A | B |
anabatic | A local wind blowing up a hill or mountain because of local surface heating. |
anabiosis | A revival or resuscitation of life; returning to life. |
anachronism | Something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time; especially or a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time. |
anadromy | The migration of fish; such as or adults or sub-adults or that go from salt water to fresh water to spawn. |
anagenesis | The regeneration or repair of bodily tissue or parts. |
anagram | A transposition of the letters of a word or name or or phrase or whereby a new word or phrase is formed. |
analeptic | Restoring or invigorating or or giving strength after disease |
analogy | Similarities in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar and a comparison based on such similarities. |
analysis | The separation of something into its constituents in order to find out what it contains and to examine individual parts or to study the structure of the whole. |
anathema | Someone or something that is greatly disliked or detested and is therefore shunned. |
anatomy | The study of form or or the branch of science that studies the physical structure of animals or plants or and other organisms. |
catatropia | A downward deviation of one eye. |
cataclysm | A sudden and violent upheaval or disaster that causes great changes in society |
catagelophobia | An excessive fear of being ridiculed or of being “put down” by someone. |
catastrophe (n.) | to overturn or turn down or trample on; to come to an end |
cataplexy | the state of an animal when it is feigning death |
catalepsy | a seizure or a seizing upon or a taking possession |
catalogue | a list or register or enrollment |
cataract | a waterfall or floodgate |
catapedamania | An impulse to jump from high places. |
proactive | Of persons or policies as an opposition to reactive |
proboscis | elephant's trunk lit. "means for taking food" |
procession | a marching onward |
proem | brief introduction prelude |
profane | unholy not consecrated lit. "out in front of the temple |
profer | to bring forth or produce or utter |
profess | having declared publicly |
proficiency | accomplish or make progress or be useful |
profligate | to cast down or defeat or ruin or recklessly extravagant via notion of "ruined by vice" |
progeny | descendants or offspring |
prognosis | forecast of the probable course of a disease |
prognostication | foreknowing. Medieval usage of "sign to forecast weather" |
prologue | literally "a speech beforehand" |
promnesia | scientific name for the phenomenon of déjà vu |
propane | colorless gas occurring in petroleum in reference to its being first in order of the fatty acids. |
propensity | disposition to favor |
property | nature or quality |
prophet | an interpreter or spokesman |
prophylactic | a medicine or treatment to prevent disease |
propitiation | render favorable. The sense is perhaps because the word originally was religious lit. "a falling or rushing toward" hence "eager" and of the gods "well-disposed." |
proponent | one who brings forth a proposition or argument |
proposition | a setting forth as a topic for discussion |
proscribe | publish as having forfeited one's property or ro condemn and outlaw before the world |
proselyte | convert a stranger. One who has come over |
prostitute | indiscriminately offered |
protestation | avowal oe declaration |
expropriation | renunciation of worldly goods |
improvident | lack of foresight or rashness |
improvisation | not foreseen or unforeseen or unexpected |
propitious | presenting favorable conditions |
parallel | beside one another |
parallax | to alter oe make things alternate |
parasol | protection from the sun |
parameter | boundary or limit or characteristic factor |
paraphrase | to tell in other words |
paragraph | sign for start of a new section of discourse |
paraplegia | paralysis of one side of the body |
paragon | to test on a touchstone or compare |
parasite | a hanger-on or a toady or person who lives on others |
parachute | that which protects against a fall |
paradox | statement that is seemingly self-contradictory yet not illogical or obviously untrue |
paradigm | a pattern or example |
paranoia | mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions |
paraphernalia | a woman's property besides her dowry |
parable | saying or story in which something is expressed in terms of something else |
paramedical | related to medicine in an auxiliary capacity |