Words whose 5th letter is G

Abiogenesis (n.) The supposed origination of living organisms from lifeless matter; such genesis as does not involve the action of living parents; spontaneous generation; -- called also abiogeny, and opposed to biogenesis.

Abrogate (v. t.) To annul by an authoritative act; to abolish by the authority of the maker or his successor; to repeal; -- applied to the repeal of laws, decrees, ordinances, the abolition of customs, etc.

Albugineous (a.) Of the nature of, or resembling, the white of the eye, or of an egg; albuminous; -- a term applied to textures, humors, etc., which are perfectly white.

Allegation (n.) A statement by a party of what he undertakes to prove, -- usually applied to each separate averment; the charge or matter undertaken to be proved.

Allogamy (n.) Fertilization of the pistil of a plant by pollen from another of the same species; cross-fertilization.

Allograph (n.) A writing or signature made by some person other than any of the parties thereto; -- opposed to autograph.

Almightiful (a.) All-powerful; almighty.

Almighty (a.) Unlimited in might; omnipotent; all-powerful; irresistible.

Alongside (adv.) Along or by the side; side by side with; -- often with of; as, bring the boat alongside; alongside of him; alongside of the tree.

Amalgamation (n.) The act or operation of compounding mercury with another metal; -- applied particularly to the process of separating gold and silver from their ores by mixing them with mercury.

Appoggiatura (n.) A passing tone preceding an essential tone, and borrowing the time it occupies from that; a short auxiliary or grace note one degree above or below the principal note unless it be of the same harmony; -- generally indicated by a note of smaller size, as in the illustration above. It forms no essential part of the harmony.

Arrogance (n.) The act or habit of arrogating, or making undue claims in an overbearing manner; that species of pride which consists in exorbitant claims of rank, dignity, estimation, or power, or which exalts the worth or importance of the person to an undue degree; proud contempt of others; lordArrogant (a.) Making, or having the disposition to make, exorbitant claims of rank or estimation; giving one's self an undue degree of importance; assuming; haughty; -- applied to persons.

Arrogant (a.) Containing arrogance; marked with arrogance; proceeding from undue claims or self-importance; -- applied to things; as, arrogant pretensions or behavior.

Arrogantly (adv.) In an arrogant manner; with undue pride or self-importance.

Assignat (n.) One of the notes, bills, or bonds, issued as currency by the revolutionary government of France (1790-1796), and based on the security of the lands of the church and of nobles which had been appropriated by the state.

Assignation (n.) An appointment of time and place for meeting or interview; -- used chiefly of love interviews, and now commonly in a bad sense.

Autogenetic (a.) Pertaining to, controlled by, or designating, a system of self-determined drainage.

Autogamous (a.) Characterized by autogamy; self-fertilized.

Autogamy (n.) Self-fertilization, the fertilizing pollen being derived from the same blossom as the pistil acted upon.

Autogeneal (a.) Self-produced; autogenous.

Autogenetic (a.) Relating to autogenesis; self-generated.

Autogenous (a.) Self-generated; produced independently.

Aweigh (adv.) Just drawn out of the ground, and hanging perpendicularly; atrip; -- said of the anchor.

Backgammon (n.) A game of chance and skill, played by two persons on a "board" marked off into twenty-four spaces called "points". Each player has fifteen pieces, or "men", the movements of which from point to point are determined by throwing dice. Formerly called tables.

Befog (v. t.) To involve in a fog; -- mostly as a participle or part. adj.

Biorgan (n.) A physiological organ; a living organ; an organ endowed with function; -- distinguished from idorgan.

Blowgun (n.) A tube, as of cane or reed, sometimes twelve feet long, through which an arrow or other projectile may be impelled by the force of the breath. It is a weapon much used by certain Indians of America and the West Indies; -- called also blowpipe, and blowtube. See Sumpitan.

Bridge (n.) A low wall or vertical partition in the fire chamber of a furnace, for deflecting flame, etc.; -- usually called a bridge wall.

Bridge (v. t.) To find a way of getting over, as a difficulty; -- generally with over.

Bridgehead (n.) A fortification commanding the extremity of a bridge nearest the enemy, to insure the preservation and usefulness of the bridge, and prevent the enemy from crossing; a tete-de-pont.

Categorematic (a.) Capable of being employed by itself as a term; -- said of a word.

Cayugas (n. pl.) A tribe of Indians formerly inhabiting western New-York, forming part of the confederacy called the Five Nations.

Change (v. t.) To give and take reciprocally; to exchange; -- followed by with; as, to change place, or hats, or money, with another.

Change (v. i.) To pass from one phase to another; as, the moon changes to-morrow night.

Charge (v. t.) Whatever constitutes a burden on property, as rents, taxes, Charge (n.) Thirty-six pigs of lead, each pig weighing about seventy pounds; -- called also charre.

Chough (n.) A bird of the Crow family (Fregilus graculus) of Europe. It is of a black color, with a long, slender, curved bill and red legs; -- also called chauk, chauk-daw, chocard, Cornish chough, red-legged crow. The name is also applied to several allied birds, as the Alpine chough.

Claggy (a.) Adhesive; -- said of a roof in a mine to which coal clings.

Cling (v. i.) To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast, especially by twining round or embracing; as, the tendril of a vine clings to its support; -- usually followed by to or together.

Coalgoose (n.) The cormorant; -- so called from its black color.

Cocagne (n.) The land of cockneys; cockneydom; -- a term applied to London and its suburbs.

Cologne (n.) A perfumed liquid, composed of alcohol and certain aromatic oils, used in the toilet; -- called also cologne water and eau de cologne.

Colugo (n.) A peculiar East Indian mammal (Galleopithecus volans), having along the sides, connecting the fore and hind limbs, a parachutelike membrane, by means of which it is able to make long leaps, like the flying squirrel; -- called also flying lemur.

Cringle (n.) An iron or pope thimble or grommet worked into or attached to the edges and corners of a sail; -- usually in the plural. The cringles are used for making fast the bowCymogene (n.) A highly volatile liquid, condensed by cold and pressure from the first products of the distillation of petroleum; -- used for producing low temperatures.

Cytogenous (a.) Producing cells; -- applied esp. to lymphatic, or adenoid, tissue.

Deergrass (n.) An American genus (Rhexia) of perennial herbs, with opposite leaves, and showy flowers (usually bright purple), with four petals and eight stamens, -- the only genus of the order Melastomaceae inhabiting a temperate clime.

Delight (v. t.) A high degree of gratification of mind; a high- wrought state of pleasurable feeling; lively pleasure; extreme satisfaction; joy.

Delight (v. i.) To have or take great delight or pleasure; to be greatly pleased or rejoiced; -- followed by an infinitive, or by in.

Derogate (v. t.) To annul in part; to repeal partly; to restrict; to limit the action of; -- said of a law.

Derogate (v. t.) To lessen; to detract from; to disparage; to depreciate; -- said of a person or thing.

Derogate (v. i.) To take away; to detract; to withdraw; -- usually with from.

Derogate (v. i.) To act beneath one-s rank, place, birth, or character; to degenerate.

Derogation (n.) The act of derogating, partly repealing, or lessening in value; disparagement; detraction; depreciation; -- followed by of, from, or to.

Derogatory (a.) Tending to derogate, or lessen in value; expressing derogation; detracting; injurious; -- with from to, or unto.

Design (n.) To intend or purpose; -- usually with for before the remote object, but sometimes with to.

Design (n.) A plan or scheme formed in the mind of something to be done; preliminary conception; idea intended to be expressed in a visible form or carried into action; intention; purpose; -- often used in a bad sense for evil intention or purpose; scheme; plot.

Designate (v. t.) To indicate or set apart for a purpose or duty; -- with to or for; to designate an officer for or to the command of a post or station.

Designedly (adv.) By design; purposely; intentionally; -- opposed to accidentally, ignorantly, or inadvertently.

Designer (n.) A plotter; a schemer; -- used in a bad sense.

Diligence (n.) The quality of being diligent; carefulness; careful attention; -- the opposite of negligence.

Diligence (n.) A four-wheeled public stagecoach, used in France.

Dowager (n.) A title given in England to a widow, to distinguish her from the wife of her husband's heir bearing the same name; -- chiefly applied to widows of personages of rank.

Draught (n.) The force drawn; a detachment; -- in this sense usually written draft.

Draught (n.) An order for the payment of money; -- in this sense almost always written draft.

Draught (a.) Drawn directly from the barrel, or other receptacle, in distinction from bottled; on draught; -- said of ale, cider, and the like.

Dredger (n.) A box with holes in its lid; -- used for sprinkling flour, as on meat or a breadboard; -- called also dredging box, drudger, and drudging box.

Drongo (n.) A passerine bird of the family Dicruridae. They are usually black with a deeply forked tail. They are natives of Asia, Africa, and Australia; -- called also drongo shrikes.

Drudge (v. t.) To consume laboriously; -- with away.

Eclogite (n.) A rock consisting of granular red garnet, light green smaragdite, and common hornblende; -- so called in reference to its beauty.

Effigy (n.) The image, likeness, or representation of a person, whether a full figure, or a part; an imitative figure; -- commonly applied to sculptured likenesses, as those on monuments, or to those of the heads of princes on coins and medals, sometimes applied to portraits.

Egregious (a.) Surpassing; extraordinary; distinguished (in a bad sense); -- formerly used with words importing a good quality, but now joined with words having a bad sense; as, an egregious rascal; an egregious ass; an egregious mistake.

Elinguid (a.) Tongue-tied; dumb.

Enargite (n.) An iron-black mineral of metallic luster, occurring in small orthorhombic crystals, also massive. It contains sulphur, arsenic, copper, and often silver.

Endogamous (a.) Marrying within the same tribe; -- opposed to exogamous.

Endogamy (n.) Marriage only within the tribe; a custom restricting a man in his choice of a wife to the tribe to which he belongs; -- opposed to exogamy.

Energy (n.) Strength of expression; force of utterance; power to impress the mind and arouse the feelings; life; spirit; -- said of speech, language, words, style; as, a style full of energy.

Enough (a.) Satisfying desire; giving content; adequate to meet the want; sufficient; -- usually, and more elegantly, following the noun to which it belongs.

Enough (adv.) Fully; quite; -- used to express slight augmentation of the positive degree, and sometimes equivalent to very; as, he is ready enough to embrace the offer.

Enough (adv.) In a tolerable degree; -- used to express mere acceptableness or acquiescence, and implying a degree or quantity rather less than is desired; as, the song was well enough.

Ensign (n.) A flag; a banner; a standard; esp., the national flag, or a banner indicating nationality, carried by a ship or a body of soldiers; -- as distinguished from flags indicating divisions of the army, rank of naval officers, or private signals, and the like.

Entoglossal (a.) Within the tongue; -- applied to the glossohyal bone.

Evangelical (a.) Earnest for the truth taught in the gospel; strict in interpreting Christian doctrine; preeminetly orthodox; -- technically applied to that party in the Church of England, and in the Protestant Episcopal Church, which holds the doctrine of "Justification by Faith alone"; the Low Church party. The term is also applied to other religion bodies not regarded as orthodox.

Fenugreek (n.) A plant (trigonella Foenum Graecum) cultivated for its strong-smelling seeds, which are

Flang (n.) A miner's two-pointed pick.

Forego (v. t.) To relinquish the enjoyment or advantage of; to give up; to resign; to renounce; -- said of a thing already enjoyed, or of one within reach, or anticipated.

Forego (v. i.) To go before; to precede; -- used especially in the present and past participles.

Foregoer (n.) A purveyor of the king; -- so called, formerly, from going before to provide for his household.

Foreground (n.) On a painting, and sometimes in a bas-relief, mosaic picture, or the like, that part of the scene represented, which is nearest to the spectator, and therefore occupies the lowest part of the work of art itself. Cf. Distance, n., 6.

Frangulin (n.) A yellow crystalFringe (n.) One of a number of light or dark bands, produced by the interference of light; a diffraction band; -- called also interference fringe.

Gamogenesis (n.) The production of offspring by the union of parents of different sexes; sexual reproduction; -- the opposite of agamogenesis.

Going (p. pr.) Carrying on its ordinary business; conducting business, or carried on, with an indefinite prospect of continuance; -- chiefly used in the phrases a going business, concern, etc.

Groggy (a.) Weakened in a fight so as to stagger; -- said of pugilists.

Groggy (a.) Moving in a hobbling manner, owing to ten der feet; -- said of a horse.

Grosgrain (a.) Of a coarse texture; -- applied to silk with a heavy thread running crosswise.

Grudge (v. t.) To look upon with desire to possess or to appropriate; to envy (one) the possession of; to begrudge; to covet; to give with reluctance; to desire to get back again; -- followed by the direct object only, or by both the direct and indirect objects.

Gringo (n.) Among Spanish Americans, a foreigner, esp. an Englishman or American; -- often used as a term of reproach.

Guidguid (n.) A South American ant bird of the genus Hylactes; -- called also barking bird.

Guitguit (n.) One of several species of small tropical American birds of the family Coerebidae, allied to the creepers; -- called also quit. See Quit.

Halogen (n.) An electro-negative element or radical, which, by combination with a metal, forms a haloid salt; especially, chlorine, bromine, and iodine; sometimes, also, fluorine and cyanogen. See Chlorine family, under Chlorine.

Hexagram (n.) In Chinese literature, one of the sixty-four figures formed of six parallel Hexagonal (a.) Having six sides and six angles; six-sided.

Hodograph (n.) A curve described by the moving extremity of a Homogamous (a.) Having all the flowers alike; -- said of such composite plants as Eupatorium, and the thistels.

Homogangliate (a.) Having the ganglia of the nervous system symmetrically arranged, as in certain invertebrates; -- opposed to heterogangliate.

Homogeneous (a.) Of the same kind of nature; consisting of similar parts, or of elements of the like nature; -- opposed to heterogeneous; as, homogeneous particles, elements, or principles; homogeneous bodies.

Homogenesis (n.) That method of reproduction in which the successive generations are alike, the offspring, either animal or plant, running through the same cycle of existence as the parent; gamogenesis; -- opposed to heterogenesis.

Homogenetic (a.) Homogenous; -- applied to that class of homologies which arise from similarity of structure, and which are taken as evidences of common ancestry.

Homogenous (a.) Having a resemblance in structure, due to descent from a common progenitor with subsequent modification; homogenetic; -- applied both to animals and plants. See Homoplastic.

Homogeny (n.) The correspondence of common descent; -- a term used to supersede homology by Lankester, who also used homoplasy to denote any superinduced correspondence of position and structure in parts embryonically distinct (other writers using the term homoplasmy). Thus, there is homogeny between the fore limb of a mammal and the wing of a bird; but the right and left ventricles of the heart in both are only in homoplasy with each other, these having arisen independently since the divergen> Homographic (a.) Employing a single and separate character to represent each sound; -- said of certain methods of spelling words.

Hypogene (a.) Formed or crystallized at depths the earth's surface; -- said of granite, gneiss, and other rocks, whose crystallization is believed of have taken place beneath a great thickness of overlying rocks. Opposed to epigene.

Hypoglossal (a.) Under the tongue; -- applied esp., in the higher vertebrates, to the twelfth or last pair of cranial nerves, which are distributed to the base of the tongue.

Hypogynous (a.) Inserted below the pistil or pistils; -- said of sepals, petals, and stamens; having the sepals, petals, and stamens inserted below the pistil; -- said of a flower or a plant.

Ideogram (n.) A symbol used for convenience, or for abbreviation; as, 1, 2, 3, +, -, /, $, /, etc.

Idiograph (n.) A mark or signature peculiar to an individual; a trade-mark.

Immigrant (n.) One who immigrates; one who comes to a country for the purpose of permanent residence; -- correlative of emigrant.

Inaugurate (v. t.) To cause to begin, esp. with formality or solemn ceremony; hence, to set in motion, action, or progress; to initiate; -- used especially of something of dignity or worth or public concern; as, to inaugurate a new era of things, new methods, etc.

Incognita (n.) The state of being in disguise; -- said of a woman.

Incognito (a. / adv.) Without being known; in disguise; in an assumed character, or under an assumed title; -- said esp. of great personages who sometimes adopt a disguise or an assumed character in order to avoid notice.

Indigent (a.) Wanting; void; free; destitute; -- used with of.

Indigested (a.) Not in a state suitable for healing; -- said of wounds.

Indigested (a.) Not ripened or suppurated; -- said of an abscess or its contents.

Indigo (n.) A blue dyestuff obtained from several plants belonging to very different genera and orders; as, the woad, Isatis tinctoria, Indigofera tinctoria, I. Anil, Nereum tinctorium, etc. It is a dark blue earthy substance, tasteless and odorless, with a copper-violet luster when rubbed. Indigo does not exist in the plants as such, but is obtained by decomposition of the glycoside indican.

Insight (n.) A sight or view of the interior of anything; a deep inspection or view; introspection; -- frequently used with into.

Intaglio (n.) A cutting or engraving; a figure cut into something, as a gem, so as to make a design depressed below the surface of the material; hence, anything so carved or impressed, as a gem, matrix, etc.; -- opposed to cameo. Also used adjectively.

Integrity (n.) Moral soundness; honesty; freedom from corrupting influence or motive; -- used especially with reference to the fulfillment of contracts, the discharge of agencies, trusts, and the like; uprightness; rectitude.

Kenogenesis (n.) Modified evolution, in which nonprimitive characters make their appearance in consequence of a secondary adaptation of the embryo to the peculiar conditions of its environment; -- distinguished from palingenesis.

Koftgari (a.) Ornamental work produced by inlaying steel with gold, -- a variety of damascening much used in the arts of India.

Kymograph (n.) An instrument for measuring, and recording graphically, the pressure of the blood in any of the blood vessels of a living animal; -- called also kymographion.

Lipogram (n.) A writing composed of words not having a certain letter or letters; -- as in the Odyssey of Tryphiodorus there was no A in the first book, no B in the second, and so on.

Liangle (n.) A heavy weapon of the Australian aborigines with a sharp-pointed end, about nine inches in length, projecting at right angles from the main part.

Logography (n.) A mode of reporting speeches without using shorthand, -- a number of reporters, each in succession, taking down three or four words.

Logogriph (n.) A sort of riddle in which it is required to discover a chosen word from various combinations of its letters, or of some of its letters, which form other words; -- thus, to discover the chosen word chatter form cat, hat, rat, hate, rate, etc.

Manograph (n.) An optical device for making an indicator diagram for high-speed engines. It consists of a light-tight box or camera having at one end a small convex mirror which reflects a beam of light on to the ground glass or photographic plate at the other end. The mirror is pivoted so that it can be moved in one direction by a small plunger operated by an elastic metal diaphragm which closes a tube connected with the engine cylinder. It is also moved at right angles to this direction by a> Malignant (n.) One of the adherents of Charles L. or Charles LL.; -- so called by the opposite party.

Management (v.) Judicious use of means to accomplish an end; conduct directed by art or address; skillful treatment; cunning practice; -- often in a bad sense.

Matagasse (n.) A shrike or butcher bird; -- called also mattages.

Metagenesis (n.) Alternation of sexual and asexual or gemmiparous generations; -- in distinction from heterogamy.

Metagnathous (a.) Cross-billed; -- said of certain birds, as the crossbill.

Miargyrite (n.) A mineral of an iron-black color, and very sectile, consisting principally of sulphur, antimony, and silver.

Mitigate (v. t.) To make mild and accessible; to mollify; -- applied to persons.

Mixogamous (a.) Pairing with several males; -- said of certain fishes of which several males accompany each female during spawning.

Monogamous (a.) Mating with but one of the opposite sex; -- said of birds and mammals.

Monogamy (n.) Single marriage; marriage with but one person, husband or wife, at the same time; -- opposed to polygamy. Also, one marriage only during life; -- opposed to deuterogamy.

Monogenesis (n.) Oneness of origin; esp. (Biol.), development of all beings in the universe from a single cell; -- opposed to polygenesis. Called also monism.

Monogenesis (n.) The direct development of an embryo, without metamorphosis, into an organism similar to the parent organism; -- opposed to metagenesis.

Monogenetic (a.) One in genesis; resulting from one process of formation; -- used of a mountain range.

Monogenist (n.) One who maintains that the human races are all of one species; -- opposed to polygenist.

Montgolfier (n.) A balloon which ascends by the buoyancy of air heated by a fire; a fire balloon; -- so called from two brothers, Stephen and Joseph Montgolfier, of France, who first constructed and sent up a fire balloon.

Motograph (n.) A device utilized in the making of a loud-speaking telephone, depending on the fact that the friction between a metallic point and a moving cylinder of moistened chalk, or a moving slip of paper, on which it rests is diminished by the passage of a current between the point and the moving surface.

Overglaze (a.) Applied over the glaze; -- said of enamel paintings, which sometimes are seen to project from the surface of the ware.

Overglaze (a.) Suitable for applying upon the glaze; -- said of vitrifiable colors used in ceramic decoration.

Obligatory (a.) Binding in law or conscience; imposing duty or obligation; requiring performance or forbearance of some act; -- often followed by on or upon; as, obedience is obligatory on a soldier.

Ontogeny (n.) The history of the individual development of an organism; the history of the evolution of the germ; the development of an individual organism, -- in distinction from phylogeny, or evolution of the tribe. Called also henogenesis, henogeny.

Orang (n.) See Orang-outang.

Orangeman (n.) One of a secret society, organized in the north of Ireland in 1795, the professed objects of which are the defense of the regning sovereign of Great Britain, the support of the Protestant religion, the maintenance of the laws of the kingdom, etc.; -- so called in honor of William, Prince of Orange, who became William III. of England.

Orangeroot (n.) An American ranunculaceous plant (Hidrastis Canadensis), having a yellow tuberous root; -- also called yellowroot, golden seal, etc.

Orangetawny (a. & n.) Deep orange-yellow; dark yellow.

Orangite () An orange-yellow variety of the mineral thorite, found in Norway.

Owing (P. p. & a.) Had or experienced as a consequence, result, issue, etc.; ascribable; -- with to; as, misfortunes are often owing to vices; his failure was owing to speculations.

Paragenic (a.) Originating in the character of the germ, or at the first commencement of an individual; -- said of peculiarities of structure, character, etc.

Paregoric (n.) A medicine that mitigates pain; an anodyne; specifically, camphorated tincture of opium; -- called also paregoric elexir.

Pedage (n.) A toll or tax paid by passengers, entitling them to safe-conduct and protection.

Pelagic (a.) Of or pertaining to the ocean; -- applied especially to animals that live at the surface of the ocean, away from the coast.

Perigastric (a.) Surrounding the stomach; -- applied to the body cavity of Bryozoa and various other Invertebrata.

Perigeum (n.) That point in the orbit of the moon which is nearest to the earth; -- opposed to apogee. It is sometimes, but rarely, used of the nearest points of other orbits, as of a comet, a planet, etc. Called also epigee, epigeum.

Perigynium (n.) Some unusual appendage about the pistil, as the bottle-shaped body in the sedges, and the bristles or scales in some other genera of the Sedge family, or Cyperaceae.

Perigynous (a.) Having the ovary free, but the petals and stamens borne on the calyx; -- said of flower such as that of the cherry or peach.

Phlogisticate (v. t.) To combine phlogiston with; -- usually in the form and sense of the p. p. or the adj.; as, highly phlogisticated substances.

Phlogopite (n.) A kind of mica having generally a peculiar bronze-red or copperlike color and a pearly luster. It is a silicate of aluminia, with magnesia, potash, and some fluorine. It is characteristic of crystalPhosgene (a.) Producing, or produced by, the action of light; -- formerly used specifically to designate a gas now called carbonyl chloride. See Carbonyl.

Phryganeides (n. pl.) A tribe of neuropterous insects which includes the caddice flies; -- called also Trichoptera. See Trichoptera.

Pledgor (n.) One who pledges, or delivers anything in pledge; a pledger; -- opposed to pledgee.

Plough (n.) A well-known implement, drawn by horses, mules, oxen, or other power, for turning up the soil to prepare it for bearing crops; also used to furrow or break up the soil for other purposes; as, the subsoil plow; the draining plow.

Polygala (n.) A genus of bitter herbs or shrubs having eight stamens and a two-celled ovary (as the Seneca snakeroot, the flowering wintergreen, etc.); milkwort.

Polygamous (a.) Of or pertaining to polygamy; characterized by, or involving, polygamy; having a plurality of wives; as, polygamous marriages; -- opposed to monogamous.

Polygamy (n.) The having of a plurality of wives or husbands at the same time; usually, the marriage of a man to more than one woman, or the practice of having several wives, at the same time; -- opposed to monogamy; as, the nations of the East practiced polygamy. See the Note under Bigamy, and cf. Polyandry.

Polygastric (a.) Having several bellies; -- applied to muscles which are made up of several bellies separated by short tendons.

Polygeny (n.) The theory that living organisms originate in cells or embryos of different kinds, instead of coming from a single cell; -- opposed to monogenesis.

Polygenist (n.) One who maintains that animals of the same species have sprung from more than one original pair; -- opposed to monogenist.

Postgeniture (n.) The condition of being born after another in the same family; -- distinguished from primogeniture.

Preignition (n.) Ignition in an internal-combustion engine while the inlet valve is open or before compression is completed.

Prong (n.) A sharp-pointed instrument.

Pronged (a.) Having prongs or projections like the tines of a fork; as, a three-pronged fork.

Pupigerous (a.) Bearing or containing a pupa; -- said of dipterous larvae which do not molt when the pupa is formed within them.

Pyrogenic (a.) Producing heat; -- said of substances, as septic poisons, which elevate the temperature of the body and cause fever.

Repugnant (a.) Disposed to fight against; hostile; at war with; being at variance; contrary; inconsistent; refractory; disobedient; also, distasteful in a high degree; offensive; -- usually followed by to, rarely and less properly by with; as, all rudeness was repugnant to her nature.

Resign (v. t.) To sign back; to return by a formal act; to yield to another; to surrender; -- said especially of office or emolument. Hence, to give up; to yield; to submit; -- said of the wishes or will, or of something valued; -- also often used reflexively.

Rubiginous (a.) Having the appearance or color of iron rust; rusty-looking.

Safeguard (n.) A pass; a passport; a safe-conduct.

Saligenin (n.) A phenol alcohol obtained, by the decomposition of salicin, as a white crystalSciagraph (n.) An old term for a vertical section of a building; -- called also sciagraphy. See Vertical section, under Section.

Sexagesima (n.) The second Sunday before Lent; -- so called as being about the sixtieth day before Easter.

Shingle (n.) Round, water-worn, and loose gravel and pebbles, or a collection of roundish stones, such as are common on the seashore and elsewhere.

Shingle (n.) A piece of wood sawed or rived thin and small, with one end thinner than the other, -- used in covering buildings, especially roofs, the thick ends of one row overlapping the thin ends of the row below.

Shotgun (n.) A light, smooth-bored gun, often double-barreled, especially designed for firing small shot at short range, and killing small game.

Sledge (n.) A game at cards; -- called also old sledge, and all fours.

Sledge (v. t.) A large, heavy hammer, usually wielded with both hands; -- called also sledge hammer.

Sleigh (n.) A vehicle moved on runners, and used for transporting persons or goods on snow or ice; -- in England commonly called a sledge.

Sling (v. t.) A band of rope or iron for securing a yard to a mast; -- chiefly in the plural.

Sludge (n.) Anything resembling mud or slush; as: (a) A muddy or slimy deposit from sweage. (b) Mud from a drill hole in boring. (c) Muddy sediment in a steam boiler. (d) Settling of cottonseed oil, used in making soap, etc. (e) A residuum of crude paraffin-oil distillation.

Slough (n.) The skin, commonly the cast-off skin, of a serpent or of some similar animal.

Slough (v. i.) To form a slough; to separate in the form of dead matter from the living tissues; -- often used with off, or away; as, a sloughing ulcer; the dead tissues slough off slowly.

Snaggy (a.) Snappish; cross; ill-tempered.

Speight (n.) A woodpecker; -- called also specht, spekt, spight.

Spiegel iron () A fusible white cast iron containing a large amount of carbon (from three and a half to six per cent) and some manganese. When the manganese reaches twenty-five per cent and upwards it has a granular structure, and constitutes the alloy ferro manganese, largely used in the manufacture of Bessemer steel. Called also specular pig iron, spiegel, and spiegeleisen.

Sponger (n.) Fig.: A parasitical dependent; a hanger-on.

Spongiae (n. pl.) The grand division of the animal kingdom which includes the sponges; -- called also Spongida, Spongiaria, Spongiozoa, and Porifera.

Spongiole (n.) A supposed spongelike expansion of the tip of a rootlet for absorbing water; -- called also spongelet.

Sprig (n.) A youth; a lad; -- used humorously or in slight disparagement.

Sprigtail (n.) The pintail duck; -- called also sprig, and spreet-tail.

Sprigtail (n.) The sharp-tailed grouse.

Spurge (v. t.) To emit foam; to froth; -- said of the emission of yeast from beer in course of fermentation.

Stagger (n.) An unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing, as if one were about to fall; a reeling motion; vertigo; -- often in the plural; as, the stagger of a drunken man.

Stargaser (n.) Any one of several species of spiny-rayed marine fishes belonging to Uranoscopus, Astroscopus, and allied genera, of the family Uranoscopidae. The common species of the Eastern United States are Astroscopus anoplus, and A. guttatus. So called from the position of the eyes, which look directly upward.

Stargasing (n.) Hence, absent-mindedness; abstraction.

Sting (v. t.) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secrets an acrid fluid, as in nettles. The points of these hairs usually break off in the wound, and the acrid fluid is pressed into it.

Strigine (a.) Of or pertaining to owls; owl-like.

Swing (v. t.) To admit or turn (anything) for the purpose of shaping it; -- said of a lathe; as, the lathe can swing a pulley of 12 inches diameter.

Swingle (v. t.) To beat off the tops of without pulling up the roots; -- said of weeds.

Swingle (n.) A wooden instrument like a large knife, about two feet long, with one thin edge, used for beating and cleaning flax; a scutcher; -- called also swingling knife, swingling staff, and swingling wand.

Synagogue (n.) The council of, probably, 120 members among the Jews, first appointed after the return from the Babylonish captivity; -- called also the Great Synagogue, and sometimes, though erroneously, the Sanhedrin.

Syzygy (n.) The point of an orbit, as of the moon or a planet, at which it is in conjunction or opposition; -- commonly used in the plural.

Tanager (n.) Any one of numerous species of bright-colored singing birds belonging to Tanagra, Piranga, and allied genera. The scarlet tanager (Piranga erythromelas) and the summer redbird (Piranga rubra) are common species of the United States.

Telega (n.) A rude four-wheeled, springless wagon, used among the Russians.

Thing (n.) A diminutive or slighted object; any object viewed as merely existing; -- often used in pity or contempt.

Thing (n.) Whatever may be possessed or owned; a property; -- distinguished from person.

Though (adv.) However; nevertheless; notwithstanding; -- used in familiar language, and in the middle or at the end of a sentence.

Unbegotten (a.) Not begot; not yet generated; also, having never been generated; self-existent; eternal.

Vinegarroon (n.) A whip scorpion, esp. a large Mexican species (Thelyphonus giganteus) popularly supposed to be very venomous; -- from the odor that it emits when alarmed.

Visage (n.) The face, countenance, or look of a person or an animal; -- chiefly applied to the human face.

Voyageur (n.) A traveler; -- applied in Canada to a man employed by the fur companies in transporting goods by the rivers and across the land, to and from the remote stations in the Northwest.

Whiggamore (n.) A Whig; -- a cant term applied in contempt to Scotch Presbyterians.

Whang (n.) Formerly, a house-cleaning party.

Windgall (n.) A soft tumor or synovial swelling on the fetlock joint of a horse; -- so called from having formerly been supposed to contain air.

Wring (v. t.) To extract or obtain by twisting and compressing; to squeeze or press (out); hence, to extort; to draw forth by violence, or against resistance or repugnance; -- usually with out or form.

Wringbolt (n.) A bolt used by shipwrights, to bend and secure the planks against the timbers till they are fastened by bolts, spikes, or treenails; -- not to be confounded with ringbolt.

Wrong (a.) Nonconformity or disobedience to lawful authority, divine or human; deviation from duty; -- the opposite of moral right.

Young (superl.) Not long born; still in the first part of life; not yet arrived at adolescence, maturity, or age; not old; juvenile; -- said of animals; as, a young child; a young man; a young fawn.

Zymogen (n.) A mother substance, or antecedent, of an enzyme or chemical ferment; -- applied to such substances as, not being themselves actual ferments, may by internal changes give rise to a ferment.

Zymogene (n.) One of a physiological group of globular bacteria which produces fermentations of diverse nature; -- distinguished from pathogene.

About the author

Mark McCracken Author: Mark McCracken is a corporate trainer and author living in Higashi Osaka, Japan. He is the author of thousands of online articles as well as the Business English textbook, "25 Business Skills in English".

Copyright © 2011 Mark McCracken , All Rights Reserved.