Unusual words

A

Acersecomicke

Someone whose hair has never been cut.

Adduce

To cite, to allege.

Ado

Trouble, fuss.

Aftertale

Slander, defamation; or, a postscript.

Ait

A small island.

Alpenglow

A reddish glow near the horizon when the sun is just below the opposite horizon.

Alpha privative

The prefix “a-” or “an-” used to indicate negation.

Ambage

A winding, roundabout path.

Ambisinister

Equally unskilled with both the left and right hand.

Anaphora

A literary device in which a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of multiple sentences, for emphasis.

Antapology

A response to an apology.

Apathize

To be or make apathetic.

Apricate

To bask in the sun.

Apsis

Perihelion and/or aphelion.

Asthenia

Weakness.

Ateknia

Childlessness.

B

Brume

Mist; fog.

Bygone

Something that happened in the past.

C

Canard

Bullshit

Cognosce

To examine; to judge; to diagnose; to determine.

Collogue

To converse privately.

Contretemps

A disagreement; an inopportune situation.

Convoke

To call together to a meeting.

D

Damoiseau

Masculine form of “damsel”.

Damozel / Damoiselle

Damsel.

Deliquesce

To melt or fade away.

Dudgeon

A dagger with a wooden hilt.

Dwimmer / Dweomer

Magic, sorcery, a spell.
Also: Dwimmercraft, dwimmery

E

Eke

To increase.

Epistrophe

A literary device in which a word or phrase is repeated at the end of multiple sentences, for emphasis.

Epizeuxis

A literary device in which a word or phrase is repeated in quick succession, for emphasis, emphasis, emphasis!

Esperance

Hope, hopefulness.

F

Farsickness

Wanderlust

Fettle

A mood or mental state, implicitly negative.

Frangible

Easily broken.

H

Hebdomad

A group of seven days; a week.

K

Kith

Friends, acquaintances

H

Hither

To here.

I

Immemorial

Ancient beyond memory.

J

Jentacular

Related to breakfast.

L

Levin

Lightning.

Limn

To draw; to describe; to illuminate clearly.

M

Matutinal

Related to morning.

Mumpsimus

A tradition or custom stubbornly adhered to no matter how unreasonable it may be; an obvious error propagated despite repeated correction; or, a person who commits either of these fallacies.

N

Nepenthe

A fictional drug to cure sadness, or to forget.

Nocent

Causing injury; harmful; guilty.

Noctalgia

The loss of the dark night sky as a result of light pollution.

Novation

The replacement of one party in an agreement by a third party, with the consent of all parties.

Novercal

In the manner of a stepmother.

Nowise

Not at all; in no way.

Nycthemeron

A night and day; a period of 24 hours.

O

Offing

The forseeable future.

Opsimath

Someone who begins learning late in life.

Overlive

To survive; to live too long.

P

Pamplemousse

European French: A pomelo. Quebecois French: A grapefruit.

Pandiculation

Stretching and stiffening the body as when yawning.

Panjandrum

A self-important, pretentious, or influential person.

Penultimatum

Almost an ultimatum, but not really.

Pessimum

The least favorable condition.

Psychrophilic

Thriving at low temperatures.

R

Redame

To love in return.

Relict

A widow or widower.

Riddance

The act of being rid of something.

S

Sarcast

A sarcastic person.

Sard

To copulate.

Scripturient

Having a strong urge to write.

Shebang

A temporary shelter or lean-to.

Shrive

To confess and receive absolution; to receive a confession and prescribe absolution.

Sloomy

Sleepy; sluggish.

Sophont

A sci-fi term for an intelligent being on par with humans.

Subnivean

Beneath the snow.

Subtrahend

A quantity that is subtracted from another.

Swive

To swivel, to screw, to copulate.

Sybaritic

Decadent; exceedingly luxurious.

T

Tarnation

Damnation.

Thither

To there.

Tocsin

An alarm bell, a warning signal

Traduce

To fail to keep or uphold.

Turpitude

Depravity.

U

Umquhile

Former; deceased.

V

Vitrical

In the manner of a stepfather.

W

Wayworn

Wearied from traveling.

Wedlock

The state of being married.

Wreak

To inflict; revenge, punishment, payback.

V

Virduity

The state of being a widow or widower.

Y

Yore

A long time past.