Word origins

• JousseaumeA surname from French.
• Jouy-en-JosasA city in Yvelines department, France.
• jovialityThe state of being jovial; jollity or conviviality.
• jubéSynonym of rood screen.
• JuliardA surname from French.
• jumelleTwin; paired; said of various objects made or formed in pairs, such as a binocular opera glass, a pair of gimmal rings, etc.
• jupetteA jupon with a very short skirt.
• kamagraphyA process for making copies of paintings that are painted on a pretreated canvas using a special press, which reproduces the texture of the brushstrokes as well as the colour, but destroys the original in the process.
• kamichiA South American bird with a long, slender, horn-like ornament on its head and two sharp spurs on each wing, the horned screamer, Anhima cornuta.
• KasserineA city in Tunisia.
• KerfournA village in Morbihan department, Brittany, France.
• kermesAny of several insects of the genus Kermes.
• KharunA surname from Arabic via French.
• Khmer RougeA Cambodian communist guerrilla force active from the 1970s to the 1990s under the leadership of Pol Pot.
• kilo-In the International System of Units and other metric systems of units, multiplying the unit to which it is attached by a thousand (1000).
• kilometrageThe total distance travelled, in kilometres.
• kinkajouPotos flavus, a carnivorous mammal of Central America and South America with a long, prehensile tail, related to the raccoon.
• KinoisKinshasan
• knoutA leather scourge (multi-tail whip), in the severe version known as 'great knout' with metal weights on each tongue, notoriously used in imperial Russia.
• Ksar el-KebirA city in Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco.
• Ksar es-SeghirA town in Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco.
• kyrielleA long rigmarole.
• La Bastide-ClairenceA commune of Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
• LabourdA historical province of Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
• Lac-MéganticA town, the seat of Le Granit Regional County Municipality, Estrie, Quebec, Canada
• LafailleA surname from French.
• LafayeA surname from French.
• LaffayeA surname from French.
• LafosseA surname from French.
• lagoniteAn earthy, hydrous iron borate, H¹⁴Fe⁴Bo¹²O³¹ + 2[Fe²]ᵛⁱBo⁶O¹² + 7Aq
• La GrangeA surname from French, variant of Lagrange.
• LagueA surname from French.
• laicityThe control or influence of the laity or the fact of being lay.
• laissez faireA policy of governmental non-interference in economic affairs.
• laissez-passerA pass or permit; a document permitting the bearer to travel, sometimes issued as an emergency passport.
• laitanceA weak, milky layer of cement and aggregate fines on a concrete surface that is usually caused by an overwet mixture, overworking the mixture, improper or excessive finishing or combination thereof. Also, could be caused when a slurry mix is used on a deep foundation, where the slurry mix is not completely removed before placing concrete on top.
• LamartinianOf or pertaining to Alphonse de Lamartine.
• lambdoidShaped like the Greek letter lambda
• lambelA label (charge from which pendants are hung).
• lambrequinA scarf or other piece of material used as a covering for a helmet.
• laméA fabric made from gold or silver threads and silk, wool or cotton.
• lamellicornHaving a group of flat lamellae on the end.
• lampasA type of luxury fabric with a background weft.
• lampasséLangued.
• lampronA lamprey.
• LanconA surname.
• langousteThe spiny lobster
• langoustineA small edible European orange-pink lobster, Nephrops norvegicus
• langue de chatSynonym of cat's tongue; small chocolate biscuit shaped like a the tongue of a cat.
• langue d'oïlThe language of medieval France, north of the Loire, in which the word oïl was used for “yes”.
• LannemezanA town in Hautes-Pyrénées department, France.
• la nouvelle mangaAn artistic movement centred on comics created in France and Belgium (bande dessinée), or by extension Europe, in the style of Japanese comics (manga).
• L'Anse AmourA community in Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
• lansquenetAny of a class of German mercenaries of the 15th and 16th centuries, most of whom were pikemen and foot soldiers.
• lanterlooA meaningless chant or refrain.
• lanterne rougeThe competitor in last place in a competition; the person or entity at the bottom of a ranking
• LanuéjolsA village and commune of Gard department, Occitania, France.
• lapalissadeAn obvious, self-evident truth, especially humorously so; a tautology or truism.
• LaperleA surname from French.
• lapinizeTo attenuate a virus, such that it can be used to make a vaccine, by passage through rabbits.
• LaPriseA surname from French.
• La RéunionA utopian socialist community formed in 1855 by primarily French, Belgian, and Swiss colonists on the south bank of the Trinity River in central Dallas County, Texas, United States.
• larmoyantTeary, tearful.
• larroonea robber
• La SalleA town in the Rural Municipality of Macdonald, Manitoba, Canada.
• La TacheA commune of Charente department, France.
• lateenA triangular fore-and-aft sail set on a boom in such way that the tack is attached to the hull of the vessel and the free end of the boom lifts the sail.
• La TèneA Swiss commune.
• La ToucheA surname from French.
• La Tour-du-CrieuA village in Ariège department, Occitania, France.
• La TuqueA city in Mauricie, Quebec, Canada.
• LaurelineA female given name from French.
• LautureA surname from French.
• LauzierA surname from French.
• LavalléeA surname from French. Alternative form of Lavallee.
• La Vallée-de-l'OrA regional county municipality of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, Canada.
• lavaretA European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus, found in the mountain lakes of Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland, and in the archipelago in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland.
• LaverdiereA surname from French.
• LaverdureA surname from French.
• LayetA surname from French.
• lazaretA place reserved for people with infectious diseases (especially leprosy or plague) to live on a long-term basis.
• LazaristA member of the Congregation of the Priests of the Mission founded by St Vincent de Paul.
• LeclertA surname from French.
• Le CorreA surname from French.
• LecuyerA surname from French.
• LedruA surname from French.
• LedrueA surname from French.
• LegrixA surname from French.
• leguminAny of a group of globulins, resembling casein, found mostly in legumes and grains.
• Le HavreA city and major port beside the mouth of the River Seine in Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France.
• Le LamentinA town and commune of the overseas department of Martinique, France.
• Le MansA city, the capital of Sarthe department, Pays de la Loire, France.
• lemonadierSomeone who makes or sells lemonade.
• LengrandA surname from French.
• Le NobleA surname from French.
• LeopoldvilleFormer name of Kinshasa: the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• LeparmentierA surname from French.
• Le PenA surname from French.
• LeplatreA surname from French.
• leproseryA building used to house lepers, usually in permanent quarantine from the rest of society.