| Word | Definition |
| Abactor | One who steals cattle in herds. From Latin ab, away + agere, to drive. Hence, abaction, cattle-stealing. Hammond in his commentary ON PSALMS (1659) speaks of abactors, whose breaking in . . . is attended with the cattles passing through or going out. Lamb, in a letter of 1829, refers to an abactor's wife. There is no English verb to abact, but N. Bailey's ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY of 1751 includes abacted, drawn away by stealth or violence. |
|
| Accomptant | Accountant |
|
| Advesperate | From Latin ad, to + vesper, evening: advesperascere, advesperatum, to draw toward evening; this word means to grow toward night. It exists in 17th and 18th century dictionaries. |
|
| Aeromancy | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future -- by appearances in the air. |
|
| Aichomancy | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future -- by sharp points. |
|
| Alcatote | A simpleton, silly fellow. Ford in his FANCIES (1638) confessed: I am ... an oaf, a simple alcatote, an innocent.
|
|
| Alchocoden | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future --using the planet that reigns over a nativity; see apotelesm; a form of astrology. |
|
| Alectromancy | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future -- by a cock's picking up grains. |
|
| Aleuromancy | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future -- with dough. |
|
| Allycholly | Misused for mallycholly, a corrupt form of melancholy (Greek melan, black + choler, bile). Dame Quickly in Shakespeare's THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (1598) says: She is given too much to allicholy and musing; in his THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA the Host Says to Julia (disguised as a boy): Now, my young guest, methinks you're allycholly. I pray you, why is it? Julia responds: Marry, mine host, because I cannot be merry. To cheer her, he has sung the charming song Who is Silvia?
|
|
| Almoner | An official, in a monastery, or the household of a noble, whose function it was to distribute alms. The word was naturally popular; it took many forms, including almner, aumoner, almoseir, almousser, almaser; almosner, almoisner, almosyner; almener, almonar, almoigner, aumere, amonerer. These are all roundabout from Latin eleemosynarius, relating to alms; Greek eleos, compassion. Almoner was also the purse such a person carried; by extension, a bag, a purse. Other forms for alms were almose, almus, almous. The almonry (see ambry) was the place where the alms were distributed; also almosery. Cavendish in THE LYFFE AND DEATH OF CARDYNAL WOOLSEY (1557) wrote: Now let us retorne agayn unto the almosyner, whose hed was full of subtyll wytt and pollecy. |
|
| Alphitomancy | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future -- with barley meal. |
|
| Amathomancy | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future -- with dust. |
|
| Ambigu | An entertainment where the various courses are served together, the viands and the desserts at the same time. The term was used during the 17th and 18th centuries; the practice continues at parties and picnics. |
|
| Anadem | A wreath, a garland, a circlet of flowers for the hair. Greek ana, together, up + deein, to bind; Greek diadeein, to bind around, gave us English diadem. Used from the 17th century. Shelley in ADONAIS (1821) has: Another clipt her profuse locks, and threw The wreath upon him, like an anadem. In the 17th century the form anadesm was used for a surgeon's bandage.
|
|
| Ananuensis | Secretary or stenographer |
|
| Anthropomancy | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future -- using human entrails. |
|
| Anthroposcopy | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future -- by the observation of personal characteristics. |
|
| Antkomancy | Divination -- foretelling events, predicting the future -- with flowers (She loves me, she loves me not!). |
|
| Apollonicon | A powerful chamber organ, with keys and barrels, invented in 1817. H. Coleridge in his ESSAYS (1849) wrote: Sing 'Songs of Reason' to the grinding of a steam apollonicon. |
|
