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paroxysm
a sudden uncontrollable attack
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gloxinia
any of several plants of the genera Gloxinia or Sinningia (greenhouse gloxinias) having showy bell-shaped flowers
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hamartia
the character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall
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tocsin
the sound of an alarm (usually a bell)
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puissant
powerful
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querulously
in a peevish manner
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hussar
a member of a European light cavalry unit; renowned for elegant dress
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sidereal
of or relating to the stars or constellations
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bathyscaphe
navigable deep diving vessel for underwater exploration
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murine
of or relating to or transmitted by a member of the family Muridae (rats and mice)
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calomel
a tasteless colorless powder used medicinally as a cathartic
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binturong
arboreal civet of Asia having a long prehensile tail and shaggy black hair
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bilirubin
an orange-yellow pigment in the bile that forms as a product of hemoglobin; excess amounts in the blood produce the yellow appearance observed in jaundice
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mineralogy
the branch of geology that studies minerals: their structure and properties and the ways of distinguishing them
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Gotterdammerung
myth about the ultimate destruction of the gods in a battle with evil
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Ubermensch
a person with great powers and abilities
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dehisce
burst or split open
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condign
fitting or appropriate and deserved; used especially of punishment
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vigorish
an exorbitant or unlawful rate of interest
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scansion
analysis of verse into metrical patterns
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lateen
a triangular fore-and-aft sail used especially in the Mediterranean
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ischium
one of the three sections of the hipbone; situated below the ilium
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acetous
tasting or smelling like vinegar
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farinaceous
resembling starch
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saponaceous
resembling or having the qualities of soap
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ptarmigan
large Arctic and subarctic grouse with feathered feet and usually white winter plumage
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neritic
relating to the region of shallow water adjoining the seacoast
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cuneate
(of a leaf shape) narrowly triangular, wider at the apex and tapering toward the base
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inoculate
impregnate with the virus or germ of a disease in order to render immune
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threnody
a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
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laudanum
narcotic consisting of an alcohol solution of opium or any preparation in which opium is the main ingredient
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marmoreal
of or relating to or characteristic of marble
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heliacal
pertaining to or near the sun; especially the first rising of a star after and last setting before its invisibility owing to its conjunction with the sun
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festinate
act or move at high speed
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bombardon
a large shawm; the bass member of the shawm family
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brougham
light carriage; pulled by a single horse
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thiazide
any of a group of drugs commonly used as diuretics in the treatment of hypertension; they block the reabsorption of sodium in the kidneys
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teratogenic
of or relating to substances or agents that can interfere with normal embryonic development
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celeriac
grown for its thickened edible aromatic root
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skiffle
a style of popular music in the 1950s; based on American folk music and played on guitars and improvised percussion instruments
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parget
plaster used to coat outer walls and line chimneys
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chambray
a lightweight fabric woven with white threads across a colored warp
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flaccidity
a flabby softness
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elegiac
resembling or characteristic of or appropriate to an elegy
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effluvium
a foul-smelling outflow or vapor (especially a gaseous waste)
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veridical
coinciding with reality
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appeasable
capable of being pacified
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manumit
free from slavery or servitude
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hoydenism
masculinity in women (especially in girls and young women)
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charcuterie
a delicatessen that specializes in meats
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cincture
a band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers
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consuetude
a custom or usage that has acquired the force of law
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hortative
giving strong encouragement
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kyphosis
an abnormal backward curve to the vertebral column
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cantabile
smooth and flowing
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boutonniere
a flower that is worn in a buttonhole
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eelpout
marine eellike mostly bottom-dwelling fishes of northern seas
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apsidal
of or relating to an apse
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catarrhal
of or relating to a catarrh
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vitiate
make imperfect
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caparisoned
clothed in finery (especially a horse in ornamental trappings)
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basilar
of or relating to or located at the base
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nystagmus
involuntary movements of the eyeballs; its presence or absence is used to diagnose a variety of neurological and visual disorders
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rhodolite
a red or pink variety of garnet used as a gemstone
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alyssum
any garden plant of the genus Alyssum having clusters of small yellow or white flowers
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cislunar
situated between the earth and the moon
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extravasate
force out or cause to escape from a proper vessel or channel
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pharos
a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships
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pelisse
a sleeveless cape that is lined or trimmed with fur
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discalced
(used of certain religious orders) barefoot or wearing only sandals
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afflatus
a strong creative impulse; divine inspiration
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ichor
(Greek mythology) the rarified fluid said to flow in the veins of the Gods
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catadromous
migrating from fresh water to the sea to spawn
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comminatory
containing warning of punishment
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pitta
any bird of the genus Pitta; brilliantly colored chiefly terrestrial birds with short wings and tail and stout bills
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hypokalemia
abnormally low level of potassium in the circulating blood leading to weakness and heart abnormalities; associated with adrenal tumors or starvation or taking diuretics
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oleaginous
containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
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megrim
a severe recurring vascular headache; occurs more frequently in women than men
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gummosis
disease of citrus trees caused by the fungus Phytophthora citrophthora
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genteelly
in a genteel manner
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bosky
covered with or consisting of bushes or thickets
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marchpane
almond paste and egg whites
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phot
a unit of illumination equal to 1 lumen per square centimeter; 10,000 phots equal 1 lux
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padrone
an owner or proprietor of an inn in Italy
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kibitz
make unwanted and intrusive comments
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thurifer
an acolyte who carries a thurible
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islay
California evergreen wild plum with spiny leathery leaves and white flowers
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puerile
displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
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wrasse
chiefly tropical marine fishes with fleshy lips and powerful teeth; usually brightly colored
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equerry
an official charged with the care of the horses of princes or nobles
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wisent
European bison having a smaller and higher head than the North American bison
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litotes
understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)
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gnomon
indicator provided by the stationary arm whose shadow indicates the time on the sundial
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icteric
affected by jaundice which causes yellowing of skin etc
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divaricate
branch off
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phylactery
(Judaism) either of two small leather cases containing texts from the Hebrew Scriptures (known collectively as tefillin); traditionally worn (on the forehead and the left arm) by Jewish men during morning prayer
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repechage
a race (especially in rowing) in which runners-up in the eliminating heats compete for a place in the final race
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girandole
an ornate candle holder; often with a mirror
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variolous
relating to small pox
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theodolite
a surveying instrument for measuring horizontal and vertical angles, consisting of a small telescope mounted on a tripod
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yautia
tropical American aroid having edible tubers that are cooked and eaten like yams or potatoes
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decolletage
a low-cut neckline on a woman's dress
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seine
a large fishnet that hangs vertically, with floats at the top and weights at the bottom
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propaedeutic
preceding and preparing for something
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clepsydra
clock that measures time by the escape of water
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grisaille
chiaroscuro painting or stained glass etc., in shades of grey imitating the effect of relief
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aliquot
signifying an exact divisor or factor of a quantity
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intravasation
entry of foreign matter into a blood vessel
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gerenuk
slender East African antelope with slim neck and backward-curving horns
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thuggee
murder and robbery by thugs
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nidifugous
(of birds) leaving the nest shortly after hatching
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arenaceous
resembling or containing or abounding in sand; or growing in sandy areas
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complaisant
showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
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gracile
slender and graceful
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balletomane
a ballet enthusiast
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erythema
abnormal redness of the skin resulting from dilation of blood vessels (as in sunburn or inflammation)
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circinate
shaped like a ring
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metempsychosis
after death the soul begins a new cycle of existence in another human body
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angwantibo
a kind of lemur
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centaury
any plant of the genus Centaurea
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pteridology
the branch of botany that studies ferns
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banausic
(formal) ordinary and not refined
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bitt
a strong post (as on a wharf or quay or ship for attaching mooring lines)
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passementerie
a decoration or adornment on a garment
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talipes
congenital deformity of the foot usually marked by a curled shape or twisted position of the ankle and heel and toes
-
lysin
any substance (such as an antibody) or agent that can cause lysis
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ailanthus
any of several deciduous Asian trees of the genus Ailanthus
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heaume
a large medieval helmet supported on the shoulders
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adjuvant
furnishing added support
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encolure
the mane of a horse
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murre
black-and-white diving bird of northern seas
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serictery
silk-producing gland of insects (especially of a silkworm) or spiders
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aposiopesis
breaking off in the middle of a sentence (as by writers of realistic conversations)
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tenebrific
dark and gloomy
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purdah
a screen used in India to separate women from men or strangers
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suzerainty
the position or authority of a suzerain
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artemisia
any of various composite shrubs or herbs of the genus Artemisia having aromatic green or greyish foliage
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gueridon
a small round table
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baryon
any of the elementary particles having a mass equal to or greater than that of a proton and that participate in strong interactions; a hadron with a baryon number of +1
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estaminet
a small (and usually shabby) cafe selling wine and beer and coffee
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groundsel
Eurasian weed with heads of small yellow flowers
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amygdaline
related to or resembling an almond
-
deixis
the function of pointing or specifying from the perspective of a participant in an act of speech or writing; aspects of a communication whose interpretation depends on knowledge of the context in which the communication occurs
-
naumachia
a naval spectacle; a mock sea battle put on by the ancient Romans
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tendinous
consisting of tendons or resembling a tendon
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guimpe
a short blouse with sleeves that is worn under a jumper or pinafore dress
-
velleity
a mere wish, unaccompanied by effort to obtain
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greenbrier
a very prickly woody vine of the eastern United States growing in tangled masses having tough round stems with shiny leathery leaves and small greenish flowers followed by clusters of inedible shiny black berries
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divagation
a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern)
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calefacient
producing the sensation of heat when applied to the body
-
chatoyant
varying in color when seen in different lights or from different angles
-
luthier
a craftsman who makes stringed instruments (as lutes or guitars or violins)
-
Aesir
(Norse mythology) the chief race of gods living at Asgard
-
adiabatic
occurring without loss or gain of heat
-
caracole
make a half turn on a horse, in dressage
-
dithyramb
(ancient Greece) a passionate hymn (usually in honor of Dionysus)
-
dhole
fierce wild dog of the forests of central and southeast Asia that hunts in packs
-
vicereine
wife of a viceroy
-
sgraffito
a ceramic or mural decoration made by scratching off a surface layer to reveal the ground
-
lorikeet
any of various small lories
-
vitellus
nutritive material of an ovum stored for the nutrition of an embryo (especially the yellow mass of a bird or reptile egg)
-
certiorari
a common law writ issued by a superior court to one of inferior jurisdiction demanding the record of a particular case
-
termagant
a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman
-
viridity
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
-
apotheosize
deify or glorify
-
saxicolous
growing on or living among rocks
-
verruca
(pathology) a firm abnormal elevated blemish on the skin; caused by a virus
-
glogg
Scandinavian punch made of claret and aquavit with spices and raisins and orange peel and sugar
-
anchusa
any of various Old World herbs of the genus Anchusa having one-sided clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers
-
terreplein
level space where heavy guns can be mounted behind the parapet at the top of a rampart
-
araucaria
any of several tall South American or Australian trees with large cones and edible seeds
-
aralia
any of various plants of the genus Aralia; often aromatic plants having compound leaves and small umbellate flowers
-
quassia
handsome South American shrub or small tree having bright scarlet flowers and yielding a valuable fine-grained yellowish wood; yields the bitter drug quassia from its wood and bark
-
epiphora
repetition of the ends of two or more successive sentences, verses, etc.
-
criollo
a Spanish American of pure European stock (usually Spanish)
-
byssus
tuft of strong filaments by which e.g. a mussel makes itself fast to a fixed surface
-
psilosis
a chronic disorder that occurs in tropical and non-tropical forms and in both children and adults; nutrients are not absorbed; symptoms include foul-smelling diarrhea and emaciation
-
fortemente
chiefly a direction or description in music; loud and strong
-
huisache
tropical American thorny shrub or small tree; fragrant yellow flowers used in making perfumery
-
thallophyte
any of a group of cryptogamic organisms consisting principally of a thallus and thus showing no differentiation into stem and root and leaf
-
cataphract
armor that protects the wearer's whole body
-
oersted
the magnetic field strength 1 cm from a unit magnetic pole
-
interpellation
the action of interjecting or interposing an action or remark that interrupts
-
syncytium
a mass of cytoplasm containing several nuclei and enclosed in a membrane but no internal cell boundaries (as in muscle fibers)
-
telamon
a figure of a man used as a supporting column
-
technetium
a crystalline metallic element not found in nature; occurs as one of the fission products of uranium
-
salsilla
tropical vine having umbels of small purple flowers and edible roots sometimes boiled as a potato substitute; Colombia