Vocabulary Words

Many of these have nothing to do with gaming (although some do, or might), but I'm posting it to my gaming blog anyhow, for general edification, and maybe to make your game a bit more descriptive! (sorry about the formatting, they are copied/pasted from various sources)

capriped Of or pertaining to goat-like feet

scaevity unluckiness; left-handedness

albocracy government by white people

A parazonium is a long triangular dagger, wide at the hilt end and coming to a point

Soliferrum the Roman name for an ancient Iberian javelin made entirely of iron, designed to be thrown to a distance of up to 30 meters

In the Middle Ages, the term babewyn was used to refer to both gargoyles and chimerae. This word is derived from the Italian word babuino, which means "baboon"

lodestar 1 archaic : a star that leads or guides 2 : one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide

nostrum a medicine, especially one that is not considered effective, prepared by an unqualified person.

catholicon a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases; a panacea.

shabti refers to small figurines placed in the tombs of ancient Egyptians. They are considered as servants of the deceased who would do heavy jobs for their master in his after- life.

equanimity mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium.

venal capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration. especially : open to corrupt influence and especially bribery

atavism is a return to a previous way of doing, saying, or seeing things. It can be casual, like wearing retro clothing and listening to vinyl records, or committed, like living in a straw hut without electricity

Palimpsest writing material (such as a parchment or tablet) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased

cicatrix Physiology. new tissue that forms over a wound and later contracts into a scar. Botany. a scar left by a fallen leaf, seed, etc.

propiniquity 1 : nearness of blood 2 : nearness in place or time

Smaragdine yellowish green in color like an emerald

geta wooden-soled Japanese shoe

zibib colourless alcoholic drink made from raisins

yabba large Jamaican earthenware or wooden vessel

suilline of, like or pertaining to hogs

strumpetocracy government by strumpets

fubsy: chubby and somewhat squat

mbalax West African popular music

izard goatlike antelope found in the Pyrenees

aboulomania pathological indecisiveness

infelicitous - inapt, inappropriate, or awkward; malapropos

Accubation - The practice of eating and drinking while lying down

Deltiologist - A collector of picture post cards

Favillous - Resembling ashes

Nelipot - Someone who goes barefoot

Pogontomy - The cutting of a beard

Degust (v.) – to taste food or drink carefully, so as to fully appreciate it

Mangata (n.) – the glimmering, road-like reflection that the moon creates on the water. Translating literally to "moonstreet," a stunning image only completed by a boat sitting in it, like in the movies.

Gattara (n.) – a woman, often old and lonely, who devotes herself to stray cats

Komorebi (n.) – the sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees

Eudaimonia (n.) – “human flourishing”; a contented state of being happy, healthy, and prosperous

Strikhedonia (n.) – the pleasure of being able to say “to hell with it”

Trouvaille (n.) – something lovely discovered by chance

Griffonage (n.) – illegible handwriting

quaaltagh (also qualtagh) 1dialect, historical The practice or custom of going in a group from door to door at Christmas or New Year, typically making a request for food or other gifts in the form of a song. 2dialect The first person to enter a house on New Year's Day; = "first foot". Also: the first person one meets after leaving home, especially on a special occasion.

"Smitten" past participle of Smite
synonyms: struck down, laid low, suffering, affected, afflicted, plagued, stricken

lalochezia The use of vulgar or foul language to relieve stress or pain

dox search for and publish private or identifying information about a particular individual on the Internet, typically with malicious intent.

Mump (v) Mump, Mumped, Mumping, Mumper, Mumpee. To mump someone is to hump that person’s mum

Crapulence As the OED defines it, crapulence is a feeling of “sickness or indisposition resulting from excess in drinking or eating.”

cacoethes An urge to do something inadvisable

astrobleme an eroded remnant of a large, ancient crater made by the impact of a meteorite or comet

speustic made or baked in haste

sceptriferous bearing a scepter

Xanthous of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk, having yellowish, red, auburn, or brown hair

Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to intellect, sense or emotion. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music and literature. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics.

crepuscular 1Resembling or relating to twilight 2 Zoology (of an animal) appearing or active in twilight.

chyron : a caption superimposed over usually the lower part of a video image (as during a news broadcast)

yegg – (cant, slang) A person who breaks open safes; a burglar.

Barbacoa is a form of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean with the Taíno people, from which the term “barbecue” derives. In contemporary Mexico, it generally refers to meats or whole sheep slow-cooked over an open fire, or more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with maguey leaves

Lethologica: The inability to remember a word or put your finger on the right word. :)

quandary: a state of not being able to decide what to do about a situation in which you are involved

quockerwodger 1. referring to a wooden toy figure which jerks its limbs about when pulled by a string 2. A pseudo-politician, one whose strings of action are pulled by somebody else

ceraunophile: one who loves lightning and thunder

emolument: the returns arising from office or employment usually in the form of compensation or perquisites

"Ugly American" is a pejorative term used to refer to perceptions of loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless, ignorant, and ethnocentric behavior of American citizens mainly abroad, but also at home. Taken from the book of the same name, an Ugly American visits a foreign country and views everything from an American standard, refusing to acknowledge local culture and standards, and is often ignorant to or dismissive of the foreign culture and is perceived as rude.

im·ped·i·men·ta noun: equipment for an activity or expedition, especially when considered as bulky or an encumbrance.

An entheogen ("generating the divine within") is any chemical substance used in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context, that often induces psychological or physiological changes.

Jentacular – pertaining to breakfast

Deracinate: to tear something up by the roots

agastopia: admiration of a particular part of someone’s body

‘aa’ is a kind of volcanic lava that forms jagged masses with a light frothy texture

Pediculous -Infested with lice: lousy; contemptible.

Sui generis is a Latin phrase, meaning of its own kind; in a class by itself; unique

flanerie: aimless idle behavior

koan: a paradoxical anecdote or riddle, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment.

Quotidian is a fancy way of saying "daily" or "ordinary." Quotidian events are the everyday details of life.

Chiasmus: An inversion of the relationship between the elements of phrases. "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

Nemophilist: One who is fond of forests

Fleer: to grin or laugh coarsely or mockingly

Joss: a Chinese religious statue or idol

Lorica: In the Christian monastic tradition, a lorica is a prayer recited for protection. The Latin word lorica originally meant "armor" or "breastplate." Both meanings come together in the practice of placing verbal inscriptions on the shields or armorial trappings of knights, who might recite them before going into battle

Marmoreal: of, relating to, or suggestive of marble or a marble statue especially in coldness or aloofness

Troglodyte: (especially in prehistoric times) a person who lived in a cave, a hermit, a person who is regarded as being deliberately ignorant or old-fashioned.

OLIGARCHY 1. government by the few 2. a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes

PLUTOCRACY1. Government by the wealthy. 2. A wealthy class that controls a government. 3. A government or state in which the wealthy rule.

Compote: (French for "mixture") is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices.

bromide: a common saying or proverb that is obvious and not that helpful, like "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

Demagogue: a person, especially an orator or political leader, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people.

Slacktivism: The word is usually considered a pejorative term that describes "feel-good" measures, in support of an issue or social cause, that have little physical or practical effect, other than to make the person doing it feel satisfied that they have contributed.

Picayune: trivial, worthless

‘Commonwealth’ is a nomenclature used by four of the constituent states of the United States of America in their official, full state names. These states are Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. This designation, which has no legal meaning, emphasizes that they have a "government based on the common consent of the people.”

orison: a prayer

A zafu or putua is a round cushion.

glory hole (plural glory holes) 1. (mining) originally, a hole in a mineshaft where an ore body is mined upwards until it breaks through the surface into the open air. 2. (slang…

Chitin: a horny polysaccharide that forms part of the hard outer integument of insects, arachnids, and crustaceans. adj: chi·tin·ous

Psychopomps are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply provide safe passage.

gallimaufry: a medley or confused jumble, esp a dish made of leftovers

milliner: a person who makes or sells women's hats.

bovarism : a conception of oneself as other than one is to the extent that one's general behavior is conditioned or dominated by the conception; especially : domination by such an idealized, glamorized, glorified, or otherwise unreal conception of oneself that it results in dramatic personal conflict (as in tragedy), in markedly unusual behavior (as in paranoia), or in great achievement

Snood: 1. A small netlike cap worn by women to keep the hair in place. 2. A headband or fillet. 3. A fleshy wrinkled fold of skin that hangs down over a turkey's beak.

biddable: willing to do what is asked; obedient; tractable.In other words, easily trainable.

horripilation: a bristling of the hair on the skin from cold, fear, etc.; goose flesh.

Syncope: (SING-kə-pee) the medical term for fainting or passing out, is defined as a transient loss of consciousness and postural tone, characterized by rapid onset, short duration, and spontaneous recovery, due to global cerebral hypoperfusion (low blood flow to the brain) that most often results from hypotension (low blood pressure).

Pedant: A person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning.

minacious: menacing, threatening

gramarye 1. Grammar 2. Mystical learning; the occult. Related terms; glamer (glamour), grimoire

zarf: a holder, usually of ornamental metal, for a coffee cup without a handle

glair: a preparation made from egg white, used especially as an adhesive for bookbinding and gilding

Tell (also tel): a type of archaeological mound created by human occupation and abandonment of a geographical site over many centuries. A classic tell looks like a low, truncated cone with a flat top and sloping sides

autodidact: a self-taught person

Omphaloskepsis is contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation

bloviate: to talk at length, esp. in an inflated or empty way.

sessility is a characteristic of some animals, such that they are not able to move about (barnacles, for example)

'Grawlix' Definition: The series of typographical symbols (such as @#*&!) used in cartoons and comic strips to represent swear words. Plural: grawlixes. Also known as jarns and nittles.

vitriolic: Mean, nasty, and caustic as the worst acid, vitriolic words can hurt feelings, break hearts, and even lead to violence.

floccinaucinihilipilification: the estimation of something as valueless (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language).

ANOMIE: social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values; also : personal unrest, alienation, and uncertainty that comes from a lack of purpose or ideals

Ranine 1: of or relating to frogs 2: of or relating to the region beneath the tip of the tongue

The interrobang, also known as the interabang (often represented by ?! or !?), is a nonstandard punctuation mark used in various written languages and intended to combine the functions of the question mark and the exclamation point (known in printers’ and programmers' jargon as the “bang”). The glyph is a superimposition of these two marks.

Pleonasm (from Greek, pleon: more, too much) is the use of more words or word-parts than is necessary for clear expression: examples are black darkness, or burning fire

Game 1.A pursuit or activity with rules performed either alone or with others, for the purpose of entertainment. In many games, the objective is to win by defeating the other player or players or being the first to reach a specified goal, while in others, role-playing or cooperation is emphasized. 2.A contest between two individuals or teams. 3.An exercise simulating warfare for the purpose of training personnel, testing combat readiness, or to better understand various possible outcomes of various strategies or tactics. 4.Wild animals hunted for food. 5.A field of gainful activity, as an industry or profession. 6.The ability to successfully seduce someone into a romantic or sexual relationship, usually achieved by premeditated strategy. He didn't get anywhere with her because he had no game. 7.One or more questionable, unethical, or illegal practices. You want to borrow my credit card for a week? What's your game?

lu·bri·cious: Adjective: 1)Offensively displaying or intended to arouse sexual desire. 2)Smooth and slippery with oil or a similar substance.

PICARESQUE: of or relating to rogues or rascals; also : of, relating to, suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a usually roguish protagonist

Photoptarmosis is a condition of uncontrollable sneezing in response to numerous stimuli, such as looking at bright lights. The condition affects 18–35% of the population, and its exact mechanism of action is not well understood.

Borborygmus - a rumbling noise caused by propulsion of gas through the intestines; stomach growl

phosphene: the sensation of light caused by pressure on the eyelid of a closed eye or by other mechanical or electrical interference with the visual system

Callipygian: pertaining to or having finely developed buttocks

Agnosia is a loss of ability to recognize objects, persons, sounds, shapes, or smells while the specific sense is not defective nor is there any significant memory loss. It is usually associated with brain injury or neurological illness. Agnosia only affects a single modality; for example vision or hearing may be affected.

Cant: (or cryptolect) the jargon or argot of a group, often implying its use to exclude or mislead people outside the group

Autothysis is the process where an animal destroys itself via an internal rupturing or explosion of an organ which ruptures the skin. The term was proposed to describe the defensive mechanism of the Carpenter Ant. It is caused by a contraction of muscles around a large gland that leads to the gland wall breaking, glue bursts out and entangles and immobilizes all nearby victims.. It is a form of suicidal altruism

Contronym: A synonym is a word that means the same as another. An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another. The word contronym (also antagonym) is used to refer to words that, by some freak of language evolution, are their own antonyms. Both contronym and antagonym are neologisms; however, there is no alternative term that is more established in the English language. Examples:

'bolt' - secure, run away

'clip' - fasten, detach

'dust' - add fine particles, remove fine particles

Pronoia: a neologism that is defined as the opposite state of mind as paranoia: having the sense that there is a conspiracy that exists to help the person. It is also used to describe a philosophy that the world is set up to secretly benefit people

’skosh’: A small amount of something. From the Japanese word ‘sukoshi’, meaning ‘few, some, a bit’

A 'condominium' is a territory jointly administered by two or more countries, often (but not necessarily) a territory on the common border between the parties involved. Pheasant Island, which lies near the Atlantic Ocean terminus of the French-Spanish border, is not only the oldest surviving condominium, it is also the only one where sovereignty isn’t shared simultaneously, but alternately. For six months a year, Pheasant Island is French; for the other six, it is Spanish.

Heterochromia of the eye is of two kinds. In complete heterochromia, one iris is a different color from the other. In partial heterochromia, part of one iris is a different color from its remainder

A shibboleth is a custom, principle, or belief distinguishing a particular class or group of people, especially a long-standing one regarded as outmoded or no longer important. It usually refers to features of language, and particularly to a word whose pronunciation identifies its speaker as being a member or not a member of a particular group.

Kajira is the term for female slave or "slave-girl" in John Norman's Gor novels. Slaves in the Gorean lifestyle will refer to themselves as kajirae. A number of fans of Norman's work have attempted to live their lives according to this philosophy

solipsism (philosophy) 1. The theory that the self is all that exists or that can be proven to exist. 2. Self-absorption, an unawareness of the views or needs of others

Pareidolia is when you see some sort of pattern, symbol, face or other significance in random, naturally occurring or completely unrelated patterns. Like when people see Jesus on a burnt piece of toast or a rabbit in the moon or a castle in the clouds

absquatulate: To leave quickly or in a hurry; to take oneself off; to decamp; to depart, flee, abscond.

BARSEXUAL a woman who isn't truly bisexual, but kisses women in bars when drunk to attract attention

Defenestration- throwing someone out of a window.

Pentultimate- the second to last

Obfuscate- to obscure the truth

Perspicacious- having keen mental perception and understanding; discerning

MERKIN a pubic wig (guess it involves glue of some sort)

BOHAB one who is HABitually BOring

SUBLIME: lofty, grand, or exalted in thought, expression, or manner

HETEROFLEXIBLE ‘straight’, but, well...

chthonic: Dwelling within or under the earth.

SQUAMOUS covered with, or consisting of, scales

A ‘Jenny Haniver’ is the carcass of a ray or a skate which has been modified and subsequently dried, resulting in a grotesque preserved specimen.

FETOR distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant

SHOCKER MOM a woman of a certain age that one would like to, well, you know... shock

grognard: From French grognard, an old soldier. (games, slang) Someone who enjoys playing board wargames.

carbuncle (archaic) 1. A deep-red or fiery colored garnet or other dark red precious stone, especially when cut cabochon. 2. An abscess larger than a boil, usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by bacterial infection.

Hepatizon, also known as Black Corinthian Bronze, was a highly valuable metal alloy in classical antiquity. It is thought to be an alloy of copper with the addition of a small proportion of gold and silver (perhaps as little as 8% of each), mixed and treated to produce a material with a dark purplish patina, similar to the colour of liver. It is referred to in various ancient texts, but no known examples of hepatizon exist today.

Grok is a word invented by Robert Heinlein in his novel Stranger in a Strange Land. To grok is to share the same reality or line of thinking with another physical or conceptual entity. In Heinlein's view, grokking is the intermingling of intelligence that necessarily affects both the observer and the observed. From the novel: Grok means to understand so thoroughly that the observer becomes a part of the observed—to merge, blend, intermarry, lose identity in group experience. It means almost everything that we mean by religion, philosophy, and science—and it means as little to us (because of our Earthly assumptions) as color means to a blind man.

In Roman mythology, Cloacina (derived from the Latin word "cloaca" meaning "sewer" or "drain") was the goddess who presided over the Cloaca Maxima, the system of sewers in Rome. As well as controlling sewers, she was also a protector of sexual intercourse in marriage. Regardless of her original source, she later became identified with Venus.

neologism: a newly coined word or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but has not yet been accepted into mainstream. Neologisms are often directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event

sagacious: Having or showing keen discernment, sound judgment, and farsightedness.

Taphophile: A person who is interested in cemeteries, funerals and gravestones

coruscate: To give off light; to reflect in flashes; to sparkle. To exhibit brilliant technique or style. The coruscating lights of the aurora borealis

Eye twitching, or MYOKYMIA, is an involuntary eyelid muscle contraction that usually affects the lower eyelid. The exact cause of eye twitching is unknown. A stubborn twitch may last as long as three weeks.

priapism: A painful and potentially harmful medical condition in which the erect penis does not return to its flaccid state (despite the absence of both physical and psychological stimulation).

PETRICHOR is the pleasant smell that often accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather in certain regions. According to Australian researchers who coined the word in an issue of Nature magazine in 1964, Petrichor is from oils given off by vegetation, absorbed onto neighboring surfaces, and released into the air after a first rain. The word is derived from the Greek words petros, a stone, and ichor, the Greek term for the fluid that flows like blood in the veins of the gods.

THERIANTHROPY refers to the metamorphosis of humans into other animals Therianthropes are said to change forms via shapeshifting.

ZYTHOLOGY The study of beer and beer-making, including the role particular ingredients play in the brewing process. A zythologist is a student and connoisseur of beer who possess knowledge of ingredients, pouring techniques and beer pairings

MONDEGREENS are a sort of aural malapropism. Instead of saying the wrong word, you hear the wrong word. The word mondegreen is generally used for misheard lyrics. example: you THINK the Beatles song goes "the girl with colitis goes by", but it REALLY goes "the girl with kaleidoscope eyes"

APOCALYPTUS noun. The oddly refreshing smell which immediately precedes the Rapture. example: "Oh, crap... do you smell apocalyptus?"

CRYPSIS is the ability of an organism to avoid observation or detection by other organisms. It may be either a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation, and methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle, transparency, and mimicry

Useless fact: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words.

epicaricacy Rejoicing at or derivation of pleasure from the misfortunes of others. The word is mentioned in some early dictionaries, but there is little or no evidence of actual usage until it was picked up by various "interesting word" websites around the turn of the twenty-first century. see also: Schadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. This German word is used as a loanword in English and some other languages

"A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to re-frame or re-interpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect. For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists."

- I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather, not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.

- I didn't say it was your fault; I said I was blaming you.

- You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

Epistaxis is the relatively common occurrence of hemorrhage from the nose, rarely fatal, accounting for only 4 of the 2.4 million deaths in the U.S. in 1999; nosebleed

frisson: A sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill: "a frisson of excitement".

A tappen is an obstruction, or indigestible mass, found in the intestines of bears and other animals during hibernation. Also referred to as a "rectal plug." They make it difficult for the animal to defecate during hibernation, but are often passed with great pain in the spring time.

oneiric: Of or relating to dreams or dreaming

 use your words