Word origins

• OdysseusA male given name from Ancient Greek.
• agaveAny plant in the large, variable genus Agave of succulent plants, commonly armed with formidable prickles, flowering at maturity after several years, and generally dying thereafter; large species, such as the maguey or century plant, (Agave americana), produce gigantic inflorescences. Several are of economic importance as sources of fibre such as sisal, and alcoholic beverages such as tequila.
• entericOf, relating to, within, or by way of the intestines.
• myopiaA disorder of the vision where distant objects appear blurred because the eye focuses their images in front of the retina instead of on it.
• theocracyGovernment under the control of a state religion.
• glucagonA peptide hormone, produced by the pancreas, that opposes the action of insulin by stimulating the production of sugar
• biogenesisThe principle that living organisms are produced only from other living organisms.
• exegesisA critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text.
• PallasAn epithet for Athena, always used together with the name, as Pallas Athena, rather than alone.
• polisA Greek city-state.
• crontabA table of commands to be executed periodically.
• austereGrim or severe in manner or appearance.
• symbiosisA relationship of mutual benefit, especially among different species.
• epistemicOf or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired.
• pathosThe quality or property of anything which touches the feelings or excites emotions and passions, especially that which awakens tender emotions, such as pity, sorrow, and the like; contagious warmth of feeling, action, or expression; pathetic quality.
• phononThe quantum of acoustic or vibrational energy (sound), considered a discrete particle rather than a wave.
• diatomAny of a group of minute unicellular algae having a siliceous covering of great delicacy, now categorized as class Diatomophyceae or division Bacillariophyta.
• galactoseA monosaccharide found, along with lactose, in dairy products, and is synthesized by the body where it is found associated with glycolipids and glycoproteins.
• astigmatismA defect of a lens such that light rays coming from a point do not meet at a focal point so that the image is blurred.
• aphrodisiacArousing or intensifying sexual desire.
• symplecticPlaced in or among, as if woven together.
• semioticsThe study of signs and symbols, especially as means of language or communication.
• ElysiumThe home of the blessed after death.
• amoebaA member of the genus Amoeba of unicellular protozoa that moves by means of temporary projections called pseudopodia.
• meiosisA figure of speech in which something is presented as smaller or less significant than it actually appears.
• minosThe mythological first king of Crete, a son of Zeus by Europa, who imprisoned the Minotaur in a labyrinth and after death was made a judge of the dead in Hades; a putative corresponding historical person.
• ZenonA surname.
• enteralOf, pertaining to, within, or by way of the intestines; especially, the small intestine.
• dialogicOf or relating to dialogue.
• kineA proposed unit of velocity in the CGS system, equal to one centimeter per second.
• gastritisInflammation of the lining of the stomach, characterised by nausea, loss of appetite, and upper abdominal discomfort or pain.
• DemetriusA male given name from Ancient Greek.
• rheologyThe branch of physics that studies the deformation and flow of matter.
• pyreneA polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon containing four fused benzene rings; first isolated from coal tar
• thebesA city in central Greece, the capital city of Boeotia and an important political centre in antiquity.
• pandemoniumA loud, wild, tumultuous protest, disorder, or chaotic situation, usually of a crowd, often violent.
• StrategoA two-player strategy board game in which each player controls an army that tries to capture the other player's flag.
• aliphaticOf a class of organic compounds in which the carbon atoms are arranged in an open chain.
• monochromaticHaving only one color, represented by differing hues and tints. For example shades in a black and white television.
• PhoenicianOf, from, or related to the country or civilisation of Phoenicia.
• ThaisA female given name from Ancient Greek.
• enthalpyA measure of the heat content of a chemical or physical system.
• hydrocephalusA usually congenital condition in which an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the cerebral ventricles causes enlargement of the skull and compression of the brain, destroying much of the neural tissue.
• ShemThe oldest son of Noah, brother to Ham and Japheth.
• genialFriendly and cheerful; enlivening.
• catabolismDestructive (lytic) metabolism or metabolization, usually including the release of energy and breakdown of materials.
• cladeA group of animals or other organisms derived from a common ancestor species.
• euphoniumA valved brass instrument with conical tubing similar in appearance to a tuba but of higher pitch.
• LetoLeto, in Greek mythology, the mother of Apollo and Artemis.
• axiomaticSelf-evident or unquestionable.
• hermeneuticsThe study of interpretation, particularly concerning texts, meaning, and understanding. It originates from classical exegesis but was significantly developed in the modern period, especially in relation to phenomenology and existentialism. At its core, hermeneutics addresses the conditions of understanding and the processes by which meaning is constructed.
• harmoniaA harmonic mode in ancient Greek music, characterized by a particular set of chords and rhythmic patterns.
• encyclicalA papal letter, intended for general circulation in the Catholic Church.
• dermAnimal skin.
• abioticNonliving, inanimate, characterised by the absence of life; of inorganic matter.
• theismBelief in the existence of at least one deity.
• dystopiaA miserable, dysfunctional state or society that has a very poor standard of living or severe censorship, oppression, etc.
• EoceneOf a geologic epoch within the Paleogene period from about 56 to 34 million years ago.
• delosAn island of the Cyclades, Greece.
• spongiformLike a sponge, porous, full of holes.
• chronosA steady, quantifiable beat or rhythm; measured or objective time.
• LeonidasA male given name from Ancient Greek.
• phonemeAn indivisible unit of sound in a given language. A phoneme is an abstraction of the physical speech sounds (phones) and may encompass several different phones.
• eponymousOf, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named; serving as an eponym.
• dinosAn Ancient Greek mixing-bowl or cauldron, without handles or feet.
• RoxanaThe wife of Alexander the Great.
• 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.
• IolaA female given name.
• 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.
• telosThe aim, purpose, or end goal.
• hapticOf or relating to the sense of touch.
• polyphonyMusical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony).
• 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.
• pentathlonAn ancient athletics discipline, featuring five events: stadion, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus
• 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.).
• conicSynonym of conical.
• 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.
• archeThe first principle of existing things in pre-Socratic philosophy, initially assumed to be of water.
• actinicRelated to radiation; used most often in reference to light, especially in the ultraviolet range.
• cyberneticOf or relating to cybernetics—the mathematical study of communication and control in living organisms or machines.
• arthropodAn invertebrate animal of the phylum Arthropoda, characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton and multiple jointed appendages.
• ElissaDido, queen of Carthage.
• 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.
• lithiaLithium oxide, Li₂O, used in the manufacture of ceramics and glass.
• 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.