Register & Style

melancholia C2

/ˌmɛlənˈkoʊliə/ historical psychiatry: a condition of profound depression, often with fear, guilt, slowed thought, or withdrawal Meaning Off Sound Off

halcyon C2

/ˈhælʃən/ Pertaining to the halcyon or kingfisher. Meaning Off Sound Off

laundress C2

/ˈlɔːndrəs/ a woman employed to wash and iron clothes; now dated Meaning Off Sound Off

waif C2

/weɪf/ especially historical: a homeless, abandoned, or neglected person, especially a child Meaning Off Sound Off

jingo C2

/ˈdʒɪŋɡoʊ/ dated: used as a mild oath, usually in the phrase by jingo Meaning Off Sound Off

triumvirate C2

/traɪˈʌmvɝət/ a group of three people who share authority or responsibility Meaning Off Sound Off

thereto C2

/ˌðɛɚˈtuː/ to that or to it, chiefly in formal, legal, or literary language Meaning Off Sound Off

masher C2

/ˈmæʃər/ a utensil or machine used to crush food or another material into a soft mass Meaning Off Sound Off

abdication C2

/ˌæbdəˈkeɪʃən/ the formal act of giving up a throne or other position of sovereign power Meaning Off Sound Off

patten C2

/ˈpætən/ historical: a wooden clog or raised overshoe worn to keep an ordinary shoe above wet or muddy ground Meaning Off Sound Off

assignation C2

/ˌæsɪɡˈneɪʃən/ often dated: a secret appointment to meet, especially between lovers Meaning Off Sound Off

esprit C2

/eˈspriː/ lively intelligence, wit, or vivacious cleverness Meaning Off Sound Off

cussed C2

/ˈkʌsɪd/ chiefly US, informal or dialectal: annoying, ill-tempered, or stubbornly difficult Meaning Off Sound Off

coquette C2

/koʊˈkɛt/ dated: a woman who deliberately flirts without intending a serious relationship Meaning Off Sound Off

nubile C2

/ˈnuː.baɪl/ dated, chiefly of a young woman: considered old enough or eligible to marry Meaning Off Sound Off

talc C2

/tælk/ an extremely soft hydrous magnesium silicate mineral with a greasy or soapy feel, used in ceramics, paint, paper, plastics, and powders Meaning Off Sound Off

crevasse C2

/kɹəˈvæs/ a deep crack or fissure in a glacier, ice sheet, or snowfield Meaning Off Sound Off

abolitionist C2

/ˌæbəˈlɪʃənɪst/ historical: a person who campaigned to end slavery, especially in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Atlantic world Meaning Off Sound Off

lunkhead C2

/ˈlʌnk.hɛd/ informal and insulting: a stupid, clumsy, or slow-witted person Meaning Off Sound Off

pectoral C2

/ˈpektɔːrəl/ of or relating to the chest, breast, or corresponding front region of an animal's body Meaning Off Sound Off

pewter C2

/ˈpjuːtər/ a grey, workable alloy consisting chiefly of tin mixed with small amounts of other metals Meaning Off Sound Off

finny C2

/ˈfɪn.i/ having fins or resembling a fin Meaning Off Sound Off

rigmarole C2

/ˈrɪɡməˌroʊl/ a long, complicated, and often unnecessary procedure Meaning Off Sound Off

Bolshevism C2

/ˈbɑlʃəˌvɪzəm/ historical and political: the revolutionary Marxist doctrine and strategy of the Bolshevik faction led by Lenin Meaning Off Sound Off

bushman C2

/ˈbʊʃmən/ dated, often capitalized: a member of one of the San peoples of southern Africa; San or a specific community name is generally preferred Meaning Off Sound Off

polecat C2

/ˈpoʊlˌkæt/ a dark-brown Eurasian mustelid that releases a strong-smelling secretion when threatened Meaning Off Sound Off

swipes C2

/swaɪps/ dated British slang: weak, watery, or inferior beer Meaning Off Sound Off

perspire C2

/pɚˈspaɪr/ to produce sweat through the pores of the skin; a formal word for sweat Meaning Off Sound Off

kilowatt C2

/ˈkɪləˌwɑːt/ a unit of power equal to one thousand watts; symbol kW Meaning Off Sound Off

boll C2

/boʊl/ the rounded seed capsule of a plant such as cotton or flax Meaning Off Sound Off

mastiff C2

/ˈmæstəf/ an old breed of powerful deep-chested smooth-coated dog used chiefly as a watchdog and guard dog Meaning Off Sound Off

highfalutin C2

/ˌhaɪ.fəˈlu.tɪn/ informal and disapproving: pompous, pretentious, or designed to seem important or sophisticated Meaning Off Sound Off

lich C2

/lɪtʃ/ archaic: a corpse or dead body, surviving especially in compounds such as lich-gate or lych-gate Meaning Off Sound Off

quoth C2

/kwoʊθ/ said; an archaic past-tense verb used chiefly before a first- or third-person subject Meaning Off Sound Off

muggins C2

/ˈmʌɡɪnz/ chiefly British, informal and insulting: a foolish or easily deceived person Meaning Off Sound Off

hussar C2

/həˈzɑːr/ historical: a soldier in one of the light-cavalry units of Hungary or other European armies Meaning Off Sound Off

gentlewoman C2

/ˈdʒɛntəlˌwʊmən/ a woman of high social standing or good family, or one regarded as cultured and well-mannered; old-fashioned Meaning Off Sound Off

windowpane C2

/ˈwɪndoʊˌpeɪn/ A fabric pattern of widely-spaced intersecting vertical and horizontal lines forming large squares. Meaning Off Sound Off

excommunicate C2

/ˌɛkskəˈmjunəkeɪt/ to officially exclude someone from participation or membership in a church or religious community Meaning Off Sound Off

sheldrake C2

/ˈʃɛlˌdreɪk/ an older name for a shelduck, especially a male bird of the genus Tadorna Meaning Off Sound Off

shiftless C2

/ˈʃɪftləs/ lacking ambition or initiative and habitually unwilling to work steadily Meaning Off Sound Off

ineligible C2

/ɪnˈɛlɪdʒəbəl/ not qualified or permitted to be chosen, receive something, or take part Meaning Off Sound Off

wold C2

/woʊld/ an open, rolling tract of upland country, especially one used as a regional name in England Meaning Off Sound Off

mote C2

/moʊt/ a tiny particle or speck, especially one visible in the air Meaning Off Sound Off

slippy C2

/ˈslɪpi/ slippery; difficult to stand on, hold, or control because it is smooth or wet Meaning Off Sound Off

scow C2

/skaʊ/ a broad, flat-bottomed boat used chiefly to carry bulk freight Meaning Off Sound Off

praetor C2

/ˈpriːtər/ an annually elected magistrate of the Roman Republic, especially one responsible for administering justice Meaning Off Sound Off

procurer C2

/prəˈkjʊr.ɚ/ a person who obtains or supplies someone or something for another, often through effort or special arrangements Meaning Off Sound Off

washerwoman C2

/ˈwɑʃɚˌwʊmən/ historical: a woman employed to wash other people's clothes and household linen Meaning Off Sound Off

codicil C2

/ˈkɑdəsəl/ a legal document added to a will to explain, modify, add, or revoke a provision Meaning Off Sound Off

transfuse C2

/tɹænsˈfjuːz/ to transfer blood or another fluid into a person's or animal's bloodstream Meaning Off Sound Off

unction C2

/ˈʌŋkʃən/ the ceremonial act of anointing someone with oil, especially as a religious rite Meaning Off Sound Off

traipse C2

/tɹeɪps/ informal: to walk from place to place, especially wearily, reluctantly, or over a needlessly long distance Meaning Off Sound Off

nohow C2

/ˈnoʊˌhaʊ/ dated or dialectal: in no way; not at all Meaning Off Sound Off

mainstay C2

/ˈmeɪn.steɪ/ a person or thing on which something chiefly depends for support or stability Meaning Off Sound Off

Ainu C2

/ˈaɪnuː/ a member of the Indigenous people native chiefly to Hokkaido and historically also to Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands Meaning Off Sound Off

rathole C2

/ˈrætˌhoʊl/ a burrow, entrance, or hole made or used by a rat Meaning Off Sound Off

foist C2

/fɔɪst/ to force an unwanted, inferior, or deceptive thing on someone Meaning Off Sound Off

apoplexy C2

/ˈæpəplɛksi/ dated: sudden unconsciousness or paralysis caused by a stroke or cerebral hemorrhage Meaning Off Sound Off

galoot C2

/ɡəˈluːt/ slang, mildly insulting or humorous: a fellow, especially one who is awkward, foolish, or uncouth Meaning Off Sound Off

scribbler C2

/ˈskrɪblər/ historical textile work: a worker who coarsely cards or teases wool before spinning Meaning Off Sound Off

negress C2

/ˈniːɡrɪs/ an old-fashioned and now offensive term formerly used for a Black woman or girl Meaning Off Sound Off

aerodrome C2

/ˈerədroʊm/ chiefly British: an area from which aircraft operate, including its runways and associated buildings; an airfield Meaning Off Sound Off

noddy C2

/ˈnɑːdi/ any of several stout-bodied tropical seabirds of the genus Anous, closely related to terns Meaning Off Sound Off

hobnob C2

/ˈhɑbˌnɑb/ to associate or socialize familiarly, especially with important or high-status people Meaning Off Sound Off

fascia C2

/ˈfæʃə/ a sheet or band of fibrous connective tissue that surrounds, separates, or binds muscles and organs Meaning Off Sound Off

deflower C2

/diˈflaʊ.ɚ/ dated: to have sexual intercourse with a person regarded as a virgin, framed as taking that person's virginity Meaning Off Sound Off

croaker C2

/ˈkɹoʊkɚ/ dated: a habitual complainer or a person who gloomily predicts trouble Meaning Off Sound Off

hearken C2

/ˈhɑɹkən/ to listen attentively or give serious heed, especially in literary or archaic use Meaning Off Sound Off

witchery C2

/ˈwɪtʃəri/ witchcraft or the supposed practice of magic Meaning Off Sound Off

harelip C2

/ˈhɛrˌlɪp/ dated and sometimes offensive: a cleft lip, a congenital opening or split in the upper lip Meaning Off Sound Off

togs C2

/tɑːɡz/ informal, plural: clothes, especially clothes for a particular activity or occasion Meaning Off Sound Off

colloquial C2

/kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/ Used in ordinary, informal conversation rather than formal speech or writing. Meaning Off Sound Off

irk C2

/ɝːk/ to annoy, irritate, or weary someone Meaning Off Sound Off

champaign C2

/ʃæmˈpeɪn/ literary or archaic: an extensive area of level, open countryside; a plain Meaning Off Sound Off

hypochondria C2

/ˌhaɪpoʊˈkɑndriə/ persistent, excessive anxiety that one has or may develop a serious illness; now a nontechnical or dated term Meaning Off Sound Off

zither C2

/ˈzɪ.ðɚ/ a stringed instrument with many strings stretched across a flat, usually horizontal soundbox and played by plucking or strumming Meaning Off Sound Off

patrimony C2

/ˈpætrəˌmoʊni/ property or an estate inherited from one's father or other ancestor Meaning Off Sound Off

handmaid C2

/ˈhændˌmeɪd/ dated or historical: a female personal servant or attendant Meaning Off Sound Off

shipboard C2

/ˈʃɪpˌbɔːrd/ a ship considered as a place where people live, meet, or travel, chiefly in the phrase on shipboard Meaning Off Sound Off

piddle C2

/ˈpɪdəl/ informal: to spend time ineffectually on trivial matters; to work in a small or desultory way Meaning Off Sound Off

flathead C2

/ˈflætˌhɛd/ dated US slang, insulting: a stupid or foolish person Meaning Off Sound Off

waddy C2

/ˈwɒdi/ an Australian Aboriginal hardwood club used traditionally for hunting or fighting Meaning Off Sound Off

obliteration C2

/əˌblɪtɝˈeɪʃən/ The total destruction of something. Meaning Off Sound Off

pshaw C2

/pʃɔː/ dated: used to express impatience, disbelief, contempt, or dismissal Meaning Off Sound Off

phaeton C2

/ˈfeɪətən/ a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage, usually open and having one or two forward-facing seats Meaning Off Sound Off

tailcoat C2

/ˈteɪlkoʊt/ a formal coat cut short at the front and extending into one or two long tails at the back Meaning Off Sound Off

tress C2

/tɹɛs/ literary, often plural: a long lock, curl, or braid of hair Meaning Off Sound Off

prussic C2

/ˈprʌs.ɪk/ dated in chemistry: relating to hydrogen cyanide or hydrocyanic acid, especially in the term prussic acid Meaning Off Sound Off

archival C2

/ˌɑɹˈkaɪv(ə)l/ Relating to an archive or to old records and documents kept for the future. Meaning Off Sound Off

unmanly C2

/ʌnˈmænli/ dated, often disapproving: not showing qualities traditionally expected of a man, especially courage or self-control Meaning Off Sound Off

largesse C2

/lɑɹˈ(d)ʒɛs/ A specific gift of money, etc., given in this way, specifically (historical) at harvest time; a donation, a gratuity. Meaning Off Sound Off

diggings C2

/ˈdɪɡ.ɪŋz/ an area where miners dig for gold or other valuable minerals Meaning Off Sound Off

munition C2

/ˌmjuˈnɪʃən/ usually plural: military weapons, ammunition, explosives, and other supplies used in war Meaning Off Sound Off

marmoset C2

/ˈmɑːrməˌzɛt/ a small Central or South American monkey of the callitrichid group, typically with clawlike nails on most digits Meaning Off Sound Off

seigneur C2

/seɪnˈjɝː/ historical: a feudal lord or nobleman in France or another French-speaking territory Meaning Off Sound Off