Why use a dictionary that contains 90% words you already know (bread, toast, water, milk etc) and 9% ridiculous words you’ll never use (endoplasmic reticulum, hyperbolic paraboloids etc).
Someone needs to write a dictionary of just the words we don’t know, but need to know.
So here it is! Enjoy…..
| A | |
| a priori | Knowable without appeal to particular experience, not supported by factual study, and maybe not needed to be. |
| abrogate | to cancel (a law or an agreement) formally |
| acute (vs chronic) | sudden (vs long and slow building) |
| affidavit | A written declaration made under oath |
| algorithm | mechanical method for solving a problem without having to think |
| aliter | alternatively |
| animus | One’s disposition or attitude. In Jungian psychology, the masculine inner personality as present in women. |
| antedeluvian | literally “before the flood” but usually means very old |
| arriviste | upstart: a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class |
| aphorism | a short and pithy saying |
| apotheosis | the highest point in the development of something; a culmination or climax. Can also be elevation to divine status |
| apostasy | rejection of former religious faith. Also apostate. |
| appertain | to form part of |
| apposite | appropriate |
| approbation | approval or praise – cf. opprobrium |
| arcane | esoteric |
| asperity | harshness of manner |
| atavism | recurrence of disease or peculiarity (or appearance) from remote ancestors |
| attrition | A rubbing away or wearing down, or gradual reduction in numbers |
| Autodidact | self taught |
| avatar | human manifestation, embodiment |
| avuncular | kind-hearted and cheerful, like a nice uncle |
| B | |
| bacchanalian | drunken |
| bellicose | aggressive, warlike |
| belvedere | high turret or summerhouse commanding a wide view |
| blandishments | flattery intended to coax or cajole. |
| bravura | showy, ostentatious, A piece or passage that emphasizes a performer’s virtuosity. |
| bucolic | of the countryside, esp. shepherds |
| byzantine | Highly complicated; intricate and involved, scheming or devious |
| C | |
| cachet | a stamp or mark of authenticity or quality |
| canon | a rule or general principle |
| cant | Monotonous talk filled with platitudes, Hypocritically pious language. |
| cantor | soloist or leading singer in church |
| capricious | governed by whim, unpredictable |
| carbuncle | an infection larger than a boil and with several openings for discharge of pus |
| carpet-bagger | political adventurer |
| Cartouche | an oblong enclosure with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name |
| catamite | A boy who has a sexual relationship with a man. |
| catharsis | purging of the emotions |
| censure | blame, reprimand |
| censure, to | reprimand: rebuke formally, harsh criticism or disapproval |
| changeling | A child secretly exchanged for another, possibly the fairies. May imply subnormal intelligence |
| chimera | mythical monster, having a lion’s head, goat’s body, and serpent’s tail. Or imagined horror, or cross breed. |
| Citation | offical mention, or official summons or notice given to a person to appear |
| cogent | compelling, forceful |
| commensurate | of equal extent, in accordance |
| concomitant | accompanying |
| corsage | a bodice, or posy worn at the bodice |
| corsair | pirate, or pirate’s ship |
| courtesan | prostitute |
| craven | cowardly |
| D | |
| debenture | certificate of money owed, like an IOU |
| decolletage | low cut dress |
| demagogue | leader of the masses against the upper classes |
| demotic | unsophisticated, earthy |
| demur | hesitate, raise objections |
| denigrate | sneer at |
| denizen | occupant |
| derringer | a pocket pistol of large calibre with a short barrel |
| determinism | the theory that human choice is not free, but is decided by past events and natural laws |
| dialectic | philosophy by discussion and logic |
| diaspora | Jews living outside their homeland |
| diatribe | abusive criticism |
| didactic | in the manner of a teacher |
| diffident | modest, shy, lacking in confidence |
| dilatory | wasting time |
| dilettante | dabbler |
| diorama | views of scenery painted on cloth and animated with lighting effects |
| discursive | wide ranging, or tending to depart from the main point |
| disingenuous | insincere, not straight forward |
| distaff | female branch of the family |
| distal | distant from the centre or the body or point of attachment (e.g. end of leg) |
| dogmatic | stating opinions arrogantly or without proof |
| doppelganger | apparition of a person not yet dead |
| dowager | rich or high status widow |
| doyen | senior member of group |
| duck-smuggler | who who farts whilst walking |
| dryad | wood nymph |
| dystopian | an often futuristic society that has degraded into a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian |
| E | |
| eclectic | gathered from random sources |
| edify | to give moral instruction |
| egregious | flagrantly bad |
| emollient | attempting to avoid confrontation or anger; calming or conciliatory |
| emolument | payment |
| empirical | Verifiable by means of observation or experiment |
| enervating | reducing your energy level |
| ennui | boredom |
| epiphany | moment of manifestation of supernatural reality |
| episcopal | pertaining to a bishop |
| equity | money obtained by issuing shares |
| ersatz | inferior substitute |
| erstwhile | former |
| eschew | avoid |
| esoteric | secret, for intiates only |
| eugenic | the breeding of healthy stock |
| evanescent | vanishing, transient |
| exegesis | explanation or interpretation, esp the bible |
| exigent | urgent |
| exiguous | too small, scanty |
| existential | known from experience rather than from theory |
| expedite, to | to hurry something up |
| F | |
| facetious | fond of joking, inappropriately funny |
| farrago | confused mixture or medley |
| febrile | caused by fever, agitated, frenzied |
| feckless | careless, reckless, inefficient, helpless, feeble in mind |
| ferrule | A ring or cap, typically a metal one, which strengthens the end of a handle, stick, or tube and prevents it from splitting or wearing. |
| film noir | a genre of films characterized by low-key lighting, a bleak urban setting, and corrupt, cynical characters. |
| franchise | right of voting in elections |
| freemartin | sterile and partially hermaphrodite, usually of cows |
| Fungible | Able to be substituted for something of equal value; Interchangeable |
| G | |
| gelada | a hairy-necked baboon |
| generic | applicable to all members of a class |
| germane | relevant |
| gestalt | an organised whole, in which each part affects every other part |
| glaucous | bluish-green or greenish-blue. |
| H | |
| habeas corpus | the right to be tried instead of just held without trial |
| hegemony | the dominance of one social group over others |
| heliotrope | pale purple. plant with purple flowers |
| Hermaphrodite | having both sexes in the same creature |
| heuristic | reasoning from past experience |
| hirsute | hairy – see gelada |
| holistic | relation between the parts and the whole |
| homunculus | little man or dwarf |
| hubris | arrogance, insolent pride |
| hyperion | A Titan, son of Uranus |
| I | |
| iconoclast | obstinate non-conformist |
| immolate | to sacrifice |
| imperial | pertaining to an emperor |
| impresario | manager or opera or theatre |
| inchoate | imperfectly formed or only partly in existence, e.g. Windows Vista |
| indemnity | security against damage |
| ingenuous | unsuspecting, frank |
| insouciance | carefreeness: the cheerful feeling you have when nothing is troubling you |
| insouciant | carefree, nonchalant |
| inure | become accustomed or hardened to |
| invidious | likely to arouse envy or ill will |
| isometric | having equal dimensions or measurements , triangular paper for 3D drawings, or a personality test |
| J | |
| jalopy | a much-worn automobile |
| jejune | devoid of substance or interest |
| K | |
| karma | acts which will have repercussions in either this or future lives (may be either good or evil) |
| L | |
| labile | unstable, prone to change |
| laconic | terse, using few words |
| lambent | softly bright or radiant |
| largesse | money given, generosity |
| ligature | something used to tie or bind |
| lionize | treat as a celebrity |
| litigation | lawsuit |
| louche | of questionable taste or morality; decadent |
| M | |
| mandrake | plant with forked root, believed to shriek when pulled up |
| marinated | soaked in vinegar and spices |
| martinet | disciplinarian |
| maverick | one who acts independently |
| Megalomania | overt concern for oneself and ones ability |
| mendacity | telling lies |
| metaphysical | abstract, without material form or substance |
| miasma | noxious gases from marshes |
| micturate | to urinate |
| misanthropy | bitter cynicism, or hatred of people |
| misogynist | woman-hater |
| modal | fashionable, containing a statement of limitation, a musical scale |
| Modicum | Small or token amount |
| money supply, the | a big bag near the north pole |
| moot | debatable, not settled |
| mordant | acid, sarcastic |
| mountebank | One who sells by deception; a con artist; a charlatan; |
| N | |
| Narcissistic | self obsessed |
| necromancer | one who practices divination by conjuring up the dead |
| nefarious | wicked |
| nemesis | (Greek mythology) the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance |
| Neocon | right wing Conservative |
| nonplussed | disconcerted, baffled, reduced to silence |
| normative | establishing a standard |
| nostrum | medicine based on a secret formula, often a quack remedy |
| notwithstanding | in spite of |
| Nugatory | Trifling, of no real value |
| numinous | divine (or suggestion of divine presence), awe-inspiring |
| O | |
| obdurate | stubborn, hard-hearted |
| obfuscate | to darken, bewilder, or confuse |
| obsequious | servile, cringeing |
| obverse | facing the observer, reverse of obverse |
| olfactory | to do with the sense of smell |
| onomatopoeic | sounds like it means: e.g. zoom, lugubrious, zagged, twang, snooze |
| ontological | dealing with the nature of being, e.g arguments about whether god exists |
| opprobrium | disgrace or shame |
| ordnance | artillery |
| orthographic | correct spelling, correct drawing or projection, map drawn as if viewed from infinity |
| Oxymoron | a contradiction e.g. compassionate Tory?? |
| P | |
| paladin | hero, knight |
| palliative | an excuse |
| paradigm | pattern or example |
| pariah | a social outcast |
| parochial | narrow-minded |
| parvenu | A person who has suddenly risen to a higher social class and has not yet gained social acceptance by others in that class, possibly due to a lack of refinement. |
| patrician | person of noble family |
| peccadillo | slight fault or offence |
| pejorative | disparaging, belittling, or derogatory |
| pellicle | thin skin or membrane |
| perdition | eternal damnation; hell; absolute ruin |
| perfidious | treacherous |
| pernicious | wicked and unfounded, harmful |
| pertinacious | Holding tenaciously to an opinion or purpose; Stubbornly resolute |
| pertinacity | doggedness: persistent determination |
| philanthropic | love of mankind |
| philology | study of the structure and development of language |
| phlegmatic | showing little emotion |
| picaresque | roguish |
| plangent | two definitions: 1: loud and resounding, 2: Expressing or suggesting sadness; plaintive |
| plenipotentiary | invested with full powers |
| plutocrat | one whose wealth makes them powerful |
| polemic | controversial discussion |
| post-modernism | quoting / recycling from previous works |
| pragmatic | judging by results, method doesn’t matter |
| precept | a command |
| prepuce | a type of cheese |
| prevaricate | To beat about the bush |
| privation | hardship, destitution |
| probity | honesty, integrity, having strong moral principles |
| proclivity | tendency |
| profane | not sacred, irreverent, blasphemous |
| profligate | immoral, extravagant, reckless |
| prolix | tedious, long, wordy |
| promulgate | to make known to the public |
| proselytise | to convert to a new religion or party |
| prosthesis | letters added to front of word, artificial limb |
| protagonist | leader or principal character |
| protean | Exceedingly variable; readily assuming different shapes or forms |
| providence | God’s benign intervention in the world |
| psychotic | suffering from mental derangement |
| pugilist | boxer |
| Q | |
| quid pro quo | something in return |
| quiddity | the essence of a thing, a quibble |
| quincunx | arrangement of five things in a square with the fifth one in the middle |
| Quisling | traitor |
| quixotic | generous, selfless, romantic |
| R | |
| Rake’s progress | decline into debauchery |
| ratify | confirm or establish |
| reactionary | opposing progress |
| real-politik | politics or diplomacy based primarily on practical considerations like power rather than morals |
| redemption | making things right |
| redux | brought back or resurgent |
| recalcitrant | obstinately resisting control |
| recherche | uncommon |
| recondite | little known, obscure, requiring special knowledge |
| redolent | reminding one of… |
| remand (on) | detention while awaiting trial |
| renegade | deserter |
| reportage | journalist’s report and interpretation |
| reprobate | depraved, entirely given over to sin |
| rhetoric | using language effectively to please or persuade |
| runcible | nonsense word invented by Edward Lear to describe a spoon with three prongs and a cutting edge |
| S | |
| sagacious | having sound judgment |
| salubrious | promoting health |
| samovar | a metal urn used for heating water for tea, usually Russian |
| sanguine | optimistic |
| sardonic | scornful and mocking; |
| sartorial | to do with tailoring |
| Schadenfreude | To take pleasure in someone else’s misfortune |
| scion | a descendent or heir |
| seersucker | a thin, puckered, all-cotton fabric, commonly striped or chequered, used to make clothing for spring and summer wear. |
| self-deprecating | conscious of your own shortcomings |
| semantic | to do with words |
| sententious | given to pompous moralizing |
| sequestered | secluded or retired |
| serendipity | discovery by sheer luck |
| sesquipedalian | long-winded |
| shill | someone who poses as an independent view or satisfied customer, to help the seller |
| sinecure | a job involving no work |
| sobriquet | nickname or assumed name |
| sojourn | a temporary stay |
| solecism | error in language, faux pas, a socially awkward or tactless act |
| solipsism | The idea that only one’s own mind is certain to really exist |
| sophistry | a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone |
| sophomore | second year american student |
| soubriquet | nickname or assumed name |
| Southpaw | left handed |
| spoor | the tracks of a wild animal |
| squib | a type of firework |
| Stipulate | Specify as a condition or requirement |
| stochastic | Random, randomly-determined |
| Stochastic | Unpredictable variation around a goal (nearly but not quite the same as “random”) |
| stultify | to dull the brain of someone |
| substantive | having separate existence, having a firm basis in reality and being therefore important |
| succubus | female devil who has intercourse with sleeping men |
| Suffragan bishop | assisting another bishop |
| suffrage | the right to vote (from the Latin suffragium, meaning “voting tablet”) |
| superannuation | payment given on retirement |
| surrogate | substitute |
| sybarite | seeker of pleasure and luxury |
| Synchronicity | seemingly random actions brought together |
| T | |
| tawdry | brightly coloured and tasteless, gaudy |
| thespian | relating to actors and drama |
| torrid | Scorched by the sun |
| traduce | badmouth, speak unfavourably about |
| trenchant | concise, sharply critical |
| trope | using a word in a way other than what is considered its literal or normal form |
| turbid | muddy, confused, muddled |
| turpitude | base wickedness |
| U | |
| unctious | oily, smug, gushing |
| unsalubrious | unhealthy, unhygienic |
| urbane | suave, courteous |
| V | |
| vapid | bland, insipid |
| valency | The number of chemicals or words that the subject can combine with |
| venal | easily bribed |
| venial | minor, unimportant (e.g. of a sin) |
| verisimilitude | likeness to reality or fact |
| vicarious | done or felt on behalf of another |
| vicissitude | alternation or change |
| visceral | pertaining to the internal organs of the body |
| vitiate | to spoil, make faulty; to reduce the value, quality, or effectiveness of something; to debase or morally corrupt |
| vituperative | abusive |
| W | |
| Weltanschauung | A comprehensive view of the world and human life |
| wraith | vision of a person who is dying |
| X | |
| xenophobia | fear of foreign things or people |
| Y | |
| Z | |
| zeitgeist | the moral or intellectual spirit of a time period |
| Zen . | ah, it would take a whole book to explain this… |
… how many did you know?
