Word origins

• substratumA layer that lies underneath another.
• stomaOne of the tiny pores in the epidermis of a leaf or stem through which gases and water vapor pass.
• alliterationThe repetition of consonant sounds or letters at the beginning of two or more words immediately succeeding each other, or at short intervals; such repetition specifically involving stressed syllables.
• asphyxiaLoss of consciousness due to the interruption of breathing and consequent anoxia.
• reticularHaving the structure of a net or a network; netlike.
• triuneBoth trine and one at the same time.
• spasmodicOf or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden contraction of the muscles.
• constrictorA muscle whose contraction narrows a vessel or passage or compresses an organ.
• octaviusA male given name from Latin, in occasional use.
• anabaptistA member of a radical wing of Christians during the Protestant Reformation, with a tenet of adult baptism.
• amblyopiaDimness or blurring of the eyesight due to a fault in transmission of signals to the brain from an otherwise healthy eye.
• laryngitisAn inflammation of the larynx, typically resulting in hoarseness.
• basilarOf, pertaining to, or located at a base, but especially at the base of the skull or an organ of Corti.
• ciliateCiliated, having cilia.
• impactorAny of several machines or devices in which a part impacts on another, or on a material.
• erbiumA chemical element (symbol Er) with atomic number 68: a silvery-white metal, in nature always found in combination with other elements.
• amiaThe bowfin, Amia calva.
• myceliumThe vegetative part of any fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, threadlike hyphae, often underground.
• gonadA sex organ that produces gametes; specifically, a testicle or ovary.
• scandiumA metallic chemical element (symbol Sc), atomic number 21, obtained from some uranium ores; it is a transition element.
• scrotalOf or relating to the scrotum.
• centripetalDirected or moving towards a centre.
• levitateTo cause to rise in the air and float, as if in defiance of external forces such as gravity.
• incisorA narrow-edged tooth at the front of the mouth of mammals, between the canines and adapted for cutting; in humans there are four in each jaw.
• sthenicCharacterized by nervous energy; robust, strong.
• presbyopiaInability of the eye, due to ageing, to focus on nearby objects.
• isometryA function between metric spaces (or on a single metric space) having the property that the distance between two images is equal to the distance between their preimages.
• abortusAn abortion.
• cymaThe wavelike, curved shape of a cymatium, consisting of a concave and a convex line; (loosely) the cymatium itself.
• aphelionThe point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, or other astronomical object, where it is farthest from the Sun.
• marginaliaNotes in the margin of a document.
• zeaxanthinA yellow crystalline carotenoid alcohol that occurs widely with lutein, with which it is isomeric, and is the chief pigment of maize
• stamenIn flowering plants, a male reproductive structure in a flower that produces pollen, typically consisting of an anther and a filament.
• trachomaAn infectious disease of the eyelid caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.
• mediastinumThe region in mammals between the pleural sacs, containing the heart and all of the thoracic viscera except the lungs.
• catatoniaA severe psychiatric condition, often associated with schizophrenia, characterized by a tendency to remain in a rigid state of stupor for long periods which give way to short periods of extreme agitation.
• fricativeAny of several speech sounds produced by air flowing through a constriction in the oral cavity and typically producing a sibilant, hissing, or buzzing quality; a fricative consonant.
• hemiplegiaTotal or partial inability to move one side of the body.
• scleraThe white of the eye; the tough outer coat of the eye that covers the eyeball except for the cornea.
• rapheA seamlike ridge or furrow on an organ, bodily tissue, or other structure, typically marking the line where two halves or sections fused in the embryo.
• philodendronAny of several climbing plants, of the genus Philodendron, native to America and the West Indies that are often grown as house plants.
• diuresisExcessive production of urine; polyuria.
• poloniumA rare, highly radioactive chemical element (symbol Po) with atomic number 84.
• decubitusThe posture of someone in bed, lying down or reclining.
• phalaropeAny of three small wading birds in the genus Phalaropus, of the family Scolopacidae, that have lobed toes.
• arachnoidRelating to or resembling spider webs; covered with or composed of soft loose hairs or fibers.
• zoonA distinct organism.
• introversionA turning inward, particularly
• longusA long muscle in the body.
• micellea colloidal aggregate, in a simple geometric form, of a specific number of amphipathic molecules which forms at a well-defined concentration, called the critical micelle concentration
• oviductA duct through which an ovum passes from an ovary to the uterus or to the exterior.
• mastoidBeing the process of the temporal bone behind the ear.
• ichthyosisAny of a group of genetic skin disorders characterized by dry, thickened, scaly skin.
• hyperbolaA conic section formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane that intersects the base of the cone and is not tangent to the cone. The function y(x) = 1/x draws a hyperbola.
• monismThe doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality, despite the appearance of diversity in the world.
• puerperalOf, pertaining to, or associated with the puerperium (the first month of postpartum), or, sometimes also
• aspectualOf or pertaining to an aspect.
• ascidianAny member of the class Ascidiacea (the sea squirts)
• onchocerciasisA disease caused by a worm of the genus Onchocerca, especially as transmitted to humans by flies and often causing blindness; common in tropical Africa.
• multifloraThe hardy rose Rosa multiflora
• arilA tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates.
• pandanusAny of various palm-like plants in the genus Pandanus.
• fucusAny alga of the genus Fucus.
• sartorialOf or relating to the tailoring of clothing.
• hypochondriaA formerly defined psychological disorder characterized by excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness. No longer a current medical diagnosis; see hypochondriasis for more.
• agrostisAny grass of the genus Agrostis of bentgrasses.
• phrenicOf or pertaining to the diaphragm
• quadralA grammatical number referring to four (or more) things.
• splanchnicOf, in, near or pertaining to the viscera or intestines.
• theodoliteA surveying instrument, consisting of a small mounted telescope, used to measure horizontal and vertical angles.
• zeistOne who believed that maize was the cause of pellagra.
• branchialOf, pertaining to, or resembling gills; of or pertaining to the embryonic branchial arches and clefts from which the gills arise.
• gluteusAny of the several muscles of the nates, each of which arises from the pelvis and inserts into a femur.
• plasmapheresisA procedure in which whole blood is removed from a donor or patient and centrifuged to isolate blood cells that are resuspended in a compatible solution and re-injected into the donor or patient.
• arthralgiaJoint pain: pain in a joint, especially when not caused by arthritis.
• dehiscenceOpening of an organ by its own means (such as an anther or a seed pod) to release its contents.
• sphenoidHaving a wedge shape.
• anencephalyA lethal birth defect involving the abscence of a major portion of the brain and parts of the skull; absence of the encephalon.
• gastrocnemiusThe muscle at the back of the calf, whose insertion is the Achilles tendon at the heel.
• sylphAn invisible being of the air.
• abutilonAny of the various tropical flowering plants of the genus Abutilon, such as the flowering maple, Indian mallow, or Chinese lantern.
• glottisThe opening between the true vocal cords which is located in the larynx and affects voice modulation through expansion or contraction.
• melenaThe passage of dark, tarry stools containing blood, a result of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
• pityriasisAny of several varieties of skin diseases characterized by the shedding of flakes or scales, such as dandruff.
• diencephalonThe region of the human brain, specifically the human forebrain, that includes the thalamus, the hypothalamus, the epithalamus, the prethalamus or subthalamus, and the pretectum.
• myxomaA tumor consisting of primitive connective tissue and mucous elements.
• trichinosisA disease characterized by headache, chills, fever, and soreness of muscles, caused by the presence of nematodes of genus Trichinella in the intestines and muscular tissues.
• levatorAny of several muscles whose contraction causes the raising of a part of the body.
• cinchonaA tree or shrub of the genus Cinchona, native to the Andes in South America but since widely cultivated in Indonesia and India as well for its medicinal bark.
• ascusA sac-shaped cell present in ascomycete fungi; it is a reproductive cell in which meiosis and an additional cell division produce eight spores.
• paulowniaAny member of the genus Paulownia, comprising deciduous flowering trees native to Asia.
• atypiaabnormality in a cell (the state of being atypical)
• passerineOf or relating to the Passeriformes order of perching birds, which are generally anisodactyl, having three toes pointing forward and one back, which facilitates perching.
• rachisThe spinal column, or the vertebrae of the spine.
• factiveLicensing only those content clauses that represent claims that are (known or believed with certainty to be) true.
• frontalisA muscle of the forehead, sometimes considered to be part of the occipitofrontalis muscle.
• roseolaA rosy rash occurring in measles, typhoid fever, syphilis and some other diseases.
• coagulateTo become congealed; to convert from a liquid to a semisolid mass.
• symphysisThe process of two originally separate bones growing together as the subject matures, as with the pubic bones or lower jawbones in humans.
• diathesisA hereditary or constitutional predisposition to a disease or other disorder.