Word origins

• opalescentExhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal.
• orignalA moose.
• aventurineA kind of brownish glass containing gold-coloured spangles.
• vivantIn mort, bridge, and similar games, the partner of dummy.
• positivismA doctrine that states that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge, and that such knowledge can only come from positive affirmation of theories through strict scientific method, refusing every form of metaphysics.
• lucidityThe property of being lucid; lucidness.
• celibateNot married.
• AudeA department of Occitania, France. Capital: Carcassonne.
• BougainvilleA surname from French.
• masseuseA woman who performs massage; a female masseur.
• maireAny of a number of trees of New Zealand, mostly in genus Notelaea.
• torchiereA floor lamp with a bowl on top for reflecting light upwards.
• puyAny of several cone-shaped hills in the Auvergne, France that are the remains of extinct volcanos.
• chocolatierA producer of chocolate.
• ValaisA canton of Switzerland (the French name)
• FLEFrench as a foreign language; French language for foreign language education
• affableReceiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; friendly, courteous, sociable.
• sommelierThe member of staff at a restaurant who keeps the wine cellar and advises the guests on a choice of wines; a wine steward / stewardess, a wine waiter / waitress / server.
• ultimeUltimate; final.
• CharpentierA surname from French.
• talusThe bone of the ankle.
• endorphinAny of a group of peptide hormones found in the mammalian brain that act as neurotransmitters and have properties similar to morphine.
• opportunistSomeone who takes advantage of any opportunity to advance their own situation, placing expediency above principle.
• hygrometerAn instrument that measures the humidity of the air or other gases, especially the relative humidity.
• PlessisA surname from French
• inoxStainless steel.
• calanderThe weevil Phlyctinus callosus.
• grosgrainA silk fabric having narrow, horizontal ribs.
• verbiageOverabundance of words.
• defileTo make (someone or something) physically dirty or unclean; to befoul, to soil.
• infanticideThe murder of an infant.
• islamismThe religion of Muslims; Islam.
• MulhouseA city in Haut-Rhin department, Alsace, Grand Est, France.
• occultismThe study of the supernatural
• DorvalA city in Quebec, Canada.
• SerresA city and regional unit in Central Macedonia, northern Greece.
• ErnestineRelating to Ernest, Elector of Saxony or his line of succession.
• cordageCord (of any type) when viewed as a mass or commodity.
• piquetA game of cards for two people, with thirty-two cards, all the deuces, threes, fours, fives, and sixes being set aside.
• dannaHuman feces.
• debutanteA young woman who makes her first formal appearance in society.
• aileronThe hinged part on the trailing edge of an airplane wing, used to control longitudinal turns.
• princesseBeing or relating to a princesse dress.
• saucierIn a large professional kitchen, a cook responsible for preparing sauces and for sauteing foods on demand.
• compositorA person who sets type; a typesetter.
• GaudetA surname from French.
• BerubeA surname from French.
• quintinA male given name from Latin.
• VioletteA surname from French.
• ceriseA deep, bright red colour tinted with pink.
• frangipaniAny of several tropical American shrubs and trees of the genus Plumeria, having fragrant, showy, funnel-shaped flowers of a wide range of colours from creamy to red.
• avenA vertical shaft leading upward from a cave passage, sometimes connecting with passages above.
• ChinonA town and commune in Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
• nubileOf an age suitable for marriage; marriageable (principally of a young woman).
• ravageTo devastate, destroy or lay waste to something.
• dentinThe hard, dense calcareous material that makes up the bulk of a tooth.
• casseA fault in wine, caused by an enzyme, making it turn from red to brown, or white to yellow, on exposure to air.
• synonymyA certain degree of similarity between the meaning(s) of several (synonymous) words or phrases. (See Usage notes below.)
• trompeA trumpet; a trump.
• LafontaineA surname from French.
• lallyLeg.
• anthraceneA tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (an acene containing three fused rings) obtained from coal tar; used in the manufacture of wood preservatives, insecticides and the dye alizarin; it is isomeric with phenanthrene.
• montreAn organ stop, usually the open diapason, having its pipes on display as part of the organ case, or otherwise specially mounted.
• chitinA complex polysaccharide, a polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and in the cell walls of fungi; thought to be responsible for some forms of asthma in humans.
• cultivatorAny of several devices used to loosen or stir the soil, either to remove weeds or to provide aeration and drainage.
• julienneA garnish of vegetables cut into long, thin strips.
• boulangerEggplant; aubergine.
• MathenyA surname from French.
• derailmentThe action of a locomotive or train leaving the rails along which it runs.
• aspirantSomeone who aspires (for high office, etc.)
• germinalRelating to spring
• PoulinA surname from French.
• numismaticsThe study of coins, tokens, medals and paper money.
• indolentHabitually lazy, procrastinating, or resistant to physical labor.
• asparagineA nonessential amino acid C₄H₈N₂O₃ found in plants such as asparagus.
• ennuiA gripping listlessness or melancholia caused by boredom; depression.
• TauzinA surname from French.
• GaronneA river that flows from the Spanish Pyrenees into the Atlantic Ocean.
• fabricantOne who fabricates; a manufacturer.
• MoroniThe capital city of the Comoros.
• herbivoreAn organism that feeds chiefly on plants; an animal that feeds on herbage or vegetation as the main part of its diet.
• BloisA city and commune, the prefecture of Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
• vergesA surname.
• pochetteA small handbag shaped like an envelope.
• KarineA female given name from French.
• sarabandeA 16th-century Spanish dance.
• bricolageConstruction using whatever materials were available at the time.
• grimaceA contorted facial expression, often expressing contempt or pain.
• VosgesA mountain range in eastern France.
• bruneBrunette.
• WenceslasA male given name from the Slavic languages.
• aubadeA poem or song evoking or greeting the dawn or early morning.
• aubeA department of Grand Est, France (INSEE code 10).
• coquetteA woman who flirts or plays with people's affections.
• vermouthA dry, or sweet apéritif wine flavored with aromatic herbs, and often used in mixed drinks.
• avocetAny of four species of wading birds in the genus Recurvirostra, with long, slender recurved bills, long legs, and webbed feet.
• marabouLeptoptilos crumeniferus, a large wading bird native to Africa, with a naked head and neck adapted for scavenging.
• landeAn uncultivated plain, especially a sandy track along the seashore in southwestern France.
• depreciableAble to be depreciated.
• jebelA hill, a mountain (especially in the Middle East or North Africa).