For the last four years I have made a yearly list of 100 words. This is year #5 and I’m proud to say this is the first year where I’ve used a word starting with each letter in the alphabet. In most cases these words are nearly useless, either because they are various stages of obsolete, or because they are so obscure that no one would have an idea what you’re talking about. Nevertheless, there is a word for ‘everything’ and I like making lists of them. Don’t trust my definitions, but they are all gleaned from either dictionary.com or wiktionary.org
Previous Lists
And now, without further ado. The words of 2010. Many of these words have multiple meanings and parts of speech. I have chosen the meaning and part of speech that I find the most intriguing.
- Abluent: adj: serving to cleanse.
- Adenoidal: adj: being characteristically pinched and nasal in tone quality: a high-pitched, adenoidal voice.
- Adiaphorism: n: tolerance of actions or beliefs not specifically prohibited in the Scriptures; indifferentism.
- Adjuvant: n: a person or thing that aids or helps.
- Asseverate: v: to declare earnestly or solemnly; affirm positively; aver.
- Asthenic: adj: (of a physical type) having a slight build or slender body
- Beleaguer: v: forced to quit, upset
- Billingsgate: n: coarsely or vulgarly abusive language.
- Boeotian: adj: dull; obtuse; without cultural refinement.
- Bombinate: v: to buzz, hum, or drone
- Buffaloing: v: to impress or intimidate by a display of power, importance, etc.
- Brachiate: adj: having arms
- Cacoepy: n: incorrect pronunciation
- Caitiff: n: a base, despicable person.
- Canescent: adj: Turning white or grayish.
- Chaplet: n: a wreath or garland for the head.
- Columbarium: n.pl: a sepulchral vault or other structure with recesses in the walls to receive the ashes of the dead.
- Compotation: n: an act or instance of drinking or tippling together.
- Conduce: v.itr: To lead to or contribute to a particular result.
- Copse: n: a thicket of small trees or bushes; a small wood.
- Cosset: v: to treat as a pet; pamper; coddle.
- Crepuscular: adj: of, pertaining to, or resembling twilight; dim; indistinct.
- Daedal: adj: skillful; ingenious.
- Decussate: v: to cross in the form of an X; intersect.
- Defalcate: v: to steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one’s care
- Demi-monde: n: Demimonde was a polite 19th century term that was often used the same way we use the term “mistress” today
- Doyen: n.pl:the senior member, as in age, rank, or experience, of a group, class, profession,
- Ecdysiast: n: a stripper
- Ecru: adj: very light brown in color, as raw silk, unbleached linen
- Effluvia: v.pl: a slight or invisible exhalation or vapor, esp. one that is disagreeable or noxious.
- Eleemosynary: adj: of or pertaining to alms, charity, or charitable donations; charitable.
- Esurient: adj: hungry; greedy.
- Etesian: adj: Occurring annually. Used of the prevailing northerly summer winds of the Mediterranean
- Etiolate: v.tr: To make weak by stunting the growth or development of.
- Fillip: v: to strike with the nail of a finger snapped from the end of the thumb.
- Furbelow: n: a ruffle or flounce, as on a woman’s skirt or petticoat.
- Galumph: v: to move along heavily and clumsily.
- Gimcrack: n: a showy, useless trifle; gewgaw.
- Gramineous: adj: Of, relating to, or characteristic of grasses.
- Grangerize: v: to augment the illustrative content of (a book) by inserting additional prints, drawings, engravings, etc., not included in the original volume.
- Hispid: adj: rough with stiff hairs, bristles, or minute spines.
- Hypocoristic: n: A name of endearment; a pet name.
- Indurating: v: to make hard; harden, as rock, tissue, etc. or to make callous, stubborn, or unfeeling:
- Jactancy: n: A boasting; a bragging
- Katabasis: n.pl: a retreat, esp. a military retreat.
- Liminal: adj: At the threshold of consciousness.
- Longueur: n.pl: a long and boring passage in a literary work, drama, musical composition, or the like:
- Ludic: adj: playful in an aimless way
- Mathematicaster: n: a minor or incompetent mathematician
- Menticide: n: the systematic effort to undermine and destroy a person’s values and beliefs, as by the use of prolonged interrogation, drugs, torture, etc., and to induce radically different ideas.
- Neuston: n: he aggregate of minute aquatic organisms that inhabit the surface of a body of water.
- Nihilarian: n: One who subscribes to nihilism; Of or pertaining to nihilism
- Nimiety: n.pl: excess; overabundance:
- Newel: n: post supporting the handrail of a staircase
- Nocuous: adj: likely to cause damage or injury; harmful; noxious.
- Oenophilist: n: a person who enjoys wines, usually as a connoisseur.
- Osculation: n: The act of kissing; also: a kiss.
- Palpebral: adj: of or pertaining to the eyelids.
- Pandiculation: n: the act of stretching oneself.
- Pasquinade: n: a satire or lampoon, esp. one posted in a public place.
- Peculate: v: to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one’s care); embezzle.
- Perendinate: v: To procrastinate or put something off for a long period of time
- Pied: adj: Having patches of two or more colors; multicolored.
- Pilgarlic: n: a person regarded with mild or pretended contempt or pity.
- Plangent: adj: resounding loudly, esp. with a plaintive sound, as a bell.
- Porphyrogenite: n: child ‘born’ in the purple. The child of a reigning emperor and empress.
- Prandial: adj: of or pertaining to a meal, esp. dinner.
- Pretermit: v: to let pass without notice; disregard.
- Pulchritude: n: physical beauty; comeliness.
- Quiddity: n.pl: the quality that makes a thing what it is; the essential nature of a thing.
- Quodlibet: n: a subtle or elaborate argument or point of debate, usually on a theological or scholastic subject.
- Redivivus: adj: living again; revived.
- Rictus: n.pl: the gaping or opening of the mouth.
- Sapid: adj: having taste or flavor.
- Saltire: n: an ordinary in the form of a cross with arms running diagonally from the dexter chief to the sinister base and from the sinister chief to the dexter base; St. Andrew’s cross.
- Sedulous: adj: diligent in application or attention; persevering; assiduous.
- Senescent: adj: growing old
- Seriatim: adv: One after another, in a series.
- Shilly-shally: v: to show indecision or hesitation; be irresolute; vacillate.
- Simpatico: adj: congenial or like-minded; likable:
- Sough: v: to make a rushing, rustling, or murmuring sound:
- Steatopygia: n: extreme accumulation of fat on and about the buttocks, esp. of women.
- Stegophilist: n: a person whose pastime is climbing the outside of buildings.
- Susurrus: n: A whispering or rustling sound; a murmur.
- Syzygy:n.pl: an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and either the moon or a planet:
- Tetchy: adj: irritable; touchy.
- Tergiversation: v: to change repeatedly one’s attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; equivocate.
- Tmesis: n: the interpolation of one or more words between the parts of a compound word, as be thou ware for beware.
- Tumescent: adj: exhibiting or affected with many ideas or emotions; teeming.
- Umbriferous: adj: casting or making shade.
- Undulation: n: a wavy form or outline.
- Usufruct: n: The right to use and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another as long as the property is not damaged or altered in any way.
- Uxorious: adj: doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately submissive toward one’s wife.
- Vainglorious: adj: Characterized by or exhibiting excessive vanity; boastful.
- Velleity: n: A slight wish or inclination.
- Virgate: adj: shaped like a rod or wand; long, slender, and straight.
- Wynd: n: a narrow street or alley.
- Xanthous: adj: yellowish
- Yegg: noun: safecracker
- Zugzwang: n: a situation in which a player is limited to moves that cost pieces or have a damaging positional effect.
