Definitions
A collection of underrated, misunderstood, and urgent words
A
a/an : “A was modified from the Egyptian hieroglyph representing the eagle. In Hebrew it was an ox, and in Greek it was a “symbol of a bad AUGURY in the sacrifices.” The distinction between a/an happened around the 1300s.
aardvark : South African “earth pig”
aaron’s serpent : “something so powerful as to swallow up minor powers (Exod. vi, 10-12). Thus, Prussia was the Aaron’s serpent that swallowed up the lesser German States between 1866 and 1870.” For context, Aaron was “the patriarch of the Jewish priesthood,” and “possibly connected with haaron, ‘the ark.’”
ab initio; to start over from the beginning
abandonment : ties into atheism and “God is Dead” from Nietzche; the feeling of a once-religious society suddenly without a father; abandoned. “Concept central to atheistic EXISTENTIALISM. According to … Sartre, God does not exist and life therefore has no intrinsic purpose or meaning. Man has been ‘abandoned’ in the universe and must create his own morality and code of values without the assistance of any divine being.”
abbadon : “the angel of the bottomless pit (rev. ix, 11), from Heb. abad, he perished. Milton used the name for the pit itself: ‘in hall her gates Abbadon rues, Thy bold attempt.’ Paradise Regained, IV, 624.”
abdals : “the name given by Moslems to certain mysterious persons whose identity is known only to God and through whom the world is able to continue in existence. When one dies another is secretly appointed by God to fill the vacant place.”
abduction : Latin, abductus; “to lead away”
abject (adj.) : miserable (wretched, thrown away, cast off)
abjure : to reject solemnly.
ablution (n) : a washing; in Cantebury Tales, means “the cleansing of impurities”—this makes me think it’s more about ritual washing than practical dirt cleaning.
abney’s effect : from Sir William Abney (1843-1920); “the phenomenon … when a large area is suddenly illuminated, the light seems to appear first in the centre of the patch (rather than appearing all at once) and then spreads outwards towards the edges. When the light is extinguished, the edges disappear first and the centre last.”
abstraction : abs = without, tract = grip, tion = a state; “a state of no grip.” Something is abstract when there’s nothing figurative or recognizable for the mind to grip onto. “The sense of an abstract idea appeared in 1644, in Milton’s Of Education.”
abstruse : hard to understand; ab=before, trudere=thrust,push,enter; it’s a kind of confusion where you can’t even find the entry point to begin conceptualizing it. Some types of confusion give you clear elements that are confusing from a lack of cohesion. But abstrusity is about being impenetrable.
absurd : not just “irrational”… the meaning of “surd” is revealing … “borrowed from latin “surdus” (deaf, unheard, silent, dull, out of tune, senseless) … it’s as if absurdity is the kind of insane behavior you would expect from a creature with it’s senses … Also relates to “alogos,” the opposite of “the logos,” meaning, absurdity is deviation from the diving patterns of the universe.
abundance : this word has a positive connotation, but it’s Latin equivalent, abundare, translates to “overflow,” creating the image that something is bursting out of it’s intended container. Consider how when something is overflowing (knowledge, entertainment, friends), we tend to value each unit less.
abysmal : not just extremely bad, something that irreversibly sucks you in to a point of no return; like an abyss; something with a fathomless or immense interior from which you can’t escape upon entering.
accede : to agree to a demand (cede = yield).
accord : to be one one heart.
accoutremaniac : one who obsessively organizes.
accumulate : “to heap up in mass.”
accuse : from the Latin word causari, meaning, “to give as cause”; while this is usually cast in a negative light, it could be seen as the act of inferring the hidden works behind unknown phenomenon.
acolyte : not just an altar boy or assistant, but the Greek word akolouthos infers it’s about someone who is on your side along the uncertain road, path, or journey. Someone helping cast light on the path ahead.
alpha privative : The Greek prefix where “a” is used to mean “taking away, depriving.” It’s similar to a-, an- in Sanskrit, in- in Latin, and un- in English. Examples: ahistorical, atemporal, anemia (without blood), amorphous (without form), anonymous (without name).
amble : to move at a slow and relaxed pace.
apocryphal : when a popular idea in wide circulation is actually false.
arboreal: a habitation built under trees or canopies
ark : a time capsule containing something sacred (Noah’s ark, ark of the covenant); seed arks (to save species); text/scrolls arks
B
baroque : typically referred to a style in art or music, but also references “baroque thinking” a writing style full of elaborate arguments, historical references, and polysyllabic words; 1600-1750s; ornamentations, complex involution, motion; exaggerated poses; a reaction against the proportion and balance of the Renaissance; busy; around the time of the microscope and the telescope, leading to a feeling of wonder, mysteriousness, and spirituality.
bathos (n.) — when an essay unintentionally shifts mood from the sublime to the trivial. Something masterful suddenly becomes mired in cliche. Also: bathetic: when something of high quality descends into triviality.
beastiary : “an allegorical story in which the principal characters are animals; often employs anthropomorphism, a form of personification. Also referred to as an apologue, beast epic, or beast fable.
bedlam — a form of uproar that’s laced with mental illness; referencing a “lunatic hospital” from 1402; “a scene of mad confusion".” On the Internet, there are different types of this madness at scale, whether it’s the content driving someone to their edge, or the creator using a type of pseudo-insanity for virality.
belletrist : “fine letters,” (French), a writer known for light non-fiction (addressed to friends?) more regarded for its style than for its substance.
blarney : the coaxes of a skillful flatterer
bunkhouse : a rough simple building providing sleeping quarters; close interior contact; like a hostel; literally “a house of bunkbeds.”
bushwhack — to clear a path or advance through thick woods by chopping down bushes and low branches.
C
capriccio (n.) : a free-form work of art that comes from the imagination and defies formal conventions. Rules are bent for the sake of expression. It comes from a non-rational spirit of urgency and frenzy. In music, it could refer to experimental pieces that break key or time. In painting, it refers to “fantasy scapes” where ruins, landscapes, and buildings are assembled; where real fragments fuse with a dreamworld (think Piranesi).
chapbook : “popular ballads, stories, poetry, and other forms of literature published in pamphlets or small book form and sold by peddler known as chapmen from the 16th-18th century.”
chasm — an insurmountable gap; an abyss between two things; “gaping” in Greek; profound distance; literally, a massive fissure in the Earth; an obstacle that if crossed will suck you; the Grand Canyon: an unbridgable divide.
cognate : from cognatus, “of common descent.” Used to describe words that come from the same root.
coincidentia positorum : (an alchemical term) the union of opposites; you can’t understand anything unless you simultaneously grok what it is and what it isn’t. By a mere shift in perspective, a thing’s opposite comes into focus, and the opposites melt into a new whole. This has many symbolic expressions: the hermaphrodite, soul/luna, mercury/sulfur…
convoluted — complexity gone wrong (not all complexity is bad).
coterie : “a group of friends or writers with similar literary interests.”
D
derelict — adj: abandoned, run-down, neglected; noun: the thing abandoned.
despotic — of being ruled by absolute, brutal, or selfish power.
desultory — “skipping about, jumping, flitting;” in the 1580s, referred to circus performers who jumped from horse to horse; not having a plan; Shifting rom one opportunity to the next.
didactic : “poetry or prose meant to be instructive, to teach a lesson.” (contrasting Oscar Wilde’s notion of “art for art’s sake).
disquiet — a lack of calmness; anxiety from constant chatter, inner or outer; Pessoa’s “book of disquiet;” pertains literally to the lack of silent spaces in public (there are always TVs of Spotify playlists on).
doublethink : from Orwell’s 1984, an indoctrinating paradox: “freedom is slavery,” “war is peace,” “2+2=5.”
drugify : to drugify something means to either improve quantity, simplify access, increase potency, or introduce novelty. The Apple Vision Pro succeeds with all 4: more screens, instantly spawnable, at the best resolution you’ve ever seen, levitating in places where screens have never gone before. The AVP is aesthetic heroin (/morphine?).
dynapolis : a constantly evolving city; ie: Lagos.
E
engross : a dominator word; it either takes all your attention and occupies you completely (it’s engrossing), or, it’s the act of amassing, collecting, purchasing huge quantities; it’s the endless striving for plenary (complete) absorption; also ties to Anglo-French legal documents—it means, “final form” as in, the final form is the devouring of everything.
entanglement — state of 2 things being connected.
exaptation : when a trait arises through evolution, but then is later co-opted for a different use. For example, the tongue evolved for eating, but later become fundamental for speech. The word is about surveying what exists and questions what new combinations are possible.
exurb — a settlement outside a city, beyond the suburbs; more rural, yet still accessible to the city center through trains.
F
faith : on the right course, not “belief”
fatuous (adj.) — a condescending words that criticizes mindlessness; foolish; having a void of self-awareness to enjoy meaningless and trite activities; a smug satisfaction for folly; asinine; profound emptiness; a willful ignorance; self-deception; Voltaire & Twain have made it their life’s work to expose fatuity, creating a legacy of critique and satire on “bad” leisure.
flay — an intense form of criticism that refers to the physical removal of skin; an attack that exposes one’s character as if they’ve been stripped bear; no room for gentleness, it’s about exposing flaws and faults in the most uncompromising manner, publicly; a ferocious judgment; a personal attack.
flummoxed — bewildered; an inability to understand (halted); stumped by complexity.
folly : mistake; lacking good sense; a foolish idea; excessively costly; profoundly useless; whimsical; an often extravagant or pictueresque building built to suit a shallow or fanciful taste.
fustian (adj.) : pretentious writing; referencing an Egyptian fabric; linguistic excess that is to thick it muddles meaning.
G
googesia : when you go to Google and forget what you wanted to search (or, when you type the wrong thing, like “google,” “search,” or something else on your mind.
H
hagiography : “originally, an idealized religious biography of a saint or martyr; now refers to any biography that idealizes or idolizes the subject of the biography; from “written by inspiration (Greek).”
harum-scarum : when the public impulsively acts.
hearthstone: the keystone of the floor of a fireplace; a buffer between the furnace and the interior.
hermitage: the place where a hermit lives; in seclusion.
I
imbroglio: when something is “fucked”; layered quagmires; permanently entangled and interconnected; unsolvable without an explosion.
inglenook: the place next to a fireplace; the coziest place in the house.
intricate : a high level of detail; complicated.
J
jive : the jargon of hipsters; the mutation of language in social undergrounds.
jumbled : confused, disordered mass; mingled together without a plan; scattered, state of confusion; lacking harmony.
K
kairos : opportune moment, a fleeting turning point
koan : a paradox to be meditated upon that is used to train Zen Buddhist monks; about dropping reason as the default mode of thinking, and using intuition to attain enlightenment; exercises stepped in dualism; “what is the sound of one hand clapping?” overflowing cup scenario.
koonselroman : actually spelled (Kunstlerroman); “a type of narrative that traces the development of an artist either from childhood or from artistic immaturity; from “artist novel” (German). Ex: ‘A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man’ [James Joyce].”
kowtow (n.) : “an act of slavish submission. (1804) … [the] Chinese custom of touching the ground with [your] forehead to show respect or submission … borrowing from ‘k’o’t’ou,’ literally, ‘knock the head.’” Related to the words “fawn” and “truckle.”
L
laxity : state of being loose and adaptable; freedom from rigidity.
lexeme — abstract unit of meaning; root; stem.
M
maligned : not “mis-aligned” from a specific intention, but fundmanetally evil in nature; ill-willed.
maroon : to leave someone isolated without hope of escape.
metanoia (n.) : a transformation; a change of heart; it means “beyond mind,” a profound change in thinking and perspective.
moksha. : not escapism, but to transcend mundane loops
mussy : like messy, but without the negative connotation; “lived-in.”
N
nebulous : misty, foggy, cloudy, formless
nickelodeon : the name of a theatre in 1888, and by 1909 it meant “motion picture theatre.” For a nickel, you could enter an “odeon,” which is a “building for musical performances.”
P
pandemonium : 1667, “in Paradise Lost,” this was the name of the palace built in the middle of Hell, the “high capital of Satan and all his peers;” Coined by John Milton; daemonium = evil spirit” — place of uproar and disorder; wild, lawless confusion; actual anarchy, the collapse of harmonious order; literal translation is “all demons.”
parochial (adj) : when you drank the Koolaid; initiated into the parish, the hivemind; when you become the inheritor of blindspots; infected by ideology; goldfish
perlieu : the edge of a forest, the threshold between city and nature.
plenum : as opposed to a vacuum, it’s a space filled with matter and fullness; pressure; “full;” in physics, a space filled entirely with matter; full attendance in politics; complete presence.
polemic : “a detailed attacked against a person or institution; from ‘pertaining to war’ (Greek).”
posada : a place for a traveler to pause (Spanish word); translates to a place of pause.
primeval : relating to the earliest ages, like medieval, but the first age
prophet : one who corrects the course of culture, not “future seer”
prosody : the musicality of language (pros=toward, ode=song/poem).
prune : to cut away, off, or back so that new growth can come through.
pyrrhonism — a radical form of skepticism from Ancient Greece; it suspends judgment of everything and sees all knowledge as dogmatic; stems from the Indian influence on Greek thought; extreme doubt as a guide to mental peace; compared to the truth-centric mentality of science, pyrrhonism assumes the world to be ambiguous and unknowable.
R
recondite : impossible to understand; in obscurity because of inaccessibility; hidden information; buried; requires investigation and scholarship.
roman a these : “a novel with a message of social importance; from ‘thesis novel’ (French).”
rudiment: rudimentary is often seen as an insult for being “novice-like,” but rudiments are fundamental skills; building blocks that compile into bigger units of design; “rudis” = raw; an ingredient; snare drum rudiments combine to make complex and improvisational patterns.
S
sanctum : a sacred place where one is free from intrusion; while a sanctuary might be a public facility, this is a private one; “the inner sanctum.”
sanatorium : a place to regain sanity.
Saturnalia : Saturn: the Roman god of agriculture, wealth, and time; a Roman festival on Dec 17; the ritualistic inversion of society; a periodic release; slaves were released; debauchery; orgy; “time of merrymaking.”
sans : without.
shambles — more than a mess; it’s when something typically whole is torn up into unrecognizable parts; it’s a gross word that comes from the slaughterhouse.
stychomythia (noun) - the rapid back and forth between two people; a frenzy of wit; a fight; a word that will be hard to weave into a sentence.
T
thorp : an old small village where everyone knows each other; idyllic and nostalgic; a Medieval way of living.
threshold : a point of change or transition; the temperature at which a substance changes, or a vestibule for the outdoor/indoor transition. It is not about gradience or spectrality, but a sharp point or object that signifies a “crossing over.”
transcendence — the act of “escaping inclusion within"; to surpass, climb over, go beyond, surmount, overstep; to molt, to escape a membrane.
travesty (n.) — disguised; parodied; a spoof; a caricature; a parody; a put-on; a debased and distorted version; grossly inferior; either done intentionally or not; a grotesque translation; a pale recreation.
twaddle : idle talk; insignificant or worthless.
U
unnameable — a shape-shifting thing that can’t be categorized or reliably identified, OR, something so horrific that you don’t want to give it a name because a name gives it a hook to lodge itself into your mind.
uproar (n.) : an event that disturbs a pre-existing order; ranging from trivial misunderstandings to devastating violence; accompanied by sound. 1520s, German/Dutch: “to stir up.” Middle English, roar: “…a loud, continued sound.” Typically negative, but sometimes turns to humor from de-escalations and clarifications. Can occur within microcosms (ie: within an office), or society (physical or digital mobs).
(minor)
flap: minor shake-up
quabble: noisy pointless bicker (quibble x squabble)
kerfuffle: quick, resolvable, light-hearted
commotion: shared attention, a pre-cursor
disruption: order piercing
unrest: visible dissatisfaction
hurly-burly: disorienting whirlwind
(benign)
fuss: worry over triviality
ado: delays from mass fuss
splore: noisy celebration
hoo-ha: engineered spectacle
hullabaloo: trollish hype
hoopla: bullshit
ballyhoo: self-promotional
foofaraw: fake concern
hubbub: gossip with mysterious source
brouhaha: acknowledgment of humor
(serious)
fracas: heated verbal exchange
furor: pre-outburst crowd
melee: small disorderly skirmish
brawl: big, consequential fight
riot: violence towards a shared cause
chaos: multi-vectored frenzy
rampage: linear destruction
mayhem: immersed in madness
(escalation)
disorder: unraveling
upheaval: the end of homeostasis
turbulence: bursts past a threshold
flashpoint: trigger, catalyst
garboyle: sustained discomfort
tempest: storm-like, unpredictable
(noise)
rumpus: noisy, playful disruption
racket: loud, annoying
ruckus: loud, concerning
babel: confusing clash of voices
clamor: crowd chanting
clatter: polyrhythmic scuffle
cacophony: the white-noise of chaos
(effect)
havoc: consequential
outcry: sustained pleas
discord: lacking harmony
tumult: loud, abrasive reactions
turmoil: prolonged, significant stress
maelstrom: destructive whirlpool
bedlam: mental instability
pandemonium: "all demons," anarchy, apocalyptic
W
wysiwyg : an acronym for “what you see is what you get” in interface design.
WIP (unsorted, not yet refined):
agnostic : unknowable.
agoraphobia : fear of unfamiliar situations in public.
agrarian : agre = acre, of the land.
Amalthea’s horn : a myth about abundance / having everything you desire. Zeus’s nurse fed goat milk to an infant, snapped off it’s horn, and promised that Zeus will have a pampered life.
amaranth : a fadeless flower.
Amaurote : Thomas Moore’s utopian city.
ambrosia : food of the Gods; St. Ambrose had a mouth full of bees; / Ambrosian nights was a book about an Irish (?) bar conversation (1822-1835).
Ames Ace : the lowest hand in dice (two ones).
amen / amon : Ra, amon = hidden, Sun, ram, ostrich, Jupiter.
amphigouri : well sounding, but meaningless verse.
Amphion : Son of Zeus and Antiope, played a lute and stones dance into place to shape the architecture of Thebes.
amulet : a chain worn around your neck to protect or connect.
anarchism : human nature is naturally cooperative; by removing all forms of power, harmony will emerge. Types: capitalism (free-markets, self interest, no government), feminism (ending all forms of patriarchal oppression), syndicalism (industries are the economic root for protest), Bakuninism; remove authority by revolution.
anomie : Durkheim; in modern societies, an absence of effective moral or cultural rules and restraints will lead to social and individual breakdown.
fabula: Russian formalism; elements as distinct.
fabulation : creative use of traditional elements.
formalism : form over subject matter; language, style, structure; it’s about the work itself, not historical or cultural critique.
Ring of Amasis : an Egyptian story. The ring is a symbol that proves your original intentions were right, despite following bad advice. In this myth, a pharaoh throws his ring in the ocean because an advisor told him it was bad luck, but he later finds the ring in a fish he’s eating.
affray : a noisy quarrel or brawl that disrupts the peace; a scare, a disturbance, the root of “afraid.” An affray is the event that causes someone to become afraid.
aleatory : an art where some elements are left to chance (John Cage).
algebra : a sophisticated symbol system that’s layered on top of basic arithmetic. It is the combined operations and syntactical complexity. Think of the parallels between semi-advanced algebra problems and beautiful sentences.
alloparapatric : species that evolve together
allopatric : species that evolve separately
alumbrado : a perfectionist, Spanish for “illumination.” (1595)
Alvarez theory : the dinosaur extinction theory didn’t come until the 1980s
Alvina weeps : a myth about a woman who married the wrong person; she’s invisible, but you can hear her cries.
dialogic : multiple voices or tones in a single piece of work; when the style shifts to match the structure.
icon : eikon, representation, image, likeness; use of symbols in a work of art; id, history, classification of ORNAMENT, Panofsky: [1892 b.] beyond subject into hidden meaning. Now, pop culture and advertising. Is meaning intended? Subconscious? Interpreted? The aesthetics risk getting diminished by intellectual analysis.
metagenesis : the alteration between sexual/asexual tendencies (in plants/jellyfish).
oneirocritical : over-interpreting your dreams.
uhtceare : OOT-KEY-ARE-UH, pre-dawn morning worries (an abandoned medieval word).
menty-b : a euphemism for a mental breakdown.
WIP words: affiance, affirmations, afflicted, affront, aficionado, afraid, alienate, alienation effect, all-over painting, allegory, Allen’s rule, allusion, als of, altruism, deconstruction, deep structure, defamiliarization, differance, high dawn / low dawn.
WIP words: ag, agglomerate, agglutinate, aghast, agog, agronomy, -aholic, ail, ailron, aria, adjar, akimbo, ambiguity, anagesis, androcentrism, animism, dissemination, egotistical sublime, empiricism, exegesis, explication, foregrounding, formulaic, impressionism, ambry, Osiris, amerindian, amoret, amphisbaena, amrita.
WIP (AI) definitions:
Alabaster: A fine-grained, translucent form of gypsum, typically white, often used for carving and decorative objects.
Alacrity: Brisk and cheerful readiness; eagerness.
Albatross: A large seabird known for its ability to fly long distances. In literature and symbolism, it represents a burden or curse, often related to guilt or persistent trouble, derived from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner."
augured: Predicted or foreshadowed. Distinct from "predicted" in its association with divination.
aviary: “An aviary is a large enclosure or cage designed to house birds. Aviaries are typically spacious enough to allow birds to fly freely within the enclosure and are often used in zoos, parks, or private residences to display a variety of bird species. Aviaries can be indoor or outdoor structures and are designed to provide a suitable habitat for the birds, including perches, nesting areas, and feeding stations.”
“bang bang” is when you have two consecutive meals at different restaurants.
bibulous: Excessively fond of drinking alcohol. Distinct from "alcoholic" in its emphasis on enjoyment rather than addiction.
bonk : British slang for having sex. (vb) bonking is not the best idea. (n) they had a bonk. The phrase likely comes from “bonkers” (a thrust to the head that causes madness or insanity, but you can guess how the thrust was repurposed).
brobdingnagian: Gigantic or enormous. Distinct from "huge" in its literary origin (from "Gulliver's Travels").
caitiff: A cowardly or despicable person. Distinct from "villain" in its connotation of weakness rather than evil.
captious: Excessively critical or prone to finding fault. Distinct from "critical" in its negativity and triviality.
cenacle: A small, exclusive group of people with shared interests. Distinct from "clique" in its intellectual or artistic focus.
chivvy: To harass or nag someone repeatedly. Distinct from "nag" in its connotation of physical pursuit.
chthonic: Related to the underworld or subterranean deities. Distinct from "underground" in its mythological context.
clerisy: The intellectual or educated class. Distinct from "intelligentsia" in its religious origin.
concordance : an alphabetical list of all usages of a word in a corpus.
cosmic tide — the idea that the whole life of the universe—from the big bang to the collapsing of the universe—is just one wave in an “ocean” that’s beyond space time. What if the comedy and tragedy and all possible beautiful and all potential forms of life within our plenum is just the crashing of a single wave? It is a loop, a wave, a heartbeat, a breathe, a pendulum.
deracinate: To uproot or remove from a native environment. Distinct from "displace" in its connotation of cultural or social uprooting.
devious: Deceiving or cunning. Distinct from "dishonest" in its connotation of cleverness and indirectness.
disjunctive: Lacking connection or coherence. Distinct from "disconnected" in its logical or grammatical context.
emogenus — a piece of writing plagued with emojis.
epigone: An inferior imitator or follower. Distinct from "imitator" in its connotation of lesser talent or originality.
estivation: A state of dormancy or inactivity during summer. Distinct from "hibernation" (winter dormancy).
fuliginous: Sooty or dusky in color. Distinct from "dark" in its specific shade and texture.
hallmark: A distinguishing feature or characteristic. Distinct from "trademark" in its figurative rather than legal sense.
hammer punch: “A hammer punch is a hand tool used to drive a punch (a hardened metal rod) through a workpiece, usually to create a hole or to mark a specific point. The hammer punch consists of a handle and a striking surface, which is used to strike the punch and drive it through the material.”
“hoover” (vb) is when someone tricks another to come back into a toxic relationship.
horologium: A timepiece or clock. Distinct from "clock" in its inclusion of sundials and other time-measuring devices.
hypnopompic: Relating to the state immediately before waking up. Distinct from "hypnagogic" (relating to the state before falling asleep).
inveigle: To persuade or deceive someone with flattery or charm. Distinct from "persuade" in its connotation of trickery.
Jevon's paradox is the observation that as you make things more available and efficient demand for those things goes UP.
Examples: 1) Fuel efficiency advances in the 70s and 80s created the monster SUVs and Trucks of today full of features that use MORE fuel. 2) The cotton gin was though to use cotton so efficiently that slavery would be abolished. INSTEAD it increased demand for slavery as demand surged for clothes.
Humans are very energy efficient. And in a hyper abundant AI future, we may well want to work in gamified environments for fun or very little compensation. This may be enough to invent a bunch of bullshit jobs. Kind of a hyper version of what the Industrial Revolution did.
legerdemain: Skillful use of one's hands to deceive or manipulate. Distinct from "sleight of hand" in its broader application beyond magic tricks.
leitmotif: A recurring musical theme associated with a particular person, place, or idea. Distinct from "theme" in its specific use in musical composition.
lemma (n.) : a family of words that all share the same words (ie: develop = development, developing, developmental, underdeveloped, redevelop, etc.)
limerence: A state of intense romantic infatuation. Distinct from "infatuation" in its psychological depth and longevity.
lugubrious: Mournful or gloomy. Distinct from "sad" in its exaggerated or affected nature.
maganam: A ruse or deception. Distinct from "trick" in its elaborate or strategic nature.
malapropism: The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one. Distinct from "error" in its humorous or ironic effect.
maladroit: Clumsy or inept. Distinct from "clumsy" in its connotation of social or diplomatic blunders.
mammon: Wealth or greed personified. Distinct from "money" in its negative moral connotation.
manacle: A shackle or handcuff. Distinct from "handcuff" in its historical use and connotation of captivity.
mawkish: Excessively sentimental or insincere. Distinct from "sentimental" in its negative connotation.
melange: A mixture or medley. Distinct from "mixture" in its connotation of variety and diversity.
mien: A person's appearance or manner. Distinct from "appearance" in its inclusion of facial expression and demeanor.
monkey paw: “A monkey's paw is a talisman or amulet that is believed to grant wishes to its owner, but with disastrous consequences. The concept originates from a famous 1902 horror short story titled "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs. In the story, the paw of a dead monkey is enchanted to grant three wishes, but each wish comes with an unforeseen and terrible price.”
mumpsimus: A traditional custom or notion adhered to despite being shown to be unreasonable. Distinct from "superstition" in its stubbornness and resistance to change.
nescience: Lack of knowledge or ignorance. Distinct from "ignorance" in its philosophical or theological context.
nostrum: A medicine of secret composition and unverified effectiveness. Distinct from "medicine" in its dubious or fraudulent nature.
oneiromancy: Divination through the interpretation of dreams. Distinct from "dream interpretation" in its supernatural or occult context.
opsimath: A person who begins to learn or study late in life. Distinct from "late bloomer" in its specific focus on learning.
pabulum: Material that is intellectual but oversimplified or bland. Distinct from "food" in its figurative sense of mental nourishment.
paragon : the perfect example of something.
pastiche: An artistic work that imitates the style of previous works. Distinct from "imitation" in its deliberate and stylistic nature.
pittance: A small or inadequate amount of money. Distinct from "amount" in its connotation of insufficiency or meagerness.
potboiler: A work of art or literature created quickly for financial gain. Distinct from "bestseller" in its emphasis on speed and commercial motive.
pother: A commotion or fuss. Distinct from "commotion" in its connotation of annoyance or bother.
presumptuous : taking liberties and overstepping boundaries with assumpitons.
prig: A self-righteously moralistic person. Distinct from "prude" in its emphasis on moral superiority rather than sexual propriety.
prurient: Excessively interested in sexual matters. Distinct from "lewd" in its connotation of unhealthy or inappropriate desire.
puckish: Mischievous or impish. Distinct from "playful" in its connotation of trickery or devilishness.
pule: To whine or complain in a childish manner. Distinct from "whine" in its connotation of weakness or immaturity.
purloin: To steal or pilfer. Distinct from "steal" in its connotation of stealth or cleverness.
quandry — a situation where the decision to make is unclear or perplexing.
ramient: Branched or having many branches. Distinct from "branched" in its technical or scientific context.
roving: Wandering or traveling from place to place. Distinct from "wandering" in its connotation of purposefulness or exploration.
ruck: A mass of people or things. Distinct from "crowd" in its connotation of disorderliness or confusion.
scruple — a feeling of hesitation in a morally ambiguous situation.
sedulous: Diligent or persistent. Distinct from "diligent" in its connotation of painstaking attention to detail.
shakti: The female creative power or cosmic energy in Hinduism. Distinct from "energy" in its spiritual and feminine context.
signet: A small seal used to sign documents or mark property. Distinct from "seal" in its personal or official nature.
slipshod (adj) : a sloppy lack of precision.
sobriquet: A nickname or epithet. Distinct from "nickname" in its literary or historical context.
soliloquy: A dramatic device in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud while alone on stage. Distinct from "monologue" in its introspective and revealing nature.
svelte: Slender and elegant. Distinct from "slim" in its connotation of grace and sophistication.
tatterdemalion: A person dressed in ragged or tattered clothing. Distinct from "ragamuffin" in its emphasis on the clothing rather than the person.
trill: A rapid alternation between two adjacent musical notes. Distinct from "vibrato" in its use of distinct pitches rather than variations in pitch.
valetudinarian: A person who is unduly anxious about their health. Distinct from "hypochondriac" in its connotation of weakness or self-indulgence.
Verdure: Lush, green vegetation. Distinct from "greenery" in its poetic or literary tone.
visage: A person's face or facial expression. Distinct from "face" in its connotation of character or appearance.
welter: A confused or disorderly mass. Distinct from "confusion" in its connotation of turmoil or upheaval.
williwaw: A sudden, violent gust of cold wind. Distinct from "gust" in its specific location and temperature.
Probably will cut these:
Abscond: To leave secretly and suddenly, often to avoid capture or responsibility. Distinct from "flee" in its connotation of wrongdoing.
Alleged: Claimed but not proven. Distinct from "supposed" in its legal context.
Alum: A chemical compound used in various applications. Distinct from "alumnus" (a graduate of a school).
Aperitif: An alcoholic drink served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. Distinct from "appetizer" (a small dish served before a meal).
Atoll: A ring-shaped coral reef enclosing a lagoon. Distinct from "island" in its specific formation.
Basis: The foundation or underlying principle. Distinct from "base" in its conceptual nature.
Bawdy: Humorously indecent or obscene. Distinct from "lewd" in its humorous tone.
Bloc: A group of countries or political parties with common interests. Distinct from "block" (a solid piece of material).
Bludgeon: A heavy, blunt weapon used for striking. Distinct from "club" in its intended use for violence.
Braggadocio: Boastful or arrogant behavior. Distinct from "bravado" in its negative connotation.
Bruit: To spread a rumor or report widely. Distinct from "rumor" as a verb rather than a noun.
Bugbear: A source of fear or annoyance. Distinct from "pest" in its imaginary or exaggerated nature.
Cabaret: A nightclub with live entertainment. Distinct from "club" in its emphasis on performance.
Cantle: The raised, curved part at the back of a saddle. Distinct from "pommel" (the front part of a saddle).
Cavalier: Arrogantly dismissive or offhand. Distinct from "dismissive" in its historical association with royalist soldiers.
Communiqué: An official announcement or statement. Distinct from "statement" in its diplomatic or military context.
Cordillera: A system of parallel mountain ranges. Distinct from "mountain range" in its large scale and geological formation.
Coven: A group or gathering of witches. Distinct from "group" in its specific association with witchcraft.
Defenestrate: To throw someone out of a window. Distinct from "eject" in its specific method and historical origin.
Ejector: A device that forces something out. Distinct from "expeller" in its mechanical nature.
Embonpoint: A plump or stout physique. Distinct from "fat" in its positive or neutral connotation.
Emir: A high-ranking Arab ruler or prince. Distinct from "sheikh" in its political rather than religious authority.
Endoplasmic: Related to the internal membrane system of a cell. Distinct from "intracellular" in its specific reference to the endoplasmic reticulum.
Erythrocyte: A red blood cell. Distinct from "blood cell" in its specific type and function.
Exudative: Relating to the discharge of fluid from blood vessels or skin lesions. Distinct from "oozing" in its medical context.
Fens: Lowland areas partially covered by water. Distinct from "marshes" in their nutrient-rich soil and vegetation.
Figure: A number or value expressed in digits. Distinct from "number" in its emphasis on the written or printed form.
Funambulist: A tightrope walker. Distinct from "acrobat" in its specific skill.
Fustilugs: A fat, clumsy person. Distinct from "oaf" in its emphasis on physical appearance.
Gauche: Lacking social grace or sophistication. Distinct from "awkward" in its connotation of social ineptitude.
Glutamate: An amino acid that functions as a neurotransmitter. Distinct from "amino acid" in its specific role in the nervous system.
Grouse: To complain or grumble. Distinct from "complain" in its connotation of petty or repeated grievances.
Hessian: A coarse fabric made from jute or hemp. Distinct from "burlap" in its specific material and weave.
Hutch: A cage or coop for small animals. Distinct from "cage" in its typical use for rabbits or other small mammals.
Ignivomous: Vomiting fire or lava. Distinct from "volcanic" in its specific action.
Impolitic: Unwise or imprudent. Distinct from "unwise" in its emphasis on political or social consequences.
Lectern: A stand with a slanted top used to hold a book or notes for reading. Distinct from "podium" (a raised platform for speakers).
Limpid: Clear and transparent. Distinct from "clear" in its connotation of purity and serenity.
Lothario: A man who seduces women. Distinct from "womanizer" in its literary origin and connotation of charm and sophistication.
Noisome: Harmful or unwholesome. Distinct from "unpleasant" in its connotation of physical or moral danger.
Onious: Relating to onions. Distinct from "oniony" in its technical or scientific context.
Parsimonious: Excessively frugal or stingy. Distinct from "frugal" in its negative connotation.
Peasantry: The class of small farmers or laborers. Distinct from "farmers" in its historical and social context.
Perdue: Hidden or concealed. Distinct from "hidden" in its military or strategic context.
Piedmontese: Relating to the Piedmont region of Italy. Distinct from "Italian" in its specific regional origin.
Phytic: Relating to a type of acid found in plants. Distinct from "plant-based" in its specific chemical compound.
Premier: First or foremost in importance or rank. Distinct from "first" in its connotation of prominence or leadership.
Redolent: Strongly reminiscent or suggestive of something. Distinct from "reminiscent" in its olfactory or sensory connotation.
Refectory: A room used for communal meals in a monastery or other institution. Distinct from "dining hall" in its religious or institutional context.
Regent: A person who governs in place of a monarch. Distinct from "ruler" in its temporary or delegated nature.
Regnant: Reigning or ruling. Distinct from "dominant" in its official or legal authority.
Rind: The tough outer skin of certain fruits or cheeses. Distinct from "peel" in its thickness and texture.
Seamy: Sordid or disreputable. Distinct from "disreputable" in its connotation of hidden or underworld activities.
Shearling: A sheepskin or lambskin with the wool still attached. Distinct from "sheepskin" in its use as a garment or lining.
Sheerly: Completely or absolutely. Distinct from "completely" in its connotation of transparency or thinness.
Shuddered: Trembled or quivered, often with fear or revulsion. Distinct from "trembled" in its connotation of horror or disgust.
Sparge: To sprinkle or spray with liquid. Distinct from "sprinkle" in its technical or industrial context, often related to brewing.
Strop: A strip of leather or canvas used to sharpen razors. Distinct from "sharpen" in its specific tool and purpose.
Sully: To soil or tarnish. Distinct from "soil" in its connotation of moral or reputational damage.
Sultry: Hot and humid, often with sensual or seductive overtones. Distinct from "hot" in its atmospheric and emotional connotations.
Tawdry: Cheap and gaudy. Distinct from "tacky" in its historical association with lace and finery.
Tenebrous: Dark and gloomy. Distinct from "dark" in its connotation of mystery or foreboding.
Terpsichorean: Relating to dancing. Distinct from "choreographic" in its poetic or literary tone.
Tricorn: A hat with a brim turned up on three sides. Distinct from "hat" in its specific style and historical context.
Trollop: A sexually promiscuous woman. Distinct from "slut" in its connotation of untidiness or coarseness.
Trundle: To roll or move on wheels. Distinct from "roll" in its connotation of heaviness or clumsiness.
Tureen: A deep, covered dish used for serving soup or stew. Distinct from "bowl" in its size and formality.
Uxoricide: The murder of one's wife. Distinct from "homicide" in its specific victim and perpetrator.
Vibrissae: The stiff, sensory hairs found in the nostrils or around the mouths of certain mammals. Distinct from "whiskers" in its technical or scientific context.
Weir: A low dam built across a river to raise the water level or divert its flow. Distinct from "dam" in its specific structure and purpose.
Yoghurt: A food made from milk fermented by added bacteria. Distinct from "curd" in its smooth texture and tangy flavor.
Also inspired by DFW? Haha
This is really cool, although a table of contents would make it much easier to navigate.
My favorite thing to do with words is when I come across one that I don’t understand, I analyze its root, and see what other words are related. Example, abduction: seduction, deduction, induction, introduction, adduce, produce, reduce, traduce, conduct, duct tape, aqueduct. What a powerful root!