J Mark Fullmer, linguistic dilettante

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The Long Word List

Do we really need all these long words?

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abecedarian, adj. a learner of the letters, hence a novice; rudimentary, elementary

acerbate irritate, exasperate

adumbrate, vb. to foreshadow vaguely; intimate

adventitious, adj. not intrinsic, accidental, not inherent; casual

archimandrite, n leader in Orthodox church

avuncular, a pertaining to or in the manner of an uncle

catarrhal catarrh = inflamation of a mucous membrane esp. nose

cinereous, a having the property of ashes; ashlike

circumvallate verb, orig. to surround with seige works

climacteric a major turning point or critical stage

contumacious, a insubordinate, disobedience, stubbornness

copacetic very satisfactory

dalliance, n the act of dallying, delay

deracinate, v to uproot

deuteranopia red-green colorblindness

diplopia double vision (two images of single object seen)

eleemosynary one who lives on alms

enuresis, n involuntary discharge of urine

epithalamium, n a nuptial song or poem, in praise of a bride or bridegroom

eponymous, a being named after a person or thing, e.g. book title

erysipelas, n acute febrile disease, inflammation of the skin

fanfaronade empty boasting; bluster

farraginous composed of various materials, a hodgepodge (alt. farraginary)

felicitious, a suitable to the occasion, apt

flagitious marked by scandalous crime or vice; villanous

fulminate, v to shout or thunder forth (denunciations, decrees, etc)

galactophagist someone who consumes milk

gallimaufry, n hodgepodge, jumbled assortment

garrulous, a pointlessly talkative, talking too much

gregarious, a sociable, outgoing, enjoying the company of other people

hebephrenic, a a form of dementia praecox beginning at puberty

heliotrope green chalcendony sprinkled with red spots

impercipience, n the state or quality of being imperceptive

inamorate, a inflamed with love

ineluctable, a not to be resisted by struggling; not to be avoided or escaped

invidious, a tending to cause discontent, animosity or envy

irrefragable impossible to deny or refute

lassitude, n a state or feeling of weakness, weariness, languor

lubricity, n smoothness of surface, slipperiness

matutinal, a pertaining to the morning

mendicant, n beggar; esp. mendicant friars, e.g. Carmelites, Franciscans

meretricious, a speciously attractive, false charms, pertaining to prostitution

nepotism, n favoritism based on relation rather than qualification (esp. familial)

nosocomial aquired or occuring in a hospital

numinous supernatural, mysterious, sense of divine presence; higher aesthetic

obstreperous, a unruly, resisting control or restraint

ochlocracy mob rule

oenophile wine connoisseur or dilettante

penurious, a penny-pinching; excessively thrifty, ungenerous, miserly, stingy

peregrination, n wandering or living in a foreign country

persiflage, n light, frivolous, flippant style of writing or speaking

petrous, a hard, like a rock, stony

plangency state of having a loud reverberating sound

plangent, a beating with a loud deep sound, as in waves

preprandial relating to, suitable for the time before dinner

prosopopoeia, n personification in which inanimate things speak

puissance, n power, strength, might, force

pusillanimous, a cowardly, irresolute, fainthearted, showing a lack of courage

quiesence, n stillness, motionlessness, quality of being at rest

ratiocination, n the act or process of reasoning; deducing consequences

recalcitrant, a, n defiant of authority

recidivism, a chronic relapse into antisocial or criminal behavior patterns

sesquipedalian, a characterized by the use of long words

sibilant, adj a hissing noise

stelliferous, a having or full of stars

stertorous characterized by a harsh snoring or gasping sound

stichometry, n the measurement of length of books as ascertained by no of verses

stochastic, a conjectural, able to conjecture

testudineous resembling the shell of a tortoise; slow like a tortoise

vaticination prediction; the act of prophesying

verdigris, n a green or green-blue copper derivative used as pigment, medicine

vicegerent, n a. delegated power, n. a lieutenant

J Mark Fullmer, esq.
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