Word origins

• undulateTo cause to move in a wavelike motion.
• defenestrationThe act of throwing something or especially someone out of a window, especially lethally.
• administratrixA female administrator.
• phlogistonThe hypothetical fiery principle formerly assumed to be a necessary constituent of combustible bodies and to be given up by them in burning.
• subtribeA tribe making up part of a larger tribe.
• audibilityThe quality of being heard or understood; the degree to which a thing is audible.
• adelgidAn insect of the genus Adelges.
• semiologySemiotics, the study of signs.
• piriformisA gluteal muscle which arises from the front of the sacrum and the ischium or sacrotuberous ligament, passes out of the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen, and inserts into the greater trochanter of the femur, serving in humans to rotate the thigh laterally.
• orthognathicStraight-jawed.
• anergyDilute or disorganized energy, which cannot be transformed into work; bound energy
• epiglottisA cartilaginous organ in the throat of terrestrial vertebrates covering the glottis when swallowing to prevent food and liquid from entering the trachea, and in Homo sapiens also a speech organ.
• epigraphicOf or pertaining to an epigraph or to epigraphy.
• chitonA loose woolen tunic worn by men and women in Ancient Greece and in Ancient Rome.
• orbicularisA muscle surrounding an opening.
• stalactiteA secondary mineral deposit of calcium carbonate or another mineral, in shapes similar to icicles, that hangs from the roof of a cave.
• tricaAn apothecium in certain lichens, having a spherical surface marked with spiral or concentric ridges and furrows.
• presterA priest or presbyter.
• ailanthusAny of several deciduous Asiatic trees of the genus Ailanthus, including the tree of heaven.
• gummaa soft, non-cancerous growth, a form of granuloma, resulting from the tertiary stage of syphilis.
• educableCapable of being educated.
• masseterThe large muscle which runs through the rear part of the cheek from the temporal bone to the lower jaw on each side, raises the lower jaw, and assists in mastication.
• stalagmiteA secondary mineral deposit of calcium carbonate or other mineral, in shapes similar to icicles, that lies on the ground of a cave.
• pronicBeing the product of two consecutive integers.
• oxyrhynchusa fish with a pointed snout
• pterygoidOf, pertaining to or lying in the region of the inferior part of the sphenoid bone of the vertebrate skull.
• anosmiaInability to smell; the inability to perceive odors.
• natriumSynonym of sodium.
• teucriumAny of the genus Teucrium of lamiaceous plants; a germander.
• tomentosecovered in (often matted) hair.
• orchideaSynonym of orchid.
• polymorphousHaving, or assuming, a variety of forms, characters, or styles
• syllabaryA table or list of syllabic letters or syllables.
• blastulaAn early form in the development of an embryo, consisting of a spherical layer of cells filled with fluid; a blastosphere.
• phytolaccaAny of the genus Phytolacca of herbaceous plants; the poke or pokeweed.
• stramoniumThe jimsonweed or thornapple plant, Datura stramonium.
• chemicPractising chemistry (or, earlier, alchemy); pertaining to these sciences.
• carpusThe group of bones that make up the wrist.
• frenulumA small fold or ridge of tissue that supports or restrains the motion of the part to which it is attached, in particular a fold of skin beneath the tongue, or between the lip and the gum.
• anuranAny amphibian of the order Anura: any frog (narrow sense) or toad.
• leprologyThe study of leprosy, particularly (medicine) its diagnosis and treatment.
• mucilaginousOf or pertaining to mucilage; of, pertaining to, or resembling mucus; slimy and viscous.
• primiparousPregnant or giving birth for the first time.
• crepisA plant of the genus Crepis in the family Compositae.
• peperomiaAny plant of the genus Peperomia, some of which are popular houseplants.
• cricoidOf, relating to, or being a cricoid cartilage.
• GlagoliticOf or written with the Glagolitic alphabet.
• pyriformPear-shaped.
• scutellumA rounded apothecium having an elevated rim formed of the proper thallus, the fructification of certain lichens.
• archaismThe adoption or imitation of archaic words or style.
• coccusAny approximately spherical bacterium.
• ecchymosisA skin discoloration caused by bleeding underneath the skin, especially one that is remote from a site of trauma or caused by a non-traumatic process (such as neoplasia).
• colyAny bird of either of the genera Colius or Urocolius, endemic to sub-Saharan Africa.
• aponeurosisA flattened pearly white fibrous membrane taking the place of a tendon that binds together and forms the terminations and attachments of muscles or connects them to other body parts like skin or bone.
• campanulateShaped like a bell.
• cotingaAny of the neotropical passerine birds of the family Cotingidae.
• neurulaAn embryo of vertebrates in the stage when the primitive band is first developed.
• asconA cavity, in the form of a bag or tube, lined with choanocytes, that forms the structure of sponges
• hyphaAny of the long, threadlike filaments that form the mycelium of a fungus.
• jugulumThe neck or throat.
• ab aeternoFrom time immemorial; from an infinitely remote point in the past.
• abasiaAn inability to walk due to a defect in muscular coordination.
• abbot nulliusAn abbot who is exempt from diocesan control, and acts with papal authority.
• abdomino-abdomen; abdominal.
• abducens nerveEach of the sixth pair of cranial nerves that are the motor nerves supplying the lateral rectus in the eye.
• abductoryRelating to an abductor
• abecedariusAn acrostic poem in which the lines begin with the letters of the alphabet in sequence.
• abelmoskThe edible and aromatic seed pods (properly, capsules) of the Abelmoschus moschatus.
• ab inconvenientiFrom inconvenience or hardship.
• ab intrafrom inside; from within
• abomasumThe fourth digestive compartment of the stomach of a cow or other ruminant, after the omasum;
• abrocomeEither of the ratlike rodents that form the genus Abrocoma; rat chinchilla.
• abruptio placentaeA premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall.
• absente reoThe defendant being absent.
• abuliaAbsence of willpower or decisiveness, especially as a symptom of mental illness.
• acanthionA point lying near the base of the nose; specifically, the point at the base of the anterior nasal spine that lies on the mesial line; tip of the anterior nasal spine.
• acanthorThe spindle-shaped embryo stage of Acanthocephala that burrows into the body cavity of its first intermediate host.
• acapniaThe state in which the level of carbon dioxide in the blood and tissue is significantly lower than normal.
• acaro-mite
• acerathereAn extinct rhinoceros of the genus †Aceratherium.
• acetabuliformShaped like a saucer or shallow cup.
• acetabulouscup-shaped; acetabular.
• Achilles tendonThe strong tendon formed of the united tendons of the large muscles in the calf of the leg, and inserted into the bone of the heel.
• acholiaDeficiency or absence of bile.
• acinaciformShaped like a scimitar.
• acne rosaceaSynonym of rosacea.
• acontiaThreadlike defensive organs, composed largely of nettling cells (cnidae), thrown out of the mouth or special pores of certain Actiniae when irritated.
• acraniaPartial or total absence of the skull.
• acro-The extremities: limbs, head, fingers, toes, etc.
• acrotismA lack or defect of the pulse.
• actinobolismRadiation; emission or projection.
• adenoma sebaceumA cutaneous disorder consisting of angiofibromas that begin in childhood (generally present between 2–5 years of age) and appear clinically as red papules on the face especially on the nasolabial folds, cheek and chin.
• adespotaLiterary works not attributed to (or claimed by) an author. (Originally used as a title of collections of anonymous Greek poetry.)
• ad hocFor a particular purpose.
• adiapneustiaDefective perspiration; adiaphoresis.
• adipositasadiposity; obesity
• ad libAt pleasure.
• adoxographA work of adoxography.
• adoxographyFine writing on a minor or trivial subject.
• aecidiumThe cupulate fruiting body borne upon the mycelium of certain fungi commonly parasitic upon specimens of the Compositae, Lamiaceae, Leguminosae, and Ranunculaceae families