Words!

Front 1

elucidate \ih-LOO-si-dayt\, transitive verb

Back 1

To make clear or manifest; to render more intelligible; to illustrate; as, an example will elucidate the subject.

Front 2

florid \FLOR-id\, adjective

Back 2

1. Flushed with red; of a lively reddish color.
2. Excessively ornate; flowery; as, "a florid style; florid eloquence."

Front 3

veracity \vuh-RAS-i-tee\, noun

Back 3

1. truthfulness
2. truth

Front 4

pithy \PITH-ee\, adjective

Back 4

concise and to the point; full of meaning and force

c. 1400, from Old English pith, of unknown origin but cognate German words referring to "inner part, essence"

Front 5

spoonerism \SPOO-nuh-riz-uhm\, noun

Back 5

The transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words.

Front 6

thaumaturgy \THAW-muh-tuhr-jee\, noun

Back 6

The performance of miracles or magic.

Front 7

tumult \TOO-mult; TYOO-mult\, noun

Back 7

1. The commotion or agitation of a crowd, usually accompanied with great noise, uproar, and confusion of voices; hurly-burly; noisy confusion.
2. Violent commotion or agitation, with confusion of sounds; as, "the tumult of the elements."
3. Irregular or confused motion; agitation; high excitement; as, "the tumult of the spirits or passions."
--tumultuous, adjective

Front 8

propinquity \pruh-PING-kwih-tee\, noun

Back 8

1. Nearness in place; proximity.
2. Nearness in time.
3. Nearness of relation; kinship.

Front 9

velleity \veh-LEE-uh-tee; vuh-\, noun

Back 9

1. The lowest degree of desire; imperfect or incomplete volition.
2. A slight wish or inclination.

Front 10

osculation \os-kyuh-LAY-shuhn\, noun

Back 10

The act of kissing; also: a kiss.

Front 11

ludic \LOO-dik\, adjective

Back 11

Of or relating to play; characterized by play; playful.

Front 12

contretemps \KAHN-truh-tahn\, noun;
plural contretemps \-tahnz\

Back 12

An inopportune or embarrassing situation or event; a hitch.

Front 13

jape \JAYP\, noun, verb

Back 13

1. A joke or jest.
2. A trick or prank.
3. To joke; to jest.
4. To make fun of; to mock.

Front 14

gambol \GAM-buhl\, intransitive verb

Back 14

1. To dance and skip about in play; to frolic.
2. A skipping or leaping about in frolic.

Front 15

longueur \long-GUR\, noun

Back 15

A dull and tedious passage in a book, play, musical composition, or the like.

Front 16

flummox \FLUM-uhks\, transitive verb

Back 16

To confuse; to perplex.

Front 17

grandiloquent \gran-DIL-uh-kwuhnt\, adjective

Back 17

Lofty in style; pompous; bombastic.

Front 18

aegis \EE-jis\, noun

Back 18

1. Protection; support.
2. Sponsorship; patronage.
3. Guidance, direction, or control.
4. A shield or protective armor; -- applied in mythology to the shield of Zeus.

Front 19

nescience \NESH-uhn(t)s; NESH-ee-uhn(t)s\, noun

Back 19

Lack of knowledge or awareness; ignorance.

Front 20

chimerical \ky-MER-ih-kuhl; -MIR-; kih-\, adjective

Back 20

1. Merely imaginary; produced by or as if by a wildly fanciful imagination; fantastic; improbable or unrealistic.
2. Given to or indulging in unrealistic fantasies or fantastic schemes.

Front 21

impugn \im-PYOON\, transitive verb

Back 21

To attack by words or arguments; to call in question; to make insinuations against; to oppose or challenge as false; to gainsay.

Front 22

frisson \free-SOHN\, noun

Back 22

A moment of intense excitement; a shudder; an emotional thrill.

Front 23

portend \por-TEND\, verb

Back 23

To indicate (events, misfortunes, etc.) as in future; to foreshadow; to bode

Front 24

pulchritude \PUL-kruh-tood; -tyood\, noun

Back 24

That quality of appearance which pleases the eye; beauty; comeliness; grace; loveliness.

Front 25

susurrus \su-SUHR-uhs\, noun

Back 25

A whispering or rustling sound; a murmur.

Front 26

labile \LAY-byl\, adjective

Back 26

1. Open to change; apt or likely to change; adaptable.
2. Constantly or readily undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown; unstable.

Front 27

outré \oo-TRAY\, adjective

Back 27

Unconventional; eccentric; bizarre.

Front 28

etiolate \EE-tee-uh-layt\, transitive verb

Back 28

1. (Botany) To bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight.
2. To make pale or sickly.
3. To make weak by stunting the growth or development of.
4. (Botany) To become bleached or whitened, as when grown without sunlight.

Front 29

ephemeral \ih-FEM-er-ul\, adjective

Back 29

1. Beginning and ending in a day; existing only, or no longer than, a day; as, an ephemeral flower.
2. Short-lived; existing or continuing for a short time only.

Front 30

quiddity \KWID-ih-tee\, n.

Back 30

1. The essence, nature, or distinctive peculiarity of a thing.
2. A hairsplitting distinction; a trifling point; a quibble.
3. An eccentricity; an odd feature.

Front 31

crepuscular \kri-PUS-kyuh-lur\, adjective

Back 31

1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling twilight; dim.
2. (Zoology) Appearing or active at twilight.

Front 32

stormy petrel \STOR-mee-PET-ruhl\, noun

Back 32

1. Any of various small sea birds of the family Hydrobatidae, having dark plumage with paler underparts; also called storm petrel.
2. One who brings discord or strife, or appears at the onset of trouble.

Front 33

peccadillo \peck-uh-DIL-oh\, noun

Back 33

A slight offense; a petty fault.

Front 34

invidious \in-VID-ee-uhs\, adjective

Back 34

1. Tending to provoke envy, resentment, or ill will.
2. Containing or implying a slight.
3. Envious.

Front 35

paladin \PAL-uh-din\, noun

Back 35

1. A knight-errant; a distinguished champion of a medieval king or prince; as, the paladins of Charlemagne.
2. A champion of a cause.

Front 36

gainsay \gayn-SAY; GAYN-say\, transitive verb

Back 36

1. To deny or dispute; to declare false or invalid.
2. To oppose; to contradict.