Meanings
plural vocabulists
- The writer or maker of a vocabulary (dictionary or glossary); a lexicographer.
- One who cultivates a large or impressive vocabulary.
Truth […] is easily discerned in the most floreate verbal fabric of the most prodigal vocabulist.
1911 June 17, Musical Standard, London, →OCLC, page 373, column 22 more examples
There is not the least mystery about the meaning of the name of this river, the greenest vocabulist in the Algonquin tongue knows its meaning.
1853 April 23, The Daily Scioto Gazette, Chillicothe, Oh., →ISSN, →OCLCSome words remain for me elusive and are probably jokes I’m not getting or neologisms of Wallace’s: contuded, hulpil, egregulous , ascapartic, gumlet. This is a virtuoso vocabulist at work, performing busily, somewhat aggressively demonstrating his skill.
2000 May, Frank Louis Cioffi, “‘An Anguish Become Thing’: Narrative as Performance in David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest”, in James Phelan, editor, Narrative, volume 8, number 2, Columbus, Oh.: Ohio State University Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 168Synonyms: vocabularian
- obsoleteA dictionary or glossary.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who cultivates a large or impressive vocabulary.
Origin
- New Latinvocābulista“vocabulary”
- Middle Frenchvocabuliste
- Englishvocabulist
From Latin vocābulum (“vocable”) + -ist. In sense 3, probably after Middle French vocabuliste or its etymon New Latin vocābulista (“vocabulary”). With sense 1, compare French vocabuliste with the same meaning.
More words from Middle French, New Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
vocabulist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vocabulist
“vocabulist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vocabulist. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vocabulist,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vocabulist.
Source: vocabulist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.