labyrinth :: maze
lackey :: footman; toady
lagniappe :: trifling present given to a customer
lagoon :: shallow body of water near a sea; lake
laity :: laymen; persons not connected with the clergy
languor :: lassitude; depression
lapidary :: worker in precious stones
larceny :: theft
largess :: generous gift
lassitude :: languor; weariness
latitude :: freedom from narrow limitations
lechery :: gross lewdness; lustfulness
lectern :: reading desk
lesion :: unhealthy change in structure; injury
levity :: lightness
lexicographer :: compiler of a dictionary
lexicon :: dictionary
liaison :: officer who acts as go-between for two armies
libertine :: debauched person; rou?libretto :: text of an opera
libido :: emotional urges behind human activity
lieu :: instead of
limbo :: region near heaven or hell where certain souls are kept; a prison
litany :: supplicatory prayer
litigation :: lawsuit
litotes :: understatement for emphasis
lode :: metal-bearing vein
longevity :: long life
lout :: clumsy person
lubricity :: slipperiness; evasiveness
lucre :: money
luster :: shine; gloss
machinations :: schemes
madrigal :: pastoral song
maelstrom :: whirlpool
magnate :: person of prominence or influence
magnitude :: greatness; extent
malcontent :: person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs
malediction :: curse
malefactor :: criminal
malingerer :: one who feigns illness to escape duty
mall :: public walk
mammal :: a vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young
mandate :: order; charge
manifesto :: declaration; statement of policy
marauder :: raider; intruder
marrow :: soft tissue filling the bones
marsupial :: one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch
martinet :: strict disciplinarian
matricide :: murder of a mother by a child
matrix :: mold or die
mausoleum :: monumental tomb
maxim :: proverb; a truth pithily stated
mayhem :: injury to body
meditation :: reflection; thought
medley :: mixture
melange :: medley; miscellany
melee :: fight
memento :: token; reminder
mendicant :: beggar
mentor :: teacher
meringue :: pastry decoration made of white of eggs
mesa :: high, flat-topped hill
metamorphosis :: change of form
metaphor :: implied comparison
metropolis :: large city
mettle :: courage; spirit
mews :: group of stables built around a courtyard
miasma :: swamp gas; odor of decaying matter
microcosm :: small world
mien :: demeanor; bearing
milieu :: environment; means of expression
millennium :: thousand-year period; period of happiness and prosperity
minaret :: slender tower attached to a mosque
minion :: a servile dependent
mirage :: unreal reflection; optical illusion
misadventure :: mischance; ill luck
misanthrope :: one who hates mankind
misapprehension :: error; misunderstanding
miscegenation :: intermarriage between races
miscellany :: mixture of writing on various subjects
mischance :: ill luck
miscreant :: wretch; villain
misdemeanor :: minor crime
misgivings :: doubts
mishap :: accident
misnomer :: wrong name; incorrect designation
misogynist :: hater of women
missile :: object to be thrown or projected
mite :: very small object or creature; small coin
mode :: prevailing style
modicum :: limited quantity
modulation :: toning down; changing from one key to another
moiety :: half; part
molecule :: the smallest part of a homogeneous substance
momentum :: quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus
moodiness :: fits of depression or gloom
moor :: marshy wasteland
moratorium :: legal delay of payment
mores :: customs
mortician :: undertaker
mote :: small speck
motif :: theme
mountebank :: charlatan; boastful pretender
mugwump :: defector from a party
multiplicity :: state of being numerous
murkiness :: darkness; gloom
murrain :: plague; cattle disease
myriad :: very large number
nadir :: lowest point
natation :: swimming
nave :: main body of a church
na飗et?:: quality of being unsophisticated
necrology :: obituary notice; list of the dead
necromancy :: black magic; dealings with the dead
negation :: denial
nemesis :: revenging agent
neophyte :: recent convert; beginner
nepotism :: favoritism to a relative
nexus :: connection
nib :: beak; pen point
nicety :: precision; minute distinction
nirvana :: the ideal state in Buddhist teachings
non sequitor :: a conclusion that does not follow from the facts stated
nonchalance :: indifference; lack of interest
nonentity :: nonexistence; person of no importance
nosegay :: fragrant bouquet
nostalgia :: homesickness; longing for the past
novice :: beginner
nuance :: shade of difference in meaning or color
numismatist :: person who collects coins
oaf :: stupid, awkward person
obeisance :: bow
obelisk :: tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid
obituary :: death notice
objurgation :: severe rebuke; scolding
oblation :: the Eucharist; pious donation
obliquity :: departure from right principle; perversity
oblivion :: forgetfulness
obloquy :: slander; disgrace; infamy
obsession :: fixed idea; continued brooding
obsidian :: black volcanic rock
obstetrician :: physician specializing in delivery of babies
Occident :: the West
oculist :: physician who specializes in treatment of the eyes
odium :: repugnance; dislike
offal :: waste; garbage
offertory :: collection of money at religious ceremony
oligarchy :: government by a few
onomatopoeia :: words formed in imitation of natural sounds
onslaught :: vicious assault
onus :: burden; responsibility
opiate :: sleep producer; deadener of pain
opportunist :: individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage
opprobrium :: infamy; vilification
optician :: maker and seller of eyeglasses
optometrist :: one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects
opulence :: wealth
opus :: work
oratorio :: dramatic poem set to music
ordinance :: decree
orientation :: act of finding oneself in society
orifice :: mouthlike opening; small opening
orison :: prayer
ornithologist :: scientific student of birds
ornithology :: study of birds
orthography :: correct spelling
pachyderm :: thick-skinned animal
pacifist :: one opposed to force; antimilitarist
paddock :: saddling enclosure at race track; lot for exercising horses
paean :: song of praise or joy
palaver :: discussion; misleading speech; chatter
palette :: board on which painter mixes pigments
palimpsest :: parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased
pallet :: small, poor bed
palliation :: act of making less severe or violent
panacea :: cure-all; remedy for all diseases
pandemonium :: wild tumult
panegyric :: formal praise
panoply :: full set of armor
panorama :: comprehensive view; unobstructed view in all directions
pantomime :: acting without dialogue
papyrus :: ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant
parable :: short, simple story teaching a moral
paradox :: statement that looks false but is actually correct
paragon :: model of perfection
parallelism :: state of being parallel; similarity
paramour :: illicit lover
paranoia :: chronic form of insanity marked by delusions grandeur
paranoiac :: mentally unsound person suffering from delusions
parapet :: low wall at edge of roof or balcony
paraphernalia :: equipment; odds and ends
parasite :: animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant
paregoric :: medicine that eases pain
pariah :: social outcast
parity :: equality; close resemblance
parlance :: language; idiom
parley :: conference
parody :: humorous imitation; travesty
paroxysm :: fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage
parricide :: person who murders his own father; murder of a father
partiality :: inclination; bias
parturition :: delivery; childbirth
parvenu :: upstart; newly rich person
pastiche :: imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing
pathos :: tender sorrow; pity
patina :: green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painti
patois :: local or provincial dialect
patriarch :: father and ruler of a family or tribe
patricide :: person who murders his father; murder of a father
patrimony :: inheritance from father
paucity :: scarcity
peccadillo :: slight offense
peculation :: embezzlement; theft
pedagogue :: teacher; dull and formal teacher
pedant :: scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities
pediatrician :: expert in children's diseases
pediment :: triangular part above columns in Greek buildings
pelf :: stolen property; money or wealth in a contemptuous sense
penance :: self-imposed punishment for sin
penchant :: strong inclination; liking
penumbra :: partial shadow in an eclipse
penury :: extreme poverty
percussion :: striking one object against another sharply
perdition :: damnation; complete ruin
peregrination :: journey
perfidy :: violation of a trust
perigee :: point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth
perimeter :: outer boundary
periphery :: edge, especially of a round surface
peristyle :: series of columns surrounding a building or yard
perjury :: false testimony while under oath
peroration :: conclusion of an oration
perquisite :: any gain above stipulated salary
persiflage :: flippant conversation; banter
perspicuity :: clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity
perturbation :: agitation
perusal :: reading
perversion :: corruption; turning from right to wrong
perversity :: stubborn maintenance of a wrong cause
pessimism :: belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess
phial :: small bottle
philanthropist :: lover of mankind; doer of good
philistine :: narrow-minded person; uncultured person
philology :: study of language
phobia :: morbid fear
physiognomy :: face
pinnacle :: peak
pique :: irritation; resentment
pittance :: a small allowance or wage
plagiarism :: theft of another's ideas or writings passed off as original
platitude :: trite remark; commonplace statement
plebiscite :: expression of the will of a people by direct election
plethora :: excess; overabundance
podiatrist :: doctor who treats ailments of the feet
podium :: pedestal; raised platform
polemic :: controversy; argument in support of point of view
polity :: form of government of nation or state
poltroon :: coward
polygamist :: one who has more than one spouse at a time
porphyry :: igneous rock containing feldspar or quartz crystals
portent :: sign; omen; forewarning
posterity :: descendants; future generations
postulate :: self-evident truth
potentate :: monarch; sovereign
potion :: dose of liquid
potpourri :: heterogeneous mixture; medley
poultice :: soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body
preamble :: introductory statement
precedent :: something preceding in time
precept :: practical rule guiding conduct
preciosity :: overrefinement in art or speech
precursor :: forerunner
predilection :: partiality; preference
prelude :: introduction; forerunner
premonition :: forewarning
preponderance :: superiority of power, quantity, etc.
prerogative :: privilege; unquestionable right
presentiment :: premonition; foreboding
prestige :: impression produced by achievements or reputation
presumption :: arrogance; effrontery
primogeniture :: seniority by birth
probity :: uprightness; incorruptibility
proboscis :: long snout; nose
proclivity :: inclination; natural tendency
profusion :: lavish expenditure; overabundant condition
progenitor :: ancestor
progeny :: children; offspring
prognosis :: forecasted course of a disease; prediction
projectile :: missile
proletarian :: member of the working class
promontory :: headland
propellants :: substances which propel of drive forward
propensity :: natural inclination
propinquity :: nearness; kinship
propriety :: fitness; correct conduct
proscenium :: part of stage in front of curtain
prosody :: the art of versification
protocol :: diplomatic etiquette
prototype :: original work used as a model by others
prot間?:: person under the protection and support of a patron
provenance :: origin or source of something
provender :: dry food; fodder
proviso :: stipulation
provocation :: cause for anger or retaliation
proximity :: nearness
proxy :: authorized agent
pseudonym :: pen name
psyche :: soul; mind
psychiatrist :: a doctor who treats mental diseases
psychosis :: mental disorder
pterodactyl :: extinct flying reptile
pulchritude :: beauty; comeliness
pundit :: learned Hindu; any learned man; authority on a subject
purgatory :: place of spiritual expiation
purport :: intention; meaning
purveyor :: furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer
purview :: scope
pyromaniac :: person with an insane desire to set things on fire
quack :: charlatan; impostor
quadruped :: four-footed animal
quagmire :: bog; marsh
qualms :: misgivings
quandary :: dilemma
quarantine :: isolation of person or ship to prevent spread of infection
quay :: dock; landing place
qui vie :: wide awake; expectant
quietude :: tranquillity
quintessence :: purest and highest embodiment
quip :: taunt
quirk :: startling twist; caprice
quorum :: number of members necessary to conduct a meeting