# Culture & History

**Type:** Topic
**Words:** 189

## About

Traditions, heritage, history, civilization, and collective memory.

## Words by Level

### A1
- history — The study of past events, especially in human affairs.; frequency rank 790
- culture — The customs, beliefs, art, and way of life of a particular group or society.; frequency rank 2676

### A2
- ancient — Belonging to a time very long ago in history.; frequency rank 1718
- modern — Relating to the present time or recent times; not old.; frequency rank 2171
- museum — A building where important objects of art, history, or science are kept and shown to the public.; frequency rank 2836
- tradition — A custom or belief passed down from one generation to the next.; frequency rank 3293
- custom — A traditional way of behaving or doing something that is common to a group or society.; frequency rank 6337

### B1
- emperor — The ruler of an empire; frequency rank 2475
- empire — A large group of countries or territories ruled by one government or person; frequency rank 2531
- Roman — relating to Rome, especially ancient Rome, its empire, people, or culture; frequency rank 2800
- ceremony — A formal event held to mark an important occasion.; frequency rank 2929
- civilization — A society that has reached an advanced stage of culture, organization, and development.; frequency rank 5365
- cultural — Relating to the customs, beliefs, and way of life of a particular group or society.; frequency rank 6019
- classical — Relating to traditional, serious music written by composers such as Mozart and Beethoven.; frequency rank 6243
- historical — Connected with the past or with the study of history.; frequency rank 6505

### B2
- earl — a British or Irish nobleman ranking below a marquess and above a viscount, equivalent in rank to a count; frequency rank 3351
- thanksgiving — the expression of gratitude, especially in a prayer or religious observance; frequency rank 4371
- khan — a title borne by rulers or high-ranking leaders among Turkic, Mongol, and other Central Asian peoples; frequency rank 4396
- medieval — Relating to the Middle Ages, roughly from 500 to 1500 AD.; frequency rank 8351
- heritage — The traditions, values, and culture that a country or family has had for many years and passes on to younger generations.; frequency rank 8420
- rite — A formal ceremony, especially a religious one, done in a set way.; frequency rank 13110
- ethnic — Relating to a group of people who share the same race, culture, language, or national background.; frequency rank 13422
- ogre — in folklore, a large and frightening humanoid monster that eats human beings, especially children; frequency rank 14415
- taboo — a social or cultural prohibition against discussing, using, or doing something; frequency rank 16744
- knighthood — the rank, title, or dignity of a knight, especially an honor conferred by a British monarch; frequency rank 30117
- Olympiad — A major competition modelled on the Olympic Games, often held every four years in a particular field such as maths or science.; frequency rank 48559
- patrician — a member of the hereditary upper class in ancient Rome; frequency rank 55372

### C1
- griffin — a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle; frequency rank 6275
- squire — historically, a young nobleman who attended a knight before becoming a knight himself; frequency rank 11189
- chamberlain — an officer who manages the household of a monarch or noble, often with important ceremonial or administrative duties; frequency rank 11533
- archive — A collection of historical documents or records, or the place where they are kept.; frequency rank 13020
- gladiator — in ancient Rome, a trained fighter who took part in public arena combats against other people or animals; frequency rank 16353
- gothic — of a European architectural style marked by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and high, elaborate structures; frequency rank 18205
- cremate — to burn a dead body to ashes, usually as a funeral practice; frequency rank 27405
- centaur — in Greek mythology, a creature with a horse's body and a human head, arms, and torso; frequency rank 32741
- regalia — ceremonial emblems, ornaments, or objects that indicate royalty, office, or membership; frequency rank 36453
- commemoration — the act of formally remembering and honoring a person or event, often through a ceremony; frequency rank 41835
- triumphal — relating to, commemorating, or performed in celebration of a victory; frequency rank 45209
- hookah — a pipe in which smoke is drawn through water and then inhaled through a long flexible tube; frequency rank 45313
- tepee — a portable conical dwelling traditionally made from poles and animal hides or canvas by Indigenous peoples of the North American Plains; frequency rank 49401
- hobgoblin — a small, grotesque supernatural creature in folklore, often mischievous or frightening; frequency rank 55574
- knightly — relating to knights, knighthood, or medieval chivalry; frequency rank 59020
- embalm — to preserve a dead body by treating it with chemicals, oils, or spices; frequency rank 67905
- feudalism — the set of medieval social and political arrangements based on landholding and reciprocal obligations between lords and vassals; frequency rank 71492
- mummify — to preserve a dead body by drying, embalming, and wrapping it as a mummy; frequency rank 92243
- beefeater — a person who eats beef, especially one characterized as eating a great deal of it; frequency rank 106993
- totem pole — a tall carved and often painted wooden pole made by Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast of North America to represent family lineage, crests, histories, or important events

### C2
- donna — an Italian title meaning lady, especially one applied to a woman of rank; frequency rank 2895
- dexter — heraldry: on or toward the bearer's right side of a shield, which appears on the viewer's left; frequency rank 6889
- signora — an Italian title of respect or form of address for a woman, equivalent to Mrs. or madam; frequency rank 12199
- Hun — a member of a nomadic confederation that entered Europe in late antiquity and reached its greatest power under Attila in the fifth century; frequency rank 15183
- eunuch — a man who has been castrated; frequency rank 15843
- leprechaun — a small solitary supernatural being in Irish folklore, traditionally portrayed as a shoemaker who guards hidden treasure; frequency rank 17147
- tribune — in ancient Rome, an elected official charged with protecting the interests and rights of the plebeians; frequency rank 17968
- Celtic — of or relating to the Celts or their cultures and traditions; frequency rank 18109
- totem — a natural being or object that serves as the emblem of a kinship group and may have a special spiritual relationship with it; frequency rank 19414
- courtesan — historical: a woman who had wealthy or powerful lovers or clients, often in exchange for financial support and with access to elite society; frequency rank 20817
- sarcophagus — a stone coffin, often carved or decorated and displayed above ground; frequency rank 21530
- crematorium — a building or facility where dead bodies are cremated; frequency rank 23276
- chevalier — a knight or chivalrous, courtly gentleman, especially in a historical or literary context; frequency rank 24226
- archduke — a prince of the former ruling house of Austria, especially a son or male-line grandson of an emperor; frequency rank 28006
- creole — a natural language that developed in a contact community from elements of two or more languages and became a community's first language; frequency rank 28228
- vassal — a person holding a fief; frequency rank 28892
- chevron — a V-shaped or inverted-V-shaped mark, pattern, or structure; frequency rank 29336
- obelisk — a tall, four-sided stone pillar that tapers to a pyramidal point, often erected as a monument; frequency rank 29800
- epitaph — an inscription on a grave or monument commemorating the person buried there; frequency rank 32148
- boer — historical: a Dutch-speaking settler or farmer in southern Africa, especially an ancestor of the Afrikaner population; frequency rank 34078
- tomahawk — a light axe or hatchet associated historically with Indigenous peoples of North America and later made in many specialized forms; frequency rank 34511
- curtsy — a formal gesture of greeting or respect made by bending the knees and lowering the body; frequency rank 37216
- Neolithic — the final major phase of the Stone Age, associated in many regions with farming, permanent settlements, and polished stone tools; frequency rank 38168
- fief — historical: land, revenue, or another right held from a feudal superior in return for allegiance and service; frequency rank 41399
- satyr — a male woodland spirit in ancient Greek mythology, associated with Dionysus and represented with both human and animal features; frequency rank 42065
- fairyland — the imaginary or legendary realm inhabited by fairies; frequency rank 42960
- courtier — a person who attends or serves a monarch at a royal court; frequency rank 44263
- agora — the central public meeting place and marketplace of an ancient Greek city; frequency rank 45398
- surrealism — An early 20th-century art and literary movement that used dreamlike, fantastic images to express the unconscious mind.; frequency rank 45637
- boyar — a member of the high hereditary aristocracy of medieval and early modern Russia or another Eastern European state; frequency rank 46348
- marchese — an Italian nobleman of the rank equivalent to a marquis or marquess; frequency rank 46985
- castellan — the governor, keeper, or resident commander of a castle or fortified place; frequency rank 48268
- pageantry — elaborate, colorful ceremony and display, especially on a public or royal occasion; frequency rank 48842
- prehistory — the period before written records exist for a society or region; frequency rank 49833
- flapper — a fashionable young woman of the 1920s who rejected older social conventions in her dress and behavior; frequency rank 52434
- basilisk — a mythical serpent or dragon said to kill by its breath or gaze; frequency rank 52551
- spittoon — A receptacle for spit (saliva); especially, one used by people using chewing tobacco or snuff.; frequency rank 52595
- megalithic — relating to megaliths, the prehistoric people who erected them, or the period in which such large-stone monuments were built; frequency rank 52778
- bushman — dated, often capitalized: a member of one of the San peoples of southern Africa; San or a specific community name is generally preferred; frequency rank 54055
- modernism — A movement in art, architecture, and literature in the early 20th century that broke deliberately with older styles.; frequency rank 55378
- lich — archaic: a corpse or dead body, surviving especially in compounds such as lich-gate or lych-gate; frequency rank 55509
- proconsul — in ancient Rome, a former consul or other magistrate given consular authority to govern a province or command an army; frequency rank 55726
- marchesa — an Italian marchioness; a woman who holds or is married to the holder of the rank of marquis; frequency rank 57010
- praetor — an annually elected magistrate of the Roman Republic, especially one responsible for administering justice; frequency rank 57160
- flambeau — A burning torch, especially one carried in procession.; frequency rank 57179
- praetorian — of or relating to the Praetorian Guard, the imperial bodyguard of ancient Rome; frequency rank 61644
- waddy — an Australian Aboriginal hardwood club used traditionally for hunting or fighting; frequency rank 64413
- serfdom — the condition of being a serf, bound to work on a lord's land and subject to the lord's authority; frequency rank 64715
- paleolithic — relating to the Old Stone Age, the earliest and longest period of human prehistory; frequency rank 64849
- seigneur — historical: a feudal lord or nobleman in France or another French-speaking territory; frequency rank 67919
- catacomb — an underground network of passages and chambers with recesses for burying the dead; frequency rank 68263
- anachronism — a person, object, or detail placed in the wrong historical period; frequency rank 68386
- cortege — a formal or ceremonial procession, especially at a funeral, wedding, or royal occasion; frequency rank 69193
- snuffbox — a small, often ornamental box used for carrying powdered tobacco taken through the nose; frequency rank 76261
- Hottentot — a dated and derogatory colonial name for a Khoikhoi or Khoekhoe person of southern Africa; frequency rank 78805
- fijian — a person from Fiji or of Fijian descent; frequency rank 79337
- heraldry — the system, art, and study of coats of arms, including their design, description, inheritance, and regulation; frequency rank 84405
- cupbearer — historical: a trusted court official who poured and served wine or another drink to a ruler; frequency rank 84790
- charnel — a place or repository where dead bodies or human bones are kept; a charnel house; frequency rank 84840
- Jacobin — a member or supporter of the radical Jacobin Club during the French Revolution, or by extension a radical political reformer; frequency rank 86617
- cenotaph — a monument honoring a dead person or group whose remains are buried elsewhere or cannot be recovered; frequency rank 98860
- stripling — a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity; frequency rank 100635
- heraldic — relating to heraldry, heralds, coats of arms, or their symbols and rules; frequency rank 103115
- escutcheon — a shield-shaped surface on which a coat of arms is displayed, or the arms themselves; frequency rank 104085
- Guarani — a member of any of several Indigenous Guarani peoples of South America; frequency rank 105460
- cestus — an ancient Greek or Roman fighting glove made of leather strips and sometimes weighted with metal; frequency rank 105643
- anglophile — a person who strongly admires England or British culture and customs; frequency rank 123091
- blazon — to display, describe, or proclaim something conspicuously or publicly; frequency rank 124465
- suttee — the historical practice among some Hindu communities in South Asia in which a widow died, or was killed, on her husband's funeral pyre, sometimes under coercion; frequency rank 127450
- seraglio — the secluded living quarters reserved for wives and concubines in a Muslim household; a harem; frequency rank 131847
- catafalque — a raised, often decorated platform or framework on which a coffin rests during a funeral or lying in state; frequency rank 137513
- sixpenny — historical British: costing or worth sixpence; by extension, cheap or slight; frequency rank 144333
- mummery — a ridiculous, showy, or insincere ceremony or performance; frequency rank 145606
- doyen — a man who is the senior member of a group; frequency rank 156060
- citizeness — a woman who is a citizen; now rare except in historical contexts; frequency rank 158879
- nabob — dated, often disparaging: a very wealthy, powerful, or self-important person; frequency rank 159526
- saltire — heraldry: an X-shaped charge formed by a diagonal cross extending across a shield or flag; frequency rank 169021
- tumulus — a mound of earth or stones raised over a grave, especially a prehistoric burial mound; frequency rank 175726
- dayak — a member of any of numerous Indigenous peoples of Borneo collectively known as the Dayak; frequency rank 177435
- handsel — a gift or token given at the beginning of a new year, enterprise, or situation as a sign of good luck; frequency rank 202306
- festal — relating to a feast or festival, or having a joyful ceremonial character; frequency rank 206056
- orientalist — historical or academic: a scholar of languages, literatures, histories, or cultures once grouped in Western scholarship as the Orient; frequency rank 206294
- dolmen — a prehistoric megalithic tomb formed from a large horizontal capstone supported by two or more upright stones, often originally covered by a mound; frequency rank 210449
- annal — a record of an event or of the events of one year in a historical chronicle, now most often used in the plural annals; frequency rank 225949
- gules — heraldry: the color red, conventionally shown by vertical hatching in monochrome engraving; frequency rank 238495
- charnel house — historical: a building, chamber, or vault in which human bodies or bones are deposited; frequency rank 265885
- couchant — heraldry: lying down with the body resting on the legs and the head raised; frequency rank 271761
- Seicento — the seventeenth century in Italian history and culture, especially in art, music, and literature; frequency rank 274034
- Guanche — a member of the Indigenous people who inhabited Tenerife before the Castilian conquest, or, in broader historical use, a pre-Hispanic inhabitant of the Canary Islands; frequency rank 278428
- Guana — a member of the Guana or Guana-speaking Indigenous peoples of the Gran Chaco and neighboring parts of South America; frequency rank 295059
- sepulture — the act or ceremony of burying a dead person; frequency rank 296051
- armorial — relating to, bearing, or displaying heraldic arms; frequency rank 301101
- vassalage — historical: the condition, obligations, or tenure of a vassal under a feudal lord; frequency rank 302718
- historicity — the quality of being historically real or authentic rather than legendary or invented; frequency rank 326814
- fardel — archaic or literary: a bundle carried as a load; figuratively, a burden; frequency rank 363301
- tumbril — historical: a cart used to carry condemned prisoners to execution, especially to the guillotine during the French Revolution; frequency rank 383259
- charivari — historical: a noisy mock serenade made with pots, pans, and other instruments, traditionally directed at newlyweds or a disapproved couple; frequency rank 385041
- medievalism — admiration for, imitation of, or devotion to the ideas, institutions, art, or social forms of the Middle Ages; frequency rank 386332
- corroboree — an Aboriginal Australian ceremonial gathering that may include dance, song, music, storytelling, or ritual, with its precise form varying among communities; frequency rank 392487
- unhistorical — not based on, supported by, or consistent with historical evidence or fact; frequency rank 664219
- fuegian — relating to Tierra del Fuego, the archipelago at the southern end of South America; frequency rank 1087737
- seignior — historical: a feudal or manorial lord, especially in France or French colonial territories; frequency rank 1298411
- thaumaturge — one who practices magic or sorcery; frequency rank 1422694
- villanage — Alternative form of villeinage.
- sanjak — historical: an administrative district of the Ottoman Empire, usually a subdivision of an eyalet or vilayet
- heptarchy — historical: the traditional collective name for the seven principal Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of early medieval England
- stadtholdership — historical: the office, rank, or period in office of a stadtholder in the Netherlands
- philhellenic — admiring or supporting Greece, the Greeks, or Greek culture
- roturier — historical: a commoner, especially a person who belonged to neither the nobility nor the clergy in pre-Revolutionary France
- engrailed — heraldry: edged with a series of small inward-curving semicircles whose points face outward

### C2+
- Anglo-Saxon — a member of the Germanic-speaking peoples who settled in England from the fifth century and whose kingdoms preceded Norman rule; frequency rank 25234
- souteneur — A man who protects, and commonly compels, a prostitute of any gender and lives off the earnings; a pimp. Originally a Parisian term, but since adopted into other languages such as English; frequency rank 315833
- nombril — heraldry: the point midway between the center and the bottom of an escutcheon; frequency rank 446366
- lapidation — the act of pelting with stones; frequency rank 465428
- acculturation — adoption of the cultural traits of another group
- patronage — support or custom given by a patron, or the power to grant appointments
- pogrom — an organized massacre, especially of an ethnic group
- babylonian — of ancient Babylon or its people, language, or culture
- classicism — adherence to the principles of ancient Greek and Roman art and culture
- conventionalism — adherence to convention or established custom
- decadence — moral or cultural decline marked by self-indulgence
- donjon — the great central tower or keep of a medieval castle
- ethnical — of or relating to ethnic groups or races; ethnic
- habitually — as a regular practice or custom
- hellenic — relating to ancient or modern Greece, its people, or culture
- imperially — in a manner befitting an emperor or empire; majestically
- nontraditional — not following tradition or convention
- tithing — the practice of paying a tithe; a historical group of ten households
- traditionalism — adherence to tradition, especially in opposition to change
- unconventionally — in a way that departs from accepted custom or practice
- through-stone — a flat horizontal tombstone or grave slab, especially in Scottish and northern English usage
- death-sark — a shirt or garment put on a dead body for burial; a shroud
- syssitia — historical communal meals or dining groups for male citizens and youths in ancient Greece, especially in Sparta and Crete
- logographer — an early ancient Greek prose writer who recorded genealogies, legends, local histories, or accounts of peoples and places
- wassailer — a person who carouses or drinks and celebrates noisily
- invected — heraldry: edged with a series of convex semicircles or arcs whose points face inward
- velarium — historical: a large retractable fabric awning spread over a Roman amphitheatre or theatre to shade spectators
- emancipist — historical Australian English: a transported convict who had completed the sentence or received a pardon
- polygenist — historical: an advocate of polygenism, the now-discredited doctrine that human populations or supposed races had separate origins and could constitute different species
- monogenist — historical: an advocate of monogenism, the view that all human populations share a single origin and belong to one species
- necropole — a cemetery, especially a large or ancient burial ground; a rare form of ‘necropolis’
- ephebus — a young man of ancient Greece, especially one undergoing civic or military training