Words whose 9th letter is S

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.

Absentness (n.) The quality of being absent-minded.

Acclivous (a.) Sloping upward; rising as a hillside; -- opposed to declivous.

Accomplished (a.) Complete in acquirements as the result usually of training; -- commonly in a good sense; as, an accomplished scholar, an accomplished villain.

Acidulous (a.) Slightly sour; sub-acid; sourish; as, an acidulous tincture.

Acuteness (n.) The faculty of nice discernment or perception; acumen; keenness; sharpness; sensitiveness; -- applied to the senses, or the understanding. By acuteness of feeling, we perceive small objects or slight impressions: by acuteness of intellect, we discern nice distinctions.

Acuteness (n.) Shrillness; high pitch; -- said of sounds.

Adelphous (a.) Having coalescent or clustered filaments; -- said of stamens; as, adelphous stamens. Usually in composition; as, monadelphous.

Albatross (n.) A web-footed bird, of the genus Diomedea, of which there are several species. They are the largest of sea birds, capable of long-continued flight, and are often seen at great distances from the land. They are found chiefly in the southern hemisphere.

Amyloplastic (a.) Starch-forming; amylogenic.

Amaurosis (n.) A loss or decay of sight, from loss of power in the optic nerve, without any perceptible external change in the eye; -- called also gutta serena, the "drop serene" of Milton.

Ambergris (n.) A substance of the consistence of wax, found floating in the Indian Ocean and other parts of the tropics, and also as a morbid secretion in the intestines of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), which is believed to be in all cases its true origin. In color it is white, ash-gray, yellow, or black, and often variegated like marble. The floating masses are sometimes from sixty to two hundred and twenty-five pounds in weight. It is wholly volatilized as a w> Ambitious (a.) Strongly desirous; -- followed by of or the infinitive; as, ambitious to be or to do something.

Amphiblastic (a.) Segmenting unequally; -- said of telolecithal ova with complete segmentation.

Amphioxus (n.) A fishlike creature (Amphioxus lanceolatus), two or three inches long, found in temperature seas; -- also called the lancelet. Its body is pointed at both ends. It is the lowest and most generalized of the vertebrates, having neither brain, skull, vertebrae, nor red blood. It forms the type of the group Acrania, Leptocardia, etc.

Anacanths (n. pl.) A group of teleostean fishes destitute of spiny fin-rays, as the cod.

Anacharis (n.) A fresh-water weed of the frog's-bit family (Hydrocharidaceae), native to America. Transferred to England it became an obstruction to navigation. Called also waterweed and water thyme.

Anadiplosis (n.) A repetition of the last word or any prominent word in a sentence or clause, at the beginning of the next, with an adjunct idea; as, "He retained his virtues amidst all his misfortunes -- misfortunes which no prudence could foresee or prevent."

Analogous (a.) Having analogy; corresponding to something else; bearing some resemblance or proportion; -- often followed by to.

Anthracosis (n.) A chronic lung disease, common among coal miners, due to the inhalation of coal dust; -- called also collier's lung and miner's phthisis.

Antiperistaltic (a.) Opposed to, or checking motion; acting upward; -- applied to an inverted action of the intestinal tube.

Aposiopesis (n.) A figure of speech in which the speaker breaks off suddenly, as if unwilling or unable to state what was in his mind; as, "I declare to you that his conduct -- but I can not speak of that, here."

Archebiosis (n.) The origination of living matter from non-living. See Abiogenesis.

Argentous (a.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, silver; -- said of certain silver compounds in which silver has a higher proportion than in argentic compounds; as, argentous chloride.

Arrasways (adv.) Placed in such a position as to exhibit the top and two sides, the corner being in front; -- said of a rectangular form.

Asparagus (n.) The young and tender shoots of A. officinalis, which form a valuable and well-known article of food.

Autotransformer (n.) A transformer in which part of the primary winding is used as a secondary winding, or vice versa; -- called also a compensator or balancing coil.

Automatism (n.) The state or quality of being automatic; the power of self-moving; automatic, mechanical, or involuntary action. (Metaph.) A theory as to the activity of matter.

Autotheism (n.) The doctrine of God's self-existence.

Autotheism (n.) Deification of one's self; self-worship.

Autotheist (n.) One given to self-worship.

Babylonish (n.) Confused; Babel-like.

Bantingism (n.) A method of reducing corpulence by avoiding food containing much farinaceous, saccharine, or oily matter; -- so called from William Banting of London.

Belletristical (a.) Occupied with, or pertaining to, belles-lettres.

Bicornous (a.) Having two horns; two-horned; crescentlike.

Biflorous (a.) Bearing two flowers; two-flowered.

Billiards (n.) A game played with ivory balls o a cloth-covered, rectangular table, bounded by elastic cushions. The player seeks to impel his ball with his cue so that it shall either strike (carom upon) two other balls, or drive another ball into one of the pockets with which the table sometimes is furnished.

Blameless (a.) Free from blame; without fault; innocent; guiltless; -- sometimes followed by of.

Blockhouse (n.) An edifice or structure of heavy timbers or logs for military defense, having its sides loopholed for musketry, and often an upper story projecting over the lower, or so placed upon it as to have its sides make an angle wit the sides of the lower story, thus enabling the defenders to fire downward, and in all directions; -- formerly much used in America and Germany.

Bluebreast (n.) A small European bird; the blue-throated warbler.

Bollandists (n. pl.) The Jesuit editors of the "Acta Sanctorum", or Lives of the Saints; -- named from John Bolland, who began the work.

Botocudos (n. pl.) A Brazilian tribe of Indians, noted for their use of poisons; -- also called Aymbores.

Bumptious (a.) Self-conceited; forward; pushing.

Bunodonts (n. pl.) A division of the herbivorous mammals including the hogs and hippopotami; -- so called because the teeth are tuberculated.

Buttonbush (n.) A shrub (Cephalanthus occidentalis) growing by the waterside; -- so called from its globular head of flowers. See Capitulum.

Candlefish (n.) A marine fish (Thaleichthys Pacificus), allied to the smelt, found on the north Pacific coast; -- called also eulachon. It is so oily that, when dried, it may be used as a candle, by drawing a wick through it

Candlemas (n.) The second day of February, on which is celebrated the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary; -- so called because the candles for the altar or other sacred uses are blessed on that day.

Cantharis (n.) A beetle (Lytta, / Cantharis, vesicatoria), havin1g an elongated cylindrical body of a brilliant green color, and a nauseous odor; the blister fly or blister beetle, of the apothecary; -- also called Spanish fly. Many other species of Lytta, used for the same purpose, take the same name. See Blister beetle, under Blister. The plural form in usually applied to the dried insects used in medicine.

Caryopsis (n.) A one-celled, dry, indehiscent fruit, with a thin membranous pericarp, adhering closely to the seed, so that fruit and seed are incorporated in one body, forming a single grain, as of wheat, barley, etc.

Castanets (n. pl.) Two small, concave shells of ivory or hard wood, shaped like spoons, fastened to the thumb, and beaten together with the middle finger; -- used by the Spaniards and Moors as an accompaniment to their dance and guitars.

Castile soap () A kind of fine, hard, white or mottled soap, made with olive oil and soda; also, a soap made in imitation of the above-described soap.

Catachrestical (a.) Belonging to, or in the manner of, a catachresis; wrested from its natural sense or form; forced; far-fetched.

Causeless (a.) 1. Self-originating; uncreated.

Cephalous (a.) Having a head; -- applied chiefly to the Cephalata, a division of mollusks.

Chartreuse (n.) An alcoholic cordial, distilled from aromatic herbs; -- made at La Grande Chartreuse.

Cinchonism (n.) A condition produced by the excessive or long-continued use of quinine, and marked by deafness, roaring in the ears, vertigo, etc.

Cinereous (a.) Like ashes; ash-colored; grayish.

Cobaltous (a.) Pertaining to, derived from, or containing, cobalt; -- said esp. of cobalt compounds in which the metal has its lower valence.

Comanches (n. pl.) A warlike, savage, and nomadic tribe of the Shoshone family of Indians, inhabiting Mexico and the adjacent parts of the United States; -- called also Paducahs. They are noted for plundering and cruelty.

Contrabass (n.) Double bass; -- applied to any instrument of the same deep range as the stringed double bass; as, the contrabass ophicleide; the contrabass tuba or bombardon.

Contraposition (n.) A so-called immediate inference which consists in denying the original subject of the contradictory predicate; e.g.: Every S is P; therefore, no Not-P is S.

Corchorus (n.) The common name of the Kerria Japonica or Japan globeflower, a yellow-flowered, perennial, rosaceous plant, seen in old-fashioned gardens.

Coreopsis (n.) A genus of herbaceous composite plants, having the achenes two-horned and remotely resembling some insect; tickseed. C. tinctoria, of the Western plains, the commonest plant of the genus, has been used in dyeing.

Cosmoplastic (a.) Pertaining to a plastic force as operative in the formation of the world independently of God; world-forming.

Crankness (n.) Liability to be overset; -- said of a ship or other vessel.

Cuttlefish (n.) A foul-mouthed fellow.

Daedalous (a.) Having a variously cut or incised margin; -- said of leaves.

Decembrist (n.) One of those who conspired for constitutional government against the Emperor Nicholas on his accession to the throne at the death of Alexander I., in December, 1825; -- called also Dekabrist.

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.

Deiparous (a.) Bearing or bringing forth a god; -- said of the Virgin Mary.

Delirious (a.) Having a delirium; wandering in mind; light-headed; insane; raving; wild; as, a delirious patient; delirious fancies.

Diatomous (a.) Having a single, distinct, diagonal cleavage; -- said of crystals.

Dicoccous (a.) Composed of two coherent, one-seeded carpels; as, a dicoccous capsule.

Digenesis (n.) The faculty of multiplying in two ways; -- by ova fecundated by spermatic fluid, and asexually, as by buds. See Parthenogenesis.

Dinoceras (n.) A genus of large extinct Eocene mammals from Wyoming; -- called also Uintatherium. See Illustration in Appendix.

Dioecious (a.) Having the sexes in two separate individuals; -- applied to plants in which the female flowers occur on one individual and the male flowers on another of the same species, and to animals in which the ovum is produced by one individual and the sperm cell by another; -- opposed to monoecious.

Dioptrics (n.) The science of the refraction of light; that part of geometrical optics which treats of the laws of the refraction of light in passing from one medium into another, or through different mediums, as air, water, or glass, and esp. through different lenses; -- distinguished from catoptrics, which refers to reflected light.

Dipterous (a.) Having two wings; two-winged.

Disdiapason (n.) An interval of two octaves, or a fifteenth; -- called also bisdiapason.

Dispossess (v. t.) To put out of possession; to deprive of the actual occupancy of, particularly of land or real estate; to disseize; to eject; -- usually followed by of before the thing taken away; as, to dispossess a king of his crown.

Dispossession (n.) The putting out of possession, wrongfully or otherwise, of one who is in possession of a freehold, no matter in what title; -- called also ouster.

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.

Embarrass (v. t.) To involve in difficulties concerning money matters; to incumber with debt; to beset with urgent claims or demands; -- said of a person or his affairs; as, a man or his business is embarrassed when he can not meet his pecuniary engagements.

Endoparasite (n.) Any parasite which lives in the internal organs of an animal, as the tapeworms, Trichina, etc.; -- opposed to ectoparasite. See Entozoon.

Enhydrous (a.) Having water within; containing fluid drops; -- said of certain crystals.

Entireness (n.) Oneness; unity; -- applied to a condition of intimacy or close association.

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

Epanthous (a.) Growing upon flowers; -- said of certain species of fungi.

Epigynous (a.) Adnate to the surface of the ovary, so as to be apparently inserted upon the top of it; -- said of stamens, petals, sepals, and also of the disk.

Epizeuxis (n.) A figure by which a word is repeated with vehemence or emphasis, as in the following lines: -

Eristalis (n.) A genus of dipterous insects whose young (called rat-tailed larvae) are remarkable for their long tapering tail, which spiracles at the tip, and for their ability to live in very impure and salt waters; -- also called drone fly.

Erroneous (a.) Wandering; straying; deviating from the right course; -- hence, irregular; unnatural.

Exogenous (a.) Pertaining to, or having the character of, an exogen; -- the opposite of endogenous.

Exogenous (a.) Growing from previously ossified parts; -- opposed to autogenous.

Faintness (n.) The state of being faint; loss of strength, or of consciousness, and self-control.

Faintness (n.) Faint-heartedness; timorousness; dejection.

Filanders (n. pl.) A disease in hawks, characterized by the presence of small threadlike worms, also of filaments of coagulated blood, from the rupture of a vein; -- called also backworm.

Fleshings (n. pl.) Flesh-colored tights, worn by actors dancers.

Fromwards (prep.) A way from; -- the contrary of toward.

Fugacious (a.) Fleeting; lasting but a short time; -- applied particularly to organs or parts which are short-lived as compared with the life of the individual.

Fungibles (n. pl.) Things which may be furnished or restored in kind, as distinguished from specific things; -- called also fungible things.

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

Garrulous (a.) Having a loud, harsh note; noisy; -- said of birds; as, the garrulous roller.

Generalissimo (a.) The chief commander of an army; especially, the commander in chief of an army consisting of two or more grand divisions under separate commanders; -- a title used in most foreign countries.

Gentleness (n.) The quality or state of being gentle, well-born, mild, benevolent, docile, etc.; gentility; softness of manners, disposition, etc.; mildness.

Gibbartas (n.) One of several finback whales of the North Atlantic; -- called also Jupiter whale.

Governess (n.) A female governor; a woman invested with authority to control and direct; especially, one intrusted with the care and instruction of children, -- usually in their homes.

Guardhouse (n.) A building which is occupied by the guard, and in which soldiers are confined for misconduct; hence, a lock-up.

Gymnoblastea (n. pl.) The Athecata; -- so called because the medusoid buds are not inclosed in a capsule.

Hamamelis (n.) A genus of plants which includes the witch-hazel (Hamamelis Virginica), a preparation of which is used medicinally.

Happiness (n.) Fortuitous elegance; unstudied grace; -- used especially of language.

Horseless (a.) Being without a horse; specif., not requiring a horse; -- said of certain vehicles in which horse power has been replaced by electricity, steam, etc.; as, a horseless carriage or truck.

Hobbyhorse (n.) A subject or plan upon which one is constantly setting off; a favorite and ever-recurring theme of discourse, thought, or effort; that which occupies one's attention unduly, or to the weariness of others; a ruling passion.

Holophrastic (a.) Expressing a phrase or sentence in a single word, -- as is the case in the aboriginal languages of America.

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.

Homotaxis (n.) Similarly in arrangement of parts; -- the opposite of heterotaxy.

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.

Ignoramus (n.) We are ignorant; we ignore; -- being the word formerly written on a bill of indictment by a grand jury when there was not sufficient evidence to warrant them in finding it a true bill. The phrase now used is, "No bill," "No true bill," or "Not found," though in some jurisdictions "Ignored" is still used.

Iliopsoas (n.) The great flexor muscle of the hip joint, divisible into two parts, the iliac and great psoas, -- often regarded as distinct muscles.

Impatiens (n.) A genus of plants, several species of which have very beautiful flowers; -- so called because the elastic capsules burst when touched, and scatter the seeds with considerable force. Called also touch-me-not, jewelweed, and snapweed. I. Balsamina (sometimes called lady's slipper) is the common garden balsam.

Incompressibility (n.) The quality of being incompressible, or incapable of reduction in volume by pressure; -- formerly supposed to be a property of liquids.

Inertness (n.) Absence of the power of self-motion; inertia.

Infralapsarian (n.) One of that class of Calvinists who consider the decree of election as contemplating the apostasy as past and the elect as being at the time of election in a fallen and guilty state; -- opposed to Supralapsarian. The former considered the election of grace as a remedy for an existing evil; the latter regarded the fall as a part of God's original purpose in regard to men.

Ingenuous (a.) Noble; generous; magnanimous; honorable; upright; high-minded; as, an ingenuous ardor or zeal.

Insidious (a.) Lying in wait; watching an opportunity to insnare or entrap; deceitful; sly; treacherous; -- said of persons; as, the insidious foe.

Ironheads (n.) A European composite herb (Centaurea nigra); -- so called from the resemblance of its knobbed head to an iron ball fixed on a long handle.

Ironsides (n. /) A cuirassier or cuirassiers; also, hardy veteran soldiers; -- applied specifically to Cromwell's cavalry.

Isologous (a.) Having similar proportions, similar relations, or similar differences of composition; -- said specifically of groups or series which differ by a constant difference; as, ethane, ethylene, and acetylene, or their analogous compounds, form an isologous series.

Isosceles (a.) Having two legs or sides that are equal; -- said of a triangle.

Karyoplasma (n.) The protoplasmic substance of the nucleus of a cell: nucleoplasm; -- in opposition to kytoplasma, the protoplasm of the cell.

Katabolism (n.) Destructive or downward metabolism; regressive metamorphism; -- opposed to anabolism. See Disassimilation.

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.

Kingtruss () A truss, framed with a king-post; -- used in roofs, bridges, etc.

Lecherous (a.) Like a lecher; addicted to lewdness; lustful; also, lust-provoking.

Literatus (n.) A learned man; a man acquainted with literature; -- chiefly used in the plural.

Maccabees (n. pl.) The name given later times to the Asmonaeans, a family of Jewish patriots, who headed a religious revolt in the reign of Antiochus IV., 168-161 B. C., which led to a period of freedom for Israel.

Mackintosh (n.) A waterproof outer garment; -- so called from the name of the inventor.

Macrotous (a.) Large-eared.

Macrozoospore (n.) A large motile spore having four vibratile cilia; -- found in certain green algae.

Marbrinus (n.) A cloth woven so as to imitate the appearance of marble; -- much used in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Margarous (a.) Margaric; -- formerly designating a supposed acid.

Martinmas (n.) The feast of St. Martin, the eleventh of November; -- often called martlemans.

Mayonnaise (n.) A sauce compounded of raw yolks of eggs beaten up with olive oil to the consistency of a sirup, and seasoned with vinegar, pepper, salt, etc.; -- used in dressing salads, fish, etc. Also, a dish dressed with this sauce.

Merciless (a.) Destitute of mercy; cruel; unsparing; -- said of animate beings, and also, figuratively, of things; as, a merciless tyrant; merciless waves.

Mercurous (a.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from, mercury; containing mercury; -- said of those compounds of mercury in which it is present in its highest proportion.

Messieurs (n. pl.) Sirs; gentlemen; -- abbreviated to Messrs., which is used as the plural of Mr.

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

Metaphrase (n.) A verbal translation; a version or translation from one language into another, word for word; -- opposed to paraphrase.

Middlings (n. pl.) A combination of the coarser parts of ground wheat the finest bran, separated from the fine flour and coarse bran in bolting; -- formerly regarded as valuable only for feed; but now, after separation of the bran, used for making the best quality of flour. Middlings contain a large proportion of gluten.

Middlings (n. pl.) In the southern and western parts of the United States, the portion of the hog between the ham and the shoulder; bacon; -- called also middles.

Mightiness (n.) Highness; excellency; -- with a possessive pronoun, a title of dignity; as, their high mightinesses.

Mirabilis (n.) A genus of plants. See Four-o'clock.

Misrepresentation (n.) Untrue representation; false or incorrect statement or account; -- usually unfavorable to the thing represented; as, a misrepresentation of a person's motives.

Mistressship (n.) Ladyship, a style of address; -- with the personal pronoun.

Mizzenmast (n.) The hindmost mast of a three-masted vessel, or of a yawl-rigged vessel.

Monoceros (n.) A one-horned creature; a unicorn; a sea monster with one horn.

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.

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

Monstrous (a.) Extraordinary in a way to excite wonder, dislike, apprehension, etc.; -- said of size, appearance, color, sound, etc.; as, a monstrous height; a monstrous ox; a monstrous story.

Mydriasis (n.) A long-continued or excessive dilatation of the pupil of the eye.

Naturalism (n.) Specif., the principles and characteristics professed or represented by a 19th-century school of realistic writers, notably by Zola and Maupassant, who aimed to give a literal transcription of reality, and laid special stress on the analytic study of character, and on the scientific and experimental nature of their observation of life.

Narcissus (n.) A genus of endogenous bulbous plants with handsome flowers, having a cup-shaped crown within the six-lobed perianth, and comprising the daffodils and jonquils of several kinds.

Needlefish (n.) The European great pipefich (Siphostoma, / Syngnathus, acus); -- called also earl, and tanglefish.

Nepenthes (n.) A genus of climbing plants found in India, Malaya, etc., which have the leaves prolonged into a kind of stout tendril terminating in a pitcherlike appendage, whence the plants are often called pitcher plants and monkey-cups. There are about thirty species, of which the best known is Nepenthes distillatoria. See Pitcher plant.

Neoimpressionism (n.) A theory or practice which is a further development, on more rigorously scientific lines, of the theory and practice of Impressionism, originated by George Seurat (1859-91), and carried on by Paul Signac (1863- -) and others. Its method is marked by the laying of pure primary colors in minute dots upon a white ground, any given Notorious (a.) Generally known and talked of by the public; universally believed to be true; manifest to the world; evident; -- usually in an unfavorable sense; as, a notorious thief; a notorious crime or vice.

Nymphales (n. pl.) An extensive family of butterflies including the nymphs, the satyrs, the monarchs, the heliconias, and others; -- called also brush-footed butterflies.

Obcompressed (a.) Compressed or flattened antero-posteriorly, or in a way opposite to the usual one.

Obnoxious (a.) Subject; liable; exposed; answerable; amenable; -- with to.

Oligoclase (n.) A triclinic soda-lime feldspar. See Feldspar.

Ophiuchus (n.) A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere, delineated as a man holding a serpent in his hands; -- called also Serpentarius.

Orthoclastic (a.) Breaking in directions at right angles to each other; -- said of the monoclinic feldspars.

Ourselves (pron.) ; sing. Ourself (/). An emphasized form of the pronoun of the first person plural; -- used as a subject, usually with we; also, alone in the predicate, in the nominative or the objective case.

Oviferous (a.) Egg-bearing; -- applied particularly to certain receptacles, as in Crustacea, that retain the eggs after they have been excluded from the formative organs, until they are hatched.

Oviparous (a.) Producing young from rggs; as, an oviparous animal, in which the egg is generally separated from the animal, and hatched after exclusion; -- opposed to viviparous.

Pachyglossal (a.) Having a thick tongue; -- applied to a group of lizards (Pachyglossae), including the iguanas and agamas.

Paddlefish (n.) A large ganoid fish (Polyodon spathula) found in the rivers of the Mississippi Valley. It has a long spatula-shaped snout. Called also duck-billed cat, and spoonbill sturgeon.

Paralogism (n.) A reasoning which is false in point of form, that is, which is contrary to logical rules or formulae; a formal fallacy, or pseudo-syllogism, in which the conclusion does not follow from the premises.

Paramours (adv.) By or with love, esp. the love of the sexes; -- sometimes written as two words.

Paraphrase (n.) A restatement of a text, passage, or work, expressing the meaning of the original in another form, generally for the sake of its clearer and fuller exposition; a setting forth the signification of a text in other and ampler terms; a free translation or rendering; -- opposed to metaphrase.

Parataxis (n.) The mere ranging of propositions one after another, without indicating their connection or interdependence; -- opposed to syntax.

Pentacrostic (n.) A set of verses so disposed that the name forming the subject of the acrostic occurs five times -- the whole set of verses being divided into five different parts from top to bottom.

Pettitoes (n. pl.) The toes or feet of a pig, -- often used as food; sometimes, in contempt, the human feet.

Pharisaism (n.) Rigid observance of external forms of religion, without genuine piety; hypocrisy in religion; a censorious, self-righteous spirit in matters of morals or manners.

Phrenitis (n.) Inflammation of the brain, or of the meninges of the brain, attended with acute fever and delirium; -- called also cephalitis.

Placoides (n. pl.) A group of fishes including the sharks and rays; the Elasmobranchii; -- called also Placoidei.

Planorbis (n.) Any fresh-water air-breathing mollusk belonging to Planorbis and other allied genera, having shells of a discoidal form.

Platinous (a.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, platinum; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which the element has a lower valence, as contrasted with the platinic compounds; as, platinous chloride (PtCl2).

Pluckless (a.) Without pluck; timid; faint-hearted.

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

Polymeniscous (a.) Having numerous facets; -- said of the compound eyes of insects and crustaceans.

Portionist (n.) A scholar at Merton College, Oxford, who has a certain academical allowance or portion; -- corrupted into postmaster.

Prasinous (a.) Grass-green; clear, lively green, without any mixture.

Predisposition (n.) The act of predisposing, or the state of being predisposed; previous inclination, tendency, or propensity; predilection; -- applied to the mind; as, a predisposition to anger.

Predisposition (n.) Previous fitness or adaptation to any change, impression, or purpose; susceptibility; -- applied to material things; as, the predisposition of the body to disease.

Prepossession (n.) Preoccupation of the mind by an opinion, or impression, already formed; preconceived opinion; previous impression; bias; -- generally, but not always, used in a favorable sense; as, the prepossessions of childhood.

Prettiness (n.) The quality or state of being pretty; -- used sometimes in a disparaging sense.

Pricklouse (n.) A tailor; -- so called in contempt.

Prodromus (n.) A preliminary course or publication; -- used esp. in the titles of elementary works.

Proneness (n.) The state of lying with the face down; -- opposed to supineness.

Proneness (n.) Inclination of mind, heart, or temper; propension; disposition; as, proneness to self-gratification.

Prothesis (n.) A credence table; -- so called by the Eastern or Greek Church.

Protoplasm (n.) The viscid and more or less granular material of vegetable and animal cells, possessed of vital properties by which the processes of nutrition, secretion, and growth go forward; the so-called " physical basis of life;" the original cell substance, cytoplasm, cytoblastema, bioplasm sarcode, etc.

Protoplast (n.) A first-formed organized body; the first individual, or pair of individuals, of a species.

Protoplasta (n. pl.) A division of fresh-water rhizopods including those that have a soft body and delicate branched pseudopodia. The genus Gromia is one of the best-known.

Protoplastic (a.) First-formed.

Quadragesimals (n. pl.) Offerings formerly made to the mother church of a diocese on Mid-Lent Sunday.

Readdress (v. t.) To address a second time; -- often used reflexively.

Recompensation (n.) Used to denote a case where a set-off pleaded by the defendant is met by a set-off pleaded by the plaintiff.

Rhaphides (n. pl.) Minute transparent, often needle-shaped, crystals found in the tissues of plants.

Rinderpest (n.) A highly contagious distemper or murrain, affecting neat cattle, and less commonly sheep and goats; -- called also cattle plague, Russian cattle plague, and steppe murrain.

Roundhouse (n.) A constable's prison; a lockup, watch-house, or station house.

Roundhouse (n.) A cabin or apartament on the after part of the quarter-deck, having the poop for its roof; -- sometimes called the coach.

Sagacious (a.) Of quick sense perceptions; keen-scented; skilled in following a trail.

Sagacious (a.) Hence, of quick intellectual perceptions; of keen penetration and judgment; discerning and judicious; knowing; far-sighted; shrewd; sage; wise; as, a sagacious man; a sagacious remark.

Saphenous (a.) Manifest; -- applied to the two principal superficial veins of the lower limb of man.

Schoolmistress (n.) A woman who governs and teaches a school; a female school-teacher.

Sclerobase (n.) The calcareous or hornlike coral forming the central stem or axis of most compound alcyonarians; -- called also foot secretion. See Illust. under Gorgoniacea, and Coenenchyma.

Septuagesima (n.) The third Sunday before Lent; -- so called because it is about seventy days before Easter.

Shameless (a.) Destitute of shame; wanting modesty; brazen-faced; insensible to disgrace.

Shapeless (a.) Destitute of shape or regular form; wanting symmetry of dimensions; misshapen; -- opposed to shapely.

Shovelnose (n.) A ganoid fish of the Sturgeon family (Scaphirhynchus platyrhynchus) of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers; -- called also white sturgeon.

Spatangus (n.) A genus of heart-shaped sea urchins belonging to the Spatangoidea.

Staidness (n.) The quality or state of being staid; seriousness; steadiness; sedateness; regularity; -- the opposite of wildness, or levity.

Statoblast (n.) One of a peculiar kind of internal buds, or germs, produced in the interior of certain Bryozoa and sponges, especially in the fresh-water species; -- also called winter buds.

Stonebrash (n.) A subsoil made up of small stones or finely-broken rock; brash.

Symbolics (n.) that branch of historic theology which treats of creeds and confessions of faith; symbolism; -- called also symbolic.

Syneresis (n.) The union, or drawing together into one syllable, of two vowels that are ordinarily separated in syllabification; synecphonesis; -- the opposite of diaeresis.

Synthesis (n.) The combination of separate elements of thought into a whole, as of simple into complex conceptions, species into genera, individual propositions into systems; -- the opposite of analysis.

Tachyglossa (n. pl.) A division of monotremes which comprises the spiny ant-eaters of Australia and New Guinea. See Illust. under Echidna.

Tarantass (n.) A low four-wheeled carriage used in Russia. The carriage box rests on two long, springy poles which run from the fore to the hind axletree. When snow falls, the wheels are taken off, and the body is mounted on a sledge.

Tartarous (a.) Resembling, or characteristic of, a Tartar; ill-natured; irritable.

Thenadays (adv.) At that time; then; in those days; -- correlative to nowadays.

Thermosystaltic (a.) Influenced in its contraction by heat or cold; -- said of a muscle.

Thesaurus (n.) A treasury or storehouse; hence, a repository, especially of knowledge; -- often applied to a comprehensive work, like a dictionary or cyclopedia.

Trustee stock () High-grade stock in which trust funds may be legally invested.

Transgressive (a.) Disposed or tending to transgress; faulty; culpable. -

Transverse (a.) Lying or being across, or in a crosswise direction; athwart; -- often opposed to longitudinal.

Tridiapason (n.) A triple octave, or twenty-second.

Trigamous (a.) Having three sorts of flowers in the same head, -- male, female, and hermaphrodite, or perfect, flowers.

Triplicostate (a.) Three-ribbed.

Trochilus (n.) An annular molding whose section is concave, like the edge of a pulley; -- called also scotia.

Uniformism (n.) The doctrine of uniformity in the geological history of the earth; -- in part equivalent to uniformitarianism, but also used, more broadly, as opposed to catastrophism.

Uniparous (a.) Producing but one axis of inflorescence; -- said of the scorpioid cyme.

Vaticanism (n.) The doctrine of papal supremacy; extreme views in support of the authority of the pope; ultramontanism; -- a term used only by persons who are not Roman Catholics.

Vicarious (prep.) Acting as a substitute; -- said of abnormal action which replaces a suppressed normal function; as, vicarious hemorrhage replacing menstruation.

Vivacious (a.) Having vigorous powers of life; tenacious of life; long-lived.

Xiphiplastron (n.) The posterior, or fourth, lateral plate in the plastron of turtles; -- called also xiphisternum.

Yellowfish (n.) A rock trout (Pleurogrammus monopterygius) found on the coast of Alaska; -- called also striped fish, and Atka mackerel.

Zosterops (n.) A genus of birds that comprises the white-eyes. See White-eye.

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 by Mark McCracken, All Rights Reserved.