Word origins

• polygonA plane figure bounded by edges that are all straight lines.
• HermesA head or bust on a square base, often double-faced.
• chronographA chronogram.
• EliasA male given name from Hebrew.
• catastropheAny large and disastrous event of great significance.
• agonyExtreme pain or anguish.
• asymmetricNot symmetric.
• erosA winged figure of a child representing love or its power.
• ZeusThe supreme Deity and ruler of all Hellenic gods in Hellenism, husband to Hera.
• psychedelicOf, containing, generating, or reminiscent of drug-induced altered awareness, distortions of perception, hallucinations, etc.
• AbileneOf or relating to Abila
• cynicalOf or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness.
• manicCharacterized by mania or craziness; wicked.
• encryptTo conceal information by means of a code or cipher.
• monochromeA black and white image, especially such a photograph.
• TobiasThe main character in the Book of Tobit, regarded as apocryphal by most Protestants (Biblical character).
• DeuteronomyThe fifth of the Books of Moses in the Old Testament of the Bible, the fifth book in the Torah.
• ellipticalIn a shape of, or reminding of, an ellipse; oval.
• cinecinefilm
• petrastone, a weight equal to 14 pounds.
• xenonThe chemical element (symbol Xe) with an atomic number of 54. It is a colorless, odorless, unreactive noble gas, used notably in camera flash technology.
• tonicPertaining to tension, especially of the muscles.
• ephedraAny plant of the genus Ephedra of gymnosperm shrubs.
• nanaA banana.
• ambroseA sweet-scented herb; ambrosia (Dysphania botrys).
• actinA globular structural protein that polymerizes in a helical fashion to form an actin filament (or microfilament).
• gastroenterologyThe study of the digestive system, from the mouth to the anus, which may also include the study of accessory organs: pancreas, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts.
• HellenicOf or pertaining to the Ancient Greek culture and civilization before the Hellenistic period.
• synchronizeTo occur at the same time or with coordinated timing.
• zephyrA light wind from the west.
• nemesisAn enemy, especially an archenemy.
• thoracicOf the thorax.
• daphneAny one of least 50 species of shrub in the genus Daphne of the family Thymelaeaceae, some of which are grown as ornamentals.
• cadmiumA chemical element (symbol Cd) with an atomic number of 48: a soft, silvery-white metal.
• PenelopeThe faithful wife of Odysseus.
• histogramA graphical display of numerical data in the form of upright bars, with the area of each bar representing frequency.
• KerberosAn authentication protocol using a central ticket server.
• astronautA member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose.
• calypsoA style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to the mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid-20th century.
• necrosisThe localized death of cells or tissues through injury, disease, or the interruption of blood supply.
• drasticHaving a strong or far-reaching effect; extreme, severe.
• rhoThe seventeenth letter of the Modern Greek and Classical alphabets and the nineteenth letter of Old and Ancient.
• neuronA cell of the nervous system, which conducts nerve impulses; consisting of an axon and several dendrites. Neurons are connected by synapses.
• paranoiaA psychotic disorder, now called delusional disorder, often (in one of six subtypes) characterized by delusions of persecution and a perceived threat against the individual affected with the disorder, and often associated with false accusations and a general mistrust of others.
• criticizeTo find fault (with something).
• endemicNative to a particular area or culture; originating where it occurs.
• mimicTo imitate, especially in order to ridicule.
• fascinationThe act of bewitching, or enchanting
• glaucomaAn eye disease or disorder that is defined as a characteristic optic neuropathy, or disease of the optic nerve, possibly, if untreated, leading to damage of the optic disc of the eye and resultant visual field loss due to lack of communication between the retina and the brain, which can lead to blindness.
• rhythmicOf or relating to rhythm.
• tritonthe nucleus of a tritium atom, consisting of a proton and two neutrons.
• psycheThe human soul, mind, or spirit.
• anorexiaLoss of appetite, especially as a result of disease.
• empathyIdentification with or understanding of the thoughts, feelings, or emotional state of another person.
• cathodeAn electrode, of a cell or other electrically polarized device, through which a positive current of electricity flows outwards (and thus, electrons flow inwards). It can have either a negative or a positive voltage with respect to anode of the same polarized device (depending on whether the device is a load or a source, respectively).
• GaiaThe ecosystem of the Earth regarded as a self-regulating superorganism.
• cassandraA person who makes dire predictions, especially those which are not believed but which turn out to be true.
• cathA diminutive of the female given name Catherine.
• endoMarijuana.
• meningitisInflammation of the meninges, characterized by headache, neck stiffness and photophobia and also fever, chills, vomiting and myalgia.
• asteroidA naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and a dwarf planet, larger than a meteoroid and not a comet, that orbits a star and often has an irregular shape.
• CanaThe site where Jesus miraculously turned water into wine.
• esotericIntended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest, or an enlightened inner circle.
• synodAn ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters.
• heuristicThat employs a practical method not guaranteed to be optimal or perfect; either not following or derived from any theory, or based on an advisedly oversimplified one.
• ArtemisThe Greek goddess of the hunt, wild animals, and wilderness; the daughter of Leto and Zeus; the sister of Apollo.
• diasporaThe dispersion of a group in a manner comparable to that of the Jews among the Gentiles after the Babylonian captivity (6th century BCE).
• cosmoA cosmopolitan, a cocktail containing vodka, triple sec, lime juice, and cranberry juice.
• clineA gradation in a character or phenotype within a species, deme, or other systematic group.
• themaA subject or theme.
• lexisThe set of all words and phrases in a language; any unified subset of words from a particular language.
• SusannaA female given name from Hebrew.
• SmyrnaAn ancient port city on the Aegean coast of western Asia Minor founded in circa the 11ᵗʰ century BC on the site of the present-day Turkish city of İzmir.
• kataAny of a sequence of positions and movements used in many martial arts.
• bariatricReferring to the branch of medicine bariatrics, the treatment of obesity and weight problems.
• limosA child of Eris, Limos is the deity/personification of famine and starvation. The Roman counterpart is Fames.
• ClioA statuette holding a globe given at the Clio Awards, an annual award program that recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication.
• orthopedicsThe branch of medicine that deals with the prevention or correction of disorders of the bones and associated muscles and joints.
• EuclidEuclid of Alexandria, a Greek mathematician, fl. 300 BC.
• BIAThe goddess and personification of force.
• magmaA mixture of molten silicate rock, crystals, and gas within the earth, which may be erupted as lava or cool in place to form igneous intrusions.
• charismaA gift or power of leadership or authority.
• castorA hat made from the fur of the beaver.
• charismaticOf, related to, or having charisma: having a form of compelling charm or personality which inspires devotion in others; charming, fascinating, magnetic.
• asymmetryAn absence of symmetry or proportion between the parts of a thing, or a distinction that produces such a lack of symmetry.
• ellipticOf or pertaining to an ellipse.
• HyperionA Titan, the son of Gaia and Uranus and the father of Helios, Selene and Eos.
• HermioneSynonym of Hermione Granger (“a diligent, hard-working and intelligent person, especially a young woman smarter than her peers”)
• ethosThe character or fundamental values of a person, people, culture, or movement.
• euthanasiaThe practice of intentionally killing a human being or animal in a humane way, especially in order to end suffering.
• hemoglobinThe iron-containing substance in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body; it consists of a protein (globulin), and haem (a porphyrin ring with an atom of iron at its centre).
• thrombosisThe formation of thrombi in the blood vessels of a living organism, causing obstruction of the circulation.
• PhilemonThe eighteenth book of the New Testament of the Bible, the epistle of Saint Paul to a fellow Christian called Philemon.
• NaxosAn island in the central Cyclades.
• petalOne of the component parts of the corolla of a flower. It applies particularly, but not necessarily only, when the corolla consists of separate parts, that is when the petals are not connately fused. Petals are often brightly colored.
• nomeA prefecture or unit of regional government in Greece.
• somaticPart of, or relating to the body of an organism.
• phobiaAn irrational, abnormal, or obsessive fear (of something).
• tetraAny of numerous species of small freshwater fish of the South American family Characidae and West African family Alestidae, popular in home aquariums.
• cytokineAny of various small regulatory proteins that regulate the cells of the immune system.