I love collecting cool words (and writing about them), and this is the full list of what I’ve collected to date. Browse through and bask in the etymological wonder!
Current count: 464
Abecedarian: arranged alphabetically; elementary
Absquatulate: abscond, make off with; send away, dismiss
Abstemious: not self-indulgent
Acidulous: sharp tasting or sour
Acronical: of the rising or setting of a celestial object; occurring at or just after sunset
Ad deliquium (adv): bloodletting to the point of feeling faint
Adamantine: unbreakable; unyielding in attitude or opinion
Adumbrate: report or represent in outline, faintly
Adventitious: coming from another source and not inherent or innate
Agglutinate: firmly stick or be stuck together to form a mass
Ahoo: crooked, lopsided; askew, awry
Aleatoric: characterized by chance or indeterminate elements
Alieniloquy: an instance of straying from the subject one is supposed to be talking about; rambling or evasive talk
Amanuensis: literary or artistic assistant
Amaranthine: unfading or everlasting
Ambit: the scope, extent, or bounds of something
Anacampserote: a plant believed to have the power to restore lost love
Anacoluthon: a shift in an unfinished sentence from one syntactic construction to another
Anagnorisis: recognition; the denouement in a drama
Analgesic: painkiller
Animadvert: comment unfavorably or critically
Anodyne: unlikely to provoke dissent or offense
Anomie: lack of usual social or ethical standards in individual or group
Antelucan: of, belonging to, or occurring in the hours just before dawn
Aperçus: comment or reference that makes illuminating point (a-per-soo)
Aphelion: the point farthest from the sun in the path of an orbiting celestial body
Aphyllous: having no leaves
Apophatic: (of knowledge of God) obtained through negation
Apotheosis: highest point, culmination, climax
Apposite: apt in the circumstances or in relation to something
Appurtenance: an object that is used with or for something
Apricate: bask in the sun
Aquiline: like an eagle
Arch: deliberately playful or teasing; chief, principal
Arcuate: shaped like a bow, curved
Arenaceous: Consisting of sand or particles of a substance similar to sand
Argot: slang of particular group
Arrant: complete, utter
Arrears: money owed that should have been paid earlier (in arrears)
Asperity: harshness of tone or manner
Assiduous: showing great care or perseverance
Astringent: sharp or severe in manner or style; causing contraction of body tissues
Au courant: aware of what’s going on; well informed
Augury: omen; sign of future events
Autochthon: an original or indigenous inhabitant of a place
Autodidact: a self-taught person
Avarice: extreme greed for wealth
Avast: stop; cease
Avuncular: kind or friendly to younger or less experienced
Bacchanal: wild or drunken revelry
Badinage: humorous or witty conversation
Bantling: a young child
Bavardage: idle gossip, chitchat
Basal: Forming or belonging to a bottom layer or base
Belie: disguise or contradict
Benison: a blessing
Benthic: of the flora and fauna found on the bottom of a sea or lake
Bête noire: something one particularly dislikes
Bibulous: excessively fond of alcohol
Bier: movable frame on which corpse or coffin is carried
Biotic: of, relating to, or resulting from living things, especially ecologically
Bollix: bungle
Bombinate: make a sustained, murmuring sound similar to a buzz or drone
Bonify: make something good or better; amelioration, improvement
Bon mot: a witty remark
Bonny: attractive; beautiful
Bosky: wooded; covered by trees or bushes
Boulevardier: a sophisticated, socially active man who frequents fashionable places
Brackish: slightly salty
Brio: vigor or vivacity or style or performance
Broigus (adj): angry; irritated
Brumal: of or relating to winter
Bugbear: cause obsessive fear or irritation
Bully (adj): very good, first-rate
Cacoethes: an irresistible compulsion; a mania
Caliginous: misty, dark
Callipygian: having well-shaped buttocks
Calumny: making of false or defamatory statements
Canicular: of the period of hot weather between early July and early September
Canned: glowing from or as if from great heat
Canny: showing shrewdness and good judgment
Canter: between a trot and gallop
Cariad: sweetheart (Welsh)
Catena: a connected series of related things
Chartulary: collection of charters
Catalytic: relating to action of catalyst
Celerity: swiftness of movement
Chiaroscuro: treatment of light and shading in drawing
Chichi: showily elegant or trendy; pretentious
Chimera: something wished for but is illusory or impossible
Chthonic: of or relating to the underworld
Cicatrix: the scar of a healed wound
Clinquant: glittering with gold and silver; tinseled
Coeval: having the same age or date of origin; contemporary
Cogitation: thinking deeply about something; contemplation
Cognomen: an extra, personal name; nickname
Commodious: roomy and comfortable; convenient
Complaisant: willing to please others
Compunction: feeling of guilt after bad action (w/ neg.)
Congeries: disorderly collection; a jumble (pl.)
Contrail: white streak from plane
Contretemps: unexpected or unfortunate occurrence; dispute
Contumely: insolent or insulting language or treatment
Copple (or cop): little summit or eminence
Copse: a small group of trees
Coquelicot: brilliant red/orange color, of the common Red Poppy (French)
Coquette: a woman who flirts
Cordate: heart-shaped
Coriaceous: resembling or having the texture of leather
Coruscate: flash or sparkle
Corybantic: wild; frenzied
Crapulent: relating to the drinking of alcohol or drunkenness
Crepitate: make a crackling sound; break wind; fart
Crepuscular: resembling or relating to twilight
Custumal: written account of the customs of a manor or other local community
Cynosure: person or thing at center of attention or admiration
Darkle: to grow dark and gloomy
Declivitous: descending gradually, moderately steep, sloping
Decussate: (of two or more things) cross or intersect each other to form an X
De Trop: not wanted; unwelcome
Deliquescent: tending to melt or dissolve; becoming liquid
Demersal: (typically of fish) living close to the ocean floor
Demesne: land attached to manor for owner’s use
Denizen: inhabitant of particular place
Depilate: remove the hair from
Derring-do: action displaying heroic courage
Descry: catch sight of, find out, discover
Desideratum: something needed or wanted
Desire line: informal path that pedestrians prefer to take to get from one location to another rather than using a sidewalk or other official route
Desultory: lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; unfocused
Detritus: waste or debris
Diadem: jeweled crown worn as symbol of sovereignty
Didactic: intended to teach, esp. with moral intention
Dilatory: slow to act
Dithyramb: a passionate or inflated speech or poem
Donnybrook: scene of uproar and disorder
Dotard: old person, esp. a weak or senile one
Doyenne: most respected or prominent woman in a field
Dreadnought: battleship; one that is the largest or the most powerful of its kind; heavy overcoat
Duenna: woman chaperone of young girls
Ebullient: cheerful and full of energy
Echt (adj): authentic and typical
Educe: bring out or develop
Effulgent: shining brightly, radiant
Eldritch: weird, eerie
Elucidate: make clear, explain
Elysian: of or relating to heaven or paradise
Emetic: causing vomiting; a medicine that causes vomiting
Empyrean: belonging to or deriving from heaven
Enchiridion: book containing essential information on a subject (handbook)
Eolian: relating to or arising from the action of the wind
Epigrammatic: concise, clever, and amusing
Equipoise: balance of forces or interests
Erumpent: bursting forth or through a surface
Escutcheon: shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms
Estival: belonging to or appearing in summer
Etiolated: pale or drawn; having lost vigor or substance
Euphonic: pleasing to the ear
Exiguous: very small in size or amount
Extant: still in existence; surviving
Extirpate: root out and destroy completely
Falcate: hooked; curved like a sickle
Farouche (adj): sullen or shy in company
Farrago: a confused mixture
Fatuous: silly and pointless
Faute de mieux: for want of a better alternative
Fealty: tenant’s sworn loyalty to lord
Feckless: lacking in efficiency or vitality
Fecund: producing abundance and growth
Ferly: something unusual or strange; causing wonder or terror
Ferruginous: reddish brown; rust-colored
Festinate: to hasten
Fetor: strong, foul smell
Fettle: condition
Filigree: ornamental work of fine wire
Fillip: something acting as stimulus or boost of activity
Flexuous: having curves, turns, or windings; lithe or fluid in movement
Flummery: empty compliments; nonsense
Fluvial: of or found in a river
Folderol: trivial or nonsensical fuss
Footle: engage in fruitless activity; mess about
Frabjous: delightful; joyous
Frowzy: scruffy; neglected in appearance
Fugacious: tending to disappear; fleeting
Fulgurous: characteristic of or resembling lightning
Fuliginous: related to, containing, or producing soot
Fulsome: complimentary to excessive degree
Fustigate: to beat with or as if with a short heavy club
Gadabout: a habitual pleasure-seeker
Gaiety: state of being lighthearted or cheerful
Gambol: run or jump about playfully
Gasconade: extravagant boasting
Gauche: lacking ease or grace
Gelid: icy, extremely cold
Geodesic: of or denoting the shortest possible line between two points on a sphere or curve
Glabrous: free from hair or down; smooth
Gongoozler: idle spectator; one who stares protractedly at anything
Gibbet: gallows
Gobbet: a piece or chunk, especially of raw meat
Gradgrindian: having a soulless devotion to facts and figures; inflexibly utilitarian
Gravid: pregnant; full of meaning
Gyre: whirl or gyrate; a spiral or vortex
Halcyon: denoting a period of time that was idyllic, happy, peaceful
Hammajang: in a disorderly or chaotic state; messed up (all hammajang)
Hapax legomenon: a term of which only one instance of use is recorded
Haptic: of or relating to the sense of touch
Harridan: strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman
Hauteur: haughtiness; disdainful pride
Hebdomadal: weekly
Hegira: exodus or migration
Helctic: that serves to draw, fit for drawing
Hell-kettle: deep black gulf or abyss
Heuristic: enabling someone to learn something for themselves
Hobbledehoy: clumsy or awkward
Holophrasis: expression of a whole phrase or combination of ideas by one word (ungetable)
Holus-bolus: all at once; together
Hyaline: clear and translucent like glass
Hypethral (adj): having no roof; open to the sky
Iatrogenic: relating to illness caused by medical examination or treatment
Illimitable: without limits or an end
Imbriferous: rain-bringing, showery
Impecunious: having little or no money
Incarnadine (n & adj): a bright crimson or pinkish-red color
Inchoate: just begun and so not fully formed or developed
Incipient: in an initial stage; beginning to develop
Infra dig: demeaning; beneath one
Inimical: unfriendly; hostile
Iniquity: immoral or grossly unfair behavior
Insouciance: indifference, casual lack of concern
Intransigent: unwilling to change one’s views or agree
Iridescence: lustrous rainbowlike play of color by refraction of light (oil slick, soap bubble, fish scales)
Irrefragable: not to be disputed or contested
Itinerant: traveling from place to place
Jape: practical joke; say or do something in jest
Je ne sais quoi: quality that cannot be described or named easily
Jejune: naïve, simplistic, superficial
Jentacular: of or belonging to breakfast
Jocose: playful or humorous
Katabatic: flowing downhill, retreat (ant: anabatic)
Ken: one’s range of knowledge or sight
Lacrymal: connected with weeping or tears
Lacuna: unfilled space or interval; a gap
Lacustrine: of, relating to, or associated with lakes
Lagniappe: something given as a bonus or extra gift
Lambent: glowing, gleaming, or flickering with a soft radiance
Lapidary: engraved on or suitable for engraving on stone, ergo elegant and concise
Lees: the most worthless part or parts of something
Legerdemain: skillful use of one’s hands when performing tricks
Lemma: subsidiary theorem in proof; subject heading in composition/annotation
Lief (adv): as happily, as gladly (just as lief)
Ligneous (xyloid): made, consisting of, or resembling wood
Limn: describe or depict in painting or words
Lithic: of or relating to stone
Logorrhea: a tendency to extreme loquacity
Lucubration: study; meditation
Ludic: showing spontaneous and undirected playfulness
Lugubrious: looking or sounding sad or dismal
Lunate: crescent-shaped
Lunette: something crescent-shaped
Maladroit: ineffective or bungling; clumsy
Manitou: a supernatural being that controls nature; a spirit, deity, or object with supernatural power (Algonquin)
Manqué: having failed to become what one might have been; unfulfilled (after the word)
Mantic: of or relating to divination; prophetic
Marcescent: (of plants) withering without falling off
Martinet: a strict disciplinarian, esp. in the military
Meonic: of or relating to a kind of pregnant nothingness or void having the potential to transform into matter
Miasma: unpleasant or unhealthy smell
Morphallaxis: regeneration by the transformation of existing body tissues
Mottle: mark with spots or smears of color
Nacreous: of nacre (mother-of-pearl)
Ne plus ultra: perfect or ultimate example of its kind
Nemorivagant: wandering in a wood
Nepheligenous: producing clouds of smoke
Névé: granular snow that forms the surface of the upper end of a glacier (cf. Firn)
Nidify: to make a nest
Nid-nod: (v) nod repeatedly, as a sign of drowsiness; (adj) that nods
Nimbus: a luminous vapor, cloud, or atmosphere about a god or goddess when on earth
Niveous: snowy; white and lustrous like snow
Noctilucent: luminescent at night or in the dark
Noetic: relating to mental activity or the intellect
Nonage: period of immaturity or youth
Nonce: coined for or used on one occasion (for the nonce)
Noumenon: a thing as it is in itself, as distinct from a thing as it is knowable by the senses
Nubivagant: wandering in the clouds; moving through the air
Nugatory: of no value or importance
Numinous: suggesting the presence of the divine
Obacerate: to stop the mouth of (a person)
Obdurate: stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or action
Obiter dictum: judge’s incidental, non-essential opinion
Obloquy: strong public criticism or abuse
Obsequies: funeral rites
Obstinate: stubborn
Obstreperous: noisy and difficult to control
Oleaginous: oily or greasy
Ombrifuge: something providing shelter from the rain (esp. umbrella)
Ombrogenous: of peat, a bog, etc.: dependent on precipitation for its formation and maintenance
Omphalos: center, heart, or hub of a place, organization, sphere of activity (navel)
Opprobrious: disgraceful, shameful
Orchidaceous: showy, ostentatious; of or relating to orchids
Orogeny: the process of mountain building
Osculate: to kiss
Otiose: serving no practical purpose or result
Oxter: support by the arm, walk arm in arm with
Palaver: prolonged and idle discussion
Palustrine: of or relating to marshes or fen; marshy
Panacea: solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases
Panegyric: a praising public speech or text
Panoply: complete or impressive collection of things
Pareidolia: the tendency to perceive a specific and often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern
Paroxysm: sudden attack of particular emotion or activity
Parvanimity: smallness of mind, meanness; a small-minded person
Pavisand (v): display impressive or opulent array of clothing and ornament; flaunt one’s appearance (pavisander)
Peccadillo: small, unimportant offense or sin
Pedant: someone overly concerned with details and rules
Pelagic: of or relating to the open sea
Pell-mell: in a confused, rushed, or disorderly manner
Pellucid: translucently clear
Peradventure: perhaps
Perambulate: walk or travel through or around
Percipient: having a good understanding of things; perceptive
Perfidious: deceitful or untrustworthy
Perfunctory: carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection
Peripatetic: traveling from place to place
Peroration: inspiring end of a speech
Persiflage: light and slightly contemptuous mockery or banter
Perspicacious: having keen mental perception and understanding
Pervicacious: thoroughly obstinate or stubborn; headstrong, wilful
Pestiferous: harboring infection and disease
Phalanx: group of people together for common purpose
Phatic: denoting or relating to language used for general purposes of social interaction, rather than to convey information or ask questions
Philippic: bitter attack or denunciation
Phlegmatic: having unemotional and stolidly calm disposition
Phlizz: something apparently existing but having no real substance; anything without meaning or value; a chimera
Phonocamptic: reflecting sound, producing echo; relating to the reflection of sound
Pince-nez: eyeglasses with nose clip instead of earpieces
Piquant: having sharp or appetizing flavor
Plangent: loud, reverberating, and often melancholy
Plenteous: plentiful
Pleonasm: the use of more words than necessary
Pluviosity: rainfall
Pneumatic: of or relating to the spirit; operated by air or gas under pressure
Poky: annoyingly slow or dull
Poltroon: an utter coward
Polynya: area of open water surrounded by sea ice
Polysemy: coexistence of many possible meanings of a word or phrase
Popinjay: vain or conceited person
Postprandial: period after meal
Pother: a commotion or fuss
Predella: step or platform on which an altar is placed
Prodigious: remarkably impressive
Profligacy: recklessly extravagant or wasteful with resources
Prolix: using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
Propinquity: state of being close to someone or something; proximity
Propitious: indicating good chance of success
Proreption: the action of creeping forward; a slow advance
Provender: food
Pulchritude: beauty
Punctilious: showing great attention to detail or correct behavior
Purlieu: area near or surrounding a place (pl.)
Pusillanimous: showing lack of courage or determination; timid
Putative: reputed or considered to be
Pyroclastic: relating to, consisting of fragments of rock erupted by a volcano
Querulous: complaining or whining petulantly
Quondam (adj): that once was; former
Ramify: form branches or offshoots
Ramose: consisting of or having branches
Rebarbative: unattractive and objectionable
Recalcitrant: uncooperative toward authority or discipline
Recherché: rare, exotic, or obscure
Recondite: little known; obscure (facts)
Recusant: one who refuses to accept or obey established authority
Redolent: strongly reminiscent or suggestive of (something)
Remontant: (of a plant) blooming or producing a crop more than once a season
Renascent: becoming active or popular again
Requiescat: wish or prayer for the repose of dead person (RIP)
Rhonchisonant: that sounds like snoring
Rimose: cracked, fissured
Riposte: quick clever reply to an insult or criticism
Roborant: a medicine, treatment, etc. that has a strengthening or restorative effect
Rococo: extravagantly or excessively ornate
Rubicund: having ruddy complexion
Rugose: wrinkled; corrugated
Rutilant: glowing or glittering with red or golden light
Sacerdotal: relating to priests or the priesthood
Saltation: dancing, leaping, abrupt movement; movement of hard particles such as sand over an uneven surface in a turbulent flow of air or water
Salvific: leading to salvation
Saprogenic: causing or produced by putrefaction or decay
Saturnalia: an occasion of wild revelry
Saturnine: (of a person or their manner) slow and gloomy
Saurian: of or like a lizard
Schadenfreude: pleasure derived from another’s misfortune
Schismatic: characterized by schism
Scholiast: commentator on ancient or classical literature (writing scholia)
Scion: descendant of notable family
Sclerotic: becoming rigid and unresponsive; losing ability to adapt
Scribacious: enthusiastic about or fond of writing
Scry: foretell the future using a crystal ball or other reflective object or surface
Sedulous: showing dedication and diligence
Senescence: the condition or process of deterioration with age
Sepulchral: relating to tomb; gloomy or dismal
Seriatim: taking one subject after another in regular order; point by point
Shibboleth: custom or belief unique to certain class or group of people
Sigil: inscribed or painted symbol considered to have magical power; sign or seal
Simony: the buying or selling of a church office or ecclesiastical preferment
Sinecure: position with little work but great benefit
Skullduggery: underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; trickery
Skylark: to frolic or sport
Sobriquet: a person’s nickname
Solivagant (adj & n): wandering about alone; characterized by going alone
Somnambulant: sleepwalking
Sopor: deep, lethargic, or unnatural sleep or state of sleep
Sororal: of or like a sister or sisters
Spizzerinctum: the will to succeed; vim, energy, ambition
Splenetic: bad-tempered; spiteful
Squireen: a petty squire; a gentleman in a small way
Stereoma: firmament
Stochastic: randomly determined; having a random probability distribution
Stygian: of the river Styx; dark, glooming, foreboding
Sundry: of various kinds; several
Surcease: cessation; relief or consolation
Surfeit: an excessive amount of something
Susurrus: whispering, murmuring, or rustling
Suzerain: state with control over internally autonomous state
Swivet: a fluster or panic
Sybaritic: fond of sensuous pleasure or luxury
Sylvan: living or located in the woods or forest
Tatterdemalion: tattered or dilapidated
Tesselate: decorate with mosaics
Teleiotic: complete, perfect; consummative
Teleology: study of design or purpose in natural phenomena
Telluric: of or relating to the earth; terrestrial
Telos: an ultimate object or aim
Temerarious: reckless; rash
Temporize: avoid making a decision or committing oneself to gain time
Tergiversate: make conflicting or evasive statements; change one’s loyalties
Termagant: harsh or overbearing woman; imaginary deity of violent and turbulent character
Threnody: a lament
Titubation: unsteadiness of movement; staggering, reeling, lurching
Tosh: rubbish; nonsense
Tribune: popular leader, champion of the people
Trochilidine: of or pertaining to hummingbirds
Tumescent: swollen, esp. sexually; pompous or pretentious
Turbid: cloudy, opaque
Usury: loaning money at high interest rates
Variegated: exhibiting different colors; marked by variety
Venatic: of or relating to hunting
Ventifact: stone shaped by the erosive action of windblown sand
Veristic: extremely or strictly naturalistic
Vernal: of, in, or appropriate to spring
Vertiginous: causing, related to or affected by vertigo
Vilipend: regard as worthless or of little value; vilify
Vitreous: like glass in appearance or physical properties
Vituperative: bitter and abusive
Vociferous: vehement or clamorous
Volitant: able to fly; flying; moving about
Votary: person (monk or nun) who’s made vow to religious life
Weal: that which is best for something or someone
Welter: confused mass; state of general disorder
Weltschmerz: feeling of melancholy and world-weariness
Whilom: formerly, in the past
Willowwacks: a wooded, uninhabited area
Winsome: attractive or appealing in appearance or character
Withal (adv): in addition; all the same, nevertheless
Woolgathering: indulgence in idle fancies and daydreaming
Xeric: having very little moisture; dry