Wave 105

Welcome to the world's longest list of weird words! Listen to Shireen's daily word of the day at 8.35am on Steve Power at Breakfast and email your words to shireen.jordan@wave105.com.

Defoliate
Remove leaves from (a tree, plant, or area of land), for agricultural purposes) or as a military tactic

Pulchritudinous
Having great physical beauty or appeal

Funambulate
To walk on ropes

Absquatulate
To leave in a hurry

Anthropomorphic
Given human attributes

Spurious
Fake, counterfeit, not genuine

Objurgate
To condemn or scold

Intransigent
Unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something

Panurgic
Skilled in all kinds of work

Vituperate
To criticise harshly, to rebuke, berate

Coadjuvant
c-ooperating

Cachinnnate
To laugh hard, loudly, or convulsively

Apropos
Fitting, appropriate

Oleaginous
Oily or greasy 2. distastefully complimentary

Sesquipedalian
Characterised by long words

Famulus
A private secretary or other close attendant

Taciturn
Uncommunicative

Luciferous
Bringing light or insight

Anaphora
The repetition of a phrase at the Beginning of Phrases, Sentences, or Verses used for emphasis

Monad
A single entity or unit

Ignominious
Marked by shame or disgrace

Sagacity
The quality of being discerning, sound in judgment, and farsighted

Erratum
An error in printing or writing

Mendacious
Untruthful

Excrescence
A distinct outgrowth on a human or animal body or on a plant

Aleatory
Dependent on chance, luck, or an uncertain outcome

Bloviate
Talk at length, esp. in an inflated or empty way

Mollify
Appease the anger or anxiety of (someone).2.Reduce the severity of (something)

Ignoramus
An ignorant or stupid person

Homologate
To approve/to confirm

Lachrymose
Tearful or given to weeping

Homologous
(of organs) Similar in position, structure, and evolutionary origin but not necessarily in function

Indurate
To harden - eg clay or soil

Aberrant
Departing from an accepted standard; Deviating from the proper course

Intercessor
A negotiator who acts as a link between parties

Hyperpolyglot
One who can speak six or more languages fluently

Agrestic
Of or relating to the country; rural; rustic

Declivity
A downward slope

Cleave
To split or sever (something), esp. along a natural line or grain

Dingle
A deep wooded valley or dell

Expurgate
Remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable - eg from a book/account

Analgesia
The absence of pain; inability to feel pain

Bellicose
Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight

Alacrity
Brisk and cheerful readiness

Jocular
Humorous or playful

Nugatory
Of no value or importance ; futile ; trivial

Logorrhoea
Excessive talking

Sciolism
Superficial knowledge

Dispendious
Costly or extravagant

Gegenschein
Counterglow; a faint, elliptical patch of light in the night sky that appears opposite the sun

Bellwether
Anything that indicates future trends

Stegophilist
A person who climbs buildings for fun

Calenture
Feverish delirium supposedly caused by the heat in the tropics

Avarice
Extreme greed for wealth or material gain

Phlegmatic
Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition/apathetic

Abrogate
To abolish, cancel or void ( a law, right or formal agreement)

Dextrorotatory
Turning clockwise or to the right

Lickspittle
A flattering or servile person
 
Flapdoodle
Foolish talk, nonsense

Amadelphous
Gregarious

Expostulate
To express strong disapproval or disagreement with someone

Homodoxian
A person who has the same view or opinion as you

Fillip
Something that adds pleasure or enjoyment to an activity - eg cheese sprinkled on a pizza

Tripudiate
To dance

Ersatz
Being an imitation or a substitute, usually an inferior one; artificial

Glaucous
Blueish grey or green - eg glaucous leaves

Coruscate
(of light) To emit Flashes or sparkle of light

Caitiff
A cowardly or base person

Foment
To instigate or foster discord or rebellion

Gossamer
Very fine spider silk used by various species of spiders

Orthogonal
Perpendicular i.e lying at right angles

Simper
To Smile in a coy or ingratiating manner

Disambiguation
Clarificiation

Inanition
Lack of mental or spiritual vigor and enthusiasm

Tittle
A dot or other small mark in writing or printing, used as a diacritic, punctuation

Egregious
Outstandingly bad; shocking

Protuberant
Protruding; bulging, prominent

Erudite
Having or showing great knowledge or learning

Contretemps
An unforeseen event that disrupts the normal course of things; an inopportune occurrence

Depascent
To eat/to feed

Diatribe
Forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something

Limpid
Clear, particularly transparent or bright

Patrimony
An inheritance from a father or ancestor

Plangent
(of a sound) Loud, reverberating, and often melancholy

Inequity
Lack of fairness or justice

Paraprosdokian
Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected

Chalcedony
A finely crystallized or fibrous quartz

Rictus
A fixed grimace or grin

Apotropaic
Intended to ward off evil - eg good luck charm, bracelet, knock on wood, cross fingers

Concinnous
Elegant; harmonious; neat

Thaumaturgy
The capability of a saint or magician to work miracles

Obscurantism
Restricting knowledge

Clowder
A group of cats

Mulct
To extract money by fine or taxation

Macron
From the Greek meaning "long", is a diacritic (mark) placed above a vowel (and, more rarely, under or above a consonant).

Famulus
A close attendant/private secretary

Acnestis
The part of the body where one cannot reach to scratch- usually the space between the shoulder blades

Calumny
Slander/defamation

Impecunious
Having little or no money

Jejune
Childish

Conspue
To spurn with contempt

Intractable
Hard to control or deal with; (of a person) Difficult; stubborn.

Orrery
A clockwork model of the planets and moons in the solar system

Mogigraphia
Writer's cramp

Egress
An exit or way out

Jactancy
Boasting/bragging

Polyglot
Someone who uses many languages

Caprice
A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behaviour

Quaternary
Of 4th rank or order - primary, secondary and tertiary then quaternary

Boustrophedon
The writing of alternate lines in opposite directions - mostly seen in ancient manuscripts and other inscriptions

Apolaustic
Devoted to enjoyment

Anaphora
A term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.

Matutinal
Of, occuring in, or relating to the early morning

Lachrymose
Tearful or sorrowful

Antipodal
Diametrically opposite

Homologate
To approve/to confirm

Puissant
Having great power or influence

Desuetude
A state of disuse or inactivity

Insouciant
Marked by blithe unconcern; Nonchalant

Perspicacious
Having a ready insight into and understanding of things/keen mental perception

Peregrinate
Travel or wander around from place to place, especially on foot

Pleonasm
Use of more words than is necessary for clear expression eg black darkness or burning fire

Nefarious
Wicked or criminal - infamous by way of being wicked

Anachronism
Inconsistency in a chronological/historical arrangement

Anachorism
The incorrect assignment of an event to a location; geographical misplacement

Macaronic
Using two languages - In Medieval times, a play or poem using both Latin and vernacular languages

Compotation
The act of drinking together in company

Bedizen
To dress or decorate gaudily or tastelessly

Abirritate
To diminish the sensibility of/to debilitate

Asinine
Extremely stupid or foolish

Polyhedron
Geometric solid in three dimensions with flat faces and straight edges

Favonian
Of or pertaining to the west wind; 2.mild or favourable

Didactic
Intended to teach or lecture others too much; moral lesson

Oniochalasia
The purchasing of objects as a form of mental relaxation

Selcouth
Unusual, strange, rarely known

Palter
To talk or act insincerely or deceitfully; lie or use trickery

Oxyphonia
Shrillness or high pitch of voice

Affective
Of, caused by, or expressing emotion or feeling; emotional.

Aleatory
Accidental/Dependent on chance, luck, or an uncertain outcome

Finifugal
Shunning the end of anything - eg good meal, good book

Serendipitous
Lucky in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries

Recusant
Refusing to submit, comply

Elucubrate
To produce (especially literary work) by long and intensive effort

Lustral
Of or relating to a ceremony of purification; 2. Occuring every 5 years

Bellwether
Anything that indicates future trends

Calamistration
The act or process of curling the hair

Atavism
The reappearance of characteristics of some remote ancestor that were absent in intervening generations

Oligopoly
A market situation in which control over the supply of a commodity is held by a small number of producers

Vituperative
Harshly abusive criticism

Flibbertigibbet
Chattering, flighty or whimsical person

Anachronistic
Not in correct historical or chronological time

Iteration
Repetition

Abstemious
To eat and drink in moderation

Illecebrous
Pretty, attractive, alluring

Swasivious
Agreeably persuasive

Pococurante
Indifferent/apathetic

Inculcate
To instill an attitude, idea, or habit by persistent instruction/teach someone an attitude, idea, or habit persistently

Hyperborean
In Greek mythology, one of a people known to the ancient Greeks from the earliest times who lived in the north

Mussitation
Speaking in a low tone - mumbling

Bumbledon
Mannerisms characteristic of pompous, arrogant or pretentious officials

Riant
Laughing; smiling; cheerful;

Virescence
The state or process of becoming green

Lagniappe
Small gift given to a customer by merchant at the time of a purchase - eg 13th donut free when bought a dozen

Chrestomathy
A collection of written passages used to learn an unfamiiar language

Epigrammatic
In the style of an epigram - concise, clever and amusing

Drey
A squirrel's nest

Imprimis
In the first place

Tegestology
A Latin term defined as the practice of collecting beermats or coasters

Pelmatogram
Footprint

Fillip
Something that acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity; Propel (a small object) with a flick of the finger

Aspectabund
Expressive face

Obambulate
To wander about

Sinistral
Of, or pertaining to, the left side; left-handed

Gadzookery
The use of archaic words or expressions - eg ye, thee, dost

Dyslogistic
Expressing disapproval

Delassation
Tired/fatigued

Codicil
A supplement to a will

Requital
A return or reward for service, kindness

Redoubtable
That is to be feared; formidable

Extempore
On the spur of the moment; without premeditation or preparation; offhand

Foofaraw
Excessive or flashy ornamentation or decoration; A fuss over a matter of little importance

Furciferous
A rascal; scandalous

Louche
Dubious; shady; disreputable.

Delitescent
Hidden or concealed

Fistulous
Tubelike; tubular

Tumescent
Swelling;exhibited or affected with many ideas or emotion

Codology
An Irish term for pulling someone's leg; bluffing

Felicific
Tending to cause happiness

Divagate
To wander; stray; to digress in speech

Hamartia
Tragic flaw

Protean
Versatile

Abderian
Given to incessant or excessive laughter

Filipendulous
Suspended by a single thread

Parataxis
The placing together of sentences, clauses, or phrases without a conjunctive word or words

Meretricious
Attracting attention in a vulgar manner; Plausible but false or insincere

Autoschediastic
Imprompt;spontaneous;improvised

Foramen
An opening or short passage

Canorous
Melodious; musical

Plummy
Good or desirable; richly or mellowly resonant

Equipoise
A state of balance; equilibrium

Fustian
Pompous or bombastic as language

Tribology
The science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion

Toper
A hard drinker or chronic drunkard

Agrestic
Rural; rustic; unpolished; awkward.

Dispendious
Extravant, costly

Scuttlebutt
Slang for gossip/rumour

Mucronate
Having an abruptly projecting point, as a feather or leaf

Memphitis
A poisonous stench

Jobbery
Corruption among public officials

Quotidian
Daily, Commonplace

Excogitate
To devise or think out/plan something

Prevaricate
To speak or act in an evasive/misleading way

Claver
Idle talk; gossip

Effluvium
A disagreeable smell

Spile
A peg or plug of wood

Barbigerous
Having a beard

Concatenation
A series of interconnected events, concepts; the act of linking together

Ullage
Unfilled space in a container of liquid

Equiparate
To make equal

Bacciferous
A plant that bears berries

Subnubilar
Under clouds

Jocose
Given to or characterised by joking; jesting; humorous; playful

Acatalepsy
Impossible to understand; incomprehensibleness

Ombrology
The scientific study of rain

Quaquaversal
Dipping in all directions- dome like

Tricephalous
Having 3 heads

Rumchunder
Fine Indian silk

Esurient
Hungry or greedy

Janiform
Two faced like the roman god Janus

Vertiginious
Causing vertigo ( by being high or steep)

Philippic
Any speech or discourse of bitter denunciation

Arcuate
Curved or arched like a bow

Machiavellian
To use clever but dishonest methods to deceive people to win power or control

Exordium
The beginning of anything

Oxyphonia
Excessive shrillness of the voice

Apotropaic
Intended to ward off evil

Insouciant
Free from concern, worry, anxiety - nonchalant

Lugubrious
Looking or sounding sad and dismal

Intransigent
Unwilling to compromise or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something

Amanuensis
One employed to take dictation or copy manuscripts

Ancilla
An aid to achieving or mastering something difficult

Coeval
Of the same or equal age, date or duration

Sackbut
An ancestor to the modern trombone - a more delicate version

Celerity
Speed/swiftness of action or motion

Jingoism
Fervent nationalism

Tachygraphy
The art of practice of rapid writing/shorthand-used in ancient Rome or Greece

Gallimaufry
A confused jumble or medley of things 2. A hash made from diced or minced meat

Badinage
To have playful banter

Subvention
Provision of help, aid or support 2. a grant aid or subsidy

Bifurcate
The splitting of a main body into two parts (fork-shaped) - eg a road; the Y shaped style of certain flowers

Kickshaw
A fancy food or dish 2. A trinket

Inanition
Lack of mental or spiritual vigour and enthusiasm; 2. Exhaustion caused by lack of nourishment

Gongoozler
A canal-side spectator-one who stares at something for a long time

Stegophilist
One who climbs building for fun

Vicissitudes
The quality of state of being Changeable/change, variation

Bicrural
Two legged

Phlegmatic
Laid back, unflappable, not easily upset, easygoing

Intractable
Hard to control or deal with; a difficult or stubborn person

Alexithymia
Inability to describe emotions in a verbal manner

Glom
To seize upon or catch on to something/to steal

Cacology
Incorrect diction/bad choice of words

Sapient
Having great wisdom; full of knowledge

Mallemaroking
Carousing on icebound Greenland whaling ships

Jocoserious
Half serious and half in jest

Loquacious
Very talkative

Casuistry
Specious, deceptive, or oversubtle reasoning, esp. in questions of morality.

Gallimaufry
A confused jumble or medley of things; A hash made from diced of minced meat

Torporific
Tending to cause apathy or lethargy

Panurgic
Skilled in all kinds of work

Egregious
Outstandingly bad

Buffaloing
To overawe or intimidate someone 2.To baffle someone

Telergy
The force that affects telepathy

Terriculament
To inspire with groundless fear

Inaniloquent
Speaking foolishly or saying silly things

Intercessor
Mediator

Natatorium
Indoor swimming pool

Confabulate
To talk/to fabricate an imaginary experience as compensation for loss of memory

Asperate
To make rough, harsh or uneven

Contumacious
Stubbornly or wilfully disobedient

Malapropism
Using a word in mistake for a word sounding simular often having a comic effect

Coruscate
To give off light

Diacritic
A special mark added to a letter to indicate a different pronounciation, stress, tone or meaning

Specious
Misleading in appearance/superficially plausible but wrong

Noctambulation
Sleepwalking

Lollygag
Spend time aimlessly; to dawdle

Slubberdegullion
A worthless person

Scrimshanker
A person who accepts neither work nor responsibility

Ovoviviparous
Producing living young from eggs that hatch within the body. Some sharks do this, as do seahorses where the males "give birth"

Blandish
To coax with gentle persuasion

Extemporize
To do something, particularly to perform or speak, without prior planning or thought; to act in an impromptu manner; to improvise.

Mangelwurzel
Cultivated root vegetable developed in the 18th century as a fodder crop for feeding livestock

Discursive
Passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; rambling

Macroverbumsciolist
A person who is ignorant of long words

Mellifluous
To flow like honey

Paraprosdokian
Figure of speech in which the latter part of the sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected - used in humour or for dramatic effect

Preantepenultimate
Fourth from last

Discombobulate
To confuse or disconcert; upset; frustrate

Epithalisation
The period of healing time after having piercing done

Fissiparous
actious, tending to break into pieces

Abligurition
Lavish spending on food and drink

Exiguous
Very small in size or amount

Sagacity
Sound in judgement

Bombilate
To make a buzzing sound

Defenestrate
To throw out of the window

Ventripotent
Big-bellied, gluttonous

Oxyphonia
Shrillness or high pitch of voice

Animadversion
Strong criticism

Curvilinear
Consisting of or bounded by curved lines

Bailiwick
An area of interest, activity or authority

Masticate
To chew

Amadelphous
Gregarious

Latibulate
To hide oneself in a corner

Plangent
A loud, reverberating sound-often melancholy

Sequacious
Easily led/moulded; servile

Polyglot
A person who can use many languages

Maunder
To talk incoherently or aimlessly

Truculent
Quick to argue or fight/aggressively defiant-from Latin word for savage

Fascicle

Bundle or cluster

Solecism
An error in the use of language/ grammatical mistake

Iconoclast
One who opposes orthodoxy and religion

Equipoise
The state of being balanced or in equilibrium

Acaulescent
Stemless/having no visible stem

Precipitous
Extremely steep-figuratively or physically

Aberrant
Straying from the right or normal way

Fescennine
Extremely rude; coarse

Kinesthesia
The sense that detects the movement of one's own body, the muscles and limbs

Libidinous
Having lustful desires

Archipelago
A large group of islands

Anthropomorphic
Given human attributes

Pareidolia
Psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant.

Abstruse
Difficult to understand

Torporific
Tending to cause apathy or lethargy

Avarice
Extreme greed for wealth or material gain

Procrustean
Merciless dismissal of individual circumstances

Skullduggery
Crafty deception; trickery

Postprandial

After a meal (especially dinner)

Mizzle

A mist like rain

Pusillanimous
Lacking courage

Panurgic
Skilled in all kinds of work

Depascent
Feeding

Adoxography
Fine writing on a trivial or base subject

Pleonasm
Use of more words or word-parts than is necessary for clear expression

Cacology
Incorrect diction

Myrmecology
The study of ants

Pejorist
One who thinks the world is getting worse

Avoirdupois
Weights - a system of weights based on a pound of 16 ounces

Stentorian
Loud and powerful

Anachorism
Something out of place in - or foreign to a country

Prolegomena
Introductory remarks

Boscaresque
A scenic woodland; picturesque.

Amanuensis
One employed to take dictation or copy manuscripts

Tarantella
A rapid dance in 6/8 time, originating in Italy - or a piece of music for such a dance

Inaniloquent
Given to talking inanely

Epizeuxis
Repetition of words in immediate succession with emphasis

Logorrhoea
Excessive talking

Ignominious
Marked by shame or disgrace

Contretemps
An inopportune or embarrassing occurrence

Homodoxian
A person who has the same opinion as you

Bellwether
Anything that indicates future trends

Algedonic
Pertaining to both pleasure and pain

Xenodochial
Hospitable; kindly to strangers

Diffugient
Dispersing

Crepuscule
Twilight; dusk

Agrestic
Someone who is rude, uncouth and uncultured

Ambisinistrous
Clumsy

Pulveratricious
Covered with dust

Quadrimular
A phenomenon lasting for four years.

Bumbledom
Official pomposity and stupidity

Magniloquent
Using high-flown language – bombastic

Natatorium
An indoor swimming pool

Rhodologist
A person who studies and classifies roses

Senescence
Growing old or aging

Epistemology
Theory of knowledge- Related to philosophy, which studies the science of how we know things

Abyssopelagic
Of, like or pertaining to the depths of the ocean

Infelicitous
Inappropriate; ill-chosen

Anaphora
Repetition of a phrase at the beginning of phrases, sentences or verses - used for emphasis

Gnathonize
To flatter someone

Philodox
A person in love with his own opinion

Obstreperous
Noisily defiant; aggressively boisterous.

Atrabilious
Melancholic, gloomy

Autodidact
A self-taught person

Coakatively
Artificially

Obstrigillate
To resist, refuse or protest

Quixotic
Extremely romantic and chivalrous

Hebetudinous
One who lacks mental stimulation, dull-minded, very lethargic

Porphyrophobia
Fear of the colour purple!

Apolaustic
Devoted to enjoyment

Verklempt
Overcome with emotion

Clancular
Done or kept in secret

Agerasia
A lack of the signs of age

Nugatory
Trivial, trifling or of little importance

Confabulate
To chat

Dissectologist
A person who enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles

Velleity
State of desiring; a slight wish

Peregrinate
To travel from place to place - or country to country - especially on foot

Concinnous
Harmonious, fit, elegant

Boondoggle
A waste of time and/or money

Lugubrious
Gloomy

Peccability
The capacity for sinning

Sobriquet
A nickname

Matutinal
Active or wide awake in the morning

Alexithymia
Inability to describe emotions in a verbal manner

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
A factitious word alleged to mean a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust, causing inflammation in the lungs

Induratize
To harden the heart

Logolepsy
An obsession with words

Phenakism
Deception or Trickery

Desiderium
An ardent longing for a thing lost

Consenescence
The act of growing old together

Bellicose
Warlike in nature, aggressive, hostile

Addubitation
Suggestion of doubt

Verisimilitude
The property of seeming true, of resembling reality

Tripudiate
To dance, skip or leap with excitement

Sequacious
Easily led or moulded

Quantulum
Small Quantity

Pulchritudinous
Having great physical beauty or appeal

Nefarious
Infamous for being wicked

Jocoserious
Half serious and half in jest

Filibuster
Type of parliamentary procedure - a form of obstruction in a legislature or other decision making body

Felicificability
Capacity for happiness

Hornswoggle
To deceive

Egregious
Oustandingly bad

Chrestomathy
A collection of unwritten passages, used to learn an unfamiliar language

Gobemouche
One who believes any absurdity - From French - literally, with his mouth open swallowing flies

Blandiloquence
Complimentary Language or speech

Animadversion
Strong criticism

Dispendious
Extravagant, costly

Kinesthesia
The sensation or perception of motion

Moradacious
Tending to bite, sarcastic

Lamprophony
Speaking in a clear, loud voice

Oenophilist
A, connoisseur of wine

Whigmaleerie
A whim or fanciful notion or ornament

Ichthyophagous
One that feeds on fish

Floccinaucinihilipification
The categorising of something that is useless or trivial

Deipnosophist
One who excels at conversations at the dinner table

Fopdoodle

An insignificant fellow or fool
Emma has set up a Fopdoodle Facebook fan club

Elucubration

To produce by long and intensive effort (especially writing)

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Fear of long words

Brobdingnagian
Enormous, huge, far larger than is customary for such a thing

Phantasmagoria
A series of events involving rapid changes in light intensity and colour

Agathokakological

Made up of both good and evil

Concatenate
To connect or link a series of events

Thaumaturgy
The working of miracles

Ornithomancy
The practise of reading signs from birds – dates back to ancient times and was practised by Greeks, Romans and other cultures

Sesquipedalian
Characterised by the use of long words -  From Latin meaning a foot and a half

Pataflafla
A drum rudiment named for the sound it produces. It is played by leaving a 16th rest before two sixteenth notes and two alternating flams.

Zygodactylous
A Term for birds having two toes pointing forward and two pointing backwards

Syzygy
A kind of unity – especially through coordination or alignment

Callipygian
Having well formed buttocks

Quaquaversal
Going off in all directions at once

Tintinnabulation
A tinkling sound – as of a bell or bells

Hippocampus
Main component of brain

Tatterdemalion
Person wearing ragged or tat,, tered clothing – also a fictional character and supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe

Poobah
A term from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mika, do (comic opera set in Japan) a mocking title for someone who holds multiple offices or positions of power all at the same time

Absquatulate
To leave quickly or in a hurry

Paradiddle
A percussive exercise which involves playing four even strokes in the order - right left right right OR left right left left

Bacchanalia,
Drunken behaviour

Perspicacious
Having keen mental perception and understanding

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