cheetah – Taken from Sanskrit citraka, “leopard,” related to citra, “spotted, speckled, variegated.” More…
fleck – Of Scandinavian origin, it came from the adjective flecked, “spotted.” More…
piebald, skewbald – Piebald is being spotted with irregular patches of different colors, especially black and white; skewbald is spotted white and a color other than black. More…
pinto – As in horse and beans, it is Spanish for “painted, mottled, spotted.” More…
silence – Lack of flavor in a distilled spirit or lack of scent in a flower, perfume, or spice is a “silence.” More…
perfume, eau de toilette, cologne, eau de cologne – Perfume or parfum is 20–40% oil and the highest concentration; eau de toilette is 10–18% oil, and cologne or eau de cologne is 3–9% oil. More…
attar – A flower’s essence, used for perfume. More…
toilet water, eau de toilette – Eau de toilette, or toilet water, is a dilute form of perfume. More…
crest – From Latin crista, “plume, tuft,” it first referred to the erect feathers of a plume on a helmet or headdress. More…
panache – Can be a tuft or plume of feathers on a headdress or helmet. More…
coif, coiffure, coiffeur – Coif, coiffure, and coiffeur (hairdo, hairstyle) derive from Latin cofia, “helmet.” More…
galeated – Means “shaped like a helmet” or “wearing a helmet.” More…
asphalt – Its synonyms are mineral pitch, Jews’ pitch, and slime. More…
ooze – As in mud or slime, it traces back to an Old Norse word meaning “puddle, stagnant pool,” and originally meant juice or sap from a plant or fruit. More…
slime – Related to Latin limus, “mud, slime.” More…
mucous, mucus – Mucous is the adjective from Latin meaning “slimy,” and mucus is the noun from Latin but cognate with Greek mussesthai, “blow the nose.” More…
cost-effective – Anything effective and productive in relation to its cost. More…
fecund, fecundation – Fecund is another word for “fertile, fruitful, productive”; fecundation is another word for “fertilization, impregnation.” More…
originary – An adjective meaning “causing existence; productive,” or “primitive; primary; original.” More…
acokoinonia – Sex without passion or desire. More…
excandescence – The state of being glowing hot, anger or passion. More…
incense – Once meant to kindle any passion, good or bad. More…
wrangle – To wrangle can mean “to scream with passion.” More…
petite maison – A love nest or a residence maintained for a mistress. More…
standing army – A permanent army maintained in time of peace and war. More…
parochial school – A school established and maintained by a religious body, from Latin parochialis, “of a parish.” More…
radio silence – A status in which all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area stop transmitting (sometimes limited to certain frequency bands) for the period of time during which this status exists. More…
apothegm – A terse, pointed saying or pithy maxim; it is pronounced AP-uh-them and may also be spelled apophthegm. More…
downward-facing dog – Also called downward dog, it is a yoga pose in which the hands and feet are on the floor and one’s rear end is pointed up so that the body is in an upside-down V. More…
fastigate – To make pointed. More…
innuendo – Latin for “by nodding at, pointing to,” or “intimating,” from in-, “toward,” and nuere, “nod.” More…
factoid – An unsubstantiated statement, account, or report published as if it were factual, coined by the novelist Norman Mailer from fact + -oid (as in android, humanoid), in reference to his fictionalized biography of Marilyn Monroe. More…
divulgate – If something is divulgate, it is published. More…
libel, slander – Libel—from Latin libellus, “little book”—must be published, while spoken defamatory remarks are slander; libel first meant “document, written statement.” More…