# words

date: 2025-01-03
word: serendipity
ipa: /ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/
pos: Noun
definition:
A combination of events which have come together by chance to make a surprisingly good or wonderful outcome.


date: 2025-01-06
word: ethereal
ipa: /ɪˈθɪə.ɹɪ.əl/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Pertaining to the presupposition of an invisible air-like element permeating all of space, or to the higher regions beyond the earth or beyond the atmosphere.


date: 2025-01-07
word: nefarious
ipa: /nɪˈfɛː.ɹi.əs/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics.


date: 2025-01-09
word: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
ipa: /njuːˌmɒ.nəʊ.ʌl.tɹə.maɪ.kɹəʊˈskɒ.pɪkˌsɪ.lɪ.kəʊ.vɒl.keɪ.nəʊ.kəʊ.niˈəʊ.sɪs/
pos: Noun
definition:
(nonce word) A disease of the lungs, allegedly caused by inhaling microscopic silicate particles originating from the eruption of a volcano. 


date: 2025-01-13
word: tantamount
ipa: /ˈtæntəˌmaʊnt/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Equivalent in meaning or effect; amounting to the same thing in practical terms, even if being technically distinct. [1641–]


date: 2025-01-14
word: melancholy
ipa: /ˈmɛlənkəli/
pos: Noun
definition:
(historical) Black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies.


date: 2025-01-17
word: antidisestablishmentarianism
ipa: /ˌæntiˌdɪsɪˌstæblɪʃmənˈtɛəɹiəˌnɪz(ə)m/
pos: Noun
definition:
A political philosophy opposed to the separation of a religious group (church) and a government (state), especially the belief held by those in 19th-century England opposed to separating the Anglican church from the civil government or to refer to separation of church and state. [from 20th c.]


date: 2025-01-19
word: petrichor
ipa: /ˈpɛt.ɹɪˌkɔɹ, -kɚ/
pos: Noun
definition:
The distinctive scent, caused by geosmin, which accompanies the first rain after a long, warm, dry spell.


date: 2025-01-20
word: eucatastrophe
ipa: /ˌjuːkəˈtæstɹəfi/
pos: Noun
definition:
(narratology) A catastrophe (dramatic event leading to plot resolution) that results in the protagonist's well-being. [from 1944]


date: 2025-01-21
word: pareidolia
ipa: /ˌpæɹ.aɪˈdəʊ.li.ə/
pos: Noun
definition:
(psychology) The tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, such as interpreting marks on Mars as canals, seeing shapes in clouds, or hearing hidden messages in music.


date: 2025-01-22
word: floccinaucinihilipilification
ipa: /ˌflɒksɪˌnɔːsɪˌnɪhɪlɪˌpɪlɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/
pos: Noun
definition:
(often humorous) The act or habit of describing or regarding something as unimportant, of having no value or being worthless.


date: 2025-01-26
word: equinox
ipa: /ˈɛkwɪnɒks/
pos: Noun
definition:
One of two times in the year (one in March and the other in September) when the length of the day and the night are equal, which occurs when the sun is directly overhead at the equator; this marks the beginning of spring in one hemisphere and autumn in the other.


date: 2025-01-29
word: vellichor
ipa: /ˈvɛl.əˌkɔː/
pos: Noun
definition:
(neologism) The pensive nostalgia and temporality of used bookstores; the feeling evoked by the scent of old books or paper.


date: 2025-01-30
word: syzygy
ipa: /ˈsɪz.ɪ.d͡ʒi/
pos: Noun
definition:
(astronomy, astrology) An alignment of three celestial bodies (for example, the Sun, Earth, and Moon) such that one body is directly between the other two, such as occurs at an eclipse.


date: 2025-02-09
word: iconoclast
ipa: /aɪˈkɒn.əˌklæst/
pos: Noun
definition:
(historical, Christianity) One who destroys religious images or icons, especially an opponent of the Orthodox Church in the 8th and 9th centuries, or a Puritan during the European Reformation.


date: 2025-02-15
word: mumpsimus
ipa: /ˈmʌmpsɪməs/
pos: Noun
definition:
A person who obstinately adheres to old ways in spite of clear evidence that they are wrong; an ignorant and bigoted opponent of reform.


date: 2025-02-26
word: habitude
ipa: /ˈhæbɪˌtjuːd/
pos: Noun
definition:
(archaic) Habitual disposition; normal or characteristic mode of behaviour, whether from habit or from nature


date: 2025-02-28
word: jentacular
ipa: /d͡ʒɛnˈtækjʊlə/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(formal, chiefly archaic) Of or pertaining to breakfast; specifically, one taken early in the morning or immediately upon getting up.


date: 2025-03-01
word: kerfuffle
ipa: /kəˈfʌfəl/
pos: Noun
definition:
(chiefly Commonwealth, informal) A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult. [from 19th c.]


date: 2025-03-02
word: orotund
ipa: /ˈɒɹə(ʊ)tʌnd/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Of a voice: characterized by clarity, fullness, smoothness, and strength of sound; hence, of a person: having a clear, full, and strong voice, appropriate for public speaking, reading aloud, etc.


date: 2025-03-04
word: quockerwodger
ipa: /ˈkwɒkəˌwɒd͡ʒə/
pos: Noun
definition:
Synonym of jumping jack (“a toy figure of a person with jointed limbs that can be made to appear to dance or jump by pulling an attached string”)


date: 2025-03-16
word: quixotic
ipa: /kwɪkˈsɒtɪk/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Resembling or characteristic of the Spanish chivalric hero Don Quixote; possessed with or resulting from the desire to do noble and romantic deeds, without thought of realism and practicality; exceedingly idealistic.


date: 2025-04-03
word: lycanthropy
ipa: /laɪˈkanθɹəpi/
pos: Noun
definition:
(mythology) The state of being a lycanthrope (or werewolf), a person who can shapeshift between the form of a human being and a wolf, often said to happen involuntarily during a full moon; werewolfdom.


date: 2025-04-07
word: ophidian
ipa: /oʊˈfɪdi.ən/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Of or pertaining to the suborder Serpentes; of, related to, or characteristic of a snake or serpent.


date: 2025-04-08
word: smorgasbord
ipa: /ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd/
pos: Noun
definition:
A Swedish-style buffet comprising a variety of cold sandwiches and other dishes; (by extension) any buffet with a wide selection of dishes.


date: 2025-04-14
word: inure
ipa: /ɪˈnjʊə/
pos: Verb
definition:
(transitive) To cause someone to become accustomed to something that requires prolonged or repeated tolerance of one or more unpleasantries. [from 16th c.]


date: 2025-04-22
word: tarantism
ipa: /ˈtæɹəntɪzm/
pos: Noun
definition:
An extreme urge to dance, popularly thought to have been caused by the bite of a tarantula (Lycosa tarantula) and prevalent in southern Italy in the 15th through 17th centuries.


date: 2025-05-03
word: kenopsia
ipa: /kəˈnɒp.si.ə/
pos: Noun
definition:
(neologism, rare) The haunting quality of seeing a location typically full of people in a state of emptiness or abandonment.


date: 2025-05-05
word: sonder
ipa: /ˈsɑndɚ/
pos: Noun
definition:
(neologism) The profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passing in the street, has a life as complex as one's own, which they are constantly living despite one's personal lack of awareness of it.


date: 2025-05-15
word: eidolon
ipa: /aɪˈdəʊlən/
pos: Noun
definition:
An image or representation of an idea; a representation of an ideal form; an apparition of some actual or imaginary entity, or of some aspect of reality.


date: 2025-05-17
word: irenic
ipa: /aɪˈɹiːnɪk/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(chiefly theology) Promoting or fitted to promote peace or peacemaking, especially over disputes; conciliatory, non-confrontational, peaceful.


date: 2025-05-20
word: noisome
ipa: /ˈnɔɪ.səm/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(literary) Offensive to the senses; disgusting, unpleasant, nauseous, especially having an undesirable smell.


date: 2025-05-22
word: palimpsest
ipa: /ˈpælɪmpsɛst/
pos: Noun
definition:
A manuscript or document that has been erased or scraped clean, for reuse of the paper, parchment, vellum, or other medium on which it was written.


date: 2025-05-28
word: weal
ipa: /wiːl/
pos: Noun
definition:
Specifically, the general happiness of a community, country etc. (often with qualifying word). [from 15th c.]


date: 2025-05-31
word: heuristic
ipa: /hjuˈɹɪstɪk/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(of an approach to problem solving, learning, or discovery) That employs a practical method not guaranteed to be optimal or perfect; either not following or derived from any theory, or based on an advisedly oversimplified one. [from 1821]


date: 2025-06-01
word: ichor
ipa: /ˈaɪkɔː/
pos: Noun
definition:
(Greek mythology) The liquid said to flow in place of blood in the veins of the gods. [from late 17th c.]


date: 2025-06-02
word: lagniappe
ipa: /lænˈjæp/
pos: Noun
definition:
(chiefly Louisiana, Mississippi, Trinidad and Tobago) An extra or unexpected gift or benefit, such as that given to customers when they purchase something.


date: 2025-06-09
word: vicissitude
ipa: /vɪˈsɪs.ɪˌt(j)uːd/
pos: Noun
definition:
Regular change or succession from one thing to another, or one part of a cycle to the next; alternation; mutual succession; interchange; variability.


date: 2025-06-12
word: chiaroscuro
ipa: /kɪˌɑːɹəˈskʊəɹəʊ/
pos: Noun
definition:
(painting) An artistic technique developed during the Renaissance, referring to the use of strong contrasts between light and dark in order to create the illusion of volume.


date: 2025-06-18
word: interlard
ipa: /ˌɪntəˈlɑːd/
pos: Verb
definition:
Bloat or embellish (something) by including (often minor and extraneous) details at regular intervals.


date: 2025-06-24
word: quoin
ipa: /k(w)ɔɪn/
pos: Noun
definition:
Any of the corner building blocks of a building, usually larger or more ornate than the surrounding blocks.


date: 2025-07-11
word: usufruct
ipa: /ˈjuːz(j)ʊfɹʌkt/
pos: Noun
definition:
(law) The legal right to use and derive profit or benefit from property that belongs to another person, as long as the property is not damaged.


date: 2025-07-16
word: eidetic
ipa: /aɪˈdɛtɪk/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(neuroscience) Marked by or resulting from extraordinary ability to recall detailed and vivid mental images of visual images.


date: 2025-07-17
word: hiraeth
ipa: /ˈhɪraɨ̯θ/
pos: Noun
definition:
wistfulness; nostalgia; longing; homesickness; a deep feeling of yearning for something, someone or somewhere


date: 2025-07-25
word: heliotrope
ipa: /ˈhiː.li.ə.tɹəʊp/
pos: Noun
definition:
(countable, botany, also figuratively) A plant with flowers which turn to face and follow the sun, such as (archaic) marigolds and sunflowers.


date: 2025-07-27
word: Orwellian
ipa: /ɔɹˈwɛli.ən/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Resembling the totalitarian political methods decried in the works of writer George Orwell, particularly in the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four; characterized by use of misleading terminology, propaganda, censorship, surveillance and repression. [1950]


date: 2025-08-02
word: antithesis
ipa: /ænˈtɪ.θə.sɪs/
pos: Noun
definition:
(rhetoric) A device by which two contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in parallel form; a figure of speech arranged in this manner


date: 2025-08-05
word: pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism
ipa: /ˌsjuː.dəʊˌsjuː.dəʊˌhaɪ.pəʊ.pæɹ.əˈθaɪ.ɹɔɪd.ɪzəm/
pos: Noun
definition:
(medicine) A mild inherited condition in which the sufferer has symptoms similar to those of pseudohypoparathyroidism.


date: 2025-08-07
word: zaibatsu
ipa: /zaɪˈbætsuː/
pos: Noun
definition:
(business, historical) A large business conglomerate founded under the Empire of Japan, generally controlled by a single family or individual.


date: 2025-08-12
word: placate
ipa: /pləˈkeɪt/
pos: Verb
definition:
(transitive) To calm; to bring peace to; to influence someone who was furious to the point that they become content or at least no longer irate.


date: 2025-08-13
word: bonhomie
ipa: /ˈbɒnəmiː/
pos: Noun
definition:
(uncountable) A friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner; an affable and approachable disposition; friendliness.


date: 2025-08-14
word: dysphemism
ipa: /ˈdɪs.fəˌmɪ.z(ə)m/
pos: Noun
definition:
(uncountable) The use of a word or phrase carrying negative connotations or imagery (especially one that is derogatory, offensive or vulgar) to replace a (more) neutral original.


date: 2025-08-18
word: pyrocumulonimbus
ipa: /ˌpaɪɹəʊˌkjuːmjʊləˈnɪmbəs/
pos: Noun
definition:
An extreme manifestation of a pyrocumulus, generated by the heat of a wildfire, that often rises to the upper troposphere or lower stratosphere.


date: 2025-08-19
word: cognitohazard
ipa: /kɒɡˈni.təʊˌhæ.zəd/
pos: Noun
definition:
(neurology, chiefly science fiction) A sensory signal (such as an image or sound) that directly causes harmful or undesired physiological effects to one who senses or perceives it.


date: 2025-08-20
word: quacksalver
ipa: /ˈkwæksælvə/
pos: Noun
definition:
(archaic) One falsely claiming to possess medical or other skills, especially one who dispenses potions, ointments, etc., supposedly having curative powers; a quack.


date: 2025-08-21
word: esurient
ipa: /ɪˈsjʊə.ɹɪ.ənt/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(formal, now often humorous) Very greedy or hungry; ravenous; (figuratively) avid, eager. [from late 17th c.]


date: 2025-08-22
word: redound
ipa: /ɹɪˈdaʊnd/
pos: Verb
definition:
(obsolete, intransitive) To swell up (of water, waves etc.); to overflow, to surge (of bodily fluids). [14th–19th c.]


date: 2025-08-25
word: mete
ipa: /miːt/
pos: Verb
definition:
(transitive, usually with “out”) To dispense, measure in order to dispense, allot (especially punishment, reward etc.).


date: 2025-08-26
word: LUCA
ipa: /ˈluːkə/
pos: Noun
definition:
(taxonomy, biology, paleontology) Initialism of last universal common ancestor; the hypothesised most recent primordial organism that is an ancestor to all organisms now living.


date: 2025-08-27
word: kugelblitz
ipa: /ˈkuːɡl̩ˌblɪt͡s/
pos: Noun
definition:
(theoretical physics) A concentration of light so intense that it forms an event horizon and becomes self-trapped, forming a black hole.


date: 2025-09-01
word: urstromtal
ipa: /ˈʊəstɹəʊmˌtɑːl/
pos: Noun
definition:
(geology) A broad glacial valley formed during an ice age by meltwater flowing roughly parallel to the ice margin.


date: 2025-09-02
word: thanatocoenose
ipa: /θəˌnætəʊˈsiːnəʊs/
pos: Noun
definition:
A collection of dead life forms that are found together, having previously interacted as a community within an ecosystem.


date: 2025-09-08
word: heisenbug
ipa: /ˈhaɪzənˌbʌɡ/
pos: Noun
definition:
(computing) A software bug which fails to manifest itself or manifests differently during debugging.


date: 2025-09-09
word: tesseract
ipa: /ˈte-sə-ˌrakt/
pos: Noun
definition:
(mathematics, geometry) The four-dimensional analogue of a cube; a 4D polytope bounded by eight cubes (analogously to the way a cube is bounded by six squares).


date: 2025-09-12
word: philistine
ipa: /ˈfɪlɪstaɪn/
pos: Noun
definition:
(derogatory) A person who is ignorant or uneducated; specifically, a person who lacks appreciation of or is antagonistic towards art or culture, and who has pedestrian tastes.


date: 2025-09-23
word: prepend
ipa: /pɹɪˈpɛnd/
pos: Verb
definition:
(computing, linguistics, transitive) To attach (an expression, phrase, etc.) to another, as a prefix.


date: 2025-09-28
word: hypersphere
ipa: /ˈhaɪ.pəˌsfɪə/
pos: Noun
definition:
(geometry) The set of all points in a given hyperspace that are at a given distance from a given point; a generalization of a sphere in four or more dimensions.


date: 2025-09-30
word: Euclidean
ipa: /juːˈklɪd.i.ən/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(geometry) Adhering to the principles of traditional geometry, in which parallel lines are equidistant.


date: 2025-10-01
word: turbary
ipa: /ˈtɜːbəɹi/
pos: Noun
definition:
(uncountable) Peatland from which peat or turf may be cut for fuel; (countable) a piece of such land; a peat bog.


date: 2025-10-02
word: qubit
ipa: /ˈkjuːbɪt/
pos: Noun
definition:
(quantum computing) A quantum bit; the basic unit of quantum information described by a superposition of two states; a quantum bit in a quantum computer capable of being in a state of superposition; A binary qudit.


date: 2025-10-04
word: hypotrochoid
ipa: /ˌhaɪ.pə(ʊ)ˈtɹəʊ.kɔɪd/
pos: Noun
definition:
(geometry) A geometric curve traced by a fixed point on the radius line outside one circle which rotates inside the perimeter of another circle.


date: 2025-10-09
word: Vinland
ipa: /ˈvɪnlənd/
pos: Noun
definition:
The name given by the Icelandic Norseman Leifur Eiríksson to the portion of North America in modern-day Newfoundland, Canada when he arrived there circa 1000 AD.


date: 2025-10-11
word: forensic
ipa: /fəˈɹɛn.zɪk/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Relating to the use of science and technology in the investigation and establishment of facts or evidence in a court of law.


date: 2025-10-13
word: obelisk
ipa: /ˈɒbəlɪsk/
pos: Noun
definition:
(architecture) A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument. [from mid 16th c.]


date: 2025-10-14
word: solstice
ipa: /ˈsɒl.stɪs/
pos: Noun
definition:
One of the two points in the ecliptic at which the sun is furthest from the celestial equator. This corresponds to one of two days in the year when the day is either longest or shortest.


date: 2025-10-16
word: epoch
ipa: /ˈiːpɒk/
pos: Noun
definition:
(chronology, astronomy, computing) A specific instant in time, chosen as the point of reference or zero value of a system that involves identifying instants of time.


date: 2025-10-22
word: Pavlovian
ipa: /pævˈloʊvi.ən/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Of or relating to the theories of the Russian physiologist, psychologist, and physician Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, especially those related to behavioral conditioning.


date: 2025-10-27
word: sciolism
ipa: /ˈsaɪ.ə.lɪ.z(ə)m/
pos: Noun
definition:
(uncountable) The practice of expressing opinions on something which one knows only superficially or has little real understanding of; also, shallow or superficial knowledge; (countable) an instance of this.


date: 2025-10-28
word: dilettante
ipa: /dɪlɪˈtænti/
pos: Noun
definition:
An amateur, someone who dabbles in a field out of casual interest rather than as a profession or serious interest.


date: 2025-10-29
word: aficionado
ipa: /əˌfɪʃ.(j)əˈnɑː.dəʊ/
pos: Noun
definition:
A person who likes, knows about, and appreciates a particular interest or activity (originally bullfighting); a fan or devotee. [from 19th c.]


date: 2025-10-31
word: interrobang
ipa: /ɪnˈtɛ.ɹəʊˌbæŋ/
pos: Noun
definition:
The nonstandard punctuation mark ⟨‽⟩ (a combination of ⟨?⟩ and ⟨!⟩), which may be used at the end of a sentence to express excitement or disbelief, or to indicate that it is a rhetorical question. [from 1962.]


date: 2025-11-04
word: auton
ipa: /ˈɔː.tɒn/
pos: Noun
definition:
(science fiction) A machine or robot, usually in the form of a living being, designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.


date: 2025-11-05
word: hearken
ipa: /ˈhɑːk(ə)n/
pos: Verb
definition:
(transitive, archaic except poetic) To hear (something) with attention; to have regard to (something).


date: 2025-11-10
word: shibboleth
ipa: /ˈʃɪbəlɛθ/
pos: Noun
definition:
A particular pronunciation or custom that is regarded as distinguishing members of a group from non-members, especially when used as a test.


date: 2025-11-15
word: antidictionary
ipa: /æntɪˈdɪkʃ(ə)nəɹi/
pos: Noun
definition:
(computational linguistics) The set of all words of minimal length that never appear in a particular string.


date: 2025-11-17
word: quefrency
ipa: /ˈkwiːfɹənsi/
pos: Noun
definition:
(signal processing) The inverse of the distance between successive lines in a Fourier transform, measured in seconds.


date: 2025-11-21
word: technopeasant
ipa: /ˈtɛknəʊˌpɛzənt/
pos: Noun
definition:
(informal) One who is disadvantaged or exploited within a modern technological society, especially through inability to use computer technology.


date: 2025-11-24
word: disport
ipa: /dɪˈspɔːt/
pos: Verb
definition:
(ambitransitive, reflexive, dated) To amuse oneself divertingly or playfully; in particular, to cavort or gambol.


date: 2025-12-03
word: sheathe
ipa: /ʃiːð/
pos: Verb
definition:
(transitive, medicine, obsolete) To relieve the harsh or painful effect of (a drug, a poison, etc.).


date: 2025-12-06
word: semordnilap
ipa: /səˈmɔːdnɪlæp/
pos: Noun
definition:
A word, phrase, or sentence that has the property of forming another word, phrase, or sentence when its letters are reversed. A semordnilap differs from a palindrome in that the word or phrase resulting from the reversal is different from the original word or phrase.


date: 2025-12-07
word: leviathan
ipa: /lɪˈvaɪəθn̩/
pos: Noun
definition:
(biblical, mythology) A vast sea monster of tremendous strength, either imaginary or real, described as the most dangerous and powerful creature in the ocean.


date: 2025-12-08
word: avow
ipa: /əˈvaʊ/
pos: Verb
definition:
(transitive) To declare openly and boldly, as something believed to be right; to own, acknowledge or confess frankly.


date: 2025-12-10
word: perihelion
ipa: /ˌpɛɹ.ɪˈhiː.lɪ.ən/
pos: Noun
definition:
(astronomy) The point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, etc., where it is nearest to the Sun.


date: 2025-12-11
word: picayune
ipa: /ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/
pos: Noun
definition:
(figuratively, informal) A person regarded as unworthy of respect or useless; also, something of very little value; a trifle.


date: 2025-12-12
word: euouae
ipa: /juːˈuː.iː/
pos: Noun
definition:
In medieval music, a mnemonic for the Latin words saeculōrum and āmēn (from “ […] in saecula saeculōrum. Āmēn.” from the Gloria Patri doxology), used in liturgical works to indicate how the words should be sung with various cadences.


date: 2025-12-21
word: anadromous
ipa: /əˈnad.ɹə.məs/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(botany) Of a fern: in which the first veins in a frond segment are produced towards the apex of the frond.


date: 2025-12-24
word: sublimate
ipa: /ˈsʌblɪmeɪt/
pos: Verb
definition:
(chemistry) To heat (a substance) in a container so as to convert it into a gas which then condenses in solid form on cooler parts of the container.


date: 2025-12-26
word: stratospheric
ipa: /ˌstɹætəˈsfɛɹɪk/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(meteorology) Of, relating to, or occurring in the stratosphere (“the region of the uppermost atmosphere”).


date: 2025-12-29
word: peevish
ipa: /ˈpiːvɪʃ/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant. [from 16th c.]


date: 2026-01-07
word: geoid
ipa: /ˈdʒiːɔɪd/
pos: Noun
definition:
(geography, geodesy) The shape, extending through landmasses (continents, etc.), that the surface of the oceans of the Earth would take under the influence of the Earth's gravity and rotation alone, disregarding other factors such as winds and tides; that is, a surface of constant gravitational potential at zero elevation.


date: 2026-01-08
word: necrocracy
ipa: /nɛˈkɹɒkɹəsi/
pos: Noun
definition:
A form of government where a dead person is recognised as its head; usually a deceased former leader.


date: 2026-01-10
word: filch
ipa: /fɪlt͡ʃ/
pos: Verb
definition:
(transitive) To illegally take possession of (something, especially items of low value); to pilfer, to steal.


date: 2026-01-14
word: peregrinate
ipa: /ˈpɛ.ɹɪ.ɡɹəˌneɪt/
pos: Verb
definition:
(intransitive) To travel from place to place, or from one country to another, especially on foot; hence, to sojourn in foreign countries.


date: 2026-01-16
word: phillumenist
ipa: /fɪˈluːmənɪst/
pos: Noun
definition:
A person who collects match-related items, like matchbox labels, matchboxes, matchbooks, or matchbook covers.


date: 2026-01-20
word: bardic
ipa: /ˈbɑɹ.dɪk/
pos: Noun
definition:
A bardic circle or competition: a gathering or contest at which stories, poems, and/or songs are recited.


date: 2026-01-23
word: siesta
ipa: /siˈɛstə/
pos: Noun
definition:
(countable) A nap, especially an afternoon one taken during the hottest part of the day in some cultures.


date: 2026-01-24
word: prograde
ipa: /ˈpɹəʊɡɹeɪd/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(astronomy) Moving in a forward direction, especially with respect to other bodies in the same system.


date: 2026-01-25
word: acnestis
ipa: /ækˈniːstɪs/
pos: Noun
definition:
(zoology) The section of an animal's skin that it cannot reach in order to scratch itself, usually the space between the shoulder blades.


date: 2026-01-29
word: battue
ipa: /bəˈt(j)uː/
pos: Noun
definition:
(uncountable, hunting, often attributively) A form of hunting in which game is forced into the open by the beating of sticks on bushes, etc. [from early 19th c.]


date: 2026-02-01
word: aquaponics
ipa: /(ˌ)ækwəˈpɒnɪks/
pos: Noun
definition:
(agriculture) A sustainable food production system that combines traditional aquaculture with hydroponics, with effluent from the water in which fish are reared being used as nutrition for plants.


date: 2026-02-04
word: frivolous
ipa: /ˈfɹɪv.ə.ləs/
pos: Adjective
definition:
Silly, especially at an inappropriate time or in an inappropriate manner; lacking a good reason for being, or for doing what one does; due to or moved by a whim or caprice.


date: 2026-02-06
word: obliquity
ipa: /əˈblɪkwɪti/
pos: Noun
definition:
The quality of being oblique in direction, deviating from the horizontal or vertical; or the angle created by such a deviation. [from 15th c.]


date: 2026-02-10
word: cutaneous
ipa: /kjuːˈteɪniəs/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(anatomy, zoology) Of, relating to, existing on, or affecting the exterior skin, especially the cutis.


date: 2026-02-13
word: caustic
ipa: /ˈkɔːstɪk/
pos: Noun
definition:
(optics, computer graphics) The envelope of reflected or refracted rays of light for a given surface or object.


date: 2026-02-16
word: contumelious
ipa: /ˌkɒn.tjʊˈmiː.li.əs/
pos: Adjective
definition:
(archaic, literary) Rudely contemptuous; showing contumely; exhibiting an insolent or disdainful attitude.


date: 2026-02-20
word: parataxis
ipa: /paɹəˈtaksɪs/
pos: Noun
definition:
(grammar) Speech or writing in which clauses or phrases are placed together without being separated by conjunctions, for example "I came; I saw; I conquered".


date: 2026-02-24
word: karst
ipa: /kɑːst/
pos: Noun
definition:
(geology) A type of land formation, usually with many caves formed through the dissolving of limestone by underground drainage.


date: 2026-02-25
word: backronym
ipa: /ˈbæk.ɹəˌnɪm/
pos: Noun
definition:
A word that is originally not an acronym but is turned into one by devising a full form for it, sometimes as a folk etymology, sometimes as a contrived acronym to name a new organization, proposal, or other entity.


date: 2026-02-27
word: insignia
ipa: /ɪnˈsɪɡ.ni.ə/
pos: Noun
definition:
A symbol or token of personal power, status, or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction.


date: 2026-03-05
word: blip
ipa: /blɪp/
pos: Noun
definition:
(electronics) A small dot registered on electronic equipment, such as a radar or oscilloscope screen.


date: 2026-03-06
word: axiom
ipa: /ˈak.sɪ.əm/
pos: Noun
definition:
(philosophy) A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved.


date: 2026-03-13
word: thermoception
ipa: /ˌθɜː(ɹ)məʊˈsɛpʃən/
pos: Noun
definition:
(biology) The sense of heat and cold: the ability of humans, and many other organisms, to perceive temperature.


date: 2026-03-15
word: abnegate
ipa: /ˈæb.nɪ.ɡeɪt/
pos: Verb
definition:
(transitive) To deny (oneself something); to renounce or give up (a right, a power, a claim, a privilege, a convenience). [First attested in the early 17th century.]


date: 2026-03-28
word: abulia
ipa: /əˈb(j)uː.lɪə/
pos: Noun
definition:
(psychiatry) Absence of willpower or decisiveness, especially as a symptom of mental illness. [from 19th c.]


date: 2026-04-01
word: boustrophedon
ipa: /ˌbuːstɹəˈfiːdən/
pos: Noun
definition:
(epigraphy) Text written such that its direction alternates on each line, resulting in a continuous stream of characters spanning multiple lines; frequently also involving the corresponding alternation of letter directionality using mirrored letters, indicating the direction of the text at any given point.


date: 2026-04-03
word: anaphora
ipa: /ˌænəˈfɔɹə/
pos: Noun
definition:
(rhetoric) The repetition of a phrase at the beginning of phrases, sentences, or verses, used for emphasis.


date: 2026-04-10
word: phylogenetics
ipa: /ˌfaɪləd͡ʒəˈnɛtɪks/
pos: Noun
definition:
(biology, systematics) The study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups of organisms, through computational methods that focus on observed heritable traits.


date: 2026-04-18
word: hyperthymesia
ipa: /ˌhaɪ.pə.θaɪˈmiː.zi.ə/
pos: Noun
definition:
(neuroscience) A rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory and is able to recall the vast majority of personal events and experiences in life.


date: 2026-04-19
word: voivodeship
ipa: /ˈvɔɪˌvəʊdˌʃɪp/
pos: Noun
definition:
(countable, uncountable) The office, position, rank, or title of a voivode (“a local ruler or official in various parts of central and eastern Europe; an administrative chief in modern Poland”)


date: 2026-04-23
word: dielectric
ipa: /ˌdaɪ.ɪˈlɛk.tɹɪk/
pos: Noun
definition:
(physics) An electrically insulating or nonconducting material considered for its electric susceptibility, i.e. its property of polarization when exposed to an external electric field.


date: 2026-04-28
word: cronyism
ipa: /ˈkɹəʊnɪɪz(ə)m/
pos: Noun
definition:
(obsolete) The condition of being friends; friendship; also, the ability or inclination to make friends.


date: 2026-04-30
word: proletariat
ipa: /ˌpɹəʊ.lɪˈtɛə.ɹɪ.ət/
pos: Noun
definition:
(often derogatory, also figuratively) The lowest class of society; also, the lower classes of society generally; the masses.


