• ADEAD
adv. 1581 chiefly poetic usage – dead
vb. 1. a1200 obs. – to die
vb. 2. c1225 obs. – to kill, to put to death, to destroy; to deaden, to mortify
• ADEADEN
vb. 1. c1000 obs. – to kill, to put to death; to deaden, to mortify
vb. 2. c1230 obs. – to die
• A-DEARY ME!
int. 1868 Eng. dial. – exclamation of sadness or surprise
• ADEATH
adv. a1200 obs. – in death
• ADEAVE
vb. c940 obs. – to deafen, to strike deaf
• ADECASTIC; ADECASTICKE
n. 1623 obs. rare – one who can be relied upon to act justly or appropriately in any circumstance
• ADECATIST
n. Bk1717 – one who is exempt from tithes, one who is against paying tithes
• A-DECK
n. 1984 US sl. – a prison cell used for solitary confinement
• ADEE!
int. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – ha!
• ADEED
adv. 1820 Sc. rare – indeed
• ADEEP
adv. 1850 obs., poetic usage – deeply, deep
• ADELAIDE
n. 1831 rare – a dark blue colour
• ADELAIDEAN
adj. 1848 – relating to, or characteristic of the city of Adelaide
n. 1839 – a native or inhabitant of the city of Adelaide
• ADELANTADO
n. 1. 1588 hist. – the governor of a Spanish province, acting as the chief civil and judicial authority, and as military commander-in-chief in time of war; also, a military leader with the authority to explore, colonize, and govern new territories for the Spanish crown
n. 2. 1612 obs. – a Spanish grandee
• ADELE
adj. 2000s S. Afr. homosexual sl. – vindictive, mean, bitchy
• ADELE ADDER
n. 2000s S. Afr. homosexual sl. – a homosexual person who is vindictive, mean, or bitchy
• ADELITE
n. Bk1883 – one of a class of Moorish conjurors in Spain, who predicted the fortunes of individuals by the flight and singing of birds, and other accidental circumstances
• ADELMAN
n. Bk1708 – a nobleman, an earl, a gentleman
• ADEMONIST
n. 1837 – a person who denies the existence of the Devil
• ADEMPT
adj. 1432-50 obs. – taken away, removed
vb. 1590 – to take away, to remove
• ADEMPTED
adj. 1590 obs. rare – taken away, removed
• ADEMPTION
n. c1630 – a taking away
• ADENESE
n. 1880 – a native or inhabitant of Aden, a port and commercial centre in the Republic of Yemen
• ADENI
n. 1950 – a native or inhabitant of Aden, a port and commercial centre in the Republic of Yemen
• ADENOID
n. 1930s US sl. – a vocalist with a ‘tight’ voice; a radio tenor who sings in a forced, strained voice
• ADENOIDAL
adj. 1. 1918 colloq. – of a facial expression: open-mouthed, gaping
adj. 2. 1926 colloq. – of the voice, speech, an accent, etc.: having a monotonous and constricted nasal quality
• ADENOIDALLY
adv. 1923 – with an adenoidal voice, tone, or sound
• ADENOIDY
adj. 1. 1918 colloq. – of a facial expression: open-mouthed, gaping
adj. 2. 1926 colloq. – of the voice, speech, an accent, etc.: having a monotonous and constricted nasal quality
• ADENT
vb. 1658 obs. rare – to fasten, to attach
• ADEPT
adj. 1650 – that has attained knowledge of the secrets of alchemy, magic, and the occult
n. 1. 1673 – originally, a person who has attained knowledge of the secrets of alchemy, magic, and the occult; an initiate into the secrets of a particular hermetic order or occult organization; later, a person who has been initiated into any system of spiritual knowledge
n. 2. 1674 – a person who is highly skilled or proficient at something
n. 3. 1721 thieves’ sl. – a pickpocket; a conjuror
vb. 1890 criminals’ sl. – to pickpocket
• ADEPTED
adj. 1553 obs. rare – gained, acquired
• ADEPTICAL
adj. 1662 obs. – pert. to an Adeptist; alchemical
• ADEPTION
n. 1548 obs. – an obtaining, gaining, or attainment
• ADEPTIST
n. 1662 obs. – a professed adept; a skilled alchemist
• ADEPTUS
n. 1650 – a person who has attained knowledge of the secrets of alchemy, magic, and the occult; an initiate into the secrets of a particular hermetic order or occult organization; usually in plural, with ‘the’ (the adepti)
• ADEQUAL
adj. 1678 obs. – proportional
• ADEQUATE
adj. 1. 1609 obs. – equal in magnitude or extent; neither more nor less
adj. 2. Bk1942 US sl. – excellent, ‘super’
vb. 1. 1599 obs. – to equal, to be equal to, or sufficient for
vb. 2. 1622 obs. – to make equal or sufficient
• ADEQUATELY
adv. 1656 obs. – with complete equality; with perfect correspondence; exactly
• ADEQUATENESS
n. 1664 obs. – equality; exact correspondence in extent or scope
• ADEQUATION
n. 1589 obs. – the act or fact of equalling
• ADEQUATIVE
adj. 1809 rare – adequate, suitable; also, suitably equivalent
• ADEQUITATE
vb. 1623 obs. rare – to ride beside or near to someone
• ADEQUITATION
n. 1663 obs. rare – a riding towards some place or thing
• ADERATION
n. 1623 – a giving a monetary value to something
• ADESED
adj. 1623 obs. rare – all eaten up
• ADESPOTA
n. 1897 – anonymous literary works
• ADETERMINE
vb. 1413 obs. rare – to bring to an end, to finish, to terminate
• ADEVISM
n. 1878 rare – disbelief in the gods of a particular mythology
• ADEW
vb. 1. c1425 obs. – to bedew; also, to refresh, to reinvigorate
vb. 2. a1439 obs. – to endow a person with spiritual or intellectual gifts
• ADFLUXION
n. 1783 obs. – the flowing of something towards something else; an attracted flow
• ADGENICULATION
n. 1637 obs. – a kneeling to or towards the altar as a gesture of reverence
• ADGER
n. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – a foolish, silly person: used playfully to children
vb. 1991 US sl. – in computing: to make an avoidable mistake
• ADHABITATE
vb. 1623 obs. rare – to dwell nigh
• ADHALATE
vb. 1623 obs. rare – to breathe or blow on
• ADHAMATE
vb. 1623 obs. rare – to hook, to bind; to catch with a hook or net
• ADHAMATION
n. 1663 obs. rare – a taking hold like a hook
• ADHERENCE
n. 1. 1449-50 – attachment to a person, party, or cause; steadfast support; loyalty, allegiance
n. 2. 1549 rare – a group of adherents or supporters; a following
• ADHERENCY
n. 1. 1579 arch. – the act or fact of adhering to a person or thing; steadfast support, allegiance
n. 2. c1600 rare – a group of adherents or supporters; a following
n. 3. 1608 obs. – that which adheres to something; an attached property or quality
• ADHERENT
n. 1426 – one who adheres to a person, party, or system; a partisan, a follower, a steadfast supporter; a loyalist
• ADHERESCENT
adj. 1743 rare – tending to adhere; adhesive
• ADHESION
n. 1. a1500 – steadfast commitment to a person or thing; loyalty, allegiance; fidelity, devotion
n. 2. 1614 obs. rare – relationship of attachment; alliance, association
n. 3. 1646 obs. – a substance which adheres to something
• ADHIBIT
vb. 1. 1538 – to make use of; to use, to apply, to deploy
vb. 2. 1542 obs. – to bring in, to admit; to let in, to allow
vb. 3. 1543 obs. – to administer or apply, esp. as a remedy
vb. 4. 1548 rare – to give something to a person or thing; to assign or ascribe trust, credit, etc.; to devote space or attention
vb. 5. 1651 rare, chiefly Sc. usage – to add, to append; to affix, to attach
• AD HOC
vb. 1. 1960 – to improvise; to act or respond on an ad hoc basis, rather than in accordance with general long-term strategies
vb. 2. 1968 – to assemble or organize chaotically
• AD HOCER
n. Bk1984 sl. – a skier who arrives at a chalet without a previous booking
• ADHOCRACY
n. 1966 – a flexible and informal style of organization and management, characterized by a lack of bureaucracy
• ADHORN
vb. 1605 obs. rare – to ‘plant horns on’; to cuckold
• ADHORT
vb. 1539 obs. – to urge, to exhort, to incite; to encourage, to promote
• ADHORTATION
n. 1536 obs. – encouragement, persuasion, incitement
• ADHORTATORY
adj. 1534 obs. – persuading or urging to a course; inciting; encouraging
• ADHORTED
adj. a1500 obs. – that has been adhorted; encouraged
• ADIABOLIST
n. 1646 rare – one who does not believe in the existence of a Devil
• ADIAPHANOUS
adj. 1658 rare – not translucent, opaque
• ADIAPHORACY
n. 1612 rare – indifference, neutrality
• ADIAPHORAL
adj. 1586 obs. – indifferent in the eyes of the church, or of theologians
• ADIAPHORICIE
n. 1612 rare – indifference, neutrality
• ADIAPHORISM
n. 1607 – latitude or indifference in religious matters; indifferentism
• ADIAPHOROUS
adj. 1615 – neutral, indifferent, impartial; neither right nor wrong morally
• ADIAPHORY
n. 1658 – indifference, impartiality, neutrality; religious indifference (rare)
• ADIBLE
adj. 1568 – accessible (obs.)
• ADIDAS
n. 1996 – a prison training instructor (UK sl.)
phr. 1990s – a phrase meaning ‘All Day I Dream About Sex’ (sl.)
• ADIEU
int. a1393 – used as an expression of farewell; goodbye
• ADIGHT
vb. 1. OE – to compose or write a letter, etc. (obs.)
vb. 2. c1220 – to prepare, to dispose, to order, to appoint (obs.)
vb. 3. c1330 – to equip, to attire, to dress, to deck (obs.)
• ADIGHTING
n. 1567 – preparing, preparation (obs.)
• ADIGRESSION
n. 1482 – digression (obs.)
• ADIMPLEATE
vb. 1657 – to fill up (obs.)
• ADIMPLETE
vb. 1657 – to fill; to make complete (obs.)
• ADIMPLETION
n. 1624 – completion, fulfilment (obs.)
• ADIN
prep. 1860 – within (Eng. dial.)
vb. a1250 – to din; to deafen, to stun with noise (obs.)
• AD INFINITUM
adv. 1596 – to infinity; again and again; endlessly, forever
• ADINVENTION
n. 1483 rare – an invented addition, esp. to the scripture of the Bible
• ADIOS
int. 1635 – used as an expression of farewell
n. 1592 – a parting salutation
vb. 1970 Amer. dial. – to make a hasty departure, disappear
• ADIOS AMOEBAS
phr. 1980s US campus sl. – a farewell
• ADIOS MOTHERFUCKER
phr. 1986 US sl. – used as a farewell
• ADIOS MUCHACHOS
phr. Bk2000 Amer. sl. – the end; goodbye everyone (Spanish)
• ADIPAL
adj. 1656 obs. rare – fat or gross
• ADIPATE
vb. 1623 obs. rare – to feed fat, to fatten
• ADIPESCENT
adj. 1847 obs. rare – becoming fatty
• ADIPOSE
adj. 1. 1743 – pert. to animal fat; fatty
adj. 2. 1810 – fat, obese, overweight
n. 1814 – body fat
• ADIPOSENESS
n. 1868 rare – the state of being fat; fatness
• ADIPOSITY
n. 1791 – fatness, or tendency to fatness; excessive fatness, obesity
• ADIPOUS
adj. 1667 rare – abounding in fat; fatty
• ADIRONDACKER
n. 1870 – a native or inhabitant of the Adirondack region in New York State
• ADIRONDACK GOAT
n. 1954 Amer. dial. – venison from a deer killed out of season
• ADIRONDACK STEAK
n. 1954 Amer. dial. – venison from a deer killed out of season
• ADISTANCE
adv. 1807 obs. rare, poetic usage – to a distance; afar
• ADITE
vb. 1. a1325 obs. – to indict, to accuse, to condemn
vb. 2. c1330 obs. – to put down in written words
• ADITHER
adj. 1912 – in a state of excitement, anxiety, or confusion, often in expectation of something
• ADITION
n. 1731 obs. – a going or coming nigh to
• ADJACENCE
n. 1605 – the state of lying near; a being adjacent
• ADJACENCY
n. 1640 – a being adjacent; contiguity
• ADJACENT
n. 1600 obs. rare – an assistant
• ADJECT
adj. 1432-50 obs. – adjacent, adjoining
n. 1672 obs. – an addition; added qualification
vb. 1432-50 obs. rare – to annex, to add or join
• ADJECTAMENT
n. 1641 obs. rare – anything thrown in by way of addition; an addition
• ADJECTED
adj. 1538 – added on, annexed, appended to
• ADJECTING
n. 1639 rare – an adding or appending something
• ADJECTION
n. 1. c1374 – the act of adding, adding on, annexing or appending; addition
n. 2. 1556 obs. – the result of adding on; that which is added; an addition
• ADJECTITIOUS
adj. 1625 rare – of the nature of addition; additional
• ADJECTIVAL
adj. 1907 – substitute for an expletive, as ‘you adjectival idiot’
• ADJECTIVE
adj. 1851 – euphemism for an expletive adjective
n. 1. 1597 rare – a dependent person or thing; an accessory
n. 2. 1888 obs. rare, euphemism – an expletive adjective
vb. 1906 – to swear at a person, animal, or thing
• ADJECTIVED
adj. 1869 rare, euphemism – used in place of an adjective that is regarded as an expletive, such as ‘damned’
• ADJECTIVE JERKER
n. 1888 sl. – a writer for the press; a journalist
• ADJECTIVELY
adv. 1907 rare – used as an intensifier indicating the use of a strong expletive, as ‘adjectively bad’
• ADJOIN
vb. 1. c1325 obs. – to join on; to join or unite a person or thing to another
vb. 2. 1479 obs. – to be or lie close, or in contact; to be contiguous
vb. 3. 1483 obs. – to join, unite, or associate with another
• ADJOINANT
adj. 1494 obs. – lying next; contiguous
n. c1526 obs. – one living close by; a near neighbour; an associate
• ADJOINATE
adj. 1470 obs. rare – joined, united, allied
• ADJOINDER
n. 1604 – something joined to; an addition or appendix
• ADJOINED
adj. 1. 1556 – adjacent, contiguous; neighbouring; also, jointed, attached, connected
adj. 2. 1622 – additional, supplementary, also, of a person, appointed in a supplementary or subordinate role
• ADJOINEDLY
adv. 1721 obs. – unitedly; by way of union or conjunction
• ADJOINER
n. 1627-8 obs. rare – he who, or that which, adjoins or lies next; a neighbour
• ADJOINT
adj. 1727 obs. – united, joined
n. 1. 1597 obs. – a helper, an aider, an assistant; an addition
n. 2. 1645 – an official assistant or deputy to someone holding a civil or military position; a French civil officer who assists the maire; also, an assistant professor in a French college
• ADJOURNAL
n. 1609 obs. – adjournment, respite, or postponement of a sentence
• ADJOUST
vb. 1. c1374 obs. – to put a thing to one for consideration; to bring forward, to suggest
vb. 2. 1474 obs. – to put one thing to another; to add
• ADJUDGER
n. 1821 – a person who adjudges something; an adjudicator; a judge
• ADJUDICATE
vb. 1. 1655 – to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence, or by a similar legal o official ruling
vb. 2. a1681 rare – to sentence or condemn a person to a specified punishment or penalty
vb. 3. a1695 – to settle, determine, or decide judicially, or by a similar legal or official process; also, to judge, to act as a referee in
• ADJUDICATION
n. 1. 1570 – a determining, settling, or awarding something judicially, or by a similar legal or official process
n. 2. 1602 – a judicial sentence or similar legal or official ruling
• ADJUDICATOR
n. 1705 – a person who adjudicates; a judge
• ADJUDICATORY
adj. 1685 – having the power or authority to adjudicate
• ADJUDICATURE
n. 1783 – adjudication
• ADJUGATE
vb. 1731 obs. rare – to yoke or couple to
• ADJUMENT
n. 1. 1576 obs. – help, assistance
n. 2. 1641 obs. – a helper or assistant
• ADJUNCT
adj. 1516 – associated, connected; joined, added; subordinate, supplementary
n. 1. 1554 – a person joined to another in some duty or service; an assistant or subordinate colleague
n. 2. 1566 – something which is joined or connected to something else and auxiliary to or dependent upon it; something supplementary or subordinate
• ADJUNCTION
n. 1. 1545 – an adding something to something else; the joining or uniting of one thing or person with another
n. 2. 1593 – that which is joined or added to something else
• ADJUNCTIVE
n. 1755 rare – a person of the nature of an adjunct; a person joined to another in some duty or service; an assistant or subordinate colleague
• ADJUNCT PROFESSOR
n.1785 US – a junior, temporary, or casual professor
• ADJURATION
n. 1. c1405 – an invoking, summoning, or commanding an evil spirit; an incantation used for this
n. 2. 1473 – a commanding or appealing to someone in the name of God or a god, or under penalty of some punishment or curse; a swearing or binding under oath
n. 3. 1782 – a solemn or earnest appeal; an exhortation; a command
• ADJURATOR
n. 1729 obs. – a person who swears or witnesses an oath
• ADJURE
vb. 1. a1425 – to bind under oath; to command or appeal to a person to do something in the name of God, or a god, or under penalty of some punishment or curse
vb. 2. 1483 – to make a solemn or earnest appeal to a person; to exhort
vb. 3. 1585 – to invoke, summon, or exorcize an evil spirit
• ADJUREMENT
n. a1382 – adjuration
• ADJUST
vb. 1. c1450 – to put something to a person for consideration; to suggest (obs.)
vb. 2. 1612 – to come to a settlement, agreement, or reconciliation
• ADJUSTAGE
n. 1819 – adjustment (obs.)
• ADJUSTATION
n. 1669 – adjustment
• ADJUSTED
adj. 1652 – harmonized, balanced (obs.)
• ADJUSTER
n. 1990 – a hammer (US sl.)
• ADJUSTIVE
adj. c1796 – tending to adjust; concerned with adjustment; also, adjustable
• ADJUSTLY
adv. 1681 – in an adaptable manner (obs.)
• ADJUSTMENT CENTRE
n. 1955 – a part of a prison reserved for the solitary confinement of prisoners (US)
• ADJUST THE STICK!
int. 1983 – used as a humorous admonition to casino employees at a craps table when the players are losing (US sl.)
• ADJUTABLE
adj. 1721 – that may help, helping, able to help (obs.)
• ADJUTANCY
n. 1665 – assistance, agency, support (obs.)
• ADJUTANT
adj. 1645 – helping, assistant (obs.)
n. 1622 – an assistant or helper
• ADJUTANT-GENERAL
n. 1667 – among the Jesuits: a superintendent of a province or country, conducting its business and correspondence under the supervision of the General of the Order (rare)
• ADJUTATOR
n. 1647 – a person empowered to act on behalf of others; each of the delegates chosen to represent the private soldiers of some units of the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War, initially at the Army Council of June 1647; later, generally, a helper, an assistant
• ADJUTE
vb. 1524 – to add (obs.)
• ADJUTOR
n. 1531 – a helper, an assistant; an aide
• ADJUTORIOUS
adj. 1657 – helpful, giving aid, assisting (obs.)
• ADJUTORY
adj. c1475 – helping, giving aid (obs.)
n. 1. c1505 – help, assistance (obs.)
n. 2. 1508 – a person who provides assistance; a helper (obs.)
• ADJUTRICE
n. 1609 – a female helper or assistant (obs.)
• ADJUTRIX
n. a1632 – a female helper or assistant (rare)
• ADJUVABLE
adj. 1599 – helpful, giving aid (obs.)
• ADJUVANCY
n. 1677 – assistance, help
• ADJUVANT
adj. 1574 – assisting, aiding, helpful
n. 1583 – a helper, an assistant
• ADJUVATE
vb. 1533 – to help, to assist, to aid (rare)
• ADKINS ACADEMY
n. E19 – a London house of correction, named for its governor (sl.)
• ADLAND
n. 1915 – the world or industry of advertising (colloq.)
• ADLATUS
n. Bk1885 – one who gives personal aid or attendance; an aid-de-camp; a personal assistant
• ADLE
n. c1000 – sickness, disease; also, an illness, an ailment (obs.)
• AD LIB
n. 1920s – a pointed, provocative or sarcastic comment (sl., orig. US)
vb. 1960 – (as ‘ad-lib’) to date indiscriminately (US sl.)
• AD LIBITUM
adv. 1606 – at one’s pleasure or discretion; at will, as one pleases
• ADLIGE
vb. 1650 – to attach, join, or link one thing to another; to combine or unite with; to mix (obs.)
• AD LOC
adv. 1645 – in the place or passage previously mentioned
• AD LOCUM
adv. 1654 – in the place or passage previously mentioned
• ADLUBESCENCE
n. 1656 – pleasure, delight (rare)
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Updated: February 26, 2023
Lexicophilia 