LEXI'S DICTIONARY
So many beautiful words...
...what's your favourite?
Professor Lexi Con featured 26 unusual, rare, archaic and obsolete words during The Alphabet of Awesome Science – one for every letter of the alphabet.
If you've already seen the show, then scroll below to revisit your favourites. If you haven't seen the show, then go back a page, coz, well... SPOILERS!
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HAPPY WORD NERDING!
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
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ANNULAR
Adjective
1) pertaining to, or having the form of, a ring; ring shaped
2) banded or marked with circles
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BRUMOUS
Adjective
1) foggy or misty; wintry
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CURTAL
Adjective
1) brief, curtailed (obsolete)
2) having a docked tail (obsolete)
3) wearing a short frock coat (archaic)
4) physically shortened; short (rare)
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DEGLUTITION
Noun
1) the act or process of swallowing
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ERUMPENT
Adjective
1) bursting forth
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FORAMINATE
Adjective
1) having foramina: perforated
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GASCONADE
Noun
1) extravagant boasting
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HORRESCENT
Adjective
1) bristling with horror; shuddering
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IDEOPRAXIST
Noun
1) a person who is impelled to carry out an idea
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JOCOSERIOUS
Adjective
1) simultaneously jocular and serious; mixing mirth with serious matters
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KYRIOLEXY
Noun
1) the use of literal expressions, as opposed to figurative (rare)
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LUCIFEROUS
Adjective
1) illuminating; providing light
2 (figuratively) illuminating; offering insight
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MADEFY
Transitive Verb
1) to make wet or moist (obsolete)
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NEBULISE
Verb
1) to reduce to a fine spray
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OBTURATE
Verb
1) to block up or obstruct
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PIEZOELECTRICITY
Transitive Verb
1) the ability of certain crystals to generate a voltage in response to applied mechanical stress
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QUITCH
Verb
1) to shake; to stir, move (obsolete)
2) to flinch, shrink
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REBULLITION
Noun
1) the act of boiling or effervescing (obsolete)
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SPUMESCENT
Adjective
1) resembling froth or foam; foaming (rare)
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TENEBROUS
Adjective
1) dark and gloomy
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ULLAGE
Noun
1) the amount that a container (such as a tank or cask) lacks of being full
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VERTIGINATE
Intransitive verb
1) to whirl dizzily around: twirl
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WANZE
Verb
1) to wane; waste, waste away; pine; wither
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XANTHIC
Adjective
1) yellow; yellowish
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YESPEN
Noun
1) amount that can be held in two hands cupped together (obsolete)
2) two hands cupped together (obsolete)
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ZEPHYR
Noun
1) a light wind from the west
2) any light refreshing wind, a gentle breeze
3) anything of fine, soft, or light quality, especially fabric