//hayden higgins


Word of the Day

In desultory fashion I have for several years collected and shared words, usually on Twitter, as a "Word of the Day." These are generally words at the edge of my vocabulary or just beyond it, or otherwise exhibiting a particular character or charm.

Here is a list of some that have already appeared:

kapok
raceme
orgulous
repechage
haeccity
corniche
esplanade
retsina
bolide
lemniscate
jamais vu
entre chien et loup
bandoneon
chyme
odalisque
sandwort
krummholz
polynyas
moire
xerophytes
preatophytic
chasmoendolith
quisling
serac
dolmen
sedge
scut
solifluction
homology
sirocco
foehn
phytochrome
vitrification
subnivean
crustose
graupel
pingo
spinel
mass wasting
undulant
terminator
sangfroid
firn
sastrugi
alembic
anemometer
coping
lung gom
apatite
tuff
scarp
ultimogeniture
sodbuster
hypnogogic
monocausotaxophilia
parsimonious
idiolect
spallation
knapp
pellucidarian
firn
issei
barchan
noachian
spalled
chryse
ventifacts
deixic
sagittal
corolla
oubliette
variorum
horripilation
unguent
peculate
xeriscape
fasciculation
hocketing
myrmidon
sylph
sampan
ophidian
furuncle
monolatrist
tocsin
folderol
sintered
clitic
nugatory
ekpyrosis
omniana
damson
truckle
proscenium
herm
chrematistics
requisition
antimacassars
stigmergy
parturition
solivigant
scripturitious/scripturient
flingee
ferule
ferrule
revetment
paranomasia
flenser
rhotacism
rufous
atopy
nosology
stereognosis
manque
muntin
caduceus
loggia
crenelated
orthographic
caul / cawl
eyrie
keel
sybarite
baldachin
damask
vermilion
fanes
limpid
lucent
swale
deliquesce
constation
teratology
tricot
koine
casuistically
torses
aide-memoire
tellurion
weft
stereometry
propitious
contuition
labyrinthitis
isonomy
rebarbative
bullroarer
saudade
chunter
craton
fulgent
frangent
epicharikary
limerence
schismogenesis
tussock
dispositive
chinoiserie
sere
pentimenti
harmattan
deracines
epigony
transhumance
traduce
bight
chiliasm
integument
apposite
inanition
phatic
cariole
cortege
charnel
fain
cupidity
antipodes
spoliation
eclat
fugacious
cerebration
nonage
raillery
lucubrations
amphibologies
monitory
dulse
malapert
brevet
perpend
archivolt
empurpled
wolfram
misericordes
reboant
jalousie
crepitant
tabid
winze
lapidary
coquelicot
voluptuaries
barranca
alkahest
eructate
prescind
divagate
buskin
jakes
syncope
katzenjammer
cataplasm
roadstead
gobbets
abaft
nutation
machicolation
merlon
tumulose
crenel
retiform
boskage
surcingle
sodality
picayune
distal
seme
perseverate
agonistic
vicegerent (cf viceregent)
impecunious
puissance
parvenu
hautboy
screeling
acedia
freshet
kine
bruit
chevauchee
bosk
corrodian
nugatory
adipose
descant
parergon
toft
sirdar/sardar