The table-using version looks nicer, if it doesn't crash your browser.
Please read this if you want to link to these pages.


A Book of Words

words I didn't know before,
words that are precise or concise beyond more familiar alternatives,
words that seem useless, but are apparently in use,
words with a surprising or appropriate juxtaposition of senses,
words which have been unfairly left out of crossword puzzles,
words that preserve or transform a root sense,
words whose meaning should have been obvious,
words that come in odd groups,
words intriguing in themselves.

(Definitions for each set of words are available from the question-mark link.)


?
argil
gyttja
tephra
malm
gangue
bole
drumlin
stade
edaphon

?
haffet
inion
chine
tragus
gena
buccinator
nares
sural
pollex
hallux
paxwax
minimus
thenar
hypothenar

?
awn
horrent
horripilation
seta
hispid
glochis
aristate
hirtellous
strigose
calvities
crine
buzzwig
pelage
peruke
postiche
penicil
chaetotaxy

?
nervuration
Anopheles
Aedes
ciberian
suctorial
haustellum
punkie
dor
fecula
setireme
aedeagus

?
anguine
anguilliform
grig
sniggle
spitchcock
ort
flummery
duff
duff
duff
prove
burgoo
brawn
fress
shaddock
saloop
salep
soja
prairie oyster

?
auxesis
sorosis
ramet
sensillum
zoon
zoogloea
brei
broo

?
embus
togate
superciliary
deratize
evitable
papable
abdominous
interrex
torrefy
tepefy
monokini
inenarrable
ampliate
resile
squush
grum
glumpy
sthenic
feck
embacle
debacle
opuscule
vegetably
bloodnoun
pickleworm

?
pannus
aniseikonia
syllepsis
anisocoria
zeugma
seiche
hippus
eustacy
anacoluthon

?
Dutch gold
ormolu
tombac
oroide
billon
pinchbeck
Prince Rupert's metal
Mannheim gold
skewing
clinquant
latten

?
panopticon
glabella
quaquaversal
zugzwang
linn
dalles
swallet
infundibuliform
cuniculus
anfractuous
white damp

?
balderdash
mazer
mountain dew
tyg
caudle cup
fuddling cup
puzzle jug
dobbin
perry
jorum
coin glass
grog lifter
verjuice
monteith
coaching glass
sneaky pete
skinking
shilpit
slumgullion
mustache cup
air twist
concinnous

?
anteater

?
ilex
squirting cucumber
animated oat
neep
fimble
forb
scrog
dumb cane
pepo
pelargonium
cauliflorous
eddo
culm
silique
encina
dionaea

?
love arrows
Pehlevi
ratoon
howff
/sub specie aeternitatis/
nymphae
sycee
goliard
liquidambar
propolis

?
incarnadine
fuscous
kermes
cochineal
lateritious
aeneous
bistre
puccoon
fulvous
ponceau
glaucous
orchil
peachblow
cudbear
perse
anil
merle
atroceruleous
fuliginous
animal black
lyard
blae
griseous

?
mixt
gemel
swoose
sucket fork
runcible spoon
opisthograph
liger
cherry-bob
tiglon
ginglymus
twibill
splake
recto/verso
bracteate
gemel bottle
amphigenous

?
biennial
biannual
prolepsis
apophasis
enantiosis
tmesis
battology
enallage
hypallage
dextrocardia
hyperbaton

?
rood
ternion
tierce
tod
pica
heer
ligne
dol
koku
grex
oxgang
carucate
parasang
momme
stere

?
fistnote
jukebox
panel house
mundify
ecthlipsis
sool
towser
skite

?
triad
tetrad
pentad
hexad
hebdomad
ogdoad
ennead
decade
chiliad

?
propadeutic
adumbrate
cinereous
decussate
enchiridion
glacis

?
succinic
nacre
amber
ambergris
paronym
naker
paregmenon
raggle
regle
tatpurusha
strickle
croze
bahuvrihi
howel
fillister
calque

?
mora
vocable
reduct
cheville
plumper
caprifig

?
psellism
battology
ploce
psittacism
pleonasm
gemination
mussitation
floccilation

?
ganosis
druse
Mohorovi\vcić discontinuity
kenning
crizzle
whin
skintle
rimose
frazil
winnow

?
aleuromancy
cleromancy
sortilege
axinomancy

?
paranymph
paradoctor
paradiddle
taradiddle
paralipomena
paralepsis

?
glyptics
curiosa
sphragistics
pyrognostics
ana
thaumatology
koniology
cryptometer
arcanist

?
abraxas
morion
padparadschah
Venus hairstone
prase
balas
schorl
carbonado
ustulate
carbonado
girasol
adularescent
smaragd
pyrope
macle

?
mackle
pi
friar
monk
minikin
brilliant
pearl
agate
nonpareil
emerald
minion
brevier
bourgeois
long primer
paragon

?
cark
adunc
careen
erotesis
cleoid
sugg
klippe
crosier

?
ganymede
brander
pree
historiated
velvet ant
mote spoon
faconne
mirador
scroop

?
sialoid
vadose
recrement
emunctory
chyme
chyle
sump
blunge
mundungus

?
narghile
benne
kalian
til
hubble-bubble
gingili

?
rapt full
strake
vang
kellet
Cape Horn fever
rainbow fashion

?
coquina
lory
tombolo
o-o
Dutch wife
nyctitropic
arenicolous
lagan
benthos
sapropel

?
palisander
deodand
regulus
basilic
pulvinar
praemunire
claque
King's Bounty

?
grains
razzia
angel shot
langrage
brisance
Mohock
apache

?
claver
scaife
scurf
swarf
humble pie
exuviae
numbles
fitcher
purtenance
muscae volitantes
crock
chimaera

?
liturgical east
cantoris
decani
soteriology
cimelia
simony
latria
hyperdulia
dulia
dulocracy

?
sequacious
a^me damne'e
bellwether
wether
lanate
mortling
gare
abb
roo
dinmont
teg
moit
tum
suint
fellmonger
circling disease
needfire

?
piloti
hade
graben
ha-ha
horst
porrect
swale
paludal
alligate

?
palinode
pseudoscope
cassation
tain
librate
equivoque
squeg
diadochokinesia

?
demonomania
go-devil
bottle imp
sarcophile
hoodoo
catface
clapperclaw
hellgrammite
decalcomania
gibbous
palpebrate

?
cullet
parison
marver
punty
prunt
merese
moil
murrhine glass
grozing iron
smalto
smalt
zaffer
frigger
end-of-day glass

?
stithy
mitis
kish
roke
tough cake
tin pest
scoria
waste waste
Wollaston wire

?
apostil
nunatak
Atmos clock
lentic
septentrional
wiredraw
eloign
longueur
bibliotaph

?
wiredrawn
filature
clew
shirr
pebrine
dupion
filar
daedal

?
bagasse
filasse
S-twist / Z-twist
linsey-woolsey
grandrelle
noil
ixtle
poil
thrum

?
ansa
gyrose
sulcus
Grolier
guilloche
oblate/prolate
cissoid/sistroid
running dog
synclastic
wimple
gyrovague

?
isochasm
almucantar
aclinic line
agonic line
thalweg
hachure

?
secern
alethiology
agnoiology
haecceity
quiddity
compossible
antinomy
elenchus
porism
misology
organon
omphaloskepsis

?
palimscope
novia
quant
probang
lazy tongs
jedding ax
burin
snath

?
mithridate
theriac
bezoar
saturnine
mithridatism

?
eyas
coarctate
coadunate
vugg
gurge
giglet
gimmal
nodus
arris
mukade
nuque
nucha

?
bine
triple point
uvala
symphysis
arcuate
cernuous
amadan

?
scabble
menhir
dolmen
sarsen
cromlech
graywether

?
monadnock
growen
levigate
glacial meal
corrade
detrition
einkanter
glacial milk
dreikanter
talus
slickenside
congelifraction
congeliturbation
smeddum

?
gleet
tabes
hyatid
volvulus
lazar
strangury
rheum
mucedinous
favus
chordee
autotomy
amadou
congius
noma
ptosis

?
shu
tup
ala
zax
fug
mog
ich
gam
pam
neb
aby
eme
xat
kas
lea
taw
haw
ley

?
valitudinarian
clavus
prosodemic
festination
ptisan
hyperprosexia
sjambok
caries

?
parget
pargeting
parging
snecked
sneck harling
harl
roughcast
pebble dash
depeter
Gunite

?
greenth
treen
breastsummer
shredding
brandreth
cruck
skive
sypher
planish

?
grume
adust
stylite
culm^1
firefang
karaburan
dornick
cruor
pedesis
ruddle

?
katamorphism
medlar
knar
knaggy
ross
edulcorate
gribble
nitid
doty
chenier
wood
candent
devil-in-the-bush

?
boondoggle
anecdotage
bungaloid
bardolater
indri
slurvian
bumf
abusage
galloping dandruff

?
thylacine
carnassial
flews
carcajou
vibrissa
discerptible
lytta

?
Era of Good Feeling
New Thought
Fletcherism
Bantingism
Year of Confusion
Ido
International Year of the Quiet Sun

?
mawkish
myiasis
maggot
whigmaleerie
nef
trangam
orra
breloque
bibelot
crank
lumber

?
merrythought
abaptiston
marcescent
rutilant
xyster
kibble
rongeur
kerf
cicatrix
furcula

?
sklent
glime
gliff
gleg
gley
glunch
glim
glisk
gleed
gloze

?
naked smut
hardcore
sarcastic fringehead
tribble
segregator
mechanical twin
sewer pill
pallet knife
kitchen police
time immemorial

?
eyebeam
thrice
lily iron
seel
wastrel
serein

?
armillary
leman
azoth
virga
alkahest
reseau
embrangle
complect
rete
parataxis
hololith

?
maccaboy
bedeguar
tortile
remontant
rose engine
peloria
pleiomery
verticil
chandelle
verticillaster
umbel
umbellule
girandole
tourbillion
karrusel
stackfreed
tortillon
vrille

?
ichnite
baetyl
adret
speos
grisaille
sweven
rogue's yarn
grimalkin
discalced
hirundine
tenor/vehicle
perpend
Muse
irrorate

?
acouasm
anoesis
eisegesis
surd
ouphe
heteroptics
systemoid
ghost word
Ginnungagap
dauerschlaf

?
rote
aiguille
cochlea
samara
offing
airlight
volplane
plangent
ylem
bourdon

?
jow
Jehu
foudroyant
grandsire
fanfaron
contravallation
immure
fulgurite
pluton
camouflet
tailor

?
peri
hebetate
abulia
cacoe"thes
nona
velleity
sciamachy
ullage
tare
agio
tret

?
moschate
vigia
barghest
hagseed
bandog
deray

?
taphephobia
felo-dese
bioscopy
fossor
cerecloth
gisant
redivivus
resurrection man
flapdragon
nim
crambo
bagatelle

?
overlive
burke
torso murder
fustigate
immane
noyade

?
clapotis
reflet
schlieren
wry
laurence
retrodirective
pointel
delitescent
perdu

?
gloriole
halo of 22 degrees
sundog
Arc of Lowitz
antitwilight arch
parhelic circle
anthelion
zodiacal light
false dawn
noctilucent cloud
Hevelian halo
dark segment
paraselene
fogbow
anticorona
gegenschein
heiligenschein

?
alpenglow
iceblink
snowblink
launlaufer
skijoring
sitzmark
ne've'
firn
nisus
nival
streek
lawine
rax