The hutchinson dictionary of difficult words

The Hutchinson Dictionary of Difficult Words Preface The general dictionaries which we all have on our bookshelves and desks, and which we constantly consult, have one significant but little-considered characteristic in common: much of their contents is never used When was the last time you needed to find out the meaning of the or but, the spelling of cat or dog? And yet dictionaries compiled for adult native-speakers of English take care to include such straightforward words, which present no difficulty to dictionary users, and which consequently are seldom – if ever – looked up As dictionaries descend the ladder of size past 'concise' to 'pocket', it is the less frequent and less familiar words that are omitted; the ones we all know are allowed to stay We rather take this feature of dictionaries for granted, as if that is how they have always been, and therefore that is how they should always be But that is not how they have always been In the 17th and 18th centuries, the commonest type of lexical reference book was one that included only those words that might present some difficulty to the user, through unfamiliarity, orthographic irregularity, etc These are termed 'hard-word dictionaries' But in the 18th century, the practice began to grow of including more everyday words as well Confirmed by Dr Johnson's magisterial English Dictionary of 1755, this is the tradition that has won out: we now assume that dictionaries will be inventories of all the words of a language However, even the huge Oxford English Dictionary would not seriously make that claim No dictionary, however big, can be a hundred percent comprehensive – much less a pocket dictionary As far as the practical needs of users are concerned, it makes much better sense to include only words that they are likely to look up The space saved by omitting the likes of and, be, do, house, and small can be much more profitably given to words whose meaning, spelling, pronunciation, etc cause problems That is the idea behind The Hutchinson Dictionary of Difficult Words It is a compendium of around 14,000 of the more troublesome and obscure words in the English language It gives you access to the farthest reaches of English vocabulary, including within its modest compass terms that can otherwise be found only in the largest multi-volume unabridged dictionaries and specialist reference books It is not a dictionary to be left on the shelf, but a practical problem-solver whose every entry serves a purpose © Copyright Research Machines plc 2006 All rights reserved Helicon Publishing is a division of Research Machines plc Helicon Publishing New Mill House 183 Milton Park Abingdon Oxon OX14 4SE e-mail: helicon@rm.com Web site: www.helicon.co.uk Table of contents A aardvark aardwolf aasvogel aba abaca abacist abacterial abaction abaculus abacus abalone abandonment abapical abarthrosis abarticular bas abasia abate abatement abatis, abattis abatjour abat-sons abat-vent abat-voix abaxial abb abba abbozzo abditive abdominous abducent abecedary abele aberdevine abernethy aberrant aberration ab extra abient abietic abigail ab initio abiogenesis abiological abiosis abiotrophy abirritate abjure ablactate ablation ablative ablaut ablegate ablepsia abluent ablution abnegate aboma abomasum aboral aborigine abortifacient aboulia, abulia ab ovo abrade abrasion abreaction abreuvoir abrogate abruption abscind abscissa abscissin, abscisin abscission absconce abseil absentee absente reo absinth(e) absit omen absolutism absolutory absorptiometer absquatulate abstemious absterge abstinent abstruse abulia ab urbe condita abut aby(e) abyssal academic acajou acaleph acantha acanthus a cappella, a capella acariasis acaricide acarpous acatalectic acatalepsy acaudate acaulescent accelerator accelerometer accensor accentor acceptance acceptilation accessit acciaccatura accidence accident accidental accipiter accismus acclivity accolade accolent accommodation accouchement accoutre accredit accrementition accrescent accretion accrue accubation acculturation accumbent accumulator accusative accusatorial aceldama acephalous acerate acerbity aceric acerose, acerate acerous acervate acescent acetabulum acetarious acetic acetify acetometer, acetimeter acetone acetous, acetose acetyl achar a chara Achates achene cheval Achilles achlamydeous acholous achondroplasia achor achromat achromatopsia, achromia achroous acicula acidimeter, acidometer acidophilic acidosis acidulous acierage aciform acinaciform aciniform acinous, acinose acipenser aclastic aclinic acology acomia aconite aconitine acopic acor corps perdu acosmism acotyledon acoumeter coup sûr acousma acoustic acquire acquittance acrasy acratia acriflavine acrimonious acritochromacy acroamatic acrocephalous, acrocephalic acrodont acrogen acrolith acrologic acromegaly acromonogrammatic acronychal, acronycal, acronyx acrophobia acropolis acroscopic acrospire acroteleutic acroter acroteric acroterion acrotic actamer actin actinism actinium actino-chemistry actinograph actinoid actinology actinometer actinomorphic, actinomorphous actinomycin actinomycosis actinophone actinotherapy actuary actuate actum ut supra aculeate aculeiform acumen acuminate acuminulate acupressure acushla acutorsion acyanopsia acyclic acyrology adactylous adamant adaxial ad captandum (vulgus) addendum addio additament addititious additive address adduce adduct, adeciduate adelphogamy ademonist ademption adenia adeniform adenitis adenoid adenology adenoma adenopathy adenose adenotomy adenovirus adephagous adespoton ad eundem (gradum) deux adevism ad finem ad hanc vocem adherent adhibit ad hoc ad hominem ad hunc locum adiabatic adiabolist adiactinic adiaphoresis adiaphoron adiapneustia adiathermic adient ad infinitum ad interim adios adipescent adipic adipocere adipose adipsy adit adjunct adjutator adjuvant ad libitum ad locum admaxillary windage n deflection of projectile by the wind window n in space research, period of time within which a rocket or spacecraft must be launched to accomplish a particular mission; area at the limit of the Earth's atmosphere through which a spacecraft must pass for successful re- entry; Computing, section of a VDU screen displaying a particular type of information wingding n noisy party witan n early English King's council witenagemot n early English national council; witan withe n tough, flexible branch or twig, especially one used for binding withershins adv adv widdershins withhold v.t not give or grant; restrain; deduct; v.i refrain (from) withy n willow; withe wittol n complacent cuckold wivern n winged dragon in heraldry wobbegong n carpet shark wolfram n tungsten wolverine n shaggy-furred animal of weasel family wombat n bear-like marsupial; Australian badger woof n threads crossing warp in weaving; weft word n in computers, a block of data made up of many 'bits' wort n infusion of malt before fermentation wrack n sea-weed cast up on shore; wreckage; vestige wrangler n at Cambridge University, an honours graduate in first class in mathematics tripos senior wrangler, first on list of such graduates wrasse n a bright-hued marine fish of Atlantic and Mediterranean wroth a archaic angry wuther v.i (of the wind) blow strongly, bluster wynd n alley xanthic a yellow; yellowish xanthochroid, n & a fair-haired and pale-skinned (person) xanthochroism, n condition in which all skin pigments except yellow and orange disappear xanthoma, n skin disease causing yellow patches xanthopsia, n optical defect causing everything to seem yellow xanthous, a yellow- or red-haired; yellow-skinned xebec n ancient three-masted Mediterranean pirate ship xenial a pertaining to hospitality, or relations with friendly visitors xenian, a xenodocheionology n jocular, love of hotels and inns xenogamy n cross-fertilization xenogenesis, n production of offspring unlike the parent xenograft, n heterograft xenolith, n rock particle included in another rock xenomorphic a with a form not its own xenophobia n hatred or dread of foreigners xerarch a growing in dry places xerasia, n morbid dryness of hair xeric, a pertaining to or adapted to dry conditions xeroderma, n morbid dryness of skin xerography, n method of reproducing illustrations, text, etc., electrostatically, by attraction of ink powder to positively charged sheet of selenium metal xerophagy, n strict fast of Eastern Church during Holy Week xerophilous, a resisting drought xerophobous, a unable to survive drought xerophthalmia, n Medicine, abnormal dryness of the eyeball xerophyte, n plant thriving in desert conditions xerosis, n Medicine, abnormal dryness xerostoma, n dryness of mouth xerotic, a dry xi n fourteenth letter of Greek alphabet xiphoid a sword-like xiphoid process, lowest division of sternum; king-crab's tail xiphophyllous, a with sword-shaped leaves xylem n woody tissue of plants xylocarp, n woody fruit xylograph n wood-engraving; print made from a wood block xylography, n xyloid a like wood xylonite, n celluloid xylophagous, a destroying or boring in wood xylophilous, a living on or in wood xylotomous, a boring into or cutting wood yaffle n green woodpecker yahoo n member of brutish, quasi-human species in Swift's Gulliver's Travels; depraved person yamen n official residence yammer v.i complain peevishly; whine; howl yarborough n hand of cards containing no card above a nine yare a nimble, brisk; ready yarmulke n skullcap worn by orthodox Jewish males yashmak n veil of Muslim women yataghan n Muslim long curved knife yaw v.i.,v.t move or deviate from course; move in a zigzag; n such deviation or movement yawl n ship's small rowing-boat; small sailing vessel with from one to three lugsails; small fore-and-aft rigged vessel with mizzen-mast abaft rudder post yaws n contagious skin disease resembling syphilis yean v.i.,v.t bring forth (lamb or kid) yeanling, n lamb or kid yerba (maté) n Paraguay tea yerbal, n plantation of yerba yom n 'day' yom Kippur, 'day of atonement', a solemn Jewish fast yom Tob, 'good day'; religious festival; Sabbath ypsiliform a shaped like Greek upsilon Upsilon ypsiloid, a yurt n tent consisting of a framework of poles covered by skins or felt, used by Mongol nomads zaibatsu n large industrial and financial combines zamindar n landowner zamindari, n land or jurisdiction of a zamindar zariba, zareba n protective hedge, etc., round Sudanese village; fortified camp zebrule, zebrula n hybrid of male zebra and female horse zebu n humped ox of the East and E Africa zeigarnik n Psychology, tendency to remember an uncompleted rather than a completed task Zeitgeist n 'spirit of the age'; philosophy or outlook of a particular period zenana n harem; system of segregating women in harems zenography n study or description of planet Jupiter zenographic(al), a zeta n sixth letter of Greek alphabet zetetic a proceeding by inquiry zeugma n literary device of using word to modify two other words with only one of which it is correctly used zeugmatic, a zibeline, zibelline a pertaining to sables zibet n Indian civet Zigeuner n 'gypsy' zingaro n (pl -ri ) 'gypsy' zircon n brownish or greyish mineral used as gem zirconiferous, a zither n musical instrument of strings stretched over a horizontal sounding board and plucked with a plectrum zoanthropy n delusion of a person who believes himself changed into an animal zoea n early larva of crab and other crustaceans zoeal, a zoetrope n device whereby a series of drawings are made to seem, by revolving them, one continuous moving picture zoic a showing traces of life; containing organic remains zoism, n doctrine that life depends on a peculiar vital principle Zollverein n 'customs-union' as organized by Prussia in the 1830s zombie n in voodoo worship, a corpse made by witchcraft to move and walk as if alive; slang, a person of the lowest order of intelligence zomotherapy n medical treatment by raw meat or meat juice zomotherapeutic, a zoogamy n sexual reproduction of animals zoogenous, a originating in animals zoography, n description of animals zooid n organism resembling animal, especially asexually produced; sperm cell zooidal, a zoolite, zoolith n fossil animal zoometry n measurement of animals zoomimetic, a imitating an animal or part of an animal zoomorph, n object in form of animal zoomorphism, n representation of god as lower animal zoonic a pertaining to or derived from animals zoonosis, n disease that can be communicated among animals or from animal to man zoopery n experimenting on lower animals zooperal, a zooperist, n zoophile n lover of animals; plant pollinated by animals zoophilia, zoophilist, n zoophilous, a zoophobia, n dread of animals zoophorus, zophorus n sculptured relief frieze with a continuous pattern of men or animals zoophyte n plant-like animal, as coral, sea anemone, etc zoophytal, zoophytic, a zoophytology, n study of such zooscopy n hallucination of seeing animals zooscopic, a zootechny, zootechnics n breeding and taming of animals zootechnic, a zootomy n study of animal anatomy zootomic(al), a zootomist, n zootrophy n feeding of animals zootrophic, a zouave n French-Algerian infantry soldier; woman's short jacket zwitterion n ion charged both positively and negatively zygal a H-shaped zygodactyl(ic), a having toes in two pairs, one behind the other zygomorphic, a bilaterally symmetrical zygophyte n plant with reproduction by union of two similar cells zygospore, n spore formed by such union zygote n cell formed by union of two gametes; fertilized egg zygotic, a zymase n enzyme converting sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide zymogenic a causing fermentation zymogenous, a zymology n study of or treatise on fermentation zymologic(al), a zymologist, n zymolysis n action of enzymes zymoplastic a partaking in the production of enzymes zymosis n fermentation; process resembling fermentation in development of infectious disease zymotic a pertaining to fermentation; due to development of germs entering body from outside; n contagious or infectious disease