SKIP TO CONTENT

National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3

Words from Round 3 of the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
147 words 2,858 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Full list of words from this list:

  1. symposium
    a meeting for the public discussion of some topic
  2. Galahad
    the most virtuous knight of the Round Table
  3. inertia
    the tendency of something to stay in rest or motion
  4. apothecary
    a health professional trained in the art of preparing drugs
  5. usurper
    one who wrongfully seizes and holds the place of another
  6. wallaby
    any of various small or medium-sized kangaroos
  7. Gouda
    mild cream-colored Dutch cheese shaped in balls
  8. Triassic
    of or relating to or denoting the first period of the Mesozoic era
  9. baroque
    relating to an elaborately ornamented style of art and music
  10. treacle
    a syrup made of sugar cane
  11. unilaterally
    by means of one part or party
  12. mastodon
    extinct elephant-like mammal that flourished worldwide from Miocene through Pleistocene times; differ from mammoths in the form of the molar teeth
  13. catalepsy
    a trancelike state with loss of voluntary motion and failure to react to stimuli
  14. tarpaulin
    waterproofed canvas
  15. taurine
    of or relating to or resembling a bull
  16. Kodiak
    an island off southern Alaska in the Gulf of Alaska
  17. diaspora
    the dispersion of something that was originally localized
  18. gyroscope
    rotating mechanism in the form of a mounted spinning wheel
  19. incendiarism
    malicious burning to destroy property
  20. metallurgy
    the science and technology of ores and alloys
  21. beefalo
    hardy breed of cattle resulting from crossing domestic cattle with the American buffalo; yields leaner beef than conventional breeds
  22. terabyte
    a unit of information equal to 1000 gigabytes or 10^12 bytes
  23. obloquy
    state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
  24. accessorial
    nonessential but helpful
  25. fulgent
    shining intensely
  26. impasto
    painting that applies the pigment thickly so that brush or palette knife marks are visible
  27. tussock
    a bunch of hair, feathers, or growing grass
  28. barbarous
    able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
  29. spelunker
    a person who explores caves
  30. gentian
    any of various plants of the family Gentianaceae especially the genera Gentiana and Gentianella and Gentianopsis
  31. teleology
    a doctrine explaining phenomena by their ends or purposes
  32. tardigrade
    an arthropod of the division Tardigrada
  33. osprey
    large harmless hawk found worldwide that feeds on fish and builds a bulky nest often occupied for years
  34. Templar
    a knight of a religious military order established in 1118 to protect pilgrims and the Holy Sepulcher
  35. sultana
    pale yellow seedless grape used for raisins and wine
  36. contumelious
    arrogantly insolent
  37. isosceles
    (of a triangle) having two sides of equal length
  38. ennui
    the feeling of being bored by something tedious
  39. fisticuffs
    a fight with bare fists
  40. preponderance
    exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight
  41. Cartesian
    of or relating to Rene Descartes or his works
  42. luxuriate
    enjoy to excess
  43. nonchalance
    the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care
  44. acetylene
    a colorless flammable gas used chiefly in welding and in organic synthesis
  45. chivalrous
    attentive and honorable like an ideal knight
  46. dysphasia
    an impairment of language (especially speech production) that is usually due to brain damage
  47. habitue
    a regular patron
  48. purslane
    a plant of the family Portulacaceae having fleshy succulent obovate leaves often grown as a potherb or salad herb; a weed in some areas
  49. shenanigan
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  50. claustrophobia
    a morbid fear of being closed in a confined space
  51. Holstein
    a breed of dairy cattle from northern Holland
  52. acidulous
    being sour to the taste
  53. papillon
    small slender toy spaniel with erect ears and a black-spotted brown to white coat
  54. bruxism
    involuntarily or unconsciously clenching or grinding the teeth, typically during sleep
  55. legionnaire
    a soldier who is a member of a legion
  56. krypton
    a colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses
  57. frittata
    Italian omelet with diced vegetables and meats
  58. consanguine
    related by blood
  59. modiste
    someone who makes or mends dresses
  60. palatalize
    pronounce a consonant with the tongue against the palate
  61. halcyon
    a mythical bird said to breed at the winter solstice
  62. plangency
    having the character of a loud deep sound
  63. megrims
    a state of depression
  64. osteopath
    a therapist who manipulates the skeleton and muscles
  65. nattily
    in a natty manner; with smartness
  66. zydeco
    music of southern Louisiana that combines French dance melodies with Caribbean music and blues
  67. armamentarium
    the collection of equipment and methods used in the practice of medicine
  68. crinoline
    a stiff coarse fabric used to stiffen hats or clothing
  69. deaerate
    remove air or gas from
  70. ultimo
    in or of the month preceding the present one
  71. transposon
    a segment of DNA that can become integrated at many different sites along a chromosome (especially a segment of bacterial DNA that can be translocated as a whole)
  72. communique
    an official report (usually sent in haste)
  73. litigious
    of or relating to legal proceedings
  74. garganey
    small Eurasian teal
  75. caduceus
    an insignia used by the medical profession
  76. denazification
    social process of removing Nazis from official positions and giving up any allegiance to Nazism
  77. varicella
    acute viral disease that causes skin eruptions and fever
  78. haricot
    a French variety of green bean plant bearing light-colored beans
  79. proselyte
    a new convert, especially to a religion
  80. tiffin
    a midday meal
  81. veridical
    truthful or coinciding with reality
  82. zeppelin
    a large airship designed to carry passengers or bombs
  83. sporran
    a fur or leather pouch worn at the front of the kilt as part of the traditional dress of Scottish Highlanders
  84. vacillant
    uncertain in purpose or action
  85. phosphorescent
    emitting light without appreciable heat
  86. nimiety
    a quantity much larger than is needed
  87. diagrammatic
    shown or represented by diagrams
  88. flannelette
    a cotton fabric imitating flannel
  89. gingivitis
    inflammation of the gums
  90. ermine
    mustelid of northern hemisphere in its white winter coat
  91. lipophilic
    having an affinity for lipids
  92. jamboree
    a festive party or celebration
  93. oppugn
    challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
  94. fossiliferous
    bearing or containing fossils
  95. toque
    a tall white hat worn by chefs
  96. halophyte
    plant growing naturally in very salty soil
  97. eugenics
    the promotion of controlled breeding in human populations
  98. sorghum
    economically important Old World tropical cereal grass
  99. apogee
    the farthest point in an orbit around the Earth
  100. incipiency
    beginning to exist or to be apparent
  101. mephitic
    of noxious stench from atmospheric pollution
  102. quadrille
    a square dance for four pairs of dancers
  103. connoisseur
    an expert able to appreciate a field
  104. veloute
    white sauce made with stock instead of milk
  105. chambray
    a lightweight fabric woven with white threads across a colored warp
  106. hecatomb
    a great sacrifice
  107. botuliform
    shaped like a sausage
  108. manumit
    free from slavery or servitude
  109. anodyne
    capable of relieving pain
  110. ocellus
    an eye having a single lens
  111. rorqual
    any of several baleen whales of the family Balaenopteridae having longitudinal grooves on the throat and a small pointed dorsal fin
  112. plenipotentiary
    a diplomat with full powers to take action or make decisions
  113. tamarack
    medium-sized larch of Canada and northern United States including Alaska having a broad conic crown and rust-brown scaly bark
  114. mariposa
    any of several plants of the genus Calochortus having tulip-shaped flowers with 3 sepals and 3 petals; southwestern United States and Mexico
  115. mesalliance
    a marriage with a person of inferior social status
  116. rhododendron
    any shrub of the genus Rhododendron: evergreen shrubs or small shrubby trees having leathery leaves and showy clusters of campanulate (bell-shaped) flowers
  117. mustelid
    fissiped fur-bearing carnivorous mammals
  118. tupelo
    any of several gum trees of swampy areas of North America
  119. Jacobin
    a member of the radical movement that instituted the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution
  120. areca
    any of several tall tropical palms native to southeastern Asia having egg-shaped nuts
  121. juvenescence
    the process of growing into a youth
  122. Wordsworthian
    in the manner of William Wordsworth
  123. unguiculate
    a mammal having nails or claws
  124. grissino
    a long slender crusty breadstick
  125. jeroboam
    a large wine bottle (holds 4/5 of a gallon)
  126. asphyxiate
    deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing
  127. weevil
    any of several families of mostly small beetles that feed on plants and plant products; especially snout beetles and seed beetles
  128. diphtheria
    acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing
  129. carabao
    water buffalo of the Philippines
  130. liliaceous
    of or pertaining to or characteristic of plants of the family Liliaceae
  131. burgoo
    thick spicy stew of whatever meat and whatever vegetables are available; southern United States
  132. deliquesce
    melt or become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air
  133. pharynx
    the passage to the stomach and lungs
  134. phaeton
    large open car seating four with folding top
  135. entente
    an informal alliance between countries
  136. oogenesis
    development of ova
  137. Ranunculus
    annual, biennial or perennial herbs: buttercup; crowfoot
  138. Teutonic
    of or pertaining to the ancient Teutons or their languages
  139. Faustian
    relating to a character who sold his soul to Mephistopheles
  140. canescent
    covered with fine whitish hairs or down
  141. dulcinea
    a woman who is a man's sweetheart
  142. sorbefacient
    inducing or promoting absorption
  143. brasserie
    a small restaurant serving beer and wine as well as food
  144. rhabdomancy
    searching for underground water or minerals by using a dowsing rod
  145. boniface
    the owner or manager of an inn
  146. Cypriot
    of or relating to Cyprus or its people or culture
  147. wassail
    a punch made of sweetened ale or wine heated with spices and roasted apples; especially at Christmas
Created on May 28, 2014 (updated May 29, 2014)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.