Conundrum

English Etymology Dictionary
conundrum 1596, Oxford University slang for "pedant," also "whim," etc., later (1790) "riddle, puzzle," also spelled quonundrum; the sort of ponderous pseudo-Latin word that was once the height of humor in learned circles.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003)
conundrum noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1645 1. a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun 2. a. a question or problem having only a conjectural answer b. an intricate and difficult problem

Oxford English Reference Dictionary
conundrum
n.
1 a riddle, esp. one with a pun in its answer.
2 a hard or puzzling question.
Etymology: 16th c.: orig. unkn.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary
conundrum (conundrums) A conundrum is a problem or puzzle which is difficult or impossible to solve. (FORMAL) ...this theological conundrum of the existence of evil and suffering in a world created by a good God. N-COUNT

English Explanatory Dictionary
conundrum kəˈnʌndrəm n. 1 a riddle, esp. one with a pun in its answer. 2 a hard or puzzling question. [16th c.: orig. unkn.]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Conundrum \Co*nun"drum\, n. [Origin unknown.] 1. A kind of riddle based upon some fanciful or fantastic resemblance between things quite unlike; a puzzling question, of which the answer is or involves a pun. Or pun ambiguous, or conundrum quaint. --J. Philips. 2. A question to which only a conjectural answer can be made. Do you think life is long enough to let me speculate on conundrums like that? --W. Black.

Prevarication

PREVARICATION

Websters 1828 Dictionary
Prevarication PREVARICA'TION, n. A shuffling or quibbling to evade the truth or the disclosure of truth; the practice of some trick for evading what is just or honorable; a deviation from the plain path of truth and fair dealing.
1. In the civil law, the collusion of an informer with the defendant, for the purpose of making a sham prosecution.
2. In common law, a seeming to undertake a thing falsely or deceitfully, for the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
3. A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office or commission.

Discomfit

Websters 1828 Dictionary
Discomfit DISCOMFIT, v.t. [L., to fasten, to nail; to fix.] To rout; to defeat; to scatter in fight; to cause to flee; to vanquish.
Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Exo 17.
He, fugitive, declined superior strength, discomfited, pursued.
DISCOMFIT, n. Rout; dispersion; defeat; overthrow.

WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005)
discomfit v 1: cause to lose one's composure [syn: upset, discompose, untune, disconcert, discomfit]

Squelched

SQUELCHED

WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005)
squelched adj 1: subdued or overcome; "the quelled rebellion"; "an uprising quenched almost before it started"; "a squelched rumor" [syn: quelled, quenched, squelched]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Squelch \Squelch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Squelched; p. pr. & vb. n. Squelching.] [Cf. prov. E. quelch a blow, and quel to crush, to kill.] To quell; to crush; to silence or put down. [Colloq.] Oh 't was your luck and mine to be squelched. --Beau. & Fl. If you deceive us you will be squelched. --Carlyle.

Branch Water

WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005)
branch water n 1: pure natural water from a stream or brook; often distinguished from soda water

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003)
branch water noun Etymology: 1branch (creek) Date: 1835 plain water

Dogmatically

Websters 1828 Dictionary
Dogmatically DOGMATICALLY, adv. Positively; in a magisterial manner; arrogantly.

WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005)
dogmatically adv 1: in a narrow-minded dogmatic manner; "he is a dogmatically opinionated critic of Modern Art"

Gloaming

WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005)
gloaming n 1: the time of day immediately following sunset; "he loved the twilight"; "they finished before the fall of night" [syn: twilight, dusk, gloaming, gloam, nightfall, evenfall, fall, crepuscule, crepuscle]

Oxford English Reference Dictionary
gloaming
n. poet. twilight; dusk.
Etymology: OE glomung f. glom twilight, rel. to GLOW


English Explanatory Dictionary
gloaming ˈɡləumɪŋ n. poet. twilight; dusk. [OE glomung f. glom twilight, rel. to GLOW]


Handy Dictionary of Poetical Quotations
Gloaming Late, late in a gloamin, when all was still, When the fringe was red on the westlin hill, The wood was sere, the moon i' the wane, The reek o' the cot hung over the plain-- Like a little wee cloud in the world its lane; When the ingle lowed with an eiry leme, Late, late in the gloamin Kilmeny came hame! JAMES HOGG: Kilmeny.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Gloaming \Gloam"ing\, n. [See Gloom.] 1. Twilight; dusk; the fall of the evening. [Scot. & North of Eng., and in poetry.] --Hogg. 2. Sullenness; melancholy. [Obs.] J. Still.

Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms
gloaming n. Twilight, dusk, fall of evening, eventide, nightfall.


Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
39 Moby Thesaurus words for "gloaming": bad light, brown of dusk, brownness, candlelight, candlelighting, cocklight, crepuscule, darkishness, darksomeness, deadness, dim, dim light, dimness, dimpsy, drabness, dullness, dusk, duskiness, duskingtide, duskness, eventide, flatness, gloam, glooming, half-light, lack of sparkle, lackluster, lifelessness, lusterlessness, mat, mat finish, murk, murkiness, nightfall, owllight, partial darkness, semidark, somberness, twilight

Corposant

Websters 1828 Dictionary
Corposant CORPOSANT, n. A name given by seamen to a luminous appearance often beheld, in dark tempestuous nights, about the decks and rigging of a ship, but particularly at the mastheads and yard-arms, supposed to be electrical.

WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005)
corposant n 1: an electrical discharge accompanied by ionization of surrounding atmosphere [syn: corona discharge, corona, corposant, St. Elmo's fire, Saint Elmo's fire, Saint Elmo's light}, Saint Ulmo's fire, Saint Ulmo's light, electric glow]

Expunging

Websters 1828 Dictionary
Expunging EXPUN'GING, ppr. Blotting out; erasing; effacing; destroying.

Emendately

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Emendately \Em"en*date*ly\, adv. Without fault; correctly. [Obs.]

Didacticity

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Didacticity \Di`dac*tic"i*ty\, n. Aptitude for teaching. --Hare.

Proclivity

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Proclivity \Pro*cliv"i*ty\, n. [L. proclivitas: cf. F. proclivit['e].] 1. Inclination; propensity; proneness; tendency. ``A proclivity to steal.'' --Abp. Bramhall. 2. Readiness; facility; aptitude. He had such a dexterous proclivity as his teachers were fain to restrain his forwardness. --Sir H. Wotton.

Scurrility

Websters 1828 Dictionary
Scurrility SCURRIL'ITY, n. [L. scurrilitas.] Such low. vulgar, indecent or abusive language as is used by mean fellows, buffoons, jesters and the like; grossness of reproach or invective; obscene jests, etc.
Banish scurrility and profaneness. Dryden.

Menstrous

Websters 1828 Dictionary
Menstruous MEN'STRUOUS, a. [L. menstruus, from mensis, a month.]
1. Having the monthly flow or discharge; as a female.
2. Pertaining to the monthly flow of females.

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Oxford English Reference Dictionary
menstruous
adj.
1 of or relating to the menses.
2 menstruating.
Etymology: ME f. OF menstrueus or LL menstruosus (as MENSTRUAL)