2015 National Spelling Bee Words

page 2 of "450 words ranging in difficulty level for students in grades on through eight."

Missing words: bizarro (replaced with bizarre), Podunk, albeit, squirrelly (replaced with squirrel), churros, also terra cotta (here) is "terra-cotta" on National Bee list, largesses becomes largesse, primadonna becomes prima donna, cordillera, kraken, wahine, umami, bas-relief becomes bas relief, Naugahyde, wunderkind, Sahel, bhangra
199 words 359 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. tongue
    a mobile mass of muscular tissue located in the oral cavity
  2. jostle
    make one's way by pushing or shoving
  3. earnestly
    in a sincere and serious manner
  4. session
    a meeting for execution of a group's functions
  5. fluency
    powerful and effective language
  6. knead
    use the hands to mix and work something into a uniform mass
  7. celebrate
    have a festivity
  8. molecule
    the simplest structural unit of an element or compound
  9. neigh
    make a sound characteristic of a horse
  10. quince
    small Asian tree with pinkish flowers and pear-shaped fruit
  11. binoculars
    an optical instrument for simultaneous use by both eyes
  12. faculty
    an inherent cognitive or perceptual power of the mind
  13. explosive
    a substance that releases great energy when heated or struck
  14. dim sum
    style of Chinese cuisine with small portions of many dishes
  15. agenda
    a list of matters to be taken up, as at a meeting
  16. relative
    not absolute or complete
  17. hazelnut
    any of several shrubs or small trees of the genus Corylus bearing edible nuts enclosed in a leafy husk
  18. bribery
    the practice of offering something (usually money) in order to gain an illicit advantage
  19. curator
    the custodian of a collection, as a museum or library
  20. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
  21. bandanna
    large and brightly colored handkerchief
  22. sirloin
    the portion of the loin just in front of the rump
  23. glucose
    a monosaccharide sugar that has several forms
  24. topiary
    the art of making shapes by trimming shrubs or trees
  25. doldrums
    equatorial area with calms and unpredictable light winds
  26. iota
    a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
  27. vehicular
    relating to or intended for motor transport
  28. abominably
    in an offensive and hateful manner
  29. bizarre
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
  30. full-fledged
    having gained complete status
  31. lexicon
    a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words
  32. quibble
    evade the truth of a point by raising irrelevant objections
  33. duvet
    a soft quilt usually filled with down
  34. kosher
    conforming to dietary laws
  35. magician
    someone who performs tricks to amuse an audience
  36. stalwart
    having rugged physical strength
  37. encroach
    advance beyond the usual limit
  38. Yankee
    an American who lives in the North
  39. visual
    relating to or using sight
  40. appreciate
    be fully aware of; realize fully
  41. ultimatum
    a final peremptory demand
  42. credulity
    tendency to believe readily
  43. ingot
    a piece of metal cast in the shape of a block
  44. genuine
    not fake or counterfeit
  45. seethe
    foam as if boiling
  46. pyrite
    a common mineral that has a pale yellow color
  47. surrogate
    someone or something that takes the place of another
  48. recluse
    one who lives in solitude
  49. gambol
    play or run boisterously
  50. verve
    an energetic style
  51. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
  52. mosquito
    two-winged insect that sucks the blood of humans and animals
  53. celestial
    relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven
  54. ghastly
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
  55. nourish
    provide with sustenance
  56. minuscule
    very small
  57. wraith
    a ghostly figure, especially one seen shortly before death
  58. valorous
    having or showing the qualities of a hero or heroine
  59. en route
    on a route to some place
  60. fragile
    easily broken or damaged or destroyed
  61. prolific
    intellectually productive
  62. veteran
    a person who has served in the armed forces
  63. portrait
    any likeness of a person, in any medium
  64. sesame
    East Indian annual erect herb
  65. goliath
    someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
  66. ammunition
    projectiles to be fired from a gun
  67. premises
    land and the buildings on it
  68. modicum
    a small or moderate or token amount
  69. iteration
    the act or process of doing or saying again
  70. gung ho
    very enthusiastic and dedicated
  71. cinnamon
    tropical Asian tree with aromatic yellowish-brown bark
  72. phonics
    teaching reading by associating letters with their sounds
  73. arrogant
    having or showing feelings of unwarranted importance
  74. jettison
    throw away, of something encumbering
  75. indulgent
    given to yielding to the wishes of someone
  76. berserk
    frenzied as if possessed by a demon
  77. edification
    uplifting enlightenment
  78. outrageous
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
  79. debilitate
    make weak
  80. bona fide
    not counterfeit or copied
  81. havoc
    violent and needless disturbance
  82. crucial
    of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
  83. skirmish
    a minor short-term fight
  84. irrigation
    the act of supplying dry land with water by artificial means
  85. devotee
    an ardent follower and admirer
  86. guffaw
    a burst of loud and hearty laughter
  87. squirrel
    a kind of tree-dwelling rodent with a long bushy tail
  88. impugn
    attack as false or wrong
  89. slovenly
    negligent of neatness especially in dress and person
  90. flourish
    grow vigorously
  91. whey
    the watery part of milk that separates from cheese curds
  92. nostalgia
    a longing for something past
  93. paunch
    a protruding abdomen
  94. thyme
    any of various mints of the genus Thymus
  95. jocularity
    a feeling of facetious merriment
  96. ruminate
    reflect deeply on a subject
  97. brethren
    the lay members of a male religious order
  98. cabal
    a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue
  99. fluctuation
    an instance of change
  100. boorish
    ill-mannered and coarse in behavior or appearance
  101. ipso facto
    by the fact itself
  102. notoriety
    the state of being known for some unfavorable act or quality
  103. foible
    a minor weakness or peculiarity in someone's character
  104. veracity
    unwillingness to tell lies
  105. tempura
    vegetables and seafood dipped in batter and deep-fried
  106. aqueduct
    a conduit that carries water over a valley
  107. lozenge
    a small aromatic or medicated candy
  108. spoonerism
    transposition of initial consonants in a pair of words
  109. firmament
    the sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
  110. aardvark
    an African mammal with a long snout for eating insects
  111. pantomime
    a performance using gestures and movements without words
  112. dinero
    informal terms for money
  113. marsupial
    a mammal the female of which has a pouch carrying the young
  114. savvy
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
  115. terra cotta
    a hard unglazed brownish-red earthenware
  116. palliative
    moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear
  117. epoch
    a period marked by distinctive character
  118. abysmal
    exceptionally bad or displeasing
  119. hirsute
    having or covered with hair
  120. noctambulist
    someone who walks about in their sleep
  121. ballyhoo
    blatant or sensational promotion
  122. gaffe
    a socially awkward or tactless act
  123. obfuscate
    make obscure or unclear
  124. maize
    corn
  125. benison
    a spoken blessing
  126. dementia
    mental deterioration of organic or functional origin
  127. slalom
    a downhill race over a winding course defined by upright poles
  128. quotidian
    found in the ordinary course of events
  129. hummock
    a small natural mound
  130. centenary
    the 100th anniversary, or the celebration of it
  131. shebang
    an entire system; used in the phrase `the whole shebang'
  132. grandeur
    the quality of being magnificent or splendid
  133. hydroponic
    of or relating to growing plants in water without soil
  134. eschew
    avoid and stay away from deliberately
  135. sabbatical
    a leave usually taken every seventh year
  136. noxious
    injurious to physical or mental health
  137. largesse
    liberality in bestowing gifts
  138. flambe
    pour liquor over and ignite (a dish)
  139. tawdry
    tastelessly showy
  140. catalyst
    substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction
  141. wherewithal
    the necessary means (especially financial means)
  142. anathema
    a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication
  143. exoneration
    the condition of being relieved from blame or obligation
  144. ukulele
    a small guitar having four strings
  145. dromedary
    a camel with a single hump
  146. El Nino
    (oceanography) a warm ocean current that flows along the equator from the date line and south off the coast of Ecuador at Christmas time
  147. laudable
    worthy of high praise
  148. ochre
    any of various earths containing silica and alumina and ferric oxide; used as a pigment
  149. ingratiate
    gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts
  150. ragout
    well-seasoned stew of meat and vegetables
  151. prima donna
    a vain and temperamental person
  152. ancillary
    furnishing added support
  153. epicurean
    devoted to pleasure
  154. farrago
    a motley assortment of things
  155. ad nauseam
    to a sickening or excessive extent
  156. counterfeit
    not genuine; imitating something superior
  157. prescient
    perceiving the significance of events before they occur
  158. technocrat
    an advocate of technocracy
  159. billabong
    a stagnant pool of water in the bed of a stream that flows intermittently
  160. vacuousness
    indicative of or marked by mental vacuity and an absence of ideas
  161. harbinger
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
  162. adumbrate
    describe roughly or give the main points or summary of
  163. tautology
    useless repetition
  164. dilapidated
    in a state of decay, ruin, or deterioration
  165. panacea
    hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases
  166. ignominious
    deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
  167. chintzy
    of very poor quality; flimsy
  168. surfeit
    indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
  169. domicile
    housing that someone is living in
  170. doubloon
    a former Spanish gold coin
  171. hyacinth
    any of numerous bulbous perennial herbs
  172. circumflex
    a diacritical mark (^) placed above a vowel in some languages to indicate a special phonetic quality
  173. inchoate
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  174. steppe
    an extensive plain without trees
  175. neophyte
    a participant with no experience with an activity
  176. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
  177. apocryphal
    being of questionable authenticity
  178. milieu
    the environmental condition
  179. appurtenance
    equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles
  180. carte blanche
    complete freedom or authority to act
  181. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution
  182. obstreperous
    noisily and stubbornly defiant
  183. latke
    a pancake made of grated potato
  184. bas relief
    sculpture that projects only slightly from the background
  185. mellifluous
    pleasing to the ear
  186. cygnet
    a young swan
  187. heuristic
    a commonsense rule to help solve some problem
  188. Rorschach
    a projective tests using bilaterally symmetrical inkblots
  189. quintessential
    representing the perfect example of a class or quality
  190. nihilism
    complete denial of established authority and institutions
  191. epee
    a fencing sword similar to a foil but with a heavier blade
  192. whippoorwill
    American nocturnal goatsucker with grey-and-white plumage
  193. Sisyphean
    both extremely effortful and futile
  194. reconnoiter
    explore, often with a goal of finding something or somebody
  195. souchong
    a fine quality of black tea native to China
  196. vis-a-vis
    a person or thing having the same characteristics as another
  197. Machiavellian
    of or relating to amoral or conniving political principles
  198. Zeitgeist
    the spirit of the time
  199. synecdoche
    using part of something to refer to the whole thing
Created on October 14, 2014

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