Dictionary — A

A personal lexicon of unusual, archaic, scientific, and otherwise interesting words encountered in reading. Browse other letters from the Dictionary catalog.

Word	Definition
a fortiori	adv. for a still stronger reason; all the more. Used of a conclusion that is logically more certain than another
a posteriori	relating to or derived by reasoning from observed facts.
a priori	characterized by or derived by reasoning from self-evident propositions; independent of experience.
abattoir	slaughterhouse
abecedarian	one who is just learning; a beginner; being arranged alphabetically; elementary or rudimentary
abhor	tr.v. to regard with horror or loathing; to reject vehemently; shun
abhorrence	n. one that is disgusting, loathsome, or repellent; a feeling of repugnance or loathing
abhorrent	adj. disgusting, loathsome or repellent; feeling repugnance or loathing
abide	tr.v. tolerate; to wait patiently for; await; withstand; intr.v. to remain in place; endure; to dwell or sojourn
abjure	to renounce under oath; forswear; to recant solemnly; repudiate; to give up (action or practice); abstain from
abscission	the act of cutting off, shedding of leaves, flowers or fruits
abstemious	sparing in use of food and drink; temperate.
acciaccatura	a short grace note one half step below a principal note, sounded immediately before or at the same time as the principal note to add sustained dissonance.
accidie
acclimate	to accustom to new climate or situation.
acclivity	upward slope
acerbic	sour or bitter, as in taste, character or tone
acme	the highest point, as of perfection
acolyte	a devote follower, attendant
acorn	fruit of an oak
acquiesce	to consent or comply passively or without protest.
acrimonious	bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous.
acrimony	harness or biting sharpness of language or feeling.
acrity	cheerful willingness, eagerness; speed or quickness; celerity
acrostic	a series of lines in which certain letters, usually the first in each line, form a name, motto, or message when read in sequence.
ad hoc	concerned with or formed for a particular purpose.
ad hominem	appealing to personal considerations rather than to logic or reason
ad libitum	at the discretion of the performer
adagio	(Music) (movement) in slow time.
addle	to muddle, confuse; to become confused; to become rotten, spoil
adiabatic	of, relating to, or denoting a reversible thermodynamic process executed at constant entropy and occurring without gain or loss of heat
adjudicate	to study and settle dispute or controversy
ado	bustle; fuss; trouble; bother
adventitious	not inherent but added extrinsically.
adz	an ax-like tool with a curved blade at right angles to the handle, used for dressing wood
aesthesia	the ability to feel or perceive
aesthete	one who cultivates an unusually high sensitivity to beauty; one whose pursuit and admiration of beauty is regarded as excessive or affected
aeviternal
aeviternity
affable	approachable; gentle and gracious
affidavit	a written declaration made under oath before a notary public or other authorized officer
affine	transformation, expansion, contraction of coordinates with respect to fixed origin and coordinate system
afflatus	a divine inspiration.
agnostic	one who believes there can be no proof of the existence of God but who does not deny the possibility that he exists.
airhead	a silly, rather unintelligent person
akine	the highest point.
alack	used to express sorrow, regret or alarm
alacrity	briskness.
alcove	a recess or partly enclosed extension connected to or forming part of a room; a secluded structure; bower
aleatoric	using or consisting of sounds to be chosen by the performer or left to chance; indeterminate.
alembic	apparatus consisting of two vessels connected by a tube used for distilling liquids.
allegretto	in moderately quick tempo, usually considered to be slightly slower than allegro but faster than andante.
allegro	(Music) (movement) in brisk time.
allopathy	disease treatment by adding or removing something in order to restore equilibrium to body’s system
allusion	indirect reference
allusive	containing or characterized by indirect references
aloha	greeting or farewell
alter ego	another side on oneself.
altercation	a vehement quarrel
ambisexual	adj. sexually attracted to either sex indiscriminately; suited to either sex; n.
amicable	friendly, peaceable
amiss	adv. wrongly; astray; imperfectly; adj. wrong; out of place.
amity	friendship
amniote
anadromous	migrating up rivers from the sea to breed in fresh water
anagram	a word or phrase formed by reordering the letters of another word or phrase
anathema	n. ban, curse; one that is greatly reviled, loathed or shunned
anathematize	tr.v. to curse
andante	in a moderately slow tempo, usually considered to be slower than allegretto but faster than adagio.
angst	a feeling of anxiety
anode	the positive electrode of a battery, cell or electron tube; the electrode at which electrons leave the system to an external circuit.
anomie	social instability caused by steady erosion of standards and values.
anon	at another time, later; in a short time, soon
antaean
ante	n. price to be paid esp. as one’s share; cost; tr.v. to pay; intr.v. to pay up.
anthropomorphism	humanization.
antinomy	contradiction between two seemingly true statements
Antioch	ancient town of Turkey. It was a center of Hellenistic influence and was visited by St. Paul in biblical times.
antiphon	a devotional composition sung responsively as part of a liturgy; a response, a reply
antiphonal	performed by two alternating groups.
antipode	diametrically opposite
antithesis	direct contrast; opposition; the direct or exact opposite
antithetical	being in diametrical opposition
aphorism	a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage; a brief statement of a principle
apocryphal	of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious
apogee	point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the farthest or highest point; the apex
apotheosis	exaltation to divine rank or stature; deification; an exalted or glorified example
apperception	conscious perception with full awareness.
apposite	appropriate, relevant
approbation	approval.
appurtenance	something added to another, more important thing; an appendage
appurtenances	something that belongs to or goes with another thing; accessory, adjunct, appendage, appendix.
appurtenances	equipment, such as clothing, tools, or instruments, used for a specific purpose or task; gear
apropos	timely and opportune; with regard to
aquifer	an underground bed or layer of earth, gravel or porous stone that yields water
arbor	a shady resting place in a garden or park, often made of rustic work or latticework on which plants, such as climbing shrubs or vines are grown.
arcane	known or understood by only a few
arcanum (pl. arcana)	a deep secret, a mystery; specialized knowledge or detail that is mysterious to the average person; a secret essence or remedy
archetype	prototype; an ideal example of a type; quintessence.
archi-	chief; highest; most important; earlier; primitive.
arctic tern	a tern noted for its long migrations.
argot	a specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular group
argufy	tr.v. to dispute (a point); intr. to argue aimlessly; wrangle
aria	long accompanied song for one voice in opera, oratorio, etc.
arpeggio	a chord whose notes are performed in succession and not simultaneously.
arras	a wall hanging; a tapestry; a curtain; metaphor or hyperbole; a figure of speech
arrogate	to take or claim for oneself without right; appropriate; to ascribe on behalf of another in an unwarranted manner
artichoke	a thistlelike composite plant having pinnately divided leaves and large discoid head of bluish flowers
ascomycete	(botany) fungus with sexually produced spores within an ascus
ascribe	to attribute to a specified cause, source, or origin; to assign as a quality or characteristic
ascus	(botany) a membranous, often club-shaped structure with typically 8 ascospores
askance	with disapproval, suspicion or distrust; with a sideways glance, obliquely
asp	small poisonous snake.
aspen	tree having leaves attached by flattened leafstalks so that they flutter readily in the wind.
asperity	roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climate; severity; rigor; harshness of manner; ill temper or irritability
assiduous	constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing, persistent
asteroid	small celestial bodies orbiting sun with diameters between a few and several hundred kilometers.
atavism	n. the return of a trait or recurrence of previous behavior after a period of absence
atheist	one that disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods.
attested	to affirm to be true, correct or genuine
au	author
au pair	a young foreigner who does domestic work for a family in exchange for room and board and a chance to learn the family’s language
audacious	daring, bold; insolent, impudent.
augmentation	the repetition of a theme in notes of usually double time value.
augury	divination; an omen
aureole	halo, nimbus.
auspicious	favorable, fortunate, prosperous.
austere	stern, severe, strict; abstemious; unadorned.
autobahn	expressway (German)
auto-da-fé	the burning of the heretic at the stake
avant-garde	n. a group active in the invention and application of new techniques in a given field, especially in the arts. Adj.
avarice	n. immoderate desire for wealth; cupidity
avaricious	adj. greedy
aver	to affirm positively; declare
aviatrix	a woman pilot
avocation	minor occupation; calling.
avoirdupois	weight or heaviness, esp. of a person
awry	askew, out of the right course; amiss.
axolotl	salamanders of Mexico and southern US that unlike most amphibians, often retain their external gills and become sexually mature without undergoing metamorphosis
aye-aye	nocturnal lemur of Madagascar