NewgrangeA monument in County Meath, Ireland. A prehistoric neolithic monument, a circular ceremonial burial mound structure with astronomical alignments
plainsongA form of monophonic chant in unison using the Gregorian scale, sung in various Christian churches.
blackcapA small Old World warbler, Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), which is mainly grey with a black crown.
pelagianOf or pertaining to Pelagius (circa 354–420/440), an ascetic who denied the need for divine aid in performing good works.
ablative absoluteA construction in Latin and other sister languages in which an independent phrase with a noun in the ablative case has a participle, adjective, or noun, expressed or implied, which agrees with it in gender, number and case – both words forming a clause grammatically unconnected with the rest of the sentence.
absolute stateTo sum the indeterminate state and the determinate state in one term.
abundance of cautionCaution used to justify preemptive measures that are likely not strictly necessary.
accusative absolutein Ancient Greek, less frequent than the genitive absolute but more than the nominative absolute
Adam's appleThe lump in the throat, usually more noticeable in men than in women; the laryngeal prominence.
Adriatic SeaA sea and arm of the Mediterranean Sea, stretching north from the Ionian Sea to Venice, separating the Italian and Balkan Peninsulas.
all-knowingKnowing everything: all facts, all actions taken by everyone, and so on.
all that glitters is not goldThings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so; things that appear nice might not be as good as they appear.
black bileOne of the four humours of ancient and mediaeval physiology, that was believed to be secreted by the kidneys and spleen and to cause melancholy and sadness when present in excess.
body politicThe collective body of a nation or state as politically organized.
bread and circusesFood and entertainment provided by the state, particularly if intended to placate the people.
burden of proofThe duty of a party in a legal proceeding to prove an assertion of fact; it includes both the burden of production and the burden of persuasion; the onus probandi.
Byzantine EmpireAn ancient Greek empire in Southeastern Europe and Western Asia; the predominantly Greek-speaking continuation of the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages with its capital at Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), originally known as Byzantium, which fell in 1453.
Caelian HillOne of the seven hills of Rome: a long promontory near the Temple of Claudius.
Cisalpine GaulA province of the Roman Empire in what is now northern Italy.
city of seven hillsA nickname of some cities said to be founded on seven hills (or mountains), especially the city of Rome.
civic crownA crown or garland of oak leaves and acorns, bestowed on a soldier who had saved the life of a citizen in battle.
civil warA war fought between factions of the inhabitants of a single country, or a similar political entity.
co-fatherA person in the relationship of a godfather to the other god-parents, and the legal parents, of a child.
cognate accusativeAn object of kindred sense or derivation; specifically, that which may adverbially follow an intransitive verb (for example, the word death in “to die the death”).
crown of thornsThe crown made of a thorny plant that Christ was forced to wear before his Crucifixion, in mocking reference to his alleged status as ‘king of the Jews’, or a representation of this.
devil's advocateOne who debates from a viewpoint which one may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
devil's bitA plant of species Succisa pratensis, native to Europe.
dog daysThe days following the heliacal rising of Sirius, now in early August (Gregorian) at dates varying by latitude.
dog's letterThe letter R, which was trilled in Latin, imitating the sound of a snarling dog.
do no harmTo perform no actions which will be injurious or in any way unfavorable to another person, regardless of whether one does anything of positive benefit for that other person.