cardamon - Aromatic seeds used as a spice or condiment
obloquy - Damning or censure of a person or thing by the general public
tacks - A short, sharp pointed nail, usually with a rounded head
Ignavia - Idleness or sloth
samisen - Japanese musical instrument with a long neck and three strings, played with a plectrum
bandages - A strip of cloth or other material used to bind a wound
wax - A solid, yellowish substance secreted by bees
gavelkind - Equal division of land among the heirs of the holder
tumeric - A powdered plant rhizome used as a yellow dye or condiment, as in curry powder
imbat - A cooling etesian wind in the Levant (as in Cyprus)
cedilla - A mark (¸) placed under a consonant letter, as under c in French, in Portuguese, and formerly in Spanish, to indicate that it is pronounced (s), under c and s in Turkish to indicate that they are pronounced, respectively, (ch) and (sh), or under t and s in Romanian to indicate that they are pronounced, respectively, (ts) and (sh).
Cassation - An annulment, cancellation, or reversal. Also, an 18th Century instrumental musical suite intended for outdoor performance
hendiadys - A figure in which a complex idea is expressed by two words connected by a copulative conjunction: “to look with eyes and envy” instead of “with envious eyes.”
quincunx - An arrangement of five objects, such as trees, in a square with one at each corner and the fifth in the center
vanilla - Extract from an orchid pod, used in flavoring food
Corposant - A corona discharge in the air caused by atmospheric electricity causing a luminous region that sometimes appears around church spires, the masts of ships, etc.
madrepore - any stony coral forming reefs or islands in tropical seas
ophicleide - a musical wind instrument consisting of a conical metal tube bent double
paste - A mixture of flour and water used to bind two objects together
Jequirity - A poisonous scarlet colored pea used for making necklaces and rosaries
tombola - British lotto or bingo played with paper and pencil as a gambling game.
sphagnum - Any soft moss found in bogs, used in floral arrangements and for dressing wounds
distaste - disinclination or dislike
Aceldema - The land near Jerusalem purchased with the bribe Judas took for betraying Jesus
lunistice - The farthest point of the moon's northing and southing, in its monthly revolution
yarlborough - A hand in Bridge or Whist containing no honor cards
cranium - The part of the skull that encloses the brain
Febrifuge - A serving of medicine to dispel or reduce fever
ampersand - A symbol to represent "and"
hubris - Excessive pride or self-confidence
geranium - Common garden flower. Also, a tone of the color red
Opoanax - A semitransparent resin used in incense
thunder - a loud noise produced by the explosive expansion of air heated by a lightning discharge
dismemberment - To remove limbs
baize - A soft green fabric resembling felt, used chiefly for the tops of billiard tables
Hellebore - Any of several plants of the buttercup family, the Christmas rose
obelus - A mark (− or ÷) used in ancient manuscripts to point out spurious, corrupt, doubtful, or superfluous words or passages
cartilage - A firm, elastic, flexible type of connective tissue of a translucent whitish or yellowish color; gristle
maze - A confusing network of intercommunicating paths or passages; labyrinth
Anitgropelos - Waterproof leggings
piacle -A sacrificial offering
occamy - A metallic alloy that simulates the precious metals silver and gold. (Side Note: In the world of Harry Potter, an Occamy is a winged serpentine beast found in Asia whose eggs have shells made of silver. The Occamy can grow or shrink to fill any space. Perhaps J. K. Rowling has a copy of The Nursery Frieze herself.)
whistle - To make a musical sound by expelling air through a small space made by contracting the lips
Maremma - A marshy region near the seashore
accismus - The feigned refusal of something earnestly desired
badigeon - A composition for patching surface defects in carpentry or masonry
epistle - A letter, especially a formal or didactic one
Quodlibet - A subtle or elaborate argument or point of debate, usually on a theological or scholastic subject.
catafalque - A raised structure on which the body of a deceased person lies or is carried in state
hiccup - The condition of having spasms
remorse - A strong feeling of sadness and regret about something wrong that you have done.
Idioticon - A dictionary of dialect
gibus - Another name for an opera hat
botargo - A relish consisting of the roe of mullet or tunny, salted and pressed into rolls
divorce - The formal ending of a marriage by law
Phylactery - Something worn as a talisman or charm
gegenschein - A diffuse faint light, sometimes visible almost directly opposite the sun in the night sky
clavicle - Collarbone
sago - A white substance obtained from the trunks of palm trees used for making sweet puddings.
Bellonion - An early 19th Century mechanical musical instrument consisting of twenty-four trumpets and two kettle drums
thurible - A censer for burning incense
aphthong - A letter or combination of letters used in spelling a word but not pronounced., eg "gh" in "knight"
plumbago - Graphite
Amaranth - An imaginary flower that never fades or dies
rhoncus - A whistling or snoring sound of the chest when the air channels are partly obstructed
pantehnicon - A furniture removal van drawn by horses
hymn - A religious song that Christians sing in church
Diaeresis - A pause in a line of verse occurring when the end of a foot coincides with the end of a word
purlicue - The flourish at the end of a pen stroke
sparadrap - A sticking plaster
whim - A sudden wish to do or have something that seems to have no serious reason or purpose
Cicatrix - A scar
salsify - An edible plant whose root tastes like oysters
palindrome - A word, line, verse, number, or sentence that reads the same backward as forward
Bosphorus - A strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.
Narthex - A porch or portico at the west end of a church reserved for penitents and others not admitted to the church itself
betrayal - To deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty
chalcedony - A translucent variety of quartz, often milky or grayish
phosphorus - a poisonous yellowish-white chemical element that glows slightly, and burns when air touches it
Ligament - A band of tissue serving to connect bones
exequies - A funeral procession
spandrel - The area between two adjoining arches, or between the head of a window on one level and the sill of a window immediately above
chandoo - An extract or preparation of opium that is smoked
Gehenna - Any place of extreme torment or suffering, but specifically the valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem, where propitiatory sacrifices were made to Moloch
etui - A small case, especially for needles
anamorphosis - A drawing presenting a distorted image that appears in natural form under certain conditions, as when viewed at a raking angle or reflected from a curved mirror
glue - A protein gelatin boiled in water, that when melted or diluted is a strong adhesive
Wapentake - A subdivision of a shire or county corresponding to a hundred
orrery - A mechanical apparatus for representing the positions, motions, and phases of the planets, satellites, etc., in the solar system
aspic - A savory jelly usually made with meat or fish stock and gelatin
mistrust - To regard with suspicion or doubt
Ichor - An ethereal fluid flowing in the veins of the gods. ALSO: An acrid, watery discharge, as from an ulcer or wound.
ganosis - A process of toning down the glare of marble as practiced by sculptors in classical antiquity, especially on nude parts of a sculpture
velleity - A mere wish, but without the conviction to act upon it
dust - A cloud of finely powdered earth or other matter in the air.
How many of these words can find their way into daily conversation?
