Nouns 1 of 3
WORD                MEANING   
abatis              defensive obstacle of felled trees with sharpened branches             
abecedarian         one learning the basics of something                                   
abeyance            state of suspended activity                                            
ablation            removal by erosion, melting, cutting, or vaporization                  
abscission          act of cutting off                                                     
accession           an addition to something                                               
acclamation         loud applause or shouts of affirmation                                 
acclivity           an ascending slope                                                     
accretion           collective growth by outside addition                                  
acerbity            bitterness
acme                highest point                                                          
acolyte             one who assists the clergyman in a service                             
acrimony            asperity                                                               
actuary             clerk or registrar                                                     
acumen              mental keenness                                                        
adit                an almost horizontal passage from the surface in a mine                
adjuration          a solemn oath; an earnest urging                                       
adjutant            officer's assistant who handles records and correspondence             
adnexa              conjoined, associated, or subordinate anatomic parts                   
adumbration         a vague foreshadow or description or partial disclosure                
advertency          heedfulness or attention                                               
adytum              innermost sanctuary in ancient temples open only to priests            
adze                a cutting tool used for scraping wood                                  
aegis               shield or emblematic breastplate; protection; sponsorship or auspices  
aerie               birdnest on a cliff; brood of birds of prey; an elevated structure     
aerodyne            an aircraft that derives its lift in flight from its motion
affiance            confidence or trust; to solemnly promise                               
affine              relative by marriage                                                   
afflatus            a divine imparting of knowledge or power                               
affluence           a profuse supply                                                       
affray              a brawl; to startle or frighten                                        
affusion            the act of pouring liquid on (baptism)                                 
afreet              powerful jinni, demon, or giant in Arabic mythology                    
agape               love feast; love                                                       
agenesis            lack of development                                                    
aggiornamento       a modernization or bringing up to date                                 
agglomerate         jumbled mass; gathered into a ball or cluster                          
aggregate           the whole sum or amount or collection                                  
aggro               irritation or expasperation; a public rivalry marked by rancor         
agitprop            political propaganda or its dissemination through the arts             
aglet               any of various ornamental studs, cords, or pins worn on clothing       
agnate              a relative whose kinship is traceable exclusively through males        
agnosia             loss or damage of the ability to recognize familiar objects            
agon                contest or conflict; conflict between characters in a literary work    
agrapha             sayings of Jesus not found in the canonical gospels                    
agraphia            the pathological loss of the ability to write                          
ague                sharp fever marked by fits of chills, shivering, and sweating          
aiguille            a sharp pinnacle of rock
ailurophile         a lover of cats                                                        
ailurophobe         a hater of cats
alacrity            prompt and cheerfully ready                                            
alameda             a public promenade bordered by trees                                   
alate               having wings; insects with winged and nonwinged forms (ants, etc)      
albedo              reflective power                                                       
alburnum            sapwood                                                                
aliment             nutriment or food                                                      
allegory            expression of truth using symbolic figures or gestures                 
alliteration        the repetition of consonant sounds in neighboring words                
alopecia            baldness                                                               
amanuensis          a secretary or one hired to copy prewritten material
ambergris           substance from sperm whales used to make perfume                       
ambivalence         simultaneous attraction and repulsion for someone or something
ambrosia            the legendary food of the Greek and Roman gods                         
ambuscade           an ambush                                                              
amour               a usually illicit love affair                                          
ampul               a small sealed vessel used to hold solutions for hypodermic injection  
anachronism         the error of placing something in the wrong time period                
anadem              a chaplet or garland                                                   
analgesia           an insensibility to pain                                               
analogue            a thing similar to something else, but different in origin or structure
anathema            a curse; a person cursed or loathed                                    
anemia              a lack of vitality                                                     
angst               a feeling of constant anxiety                                          
animalcule          a tiny creature, often invisible to the naked eye                      
animus              deep resentment or hostility                                           
anodyne             a pain-relieving agent                                                 
anomaly             something that deviates from the norm; an irregularity                 
anthropomorphism    interpretation of nonhuman objects or events in terms of human traits  
antimony            a contradiction between two statements that both seem true             
antinomian          one who regularly defies the validity of mores or moral laws           
antipathy           well-established aversion; the object of aversion                      
antipode            persons or places on opposite sides of the globe                       
antithesis          direct opposite; the contrast or opposition of ideas                   
antrum              the cavity in a sinus or hollow organ                                  
aperitif            alcoholic drink served as an appetizer                                 
aphasia             loss of the ability to use or understand speech                        
aphorism            a short figure of speech stating a general truth                       
apiary              a hutch or place where bees are kept                                   
aplomb              composure or complete self-ssurance                                    
apoplexy            loss of consciousness caused by a rupture or blockage of a brain
apostasy            abandonment or renunciation of a former loyalty                        
apothegm            a maxim or aphorism                                                    
apotheosis          a perfect example; deification of a thing                              
appurtenance        a thing that belongs or goes with another thing                        
arboretum           a place where trees are grown for educational or scientific purposes   
archipelago         a sea dotted with islands; group of islands                            
argosy              a large merchant ship or a fleet of ships                              
arpeggio            a chord whose notes are played in succession insteadof simultaneously  
arroyo              a gully or channel carved by water; waterway                           
artery vivacity     the quality of being animated or active                                
artificer           a skilled workman                                                      
artisan             a skilled manual workman                                               
ascendant           a dominant position
asperity            harshness of temper; roughness                                         
aspersion           the act of accusing falsely or making a slanderous remark              
assignation         an appointment for a lover's meeting or the meeting itself             
assonance           repetition of vowel sounds
atavism             appearance in an individual of a remotely ancestral character
atrophy             decrease in size or wasting away of a body, organ, or tissue           
attainder           extinction of a person's civil rights upon sentence of death           
attrition           the act of wearing away; a reduction from retirement or death          
augur               a soothsayer or diviner                                                
aureole             nimbus or halo                                                         
auricle             the external ear or any organ resembling it                            
avarice             excessive desire for wealth                                            
averment            a positive assertion or affirmation                                    
awl                 a pointed instrument used for making holes                             
axiom               a statement accepted as true; a self-evident truth                     
azure               the blue hue of a clear sky                                            
babel               a scene of noisy chaos and confusion; chaotic noise                    
bacchanal           drunken revelry; reveler                                               
badinage            playful exchange of words; banter                                      
bagnio              brothel                                                                
bailiwick           one's special domain                                                   
ballast             heavy material used to steady a ship or control a balloon's ascent     
barrow              a large burial mound of stones and earth                               
bastion             the projecting part of a fortification or stronghold                   
bawd                a prostitute or madam                                                  
behest              an urgent prompting or command                                         
behoof              advantage                                                              
beldame             an old woman                                                           
bellwether          the one who takes the initiative or lead                               
beneficence         the quality of producing good                                          
benevolence         charitable nature; act of kindness                                     
benison             benediction or blessing                                                
bibelot             a small decorative household object or trinket                         
bier                a stand bearing a corpse or coffin                                     
bildungsroman       novel whose subject is the psychological developement of the protagonisttribulation         suffering resulting from oppression or persecution          
bivouac             a temporary encampment or shelter                                      
blain               an inflammatory sore or swelling                                       
blandishment        coaxing or flattering speech; cajolery                                 
blazon              ostentatious display                                                   
bluestocking        a woman with strong scholarly or literary interests                    
blution            the washing of one's body                                              
bolus               rounded mass                                                           
bombast             pretentious and wordy speech and writing                               
bon mot             clever remark                                                          
boon                benefit, blessing                                                      
boor                an insensitive or rude person                                          
bosh                foolish talk                                                           
bower               a shelter of vines or boughs                                           
braggadocio         boaster; empty boasting; arrogant pretension                           
bravura             self-assured, brilliant performance                                    
brogan              heavy, ankle-high work shoe                                            
brogue              regional pronunciation or dialect                                      
buttress            a support                                                              
cabal               a secret organization or group of plotters or political conspirators   
cabala              esoteric beliefs or doctrine                                           
cachet              a feature conferring prestige; a seal used to express gov approval     
cacophony           discordant or harsh sound                                              
cairn               a pile of stones serving as a landmark or memorial                     
caitiff             a despicable coward; a wretch                                          
calumny             malicious and false accusation                                         
camber              a slight arching or convexity                                          
campanile           a freestanding belltower                                               
canaille            riffraff or rabble                                                     
canard              an unconfirmed or false story                                          
cant                a slanting surface; the jargon of a trade; expression of trite opinions
canter              a smooth gait, slower than a gallop but faster than a trot             
capon               a castrated chicken                                                    
caprice             a sudden whim                                                          
carapace            a protective shell or casing                                           
carbuncle           painful inflammation that discharges pus from several openings         
carmine             a strong to vivid red                                                  
casque              a helmet                                                               
cassus belli        action or event that purportedly justifies a war                       
casuistry           adroit but false or misleading argument or reasoning                   
catafalque          ornamental structure often used to hold bodies in a funeral procession 
cataract            large waterfall or a rapids in a river                                 
catechism           a test in the form of questions and answers                            
caul          the fetal membrane that covers an organism at birth                    
causerie            informal chat or short composition                                     
cavalcade           procession of vehicles; dramatic sequence                              
caveat              a warning                                                              
cavitation          formation of vacuums in the water by the movement of a large body      
cenobite            member of a religious group living in a monastic community             
cenotaph            a tomb or monument erected for a person whose body is buried elsewhere 
censer              a vessel for burning incense                                           
censure             the act of blaming harshly; an official reprimand                      
cerumen             earwax                                                                 
chaff               light talk or banter                                                   
chalice             a cup for drinking                                                     
chaparral           dense, impenetrable thicket of underbrush or dwarf trees               
charnel             a chamber or structure where bones or bodies are deposited             
chauvinism          militant devotion to and glorification of one's country                
chevron             one or more v-shaped stripes on a sleeve to indicate rank              
chicanery           deception or trickery                                                  
chilblain           a sore or swelling caused by cold temperatures                         
chimera             a monster made up of incongruous parts; a foolish notion               
chirography         penmanship or handwriting                                              
chiromancy          telling the future by examining the hands                              
chit                a pert young lady; a child                                             
chromo              a colored picture printed from a lithographic surface                  
churl               rude or ill-bred person; rustic                                        
cicerone            a guide who leads sightseers                                           
cincture            a belt or girdle                                                       
cinerarium          the place that receives the ashes after cremation                      
circumlocution      using an unnecessary amount of words to express an idea                
cirque              a deep mountain basin shaped like a bowl                               
claque              a group hired to applaud at a performance or event                     
clavicle            collarbone                                                             
climacteric         period corresponding to menopause in males
coagulum            a clotted mass or substance                                            
coalescence         something fused or grown together                                      
cockalorum          small man with an unduly high self-opinion; braggadocio                
codex               a manuscript book (copied by hand)                                     
coffer              a chest or box usually used to hold valuables                          
cognizance          awareness or comprehension by the mind; attention                      
cognomen            a name or nickname                                                     
colic               a sudden sharp abdominal pain                                          
colleen             an Irish girl                                                          
collier             a coal-miner or a ship that carries coal                               
collusion           secret cooperation for decietful purposes                              
colluvium           rock sediment accumulated at the foot of a slope                       
colophon            an inscription at the end of a book with facts about its production    
colporteur          a peddler of religious books                                           
comeuppance         a deserved penalty                                                     
comity              courtesy or civility                                                   
commination         denunciation                                                           
complacence         satisfaction                                                           
complaisance        disposition to please                                                  
complicity          the state of being an accomplice                                       
compunction         anxiety arising from guilt or remorse                                  
concordat           covenant or aggreement                                                 
concourse           a gathering of people; open space where people meet                    
concrescence        a growing together                                                     
concretion          a hard mass                                                            
concupiscence       ardent lust or sexual desire                                           
confabulation       chat; conference                                                       
conflagration       a large fire                                                           
confluence          a place where streams meet; a crowd or flocking together               
conflux             confluence                                                             
confrere            comrade or colleague                                                   
congeries           collection or aggregation                                              
congruity           correspondence between one or more things                              
consanguinity       blood relationship                                                     
continence          self-restraint from sexual intercourse                                 
contrail            streaks of condensed water vapor left by airplanes at high altitudes   
contretemps         embarrassing and inopportune occurrence                                
contumely           contemptuous treatment or insult                                       
conventicle         a secret meeting for worship                                           
coppice             thicket                                                                
copse               thicket or coppice                                                     
corollary           deduction from a proposition already proved true; result or consequence
cote                small shed or coop for animals                                         
coterie             an intimate group of people with a common interest                     
coulee              small stream; dry stream bed
credence            belief                                                                 
credenza            a buffet, sideboard, or bookcase, especially one without legs          
cruet               a small bottle for vinegar or sauce                                    
cruse               jar for oil or water                                                   
crux                crucial point; a difficult problem                                     
cuesta              a ridge with a steep face on one side and a gentle slope on the other  
cull                something rejected from a group as inferior                            
cupidity            avarice; excessive desire for money                                    
curettage           a surgical scraping or cleaning by means of a loop or ring             
curio               small object valued for its rarety or strangeness                      
cuspidor            spittoon                                                               
cuticle             an outer layer                                                         
cygnet              a young or baby swan                                                   
cynic               one who attributes all actions to selfish motives                      
cynosure            the center of attraction                                               
daemon              one that has unusual drive or effectiveness                            
dais                a raised platform                                                      
dale                a valley                                                               
dander              temper or anger                                                        
dastard             coward; one who commits malicious acts in secret                       
daub                a crude picture                                                        
debacle             failure or disaster                                                    
debenture           a voucher of indebtedness                                              
decedent            a dead person                                                          
declivity           a steep downward slope                                                 
defalcation         embezzlement                                                           
delectation         pleasure or diversion                                                  
delirium tremens    violent mental disturbance caused by excessive use of alcohol
dell                small and isolated valley                                              
deluge              an uncontrollable rush                                                 
demagogue           a person who appeals to the emotions and prejudices of people          
demimonde           class of women supported by wealthy lovers                             
demulcent           a salve used to sooth or protect a mucous membrane                     
dendrology          study of trees                                                         
denizen             an inhabitant                                                          
denouement          outcome of dramatic complications in a work of literature              
dentition           arrangement of teeth                                                   
depilatory          an agent for removing hair                                             
deponent            one who gives evidence                                                 
deportment          bearing or behavior                                                    
depredation         a plundering or laying waste to                                        
desideratum         something desired as essential                                         
dessicant           a drying agent                                                         
desuetude           disuse                                                                 
detritus            fragments from disintegration                                          
dewclaw             reduced or shrivelled digit on an animal that does not reach the ground
dewlap              a hanging fold of skin under the neck                                  
dianthus            person who holds socialistic views                                     
diatribe            a violent or bitter attack in speech or writing                        
dictum              a formal statement of opinion                                          
dilettante          a person with a superficial interest in an art or branch of knowledge
dingus              a thing whose proper name is forgotten or unknown                      
discomfiture        state of frustration or upset                                          
dissemble           To put up a false show.                                                
distaff             a woman's work or domain; the woman's side of the family               
diuretic            able to increase urine flow                                            
dogie               a motherless calf                                                      
dolor               mental anguish or suffering                                            
dominie             a pedagogue or clergyman                                               
dormer              window built upright in an angled or sloping roof                      
dotage              feebleness of mind                                                     
dottle              partially burned cake of tobbacco in the bowl of a pipe                
dowager             a widow receiving property from her deceased husband; elderly lady     
dower               the part of a deceased husband's estate that goes to his wife          
doyen               the senior member of a group                                           
dross               waste matter; scum that forms on the surface of molten metal           
drover              one that drives animals to market
durance             imprisonment                                                           
duress              forcible restriction; compulsion by threat                             
ebb                 a state or point of decline                                            
ebullition          a bubbling up; excited outburst                                        
echelon             step-like arrangement; a level in a heirarchy                          
ecru                beige                                                                  
edification         instruction and improvement                                            
effigy              an image                                                               
efflorescence       period of flowering; process of developing; manifestation              
effluence           outward flow                                                           
effluvium           unpleasant emanation; waste or by-product                              
effrontery          shameless boldness                                                     
effulgence          radiant splendor                                                       
effusion            a gushing forth                                                        
egalitarianism      a belief in human equality                                             
egress              an exit or way out                                                     
eidolon             phantom; insubtantial image or ideal                                   
elision             the omission of an initial/final sound of a word for rhythm purposes   
elixir              substance held capable of prolonging life indefinitely                 
elocution           the art of effective public speaking
elver               a young eel
embouchure          to use and position of the lips to make a sound on a wind instrument   
embrasure           recess of a door or window; spaces through which cannons are fired
emetic              agent that induces vomiting                                            
empyrean            the highest heaven or firmament                                        
encomium            high praise                                                            
enfilade            gunfire directed along the length of the enemy's battle-line           
enmity              ill-will or hatred                                                     
ennui               intense boredom                                                        
enumeration         a list or count                                                        
enuresis            involuntary discharge of urine                                         
environs            suburbs or vicinity                                                    
envoy               a diplomatic agent or messenger                                        
epicure             a person with fastidious tastes                                        
epithet             a characterizing word or phrase                                        
epitome             summary; embodiment
equanimity          composure                                                              
equipage            a horsedrawn carriage                                                  
equipoise           balance                                                                
eremite             a hermit                                                               
erudition           scholarship or learning                                                
euphemism           the substitution of a pleasant expression for an offensive one         
euphony             the effect produced by words combined to please the ear                
excrescence         an outgrowth                                                           
excreta             waste matter separated from an organism                                
excursus            appendix or digression containing further exposition on a topic        
exigency            dire need; requirements                                                
exodus              a mass departure or emigration                                         
exordium            introduction to a composition or discourse                             
expediency          fitness to some end                                                    
expedient           a means used for want of something better                              
factotatum          an employee with varied duties                                         
fait accompli       something accomplished and presumably irreversible                     
farrago             a confused collection                                                  
farrow              a litter of pigs                                                       
fascicle            a small cluster; a division of a book published in parts               
fatuity             stupidity or foolishness                                               
fauna               animal life                                                            
felicity            great happiness; something that causes happiness; an apt expression
fen                 low, swampy land                                                       
fenestration        the arrangement of doors and windows in a building                     
ferment             tumult or agitation                                                    
ferrule             a rod or ruler used to punish children                                 
fettle              a state of order or fitness                                            
fiat                authoritative and often arbitrary decree                               
fillip              a thing which serves to arouse or stimulate                            
filly               a young female horse                                                   
finial              an ornamental projection                                               
fistula             abnormal passage leading from a hollow organ or abscess                
fixity              the state of being stable                                              
flatus              gas formed in the intestine or stomach                                 
flexure             fold, turn, or bend                                                    
floe                a flat mass of floating ice                                           
flout               insult or mockery                                                      
flux                state of continuous change; excessive fluid discharge                  
foible              minor weakness in character                                            
folderol            useless trifle; nonsense                                               
ford                place where a stream or river can be crossed by wading                 
fortitude           strength of mind or spirit that enables one to meet adversity with
fortuity            chance occurrence                                                      
fracas              a brawl                                                                
freshet             overflowing of a stream caused by melting snow or rain                 
frieze              ornamental band extending around something                             
funk                state of paralysis from fear or panic                                  
furbelow            showy trimming; ruffle                                                 
furor               rage; contagious excitement; uproar                                    
fusilade            multiple shots fired simultenously or in rapid succession              
fustian             pretentious speech or writing                                          
gadabout            a person who flits around in social activity                           
gaff                a social blunder                                                       
gage                a token of defiance; security                                          
gait                pattern or manner of moving on foot                                    
galimaufry          jumble or medley                                                       
gall                bile; rancor; impudence                                                
gambit              a calculated move                                                      
gamin               a boy who roams the streets                                            
gamine              a girl of elfin appearance; girl who roams the streets                 
gammer              an old woman                                                           
