Word origins

• scuteA horny, chitinous, or bony external plate or scale, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodiles, or the feet and legs of birds.
• dulcamaraThe dried young branches of the woody nightshade (Solanum dulcamara), formerly used as a diuretic, diaphoretic, sedative, and narcotic.
• punctumA sharp tip of any part of the anatomy; a point or other small area.
• racemeAn indeterminate inflorescence in which the flowers are arranged along a single central axis.
• aspersionAn attack on someone's or something's reputation or good name; often in the phrase to cast aspersions upon….
• calthaA plant of the genus Caltha; a marsh marigold.
• AmenophisA male given name of historical usage, notably borne by several Egyptian pharaohs.
• zoilusA critic characterized as bitter, carping, malignant.
• accentorAny bird of the Eurasian genus Prunella, such as the dunnock.
• clepsydraSynonym of water clock, especially (historical) ancient Greek and Roman forms.
• malleolusThe bony prominence with a shape likened to a hammerhead, especially each of those at the distal end of the fibula or tibia, on either side of the ankle joint.
• syrtisSynonym of quicksand.
• ProserpinaThe goddess of springtime, queen of the underworld and the wife of Pluto; the Roman equivalent of Persephone.
• MacariusA male given name from Koine Greek.
• lunateShaped like a crescent.
• quondamFormer; once; at one time.
• vultThe face.
• disseminatorOne who, or that which, disseminates.
• extenuationThe action or process of making or becoming thin; an instance of this; a shrunken condition; leanness, emaciation.
• contumaciousContemptuous of authority; willfully disobedient; rebellious.
• predeTo prey; to plunder.
• genialityThe quality of being genial; friendly cheerfulness; warmth of disposition and manners.
• servientsubordinate
• imprimisIn the first place (used to introduce a list of items or considerations).
• laudatorOne who lauds.
• Comnenusmember of a noble family who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1081 to 1185
• ArcadiusA male given name from Ancient Greek, of mostly historical use. Seen slightly more commonly as Arcade, from French.
• NicomediaFormer name of Izmit: a city in Turkey; the ancient capital of Bithynia.
• cavusIn planetary geology, an irregular steep-sided depression that does not seem to be an impact crater.
• PompeianOf or pertaining to Pompey
• ancepsA syllable that can be either short or long.
• inseminateTo sow (to disperse or plant seeds).
• hieraticOf or pertaining to priests or other religious authorities, especially pharaonic priests of Ancient Egypt.
• tripolisA former district of Arcadia, Greece, around the three cities of Calliae, Dipoena, and Nonacris.
• hesitanceThe act or state of hesitating.
• pabulumFood or fodder, particularly that taken in by plants or animals.
• scilicetNamely, to wit, as follows.
• traduceTo malign a person or entity by making malicious and false or defamatory statements.
• LernaAn ancient marshy region and former lake situated near Argos in modern southern Greece, famous as the abode of the Hydra
• SamothraceAn island of Greece in the Aegean.
• affricateA single speech sound produced combining a plosive and a fricative.
• dispensatoryGranting, or authorized to grant, dispensations.
• BoudicaA queen of the British Iceni tribe that led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire, died c. 61 CE
• PraxitelesThe most renowned of the Attic sculptors of the 4th century BCE, and the first to sculpt the nude female form in a life-size statue.
• ClothoThe youngest of the three Fates, a daughter of Zeus and Themis; the spinner of the thread of life. Her Roman equivalent is Nona.
• NiloticOf or pertaining to the Nile or the people who live on its banks.
• OrcusThe Etruscan and Roman god of the underworld.
• recomposeTo compose or construct again.
• trifidDivided into three lobes.
• balanusThe glans
• coryzaInflammation of the mucous membranes lining the nasal cavity, usually causing a running nose, nasal congestion and loss of smell.
• canticumA canticle.
• longissimusThe muscle lateral to the semispinalis; the longest subdivision of the sacrospinalis that extends forward into the transverse processes of the posterior cervical vertebrae.
• imbricateTo overlap in a regular pattern.
• orseotherwise.
• LaiusThe father of Oedipus and husband of Jocasta
• constatIt is clearly evident; It is certain, without a doubt.
• usuraUsury.
• pharisaicOf or pertaining to the Pharisees.
• NicephorusA male given name from Ancient Greek of mostly historical use.
• percipientHaving the ability to perceive, especially to perceive quickly.
• amatoryOf or relating to love, especially sexual love.
• vomitusVomit (the product of an emesis).
• nebulosusa cloud species which consists of a veil of cloud, showing no distinct details. Associated with cirrostratus, and stratus genera.
• premonitoryServing as a warning or premonition.
• rhodoraA deciduous flowering shrub of species Rhododendron canadense, native to northeastern North America.
• spatheA large bract that envelops or subtends a whole inflorescence, typically a spadix.
• ActaeonA cuckold.
• falxA short Dacian sword resembling a sickle.
• ThaddaeusAn Apostle, identified with Jude.
• radulaThe rasping tongue of snails and all other mollusks except bivalves.
• saltusA break of continuity in time.
• membranaA membrane.
• fulvousTawny-colored.
• heparliver of sulphur; a substance of a liver-brown colour, sometimes used in medicine, formed by fusing sulphur with carbonates of the alkalis (especially potassium).
• VenetiA seafaring Gallic tribe in Armorica, in the northern part of modern Brittany, during the Iron Age and under Roman rule.
• sycophancyThe fawning behavior of a sycophant; servile flattery; fawningness.
• actrixA female plaintiff.
• infundibulumA funnel-shaped cavity or organ.
• triduumA period of three days (especially in Roman Catholic liturgy).
• lacrimationThe shedding or flow of tears; crying.
• LupercaliaAn ancient Roman pastoral festival observed in mid-February to avert evil spirits and purify the city.
• candelabrumA candle holder with branches to hold more than one candle.
• observatoriumAn observatory.
• AppiusA male given name in Latin, notably borne by Appius Claudius Caecus, a Roman politician of the 4th and 3rd century BC, builder of the Appian Way.
• CaspiaThe region of Persia just south of the Caspian Sea; Hyrcania, Mazandaran.
• pariesThe wall of any cavity or organ.
• pinasterThe maritime pine (species Pinus pinaster), that grows in southern Europe.
• floruitLived, flourished; used in biographies to indicate a time period during which a person is known to have been alive or known to have been notably active, when dates of birth and/or death are not known.
• criminateTo accuse (someone) of a crime; to incriminate.
• cognomenA personal epithet or clan name added to the given name and family name of Ancient Romans.
• argenteusA silver coin, minted in the Roman Empire between 294 and 310, weighing approximately 3 scruples.
• quiesceTo become quiet or quieter.
• ManichaeismA syncretic, dualistic religion that combines elements of Zoroastrian, Christian, and Gnostic thought, founded by the Iranian prophet Mani in the 3rd century AD.
• hereditasIn Ancient Rome, inheritance or hereditary succession.
• cogitateTo meditate, to ponder, to think deeply.
• SilenusA companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus.
• phthisisAn atrophy of the body or part of the body, especially pulmonary tuberculosis.
• umbelA flat-topped or rounded flower-cluster (= inflorescence) in which the individual flower stalks arise from the same point, the youngest flowers being at the centre.
• papuleA small, inflammatory, irritated spot on the skin, similar in appearance to a pimple, but not containing pus.