50 lost words from the Oxford English Dictionary
acnestis (n.): on an animal, the point of the back that lies between the shoulders and the lower back, which cannot be reached to be scratched
advesperate (v.): to approach evening
aerumnous (adj.): full of trouble [‘practically begging to be reintroduced to our vocabulary’, Shea notes]
backfriend (n.): a fake friend; a secret enemy
benedicence (n.): benevolence in speech
cellarhood (n.): the state of being a cellar (cf. tableity)
cimicine (adj.): smelling like bugs
constult (v.): to act stupidly together
dactylodeiktous (adj.) pointed at with a finger
discountenancer (n.): one who discourages with cold looks
elozable (adj.): readily influenced by flattery
epizeuxis (n.): the repetition of a word with vehemence and emphasis
fard (v.): to paint the face with cosmetics, so as to hide blemishes [‘I suspect there is a reason no one ever gets up from the table and says, “Excuse me while I go to the ladies’ room and fard.”’]
felicificability (n.): capacity for happiness
gound (n.): the gunk that collects in the corners of the eyes [‘the type of word I was unaware that I didn’t know, and yet it still felt like a relief when I discovered it’]
grinagog (n.): a person who is constantly grinning
hamartia (n.): the flaw that precipitates the destruction of a tragic hero
happify (v.): to make happy [this one gives me a happy, as they said in Buffy]
heterophemize (v.): to say something different from what you mean to say
impluvious (adj.): ‘wet with rain’ (Thomas Blount, Glossographia, 1656)
insordescent (adj.): growing in filthiness
jentacular (adj.): of or pertaining to breakfast
kankedort (n.): an awkward situation or affair
latibulate (v.): to hide oneself in a corner
letabund (adj.): filled with joy
malesuete (adj.): accustomed to poor habits
misdelight (n.): pleasure in something wrong
nefandous (adj.): too odious to be spoken of
neighbourize (v.): to be or act neighbourly
obganiate (v.): to annoy by repeating over and over and over and over
occasionet (n.): a minor occasion
petecure (n.): modest cooking; cooking on a small scale [‘Very few people eat in an epicurean fashion, yet many of them know what the word epicure means. A great many people eat in a simple fashion, and yet no one knows the word for this.’]
postvide (v.): to make plans for an event only after it has occurred [the antonym of provide, which originally meant ‘exercise foresight; make provision for the future’, per OED]
psithurism (n.): the whispering of leaves moved by the wind
quag (v.): to shake (said of something that is soft or flabby)
remord (n.): a touch of remorse; (v.) to remember with regret [‘when utilized as a verb, remord seems as though it can instantly render poetic any decision made in the past and subsequently regretted’]
residentarian (n.): a person who is given to remaining at table
scringe (v.): to shrug the back or shoulders from cold
scrouge (v.): to inconvenience or discomfort a person by pressing against him or her or by standing too close
subtrist (adj.): slightly sad
sympatetic (n.): a companion one walks with [‘Discoveries like this one are what make reading the OED from cover to cover worthwhile.’]
tacenda (n.): things not to be mentioned; matters that are passed over in silence
unbepissed (adj.): not having been urinated on [‘Is it possible that at some time there was such a profusion of things that had been urinated on that there was a pressing need to distinguish those that had not?’]
undisonant (adj.): making the sound of waves
vicambulist (n.): one who walks about in the streets
vulpeculated (pa. pple.): robbed by a fox
well-woulder (n.): a conditional well-wisher
xenium (n.): a gift given to a guest
yesterneve (n.): yesterday evening
zyxt (v.): to see [‘It is the second-person singular indicative present form of the verb “to see” in the Kentish dialect and has obviously not been in common use for some time.’]
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