Slightly Obscure Words: Letters A-C

a barbiturate used as a hypnotic

the 2000th anniversary (or the celebration of it)

marked or produced by accretion

worn by rubbing or friction

suffering from abulia

a ballroom dance that originated in the French West Indies

of or relating to avionics

before noon

sloping upward

a substance that relieves or prevents itching

involuntarily or unconsciously clenching or grinding the teeth, typically during sleep

producing no fruit

preceding death

pertaining to or associated with agony

characterized by ascetic solitude

a tiredness of the eyes caused by prolonged close work by a person with an uncorrected vision problem

measuring the depths of the oceans

an inherited skeletal disorder beginning before birth

a small tumor (benign or malignant) arising from the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract; usually associated with excessive secretion of serotonin

a corticosteroid hormone that is secreted by the cortex of the adrenal gland; regulates salt (sodium and potassium) and water balance

filled or abounding with fog or mist

overtake with darkness or night

of or involved in an avocation

a deep-fried doughnut dusted with confectioners' sugar

having the property of containing fat

an acute blood disorder (often caused by radiation or drug therapy) characterized by severe reduction in granulocytes

a ballet enthusiast

East Indian annual erect herb

of or pertaining to the botanical genus Allium

a feeling of craving something

a wild gathering

any of various plants of the genus Uvularia having yellowish drooping bell-shaped flowers

the blastula of a placental mammal in which some differentiation of cells has occurred

the bullfighter who implants decorated darts (banderillas) into the neck or shoulders of the bull during a bull fight

a stupid mistake

a block made from charcoal or coal dust and burned as fuel

added or derived from something outside; not inherent

the property of being equally skillful with each hand

steadfast in devotion

a medieval steel helmet

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

a sauce like hollandaise but made with white wine and tarragon and shallots instead of lemon juice

a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter)

a jail or prison

parched crushed wheat

spread or daub (a surface)

heavy and dull and stupid

an additional name or an epithet appended to a name

produce buds, branches, or germinate

an instrument that measures heat radiation

not held back by conventional ideas of behavior

an engine that provided medieval artillery used during sieges; a heavy war engine for hurling large stones and other missiles

capable of being fastened or added to something else

severe hypoxia

(pregnancy) extraction by centesis of amniotic fluid from a pregnant woman (after the 15th week of pregnancy) to aid in the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities

enamelware in which colored areas are separated by thin metal strips

organic compound having powerful soporific effect

lacking a head or a clearly defined head

an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action

a large pan that is filled with hot water

a list of matters to be taken up (as at a meeting)

a general feeling of boredom and dissatisfaction

a basin for washing genitals and anal area

a stringed instrument that has a triangular body and three strings

an instrument for measuring the acceleration of aircraft or rockets

a boating song sung by Venetian gondoliers

reduced red wine with onions and parsley and thyme and butter

partial or total loss of sight without pathology of the eye

a dwarfed ornamental tree or shrub grown in a tray or shallow pot

a hydrocarbon radical (C4H9)

thick spicy stew of whatever meat and whatever vegetables are available; southern United States

brown sauce with beef marrow and red wine

a bar to which heavy discs are attached at each end

the birds of a particular region or period

a quiet song intended to lull a child to sleep

science and technology of electronic systems and devices for aeronautics and astronautics

an awl for making small holes for brads or small screws

a sloping edge on a cutting tool

a singer of popular ballads

a specialist who administers an anesthetic to a patient before he is treated

an instrument for measuring the distance between two points

a flask that has two handles

pertaining to or containing aluminum or alum

light informal conversation for social occasions

disease of cattle that can be transmitted to humans

a supporting column carved in the shape of a person

tall fast-moving dog breed

nocturnal flightless bird of New Zealand having a long neck and stout legs; only surviving representative of the order Apterygiformes

a woman's hairstyle in which the hair gives a puffy appearance

a small rope (one of several) used to draw a sail in

metal supports for logs in a fireplace

avitaminosis caused by lack of thiamine (vitamin B1)

acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal end

a teacher of or believer in Bahaism

agile long-legged rabbit-sized rodent of Central America and South America and the West Indies; valued as food

an undergarment worn by women to support their breasts

a disorder of eating in which the person alternates between strong craving for food and aversion to food; characterized by excessive eating followed by periods of fasting or self-induced vomiting

an undergarment worn by women to support their breasts

any of several South American ornamental woody vines of the genus Bougainvillea having brilliant red or purple flower bracts; widely grown in warm regions

any of various agile ratlike terrestrial marsupials of Australia and adjacent islands; insectivorous and herbivorous

a piece of ornamented cloth that protects the back of a chair from hair oils

a thin plain-weave cotton or linen fabric

valuable source of caviar and isinglass

the agent to whom property involved in a bailment is delivered

either of the two main branches of the trachea

a wild gathering

blatant or sensational promotion

bottle that holds wine or oil or vinegar for the table

a tomato-based soup or stew with several kinds of fish or shellfish

relating to bees or beekeeping

any malignant tumor derived from epithelial tissue

hairy blue-flowered European annual herb long used in herbal medicine and eaten raw as salad greens or cooked like spinach

a broad cartridge belt worn over the shoulder by soldiers

a person whose head is bald

a building containing public baths

a Japanese cheer of enthusiasm or triumph

an impolite manner that is vulgar and lacking tact or refinement

a wide (ornamented) belt worn over the right shoulder to support a sword or bugle by the left hip

an official language of the Republic of South Africa

someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence

sclerosis of the arterial walls

a woman of advanced age

a twilled fabric used for dresses

an upholstered bench

small tree with pear-shaped fruit whose oil is used in perfumery; Italy

German publisher of a series of travel guidebooks

a boot reaching halfway up to the knee

become sickeningly sweet or excessive

the basic unit of money in Thailand

whiskey distilled from a mash of corn and malt and rye

a dense cluster of flowers or foliage

pompous or pretentious talk or writing

long-legged spotted cat of Africa and southwestern Asia having nonretractile claws; the swiftest mammal; can be trained to run down game

a card game played in casinos in which two or more punters gamble against the banker; the player wins who holds 2 or 3 cards that total closest to nine

flattery intended to persuade

situated on or along or in the direction of an axis

the quality of being valid and rigorous

toward or located in the north

the member of a bomber crew responsible for using the bombsight and releasing the bombs on the target

a sloping edge where two surfaces meet at a non-right angle

any of various usually poisonous plants of the genus Aconitum having tuberous roots and palmately lobed leaves and blue or white flowers

gruesomely indicative of death or the dead

stopping short and refusing to go on

a cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie

a flat bread made of oat or barley flour

a poem consisting of 3 stanzas and an envoy

the official symbols of a family, state, etc.

a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin

flattery designed to gain favor

a serpent able to kill with its breath or glance

the branch of astrophysics that studies the origin and evolution and structure of the universe

a workplace consisting of a coal mine plus all the buildings and equipment connected with it

a heavy brittle diamagnetic trivalent metallic element

prove to be false

in a benign manner

a humor that was once believed to be secreted by the liver and to cause irritability and anger

a public announcement of a proposed marriage

one retired from society for religious reasons

densely branched Eurasian plant

an endowed church office giving income to its holder

of or involving or contained in the arteries

a document entitling a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily (but without higher pay)

a handsome youth loved by both Aphrodite and Persephone

a bright green fabric napped to resemble felt

a tower that is part of a defensive structure

a horse-drawn carriage having four wheels

the quality of being kind and gentle

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium

an assistant to a bishop

skillful performance or ability without difficulty

a clay-like mineral

of or relating to Caucasian people

an alloy of tin with some copper and antimony

a Russian member of the left-wing majority group that followed Lenin and eventually became the Russian communist party

a bend or curve (especially in a coastline)

any of various small breeds of fowl

large ferocious bear of Eurasia

United States publisher and editor who compiled a book of familiar quotations (1820-1905)

a child: son or daughter

the chief source of beryllium

a Roman building used for public administration

provide housing for (military personnel)

an expert or collector of antiquities

the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop

light carriage; pulled by a single horse

any of several large deciduous trees with rounded spreading crowns and smooth grey bark and small sweet edible triangular nuts enclosed in burs; north temperate regions

someone who works in a coal mine

small round bread leavened with baking-powder or soda

a white native of Cape Province who is a descendant of Dutch settlers and who speaks Afrikaans

a monarchy in northwestern Europe