Word origins

• CythereaThe goddess Aphrodite.
• SeleneThe goddess of the Moon.
• calliopeA musical organ, consisting of steam whistles played with a keyboard. Often used with merry-go-rounds.
• EuripidesA Greek tragedian (c. 480–406 B.C.E.); Euripides was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens.
• erythropoietinA glycoprotein hormone that functions as a cytokine for erythrocyte precursors in bone marrow.
• hippopotamusA semi-aquatic, herbivorous, African hoofed mammal of the family Hippopotamidae.
• ioliteThe clear variety of cordierite, sometimes used as a gem.
• hapticOf or relating to the sense of touch.
• PlioceneOf a geologic epoch within the Neogene period from about 5.3 to 1.7 million years ago; marked by the appearance of humanity's first ancestors.
• brachytherapyRadiotherapy using radioactive sources positioned within (or close to) the treatment volume, typically with radiopharmaceuticals as opposed to external-beam sources.
• thalliumA metallic chemical element (symbol Tl) with atomic number 81: a gray post-transition metal that discolors when exposed to air.
• myastheniaAbnormal weakness of the muscles; but especially myasthenia gravis.
• MinoanOf or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age (about 3000-1050 B.C.E.).
• austeritySeverity of manners or life; extreme rigor or strictness; harsh discipline.
• euphemismThe use of a word or phrase to replace another one that is more offensive, blunt or vulgar.
• thalamusEither of two large, ovoid structures of grey matter within the forebrain that relay sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex.
• anadromousThat lives in the sea and breeds in fresh water.
• actinicRelated to radiation; used most often in reference to light, especially in the ultraviolet range.
• arthropodAn invertebrate animal of the phylum Arthropoda, characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton and multiple jointed appendages.
• stigmatabodily marks or sores, corresponding in location to the crucifixion wounds of Christ; supposed to occur during states of religious ecstasy or hysteria, and sometimes reported to bleed periodically
• cryptologyThe science or study of mathematical, linguistic, and other coding patterns and histories.
• altheaAny of several plants of the genus Althaea; the hollyhocks and mallows, native to Eurasia.
• dyspepsiaAny mild disorder of digestion characterised by stomach pain, discomfort, heartburn, and nausea, often following a meal.
• archonA chief magistrate of ancient Athens.
• triptychA picture or series of pictures painted on three tablets connected by hinges.
• CandiaThe Mediterranean island of Crete.
• ThemisA Titan, the embodiment of divine order, law and custom. She was the daughter of Gaia and Uranus.
• DorcasA member of a Dorcas association.
• orthographicOf a projection used in maps, architecture etc., in which the rays are parallel.
• kanonSynonym of monochord (used mainly in reference to ancient Greek music)
• meniscusA crescent moon, or an object shaped like it.
• catharsisA release of emotional tension after an overwhelming vicarious experience, resulting in the purging or purification of the emotions, as through watching a dramatic production (especially a tragedy).
• Athosone of the Gigantes
• aetherOne of the Greek primordial deities who was the personification of light, brother-husband of Hemera and grandson of Chaos.
• PhobosA son of Ares (Mars). Also the Greek god of fear.
• HeraclesSon of Zeus and Alcmene, a celebrated hero who possessed exceptional strength. Most famous for his 12 labours performed to redeem himself after killing his family.
• IsidoreA male given name from Ancient Greek.
• anastomosisA cross-connection between two blood vessels.
• gnosisAn immanent form of knowledge or transcendent insight, such as sought by the Gnostics.
• TimonA male given name from Ancient Greek of mostly historical use.
• NathanaelAn Apostle in the Gospel of John; usually identified with Bartholomew.
• areteexcellence, goodness; virtue.
• thalassemiaAny of a group of inherited disorders in which the amount of hemoglobin in the blood is reduced.
• TheseusA legendary Ancient Greek hero most famous for defeating the minotaur in the labyrinth of Crete.
• despoticOf or pertaining to a despot or tyrant.
• hedonicOf or relating to pleasure
• mnemonicsThe study of techniques for remembering anything more easily.
• SavaA river in southern Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube at Belgrade.
• dianeticsA self-help system designed by L. Ron Hubbard, today chiefly employed in Scientology.
• CorydonA male given name from Greek, notably used as a stock name for a shepherd in pastorals, in particular a shepherd whose love for a boy is described in Virgil's Eclogues.
• ThetisOne of the nereids; the mother of Achilles
• XerxesXerxes I, a Persian king of the Achaemenid dynasty who reigned 485-465 BC.
• rhodopsinA light-sensitive pigment in the rod cells of the retina; it consists of an opsin protein bound to the carotenoid retinal
• ApophisAn evil snake-god who tries to devour the sun every night.
• CharisAglaea, one of the Charites.
• ElisAn ancient Greek city-state in northwestern Peloponnese, modern Greece.
• idiomaticPertaining or conforming to idiom, the natural mode of expression of a language.
• megalithA large stone slab making up a prehistoric monument, or part of such a monument.
• eidolonAn image or representation of an idea; a representation of an ideal form; an apparition of some actual or imaginary entity, or of some aspect of reality.
• CenozoicOf or pertaining to the Cenozoic era.
• schistosomiasisAny of various diseases of humans caused by parasitic blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma.
• symphoniaConcord in Ancient Greek music.
• ureterEither of the two long, narrow ducts that carry urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
• hemostasisThe regulated physiological process by which the body arrests bleeding at a site of vascular injury while preserving blood fluidity and normal circulation elsewhere.
• magnesiamagnesium oxide
• bradycardiaThe condition of having a slow heartbeat, defined as under 60 beats per minute for an adult.
• amanitaAny of very many agaric mushrooms, of the genus Amanita, most of which are very poisonous.
• DesdemonaOthello's wife in Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, noted for being a victim of jealousy.
• chloriteA dark green mineral resembling serpentine, being a mixed silicate of magnesium, iron and aluminium.
• organonA set of principles that are used in science or philosophy.
• dromeThe crab plover, Dromas ardeola, of North Africa.
• pygmalionOne who acts as the legendary Greek sculptor Pygmalion (who was granted the wish of having life given to a sculpture of his which he fell deeply in love with).
• AleisterA male given name from Scottish Gaelic, of rare usage, variant of Alastair.
• HelleA daughter of king Athamas, who, together with her brother Phrixus, fled from their stepmother Ino to Colchis on a golden ram. On their way, she fell from its back and was drowned in the strait called, after her, Hellespont.
• stoichiometricOf or relating to stoichiometry.
• cryopreservationThe preservation of biological tissue at cryogenic temperatures, typically at -80°C (dry ice temperature) or -196°C (the boiling point of liquid nitrogen).
• LysanderA British military aircraft used during World War II
• cronyA close friend.
• Tobita model where the dependent variable is censored.
• ambidextrousHaving equal or comparable ability in both hands; in particular, able to write well with both hands.
• ArtaA regional unit in northwestern Greece that is a part of the Epirus region.
• Hellenthe mythological patriarch of the Hellenes, the son of Deucalion (or sometimes Zeus) and Pyrrha, brother of Amphictyon and father of Aeolus, Xuthus, and Dorus
• phraseologyStudy of set or fixed expressions.
• calligraphicOf or pertaining to calligraphy.
• bromeAny grass of the genus Bromus.
• epicentreThe point on the land or water surface directly above the focus, or hypocentre, of an earthquake.
• photolysisAny chemical reaction in which a compound is decomposed after absorbing a photon.
• mesicCharacterized by an intermediate degree of moisture, in between xeric (dry) and hydric (wet); somewhat moist.
• xenophobicExhibiting or characterised by xenophobia, a fear or hatred of strangers, foreigners, or extraterrestrial life.
• extropyNegentropy.
• cystineA nonessential amino acid formed by the oxidation of cysteine; it contains two cysteine residues linked by a disulfide bond.
• kourosA sculpture of a naked youth in Ancient Greece, the male equivalent of a kore.
• dialecticsA systematic method of argument that attempts to resolve the contradictions in opposing views or ideas.
• periodontitisA serious form or stage of periodontal disease which may lead to loss of bone and falling out of teeth.
• parenchymaThe functional tissue of an organ as distinguished from the connective and supporting tissue.
• AntheaA female given name from Ancient Greek.
• DoricRelating to one of the Greek orders of architecture, distinguished by its simplicity and solidity.
• hemolysisThe destruction of red blood cells, and subsequent release of hemoglobin, at the normal end of the cell's life.
• oesophagusThe tube that carries food from the pharynx to the stomach.
• kurtosisA measure of "heaviness of the tails" of a probability distribution, defined as the fourth cumulant divided by the square of the variance of the probability distribution.