Language

Tantamount (adj) tan-ta-mow-nt Equivalent in seriousness to; virtually the same as. Mid 17th century: from…

Oubliette (noun) oo-blee-et A secret dungeon with access only through a trapdoor in its ceiling.…

Obloquy (noun) ob-lu-kee Strong public condemnation, or the shame brought about by public condemnation. Late…

Homunculus (noun) hom-unk-oo-lus A very small human or humanoid creature. Mid 17th century: from Latin,…

Velleity (noun) vel-ee-it-ee A wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action. Early…

Indefatigable (adj) in-dee-fat-ig-ubl Persisting tirelessly. Early 17th century: from French, or from Latin indefatigabilis, from…

Spurious (adj) spew-ree-us Not what it purports to be; fake. The archaic sense is "illegitimate".…

Labile (adj) lay-bl Liable to change, easily altered. Late Middle English (in the sense ‘liable…