Word origins

• boustrophedonicallyAs a boustrophedon or in a boustrophedonic manner (such that the text directionality alternates on each line, resulting in a continuous stream of characters spanning multiple lines).
• boustrophicSynonym of boustrophedonic (“written as a boustrophedon”).
• brachelytrousThat has short elytrons
• brachiologiabrevity in speech.
• brachistochroneA cycloid; the curve of fastest descent between two points.
• brachy-short, brief
• brachysmUnusually small size resulting from the shortening of internodes.
• brachytypousOf a short form.
• brady-slow
• bradyonA tardyon.
• branchio-Relating to the gills of a fish
• branchiostegalOf or pertaining to the operculum that covers the gill slits of fish
• BrauroniaAn Ancient Greek initiation ritual for girls in Attica at Brauron, relating to the goddess Artemis.
• bregmaThe anatomical structure on the skull where the coronal suture and sagittal suture meet.
• brekekekexNonsense word supposedly imitative of frogs.
• brepho-baby
• BriseusIn the Iliad, father of the woman Briseis and the origin of her name.
• British IslesAn archipelago of Northern Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, Anglesey, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, the Hebrides, the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, the Isles of Scilly, the Channel Islands and many smaller islands.
• BritomartisA Greek goddess of mountains and hunting, primarily worshipped on the island of Crete.
• brizomancyA form of Ancient Greek divination by the interpretation of dreams with the aid of the goddess Brizo; hence, divination by dreams.
• bromatologyThe study of food.
• BromiusAn epithet of Dionysus/Bacchus, meaning "noisy", "roaring" or "boisterous".
• bromopneaThe condition of having bad breath.
• broncho-relating to bronchi and the airways
• bronchorrhoncusA bronchial tumor that may obstruct the flow of air.
• bronchotomeAn instrument for cutting into the bronchi.
• brontideA sound like that of distant thunder, some of which may have seismic origins.
• bronto-thunder
• brontographA tracing or chart showing the phenomena accompanying a thunderstorm.
• brontomancyDivination by thunder.
• brontometerAn instrument for noting or recording the phenomena that accompany a thunderstorm.
• bruxomaniaCompulsive grinding of the teeth.
• bryo-moss
• bryotoxinAny of a group of toxins found in organisms of genus Bryophyllum.
• bugoniaAn ancient Mediterranean ritual based on the belief that bees were spontaneously generated from a cow’s carcass.
• bunodontWhose cusps are rounded, not sharp peaks.
• bunolophodontHaving molars with transverse ridges and rounded cusps on the occlusal surface
• bunoselenodontHaving teeth whose inner cusps have the form of blunt cones and the outer ones of longitudinal crescents
• buphthalmosAbnormal enlargement of the eyeball.
• but-Denotes the presence of four carbon atoms in the parent chain when forming names of organic compounds.
• ButoSynonym of Wadjet.
• butyric acidEither of the two isomeric carboxylic acids, normal butyric acid and isobutyric acid, with the chemical formula C₃H₇COOH, occurring in animal milk fat.
• ByblisA daughter of Miletus who fell in love with Caunus, her twin brother.
• bynedestinA globulin found in malt.
• byssoliteAn olive-green fibrous variety of hornblende.
• CabeiriA group of enigmatic chthonic deities worshipped by a mystery cult closely associated with that of Hephaestus.
• cachaemiaA degenerated or poisoned condition of the blood.
• caco-bad, defective
• cacochymiaA vitiated state of the humours, or bodily fluids.
• cacodaemonA wicked or malevolent spirit as opposed to agathodemon (a good spirit).
• cacodaemonicdaemonic
• cacodemonAn evil or malevolent spirit.
• cacodemonicDemonic.
• cacodoxyIncorrect doctrine or opinions.
• cacodylThe dimethylarsine radical (CH₃)₂As-
• cacoepyThe mispronunciation of words.
• cacoethicIll-conditioned, malignant; cacoethical.
• caconymAn incorrect name for something, especially in taxonomic classification.
• cacophobiaThe fear of ugliness or ugly people.
• cacosynthetonThe poor placement of words.
• cacothymiaAn unbalanced state of mind; a mental or glandular disorder as from a malfunctioning thymus gland.
• cacotopiaA dystopia; the worst possible world.
• cacoxeniteA soft phosphate of iron occurring in yellowish clumps: hydrated iron aluminum phosphate oxide: (Fe,Al)₂₅(PO₄)₁₇O₆(OH)₁₂·17H₂O.
• caddichusIn ancient Sparta, a deep basin used in a form of voting or election, particularly for membership in common messes (syssitia).
• CadmeaThe citadel of ancient Thebes, Greece.
• calasirislong Egyptian garment, with tassels or fringe at the bottom
• caldesmonA particular calmodulin-binding protein.
• caligynephobiaThe fear of beautiful women.
• call a spade a spadeTo put it bluntly, to be outspoken; to speak the truth, to describe things as they really are.
• calli-beautiful
• CallinusAn Ancient Greek name, particularly borne by a 7th-century Ancient Greek poet from Ephesus,
• callipygianHaving beautifully shaped buttocks.
• callipygousSynonym of callipygian.
• calotypeA talbotype.
• calyceraceousOf or relating to the Calyceraceae.
• CalydonAn Ancient Greek city in the country of Aetolia, north of the Gulf of Patras in western Greece, on the west bank of the river Evenus.
• CalymmianDenoting a geologic period within the Mesoproterozoic era from about 1600 to 1400 million years ago.
• calypsisThe act of covering or concealing one’s face, or sexually attractive parts, especially in the presence of someone who is a sexual turn-off (extremely anerotic), or someone who is uncomfortable to be around.
• calyptraIn bryophytes, a thin hood of tissue that forms from the archegonium and covers the developing sporophyte and is shed as it ripens.
• -campsisForming nouns relating to a bending or curvature.
• camptodactylyA medical condition involving fixed flexion deformity of the proximal interphalangeal joints.
• camptodromousin which the secondary veins curve toward the margins, in some cases becoming nearly parallel with them, and not reconnecting with other veins to form loops
• campyliteA variety of mimetite.
• campylotropousHaving the ovules and seeds so curved, or bent down upon themselves, that the ends of the embryo are brought close together; curved in such a way.
• canephoraA caryatid supporting a basket on her head.
• cannabicPertaining to hemp or cannabis.
• capno-smoke
• capnomancyDivination by interpreting smoke rising from a fire. A form of pyromancy.
• capnomorA colourless oil with a peculiar odour, obtained from beech tar.
• carcinizationThe convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms.
• carcino-Cancer.
• -cardiaForms nouns relating to a heart condition.
• cardialgyHeartburn.
• cardio-Relating to the heart.
• cardiotocographyThe recording of the fetal heartbeat and uterine contractions during pregnancy, typically in the third trimester
• CarduchiA warlike tribe that occupied the hilly country along the upper Tigris near the Assyrian and Median borders.
• caroticcarotid
• carotico-Of or relating to the carotid artery.
• -carpPart of a fruit or fruiting body.
• carpholiteAn orthorhombic-dipyramidal mineral containing aluminum, hydrogen, manganese, oxygen, and silicon.