inset from the edge of a shield

Word 1073: Distich

noun Prosody
a pair of verse lines; a couplet

Word 1072: Parvis


noun
an enclosed area in front of a cathedral or church, typically one that is surrounded with colonnades or porticoes

Word 1071: Res gestae

plural noun Law
the events, circumstances, remarks, etc., that relate to a particular case, esp. as constituting admissible evidence in a court of law

Word 1070: Verruca

noun ( pl. -cae or -cas)
a contagious and usually painful wart on the sole of the foot; a plantar wart
• (in medical use) a wart of any kind

Word 1069: Annus horribilis

noun
a year of disaster or misfortune

Word 1068: Tasca


noun
(in Spain and Portugal) a tavern or bar, esp. one serving food

Word 1067: Mako


noun ( pl. -kos)
a large fast-moving oceanic shark with a deep blue back and white underparts

Word 1066: Scut work

noun informal
tedious, menial work

Word 1065: Boll

noun
the rounded seed capsule of plants such as cotton or flax

Word 1064: Rathe

adjective poetic/ literary
(of a person or their actions) prompt and eager
• (of flowers or fruit) blooming or ripening early in the year

Word 1063: Haslet


noun
a cold meat preparation consisting of chopped or minced pork offal compressed into a loaf before being cooked

Word 1062: Capriccio

noun ( pl. -os)
a lively piece of music, typically one that is short and free in form
• a painting or other work of art representing a fantasy or a mixture of real and imaginary features

Word 1061: Tup

verb [ trans.] vulgar slang
(of a man) have sexual intercourse with (a woman)

Word 1060: Diegesis

noun ( pl. -ses)
a narrative or plot, typically in a movie

Word 1059: Marc


noun
the refuse of grapes or other fruit that has been pressed for winemaking

Word 1058: Lamina

noun ( pl. -nae) technical
a thin layer, plate, or scale of sedimentary rock, organic tissue, or other material

Word 1057: Velum

noun ( pl. vela)
a membrane or membranous structure, typically covering another structure or partly obscuring an opening, in particular

Word 1056: Symphysis

noun ( pl. -ses)
1. the process of growing together
2. a place where two bones are closely joined, either forming an immovable joint (as between the pubic bones in the center of the pelvis) or completely fused (as at the midline of the lower jaw)

Word 1055: Capote


noun historical
a long cloak or coat with a hood, typically part of an army or company uniform

Word 1054: Nipa

noun
a palm tree with creeping roots, characteristic of mangrove swamps in India and the Pacific islands

Word 1053: Volvox

noun Biology
a green, single-celled aquatic organism that forms minute, free-swimming spherical colonies

Word 1052: Behoof

noun
benefit or advantage

Word 1051: Lorica


noun ( pl. -cae or -cas)
a Roman corselet or cuirass of leather

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Word 1050: Gallipot

noun
a small pot made from glazed earthenware or metal, used by pharmacists to hold medicines or ointments

Word 1049: Exine

noun Botany
the decay-resistant outer coating of a pollen grain or spore

Word 1048: Swage

noun
1. a shaped tool or die for giving a desired form to metal by hammering or pressure
2. a groove, ridge, or other molding on an object

Word 1047: Theca

noun ( pl. thecae)
a receptacle, sheath, or cell enclosing an organ, part, or structure, in particular

Word 1046: Minaudière


noun
a small, decorative handbag without handles or a strap

Word 1045: Vadose

adjective
relating to or denoting underground water above the water table

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Word 1044: Succuss

verb [ trans.]
(in preparing homeopathic remedies) shake (a solution) vigorously

Word 1043: Fascia

noun Anatomy
a thin sheath of fibrous tissue enclosing a muscle or other organ

Word 1042: Teocalli


noun ( pl. -lis)
a temple of the Aztecs or other Mexican peoples, typically standing on a truncated pyramid

Word 1041: Magus

noun ( pl. magi)
a member of a priestly caste of ancient Persia
• a sorcerer

Word 1040: Posology

noun
the part of medicine concerned with dosage

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Word 1039: Surimi

noun
fish (often pollock) that is minced and rinsed to make a gelatinous paste that is then flavored, reformed into flakes, sticks, or other shapes, and colored

Friday, January 22, 2010

Word 1038: Mezuzah


noun ( pl. mezuzahs)
a parchment inscribed with religious texts and attached in a case to the doorpost of a Jewish house as a sign of faith

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Word 1037: Psionic

adjective
relating to or denoting the practical use of psychic powers or paranormal phenomena

Word 1036: Sortilege

noun
the practice of foretelling the future from a card or other item drawn at random from a collection

Word 1035: Armiger

noun
a person entitled to heraldic arms

Word 1034: Guidon


noun
a pennant that narrows to a point or fork at the free end, esp. one used as the standard of a light cavalry regiment

Word 1033: Kafir

noun
a person who is not a Muslim (used chiefly by Muslims)

Word 1032: Fango

noun [usu. as adj.]
mud from thermal springs in Italy, used in curative treatment at spas and health clubs

Word 1031: Tzigane

noun ( pl. same or -ganes)
a Hungarian gypsy

Word 1030: Dossal


noun
an ornamental cloth hung behind an altar in a church or at the sides of a chancel

Word 1029: Vajra

noun
(in Buddhism and Hinduism) a thunderbolt or mystical weapon, esp. one wielded by the god Indra

Monday, January 18, 2010

Word 1028: Ward heeler

noun derogatory
a person who assists in a political campaign by canvassing votes for a party and performing menial tasks for its leaders

Word 1027: Schmear

verb [ trans.]
flatter or ingratiate oneself with (someone)

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Word 1026: Tabernacle


noun
1. (in biblical use) a fixed or movable habitation, typically of light construction
• a tent used as a sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant by the Israelites during the Exodus and until the building of the Temple
2. a meeting place for worship used by some Protestants or Mormons
3. an ornamented receptacle or cabinet in which a pyx or ciborium containing the reserved sacrament may be placed in Catholic churches, usually on or above an altar
4. a partly open socket or double post on a sailboat's deck into which a mast is fixed, with a pivot near the top so that the mast can be lowered

Word 1025: Mikveh

noun ( pl. mikvehs)
a bath in which certain Jewish ritual purifications are performed
• the action of taking such a bath

Word 1024: Ciborium


noun ( pl. -boria)
1. a receptacle shaped like a shrine or a cup with an arched cover, used in the Christian Church for the reservation of the Eucharist
2. a canopy over an altar in a church, standing on four pillars

Word 1023: Parergon

noun ( pl. -ga)
a piece of work that is supplementary to or a byproduct of a larger work

Monday, January 11, 2010

Word 1022: Charnel

noun historical
a building or vault in which corpses or bones are piled
figurative a place associated with violent death

Word 1021: Prurigo

noun Medicine
a chronic skin disease causing severe itching

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Word 1020: Mihrab


noun
a niche in the wall of a mosque, at the point nearest to Mecca, toward which the congregation faces to pray

Word 1019: Lingam

noun Hinduism
a symbol of divine generative energy, esp. a phallus or phallic object worshiped as a symbol of Shiva

Word 1018: Voir dire

noun Law
a preliminary examination of a witness or a juror by a judge or counsel
• an oath taken by such a witness

Word 1017: Infinite regress

noun Logic
a sequence of reasoning or justification that can never come to an end

Word 1016: Goffered


adjective
(of the gilt edges of a book) embossed with a repeating design

Word 1015: Wetback

noun informal derogatory
a Mexican living in the U.S., esp. one who is an illegal immigrant

Word 1014: Tapotement

noun
rapid and repeated striking of the body as a technique in massage

Word 1013: Ritual abuse

noun
the alleged sexual abuse or murder of people, esp. children, supposedly committed as part of satanic rituals

Word 1012: Quilling


noun
a piece of quilled lace or other fabric used as a trim
• a type of ornamental craftwork involving the shaping of paper, fabric, or glass into delicate pleats or folds

Word 1011: Letter missive

noun
a letter from a superior to a group or an individual conveying a command, recommendation, permission, or an invitation
• in the Anglican church, a letter from a monarch to a dean and chapter nominating a person to be elected bishop

Word 1010: Hyperemia

noun Medicine
an excess of blood in the vessels supplying an organ or other part of the body

Word 1009: Trench foot

noun
a painful condition of the feet caused by long immersion in cold water or mud and marked by blackening and death of surface tissue

Word 1008: Mirador


noun
a turret or tower attached to a building and providing an extensive view

Word 1007: Rheum

noun poetic/literary
a watery fluid that collects in or drips from the nose or eyes

Word 1006: Elute

verb [ trans.] Chemistry
remove (an adsorbed substance) by washing with a solvent, esp. in chromatography

Word 1005: Andante

adjective & adverb Music
(esp. as a direction) in a moderately slow tempo

Word 1004: Castanets


plural noun
small concave pieces of wood, ivory, or plastic, joined in pairs by a cord and clicked together by the fingers as a rhythmic accompaniment to Spanish dancing

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Word 1003: Glom

verb [ trans.] informal
steal
• [ intrans.] ( glom onto) become stuck or attached to

Word 1002: Orphrey

noun ( pl. -phreys)
an ornamental stripe or border, esp. one on an ecclesiastical vestment such as a chasuble

Word 1001: Maya

noun Hinduism
the supernatural power wielded by gods and demons to produce illusions
Hinduism the power by which the universe becomes manifest
Hinduism & Buddhism the illusion or appearance of the phenomenal world

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Word 1000: Mousseux


adjective
(of wine) sparkling

Word 999: Skive

verb [ trans.] technical
pare (the edge of a piece of leather or other material) so as to reduce its thickness

Word 998: Brannigan

noun informal
a brawl or violent argument

Word 997: Twaddle

noun
trivial or foolish speech or writing; nonsense

Word 996: Ghat


noun
1. (in the Indian subcontinent) a flight of steps leading down to a river
2. (in the Indian subcontinent) a mountain pass

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Word 995: Freeboard

noun
the height of a ship's side between the waterline and the deck

Word 994: Canalize

verb [ trans. ]
convert (a river) into a navigable canal
• convey (something) through a duct or channel
figurative give a direction or purpose to (something)

Word 993: Muezzin

noun
a man who calls Muslims to prayer from the minaret of a mosque

Word 992: Trattoria


noun
an Italian restaurant serving simple food

Word 991: Pericope

noun
an extract from a text, esp. a passage from the Bible

Word 990: Laicize

verb [ trans.] formal
withdraw clerical character, control, or status from (someone or something); secularize

Word 989: Solemnize

verb [ trans.]
duly perform (a ceremony, esp. that of marriage)
• mark with a formal ceremony

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Word 988: Liana


noun
a woody climbing plant that hangs from trees, esp. in tropical rain forests
• the free-hanging stem of such a plant

Word 987: Withy

noun ( pl. withies or withes)
a tough flexible branch of an osier or other willow, used for tying, binding, or basketry

Word 986: Skep

noun
a straw or wicker beehive

Word 985: Dysgenic

adjective
exerting a detrimental effect on later generations through the inheritance of undesirable characteristics

Monday, January 4, 2010

Word 984: Girandole


noun
1. a branched support for candles or other lights, which either stands on a surface or projects from a wall
2. an earring or pendant with a large central stone surrounded by small ones

Word 983: Shim

noun
a washer or thin strip of material used to align parts, make them fit, or reduce wear

Word 982: Bezant

noun Heraldry
a roundel or (i.e., a solid gold circle)

Word 981: Vérité

noun
a genre of film, television, and radio programs emphasizing realism and naturalism

Word 980: Frit


noun
the mixture of silica and fluxes that is fused at high temperature to make glass
• a similar calcined and pulverized mixture used to make soft-paste porcelain or ceramic glazes

Word 979: Aflatoxin

noun Chemistry
any of a class of toxic compounds that are produced by certain molds found in food, and can cause liver damage and cancer

Word 978: Hyoid

noun (also hyoid bone)
a U-shaped bone in the neck that supports the tongue

Word 977: Peplum


noun
a short flared, gathered, or pleated strip of fabric attached at the waist of a woman's jacket, dress, or blouse to create a hanging frill or flounce

Word 976: Shirr


verb [ trans.]
1. gather (an area of fabric or part of a garment) by means of drawn or elasticized threads in parallel rows
2. bake (an egg without its shell)

Word 975: Grabble

verb [ intrans.]
feel or search with the hands; grope about
• sprawl or tumble on all fours

Word 974: Mycosis

noun ( pl. -ses)
a disease caused by infection with a fungus, such as ringworm or thrush

Word 973: Hypermnesia

noun
unusual power or enhancement of memory, typically under abnormal conditions such as trauma, hypnosis, or narcosis

Word 972: Enation


noun Botany
an outgrowth from the surface of a leaf or other part of a plant

Word 971: Cataplasm

noun
a poultice

Word 970: Moxa

noun
a downy substance obtained from the dried leaves of an Asian plant related to mugwort

Word 969: Rimy

adjective poetic/literary
covered with frost

Word 968: Holystone


noun
a piece of soft sandstone used for scouring the decks of ships

Word 967: Syneresis

noun ( pl. -ses)
1. the contraction of two vowels into a diphthong or single vowel
2. Chemistry the contraction of a gel accompanied by the separating out of liquid

Word 966: Affaire de cœur

noun
a love affair

Word 965: Treen

noun (also treenware) [ treated as pl.]
small domestic wooden objects, esp. antiques

Word 964: Garniture

noun
a set of decorative vases
• decorative accessories

Word 963: Switchback


noun
a 180° bend in a road or path, esp. one leading up the side of a mountain

Word 962: Trayf

adjective
(of food) not satisfying the requirements of Jewish law

Word 961: Lassi

noun
a sweet or savory Indian drink made from a yogurt or buttermilk base with water

Word 960: Begone

exclamation poetic/literary
go away (as an expression of annoyance)

Word 959: Diapir


noun Geology
a domed rock formation in which a core of rock has moved upward to pierce the overlying strata

Word 958: Kewpie

noun trademark
a type of doll characterized by a large head, big eyes, chubby cheeks, and a curl or topknot on top of its head

Word 957: Imprest

noun
a fund used by a business for small items of expenditure and restored to a fixed amount periodically
• an advance of money made to someone engaged in some business with the state, enabling them to carry out the business
• a sum of money advanced to a person for a particular purpose

Word 956: Fomites

plural noun Medicine
objects or materials that are likely to carry infection, such as clothes, utensils, and furniture

Word 955: Tenaculum


noun ( pl. -ula)
a surgical clamp with sharp hooks at the end, used to hold or pick up small pieces of tissue such as the ends of arteries

Word 954: Aphaeresis

noun Linguistics
the loss of a sound or sounds at the beginning of a word, e.g., in the derivation of adder from nadder

Word 953: Lipogram

noun
a composition from which the writer systematically omits a certain letter or certain letters of the alphabet

Word 952: Gracioso

noun ( pl. -sos)
(in Spanish comedy) a buffoon or clown

Word 951: Palpebral

adjective [ attrib.] Anatomy
of or relating to the eyelids

Word 950: Fjord


noun
a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs, as in Norway and Iceland, typically formed by submergence of a glaciated valley

Word 949: Ogdoad

noun
a group or set of eight

Word 948: Monkeyshines

plural noun informal
mischievous behavior

Word 947: Jetfoil


noun
a type of passenger-carrying hydrofoil

Word 946: Limbus

noun ( pl. -bi) Anatomy
the border or margin of a structure, esp. the junction of the cornea and sclera in the eye

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Word 945: Superfetation

noun Medicine & Zoology
the occurrence of a second conception during pregnancy, giving rise to embryos of different ages in the uterus
figurative the accretion of one thing on another

Word 944: Uptime

noun
time during which a machine, esp. a computer, is in operation

Word 943: Pincer movement


noun
a movement by two separate bodies of troops converging on the enemy