Word origins

• animateurOne who promotes particular activity, especially one of a cultural or artistic nature.
• animatriceA woman who is trained to teach skills and lead activities for her peers.
• animéThe resin of the courbaril (Hymenaea courbaril), used in varnishes.
• AnkouThe personification of death in Celtic mythology.
• annalistA writer of annals; a chronicler; a historian.
• anosmaticLacking olfactory organs, and so having no sense of smell; anosmic.
• antijacobinA political opponent of the Jacobins.
• antipathicCharacterized by antipathy.
• antipodismA form of foot juggling where the juggler lies on his or her back, usually on a sort of chair.
• antipodistOne who practices antipodism; one who juggles using his or her feet lying down.
• antiveninSynonym of antivenom, (now) particularly for snakebites containing venin.
• AntjuanA male given name from French, equivalent to English Anthony.
• Antoine-LabelleA regional county municipality of Laurentides, Quebec, Canada.
• AntoingA city in Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium
• AntrasA village in Ariège department, Occitania, France.
• AntwineA surname.
• Anvers IslandAn island of Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica.
• aoudadThe Barbary sheep, Ammotragus lervia.
• AoussouA 40-day period between the 25th of July and the 2nd of September, characterized by high humidity and high temperatures on some days.
• à outranceTo the greatest extent, to the utmost.
• apanageA grant (especially by a sovereign) of land (or other source of revenue) as a birthright.
• apeakIn a vertical line, the cable having been sufficiently hove in to bring the ship over it.
• aperçuA clever or insightful distillation; an aphorism.
• apericubeA cube-shaped cheese-based food usually eaten with an apéritif.
• apéritifAn alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser.
• aphylacticOf a map projection: Neither conformal or equal-area.
• apicultorSynonym of beekeeper.
• aplomeA brown or green variety of andradite containing manganese.
• apneistA free-diver.
• apologueA short story with a moral, often involving talking animals or objects; a fable.
• apophonyModification of an internal vowel sound in a word or linguistic root, especially so as to establish a lexical distinction.
• aporeticTending to doubt.
• aposteriorismThe view that all knowledge is derived from sense experience; empiricism as opposed to apriorism.
• apostilA marginal note; a gloss.
• apostolicityThe quality of being apostolic, notably of preserving authenticity within the mission and tradition of the Christian church as founded by Jesus Christ and his twelve original Apostles, through their representatives and successors in the papacy and episcopate.
• apothegmA short, witty, instructive saying; an aphorism or maxim.
• appanagistA prince to whom an apanage has been granted.
• appauméOpen and extended so as to show the palm with thumb and fingers at full length.
• appendanceAn appendage, attachment
• appertisationpreservation of food by canning (or a similar earlier method using glass bottles)
• appetenceThe state or action of desiring or craving.
• appetite comes with eatingStarting an activity increases one's desire to continue it.
• apprenticeageApprenticeship.
• aprèsAfter.
• après-Used to describe an event, phenomenon, etc. that occurs after a specified activity; after-.
• après-skiEntertainment, nightlife or social events that take place at a ski resort, after the skiing.
• apriorismThe idea that some knowledge of the physical world can be derived logically from general principles.
• à propos de bottesApropos of nothing; without connection to anything; by the way, unrelatedly.
• aquapharyngealOf or pertaining to the bulb-like anterior part of a sea cucumber, containing the pharynx and water vascular system.
• araguatoA South American howler monkey, the ursine howler (Alouatta arctoidea).
• araneologyThe study of the spider, a branch of arachnology.
• arbasA left tributary of the Salat in Haute-Garonne department, Occitania, France.
• arbitragistOne who engages in arbitrage.
• arborescenceA tree-like structure.
• arbusta bush, shrub
• arcatureA small arched passageway.
• arc boutantSynonym of flying buttress.
• arc-boutantSynonym of flying buttress.
• Arc de TriompheA war monument in Paris, France, designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806, started in 1808 and inaugurated in 1836.
• archaeologueAn antiquarian; an archaeologist.
• archducalPertaining to an archduke or archduchess.
• archduchyThe territory (principality) of an archduke.
• archetViolin bow.
• archetierOne who builds, repairs, and restores the bows of instruments in the violin family.
• archiaterThe chief, or highest-ranked physician of a prince, city or country, such as the Holy Roman Empire
• archivoltAn ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch.
• arcureA type of espalier where the plants are fashioned into strata of arches.
• ArdècheA department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, south-central France. Capital: Privas.
• ArdouinA surname from French.
• areicOf or pertaining to area; especially used to describe a measurement per unit area.
• areoleAny of the smallest enclosures created by the veins of a leaf.
• arêteA very thin ridge of rock.
• ArgentéA rabbit of an old French show breed having silvery top fur.
• argentrySilver material, or silverness in color.
• AriègeA department of Occitania, France (INSEE code 09).
• arietteA short aria, or air.
• arithmosophyA form of numerology that equates letters or words with numbers.
• arkoseAn arenite sandstone consisting of at least 25% feldspar grains.
• ArmanetA surname from French.
• armatorA shipowner.
• armetA type of mediaeval helmet which fully enclosed the head and face, first found in the 1420s in Milan.
• armozeenA thick plain silk, generally black, used for clerical garments.
• armureA fabric woven with a raised pattern similar to chain mail.
• arollaSwiss stone pine
• ArpajonA city in Essonne department, France.
• ArpavonA commune of Drôme department, France.
• arquebusadeThe shot of an arquebus.
• arrestationThe act of stopping or slowing something (especially a process).
• arrêtA formal sentence of the King or Parliament of France; hence, a decree, a ruling.
• Arrien-en-BethmaleArrien-en-Bethmale (a village and commune of Ariège department, Occitania, France).
• arriereThat which is behind or subordinate; the rear.
• arriere-banA proclamation, as of the French kings, calling not only their immediate feudatories, but the vassals of these feudatories, to take the field for war.
• arrière-gardeThe rearguard of an army or other force.
• arrière-penséeA mental reservation or ulterior motive.
• arrière-voussureAn arch behind a door or window.
• arrivantA person who is arriving or has just arrived.
• ArronvilleA commune of Val-d'Oise department, Île-de-France, France.
• arroseTo drench; to besprinkle; to moisten.
• ArrouetA surname from French.
• ars gratia artisSynonym of art for art's sake.