top of page

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! 

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

 A

is for...

ANNULAR

Adjective

1) pertaining to, or having the form of, a ring; ring shaped

2) banded or marked with circles

B

is for...

BRUMOUS

Adjective

1) foggy or misty; wintry

C

is for...

CURTAL

Adjective

1) brief, curtailed (obsolete)

2) having a docked tail (obsolete)

3) wearing a short frock coat (archaic)

4) physically shortened; short (rare)

D

is for...

DEGLUTITION

Noun

1) the act or process of swallowing

E

is for...

ERUMPENT

Adjective

1) bursting forth

F

is for...

FORAMINATE

Adjective

1) having foramina: perforated

G

is for...

GASCONADE

Noun

1) extravagant boasting

H

is for...

HORRESCENT

Adjective

1) bristling with horror; shuddering

I

is for...

IDEOPRAXIST

Noun

1) a person who is impelled to carry out an idea

 J

is for...

JOCOSERIOUS

Adjective

1) simultaneously jocular and serious; mixing mirth with serious matters

K

is for...

KYRIOLEXY

Noun

1) the use of literal expressions, as opposed to figurative (rare)

L

is for...

LUCIFEROUS

Adjective

1) illuminating; providing light

2 (figuratively) illuminating; offering insight

M

is for...

MADEFY

Transitive Verb

1) to make wet or moist (obsolete)

N

is for...

NEBULISE

Verb

1) to reduce to a fine spray

O

is for...

OBTURATE

Verb

1) to block up or obstruct

P

is for...

PIEZOELECTRICITY

Transitive Verb

1) the ability of certain crystals to generate a voltage in response to applied mechanical stress

Q

is for...

QUITCH

Verb

1) to shake; to stir, move (obsolete)

2) to flinch, shrink

R

is for...

REBULLITION

Noun

1) the act of boiling or effervescing (obsolete)

S

is for...

SPUMESCENT

Adjective

1) resembling froth or foam; foaming (rare)

T

is for...

TENEBROUS

Adjective

1) dark and gloomy

U

is for...

ULLAGE

Noun

1) the amount that a container (such as a tank or cask) lacks of being full

V

is for...

VERTIGINATE

Intransitive verb

1) to whirl dizzily around: twirl

 W

is for...

WANZE

Verb

1) to wane; waste, waste away; pine; wither

X

is for...

XANTHIC

Adjective

1) yellow; yellowish

Y

is for...

YESPEN

Noun

1) amount that can be held in two hands cupped together (obsolete)

2) two hands cupped together (obsolete)

 Z

is for...

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

bottom of page