The Writers' Circle

This is very patchy and represents the many words I have noted down over time that have intrigued me for their meanings and their obscurity. It would be great if others added to it with their own similarly found obscure words and their meanings All are genuine I assure you. My favourite of all though for its humour I suppose, sits under P:
Pantophagist - A secret pantry raider.

Personal Dictionary
A 
Acephalous - with no head: describes an animal that has no head  
Acetous - like vinegar: containing, or producing acetic acid or vinegar  
Accipitrine - of birds of prey: relating to or belonging to the family of predatory birds including hawks, eagles, and kites  
Acculturate - take on other culture: to absorb and assimilate the culture of another group of people or another person  
2.  To change culture of somebody: to change somebody's cultural behaviour and thinking through contact with another culture  
Ad hominem - Appealing to personal considerations rather than to logic or reason: Debaters should avoid ad hominem arguments that question their opponents' motives.
Agglutinative - adhere or cause to adhere: to be joined or glued together, or cause things to do this  
2.  Clump or cause cells to clump: to cause cells such as red blood cells or bacteria to form clumps, or gather in clumps 
Linguistics forming words by agglutination: forming new words by combining simple words without changing their form 
Albigensian - heretical religious group: a heretical Christian religious group in southern France during the 12th and 13th centuries. They believed that everything in the material world is evil. 
Aleatory - Dependent on chance, luck, or an uncertain outcome: an aleatory contract between an oil prospector and a landowner. 
Anchorite - a person who lives in seclusion usually for religious reasons
Animadversions - criticism: a critical comment or comments, especially those reproaching somebody 
Anoxic - no oxygen. Not capable of supporting life.
Antonomasia - The substitution of a title or epithet for a proper name, as in calling a sovereign "Your Majesty."  Or the substitution of a personal name for a common noun to designate a member of a group or class, as in calling a traitor a "Benedict Arnold." 
Apodictic - clearly demonstrate that something is true 
Aporia - a difficulty, a doubt over what to do. Confusion in establishing the truth of a proposition 
Apostasy - renunciation of religious vows
Apothegm - A terse, witty, instructive saying; a maxim.
Apperception: The process whereby perceived qualities of an object are related to past experience.
Ataraxia - calming effect of drugs
Après coup - successful coup, overthrow of political power
Aseptic -free of disease-causing micro organisms 
Assonance - sound similarity: the similarity of two or more vowel sounds or the repetition of two or more consonant sounds
Aria - opera song: a melody sung solo or as a duet in an opera, oratorio, or cantata  
Avocation - (formal) 1.  Occupation: a calling or occupation 2.  Hobby: a hobby or pastime  


B  
Banting - dieting method: slimming by cutting fat, starch, and sugar out of the diet 
Bashibazouk (plural bashibazouks) n 19C Turkish mercenary: a 19th-century Turkish irregular mercenary soldier, notorious for brutality  
Bier - stand for a coffin. 
Boreen - Irish (Dublin slang) for a green road (a dirt road)
Brio - Vigour; vivacity: "She tells their story with brio and a mixture of sympathy and tart insight" (Michiko Kakutani). 


C
Canon - member of clergy attached to cathedral: a member of the Christian clergy who is on 
the permanent staff of a cathedral and has specific duties in relation to the running of it 
Cantabile - flowing: in a smooth, flowing, and melodious style (used as a musical direction)  
Capillary - thin or fine part of a blood vessel.
Carillon - set of stationary bells: a set of chromatically tuned stationary bells, usually hung in a tower and played from a keyboard  
2.  Tune played on set of bells: a tune played on a keyboard connected to a set of stationary bells  
3.  Organ stop imitating bells: an organ stop that imitates the sound of a carillon  
Cathect - To invest emotional energy in (a person, object or idea).
Cathexis - Concentration of emotional energy on an object or idea.
Chelate - Relating to or characterized by chelation
Chelate - Having or resembling claws
Chinoiserie - An object reflecting Chinese artistic influence
Clair de lune - type of glaze: a pale blue or greyish blue glaze used on porcelain
Clavicles - bones shoulder. 
Clepsydra - An ancient device that measured time by marking the regulated flow of water through a small opening. Also called water glass. 
Clerestory - The upper part of the nave, transepts, and choir of a church, containing windows. An upper portion of a wall containing windows for supplying natural light to a building. 
Coadjutor - A co-worker; an assistant. An assistant to a bishop, especially one designated to succeed the bishop. 
Coda - conclusion or final part of a statement or the final part of a piece of music
Concretion: 1. The formation of stone like objects within a body organ (e.g., the kidneys) 2. A hard lump produced by the concretion of mineral salts; found in hollow organs or ducts of the body 3. An increase in the density of something 4. The union of diverse things into one body or form or group; the growing together of parts
Condign: Deserved, appropriate.
Confiteor (plural Confiteors) n prayer of confession: a Roman Catholic prayer of confession and plea for forgiveness [13th century. < Latin, 'I confess' < the opening words Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti 'I confess to Almighty God']
Contiguous - near, close, adjacent
Contrapuntal - meaning the opposite point; the antithesis
Contumacious - stubborn, obstinate
Coppice - grove of small trees: an area of densely growing small trees, especially one in which the trees are regularly cut back to encourage 
Conjuncture - A combination, as of events or circumstances: "the power that lies in the conjuncture of faith and fatherland" (Conor Cruise O'Brien). Or a critical set of circumstances; a crisis: "reports on the deteriorating world conjuncture and the disappointment of earlier hopes" (Financial Times). 
Cultural - in its broad sense can include social habits and political order as well as the arts and sciences.
Cursory - Performed with haste and scant attention to detail 


D
Decrepitate - heat until crackling: to heat a substance, especially a salt, until it crackles or stops crackling, or be heated in this way (technical) 
Decury - (plural decuries) 10 soldiers: in ancient Rome
Defile - corrupt something: to corrupt or ruin something (formal) 
Descry - to catch sight of, detect, or discover something
Desiccant - noun: Substance used to absorb moisture.
Diadem - jewelled headband: any jewelled headband  
Doxa/Doxy - set of (religious) beliefs 
Dysphemism 1.  substitution of coarser word: the deliberate substitution of an offensive expression for a neutral one. 2.  offensive substitute for neutral word: an offensive expression deliberately substituted for a neutral one  


E
Edacity - voracious: frequently consuming a great deal of food or drink Edacious - 
Eddies - small whirl: a movement in a flowing stream of liquid or gas in which the current doubles back to form a small whirl  
2.  Divergence: a relatively unimportant divergence from or movement contrary to the mainstream of something 
Effluxion - instance or act of flowing out: the act or process of flowing out 
Embrasure - tapered opening: an opening in the wall of a building for a door or window, tapered so as to be wider on the inside than on the outside 
Entropy - Symbol S For a closed thermodynamic system, a quantitative measure of the amount of thermal energy not available to do work. 
A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system. 
A measure of the loss of information in a transmitted message. 
The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity. 
Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society. 
Epilimnion - the upper, warm layer of water in a lake.
Erythromycin - antibiotic: a broad-spectrum antibiotic derived from the bacterium Streptomyces erythreus 
Epigone - mediocre disciple: a mediocre imitator of somebody else, especially of an important artist or philosopher (literary)  
Episcopate - the office, position, or term of office of a bishop
Eschatology - the branch of theology concerned with the end of the world or humankind.
Efface - to rub out; erase.
Esurient - greedy: very hungry or greedy 
Eupeptic - adjective 1: Of, relating to or having good digestion *2: cheerful, optimistic 


F
Fibrous - consisting of fibres: consisting of or resembling fibres 2.  In elongated threads: describes a mineral that crystallizes in thin elongated threads, e.g. asbestos  
Filial - of children to parents: relating or appropriate to a child's relationship with, or feelings towards, his or her parents 
Fossicking - rummage: to rummage or look for something.
Furlough - leave from duty: leave of absence from duty, especially military duty 
Fusillades - subject an enemy to a sustained burst of gunfire 

G
Glistering - glittering brightly

H
Hebe - Greek goddess of youth: in Greek mythology, the goddess of youth and the daughter of Zeus and Hera  

Hebephrenic - youthful?
Hasidic - member of Jewish mystical movement: a member of a Jewish movement of popular mysticism founded in Eastern Europe in the 18th century. It emphasized a person's emotional relationship with God
Hebetude - mental dullness: mental lethargy 
Hew - cut, chop, fell, cleave, axe, slash, hack carve, fashion, sculpt, shape, model 
Homunculus - A diminutive human. A miniature, fully formed individual believed by adherents of the early biological theory of preformation to be present in the sperm cell.
Hermeneutic - pertaining to interpretation especially of exegesis or the interpretation/explanation of the Scriptures.   
Hermetic - tightly sealed, fused together. 
Hidebound - narrow-minded, prejudiced, conservative, conventional, parochial, reactionary (disapproving) narrow-minded, prejudiced, conservative, conventional, parochial, reactionary (disapproving)
Homo Faber - (Latin for Man the Smith or Man the Maker;


I
Indurate - verb: To make hard.
Intangible - nonmaterial: lacking material qualities, and so not able to be touched or seen intangible benefits 2.  Hard to describe difficult to define or describe clearly, but nonetheless perceived an intangible quality of serenity in the music something unquantifiable: an unquantifiable quality or asset
Integument - protective layer: an outer protective layer or part of an animal or plant, e.g. a shell, rind, husk, or skin 
Intersubjective - to be conscious of existing in ones mind. The theory that all knowledge is subjective or relativist and which deny existence of objective knowledge.
Instantiate - To represent (an abstract concept) by a concrete or tangible example: "Two apples ... both instantiate the single universal redness" (J. Holloway). 
Involute - intricate, complex.
Interdict - To forbid or debar, especially authoritatively.
Interstices - a small space between things
Irenic - aimed at peace: promoting or intended to promote peace (literary)  


J


K
Keloid - (plural keloids) scar tissue: an area of raised pink or red fibrous scar tissue at the edges of a wound or incision  


L

Labafactation - to polish 
Leonine - like a lion: relating to or characteristic of a lion, e.g. in strength or appearance 
Lapidary - pithy, polished, impressive 
Lodestar - A guiding principle, interest, or ambition. 
Lucubrate - Write in scholarly fashion. "The professor lucubrates upon his research in several scientific journals."
Lycee - A French public secondary school. 



M


Machree - Ireland my dear: used as an endearment [Early 19th century. < Irish mo chroidhe 'of my heart']
Macroglossia - a big tongue: the condition of having an enlarged tongue
Macropsia - image magnification by eye: a medical condition in which everything perceived by the eye appears to be larger than it really is, often because of a retinal disease or a brain disorder
Maculate - stain somebody or something: to mark somebody or something with a spot, blotch, or blemish. Maculated stained: marked with spots, blotches, or blemishes  
Magisterium - teaching authority of Roman Catholic Church: in the Roman Catholic tradition, the authority of the church to teach religious doctrine
Mage/Magian - man with magical powers: especially in ancient times, a man with supernatural or magical powers. Priest thought of maculated
Madeleine - small, shell-shaped rich cake
Melchite [mél kit](plural Melchites) or Melkite [mél kit] (plural Melkites) member of Uniat church: a member of any of several Christian churches in North Africa and Southwest Asia that use the Greek Orthodox liturgy but acknowledge the authority of the Roman Catholic Pope  
Mantling - drapery round shield: ornamental drapery round a shield on a coat of arms 
Marmoreal - made of marble, or like marble, especially in being white, cold, or aloof and impressive 
Mens sana in corpore sano - healthy mind in healthy body: a healthy mind in a healthy body, as an ideal in living  
Metonymy - A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government or of the sword for military power. 
Metalepsis - metalepsis, a term used in different senses in rhetoric and narratology. In rhetoric, the precise sense of metalepsis is uncertain, but it refers to various kinds of complex figure or trope that are figurative to the second or third degree; that is, they involve a figure that either refers us to yet another figure or requires a further imaginative leap to establish its reference, usually by a process of metonymy . Extended similes and rhetorical questions sometimes show a metaleptic multiplication of figures.
Maquis - dense coastal vegetation 
Maunder - say something vague or incoherent: to talk or say something in a vague, rambling, or incoherent way  
2.  vi move or act without purpose: to move or act in a vague or aimless way  
Metempsychosis - (n) reincarnation: the supposed passage of somebody's soul after death into the body of another person or an animal  
Myrtle - evergreen tree or bush.
Mythopoeia or Mythopoeic - Of or relating to the making of myths. Serving to create or engender myths; productive in mythmaking. 


N
Narthex - An entrance hall at the west end of a Christian church between the porch and the nave
Noumenon (noumena): 1. The intellectual conception of a thing as it is in itself, not as it is known through perception.



O
Obstreperous - noisy and difficult to control
Obviate - To anticipate and dispose of effectively; render unnecessary.
Orthography - 1.The art or study of correct spelling according to established usage. 2. The aspect of language study concerned with letters and their sequences in words. 3. A method of representing a language or the sounds of language by written symbols; spelling. 



P
Paladin - A paragon of chivalry; a heroic champion. A strong supporter or defender of a cause
Pagoda - building/tower usually religious, (imitative) or actual use of Buddhist and or Eastern style. A Stupa is a Dome shaped monument housing relics  
Palisade - fence made of stakes in the ground
Palliate - hide conceal. Alleviate symptoms of disease. (Lit) to cover with a cloak. 
Palsied - paralysed, tottering, trembling.
Pantophagist - A secret pantry raider
Papabili - pertaining to the papacy
Pelisse - military garment with fur: a cloak, coat, or jacket lined or trimmed with fur, often worn as part of a military uniform, e.g. by members of the Hussar regiments or a woman's coat: a woman's long fitted coat or dress that opens at the front and is often trimmed with fur  
Parterres - ornamental garden: an ornamental garden laid out in a formal pattern that is usually marked out with low evergreen hedges and filled in with annual bedding plants.
Perfidy - treachery or deceit 
Pericope - passage from book: an extract from a book, especially a passage from the Bible selected for reading during a Roman Catholic Mass  
Philippic - A verbal denunciation characterized by harsh, often insulting language; a tirade.
Plosive - pronounced with suddenly released breath: describes a consonant such as the 'p' in 'pear' that is pronounced by completely closing the breath passage and then releasing air 
Poetics - basic principles/techniques for writing poetry
Predation - to prey upon.
Propylaeum -colonnaded gate or entrance: a colonnaded gate or entrance to a building or group of buildings, especially to a temple  
Protoplastic - contents of plant cell: the living substance of a plant or bacterial cell, excluding the cell wall.
(Synonyms: example, sample, model, original, archetype, exemplar (literary), pattern
Preformation - to give initial shape to
Philology - (From Greek) Literary study or classical scholarship. A philologos, is fond of learning or of words
Pococurante - indifferent, nonchalant
Prow - front of ship: the forward part of a ship  2.  Projecting front part: the projecting front part of something  
Pulsive - (to pulsate?)

Q


R
 
Ratiocination - To reason (a theory, idea, contention) methodically and logically.
Re - Ancient Egyptian sun god with the head of a hawk
Recitative - singing like speech: a style of singing that is close to the rhythm of natural speech, used in opera for dialogue and narration 
Recurvate - to bend or curve backwards also recursively/recursivity - 
Repine -To be discontented or low in spirits; complain or fret.
Requisite - required necessary or appropriate for a specific purpose 
Res - A widely distributed system consisting of all the cells able to ingest bacteri or colloidal particles etc, except for certain white blood cells
Rhizome - underground stem: a thick underground horizontal stem that produces roots and has shoots that develop into new plants 
Rota - Catholic tribunal: the supreme ecclesiastical tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church  


S
Scabrous - with rough surface: having a rough surface because of scales or short stiff hairs 2. Requiring tact: having to be handled with tact and care  
3.  Obscene: dealing with or referring to sex in an obscene way  
Scansion - Analysis of verse: the analysis of verse according to the rules of metre 
Sequestration - The act of segregating or sequestering "sequestration of the jury"- segregation. The action of forming a chelate (see above) or other stable compound with an ion or atom or molecule so that it is no longer available for reactions
Shibboleth - A word or pronunciation that distinguishes people of one group or class from those of another. 
A word or phrase identified with a particular group or cause; a catchword. A commonplace saying or idea. A custom or practice that betrays one as an outsider. 
Sidereal -Of, relating to, or expressed in relation to stars or constellations. "Astrologers are more concerned with sidereal time than they are with regular time."
Simonise - in Christianity, to buy or sell sacred or spiritual things
Sliotar (plural sliotars) hurling ball: the ball used in the sport of hurling [Early 19th century. < Irish]
Soi-disant - so-called: self-styled or so-called French, 'saying yourself']
strigose 1. Scaly or bristly: covered with fine scales or short bristles 	2. ridged: with thin, closely spaced grooves or ridges  
Soutane - (plural soutanes) a cassock: a priest's robe or cassock, especially one with buttons down the front (plural soutanes) 
Souterrain - underground place: an ancient underground room or passage 
Subfusc - drab: dark or drab in colour (literary)  
Surfeit - excess amount
Suzerain - controlling nation: a ruler or nation that controls a dependent nation's international affairs but allows it to control its internal affairs  
Svengali - evil manipulator: somebody who controls and manipulates somebody else, usually for evil purposes  
Sursum corda- 1.  Part of Mass: in the Roman Catholic Church, a short sentence versicle spoken by a priest during Mass, just before the preface  
2.  Exhortation: a cry or exhortation, especially of hope (literary)  
Synecdoche - A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword). 
Syllabus of Errors - list of erroneous doctrines: a list of religious doctrines condemned by the Roman Catholic Church as erroneous  


T
Tenebrous - Dark, gloomy.
Tyro - a beginner


U
Uti possidetis - principle of keeping war gains: the principle in international law that land and property captured by belligerent parties in war remain their property unless a treaty rules otherwise (formal)  

Ursine - bear-like
Usufruct - The right to use and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another as long as the property is not damaged or altered in any way. 


V
Valgus - twisted outwards: describes a condition in which a body part such as the knee or foot is bent or twisted outwards away from the midline of the body   
Vallecula - shallow groove: a shallow groove, depression, or furrow in an animal or plant body, e.g. that between the hemispheres of the cerebellum in the brain  
Valetudinarian - somebody with poor health: somebody who has persistent ill health 2. Somebody obsessed with health: somebody who is excessively concerned with his or her own health  
Vapid - Dull: lacking interest or liveliness 
Variegated - having patches of different colours: marked with or containing patches of different colours 2. Having patches of lighter colour: marked with or containing patches of lighter colour e.g. Variegated leaves 
Variolate - pitted or scarred: with a pitted or scarred appearance, like the skin of somebody who has had smallpox 
Vassalage - dependent condition: a condition of being dependent on or subordinate to somebody or something else
Vaticination - to foretell or to prophesise.
Ventage - Finger hole in wind instrument: a finger hole in a recorder or other wind instrument
Verbigerate - repeat words again and again: to repeat the same words or phrases obsessively as a symptom of a psychiatric disorder  
State of being twisted outwards: the position or state in which a bone or body part is bent or twisted outwards away from the midline of the body  
Vespers - in the RC Church, the sixth of the seven separate canonical hours set aside for prayer each day 


W
Waterworn - smoothed by water: smoothed or eroded by the action of water  
Weltschmerz - all-encompassing sadness about life: sadness felt at the imperfect state of the world, especially at the behaviour of human beings  


X


Y


Z
Zucchetto - skullcap worn by Roman Catholic clergy: a small round skullcap worn by members of the Roman Catholic clergy, the colour of which depends on the rank of the person wearing it.