Glossary

 

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Aardwolf N., Striped hyena of southeast Africa that feeds chiefly on insects

 

Abatis N., A line of defence consisting of a barrier of felled or live trees with branches (sharpened or with barbed wire entwined) pointed toward the enemy

Abattoir N.,  a building where animals are butchered a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place; "there was a three-story building on the corner"; "it was an imposing edifice"

Abbatial Adj., Of or having to do with or belonging to an abbey or abbot, or abbess

Abecedarian N., A 16th century sect of Anabaptists centred in Germany who had an absolute disdain for human knowledge; A novice learning the rudiments of some subjectAdj., Alphabetically arranged (as for beginning readers)

Abinitio Adv., from the begining

 

Abiogenesis N., A hypothetical organic phenomenon by which living organisms are created from nonliving matter

 

Abiotrophy N., A loss of vitality and a degeneration of cells and tissues not due to any apparent injury

 

Abjection N., A low or downcast state

 

Abjure V., Reject

 

Ablaut N., A vowel whose quality or length is changed to indicate linguistic distinctions (such as sing sang sung song)

Abnegate V., Deny oneself (something); restrain, especially from indulging in some pleasure; Surrender (power or a position); Deny or renounce

 

Aborn Adj., Archaic form of born

 

Ab Ovo Adv., from the beginning

 

Abscind V., cut off; pare.

 

Abscissa N., The value of a coordinate on the horizontal axis

Abscission N., Shedding of flowers and leaves and fruit following formation of scar tissue in a plant; The act of cutting something off

 

Accelerometer N., An instrument for measuring the acceleration of aircraft or rockets

 

Accipiter N., Type genus of the family Accipitridae

                         

Accipitridae N., Hawks; Old World vultures; kites; harriers; eagles

 

Accoucheur N., A physician specializing in obstetrics

 

Accrete V., Grow together (of plants and organs) Grow or become attached by accretion

 

Acetyl N., The organic group of acetic acid (CH3CO-)

 

Acetylation N., The process of introducing an acetyl group into a compound

 

Acheulean Adj., the name given to an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture associated with early humans during the Lower Palaeolithic era across Africa and much of West Asia, South Asia and Europe

 

Achiral Adj., (chemistry) able to be superimposed on its mirror image; not chiral

 

Acidulous Adj., Being sour to the taste

 

Aconite N., Any of various usually poisonous plants of the genus Aconitum having tuberous roots and palmately lobed leaves and blue or white flowers

 

Acrasin N., a chemotactic substance, identical with cAMP, secreted by myxamebas of cellular slime molds and attracting other myxamebas to aggregate and form a pseudoplasmodium

 

Acritarch N., small organic structures found as fossils. In general, any small, non-acid soluble (i.e. non-carbonate, non-siliceous) organic structure that can not otherwise be accounted for is an acritarch

 

Actinium N., A radioactive element of the actinide series; found in uranium ores

 

Adamantine Adj., Consisting of or having the hardness of adamant; Having the hardness of a diamond; Impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason

 

Adducing N., Citing as evidence or proof  V Advance evidence for

 

Adductor N., A muscle that draws a body part toward the median line

 

Adipose Adj., Composed of animal fat

 

Adjuvant Adj., furnishing support; enhancing the action of a medical treatment N., the additive that enhances the effectiveness of medical treatment

 

Adonai N., A Hebrew name for God, usually translated in the Old Testament by the word "Lord"

 

Adsorb V., Accumulate  (liquids or gases) on the surface

 

Adumbrate V., Describe roughly or briefly: Give to understand

 

Adust Adj., Dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight; Burned brown by the sun

 

Advenititous Adj., happening according to chance; Botany (of roots) growing directly from the stem or other upper part of a plant

 

advocatus diaboli N., or "devil's advocate

 

AER (abv) Annual equivalent rate; of a compounded interest rate, the equivalent rate if the interest were only paid annually

 

Aestivation N., (zoology) cessation or slowing of activity during the summer; especially slowing of metabolism in some animals during a hot or dry period; (botany) the arrangement of sepals and petals in a flower bud before it opens

 

Afarensis N., Fossils found in Ethiopia; from 3.5 to 4 million years ago. Australopithecus afarensis - Australopithecus afarensis is one of our oldest hominid ancestors.

 

Afferent N., A nerve that passes impulses from receptors toward or to the central nervous system Adj., Of nerves and nerve impulses; conveying sensory information from the sense organs to the CNS

 

Aflatoxin N., A potent carcinogen from the fungus Aspergillus; can be produced and stored for use as a bioweapon

 

Afflatus N., A strong creative impulse; divine inspiration

 

Afreet N., A powerful evil jinnee, demon, or monstrous giant

 

Afrite N., A powerful evil jinnee, demon, or monstrous giant.

Afroththeres N., once the ‘native’ animals of Africa when the continent was an island. The group includes elephant shrews, sea cows, hyraxes, tenrecs and elephants and has a fascinating history.

The afrotheres evolved from an ancestor which was probably also the ancestor of the xenarthrans, on the great continent of Gondwanaland during the Cretaceous period. As Africa split away from the rest of the continent, it took with it this ancestral afrotherian, which was probably an insectivorous tenrec-like animal. The descendants of this insectivore diversified over the millennia to give rise to a great diversity of animals ranging from elephants to golden moles, elephant shrews to sea cows.

These ancient African groups still form the basis of the continent's mammals, but now they live alongside incomers from their Northern Hemisphere counterparts, the Laurasiatheres. Click on the various areas of the family tree to find out more about these animals.

Afterfeather N., An accessory attached to the feather shaft at the base of the vanes, consisting a tuft of barbs or an auxiliary shaft with vanes.

 

Agacant Adj., annoying

 

Agarics N., Fungus used in the preparation of punk for fuses; A saprophytic fungus of the order Agaricales having an umbrellalike cap with gills on the underside

 

Age-doping, n., the falsification of an athlete’s birth records to meet a sporting event’s age requirements, as alleged of Chinese gymnasts in the 2008 Olympics.

 

Agglomerate N., Volcanic rock consisting of large fragments fused together; V. Form into one cluster; Adj., Clustered together but not coherent

 

Agita N., heartburn; indigestion.; anxiety

 

Aglu N., Canada seal's breathing hole in ice: a breathing hole that a seal has made in sea ice

 

Agnomen N., An additional name or an epithet appended to a name (as in 'Ferdinand the Great')

 

Agonistic Adj., Of or relating to the athletic contests held in ancient Greece; Striving to overcome in argument; Struggling for effect

 

Ai N., A sloth that has three long claws on each forefoot and each hindfoot

 

Aigrette N., A long plume (especially one of egret feathers) worn on a hat or a piece of jewellery in the shape of a plume

 

Aileron N., An airfoil that controls lateral motion

 

Ailurophile Adj., One with a morbid fear of cats

 

Alarum V., An automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger

 

Albedo N., The ratio of reflected to incident light

 

Albedo Effect N., percentage of solar energy reflected back by a surface

 

Albuminuria N., The presence of excessive protein (chiefly albumin but also globulin) in the urine; usually a symptom of kidney disorder

 

Alcedinidae N., Kingfishers

 

Alcyon Adj., Halycon

 

Aleatics N., presocratic philosophers, including Parmenides and Zeno, who used dialectical methods to argue that reality is a unified whole within which no motion or change is possible.

 

Aleatory Adj., Dependent on chance

 

Alembic Adj., The cap of a still. The cap or head was the alembic proper. Cf. {Limbec}.] An apparatus formerly used in distillation, usually made of glass or metal. It has mostly given place to the retort and worm still. Note: Used also metaphorically.

[n]  an obsolete kind of container used for distillation; two retorts connected by a tube

Alethe N., The Alethes are small mainly insectivorous birds in the genus Alethe of the thrush family Turdidae. All are African species

Algid Adj., "a person who is algid is marked by prostration and has cold clammy skin and low blood pressure"

 

Algologist N., The branch of botany that studies algae

 

Alimentation N., What needs to be eaten to sustain a person's body; food, esp. food containing the required vitamins and energy; The act of supplying food and nourishment

 

Alimentry Adj., Providing nourishment

 

Alidade N., Surveying instrument consisting of the upper movable part of a theodolite including the telescope and its attachments; Surveying instrument used with a plane table for drawing lines of sight on a distant object and for measuring angles

 

Aliphatic Adj., Having carbon atoms linked in open chains

 

Aliquot N., An integer that is an exact divisor of some quantity; Adj., Signifying an exact divisor or factor of a quantity

 

Alizarin N., An orange-red crystalline compound used in making red pigments and in dyeing

 

Alkyl N., Any of a series of univalent groups of the general formula CnH2n+1 derived from aliphatic hydrocarbons

 

Allochthonous Adj., Of rocks, deposits, etc.; found in a place other than where they and their constituents were formed

 

Allele N., One of two alternate forms of a gene that can have the same locus on homologous chromosomes and are responsible for alternative traits

 

Allometry N., Study of the relative growth of a part of an organism in relation to the growth of the whole

 

Allonym N,. The name of a person, usually a historical person, assumed by a writer.

  

Allopatric Adj., (of biological species or speciation) occurring in areas isolated geographically from one another

 

Alnico N., Trade name for an alloy used to make high-energy permanent magnets; contains aluminum and iron and nickel plus cobalt, copper or titanium

 

Alpenglow N., A rosy or reddish glow seen near sunset or sunrise on the summits of mountains, especially snow covered mountains

 

Alpine Adj., Living or growing above the timber line

 

Altostratus N., A stratus cloud at an intermediate altitude of 2 or 3 miles

 

Altricial Adj., (of hatchlings) naked and blind and dependent on parents for food

 

Alveolar Adj., Pertaining to the tiny air sacs of the lungs; Pertaining to the sockets of the teeth or that part of the upper jaw N., A consonant articulated with the tip of the tongue near the gum ridge

 

Alveolus N., A tiny sac for holding air in the lungs; formed by the terminal dilation of tiny air passageways; A bony socket in the alveolar ridge that holds a tooth

 

Amacrine N., A cell or structure lacking a long, fibrous process

 

Amanita N., Genus of widely distributed agarics that have white spores and are poisonous with few exceptions

 

Amanuensis N., somebody employed by a person to write from his or her dictation or to copy manuscripts

 

Ambit N., An area in which something acts or operates or has power or control

 

Ambo N., A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

 

Ambergris N., Waxy substance secreted by the sperm whale and found floating at sea or washed ashore; used in perfume

 

Amboid Adj., Like an amoeba (especially in having a variable irregular shape)

 

Ament N., A cylindrical spikelike inflorescence

 

Amicus Curiae N., An adviser to the court on some matter of law; usually someone who wants to influence the outcome of a lawsuit but is not a party to it

Amide N., Any organic compound containing the group -CONH2

Amine N., A compound derived from ammonia by replacing hydrogen atoms by univalent hydrocarbon radicals

 

Ammonite N., One of the coiled chambered fossil shells of extinct mollusks

 

Amniotes N., Any member of the Amniota (Higher vertebrates (reptiles, birds and mammals) possessing an amnion during development)

 

Amorist N., One dedicated to love and lovemaking especially one who writes about love

Amour Propre N., Feelings of excessive pride

 

Anorthosite N., A granular igneous rock composed almost exclusively of a soda-lime feldspar, usually labradorite

 

Apanage N., Any customary and rightful perquisite appropriate to your station in life; A grant (by a sovereign or a legislative body) of resources to maintain a dependent member of a ruling family

 

Amphimixis  N., Reproduction involving the union or fusion of a male and a female gamete; Union of sperm and egg in sexual reproduction

 

Amphytryon N., A king of Thebes and the husband of Alcmene

 

Amplexus N., The copulatory embrace of frogs and toads, during which the male fertilizes the eggs that are released by the female.

 

Ampliative Adj., Enlarging a conception by adding to that which is already known or received.

 

Amygdaloidal Adj., Shaped like an almond

Anaclastic Adj., Produced by the refraction of light, as seen through water; as, anaclastic curves; Springing back, as the bottom of an anaclastic glass. Anaclastic glass, a glass or phial, shaped like an inverted funnel, and with a very thin convex bottom. By sucking out a little air, the bottom springs into a concave form with a smart crack; and by breathing or blowing gently into the orifice, the bottom, with a like noise, springs into its former convex form.

Anadromous Adj., Migrating from the sea to fresh water to spawn

 

Anagenesis N., A pattern of evolution that results in linear descent with no branching or splitting of the population. Anagenesis  also known as "phyletic change", is the evolution of species involving a change in gene frequency in an entire population rather than a branching event, as in cladogenesis. When enough mutations reach fixation in a population to significantly differentiate from an ancestral population, a new species name may be assigned. A key point is that the entire population is different from the ancestral population such that the ancestral population can be considered extinct.

 

 

Anagenesis V., also known as "phyletic change," is the progressive evolution of species involving a change in gene frequency in an entire population rather than a cladogenetic branching event. When enough mutations reach fixation in a population to significantly differentiate from an ancestral population, a new species name may be assigned. A key point is that the entire population is different from the ancestral population so that the ancestral population can be considered extinct. It is easy to see from the preceding definition how controversy can arise among taxonomists when the differences are significant enough to warrant a new species classification. Anagenesis may also be referred to as phyletic evolution or gradual evolution

 

Analemma N., An orthographic projection of the sphere on the plane of the meridian, the eye being supposed at an infinite distance, and in the east or west point of the horizon; An instrument of wood or brass, on which this projection of the sphere is made, having a movable horizon or cursor; - formerly much used in solving some common astronomical problems; A scale of the sun's declination for each day of the year, drawn across the torrid zone on an artificial terrestrial globe

 

Anapest N., A metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed-stressed syllables                   

 

Anathematize V., Declare to be evil or anathema

 

Anchorite N., One retired from society for religious reasons

Andesite N., A dark grey volcanic rock 

Andosols N., soils found in volcanic areas formed in volcanic tephra.

Anemometer N., A gauge for recording the speed and direction of wind

 

Anencephalic Adj., Characterized by partial or total absence of a brain

 

Aneuploidy N., An abnormality involving a chromosome number that is not an exact multiple of the haploid number (one chromosome set is incomplete)

 

Angiosperm N., Plants having seeds in a closed ovary              

 

Angle bar N., length of steel used to join sections of track or to repair gaps in a track

 

Angstrom N., A metric unit of length equal to one ten billionth of a meter (or 0.0001 micron); used to specify wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation

 

Anguine Adj., Of or related to or resembling a snake

 

Anhedonia N., An inability to experience pleasure

 

Anhydrous Adj., (chemistry) without water; especially without water of crystallization

 

Animadversion N., Harsh criticism or disapproval            

 

Animism N., The doctrine that all natural objects and the universe itself have souls

 

Anlage N., An organ in its earliest stage of development; the foundation for subsequent development

 

Annuli N., A toroidal shape; (Fungi) a remnant of the partial veil that in mature mushrooms surrounds the stem like a collar

 

Anomia N., Type genus of the family Anomiidae: saddle oysters; Inability to name objects or to recognize written or spoken names of objects

 

Anomie Adj., Socially disoriented

 

Anorectic Adj., Suffering from anorexia nervosa; pathologically thin; Causing loss of appetite N., A person suffering from anorexia nervosa

 

Anosmic Adj., Relating to an impairment or loss of the sense of smell; Having impaired sense of smell

 

Anosognosia N., Real or feigned ignorance of the presence of disease, especially of paralysis; a condition in which a person who suffers disability seems unaware of or denies the existence of his or her disability

 

Anoxic Adj., Relating to or marked by a severe deficiency of oxygen in tissues or organs

 

Antediluvian N., Any of the early patriarchs who lived prior to the Deluge; A very old (or old fashioned) person Adj., Of or relating to the period before the Biblical flood; So extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period

 

Ante meridiem Adj., (Adv) Before noon

Antilog N., The number of which a given number is the logarithm

Anthropic Adj., Relating to mankind or the period of mankind's existence

 

Anthocyanin N., (organic chemistry) any of many water-soluble red to violet plant pigments related to the flavonoids

 

Anthropogenic Adj., Of or relating to the study of the origins and development of human beings

 

Anthroponym N., The name of a person, especially a surname                       

 

Antimacassar N., A piece of ornamented cloth that protects the back of a chair from hair oils

 

Antimony N., A metallic element having four allotropic forms; used in a wide variety of alloys; found in stibnite

 

Antinomian N., A follower of the doctrine of antinomianism  Adj., Relating to or influenced by antinomianism (The theological doctrine that by faith and God's grace a Christian is freed from all laws (including the moral standards of the culture)

 

Antipodal Adj., Relating to the antipodes or situated at opposite sides of the earth

 

Antipodes N., the direct opposite of something.

 

Antitype N., A person or thing represented or foreshadowed by a type or symbol; especially a figure in the Old Testament having a counterpart in the New Testament; An opposite or contrasting type

 

Antre N., a cavern

 

Antrum N., A natural cavity or hollow in a bone

 

Aorist N., A verb tense in some languages (classical Greek and Sanskrit) expressing action (especially past action) without indicating its completion or continuation

 

Antitmacassar N., A piece of ornamented cloth that protects the back of a chair from hair oils

 

Apatite N., A common complex mineral consisting of calcium fluoride phosphate or calcium chloride phosphate; a source of phosphorus

 

Apercu N., A revealing glimpse or insight; a concise outline or summary

 

Apercus N., A short synopsis

Aphelion N., Apoapsis in solar orbit; the point in the orbit of a planet or comet that is at the greatest distance from the sun

 

Aphorism N., A short pithy instructive saying

 

Apical Adj., Situated at an apex

 

Apikoros N., A Jewish person who does not follow Jewish law

 

Apiology N., the scientific study of bees, esp. honeybees

 

Aplysiidae N., Sea hares

 

Aplysia N., Type genus of the family Aplysiidae

 

Apoapsis N., (astronomy) the point in an orbit farthest from the body being orbited

 

Apodictic Adj., expressing or of the nature of necessary truth or absolute certainty

 

Apomictic Adj., Of or relating to a plant that reproduces by apomixes; (of reproduction) not involving the fusion of male and female gametes in reproduction

 

Apomixes N., Any of several kinds of reproduction without fertilization

 

Apophenia N., the spontaneous perception of connections and meaningfulness in unrelated things; seeing patterns where none, in fact, exist

 

Apophthegm N., A short pithy instructive saying

 

Apoptosis N., A type of cell death in which the cell uses specialized cellular machinery to kill itself; a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number and eliminate cells that threaten the animal's survival

 

Aporia N., A figure in which the speaker professes to be at a loss what course to pursue, where to begin to end, what to say, etc

 

Aposematic Adj., Having or designating conspicuous or warning colors or structures indicative of special means of defense against enemies, as in the skunk

 

Aposematism Adj., Having or designating conspicuous or warning colours or structures indicative of special means of defence against enemies, as in the skunk

 

Apostate N., A disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc. Adj. Not faithful to religion or party or cause

 

Apotemnophilia N., sexual desire for an amputee or to have one's own healthy limb amputated; also called amputation fetish

 

Apothegm N., A short pithy instructive saying

 

Apoptosis V., A type of cell death in which the cell uses specialized cellular machinery to kill itself; a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number and eliminate cells that threaten the animal's survival

 

Apperception N., The process whereby perceived qualities of an object are related to past experience

 

Approbation N., Official recognition or approval

 

Appoggiatura N., An embellishing note usually written in smaller size

 

Apposite Adj., Being of striking appropriateness and pertinence

 

Apres Ski Adj., Concerned with or designed for activities at a ski lodge after skiing

 

Apsis N., (apsides) A domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church; usually contains the altar

 

Aquacade N., water spectacle originally at Cleveland, Ohio: a water spectacle that consists usually of exhibitions of swimming and diving with musical accompaniment

 

Aragonite N., A mineral form of crystalline calcium carbonate; dimorphic with calcite

 

Araucaria N., Any of several tall South American or Australian trees with large cones and edible seeds

 

Arca N., Type genus of the family Arcidae: ark shells and blood clams

 

Archean N., The time from 3,800 million years to 2,500 million years ago; earth's crust formed; unicellular organisms are earliest forms of life; Adj., Of or relating to the earliest known rocks formed during the Precambrian Eon

 

Archiator N., chief physician of a monarch

Ardeidae N., Herons; egrets; night herons; bitterns

Are N., A unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters

 

Argillaceous Adj., Resembling or containing clay

 

Arian Adj., Pertaining to Arius, a presbyter of the church of Alexandria, in the fourth century, or to the doctrines of Arius, who held Christ to be inferior to God the Father in nature and dignity, though the first and noblest of all created beings

 

Ariele pensee N., an unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something wholeheartedly

                                         

Areolae N., Small space in a tissue or part such as the area between veins on a leaf or an insect's wing; Small circular area such as that around the human nipple or an inflamed area around a pimple or insect bite

 

Argent Adj., Of lustrous grey; covered with or tinged with the colour of silver N., A metal tincture used in heraldry to give a silvery appearance

 

Arhat N., A Buddhist who has attained nirvana

 

Arikara N., A member of the Caddo people who formerly lived in the Dakotas west of the Missouri river; The Caddoan language spoken by the Arikara people

Armadillo N., a van carrying replacement crews

Armet N., A medieval helmet with a visor and a neck guard

Armiger N., A nobleman entitled to bear heraldic arms

Arpent N., A former French unit of area; equal approximately to an acre

Arrak N., (also Arrack) Any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses

 

Arrant Adj., Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers

 

arriere pensee N., An unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something wholeheartedly

 

Arrogate V., Demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to; Make undue claims to having; Take control of; take as one's right or possession

 

Artificer N., Someone who is the first to think of or make something; A skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft; An enlisted man responsible for the upkeep of small arms and machine guns etc.

 

Arhus N., Port city of Denmark in eastern Jutland

Arrant Adj., Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers

Arum N., Starch resembling sago that is obtained from cuckoopint root; Any plant of the family Araceae; have small flowers massed on a spadix surrounded by a large spathe

Asci N., Saclike structure in which ascospores are formed through sexual reproduction of ascomycetes

Aso N., A volcanic mountain of central Kyushu, Japan. It is topped by one of the world's largest calderas, containing five volcanic cones, one of which is active. The highest cone rises to 1,593 m (5,223 ft).

Asperity N., Something hard to endure; harshness of manner

Assertorial Adj., Asserting that a thing is.

Assizes N.,  The regulation of weights and measures of articles offered for sale; An ancient writ issued by a court of assize to the sheriff for the recovery of property

 

Asymptote N., A straight line that is the limiting value of a curve; can be considered as tangent at infinity

 

Ataraxia N., Peace of mind

 

Atlatl N., the spear­flinging weapon that preceded the bow and arrow

 

Atman N., The life principle, soul, or individual essence The life principle, soul, or individual essence

 

Atomic number 6 N., An abundant nonmetallic tetravalent element occurring in three allotropic forms: amorphous carbon and graphite and diamond; occurs in all organic compounds

 

Atony N., Lack of normal muscular tension or tonus

 

Atrabilious Adj., Irritable as if suffering from indigestion; “black bile”

Atrip Adj., Of an anchor; just clear of the bottom

Aubergines N., Hairy upright herb native to southeastern Asia but widely cultivated for its large glossy edible fruit commonly used as a vegetable; Egg-shaped vegetable having a shiny skin typically dark purple but occasionally white or yellow

 

Au fait Adj., Being up to particular standard or level especially in being up to date in knowledge

Auricle N., A small conical pouch projecting from the upper anterior part of each atrium of the heart; The externally visible cartilaginous structure of the external ear

Aurignacian Adj., belonging to a prehistoric culture associated with Cro-Magnon people in Europe around the period 30,000 to 22,000 bc

 

Auscultation N., Listening to sounds within the body (usually with a stethoscope)

Auspicate V., Indicate by signs; Commence in a manner calculated to bring good luck

Austral N., The basic unit of money in Argentina; equal to 100 centavos  Adj., Relating to or coming from the south; Of the south or coming from the south

 

Autarky N., Economic independence as a national policy

Autocatalysis N., Catalysis in which the catalyst is one of the products of the reaction

Autochthonic Adj., Originating where it is found

 

Autochthonous Adj., Of rocks, deposits, etc.; found where they and their constituents were formed; Originating where it is found

 

Autoclave N., A device for heating substances above their boiling point; used to manufacture chemicals or to sterilize surgical instruments V., Subject to the action of an autoclave

 

Auto da fe N., The burning to death of heretics (as during the Spanish Inquisition)

 

Autolysis N., Lysis of plant or animal tissue by an internal process

Autopoiesis  N., Self creation; self organization.An autopoietic machine is a machine organized (defined as a unity) as a network of processes of production (transformation and destruction) of components which: (i) through their interactions and transformations continuously regenerate and realize the network of processes (relations) that produced them; and (ii) constitute it (the machine) as a concrete unity in space in which they (the components) exist by specifying the topological domain of its realization as such a network. (Maturana, Varela, 1980, p. 78)

[…] the space defined by an autopoietic system is self-contained and cannot be described by using dimensions that define another space. When we refer to our interactions with a concrete autopoietic system, however, we project this system on the space of our manipulations and make a description of this projection. (Maturana, Varela, 1980, p. 89)

The term autopoiesis was originally conceived as an attempt to characterize the nature of living systems. A canonical example of an autopoietic system is the biological cell. The eukaryotic cell, for example, is made of various biochemical components such as nucleic acids and proteins, and is organized into bounded structures such as the cell nucleus, various organelles, a cell membrane and cytoskeleton. These structures, based on an external flow of molecules and energy, produce the components which, in turn, continue to maintain the organized bounded structure that gives rise to these components. An autopoietic system is to be contrasted with an allopoietic system, such as a car factory, which uses raw materials (components) to generate a car (an organized structure) which is something other than itself (the factory).

More generally, the term autopoiesis resembles the dynamics of a non-equilibrium system; that is, organized states (sometimes also called dissipative structures) that remain stable for long periods of time despite matter and energy continually flowing through them. From a very general point of view, the notion of autopoiesis is often associated with that of self-organization. However, an autopoietic system is autonomous and operationally closed, in the sense that every process within it directly helps maintaining the whole. Autopoietic systems are structurally coupled with their medium in dialect dynamic of changes that can be recalled as sensory-motor coupling. This continuous dynamic is considered as knowledge and can be observed throughout life-forms.

An application of the concept to sociology can be found in Niklas Luhmann's Systems Theory. Marjatta Maula adapted the concept of autopoiesis in a business context.

Autopsia N., an art project dealing with music and visual production. Autopsia gathers authors of different professions in realization of multimedia projects

 

Autosomal Adj., Of or relating to an autosome

 

Autosome N., Any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome; appear in pairs in body cells but as single chromosomes in spermatozoa

 

Autotroph N., Plant capable of synthesizing its own food from simple organic substances

 

Averral Adv., referring to aver

 

Avifauna N., The birds of a particular region or period

 

Avariun N., Holy Man

 

Avatar N., A new embodiment of a familiar idea; The manifestation of a Hindu deity (especially Vishnu) in human or superhuman or animal form

 

Aves non Grat N., bad birds

 

Avidity N., A positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something

 

Avuncular Adj., Resembling a uncle in kindness or indulgence; Being or relating to an uncle

 

Axenic Adj., free from other living organisms

 

Axillae N., The hollow under the arm where it is joined to the shoulder

 

Axon N., Long nerve fiber that conducts away from the cell body of the neuron

 

Azazel N., an evil spirit of the wilderness to which a scapegoat was sent by the ancient Hebrews in a ritual of atonement

 

Azimuth N., The azimuth of a celestial body is the angle between the vertical plane containing it and the plane of the meridian

 

B

Baby lifter N., a railroad brakeman

Bacchante N., (classical mythology) a priestess or votary of Bacchus

 

Badinage N., Frivolous banter

 

Bailey N., The outer courtyard of a castle; The outer defensive wall that surrounds the outer courtyard of a castle

Bailout, n. & v., rescue of a failing business by the government, esp. the government payments to the banking and financial industry in late 2008.

Bais N., The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan

 

Balaclava N., A cap that is close-fitting and woollen and covers all of the head but the face

 

Balata N., When dried yields a hard substance used e.g. in golf balls; A tropical hardwood tree yielding balata gum and heavy red timber

Ballyhoo of blazes N., a sailor's term of contempt for an unworthy ship, 1831.

Banausic Adj., (formal) ordinary and not refined

 

Bannock N., A flat bread made of oat or barley flour; common in New England and Scotland

 

Barbs N., Primary branches off either side of the rachis, or central shaft; barbs form the vanes.

 

Barbules N., Tiny secondary branches on either side of the ramus, or central axis of a barb

 

Barchan N., an ancient Carthaginian family to which Hamilcar, Hasdrubal, and Hannibal belonged

 

Barm N., A commercial leavening agent containing yeast cells; used to raise the dough in making bread and for fermenting beer or whiskey

 

Baroque Adj., Of or relating to or characteristic of the elaborately ornamented style of architecture, art, and music popular in Europe between 1600 and 1750; N., The historic period from about 1600 until 1750 when the baroque style of art, architecture, and music flourished in Europe

 

Barouche N., A horse-drawn carriage having four wheels; has an outside seat for the driver and facing inside seats for two couples and a folding top

Barque, N., a ship, applied to various types at different times, 1473. Also bark. From the French. The word appears in Latin, but may ultimately be Celtic in origin.

Bascule N., A structure in which one end is counterbalanced by the other (as in a bascule bridge)

 

Basilar Adj., Of or relating to or located at the base

 

Bastinado N., A cudgel used to give someone a beating on the soles of the feet; A form of torture in which the soles of the feet are beaten with whips or cudgels V., Beat somebody on the soles of the feet

Bate V., Moderate or restrain; lessen the force of; Flap the wings wildly or frantically; used of falcons; (chemistry) soak in a special solution to soften and remove chemicals used in previous treatments

Bathos N., Triteness or triviality of style; Insincere pathos; A change from a serious subject to a disappointing one

Batrachian Adj., Relating to frogs and toads N., Any of various tailless stout-bodied amphibians with long hind limbs for leaping; semiaquatic and terrestrial species

 

Batteau N., A long, light, flatbottom boat with a sharply pointed bow and stern

 

Battlement N., A rampart built around the top of a castle with regular gaps for firing arrows or guns

 

Batture N., An elevated river bed or sea bed

 

Bayes Theorem N., (statistics) a theorem describing how the conditional probability of a set of possible causes for a given observed event can be computed from knowledge of the probability of each cause and the conditional probability of the outcome of each cause

 

Beadle N., A minor parish official who serves a ceremonial function

Beaner N.,  a B.N.S.F. (railroad company) train

Beaufort Scale N., An international scale of wind force from 0 (calm air) to 12 (hurricane); A scale from 0 to 12 for the force of the wind

Beignet N., Very rich drop fried cake dusted with confectioners' sugar and served with lemon sauce or preserves

 

Bel N., Babylonian god of the earth; one of the supreme triad including Anu and Ea; earlier identified with En-lil; A logarithmic unit of sound intensity equal to 10 decibels

 

Belay N., Something to which a mountain climber's rope can be secured  V., Turn a rope round an object or person in order to secure it or him; Fasten a boat to a bitt, pin, or cleat

 

Beldame N., An ugly evil-looking old woman; a woman of advance age

 

Belem N., Port city in northern Brazil in the Amazon delta; main port and commercial center for the Amazon River basin

Belemnite N., A conical calcareous fossil tapering to a point at one end and with a conical cavity at the other end containing (when unbroken) a small chambered phragmocone from the shell of any of numerous extinct cephalopods of the family Belemnitidae

Belletristic Adj, Written and regarded for aesthetic value rather than content

 

Bema N., Area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing

 

Benedict N., A newly married man (especially one who has long been a bachelor)

 

Benefice N., An endowed church office giving income to its holder V., Endow with a benefice

 

Benight V., Overtake with darkness or night; Envelop with social, intellectual, or moral darkness; Make difficult to perceive by sight

 

Benthic Adj., Of or relating to or happening on the bottom under a body of water

Bentonite N., An absorbent aluminum silicate clay formed from volcanic ash

Berdache N., among some Native North American peoples, somebody, usually a man, who takes on the dress, role, and status of the opposite sex

 

Beriboned Adj., adorned with ribbons

Bernoulli's law N., A statement of the conservation of energy in a form useful for solving problems involving fluids. For a non-viscous, incompressible fluid in steady flow, the sum of pressure, potential and kinetic energies per unit volume is constant at any point. p + qv2/2 + qgy = constant where p is the pressure, q is the density, v the velocity and y the height in a gravitational field of strength g, all measured at the same point. This quantity is then constant throughout the fluid. Bernoulli's principle is used for, but not essential to, lift by airplanes.

Bessextile Adj., having the extra day in a year that makes it a leap year                    

 

Betatron N., Accelerates a continuous beam of electrons to high speeds by means of the electric field produced by changing magnetic flux

 

Bezant N., a flat disk used in architectural ornament

 

Bialys N., Flat crusty-bottomed onion roll

 

Bicameral Adj., Composed of two legislative bodies;Consisting of two chambers

 

Bicorn N., A cocked hat with the brim turned up to form two points Adj., Having two horns or horn-shaped parts

 

Bidet N., A basin for washing genitals and anal area

Bien-pensant N., a person who is bien pensant, a conservative Adj., right-thinking, orthodox, conformist

Bilboate Adj., Having two lobes

 

Bildungsroman N., A novel dealing with someone's formative years

 

Bilious Adj., Relating to or containing bile; Suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric distress; Irritable as if suffering from indigestion

 

Billingsgate N., Foul-mouthed or obscene abuse

 

Bindi N., arguably the most visually fascinating of all forms of body decoration. Hindus attach great importance to this ornamental mark on the forehead between the two eyebrows — a spot considered a major nerve point in human body since ancient times

 

Bine N., European twining plant whose flowers are used chiefly to flavor malt liquors; cultivated in America

 

Binnacle N., A nonmagnetic housing for a ship's compass (usually in front of the helm)

 

Birdlime N., A sticky adhesive that is smeared on small branches to capture small birds V., Spread birdlime on branches to catch birds

 

Birl V., Cause a floating log to rotate by treading; Cause to spin

 

Bisulca, N., cloven hoofed animals (From SJ Gould’s “The Hedgehog, the Fox and the Magister’s Pox”)

 

Bitt N., A strong post (as on a wharf or quay or ship for attaching mooring lines) V., Secure with a bitt

 

Bladdernose N., Medium-sized blackish-gray seal with large inflatable sac on the head; of Arctic and northern Atlantic waters

Blagosphere, n. Optimistic worldview of a failing politician. After Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and blogosphere.

Blastula N., Early stage of an embryo produced by cleavage of an ovum; a liquid-filled sphere whose wall is composed of a single layer of cells; during this stage (about eight days after fertilization) implantation in the wall of the uterus occurs

 

Blat V., Cry plaintively

 

Blatherskite N., Foolish gibberish

 

Bleb N., (pathology) an elevation of the skin filled with serous fluid

 

Blench V., Turn pale, as if in fear

Bluet Adj., A name given to several different species of plants having blue flowers

 

Boches N., Offensive terms for a person of German descent

 

Boffin N., (slang) a scientist or technician engaged in research

 

Bogy N., An unidentified (and possibly enemy) aircraft; an evil spirit

 

Boisei N., At least seven species of australopithecines are now generally recognized, including Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus, A. bahrelghazali, A. anamensis, A. boisei, A. robustus, and A. aethiopicus.

 

Boite N., a nightclub; cabaret.

 

Bolide N.,An especially luminous meteor (sometimes exploding)

 

Bolus N., A small round soft mass (as of chewed food); A large pill; used especially in veterinary medicine

Bombazine N., A twilled fabric used for dresses; the warp is silk and the weft is worsted

Bombe N., A dome-shaped dessert (ice cream, mousse, etc)

 

Bonobo N., Small chimpanzee of swamp forests in Zaire; a threatened species

 

Borborygmus Adj., This is rare in everyday language, but you will find it in the medical literature, where it turns up mostly in the plural, borborygmi. It’s not an unusual medical condition, it being caused by the normal movement of gas and fluid in the intestines. However, excessive noise might indicate that the sufferer has one of those ailments that can upset our delicate and finely-balanced internal economies, for example lactic acid intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome. Outside medical matters, you are most likely to encounter the adjective, borborygmic, which is used figuratively, mainly it would seem in matters related to noisy plumbing. For example, in Ada by Vladimir Nabokov you’ll find “All the toilets and waterpipes in the house had been suddenly seized with borborygmic convulsions”, and E Fenwick wrote in Long Way Down: “The room was very quiet, except for its borborygmic old radiator”. The word is related to the sixteenth-century French borborgyme, but our term comes directly from Latin, which in turn descends from the Greek word borborugmos with the same meaning.

 

Boreal N., Relating to or marked by qualities associated with the north wind; Toward or located in the north; Comprising or throughout far northern regions

 

Bothy N., A small cottage, especially one for communal use in remote areas of northern Britain

 

Botryoidal Adj., Resembling a cluster of grapes in form

 

Boutade N., An outbreak; a caprice; a whim.

 

Brachiation N., Swinging by the arms from branch to branch

 

Brachistachrone N., a term invented by John Bernoulli in 1694 to denote the curve along which a body passes from one fixed point to another in the shortest time. When the directive force is constant, the curve is a cycloid; under other conditions, spirals and other curves are described

 

Brachypterous Adj., (especially of certain insects) having very short or rudimentary wings

 

Bracken N., Fern of southeastern Asia; not hardy in cold temperate regions; Large coarse fern often several feet high; essentially weed ferns; cosmopolitan

 

Bract N., A modified leaf or leaflike part just below and protecting an inflorescence

 

Brane N., (physics, string theory) a three dimensional hypersurface embedded in a higher dimensional bulk

 

Brasserie N., A small restaurant serving beer and wine as well as food; usually cheap

 

Brayer N., A printer's hand-inking cylinder

Breatharian N., a believer claim food and possibly water are not necessary, and that humans can be sustained solely by prana (the vital life force in Hinduism), or, according to some, by the energy in sunlight (according to Ayurveda, sunlight is one of the main sources of prana). The terms breatharianism or inedia may also refer to this philosophy practised as a lifestyle in place of the usual diet.

While there is not peer-verified scientific support for the claims, some promote the practices of breatharianism as a skill which can be learned through specific techniques

Breccia N., A rudaceous rock consisting of sharp fragments embedded in clay or sand

 

Brevipennate Adj., having short wings, brachypterous

 

Brevet N., A document entitling a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily (but without higher pay) V., Promote somebody by brevet, in the military

 

Bricolage N., Construction using a range of things that happen to be available

 

Brigantine N., Two-masted vessel square-rigged on the foremast and fore-and-aft rigged on the mainmast

 

Brindle Adj., Having a grey or brown streak or a pattern or a patchy coloring; used especially of the patterned fur of cats

 

Bristles N., Feathers with a stiff, nearly bare rachis and barbs only at the base, usually black or dark brown

 

Brome N., Any of various woodland and meadow grasses of the genus Bromus; native to temperate regions

Bromelia N., The type genus of the family Bromeliaceae which includes tropical American plants with deeply cleft calyx

Bronco N., automobile equipped to ride on rail tracks; bronco in the canyon, n., such an automobile on the tracks

Brownian Motion N., The physical phenomenon that minute particles immersed in a fluid move about randomly; or the mathematical models used to describe those random movements.

Bruit V., Tell or spread rumours

 

Brumation N., A lethargic state in reptiles and in some other animal species [e.g. bears], somewhat analogous to hibernation but not the same

 

Buckram N., A coarse cotton fabric stiffened with glue; used in bookbinding and to stiffen clothing  V., Stiffen with or as with buckram Adj., Rigidly formal

 

Buckyball N., A spheroidal fullerene; the first known example of a fullerene

 

Budgerigar N., Small Australian parakeet usually light green with black and yellow markings in the wild but bred in many colors

 

Bullock N. Young bull; castrated bull

 

Buncombe N., Unacceptable behavior (especially ludicrously false statements)

 

Bung N., A plug used to close a hole in a barrel or flask V., Give a tip or gratuity to in return for a service, beyond the agreed-on compensation Close with a cork or stopper; [Brit] (informal) put, throw

 

Bupkes N., Literally nothing (emphatic Yiddish)

Burgee N., A swallow-tailed flag; a distinguishing pennant, used by cutters, yachts, and merchant vessels

Burladero N., a wooden shield near the wall in a bullring for bullfighters to take shelter behind if pursued

Burletta N., (in the 18th and 19th centuries) a musical drama containing rhymed lyrics and resembling comic opera or a comic play containing songs.

 

Burrawong N., Large attractive palmlike evergreen cycad of New South Wales

 

Bushwa N., Spanish for exaggeration

 

C

 

Caber N., A heavy wooden pole (such as the trunk of a young fir) that is tossed as a test of strength (in the Highlands of northern Scotland)

 

Cabbalistic Adj., Having a secret or hidden meaning

 

Cachalot N., Large whale with a large cavity in the head containing spermaceti and oil; also a source of ambergris

 

Cactolith N., An irregular intrusive igneous body of obscurely cactuslike form, more or less confined to a horizontal zone and appearing to consist of irregularly related and possibly distorted branching and anastamosing dikes that fed a laccolith. Term introduced by Hunt et al. (1953, p. 151): "a quasi-horizontal chonolith composed of anastamosing ductoliths whose distal ends curl like a harpolith, thin like a sphenolith, or bulge discordantly like an akmolith or ethmolith"

 

Caddish Adj., Offensively discourteous

Cadmean Adj., of, pertaining to, or like Cadmus

 

Cadmus N., mythological founder of Thebes: in Greek mythology, a prince who slew a dragon and planted its teeth in the ground, from which armed men sprouted and began fighting each other. With the five survivors Cadmus founded Thebes

 

Caesura N., A pause or interruption (as in a conversation); A break or pause (usually for sense) in the middle of a verse line

 

Caids N., people coming in homage to a religious or otherwise, leader.

 

Caique N., A light skiff or rowing boat used on the Bosporus; also, a Levantine vessel of larger size

 

Cairns N., A mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path; Small rough-haired breed of terrier from Scotland

 

Calamine N., A white mineral; a common ore of zinc

 

Calamus N., The tubular portion of the central shaft, inside the feather socket, below the skin surface

 

Calcareous Adj., Composed of or containing or resembling calcium carbonate or calcite or chalk

 

Calcine V., Heat a substance so that it oxidizes or reduces

 

Caldera N.,A large crater caused by the violent explosion of a volcano that collapses into a depression

 

Caltrop N., Tropical annual procumbent poisonous subshrub having fruit that splits into five spiny nutlets; serious pasture weed; A plant of the genus Trapa bearing spiny four-pronged edible nutlike fruits; Mediterranean annual or biennial herb having pinkish to purple flowers surrounded by spine-tipped scales; naturalized in America

 

Calumniate V., Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

 

Calliope N., (Greek mythology) the Muse of epic poetry; A musical instrument consisting of a series of steam whistles played from a keyboard

 

Callosties N., An area of skin that is thick or hard from continual pressure or friction (as the sole of the foot); Devoid of passion or feeling; hardheartedness

 

Callosty N., A callous demeanour; insensitivity or hardheartedness

 

Calx N., A white crystalline oxide used in the production of calcium hydroxide

 

Cambium N., A formative one-cell layer of tissue between xylem and phloem in most vascular plants that is responsible for secondary growth; The inner layer of the periosteum

 

Campanile N., A bell tower; usually stands alone unattached to a building

 

Canaille N., derogatory the common people; the masses.

 

Cannel N., smoky, bituminous coal

 

Cannula N., A small flexible tube inserted into a body cavity for draining off fluid or introducing medication

 

Canon N., A rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy "the neoclassical canon"; "canons of polite society"; A priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter:

A ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall:

A contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated exactly in other parts

 

Canonical Adj., Appearing in a Biblical canon; Of or relating to or required by canon law; Reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible without loss of generality; Conforming to orthodox or recognized rules

 

Cantatrice N., Female opera star; Diva

 

Cantillate V., Recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm

 

Capacious Adj., Large in capacity

 

Caparison N., Stable gear consisting of a decorated covering for a horse, especially (formerly) for a warhorse; V., Put a caparison on

 

Capital N., The upper part of a column that supports the entablature

 

Capoeria N., a martial art and dance form, originally from Brazil, that is used to promote physical fitness and grace of movement

 

Caprylic Adj., of or pertaining to an animal odor: the caprylic odor of a barn

 

Caracul N., Hardy coarse-haired sheep of central Asia; lambs are valued for their soft curly black fur

 

Carapace N., Hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and

Turtles

Caribou Barbie, prop. n. Derisive nickname for Sarah Palin

Cariel adj., describing the progressive decay of a tooth or, less commonly, a bone

 

Carminative Adj., Relieving gas in the alimentary tract (colic or flatulence or griping); N., Medication that prevents the formation of gas in the alimentary tract or eases its passing

 

Carnassial Adj., (of a tooth) adapted for shearing flesh

 

Carolingian Adj., of or relating to the Frankish dynasty founded by Charlemagne's father

 

Carpel N., A simple pistil or one element of a compound pistil

 

Carpus N., A joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones

 

Carrageenan N., A colloidal extract from carrageen seaweed and other red algae

 

Carrel N., Small individual study area in a library

 

Cartouche N., A cartridge (usually with paper casing)

 

Caruncle N., An outgrowth on a plant or animal such as a fowl's wattle or a protuberance near the hilum of certain seeds

 

Caryatid N., A supporting column carved in the shape of a person

 

Casein N., A milk protein used in making e.g. plastics and adhesives; A water-base paint made with a protein precipitated from milk

 

Castellated Adj., Having or resembling repeated square indentations like those in a battlement

 

Casuarina N., Any of various trees and shrubs of the genus Casuarina having jointed stems and whorls of scalelike leaves; some yield heavy hardwood

 

Casuistic Adj., Of or relating to or practicing casuistry; Of or relating to the use of ethical principles to resolve moral problems

 

Casuistry N., Argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading; Moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas

 

Casus belli N., An event used to justify starting a war

 

Catabolic Adj., Relating to or characterized by catabolism; Characterized by destructive metabolism

Catadromous Adj., Migrating from fresh water to the sea to spawn

Cataline N., Roman politician and conspirator who led an unsuccessful revolt against the Roman Republic while Cicero was a consul. Adj., One who impels a failed revolution

 

Catamenia n., The monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause

 

Catarrhine N., Of Africa or Arabia or Asia; having nonprehensile tails and nostrils close together; Adj., Of or related to Old World monkeys that have nostrils together and opening downward

 

Catalepsy N., A trancelike state with loss of voluntary motion and failure to react to stimuli

 

Catalysis N., Acceleration of a chemical reaction induced by the presence of material that is chemically unchanged at the end of the reaction

 

Cataleptic N., A person suffering from catalepsy Adj.,A person suffering from catalepsy

 

Catechu N., Extract of the heartwood of Acacia catechu used for dying and tanning and preserving fishnets and sails; formerly used medicinally; East Indian spiny tree having twice-pinnate leaves and yellow flowers followed by flat pods; source of black catechu

 

Catenary N., The curve theoretically assumed by a perfectly flexible and inextensible cord of uniform density and cross section hanging freely from two fixed points

 

Cation N., A positively charged ion

 

Catkins N., A cylindrical spikelike inflorescence

 
Catropic Adj., Of or pertaining to catoptrics; produced by reflection. {Catoptric light}, a light in which the rays are concentrated by reflectors into a beam visible at a distance. 
 

Caul N., Part of the peritoneum attached to the stomach and to the colon and covering the intestines; The inner membrane of embryos in higher vertebrates (especially when covering the head at birth)

 

Caudal Adj., Constituting or relating to a tail; Resembling a tail; Situated in or directed toward the part of the body from which the tail arises Adv., Toward the posterior end of the body

 

Caudate Adj., Having a tail or taillike appendage; (of a leaf shape) tapering gradually into a long taillike tip N., A tail-shaped basal ganglion located in a lateral ventricle of the brain; Amphibians that resemble lizards

 

Caudillo N., Spanish meaning "military leader", first appeared during the early 19th century as a type of South American militant political leader. Typically, the Caudillos take it upon themselves to attain a power over a society and place themselves as leader of that society. Caudillos began to attain this power shortly after the Wars of Independence. They used small armies to overthrow the vulnerable newly independent states in South America. These Caudillos were not always welcome, but also were not always condemned. Many of the Caudillos used their newly gained power to promote their own wealth and interests. They were capable of commanding large sums of people and holding the attention of large crowds with growing excitement; word usually used to designate "a political-military leader at the head of an authoritative power

 

Causa Sui N., The cause of its own or its kind. God

 

Causerie N., Light informal conversation for social occasions

 

Cavil V., Raise trivial objections

 

Cavorite N., (fictional) Cavorite is impervious to gravity and can shield other materials from its effects. It is used to shield a craft from Earth's pull, allowing easy flight. It was named after its discoverer, Dr Cavor, who used its levitational properties to travel to the Moon. It also coats Martian flying machines, although, it is referred to as a "gravity-blocking substance", and not Cavorite.

 

Cayuse N., A small native range horse

Celadon N., A pale sea-green color; also, porcelain or fine pottery of this tint

Cenotaph N., A monument built to honour people whose remains are interred elsewhere or whose remains cannot be recovered

 

Cenote N., in the Yucatán Peninsula a type of freshwater-filled limestone sinkhole

 

Censer N., A container for burning incense (especially one that is swung on a chain in a religious ritual)

 

Centripetal Adj., Tending to move toward a centre; Tending to unify; Of a nerve fibre or impulse originating outside and passing toward the central nervous system

 

Centrosomes N., Small region of cytoplasm adjacent to the nucleus; contains the centrioles and serves to organize the microtubules

 

Cephalalgia N., Pain in the head caused by dilation of cerebral arteries or muscle contractions or a reaction to drugs

 

Cerements N., Burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped

 

Certiorari N., A common law writ issued by a superior court to one of inferior jurisdiction demanding the record of a particular case

 

Cerumen N., A soft yellow wax secreted by glands in the ear canal

 

Ceryle N., A genus of birds of the family Alcedinidae

 

Chancel N., Area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing

 

Chandler N., A retail dealer in provisions and supplies; A maker (and seller) of candles and soap and oils and paints

Change, n. Political buzzword of vague and ever-shifting meaning.

Charcuterie N., A delicatessen that specializes in meats

 

Charivari N., A noisy mock serenade (made by banging pans and kettles) to a newly married couple

Charnel N., A vault or building where corpses or bones are deposited V., Gruesomely indicative of death or the dead

 

Chary Adj., Characterized by great caution and wariness

 

Chasse N., (ballet) quick gliding steps with one foot always leading V., Perform a chassé step, in ballet

 

Chatauquah N., an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

 

Chatelaine N., The mistress of a château or large country house; A chain formerly worn at the waist by women; for carrying a purse or bunch of keys etc.

                         

Chatoyant Adj., Varying in color when seen in different lights or from different angles

 

Cheechako N., Tenderfoot (Alaskan)

 

Chelonian N., A reptile of the order Chelonia; Of or relating to or resembling or being a turtle or tortoise

 

Chemoautotroph N., organism not using photosynthesis: an organism that obtains energy through the oxidation of an inorganic substance, rather than through photosynthesis, e.g. bacteria

 

Chenopod N., Any plant of the goosefoot family, which includes spinach, beets, and pigweed.

Cherchez la Femme (Saying) Meaning-The translation from the French is "look for/seek the woman". It is used when a man behaves unusually or gets into a quarrel or other difficulty and the reason for it is sought.

Origin

'Cherchez la femme' is sometimes mistakenly thought to refer to men's attempts to pursue romantic liaisons with women. In fact, the phrase, which is occasionally used in its loose English translation 'look for the woman', expresses the idea that the source of any given problem involving a man is liable to be a woman. That isn't to say that the woman herself was necessarily the direct cause of the problem, as in Shakespeare's Macbeth for instance, but that a man has behaved stupidly or out of character in order to impress a woman or gain her favour.

Chert N., Variety of silica containing microcrystalline quartz

 

Cherty Adj., Resembling or containing chert (Variety of silica containing microcrystalline quartz)

 

Chevalier N., A gallant or courtly gentleman

 

Chevy V., Annoy continually or chronically

 

Chiasm N., An intersection or crossing of two tracts in the form of the letter

 

Chiasmus N., Inversion in the second of two parallel phrases

 

Chicane N., A bridge hand that is void of trumps; A movable barrier used in motor racing; sometimes place before a dangerous corner to reduce speed as cars pass in single file; The use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them) V., Defeat someone in an expectation through trickery or deceit; Raise trivial objections

                                            

Chignon N., A roll of hair worn at the nape of the neck

 

Chilbain N., An inflammation followed by itchy irritation on the hands, feet, or ears, resulting from exposure to moist cold

Chiliogon N., Polygon

Cinerarium N., A niche for a funeral urn containing the ashes of the cremated dead

Chiral Adj., Having a handedness or helicity, not having mirror symmetry

Chiralty N., In geometry, a figure is chiral (and said to have chirality) if it is not identical to its mirror image, or more particularly can't be mapped to its mirror images by rotations and translations alone. Such objects then come in two forms, called enantiomorphs. The word chirality is derived from the greek χειρ (cheir), the hand, the most familiar chiral object; the word Enantiomorph stems from the greek εναντιος (enantios) 'opposite' and μορφη (morphe) 'form'. A non-chiral figure is also called achiral.

A figure is achiral if and only if its symmetry group contains at least one indirect (orientation reversing) isometry.

For a discussion of chiral molecules or atoms or chirality in chemistry, see the section under Chemistry below.

Many familiar objects are chiral - for instance, a right glove and left glove are enantiomorphic, and so are the S and Z tetrominoes of the popular video game Tetris.

In three dimensions, every figure which possesses a plane of symmetry or a center of symmetry is achiral. (A center of symmetry of a figure <math>F<math> is a point <math>C<math>, such that <math>F<math> is invariant under the mapping <math>x\mapsto -x<math>, where we have chosen <math>C<math> to be the origin of the coordinate system.) Note, however, that there are achiral figures lacking both plane and center of symmetry.

Chironomid N., (informally known as chironomids or non-biting midges) are a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. Many species superficially resemble mosquitoes but they lack the wing scales and elongate mouthparts of the Culicidae

 

Chitin N., A tough semitransparent horny substance; the principal component of the exoskeletons of arthropods and the cell walls of certain fungi

 

Chitinous Adj., Of or resembling chitin

 

Chivy V., Annoy continually or chronically

 

Chockablock Adj., Packed full to capacity Adv., As completely as possible

 

Cholla N., Arborescent cacti having very spiny cylindrical stem segments; southwestern United States and Mexico

 

Chopsocky Adj. & N., pertaining to a martial arts film, esp. low-budget ones

Coppice N., A dense growth of bushes

Chorine N., A woman who dances in a chorus line

 

Chreod n., is a portmanteau term coined by 20th century biologist Conrad Hal Waddington that combines the Greek word for "determined" or "necessary" and the word for "pathway." The term was used along with homeorhesis, which describes a system that returns to a steady trajectory in contrast to homeostasis which describes a system which returns to a steady state

Chromatophore N., Plastid containing pigments other than chlorophyll usually yellow or orange carotenoids

Chronos N., the personification of time

 

Chrysalis N., Pupa of a moth or butterfly enclosed in a cocoon

 
Chthonian Adj., a. [Gr. ? in or under the earth, fr. ?, ?, earth.] Designating, or pertaining to, gods or spirits of the underworld; esp., relating to the underworld gods of the Greeks, whose worship is widely considered as more primitive in form than that of the Olympian gods. The characteristics of chthonian worship are propitiatory and magical rites and generalized or euphemistic names of the deities, which are supposed to have been primarily ghosts.
 

Chthonic Adj., Dwelling beneath the surface of the earth

 

Chunter (intransitive verb), to talk in a low inarticulate way

 

Churl N., A crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement; A selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend; A bad-tempered person

 

Chyle N., A milky fluid consisting of lymph and emulsified fats; formed in the small intestine during digestion of ingested fats

 

Cicerone N., A guide who conducts and informs sightseers

Ciconiiformes N., Order of chiefly tropical marsh-dwelling fish-eating wading birds with long legs and bills and (except for flamingos) unwebbed feet: herons; storks; spoonbills; flamingos; ibises

Cinclus N., Type genus of the family Cinclidae (Water ouzels)

 
Cinerary Adj., of ashes: relating to ashes, especially human ashes
 

Cinnabar N., A heavy reddish mineral consisting of mercuric sulfide; the chief source of mercury; Large red-and-black European moth; larvae feed on leaves of ragwort; introduced into United States to control ragwort Adj., Of a vivid red to reddish-orange color

 

Cisco N., Cold-water fish caught in Lake Superior and northward; Important food fish of cold deep lakes of North America

 

Cladistics N., A system of biological taxonomy based on the quantitative analysis of comparative data and used to reconstruct trees summarizing the (assumed) phylogenetic relations and evolutionary history of groups of organisms

Cladogenesis V., an evolutionary splitting event in which each branch and its smaller branches forms a "clade", an evolutionary mechanism and a process of adaptive evolution that leads to the development of a greater variety of sister organisms. This event usually occurs when a few organisms end up in new, often distant areas or when environmental changes cause several extinctions, opening up ecological niches for the survivors. A great example of cladogenesis today is the Hawaiian archipelago, to which stray organisms traveled across the ocean via ocean currents and winds. Most of the species on the islands are not found anywhere else on Earth due to evolutionary divergence.

Clamber N., An awkward climb  V., Climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling 

 

Claque N., A group of followers hired to applaud at a performance

 

Clastic Adj., Of or belonging to or being a rock composed of fragments of older rocks (e.g., conglomerates or sandstone); Capable of being taken apart

 

Clathrate Adj., Having a latticelike structure pierced with holes or windows; Designating or relating to a compound in which one component is physically enclosed within the crystal structure of another

 

Claustration N., the act of shutting in a cloister

 

Claustrum N., A layer of grey matter in the brain adjacent to the lenticular nucleus

 

Clerihew N., a light verse quatrain rhyming aabb and usually dealing with a person named in the initial rhyme; A witty satiric verse containing two rhymed couplets and mentioning a famous person

 

Clerisy N., An educated and intellectual elite

 

Climacteric N., A period in a man's life corresponding to menopause; The time in a woman's life in which the menstrual cycle ends

 

Clinandrium N., A hollow containing the anther in the upper part of the column of an orchid flower

 

Cloaca N., A waste pipe that carries away sewage or surface water; (zoology) the cavity (in birds, reptiles, amphibians, most fish, and monotremes but not mammals) at the end of the digestive tract into which the intestinal, genital, and urinary tracts open; A waste pipe that carries away sewage or surface water

 

Cloche N.,An apparatus used in controlling certain kinds of a["e]roplanes, and consisting principally of a steering column mounted with a universal joint at the base, which is bellshaped and has attached to it the cables for controlling the wing-warping devices, elevator planes, and the like.
 

Close-hauled, adj., sailing as much into the wind as possible, close to the wind, 1769

 

Cloture N., A rule for limiting or ending debate in a deliberative body  V., Terminate debate by calling for a vote

 

Clowder N., A groups of cats

 

Clupeiformes N., a taxonomic order, within superorder Clupeomorpha - the herrings

 

Cnidarian N., Radially symmetrical animals having saclike bodies with only one opening and tentacles with stinging structures; they occur in polyp and medusa forms

 

Coacervate V., spherical aggregation of lipid molecules making up a colloidal inclusion, which is held together by hydrophobic forces. More plainly stated; it is usually a little ball of organic matter which is formed by the repulsion of water by something like an oil.

 

Coatee N., A short close-fitting coat

 

Cocket N., A customhouse seal; a certified document given to a shipper as a warrant that his goods have been duly entered and have paid duty;  An office in a customhouse where goods intended for export are entered. [Eng.]; A measure for bread. [Obs.] --Blount.

 

Cockpit, n., the aft portion of the lowest deck of a ship, normally the quarters of junior officers, in battle used as a surgery, 1706

 

Codon N., A specific sequence of three adjacent bases on a strand of DNA or RNA that provides genetic code information for a particular amino acid

 

Coelem N., A cavity in the mesoderm of an embryo that gives rise in humans to the pleural cavity and pericardial cavity and peritoneal cavity

 

Coeval N., A person of nearly the same age as another Adj., Of the same period

Cogener N., a member of the same taxonomic genus as another plant or animal

Cohort N., A company of companions or supporters; A band of warriors (originally a unit of a Roman Legion); A group people having approximately the same age; a unit of soldiers, one tenth of a legion. In use to mean a group of modern soldiers from c.1500 and a group united by a common bond from 1719. The statistical sense, meaning a group sharing a common statistical characteristic, such as being born in the same year, dates to 1944. Since 1952, the word, especially in American usage, has been used to mean an assistant or accomplice. This individual meaning is considered by some to be an erroneous usage.

Cohosh N., A plant of the genus Actaea having acrid poisonous berries

 

Coir N., Stiff coarse fiber from the outer husk of a coconut

 

Colinearity N., arranged in linear order: with corresponding parts arranged in a regular linear order

 

Colligation N., The state of being joined together; The connection of isolated facts by a general hypothesis

 

Collocate V., Occur side by side; Group or chunk together in a certain order or place side by side

 

Collocation N., A grouping of words in a sentence; The act of positioning close together (or side by side)

 
Coloratura N., A lyric soprano who specializes in coloratura vocal music; Singing with florid ornamentation
 
Colobus N., Arboreal monkey of western and central Africa with long silky fur and reduced thumbs
 

Columbiad N., a large caliber, smoothbore, muzzle loading cannon able to fire heavy projectiles at both high and low trajectories. 

 

Columbarium N., a structure of vaults lined with recesses for cinerary urns a recess in a columbarium

 

Comas N., A usually terminal tuft of hairs especially on a seed; (astronomy) the luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms as the comet approaches the sun and is warmed

 

Combinative Adj., Marked by or relating to or resulting from combination; Relating to or involving combinations

 

Cometary Adj., Of or relating to or resembling a comet

 

Comfit N., Candy containing a fruit or nut; V., Make into a confection

 

Commisure N., A bundle of nerve fibers passing from one side to the other of the brain or spinal cord; The point of union between two parts, as the angles of the lips or eyelids, the mandibles of a bird, etc

Compenetrate V., To temper; to moderate

Conation V., The power or act which directs or impels to effort of any kind, whether muscular or psychical

Conative  Adj., Of or pertaining to a striving action

 

Conceit N., Feelings of excessive pride; An elaborate poetic image or a far-fetched comparison of very dissimilar things; A witty or ingenious turn of phrase; An artistic device or effect; The trait of being unduly vain and conceited; false pride

Concierge care, n. Personalized medical care available from certain medical practices for a high price.

Concision N., Terseness and economy in writing and speaking achieved by expressing a great deal in just a few words

 

Concolor N., Of one color; whole-colored; not party-colored or variegated in color; of the same color with or as (something else); having the same colors or coloration: specifically, in entomology, applied to the wings of a lepidopterous insect when the upper and lower surfaces show the same colors and patterns

Concomitant N., An event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another Adj., Following as a consequence

Concordats N., A signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action

 

Concupiscence N., A desire for sexual intimacy

 

Condign Adj., Fitting or appropriate and deserved; used especially of punishment

 

Condottiere N., a leader of a band of mercenaries common in Europe between the 14th and 16th centuries; a member of such a band; a mercenary soldier

 

Condylarthra N., is an order of extinct placental mammals known primarily from the Paleocene and Eocene epochs. Condylarths are among the most characteristic Paleocene mammals and they illustrate the evolutionary level of the Paleocene mammal fauna.When compared to today's mammals, condylarths are relatively unspecialized placental mammals. However, in comparison to their insectivorous ancestors, members of the Condylarthra show the first signs of specializing to become omnivores or even herbivores

Coney N., Black-spotted usually dusky-coloured fish with reddish fins; Any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes; Small short-eared burrowing mammal of rocky uplands of Asia and western North America; Any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food

 

Confect V., Make or construct; Prepare from ingredients

 

Conflate V., Mix together different elements

 

Congener N., A minor chemical constituent that gives a wine or liquor its distinctive character; An animal or plant that bears a relationship to another (as related by common descent or by membership in the same genus); A whole (a thing or person) of the same kind or category as another

 

Congerie N., A quantity accumulated: accumulation, aggregation, amassment, assemblage, collection, cumulation, gathering, mass.

 

Conodont N., The tiny fossil cone-shaped tooth of a primitive vertebrate of order Conodonta; Small (2 inches long) extinct eel-like fish with a finned tail and a notochord and having cone-shaped teeth containing cellular bone; late Cambrian to late Triassic; possible predecessor of the cyclostomes

 

Consanguine Adj., Related by blood

Consilience N., or the unity of knowledge (literally a "jumping together" of knowledge), has its roots in the ancient Greek concept of an intrinsic orderliness that governs our cosmos, inherently comprehensible by logical process, a vision at odds with mystical views in many cultures that surrounded the Hellenes. The rational view was recovered during the high Middle Ages, separated from theology during the Renaissance and found its apogee in the Age of Enlightenment. Then, with the rise of the modern sciences, the sense of unity gradually was lost in the increasing fragmentation and specialization of knowledge in the last two centuries. The converse of consilience is Reductionism.

The word consilience was apparently coined by William Whewell, in The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, 1840. In this synthesis Whewell explained that, "The Consilience of Inductions takes place when an Induction, obtained from one class of facts, coincides with an Induction obtained from another different class. Thus Consilience is a test of the truth of the Theory in which it occurs." The Scientific method has become almost universally accepted as the exclusive method for testing the status of any scientific hypothesis or theory. "Inductions" which arise out of applications of the scientific method are, by definition, the only accepted indicators of consilience.

Modern views understand that each branch of knowledge studies a subset of reality that depends on factors studied in other other branches. Atomic physics underlies the workings of chemistry, which studies emergent properties that in turn are the basis of biology. Psychology can no longer be separated from the study of properties emergent from the interaction of neurons and synapses. Sociology, economics, and anthropology are each, in turn, studies of properties emergent from the interaction of countless individual humans. Their limits have constrained history.

The word had remained shelved until the end of the 20th century, when it was vividly revived in Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, a 1998 book by the humanist biologist Edward Osborne Wilson, as an attempt to bridge the culture gap between the sciences and the humanities that was the subject of C. P. Snow's The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution, 1959. Wilson's assertion was that the sciences, humanities, and arts have a common goal: to give a purpose to understanding the details, to lend to all inquirers "a conviction, far deeper than a mere working proposition, that the world is orderly and can be explained by a small number of natural laws." This is the essence of consilience.

The idea of consilience informs contemporary studies in complex adaptive systems, as being presented in a seminar (http://www.princeton.edu/~complex/site/Princeton) (see links).

A parallel view lies in the term universology, which literally means "the science of the universe." Universology was first advocated for the study of the interconnecting principles and truths of all domains of knowledge by Stephen Pearl Andrews, a 19th century utopian futurist and anarchist. Compare the concept of Holism.

Consist N., the contents of a railroad car

Conspecific N., An organism belonging to the same species as another organism Adj., Belonging to the same species

 

Contour Feathers N.,  Feathers that cover the body and give it shape; their vanes are tightly knit and symmetrical or nearly so

 

Contrapuntal Adj., Relating to or characteristic of or according to the rules of counterpoint; Having two or more independent but harmonically related melodic parts sounding together

 

Contumely N., A rude expression intended to offend or hurt

 

Conurbation N., An aggregation or continuous network of urban communities

 

Conventicle N., A secret unauthorized meeting for religious worship; A building for religious assembly (especially Nonconformists, e.g., Quakers)

Cony N., Any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes; Small short-eared burrowing mammal of rocky uplands of Asia and western North America; Any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food

Copain N., a friend; a mate

 

Copal N., A brittle aromatic resin used in varnishes

 

Copra N., The dried meat of the coconut from which oil is extracted

 

Copepod N., Minute marine or freshwater crustaceans usually having six pairs of limbs on the thorax; some abundant in plankton and others parasitic on fish

 

Coprophagia N., Consuming Feces

 

Copula N., An equating verb (such as 'be' or 'become') that links the subject with the complement of a sentence

 

Coracle N., A small rounded boat made of hides stretched over a wicker frame; still used in some parts of Great Britain

 

Corbel.N., (architecture) a triangular bracket of brick or stone (usually of slight extent) V., Furnish with a corbel, as in architecture

 

Cordelier N., a Franciscan friar: so called from the knotted cord worn as a girdle;
Cordeliers,a political club in Paris that met at an old Cordelier convent at the time of the French Revolution.

 

Cordillera N., A mountain ridge or chain

 

Cordon Sanitaire N., Quarantine line

Corniche N., a road on the side of a cliff or mountain, with the ground rising on one side of the road and falling away on the other

 

Corrigendum N., A printer's error; to be corrected

 

Corticosteroid N., A steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex or synthesized; administered as drugs they reduce swelling and decrease the body's immune response

 

Coruscate V., Reflect brightly

Corvette, n., a small, single-decked warship, 1636. Later applied to a small, anti-submarine warship, 1940. From the French, ultimately from the Latin corbita, a slow sailing ship, corbis being a basket

Cosmogony N., The branch of astrophysics that studies the origin and evolution and structure of the universe

 

Cosset V., Treat with excessive indulgence          

 

Costermonger N., A hawker of fruit and vegetables from a barrow

 

Coterminous Adj., Being of equal extent or scope or duration

 

Cotyledon N., Embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants

 

Couchant Adj., Lying on the stomach with head raised with legs pointed forward

 

Coulis N., A thin sauce made from fruit puree

 

Courgette N., Marrow squash plant whose fruit are eaten when small; Small cucumber-shaped vegetable marrow; typically dark green; zucchini

 

Couthy Adj., (chiefly Scottish) agreeable and genial

 

Covalence N., Valence characterized by the sharing of electrons in a chemical compound; the number of pairs of electrons an atom can share

 

Coverts N., Contour feathers that cover the bases of flight feathers on the wings and the tail

 

Cowry N., Any of numerous tropical marine gastropods  of the genus Cypraea having highly polished usually brightly marked shells

 

Coxcomb N., A conceited dandy who is overly impressed by his own accomplishments; A cap worn by court jesters; adorned with a strip of red; The fleshy red crest on the head of the domestic fowl and other gallinaceous birds

 

Cozen, V., Be false to; be dishonest with; Act with artful deceit; Cheat or trick

 

Cozenage N., A fraudulent business scheme

 

Cracid N., One of large crested arboreal game bird of warm parts of the Americas having long legs and tails; highly esteemed as game and food

 

Crampon N., A hinged pair of curved iron bars; used to raise heavy objects; An iron spike attached to the shoe to prevent slipping on ice when walking or climbing

 

Craniometry N., The branch of physical anthropology dealing with the study and measurement of dry skulls after removal of its soft parts

 

Crape N., Small very thin pancake; A soft thin light fabric with a crinkled surface V., Cover or drape with crape; Curl tightly

 

Craton N., The part of a continent that is stable and forms the central mass of the continent; typically Precambrian

 

Craven N., An abject coward Adj., Lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful

 

Cravat N, Neckwear worn in a slipknot with long ends overlapping vertically in front

Credit crunch, n. Scarcity of capital for lending.

Credit default swap, n. Insurance policy for debt, so-called to avoid having to abide by regulations on the insurance industry.

Crenate Adj., Having a margin with rounded scallops

 

Crenellate V., Supply with battlements Adj., Having or resembling repeated square indentations like those in a battlement

 

Crenulation N., a texture formed in metamorphic rocks such as phyllite, schist and some gneiss by two or more stress directions resulting in superimposed foliations

 

Creodant N., Any of various extinct carnivorous mammals of the suborder Creodonta, of the Paleocene Epoch to the Pliocene Epoch.

 

Crepescule N., Twi-light

 

Cri de Coeur N., a heartfelt, usually anguished appeal

 

Crinoline N., A skirt stiffened with hoops; Full stiff petticoat made of crinoline; A stiff coarse fabric used to stiffen hats or clothing

 

Crissum N., feathers beneath bird's tail

 

Croggle N., Character in medieval role playing game

 

Crofter N., An owner or tenant of a small farm in Great Britain

 

Croyant N., Believer (adj-believing)

 

Cruciferae N., Plants with four-petaled flowers

 

Cruciverbalist Adj., A constructor of crosswords; An enthusiast of word games, especially of crosswords.

 

Crural Adj., Of or relating the leg from the knee to the foot

 

Crypsis Adv., the ability of an organism to avoid observation

 

Cryptochrome N., blue light photoreceptors of plants. It is now used to describe a specific subset of blue light receptors, a family of flavoproteins that regulate germination, elongation, photoperiodism and other responses in higher plants. Blue light also mediates phototropism, but this response is now known to have its own set of photoreceptors, the phototropins

 

Ctenoid N., Resembling a comb; having projections like the teeth of a comb

 

Cu N., A ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor

 

Cuculidae N., Includes cuckoo; ani; roadrunner

 

Cuculus N., Type genus of the Cuculidae

 

Cucurbits N., Any plant of the family Cucurbitaceae (gourds)

 

Cui Bono N., the legal principle that somebody who would gain something from a particular action or event is probably responsible for it; the usefulness of something used to measure its value

 

Cuirasses N., Medieval body armor that covers the chest and back

 

Culmen N., The anterior prominent portion of the monticulus of the vermis of the cerebellum; vermal lobule rostral to the primary fissure

 

Cultivar N., A variety of a plant developed from a natural species and maintained under cultivation

 

Cumbrous Adj., Difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight 

Cunctation N., The act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time

Cupule N., Cup-shaped structure of hardened bracts at the base of an acorn; A sucker on the feet of certain flies

Curanderas N., A Mexican woman who practices healing techniques inherited from the Mayans

 

Curette N., A surgical instrument shaped like a scoop to remove tissue from a bodily cavity

Curfew N., period where no trains are scheduled, used for track maintenance, cf. window

Curraugh N., a usually large coracle used especially on the west coast of Ireland

 

Cuscus N., Woolly-haired monkey-like arboreal marsupial of New Guinea and northern Australia

Cutis N., A natural protective covering of the body; site of the sense of touch

 

Cycloidal Adj., Resembling a circle

 

Cyme N., More or less flat-topped cluster of flowers in which the central or terminal flower opens first

 

Cyanobacteria N., A photosynthetic bacterium of the class Coccogoneae or Hormogoneae, generally blue-green in color and in some species capable of nitrogen fixation. Cyanobacteria were once thought to be algae. Also called blue-green alga

 

Cynosure N., Something that strongly attracts attention (as the north star attracts mariners)

 

Cytoxic Adj., Toxins in the cell From Greek kutos  “hollow vessel.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “thing that hides,” which is also the ancestor of English hide and cuticle

 

D

 

Dabchick N., Small European grebe

 

Dacoitry V., To rob and kill.

 

Dactyl N., A metrical unit with stressed-unstressed-unstressed syllables; A finger or toe in human beings or corresponding body part in other vertebrates

 

Dal N., A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 litres

 

Dalit Adj., a member of the former untouchable class in India.

 

Dandle V., Move (a baby) up and down in one's arms or on one's knees; Pet

 

Dandling V., Move (a baby) up and down in one's arms or on one's knees; pet

 

Dandyfunk, n., hard tack soaked in water and baked with fat and molasses, 1883

Dark territory N., a stretch of track without signal control where instructions must be relayed via radio

Dassie N., Any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes

 

Dauphin N., Formerly, the eldest son of the King of France and direct heir to the throne

 

Davit N., A crane-like device (usually one of a pair) for suspending or lowering equipment (as a lifeboat)

 

Debke N., from the Arabic as debke, ""dabka,"" and dabkeh) is the traditional folk dance of the Levant, going back generations, and is also the national dance of Lebanon and Palestine.

 

Debouch V., March out (as from a defile) into open ground; Pass out or emerge; especially of rivers

 

Decidua N., The epithelial tissue of the endometrium

Decimate, v., Roman military punishment for mass desertion or cowardice in battle where one in ten soldiers in a unit would be killed. In English use since 1600 to mean to destroy one tenth of something and later used more loosely meaning to destroy something.

Declamation N., Vehement oratory; Recitation of a speech from memory with studied gestures and intonation as an exercise in elocution or rhetoric

Declension N., 1 The inflection of nouns and pronouns and adjectives. 2. The complete set of inflected forms of a noun or pronoun or adjective 3. A class of nouns having the same inflectional forms

 

Décolletage N., a low-cut neckline on a woman's dress; The upper border or part of a  corsage.

Decoction N., (pharmacology) the extraction of water-soluble drug substances by boiling

De Facto Adj., Existing in fact whether with lawful authority or not Adv., In reality or fact

 

Defailance N., Failure; miscarriage

 

Defeasible Adj., Capable of being annulled or voided or terminated

 

Defenestrate V., throw through or out of the window; "The rebels stormed the palace and defenestrated the President" throw - project through the air; "throw a frisbee"

 

Deglutition N., The act of swallowing

 

Degringolade N., A rapid or speedy decline

 

Degustation N., Taking a small amount into the mouth to test its quality

 

Delectation N., A feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction; Act of receiving pleasure from something

 

Deliquesce V., Melt away in the process of decay; Melt or become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air; (especially of certain salts) becoming liquid by absorbing moisture from the air

 

Delist V., to remove a security from the list of those traded by an exchange                 

 

Diluent N., A diluting agent

 

Delver N., One who digs, as with a spade

 

Deme N., A territorial subdivision of Attica (also of modern Greece), corresponding to a township; An undifferentiated aggregate of cells or plastids

Demesne N., Extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use; Territory over which rule or control is exercised

Demimondaine N., A woman whose sexual promiscuity places her outside respectable society

 

Demivierge N.,a girl or woman who behaves in a sexually provocative and permissive way without yielding her virginity.

 

Demotic N., The modern Greek vernacular Adj Of or for the common people; Of or written in or belonging to the form of modern Greek based on colloquial use

 

Dendrite N., Short fiber that conducts toward the cell body of the neuron

 

Dendrochronology N., The dating of past events and variations in the environment and climate by studying the annual growth rates of trees. (Dendroclimatology is the use of tree growth rings as proxy indicators of past climates.) The approximate age of a temperate forest tree can be determined by calculating the annual growth rings in the lower part of the trunk. The width of these rings suggests the climatic conditions during the period of growth. Wide rings signify favorable growing conditions, absence of disease and pests, and favorable climatic conditions. Narrow rings indicate unfavorable growing conditions or climate. Tree rings record responses to a wider range of climatic variables, over a larger part of the Earth, than any other type of annually dated proxy record

 

Denotatum N., An actual object referred to by a linguistic expression

 

De Nova Adv., From the beginning

 

Dentate Adj., Having toothlike projections in the margin

 

Deontic Logics N., the modal logic of obligation and permissibility

modal logic - a system of logic whose formal properties resemble certain moral and epistemological concepts

 

Deontology N., The science related to duty or moral obligation

Depauperate Adj., Falling short of the natural size, from being impoverished or starved

Depone V., Make a deposition; declare under oath

 

Depredation V., The act of plundering

 

Deracinate V., Move (people) forcibly from their homeland into a new and foreign environment; Pull up by or as if by the roots

 

Derbfine N., an Irish agnatic kinship group and power structure as defined in the law tracts of the eighth century. Its principal purpose was as an institution of property inheritance, with property redistributed on the death of a member to those remaining members of the derbfine. Comprising all the patrilineal descendants over a four-generation group with a common great-grandfather, it gradually gave way to a smaller three-generation kinship group, called the gelfine

 

Desideratum N., Something desired as a necessity

 

Desquamate V., Peel off in scales

 

Destine V., Decree or designate beforehand; Design or destine

 

Desuetude N., A state of inactivity or disuse

Detrital Adj., Pertaining to, or composed of, detritus

 

Deus Absconditus N., hidden God : God unknowable by the human mind

 

Deuterium N., An isotope of hydrogen which has one neutron (as opposed to zero neutrons in hydrogen) (Heavy Hydrogen)

 

Dhoti N., A long loincloth worn by Hindu men

 

Diabase N., A basic, dark-colored, igneous rock, consisting essentially of a triclinic feldspar and pyroxene with magnetic iron

 

Diachronic linguistics N, the study of the history and patterns of change of and in language, see also synchronic linguistics. 19th century linguistics was largely diachronic, but this has ceded ground to synchronic linguistics.

 

Diallage N., A dark green or bronze-coloured laminated variety of pyroxene, common in certain igneous rocks.

 

Diapause N., in the life cycle of an insect: a period during which growth and development are arrested, often until environmental conditions become more favourable.

 

Diastema N., A space or gap between adjacent teeth in a tooth row, often present to accommodate a projecting canine from the opposing jaw; in the mandible the diastema is between the canine and anterior premolar, in the maxilla between the lateral incisor and canine.

 

Diatom N., Microscopic unicellular marine or freshwater colonial alga having cell walls impregnated with silica

 

Diatonic Adj., Based on the standard major or minor scales consisting of 5 tones and 2 semitones without modulation by accidentals; Based on or using the five tones and two semitones of the major or minor scales of Western music

 

Dichorionic Adj., having two chorions and two placentas —used especially of human fraternal twins

 

Dicot N., Flowering plant with two cotyledons; the stem grows by deposit on its outside

 

Diencephalon N., The posterior division of the forebrain; connects the cerebral hemispheres with the mesencephalon

 

Diffraction N., When light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits the rays are deflected and produce fringes of light and dark bands

Dihedral Adj., Of wing pairs, inclined at an upward angle to each other; Of a kite or an aeroplane, having wings that make with one another a dihedral angle, esp. when the angle between the upper sides is less than 180¡; Having two plane faces
"the dihedral summit of a crystal"

Diktat N., An order given by someone with authority, often unpopular or harsh

 

Dimorphic Adj. Occurring or existing in two different forms

 

Dinocerate N., An extinct ungulate

Dioecious Adj., Having male and female reproductive organs in separate plants or animals

Diopter N., A unit of measurement of the refractive power of a lens which is equal to the reciprocal of the focal length measured in meters; used by oculists

 

Diploid N., An organism or cell having two sets of chromosomes or twice the haploid number  Adj., (genetics; of a cell or organism) having two sets of chromosomes or twice the haploid number

 

Dipterocarpaceae N., Chiefly tropical Asian trees with two-winged fruits; yield valuable woods and aromatic oils and resins

 

Dipterocarp N., Tree of the family Dipterocarpaceae

 

Direct Object N., The object that receives the direct action of the verb

 

Dirigiste Adj., Relating to economic and social control by the state

 

Discalced Adj., (used of certain religious orders) barefoot or wearing only sandals

 

Discarnate Adj., Stripped of flesh

 

Dispatch V., Send away towards a designated goal N., An official report (usually sent in haste); The property of being prompt and efficient; Killing a person or animal; The act of sending off something

Disputation N., The formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote); A contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

 

Disquisition N., An elaborate analytical or explanatory essay or discussion

 

Dissemble V., Make believe; Hide under a false appearance; Behave unnaturally or affectedly

 

Dissimulation N., The act of deceiving

 

Distaff  N., The sphere of work by women; The staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning Adj., Characteristic of or peculiar to a woman

 

Distal Adj., Situated farthest from point of attachment or origin, as of a limb or bone; Directed away from the midline or mesial plane of the body

Distichous N., Two items of the same kind

Distrait Adj., Having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety

Dithyramb N., A passionate poem of irregular form

 

Diurnal Adj., Belonging to or active during the day; Having a daily cycle or occurring every day

 

Divagation N., A message that departs from the main subject; A turning aside (of your course or attention or concern)

 

Divalent Adj., Having a valence of two or having two valences

 

Divarication N., Branching at a wide angle

 

Divertissement N., A short ballet, or other entertainment, between the acts of a play

 

Djinn N., Mythical Fairy

 

Djinni N., (Islam) an invisible spirit mentioned in the Koran and believed by Muslims to inhabit the earth and influence mankind by appearing in the form of humans or animals

 

Dogsbody N., A worker who has to do all the unpleasant or boring jobs that no one else wants to do

 

Dog-watch, n., one of two abbreviated watches, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., 1700. By creating seven watches instead of six, the watches shift each night. From a reference to the brief, light sleep of a dog. In Patrick O'Brian's nautical novels it is punned that dog-watches are so called because they are curtailed

 

Doiecious Adj., having male reproductive organs in one individual and female in another; having staminate and pistillate flowers borne on different individuals

 

Dolorous Adj., Showing sorrow

 

Domine N., A clergyman; especially a settled minister or parson

 

Dominie N., A clergyman; especially a settled minister or parson

 

Dorsoventral Adj., Extending from the back to the belly

 

Dorp N., A hamlet

 

Doss V., Sleep in a convenient place

 

Dottle N., The residue of partially burnt tobacco left caked in the bowl of a pipe after smoking

Doty N., Half rotten

Douceur N., tip or bribe: something given as a tip or a bribe. [14th century. From French douceur  “sweetness favor,” from douce  “sweet” (see douce).]

 

Doughty Adj., Resolute and without fear.

Doula N., (Greek) meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

Down N., Fluffy or loose-textured feathers, whose rachis, if present, is shorter than the longest barb

 

Doxology N., A hymn or verse in Christian liturgy glorifying God

 

Draisiennes N., Propelled by Pedals: A Fun Guide to Bicycles

 

Drey N., The nest of a squirrel

droit de seigneur N., the supposed former legal right of a feudal lord to have sexual intercourse with the bride or daughter of an inferior, usually a serf, on the night of her wedding

Drupe N., Fleshy indehiscent fruit with a single seed: e.g. almond; peach; plum; cherry; elderberry; olive; jujube

 

Duchy N., The domain controlled by a duke or duchess

 

Dugong N., Sirenian tusked mammal found from eastern Africa to Australia; the flat tail is bilobate

 

Duiker N., small African antelope: a small African antelope with short backward-pointing horns. Genera CephalophusSylvicapra.

 

Dun N., Horse of a dull brownish grey color; A color or pigment varying around a light grey-brown color V., Treat cruelly; Persistently ask for overdue payment; Cure by salting; Adj., Make a dun color Of a dull greyish brown to brownish grey color

 

Dunciad N., a landmark literary satire by Alexander Pope

 

Dunnert N., furry narrow-footed marsupials the size of a mouse. They are mainly insectivorous.

 

Duopoly N., State of market dominance by two companies

 

Dura Mater N., The outermost (and toughest) of the 3 meninges

 

Duvet N., A soft quilt usually filled with the down of the eider

 

Dyadic Adj., Of or relating to a dyad or based on two

 

Dysgenesis N., defective development especially of the gonads (as in Klinefelter's syndrome)

 

Dysnumeric N., Inability to correctly distinguish numbers (mine-could not locate definition)

 

Dyspepsia N., A disorder of digestive function characterized by discomfort or heartburn or nausea

 

Dysphoria N., Abnormal depression and discontent

 

Dystopian Adj., Of or pertaining to or resembling a dystopia; As bad as can be; characterized by human misery

 

E

 

Eagre N., A high wave (often dangerous) caused by tidal flow (as by colliding tidal currents or in a narrow estuary)

 

Ear Coverts N., Feathers covering the ear openings on the sides of the heaqd, also known as auriculars

 

Ebullience N., Overflowing with enthusiasm

 

Ecarte N., A card game for 2 players; played with 32 cards and king high

 

Ecbatic Adj., Denoting a mere result or consequence, as distinguished from telic, which denotes intention or purpose; thus "so that it was fulfilled," is ecbatic; if rendered "in order that it might be." etc., is telic

 

Ecdysiast N., A performer who provides erotic entertainment by undressing to music

 

Ecdysis N., Periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles

Ecesis N., (ecology) the process by which a plant or animal becomes established in a new habitat

Echidna N., Burrowing spine-covered monotreme of Australia having a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites

 

Echinoderm N., Marine invertebrates with tube feet and calcite-covered five-part radially symmetrical bodies

 

Eclogite N., a coarse-grained mafic (basaltic in composition) metamorphic rock

 

Echt Adj., Not fake or counterfeit

 

Eclogite N., a coarse-grained mafic (basaltic in composition) metamorphic rock

 

Eclosion N., The emergence of an adult insect from a pupal case or an insect larva from an egg

Ectogenetic N., the growth of an organism in an artificial environment outside the body in which it would normally be found, such as the growth of an embryo or fetus outside the mother's body, or the growth of bacteria outside the body of a host.

Edentate Adj., Having few if any teeth N., Primitive terrestrial mammal with few if any teeth; of tropical Central America and South America

 

Efflorescence N., The period of greatest prosperity or productivity; Any red eruption of the skin; The time and process of budding and unfolding of blossoms; A powdery deposit on a surface

 

Effluent N., Water mixed with waste matter Adj., That is flowing outward

 

Egis N., Armor plate that protects the chest; the front part of a cuirass

 

Eidetic Adj., Of visual imagery of almost photographic accuracy

 

Ekpyrotic Adj., (cosmology) pertaining to M-theory inspired models of the universe in which the big bang corresponds to the collision of branes

 

Eleatic N., Function: adjective Etymology: Latin Eleaticus, from Greek Eleatikos, from Elea (Velia), ancient town in southern Italy : of or relating to a school of Greek philosophers founded by Parmenides and developed by Zeno and marked by belief in the unity of being and the unreality of motion or change

 

Electrophoretic Adj., Of or relating to electrophoresis

 

Electrophoresis N., The motion of charged particles in a colloid under the influence of an electric field; particles with a positive charge go to the cathode and negative to the anode

 

Eleemosynary Adj., Generous in assistance to the poor

 

Elevenses N., A refreshment break at around ll am

 

Eloge N., A panegyrical funeral oration

 

Elute V., Wash out with a solvent, as in chromatography

Elytra N., Either of the horny front wings in beetles and some other insects which cover and protect the functional hind wings

Emberizine Adj., belonging to emberizids: belonging or related to the emberizids, the family that includes buntings, cowbirds, grosbeaks, American orioles, and some sparrows

 

Embryogenesis V., (compound of the Greek: εμβρυο-γένεσις "embryo-genesis") is the process by which the embryo is formed and develops. It starts with the fertilization of the ovum, egg, which, after fertilization, is then called a zygote. The zygote undergoes rapid mitotic divisions, the formation of two exact genetic replicates of the original cell, with no significant growth (a process known as cleavage) and cellular differentiation, leading to development of an embryo. It occurs in both animal and plant development, but this article addresses the common features among different animals

 

Emendation N., A correction by emending; a correction resulting from critical editing

 

Emetic N., A medicine that induces nausea and vomiting

 

Eminence Grise N., someone without an official position who has power or influence over rulers or people who make decisions

 

Empyrean N., The apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected

 

Enceinte Adj., In an advanced stage of pregnancy

 

Enceladus N., small moon of Saturn: a small natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1789. It is 498 km (309 mi) in diameter and occupies an intermediate orbit.

 

Encomiastic N., one that praises

 

Encomium N., A formal expression of praise

 

Endbonpoint N., The condition of being plump; stoutness

 

Endemism N., Nativeness by virtue or originating or occurring naturally (as in a particular place)

 

Endocast N., an impression of the inside of a skull as a mold.

 

Endothermic Adj., (of a chemical reaction or compound) occurring or formed with absorption of heat

Enfeoffment N., Under the feudal system, the deed by which a person was given land in exchange for a pledge of service

Endogamous Adj., Characterized by or fit for fertilization by pollen from another flower of the same kind; Pertaining to or characterized by the custom of marrying only within the limits of a clan or tribe

 

Endometrium N., (pregnancy) the mucous membrane that lines the uterus; thickens under hormonal control and (if pregnancy does not occur) is shed in menstruation; if pregnancy occurs it is shed along with the placenta at parturition

 

Endosymbiosis N., symbiosis in which one organism lives inside the body of another and both function as a single organism; a hypothetical evolutionary process by which some cellular structures may have developed as a result of the incorporation of free-living prokaryotes into the cytoplasm of eukaryotes

 

Endothermic Adj., warm-blooded; maintaining a constant body temperature despite changes in the temperature of the environment; absorbing heat; describes a chemical reaction in which heat is absorbed. 

 

Enduro N., a long race (as for automobiles or motorcycles) stressing endurance rather than speed

 

Enfilade N., Gunfire directed along the length rather than the breadth of a formation. V., Rake or be in a position to rake with gunfire in a lengthwise direction

 

Engram N., A postulated biochemical change (presumably in neural tissue) that represents a memory

 

Entablature N., (architecture) the structure consisting of the part of a classical temple above the columns between a capital and the roof

 

Enonology N., The art of wine making

 

Entelechy N., An actuality; a conception completely actualized, in distinction from mere potential existence

 

Entrepot N., A port where merchandise can be imported and then exported without paying import duties; A depository for goods

 

Entresol N., Intermediate floor just above the ground floor

 

Eolian Adj., (geology) deposited, carried or eroded by wind; N., A member of one of four linguistic divisions of the prehistoric Greeks

Epact N., The moon's age at the beginning of the calendar year, or the number of days by which the last new moon has preceded the beginning of the year

 

Epeiric V. An epeiric sea (also known as an epicontinental sea) is a large but shallow body of salt water that lies over a part of a continent

Epierogeny N., the formation and submergence of continents by broad relatively slow displacements of the earth's crust  Also called epirogeny

Epieugeosyncline N., Deep troughs formed by subsidence which have limited volcanic power and overlie a eugeosyncline.

Ephemerid N., Short-lived insect

 

Epicanthic Fold N., A vertical fold of skin over the nasal canthus; normal for Mongolian peoples; sometimes occurs in Down's syndrome

 

Epicene Adj., Having an ambiguous sexual identity; Having unsuitable feminine qualities

 

Epicycloid N., A line generated by a point on a circle rolling around another circle

 

Epigaeic Adj., Living or foraging primarily above ground, compared to Hypogaeic the opposite

 

Epigenetic Adj., (biology) arising from non-genetic external factors

 

Epigone N., An inferior imitator of some distinguished writer, artist or musician

 

Epigoni N., offspring

 

Epigraph N., A quotation at the beginning of some piece of writing; An engraved

Inscription

 

Epigraphy N., The study of ancient inscriptions

Epiphyte N., Plant that derives moisture and nutrients from the air and rain; usually grows on another plant but not parasitic on it

 

Epigram N., A witty saying

 

Epigrammatic Adj., Terse and witty and like a maxim

 

Epiphenomemom N., Phenomenon that occurs as a result of a primary phenomenon

 

Epiphytes N., Plant that derives moisture and nutrients from the air and rain; usually grows on another plant but not parasitic on it

 

Epistasis V., The suppression of a gene by the effect of an unrelated gene

 

Episteme N., The body of ideas that determine the knowledge that is intellectually certain at any particular time

 

Epistemology N., The philosophical theory of knowledge

 

Epitaxy N., Growing a crystal layer of one mineral on the crystal base of another mineral in such a manner that its crystalline orientation is the same as that of the substrate

 

Epithelium N., Membranous tissue covering internal organs and other internal surfaces of the body

 

Epizoa N., Any external parasitic organism (as fleas)

 

Epizootic Adj., (of animals) epidemic among animals of a single kind within a particular region

 

Epontic Adj., living on the underside of sea ice

 

Eponymous Adj., being or relating to or bearing the name of an eponym. (n. The name of a person for whom something is supposedly named; Constantine I is the eponym for Constantinople)

 

Equable Adj., Not varying; Not easily irritated

 

Equant N., (or Punctum aequans) is a mathematical concept developed by Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD to account for the observed motion of heavenly bodies

 

Equivocal Adj., Open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead; Open to question; Uncertain as a sign or indication

Equivoque N., Play on words; ambiguous word phrasing; double meaning or misleading expressions.

Ericolin N., A glucoside found in the bearberry (and others of the Ericace[ae]), and extracted as a bitter, yellow, amorphous mass.

 

Ergative N., ergative case is the grammatical case that identifies the subject of a transitive verb in ergative-absolutive languages.

Erinyes N., (classical mythology) the hideous snake-haired monsters (usually three in number) who pursued unpunished criminals

 

Erysipelas N., An acute streptococcal infection characterized by deep-red inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes

 

Eristic Adj., Given to disputation for its own sake and often employing specious arguments; N., A person who disputes; who is good at or enjoys controversy; The art of logical disputation (especially if specious)

 

Erysipelas N., An acute streptococcal infection characterized by deep-red inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes

 

Escamotage V., conjuring

 

Escapement N., Mechanical device that regulates movement

Escarp N., A steep artificial slope in front of a fortification

Eschatology N., The branch of theology that is concerned with such final things as death and judgment; heaven and hell; the end of the world

 

Escheats N., A reversion to the state (as the ultimate owner of property) in the absence of legal heirs; The property that reverts to the state

 

Escorial N.,  A monastery and palace of central Spain near Madrid. Built from 1563 to 1584, it was commissioned by Philip II to commemorate a victory over the French and is the burial place of many Spanish sovereigns.

Esculent N., Anything that is fit for eating; that which may be safely eaten by man. Adj. Suitable to be used by man for food; eatable; edible

Esos N., Celtic God of the Willow

Esquivalience N., the willful avoidance of one's official responsibilities ... late 19th cent.; perhaps from the French esquiver, 'dodge, slink away.

Estafette N., a mounted courier

 

Estancia N.,  large landed estate, especially a cattle ranch, in South America

 

Esthesia N., Mental responsiveness and awareness

Estival Adj., (rare) of or occurring in summer

Estivate V., Sleep during summer

 

Estivation N., (zoology) cessation or slowing of activity during the summer; especially slowing of metabolism in some animals during a hot or dry period; (botany) the arrangement of sepals and petals in a flower bud before it opens

 

Esurient Adj., Extremely hungry; (often followed by 'for') ardently or excessively desirous; Devouring or craving food in great quantities

 

Etagere N., A piece of furniture with open shelves for displaying small ornaments

 

Ethmoid N., One of the eight bones of the cranium; a small bone filled with air spaces that forms part of the eye sockets and the nasal cavity

 

Ethology N., The branch of zoology that studies the behavior of animals in their natural habitats

 

Etiolate V., Make weak by stunting the growth or development of; Bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight; Make pale or sickly

 

Etyma N., A simple form inferred as the common basis from which related words in several languages can be derived by linguistic processes

 

Eulogistic Adj., Formally expressing praise

 

Eulogium N., A formal eulogy

 

Eunuchoid Adj., lacking fully developed male sexual organs: lacking fully developed male sexual organs or characteristics

 

Eusociality N., Sterile members of the species carry out specialized tasks, effectively caring for the reproductive members.

 

Eutrophic Adj., describes a body of water whose oxygen content is depleted by organic nutrients

 

Eutrophication N., Excessive nutrients in a lake or other body of water, usually caused by runoff of nutrients (animal waste, fertilizers, sewage) from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life; the decomposition of the plants depletes the supply of oxygen, leading to the death of animal life; Depletion of oxygen in a nutrient-rich body of water by growth of too much plant life, leading to death of animal life

Exaptation V., Exaptation, cooption, and preadaptation are related terms referring to shifts in the function of a trait during evolution. For example, a trait can evolve because it served one particular function, but subsequently it may come to serve another. Exaptations are common in both anatomy and behavior. Bird feathers are a classic example: initially these evolved for temperature regulation, but later were adapted for flight. Interest in exaptation relates to both the process and product of evolution: the process that creates complex traits and the product that may be imperfectly designed

Excrescence N., Something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from a form; (pathology) an abnormal outgrowth or enlargement of some part of the body

 

Ex cathedra Adv., With the full authority of the office

Execrable Adj., Of very poor quality or condition; Unequivocally detestable; Deserving a curse

 

Exculpatory Adj., Clearing of guilt or blame

 

Excursus N., lengthy digression from the main topic ( formal )

 

Exegesis N., An explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible); An explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible)

 

Exegete N., A person skilled in exegesis (especially of religious texts)

 

Execrable Adj., Of very poor quality or condition; Unequivocally detestable; Deserving a curse

 

Exiguous Adj., Extremely scanty

 

Exobiology N., The branch of biology concerned with the effects of outer space on living organisms and the search for extraterrestrial life

Exogen N., Flowering plant with two cotyledons; the stem grows by deposit on its outside

Exon N., Sequence of a gene's DNA that transcribes into protein structures

 

Exophtalmos Adj., abnormal protrusion of the eyeball

 

Exordium N., (rhetoric) the introductory section of an oration or discourse                 

 

Expiate V., Make amends for

 

Expurgate V., Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

 

ex silento V., Argument from silence

Extant Adj., Still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost

 

Extended Phenotype N., gene is understood as meaning in comparison with its alleles. The conventional phenotype is a special case in which the effects are regarded as being confined to the individual body in which the gene sits. In practice it is convenient to limit 'extended phenotype' to cases where the effects influence the survival chances of the gene, positively or negatively.

 

Extirpate V., to destroy completely ;to pull up by the root; to cut out by surgery

 

Extirpation N., Surgical removal of a body part

 

Extralimital Adj., describes a species or group of organisms found outside a given area, e.g. a population of bears outside a national park

 

Extremophile N., organism that lives in extreme environment: an organism, especially a microorganism, that thrives in climatic or environmental extremes such as the intense heat of a boiling sulfur pool or the intense cold of Arctic permafrost

 

Extremum N., The point located farthest from the middle of something; The most extreme possible amount or value

 

Eyases N., A nestling hawk or falcon, especially one to be trained for falconry.

 

Eyespot N., An eyelike marking (as on the wings of some butterflies); usually a spot of color inside a ring of another color

 

F

 

Factitious Adj., Not produced by natural forces

 

Fagales N., An order of dicotyledonous trees of the subclass Hamamelidae

 

Falanaka N., A viverrine mammal of Madagascar (Eupleres Goudotii), allied to the civet; -- called also Falanouc.

Fane N., A temple; a place consecrated to religion; a church

Fanny Adams N., sailor slang for canned meat, 1889. From the name of a woman murdered in 1867.

 

Fantan N., A Chinese gambling game; a random number of counters are placed under a bowl and you gamble on how many will be left (0, 1, 2, or 3 modulo 4); A card game in which you play your sevens and other cards in sequence in the same suit as the sevens; you win if you are the first to use all your cards

 

Farrago N., A motley assortment of things

 

Fascicles N., An installment of a printed work; A bundle of fibers (especially nerve fibers)

 

Fasciculation V., Muscular twitching of contiguous groups of muscle fibers

 

Fascine N., A cylindrical bundle of small sticks of wood, bound together, used in raising batteries, filling ditches, strengthening ramparts, and making parapets; also in revetments for river banks, and in mats for dams, jetties, etc

 

Fathom N., A linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth

 

Fatidic Adj., Having power to foretell future events; prophetic

 

Fauld N., A piece of armor plate below the breastplate

 

Faute de mieux Adv., for lack of something better or more desirable

 

Faux naïf Adj., Making a false show of innocent simplicity

 

Faylasuf N., A simple human being, trying hard to break away from habits and norms, in search of change and more

 

Fecula N., Excreta (especially of insects)

 

Feldspar N., is the name of a group of rock-forming minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust

 

Felspathic Adj., of feldspar: consisting of, containing, or typical of feldspar

 

Femtosecond N., One quadrillionth (10^-15) of a second; one thousandth of a picosecond

 

Fenestella N., Oval or circular opening; to allow light into a dome or vault

 

Fennec N., A small, African, foxlike animal (Vulpes zerda) of a pale fawn colour, remarkable for the large size of its ears

 

Fermier N., someone who earns a living by managing or operating a farm, either as owner or tenant

 

Ferule N., A switch (a stick or cane or flat paddle) used to punish children

 

Festschrift N., A collection of writings published in honor of a scholar

 

Fettle N., A state of fitness and good health

 

Fey Adj., Slightly insane; Suggestive of an elf in strangeness and otherworldliness

 

Fideism  N., probably from French fidéisme, from Latin fides
: reliance on faith rather than reason in pursuit of religious truth

Fighting top N., platform around the mast of a warship used by marines and sailors to fire down on opposing ships, 1896.

 

Filariasis N., A disease caused by nematodes in the blood or tissues of the body causing blockage of lymphatic vessels

 

Filiation N., The kinship relation between an individual and the individual's progenitors; Inherited properties shared with others of your bloodline

Fillip N., Anything that makes one feel encouraged; The act of giving hope or support to someone

Filoplumes N.,  Simple hairlike feathers that consist of a slender, glistening, silvery rachis with only a few short barbs or barbules at the tip

 

Finca N., in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, a property in the country, especially a large farm or a ranch

 

Finger rafting N., A particular form of rafted ice, typical of thin ice, whereby overlapping occurs in alternating, interlocking segments (like the interlaced fingers of clasped hands)

Finitary N., arithmetic, that takes a finite number of input values to produce an output

Fipple N., A wooden plug forming a flue pipe (as the mouthpiece of a recorder)

 

Fissiped N., Terrestrial carnivores; having toes separated to the base: dogs; cats; bears; badgers; raccoons

 

Flageolet N., A French bean variety with light-coloured seeds; usually dried; A small fipple flute with four finger holes and two thumb holes

 

Flank N., A cut from the fleshy part of an animal's side between the ribs and the leg

 

Flavonoid N.,  Any of a large class of plant pigments having a chemical structure based on or similar to flavone

 

Flavone N., A colourless crystalline compound that is part of a number of white or yellow plant pigments

 

Fledge V., Feed, care for, and rear young birds for flight; Decorate with feathers; Grow feathers

 

Flensing V., Strip the blubber or skin from (a whale or seal)

 

Flexure N., The state of being flexed (as of a joint); An angular or rounded shape made by folding; Act of bending a joint; especially a joint between the bones of a limb so that the angle between them is decreased

 

Flight Feathers N., the large quills of the wing (remiges) and tail (rectrices)

 

Flitch N., Fish steak usually cut from a halibut; Salted and cured abdominal wall of a side of pork

 

Floc N., A small loosely aggregated mass of flocculent material suspended in or precipitated from a liquid

 

Flocculent Adj., Having a fluffy character or appearance

 

Flowstone N., sheetlike deposits of calcite formed where water flows down the walls or along the floors of a cave

Foehn N., A warm dry wind that blows down the northern slopes of the Alps

 

Foeter N., A distinctive odour that is offensively unpleasant

Fold belt (Orogonic belt) N., A linear region that has undergone folding or other deformation during the orogenic cycle. Also known as fold belt; orogen; orogene.

Foliose Adj., Bearing numerous leaves

 

Foliot N., Part of the verge escapement for early clocks or

 

Fontanel N., Any membranous gap between the bones of the cranium in an infant or fetus

 

force majeure N., A natural and unavoidable catastrophe that interrupts the expected course of events

 

Fother N., an old unit for measuring the quantity of lead in England. It was defined in different ways at different places and times, being about equal to a ton or somewhat more

 

Folk etymology N, 1) a process of word change where an unfamiliar word is substituted with a familiar one, e.g., cater-corner becomes kitty-corner; 2) a popular and usually incorrect hypothesis of the origin of a term.

 

Foolscap N, A size of paper used especially in Britain; A cone-shaped paper hat formerly placed on the head of slow or lazy pupils

 

Fogou N., a Cornish word for cave

 

Folivore N., herbivore that specializes in eating leaves

 

Forais N., wisdom
 
Foramen N., A natural opening or perforation through a bone or a membranous structure
 
Foramen Magnum N., The large opening at the base of the cranium through which the spinal cord passes
 

Forb N., a flowering plant with a non-woody stem that is not a grass. Since it is non-woody, it is not a shrub or tree either. Thus most wild and garden flowers, herbs and vegetables are forbs

 

Forborne V. Refrain from doing; Resist doing something

 

force majeure N., A natural and unavoidable catastrophe that interrupts the expected course of events

 
Forcing house N., a greenhouse for the forcing of plants, fruit trees, etc.                           

Forecastle N., a raised deck in the bow of a warship, used as height to dominate opposing ships, as if it were a castle. Often spelled fo'c'sle to reflect the nautical pronunciation.

Forfend V., Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening

 

Formalin N., A 10% solution of formaldehyde in water; used as a disinfectant or to preserve biological specimens

 

Fortiori Adj., For a still stronger reason; all the more.

 

Fossick V., To search for gold esp. in abandoned workings; (informal) to search, rummage

 

Foulbrood N., a destructive disease of honeybee larvae caused by bacteria (as Bacillus larvae)

 

Fovea N., Area consisting of a small depression in the retina containing cones and where vision is most acute

 

Francium N., A radioactive element of the alkali-metal group discovered as a disintegration product of actinium

 

Frangible Adj., Capable of being broken

 

Frazile N., floating ice plates: ice that forms as small plates drifting in rapidly flowing water where it is too turbulent for pack ice to form

 

Frena N., a connecting fold of membrane serving to support or restrain any part

 

Fretsaw N., Fine-toothed power saw with a narrow blade; used to cut curved outlines

 

Fricative Adj., Of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as 'f', 's', 'z', or 'th' in both 'thin' and 'then'); N., A continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract

 

Frisson N., An almost pleasurable sensation of fright

 

Frit V., To prepare by heat (the materials for making glass); to fuse partially. N., The material for glaze of pottery The material of which glass is made

 

Fritillary N., Any liliaceous plant of the genus Fritillaria having nodding variously coloured flowers; Butterfly with brownish wings marked with black and silver

 

Frob V., (Hacker Jargon) The term can refer both to the object being frobbed ("Hand me that frob there, willya?") indicating the manipulation of a frob or as an actual verb ("Hey, frob the switch.") indicating actual frobbing of an object.

 

Frottage N., Masturbation by rubbing against another person (as in a crowd)

Frugivorous Adj., Feeding on fruit, as birds and other animals

Fuchsin N., Aniline red; a dyestuff forming a brilliant dark red

 

Fulgurating Adj., Sharp and piercing

 

Fullerene N., A form of carbon having a large molecule consisting of an empty cage of sixty or more carbon atoms

 

Fumarole N., A hole or spot in a volcanic or other region, from which fumes issue

 

Fundus N., (anatomy) the base of a hollow organ or that part of the organ farthest from its opening

 

Fungible N., A commodity that is freely interchangeable with another in satisfying an obligation Adj., Of goods or commodities; freely exchangeable for or replaceable by another of like nature or kind in the satisfaction of an obligation

 

Furcula N., A forked bone formed by the fusion of the clavicles of most birds

 

Furze N., Very spiny and dense evergreen shrub with fragrant golden-yellow flowers; common throughout western Europe

Fusiform N., Formed like a spindle, wider in the middle and tapering toward the ends. An aneurysm may be fusiform. The word "fusiform" comes from the Latin "fusus" meaning "spindle."

Fustian N., Pompous or pretentious talk or writing; A strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap

 

Futhark N., The Runic alphabet

 

Fyke net N., A long bag net distended by hoops used to catch fish

 

G

 

Gabbros N., One of a family of granular intrusive rocks

Galea N., An organ shaped like a helmet; usually a vaulted and enlarged petal as in Aconitum

 

Galingale N., European sedge having rough-edged leaves and spikelets of reddish flowers and aromatic roots

 

Gall N., An open sore on the back of a horse caused by ill-fitting or badly adjusted saddle; A skin sore caused by chafing; Abnormal swelling of plant tissue caused by insects or microorganisms or injury; A feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will; A digestive juice secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder; aids in the digestion of fats; The trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take liberties  V., Become or make sore by or as if by rubbing; Irritate or vex

 

Gallant N., A man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance; A man who attends or escorts a woman

Gallus N., Common domestic birds and related forms; Elastic straps that hold trousers up (usually used in the plural)

Galop N., A kind of lively dance, in 2-4 time; also, the music to the dance

 

Gam N., A herd of whales

 

Gamba N., Viol that is the bass member of the viol family with approximately the range of the cello

 

Gamete N., A mature sexual reproductive cell having a single set of unpaired chromosomes

 

Ganef N., Yiddish) a thief or dishonest person or scoundrel (often used as a general term of abuse)

 

Ganoine N., Shiny substance that resemble enamel and is secreted by the corium of certain fishes (especially ganoid fishes) and composes the outer layer of their scales

 

Gansa N., A kind of wild goose, by a flock of which a virtuoso was fabled to be carried to the lunar world

 

Gantry N., A framework of steel bars raised on side supports to bridge over or around something; can display railway signals above several tracks or can support a traveling crane etc.

 

Gasconade N., An instance of boastful talk V., To show off

 

Gastrula N., Double-walled stage of the embryo resulting from invagination of the blastula; the outer layer of cells is the ectoderm and the inner layer differentiates into the mesoderm and endoderm

 

Gastrulation N., The process in which a gastrula develops from a blastula by the inward migration of cells

 

Gauleiter N., (historical) party or district leader in Nazi Germany; An overbearing person, esp. an official of some kind

 

Gavial N., Large fish-eating Indian crocodilian with a long slender snout

 

Gematria N., a cabbalistic system of interpretation of the Scriptures by substituting for a particular word another word whose letters give the same numerical sum.

 

Gemsbok N., Large South African oryx with a broad black band along its flanks                     

 

Genera N., (biology) taxonomic group containing one or more species

 

Genome N., The ordering of genes in a haploid set of chromosomes of a particular organism; the full DNA sequence of an organism

 

Gentian N., Any of various plants of the family Gentianaceae especially the genera Gentiana and Gentianella and Gentianopsis

 

Geomancy N., Divination by means of signs connected with the earth (as points taken at random or the arrangement of particles thrown down at random or from the configuration of a region and its relation to another)

 

Germplasm N., The protoplasm of the germ cells that contains chromosomes and genes

 

Gerontes N., Magistrates in Sparta, who with the ephori and kings, constituted the supreme civil authority

 

Gerund N., A noun formed from a verb (such as the '-ing' form of an English verb when used as a noun)

Ghrelin N., A gastrointestinal hormone produced by epithelial cells lining the fundus of the stomach; appears to be a stimulant for appetite and feeding, but is also a strong stimulant of growth hormone secretion from the anterior pituitary

Giaour N., a non-Muslim, especially a Christian

 

Giardia N., A suspected cause of diarrhea in humans; a single-celled protozoan, some forms of which live as parasites in the gut of humans and other vertebrates, causing an infection

 

Gibbet N., Instrument of execution consisting of a wooden frame from which condemned persons are executed by hanging V., Hang on an execution instrument; Expose to ridicule or public scorn

 

Gibbous Adj., Characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column; (used of the moon) more than half full

 

Gig N., Long and light rowing boat; especially for racing; An implement with a shaft and barbed point used for catching fish; A cluster of hooks (without barbs) that is drawn through a school of fish to hook their bodies; used when fish are not biting; Tender that is a light ship's boat; often for personal use of captain; Small two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage; with two seats and no hood

 

Gigue N., Music in three-four time for dancing a jig

 

Gill N., A British imperial capacity unit (liquid or dry) equal to 5 fluid ounces or 142.066 cubic centimeters; A United States liquid unit equal to 4 fluid ounces; Any of the radiating leaflike spore-producing structures on the underside of the cap of a mushroom or similar fungus

 

Girolle N., an pale orange to yellow wild mushroom; also called chanterelle

 

Glial Adj., Of or relating to neuroglia

 

Glires N., taxon including Rodentia, Lagomorpha, and Macroscelidea

 

Glissando N., A rapid series of ascending or descending notes on the musical scale Adv., (musical direction) in the manner of a glissando (with a rapidly executed series of notes)

 

Glogg N., Scandinavian punch made of claret and aquavit with spices and raisins and orange peel and sugar

 

Gloss N., An explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text

 

Glottochronology N., The determination of how long ago different languages evolved from a common source language

 

Glyptic Adj., Figured; marked as with figures; of or pertaining to gem engraving

 

Gnomic Adj., Relating to or containing gnomes

 

Gnotobiotic Adj., of, relating to, living in, or being a controlled environment containing one or a few kinds of organisms

 

Gobsmacked Adj., flabbergasted, astounded, left speechless

 

Godown N., (in India and Malaysia) a warehouse

 

Gonadogenesis N.,  the development of the gonads in the embryo

 

Goniometer N., Direction finder that determines the angular direction of incoming radio signals

 

Gorget N., Armor plate that protects the neck

 

Gormenghast N., three novels, by Mervyn Peake, featuring Castle Gormenghast and the title character of the first book Titus Groan

 

Gonys N., The keel or lower outline of a bird's bill, so far as the mandibular rami are united

 

Gordian Knot N., An intricate knot tied by Gordius, the King of Phrygia, and cut by the sword of Alexander the Great after he heard that whoever undid it would become ruler of Asia; Any very difficult problem; insoluble in its own terms

 

Gorget N., Armor plate that protects the neck

 

Gorse N., Very spiny and dense evergreen shrub with fragrant golden-yellow flowers; common throughout western Europe

 

Gouche N., method of painting using opaque pigments ground in water and thickened with a glue-like substance; paint of this kind

Gozzard N., One who takes care of geese

Gracile Adj., Slender and graceful

 

Gracilization V., becoming graceful

 

Gradgrind N., one who regulates things by means of statistics

 

Grampus N., Predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas; Slaty-gray blunt-nosed dolphin common in northern seas

 

Grandee N., A nobleman of highest rank in Spain or Portugal

 

Graptolite N., One of numerous species of slender and delicate fossils, of the genus Graptolites and allied genera, found in the Silurian rocks. They belong to an extinct group (Graptolithina) supposed to be hydroids

Gravamen N., the most serious part of an accusation or charge made against an accused person; a grievance against somebody

 

Gravid Adj., In an advanced stage of pregnancy

 

Gravlax N., Scandinavian salted salmon, esp. with dill, pepper etc.

Griffe N., A spur (French griffe, German Knoll), in architecture, is the ornament carved on the angles of the base of early

Grig N., A cricket or grasshopper; small lively person; small eel

Groin N., A curved edge formed by two intersecting vaults; A protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away

 

Grok V., Get the meaning of something; be empathetic

 

Grunion N., a small California fish

 

Gryphon N., Winged monster with an eagle-like head and body of a lion

 

Guanaco N., Wild llama

 

Guars N., Drought-tolerant herb grown for forage and for its seed which yield a gum used as a thickening agent or sizing material

 

Guayabera N., a light short- or long-sleeved shirt, often pleated, with large pockets at the waist and usually worn outside the pants instead of a jacket

 

Gudgeon N., Small spiny-finned fish of coastal or brackish waters having a large head and elongated tapering body having the ventral fins modified as a sucker; Small slender European freshwater fish often used as bait by anglers

 

Guenon N., Small slender African monkey having long hind limbs and tail and long hair around the face

 

Guncotton N., Nitric acid esters; used in lacquers and explosives

 

Gunnel N., Wale at the top of the side of boat; topmost planking of a wooden vessel; Small eel-like fishes common in shallow waters of the northern Atlantic

 

Gurnard N., Bottom-dwelling coastal fishes with spiny armored heads and fingerlike pectoral fins used for crawling along the sea bottom

 

Gusset N., A piece of chain mail covering a place unprotected by armor plate; A metal plate used to strengthen a joist A piece of material used to strengthen or enlarge a garment

 

Gustation N., The faculty of distinguishing sweet, sour, bitter, and salty properties in the mouth

 

Gutter V., Burn unsteadily, feebly, or low; flicker; Flow in small streams; Wear or cut gutters into; Provide with gutters

 

Guyot N., A seamount of volcanic origin (especially in the Pacific Ocean)

 

Gyre N., A round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)

 

Gyrus N., A convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain         

 

H

 

Habiline N., An early member of the genus Homo, including Homo habilis, known from fossils in Africa dating from 2 million to about 1.5 million years ago. There is much disagreement concerning the evolutionary place of this species, but H. habilis is generally accepted as the earliest member of the genus Homo, following Australopithecus and preceding Homo erectus. Habilines made crude stone tools. They were first discovered in 1959-1960 in northern Tanzania.

 

Hadith N., (Islam) a tradition based on reports of the sayings and activities of Muhammad and his companions; (Islam) the way of life prescribed as normative for Muslims on the basis of the teachings and practices of Muhammad and interpretations of the Koran

 

Hagiography N., A biography that idealizes or idolizes the person

Haircut, get/take a, catchphrase. To accept a reduction in equity, pay, or benefits in order to keep one’s company or industry afloat.

Halakah N., Talmudic literature that deals with law and with the interpretation of the laws on the Hebrew Scriptures

Halberd N., A pike fitted with an ax head

Haling V., To cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means; Draw slowly or heavily

 

Hallux N., the big toe on a human foot, or the first digit on the hind foot of some mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians ( technical )

 

Halse V., To embrace about the neck; to salute; to greet. Each other kissed glad And lovely halst; To adjure; to beseech; to entreat; To haul; to hoist.

 

Haploid N., having the gametic number of chromosomes or half the number characteristic of somatic cells; (genetics) an organism or cell having only one complete set of chromosomes

 

Haplotypes N., (genetics) a combination of alleles (for different genes) that are located closely together on the same chromosome and that tend to be inherited together

 

Hapolyte N., a set of genes that determine different antigens but are closely enough linked to be inherited as a unit; also : the antigenic phenotype determined by a haplotype

 

Haporhine- clade that unites anthropoids and tarsiers

 

Haptene N., an antigen that can only stimulate antibody production when combined with a specific protein

 

Hared V., Run quickly, like a hare

 

Harmattan N., A dusty wind from the Sahara that blows toward the western coast of Africa during the winter

 

Havering N., A London Borough

 

Hawse N., The hole that an anchor rope passes through

 

Hebdomad N., Any period of seven consecutive days

 

Hebe N., (Greek mythology) the goddess of youth and spring; wife of Hercules; daughter of Zeus and Hera; cupbearer to the Olympian gods

 

Hectic Fever Adj., Marked by intense agitation or emotion

Hedreocraton N., A craton that influenced later continental development

Heirophant N., religion one who brings the congregants into the presence of that which is deemed holy

 

Helminth N., Worm that is parasitic on the intestines of vertebrates especially roundworms and tapeworms and flukes

 

Heme N., A complex red organic pigment containing iron and other atoms to which oxygen binds

 

Hemionus N., A half ass, a mule

 

Herm N., A statue consisting of a squared stone pillar with a carved head (usually a bearded Hermes) on top; used in ancient Greece as a boundary marker or signpost

 

Hermano N., a boy or man with the same natural parents as another person or people

 

Hermenecitic, N., The branch of theology that deals with principles of exegesis

 

Herpetic Adj., Pertaining to, or resembling, the herpes; partaking of the nature of herpes

Hetacomb N., a great public sacrifice, originally of a hundred oxen (Greek); an extensive loss of life for a particular cause

Heterochrony N., A heterochronic change is, in general, a change in the rate or timing of development of some cell lines in the body relative to others. A mutation that alters the rate at which a cell line develops relative to other cell lines is a heterochronic mutation.

Consider the rates of development of the reproductive (germ) cells on the one hand, and all the rest of the body (the soma) on the other. Any particular body becomes reproductively mature at a certain stage of somatic development; a heterochronic change in this case is one in which the organism comes to reproduce at an earlier (or later) stage of somatic development.

Two factors could cause reproduction to occur at an earlier stage of somatic development:

• somatic development is proceeding at the same rate in absolute time as before, and germ line development has speeded up (progenesis); or

• reproduction happens at the same absolute age, and somatic development has slowed down (neoteny).

Either way, the morphological result is the same: paedomorphosis - reproduction is seen in what was ancestrally a juvenile morphological stage. The Mexican axolotl opposite is a famous case of paedomorphosis.

Also, the form of the adult can be altered by heterochronic changes within the soma, so that different cell lines develop at different rates. The morphological effects of this can be studied by allometry or by transformations.

Heteronomy N., Subordination or subjection to the law of another; political subjection of a community or state; - opposed to autonomy; A term applied by Kant to those laws which are imposed on us from without, or the violence done to us by our passions, wants, or desires

Heterosis N., (genetics) the tendency of a crossbred organism to have qualities superior to those of either parent

 

Hetrodox N., contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion : UNORTHODOX, UNCONVENTIONAL <a heterodox book> <heterodox ideas>2 : holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines

 

Heterodoxy N., Any opinions or doctrines at variance with the official or orthodox position; The quality of being unorthodox

 

Heterotroph N., An organism that depends on complex organic substances for nutrition

 

Heuristic N., A commonsense rule (or set of rules) intended to increase the probability of solving some problem Adj, (computer science) relating to or using a heuristic rule; Of

or relating to a general formulation that serves to guide investigation

 

Hidalgo N., A title, denoting a Spanish nobleman of the lower class

 

Hieratic N., A cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphics; used especially by the priests Associated with the priesthood or priests; Written or belonging to a cursive form of ancient Egyptian writing; Adhering to fixed types or methods; highly restrained and formal; N., A cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphics; used especially by the priests

Hierophant N., The presiding priest who initiated candidates at the Eleusinian mysteries; hence, one who teaches the mysteries and duties of religion

Hilum N., (anatomy) a depression or fissure where vessels or nerves or ducts enter a bodily organ; The scar on certain seeds marking its point of attachment to the funicle

Hispid Adj., (of animals or plants) having stiff coarse hairs or bristles

Histone N., A simple protein containing mainly basic amino acids; present in cell nuclei in association with nucleic acids

 

Histricognath Rodents N., Family that includes Lemurs

 

Hoale N., Hawaiian language, means "foreign" or "foreigner"; it can be used in reference to people, plants, and animals

 

Hob N., (folklore) a small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings; (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous; A hard steel edge tool used to cut gears; A shelf beside an open fire where something can be kept warm; [Brit] The top of a cooker with hotplates or burners V. Cut with a hob

Hockey mom, n. Mother who is invests time and emotions in her child’s interest in hockey. Cf. soccer mom.

Hoik V., to lift up sharply; to heave up.

 

Holostean Adj., of Holstei- bony fish that show primitive characteristics

 

Homiletic Adj., Of the nature of a homily or sermon; Of or relating to homiletics

 

Homeostasis N., (physiology) metabolic equilibrium actively maintained by several complex biological mechanisms that operate via the autonomic nervous system to offset disrupting changes

 

Homeotherm N., An animal that has a body temperature that is relatively constant and independent of the environmental temperature

 

Homiletical Adj., Of or pertaining to familiar intercourse; social; affable; conversable; companionable. (a.) Of or pertaining to homiletics; hortatory.

 

Hominid N., A primate of the family Hominidae; Adj., Characterizing the family Hominidae, which includes Homo sapiens as well as extinct species of manlike creatures

 

Hominis N., Welfare

 

Homology N., The quality of being similar or corresponding in position or value or structure or function

 

Homoploid N., of an organism or a cell whose set of chromosomes exhibits the same degree of ploidy as an organism or cell with which it is compared

 

Homopterous Adj., of Plant lice (aphids); whiteflies; cicadas; leafhoppers; plant hoppers; scale insects and mealybugs; spittle insects

 

Homozygous Adj., Having identical alleles at corresponding chromosomal loci

 

Horary Adj., Relating to the hours

 

Hordeolum N., An infection of the sebaceous gland of the eyelid

 

Hormesis N., (biology) an effect where a toxic substance acts like a stimulant in small doses, but it is an inhibitor in large doses

 

Hornito N., A low, oven-shaped mound, common in volcanic regions, and emitting smoke and vapors from its sides and summit.

 

Hortatory Adj., giving strong encouragement;Giving exhortation or advise; encouraging; exhortatory; inciting; as, a hortatory speech.

Hot box N., an overheated axle bearing

Houri N., A voluptuously beautiful young woman; (Islam) one of the dark-eyed virgins of perfect beauty believed to live with the blessed in Paradise

 

Hove N., Utter a sound, as with obvious effort; Throw with great effort; Rise and move, as in waves or billows; Lift or elevate; Move or cause to move in a specified way, direction, or position; Breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted; Bend out of shape, as under pressure or from heat; Make an unsuccessful effort to vomit; strain to vomit

 

Hoy N., A flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)

 

Hoyden N., A girl who behaves in a boyish manner

 

Humoral Adj., Of or relating to bodily fluids

Hustings N., The activities involved in political campaigning (especially speech making)

 

Hygrometric  N., Any of several instruments that measure atmospheric humidity.

Hymnody N., The act of singing psalms or hymns

 

Hyoid N., A U-shaped bone at the base of the tongue that supports the tongue muscles; Adj., Of or relating to the hyoid bone

 

Hyperbaric Adj., Of or relating to or containing barium

 

Hyperbola N., An open curve formed by a plane that cuts the base of a right circular cone

Hyperboloid N., A quadric surface generated by rotating a hyperbola around its main axis

Hyperphagia N., a condition in which somebody compulsively overeats over a long period

 

Hyphae N., Any of the threadlike filaments forming the mycelium of a fungus

 

Hypnopedia N., Teaching during sleep (as by using recordings to teach a foreign language to someone who is asleep)

 

Hypnopompic Adj.,  relating to the state between sleep and wakefulness.
ETYMOLOGY: Early 20c: from Greek pompe sending away

 

Hymnopteron N., Any insects of the order Hymenoptera, including the bees, wasps, and ants, often living in complex social groups and characteristically having two pairs of membranous wings.

 

Hyponatraemic N., deficiency of sodium in the blood

 

Hypospadias N., An abnormality of the penis in which the urethra opens on its undersurface; a birth defect of the urethra in the male that involves an abnormally placed urinary meatus (opening). Instead of opening at the tip of the glans of the penis, a hypospadic urethra opens anywhere along a line (the urethral groove) running from the tip along the underside (ventral aspect) of the shaft to the junction of the penis and scrotum or perineum

 

Hypoxia N., A condition in which the body or a part of it is deprived of an adequate supply of oxygen, as may occur at high altitudes

 

Hypoxis N., Small plants that resemble amaryllis and that grow from a corm and bear flowers on a leafless stalk; sometimes classified as member of the family Amaryllidaceae: star grass

 

Hysteresis N., The lagging of an effect behind its cause; especially the phenomenon in which the magnetic induction of a ferromagnetic material lags behind the changing magnetic field

 

I

 

Iamb N., A metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables

 

Iatronic V., injury or condition induced by a medical procedure

 

Ichor N., (Greek mythology) the rarified fluid said to flow in the veins of the Gods; A fluid product of inflammation

 

Icosa N., Numerical prefix for twenty

 

Iducible Adj., Obtainable by induction; derivable; inferable

Igarato N., large Brezilian canoe

Ignava ratio N., the belief that if something is meant to happen, then it will happen no matter what you do, so there is no need to attempt to change it.

 

Ignis Fatuus N., A phosphorescent light that hovers or flits over swampy ground at night, possibly caused by spontaneous combustion of gases emitted by rotting organic matter. Also called friar's lantern, jack-o'-lantern; Also called will-o'-the-wisp, wisp; Something that misleads or deludes; an illusion

 

Ileus N., Blockage of the intestine (especially the ileum) that prevents the contents of the intestine from passing to the lower bowel

 

Imbricate Adj., (botany) used especially of leaves or bracts; overlapping or layered as scales or shingles; V., Place so as to overlap; Overlap

 

Imbrue V., Permeate or impregnate

 

Immiscible Adj., (chemistry, physics) incapable of mixing

 

Immiserate V., to cause severe economic hardship to a person or a people     

 

Immutability N., The quality of being incapable of mutation

 

Impasto N., Painting that applies the pigment thickly so that brush or palette knife marks are visible

 

Imperium N., The domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised; Supreme authority; absolute dominion

 

Impresario N., A sponsor who books and stages public entertainments

 

Imprescriptible Adj., not to be taken away: impossible to remove or violate

 

Imramha N., is one of a class of Old Irish tales concerning a hero's sea journey to the Other World (see Tír na nÓg and Mag Mell). Written in the Christian era and essentially Christian in aspect, they preserve elements of Irish mythology. "Immram" is usually translated as "Voyage

 

Inamorata N., Women in love or loved