Word origins

• chalypsographysteel-engraving
• chamerophyteAny herbaceous or woody plant whose buds overwinter just above soil level
• chaotropismThe ability to disrupt hydrogen bonding, especially within or between biological molecules
• charientismA figure of speech wherein an insult is disguised as or softened by a jest.
• cheilo-lip
• chelandiona Byzantine bireme used primarily for cargo transport
• chelidonSynonym of elbow pit.
• chelidoniusA stone supposed to be taken from the stomach of a swallow, with purported magical or medicinal properties.
• cheloneAny member of the genus Chelone of four species of perennial herbaceous plants that are native to eastern North America.
• chelonochoryseed dispersal by turtles or tortoises
• chemoautotropha simple microorganism, such as a prokaryote (bacteria and Archaea), that derives its energy from chemical processes rather than photosynthesis
• chemosisSwelling and/or (especially) edema of the conjunctiva of the eye.
• chenodeoxycholic acidA bile acid that is synthesized in the liver from cholesterol.
• chenopodAny member of the subfamily Chenopodioideae (the main part of the sometime family Chenopodiaceae); a goosefoot.
• cheremeA basic unit of a sign language; equivalent to a phoneme.
• cherologyThe equivalent of phonology for sign languages.
• -cheziadefecation
• chiastoliteAn aluminosilicate mineral having carbon inclusions, a variety of andalusite.
• chiliagonA polygon with a thousand vertices and a thousand edges.
• chiliasmBelief in an earthly thousand-year period of peace and prosperity, sometimes equated with the return of Jesus for that period.
• chiliocosmA collection of many worlds.
• chilopodAny myriapod of the class Chilopoda, a centipede.
• chioliteA tetragonal-ditetragonal dipyramidal mineral containing aluminum, fluorine, and sodium.
• chionophileAny animal or plant that thrives in winter conditions, especially one that thrives in snow.
• chionophobeAny plant that does not thrive in snowy conditions.
• chirapsiamassage as a form of therapy
• chiroplastA sliding wooden frame clamped above the keys of the piano, into which the hands and fingers of a pianist are placed. It was used for learners of the piano in the early 19th century.
• chiropracticsThe practice of a chiropractor; chiropractic.
• chiropterologistSomeone who studies bats (the flying mammals).
• chiropterologyThe scientific study of bats.
• chirurgicOf or pertaining to chirurgery; surgical.
• chlamydeousThat has a perianth
• chlamydo-denoting an outer covering (cortex) such as a rigid cell wall
• chlamyphoreA small South American armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus and Chlamyphorus retusus, now Calyptophractus retusus), covered with a leathery shell.
• chloasmamelasma; a cutaneous condition with yellow or yellowish-brown pigmented spot
• chlorastroliteA green or bluish variety of pumpellyite.
• chloremiaThe presence of chloride in the bloodstream (which is always true, in some amount or other).
• chlorenchymaA mechanical, supportive ground tissue in plants containing chloroplasts.
• chloro-green in color.
• chloroxiphiteAn olive-green monoclinic-prismatic mineral containing chlorine, copper, hydrogen, lead, and oxygen.
• choaniteA spongiform fossil of the historical genus Choanites, thought to resemble a petrified sea-anemone.
• choano-Funnel.
• choanoidfunnel-shaped;
• choicalSynonym of physical, material, or base.
• cholangio-bile duct
• chole-Bile.
• cholecystThe gall bladder.
• cholecystisThe gall bladder.
• choleresisThe secretion of bile (by the liver rather than the gallbladder)
• cholic acida steroidal bile acid, C₂₄H₄₀O₅, derived from cholesterol
• cholochromebilirubin
• chomophyteAny plant that grows in rock fissures or crevices.
• chondrigenA substance formerly thought to be the main chemical component of cartilage, converted by long boiling in water into a gelatinous substance called chondrin.
• chondro-Describing something relating to grains or having a granular structure.
• -choreAn organism, especially a plant or plant pathogen, that spreads by a specified agent, or in a specified manner.
• choregusThe leader of a chorus in Ancient Greece
• choreo-dance
• choreologyThe study of the aesthetic and science of forms of dance and other human movement, by means of notation.
• chorio-chorion; chorionic.
• choripetalousHaving separate, unconnected petals; polypetalous.
• chorisepalousHaving separate, unconnected sepals; polysepalous.
• chorisisThe separation of a leaf (or petal or sepal) into two more parts
• chorismicRelating to chorismic acid or its derivatives
• chorizontOne who challenges a widely held assumption of authorship for a major work, especially one who believes that the Iliad and the Odyssey were not written by Homer.
• choro-place
• -choronUsed to form the names of 4-dimensional solids bounded by a certain number of cells/polyhedra (polychora).
• choropleth mapA thematic map in which the distribution of some property is shown using different colours.
• chrematisticRelated to wealth as far as it can be calculated in terms of money.
• chrematisticsThe study of wealth.
• chrematonymA name for an economic good, product name.
• chrematophobiaThe fear of money, spending money, or having too much or not enough money.
• chreotechnicsThe science of the "useful arts", especially agriculture, manufacture, and commerce.
• chresardThe portion of the water in a sample of soil that is available to vegetation (e.g. plant roots)
• chresmologythe study of prophecy
• chromato-color
• chromo-color
• chromothripsisA multiple of chromosomal rearrangements that is associated with some cancers.
• chromphylliteA monoclinic-prismatic emerald green mineral containing aluminum, barium, chromium, fluorine, hydrogen, oxygen, potassium, and silicon.
• chromuleAny colouring matter in plants other than chlorophyll.
• chronaxieThe minimum time over which an electric current must be applied in order to stimulate a muscle fiber or nerve cell.
• chronemeA basic, theoretical unit of sound that can distinguish words by duration only of a vowel or consonant.
• chronoclasmThe intentional destruction of clocks and other time artifacts
• chronogramA sentence or inscription whose letters, when interpreted according to a system (such as Roman numerals) in which letters correspond to numeric values, stand for a particular date (usually the date of inscription) when rearranged.
• chronomentrophobiaThe fear of timepieces.
• chronometricOf or related to chronometers, clocks and other timekeeping devices.
• chronometricsSynonym of horology: the study of time measurement.
• chronometrySynonym of horology: the study of time, particularly the science, art, and technology of time measurement.
• chronophobiaFear of the passing of time, or more generally of time itself.
• chronosomeA sedimentary rock unit defined by planes of simultaneous deposition.
• chryso-gold (metal or colour); yellow
• chrysochloreThe golden mole.
• chrysoidineA yellow-orange crystalline dye, C₆H₅N₂.C₆H₃(NH₂)₂.
• chrysophyteAny golden alga of the class Chrysophyceae
• chrysopoeiaTransmutation into gold.
• chrysospermThe seed of gold; an alchemical means of creating gold.
• chrysostomaticEloquent.
• chthamaloidAny member of the Chthamaloidea superfamily of barnacles.
• chthonianPertaining to the underworld; being beneath the earth.
• chylo-Pertaining to chyle.
• chylopoeticInvolved in the formation of chyle; chyle-producing.