Abattoir: slaughterhouse
Absinthe: wormwood liquor of a bright-green color
Acciaccatura: grace note, an embellishing note usually written in smaller size
Acedia: ennui, state of torpor of listlessness, spiritual apathy
Acervuline: aggregated, heaped up, bundled, collected or localized
Acidulous: somewhat acidic or sour in taste or manner, somewhat sarcastic
Acolyte: ranked clergy member, assistant in liturgical rites
Acoustic: of or relating to sound, the sense of hearing, or the science of sound
Acquiesce: to passively accept, to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively
Adroit: quick or skillful or adept in action or thought
Adumbrate: to explain faintly or opaquely outline, describe
Aeipathy: continued passion, unyielding disease
Aeneous: brassy, golden-green
Aeolian: pertaining to, of, related to, caused by or like the wind or Aeolus
Aeonian: continuing forever, eternal
Aerial: of, in, or caused by the air, existing or living in the air
Aesthete: person who appreciates art or beauty
Aestival: pertaining to, relating, designating, or of Summer
Aeviternal: eternal, endless, never-ending
Afflatus: strong creative impulse, especially as a result of divine inspiration, inspiration
Aileron: small moveable platforms on the back of plane wings that alter air movements
Ailurophile: cat-lover, one who loves or appreciates cats
Alabaster: dense translucent, white or tinted fine-grained gypsum
Alienate: to estrange, to cause to become unfriendly or hostile
Aliment: something that nourishes, food, to supply with sustenance or food
Allegretto: music term, moderately fast tempo
Alleviate: to allay, to lessen in pain or negative occurrence or consequence
Alloquy: speaking to another, an address
Allure: attraction, temptation, to attract with something desirable
Alluvium: unconsolidated sediments carried by water
Amaranth: deep-hued purple, flower, metaphor for immortality
Amber: light brown, light yellow
Ambience: atmosphere, a particular environment or surrounding influence, aura
Ambivalence: simultaneous, conflicted feelings towards a thing, person, etc
Ambrosia: food of the gods, something overpoweringly delicious or fragrant
Ameliorate: to make better, improve, enhance
Amelus: individual exhibiting Amelia (the congenital absence of one or more limbs)
Amethyst: deep purple, deep purple gemstone
Amnesia: partial or total loss of memory
Amphisbaena: Greek mythological being, two-headed snake, a head on each end
Amphora: ceramic, two-handled vase with a narrow neck, usually contains alcohol
Amulet: a charm against evil or impurity, often a piece of jewelry
Analemma: sundial, figure-8 indicating sun’s declination
Ancestry: the inception or origin of a phenomenon, object, idea, or style, lineage
Andante: music, moderately slow
Anemone: flowery marine creature
Antebellum: before or existing before a war, especially the American civil war
Anxiolytic: preventing or reducing anxiety, antianxiety medication, tranquilizer
Aperitif: alcoholic drink taken as an appetizer before a meal
Aphelion: when the orbit of earth is furthest from the sun
Aphesis: omission of sound or verbiage at the beginning of a word or phrase
Aphotic: devoid of light, especially of areas where no light naturally occurs
Apocope: omission of sound or verbiage at the end of a word or phrase
Apophenia: the perception of or belief in connectedness among unrelated phenomena
Apoplexy: stroke, impairment or neuralgia from cerebral hemorrhage
Aposiopesis: abrupt stop of a thought in a sentence, as if the speaker could not continue
Apostasy: abandonment of one's religious faith, political party, one's principles, or a cause
Apostolicity: being of or contemporary with the Apostles in character
Apotheosis: deification, quintessence, exaltation to divine rank or stature
Apropos: appropriate of, appropriate
Aquarelle: painting done in transparent watercolors, watercolor, watercolor painting
Aqueous: of, relating to, or resembling water, made from, with, or by water
Aquiline: resembling an eagle’s beak, hooked like a beak
Arabesque: ballet twirl, type of artistry involving a continuous, rotating design
Aria: air or song, a melody, solo in an opera accompanied by instrumentation
Artemisia: type of plant, genus of aromatic shrubs or herbs
Ascertain: to understand specific facts, to ferret out information
Ashlar: a squared block of building stone and dressed for outward placement
Asphodel: flower of the underworld
Astral: of or pertaining to the aster, stellar, star-shaped, pertaining to the stars
Asylum: refuge, a place to restore sanity or facilitate recovery
Atelier: artist’s studio
Athanasy: quality of being deathless, immortality
Athenaeum: institution for the promotion of literary or scientific learning, phrontistery
Aubade: poem or song about or evocative dawn or morning, opposite of nocturne
Auburn: moderate reddish-brown
Aura: distinctive and pervasive quality or character, air, atmosphere, emanation
Austere: severe or stern in disposition, discipline, or appearance, somber and grave
Autumnal: pertaining to, like, relating, or evocative of Autumn
Auxiliary: additional, supplementary, reserve, acting as a subsidiary
Avarice: extreme greed for wealth or material gain
Avenue: wide street or thoroughfare, roadway lined with tress
Azalea: type of plant, a common garden plant
Azoth: mythologized universal solvent, panacea
Azuline: light blue, similar to a light blue
Azure: sky-blue or a light blue
Baccalaureate: bachelor’s degree, valedictory speech
Balustrade: architectural term, series of balusters or parapet
Banderilla: decorated dart that is shot into the neck of the bull during a bull fight
Bardiglio: finely-grained, multi-gray, Italian marble
Basilica: large, public building the Romans used, usually as a courtroom or meeting hall
Bastille: imprisonment, jail, prison
Bayonet: blade adapted to fit the muzzle-end of a rifle and as a weapon in close combat
Belladonna: poisonous plant
Belle-lettres: “beautiful letters” aesthetic literature, as opposed to didactic
Bellicose: inclined or eager to fight, aggressively hostile, belligerent, pugnacious
Bellwether: leader or indicator of future trends, trendsetter
Belvedere: roofed structure, on top of another building, which commands a large view
Berceuse: lullaby, song used to put someone to sleep
Bethesda: a hallowed, sanctified, or holy place, a chapel, holy ground
Bezaleel: shadow of God, God’s shadow
Bibelot: trinket, bauble, small object which is rare or valuable or beautiful, a small book
Bibliophile: someone who loves (and usually collects) books, book collector
Bijouterie: general plural of trinkets or jewelry, gallery thereof, display thereof
Bivouac: temporary military or squad encampment
Blaze: bright flame of fire, bright steady light or glare, hot gleam
Blellum: an idle, indiscreet talker, noisy fainéant
Bliss: joy, rapture, elation, felicity
Blithe: carefree, nonchalant, heedless, lacking concern, joyous
Blossom: billowing, period or condition of flowering or growth
Bloviate: to make pompous or arrogant discourse
Boeotian: marked by stupidity and philistinism, crudely obtuse, loutish
Borasca: squall, usually accompanied by thunder and lightning
Bordereau: a detailed note or memorandum of account
Boulevard: broad street, avenue, broad spectrum of something
Bouleversement: reversal of fortunes, overturning, tumult
Bourgeoisie: the middle class, the middle class in Communist theory
Braggadocio: arrogant person, braggart, arrogant or boastful behavior
Brecciate: to form rock into breccia(rocks made of sharp fragments set in a grainy matrix)
Breeze: gentle push of the wind
Breviloquence: speech characterized by brevity, shortness, briefness
Brevity: briefness, swiftness, evanescence
Bricolage: something made or put together using any materials that happen are available
Brio: joie de vivre, vivacity, alacrity, gusto, esprit
Burnish: to polish, the shine of a polished surface
Caballero: skilled horseman, gentleman, cavalier
Cabaret: a restaurant with live entertainment
Cadence: rhythmic flow of the sounds of language, lilt
Cadenza: musical or literary improvisation
Caesious: blue-gray
Caesura: a pause in a line of verse
Calico: coarse, brightly printed cloth, a type of pattern
Caliginous: misty, dim, obscure, dark, gloomy, tenebrous
Calliope: musical instrument fitted with steam whistles, played from a keyboard
Callipygian: having a beautiful, admirable, or sexy butt
Callow: immature, green, lacking experience, naïve
Calypso: rare orchid, a tribal and fervid dance
Cancrizans: backwards movement, crab walking, music moving backwards
Candelabra: pl. branched candlestick with several candles
Canticle: a song, poem, or hymn, usually of a church choir
Capriccio: music, improvisation, without adherence to rules
Capriccioso: music, lively and free of restraint, restriction, or direction
Capricious: impulsive, whimsical, unpredictable
Caress: touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner
Cartesian: of or relating to the philosophy of Descartes
Cascarilla: West Indian shrub with aromatic bark, typically used in incense or tonics
Catena: closely linked series, connected series of related things, especially of writing
Cathismata: pl. one of the 20 divisions in a Greek Psalter
Cavil: to object or criticize adversely for trivial reasons, flimsy objection or qualm
Cedilla: diacritic beneath word to alter pronunciation “façade”
Celadon: pale green
Celeripedean: quick-footed, swift, fast-running
Celerity: speed, alacrity, briskness
Celesta: ancient musical instrument
Celestial: heavenly, of a higher plane, empyreal, of space
Cello: large, stringed instrument that generates deep tones
Cellophane: thin, flexible, transparent cellulose material used as moisture-proof wrapping
Cellular: pertaining to cells or their structure, containing cells
Cellulite: fatty deposit causing a dimpled appearance, as around the thighs or buttocks
Celluloid: transparent, colorless, synthetic plastic used to manufacture photographic film
Cenotaph: an unmarked grave
Centennial: of or relating to a period of 100 years, occurring once every 100 years
Cerulean: watery blue
Cerumen: yellow, wax-like secretion from the external ears, “earwax”
Cessation: pause, interruption, ceasing, ending
Chalice: cup for consecrated wine, goblet
Chamois: goatlike antelope, type of cloth for cleaning
Champagne: bubbling alcohol with fruity taste
Chandelier: ceiling-mounted light fixture or glass structure
Chantpleure: to cry while singing, to cry and sing simultaneously
Chariot: two or four-wheeled, horse-drawn war or procession vehicle
Chartreuse: swampy green
Chatoyant: like or resembling a cat’s eye
Chauffer: a designated paid driver for formal occasions
Cheilion: the corner of the mouth or oral cavity
Chevelure: head of hair, hair on the head, tresses, a nebulous envelop(as around a comet)
Chiaroscuro: composition of strong contrasts in light and dark
Chiasmus: rhetorical, inverse sentence, “One should eat to live, not live to eat”
Choreography: the art of creating and arranging dances or ballets
Cicada: loud, locust-like insect that chirrups
Cinder: burned substance, one which is no longer capable of combustion
Cinnabar: bright red, glowing red
Cinquefoil: five-leaved, plant with limbs that are five-leaved, five-pointed leaves
Circlet: ring-shaped ornament or piece of jewelry, especially for the head
Circuitous: having a circular or winding course, indirect, roundabout
Circular: of, like, related to, or resembling a circle
Cislunar: of or relating to the space between earth and the moon or the moon’s orbit
Cistern: an underground reservoir
Citadel: bulwark, a fortress or stronghold, refuge
Cithara: ancient Greek instrument, like a lyre
Civility: formal or perfunctory politeness, state of being civil
Clandestine: kept secretly or done secretively
Clarion: medieval trumpet with clear shrill tones, clear and shrill, loud burst of sound
Clavicle: the collarbone of a human
Clavilux: machine that generates light via music
Cleanse: to free from dirt, defilement, or guilt, purge or clean
Clemency: mercy, an act of mercy, showing mercy
Clerisy: the well-educated or learned class, intelligentsia, cognoscenti
Clinquant: glittering as gold, glittering with tinsel, showily ornate
Clithridiate: keyhole-shaped, resembling a keyhole
Cloister: monastatic establishment, convent of living
Coalesce: to fuse, intersect, or entwine to create a unity
Coelacanth: prehistoric fish still alive today
Coercion: the act of coercing, the use of pressure, threats, blackmail, or intimidation
Collectanea: selection of pieces of writing by an author or by several authors
Colliquate: to change from solid to liquid, to liquefy
Colloquial: informal, as in speech, conversationally informal
Colophon: inscription at the end of a book, an identifying emblem for a book
Coloratura: elaborate or technical vocal music with florid ornamentation
Comestibles: items suitable to be eaten, edible sundries, articles of food, victuals
Communiqué: an official announcement, bulletin board, a dispatch, an official report
Conciliabule: secret meeting of conspirators
Conciliate: to win over from a state of hostility or distrust, appease
Concinnity: harmony in the arrangement or fitness of parts with respect to a whole
Concupiscence: lasciviousness, lewdness, ardent lust
Congelifraction: splitting or disintegration of rocks as a result of the freezing of the water
Constellation: specific arrangement of stars to form an image
Convalesce: to recover or recuperate, recover from a serious injury
Copse: thicket of small trees or shrubs, a coppice, small wood, a tree
Coquelicot: plant, red poppy
Coquette: woman who makes teasing sexual or romantic overtures, a flirt or tease
Coracle: small rounded boat made of waterproof material stretched over a frame
Cordillera: group of mountain ranges forming a mountain system of great linear extent
Coriander: aromatic herb, herb used in a variety of perfumes
Corinthian: pertaining to Corinth or its culture, architecture
Cortical: of, relating to, derived from, or consisting of cortex
Coruscate: sparkle, reflect brightly, shimmer
Cosmology: study of the physical universe considered a mass of phenomena in spacetime
Cosmopolitan: pertaining to the world at large, without localized prejudices
Coterie: tightly-knit group of persons having a common purpose or interest, cadre, clique
Craquelure: fine pattern of dense cracking formed on the surface of paintings
Crescendo: music, gradual increase of tempo, volume, or intensity
Crystal: mineral with many possible permutations, gemstone-like
Cumulonimbus: type of cloud that augurs, foretells, or indicates bad weather
Cuneiform: wedge-shaped, Sumerian language
Curlicue: fancy curl or twist, flourish of writing
Cursive: flowing, effusive, wavy, type on handwriting in English
Cuvette: a small, transparent, often tubular laboratory vessel
Cyan: greenish-blue
Cyaneous: deep blue, cerulean
Cygnet: a baby swan, young swan
Cylinder: long, tubular geometric shape rendered in three dimensions
Cymbal: percussive instrument, usually attached to a drum kit
Cynophilist: dog-lover, one who loves or appreciates dogs
Cynosure: that which garners great attention by calling to its brilliance, interest
Cypress: swampy tree or plant, plant or tree occurring in swamps
Cytherean: pertaining to beauty or the goddess, Aphrodite
Czigany: gypsy, Hungarian gypsy
