English Language

Jovial (adj) jo-vee-al Cheerful and friendly. Late 16th century from French, from late Latin jovialis…

Gianduja (noun) jan-do-ja Chocolate paste flavoured with ground hazelnuts. Italian, from the name of a…

Erogenous (adj) er-oj-e-nus (of a part of the body) sensitive to sexual stimulation. Late 19th…

Crozier (noun) crow-zee-er A hooked staff carried by a bishop as a symbol of pastoral…

Avunculate (noun) a-vun-koo-lat (anthropology) The special relationship in some societies between a man and his…

Usquebaugh (noun) us-kwe-ba Whisky. Late 16th century from Irish and Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha ‘water…

Heliotrope (noun) hel-ee-oh-trow-p A plant of the borage family, cultivated for its fragrant purple or…

Ickle (adj) ik-l A child's word for little. Often spoken with endearment. a mispronunciation of…