*Ab
Ab is the eleventh month of the Jewish civil year. 
*Aba
An aba is a sack like garment worn by Arabs. 
*Abac
An abac is a two dimensional matrix, or table, found at the back of a road atlas which shows the distances between major towns etc.
*Abacus
An abacus is a counting frame with balls sliding on wires. It was first used before the adoption of the ten digit numeric system and is still widely used in China.
*Abaft
Abaft means towards the rear of a ship.
*Abbey
An abbey is a body of monks or a monastic building.
*Abbreviate
Abbreviate means make shorter. 
*Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a short form of a word or words.
*ABC Process
The ABC Process was a method of purifying sewage which derived its name from the articles used: sulphate of alumina, blood, charcoal and clay. 
*Abdicate
Abdicate means to renounce one's thrown. 
*Abdomen
The abdomen is the part of a creature's body between diaphragm and pelvis. 
*Abduct
Abduct means to take away by force or fraud. 
*Aberdeen Act
The Aberdeen Act was introduced by the earl of Aberdeen, and passed in 1845, to enforce the observance of a convention made with Brazil in 1826 to put down the slave trade. It was repealed in 1869.
*Aberration
Aberration is another word for error.
*Abiogenesis
Abiogenesis is a term applied by professor Huxley in 1870 to the theory that living matter may be produced from non-living.
*Ablution
Ablution is ceremonial washing.
*Abnormal
Abnormal means deviating from normal.
*Abode
Abode is a place where something lives.
*Abomasum
An abomasum is the fourth stomach of a ruminant. 
*Abort
Abort means to terminate early.
*Abortion
Abortion is the expulsion of the foetus from the uterus. 
*Aboulia
In psychology aboulia is the loss of will. 
*Abracadabra
Abracadabra is a qabbalistic magic word. 
*Abrasion
An abrasion is a sore place on the skin caused by rubbing. 
*Abridge
Abridge means to shorten by condensing.
*Abscess
An abscess is a pus filled infection of an animal. 
*Abseil
In mountaineering abseil means to descend using a rope.
*Absentee Tax
Absentee_Tax was a tax of 4 shillings in the pound levied in Ireland in 1715 on the incomes and pensions of absentees. It was long complained of and was abolished in 1753. A tax of 2 shillings in the pound was proposed in 1773 by Flood and in 1783 by Molyneux, but neither attempt to reinstate the tax were successful. 
*Absinth
Absinth is a strong alcoholic drink containing from 60 to 80 percent alcohol. It contains wormwood oil which gives it its distinctive taste, but also toxic qualities. 
*Absolute Temperature
Absolute_Temperature is temperature based on the absolute zero of temperature (-273 degrees Celsius or o degrees Kelvin) at which a body possesses no thermal energy.
*Absorber Circuit
In electronics, an absorber circuit is a combination of a resistor and a capacitor in series, connected across the terminals of a switch or other circuit-breaking device in an oscillatory circuit. Its function is to damp the circuit and thus to prevent sparking or arcing when the current is interrupted. 
*Absorptiometer
An absorptiometer is an instrument for the accurate measurement of the absorption and transmission of light by semi-transparent substances and used for the determination of turbidity, fluorimetry, etc.
*Abstract
Abstract means theoretical rather than practical.
*Acardia
Acardia is the condition of a person born without a heart. 
*Accelerating Electrode
An accelerating_electrode is an electrode in an electron tube which is maintained at a positive potential with respect to the cathode and any other electrodes situated between the cathode and the accelerating electrode, thus imparting acceleration to electrons in the direction away from the cathode. Although this definition includes the anode of the tube, the term is usually reserved for accelerating electrodes other than the anode. 
*Accelerating Grid
In electronics, an accelerating_grid is an accelerating_electrode in the form of a grid. 
*Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate at which a moving body increases in velocity. 
*Accelerator
An accelerator is a device for increasing speed. 
*Accelerator Valve
An accelerator_valve is a thermionic valve employed as a particle accelerator. 
*Accelerometer
An accelerometer is an apparatus, either mechanical or electromechanical, for measuring acceleration or deceleration - that is, the rate of increase or decrease in the velocity of a moving object. Accelerometers are used to measure the efficiency of the braking systems on road and rail vehicles; those used in aircraft and spacecraft can determine accelerations in several directions simultaneously. There are also accelerometers for detecting vibrations in machinery.
*Accent
An accent is a local mode of pronunciation in speech.
*Accolade
An accolade is a gentle blow on the shoulders with the flat of a sword given by a Sovereign or his representative in conferring knighthood to the recipient. 
*Accomplice
An accomplice is someone associated with somebody else in the committing of a crime. 
*Accordion
An accordion is a small portable musical instrument with a keyboard and bellows. It was invented by Damian in 1829.
*Accounts
Accounts are a statement of income and expenditure.
*Accumulator
In electrical terms, an accumulator stores electrical energy.
*Ace
An ace is a playing card with one pip.
In tennis terms an ace is a non-returnable serve. 
*Acetal
Acetal is a colourless liquid formed by oxidation of alcohol.
*Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen is a drug used to treat mild pain or fever. It has the possible side effects of: Rash, itching and severe liver damage with over dosing. 
*Acetic acid
Acetic_acid is an organic acid with the formulae ch3cooh.
*Acetic ether
#Ethyl_Acetate 
*Acetone
Acetone is a colourless liquid with the formulae ch2coch3. 
*Acetylene
Acetylene is a highly inflammable gas of the hydrocarbon family used for welding and cutting metals. It was discovered by Berthelot. In 1862 Wohler discovered that carbide of calcium treated with water produced lime and acetylene. In 1895 acetylene was cheaply produced on a commercial scale and subsequently was used for general lighting.
*Achor
Achor is (was?) a disease of infants, in which the head, face and breast become encrusted with thin, yellowish or greenish scabs.
*Achromatic Telescope
An achromatic_telescope is a telescope in which colour is got rid of. They were invented by Jogn_Dollond around 1753.
*Acid
An acid is a chemical compound that reacts with metals to form salts by releasing hydrogen.
*ACK
In telecommunications, ACK is the ''acknowledge'' character in many data codes; used most commonly for an affirmative response of correct receipt. 
*Aclinic
The aclinic is a magnetic equator. 
*Acne
Acne is a skin eruption due to inflammation of the sebaceous_glands. 
*Aconitine
Aconitine is a poisonous alkaloid derived from aconite.
*Acorn Valve
An acorn_valve is a form of thermionic_valve used at ultra-high frequencies, in which, by adopting very small dimensions and special constructions, the inter-electrode capacitances, lead inductances and transit_time effects are greatly reduced. 
*Acoustic
The term acoustic refers to hearing. 
*Acoustic Feedback
Acoustic_feedback is the return of acoustic energy from the output of a sound reproducing equipment, such as a microphone-amplifier-loudspeaker combination, to the input or to an intermediate stage, thereby causing the system to generate sustained oscillations which are manifested as continual howling.
*Acoustics
#acoustic
*Acre
An acre is an ancient measurement of land area being (since 1824) 4840 square yards. Prior to that Edward_I introduced the first standard for the acre in Britain. 
*Acridine
Acridine is an organic compound with the formulae c13h9n used in dyes and drugs. 
*Acriflavine
Acriflavine is an antiseptic powder. 
*Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a disease due to over activity of the pituitary_gland results in excessive bone growth, especially the skull.
*Acronym
An acronym is a word formed from the initials of other words.
*Acrophobia
Acrophobia is the fear of high places. 
*Acropolis
The acropolis was the citadel of ancient Greek cities. 
*Acrostic
An acrostic is a poem in which the first or last letters of each line, read downwards, form a word or sentence. Double acrostics became very popular in 1867.
*Acrylic
Acrylic is a synthetic fibre derived from acrylic_acid.
*Act of Succession
The Act_of_Succession in 1534 declared the marriage of Henry_VIII and Catherine_of_Aragon null and void, and settled the succession to the throne on the heirs of Henry_VIII by Anne_Boleyn. 
*Actinide
An actinide is an element with an atomic number between 89 and 103.
*Actinium
Actinium is a radioactive element with the symbol Ac.
*Actinometer
An actinometer is an instrument for measuring heat radiation.
*Acts of Supremacy
The Acts_of_Supremacy were passed in 1534 enacting that the King (Henry_VIII) was the only supreme head on earth of the Church_of_England, with power to redress all heresies and abuses.
*Adaptive Equalisation
Adaptive_Equalisation is a telecommunications term referring to the equalisation of received digital signals capable of adjustment during actual transmission. 
*Adcock Aerial
an Adcock aerial is a radio aerial system consisting of two vertical open-spaced dipoles with screened horizontal connections. It thus responds almost exclusively to the vertically polarised component of a received wave and is used for radio direction finding. 
*Addiscombe College
Addiscombe_College was a college near Croydon, Surrey, which was purchased by the East_India_Company in 1809, for the education of candidates for scientific branches of the Indian army. It was closed in 1861. 
*Addison's Disease
Addison's_Disease is a dangerous affection of the renal capsules. It was first described by Thomas_Addison in 1855.
*Adhesive
An adhesive is a sticky substance. 
*Adipocere
Adipocere is a substance in dead bodies formed by decomposition of fatty acids when exposed to moisture. 
*Adit
An adit is the horizontal entrance to a mine.
*Admiralty
The admiralty was the board of state charged with the provision, organisation and control of the royal navy. It was founded by Henry_VIII and amalgamated in 1964 into the ministry of defence.
*Adobe
An adobe is a Mexican house made of clay bricks. 
*Adult
An adult is a fully grown being. 
*Adytum
An adytum is the inner most part of a temple.
*Adze
An adze is a carpenter's tool for cutting away the surface of wood.
*Aelfric Society
The Aelfric Society was founded in 1842 to publish the Homilies of Aelfric, archbishop of Canterbury and other Anglo-Saxon works. It closed in 1856. 
*Aeolopile
The aeolopile is a hollow ball with an orifice where a tube might be screwed. It was used in the 17th century as a boiler for experimental steam-engines. A similar apparatus is described by Vitruvius in the first century, and its invention is generally attributed to Hiero of Alexandria.
*Aeon
An aeon is an immeasurable period. 
*Aerated Water
Aerated_water (soda water) is a solution of carbonic acid in water. It was discovered by Priestly and suggested as a prevention of scurvy, a paper being presented to the Admiralty in 1773. Certainly sailors drank aerated water on board ship as a bottle was found from the Royal_George which sank in 1780. 
*Aerial
An aerial is a receiving or radiating device used in radio communications. 
*Aerodrome
An aerodrome is a place where aircraft are based.
*Aerophore
The aerophore was an apparatus invented by Denayrouze to enable persons to enter a noxious inflammable atmosphere. It comprised an air-pump, lamp, and flexible tubing. It was tried at Chatham in January 1875 and was reported successful. 
*Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a language used in the Republic of South_Africa.
*Agar
Agar is a laxative substance obtained from seaweed.
*Agenda
An agenda is a list of tasks.
*Aggry Beads
Aggry_Beads are glass beads prized by West African natives as ornaments and having magical and medicinal powers. 
*Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces.
*Agricultural Children Act
The Agricultural Children Act of 1873 prohibited the employment of children under eight years of age, and provided for the education of older children.
*Agricultural Hall
Agricultural_Hall is a building in Islington, London. Work commenced on it in 1861, and it opened in 1862 for an exhibition of dogs. It was constructed chiefly for the meetings of the Smithfield_Club. 
*Air
The air is a mixture of gasses enveloping the earth. 
*Aircraft
An aircraft is a flying machine, a vessel which flies through the air rather than floats on water or travels along a road or rail. 
*Aisle
An aisle is a passage between rows of seats. 
*Albugo
Albugo is an affection of the eye, consisting of a white opacity in the cornea.
*Alchemy
Alchemy was the medieval forerunner to chemistry.
*Alcohol
Alcohol is a volatile liquid derived from hydrocarbons.
*Alcoholic
#alcohol 
*Aldehyde
Aldehyde is a chemistry term applied to the compounds of alcohol intermediate between the alcohols and the acids.
*Ale
Ale is an alcoholic drink made from malt and hops. 
*Aleurometer
An aleurometer is a device used in bread making for measuring the quality of wheaten flour.
*Algebra
Algebra is a division of mathematics dealing with relations. 
*Algebraic
#algebra 
*ALGOL
ALGOL is an algebraic computer language. 
*Algorithm
An algorithm is a set of rules.
*Alkali
An alkali is a chemical substance. 
*Alkaloid
The alkaloids are nitrogenous organic substances.
*Alkane
The alkanes are the paraffin series of hydrocarbons. 
*Alkanes
#alkane
*Alkene
An alkene is a member of the ethylene series of hydrocarbons.
*Alkyl
Alkyl refers to a substance which is derived from or related to the paraffin series of hydrocarbons. 
*Allergy
An allergy is a hypersensitivity of body tissue to a substance.
*Alley
An alley is a narrow street. 
*Allies
The Allies were various countries that fought the Axis forces in the Second_World_War. 
*Alloy
An alloy is a mixture of a metal and other metals or non-metals. 
*Alluvium
Alluvium is river transported deposits of mud, sand and gravel which accumulate to form distinctive features such as levees, flood plains and deltas.
*Alpha
Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. 
*Alpha Particles
Alpha_Particles are the nuclei of the atom of helium, comprising two neutrons and two protons, and thus exhibiting a positive electric charge. 
*Alpha Rays
Alpha_Rays are a stream of swiftly moving alpha_particles. An alpha ray is capable of ionizing gases and of producing fluorescence in certain substances.
*Alpha-tocopherol
#Vitamin_E 
*Alphabet
An alphabet is an ordered series of letters used in language.
*Altar
An altar is a block used for making offerings to a deity.
*Alternating Current
Alternating_current is electric current which changes direction rhythmically, rising from zero to a maximum in the positive direction, falling to zero again and then increasing to a maximum in the negative direction before returning again to zero, after which the cycle repeats. The number of cycles per second is the frequency of the alternating phenomenon. British domestic alternating current exhibits 50 cycles per second, where as American domestic alternating current exhibits 60. 
*Althing
The althing is the parliament of Iceland, it was created in 930 and is the oldest parliamentary assembly in the world. 
*Altimeter
An altimeter is a device measuring altitude. 
*Altitude
Altitude is height above mean sea level. 
*Aluminium
Aluminium is a light-weight silvery metal element with the symbol Al.
*Alundum
Alundum is a form of aluminium oxide used in the manufacture of thermionic valves for insulating the cathode heater from the tubular cathode.
*Amazon
The Amazon was a West_India mail steam ship. She left Southampton on her first voyage on Friday 2nd of January 1852 and on Sunday morning, January 4th, she was destroyed by fire at sea, about 175 km west-south-west of Scilly. Of 161 persons on board 102 perished.
*Ambaree
Ambaree is a fibre similar to jute and largely used in India. It is obtained from Hibiscus cannabinus. 
*Amber
Amber is fossilised resin. 
*Ambergris
Ambergris is a substance derived from the intestine of the sperm whale and used in perfume.
*Ambidextrous
Ambidextrous is having the facility to use the left hand as effectively as the right.
*Amenorrhoea
Amenorrhoea is a medical condition being the absence or suspension of menstruation.
*American
American is a term referring to someone or something which comes from, or is found in, America.
*Americium
Americium is a synthetic chemical element with the symbol Am that is the most frequently used element for superconducting devices. It is artificially produced from plutonium, and is used commercially in gauges, distance-sensing devices, and smoke alarms. Americium was first synthesized in a nuclear reactor in 1944 by Glenn_Seaborg, Ralph_James, Leon_Morgan, and Albert_Ghiorso.
*Amice
An amice is a white linen vestment worn by Roman Catholic and many Anglican priests when officiating at Mass or Holy Eucharist.
*Amine
Amines are a class of compounds derived from ammonia by the replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms with organic groups. 
*Amino acid
Amino acids are fundamental constituents of all proteins.
*Amino acids
#amino_acid
*Ammeter
An ammeter is a device for measuring electrical current. 
*Ammonia
Ammonia is a colourless gas. Formulae nh3. 
*Ammonium
Ammonium is the basic radical of ammonium salts. It is comprised of one atom of nitrogen and four atoms of hydrogen. 
*Ammonium Chloride
Ammonium_Chloride (Sal Ammoniac) is a fibrous mass prepared by neutralising ammonia with hydrochloric acid. It is used in medicine, dyeing and soldering. It has the formulae NH4Cl. 
*Amoxicillin Trihydrate
Amoxicillin_trihydrate is a drug used to treat systemic infections and acute and chronic urinary tract infections. It has the possible side effects of: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypersensitivity (rash) and itching. 
*Amp
#ampere
*Ampere
The ampere is the fundamental unit of measurement of electrical current. 
*Amphetamine
Amphetamine is a drug that induces sleeplessness.
*Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is a circular or ovular arena surrounded by tiers of seats.
*Ampicillin Trihydrate
Ampicillin_trihydrate is a drug used to treat systemic infections and acute and chronic urinary tract infections. It has the possible side effects of: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, glossitis (inflammation of the tongue), stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth), hypersensitivity (rash) and itching.
*Amplifier
An amplifier is an apparatus capable of producing a magnified version of the input signal. 
*Amplitude
Amplitude refers to magnitude or size. It is the voltage or power of an electronic signal. 
*Amplitude Modulation
Amplitude_Modulation is modifying a ''carrier'' signal by varying its instantaneous power to represent the information it carries. Most commonly called ''AM''.
*Amyl
Amyl is a chemical alcohol radical. It was first isolated by Edward_Frankland in 1849. 
*Amylene
Amylene is a colourless, mobile liquid first procured by Balard of Paris in 1844 by distiling fusel oil with chloride of zinc. The vapour was employed instead of chloroform first by Snow in 1856.
*Amylum
Amylum is an alternative name for starch.
*Anabaptist
The Anabaptists were a 16th century Christian sect, so called because they rejected infant baptism in reference of adult baptism. They were a fanatical sect led by Nicholas_Storck who intended reorganisation of German society based upon civil and political equality. 
*Anabaptists
#Anabaptist
*Anaemia
Anaemia is the medical condition of lacking red blood cells. 
*Analgesic
An analgesic is a pain reliever. 
*Analogue Computer
An analogue computer is a computing device in which the variables in a given problem are represented by physical quantities, such as lengths, pressures, electric charges etc., the calculations consisting in the manipulation and measurement of these quantities, the values of which may change continuously.
*Anatomical Alloy
Anatomical_alloy is a fusible alloy consisting of 53.5 per cent bismuth, 19 percent tin, 17 per cent lead and 10.5 per cent mercury. 
*Anchor
An anchor is a heavy implement used for securing boats at sea. 
*Andante
Andante is a musical term denoting a movement somewhat slow, graceful, distinct and soothing.
*Anemometer
An anemometer is a device for measuring the strength and velocity of wind. It was invented by Wolfius in 1709. 
*Angiosperm
An angiosperm is a flowering plant in which the seeds are enclosed within an ovary which ripens into a fruit.
*Angst
Angst is an emotional state of anxiety without a specific cause. 
*Angstrom Unit
The Angstrom Unit is a unit of length employed for the measurement of the wavelengths of light and X-rays etc. 
*Aniline
Aniline (Phenylamine) is an oily liquid made by the reduction of nitro-benzene and used in the manufacture of chemicals, dyes and drugs. It was discovered in 1826 by Unverdorben among the products of distillation of indigo. In 1856 Bechamp obtained it from nitro-benzene.
*Aniline Red
#Magenta 
*Anion
An anion is a negatively charged ion which, in an electrolye or in a gas-filled space, travels towards the positive electrode or anode.
*Anker
The anker was a measurement used in Britain and Germany for beer, spirits and the like. It was equivalent to 8.5 gallons.
*Annuity Tax
Annuity_tax was a tax levied to provide stipends for ministers in Edinburgh and Montrose, it caused much disaffection and was abolished in 1860, and other provisions made for the purpose. These proved equally unpopular and their abolition was provided for by an act passed in 1870.
*Anode
An anode is the principal positive electrode by which the current leaves an electrolyte, electron tube etc.
*Anorthoscope
The anorthoscope is an optical apparatus described by Carpenter in 1868. In it distorted figures lose their distortion when in rapid motion. 
*Anosmia
Anosmia is the inability to smell. 
*ANSI
ANSI is the American National Standards Institute. The official repository of standards for the USA. 
*Anthrax
Anthrax is a disease of sheep and cattle transmittable to humans.
*Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humans as animals.
*Antiarin
Antiarin is a poison exuded by the Upas tree and used by Javan natives for tipping arrows. 
*Antibiotic
An antibiotic is a substance that inhibits the growth of micro organisms.
*Antidote
An antidote is a drug used to counteract poison. 
*Antimony
Antimony is a brittle, silver-white, pentavalent metal element with the symbol Sb. 
*Antipyrine
Antipyrine is an artificial alkaloid obtained from coal-tar and discovered in 1883 by Knorr. It was said to be a remedy for sea-sickness, a substitute for quinine and a source of aniline colours.
*Antiseptic
An antiseptic is a substance which counteracts blood or tissue poisoning caused by bacteria (sepsis).
*Anvil
An anvil is a block used by metal smiths.
*Anxiolytic
An anxiolytic is a drug used to reduce anxiety.
*Apartheid
Apartheid is the policy of racial segregation of people. It was first established in South_Africa in 1948 restricting the rights of non-whites and establishing blacks only homelands. 
*Aperture
In photography, an aperture is an opening through which light passes through the lens to strike the film.
*Aphasia
Aphasia is difficulty in reading, writing and speaking due to brain damage.
*Aphelion
The aphelion is the point at which an object travelling around the sun in an elliptical orbit is at its furthest from the sun. 
*Apogee
Apogee is an astronomical term referring to the position in the orbit of the Moon which is farthest from the Earth. Opposite to Perigee. 
*Apollo Asteroid
The apollo_asteroids are a group of small asteroids whose orbits cross that of the earth. They were first discovered in 1932 and then lost until 1973. 
*Apollo Project
The Apollo_Project was the US space project to land a person on the moon. It was achieved by Apollo 11 in July 1969. 
*Apostle Spoons
Apostle_spoons were spoons with figures of the apostles crowning the handles. They were given as baptismal presents during the 16th and 17th centuries.
*Appleton Layer
#F_Layer 
*Applique
Applique is a type of embroidery used to create pictures or patterns by applying pieces of material to a background fabric.
*Aqua
Aqua is another word for water.
*Aquatint
Aquatint is a method of print-making which was popular in the 18th century.
*Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a channel in which water flows by gravity.
*Aqueous
Aqueous refers to a solution based upon water. 
*Archeozoic
The archeozoic period was the first geological period. It was characterised by an absence of animal life and extensive volcanic activity.
*Archipelago
An archipelago is a group of islands.
*Arcnet
Arcnet is a LAN architecture developed by Datapoint Corporation featuring low cost for connection of groups of (Async) terminals to a (mini) computer within a premises. 
*Areometer
An areometer is an instrument for measuring the density and specific gravity of liquids. 
*Arete
An arete is a steep angular mountain ridge.
*Argon
Argon is an inert gaseous element found in the air with the symbol Ar. 
*Aries
Aries is one of the signs of the zodiac. Represented by the ram. 
*Armature
An armature is a part of an electrical motor or dynamo.
*Armour
Armour is a protective covering. 
*Arms
Arms is a military term referring to weapons.
*Army
An army is an organised fighting force.
*Arroba
Arroba was a Spanish unit of weight equal to about 25 lbs. It was also used in South_and Central America, where it was equivalent to about 32 lbs. 
*Arsenal
An arsenal is a place for storing weapons. 
*Arshin
Arshin is a Russian unit of measurement equivalent to 28 inches. 
*ASCII
ASCII is the American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
The most common code used for asynchronous data transmission by minicomputers and personal computers. Derived from the TWX code of the Bell Model 28 teleprinter, expanded to use all possible character combinations.
ASCII consists of 7 information bits with an 8th parity bit for error checking; numerous variations exist, for example use of the 8th bit in personal computers to extend the code with a number of graphics, special language characters and diacritical marks. Many common carrier data services cannot transmit the 8th bit needed to use that common PC extension of ASCII's alphabet. 
*Ascorbic acid
#Vitamin_c 
*Ash Wednesday
Ash_Wednesday is the first day of lent, the seventh Wednesday before Easter. 
*Asphalt
Asphalt is a material used for road coverings. 
*Aspirin
Aspirin is an analgesic. 
*Assay
Assay is the testing of an alloy or an ore to determine the proportion of a given metal. An assay officer is someone who certifies the fineness of gold, silver and platinum.
*Assize of Battle
Assize_of_Battle was by the old law of England, a means whereby a man charged with murder might fight with the appellant, thereby to make proof of his guilt or innocence. The law was struck off the statute book in 1819.
*Association Football
Association_Football is a variation of football played at Cambridge in the first half of the 19th century. A code of rules forbidding the use of hands was drawn up in 1863, and officially adopted by the Football Association, the governing body of the game, which was formed in the same year. Association football is played by teams of 11 a side with a spherical inflated leather ball 27-28 inches in circumferance and about 14 ounces in weight. The ground is 120 yards long and 80 yards wide having a goal at each end 8 yards wide with a cross bar 8 feet above the ground. The match is played in two halves each of 45 minutes with a 5 minute interval at half-time. 
*Astatine
Astatine is an element with the symbol At
*Astern
Astern is a nautical term meaning behind the ship. 
*Asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planetary body. 
*Asthma
Asthma is a disease characterised by breathing difficulties. 
*Astrology
Astrology is the science of the relationship between events and the stars. 
*Astronomy
Astronomy is the study of celestial bodies.
*Asynchronous
Asynchronous refers to occurring without central control or in an unpredictable time interval between successive elements;  the typical mode of telegraphy, minicomputers and personal computers; requires s transmission of ''start'' and ''stop'' bits to provide decoding synchronisation at the receiver.
*Athletics
Athletics is the sport of physical games.
*Atmolysis
Atmolysis is a method of separating the constituent gases of a compound gas (such as air) by causing it to pass through a vessel of porous material (such as graphite). The process was discovered by Graham and made known in 1863. 
*Atmosphere
The atmosphere is the gaseous envelope surrounding a planet, such as that which surrounds the earth which is comprised of nitrogen, oxygen, argon carbon_dioxide, helium, water vapour and other gases.
*Atoll
An atoll is a circular, or horseshoe-shaped coral island surrounding a lagoon with one or more openings to the sea.
*Atom
An atom is the smallest quantity of a chemical element which can enter into combination or take part in a chemical reaction. 
*Atoms
#atom
*Atrium
The atrium was the entrance hall to a Roman house. 
*Atropine
Atropine is the poisonous alkaloid found in deadly nightshade. 
*Attenuation
Attenuation is a term denoting a decrease in power between that transmitted and that received due to loss through equipment, lines, or other transmission devices.  Usually expressed as a ratio in dB (decibels). - Synonym: Loss; Antonym: Gain
*Attenuator
In electronics, an attenuator is a network used to deliberately reduce the input signal to some piece of apparatus, or to reduce the degree of amplification of signals of particular frequencies. 
*Audiphone
The audiphone was an early hearing-aid invented by Rhodes and improved in 1880 by Colladon. It consisted of a thin sheet of hard ebonite rubber or cardboard placed next to the teeth through which and other bones sound vibrations are conveyed to the auditory nerve. 
*August
The month of august was the sizth month of the Roman calendar and was originally called Sextilis, by a decree of the senate it received its present name in honour of Augustus_Caesar in 8 BC. 
*Avenin
Avenin is a stimulating nitrogenous alkaloid found in oats.
*Avoirdupois
The avoirdupois scale is a measurement of weight.
*Axe
An axe is a metal tool for chopping and cleaving.
*Azoimide
Azoimide is a compound of hydrogen and nitrogen. It is a very explosive gas obtained from organic sources such as benzoyl-glycollic acid and hippuric acid.
*Babel
The tower of Babel was built by the people of Babylon in an attempt to reach heaven. 
*Babelavante
Babelavante is an old term from the Middle_Ages for a bad joke.
*Bacampicillin Hydrochloride
Bacampicillin_hydrochloride is a drug used to treat upper and lower respiratory tract infections; urinary tract infections and skin infections. It has the possible side effects of: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, glossitis (inflammation of the tongue), stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth), hypersensitivity (rash) and itching.
*Baccarat
Baccarat is a gambling card game.
*Backgammon
Backgammon is an old board game also called tric trac, tavla or tables.
*Background noise
In electronics, background noise is the aggregate of random noise in a sound-reproducing system, arising from such causes as radio interference, valve and other circuit noise, record scratch, etc. and not from the signal being reproduced. 
*Bacon
Bacon is the side or back of pork which has been preserved by salting and drying.
*Badminton
Badminton is a game played on a rectangular court by two players, or two pairs of players, with light rackets used to volley a shuttlecock over a high net that divides the court in half. 
*Badminton
Badminton is a game played on a court divided in half by a 30 inch deep net five feet above the ground.  
*Baffle
A baffle is a rigid structure, such as a sheet of sound-insulating material, used to improve the distribution of sound waves.
*Bagpipe
The bagpipe is a Scottish musical instrument.
*Bakelite
Bakelite is a strong synthetic material resistant to heat and chemicals. 
*Balalaika
A balalaika is a stringed Russian musical instrument.
*Baldric
A baldric is a belt used to support a sword or bugle.
*Ballad
A ballad is a narrative song.
*Ballistics
Ballistics is the theory of missile projection.
*Balloon
A balloon is a bag filled with gas.
*Ballot
A ballot is a method of secret voting. 
*Balun
Balun is a shortened term derived from BALanced to UNbalanced transformer. A balun is often used in radio to allow the connection of an unbalanced cable to a balanced aerial system.
*Banjo
A banjo is a stringed musical instrument.
*Bank Of England
The Bank_Of_England was projected by William_Paterson, a Scottish merchant, to meet the difficulty experienced by William_III in raising the supplies for the war against France. 40 merchants subscribed 500,000 pounds towards the sum of 1,200,000 pounds to be lent to the government at 8 per cent., in consideration of the sunscribers being incorporated as a bank. A royal charter was granted in 1694 appointing Sir_John_Houblon the first governor and the bank commenced avtive operations on the 1st of January 1695.
*Banns
In the feudal law, banns were a solemn proclamation of any kind; hence arose the present custom of asking banns, or giving notice before marriage. 
*Barbitone
#Veronal 
*Barge
A barge is a type of long narrow flat bottomed boat. 
*Barium
Barium is a metal element of the alkaline_earth group with the symbol Ba.
*Barometer
A barometer is a device for measuring air pressure.
*Baron
Baron is an English peerage title. 
*Barque
A barque is a type of masted sailing ship. 
*Barquentine
A barquentine is a 3 mast sailing ship.
*Barrel
A barrel is a dry and liquid measurement that varies with substance. 
*Basalt
Basalt is the name given to lava. It is high in ferrous and magnesian silicates. 
*Baseball
Baseball is the national game of USA.
*Basin
In geography, a basin is a drainage area of a river and its confluents.
*Basket
A basket is a woven container. 
*Basset-horn
A basset-horn is a tenor clarinet. 
*Bassoon
A bassoon is a wooden double-reed wind musical instrument invented in the 16th century by Afranio. 
*Bathometer
A bathometer is an apparatus invneted by William_Siemens in 1861 to measure the depth of water without submerging a sounding line. Its action depends on the diminution of the effect of gravitation on the surface of the water as compared with its effect on the earth, owing to the mass of water (of less density) which replaces earth (of greater density); which is duly registered. 
*Baud
Baud is a unit of computer etc. signalling speed. The speed in Baud is the number of discrete conditions or signal elements per second.  If each signal event represents only one bit condition, then Baud is the same as bits per second. Baud does not equal bits per second.
*Bauhaus
Bauhaus is a German institution for training architects, artists and industrial designers founded in 1919 at Weimer. 
*Bay
In geography, a bay is a broad open indentation in a coast-line. 
*BBS
A BBS (Bulletin Board System) is a communicating computer equipped so as to provide informational messages, file storage and transfer and a degree of message exchange to dial-up data terminal or personal computer users.
*BCD
BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) is a binary-coded notation in which each decimal digit of a number is expressed in binary form; Example: 23 decimal is 10111 in binary, and 0010 0011 in BCD. 
*Beat-frequency Oscillator
A Beat-frequency Oscillator (B.F.O.) is a device for generating oscillations of approximately sinusoidal waveform by combining two radio-frequency electrical oscillations of different frequencies. 
*Beaufort scale
The beaufort scale measures wind speed at sea. 
*Becquerel Rays
Becquerel_Rays was a name originally given to the radiations emitted by radioactive substances, and now distinguished as Alpha_Rays, Beta_Rays, and Gamma_Rays.
*Beer
Beer is a drink of fermented hops, malt and barley.
*Bellini-Tosi Aerial
A Bellini-Tosi aerial is an arrangement of two large fixed-frame aerials mounted at right angles to each other and used in conjunction with a radiogoniometer in radio direction finding.
*Bellows
Bellows are apparatus for creating a draught.
*Belt
A belt is a flat strip of material worn around the waist.
*Benedictine
Benedictine is a green liqueur.
*Bengal Hemp
#Sunn_Hemp 
*Benzene
Benzene is a distillate of petroleum used in dry cleaning. 
*Benzine
Benzine (benzole) is a compound of hydrogen and carbon, discovered by Faraday in the oils of portable gas in 1825 and obtained by Mitscherlich from benzoic_acid in 1834, and by Mansfield from coal_tar in 1848 (he also died as the result of burns sustained while experimenting with benzine). 
*Benzole
#Benzine 
*Beryllium
Beryllium is an alkaline metal element with the symbol Be. 
*Bessemer converter
The bessemer_converter is a process for making cheap steel. Basically, impurities are removed from the pig iron by blasting air through the molten metal and adding lime to remove phosphorus from the metal. The process takes about twenty minutes.
*Beta Particles
Beta_Particles are electrons travelling at velocities up to 99 per cent of the velocity of light, such as are emitted from the nuclei of the atoms of radioactive materials. 
*Beta Rays
Beta_rays are streams of high-velocity beta_particles travelling at speeds approaching that of light.
*Betatron
A betatron is an apparatus for accelerating electrons to very high velocities by means of a periodic magnetic field, thus producing "artificial" beta_rays.
*Bezique
Bezique is a card game using some of two packs of cards. 
*Bhang
Bhang is an Indian drink prepared from the leave and shoots of the hemp (cannabis) plant.
*Bicycle
A bicycle is a two wheeled vehicle.
*Bight
In geography, a bight is a shallow even indentation in the sea coast, often of great width.
*Bikini
The Bikini is a two-piece item of women's swim-wear. It was invented in 1946 by a French designer and was called the ''bikini'' after the atom bomb test at bikini atoll, the premise being that the bikini was as small as an atom, and the results were explosive! When first revealed, no professional model could be found to model such a revealing item of clothing, and so a cabaret dancer was hired to model the first bikini.
*Billiards
Billiards is a game played with two white balls and one red ball and a cue on a slate bed table. One of the white balls has two black spots on it, this ball is called the spot-ball and is used to start the game.
*Biotin
#Vitamin_H 
*Bise
The bise is a dry north wind prevalent in Switzerland and southern France. 
*Bitter
Bitter is a taste sensation caused by stimulation of the gustatory nerve.
*Bitters
Bitters is an alcoholic beverage of sugar herbs and alcohol. 
*Bitumen
Bitumen is a natural inflammable pitchy hydrocarbon. 
*Black Feet
The Black Feet are a north American Indian tribe.
*Black Friday
Black_Friday was the name given to a commercial panic in London on the 11th May 1866 through the stoppage of Overend, Gurney and Co. who were committed to trial for conspiracy to defraud. On Friday 21st November 1890 a temporary panic was produced by the embarrassments of the Baring Brothers.
*Black Monday
There have been many dates dubbed ''Black_Monday'', but the first was Easter Monday, 14th April 1360, ''so full dark of mist and hail, and so bitter cold that many men died on their horsebacks with the cold.'' The day on which a number of English were slaughtered at a village near Dublin in 1209. The day of panic in 1745 when the Scottish rebels were reported to have arrived at Derby, and the Bank_of_England paid in sixpences. 
*Blackhead
A blackhead is dirt blocking a pore that often causes acne.
*Blanket
A blanket is an extensive covering. Often a warm bed covering. 
*Bloom
A bloom is a lump of puddled iron, which leaves the furnace in a rough state, to be subsequently rolled into bars or whatever. 
*Bloomer Costume
The Bloomer costume was a style of dress adopted around 1849 by Mrs Bloomer of New_York. It consisted of a jacket with close sleeves, a skirt reaching a little below the knee, and a pair of Turkish pantaloons secured by bands around the ankles. 
*Blue peter
The blue_peter is a flag flown by ships as they are about to sail. 
*Bluefish
The bluefish is a fish found off the east coast of north America.
*Board of Green Cloth
The Board_of_Green_Cloth was an ancient court in the department of the lord-steward of the household with jurisdiction of all offences committed in the verge of the court. It was abolished in 1849.
*Boat
A boat is transport for conveyance across water. 
*Bog
Bog is the name given to soft spongy land. 
*Bohea
Bohea is an inferior kind of black tea.
*Boiling To Death
Boiling_To_Death was made a capital punishment in England by Henry_VIII in 1531 as a result of seventeen people being poisoned by Richard_Rosse, the bishop of Rochester's cook, two of whom died. Margaret_Davy, a young woman was similarly executed in 1542 for a similar crime. The act was repealed in 1547.
*Bolero
The bolero is a Spanish dance of the ballet class for couples or a single female dancer. It is a slow step with much waving of the arms. 
*Bolometer
A bolometer is an electrical instrument, invented by Langley, which is sensitive to radiant heat, and who used it to make discoveries in the utra red rays of the spectrum.
*Bolt-ropes
Bolt-ropes were ropes used to strengthen the sails of a ship.
*Boltzmann's Constant
Boltzmann's_constant is the ratio of the mean total enery in a molecule to its absolute_temperature. 
*Book of the Dead
The Book of the Dead was an ancient Egyptian collection of religious texts for guiding the departed soul safely through the dangers of the Amenti, the lower world. A copy of the work was placed with the mummy in his tomb.
*Boopsy
Boopsy is a Jamaican term for a man who supports a woman materially, and yet receives no sexual gratification in return (being boopsed). Hence the expression; ''Mi a no boops!'' which translates as ''I am not a boopsy''. 
*Bootikin
A bootikin was a wood and iron boot used in torture to extract confessions from the victim. Wooden wedges were hammered between the leg and the boot with a mallet so as to crush the victims bone.
*Bootstrap Loader
A bootstrap_loader is a computer input routine in which pre-set operations are placed into a computer that enable it to get into operation whenever a reset condition occurs; in electronic PBXs this may be called Automatic Program Loading or a similar term; in personal computers it is the sequence that searches predetermined disks for a Command Interpreter program, then a Configure System file; finally an Autoexecution Batch file.
*Bore
In geography, a bore is a tidal wave produced in river estuaries by the rapid narrowing of the channel.
*Boric acid
Boric_acid is an acid of borax found naturally.
*Boron
Boron is an element with the symbol B found in borax.
*Bort
Bort is a powdered form of diamond.
*Boston
The Boston is variation of the waltz danced in very slow time against the rhythm of the music. 
*Bournous
A bournous is a hooded garment worn in Algeria, and introduced to England and France in a modified form in 1847. 
*Bovril
Bovril (Ox-strength) is a preparation of lean beef from which the water, about 75 per cent., has been excluded; and the albumen and fibrine, the nutritive parts retained by processes gradually invented by Lawson_Johnston, who began his experimental researches in Canada in 1872. 
*Bowline
The bowline is a non-slip knot.
*Braccae
Braccae were an early trouser-like garment worn by the ancient Britons at the time of the Roman Invasion.
*Bran
Bran is the outer covering of wheat grains.
*Brandy
Brandy is an alcoholic beverage of distilled wine. 
*Branks
A branks was a kind of bridle constructed of iron bands, acting as a gag, formerly used in England and Scotland as an instrument of punishment for scolds and slanderous women. The culprit was paraded through the streets by the bellman, beadle, or constable, or chained to the market cross where she was exposed to public ridicule. 
*Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
*Brig
A brig is a two masted sailing ship. 
*Brigantine
A brigantine is a 2 mast sailing ship. 
*British Gum
#Dextrin 
*Brocade
Brocade is a silken stuff, variegated with gold or silver, and enriched with flowers and figures. It was originally made by the Chinese, a manufacturing plant was established in Lyons in 1757. 
*Bromide
#Potassium_Bromide 
*Bromine
Bromine is a non-metallic element with the symbol Br. It is a poisonous voltaile liquid which was first discovered in salt water by Balard in 1826.
*Bronchitis
Bronchitis is a chronic inflammation of the bronchial mucous membrane. 
*Brontometer
A brontometer is an apparatus for measuring thunderstorms invented by Richard, of Paris in 1890. 
*Bronze
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
*Brunswick Theatre
The Brunswick Theatre was a theatre in Well-street, east London. It was built in 1828 to replace the Royalty which burned down in 1826. Four days after opening it was destroyed by the walls falling in as a result of too much weight being attached to the heavy iron roof. The catastrophe occured during a rehearsal of ''Guy Mannering'' killing twelve people.
*Bubo
Bubo is a swelling in the groin due to inflammed lymph nodes.
*Buckingham Palace
Buckingham_Palace is the London residence of the British royal family. It was built by John_Sheffield, duke of Buckingham, in 1703. In 1761 it was bought by George_III who in 1775 settled it on his queen, Charlotte who made it her town residence. 
*Buckram
Buckram was a coarse textile fabric stiffened with glue and used in garments to give them and to keep them in the form intended. 
*Buckskin
Buckskin is a soft form of leather.
*Bude Light
The bude_light was a very bright gas lamp invented by Mr Gurney who lived in Bude, Cornwall. The bude lamp fed a stream of oxygen into the flame of an argand-lamp or gas-burner.
*Buff
Buff is the stout velvety dull-yellow leather of buffalo or ox hide. 
*Buff Leather
Buff_leather is a type of leather made from the skin of buffalo and other oxen. It is dressed with oil and used for making bandoliers, belts, pouches and gloves amongst other items.
*Bugle
A bugle is a brass musical instrument. 
*Bulimia
Bulimia is a disorder in which the patient has a morbidly voracious appetite. It is certainly not a new disorder, for it was known of in 1906. 
*Bulkhead
A bulkhead is an upright partition dividing watertight compartments of a ship. 
*Bullion
Bullion is gold or silver in bars, plates or other masses which has not been minted
*Bum-boat
A bum-boat is a small boat used to sell produce to ships lying at a distance from the shore
*Bunion
A bunion is an inflamed swelling on the foot, especially at the joint of the great toe.
*Burking
Burking is a form of murder involving killing the victim by pressure or other modes of suffocation so as to leave no mark of violence on the body. It was first known to be used by Burke who was executed in 1829.
*Burl
A burl is a knot. The term is used in veneering to refer to an overgrown knot in the wood. 
*Burnt Sienna
Burnt_Sienna is the popular name for Terra di Sienna, a brown ferruginous ochre used in painting, and obtained from Italy. Before being used as a pigment it is calcined, and hence the name Burnt Sienna. 
*Burwell Fire
The Burwell Fire occured in a barn at Burwell, near Newmarket on 8th September 1727. A number of people had assembled to see a puppet-show in the barn when a candle set fire to a heap of straw. Seventy-six people died at the scene and others died later of their injuries.
*Busby
A busby is a head-dress worn by British army hussars.  
*Bushel
The bushel is a unit of capacity measurement equivalent to 4 pecks, 8 gallons or 3.637 dekalitres. It is also used a measure of weight for apples, equivalent to about 40 lbs. Henry_VIII ordered that a bushel should hold eight gallons of wheat in 1520.
*Bushels
#Bushel
*Butane
Butane is an alkane inflammable gas by product of petroleum. 
*Butte
A butte is an isolated abrupt flat-topped hill found in the west USA.
*Butterine
Butterine, a composition of fats as a substitute for butter was first sold in London in 1885. By the Margerine_Act of 1887 it changed its name to margerine. 
*Buttress
A buttress in architecture is a pier built against the exterior of a wall. 
*C.I.D.
The C.I.D. (Criminal Investigation Department) is the detective section of the British police force. It was established in 1878 by E. Howard Vincent. A "Special Branch" was founded in 1883 to deal with the Fenian troubles, it now deals with the protection of high-ranking individuals and protection of the state, such as harassing members of the Communist Party. 
*Cabala
#Qabbala 
*Caballa
#Qabbala 
*Cabbala
#Qabbala 
*Caber
A caber is a roughly trimmed young pine-trunk used in Scottish highland games (tossing the caber). 
*Cable
In nautical terms, a cable is 183 metres.
*Cachuca
The cachuca is a graceful dance marked by movements of the head and shoulders. 
*Cadmium
Cadmium is a metal element with the symbol Cd. 
*Cafeine
#Caffeine
*Caffeine
Caffeine is a white, bitter, crystalline alkaloid usually derived from coffee or tea and used in medicine as a nervous system stimulant. It was discovered in coffee by Runge in 1820, and in tea by Oudry in 1827.
*Caftan
A Caftan (Kaftan) is a long garment with long sleeves and tied at the waist by a girdle, worn under a coat in the Middle_East. The term has also come to describe a long, full, usually collarless robe with wide sleeves that is worn at home for lounging or on the beach as a cover-up. 
*Cakewalk
The cakewalk is an American dance which originated amongst the blacks. 
*Calciferol
#Vitamin_D 
*Calcium
Calcium is a metal element. It is an alkaline metal with the symbol Ca.
*Calends
Calends was the first day of the Roman calendar month. 
*Calf
A calf is a young bovine animal, especially a young cow. 
*Calico
Calico is a cotton cloth named from Calicut, a city of India. It was first brought to England by the East_India_Company in 1631. 
*Caliper Compass
A caliper compass is a device used to measure the bore of cannon, small-arms etc.
*Callipers
Callipers are an instrument for measuring dimensions of circular solids. 
*Calomel
Calomel (beautiful black) is a compound of mercury, sulphuric_acid and sodium_chloride.
*Calorie
Calorie is the metric unit of measurement of heat. It is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water from 14.5 to 15.5 degrees centigrade. 
*Cambrian
The Cambrian period was the third geological period, 450,000,000 years ago.
*Camelot
Camelot was the castle of Arthur.
*Cameo
A cameo is a small relief carving. 
*Camouflage
Camouflage is colours or structures which allow an animal to blend in with its surroundings. 
*Camphene
Camphene is a solid terpene occurring in the oil of ginger. It is oxidised by chromic_acid to form camphor.
*Campos
The campos are the open grassy plains of South_America.
*Canal
A canal is an artificial open water channel. 
*Cancer
Cancer is a disease of malignant tumours, what causes it is unknown, however experiments in the 1950s revealed a connection between conscious belief and cancer, that is patients who had cancerous tumours removed and believed themselves to be free of the cancer were less likely to suffer re-emergence of the cancer than patients who believed the cancer would re-occur. 
*Candelabrum
A candelabrum is a large candlestick.
*Candle
A candle is a wax cylinder enclosing a wick. It is burnt to provide light. 
*Canning
Canning is the commercial operation of food preserving which involves the use of heat and sealing the food in airtight containers. 
*Canon
In geography, a canon is a deep ravine or valley with precipitous sides made by the rapid flow of a river and the action of denudation.
*Capacitor
A capacitor is an electrical device consisting of two conductive bodies separated by insulating material and thus possessing capacitance.
*Capricorn
Capricorn is a sign of the zodiac symbolised by a goat.
*Capstan
A capstan is a revolving barrel with a vertical axis powered by people. It is used for winding cable. On sailing ships the capstan is used to raise and lower the anchor.
*Captopril
Captopril is a drug used to contol high blood pressure and aid in the relief of heart failure. It has the possible side effects of: increased heart rate, low blood pressure, loss of taste, lack of appetite, rash, itching, dizziness and fainting.
*Carat
Carat is the unit of measurement of gold purity. 
*Carbide
#carbides
*Carbides
A carbide is a compound of carbon and another element. 
*Carbohydrate
A carbohydrate is a complex chemical compound. Consisting of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. In foods it forms sugars and starch. 
*Carbolic Acid
Carbolic_acid (phenic acid) is a strong poison used as an antiseptic distilled from coal-tar. It was discovered by Laurent in 1846.
*Carbon
Carbon is a non-metallic element with the symbol C. Contained in all life forms. 
*Carbonado
Carbonado is a powdered form of diamond. 
*Carbonate
A carbonate is a salt formed by the union of carbon dioxide with a base element. 
*Carboniferous
The Carboniferous was the seventh geological period, 250,000,000 years ago. This era marked the formation of the coal beds.
*Carborundum
Carborundum is silicon carbide and is extremely hard.
*Carboy
A carboy is a large globular wicker-covered glass bottle used for holding acid or other corrosive liquids. 
*Carburettor
A carburettor is a device for charging air with a hydrocarbon. 
*Cardan Suspension
#Gimbal
*Caries
Caries is a disease resulting from inflammation of bony tissue.
*Carmine
Carmine is a red colouring derived from the cochineal insect.
*Carotene
#vitamin_a 
*Carpel
Carpel is a botanical term referring to a simple pistil or a single member of a compound pistil. 
*Carpet
Carpet is a thick fabric, often made of wool, used for covering a floor. It is made by knotting short lengths of yarn to the warp threads during weaving.  
*Carron oil
Carron_oil is a mixture of linseed oil and lime water which was formerly used for treating burns. It was first used at the Carron ironworks near Falkirk.
*Carse
Carse is the name given in Scotland to a wide fertile valley.
*Cart
A cart is a strong two or four wheeled vehicle used in farming and for carrying heavy goods. 
*Cartel
A cartel is a written agreement for the exchange or ransom of prisoners. 
*Carton
A carton is a light box or case for holding goods. 
*Cartouche
In architecture, a cartouche is a scroll ornament. 
*Cartridge-paper
Cartridge-paper is a thick paper. It is so named because it was originally used to make soldiers' cartridges.
*Caruncle
A caruncle is a small hard outgrowth formed on the seeds of certain plants, such as the castor_oil plant.
*Caryopsis
Caryopsis is a botanical term for a one-seeded indehiscent fruit with pericarp fused to the seed-coat, as in wheat and barley. 
*Casareep
Casareep is the concentrated juice of the roots of the cassava flavoured with aromatics and boiled to remove the toxins. It is then used as a relish in soups and other dishes. It is the basis of the Jamaican dish ''pepper-pot''. Casareep is also a powerful antiseptic and was used for preserving meat in tropical countries.
*Cascara
Cascara is an extract of the bark of the Californian_buckthorn used as a laxative or cathartic.
*Case-hardening
Case-hardening is a process whereby iron objects have their outside layer converted to steel. The object is put in a box containing carbon and is heated until red hot. Then it is immersed in cold water where upon a layer of steel forms on the object. 
*Casein
Casein is a protein found in milk. 
*Cassock
A cassock is a long close fitting tunic, buttoning up to the neck and reaching down to the feet, worn by the clergy. 
*Castanet
Castanets are small concave shells of ivory or hard wood used by the Spaniards and Moors to make a rattling sound to accompany dancing. A pair of castanets are held in the palm of the hand and struck with the middle finger.
*Caste
Caste is an Indian hereditary class system with members socially equal, united in religion and usually following the same trade. A member of one caste has no social intercourse with a member of any other caste except their own.
*Castor
Castor is a reddish-brown bitter substance obtained from the anal glands of the beaver and used in perfume and medicine. 
*Castor oil
Castor_oil is a pale yellow nauseous acrid oil obtained from the seeds of the Castor_oil plant and used as a purgative and lubricant.
*Catacomb
Catacombs are subterranean cemeteries. 
*Catalase
In chemistry, a catalase is any of various enzymes capable of decomposing hydrogen peroxide. 
*Catalepsy
Catalepsy is a disease characterised by seizures or trances which last for hours or days with a suspension of sensation and consciousness. 
*Catalyst
A catalyst is a substance which facilitates a reaction, without being consumed by the reaction itself. It is a term generally used in chemistry, although it is equally applicable in applied Psychology, such as in the role of an antagonist or provocateur. 
*Catarrh
Catarrh is the inflammation of a mucous membrane, particularly that of the nose, throat or bronchial tubes, causing an increased flow of mucus.
*Catboat
A catboat is a sailing boat with a single mast set well forward and rigged with one sail.
*Catcher
A catcher is a fielder who stands behind the batter in baseball. 
*Catgut
Catgut is the dried and twisted intestines of sheep or horses used for making the strings of musical instruments and tennis rackets and for sutures in surgery.
*Cathetometer
A cathetometer is a device for measuring small differences in height.
*Cathode
A cathode is a negative electrical pole or terminal. 
*Cathode Rays
Cathode_rays are a stream of electrons emitted from the cathode of an electron tube and accelerated to high velocity by an electron_gun. The rays can be deflected by magnetic or electric fields. 
*Cathode-ray Oscilloscope
A cathode-ray oscilloscope is an instrument for examining electrical quantities, and particularly varying electrical quantities both periodoc and transient, by means of a luminous trace on the screen of a cathode-ray_tube. The quantities to be investigated or measured are made to deflect the electron beam in the cathode-ray_tube, and thus to produce corresponding movement of the light spot on the screen. In addition to examining electrical quantities as such, the oscilloscope is widely used to examine any physical quantity the changing values of which can be converted into corresponding changes of electric potential. 
*Cathode-ray Tube
A cathode-ray tube is an electron tube containing a thermionic cathode and an electron gun for the production of cathode_rays which are directed axially along the tube in the direction of the flattened, wide end. The internal surface of the wider end of the tube is coated with a phosphor which emits light at the point of impact of the high speed electrons. 
*Cation
A cation is a positively charged ion which, in an electrolyte or in a gas-filled electron tube, travels towards the negative electrode or cathode. 
*Cattle Plague
#Rinderpest
*Catty
The catty was a Chinese unit of weight equivalent to 1.5 lbs.
*Caudle
Caudle is a warm, thin spiced gruel made with wine and sugar which was given to invalids and women after childbirth. 
*Caul
A caul is a woman's close-fitting cap or hair net. They were originally made of gold net and worn by women between the 14th and 16th centuries.
*Cauldron
A cauldron is a large boiling vessel, usually of a deep basin shape with a hoop handle and a removable lid.
*Causeway
A causeway is a raised road across a low or wet piece of land. 
*Cautery
A cautery is a heated metal instrument used for burning or searing organic tissue. 
*Cavalcade
A cavalcade is a procession of riders on horse-back. 
*Cave
A cave is a deep hollow place under ground.
*Cavendish
Cavendish is softened tobacco which has been sweetened with molasses and then pressed into cakes.
*CBI
The CBI is the British organisation of employers.
*CCIR
The CCIR (Comite Consultatif Internationale des Radio), is a major constituent of the International Telecommunications Union, issuing both Radio Regulations and Recommendations for all uses of radio transmission. 
*CCITT
The CCITT (Comite Consultatif Internationale des Telephones et Telegraphes), is a major constituent of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that sets standards for the operation of telecommunications services across international boundaries. Many CCITT standards are adopted for use domestically. 
*Ceilidh
A ceilidh is a Gaelic festival of singing and dancing held in Scotland and Ireland.
*Celluloid
Celluloid is a hard, unstable synthetic substance once used for films. 
*Cellulose
Cellulose is the cellular tissue of plants. Used as cotton and paper.
*Cement
Cement is a mixture of chalk and clay used for building. 
*Census
The census is a questionnaire issued every ten years in Britain which gathers detailed figures concerning the population, classified according to sex, age, occupation, size of families and geographical distribution.  
*Cental
The cental was a weight of 100 pounds legal in Britain since 1879. 
*Ceres
Ceres is a planet with a diamiter of 256 km which was discovered on the 1st of January 1801 by M. Plazzi at Palermo. It was named Ceres after the goddess Ceres who was so highly esteemed by the ancient Sicilians. 
*Cerium
Cerium is a rare metal element with the symbol Ce. 
*Chain
The chain is a unit of the imperial scale of measurement of length equivalent to 22 yards or 20.168 metres.
A chain is comprised of 100 links, each 7.92 inches long.
*Chains
#chain 
*Chalder
Chalder was a Scottish dry measure containing 16 bolls, equivalent to 12 imperial quarters.
*Chaldron
The chaldron is an old English unit of capacity measurement equivalent to 36 bushels. It was used as a measure of coal in England, equal to 6,800 lbs. 
*Chalice
A chalice is a ceremonial cup. 
*Charcoal
Charcoal is an amorphous form of carbon formed by charring wood. 
*Chariot
A chariot was a two wheeled vehicle used in ancient warfare. 
*Chauvinism
Chauvinism is fanatical devotion to a cause, especially patriotism. The term comes from Nicholas_Chauvin who was a soldier so enthusiastically devoted to Napoleon that his comrades ridiculed him.
*Cheese
Cheese is a food made by condensing milk fat and casein. 
*Cheese Aerial
A cheese aerial is a type of rotatable aerial employed in Radar on the centimetric waveband. It consists of a parabolic metallic reflector, and is usually fed by a waveguide. 
*Chemical Bond
Chemical_bond is the force retaining two atoms together in a molecule as, for example, the forec exerted by a pair of shared electrons.
*Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of the composition of substances. 
*Cheng
The cheng is a Chinese musical instrument. It is comprised of a series of tubes with free reeds. Its introduction into Europe led to the development of the accordion and harmonium. 
*Chenille
Chenille is an ornamental fabric made by weaving or twisting together warp-like threads with a weft the loose ends of which protrude all round in the form of a pile.
*Chess
Chess is a game of skill played on a chequered board.
*Chicken pox
Chicken_pox is an infectious disease of children and adults. 
*Chicle
Chicle is a gum-like substance obtained from the bully tree and used for making chewing gum. 
*Chilli
Chilli is a spice, being either the pod or powder of capsicum. 
*Chintz
Originally, chintz was a painted or stained calico imported from India.
*Chiton
A chiton was a simple garment extending half-way to the knee and worn in ancient Greece. 
*Chloral Hydrate
Chloral_Hydrate is a crystalline compound of the marsh gas series, discovered by Liebig in 1831, which, when taken dissolved in water, produces deep sleep, but not insensibility to pain. 
*Chloralum
Chloralum is a compound of chlorine and aluminium used as an antiseptic and disinfectant invented by Gamgee in 1870. 
*Chlorate
A chlorate is a salt formed by the reaction of chloric acid and metal. 
*Chlorates
#chlorate
*Chloric acid
Chloric_acid is a oxyacid of chlorine. It is a powerful oxidising agent. 
*Chlorine
Chlorine is a gaseous element with the symbol Cl.
*Chloroform
Chloroform (trichloRomethane) is a compound of carbon, hydrogen and chlorine, and was made from alcohol, water and bleaching powder. It was discovered by Soubeiran in 1831 and independantly by Liebig in 1832. It was first used as an anaesthetic in 1847.
*Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is the green colouring matter of plant leaves. 
*Chocolate
Chocolate is a confectionary made from cocoa beans and introduced to Europe from Mexico and Brazil about 1520. It was sold in the London coffee-houses in 1650.
*Cholera
Cholera is an infectious disease caused by a micro organism. 
*Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a steroid alcohol present in animal cells and body fluids.
*Choline Magnesium Trisalicylate
Choline_magnesium_trisalicylate is a drug used to treat arthritis; mild-to-moderate pain and fever. It has the possible side effects of: tinging in the ears and hearing loss, nausea, vomiting, gastric distress, hidden bleeding, rash, hypersensitivity manifested by shock and/or asthma.
*Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic_aberration is the presence of prismatic colours at the edges of an optical image due to the refractive index of the lens material being different for light of different frequencies.
*Chromium
Chromium is a metal element with the symbol Cr.
*Chronoscope
The chronoscope is an apparatus invented by Wheatstone in 1840 to measure small intervals of time. 
*Cider
Cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple juice.
*Cinematograph Films Act
The Cinematograph_Films_Act of 1927 was a British act of Parliament which came into force on April 1st 1928 for a ten year period until March 31st 1938. The act required that British renters of films included in their output a certain proportion of films made in the British Empire. Exhibitors of films were also required to show a proportion of British films. The proportions were on a sliding scale, gradually increasing over the ten year period. 
*Cinnamic Acid
Cinnamic_Acid or phenylacrylic_acid is a white, crystalline organic compound found naturally in combination in some balsams and prepared synthetically by heating benzaldehyde with sodium_acetate in the presence of acetic_anhydride.
*Circuit
A circuit is a path for electrical current. Current can flow only when the circuit is closed, that is when it presents a continuous conductive path. 
*Citral
#Geranial
*Citric acid
Citric_acid is found in citrus fruits. It has the formulae c6h807. 
*Clarinet
A clarinet (clarionet) is a woodwind musical instrument of the reed kind invented by Johann_Denner in Nuremberg around 1690. 
*Clarion
A clarion is a musical instrument of the trumpet family. 
*Clarionet
#Clarinet
*Cleopatra's Needle
Cleopatra's_Needle is a famous monolith which was erected at Heliopolis around 1500 BC before the great temple which stood there. It was removed to Alexandria by Augustus_Caesar and presented to England by Mehemet_Ali in 1819 and brought to London in 1878. It is made of granite and stands roughly 21 meters tall.
*Clepsydra
A clepsydra was a Greek and Roman water clock which measured time by the rate of the flow of water through small holes at the bottom of an earthenware globe.
*Clerestory
The clerestory is that part of the walls of a Gothic church which rise above the aisle and contains a row of windows. Its purpose being to admit as much light as possible to the nave.
*Click
Click is a peculiar variety of speech which occurs in the Bushman and Hottentot languages. The sounds are produced by pressing the tongue against some portion of the teeth-ridge or palate, and then quickly withdrawing it so as to produce an implosive click.
*Climate
Climate is the average state of the atmosphere with regard to warmth, wind, rain and other variable conditions throughout a long period of time. It is dependant on the interaction of atmospheric conditions, such as wind, cloud, temperature and rainfall and on the surface features of the earth itself, such as the distribution of land and water, mountains and ocean currents. Hence it may vary considerably in places only a few kilometres apart.
*Clipper
A clipper is a sharp bowed fast sailing vessel.
*Cloak
A cloak is a loose fitting, usually sleeveless outer garment.
*Clog
A clog is a wooden soled, leather uppered boot.
*Cloisonne
Cloisonne is a form of decorative enamel.
*Clonidine Hydrochloride
Clonidine_hydrochloride is a drug used to treat control high blood pressure; to suppress abstinance symptoms during narcotics withdrawl. It has the possible side effects of: drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, sedation, nervousness, headache, dizziness on changing position quickly, mouth dryness, constipation and itching.
*Clotted Cream
Clotted_Cream is made by allowing milk to stand in shallow pans for 12 hours at 60 degrees farenheight and then gently heating it to 180 degrees farenheight until the surface becomes wrinkled. More cream is separated by this system and it is more easily churned, and the scalding cures taints. Clotted cream contains about 67.5 per cent butterfat.
*Cloud
A cloud is a mist formed above the ground by floating water particles. 
*Clove hitch
The clove_hitch is a knot. 
*Cloxacillin Sodium
Cloxacillin_sodium is a drug used to treat systemic infections. It has the possible side effects of: Nausea, vomiting, stomach distress, diarrhea and hypersensitivity (rash, itching, chills, fever, sneezing and/or wheezing)
*Clutch
A clutch is an apparatus by which two rotating shafts may be connected or disconnected for the purpose of causing one to drive the other.
*Co-axial Cable
Co-axial_cable is cable consisting of two conductors, one a central wire and the other a cylinder concentric with the wire, the space between them being filled with a dielectric. 
*Co-education
Co-education is the education of the two sexes together, not only in the same institution, but also in the same classes. The idea is coincident with the belief that the mental capacities of boys and girls are equal, and that their roles should to a large extent be interchangeable.
*Co-respondent
A co-respondent is the person charged with adultery jointly with the defendant spouse on a divorce petition, or a joint defendant to an appeal.
*Coal
Coal is a solid combustible material of vegetable origin occurring in a fossilised state.
*Coal-tar
Coal-tar is a thick black viscous liquid produced by the destructive distillation of coal. Coal-tar yields benzene, creosote, paraffin, aniline and dyes.
*Coalition
A coalition is an alliance of States or political parties for common action on a specified policy. 
*Coast
In geography, the coast is the edge of land in contact with the sea. 
*Coastal Trade
Coastal_trade is sea-borne trade between different ports in the same country.
*Coaster
A coaster is a ship which carries cargo around a country's coast.
*Coastguard Service
The British Coastguard Service was established in 1923 as a department of the Board of Customs and Excise for the protection of British shores. The Coastguard Service is involved with life-saving, providing aid to ships, the prevention of smuggling and certain customs services. 
*Coaxial Cable
A coaxial cable is a cable in which one conductor surrounds the other.  The electromagnetic wave travels between the grounded outer shield and the central conductor. Coaxials can carry much wider bandwidth and higher frequencies than twisted wire pair, while suffering less interference problems due to the grounded outer conductor. Where the maximum frequency capable on twisted pair wiring is about 16 megahertz and then only for short distances, coaxial cable readily carries several hundred megahertz for 300 metres. 
*Cobalt
Cobalt is a metal element with the symbol Co.
*Cocaine
Cocaine is an alkaloid derived from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a white crystalline powder used as a local anaesthetic and also as a euphoric drug.
*Coccidiosis
Coccidiosis is a disease of rabbits caused by the Coccidium coccidia and detected by small yellow spots on the liver. It was commonly mistaken for tuberculosis at one time until the discovery of the coccidia organisms. 
*Cockade
A cockade is a kind of rosette worn in the hat by men-servants of naval and military officers, or of individuals holding office under the Crown. It was formerly worn in the hats of soldiers. 
*Cocoon
Cocoon is the name given to the silken case enveloping the chrysalis of several Lepidoptera, especially the silk moths. The term is also applied to the silk sack in which spiders wrap their eggs.
*Codeine
Codeine is an alkaloid derived from opium used as a pain killer and a sedative.
*Coefficient
In science a coefficient is a pure numeric characteristic of some property of a material. It appears in the form of a constant multiplying a term or terms in an equation expressing the behaviour of the material in question.
*Coemption
In Roman law, coemption was a form of civil marriage by a fictious sale of the two parties to each other.
*Coercion
In law, coercion is moral or physical pressure employed to force a person to do some act. In civil law, where an act is required to be done freely, such as in marriage etc., it will be invalidated by the element of coercion. 
*Coke
Coke is the residue, mainly amorphous carbon, left on heating bituminous coal and thus driving off its volatile constituents, or on heating hydrocarbons to a point at which they decompose with deposition of carbon (cracking).
*Col
In geography, a col is a narrow, high pass through a mountain chain formed by the meeting of river or glacier valleys from opposite sides of the range.
*Colchicine
Colchicine is an alkaloid derived from meadow saffron. 
*Coley's Fluid
Coley's_fluid was a fluid obtained by the culture of the bacili of erysipelas, streptococci, and staphtlococci used in the treatment of cancer.
*Colic
Colic is severe abdominal griping pains. 
*Colitis
Colitis is inflammation of the colon.
*Collectivism
Collectivism is a social system in which capital, natural resources, productive plant and all the means of wealth are held by the community. The word was first used by the anarchist, Bakunin to differentiate his policy from Marxism. 
*Collier
A collier is a medium-sized bulk carrier ship normally operated on coastal and short-sea routes. 
*Collodion
Collodion is a solution of nitro-cellulose in a mixture of alcohol and ether. Collodion is a thick and very inflammable liquid used in the manufacture of artificial silk, artificial leather, artificial pearls and photography.
*Collops
Collops is a British dish of minced meat fried with onions and then slowly cooked in stock.
*Colonnade
A colonnade is a row of columns, frequently covered with a roof projecting from an adjacent building. Colonnades were common in ancient Greece.
*Colophon
A colophon is the notice found in manuscripts and printed books which gives the name of the printer and the date and place of issue etc. 
*Colorimetry
Colorimetry is the measurement of the depth of colour of liquids for the purpose of inferring their chemical compositions. 
*Colosseum
The Colosseum is a famous building in Rome. Its construction started under Emperor Vespasian in 72 and was completed in 80. The Colosseum was intended for gladiatorial combats and is shaped in a large ellipse with tiers of stone benches around a central space, and no roof.
*Colossus
A colossus is a statue exceeding life size. The famous Colossus of Rhodes was a bronze statue of Helios which was reckoned to be about 30 meters tall. 
*Columbium
Columbium is an alternative name for the element Niobium.
*Column
In architecture, a column is an upright support in a building, usually of stone, with a decorated base and capital.
*Coma
A coma is a state of deep unconsciousness. 
*Coma Berenices
Coma_Berenices is a constellation of small stars situated east of Leo and above Virgo. According to legend, it is the beautiful hair of Queen Berenice of Egypt who consecrated it to Aphrodite. 
*Comb
A comb is a toothed instrument for arranging and smoothing hair. Combs have been used at least since the times of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
*Combustion
Combustion is the process of oxidation when it proceeds with sufficient violence and velocity to give rise to the easily apparent phenomena of heat and light. 
*Comet
A comet is a small body orbiting the sun on an elliptical path with a long tail of dust and ice. 
*Commensalism
Commensalism is the regular association of different species and genera of plants and animals living together, but independently. Either or both species may benefit by the association. For example, certain bacteria and fungi grow together on a substratum on which either will grow separately, but when the bacteria are present the fungi grow better and are more fruitful.  
*Commode
A commode is an occasional table supported by a cupboard, sometimes also with drawers. They were very popular in the 18th century. The term is also applied to a bedside cupboard. 
*Compactor
A compactor is a device which crushes and compresses rubbish into small and convenient parcels.
*Compass
A compass is an instrument for finding direction.
*Compiler
A compiler is a computer program that translates high level language code into machine language code. It was invented by Grace_Murray_Hopper in 1951.
*Compost
Compost is a mixture of manures, or earths and manures, varying in proportions and quality to suit different plants and used by gardeners to feed their plants and improve soil quality. 
*Compound
A compound is a substance made of two or more elements and differing from a mixture in that the elements are present in a constant proportion no matter how or where the compound is prepared. 
*Compton Effect
The Compton Effect is the experimental proof by A. H. Compton in 1923 that X-rays, scattered by falling on a solid such as carbon are altered in frequency. The experiment affords proof that light is at once wave-like and particle-like in nature.
*Compurgation
Compurgation was an ancient form of procedure in criminal cases whereby a prisoner succeeded if he could find a sufficient number of people, depending on the gravity of the charge, to swear to his innocence.
*Computer
A computer is a programmable electronic device.
*Concertina
A concertina is a wind musical instrument comprised of bellows and two keyboards. It was invented in 1829 by Wheatstone. 
*Conchology
Conchology is the scientific study of shells. It was first reduced to a system by John_Major of Kiel in 1675.
*Conciliation
Conciliation is the settlement of a dispute by reference to a commission which makes a report, but does not give an award or judgement.
*Concordat
Originally a concordat was any pact or agreement; later one between ecclesiastical and secular authorities, and especially one between the Pope and a temporal ruler concerning ecclesiastical matters within the latter's domains.
*Concrete
Concrete is a building material of cement, sand, stone and water.
*Conductor
In physics, a conductor is a substance in which free electrons and/or ions are available to move under the influence of an electric field and thus to produce the phenomenon known as electric current. A conductor must therefore exist in a state of at least partial ionization.
*Confucianism
Confucianism is an ancient Chinese religion. It takes its name from its supposed founder - Confucious, but predates him and Confucious never claimed to do more than preserve the virtues of the past. 
*Congo Red
Congo_Red is a dye belonging to the azo-dyes. It is manufactured from benzidine and napthionic_acid, and can be used directly on cotton without employing a mordant. 
*Conia
Conia is the volatile alkaloid poison found in hemlock.
*Consanguinity
Consanguinity is the relation between persons descended from a common ancestor.
*Conscience Clause
A conscience clause is a clause in certain British Acts of Parliament which dispenses people from certain duties if they have religious objections to their performance. 
*Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory training of every eligible man for military service.
*Consecration
Consecration is the act of dedicating a thing or person to the special service of a god. 
*CONSIGHT
CONSIGHT is an industrial machine vision object-recognition system which uses lighting effects to produce silhouette-like images.
*Consistory Court
The Consistory Court is the spiritual court of a diocesan bishop in the Church of England presided over by a lawyer, his Chancellor, administering ecclesiastical law. In the Church of Rome it is a meeting of Cardinals presided over by the Pope to discuss important ecclesiastical affairs. 
*Console
In architecture, a console is an ornamental bracket used to support a cornice, usually in a curved form. 
*Consomme
Consomme is a thin clear soup made from stock. 
*Constant
In mathematics a constant is a fixed value.
*Constantan
Constantan is an alloy of copper and nickel. 
*Constellation
A constellation, in astronomy, is a divisional area of the sky. Generally it is a group of fixed stars named after a mythological person or animal.
*Constipation
Constipation is irregular and insufficient evacuation of the bowels. 
*Constituency
A constituency is a body of electors.
*Consulate
A consulate is a building in which a consul transacts his official business. 
*Contempt of Court
Contempt_of_Court is the disobedience to, or disregard of the rules, orders, or dignity of a court, and is punishable by fine or committal to prison. Less serious offences may sometimes be purged by an apology. 
*Contraband
Contraband is the term used to describe goods which are prohibited to be imported or exported by the laws of a state.
*Contract
Contract is a legal term for an agreement made between two or more persons which is recognised by law and whereby each party to the agreement undertakes to do, or to refrain from doing, a particular act in consideration of the other party undertaking to do, or refraining from doing, some other specified act.
*Contract Bridge
Contract_Bridge is a variety of Auction_Bridge in which only the exact number of tricks which the declarer contracts to make score towards the game. The variety evolved around 1912, and gained popularity from 1930 onwards. 
*Contract Note
A contract note is the summary of a contract sent by a broker or agent to his principal. 
*Contralto
In music, contralto is the highest voice of a male adult, or the lowest of a woman or boy. It is also known as Alto or counter-tenor.
*Convention of Gastein
The Convention of Gastein was signed by Austria and Prussia in 1865 at the close of the Schleswig-Holstein War. By it Schleswig was ceded to Prussia and Holstein to Austria.
*Conveyancing
Conveyancing is the transfer by mutual consent of the parties of real property by means of written documents, or conveyances.
*Convulsions
Convulsions are involuntary contractions of muscles which are usually under conscious control. 
*Cooking
Cooking is the art of preparing food for the table by subjecting it to heat in various ways. In its higher developments, cooking also involves making the food attractive to the eye.
*Coon-can
Coon-can is a card game for between 2 and 7 players, and is derived from an old Spanish game called Conquian.  
*Cooperage
Cooperage is the making of wooden vessels by binding strips or staves of wood with hoops to form cylinders (barrels, casks etc.).
*Copaiba
Copaiba is a mixture of resin and volatile oil which pours from the cut stems of species of Copaifera trees indigenous to tropical America. In small doses copaiba is a diuretic.  
*Copal
Copal is a naturally occurring resin used in varnish where it is dissolved in alcohol or turpentine. 
*Cope
A cope is a silken vestment, open in the front and reaching to the feet, used in the Roman Catholic Church and more rarely in the Church of England. 
*Coppice
A coppice or copse is a small wood.
*Copra
Copra is the dried flesh of the coconut. 
*Coprolite
Coprolite is the fossilised excrement of reptiles (dinosaur dung, so to speak). They occur in the form of nodules and contain a lot of phosphatic material. The term has come to apply to any phosphatic nodule. 
*Coprophilia
Coprophilia is the rather unusual condition of deriving sexual pleasure from faeces and excrement. 
*Copse
#Coppice 
*Coptic
Coptic is a Hamitic language descended from ancient Egyptian, and extinct from about 1700. 
*Corbillon cup
The corbillon_cup is a table_tennis tournament.
*Cordovan
Cordovan is a fine leather which took its name from the Spanish city of Cordova where it was manufactured in large quantities. 
*Corduroy
Corduroy is a thick cotton material corded, or ribbed on one surface.
*Cordwain
Cordwain is a Spanish shoe-leather made of goat skin or split horse hide. It was much used throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. 
*Cork
Cork is the bark of a species of oak tree (Cork_Oak) native to south Europe and north Africa. The bark is first stripped off when the tree is about 20 years old, and the process is repeated roughly every 9 years. The best cork is produced when the tree is about 40 years old, though the tree is productive for about 150 years. 
*Corn Laws
Corn_Laws are various enactments designed to ensure an adequate supply of cereal foods to a country, usually by protection allotted to its own farmers. In England from the 11th to the 15th centuries all exports of grain were forbidden except with special permission in times of a glut. This attempted protection ironically resulted in making agriculture inefficient and diminishing supplies, and in 1436 exports were allowed when the price dropped below a certain level. 
*Corned Beef
Beef meat which has been ''corned'', that is soaked in water with salt and a little potassium_nitrate, for about 10 days.
*Cornell University
Cornell_University is an American university at Ithaca, in New_York state. It was founded in the latter part of the 19th century mainly through the benefactions of Ezra_Cornell.
*Cornish
The Cornish language was a Celtic language spoke in Cornwall as recently as the 19th century, but is now all but extinct except in certain place names.
*Corolla
Corolla is a botanical term referring to a flower's petals collectively. What in popular terms may be thought of as the ''flower'' of a plant. 
*Coronet
A coronet is a special crown worn by nobles on State occasions and represented above their coats of arms. The designs vary according to the rank of the wearer. In England, the Prince of Wale's coronet is distinguished from the royal crown by having a single instead of a double arch. A duke's coronet has on the rim 8 strawberry leaves; that of a marquis, 4 strawberry leaves and 4 silver balls alternately; that of an earl has 8 silver balls on long spikes alternating with strawberry leaves set lower; a viscount's coronet has 16 silver balls close together, and a baron's 6.
*Corporal Punishment
Corporal_Punishment is the striking or beating of a person as punishment. Caning in schools is corporal punishment, and is a subject of continuous debate as to whether or not it should be allowed. In the past in England certain criminals were whipped, such as incorrigible rogues, perpetrators of robbery with violence and larceny. The whipping of women was banned in England in 1820. 
*Corpus Christi
Corpus_Christi is the festival in the Roman Catholic Church held on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. It was established as a general festival in 1264 by a bull of Pope Urban_IV. It commemorates the institution of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper and among Roman Catholics is the occasion of outdoor processions.
*Corrosion
Corrosion is the external chemical changes which take place in materials in ordinary use, resulting in their injury or destruction. The corrosion of metal is very important, but the corrosion of stone is also a major problem. The corrosion or iron is commonly known as rusting.
*Corrosive Sublimate
Corrosive_Sublimate is the popular name for mercuric_chloride. 
*Corvee
Corvee is a form of forced labour. The term is especially applied to the unpaid labour owed by tenants in France to their lord under the feudal system. The system died out with serfdom in Europe, except in France where it was continued in the form of a labour or money payment for the upkeep of roads.
*Cosmetics
Cosmetics are materials used to improve the personal appearance. They fall into two categories. Those which improved the natural appearance of the skin and hair and remove blemishes; and those which camouflage. Soap is the most commonly used cosmetic. It is used to loosen and remove dirt and dead skin cells.
*Cosmology
Cosmology is the study of the structure of the universe. 
*Cottage
The term cottage was originally applied to a small house without land, and is mentioned in 1275. 
*Cotton Mills Act
The Cotton Mills Act was passed in 1819 laying down a minimum age for the employment of children and a maximum working week of 72 hours. 
*Cotton-seed oil
Cotton-seed_oil is an oil expressed from the seeds of the cotton plant. It is obtained in large quantities in the USA where the higher grade oil is used as an edible cooking oil and the cheaper grades are used for making soap. 
*Cotton-wool
Cotton-wool is the term used for cotton when used in the open form, without being spun or woven. It is usually composed of short fibres which are no use for spinning, and is used in medicine for applying antiseptic material and for removing make-up and for wadding and stuffing. 
*Cotyledon
The cotyledon is the first leaf of an embryo plant and is formed within the seed.
*Coumarone
Coumarone is a liquid organic compound found in coal-tar. It belongs to the benzo-furfurane class of compounds and is used as a source of resin for making varnish.
*Counter-irritant
A counter-irritant is a remedy applied to the body externally which relieves a discomfort somewhere else by producing a local irritation. They effect relief by reflex action due to the sensation they impart to the nerves of the skin below.
*Coup d'Etat
A Coup d'Etat is a sudden, forcible assumption of power in the State by a party or person in defiance of constitutional rights.
*Coupe
A coupe is a small four-wheeled closed carriage for 2 persons. The term has come to also describe a motor car with a single-compartment body containing two or three seats or a half-compartment in a railway coach. 
*Couplet
A couplet is two rhymed lines of verse, either comprising a self-contained poem, or forming a unit in a longer poem. 
*Coupon
A coupon is a small certificate which entitles the holder to some payment, gift or benefit.
*Coursing
Coursing is the pursuit of game by dogs running by sight, not by scent. Modern coursing is mainly restricted to greyhound racing where the object is not to catch the hare, but rather a race of speed between the dogs. 
*Court
Court is the suite of the sovereign, or the place where the sovereign sojourns with his suite. A court is also a place where the sovereign administers justice through his judges. 
*Court Martial
A Court Martial is a court for the trial of offences against the military or naval discipline or for the administration of martial law.
*Covalency
Covalency is the bonding of two atoms in a molecule by the mutual sharing of a pair of electrons, one from each atom.
*Coventicle Act
The Coventicle Act of 1664 declared that a meeting of more than five persons (except the household) for religious worship not in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer was a seditious assembly. It was repealed by the Toleration_Act of 1689.
*Coventry Act
The Coventry Act was passed to prevent malicious maiming and wounding in 1671, in consequence of Sir_John_Coventry being maimed in the streets of London by Sir_Thomas_Sandy's and others on 21st December 1670. The act was repealed in 1828. 
*Cow-catcher
A cow-catcher is a frame of steel bars projecting forwards and downwards from the front of a locomotive in order to prevent cattle and other obstructions from getting under the wheels of the train.
*Cowl
A cowl is a sleeveless garment with a hood worn by members of certain religious orders in the Catholic Church. 
*Crack
Crack is the crystalline form of cocaine.
*Cracking
In the petro-chemical industry, the term cracking applies to the heating of a hydrocarbon to the point at which it decomposes with deposition of carbon. 
*Crambo
Crambo is an old guessing game which was very popular in the 17th century. One player thinks of a word and mentions another word with which it rhymes. The other players try to guess the word by defining the word guessed by a synonym without actually naming it. For example; "A word rhyming with dog"; "Is it a mist?"; "No it's not fog"; "Is it a pig?"; "Yes it is hog". In Dumb Crambo the word guessed has to be portrayed in pantomime without speaking. 
*Cramp
Cramp is a severe spasm of certain muscles, usually of a limb, but often of the chest or abdomen.
*Craniology
#Phrenology
*Crap-shooting
Crap-shooting (Craps) is a form of gambling with dice which is especially popular in America. Two dice are rolled or "shot" from the open hand; a throw of 7 or 11 (nick or natural) wins all stakes; 2, 3 or 12 (crap) loses all. Any other number (a point) entitles the thrower to continue until he wins by throwing the same number again, or loses by throwing the 7.
*Craps
#Crap-shooting 
*Crater
A crater was a large earthenware vessel used for mixing wines in Greece and Rome. The term also describes the outlet of a volcano or the hole made in the earth by an explosion. 
*CRC
CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) is a powerful error checking method for data and digital communications. The transmitting terminal computes  a numeric value representative of the number of marking bits in the associated block of data and sends that value to the receiver, where the number is recomputed to compare against the block as received.  Depending on the number of bits in the CRC numeric value the error trapping efficiency ranges from about 97 percent at CRC-6 to 99.997 percent at CRC-32.  Values of CRC-8 and CRC-16 are adequate for most data message block sizes, while CRC-32 is needed mainly for very long blocks of tens of thousands of characters. 
*Cream
Cream is the thicker substance that rises to the top of milk which is allowed to stand. It contains all the constituents of milk, with a larger but variable quantity of solids. A medium cream contains 36 percent butterfat, 6 percent albuminoids and 2.5 percent milk sugar. The butterfat content varies between 15 and 56 per cent.
*Cream of Tartar
Cream_of_Tartar or potassium sodium tartrate is a salt of tartaric_acid used in baking.
*Creatine
#Methyl-guanidine-acetic acid
*Creative Evolution
Creative_Evolution is a tenet of philosophy put forward by Bergson that asserts that evolution is not purely mechanistic (as Darwin claimed) but that inherited characteristics and the effect of the environment are used by the individual, perhaps unconsciously, in an act of self-creation. 
*Credence Table
A credence table was a "tasting" table used in Italy at a time when attempts to poison princes and nobles was a common practice. Today a credence table is a small table in a church by the side of the altar on which the bread and wine are placed ready for the Eucharist.
*Credentials
Credentials are official documents issued to a representative or agent, guaranteeing his status and authority. 
*Creosote
Creosote is a generic term applied to acid liquors which are obtained during the destructive distillation of wood, and also to a fraction obtained in the distillation of coal-tar.
*Crepe de Chine
Crepe_de_Chine was originally a mixed silk and wool fabric, today it is a usually pure wool fabric, woven so as to give a slightly crinkled effect when put through a special finishing process. 
*Crescent
Crescent is a geometrical form resembling the moon in its first quarter, and used as a charge in heraldry. It is perhaps bet known as the symbol of the Ottoman Turks and a symbol of Islam. 
*Cresol
The cresols (hydroxy-toluenes, methyl-phenols) are organic compounds present in the crude phenol obtained from coal-tar. They are used in antiseptics. 
*Cretaceous
The Cretaceous was the eleventh geological period, 95,000,000 years ago. The first marsupials evolved. 
*Cretinism
Cretinism is a disease developed in early childhood due to the absence or deficiency of the thyroid gland or to goitre. The disease is distributed the world over, but is especially common in certain areas such as Switzerland and Derbyshire. 
*Cribbage
Cribbage is a card game usually for 2 players, but also played in pairs by 4 players. It was invented by John_Suckling in the first half of the 17th century and is very popular in London, and pubs throughout Britain where it is played for money and in competition leagues. 
*Cricket
Cricket is the English national summer game - although the English cricket team of the 1990s is an international joke. The modern day game seems to have evolved around the 16th century from earlier bat and ball games dating from the 13th century and assumed its present form in the 18th century. Cricket is a team game played by two teams of 11 players each on a pitch 22 yards long with a wicket at each end to be defended by the batsman against a ball delivered by one of the opposing side, while the other members of this side endeavour to catch the ball when struck or missed by the batsman.
*Criminology
Criminology is the science dealing with the nature and causes of crime. It is a branch of sociology and psychology. It was first developed by Lombroso, of Turin, who published a work on the subject in 1875. 
*Crimping-House
A crimping-house was a place used to entrap people into the army and later into the mercantile marine. Some of them in London were destroyed by the populace following the death of a young man killed while trying to escape from one in 1794. The Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 made crimping illegal and subject to punishment by a heavy fine. 
*Crochet
Crochet is a form of knitting done with a hooked needle and cotton or thin wool. 
*Croquet
Croquet is a lawn game which was introduced into England around 1850. It comprises 4 balls - blue, red, black and yellow, always played in that order - which are struck with a wooden mallet through 6 hoops and against a peg in a prescribed order. 
*Croquettes
Croquettes is a savoury mixture of meat, fowl, fish, cheese, nut egg etc. bound together with a sauce and then coated with egg and breadcrumbs and fried.
*Croton Oil
Croton_Oil is a fatty oil obtained from the seeds of Croton tiglium. It is an extremely powerful cathartic and is used in medicine.
*Croup
Croup is the inflammation of the larynx. 
*Crown Jewels
Crown_Jewels are jewelled emblems of royalty. The British Crown_Jewels are kept on public display at the Tower_of_London and comprise crowns, orbs, sceptres, swords and an anointing spoon. 
*Crown Lands
Crown_Lands are lands belonging to the sovereign.
*Crozier
The crozier is a bishop's staff of office. It resembles a shepherd's crook in shape, and may have developed from the hooked staff carried by the Roman augurs. 
*Crwth
The crwth was a Welsh form of violin with 6 strings. 4 of the strings were played with a bow, the other 2 being plucked by the fingers.
*Cryophorus
The cryophorus is an instrument inveneted by Wollaston about 1812 to demonstrate the relation between evaporation at low temperatures and the production of cold.
*Crypt
A crypt is a chamber or compartment under a church or public building. In early Christian churches it was usually built to hold a saint's tomb or the relics of saints.
*Cryptography
Cryptography is writing in cipher with the intention of hiding the meaning from all who do not possess the key.
*Crystal
A crystal is a body, usually bounded by symmetrically arranged plane surfaces possessing properties which differ in magnitude in different directions. 
*Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a large building with a central hall, 1600 ft long, built entirely of iron and glass, with towers at either end 282 ft high, at Sydenham in London. It was designed by Sir_Joseph_Paxton and reconstructed in 1854 from the building used for the Great Hyde Park Exhibition of 1851. 
*Cubebs
Cubebs is an eastern condiment made from dried unripe berries of a plant closely related to the pepper.
*Cubit
The cubit was a Hebrew, Roman and English unit of measurement. The English cubit was equal to 18 inches, the Hebrew 22 inches and the Roman 17.5 inches. 
*Cucullus
A cucullus was a hooded cloak of coarse woollen material worn by lower orders in Rome. 
*Cullinan Diamond
The Cullinan Diamond was a diamond of over 3000 carats found in Cullinan mine in the Transvaal in 1907. It was bought by the Transvaal government for 150,000 pounds and presented to King Edward_VII as the largest diamond known. It has subsequently been cut into 9 large stones.
*Cuneiform
Cuneiform describes the form of writing used in inscriptions by the ancient Babylonians, Persians and Hittites. The characters are all in the form of a wedge and were developed from earlier ideographs and represent not so much individual characters as syllables or entire words. 
*Cup
A cup is an alcoholic beverage consisting of the lighter wines, such as claret, sherry, cider, hock, champagne, etc. mixed with soda-water, and sweetened with sugar. Fruit juices and slices of fruit and spices are sometimes added. 
*Cupel
A cupel is a receptacle made from bone-ash and used in cupellation.
*Cupellation
Cupellation is an ancient method of extracting silver from its ores by alloying the silver with lead, and then removing the lead from the lead-silver alloy by melting it in a receptacle made from bone-ash and called a cupel. Air is then passed over the surface of the metal, oxidising the lead to litharge which is blown off.
*Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a spherical roof. The term is also used to describe the cover of gun emplacements.  
*Cupro nickel
Cupro_nickel is an alloy of copper and nickel
*Curare
Curare is a poison derived from the bark of a South_American tree. 
*Curfew
A curfew is a signal given, generally by the ringing of a bell, to warn inhabitants of a town to extinguish their fires. It was used to avoid the danger of fires at night when houses were built of wood. The practice generally died out from 1100, and today the term describes ordering citizens to remain indoors between certain hours.
*Curia Regis
Curia_Regis was a court of law established by William_I and attended by all the great officers of state as a final Court of Appeal.
*Curia Romana
Curia_Romana is the name given to the judicial and administrative organisations for the Government of the Roman Catholic Church, including the body of Cardinals and officials who reside at Rome. 
*Curie
Curie is the unit of measurement of radioactivity. 
*Curling
Curling is a Scottish national game played with stones on the ice, said to have been introduced from the Low_Countries in the 16th century.
*Curry
Curry is an Indian dish composed of various solids - fish, meat, fowl or eggs - served in a hot flavoured sauce. The sauces vary, but are based upon chilli, black pepper, coriander and turmeric. 
*Curtilage
Curtilage is the land which surrounds and belongs to a dwelling-house. 
*Curtis cup
The curtis_cup is an international golf tournament.
*Custard
Custard is a sweet sauce made from eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla essence. The eggs are beaten with the sugar and then milk and the vanilla essence are added. The dish may also be steamed and served set as a desert. 
*Cutlet
A cutlet is a small slice of veal, mutton or lamb, trimmed into shape and usually part of the rib. 
*CWT
#Hundredweight 
*Cyanamide
Cyanamide is a colourless crystalline substance. It is the amide of cyanic_acid and is prepared by the interaction of ammonia and cyanogen_chloride. 
*Cyanic Acid
Cyanic_Acid (HCNO) is a volatile liquid prepared by the distillation of urea. It is very unstable and if heated above zero degrees Celsius explodes with the formation of a polymer cyanmelide.  
*Cyanide
Cyanide is a salt of hydrocyanic acid. Notably potassium cyanide.
*Cyanocobolamin
#Vitamin_B12 
*Cyanogen
Cyanogen is a colourless gas with a peculiarly characteristic odour. It is inflammable and extremely poisonous. It is derived from Prussian_Blue, and was first obtained in the free state by Gay_Lussac in 1815, being the first instance of the isolation of a compound radical. 
*Cybernetics
Cybernetics is the study of systems in which the action of a mechanism is controlled by information received from an external source.
*Cyclone
A cyclone is an area of low atmospheric pressure.
*Cyclopia
Cyclopia is the medical condition of a person born with only one eye orbit.
*Cyclotron
A cyclotron is an apparatus for imparting energies in the order of millions of electron-volts to charged particles by causing them to follow a spiral path inside a pair of hollow semicircular electrodes between which an oscillating voltage is applied.
*Cymbal
The cymbal is a brass musical instrument, and the oldest recorded known musical instrument. Generally it consists of a suspended brass disk which is struck with a stick.
*Cystitis
Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder.
*Cytochrome
Cytochrome is a type of protein. 
*Czapka
A czapka, or lancer cap, was a distinctive headdress worn by the Uhlans. 
*D Layer
The D Layer is the lowest region of ionized gas in the ionosphere. It exists only during the hours of daylight, at an altitude of about 70 km. 
*Dacoity
In the Penal Code, dacoity is defined as organised banditry by 5 or more persons. The word derives from the Hindustani word for a robber, dakait.
*Dada
The dada is an artistic and literary movement founded in 1915 in Zurich. 
*Daguerreotype
Daguerreotype was the earliest process of photographic reproduction, and was so called after its inventor Louis_Daguerre. A copper plate, polished and silvered, was sensitised by exposure to iodine vapour, and so coated with a fine layer of silver iodide. It was then exposed in a camera, like modern photographic film, but with a longer exposure time. It was afterwards removed and treated with mercury vapour, the mercury attaching itself to those areas which had been most exposed to light and settling there in a density proportionate to the strength of the light. 
*Dahabiyeh
A dahabiyeh is a broad, shallow-draught vessel with a sharp prow and sails used for conveying passengers on the Nile.
*Daily Express
The Daily_Express is a tabloid newspaper which was founded in 1900 by Pearson. At the time it strongly supported Chamberlain's tariff reform policy, and today is known for its strongly nationalist right-wing ideas. 
*Daily Mail
The Daily_Mail is a tabloid newspaper. It was founded in 1896 and was the first halfpenny London morning newspaper.
*Daily Mirror
The Daily_Mirror is a tabloid newspaper. It was founded in 1903 chiefly as a journal for women, and modified in 1904 as a general illustrated newspaper. Today it is known as a sensationalist tabloid supporting the Labour party.
*Daily Telegraph
The Daily_Telegraph is a broadsheet newspaper which was established in 1855 as a 2d paper by Colonel_Sleigh. Several months later it was bought by Levy who reduced the price to 1d. It was a Liberal supporting paper until 1878, then from 1886 it was unionist and raised funds for needy causes. Today it is nicknamed the ''Torygraph'' from its strong support of the Conservative party.
*Dak
Dak was the east Indian postal service. Properly a dak was a relay of men carrying letters, despatches and the like. 
*Dakin's Solution
Dakin's_Solution is a disinfectant solution containing sodium_hydrochlorite, rendered neutral by the addition of boric_acid as a buffer. The disinfectant action of the solution is very rapid, but it has the disadvantage of being unstable and does not keep for more than about a week.
*Dalmatic
A dalmatic is a sleeveless embroidered vestment worn by deacons in the Roman Church and the High Church section of the Anglican Church during the celebration of High Mass and at processions. 
*Dam
A dam is a structure constructed to hold back water and provide controlled flow for irrigation, storage and generation of electricity. 
*Damask
Damask is a material of silk, linen, etc., with a raised of flat pattern woven into it, and shading alternately light and dark, according to the angle of view. The name derives from Damascus where in the 12th century silk fabrics of a similar pattern were made.
*Damaskeening
Damaskeening is the process of ornamenting iron and steel with designs produced by inlaying or encrusting with another metal such as gold or silver, by etching and the like.
*Dammar Gum
Dammar_Gum is a naturally occurring gum obtained from coniferous trees that grow in the East Indies and Philippines. Dammar gum is soluble in turpentine and is employed in varnish and lacquers.  
*Dance
Dance is a rhythmic movement of the body usually performed to music. 
*Dane-geld
Dane-geld (Danegeld, Danegelt) was a tribute paid to the Danes to stop their ravages in England. It was first raised by Ethelred_II in 991, and again in 1003; and was levied after the expulsion of the Danes to pay fleets for clearing the seas of them. The tax was suppressed by Edward the Confessor in 1051; revibed by William_I in 1068; and formed part of the revenue of the crown, until it was abolished by Stephen in 1136. The tax was levied on every hide of land (as much as one plough could plough) at a rate first of 1 shilling and later as much as 7 shillings.
*Danegeld
#Dane-geld 
*Danegelt
#Dane-geld 
*Dark Ages
The Dark_Ages were the five or six centuries following the fall of the west Roman Empire, after the civilisation of Rome, based on unity and inter-communication had been destroyed by repeated barbarian invasions. 
*Dark Room
A dark room is a specially darkened studio used for photographic work. As much of the material used in photography is sensitive to light, many operations must be conducted in darkness. 
*Darlington Pair
A Darlington Pair is an electronic circuit using two transistors with the collectors connected together and the emitter of the first directly coupled to the base of the second. This configuration gives very high gains equal to the gains of the two individual transistors multiplied together.
*Data
Data is information, especially that stored in a computer. 
*Daturine
Daturine is the poisonous alkaloid found in the thorn-apple. 
*Davis cup
The Davis_cup is a tennis tournament.
*Day
A day is the time taken for the earth to rotate once on its axis. Astronomically a day is reckoned to begin at noon; for civil purposes, at midnight.
*Daylight Saving Time
Daylight_Saving_Time is a device for the better utilisation of daylight by a temporary abandonment of sun-time in summer. It was first suggested in 1907 by William_Willett, and implemented in 1916 in order to procure economy in light and fuel as an Act which provided that all clocks be put forward one hour for a period of about 5.5 months during the summer in England. This emergency measure was perpetuated by an Act of 1925, and adopted by many other European countries. 
*dBM
dBM is an identifier meaning ''decibels referred to one milliwatt,'' the common reference point for power levels in telecommunications circuits. 
*Ddt
Ddt is an insecticide discovered in 1939 by Paul Muller. 
*De Haeretico Comburendo
De_Haeretico_Comburendo was a statute of 1401 against the Lollards. By it, a heretic convicted before a spiritual tribunal and refusing to recant was to be burned.
*Debusscope
The debusscope is an instrument somewhat similar to a kaleidoscope, useful for devising patterns for calico-printers. It was invented in France around 1860. 
*Decahydro-naphthalene
Decahydro-naphthalene is naphthalene which has been completely reduced by catalytic hydrogenation. It is a colourless liquid with a pleasant odour and the formulae C10H18 used as a solvent and cleaning-agent. 
*Decalin
Decalin was a commercial name for Decahydro-naphthalene. 
*Decathlon
The decathlon is a 2 day Olympic athletic event. 
*Deceleration
Deceleration is the rate at which a moving body decreases in velocity. 
*December
December is the twelth month of the year. It was originally the Roman tenth month of the year, hence the name from the Latin decem meaning ten. The British commenced their year on the 25th of December until the reign of William_I. 
*Decennalia
Decennalia were festivals instituted by Augustus in 17 BC, and celebrated by Roman emperors every ten years of their reign with sacrifices, games and largesses. 
*Decibel
The decibel is the unit of measurement of sound intensity.
In electronics, the decibel is a unit of measurement representing the logarithmic a ratio of two voltages, currents or power levels; used in telecommunications to express transmission loss or gain; defined as one-tenth of a Bel, hence the appropriate notation is dB, shown here.
*Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was made in 1776 by the 13 English colonies in North_America breaking away from all allegiance to the British Crown. The Declaration was mainly the work of Thomas_Jefferson. Already in December 1775 the Congress had declared itself independent of the English parliament and by this declaration had repudiated allegiance to the Crown.
*Declaration of Indulgence
The Declaration of Indulgence in 1687 was a proclamation by James_II repealing all religious tests and penal laws against Roman Catholics and Dissenters. The Declaration was republished in 1688 and ordered to be read in the churches. Their refusal to do this led to the trial of the Seven Bishops, who were acquitted.
*Declaration of Paris
The Declaration of Paris in 1856 adopted with the Treaty of Paris to establish four principles of international law: 1) Privateering to be abolished; 2) the neutral flag might cover enemy goods except contraband of war; 3) neutral goods, except contraband of war, not to be subject to capture under an enemy's flag; 4) blockades, to be binding, must be effective, i.e. maintained by a sufficient force. 
*Decoy
Strictly speaking, a decoy is either a tame or artificial duck, so placed as to lure wild ducks within gunshot range. The term is widely applied to any means by which a person or animal is lured into a trap.
*Defamation
In law, defamation is a false statement tending to expose another person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or to injure him in his trade or profession. Mere insult is not sufficient.
*Defence of the Realm Acts
The Defence of the Realm Acts (DORA) were a series of Acts passed during and after the Great_War in Britain conferring on the King in Council the power to take extra-ordinary measures for the defence of the realm. Perhaps the most unpopular Act was the limitation of the times during which intoxicants could be sold, commonly known as the licensing hours and not relaxed until the 1990s.
*Deimos
Deimos is one of the two moons of mars.
*Dekatron
A dekatron is a gas-filled cold-cathode electron tube, having a central anode and ten effective cathodes, used in electronic counting circuits.
*Deliquescence
A substance is deliquescent when it has an affinity for water strong enough to absorb it from the atmosphere in large quantities. Typically deliquescent salts are calcium_chloride and ammonium_nitrate.
*Deliquescent
#Deliquescence 
*Delta
Delta is the 4th letter of the Greek alphabet. In geography, a delta is an alluvial triangular deposit formed at diverging mouths of a river.
*Delta Metal
Delta_Metal is a variety of brass containing 55 percent copper, 41 percent zinc and 4 percent various other metals.
*Delta Rays
Delta_rays are a stream of electrons moving at a relatively low velocity.
*Denaturant
A denaturant is a substance added to intoxicating liquids such as alcohol, so that while they are rendered unfit to drink are still usable in industry. However, the theory behind their use fails to appreciate the desperation of some alcoholics, and the drinking of methylated spirits despite being made more dangerous by the addition of toxic denaturants, is still just as widespread, but with even more injury occurring to those who consume it.  
*Density
Density is the mass of a substance in relation to its volume, and usually expressed as the weight in grams of 1 cubic centimetre. Since volume enters into this dimension, and volume varies with temperature, it is essential that the temperature at which the measurement was taken is revealed when stating the density of a substance.
*Dentil
In architecture, a dentil is one of a series of small square projecting blocks in the moulding of a cornice. They were originally employed as a decorative representation of the beam-ends of a wooden roof, the term has been extended to apply to objects made of wood.
*Dentistry
Dentistry is a branch of medical science concerned with the care of the teeth, and including the treatment of unsound teeth, the prevention of dental diseases and the manufacture of artificial teeth. Although practised in ancient Egypt, it was not until the 19th century that dentistry became a subject for serious scientific research and considered a branch of medicine.
*Denudation
Denudation is a geological term for the wearing away of the earth's surface by the various agents - rain, frost, rivers, glaciers and ocean waves, each agent exhibiting a different kind of erosion.
*Deodand
In old English law, deodand was a term denoting anything which had caused the death of a person, accidentally or otherwise, and was thereupon forfeited to the crown to be put to some good use. 
*Depilatory
A depilatory is a substance which has the power to remove hair other than by cutting it. The term is generally applied to cosmetic hair removers.
*Deposition
In geology, deposition is a term applied to the laying-down of material by the various agents, such as wind, rivers, lakes, oceans and glaciers, each deposit exhibiting distinct characteristics. 
*Derating
Derating is a scheme to encourage agriculture and industry by relieving them of a portion or the whole rates normally payable. the principle was introduced by Winston_Churchill in the Budget of 1928 and incorporated in the Local Government (Derating) Act of 1929. The Act relieved agricultural land of the whole, and productive industry of three-quarters, of rates previously levied, and substituted therefor a lump sum government grant, distributed among the local authorities. The effect of derating was obscured by the subsequent industrial depression.
*Dermatitis
Dermatitis is a term applied to many kinds of inflammation of the skin.
*Derrick
A derrick is a lofty, portable, crane-like structure used on land and water for lifting enormous loads. They were invented in 1857 by Bishop for raising sunken vessels. 
*Desiccator
A desiccator is an apparatus used mainly in the laboratory, by which substances can be thoroughly freed from water.
*Desk
A desk is a flat or sloping table used for reading, writing or drawing, with or without legs. In the Middle_Ages a plank was generally used. 
*Devonian
The Devonian was the sixth geological period, 300,000,000 years ago. It marked the evolution of the insects and amphibians.
*Dew
Dew is a precipitation in the form of moisture that collects on the ground after the temperature of the ground has fallen below the dew point temperature of the air in contact with the ground. 
*Dextrin
Dextrin is a sticky mixture of water-soluble products, an intermediate stage in the hydrolysis of starch into sugars. It was formerly marketed as an adhesive under the name of "British_Gum". 
*Diadem
A diadem was a head-band worn by the Romans instead of a crown.
*Dialect
A dialect is a characteristic manner of speech confined to a particular locality and differing, to a greater or lesser extent, from the standard speech of the country. The distinction between dialect and language is one of expediency rather than science. 
*Diallyl barbituric acid
Diallyl_barbituric_acid is a colourless crystalline organic compound used in medicine as a soporific.
*Dialogue
Dialogue is a form of literature consisting of a conversation between two or more characters and so having considerable affinities with drama. 
*Dialysis
Dialysis is a method of chemical analysis, depending upon the different degrees of diffusibility of substances in liquids. It was discovered by Thomas_Graham in 1861. 
*Diastase
Diastase is a substance which occurs in saliva and in the secretions of the pancreas. It is an enzyme which has the power to break down starch with the formation of sugars. 
*Diathermy
Diathermy is a therapeutic treatment in which heat is produced in body tissues by passing high-frequency electric currents through them. 
*Diazo Compounds
Diazo_Compounds are a group of organic compounds characterised by the presence of the group -N2-. They are prepared by means of the diazo reaction, which consists in treating a primary aromatic amine with nitrous_acid. Salts of this type are used in the production of dyestuffs. 
*Dichroic Mirror
A Dichroic mirror is a mirror consisting of a glass plate on which is deposited a very thin film of metal. It will transmit light of a particular colour, but reflects light of other colours. 
*Dichrooscope
The dichrooscope is an optical apparatus invented by professor Dove of Berlin in 1860 for representing the interferences, spectra in coloured lights, polarisation of light etc. 
*Didjeridu
A didjeridu is a musical wind instrument developed by the Australian aborigines. 
*Die-casting
Die-casting is a method of casting metals by forcing them under pressure into moulds of a strong and permanent character capable of repeated use. Die-casting is said to have originated with the advent of printing, which necessitated the production of sharply cast types in large numbers.
*Dielectric
Dielectric is the name given to an electric insulating material. 
*Dietetics
Dietetics is the study of food in relation to the promotion and maintenance of health. Despite the attempts of some authors to claim it is a new science, it has been known and practised for centuries, and the term dietetics precedes the Second_World_War. 
*Dietheroscope
The dietheroscope is an appartus for godesy and teaching optics. It was invented by Luvini of Tunis in 1876. 
*Diethyl-barbituric acid
#Veronal 
*Dieu et mon droit
Dieu_et_mon_droit (God and my right) is the motto of the English royal family. It was first assumed as a motto by Henry_VI.
*Diffusionism
Diffusionism is the theory that human culture was spread by degrees by outward expansion from a single source, as opposed to the view that cultures are developed independently and are only diffused when a particular people develops a more or less permanent type of culture which is well in advance of that of neighbouring peoples and becomes impressed upon the latter. 
*Diflunisal
Diflunisal is a drug used to treat mild to moderate pain and osteoarthritis It has the possible side effects of: dizziness, insomnia, headache, ringing in the ears, nausea, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, excess wind, rash and itching.
*Digamma
Digamma was an ancient Greek letter, which was already obsolete in classical times, and so called because its form resembled a double gamma. It was pronounced like an English w.
*Digested
#digestion 
*Digestion
Digestion is the process of absorbing and distributing substances from ingested food to the body.
*Digitalis
Digitalis is a drug derived from foxglove that increases heart efficiency. 
*Dihydroxysuccinic acid
#Tartaric_Acid 
*Dilatometer
A dilatometer is an apparatus used to measure changes in volume of solids. The solid is placed in a glass bulb with a capillary tube, and the bulb and part of the tube are filled with a liquid which is without action on the solid. By observing the liquid's position in the tube, changes in the volume of the solid may be measured. 
*Dimethyl-xanthine
#Theobromine 
*Dimethylmethane diethylsulphone
#Sulphonal 
*Dimity
Dimity is a strong cotton material with raised patterns, usually white, used for curtains and especially bed-curtains during the 18th and 19th centuries.
*Dimorphism
Dimorphism is a special case of polymorphism; the state when the same substance can appear in two different crystalline forms. Ice for example can exist as ordinary light ice, or if frozen below minus 20 degrees and subjected to high pressure forms dense ice which is heavier than water.
*Dinghy
A dinghy is a small Indian river-boat. The term was adopted for the small row-boat attached to a larger vessel for general purposes and today is used to describe any small row-boat.
*Diode
A diode is a thermionic valve with two electrodes, or a semi-conductor equivalent. It presents a high resistance one way around and a low resistance the other.
*Diphenyl
Diphenyl is an alternative name for Phenyl_benzene.
*Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a disease produced by the Klebs-Loeffler bacillus. Diphtheria is unusual in that after infection it does not spread in the body, but the bacillus remains at the site of its primary invasion. This site may be the fauces in front of the throat, or the larynx. Very occasionally the bacillus gains access to a wound and gives rise to "wound diphtheria". In any case, the disease multiplies and produces a membrane which in the case of the laryngeal type may produce death by mechanical blockage of the air passage. The chief danger however lies in the toxins discharged by the bacillus which enter the blood system and affect the muscles in particular, giving rise to a danger of heart-attacks.  
*Dipole aerial
A dipole aerial is an aerial consisting of two straight conductors mounted in line, the connection being made to the two inner ends. 
*Dipsomania
Dipsomania is the technical term for alcoholism, produced by taking large quantities of alcohol over a long period of time.
*Diptych
A diptych was a two-leaved tablet of metal, ivory or other material used by the Greeks and Romans. In the early Christian church it was customary to inscribe the names of deceased bishops on diptychs. This practise was extended to include other distinguished persons who had deserved well of the church, and from it arose the calendars and martyrologies of a later period. 
*Dipyridamole
Dipyridamole is a coronary vasodilator drug used to reduce the frequency and intensity of angina attacks and prevents blood clots after heart surgery. 
*Disinfectant
A disinfectant is a substance applied to the outside of the body, or to non-living material in order to kill any micro-organisms which may be present. 
*Disopyramide
Disopyramide is an antiarrhythmic drug used to correct heart rhythm disorders which it does by delaying nerve impulses to the heart to regulate the heartbeat. 
*Disorderly House
In law, a Disorderly House is a house where persons meet for unlawful purposes, such as a brothel or gaming-house. 
*Displacement
Displacement is the size of a ship as measured by the actual weight of water which it displaces when afloat. 
*Dissection
Dissection is the process of cutting away and separating parts of a body, whereby its formation and the relationships of its parts can be observed.
*Distaff
A distaff is a staff to which flax or any substance to be spun, is fastened. 
*Distributor
In a car, the distributor distributes electrical pulses to the spark plugs.
*Diuretic
A diuretic is a medicine which increases the flow of urine by acting on the kidneys either directly or secondarily through the blood or nervous system.
*Dixie
The term Dixie refers to the southern states of the USA. 
*Doctor Wind
The Doctor Wind is a prevailing daytime breeze which blows onto the island of Jamaica from the sea.
*Dog Days
The dog days are the hottest part of the year in Europe, being part of July and August. Formerly the dog days were specifically the period during which Sirius, the dog-star, rises approximately with the sun.
*Domesday Book
The domesday book is a record of the survey conducted in England in 1086 by officials of William the conqueror in order to assess taxes etc. 
*Dominoes
Dominoes is a game played with 28 rectangular spotted tiles. It originated in Italy in the 18th century. 
*Doomsday book
#domesday book 
*Doppler effect
The Doppler effect is a change in observed wavelength due to relative motion between the source and observer.
*DORA
#Defence_of_the_Realm_Acts 
*Down's syndrome
Down's_syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality.
*Dragon's Blood
Dragon's_Blood is a red resin obtained from the fruits of several East_Indian trees. The material is a solid, soluble in alcohol and fatty oils, and used in the manufacture of furniture polishes, for staining marble and in some forms of printing. 
*Dram
The dram is a unit of the avoirdupois scale equivalent to 1.772 grams. 
*Drams
#dram
*Draughts
Draughts is a game played by two people on a board of 64 alternate black and white squares. Each player has twelve pieces, one set are black and the other red.
*Dredger
A dredger is a ship used for picking up rubbish from waterways and removing materials from beneath the surface of the water. 
*Drill
A drill is a machine for boring holes in rock, metal or wood etc. Drill bits were greatly improved from the invention in the 18th century of the twist drill, consisting of a rod of steel with a deep channel cut into it in a spiral, and the end ground off at an obtuse angle to give two cutting edges and a very short point.
*Dropsy
Dropsy is an accumulation of serous fluid in the body cavities or tissues. Serum is normally exuded through the walls of the small blood-vessels, part of it being absorbed by the veins and lymphatic vessels and returned to the blood. Dropsy arises when the serum is not absorbed sufficiently or is exuded in abnormal quantities, and is therefore more a symptom of some other disturbance than a disease in itself. 
*Dry Ice
Dry_Ice is a commercial name for solidified carbon_dioxide, often used as a coolant. It is called dry ice because as it melts, it gives off a gas rather than a liquid, and so appears dry.
*Dry Joint
In electrical terms, a dry joint is a soldered joint which, due to insufficient heating or lack of sufficient flux during the soldering operation, the solder has not adhered to the metals to be joined, thus producing a joint which is weak mechanically and of high electrical resistance. 
*Dry Rot
Dry_Rot is a name given to the fungus Merulius lacrymans which attacks wood in houses. The name derives from the dry appearance of the wood after decay. 
*Dry-dock
A dry-dock is a dock from which the water may be emptied to allow of convenient and expeditious ship-repairs.
*Dulcimer
The dulcimer was a musical instrument consisting of a resonance-board over which wires were stretched, these being struck by hammers held by the performer.
*Duma
The Duma was the lower House of the Russian Imperial Parliament. It was created in 1905 by the Constitution granted by Tsar Nicholas_II, and replaced in 1917 by the Soviet system.
*Dungeon
A dungeon is an underground prison, originally in the keep of a Norman castle. 
*Duralumin
Duralumin is an alloy of aluminium, copper and magnesium, with traces of other metals. Typically duralumin is comprised of 94.4 percent aluminium, 4.5 percent copper, 0.95 percent magnesium and 0.76 percent manganese. If properly tempered it has an extremely high tensile strength and is used in aircraft construction. 
*Duress
In law, duress is the unlawful constraint or compulsion of a person by physical action or threats. 
*Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company formed in 1595 and granted a monopoly of trade in the Pacific and Indian_Ocean in 1602. It was dissolved in 1798 and its territories taken over by the Dutch Government.
*Dutch West India Company
The Dutch West_India Company was a chartered company granted a monopoly of trade in the Atlantic_Ocean with America and Africa by the Dutch Government in 1621.
*DWIM
DWIM is an acronym for Do What I Mean. It is a term used in artificial intelligence for computer self-correcting of errors.
*Dye
A dye is a substance applied to material, usually a textile, for decorative purposes, to give it a colour different from that which it originally possessed. 
*Dyke
A dyke (dike) is a ditch or earthworks. The term is most often applied to earthworks built to reclaim land from the sea or rivers. 
*Dynamics
Dynamics is the branch of mechanics which consists of the study of the motion of matter and its causes.
*Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive consisting of nitroglycerine which has been absorbed into some inert material such as kieselguhr, sawdust or wood pulp. Dynamite was invented by Nobel in 1867. 
*Dynamometer
A dynamometer is an apparatus for measuring power, or the rate of doing work.
*Dyne
Dyne is the unit of force. One dyne is that force which, acting on a mass of one gramme, imparts to it an acceleration of one centimetre per second per second.
*Dyspepsia
Dyspepsia (Indigestion) is a disturbance of the natural processes of digestion, due sometimes to organic disease involving the alimentary canal, but usually to errors in diet or to nervous causes. 
*Dysprosium
Dysprosium is a rare metal element with the symbol Dy. 
*E Layer
The E Layer (Kennelly-Heaviside Layer) is a region of ionized gas in the ionos here, which reflects practically all incident medium frequency radiation, absorbing very little.
*Earnest
An earnest is a small sum of money or token given to bind a bargain between two parties. 
*Earth
The earth is the third planet from the sun.
*Earth Metal
The Earth Metals are the metals which in combination with oxygen form alkaline earths. They are calcium, strontium and barium and are never found in an uncombined condition, but oxidise rapidly into lime, strontia and baryta, the alkaline earths. 
*Easel
An easel is a stand or support for an artist's canvas. 
*Easement
Easement is a privilege without profit, i.e. a right attached to one piece of land which allows the owner of the land to use the land of another in a particular manner. 
*East India Company
The East India Company was an incorporated company trading with India and the East Indies. East India Companies were founded in the 17th and 18th centuries by many European countries, the most important being the English East India Company with a close rival in the Dutch_East_India_Company. The English company obtained from Queen Elizabeth_I a charter in 1600 conferring the monopoly of trade with the East Indies. 
*Eaves
Eaves are the edges of a roof projecting beyond the walls. 
*Ebonite
Ebonite is a hard product obtained by fully vulcanising rubber with more than 20 percent of its weight of sulphur. Ebonite is very resistant to corrosion and as an excellent insulator was employed in the electrical industry. 
*Ebony
Ebony is the heart-wood of various species of Diospyros, trees of the order Ebenacea. It is a heavy, deep black wood used in piano keys and inlaying.
*Ecarte
Ecarte is a card game for two players, first played in Paris in the 19th century. A deck of 32 cards is used, all the cards below 7 being removed. The ace ranks between the 10 and the jack. Spectators are allowed to bet on the game. 
*Echinus
An echinus is the rounded moulding in the capital of a Doric column. 
*Echo Sounding
Echo_Sounding is measurement of the depth of the ocean by directing a sonic or ultrasonic pressure wave vertically downward and determining the time taken before the echo is received.
*Eclampsia
Eclampsia is the name given to the sudden convulsive seizures sometimes occuring in pregnant women as a result of Bright's disease.
*Eclipse
An eclipse is the passage of a celestial body through the shadow of another. 
*Ecology
Ecology is the study of the relationship between plants and the places in which they grow. The term is becoming used to describe the opposition to man-made pollution and destruction of nature, hence an ecologist today is thought of more as an environmental campaigner than a botanist. 
*Ecstasy
Ecstasy is an illegal drug synthesised from nutmeg oil and that reduces serotonin in the brain.
*Eczema
Eczema is an inflammatory skin disease.
*EDAAS
EDAAS is an expert system that uses its knowledge of both the Toxic Substances Control Act (USA) and criteria for classifying information as confidential to help information specialists decide which information about the manufacturing and distribution of toxic chemicals must be released to the public and which information may be withheld for proprietary purposes. EDAAS was developed for the Environmental Protection Agency in the USA using FORTRAN.
*Eddy Current
Eddy currents (Foucault currents) are electric currents induced in a conductor by a varying magnetic field, for instance, in the core of an inductor or transformer. 
*Effervescence
Effervescence is the rapid escape of gas from a liquid, usually due to chemical action.
*Effort
Effort is strenuous exertion.
*Egg
An egg is a body specially developed in the females of animals which when impregnated by a male sperm develops into the young of the animal. 
*Eisteddfod
Eisteddfod is a Bardic Congress held periodically in Wales for the encouragement and development of Welsh music and literature. Its origins date back to pre-Christian times, though the first recorded Eisteddfod was held in the 6th century.
*Ejectment
Ejectment was a common law action, abolished in 1852, to recover possession of land and damages for the wrongful withholding of it.
*Electric current
Electric_current is the movement of electric charge. In a conductor the current consists of a drift of electrons towards the positive pole of the applied electric field. In an electrolyte or in a gas it consists of the migration of positive ions towards the negative electrode and of negative ions and/or electrons towards the positive electrode. 
*Electrode
An electrode is a conductor by which an electric current enters or leaves an electrolyte or an electron tube. The positive electrode is called the anode and the negative electrode is called the cathode. 
*Electrum
Electrum is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver. The gold content varies but is usually around 65 - 80 percent. Other metals, such as copper, bismuth or palladium are also sometimes present. In Ancient Greece the term electrum was given to an alloy of gold and silver containing 80 percent gold. 
*Elegit
Elegit is a legal writ ordering the seizure of a debtor's land in order to satisfy a judgment debt.
*Elegy
Elegy is a form of poetry of a mournful and reflective character, particularly a mourning song for a departed friend.
*Element
An element is a substance that cannot be split chemically into simpler substances. 
*Elements
#element 
*Elephantiasis
Elephantiasis is a disease characterized by inflammation of the fibrous connective tissue, leading to excessive swelling of the leg, scrotum, arm or breast and more rarely other parts of the body. It is caused by the parasitic worm Filaria which blocks the lymph vessels, and at the same time causes irritation of the skin.
*Eleusinian Mysteries
The Eleusinian_Mysteries were Greek initiation ceremonies connected with the worship of Demeter, believed to have been first performed at Eleusis. 
*Elgin marbles
The Elgin marbles are a collection of ancient Greek sculptures assembled by the 7th earl of Elgin and brought to England in 1812 
*Ell
The ell was an English unit of measurement equal to 45 inches. 
*Emanation
Emanation is a theological doctrine which regards individuals as outpourings of the divine essence. It denies the personality of both God and man. 
*Emancipation Act
The Emancipation Act abolished slavery throughout the British colonies on August 28th 1833. 20 million pounds was paid as compensation to slave-owners.
*Embalming
Embalming is the preparation of dead bodies so that they will not decay. The ancient Egyptians were especially expert and manny mummies are still preserved. 
*Embassy
An embassy is an ambassador's residence. 
*Ember Days
Ember_Days are the Wednsday, Friday and Saturday following September 14th, December 13th, the first Sunday of Lent and Whitsunday, set apart in the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England for prayer, especially for those about to be ordained. 
*Embezzlement
In law, embezzlement is the theft by a clerk or servant of money or goods received by him on behalf of his employer. It differs from larceny in that the original receiving of the property was lawful.
*Emblements
Emblements is the right of an agricultural tenant, whose lease lapses before harvest, to enter the land and gather crops.
*Embolic gangrene
#Gangrene
*Embossing
Embossing is the art of producing a design on paper, cardboard, metal, leather &c., by forcing or stamping out appropriate portions of the under-side to give a raised effect. 
*Embracery
In law, embracery is the misdemeanour of attempting to influence a juryman to favour one side< otherwise than by evidence and argument given in open court. A juryman allowing himself to be corrupted is equally guilty of embracery. 
*Embrasure
Embrasures are the spaces or openings between two merlons (solid portions) of a battlement.
*Embroidery
Embroidery is the art of ornamenting woven fabric into designs in needle-work. Embroidery differs from tapestry in that the design is stitched on the top of a woven material, whereas in tapestry the design is woven into it.
*Embryo
An embryo is the offspring of an animal before it has been born or emerged from its egg. 
*Embryology
Embryology is the study of the development of embryos of animals and plants, from egg-cells or ova. Since the ova of most organisms do not develope before fertilisation, the study of embryology begins with fertilisation, and follows the subsequent changes of the fertilised ovum, and the conditios influencing its development. 
*Emetine
Emetine is an alkaloid obtained from the dried roots of Psychotria ipecacuanha, a Brazilian plant. Emetine is a white powder employed in the treatment of amoebic dysentery and also as an anthelmintic. 
*Emigration
Emigration is the departure from one's native country in order to take up permanent residence in another.
*Eminent Domain
Eminent_Domain is the right of the State to use private property for public purposes, particularly in war-time.
*Emphysema
Emphysema is an abnormal presence of air in certain parts of the body. Generally however the term is restricted to a peculiar affection of the lungs, exhibited in two forms, vesicular emphysema, dilation or rupture of the air-sacs, and interlobular emphysema, infiltration of air into the connective tissue beneath the pleura. 
*Empire
An Empire is a large state or federation of states extending over a wide geographical area, and usually developed by the absorption of other peoples and countries. Empires are nearly always built up by the virile conquering and colonising expansion of a single State, but subsequently the individual provinces gradually attain independence. 
*Empire Day
Empire_Day was an annual festival inaugurated in 1902 to celebrate on May 24th the achievement of the British Empire.
*Empiricism
Empiricism is the theory that personal experience is the source of all knowledge and that the mind was originally an absolute blank. The theory originated with Heraclitus and was characteristic of Greek speculative thought.
*Employment Exchange
The British government established an office called the Employment Exchange in 1909 for the purpose of introducing unemployed men to vacancies notified by employers. In 1912 the office took on the additional role of administering unemployment insurance. Today, the office is known as the Department of Employment and the Employment Exchanges are called Job Centres.
*Empyema
Empyema is a pathological term describing a collection of pus in a cavity, especially applied to pus in the pleural cavity of the lung.
*Emulsion
An emulsion is an extremely fine dispersion of a liquid throughout another liquid with which it is immiscible. Industrial emulsions include margerine, and paint. Within the natural world, the most common emulsion is blood. 
*Encephalitis Lethargica
Encephalitis_Lethargica is a disease believed to be due to a virus infection of the brain. The onset is sudden and takes the form of a chill. After a short period of recovery there is usually some disturbance of vision associated with palsy of the eye muscles. This is followed by muscular weakness and sudden mood swings followed by lethargy and possible death. 
*Encyclical
An encyclical is a circular letter on ecclesiastic affairs addressed by the Pope to all the clergy and faithful of the Roman Catholic Church.
*Encyclopaedia
The word Encyclopaedia (Encyclopedia) was first defined in Sir_Thomas_Elyot's Latin Dictionary (1538) as "that lernynge whiche comprehendeth all lyberall science and studies." It was first used as the title of a book by Johann Heinrich Alsted in 1608, by which time it had acquired its modern meaning of a book covering every branch of human knowledge. The term is also, however, applied to a work confined to some particular branch of knowledge. The distinction between an encyclopaedia and a dictionary is that the former explains subjects and the latter explains words. 
*Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Encyclopaedia Britannica was first published as three volumes in 1771, and the second enlarged edition was published in 1778 and has been republished ever since to become one of the most famous encyclopaedias of all time.
*Endosperm
Endosperm is the nutritive tissue in plant seeds which feeds the growing embryo. 
*Endowment Insurance
Endowment_Insurance is a form of insurance whereby, in return for regular contributions, a fixed sum is payable at death or at a certain age when the insured person ceases to pay premiums. 
*Energy
In physics, the term energy refers to an object's capacity to do work. This capacity is related to the strength of the flow of electrons in the object, or, in the case of potential energy, the amount of energy stored in the object. Thus, a powerful object such as the sun expels an enormous flow of electrons as solar energy, and a single atom of hydrogen contains the pathetic energy of a single electron orbiting its nucleus.  
*English
English is a term used to denote someone or something from England.
*Engraving
Engraving is the art of cutting a design on a hard substance, such as wood or metal. 
*Enigmarelle
Enigmarelle was the first robot. It was an automaton constructed of 365 different parts, and actuated by electricity. The figure rode a bicycle, wrote its name on a blackboard and performed other tasks similar to a human being. Enigmarelle was exhibited at the London Hippodrome in June 1905. 
*Enjambement
Enjambement is the arranging of sentences and clauses in verse so that their ends do not coincide with the ends of the lines. It was introduced in order to give fluency and ease to verses. 
*Enneastyle
An Enneastyle is a Greek temple or other building having nine columns at the front.
*Ensign
An ensign is a flag or banner used in the Army and Navy. The British naval ensign is red, white or blue, with a small Union_Jack in the upper corner. The red ensign is flown by the Merchant fleet, the blue by the Royal Navy Reserve and the white, which includes a red St_George's cross by the Royal Navy. 
*Entail
Entail is a system of land tenure which was introduced by the statute De Donis in 1285, and by which the holder has only a life interest in the land, which passes on his death to his heirs.
*Entente Cordiale
The Entente Cordiale was the semi-formal alliance between England and France before the Great_War. The alliance was first sought by France in 1903 seeking that in the event of a conflict with Germany, England would be at least neutral. In 1904 an agreement was signed whereby France had a free hand in Morocco and England a free hand in Egypt.
*Enteric Fever
Enteric_Fever is a term for typhoid fever and paratyphoid indicative of the intestinal lesions met with in that disease. 
*Enteritis
Enteritis is a convenient term for disorders of the bowel in which there is inflammation of the lining of the bowel wall. Varieties of enteritis include; dysentry, mucous colitis, typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever. 
*Enterokinase
Enterokinase is a hormone manufactured in the wall of the intestine and causes the pancreas to secrete when it is received.
*Entomology
Entomology is the branch of zoology dealing with insects. It was started as a science in 1705 by the publication of Ray's ''Methodus Insectorum''. 
*Entree
An entree is a complete dish consisting of meat, poultry or fish with vegetable and a sauce. It is served before the ''roast'' course in a formal menu and may be either hot or cold.
*Entrepot Trade
Entrepot_Trade is the trade in one centre in the goods of other countries. 
*Enzyme
An enzyme is a biological catalyst that is not itself destroyed in the conversion process. Enzymes convert organic compounds into simpler substances and are formed by micro-organisms and cells.
*Eocene
The Eocene was the fourteenth geological period, 50,000,000 years ago. 
*Eocene System
The Eocene System is the oldest of the four geological systems into which the Tertiary era is divided. 
*Eosin
Eosin is the potassium or sodium salt of tetrabromo-flourescein. It is a red substance which possesses brilliant flourescence in alkaline solution. It is used in acid solution as a red dye for wool and silk and is also used in red ink.
*Epaulette
An epaulette is an ornamental fringed tab or badge worn on the shoulder as a distinguishing mark of rank. A gold epaulette was worn by Britsh Naval officers in 1759 following the French adoption in 1759. Epaulettes were used on both army and navy uniforms during the 19th century, but were abandoned by the British Army in 1855. 
*Ephod
Ephod was a term applied to some part of the dress of Jewish high-priests, and used in the Old Testament where it appears to have several meaninings.
*Epic
An epic is a poetical narrative of heroic achievments. It is largely dramatic in character, but embraces a greater area and admits many incidents, each of which might serve as a dramatic plot. In an epic the personality of the narrator is made much more obvious than is that of the author of a drama. 
*Epidemic
An epidemic is a disease which affects a large number of people in a particular locality at one time. As a rule it is infectious, but may affect its victims independantly. Epidemics were frequent in the Middle_Ages before sanitation and considered inevitable.
*Epigram
An epigram is a short witty or poignant poem used as an inscription on a tomb, monument or altar.
*Epigraph
An epigraph is an inscription carved on a stone, statue or coin. 
*Epigraphy
Epigraphy is the study of ancient inscriptions incised on some hard material, such as wood, stone or metal, as distinct from palaeography which is the study of ancient manuscripts written on papyrus, parchment or a similar material. 
*Epilogue
Epilogue is a term usually applied in English literature to a speech or short poem addressed to the spectators by one of the actors at the close of a play. It may also be the additional chapter of a book, after the tale proper has finished. 
*Episcopacy
Episcopacy is a form of Church government whereby churches are grouped together in dioceses under the authority of a bishop. 
*Epistaxis
Epistaxis is a technical term for bleeding from the nose.
*Epitaph
An epitaph is a short composition in verse or prose, nominally for the tomb of a deceased person and generally setting forth his or her virtues and the survivors' regrets.
*Epithalamium
An epithalamium is a nuptual song at marriages.
*Epithany
Epithany is a church festival held on January 6th. It was originally held to commemorate the baptism of Jesus, but now some churches celebrate it as the visit of the three wise men to Jesus. 
*Epsom Salts
Epsom_Salts is the popular name for hydrated magnesium sulphate, MgSO4.7H2O. It is used medicinally as a cathartic, and is also used for weighting textiles. 
*Erbium
Erbium is a metal element with the symbol Er.
*Erg
Erg is the c.g.s. unit of work or energy, equal to the work done when a force of one dyne acts through a distance of one centimetre. 
*Ergonomics
Ergonomics is a discipline treating the consideration of human factors in design of the working environment and its components; intended to promote productivity and safety in the tools people work with. 
*Ergosterol
Ergosterol is a naturally occuring higher alcohol which upon irradition with ultra-violet light changes into Vitamin D.
*Erinoid
#Galalith
*Erratics
Erratics are rocks transported by the action of ice during the Quaternary Glacial Period, often for considerable distances. They help in determining the extent of the ice-sheets and the direction of their movement. 
*Erse
Erse is a variant of the word Irish and is a designation given to the ancient Celtic languages of the Scottish Highlands and Ireland, but more usually confined to that of Ireland.
*Erysipelas
Erysipelas is a contagious disease due to the invasion of the tissues by the streptococcus germ, producing fever and a local redness of the skin. The inflammation of the skin may spread to deeper tissues, producing widespread necrosis and other complications occuring such as pneumonia, nephritis or meningitis.
*Erythrityl Tetranitrate
Erythrityl_Tetranitrate is an anti-anginal drug used to reduce the frequency and severity of angina attacks. 
*Escalator
An escalator is a moving stairway used to transport passengers between two different levels, such as floors of a building or the street and the platforms of an underground station. The first escalator was designed and patented by Seeburger and subsequently developed by the Otis Elevator Comapny in the USA and by Waygood-Otis Ltd in Britain. The escalator was first demonstrated to the public at the Paris Exhibition in 1900. 
*Eschatology
Eschatology is the study of the doctrines of the life hereafter and of the expected second coming of Jesus.
*Escheat
In feudal tenure, escheat is a reversion of land to the lord, for want of a tenant qualified to perform the services.
*Espalier
An espalier is a wooden framework on which fruit-trees or creepers are trained.
*Essay
Essay is a literary term which was originally applied to a draft or rough copy, and hence, by the modesty of the author, to an unpretentious but complete composition. It is now used to mean a prose composition of moderate length, limited to a single subject. 
*Essential Oil
The essential oils (ethereal_oils, volatile_oils) are a group of naturally occuring pleasant-smelling liquids of vegetable origin. 
*Estate
An estate is a portion of land in the possession of a single person or corporation.
*Ester
Ester is an organic compound formed by the reaction between alcohol and acid with the elimination of water.
*Estuary
In geography, an estuary is the broad mouth of a river which is affected by the tides, or more strictly, the region where sea and fresh water meet.
*Etch
#Etching 
*Etching
Etching is a process of putting a drawing or design onto a surface, usually metal, by corroding or scratching away the top surface so as to form the lines of the design.
*Ethane
Ethane is a paraffin hydrocarbon.
*Ethanoic acid
Ethanoic_acid is an organic fatty acid.
*Ethanol
Ethanol is the chemical name for alcohol.
*Ethene
Ethene is an alkene hydrocarbon gas. 
*Ether
Ether is an anaesthetic. It has the formulae (c2h5)2o. 
*Ethereal oil
#Essential_Oil 
*Ethernet
Ethernet was originally the trade name for a LAN developed by Xerox Corporation and later supported by Digital Equipment Corporation, Intel Corporation and Hewlett-Packard. It is now standardised as IEEE specification 802.3 .
*Ethnology
Ethnology is the science dealing with the inter-relatedness of the human family in terms of the physical appearance, customs, culture, art, economics etc. 
*Ethyl Acetate
Ethyl_Acetate (acetic ether) is a colourless liquid with a characteristic fruity odour prepared by the esterification of ethyl_alcohol with acetic acid. It is used as a solvent and as a flavouring agent.
*Ethyl fluid
Ethyl_fluid is a mixture consisting principally of tetra-ethyl_lead which was formerly added to petrol as an anti-knocking agent.
*Ethylene
Ethylene is a gaseous hydrocarbon with the formulae C2H4. It contains one double bond and is the simplest example of an unsaturated compound.
*Ethylene Glycol
Ethylene_Glycol is a sweet syrupy liquid miscible with water and employed as an anti-freeze mixture in motor-car radiators and also as a solvent.
*Etruscan Language
The Etruscan language was spoken by the people of ancient Eturia which corresponds to the modern Tuscany.
*Etymology
Etymology is the science of the origin and relationship of words.
*Eucaine
Eucaine is a synthetic local anaesthetic with a chemical structure similar to that of cocaine. 
*Euchre
Euchre is a card game usually for 2, 3 or 4 players played with a piquest pack of 32 cards, omitting all below 7, and with an extra card or joker used which ranks as the highest trump. 
*Eudiometer
An eudiometer is a chemical apparatus introduced by Priestley consisting of a raduated glass tube with one end closed. By submerging the open end of the tube under water and introducing a known volume of gas, the change in volume that occurs in the reaction between the two gases can be measured. The eudiometer was first used in the estimation of the amount of oxygen in the air. 
*Eugenics
Eugenics is the science of selective breeding to control physical and mental characteristics.
*Euphonium
The euphonium is a musical instrument of the saxhorn family. The bass saxhorn in B flat used in brass and military bands.
*Eurhythmics
Eurhythmics is a system of mental and physical culture invented by Jacques Dalcroze, based on the interpretation of music by means of rhythmical movements of the body and limbs. A carefully graded series of exercises aims at producing an intellectual appreciation of rhythm, combined with perfect physical control, enabling the head and limbs to be moved independently of one another, and so to express several separate rhythms simultaneously.
*European
#Europe
*Europium
Europium is a rare metal element with the symbol Eu. 
*Evil May Day
Evil_May_Day was the 1st of May, 1517 when apprentices rioted in London, directing their aggression against foreigners, particularly the French. The rioters were headed by Lincoln, who, with fifteen others was hanged. 400 more rioters were bound with ropes and halters around their necks and carried to Westminster, where they cried ''mercy mercy'' and were all pardoned by the king, Henry_VIII.
*Evipan
Evipan is an anaesthetic which was discovered in the 1930s. It is the sodium salt of N-methyl-cyclo-hexenyl-methyl-barbituric acid and was administered by intravenous injection providing surgical anaesthesia for around 20 minutes. 
*Excellency
Excellency is a title of honour. It was first assumed by Charlemagne in the 9th century. Today it is applied to all ambassadors. 
*Exchequer
The exchequer (or Treasury) is a government department dealing with State finance. It was introduced by the Normans. 
*Exchequer Court
The Exchequer Court was established during the reign of Henry_I to deal with questions of finance. It later took upon itself judicial business. The equity business of the Exchequer was transferred to the Court of Chancery in 1842, and in 1873 became the Exchequer division of the High Court of Justice. 
*Excise
Excise is a tax on the production of goods. It was first levied in Britain in 1643 on wines, beers, tobacco etc. to raise funds to support the army against Charles_I. 
*Exequatur
An exequatur is a document issued by the Head of a State, granting recognition to a foreign consul appointed thereto.
*Extensometer
An extensometer is an apparatus employed for measuring the strain produced in material when stressed.
*Extradition
Extradition is the delivery of a person accused or convicted of a crime to the State on whose territory the crime was committed, by the State on whose territory the criminal happens to be. 
*F Layer
The F Layer is a region of the ionized gas in the ionosphere, often known as the Appleton Layer. It is the most important layer from the point of view of long-distance radio communications.
*FA Cup
The Association_Football Cup (FA Cup) competition was inaugurated in 1872, the final being played originally at Kennington Oval, it is now played at Wembley Stadium.
*Fabian Society
The Fabian_Society is a socialist association founded in London in 1883 which aims at the reorganisation of society by the emancipation of land and capital from individual and class ownership, and the vesting of them in the community for the general benefit. 
*Fabliau
Fabliau is a form of early French literature consisting of short versified tales, comic in spirit and intended primarily for recitation. They were mainly written between the 12th and 14th centuries in northern France, and caricature every subject, but paricularly women. 
*Fairlop Oak
The Fairlop Oak was a 500 year old oak tree with a trunk 14 meters in circumferance in Hainault_forest, Essex. Beneath its branches an annual fair was long held on the first Friday in July. It was blown down in 1820. 
*Fallow
Fallow is land left unsown for a period, usually a year. Fallowing is an ancient process, it has been known for centuries that the same crop frown on the same land deteriorates after a few years, partly because the soil is exhausted and partly because of disease. By leaving the land for a year, it can recover and subsequent crops improve. 
*Fandango
The fandango is a Spanish dance involving lively movements accompanied by the chatter of castanets, snapping of fingers, and stamping of feet. 
*Fantan
Fantan is a Chinese gambling game, in which bets are made on any corner of a rectangular card, with numbered corners. When bets have been made the banker places on the table a head of counters and divides them into fours. The winning number is decided by the number of counters in the last batch; if one counter is left over, number one wins, if 2 number 2 and so on. Fantan is a gambling card game for any number of players, played with a full deck of 52 cards. 
*Fantasia
In music, a fantasia is a more or less impromptu composition bound by no formal rules. 
*Farad
The farad is the unit of measurement of electrical capacitance. A capacitor has a capacitance of one farad if a quantity of one coulomb has to be imparted to it in order to raise the pottential difference between the plates by one volt. More convenient units for small capacitances are the microfarad and the picofarad.
*Faraday Cage
The Faraday cage is an earthed metallic wire or gauze screen enclosing electrical equipment to shield it from the influence of external electric fields. 
*Faraday Screen
A Faraday screen is an earthed wire screen placed in an equipment so as to prevent electrostatic but not electromagnetic coupling between components.
*Faro
Faro is an old gambling card game, possibly of Italian origin. 
*Farthingale
A farthingale was a hoop made of whalebone or wood and used in its most extreme form in the 17th century as a support for widespreading skirts. The farthingale originated in Spain and was the precursor of the crinoline.
*Fasces
Fasces were bundles of wooden rods made of elm or birch strapped together with an axe whose head protruded at right angles from the sticks. The fasces symbolised the authority of the senior magistrates of ancient Rome and were carried by the lictors who preceeded them.
*Fascism
Fascism is a political movement which originated in Italy, deriving its name from fasces, and which holds that the individual exists for the State, to whose good all his work and interests should be directed. Fascism originated in Milan in 1919, as a movement started by Benito_Musolini.
*Fathom
Fathom is a nautical measurement, being two metres.
*Fatty acid
A fatty acid is an organic hydrocarbon with a carboxyl group at one end. 
*Feast of Fools
The Feast of Fools was a mediaeval Christian celebration and merry-making. 
*February
February (named from the Italian Februus) is the second month of the year, in which were celebrated Februa, feasts on behalf of the manes of deceased persons. 
*Federal State
A Federal State is a perpetual union of several sovereign States, which has organs of its own and is invested with powers over the member-States and their citizens. This direct power over the citizens of its member-States distinguishes a federate-State from a confederation. 
*Federation
A federation is a union of States in which the participants retain autonomy in local matters, while a Central Government determines questions of common interest.
*Feet
Feet is the plural of foot.
*Fehling's Solution
Fehling's_Solution is a laboratory reagent consisting of a solution containing copper sulphate, caustic soda and a double tartrate of potassium and sodium (Rochelle salt). Fehling's solution is used in the laboratory as a method for the quantitative examination of sugars. 
*Felo-de-se
Felo-de-se is latin for a felon with regard to himself, and is an old term describing someone who commits suicide. Until 1823 it was the practice in England to bury suicides at a cross-roads with a stake driven through the body, but a statute of that year directed burial in a churchyard or burial-ground, without religious service, between the hours of 9pm and midnight. In 1882 both these restrictions were removed.
*Felt
Felt is a fabric which is not woven, but made of fibres, usually wool, which when subjected to beating and vibration grip one another in the form of layers. 
*Felucca
A felucca is a fast Mediterranean sailing vessel used chiefly for fishing. It is long and narrow, with a high bow and large lateen sails.
*Fermentation
Fermentation is the breakdown of sugars by bacteria and yeast. 
*Fermium
Fermium is a man made, radioactive metal element with the symbol Fm. It is named after Enrico Fermi. 
*Ferrar's Arrest
In March 1542, George_Ferrar, a member of parliament, while in attendance on the house was taken in execution by a sheriff's officer for debt, and committed to the Compter prison. The house despatched their serjeant to require his release, which was resisted, and an affray taking place, his mace was broken. The house in a body repaired to the lords to complain, when the contempt was adjudged to be very great, and the punishment of the offenders was referred to the lower house. On another messenger being sent to the sheriff's by the commons, they delivered up the senator, and the civil magistrates and the dreditor were committed to the Tower, the inferior officers to Newgate, and an act was passed releasing Ferrar from liability for the debt. The king, Henry_VIII, approved of these proceedings and the transaction became the basis of the rule of parliament which exempts members from arrest.
*Ferret
A ferret is a domesticated polecat.
*Ferrite-rod Aerial
A ferrite-rod aerial is a receiving aerial consisting of a small coil mounted on a short rod of magnetic_ferrite. The coil is, in effect, a small frame aerial, and the function of the ferrite rod is to concentrate the magnetic flux from a large area surrounding the aerial. Like all frame aerials the ferrite-rod aerial has pronounced directional properties. Its main advantage however lies in its compact dimensions.
*Ferrites
Ferrites are a class of chemical compounds having the general formulae MFe2O4, where M is a divalent metal. Certain of these compounds are ferromagnetic, and possess in addition other properties which render them valuable for use in electric circuit components operating at high frequencies.
*Ferrochrome
Ferrochrome is various alloys of iron and chromium employed in the manufacture of steel. 
*Ferromagnetic
Ferromagnetic is a term applied to materials such as iron, cobalt, nickel and certain alloys, which have a magnetic permeability very much greater than unity and which varies with the strength of the applied field. 
*Ferrous
Ferrous is a chemistry term referring to materials which contain iron. 
*Fescennine Verses
The Fescennine Verses were ancient indigenous Roman songs, composed extempore, and recited at rustic merry-makings, particularly weddings. They were generally playfully abusive or licentious.
*Fibre Optics
Fibre_Optics is a technology using light as a digital information bearer. Fibre optic cables ( light guides ) are a direct replacement for conventional wire, coaxial cable and many forms of radio, including microwave.  Fibre optic lines actually cost less, occupy less space and provided far more transmission capacity than earlier methods, while providing superior quality due to virtual immunity to electrical interference.
*Fibroin
Fibroin (Fibrosin) is an albuminoid protein which forms over 50 per cent of silk.
*Fidelio
Fidelio is Beethoven's only opera. It was composed in 1804 and produced at Vienna in 1805. 
*Fife
A fife is a small flute originating from Switzerland and used in military bands. 
*Filariasis
Filariasis is a disease caused by a parasite of the family Filariidea which causes malnutrition and inflammation of the lymphatic vessels. 
*Filbert
The filbert is a nut of the cultivated variety of hazel. 
*Filigree
Filigree is fine ornamental work of gold or silver wire, closely interlaced. 
*Fillet
A fillet was a band worn as a headdress in ancient times. In architecture, a fillet is a band or listel used as a separation for mouldings.
*Fin
Fins are expansions of the skin or body wall, or the equivalent of limbs, by means of which aqautic animals preserve their balance and swim. 
*Fire
Fire is the rapid liberation of heat by the chemical combination of various substances with the oxygen of the air, a process known as combustion.
*Firedamp
Firedamp is the name given by miners to the explosive mixture of the hydrocarbon methane with air, which sometimes occurs in coal-mines. 
*Fish Kettle
A fish kettle is a large oval-shaped saucepan, usually fitted with a perforated tray with handles, and used for cooking fish.
*Fives
Fives is a ball game for 2 or 4 players, in which a small hard ball is struck with the hand against the walls of an enclosed court.
*Fjord
A fjord is a long, narrow inlet resulting from the subsidence of a mountainous coast and the subsequent flooding of the valleys. 
*Flageolet
The flageolet is an old musical wind instrument, the ancestor of the modern tin whistle. 
*Flail
A flail is two pieces of wood joined by a leather thong or short metal chain and used for threshing. One piece of wood is held and the other then swung. 
*Flaminian Way
The Flaminian Way was the great road from Rome to Arimium in Umbria, made under the direction of Flaminius in 221 BC.
*Flat-foot
Flat-foot is a deformity of the foot in which the arch sinks so that the whole extent of the sole is in contact with the ground. 
*Fleet Prison
Fleet_Prison was a famous London Prison which stood in Farringdon Street, on what was called Fleet Market, from the River Fleet which flowed into the Thames. Its keeper was called the Warden of the Fleet. As far back as the 12th century the Fleet served as a Royal Prison. In the reigns of Mary and Elizabeth_I it was used for religious martyrs and the political victims of the Star Chambers. In 1641 it became a place of confinement for debtors and persons commited for contempt of court, and rapidly acquired a notoriety for every kind of brutality and extortion. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times before being finally abolished in 1842. 
*Fleur-de-Lys
The fleur-de-Lys (flower of lily) is an heraldic representation of an iris or garden lily. It was the armorial bearing of the Kings of France from 1147 and was also borne by some English families. 
*Flotsam
Flotsam are goods floating upon the sea, which belong to the Crown unless claimed within a year and a day. 
*Flower
The flower of a higher plant consists of one or two whorls of enveloping leaves surrounding the stamen and carpels, which are the organs essential for sexual reproduction.
*Flugelhorn
The flugelhorn is a brass musical instrument.
*Fluorescein
Fluorescein is an organic compound obtained by heating together pthalic anhydride and resorcinol. It is a red powder insoluble in water, but it dissolves in alcohol and also in alkalis, giving a brilliant green flourescence. It is used as a dye.
*Fluorescence
Fluorescence is the process of emission of electromagnetic radiation resulting from the absorption of certain types of energy. 
*Fluoride
Fluoride is the salt of hydrofluoric acid. 
*Fluorine
Fluorine is a gaseous element with the symbol F belonging to the group known as halogens. It is the most chemically reactive element (many substances ignite spontaneously in it), and for this reason it is never found uncombined. 
*Fluorocarbon
A fluorocarbon is a compound in which hydrogen atoms of a hydrocarbon have been replaced with fluorine.
*Fly-wheel
A fly-wheel is a heavy wheel whose inertia maintains a nearly uniform speed of rotation under variable load or driving force. The revolving fly-wheel is a resevoir of energy by virtue of its movement of inertia, and its effectiveness depends on the amount of energy which it absorbs or gives up for a given change of speed.
*Foal
A foal is a young horse. 
*Fodder
Fodder is all manner of foods given to horses, cattle, and other animals. It includes grass or any plant eaten green, or the same dried for convenience or for use in winter, and grain, beans, peas etc. or artificial products made from any nutritional material. 
*Fog
Fog is a cloud that collects at the surface of the earth without any definite shape. 
*Fohn
In geography, a fohn is a hot, dry, local Alpine wind produced by the desiccation of an air current in passing over the mountain ranges and its subsequent heating by compression on being drawn into the denser valley atmosphere.
*Foil
In metallurgy, foil is a term for a thin sheet of metal intermediate between a leaf, such as gold leaf, and sheet metal. It varies in thickness according to the constituent metal or metals. Very thin tin foil is used for backing mirrors, and in chemistry and electronics.
*Folded dipole
A folded dipole is a dipole aerial consisting of two conductors in parallel, only one of which is broken at the centre for connection to the feeder. This construction increases the bandwidth and the centre impedance of the aerial. 
*Folic acid
Folic_acid is a b vitamin, a lack of folic acid causes anaemia.
*Folio
Folio is a sheet of paper folded once to make two leaves of a book or manuscript, and hence the term is given to paper of a large size used for this purpose.
*Fondant
Fondant is a soft sweet made of flavoured sugar. 
*Font
A font is a vessel, generally of stone, used in the Christian Church for holding the water for the sacrament of Holy Baptism.
*Food Council
The Food Council was a body formed in 1925 on the advice of a Royal Commission to investigate charges of food profiteering and to take action in such cases. It had few powers, and the natural fall in prices soon made it unnecessary, however the Food Council did sponsor the Weights and Measures Act of 1926.
*Foolscap
Foolscap is a regular paper size of 13.5 by 16.5 inches, so called because it was originally water-marked with a fool's head and cap.
*Foot
The foot is a unit of the imperial scale of measurement of length equivalent to 12 inches or 30.48 centimetres.
*Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Foot-and-Mouth_Disease is a desease of horned cattle, sheep, etc. caused by a virus and characterised by the appearance of vesicles on the mouth, tongue and elsewhere, and salivation and champing of the mouth. The disease is intensely sontagious, and has an incubation period of between 2 and 5 days. 
*Football
Football is the name of several games involving the kicking of an inflated ball around a pitch, the modern football games evolving around the middle of the 19th century, but football was known to the ancient Britons, and was censured and opposed by Edward_II in 1314.
*Forecastle
The forecastle is a short deck in the forepart of a warship. In merchant ships it is the forepart of the ship where the sailors live.
*Forelock
A forelock is a wedge put through a hole in a bolt to keep the bolt in place.
*Foresheets
The foresheets is the inner part of the bows of an open boat where the bowman stands.
*Forest
Forest is a term properly applied to an extensive woodland or to a large tract of mingland woodland and open uncultivated land. In English law, a forest was a territory privileged for game generally belonging to the sovereign and set aside for his recreation.  
*Forge
A forge is a blacksmith's fireplace or furnace for melting and refining metal. 
*Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde (methyl aldehyde) is the simplest representative of the aldehydes. It has the formula H.CHO, and is a colourless and very pungent gas. It is very soluble in water. It has a powerful preserving effect and is used in aqueous solution for preserving anatomical specimens.
*Formalin
Formalin is an aqueous solution of formaldehyde (40 per cent) and often 15 per cent methyl alcohol. It is used as a disinfectant and as a preservative.
*Formic Acid
Formic_acid is the lowest member of the fatty acids. It has the formula H.COOH and is found in nature in ants, stinging nettles, and in various parts of the animal body. Commercially it is used in tanning and electro-plating. Its artificial production was developed by Pelouze in 1831.
*Fortis
Fortis is a powerful explosive invented in Belgium in 1887 and intended for mining.
*Fortissimo
Fortissimo is a musical term directing the singers to sing with the utmost strength and loudness.
*Foucault Current
#Eddy_Current
*Foundling Hospital
Foundling hospitals were charitable institutions for the care of children abandoned by their parents. They were first founded to reduce instances of infanticide during the 7th and 8th centuries by church authorities and their numbers increased rapidly during the Middle_Ages, especially in France.
*Fountain-pen
A fountain-pen is a refillable pen which carries its own supply of ink which runs to the writing point as required from a reservoir in the holder. 
*Fowler's Solution
Fowler's_Solution is a solution of potassium_arsenite, prepared by boiling together arsenic trioxide and potassium_bicarbonate in water. It was used in medicine as a mild tonic for digestive disorders.
*Fox-trot
The fox-trot is a ball-room dance danced against jazz music. 
*Frail
A frail is a rush basket for packing figs and raisins. 
*Fram
The Fram was a three-masted schooner built in 1892 for Nansen's expedition to the Arctic, and used by Amundsen in the Antarctic in 1911. 
*Franckincense
Franckincense is a gum resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, used in the making of incense and in ancient times in medicine. 
*Frangulin
Frangulin is a yellow crystallizable dye extracted from the bark of the alder. It is used to dye wool, silk and cotton.
*Frankincense
Frankincense is an incense derived from the resin of the tree boswellia. 
*Franking
Originally, franking was the right of sending letters free of charge. It was claimed for letters both sent and received by the House of Commons in 1660, and fully legalised in 1764 when all members of both Houses were allowed to send 10 and receive 15 letters a day gratis. The priviledge was withdrawn on the introduction of the penny postage in 1840. Today the term is most commonly applied to the mechanical stamping of letters and parcels in place of fixing an adhesive stamp. 
*Franklin Aerial
The Franklin aerial is a directional aerial consisting of a number of radiating elements, uniformly spaced on a line at right angles to the desired direction of maximum radiation.
*Free Lance
The term Free Lance was originally a soldier who fought as a mercenary for anyone who would pay him for his service. Now the term is applied to anyone who works for anyone who will pay them, but is not on the regular staff of any company, such as a writer for example. 
*Free Libraries
Free_Libraries are libraries supported by municipalities, counties or charitable organisations etc. available to the public without charge. The first was established in Manchester in 1653. 
*Freebench
Freebench was an English right of a woman during her widowhood to an interest, generally one-third, in her late husband's copyhold land. It was abolished in 1925. 
*Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a cult with a secret ritual, considered by some to have originated with Solomon and the building of the Temple, but in its modern form dating from the mid 18th century when the Grand Lodges of England, Scotland and Ireland were constituted. Members are mainly well-to-do businessmen. 
*French
French is a term used to denote someone or something from France.
*French Chalk
French_Chalk is a form of steatite or talc, used by tailors for marking cloth for which its softness and burability on the material make it very suitable. It is also used as a dusting agent to prevent adhesion of a tacky surface, as a filler in plastics and to polish floors. It can be distinguished from ordinary chalk by its greasy feel.
*French Revolution
The French Revolution occured in 1789 and overthrew the despotic Bourbon Monarchy, only to itself be overthrown by the Empire of Napoleon. In 1830 another revolution overthrew the again reigning monarchy, and again in 1848.
*Frequency Drift
Frequency_drift is a phenomenon which affects electronic circuits. It is variations in the natural frequency of an oscillatory circuit of an oscillator due for example, to changes of capacitance with changes of temperature.
*Frequency Modulation
Frequency_modulation is a system of radio transmission in which the amplitude of the carrier remains constant but the frequency is varied in accordance with the amplitude of the modulating waveform. In frequency modulation the loudness of the applied audio-frequency modulation is represented by the amount of change of carrier frequency, and the frequency of the signal is reprented by the number of times the carrier frequency is changed every second.
*Fresco
A fresco is a painting done on plaster.
*Fret
In architecture, a fret is a decorative pattern consisting of a continuous series of short, straight lines or bars joining one another or interlacing, usually at right angles.
*Fricasse
Fricasse is a dish consisting of small pieces of white meat in a flavoured white sauce made from the stock in which the meat was cooked, with the addition of milk.
*Friday
Friday is the fifth day of the week, the name derives from the Saxon Frige-doeg, the day sacred to Freya.
*Frith Gild
A Frith Gild was a Saxon voluntary association of neighbours for purposes of order and self-defence. They repressed theft, traced stolen cattle and indemnified parties robbed from a common fund raised by subscription of the members. 
*Fructose
Fructose (fruit-sugar or laevulose) is a simple and very sweet sugar found in plant juices, fruit and honey. It is a mono-saccharose, white, crystalline compound. 
*Fruit
Fruit is a botanical term for the mature ovary of a plant comprised of two parts, the pericarp and the seed. 
*Fruit-sugar
#Fructose
*Fuchsine
#Magenta 
*Full Duplex
Full_Duplex is a communications term referring to a circuit which allows independent transmission information in both directions simultaneously. - Synonym:  In wire telephony, 4 wire circuit.  
*Fulminate
Fulminates are the mettalic salts of fulminic acid. They can be made by dissolving a metal in strong nitric acid and adding alcohol. The fulminate is then precipitated. Fulminates are highly explosive compounds used for the manufacture of detonators. 
*Funicular Railway
A funicular railway is a railway for transporting passengers up a steep incline. They often run on the principle of balance, two carriages of equal weight being joined by a long cable which passes over a pulley at the upper end. Small power is required at the pulley to bring one car up the slope while the other descends. 
*Furlong
The furlong is a unit of the imperial scale of measurement of length equivalent to 10 chains, 220 yards or 201.168 metres. The name furlong derives from furrow-length.  
*Furlongs
#furlong 
*Fuse
a fuse is a slow burning cord or other mechanism for delaying igniting a charge, such as a mine. Early fuses (slow-matches) were made of lightly twisted hemp dipped in potassium_nitrate and ignited. Modern fuses may be electrical attached to a timer, or chemical in which an acid burns away a division in a container holding two chemicals which ignite when combined. 
*Fusel Oil
Fusel_oil is the residue left after removing the ethyl_alcohol from various liquors obtained by fermentation, potato spirit being the best source. Fusel oil consists principally of isoamyl and normal amyl alcohols, together with smaller amounts of butyl_alcohol, and various aldehydes and esters. It is a poisonous, unpleasant smelling, oily liquid principally used as a source of amyl_alcohol. 
*Gabardine
Gabardine is a fabric particularly suited to water-proofing, composed of fine botany wool yarn warp, and cotton weft. The name is also given to a raincoat made from the material. 
*Gabelle
Gabelle was a tax on salt imposed in France from 1286 until 1790. It was levied unequally and caused a lot of discontent.
*Gabilla
Gabilla is a Cuban measurement of tobacco. One gabilla is comprised of 36 or 40 leaves, 4 gabillas comprise 1 hand and 80 hands comprise 1 bale. 
*Gadolinium
Gadolinium is a metal element with the symbol Gd of the group of rare earth metals. It is found in the mineral gadolinite. 
*Gaff
A gaff is a spar used in ships to extend the upper edge of fore-and-aft sails which are not set on stays.
*Galactose
Galactose (lactoglucose) is a sugar formed together with glucose when lactose is boiled in dilute acids. It occurs naturally in ivy. 
*Galalith
Galalith (erinoid) is a synthetic plastic material manufactured by the interaction of casein and formaldehyde. It is odourless, insoluble in water, and only with difficulty inflammable.
*Galantine
Galantine is a dish which consists usually of a white meat, well flavoured and made into a roll. It is served cold and has a glazed surface. 
*Galaxy
A galaxy is a congregation of stars held together by gravity.
*Gall
A gall is a growth caused on plants of various kinds by parasitic mites (Phytoptidae). 
*Galley-slave
A galley-slave was a convict forced to work at the oar on board a galley, being chained to the deck. It was a punishment common in France until 1748.  
*Gallic Acid
Gallic_Acid (Trihydroxy-benzoic Acid) is an acid which was first procured from the gall-nut by Scheele in 1786. It occurs in the seeds of the mango, acorn, tea, walnut and many other plants and is a decomposition product of tannic acid. It is used as an important black dye and is an ingredient in ink. 
*Galliot
A galliot was a Dutch or Flemish ship used for transporting cargo in the late 19th and early 20th century. It had very rounded ribs and a flatish bottom, with a mizzen-mast placed near the stern, carrying a square main-sail and main-top-sail. 
*Gallium
Gallium is a rare metal element with the symbol Ga.
*Gallon
The gallon is a unit of capacity measurement equivalent to 4 quarts or 4.546 litres, 8 pints.
*Galvanometer
A galvanometer is an instrument for measuring an electric current by the deflection of a magnetic needle. Basically, it is comprised of a coil beneath a suspended magnetic needle. When electric current passes through the coil it sets up a magnetic field and attracts the needle, the stronger the current the more powerful the magnetic field and the more pronounced the needle's deflection from the earth's magnetic field.
*Gamboge
Gamboge is a gum-resin obtained from a tree growing in the Far East. It is used as a paint-pigment, in the manufacture of varnish, in tanning and as a purgative.
*Gamete
Gametes are cells taking part in sexual reproduction. The female gamete is the ovum (egg-cell) and the male gamete of animals is the spermatozoon, and the male gamete of plants the spermatozoid. 
*Gamma Rays
Gamma_Rays are a short, intense burst of electromagnetic radiation emitted by an unstable nucleus of radioactive material. Gamma rays have no electrical charge and can penetrate even thick lead and concrete.
*Gangrene
Gangrene (Mortification) is a term applied in medicine to the death of a considerable bulk of body tissue. Gangrenes are classified according to their cause. Embolic gangrene is due to the blocking of an artery, which prevents blood reaching the part. Senile gangrene is due to malnutrition of the part in very old people. Traumatic gangrene is due to injury. Hospital gangrene, gas gangrene and others are due to infection by organisms. The gangrene may be either dry or moist. In dry gangrene the part is hard, shrunken and black. In moist gangrene it is swollen and putrescent. 
*Ganja
Ganja was originally the Indian name for the dried shoots of the female hemp plant which have hashish resin on them. Today it is a Jamaican slang expression for cannabis and hashish. 
*Gas
Gas is a form of matter where the molecules move randomly. 
*Gas gangrene
#Gangrene
*Gas Oil
Gas_Oil is a liquid petroleum distillate with a viscosity somewhat below that of lubricating oils. It is used in the manufacture of coal_gas and as the charging stock in cracking plants where it is broken down for use as motor spirit. 
*Gaseous
#gas 
*Gastritis
Gastritis is inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the stomach. 
*Gauge
A gauge is any scientific measuring instrument - for example, a wire gauge or a pressure gauge. The term is also applied to the width of a railroad or tramway track.
*Gauss
Gauss is the c.g.s. unit (symbol Gs) of magnetic induction or magnetic flux density, replaced by the SI unit, the tesla, but still commonly used. It is equal to one line of magnetic flux per square centimetre. The Earth's magnetic field is about 0.5 Gs, and changes to it over time are measured in gammas (one gamma equals 10-5 gauss).
*Gavotte
The gavotte was a stately and ceremonious dance, like the minuet, which developed into a stage dance too elaborate for performance in the ball-room. 
*Geiger-Muller Tube
The Geiger-Muller Tube is an electron tube forming an ionization chamber and used as a radiation counter or meter. 
*Geissler Tube
The Geissler Tube is a discharge tube, often of ornamental shape, and exhausted to a pressure of a few millimeters of mercury. They are used for demonstrating the luminous effects accompanying electric discharges through rarefied gases. 
*Gelatine
Gelatine (glutin) is a compound of animal origin obtained by the hydrolysis of an albuminoid protein, collagen, found in the bones, catrilages and connective tissues. It is used in the manufacture of soups, jellies and pharmaceutical capsules for drugs.
*Gemini
Gemini is a sign of the zodiac.
*Genus
In scientific classification, a genus is an assemblage of species possessing certain characteristics in common by which they are distinguished from others.  
*Geode
A geode is a round hollow nodule containing earthy matters, sometimes quartz, sometimes agate. Geodes are found in most volcanic rocks and are formed by water depositing materials in the hollows of these rocks. 
*Geophagism
Geophagism is the practice of eating some kind of earthy matter, such as rock or chalk. It is most common amongst non-industrialised races, and was once thought to allay hunger. However, new evidence suggests that some peoples obtain valuable minerals in their diet from geophagism, as those minerals are not available in their normal food. 
*Geosynchronous Orbit
Geosynchronous_Orbit is a position at an approximate altitude of 37 km above the Equator, where a velocity of about 2 km per hour in the same direction as Earth's rotation makes a satellite appear stationary over the Earth's surface.  At such a point, ground-based microwave antennae can remain fixed and achieve linkage with transponders on board the satellite to produce a microwave relay between points as much as one-third of the way around the globe, or about 13 km; this concept first proposed by British physicist and science fiction writer Arthur_C._Clarke in a 1947 publication.
*Geotropic
Geotropic is a biological term describing plants whose roots grow downwards into the soil in response to gravity.
*Geotropism
In botany, the term geotropism refers to a disposition or tendency to turn towards the earth.
*Geranial
Geranial (citral) is a pleasant-smelling aldehyde which occurs in various essential oils. It can be obtained from lemon-grass oil and is used in the manufacture of perfumes.
*German
German is a term used to denote someone or something from Germany. 
*German Silver
#Nickel_Silver 
*Germanium
Germanium is a metal element with the symbol Ge used in the manufacture of electronic semiconductors. It has low conductivity at room temperature, but increasing conductivity with increases of temperature.
*Germination
Germination is the sprouting of seeds into plants. It takes place after the seeds have been shed, when ripening changes continue.
*Gestation
Gestation is the period which elapses between the impregnation of any mammal and the birth of the offspring. Gestation varies from 25 days in the case of the mouse to 620 days for an elephant, with the normal human gestation lasting 270 days (9 months).
*Geyser
In geography, a geyser is a volcanic boiling spring. They are common in Iceland and New_Zealand. 
*Ghee
Ghee is the clarified butter-fat obtained from buffalo butter. It is widely used in India for cooking. 
*Ghetto
A ghetto was a part of a city in which Jews were compelled to live, shut off from the rest of the city and forced to pay a tax for the dubious privilege of living there.
*Gibus
The gibus is a type of opera hat named after its maker.
*Gilchrist Trust
The Gilchrist_Trust was a fund of money left by Dr. John_Gilchrist in 1841 to promote education. The interest was applied to the support of scholarships for young men and women after a competitive examination. Scientific lectures were also delivered under the auspices of the trust. 
*Gill
The gill was an English unit of liquid measurement equivalent to 0.25 pints. 
*Gimbal
Gimbals (Cardan Suspension) are devices used chiefly on board ship for suspending objects so that they remain vertical in spite of any inclination of the support to which they are attached.
*Gimp
Gimp was a thick, silk-covered cord used to line crinoline dresses. The term also describes a part of a nun's head-gear. 
*Gin
Gin is an alcoholic beverage flavoured with juniper. 
*Gin Act
The gin act of 1735 laid an excise of 5 shillings per gallon of gin and was passed in July 1736. 
*Ginal
Ginal is a Jamaican term for a person who misleads other people in order to gain tangible benefit. For example, a woman who deceives a man into supporting her or providing her with goods by telling him that she likes him when she really has no interest other than in material gain.
*Glacier
In geography, a glacier is a massive crystalline block of ice or snow. They are found in regions of perpetual snow.
*Glanders
Glanders is a disease attacking horses, due to a bacillus (Bacillus mallei), which affects the lungs and sometimes the membrane of the nose and throat. The disease may be passed to man by contagion. 
*Glass
Glass is a brittle substance made by fusing silica, an alkali and a base.
*Glucic Acid
Glucic_Acid is an acid produced by the action of alkalis on glucose or of acids on cane-sugar. 
*Glucose
Glucose is a simple form of sugar with the formulae c6h12o6. 
*Glucoside
The glucosides are a group of carbon compounds occurring in plants, and characterised by the fact that on hydrolysis or saponification with dilute acids a sugar, usually glucose, is formed along with other products.
*Gluten
Gluten is a tough elastic substance of a greyish colour which becomes brown and brittle by drying, found in the flour of wheat and other grain. It contributes much to the nutritive quality of flour, and gives tenacity to its paste.
*Glutin
#Gelatine
*Glycerol tri-stearate
#Stearin 
*Glycine
Glycine is a simple amino_acid.
*Glycogen
Glycogen is a polysaccharide retained in the liver as a carbohydrate store.
*Goldschmidt Alternator
A Goldschmidt Alternator is a dynamo-electric ac generator for producing currents of high frequency. A number of windings arranged alternatively on the rotor and the stator are tuned to successively high frequencies. Currents of one frequency in one of the coils, say on the rotor, produce currents of higher frequency in one of the stator coils, and these in turn produce currents of still higher frequencies in the next rotor coil. The process continues for the complete series of coils, and frequencies up to some 100 khz can be produced.
*Goldschmidt Process
#Thermite_Process
*Golf
Golf is an outdoor game in which a small ball is struck with a club. 
*Gonidia
Gonidia are the secondary, green, spherical cells in the thallus of lichens which distinguish lichens from fungi.  
*Goniometer
A goniometer is an instrument for measuring solid angles, and is used in crystallography.
*Gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is a specific contagious inflammation of the male urethra or the female vagina. It is a painful disease which may result in the chronic catarrh called gleet or may lead to stricture.
*Good Friday
Good_Friday is a Christian festival held on the last Friday before Easter, and remembering the crucifixion.
*Gorget
A gorget was a piece of body armour for the protection of the throat.
*Gout
Gout is a disease marked by an excess of uric acid in the tissues. 
*Grain
The grain is a unit of measurement of the avoirdupois scale equivalent to 0.0648 grams.
*Grains
#grain 
*Gram
Gram is the metric unit of mass; one-thousandth of a kilogram. 
*Graphoscope
The graphoscope is an optical apparatus used for magnifying and giving fine effects to engravings, photographs etc. It was invented by Riswell and first exhibited in 1871.
*Graphotype
Graphotype was a process for obtaining blocks for surface-printing invented by Witt_Hitchcock in 1860. Drawings were made on blocks of chalk with a silicious ink. When the ink dried, the soft parts were brushed away leaving the drawing in relief and stereotypes could then be taken from the block.
*Gravel
Gravel is a mixture of coarse sand and small water-worn stones. The term may also be applied to small water-worn stones on their own.
*Gravity
Gravity is the force of attraction between two objects resulting from their mass.
*Greaves
Greaves was body armour worn at the front of the lower part of the legs and buckled behind the leg.
*Greeks
#Greek 
*Green-Bag Inquiry
The Green-Bag Inquiry, so called from a green bag full of documents of alleged seditions laid before parliament by Lord_Sidmouth, was an inquiry held in 1817 by secret committes to suspend the Habeas Corpus Act and prohibit seditious meetings which were frequent at the time.
*Grey Coat Hospital
The Grey Coat Hospital was a hospital for girls founded in 1698 at Westminster and reconstituted in 1873.
*Guitar
A guitar is a stringed musical instrument played with the fingers or a plectrum. 
*Gules
Gules is the heraldic name for the colour red. It ranks highest among the colours. 
*Gulf-stream
The Gulf-stream is the warm north-east drift current of the north Atlantic originating from the equatorial_drift.
*Gum Arabic
Gum_Arabic is obtained from the acacia.
*Guys Hospital
Guys_Hospital is a famous hospital in London which was founded by Thomas_Guy, a wealthy bookseller in 1721.
*Gymnosperm
A gymnosperm is a plant with a naked seed, there being no proper ovary the seeds being fertilised by the pollen coming into direct contact with the foramen of the ovule without the intervention of a stigma. 
*H Aerial
An H aerial is an aerial array comprising a dipole and one reflector.
*Habitual Criminals Act
The Habitual Criminals Act was passed in 1869 granting powers to the police to apprehend habitual criminals on suspicion. The objective being to be more effective in the prevention of crime. 
*Hackney Carriage
#Hackney_Coach 
*Hackney Coach
Hackney_Coach is the old name for a Hackney Carriage. They originated in London in 1625 when there were twenty of them available for hire. During the 19th century Hackney Coaches gave way to Hackney Cabs, which in turn have evolved into Hackney Carriages, now commonly called taxis. 
*Haemorrhoids
#Varicose_Veins
*Hafnium
Hafnium is a metal element with the symbol Hf occurring in zircon and used in nuclear reactors.
*Hajj
Hajj is the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.
*Half-hitch
The half-hitch is a type of knot.
*Hall Effect
The Hall effect is when a piece of semiconductor material with a cuurent flowing through it is subjected to a magnetic field a voltage is set up between the faces of the material which are perpendicular to both the current and the field. It is caused by the charge carriers present in the semiconductor being deflected in the magnetic field.
*Hallmark
A hallmark is an official mark stamped on British gold, silver, and (from 1913) platinum, instituted in 1327 by the royal charter of London Goldsmiths in order to prevent fraud. After 1363, personal marks of identification were added. Now tests of metal content are carried out at authorised assay offices in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Edinburgh; each assay office has its distinguishing mark, to which is added a maker's mark, date letter, and mark guaranteeing standard. 
*Halogen
Halogen is a particular group of elements with similar bonding properties. 
*Ham
Ham is pork leg which has been preserved by salting and drying.
*HAM-RPM
HAM-RPM is a knowledge-based conversationalist that reasons with fuzzy information. It was developed at the University of Hamburg. 
*Hand
The hand was an English unit of measurement applied to horses. One hand being four inches. 
*Harmaline
#Magenta 
*Hartley Oscillator
A Hartley oscillator is athermionic oscillator comprising a triode with an oscillatory circuit connected between anode and grid, and inductive coupling bwteen the anode and grid circuits, via a tapping on the inductive element of the tuned circuit. 
*Harvard College
Harvard_College is a famous University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded by the general court at Boston on the 28th October 1636 and derived its name from John_Harvard of Emmanuel College, Cambridge who bequeathed to it his library and a sum of money in 1638.
*Hashish
Hashish is the resinous form of cannabis.
*Heat-stroke
#Sunstroke 
*Hecatomb
Hecatomb was an ancient sacrifice of a hundred oxon, particularly observed by the Lacedaemonians when they possessed a hundred cities. The sacrifice was subsequently reduced to twenty-three oxen and goats and lambs were subsituted.
*Hectare
The hectare is the metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters (2.47 acres), symbol ha.
*Helical Aerial
A helical aerial is an aerial array composed of a conductor wound in the form of a helix, the circumferance of each turn being equal to a whole number of wavelengths. 
*Heliotropic
Heliotropic is a biological term for plants which turn their stems so as to expose as much leaf surface to the sunlight as possible. 
*Helium
Helium is a gaseous element with the symbol He.
*Helix
A helix is a circular spiral with all the turns the same diameter. 
*Helmet
A helmet is an item of clothing designed to protect the head.
*Hennin
The hennin was a cornet head-dress in the form of an elongated cone hung with elaborately arranged veils and worn by women in 15th century England.
*Henry
Henry is the unit of inductance. An inductor has an inductance of one henry if an electro-motive force of one volt is induced when the current changes at the rate of one ampere per second. 
*Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver. 
*Hepatoscopy
Hepatoscopy is divination by reading the marks on the liver of a slaughtered animal. 
*Heptathlon
The heptathlon is a 7 event athletics discipline.
*Heptode
A heptode is a high-vacuum thermionic valve having seven electrodes, namely an anode, a cathode and five grids.
*Heraldry
Heraldry is the subject of armorial bearings.  
*Herb
A herb is a plant whose aerial parts do not remain above ground following the growing season.
*Heroin
Heroin is a powerful opiate analgesic. 
*Heterodyne
Heterodyne is the process whereby two oscillations of different frequencies are combined to produce other oscillations, and particularly oscillations having a frequency equal to the difference between the frequencies of the two original oscillations. 
*Heuristic Dendral
Heuristic_Dendral is an expert system, developed at Stanford University, that establishes the structure of a molecule given the molecule's atomic formula and mass spectrogram.
*Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics are signs comprising the picture writing of the ancient Egyptians. 
*High Tension
High_Tension is a comparative term used in electronics to denote high voltages.
*Himation
An himation was a woollen cloak worn by the ancient Greeks.
*Hinterland
Hinterland is a country lying immediately behind a coast, river or frontier. 
*Hockey
Hockey is a game played with hooked sticks and a ball. 
*Hodometer
A hodometer was an early device for measuring the distance travelled by a vehicle. 
*Hoe
A hoe is an instrument for cutting up weeds and loosening the earth in fields and gardens. 
*Holophote
The holophote was a form of lamp in which the light was converged and directed to a particular spot to prevent collisions at sea etc.
*Honey
Honey is a sweet syrup made by bees from nectar. 
*Hooliganism
The term hooliganism derives from Hooley Gang, and has been used since 1900 to describe street ruffians and rowdyness. It was originally applied chiefly to the East-end of London, and conferences were held between 1900 and 1902 in London to try to combat the problem by encouraging clubs and brigades for the boys. 
*Horn Books
Horn_Books were used in education in England from early times to the 18th century, and were tablets on which were inscribed the alphabet, the nine digits and other basic information, and protected by a thin film of transparent horn. 
*Horsepower
 Horsepower is an imperial unit of power, now replaced by the watt. It was first used by the engineer James Watt, who employed it to compare the power of steam engines with that of horses. In the UK, one horsepower is equal to 550 foot-pounds per second or 745.7 watts. In the USA this figure has been rounded to 746 watts, and in the metric system it is 735.5 watts.
*Hospital
A hospital is an institution for caring for the sick and injured. The name derives from House of God's Hospitality, and were founded by the church in obedience to the injunction to care for the sick. Not until the late Victorian era would doctors attend to sexually transmitted diseases, believing them to be punishments from God. A view still held by many religious people today, although now more commonly applied to "AIDS" than other STDs. 
*Hospital gangrene
#Gangrene
*House
A house is a building for human habitation.
*House of Tudor
The House of Tudor was an English dynasty descended on the male side from Owen_Tudor, a Welsh knight who married Catherine, widow of Henry_V, and was the grandfather of Henry_VII; and on the female side from Edward_III through the Beauforts and John_of_Gaunt. The Tudor monarchs were Henry_VII, Henry_VII, Edward_VI, Mary, and Elizabeth_I.
*Hoy
A hoy was a small vessel, usually rigged as a sloop, and employed in carrying goods and passengers short distances coastwise, and sometimes in conveying goods and people to and from larger vessels and the shore.
*Huff
In the game of draughts, if a player in a position to capture an opposing piece neglects to do so, his opponent may "huff" (remove from the board) the piece which should have made the capture, if he so wishes to do so. 
*Humus
Humus is partly decomposed organic matter. Found in soil.
*Hundredweight
The hundredweight (cwt) is a unit of measurement of the avoirdupois scale equivalent to 4 quarters, 112 pounds or 50.8 kilograms.
*Hydralazine Hydrochloride
Hydralazine_hydrochloride is a drug used to reduce high blood pressure and to aid in relieving congestive heart failure. It has the possible side effects of: headaches, dizziness on changing position quickly, increased heart rate, angina, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, rash and weight gain. 
*Hydrocarbon
A hydrocarbon is a chemical containing only hydrogen and carbon. 
*Hydrocarbons
#hydrocarbon 
*Hydrochlorothiazide
Hydrochlorothiazide is an antihypertensive and diuretic drug used to controls, but not cure high, high blood pressure and reduce fluid retention (edema). It works by forcing sodium and water excretion, thereby reducing the body fluid. 
*Hydrocyanic Acid
Hydrocyanic_Acid (Prussic_Acid) was discovered by Scheele in 1782, and first prepared in a pure state by Gay-Lussac in 1811. It is found in the kernels of bitter almonds, peaches, apricots, plums, cherries and quinces and various plants leaves including beech, cherry and laurel. It is one of the most toxic substances known and is used to prepare cyanide. 
*Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a gaseous element with the symbol H. 
*Hydroxide
A hydroxide is an inorganic compound containing one or more hydroxyl groups. 
*Hydroxy-toluene
#Cresol
*Hypo
#Sodium_thiosulphate 
*Ichnology
Ichnology is the scientific study of footprints, first popularised in the 19th century following the discover in 1828 of the footprints of a tortoise in sandstone at Annandale by Dr. Duncan. 
*Iconoscope
An iconoscope is a type of television camera in which an image of the scene to be televised is projected on a mosaic consisting of granules of photo-emissive material. Emission of photo-electrons from each granule in proportion to the amount of light falling upon it results in the formation of a charge image on the mosaic. 
*Identiscope
An identiscope was an optical apparatus for combining two photographic portraits into one. One was first sold in Britain in 1884.
*Igneous rock
Igneous_rock is rock formed from cooling lava. 
*Impedance
Impedance is the total opposition offered by a circuit to the flow of alternating current. 
*Imperial Crown
The Imperial Crown was made for King George_V for his coronation as King Emperor at Delhi in 1911, and is part of the British Crown_Jewels.
*Imperial State Crown
The Imperial_State_Crown was designed and made for Queen_Victoria in 1838. It is one of the British Crown_Jewels.
*Implement
Implement is a method of execution carried out by thrusting a stake through the body.
*Incandescence
Incandescence is the emission of light due to heat.
*Inch
The inch is a unit of the imperial scale of measurement of the length equivalent to 25.4 millimetres. It was defined in 1824 by an act of parliament that 39.13929 inches is the length of a seconds pendulum in the latitude of London, vibrating in vacuo at sea level, at the temperature of 62 degrees Farenheit.
*Income Tax
Income_Tax is a tax levied directly from income of every description. It was first levied in Britain in January 1799, then repealed in 1802 and reinstated the same year under the name of Property Tax. It was fixed at 10 percent in 1806 and repealed in 1816 only to be reinstated in 1842. Since then the rate has fluctuated with the political whims of the current ruling party, and it is currently graduated but starting at 20 percent. 
*Indigestion
#Dyspepsia 
*Indigo
Indigo is the dye obtained from the woad plant, isatis tinctoria. It was used by the Egyptians and other ancient nations.
*Indium
Indium is a soft, rare metal element with the symbol In. 
*Indonesian
#indonesia 
*Inductance
In electronics, inductance is the property of a circuit whereby an electro-motive force is generated by reason of a change in the magnetic flux through the circuit. 
*Infra-red
Infra-red radiation (heat waves) consists of electro-magnetic radiation of wavelengths shorter than those of the super-high-frequency radio waves and longer than 7600 angstroms, corresponding to the red end of the visible spectrum.
*Interface
An interface is a shared boundary between two devices. These may be a human and a machine for example. Computer operating systems use an interface to receive and transmit data to and from a human operator.
*Interlisp
Interlisp is a dialect of the Lisp programming language. It is a computer programming language designed for procedure orientated representation. It has all the standard features of Lisp, plus extensive debugging facilities, and a DWIM self-correcting facility. 
*Interpol
Interpol is an international police organisation with headquarters in Paris. 
*Intestinal
#Intestine 
*Invar
Invar is an alloy of iron and nickel.
*Invisible
Invisible describes something that cannot be seen. 
*Iodine
Iodine is a non-metal element with the symbol I. 
*Ion
An ion is a charged atom or group of atoms. The charge occurs from a surplus or deficiency of electrons. 
*Ionised
#ion 
*Ionization Voltage
Ionization_Voltage is the potential which an electron must traverse before it attains sufficient kinetic energy to ionize by collision an atom of a specified gas. 
*Ionosphere
The ionosphere is the ionized layer of the earth's atmosphere. It extends over altitudes from about 50 km to about 600 km. 
*Iridium
Iridium is a metal element with the symbol Ir. 
*Iridosmine
#Osmiridium
*Irish
Irish is a term used to denote something or someone from Ireland.
*Iron Cross
The Iron Cross was an order of knighthood established by Frederick_William_III of Prussia in 1813 to honour patriotic bravery in the war against France. 
*Iroquois cup
The iroquois_cup is an English lacrosse tournament.
*Irradiation
Irradiation is the process of exposing something to radiation. It is used to preserve food and destroy cancer growths. 
*Irrigation
Irrigation is the process of supplying water to land through a series of artificial waterways. 
*Isosorbide Dinitrate
Isosorbide_Dinitrate is an anti-anginal drug used to reduce the frequency and severity of angina attacks.
*Isotope
An isotope is a form of an element which has a different atomic weight and nuclear properties than other isotopes of the same element. 
*Isoxsuprine
Isoxsuprine is a vasodilator drug used to improve poor blood circulation.
*Isthmian Games
The Isthmian Games were a Greek athletic contest held at Corinth. They were first held in 523 BC and resemble the Olympic games except that the victor received a crown of wild parsley. 
*J-aerial
A J-aerial is a dipole type aerial consisting of a three-quarter wavelength vertical portion and a quarter-wavelength portion parallel to it, the feeding points being equidistant from the junction.
*Jah
Jah is the Jamaican, and more especially the Rastafarian, name for god.
*Jansky
The Jansky is the unit of radiation received from outer space, used in radio astronomy. It is equal to 10-26 watts per square meter per hertz, and is named after the USA engineer Karl Jansky.
*January
January derives its name from Janus, an early Roman god. January was added to the Roman calendar by Numar in 713 BC, he placed it about the winter solstice and made it the first month because Janus was supposed to preside over the beginnings of all business. In 1751 the legal year in England was ordered to begin on January 1st instead of 25th March.
*Jazz
Jazz is a lively type of music which originated in America amongst the black community.
*Jetsam
Jetsam are goods thrown overboard in a storm, or after a shipwreck, and cast upon the shore. 
*Johnson Noise
In electronics, Johnson Noise is unwanted voltage variations which manifest in a receiver as noise and in other types of apparatus as spurious signals in the output. Johnson Noise is due to the random motion of electrons in a conductor, which increases with temperature. 
*Jota
The jota is the national dance of Aragon.
*Judo
Judo is a form of Japanese wrestling.
*Judy
Judy is an English slang expression for a woman. 
*Jujitsu
Jujitsu is a Japanese form of self defence.
*Jurassic
The Jurassic was the tenth geological period, 135,000,000 years ago. The first mammals evolved.
*Jute
Jute is a fibre obtained from plants and used for making sacks.
*K-band
K-band is the frequency band from 10,900 to 36,000 mhz, about 1 cm wavelength, employed in radar.
*Kabbala
#Qabbala 
*Kaftan
#Caftan
*Kaleidoscope
A kaleidoscope is an optical instrument which, by an arrangement of mirrors produces a symmetrical reflection of various transparent substances placed between them. It was invented by Sir_David_Brewster between 1814 and 1817.
*Kamptulicon
Kamptulicon was a substance used for flooring. It was invented in 1843 by Elijah_Galloway and was comprised of rubber and cork combined by a masticating machine.
*Kathode
#Cathode 
*Kauri gum
Kauri_gum is fossilised copal found in New_Zealand.
*Kayser
The kayser is the unit of wave number (number of waves in a unit length), used in spectroscopy. It is expressed as waves per centimetre, and is the reciprocal of the wavelength. A wavelength of 0.1 cm has a wave number of 10 kaysers.
*Kelvin
Kelvin is a temperature scale in which the absolute zero of temperature (-273 degrees celsius) is represented by zero degrees kelvin.
*Kennelly-Heaviside Layer
#E_Layer 
*Kenotron
A kenotron is a high-voltage thermionic diode rectifier. 
*Keratin
Keratin is a fibrous protein.
*Keroselene
Keroselene is a substance derived from the distillation of coal-tar. It was discovered in 1861 by Merrill, and used as an anaesthetic. 
*Ket's Rebellion
Ket's_Rebellion was a revolt in July 1549 instigated by William_Ket, a tanner, of Wymondham, Norfolk. He demanded the abolition of inclosures and the dismissal of evil counsellors. The insurgents amounted to 20,000 men, but were quickly defeated by the earl of Warwick. More than 2000 were killed, and Ket and some others were tried and hanged. 
*Kichel
Kichel is a type of small cake.
*Kid
A kid is a baby goat.
*Kie kie
The kie kie is an item worn around the waste of all Tongans to formal occasions as a symbol of respect to God, King and Country. 
*Kin
The kin was a Japanese unit of weight equal to 1.3228 lbs. 
*Kinescope
Kinescope is a name mainly used in America for a cathode_ray_tube used in a television receiver. 
*Kinetic Energy
Kinetic_energy is the energy possessed by a body by virtue of its motion.
*Kinetics
Kinetics is the branch of dynamics dealing with actual motion. 
*Kinetoscope
The kinetoscope was an apparatus invented by Edison for the continuous photography of objects in motion. The first series of photographs were of the strong man Sandow, and were reported in New_York in 1894. 
*King's evil
King's_evil was a popular name for Scrofula. 
*King's sceptre
The King's sceptre is part of the British Crown_Jewels and contains the largest part of the Star_of_Africa_diamond which weighs over 516 carats. 
*Klystron
A klystron is a thermionic tube suitable for use as a microwave amplifier or oscillator, in which the electron stream is velocity-modulated. 
*Knight
Historically, a knight was an honourable military rank which was bestowed upon a noble who had served as a page and squire by the king. Today a knight is a social title bestowed upon people for supposed service to the crown or country, and entitles them to be called ''Sir'' rather than ''Mister''. 
*Knighthood
Knighthood is the social rank of knight. 
*Knot
In navigation the knot is the unit by which a ship's speed is measured, equivalent to one nautical mile per hour (one knot equals about 1.15 miles per hour). It is also sometimes used in aviation. 
*Knowledge
Knowledge is practical understanding.
*Koh-i-Noor diamond
The Koh-i-Noor diamond is a fabulous diamond of 106 carats and is mounted in the State_Crown.
*Kohl
Kohl is antimony sulphide used by women as eye make up.
*Koto
The koto is a stringed musical instrument from Japan.
*Krypton
Krypton is a gaseous element with the symbol Kr. 
*Kung Fu
Kung_Fu is a form of Chinese unarmed combat. 
*Kwan
The kwan was a Japanese unit of weight equal to 8.2673 lbs.
*L-band
L-band is the frequency band from 390 to 1550 mhz employed in radar. 
*Labret
A labret is an ornament inserted in a hole pierced through the lip.
*Labyrinth
A labyrinth is a maze like structure.
*Lachrymation
Lachrymation is the anatomical term for the shedding of tears. 
*Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a ball-game originally played by North_American Indians with twelve players on each side, in which the ball is flung by and carried in the crosse, the object being to throw the ball through the opponents' goal. 
*Lactic acid
Lactic_acid is an organic acid formed by certain bacteria during fermentation. It also occurs in the muscles when they are exercised vigorously. It is used in food preservation and pharmaceuticals.
*Lactoglucose
#Galactose 
*Lactose
Lactose is a sugar found in solution in milk. It is the combination of glucose and galactose.
*Ladanum
Ladanum is a gum resin extracted from plants of the genus Cistus and used in perfume.
*Ladino
Ladino is a Spanish dialect spoken by Sephardic Jews.
*Laevulose
#Fructose
*Lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow stretch of salt water partly or wholly separated from the sea by a narrow strip of land or a low sand-bank or coral reef.
*Lallans
Lallans is a Lowland Scottish language.
*Lamb
A lamb is a young sheep. 
*Lambda
Lambda is the 12th letter of the Greek alphabet. 
*Lambert
The lambert is the unit of luminance (the light shining from a surface), equal to one lumen per square centimetre. In scientific work the candela per square meter is preferred. 
*Lambrequin
Lambrequin was originally a material covering worn over a helmet. It is now a term applied to a short piece of drapery hung over the top of a door or window.
*Lamella
A lamella is a thin plate, scale or film of bone or tissue.
*Lamina
The lamina is the blade on the leaf on either side of the midrib on flowering plants. It is usually the primary organ of photosynthesis. 
*Lamp
A lamp is a vessel filled with oil and fitted with a wick which is then used to provide light. The term has come to apply to any device which provides illumination, including electric lamps. 
*Lampas
Lampas is a horse disease with a swelling in the roof of the mouth.
*Lancastrian
A Lancastrian is an inhabitant of Lancashire.
*Lancet
A lancet is a fine pointed, double-edged surgical knife. 
*Landau
A landau is a four-wheeled carriage with a top, the back and front of the top can be raised and lowered independently of each other. 
*Landscape
Landscape is a term applied to inland scenery, or a picture of inland scenery. 
*Lane
A lane is a narrow road, usually between hedges, or a passage way. 
*Lanolin
Lanolin is a wax derived from sheep's wool.
*Lanthanide
The lanthanides are a group of 15 elements.
*Lanthanum
Lanthanum is a rare metal lanthanide element with the symbol La. 
*Lanyard
A lanyard is a cord attached to a knife or whistle with which to hold it, or to serve as a handle. 
*Laparotomy
A laparotomy is a surgical incision through the abdominal walls into the abdominal cavity. 
*Lapel
A lapel is a part of the front of a coat which is folded back towards the shoulder.
*Lard
Lard is the rendered and clarified internal fat from the abdomen of pigs or cattle used in cooking and pharmacy. 
*Larder
A larder is a room or cupboard used for storing provisions.
*Lardon
A lardon is a strip of bacon or pork used to lard meat.
*Larixinic Acid
#Maltol
*Laser
Laser is an acronym for Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. It is a device producing an intense narrow beam of light. 
*Lassa fever
Lassa_fever is an incurable fever caused by a virus carried by a species of rat found in west Africa.
*Lasso
A lasso is a rope with a running noose used for catching cattle. 
*Latchet
A latchet was a thong used for fastening a shoe. 
*Lath
A lath is a thin narrow strip of wood. Laths are used for supporting plaster, and to construct trellis.
*Lathe
A lathe is a machine used for turning wood, metal and other materials by rotating the article against tools which cut it to shape. 
*Laths
#Lath
*Latin
Latin is an Indo-European language which originated amongst the people of ancient Latium and the Romans. 
*Latten
Latten is a yellow alloy of copper, zinc, lead and tin used for making monumental brasses and church candlesticks. 
*Lattice
A lattice is a framework of laths crossed diagonally so as to form a net-like structure to be used as a screen or door.
*Laudanum
Laudanum is a tincture of opium. 
*Lava
Lava is the molten material expelled by a volcano. It cools to form igneous_rock.
*Lawrence Tube
The Lawrence tube is a form of picture tube for colour television, having a single electron gun, the beam from which scans the luminescent screen in horizontal lines, each line consisting of three closely spaced lines of three phosphors producing red, green and blue luminescence respectively. The beam is deflected to the line of appropriate colour by information contained in the signal waveform. 
*Lawrencium
Lawrencium is an artificial radioactive element with the symbol Lr.
*Laxative
A laxative is a substance which loosens the bowels assisting or encouraging the excretion of faeces. 
*Lazaret
A lazaret is a hospital for the poor, especially for lepers. 
*lb
#pound 
*lbs
#pound 
*Lead
Lead is a soft, malleable, metallic element with the symbol Pb. It occurs in many ores, the most important of which is galena. It is a very dense metal, and is used as a shield in environments where radiation abounds, such as x-rays and the nuclear industry. 
*Leaflet
In botanical terms, a leaflet is a division of a compound leaf.
*League
A league was a measurement of distance, it was equivalent to roughly 3 miles or just under 5 km. 
*Leather
Leather is a material prepared from the hides of dead animals. 
*Lebensraum
Lebensraum was the theory of living space used by the Nazis to justify their annexation of neighbouring states on the grounds that Germany was overpopulated during the 1930s. 
*Lecithin
Lecithin is a lipid containing nitrogen and phosphorus. It forms a vital part of plant and animal cell membranes.
*Leeward
Leeward is a nautical expression, referring to the opposite side of the ship to that from which the wind is blowing. 
*Legacy
A legacy is a sum of money or article bequeathed by will and handed down from a predecessor. 
*Leo
Leo is a sign of the zodiac represented by a lion. 
*Leprosy
Leprosy is a disease of the skin characterised by the formation of nodules or tubercles in the skin. There are variations, one causes the loss of bones which results in mutilation of the limbs.
*Liang
#Tael
*Libra
Libra is a sign of the zodiac represented by a set of scales.
*Ligan
Ligan is a wreck consisting of goods sunk in the sea, but tied to a buoy so that they may be found again.
*Light
Light is electromagnetic radiation detectable by the eye and of wavelengths between approximately 4000 and 7000 Angstrom units. The different colours are represented by different wavelengths ranging from violet at 3600 - 4300 Angstroms to red at 6470 - 7600 Angstroms. 
*Lightning
Lightning is a spark discharge of electricity between two charged clouds or between a charged cloud and the earth. 
*Limonene
Limonene is a terpene occurring in the oil of lemon, lime, lavender, caraway and bergamot. 
*Link
The link is a unit of the imperial scale of measurement of length equivalent to 7.92 inches. 
*Lipid
A lipid is an organic substance that is soluble in solvents such as alcohol but not in water.
*Lipowitz's Alloy
Lipowitz's_alloy is a fusible alloy consisting of 50 per cent bismuth, 26.5 percent lead, 13.3 per cent tin and 10.2 per cent cadmium. 
*Liqueur
A liqueur is a strong sweet alcoholic beverage with a spirit base and flavoured with aromatics.
*Lithium
Lithium is a metal element with the symbol Li. 
*Lithography
Lithography is a printing process invented by Senefelder in 1796.
*Litmus
Litmus is a dye derived from lichens and used to test acidity. 
*Litz
#Litzendraht 
*Litzendraht
Litzendraht (Litz) is a composite conductor designed for use in high-frequency circuits, and composed of a large number of fine wires, each separately insulated, and interwoven in a special way. This construction ensures a high ratio of surface area per unit length to cross-sectional area, and thus reduces the skin_effect. 
*Localizer
A localizer is a form of radio beacon used in instrument landing systems for aircraft. It is located about 230 meters beyond the stop end of an airfield runway and radiates two signals of different frequencies from two aerials whose polar diagrams overlap in such a way that their signals are of equal strength along the centre of the runway. In the receiving equipment fitted in the aircraft the two signals are applied to a centre-zero instrument. When the indicating pointer of the instrument is in the centre (zero) position the pilot knows that he is correctly aligned with the runway. 
*Loch
Loch is a Scottish term applied to both lakes and inlets.
*Lockjaw
#Tetanus 
*Logo
Logo is a computer programming language designed to teach mathematical concepts. It was developed in the early 1970s in America. 
*Long Friday
Long_Friday was the Saxon name for the festival now called Good_Friday.
*Long Waves
Long_Waves are radio waves having wavelengths between 1000 and 10,000 meters, corresponding to frequencies from 300 khz down to 30 khz.
*Loran
Loran is a radio navigation system of the hyperbolic type and developed in America chiefly for long-range navigation over the sea. Chains of transmitters radiate high power 50 micro-second pulses on frequencies in the order of 2 mhz.
*Lough
Lough is an Irish term applied to both lakes and inlets. 
*Lsd
Lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd) is an hallucinogen illegal drug.
*Lumbago
Lumbago is pain in the lower part of the back. 
*Lumen
The Lumen the unit of luminous flux, equal to the amount of light emitted per unit solid angle by a standard international candle. 
*Luminescence
Luminescence is the emission of light as the result of any stimulus other than heat. If the stimulus is heat the emission of light is termed incandescence.
*Luminous flux
Luminous_flux is the amount of light emitted from a light source.
*Lute
The lute is a family of stringed musical instruments that were in use during the 14th to 18th centuries. 
*Lutetium
Lutetium is a metal element with the symbol Lu.
*Lux
The lux is the SI unit of illuminance or illumination (the light falling on an object). It is equivalent to one lumen per square meter or to the illuminance of a surface one meter distant from a point source of one candela.
*Macrocephalia
Macrocephalia is the medical condition of having an excessively large head.
*Magenta
Magenta (fuchsine, rosein, harmaline or aniline red) is the hydrochloride of rosaniline, an aniline dye. 
*Magnadur
Magnadur is a cermaic material used for making permanent magnets. It consists basically of sintered oxide of iron and oxide of barium, and is therefore non-mettalic, although possessing ferro-magnetic properties. Because of its ceramic structure it is a good electrical insulator. 
*Magnesia
#Magnesium_oxide 
*Magnesian
#Magnesium_oxide 
*Magnesium
Magnesium is a metal element with the symbol Mg that burns with a very bright white light. 
*Magnesium oxide
Magnesium_oxide is formed when magnesium is burnt in the air. It is a white powder that is used to treat acidity in the stomach. 
*Magnesium Peroxide
Magnesium_peroxide is a white, tastless, water-insoluble powder used as an antiseptic and as an oxidizing and bleaching agent. 
*Magnesium Silicate
Magnesium_Silicate is a fine, white, odourless, tastless powder with variable hydration. It is insoluble in both water and alcohol and is used as a rubber filler, a bleaching agent, and odour absorber and in the manufacture of paints and resins.
*Magnesium Sulphate
#Epsom_Salts 
*Magnesium Trisilicate
Magnesium_Trisilicate is a fine, white, odourless, tastless powder used in industry as an odour absorber and as a decoloriser. It is used in medicine as an antacid. 
*Magnet
A magnet is a piece of one of the so-called ferromagnetic materials which has been magnetized, that is to say it has acquired, either permanently or temporarily, the power of attracting or repelling other pieces of similar material and of exerting a mechanical force on a neighbouring conductor carrying an electric current. 
*Magnetostriction
Magnetostriction is small changes in the length of a piece of magnetic material which accompany the process of magnetization.
*Magnetron Effect
The magnetron effect is the deflexion of electrons emitted from a straight filamentary or thin tubular thermionic cathode and accelerated towards a co-axial cylindrical anode, the deflexion resulting from the application of an axial magnetic field. 
*Mal de mer
Mal_de_mer is French for sea sickness. 
*Malaria
Malaria is an intermittent and remittent fever caused by the micro-organism Pasmodium and transmitted by the bite of the Anopheles mosquito. 
*Malayalam
Malayalam is a Dravidian dialect closely related to Tamil and widely spoken on the west coast of south India.
*Maleic Acid
Maleic_acid is a colourless, crystaline, water-soluble solid. It has an astringent taste and faint acidulous odour. It is used in the manufacture of synthetic resins, the dyeing and finishing of textiles, and as a preservative for fats and oils.
*Maleic Anhydride
Maleic_anhydride is a colourless, crystalline, unsaturated compound that is soluble in acetone and hydrolyses in water. It is used in the production of polyester resins, pesticides, fumaric acid and tartaric acid.
*Maleic Hydrazide
Maleic_hydrazide is a cystalline compound used as a plant growth inhibitor and weed-killer.
*Malic acid
Malic_acid is an organic compound extracted from fruits. 
*Malleable
Something which is malleable can be hammered into a new shape with out fracturing or returning to its original shape.
*Mallet
A mallet is a large and heavy hammer, usually made of wood.
*Malmsey
Malmsey is a strong, sweet wine with a strong flavour. It was originally made in Greece, but now most of it is made in Madeira.
*Malonic Acid
Malonic_acid is a white, crystalline, water-soluble dibasic acid easily decomposed by heat and used chiefly as an intermediate in the synthesis of barbiturates. 
*Malt
Malt is derived from grain, usually barley, which is steeped in water and made to germinate which causes the grain's starch to convert into saccharine matter, it is then dried in a kiln and used in the brewing of beer, distilling of whisky and other culinary uses. 
*Malted
#Malt
*Maltol
Maltol (Larixinic acid) is a crystalline compound obtained from larch bark, pine needles, chicory or roasted malt and used for enhancing flavours and aromas in foods, wines and perfumes. 
*Maltose
Maltose is a sugar formed naturally from starch during the germination of grain. It is two glucose molecules combined. 
*Mandolin
The mandolin is a stringed musical instrument descended from the lute. 
*Manganese
Manganese is a metal element with the symbol Mn. 
*Mansbridge Capacitor
A Mansbridge capacitor is an electronic capactitor having metal foil plates and paper dielectric and so designed that, should the insulation break down to puncture of the dielectric, the discharge between the plates at the seat of the breakdown oxidises the metal and thus restores the insulation resistance. 
*Manx
Manx is a dialect of Gaelic once spoken in the Isle_Of_Man.
*Margerine
#Butterine 
*Margerine Act
The Margerine Act of 1887 declared that butterine, and other substances like butter must be termed margerine. The term ''butter'' being restricted to the product of milk or cream, or both. 
*Mass
In physics, mass is the quantity of matter which a body contains.
*Maund
The maund was a unit of measurement used in India around 1900. It is equivalent to 40 seer.
*Maxwell
The maxwell is the c.g.s. unit of magnetic flux. It is now replaced by the SI unit, the weber (one maxwell equals 10-8 weber). The maxwell is a very small unit, representing a single line of magnetic flux. It is equal to the flux through one square centimetre normal to a magnetic field with an intensity of one gauss. 
*Maze
A maze is a confusing network of passages and winding interconnecting paths. 
*Mead
Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey. 
*Meclofenamate
Meclofenamate is an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat joint pain, stiffness, inflammation and swelling of arthritis and gout. 
*Meliorism
Meliorism is the doctrine that the world may be made better by human effort. 
*Melodeon
A melodeon is a type of accordion. 
*Melody
Melody is the tune of a piece of music.
*Mendelevium
Mendelevium is an artificial metal radioactive element with the symbol Md. 
*Menorah
A menorah is a seven-branched candelabrum used in Jewish worship.
*Menthol
Menthol is an alcohol derivative of menthone and occurs in peppermint. 
*Mercuric Chloride
Mercuric_Chloride (Corrosive_Sublimate) is a compound (HgCl2) used medicinally as an antiseptic and as an astringent. It is extremely poisonous. 
*Mercury
Mercury is a dense, mobile, silvery liquid metal element, symbol Hg. 
*Mercury fulminate
Mercury_fulminate is an explosive used in detonators and percussion caps.
*Mesons
Mesons are charged particles observed in cosmic rays, and having rest masses greater than that of an electron but less than that of a proton.
*Metal
Metal is a class of elements.
*Meteor
A meteor is a small solid body which sails through space.
*Meteorite
A meteorite is a piece of rock or metal from space.
*Methane
Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon. It is an odourless gas that is explosive when mixed with oxygen.
*Methanoic acid
Methanoic_acid is a fuming liquid that occurs in stinging nettles. 
*Methanol
Methanol is the simplest alcohol having the formulae ch3oh.
*Methodism
Methodism is a religious movement. It was founded by John_Wesley, Charles_Wesley and George_Whitfield in reaction to apathy within the Church_of_England.
*Methyl aldehyde
#Formaldehyde
*Methyl-aniline
#Toluidine 
*Methyl-benzene
#Toluene 
*Methyl-guanidine-acetic acid
Methyl-guanidine-acetic_acid (Creatine) is a naturally occurring amino-acid found in meat juices.
*Methyl-phenol
#Cresol
*Methyldopa
Methyldopa is a drug used for long lasting mild to severe high blood pressure. It has the possible side effects of: sedation, headache, weakness, dizziness, decreased mental acuity, depression, nightmares, decreased heart rate, swelling, weight gain, dry mouth, nasal stuffiness, diarrhea, skin rash and drug-induced fever.
*Methylethyl acetic acid
Methylethyl_acetic_acid is an isomeric variety of valeric_acid found in plants.
*Methysergide
Methysergide is a vasoconstrictor drug used to prevent migraine and other recurring vascular headaches. It works by blocking the action of serotonin, a chemical that constricts blood vessels.
*Metoprolol Tartrate
Metoprolol_tartrate is a drug used to reduce high blood pressure. It has the possible side effects of: fatigue, lethargy, decreased heart rate, low blood pressure, congestive heart failure, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash and fever.
*Mezzotint
Mezzotint is a method of engraving on copper or steel. 
*Mho
Mho is the unit of conductance, the reciprocal of the ohm. 
*Micrometer
A micrometer is an instrument for measuring minute lengths or angles with great accuracy; different types of micrometer are used in astronomical and engineering work. 
The type of micrometer used in astronomy consists of two fine wires, one fixed and the other movable, placed in the focal plane of a telescope; the movable wire is fixed on a sliding plate and can be positioned parallel to the other until the object appears between the wires. 
The movement is then indicated by a scale on the adjusting screw. 
The micrometer calliper, of great value in engineering, has its adjustment effected by an extremely accurate fine-pitch screw (vernier).  
*Micron
The micron is a unit of length equal to one thousandth part of a millimetre. 
*Microphone
A microphone is the first component in a sound recording system. It converts sound waves into electrical energy. A simple microphone is the telephone receiver mouthpiece. 
*Microtome
A microtome is an instrument used for cutting very thin sections of organic tissue for microscopic examination.
*Mildew
Mildew is a growth of minute fungi.
*Mile
The mile is a unit of the imperial scale of measurement of length equivalent to 8 furlongs, 1760 yards or 1.6093 kilometres. 
*Millennium
Millennium is a period of measurement being 1000 years.
*Mineral
A mineral is an element or compound occurring naturally due to inorganic processes.
*Ming
Ming is the name of the Chinese dynasty which ruled from 1368 to 1644. 
*Minuet
The Minuet is a dance which came to Paris in 1650 and reached its greatest popularity in the reign of Louis_XV. It combined gracefulness with ceremonial formality.
*Miocene
The Miocene was the sixteenth geological period, 25,000,000 years ago. The first apes evolved. 
*Mirror-iron
#Spiegel-eisen 
*Mizen
#Mizzen
*Mizzen
A mizzen is the fore and aft sail on the after side of the mizzen-mast of a three-masted ship. 
*Modem
Modem is a contraction of the term Modulator/Demodulator. It is a device that modulates and demodulates signals on and off a ''carrier'' frequency. It is not limited to computer data use, thus the telco-specific term ''data set'' for data modems. 
*Modulation
Modulation is alterations in the characteristics of analog carrier waves, impressed on the amplitude, phase and/or the frequency of the wave.
*Molecule
A molecule is the smallest particle of any substance that can exist and still exhibit the properties of the substance. 
*Molybdenum
Molybdenum is a metal element with the symbol Mo.
*Monday
Monday is the first day of the week. 
*Monoamine
A monoamine is a biogenic amine neurotransmitter with a single amino group.
*Monosaccharide
Monosaccharide is a simple carbohydrate. 
*Monsoon
A monsoon is a seasonal wind occasioned by the deflection of permanent winds from their normal path through the heating of a neighbouring land mass. 
*Month
The month is a unit of measurement of time based upon the motion of the moon around the earth. 
*Moon
The moon is the natural satellite of the earth. It is 3476 km in diameter and has a mass 1/8th that of the earth. It orbits the earth every 27.32 days.
*Morals and Health Act
The Morals and Health Act was passed in 1802 as the first legislation in Britain to improve the appaling conditions in British factories.
*Moreen
Moreen is a fabric made from wool or wool and cotton in imitation of moire.
*Moroxite
Moroxite is the crystallised form of apatite, occurring in crystals of a brownish or greenish-blue colour. 
*Morphia
#Morphine
*Morphine
Morphine is an opium alkaloid used to treat severe pain. 
*Morse Code
Morse_Code is a telegraphic code, devised by S. F. B. Morse, wherein letters, figures etc. are represented by differing arrangements of long and short pulses (dots and dashes). 
*Mountaineering
Mountaineering is the practice of climbing mountains.
*MTBF
Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) is a statistical method developed and administered by the U.S. military for purposes of estimating maintenance levels required by various devices and systems. Since accurate statistics require a basis of ''failures per million hours of operation,'' an MTBF estimate on a single device is not very accurate; it would take 114 years to see if the device really had that many failures!  Similarly, since the MTBF is an estimate of averages, half of the devices can be expected to fail before then, and half after. MTBF cannot be used as a guarantee. Telecommunications systems operate on the principle of ''Availability,'' for which there is a body of CCITT Recommendations. 
*Mu-metal
Mu-metal is a nickel-iron alloy characterised by its high permeability at low field strengths and its small hysterisis losses. 
*Muffle
A muffle is an arched fire-brick furnace used in assaying operations.
*Mullagatawny
Mullagatawny is a soup made with meat cut into small pieces and mixed with rice and curry-powder.
*Multileaving
Multileaving is an IBM Bisync-era method of interspersing message blocks for various applications on a single line.
*Mum
Mum is a malt liquor made of malt wheat, oats and bean meal. It was brewed extensively in Brunswick at the start of the 20th century.
*Mummy
A mummy is any dead body, human or animal, that has been naturally or artificially preserved. Natural mummification can occur through freezing, drying, or preservation in bogs or oil seeps. Artificial mummification may be achieved by embalming (for example, the mummies of ancient Egypt) or by freeze-drying. 
*Mumps
Mumps is an infectious disease which attacks the young and consists of a painful inflammation of the salivary glands with swelling along the neck. 
*Mungo
Mungo is a material similar to shoddy which is made from old woollen fabrics which have been torn up for remaking. 
*Munjeet
Munjeet is a dye obtained from the roots of the Rubia cordifolia plant which is grown in India.
*Muriatic Acid
Muriatic_Acid was a former name for Hydrochloric_acid. 
*Murrine
Murrine vases were priceless vessels brought from Carmania in Persia and used in ancient Rome as winecups where it was believed they would break if poison was mixed with the wine.
*Musk
Musk is a substance used in perfume and obtained from the Musk-deer. Musk is also used in medicine as an antispasmodic.
*Muslin
Muslin is a fine thin cotton fabric first imported into England in 1670 from India.
*Myckle ail
Myckle_ail is the old English name for leprosy.
*Myrrh
Myrrh is a gum resin produced by a tree found in Arabia. It is used as incense and in embalming. 
*Myxoedema
Myxoedema is a thyroid deficiency. 
*NACK
Nack (nak) is the ''Negative Acknowledge'' character in many data codes; typically used to indicate receipt of a corrupted message, ordering retransmission. 
*Nail
The nail is a unit of the imperial measurement of length equivalent to 1/16 yards. 
*NAK
#NACK
*Naphthalene
Naphthalene is a solid hydrocarbon.
*Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic wars were a series of European wars between 1803 and 1815 involving Napoleon and his conquests of Europe. 
*Narcotic
A narcotic is a sleep inducing and analgesic drug. 
*NASA
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is an American government agency founded in 1958 for spaceflight and aeronautical research. Its headquarters are in Washington DC. Its main installation is the Kennedy Space Centre. 
*Nautical Mile
The Nautical_Mile is a unit of measurement used by ships. It is 1852 meters long.
*Nebula
A nebula is a cloud of gas and dust in space.
*Nematodes
#nematode
*Nemean Games
The Nemean Games were a Greek athletic contest named after the city of Nemea and dating from 516 BC. They were held every 2 years and the prize was a crown of wild celery or a pine wreath. 
*Neon
Neon is an inert gaseous element with the symbol Ne. It is one of the rare components of the atmosphere and is used in some forms of discharge tubes and lamps, in which it gives a characteristic red glow. 
*Neper
The neper is a unit used for comparing two currents, in a similar way to the bel or decibel. 
*Neptunium
Neptunium is an artificial element with the symbol Np produced in nuclear reactors.
*Neuralgia
Neuralgia is a pain originating from the nerves. 
*Neurosis
Neurosis is a mild mental condition of emotional disorders.
*Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is surgery upon the brain or spinal cord. 
*Neutrino
A neutrino is a short-lived uncharged particle of zero or near zero rest mass. They occur in certain nuclear reactions.
*Neutron
The neutron is a subatomic uncharged particle, of slightly greater mass than a proton and forming a constituent part of the nucleus of all atoms except hydrogen atoms, which consist of a single proton. It may be considered as the equivalent of one proton and one electron. 
*Neve
In geography, neve is snow which has become a hard crystalline mass, but has not been compacted into ice.
*Newspaper
A newspaper is a publication reporting and commenting upon news. The first newspapers were published by the Romans.
*Niacin
#Vitamin_B3
*Nickel
Nickel is a metal element with the symbol Ni.
*Nickel Silver
Nickel_Silver (German Silver, Pack-Fong) is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc in different proportions. Sometimes lead is added if the alloy is destined for making candlesticks or casts. 
*Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid derived from the leaves of tobacco.
*Nicotinic acid
#Vitamin_B3
*Niello
Niello is a black, metal, amalgam of sulphur added to copper, silver or lead and used for filling engraved lines in metal objects. 
*Nifedipine
Nifedipine is a calcium-channel blocker, anti-arrhythmic and anti-anginal drug used to prevent angina attacks, treat Reynaud's disease, treat high blood pressure and treat spasm of the esophagus.
*Nimbostratus
Nimbostratus is a type of cloud, low, dark grey and trailing.
*Nimbus
A nimbus is a bright cloud or halo added to pictures of saints etc. implying deity.  
*Niobium
Niobium is a metal element with the symbol Nb. 
*Nitrate
A nitrate is any salt of nitric_acid.
*Nitrazepam
Nitrazepam is a hypnotic drug given by mouth to treat insomnia.
*Nitric acid
Nitric_acid is produced by the oxidation of ammonia. 
*Nitro-glycerine
Nitro-glycerine is a powerful explosive produced from nitric_acid and glycerol.  
*Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a gaseous element with the symbol N. It comprises 79 percent of the air. 
*Nitrous oxide
Nitrous_oxide is an analgesic gas. 
*Nobelium
Nobelium is a radioactive metal element with the symbol No.
*Nocardia
Nocardia is a bacteria found in soil which causes nocardiosis. 
*Nocardiosis
Nocardiosis is a disease affecting the skin, lungs and brain resulting in abscesses. 
*Noose
A noose is a loop with a running knot which tightens as the string is pulled.
*Norse
The term Norse refers to ancient Norway. 
*Nova
A nova is a faint star that suddenly erupts in brightness. 
*Nucleic acid
Nucleic_acid is a complex organic acid forming the basis of heredity.
*Nucleus
The nucleus is the positively charged central part of an atom. 
*Numismatics
Numismatics is the study of coins and medals.
*Nylon
Nylon is a synthetic plastic similar in chemical structure to protein. 
*Oasis
An oasis is an isolated patch of vegetation in a desert region.
*Obeah
Obeah is a form of witchcraft practised in the Caribbean.
*Oboe
The oboe is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. 
*Obsidian
Obsidian is volcanic glass.
*Ocarina
The ocarina is a small wind instrument consisting of a pipe pierced with holes for the fingers. They are usually made of terra-cotta, but sometimes of metal.
*Occlusion
Occlusion is the property possessed by certain solids, notably some metals, of retaining gases either within the solid or on the surface. There is no chemical combination in the accepted sense.
*Octroi
An octroi is a station at the entrance of a town or department for the collection of local dues and tariffs within a country.
*Ode
An ode is a short poem, frequently of irregular or complicated lyrical form, usually written for some special occasion. The term was originally applied to the choric songs of the Greek dramas, and also to the poems of Pindar, Sappho, Horace etc.
*Ohm
The ohm is the SI unit of electrical resistance. It was originally defined with reference to the resistance of a column of mercury, but is now taken as the resistance between two points when a potential difference of one volt between them produces a current of one ampere. 
*Ohm's law
Ohm's_law is that the steady current in a metal circuit is directly proportional to the constant total electromotiveforce in the circuit, that is e/i = r
*Oil
Oil is a large group of viscid liquids which have a characteristic smooth and sticky feel, are lighter than water, are inflammable and chemically neutral. 
*Old Maid
Old_Maid is a card game for any number of players. A full deck of 52 cards is used from which the Queen of Hearts has been removed and the remainder dealt. Pairs are discarded and remaining cards are passed face down to the player to the left who picks one at random. Play continues until all cards have been played and one player is left holding the odd Queen (the Old Maid). 
*Olefines
Olefines are unsaturated hydrocarbons of the aliphatic series. They resemble the parrafins but chemically they are more reactive. Methylene is an example of a very reactive olefine.
*Oleic acid
Oleic_acid is a colourless, odourless liquid unsaturated acid with the formulae C18H34O2. It is obtained from animal tallow and natural vegetable oils in which it occurs as the glycerol ester. It is chiefly used in the manufacture of soap, commercial oleates and cosmetics.
*Oligarchy
Oligarchy is government by a limited number of persons, as distinct from democracy (government by all classes) and monarchy (government by one person).
*Oligocene
The Oligocene was the fifteenth geological period, 42,000,000 years ago. 
*Olpe
An olpe is a Greek oil-flask or small jug for storing oil. 
*Olympic Games
The Olympic Games originated at Olympia, in Elis, Peloponnesus and were said to have been originated by Hercules in honour of the Olympian Zeus, and to have been revived by Iphitus in 776 BC. Thereafter they were held every 4 years without a break until 393. Today the Olympic Games are still held every 4 years and are a general sporting contest held between supposedly amateur athletes of all countries. In recent years the amateur status of many athletes from larger and more industrial countries has become very dubious casting a shadow over the spirit of the games. 
*Omber
Omber was a popular card game played in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was played by three persons and with 40 cards. 
*Omega
Omega is the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. 
*Omega-minus particle
In physics, an omega-minus particle is a baryon with strangeness -3, isotopic spin 0, and negative charge. 
*Omelette
An omelette is a dish of eggs beaten until frothy and cooked until set in a frying pan. Often other ingredients, such as mushrooms or cheese are added.
*Omnibus
Omnibus (latin for ''for all'') is the old term for a bus (public passenger carrying vehicle). The first modern bus to make regular journeys was first introduced in Paris in 1828 and introduced to London by Shillibeer in 1829 when one carrying 22 passengers ran from Paddington to the Bank. 
*Oncology
Oncology is the branch of medicine dealing with tumours and cancer including the origin, development, diagnosis and treatment of malignant neoplasms.
*Ondograph
An ondograph is an instrument for graphically recording oscillatory variations, as in alternating current. 
*Oneg Shabbat
Oneg_Shabbat is a Jewish celebration in honour of the Sabbath that takes place on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon and usually includes a programme of songs, a lecture and refreshments.
*Opera
Opera is a stage entertainment consisting of a play sung to music in its entirety, with no spoken dialogue at all. Opera originated in Italy around 1600 and has subsequently spread throughout the world. 
*Ophicleide
The ophicleide was a brass musical instrument, now replaced by the brass tuba. 
*Opium
Opium is a drug extracted from the seeds of the opium poppy. 
*Optophone
The optophone is an instrument invented by Fournier_d'Albe, by means of which the letters of ordinary print are caused to produce characteristic musical sounds by being projected optically on to a screen composed of a number of selnium cells connected to an AC electrical source of audio frequency, and to a loud speaker.
*Order of the Garter
The Order of the Garter is a dignitary awarded for chivalry. It was implemented in 1349. 
*Ordovician
The Ordovician period was the fourth geological period, 375,000,000 years ago. 
*Organic
In chemistry, the term organic refers to substances which occur naturally as constituents of organised bodies. 
*Organic Chemistry
Organic_chemistry is the chemistry of the compounds of carbon. 
*Origami
Origami is the art of paper folding. 
*Ormolu
Ormolu is an alloy of brass used in making candlesticks, small statues and other articles. The composition is generally 58 per cent copper, 26 per cent zinc and 16 per cent tin.
*Ornithology
Ornithology is the scientific study of birds.
*Orris Root
Orris_root is the powdered root of Iris_florentina, the common white flowered iris. It was used in making perfume before the advent of synthetic scents. 
*Orthicon
An orthicon is a form of television camera tube in which the optical image to be transmitted is projected on a photo-sensitive mosaic on the far side of a transparent signal plate, a charge pattern thus being produced on the mosaic. 
*Ortho-Toluidine
Ortho-Toluidine is a form of toluidine used in the manufacture of rosaniline.
*Osmiridium
Osmiridium (iridosmine) is a naturally occuring alloy of osmium and iridium. 
*Osmium
Osmium is a blue-white metal element with the symbol Os. It is volatile and very poisonous.
*Ounce
The ounce is a unit of measurement of the avoirdupois scale equivalent to 16 drams or 28.350 grams.
*Ounces
#ounce 
*Overcoil
In clock and watch making an overcoil is a fixed end of a spiral hairspring, consisting of an upwardly and inwardly bent continuation of the outermost coil of the spring and used to offset the asymmetry of the common spiral spring when tight, which impairs isochronism.
*Oxalic acid
Oxalic_acid is a poison found in rhubarb.
*Oxidation
Oxidation is the chemical combination of atoms with oxygen atoms to form oxides. In metals, the process appears as rust, iron rust being iron oxide, a molecule formed of iron atoms combined with oxygen atoms. 
*Oxidise
The term oxidise refers to the chemical reaction of oxidation. 
*Oxygen
Oxygen is a gaseous element with the symbol O that is partly soluble in water. It is the only gas able to sustain respiration. 
*Oxytocin
Oxytocin is a hormone that stimulates the uterus in late pregnancy to initiate and sustain labour. 
*Ozone
Ozone is a blue gas. The molecules are comprised of three oxygen atoms.
*P Band
The P band is the frequency band from 225 to 390 mhz employed in radar.
*Pacemaker
A pacemaker is an electronic device that stimulates the heart muscles by delivery small electric shocks to it. 
*Pack-Fong
#Nickel_Silver 
*Packet
In the sense of communications, a packet is a structured group of binary digits in a prearranged sequence containing synchronism, address, control an error-checking data.  Specialised synonym for a ''block'' of data in CCITT Packet Data Network standards.
*Packet Switched Network
A Packet Switched Network is a network dedicated to the routing and delivery of data put in the form of standardised ''packets.''
*Packet Switching
Packet_Switching is the technique in which a stream of data is broken into standardised units called ''packets,'' each of which contains address, sequence, control, size and error checking information in addition to the user data.  Specialised packet switches operate on this added information to move the packets to their destination in the proper sequence and again present them in a contiguous stream. 
*Pahari
Pahari is a language with a number of different dialects spoken from the Punjab to Nepal along the southern spurs of the Himalayas.
*Palaeocene
The Palaeocene was the thirteenth geological period, 80,000,000 years ago. 
*Palaeography
Palaeography is the study of ancient manuscripts written on papyrus, parchment or similar material, as distinct from epigraphy which is the study of ancient inscriptions incised on hard materials such as wood, stone or metal.
*Palaeontology
Palaeontology is a branch of biology and geology which deals with fossils. It is divided into palaeozoology and palaeobotany, which respectively have animals and plants as their subject matters. 
*Pali
Pali is an old language related to Sanskrit, in which the Buddhist classical literature was written. 
*Palindrome
A palindrome is a word, phrase or sentance the letters of which read the same left to right as right to left, such as ''was it a cat I saw''.
*Palladium
Palladium is a rare grey-white metal element with the symbol Pd. It has the power of absorbing a very large amount of hydrogen to which it is permeable when heated. It is used in an alloy with gold in dentistry and jewellery. In its pure form it is used for making watch springs and mirrors.
*Palm Kernel Oil
Palm_kernel_oil is a fatty oil obtained from the kernels of the palm fruit and used in the manufacture of soap and margarine.
*Palm Oil
Palm_oil is a fatty oil obtained from the pericarp of the palm fruit and used in the manufacture of soap and edible fat. 
*Palmitic Acid
Palmitic_acid is a widely distributed naturally occuring fatty acid with the formula C16H32O2. 
*Pampas
The pampas are natural grasslands of South_America.
*Pancratium
A pancratium is an athletic contest in wrestling and boxing. 
*Pantothenic acid
Pantothenic_acid is a hydroxy acid found in plant and animal tissues that is one of the vitamin_B complex of substances and is used for cell growth. 
*Pantoum
A pantoum is a Malay verse consisting of an indefinite number of quatrains with the second and fourth lines of each quatrain repeated as the first and third lines of the following one. 
*Para-cresol
Para-cresol is a cresol found in bad eggs. 
*Paracetamol
Paracetamol is an analgesic. Over doses of paracetamol can cause liver damage. 
*Paradichlorobenzene
Paradichlorobenzene is a white crystalline, volatile substance which is insoluble in water of the benzene series. It has a penetrating odour and is used chiefly as a moth repellent.
*Paraffin
Paraffin is a family of hydrocarbons.
*Parallax
The term parallax describes the apparent movement of an object when viewed from two different positions. 
*Parallel Transmission
Parallel_Transmission is the simultaneous transmission of all parts of a signal at one time; in data transmission, requiring a separate signal path for each of the bits of a character; internal to computers, this is called a ''parallel bus.'' 
*Parchment
Parchment is a type of fine writing paper traditionally made from sheep or goat skin.
*Parity
In communications systems and computers, parity is a constant state of equality; one of the oldest and simplest methods of error checking data transmission. Characters are forced into parity (total number of marking bits odd or even as selected by choice) by adding a one or zero bit as appropriate when transmitted; parity is then checked as odd or even at the receiver.
*Parity Bit
A Parity Bit is a check bit appended to an array of binary digits to make the sum of all the digits always odd or always even. 
*Parity Check
Parity_Check is a checking method that determines if the sum of all the digits in an array is odd or even. 
*Parsec
A parsec is an astronomical unit of distance equivalent to 3.2616 light years. 
*Pasteurisation
Pasteurisation is a preservative heat treatment applied to foods, notably milk.
*Patten
Patten is another name for a clog. 
*Pcp
Pcp is an abbreviation for phencyclidine.
*PDS
PDS is an abbreviation for Portable Diagnostic System. It is an expert system which diagnoses faults in machinery from information received from sensors connected to the machinery. Sensor readings are compared with known data about component malfunction symptoms to diagnose faults. 
*Peat
Peat is a fibrous organic compound found in bogs that is formed by the partial decomposition of plants.
*Peck
The peck is a unit of capacity measurement equivalent to 2 gallons or 9.092 litres.
*Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate
Pentaerythritol_Tetranitrate is an anti-anginal drug used to reduce the frequency and severity of angina attacks.
*Pentagon
A pentagon is a five sided regular polygon.
*Pentathlon
The pentathlon is a five sport competition.
*Pentode
A pentode is an electronic amplifying valve with 5 main electrodes.
*Pentose
A pentose is a sugar with 5 carbon atoms in the molecule.
*Penumbra
A penumbra is a partly shaded region around the shadow of an opaque body. The term is especially applied to describe the partly shaded region around a total eclipse of the sun or moon. 
*Perception
Perception is the ability to observe and understand, particularly intuitively. 
*Percolator
A percolator is a device for making coffee by allowing water to filter repeatedly through ground coffee. 
*Pericarp
The pericarp is the wall of the ripened ovary of a plant.
*Pericarps
#Pericarp
*Perigee
Perigee is an astronomical term referring to the position in the Moon's orbit nearest to the earth, opposite to Apogee.  
*Perigynous
A perigynous plant is one which has stamens situated around the pistil or ovary. 
*Perikon Detector
A Perikon Detector was a form of crystal detector employed in the early days of radio broadcasting. It consisted of a crystal of zincite and a crystal of bornite so mounted that there was a point contact between them.
*Permafrost
Permafrost is the permanently frozen subsoil in Arctic regions.
*Permaid
Permaid is an expert system, developed at Honeywell for trouble shooting large disk drives.
*Permalloy
Permalloy is a nickel steel alloy, containing about 78 percent nickel. It is characterised by a very high permeability in low magnetic fields. It is extensively used in submarine cables. 
*Permanganate
A permanganate is any salt of permanganic acid.
*Permian
The Permian was the eighth geological period, 205,000,000 years ago. It marked the evolution of the reptiles.
*Persimmon
The persimmon is a yellow-orange plum-like astringent fruit. It becomes sweet when softened by frost.
*Peruke
A peruke was a man's wig of the 17th and 18th centuries. It was usually powdered and gathered at the back of the neck with a ribbon. 
*Pessary
A pessary is a vaginal suppository.
*Petrol
Petrol is a volatile, flammable liquid mixture of hydrocarbons, obtained from petroleum and used as a fuel for internal-combustion engines.
*Petroleum
Petroleum is an oily, thick, flammable, usually dark coloured liquid that is a form of bitumen or a mixture of various hydrocarbons, occurring naturally in various parts of the world and often separated by distillation into petrol, naphtha, benzene, kerosene and paraffin. 
*Pewter
Pewter is an alloy of tin and lead.
*pH
pH is a mesurement of acidity or alkalinity in terms of hydrogen ion content.
*Phencyclidine
Phencyclidine is an illegal drug also known as angel_dust. 
*Phenic Acid
#Carbolic_Acid 
*Phenol
Phenol is a compound derived from coal-tar and used in the manufacture of nylon. 
*Phenyl benzene
Phenyl_benzene is a colourless crystalline organic compound. It can be made by passing benzene through a red-hot tube, when condensation takes place with the formation of phenyl benzene. It also occurs in coal-tar, and it is used in organic syntheses.  
*Phenyl salicylate
#Salol 
*Phenylacrylic Acid
#Cinnamic_Acid 
*Phocine
Phocine is a zoological term pertaining to seals.
*Phon
The phon is the unit of loudness.
*Phosphate
A phosphate is any salt of phosphorus oxy acids. 
*Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a non-metallic element with the symbol P.
*Phot
A phot is a unit of luminous flux equal to the illumination produced by one lumen on a surface of one square centimetre. 
*Photon
A photon is a light quantum, that is a definite amount of radiation having a frequency within the visible spectrum. A photon is emitted from an excited atom when one of the orbital electrons, having been transferred to an orbit of higher energy level, suddenly returns to its former orbit.
*Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert carbon_dioxide into carbohydrates by chlorophyll under the influence of light. 
*Phototropic
Something which is phototropic seeks light. The term is used in Biology to describe animalcules which seek the light.
*Phrenology
Phrenology (craniology) is the study of the external form of the human skull, as indicative of mental powers and moral qualities. It was propounded by Gall, a German physician around 1796. 
*Piano
The piano is a musical instrument with a keyboard. It was invented in the 18th century as a development of the harpsichord. Strings are stuck by hammers when the keys are depressed.
*Pica
Pica is a size of print (12 point) giving about 6 lines to the inch. 
*Picador
A picador is a horse-mounted, lance armed bull fighter.
*Picaroon
A picaroon was a name for pirate or pirate ship. 
*Piccolo
The piccolo is a woodwind instrument of the flute family.
*Picul
The picul was a Chinese unit of weight equivalent to 133.5 lbs.
*Piezo
Piezo is a prefix signifying pressure. 
*Pilau
Pilau is an oriental dish of rice with meat or fish and spices.
*Piles
#Varicose_Veins
*Pinchbeck
Pinchbeck is an alloy of 80 percent copper and 20 percent zinc once used for making cheap watch cases, and more recently as a substitute for the more expensive bronze. It was invented by a London watchmaker in the 18th century.
*Pinene
Pinene is a terpene colourless liquid which smells like turpentine and occurs in pine trees and the essential oils of eucalyptus, lemon and thyme. 
*Pint
The pint is a unit of capacity measurement equivalent to 4 gills or 0.568 litres.
*Pistil
A pistil is a an ovule-bearing or seed-bearing female organ of a flower, consisting of the ovary, style and stigma.
*Pistillate
Pistillate is a botanical term for flowers with have a pistil or pistils but no stamen.
*Pitch
Pitch is the highness or lowness of a musical sound. 
*Piton
A piton is a metal spike used in mountaineering as a support for a belaying pin. 
*Pitpan
A pitpan is a Central_American dug-out boat. 
*Plane table
A plane table is a device used in surveying and consisting of a movable telescope resting upon a flat board mounted on a tripod. By its use a reliable plan may be prepared in the field directly upon a sheet of paper pinned to the board. 
*Planet
A planet is a heavenly body which orbits a star. 
*Planimeter
A Planimeter is a simple integrating instrument for measuring the area of a regular or irregular plane surface. It consists of two hinged arms: one is kept fixed and the other is traced around the boundary of the area. This actuates a small graduated wheel; the area is calculated from the wheel's change in position.
*Plant
A plant is a living organism of the vegetable kingdom. Generally they are capable of living wholly on inorganic substances. They lack locomotion and special organs of sensation and digestion.
*Plantation
A plantation is a an assemblage of planted and growing plants. 
*Plants
#Plant 
*Plaster of Paris
Plaster_of_paris is calcium sulphate mixed with water to make casts. 
*Plastic
Plastic is a group of synthetic polymers made from oils and which are capable of being moulded into shape by heat or pressure or both. 
*Plateau
A plateau is an elevated plain whose edges slope somewhat abruptly to a lower level. 
*Platinum
Platinum is a rare metal more valuable than gold with the symbol Pt and a relative hardness of 5. It has a high melting point and is resistant to chemicals. 
*Pleistocene
The Pleistocene (ice age) was the seventeenth geological period, 500,000 years ago. It marked the evolution of tool-making man.
*Plimsoll
A plimsoll is a shoe with a canvas upper vulcanised to a rubber sole. They were invented for wear on board ship. 
*Pliocene
The Pliocene was the sixteenth geological period, 8,000,000 years ago. It marked the modern formation of the continents. 
*Plough
A plough is an agricultural implement used for tilling the soil. 
*Plutonium
Plutonium is an artificial radioactive metal element with the sumbol Pu. 
*Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung due to infection. 
*Pogo
The pogo was a punk dance of the late 1970's and early 1980's which involved jumping into the air whilst keeping the arms straight at the sides of the body, the body stiff and tense and the legs straight and the head cocked to one side. The body was propelled upwards by flexing the feet. 
*Poison
#Toxin 
*Poisonous
#Toxic 
*Polio
Polio is a virus infection of the central nervous system affecting nerves that activate muscles. 
*Polka
The polka is a lively Bohemian folk dance. 
*Polonium
Polonium is a metal radioactive element with the symbol Po.
*Polydactylism
Polydactylism is the medical condition of a person having more than five fingers on each hand. 
*Polyester
Polyester is a thermosetting plastic used in the manufacture of synthetic fabrics. 
*Polyethylene
Polyethylene is a thermosetting plastic polymer of ethylene. 
*Polymer
A polymer is a compound made up of large molecules composed of many repeated simple units. 
*Polypus
Polypus is a small benign tumour of the skin due to local overgrowth of the cells. 
*Polysaccharide
A polysaccharide is a long chain of carbohydrate made up of hundreds of linked simple sugars, such as glucose. 
*Pood
The pood was a Russian unit of weight equal to 36.112 lbs. 
*Poor laws
The poor_laws were an act of parliament between 1562 and 1601 which gave local authorities the responsibility for settling and supporting the poor in England. 
*Positron
A positron is a positively-charged particle of the same mass as the electron and with a charge equivalent but opposite in sign to that of the electron.
*Potassium
Potassium is a metal element with the symbol K.
*Potassium Acid Sulphate
#Potassium_Bisulphate
*Potassium Bisulphate
Potassium_bisulphate (potassium acid sulphate) is a colourless, crystalline water-soluble substance used chiefly in the conversion of tartrates to bitartrates.
*Potassium Bromate
Potassium_bromate is a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder used chiefly as an oxidising agent and as an analytical reagent. 
*Potassium Bromide
Potassium_bromide (bromide) is a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder. It has a bitter, saline taste and is used in the manufacture of photographic papers and plates and as a sedative. 
*Potassium Carbonate
Potassium_carbonate is a white, granular, water-soluble substance used chiefly in the manufacture of soap, glass and potassium salts.
*Potassium nitrate
Potassium_nitrate is a white bitter tasting substance used in gunpowder, as an oxidising agent, for pickling meat and in medicine. 
*Potassium Oxalate
Potassium_oxalate is a colourless, crystalline water-soluble substance. It is toxic, and is used as a bleaching agent and in medical tests as an anticoagulant.
*Potassium sodium tartrate
#Cream_of_Tartar 
*Potassium Thiocyanide
Potassium_Thiocyanide is a sulphocyanate. It is colourless, easily dissolvable crystals used in dyeing.  
*Potential Energy
Potential_energy is energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position.
*Poundage
Poundage was a duty on all imports and exports imposed in 1302 and abolished in 1787.
*Poundal
The poundal is the imperial unit of force, now replaced in the SI system by the newton. One poundal equals 0.1383 newtons. It is defined as the force necessary to accelerate a mass of one pound by one foot per second per second. 
*Praseodymium
Praseodymium is a metal element with the symbol Pr used as a pigment in glass. 
*Prazosin Hydrochloride
Prazosin_hydrochloride is a drug used to treat mild to moderate high blood pressure. It has the possible side effects of: dizziness, headache, drowsiness, weakness, depression, palpitations, blurred vision, dry mouth, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, constipation and nausea. 
*Pre-Cambrian
The Pre-Cambrian period was the second geological period. It was the time when the first animal life appeared, about 1,125,000,000 years ago.
*Presto
Presto is a musical term designating a faster rate of movement than that indicated by allegro. 
*Primates
#primate 
*Profane Oaths Act
The Profane Oaths Act of 1745 makes it a punishable offence in Britain to curse or swear blasphemously.
*PROLOG
Prolog is a computer programming language used mainly for artificial intelligence. 
*Promethium
Promethium is a metal element with the symbol Pm.
*Propaganda
Propaganda was an association established in Rome in 1622 for the purpose of diffusing a knowledge of Roman Catholicism throughout the world.
*Propane
Propane is a gaseous hydrocarbon found in petroleum. It has the formulae c3h8. 
*Propane
Propane is an alkene hydrocarbon.
*Propranolol
Propranolol is a beta-adrenergic blocker drug used for many purposes including: reducing angina attacks, stabilizing irregular heartbeat, lowering blood pressure and reducing the frequency of migraine headaches.
*Propylaea
Propylaea is an architectural term referring to the entrance to a Greek temple.  
*Protactinium
Protactinium is a rare actinide element with the symbol Pa.
*Protein
Protein is a long chain molecule made up of amino_acids joined by peptide bonds. Protein forms the structural material of bodily tissues.
*Proteins
#protein 
*Protium
Protium is an isotope of hydrogen. 
*Proton
A proton is a positively charged sub atomic particle.
*Prussic Acid
#Hydrocyanic_Acid
*Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a theory and treatment method for neuroses developed by Freud. 
*Psychology
Psychology was originally thought of as a department of philosophy which dealt with the mind. Today, it is recognised as the science of the nature, function and phenomena of the human mind and human behaviour.
*Pub
A pub is a house licensed for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. 
*Pump
A pump is a machine for moving fluid from one place to another.
*Pumpernickel
Pumpernickel is a German wholemeal rye bread. It is dark brown and often sweetened and spiced. 
*Punch
A punch is a machine for making or starting holes. 
*Puree
A puree is a type of soup made from meat, fish, game or vegetables which have been rubbed through a sieve and flavourings, liquid fat and a thickening agent have been added.
*Purgative
A purgative is a substance which causes evacuation by the bowels.
*Purple
Purple is a secondary colour compounded by the union of the primaries blue and red. As a dye it was originally obtained from Tyrian_dye. 
*Pus
Pus is a yellowish liquid that forms in the body as a result of bacterial infection. 
*Pustulant
A pustulant is a counter-irritant such as croton oil.
*Pyramids
In billiards, pyramids is a game played with 15 red balls and 1 white ball. The red balls are placed together in the shape of a triangle, or pyramid at the spot. The object of the game being to pot the most balls. This game was popular around 1900, and may perhaps have developed into the modern game of Pool.
*Pyridoxine
#Vitamin_B6
*Pyrogallic Acid
Pyrogallic_Acid (pyrogallol) is an acid obtained by the dry distillation of gallic_acid. It forms colourless, odourless crystals, is readily soluble in water, alcohol and ether and its alkaline solution readily absorbs oxygen. It is used as a developer in photography. 
*Pyrogallol
#Pyrogallic_Acid 
*Pyrometer
A pyrometer is a device for measuring temperatures outside of the range of a mercurial thermometer.
*Pyrophone
A pyrophone is a musical instrument, in which the various notes are produced by the burning of hydrogen gas within glass tubes of varying lengths and sizes. 
*Pyrrhic Dance
The Pyrrhic Dance was an ancient Greek dance which consisted of moves representing an attempt to avoid the strokes of an enemy in battle. It was viewed as a kind of training for war. 
*Pythian Games
The Pythian Games were a Greek athletic contest originally limited to musical competitions, and instituted in 527 BC in honour of Pythian Apollo and held every 4 years at Delphi. The prize was a wreath of laurel. 
*Pyx
A pyx was a covered vessel used in the Roman Catholic church to contain the consecrated host. In ancient times it was sometimes made in the shape of a dove. 
*Pyxidium
In botany, a pyxidium is a capsule with a lid, as seen in the henbane and in the fruit of the monkey-pot tree. 
*Q-band
The Q-band is the frequency band from 36,000 to 46,000 mhz employed in radar.
*Qabbala
The Qabbala (Cabala, Caballa, Kabbala) is an ancient esoteric tradition of the Jews. It was supposedly given to Moses on mount Sinai in a revelation.
*Qabbalistic
#Qabbala 
*Quadriga
The Quadriga was an ancient Greek and Roman two-wheeled chariot drawn by four horses abreast and used for racing.
*Quadrille
The quadrille is a square dance for 4 couples. It was first danced in England in 1815 and superseded in 1850 by the lancers. 
*Quaestor
A Quaestor was ancient Roman magistrate who was concerned with receiving taxes and tribunes, paying the troops and generally looking-after the money.
*Quandang
Quandang is the edible fruit of a species of the sandalwood tree.
*Quart
The quart is a unit of capacity measurement equivalent to 2 pints or 1.136 litres. 
*Quarter
The quarter is a unit of measurement of the avoirdupois scale equivalent to 28 pounds or 12.7 kilograms. The quarter is a unit of capacity measurement equivalent to 8 bushels or 2.909 hectolitres. 
*Queen's prize
The queen's_prize is an English shooting competition.
*Quinine
Quinine is an anti malaria drug derived from the bark of the cinchona tree.
*Quire
A quire is a measurement of writing paper equal to 24 sheets. 20 quires make 1 ream. 
*Radar
Radar is a system of locating an object or direction finding using high frequency radio waves. 
*Radian
The radian is the SI unit (symbol rad) of plane angles, an alternative unit to the degree. It is the angle at the centre of a circle when the centre is joined to the two ends of an arc equal in length to the radius of the circle. There are 2 pi (approximately 6.284) radians in a full circle (360 degrees).  One radian is approximately 57 degrees, and 1 degree is pi/180 or approximately 0.0175 radians. Radians are commonly used to specify angles in polar co-ordinates. 
*Radiation
Radiation is the emission of energy rays from an object. In particular the term is applied to the emission of X-rays.
*Radioactive
Radioactive elements are those of high atomic weight (radium, thorium, uranium etc.) which spontaneously emit alpha, beta or gamma rays. 
*Radioactivity
Radioactivity is the spontaneous disintegration of an atomic nucleus to produce more stable nucleus and accompanied by the emission of charged particles and possibly also gamma_rays. 
*Radiography
Radiography is the production of images on a flourescent screen or photographic plate by means of X-rays.
*Radiolocation
Radiolocation is the original and now old term for Radar.
*Radiology
Radiology is the branch of medical science covering the examination of the body by X-rays, the interpretaion of X-ray photographs and the treatment of disease with X-rays.
*Radium
Radium is a radioactive gaseous element with the symbol Ra.
*Rain
Rain is condensed moisture from the atmosphere which falls to the ground in visible separate drops.
*Ralph Roister Doister
Ralph_Roister_Doister by Nicholas_Udall and printed in 1566, was the earliest known English comedy.
*Ranch
A ranch is an establishment maintained for raising livestock under range conditions, that is with wide open pasture. 
*Rayon
Rayon is an artificial silk made from cellulose. 
*Ream
The ream is a unit of writing paper measurement equal to 20 quires or 480 sheets of writing paper, 516 sheets of printing paper. 
*Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument. 
*Red
Red is one of the primary colours. It is the colour of the spectrum which is farthest away from violet. Red pigments are derived from cinnabar, realgar, cochineal and coal-tar. 
*Red dwarf
A red_dwarf is a cool, faint star. 
*Red giant
A red_giant is a cool, bright star.
*Red-lead
Red-lead is an oxide of lead used as a red pigment.
*Reefer
A reefer is a refrigerated cargo ship. 
*Reflex
A reflex is an automatic response to a stimuli.
*Reichstag
The Reichstag was the German parliament building.
*Relativity
Relativity is a theory concerning the nature of space and time propounded by Einstein. 
*Renaissance
The renaissance was an intellectual period between the 14th and 17th centuries.
*Resin
Resin is an adhesive and inflammable substance which is insoluble in water secreted by plants and animals. 
*Rhenium
Rhenium is a metal element with the symbol Re. 
*Rhizome
In botany, a rhizome is a sort of stem running along the surface of the ground, or partially subterranean, sending forth shoots at its upper end and decaying at the other.
*Rhodium
Rhodium is a metal element with the symbol Rh. 
*Rhythm
Rhythm is the beat behind a piece of music.
*Ribble-Row
Ribble-Row is rambling, meaningless chatter. 
*Ribbon
A ribbon is a woven narrow band of silk or other material used for adornment.  
*Riboflavin
#Vitamin_B2
*Rice
Rice is the seeds of a grass grown in marshes mainly in the orient.  
*Ricin
Ricin is a poison extracted from the leaves of the castor_oil_plant. 
*Rickets
Rickets is a defective growth of bone disease caused by a lack of vitamin_D. 
*Ricochet
A ricochet is the rebounding of a projectile.
*Riddle
A riddle is a question designed to test ingenuity or give amusement. 
*Rinderpest
Rinderpest (also called cattle plague) is an infectious disease affecting cattle, sheep, goats, camels, deer and similar animals. It was endemic in central and south Asia during the 1920s and occurred in Western Europe only rarely through the importation of infected cattle, a notable instance occurring in 1872 as a result of the importation of infected cattle from Germany.  
*Ringworm
Ringworm is a fungus infection of the skin, usually affecting the scalp and characterised by the development of a bald spot which is scaly and has broken hairs on it. 
*Robe
A robe is a long loose outer garment.
*Rocker
A rocker is a curved bar fixed to an item so that it may rock. 
*Rocket
A rocket is a cylindrical case which can be projected as a result of the reaction of gases discharged from its rear when its combustible contents are ignited. 
*Rococo
Rococo is a style of decoration which originated in France and Italy in the 17th century.
*Romaika
Romaika is a book detailing Roman history from its earliest times to the first century. It was written by Dion_Cassius, the Roman historian. 
*Rontgen
The rontgen is the unit of X-ray or gamma_ray radiation. 
*Rontgen Rays
#X-Rays
*Rood
The rood is a unit of measurement of area equivalent to 1210 square yards. 
*Root
The root is that part of a plant which is below or in the soil and serves to attach the plant to the soil, and conveys nourishment from the soil to the plant. 
*Rope
Rope is a stout cord in excess of one inch in circumference. 
*Roquelaure
A roquelaure was a man's cloak popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. 
*Rosaniline
Rosaniline is a base compound of many aniline dyes. It is a basic compound prepared by oxidising a mixture of aniline and toluidine by nitro-benzene in the presence of ferrous chloride. Rosaniline itself is a colourless solid, but if converted into a salt by the addition of an acid, it loses water and becomes coloured. 
*Rosary
A rosary is a string of beads used in religion to count prayers. 
*Rose's Metal
Rose's_metal is a fusible alloy consisting of 50 per cent bismuth, 25 percent lead and 25 per cent tin.
*Rosein
#Magenta 
*Rosetta stone
The rosetta_stone is a tablet bearing an inscription in Greek, and hieroglyphics. It's discovery by Napoleon's soldiers in 1799 made the deciphering of hieroglyphics possible.
*Rosolio
Rosolio is an alcoholic beverage from southern Europe. 
*Rounders
Rounders is a game played by two teams, with a semicircular ''home'' and three ''posts'' equidistant from each other and from the home. The object of the striker after hitting the ball is to run round the whole or part of the course. He is out if a fielder catches the ball or if he is struck by the ball when running between the posts. The American game of baseball derived from rounders.
*Royal Standard
The Royal Standard is a flag bearing the royal national arms, flown only by the Sovereign. 
*Rubber
Rubber is coagulated latex.
*Rubefacient
A rubefacient is a counter-irritant which causes heat and redness - such as hot water for example. 
*Rugby Football
Rugby_Football started at Rugby school and was established all over Britain by 1870. Originally there was no limit to the number of players on each side, in 1877 the rule of 15 a side was adopted, and the practice of deliberate hacking was abolished. 
*Rum
Rum is an alcoholic beverage distilled from sugar_cane.  
*Russians
#russian 
*Russophobe
A russophobe is a person who hates or fears Russians.
*Russophobia
Russophobia is the fear or hatred of Russians. 
*Rust
Rust is an iron oxide. 
*Ruthenium
Ruthenium is a metal element with the symbol Ru. 
*Rutherfordium
Rutherfordium is an artificial radioactive element with the symbol Rf and with a very short lifespan.
*Ryder Cup
The Ryder_Cup is an international golf tournament. 
*S-band
The S-band is the frequency band from 1550 to 5200 mhz employed in radar.
*Sabot
A sabot is a wooden shoe. They are worn in France and Holland where they are made large enough to be lined with straw or hay.
*Saccharin
Saccharin is an ortho sulpho benzimide used as a substitute for sugar. 
*Saccharose
Saccharose is a former alternative name for sucrose. 
*Sackbut
The sackbut is a musical instrument of the brass_family. 
*Saffron
Saffron is an orange-yellow dye extracted from the dried stigmas of a type of crocus (Crocus sativus). It is used in cooking.
*Safranines
Safranines are red dye-stuffs obtained by the oxidation of a mixture of paradiamine and a monoamine. 
*Sagittarius
Sagittarius is a sign of the zodiac represented by a centaur armed with a bow and arrow. 
*Sal Ammoniac
#Ammonium_Chloride 
*Salicin
Salicin is a colourless, bitter, odourless, crystalline substance obtained from the bark of several species of tree of the willow and poplar class, and used in medicine.
*Salicylic Acid
Salicylic_acid (ortho-hydroxy-benzoic-acid) is the active chemical constituent of aspirin. It is an aromatic acid obtained by treating with hydrochloric acid the salt obtained by the action of carbon_dioxide on sodium carbonate. 
*Salol
Salol (phenyl salicylate) is a colourless crystalline substance obtained by the action of phenol on salicylic_acid and employed in medicine externally as an antiseptic and internally as a mouth wash and as an intestinal and urinary disinfectant.  
*Saltpetre
Saltpetre is a popular name for potassium_nitrate. 
*Salvarsan
Salvarsan is a poisonous yellowish powder discovered by Ehrlich and once used in a dilute solution as a treatment for syphilis. It is an organic compound containing a small amount of arsenic.
*Samarium
Samarium is an element with the symbol Sm. 
*Sand
Sand is small particles of mineral matter, usually quartz. The purest quartz sands are white in colour and used for making glass. Other sands may be various colours dependant upon the minerals they contain. 
*Sangaree
Sangaree is an alcoholic beverage made from wine diluted with water and mixed with spices and sugar and drunk iced.
*Sarsaparilla
Sarsaparilla is a drug prepared from the dried roots of several plants of the genus Smilax, which grows in Mexico, Central and South_America. Today the term is also a slang expression for Jamaican Cannabis. 
*Sati
#Suttee
*Satin
Satin is a fabric made from silk or similar yarn, with a glossy surface on one side produced by a twill weave in which weft-threads are almost hidden by the warp. 
*Saturday
Saturday is the sixth day of the week. 
*Sauna
A sauna is a steamy heat bath. 
*Savannah
A savannah is an extensive tropical grassland. 
*Saxhorn
The saxhorn is a musical instrument of the brass_family. It evolved from the bugle-horn, but has valves instead of keys. The name derives from it's inventor, Adolphe_Sax. 
*Saxophone
The saxophone is a metal musical instrument of the woodwind family.
*Scabies
Scabies is a skin disease due to an animal parasite, the Sarcoptes scabei, which burrows beneath the skin, most commonly at the clefts of the fingers. 
*Scandium
Scandium is a metal element with the symbol Sc.
*Scapulomancy
Scapulomancy is divination by reading the cracks which appear in a scapula (shoulder-blade) when it is roasted over an open fire. It was widely practised in ancient Babylon.  
*Scarlatina
#Scarlet_Fever 
*Scarlet Fever
Scarlet_Fever (Scarlatina) is an infectious fever, characterised by a sore throat, a red, diffuse eruption on the skin, followed by shedding of the superficial part of the skin.
*Sciatica
Sciatica is a pain of the sciatic nerve, often caused by exposure to cold or wet.
*Scintillation
Scintillation is a luminous effect produced when high-speed charged particles (alpha and beta particles and protons) pass through matter.
*Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine. 
*Scooter
A scooter is a platform mounted on wheels with a steerable column. They originally developed from roller skates, and were propelled by the rider. During the beginning of the 20th century small engines started to be fitted, followed by a saddle and the scooter developed into a form of motorcycle. 
*Scorbutus
#Scurvy
*Scorpio
Scorpio is a sign of the zodiac represented by a scorpion. 
*Scrabble
Scrabble is a board game based upon a crossword puzzle.
*Scrofula
Scrofula was a former term for tuberculosis, especially of the lymphatic glands and bones. 
*Sculpture
Sculpture is the art of carving any substance into a designed form. The material may be stone, clay, wood, ivory or metal, hand-wrought or cast in moulds. 
*Scurvy
Scurvy (scorbutus) is a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin_C. It is characterised by anaemia, great weakness, spongy and swollen gums, and haemorrhages. In recent times scurvy was thought to be caused by a lack of fresh animal and vegetable food.
*Searchlight
A searchlight is an instrument for directing a powerful beam of light. They are constructed from an electric lamp and a concave mirror arranged so as to give a cylindrical beam of light. 
*Seborrhoea
Seborrhoea is a condition of the skin in which there is excessive secretion by the sebaceous_glands, forming crusts with scales from the skin and dirt.
*Second
The second is the basic SI unit of time, one-sixtieth of a minute. It is defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 cycles of regulation (periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of the ground state) of the caesium-133 isotope. In mathematics, the second is a unit of angular measurement, equalling one-sixtieth of a minute, which in turn is one-sixtieth of a degree. 
*Seed
A seed is the fertilised ovule in flowering plants. In addition to the embryo, the seed usually contains a certain amount of albumin for its early nourishment.
*Seer
The seer is a unit of measurement equivalent to 1 kilogram. It was extensively used in India around 1900.
*Seiner
A seiner is a ship which employs seine net fishing.
*Seismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes. 
*Selenium
Selenium is a rare metal element with the symbol Se. It was discovered in 1817 by Berzelius in the refuse of a sulphuric_acid manufactory in Sweden. 
*Semaphore
Semaphore is a visual form of communication using flags. 
*Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material having electrical properties intermediate between those of good electrical conductors and those of insulators. 
*Senile gangrene
#Gangrene
*Senna
Senna is a purgative consisting of the leaves of the shrub Cassia actuifolia.
*Sepia
Sepia is a dark brown pigment obtained from cuttlefish and used for monochrome sketching.
*Sepsis
Sepsis is blood or tissue poisoning caused by bacteria.
*Septic
Septic is a term describing tissue in a state of sepsis. Usually the term is applied to cuts and wounds in an animal which have become infected. 
*Septicaemia
Septicaemia is a pathological term describing blood poisoning by bacteria. 
*Serotonin
Serotonin is a compound widely distributed in human tissue, particularly in the blood, wall of the intestine and the central nervous system. It acts as a neurotransmitter concerned especially with the process of sleep. 
*Sextant
A sextant is a navigational instrument for determining latitude by measuring the angle between a heavenly body and the horizon.
*Shamanism
Shamanism is the religion of the Eskimos of north America and Siberia. 
*Sharia
Sharia is the law of Islam.
*Shebeen
A Shebeen is an unlicensed (illegal) Scottish drinking establishment. It was defined by the Licensing (Scotland) Act, 1862, section 37 as meaning and including a house, or other place in which spirits or other excisable liquors are trafficked in by retail without a certificate and excise licence.
*Sheep-Dog
A Sheep-Dog is any breed of dog trained for controlling sheep, but in England the term is usually restricted to the Old English Sheep Dog. 
*Sheepshank
The sheepshank is a sailor's knot. 
*Sheffield Plate
Sheffield_Plate is the name given to articles made of copper plated with silver by heat. It was invented in Sheffield in the middle of the 18th century. 
*Shellac
Shellac is a resin used to make varnish. It is derived from the lac insect.
*Sherry
Sherry is a Spanish alcoholic beverage of wine mixed with brandy.
*Shintoism
Shintoism is the primary religion in Japan.
*Shinty
Shinty is the Scottish name for hockey.
*Ship
A ship is a vessel intended for navigating the ocean, as distinct from a boat which is any navigable vessel. The term ship now applies to sizeable boats which are intended for distant voyages. 
*Ship-Money
Ship-Money was a tax levied by Charles_I in October 1634, ostensibly for the equipment of ships for the defence of the coast and maintaining command of the sea. The tax was deemed illegal and was a contributory dispute which led to the English civil War. 
*Shire Moot
In Anglo-Saxon England a Shire_Moot was a meeting of all the freemen of a shire for transacting judicial and administrative matters pertaining to the shire. 
*Shoddy
Shoddy is wool obtained from woollen rags and wastes and respun. 
*Shorthand
Shorthand is a system of graphical notation making it possible to record speech at greater speed than by normal writing. Early systems were developed by the Greeks and Romans. Modern shorthand was first developed in England in 1588 by Timothy_Bright. Thomas_Shelton developed a system employed by Samuel_Pepys in 1630. The idea of using sound instead of an alphabet as the basis for a shorthand system was introduced by William_Tiffin in 1750. The Pitman system of shorthand first appeared in 1837 and is widely used today, being quite capable of 250 words a minute. 
*Shove-halfpenny
Shove-halfpenny is a game played on a marked board in which halfpennies or discs are jerked from the edge along the board with the ball of the thumb. The object is to lodge the coins within marked areas on the board. It was once a popular game in English pubs. 
*Shuffle-board
Shuffle-board is a game played on a ship-deck in which wooden discs 6 inches in diameter are shoved by a kind of cue into marked squares from a distance of about 30 feet. The game has been recorded since the 15th century.
*Siamese Twins
Siamese_Twins are human twins born attached together. The attachment may be anything from a finger to a single body with two heads.
*Sicilian Vespers
The Sicilian Vespers was the massacre of the French in Sicily on March 20th 1282. It was caused by a French soldier insulting a bride on her way to church, and resulted in the entire garrison of Charles of Anjour being annihilated within 3 days, putting an end to Angevin rule in Sicily.
*Sickle
A Sickle is a hook-shaped steel bladed instrument used for cutting grass and grain.
*Sign
A sign is a mark drawn upon a surface. 
*Signet
A signet is a private seal used on documents and personal letters. The privy signet is the personal seal of the British Sovereign used on private documents. 
*Sikhism
Sikhism is a religion founded by Nanak in the 15th century.
*Silage
Silage is green fodder stored in a silo or pit without drying. 
*Silicate
A silicate (sillic acid) is a compound formed by the combining of silica (SiO2) and water in various proportions.
*Silicon
Silicon is a non-metallic element with the symbol Si.
*Silk
Silk is a soft thread produced by the larvae of the silkworm moth. 
*Sill
Sill is a geological term for a sheet of igneous_rock intruded into overlaying beds and lying nearly horizontal over a large area. 
*Sillic Acid
#Silicate
*Silo
A silo is a structure for storing and preserving vegetable matter in a green state.
*Silurian
The Silurian was the fifth geological period, 335,000,000 years ago. This period marked the appearance of the first land plants. 
*Simile
A simile is a literary device of description by comparison, as in ''he slept like a log''. 
*Simony
Simony is the trafficking in spiritual things. It was an offence against the canon law. The term derives from Simon_Magus, who offered the apostles money for the power to work miracles.
*Single Tax
The single_tax was a system of taxation proposed by Harry_George. It was proposed that tax should be confined to land-rent, land being the real source of wealth.
*Sinn Fein
Sinn_Fein is an Irish nationalist political party. It was founded in Dublin in 1900 by Arthur_Griffith.
*Sintered
#Sintering 
*Sintering
Sintering is the process of heating strongly a quantity of more or less amorphous material, so causing it to coalesce into a single solid mass.
*Siphon
A siphon is a bent tube with one limb longer than the other, by means of which a liquid can be drawn off to a lower level. 
*Sirius
Sirius (the Dog Star) is the brightest star in the sky. It is in the constellation of Canis_Major and although only 2.5 times the mass of the sun gives off 32 times as much light.
*Sitar
The sitar is an Indian musical instrument similar to the lute. 
*Sketch
Sketch is a term used in art for a rapidly executed drawing serving as a study for a finished picture or as a note to aid the memory.
*Skiagraph
A skiagraph is a photograph taken by means of X-rays.
*Skiatron
A skiatron is a form of cathode-ray tube sometimes employed in radar. Its screen is composed of pottasium chloride and is white in colour, but exhibits a magenta trace of long persistence. 
*Skin Effect
In electronics, skin effect is the ac resistance of a conductor due to the tendancy for high-frequency currents to travel along the surface of the wire. 
*Skittles
Skittles (also called ninepins) is an ancient game played with nine large wooden pins set up in a diamond formation, 3 pins to a side, and knocked down with a thrown missile. Originally the missile was a flattened wooden article weighing about 10 lbs and called a cheese. Today a wooden ball is rolled at the pins. 
*Sky Sign
A Sky Sign was a device for advertisements attached to a support above a building so as to be visible against the sky. They were outlawed in England in 1907.  
*Sky Writing
Sky_writing is the tracing against the sky of an advertisement-word in smoke by an aeroplane.
*Skylab
Skylab is an American space station launched in 1973.
*Slag
Slag is the chemical compound resulting during the smelting of metallic ores. It results because of the action of the flux on impurities in the ore. 
*Slaked Lime
Slaked_Lime is a popular name for calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2. Which is obtained by slaking calcium oxide. It is an important constituent of mortar and cement. 
*Slaking
Slaking is a chemical term for mixing a substance with water, as in the process of slaking lime to create slaked lime. 
*Slate Club
A Slate Club is a society whose members contribute small sums weekly or monthly to a fund held by the secretary and shared out at Christmas or on some other special occasion. 
*Slot Machine
A Slot_machine is a machine operated by coins, or in some cases by tokens similar to coins, and used for selling commodities or services automatically. Slot Machines originated with the Greeks and Romans for selling wine and are still used today. 
*Slow-match
Slow-match was a 19th century term for a fuse used to light mines or blasts. 
*Smack
A smack is a small sailing or steam vessel employed for fishing and with a large hold amidships to receive the catch.
*Smallpox
Smallpox (Variola) is an acute contagious disease characterised by fever and the appearance on the body of an eruption, which passes through the stages of papule, vesicle, pustule and scab.
*Smalt
Smalt is a type of glass in which protoxide of cobalt has been mixed with common glass to produce a glass with a deep blue tinge to it. Smalt was discovered by a Bohemian glass blower in the 16th century. 
*Snooker
Snooker is a game derived from billiards.
*Snow
Snow is the crystalline form of frozen water vapour. 
*Snuff
Snuff is powdered tobacco which is then inhaled through the nostrils. It was popular during the 18th century. The art of taking snuff gracefully was one of the accomplishments indispensable to gentlemen.
*Soap
Soap is made by decomposing natural fats in a caustic alkali solution. 
*Socialism
Socialism is an economic theory based upon the public ownership of the means of production. The term was first coined in England by Robert_Owen
*Sociology
Sociology is the comprehensive study of the fundamental laws of social phenomena, or if you like, the science of man in society. The term sociology was first introduced by Comte in 1839. 
*Soda
Soda is a common name for sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). 
*Soda ash
#Sodium_carbonate
*Soda Water
#Aerated_water 
*Sodium
Sodium is a metal element with the symbol Na.
*Sodium amide
Sodium_amide is a white, crystalline, water-soluble flammable powder used in the manufacture of sodium_cyanide and in organic synthesis. 
*Sodium arsenite
Sodium_arsenite is a white or greyish-white, water-soluble, poisonous powder used as a weed-killer and as an insecticide.
*Sodium Bisulphite
Sodium_Bisulphite is a salt of Sulphurous_Acid.
*Sodium carbonate
Sodium_carbonate (soda_ash) is an anhydrous, greyish-white, odourless, water-soluble powder. It is used in the manufacture of glass, ceramics, soap, paper, petroleum products.
*Sodium cyanide
Sodium_cyanide is a white, crystalline, deliquescent powder. It is soluble in water and very poisonous. It is prepared by heating sodium_amide with charcoal and is used in casehardening alloys and electroplating. 
*Sodium fluoride
Sodium_fluoride is a colourless, crystalline, water-soluble poisonous substance used as an insecticide, rodenticide and also as a source of fluoride in toothpaste and added to water in many developed countries. 
*Sodium Sulphite
Sodium_Sulphite is a salt of Sulphurous_Acid. It has the formulae Na2SO37H2O.
*Sodium thiosulphate
Sodium_thiosulphate (hypo) is a white, crystalline, water-soluble substance used in photography as a fixing agent. 
*Soil
Soil is a loose covering of broken rocky material and decaying organic matter. 
*Soke
Soke is a term used in the Domesday Book for the right to hold a court and exercise jurisdiction.
*Sol-fa
Sol-fa is a system of musical notation which was founded by Miss_Glover and John_Curwen. 
*Solid
A solid is a substance in which the molecules do not have free movement. 
*Solitaire
Solitaire is a game played by one person on a board with 33 small indentations, in which 32 marbles are placed. The object is to remove by ''jumping'' all the marbles except one. 
*Solstice
A solstice is a point on the ecliptic midway between the equinoxes, where the sun, reversing its motion in declination, seems to stand still.
*Solution
A solution is a homogeneous mixture of substances that cannot be separated by mechanical means.
*Somnambulism
Somnambulism is walking while asleep. The habit is most common amongst children. 
*Sonar
Sonar is a method of locating underwater objects by the reflection of ultrasonic waves.
*Sonata
Sonata is an important form of musical composition comprising classically four movements. The modern form of sonata was fixed by Emanual_Bach in the 18th century. 
*Sonnet
A sonnet is a 14 line poem devoted to a single theme.
*Sophist
A Sophist was a class of teacher of rhetoric and the art of conduct, in ancient Greece.
*Sorbic acid
Sorbic_acid is found in the fruit of the rowan tree and used in food preservation. 
*Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is a French educational institution in Paris. It was founded in 1253 by Robert_de_Sorbon as a society of clergy for study in theology.
*Sotheby's
Sotheby's is an art salesroom in London. It was established in 1744 by Samuel_Baker, who specialised in the auctioning of rare books and manuscripts.  
*Souffle
A souffle is a dish, either sweet or savoury, the essential ingredient of which is egg white beaten to a froth.
*Sound
Sound is the changes in air pressure detectable by the ear.
*Sounding
Sounding is a method of ascertaining from a ship the depth of water beneath it.
*South_Sea Bubble
The South_Sea Bubble was an English scheme for liquidating the National Debt in the 18th century. In 1711 the South_Sea Company was incorporated which in return for a monopoly of trade to Spanish America took over the floating National Debt. The public, encouraged by the government bought 100 pound shares in the company which quickly rose to 1000 pounds in value. Then in 1720 the company crashed and there was widespread ruin. In the ensuing inquiry the government was found guilty and Walpole attained power and restored the country's credit, and the South_Sea Company henceforth conducted legitimate business. 
*Soviet
Soviet is a Russian word meaning ''council'' and a system adopted by the Russians where by organised industries and not localities are the unit of representation and delegation. The Soviets were elected councils, anyone over the age of 18 able to vote so long as they were a worker, or looked after a worker, or were a former worker etc., thus excluding people who lived by exploiting others. The system was effectively spoiled by Stalin and eventually was broken in the 1990s by corruption and greed.
*Spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle used to travel through space, from one planet to another or to a moon, asteroid or other planetoid.
*Special Branch
#C.I.D.
*Species
Species is a biological term for related individuals with very similar general structure.
*Specific Heat
The specific heat of a material is defined as the amount of heat that is required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of the material by 1 degree of the centigrade scale. As the specific heat varies with the temperature of the substance it is usual to specify the temperatures between which it has been measured, although for temperatures met with in nature the variation of specific heat is negligible. Specific heats are all measured in relation to that of water, and by definition the specific heat of water is unity.
*Spectroscope
A spectroscope is a mechanical device for analysing light. They are used for such things as measuring the velocity of stars, looking at the rotation of the sun and the detection of chemical elements.
*Speed
Speed is the rate of time at which something moves, travels, proceeds or operates. 
*Speedometer
#Tachometer
*Speedway
Speedway or Dirt Track racing involves racing single-cylinder motor cycles up to 500cc around a track of small sifted cinders. The skill involves maintaining a high speed around the corners, which is achieved by skidding by dragging the left foot along the ground. 
*Spermaceti
Spermaceti is a solid wax separated on cooling the head oil of the sperm_whale. It consists mainly of cetyl_palmitate and was formerly used in the manufacture of candles and ointments. 
*Spiegel-eisen
Spiegel-eisen (Mirror-Iron) is a pig-iron containing about 10 to 40 percent Manganese and 5 percent carbon. It is prepared by smelting manganiferous iron ores in a blast furnace. When broken it forms large crystalline plates of a very lustrous appearance, hence the name mirror-iron. It is used to add to the molten pure iron of the Bessemer and open-hearth processes in order to obtain steel.
*Spindle file
A spindle file is a device for holding bills, invoices, memos and other paperwork. It consists of a metal spike, sometimes bent, projecting out of a base. The papers are then impaled upon the spike. 
*Spinet
A spinet (virginal) is a keyed musical instrument of the harpsichord type, but with only one string to a note and therefore less volume. It is generally square in shape and the strings are plucked.
*Spinning
Spinning is the process of twisting textile fibres into thread, so as to give them strength. The grip of the individual fibres prevents their sliding over one another.
*Spirits of salt
Spirits_of_salt is an old popular name for hydrochloric acid.
*Spoon
A spoon is a shallow bowl with a handle, used for measuring or conveying food or drink to the mouth. Early spoons were made of wood, ivory, bronze and silver. In England wood and ivory were the predominant materials until the 15th century when they were replaced by metal. 
*Spring
A spring is a device for linking two objects together so as to allow of relative displacement between them, this being resisted by a force which increases as the displacement becomes greater.
*St. Edward's Crown
St._Edward's_Crown is the crown worn by English kings at their coronation, and was first worn by Charles_II. It is part of the British Crown_Jewels. 
*Stadium
Stadium was a Greek measure of length equal to 600 Greek feet. The foot race at the Olympic games was a stadium in length and the word has thus become to mean any permanent arena for sports and games. 
*Stalactite
A stalactite is a mass of calcareous matter hanging in caves, formed by the filtration of water containing calcium bicarbonate in solution through holes or pores in the cave roof. the evaporation of the water and carbonic acid gas leaves behind it a deposit of limestone which continues to increase in size so long as the water drops. 
*Stalagmite
A stalagmite is similar to a stalactite, but grows upwards from the cave floor, usually below a stalactite.
*Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by Lord_Rockingham's Government on March 22nd 1765. It formed part of Grenville's scheme for the taxation of the Colonies, requiring all deeds, receipts for money etc. to be written on stamped paper, the receipts going to revenue. It was one of the chief causes of the American_War_of_Independance, the American Colonies highly resenting taxation without representation. It was repealed on March 18th 1766.  
*Star
A star is a luminous globe of gas producing light by nuclear reactions.
*Star of Africa Diamond
The Star of Africa diamond was an enormous diamond. It was cut up and parts of it are mounted in the British Crown_Jewels
*Starboard
Starboard is the right-hand side of a vessel facing the bows and the opposite of port. 
*Starch
Starch is a carbohydrate stored in plants, and is comprised of a large numbers of glucose molecules combined.
*Stark Effect
The Stark Effect is the change produced by a strong electrostatic field in the spectrum emitted by a gas subjected to an electric discharge in a highly exhausted tube. The light emitted by the atoms of the gas is due to the motion of electrons and the motion of these is disturbed when they are subjected either to a magnetic field or to an electric field, the former case being that of the Zeeman_effect. The Stark effect was discovered in 1913 by Stark.
*State
A state is an independent body of persons united in a political society for the purpose of resisting external aggression and maintaining internal order. The functions which distinguish a State from any other community, e.g. a Church, are thus the external and internal use of force; and these two uses of force, though essentially the same, may be distinguished as extrajudicial and judicial. 
*State Crown
The State Crown is a part of the British Crown_Jewels. It was made for Queen Mary. 
*State-General
The State-General was an assembly of nobles, clergy and commoners of France. The first was convoked by Philip_the_Fair in 1302 and the last by Louis_XVI in 1789; this transformed itself into the revolutionary National Assembly.
*Statics
Statics is the branch of dynamics dealing with states of balance in which no motion occurs because the forces tending to produce it are so arranged that their effects neutralise each other.
*Statistics
Statistics is the study of numerical data, their classification and analysis. It embraces every department of activity and knowledge to which numerical comparison can be applied, but its greatest use is in economics and public administration. 
*Stator
A stator is an assembly of fixed plates in a variable capacitor. 
*Statutory Order
A Statutory Order is a rule made by virtue of some Act of Parliament giving them power to do so, by the Crown in Council, the Courts of Justice, or Government Departments, and having the same authority as the statutes under which they are made. They usually deal with details of administration left unprovided for in the enabling statute, and generally must be submitted to Parliament before coming into force. 
*Steam
Steam is the transparent, colourless gas into which water is converted when it vaporises.
*Steam Engine
The first workable steam engine was built by Thomas_Savery who exhibited a model of it at the Royal Institution in London in 1698. But Dionysius_Papin had published a design for a high-pressure steam engine in 1690, and it is probable that Savery took the plan from him. 
*Steam Hammer
A steam hammer is a power-driven hammer invented around 1842 by James_Nasmyth. As originally designed, the striker of the hammer was attached to the lower end of the piston rod of an inverted cylinder and the instrument was worked by steam controlled by a valve. 
*Steaming
Steaming is the practise of cooking by indirect moist heat.
*Stearic Acid
Stearic_acid is a long chain fatty acid soluble in alcohol but not water. Mixed with rubber in a small proportion, it is a very valuable softener and activates many vulcanisation accelerators. 
*Stearin
Stearin or glycerol tri-stearate, is along with glycerol tri-palmitate, the main component of the solid fats. In its pure state it forms pearly crystals, which are tasteless, and insoluble in water, but dissolve in ether and similar solvents. 
*Steel
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon.
*Steeplechase
Originally a steeplechase was a trial of speed and jumping powers between two or more horses across the country with a church steeple as the goal. Today, the course is a regular race course with artificial fences for the horses to jump. 
*Stencil
A stencil is a thin metal plate or other piece of material with a series of holes forming a design or lettering through which colouring-matter is applied to a surface.
*Stenotype
A stenotype is a small, light easily portable machine somewhat resembling a typewriter used for stenotypy. The speed attainable with the machine far exceeds that possible in any of the written systems of shorthand. 
*Stenotypy
Stenotypy is a method of using a printer instead of a written character for recording shorthand, effected by a small, light and easily portable machine called a stenotype.
*Stereo-chemistry
Stereo-chemistry is the science of the study of the spatial configuration of the atoms and groups constituting the molecule in chemical compounds. The foundations of stereo-chemistry were laid by the work of Louis_Pasteur on tartaric_acid in 1850.
*Stereoscope
A stereoscope is an optical instrument producing an impression of depth or solidity. As early as the 1930s the technique of 3-D films shown to an audience wearing stereoscopes of a red glass filter for one eye and a green glass filter for the other eye were common in Britain. 
*Sterling silver
Sterling_silver is an alloy of silver and copper.
*Stethoscope
A stethoscope is an instrument employed in medicine (and safe cracking) for the purpose of listening to the sounds produced in the body. Stethoscopes are generally two rubber tubes forming a Y arrangement. One tube goes in each ear and at the end of the single leg is a cup or microphone which is placed against the patient's body.
*Stewing
Stewing is a method of cooking somewhat similar to boiling. Less water is used, however, and the juices and food values are drawn out, whereas in boiling they are sealed in. It is an economical but slow method of cooking meat. 
*Stimulant
A stimulant is a drug that acts upon the brain to increase alertness.
*Stock Exchange
The Stock Exchange is a market for dealing in shares, stocks, bonds and other securities existing in most important financial centres of the world. In most cases Stock Exchanges have developed from informal meetings of 18th century commission agents and brokers. 
*Stocks
Stocks are two boards with semi-circular holes, set one above the other within two posts, and padlocked so as to confine the legs of a seated person just above the feet. Formerly every parish had stocks fixed in some public spot in which petty offenders were confined as punishment. 
*Stocks and Shares
Stock is the capital of a company, divided into shares of a given amount which are transferable. Stock is always paid up, shares need not be, but shares cannot be divided into parts. 
*Stoicism
Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy. It is essentially a practical philosophy, the source of its ethics being the ideal of the wise man after the pattern of Socrates, who perceives that the true good of man lies not in outward objects, but in the state of the soul itself. A follower of Stoicism is known as a Stoic. 
*Stone Age
Stone_Age is the name in anthropology for the period of human culture before the discovery and use of metal when man made his tools and weapons mainly of flint, but sometimes of other stones, and later of bone, horn and ivory or wood. 
*Stonehenge
Stonehenge is the principal prehistoric monument in Great_Britain. It consists of a group of large stones arranged in a circle on Salisbury Plain. 
*Storm
A storm is a violent atmospheric disturbance caused by unequal atmospheric pressure and often occurring suddenly.
*Stramonium
Stramonium is a drug obtained from the seeds and leaves of the thorn-apple. The chief constituent is an alkaline daturine. Stramonium was once used at treat bronchial spasms in asthma. 
*Strategy
Strategy (derived from the Greek strategia, meaning ''army leadership'') was originally a military term describing the general direction of a campaign and higher leadership, as distinct from tactics which describes the actual handling of troops on the march. 
*Strathspey
Strathspey is a Scottish dance said to have originated in the Strath valley of the Spey around the start of the 18th century.
*Stratified
#Stratum 
*Stratosphere
The stratosphere is that region of the upper atmosphere where the temperature ceases to fall with increasing height above the earth's surface, and either remains constant or slightly increases.
*Stratum
Stratum is a geological term describing a mass of sedimentary rock (a strata) of great horizontal extent, which was deposited more or less continuously on the bottom of former seas or lakes, or sometimes on the surface of flat plains or deserts. Stratified rocks are mostly sandstones, shales and limestone.  
*Street
A street is a road with houses along one or both sides of it.
*Streptomycin
Streptomycin is an antibiotic. 
*Strike
A strike is the chief bargaining weapon of a labour body, and consists of a voluntary stoppage of work with the object of obtaining better conditions or resisting worsening ones. 
*Strontium
Strontium is a metal element with the symbol Sr of the alkaline-earth group. 
*Strychnine
Strychnine is a poisonous alkaloid obtained from the dried seeds of nux vomica and other species of Strychnos. In small does it is administered as a heart stimulant.
*Submarine
A submarine is a vessel capable of travelling both on and below the surface of the sea. The first practical submarine was built in 1620 by Cornelius_van_Drebbel. It was made of wood covered with greased leather, and was propelled from the inside by oars passing through flexible sleeves. The crew was supplied with air by means of a pipe which led to the surface. It was demonstrated on the Thames and James_I made a trip in it. 
*Subsidy
A subsidy is a pecuniary grant by the State to the costs of private enterprise without expectation of a direct return. 
*Sucrose
Sucrose is cane sugar. It is formed by the chemical combination of glucose and sucrose. It occurs naturally in sugar-beet and sugar-cane, in sweet fruits and in roots such as carrots.
*Suet
Suet is the fatty tissue surrounding the kidneys of oxen and sheep. It is used in cooking. 
*Suffrage
Suffrage is the right to express an opinion by voting on political questions, applied in particular to the right to vote at parliamentary elections. 
*Suffragettes
#suffragette 
*Sufiism
Sufiism was a movement of revolt against the rigid law and wearisome ritual of Islam in Persia. It developed into a pantheistic mysticism which, tinged by the teachings of Zoroaster, adopted also some Buddhist theories of life.  
*Sugar
Sugar is a sweet, soluble carbohydrate.
*Sugars
In chemistry, the sugars are a group of carbohydrates, soluble in water and having a sweet taste. The group includes glucose, lactose and saccharose.
*Sulfasalazine
Sulfasalazine is a sulfonamide drug used to treat ulceration and bleeding during the active phase of ulcerative colitis. Its anti-inflammatory action reduces tissue destruction in the colon. 
*Sulphocyanate
A sulphocyanate (sulphocyanide, thiocyanate) is a salt of thiocyanic acid and is usually obtained from gas-purification residues.
*Sulphocyanide
#Sulphocyanate 
*Sulphonal
Sulphonal (Dimethylmethane diethylsulphone) is a hypnotic manufactured by the interaction of acetone and ethyl mercaptan in the presence of zinc chloride and the oxidation of the resulting product with potassium_permanganate.  
*Sulphonic Acid
Sulphonic Acids are acids having an organic group combined with the group SO2OH. 
*Sulphur
Sulphur is a non-metallic element with the symbol S. It has a relative hardness of 2 and a melting point of 108 degrees Celsius. Its symbol is S.
*Sulphuric Acid
Sulphuric_acid has the formulae H2SO4. 
*Sulphurous Acid
Sulphurous_Acid (H2SO3) is a solution of sulphur dioxide in water. 
*Summary Jurisdiction
Summary_Jurisdiction is the power conferred on Justices_of_the_Peace to deal summarily with offenders instead of sending them for trial on indictment. 
*Summons
A summons is an order to appear in court to answer a complaint.
*Sun
The sun is the star at the centre of the solar system. 
*Sunday
Sunday is the seventh day of the week. 
*Sunday School
Sunday Schools were founded by Robert_Raikes, a Gloucester printer, in 1780 to provide education to children who worked such long hours during the week in the new factories that no weekday education was possible for them.
*Sundial
A sundial is an instrument for measuring the time of day from the shadow cast by the sun shining on a style or gnomon onto a graduated surface.
*Sunn Hemp
Sunn_Hemp (Bengal Hemp) is a fibre somewhat similar to flax, obtained from the stem of the plant Crotolaria juncea and used for making rope. 
*Sunstroke
Sunstroke (heat-stroke) is a disorder produced by exposure to the sun or very hot air. 
*Supernova
Supernova is the explosive death of a star.
*Superphosphate
Superphosphate is a manure made by mixing calcium hydrogen phosphate with gypsum.
*Supertax
Supertax was an additional income tax first levied by the Finance Act of 1909 upon incomes of over 5000 pounds a year at the rate of 6d in the pound for every pound by which the income exceeded 3000 pounds. 
*Surd
Surd is an algebraic term to describe a quantity not expressible in rational numbers, such as the cube root of 3.
*Surface combustion
Surface_combustion is a method of causing a mixture of air and gas to burn by bringing it into contact with a suitable porous surface. Usually this consists of a diaphragm of porous refractory material, to one side of which a mixture of gas and air is supplied under a low pressure. 
*Surface tension
Surface_tension is a property characteristic of liquids, by which the surface behaves as if it were covered with an elastic stretched skin. The effect is due to the fact that at the surface the attraction between the molecules of the liquid is unbalanced, surface molecules being attracted towards the body of the liquid, whereas in the body of the liquid a molecule is attracted equally in all directions. 
*Surplice
A surplice is a loose white vestment of varying length, with wide sleeves; worn by the clergy, and usually by a choir at divine services.  
*Surveying
Surveying is the art of measuring the shape and size of parts of the earth's surface with a view to representation on a reduced scale. It is employed in map making and is the essential preliminary to all civil engineering works. 
*Suttee
Suttee (Sati) is the practice in India of burning a widow on her husband's funeral pyre. 
*Swamp
A swamp is a level or low-lying expanse of ground saturated with water.
*Swastika
The swastika is an ancient religious symbol dating from Neolithic times, and occurring in ancient Greek and Egyptian art. It has the form of an equal armed cross with the ends of the arms all bending in the same direction at right angles. It was introduced into Europe in the 16th century and used extensively in Christian art. It was adopted by Hitler as his symbol.
*Swaythling cup
The swaythling_cup is a table_tennis tournament. 
*Swearing
Swearing is the act of declaring upon oath. The term has also come to include the use of profane language, which under an act of 1847 is a criminal offence in Britain when such language is used on the street. 
*Sweepstake
A sweepstake is a form of gambling in which those taking part pay money into a common fund which, after the deduction of expenses, is divided between those who have drawn certain numbered tickets. 
*Sweetbread
Sweetbread is the name given to the pancreas, or thymus of the calf or lamb used as a food.
*Swimming
Swimming is the art of supporting oneself and propelling oneself through the water.
*Swiss
Swiss is a term used to denote someone or something from Switzerland.
*Syllabub
Syllabub is a beverage made from a mixture of milk, wine and sugar.
*Syllabus
A syllabus is an outline of a course of study, giving only the headings for the subjects.
*Symbiosis
Symbiosis is the association of two organisms each helping the other.
*Symbol
A symbol is something which represents something else. 
*Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish place of worship.
*Syndicalism
Syndicalism is a doctrine of government, a development of trade unionism, its aim being the abolition of parliamentary government and capitalism and the substitution of trade unionism as the controller and owner of each particular industry. 
*Syndicate
A syndicate is a group of persons associated temporarily for the purpose of buying and re-selling a specific business or other property, or for forming a limited liability company prior to the issue of shares to the public.
*Syphilis
Syphilis is a venereal disease (VD, STD) due to the micro-organism Treponema Pallidum. It is usually transmitted by sexual contact with an infected person.  
*Syriac
Syriac is a Semitic language and a dialect of Aramaic. It was the literary language of the early Eastern Christians and after the 5th century split into East and West Syriac. 
*Tabaret
Tabaret is an upholstery fabric with alternate satin and watered-silk stripes. 
*Tabernacle
A tabernacle is a temporary or slightly built dwelling, such as a hut, booth or tent.
*Tabes
Tabes is a slow progressive emaciation.
*Tablier
Historically, a tablier was the apron-like part of a woman's dress.
*Taboo
Taboo (tabu, tapu) is a Polynesian word meaning ''thou shall not....''. It is a system of prohibitions and an elaborate code of things which may not be done, touched or approached. 
*Tabu
#Taboo 
*Tachograph
A tachograph is a device fitted to a motor vehicle which records its speed and distances travelled. Tachographs are often called the spy in the cab by lorry drivers who are restricted in how long they may drive for by law. 
*Tachometer
A tachometer is a device for measuring the velocity of machines or the rate of flow of liquids.
*Tack
A tack is a small sharp nail, usually with a large flat head. They are used for fitting a light or thin object to a more solid one, such as carpet to the floor. 
*Tackle
Tackle is a term used to describe the equipment used in a sport, especially fishing. In nautical terms, tackle refers to ropes and pulleys used for hoisting weights, sails etc. 
*Tact
Tact is the intuitive perception of what is correct or fitting especially in the context of knowing the right thing to say or how to behave in a situation.
*Tael
Tael (also called liang) is a Chinese weight. It was based upon the weight of a non-existent silver coin and was used in commerce between China and foreign countries around the turn of the century.
*Taffeta
Taffeta is a fine plain-woven usually glossy fabric of silk or mother material.  
*Taffy
Taffy is a colloquial nickname for a Welshman. It derives from the supposed Welsh pronunciation of the name Davy.  
*Tai-Ping Rebellion
The Tai-Ping Rebellion was a civil war which took place in China from 1850 to 1866. The rebellion was led by Hung_Siu-tsuan, who proclaimed himself the founder of a Tai-ping dynasty. 
*Tailor
A tailor is a maker of men's outer garments or of women's garments which have similar characteristics such as coats, suits and riding-clothes. 
*Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum built at Agra by Shah Jehan in memory of his favourite wife who died in 1629. It took 20000 men 20 years to build. 
*Tali and Tessera
Tali_and_Tessera was a game played with dice by the Romans.
*Tallow
Tallow is the fat of animals, especially sheep and ox, separated by melting and clarifying and used for making soap, candles and other things. 
*Tally
Originally, a tally was a piece of wood scored across with notches representing an amount of debt or payment. The wood was then split in half lengthways and each party kept half. 
*Talma
A talma was a long cape or cloak worn by both men and women during the early part of the 19th century. 
*Talmud
Talmud is a collection of works, containing the laws and ceremonies of Rabbinical Judaism together with commentaries, put into writing between the 2nd and 6th centuries.
*Tam-o-shanter
A tam-o-shanter is a round woollen or cloth cap with a flat baggy top much wider than the head band. It is named after the hero of Burn's poem ''Tam o' Shanter''. 
*Tamal
Tamal is a Mexican dish of crushed maize with pieces of meat or chicken, red pepper etc., wrapped in corn husks and baked or steamed.  
*Tambour
A tambour is a device used in embroidery. It is comprised of two hoops which fit closely one inside the other. Fabric is stretched over the tambour which then holds it fast so that it may be embroidered.
*Tambourine
A tambourine is a long narrow drum used in music.  
*Tambourine
A tambourine is a musical percussion instrument. 
*Tammany Society
The Tammany Society was founded in the USA in 1789 for the purpose of preserving democratic ideas against Alexander_Hamilton's aristocratic doctrine.
*Tammy
Tammy is a fine woollen or wool and cotton textile fabric often with a glazed finish.
*Tampion
A tampion is a plug for the top of an organ pipe or a cover for the muzzle of a gun. 
*Tampon
A tampon is a plug inserted into a wound or body orifice to absorb secretions or stop haemorrhaging. 
*Tandem
A tandem is a bicycle with two or more seats one behind the other. 
*Tang
A tang is a projection of a knife or other metal tool by which it is secured to its handle.
*Tango
The tango was a dance from central Africa which was taken to Central_America by African slaves and from there it became popular in Argentina where it was influenced by European rhythms and developed into a fashionable ballroom dance in around 1910. 
*Tangram
A tangram is a Chinese geometrical puzzle comprised of a square which is divided into 5 triangles, a square and a rhomboid which can then be fitted together to form many figures. 
*Tankard
A tankard is a large, one-handled drinking vessel. 
*Tanner
Tanner is an old English slang expression for a sixpence. More properly, a tanner is someone who tans hides. 
*Tannery
A tannery is a place where hides are tanned. 
*Tannin
Tannin is a substance used to tan hides, that is convert them into leather. Tannin is extracted from oak-galls and various barks.
*Tantalum
Tantalum is a metal element with the symbol Ta.
*Taoism
Taoism is an ancient Chinese system of philosophy. 
*Taper
A taper is a slender wax candle. The term is often used for a long wax coated or wooden wick used to light candles or fires at a safe distance.
*Tapestry
A tapestry is a thick hand-woven fabric, usually of wool, with a pictorial or ornamental design formed by the weft-threads.  
*Tapioca
Tapioca is a starchy granular foodstuff prepared from cassava and used in puddings. The name comes from the Brazilian word tipioca which translates as juice of cassava. 
*Tappet
A tappet is an arm, collar or cam within a machine which imparts intermittent motion.
*Tapu
#Taboo 
*Tar
Tar is a thick viscid inflammable black liquid obtained by the distillation of wood, coal or other organic substances. It is used for preserving timber amongst other purposes.
*Tarantass
A tarantass was a large covered travelling carriage without springs, but balanced on long poles which served instead, and without seats. Tarantass were used a lot in Russia around the beginning of the 20th century. 
*Tarantella
Tarantella is a swift, whirling Italian dance in six-eight measure.
*Tarantism
Tarantism was an obscure illness which was epidemic in southern Italy between the 15th and 17th centuries. It manifested itself in melancholy and an overwhelming desire to dance. It was popularly believed to be caused by the bite of the tarantula.
*Taraxacin
Taraxacin is a bitter substance found in the milky juice of the dandelion. It was formerly used as a tonic and diuretic. 
*Tarboosh
A tarboosh is a man's brimless cap resembling a fez and worn alone or as part of a turban by Muslims in some eastern Mediterranean countries.
*Tarbrush
Tarbrush is an alternative name for a fez. 
*Tariff
A tariff is a list of articles upon which duties are charged when exported or imported.
*Tarlatan
Tarlatan was a thin and fine fabric of cotton mostly used for making women's ball dresses around 1900. It was cheap, but did not withstand washing.
*Tarn
A tarn is a small moorland or mountain lake. 
*Tarsia-work
Tarsia-work was a kind of marquetry popular in 15th century Italy. It consisted of pieces of different coloured woods inlayed into a panel of walnut so as to represent landscapes, figures, fruits etc. 
*Tartan
Tartan is a woollen cloth with stripes of various colours crossing at right angles especially in the distinctive pattern of a Highland clan. 
*Tartar
Tartar (potassium tartrate) is a white crust deposited in wine casks during fermentation. The purified crystals are used in cooking, and often called cream of tartar. The term is also used for the concretion deposited upon teeth from saliva and comprised of phosphate of lime. 
*Tartaric Acid
Tartaric_Acid is a popular name for dihydroxysuccinic acid. It occurs in many plants, particularly in the grape and is easily obtained from tartar.
*Tartrate
Tartrate is a salt of tartaric acid. 
*Tasmanite
Tasmanite is a translucent, reddish-brown fossil resin found in Tasmania.
*Tassel
A tassel is a tuft of loosely hanging threads or cords designed as an ornament for a cushion, cap or other object. 
*Tatting
Tatting is a type of knotted lace made from sewing-thread with a small flat shuttle-shaped instrument. 
*Tatty
A tatty is a cuscus grass mat which is hung in a doorway, or window and kept wet to cool the air in the building.
*Tavla
Tavla is the national game of Turkey. It is called backgammon in Europe. 
*Taxi
#Hackney_Coach 
*Taxidermy
Taxidermy is the art of preparing and mounting the skins of animals in a lifelike manner. In colloquial terms, stuffing dead animals.
*Taximeter
A taximeter is an apparatus by means of which the legal fare is shown to passengers in a taxi. 
*TB
#Tuberculosis
*Technetium
Technetium is an artificial element with the symbol Tc.
*Tectonics
Tectonics is the study of rock movements.
*Teetotum
A teetotum is a top spun with the fingers, rather than a whip or cord. 
*Telegony
Telegony is the theory of pre-paternal influence on offspring. That is, that a previous male mate may pass characteristics to an offspring conceived by the same mother, but a different father. No evidence has been furnished to support the theory, but never the less, it was a popular belief amongst animal breeders.
*Telegraphy
Originally the term telegraphy refereed to any form of signalling. With the advent of electronic telegraph systems the term became more specific to electronic signalling, and more recently to the transmission of data, as distinct from telephony which signals voice, electronically. E.G.: Morse code by radio wave or through a telephone line.
*Telephone
The telephone is an instrument for reproducing speech at a distance from the source. It was invented by Alexander_Graham_Bell. Long distance telephony was developed in the 1920s following the experiments of Dr._H._W.Nichols, with links between major cities in the continents introduced in 1927. 
*Telephony
Telephony refers to the reproduction of speech at a distance from the source. Telephony may occur with the use of a telephone, or through wireless apparatus such as radio equipment.
*Telescope
A telescope is an instrument which magnifies distant objects. The telescope was first invented in 1609 and in 1610 Galileo using his own made telescope discovered the satellites of Jupiter.
*Television
Television is a system for seeing distant objects through the intermediary of electro-magnetic waves transmitted through space or over wires. It was first developed during the 1920s. 
*Tellurium
Tellurium is a semi-metallic element with the symbol Te. 
*Telpherage
Telpherage is a system of traction by aerial ropeway used for the conveyance of minerals over rough country. A stout steel cable supported on poles forms the track and on this are hung small trolleys with wheels running on the cable. A second cable conveys electric current to the trolleys which are driven by motors.  
*Telugu
Telugu is one of the Dravidian languages of India, spoken by the inhabitants of the area between Madras, Bellary and Orissa. 
*Tempera
Tempera is a process of spreading a mixture of paint and a glutinous material on a flat surface. It is a process which was popular with early Italian artists. 
*Tempering
Tempering is the process of heating up steel until red hot and then suddenly cooling it in water. The result is to harden the steel. 
*Temple
A temple is a building dedicated to the service of a deity or deities. 
*Tempo
Tempo is the pace at which a piece of music is played. 
*Tendril
A tendril is a slender, thread-like organ or appendage of a plant which stretches out and attaches itself to some other object so as to support the plant. 
*Tennis
Tennis is a game for two or four players played by striking a ball with a racket over a net stretched across a rectangular court.
*Tenure
Tenure is the right or title by which property is held.
*Teocalli
A Teocalli is an Aztec or other early Mexican temple. They are usually built in the form of a pyramid. 
*Tepee
A tepee is a conical tent, hut or wigwam used by North_American Indians. 
*Teratology
Teratology is the science concerned with the occurrence of monstrosity in organic life.  
*Terbium
Terbium is a metal element with the symbol Tb belonging to the series known as rare earths.
*Tercel
Tercel is the term for a male hawk.
*Terpene
Terpene is a chemistry term for any of a large group of cyclic hydrocarbons which form the chief constituents of the volatile oils obtained by distilling plant material (Turpentine). 
*Terpenes
Terpenes are an important group of hydrocarbons with the formula C10H16. Many occur naturally in the essential oils of various plants. 
*Terra Cotta
Terra_Cotta is a baked clay, or burned earth material similar to that from which pottery is made. It was extensively used in ancient times. Terra Cotta consists of potters' clay and fine powdered silica.
*Terra di Sienna
#Burnt_Sienna
*Terrine
A terrine is an earthenware vessel sold containing some table delicacy such as pate. 
*Tessera
A tessera was a Greek or Roman small tablet (of wood or Ivory) used as a token or tally. 
*Tester
A tester is the canopy over a four-poster bed. 
*Tetanus
Tetanus (lockjaw) is a disease affecting the nervous system caused by a bacteria found mainly in soil. 
*Tetra-Ethyl-Lead
Tetra-Ethyl-Lead is an organo-metalic compound widely used as an anti-knock agent in leaded petrol.
*Tetrahedron
A tetrahedron is a geometric solid_figure with four triangular faces.
*Tetrode
A tetrode is an electronic amplifying valve with 4 main electrodes.
*Textile
A textile is a woven fabric. The manufacture of textiles is one of the oldest human arts already well developed before history began, with loom weights and combs found with the remains of Iron Age Man.
*Thalidomide
Thalidomide was a sedative drug prescribed to pregnant women during the 1960s. It caused deformity of the foetus resulting in children born with severely stunted or non-existent limbs. 
*Thallium
Thallium is a metal element with the symbol Tl.
*Thalweg
Thalweg is a term of German origin signifying the lowest contour line of a valley, and therefore the natural direction of a stream or dried watercourse. 
*Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is an annual festival in the USA, celebrated on the last Thursday in November, since it was so fixed by President Lincoln in 1864. The custom dates from the thanksgiving day set aside by the Mayflower Pilgrims after their first harvest in 1621, and was later adopted by the various colonies and States.
*Thatch
A thatch is a roof made by thatching.
*Thatching
Thatching is a method of roofing used to protect buildings and ricks. The material most commonly used is straw, but bracken, gorse, heather and reeds may serve a similar purpose. 
*Thaumatrope
A thaumatrope is a card or disc with two different figures drawn one each side. These images apparently merge when the card or disk is rotated rapidly. Thaumatropes are used to demonstrate the persistence of visual impressions.
*The Court of Criminal Appeal
The_Court_of_Criminal_Appeal is an English court with jurisdiction to hear appeals by persons convicted on indictment, criminal information, coroner's inquisitions and by persons dealt with at Quarter Sessions as incorrigible rogues. It was established in 1907.
*The Economist
The_Economist is a magazine dealing with financial matters. It was started in 1843 as a London weekly journal. 
*The Field
The Field is a country gentleman's weekly magazine (originally a paper) devoted to natural history, sports etc. and first published in January 1853. 
*The Five Mile Act
The_Five_Mile_Act was a statute of 1592, repealed in 1844 after a long period of disuse, forbidding popish recusants convicted of not going to church from moving above 5 miles from their usual place of abode. 
*The Gentleman's Magazine
The_Gentleman's_Magazine was the first magazine produced. It was a monthly publication founded in 1731 by Edward_Cave and survived in its original form until 1868. It contained historical and biographical articles. 
*The Great Fire Of London
The_Great_Fire_Of_London broke out in Pudding_Lane, near London Bridge on September 2nd 1666 and raged until September 6th destroying London from the Tower to the Temple and from the Thames to Smithfield. 
*The Spectator
The_Spectator was a journal founded in 1711 by Sir_Richard_Steele and contributed to largely by Addison. It lapsed in 1714 but the title was resuscitated in 1828 by Robert_Rintoul. At first the journal was non-political, then during the 19th century it adopted Liberal tendencies. 
*The Test Act
The_Test_Act of 1673 decreed that all who held public offices in England must receive the Church of England sacrament and renounce Transubstantiation. It thus excluded Nonconformists and Roman Catholics. The act was repealed in May 1828.
*The Tropics
The_Tropics are the region between 23 degrees 30 minutes north and 23 degrees 30 minutes south of the equator at which the sun's rays are vertical at noon.
*Theine
Theine is an alternative name for caffeine.
*Theobromine
Theobromine (dimethyl-xanthine) is the active principal of the cacao or cocoa bean. It is a crystalline powder with a bitter taste closely resembling caffeine and sometimes used as a diuretic. 
*Theodolite
A theodolite is an instrument used in surveying for measuring horizontal and vertical angles.
*Theology
Theology is a science dealing with ascertainable truths about God and his relations with the world and mankind.
*Theosophy
Theosophy is an intuitive or ecstatic mode of enunciating doctrines. 
*Thermion
A thermion is an electrically charged particle emitted from a heated body. 
*Thermionics
Thermionics is a branch of physics dealing with the emission of ions by hot bodies. The first thermionic observation, though not understood at the time, was made by Edison, and is known as the Edison effect.  
*Thermistor
A thermistor is a type of semi-conductor in which the resistance decreases as the temperature rises. 
*Thermit
Thermit is a mixture of coarsely powdered aluminium and magnetic oxide of iron which when ignited reacts by producing iron and aluminium oxide at an intensely high temperature approaching 3000 degrees Celsius. It was developed for making welding repairs in situ, and adopted by the army for use in incendiary bombs.  
*Thermite Process
The Thermite Process (Goldschmidt Process) is the method of obtaining liquid metal by reduction of the oxide with aluminium powder.
*Thermo-Chemistry
Thermo-Chemistry is the branch of physical chemistry which deals with the relationship between chemical energy and heat. 
*Thermo-Electricity
Thermo-Electricity is the phenomena of electricity being produced when a circuit of two different metals is heated, and heat is produced when electrical current is passed through a circuit of two different metals.
*Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is a science dealing with the relationship between heat and work. 
*Thermograph
A thermograph is a device for recording fluctuations in air temperature. 
*Thermometer
A thermometer is a device used to measure temperature. 
*Thermostat
A thermostat is a device which automatically maintains temperature at a constant value or gives notice of an undue change in temperature.
*Thermotaxis
Thermotaxis is the physiology term for the regulation of an organisms body heat. 
*Thespian
A thespian is an actor or actress. 
*Theurgy
Theurgy was a system of magic practised by the Neoplatonists intended to procure communication with spirits for personal benefit and to produce miraculous effects with their assistance.
*Thiamine
Thiamine is vitamin b1 a deficiency of which causes beri beri. 
*Thiazine
The thiazines are compounds containing a ring of one nitrogen, one sulphur, and four carbon atoms. 
*Thicket
A thicket is a dense growth of shrubs, bushes or small trees forming a thick coppice.
*Thickets
#Thicket 
*Thigh
The thigh is the upper part of the human leg between the knee and the hip. 
*Thigh bone
Thigh_bone is a popular name for the femur.
*Thio-derivative
A thio-derivative is a compound in which sulphur has replaced an equivalent amount of oxygen, such as potassium thio-cyanate, KCNS, in which the sulphur has replaced the oxygen in potassium cyanate, KCNO. 
*Thiocyanate
#Sulphocyanate 
*Thiophene
Thiophene is a colourless, volatile liquid closely resembling benzene. It occurs in coal-tar and is extracted by shaking with concentrated sulphuric_acid. Thiophene is a parent substance of a number of derivatives. 
*Thole
A thole is a pin in the gunwale of a boat used as a fulcrum for an oar. There are usually two tholes between which the oar rests.
*Thomas cup
The Thomas_cup is a badminton tournament.
*Thomism
Thomism is a system of theology and philosophy taught by St._Thomas_Aquinas. 
*Thong
A thong is a narrow strip of leather used as a lace or strap.
*Thorium
Thorium is radioactive metal element with the symbol Th. 
*Threshing
Threshing is an agricultural term for separating the grain from the ear or the seeds from the pods of various crops. 
*Threshold
In architecture, a threshold is a piece of stone or timber lying below the bottom of a doorway.
*Thulium
Thulium is a metal element with the symbol Tm. 
*Thunder
Thunder is a loud noise which accompanies lightning, but appears to follow it due to the difference at which sound and light travel. Thunder is the noise which occurs due to the sudden violent disturbance of the air by the electrical discharge. 
*Thurible
A thurible is a censer or vessel in which aromatic spices are burned.
*Thursday
Thursday is the fourth day of the week.
*Thwart
A thwart is a seat across a boat on which the rower sits.
*Thymol
Thymol is a white crystalline phenol obtained from the oil of thyme. It has a pleasant aromatic smell and is used as an antiseptic.
*Thyroxin
Thyroxin is a white crystalline substance which is secreted by the thyroid gland.
*Thyroxine
Thyroxine is a hormone which is the active principle of the thyroid gland. 
*Tiara
A tiara was an ancient Persian head-dress. It is also the name of a jewelled coronet worn by women.
*Tic
A tic is an habitual, local spasmodic contraction of muscles or twitch, often in the face. 
*Tide
Tide is a term applied to the alternate rising and falling of the sea, twice in each lunar day, to the attraction of the moon and the sun. 
*Tiki
A tiki is a Maori large wooden or small ornamental greenstone image of the creator of man or an ancestor.
*Tilbury
A tilbury was a light open two-wheeled carriage which was fashionable during the first half of the 19th century. 
*Timbale
A timbale is a dish of minced meat, or fish cooked in a drum-shaped mould of pastry. 
*Timber
Timber is wood prepared for building, or trees which provide wood suitable for building with.
*Timber hitch
The timber_hitch is a knot.
*Timbrel
A timbrel was a type of tambourine used around biblical times. 
*Timology
Timology is a philosophical term of a doctrine of values.
*Timolol maleate
Timolol_maleate is a beta blocker used in the treatment of angina, hypertension and glaucoma.
*Tin
Tin is a white metal element with the symbol Sn. It occurs commonly in the ore cassiterite, which is found in Malaysia, Indonesia, Bolivia, Zaire, Nigeria and Cornwall. Tin is often used to plate iron to protect it from rusting. 
*Tin-plate
Tin-plate is thin sheet iron or steel coated with pure metallic tin. Iron and steel are coated with tin to prevent rusting.
*Tincal
Tincal is a crude form of borax found in lake-deposits in parts of Asia. 
*Tine
A tine is a projecting sharp point such as of a fork, harrow or stag's antler. 
*Tinker
A tinker is a person who mends things, the term especially applies to someone who mends pots, pans and kettles. In Scotland and Northern_Ireland the term is often applied to Romanys. 
*Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the medical condition of noises in the ear which are not due to external sounds. It is a condition common amongst the deaf and hard of hearing.
*Tinplate
Tinplate is steel covered in tin.
*Tinsel
Tinsel is a shining metallic material used in thin strips or threads to give a sparkling effect in decorations.
*Tintack
A tintack is a short nail made of tin plated iron or steel.
*Tippet
A tippet was a woman's small cape or collar made of fur, or silk usually with two ends hanging down in front.  
*Tipstaff
A tipstaff is a metal-tipped staff which is a symbol of a Sheriff's office.
*Tironian system
The Tironian system was a Roman system of shorthand which was still in use in England during the mediaeval times.
*Tissue
In biological terms, tissue is an organised mass of cells, such as any part of an animal's body or a plant's structure.
*Tissues
#Tissue
*Titanic
The Titanic was a supposedly unsinkable British ocean liner. She was a White Star liner, and the largest ship of her time. On her maiden voyage from Queenstown to New_York she struck an iceberg near Cape_Race (14th April, 1912) and sank. The Carpathia arrived in time to save 712 of the 2201 persons on board. As a result of the inquiry which followed new regulations concerning life-saving appliances on ships were made.
*Titanium
Titanium is a metal element with the symbol Ti.
*Titans
#Titan 
*Titration
Titration is the analysis or determination of the concentration of a solution by adding measured amounts of a standard solution of a suitable reagent until the chemical reaction between the two solutions is completed.
*Toboggan
A toboggan is a hand-sleigh used for sliding down snow or ice slopes.
*Toby
A toby is a mug or small jug used for ale. They are made in various forms, but originally they were in the form of a stout man wearing a long full-skirted coat and a three-cornered hat.
*Toddy
Toddy is a drink made from the fresh or fermented sap of various species of palm.
*Toffee
Toffee is a sweet of sugar, butter and flavourings boiled together and then allowed to cool and harden.
*Toga
A toga was an outer garment worn by citizens of ancient Rome. It was a flowing cloak covering the entire body except the right arm.
*Tokay
Tokay is a rich sweet aromatic wine made near Tokay in Hungary.
*Toleration Act
The toleration_act of parliament in 1689 gave the right to freedom of worship in England.
*Toll
A toll is a tax or duty chargeable for selling goods, setting up a stall, or travelling along a public road, bridge or ferry or for transporting goods by railway. 
*Toluene
Toluene (methyl-benzene) is a colourless liquid derived from petroleum and coal-tar. 
*Toluidine
Toluidine (Methyl-aniline) is a substance prepared from toluene. 
*Tom-tom
A tom-tom is a native east Indian drum usually beaten with the hands.
*Ton
The ton is a unit of measurement of the avoirdupois scale equivalent to 20 hundredweight, 2240 pounds or 1.016 tonnes. 
*Tondo
A tondo is a painting or carving in relief within a circular shape.
*Tong
A tong is a Chinese association. The term is especially applied to Chinese secret organisations. 
*Tonic Sol-fa
Tonic_Sol-fa is a system of musical notation dating back to 1812 when it was developed by a Miss Glover of Norwich to teach music to children who were having difficulty with learning.
*Tonite
Tonite is an explosive formed by mixing barium nitrate with gun-cotton.
*Tonka Bean
The tonka bean is the fruit of a Guiana shrub, used in perfumery.
*Tonnage
Tonnage was a duty on wine first imposed in 1346 and abolished in 1787.
*Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is the inflammation of the tonsils.
*Tonsure
Tonsure is the religious practice of having the head shaved before entering the priesthood or becoming a monk. 
*Tontine
Tontine is a system of life assurance and purchasing property in which the advantage lies with the longest-lived of a stated number of individuals, who may either receive absolutely the gross amount of the capital contributed by all the subscribers who have predeceased him, or only the interest upon the sum. The idea was first put forward by an Italian banker, Lorenzo Tonti, in 1653 and was first put into practice by Louis_XIV in 1689.
*Topee
A topee is a light pith helmet.
*Topiary
Topiary is the art of clipping and trimming shrubs into ornamental designs.
*Topology
Topology is a branch of mathematics which studies geometric objects from the point of view of their general shape rather than their precise measurements.
*Toponymy
Toponymy is the study of a region's place names. 
*Toque
A toque is a small brimless hat made of folded or swathed material.
*Tor
A tor is a craggy or rocky hill or peak. The term is most used in Cornwall and Devon.
*Torchon
Torchon is a strong, coarse linen bobbin-lace. 
*Toreador
A toreador is a mounted bullfighter. 
*Torero
Torero is the term used for someone who fights bulls for a living. 
*Tornado
A tornado is a violent storm with heavy rain in which the wind rotates or constantly changes direction.
*Torque
A torque was a necklace or collar of twisted metal worn by ancient Britons and Gauls.
*Torsel
In building, a torsel is a block of stone or piece of wood or iron set in a wall to support a beam or joist. 
*Torsion Balance
A torsion balance is an instrument which was invented by Coulomb for measuring electric and magnetic attraction. A fine silver wire supports, at its centre of gravity, a horizontal carrier with bodies of known electric charge at each end, or a magnet of known strength. The deflection of the carrier determines the strength of the attractive force when the source of attraction is placed at a known distance from it. 
*Torso
A torso is a statue or mutilated human body lacking a head and limbs.  
*Tort
Tort is an English legal term for a civil wrong which violates a general duty and not merely a breach of contract arising out of a particular relationship between the parties. But a tort may also be a breach of contract and a crime. It may relate either to persons or to property. 
*Torticollis
Torticollis is a rheumatic or other affection of the muscles causing twisting and stiffness of the neck. 
*Tortilla
A tortilla is a Latin American thin flat cake made of maize flour and baked on a flat piece of stone or iron.
*Torus
In architecture, a torus is a large convex moulding, usually at the base of a column.
*Totem
Totem is an Ojibway word describing an animal or plant related to an individual by totemism. 
*Totemism
Totemism is a widespread belief amongst primitive peoples of blood-kinship or association with an animal or plant. For example, an individual may have the bison as his totem. 
*Toupee
A toupee was originally a top-knot of hair crowning a wig. Today the term is used to describe any false hair piece.  
*Tournament
A tournament was an equestrian contest between military knights and others armed with lances which were common in the Middle Ages. They were introduced to England by the Normans. 
*Tournedos
A tournedos is a small piece of fillet beef grilled or sauteed.  
*Tourniquet
A tourniquet is a bandage for stopping the flow of blood through an artery.
*Tower
A tower is a tall structure. 
*Tower of Babel
#babel 
*Tower of London
The Tower of London was built as a fortress by William The Conqueror. It was a royal palace in the Middle Ages, and was later used as a garrison and prison. The Crown_Jewels are kept at the Tower of London. 
*Toxaemia
Toxaemia is blood poisoning. 
*Toxic
Something is said to be toxic (poisonous) if when introduced into a living organism it destroys it or damages its health.
*Toxicology
Toxicology is the study of nature and effects of poisons and their detection and treatment.
*Toxin
Toxin refers to a toxic substance of animal or vegetable origin. 
*Toxophilite
A toxophilite is someone who is learning archery.
*Toxophily
Toxophily is the practice of, or addiction to archery. 
*Tracheid
Tracheid is the water conducting component in the wood of vascular plants. 
*Tracheotomy
Tracheotomy is the cutting and insertion of a pipe into the trachea. It is used in such cases as the trachea is blocked so that the patient may breath.
*Trachoma
Trachoma is a contagious form of conjunctivitis with inflammation of the inner surface of the eyelids. It frequently leads to blindness. 
*Tract
A tract is a short argumentative treatise. It was a type of literature employed and developed by Luther. 
*Tractarian Movement
The Tractarian Movement was a literary movement started in the 19th century by Newman, Keble and Pusey.
*Tractor
A tractor is a power-driven machine adapted to haul other machines or vehicles over roads or rough ground. 
*Tractory
Tractory is the curve in which a heavy particle moves when dragged at the end of an inextensible string by a body moving in a straight line. 
*Trade
Trade is the general name given to the process of exchanging commodities either for other commodities, which is called barter, or for money, which in more advanced communities serves as a medium of exchange.
*Trade Mark
A trade mark is a mark used in connection with goods to indicate that they are the goods of a particular proprietor. 
*Trade Union
A trade union is an organisation consisting of a combination of wage-earners engaged in the same industry or trade, usually to provide negotiating power with the employer and as a mutual self-help group for employees when they need financial assistance or legal assistance connected with their employment.
*Trade Wind
Trade Winds are winds which blow a steady course. The trade wind north of the equator blows almost constantly from the north-east, while the prevailing direction of the trade wind south of the equator is south-east.
*Trade Winds
The Trade Winds are the winds permanently blowing from the tropics towards the equator.
*Tragacanth
Tragacanth is a kind of gum derived from the Asiatic leguminous plants of the Astragalus genus. It is used in calico printing, pills and lozenges. 
*Tragacanth gum
Tragacanth_gum is a partly water-soluble gum exuded by the tree Astragalus verus and used as an adhesive and in medicine for the preparation of emulsions. 
*Tragedy
In the theatre, a tragedy is a play dealing with a serious theme.
*Tram
A tram is a passenger vehicle, similar to a bus, which runs along rails on public roads. The rails are flush with the road's surface allowing other motor vehicles to also use the roads at the same time. 
*Trammel
A trammel is a fishing net consisting of a fine net hung loosely between vertical walls of a coarser net so that fish passing through the coarse net carry some of the finer net through with them and are caught in the resulting pocket. 
*Tramontano
The tramontano is a cool northerly wind felt along the shores of the Adriatic. 
*Trampoline
A trampoline is a canvas sheet attached to a horizontal metal framework by springs to provide a resilient platform for acrobats. 
*Transducer
A transducer is a device which takes in power from one part of a system and emits power of a different kind to another part. 
*Transept
Transepts are the cross aisles of a church, projecting at right angles from the nave or choir. 
*Transformer
A transformer is a device used for converting an alternating electric current from one voltage to another, depending upon electro-magnetic induction. The first transformer was made by Faraday in 1831. 
*Transistor
A transistor is an electronic component made of a semiconductor material and three or more electrodes. 
*Transmutation
Transmutation is a biological term whereby one species transforms into another through an evolutionary process.
*Transom
A transom is a cross bar separating a door from the fan light above it.
*Transportation
Transportation was the British policy of sending convicts abroad. It started following the American_War_Of_Independance, and commenced with convicts being sent to Australia with a view to colonising the country. However, the colonial government there complained and convicts were from 1840 sent to Van_Diemen's_Land (Tasmania). The system was abolished in 1853 in favour of penal servitude. 
*Transuranic
Transuranic is a chemical term referring to artificially manufactured elements which have an atomic number higher than uranium.
*Transvestite
A transvestite is a person who dresses in the clothes of the opposite sex. 
*Trapeze
A trapeze is a horizontal bar suspended by two ropes and used as a piece of apparatus by acrobats. 
*Trapezoid
A trapezoid is a quadrilateral shape in which none of the sides are parallel.
*Traumatic gangrene
#Gangrene
*Trawler
A trawler is a fishing ship which catches fish by trawling, that is with a net dragged along the bottom of the sea.
*Trawling
Trawling is the process of dragging the sea-bottom for fish by a flat conical shaped net.
*Treacle
Treacle is an uncrystallised syrup produced when sugar is refined. 
*Treadle
A treadle is a foot operated lever used to impart motion to a machine, such as a sewing machine or lathe for example.
*Treadmill
A treadmill is a mill consisting of a large wooden cylinder with steps on the outside. It is worked by persons treading on the steps, their weight causing the cylinder to revolve. The treadmill was introduced into England at the beginning of the 19th century and was used in prisons for disciplinary purposes, but fell into disuse towards the end of the century. 
*Treason
Treason is the breach of the duty of allegiance owed by a subject to the State and its sovereign.
*Treason Act
The Treason Act was passed in 1534 by Henry_VIII making it high treason to question the King's title or imagine or practise any harm to him. 
*Treasure-trove
Treasure-trove is a legal term for coins, gold and silver articles found buried in the earth or secreted in other places for which no owner can be found. In England, treasure-trove belongs to the crown, and to conceal it is punishable with a fine or imprisonment.
*Treaty of Dardanelles
The Treaty of Dardanelles was signed in 1841 between England, France, Russia and Turkey and confirmed the convention of 1840, limiting Mehemet_Ali to Egypt and Acre, and closing the Dardanelles to all ships of war unless with the consent of the Sultan. 
*Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon took place on June 4th 1920 between the Allies and Hungary at the end of the Great_War. By the treaty Hungary was considerably reduced in size, and lost about 3 million Magyars.
*Trellis
A trellis is a structure of light bars crossing each other with open squares or diamond-shaped spaces between them. Trellis are used as screens and to support climbing plants.
*Trencher
A trencher is a flat slab of wood or metal upon which meat is cut. 
*Trental
In the Roman Catholic church, trental is a set of 30 requiem masses said daily or all on one day.
*Trepan
A trepan was a surgeon's cylindrical saw.
*Trephine
A trephine is a surgeon's cylindrical saw with a guiding centre pin used for removing part of the bone of the skull. The trephine has taken over from the trepan.
*Trews
Trews were close-fitting trousers or breeches combined with stockings worn by Scottish highlanders and the Irish.
*Triac
A triac is a bi-directional thyristor used in A.C. control circuitry.
*Triad
A triad is a Chinese secret society. Originally a Buddhist cult they are now crime organisation. 
*Triamterene
Triamterene is an antihypertensive and diuretic drug used to reduce fluid retention (edema) and reduce potassium loss. It works by increasing urine production to eliminate sodium and water from the body while conserving potassium. 
*Triangulation
Triangulation is a technique employed in surveying. A base-line is set out in a convenient and level situation and measured with great accuracy. A theodolite is then set up at each end of the base-line, and readings are taken on some prominent point or beacon, giving the angular displacement of the beacon relative to the base-line. A triangle is thus formed, of which the size of the angles and the length of one side are known, and therefore the length of the remaining sides may be calculated.
*Triassic
The Triassic was the ninth geological period, 170,000,000 years ago. 
*Tribology
Tribology is the study of friction, wear, lubrication and bearing design.
*Tribune
A tribune was an ancient Roman administrative officer. 
*Trichinosis
Trichinosis is a disease caused by the parasitic worm Trichina spiralis, conveyed to man by eating under-cooked pork.
*Trichology
Trichology is the study of the structure, functions and diseases of hair.
*Tricorn
A tricorn is a three-cornered cocked hat.
*Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle, comparable in design with the bicycle, and like it propelled by pedals geared by means of a chain to the rear axle. 
*Triduum
In The Roman Catholic religion, a triduum is three days of prayer in preparation for a feast or other solemn occasion. 
*Triennial Act
The Triennial Act was passed in 1641 to ensure that Parliament should meet at least every 3 years. It was repealed in 1664 and replaced in 1694 by another enacting that no Parliament should sit for more than 3 years without a general election.
*Trifle
Trifle is a sweet dish of sponge-cakes flavoured with wine or jam and topped with custard and whipped cream. 
*Triglyph
A triglyph is a three-grooved tablet repeated at regular intervals in a Doric frieze, the intervening spaces being filled with metopes.
*Trigonometry
Trigonometry is the branch of mathematics which treats of the relation of the sides and angles of triangles, with the methods of deducing from certain parts the parts required. 
*Trihydroxy-benzoic Acid
#Gallic_Acid 
*Trilby
A trilby is a soft felt hat with a narrow brim and an indented crown.
*Trimaran
A trimaran is a boat similar to a catamaran, but with 3 hulls side by side.
*Trinitrate
In chemistry, a trinitrate is a compound formed from 3 molecules of nitric acid by the replacement of the 3 hydrogen atoms by a trivalent element or radicle.
*Trinitrotoluene
Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a high explosive. 
*Trinity House
Trinity_House was founded at Deptford, Kent and received a royal charter in 1514. It was composed of skilled mariners, and had charge of the naval dockyard under Henry_VIII. Under Elizabeth_I it began its work of lighting the coasts of England. Today it is responsible for light houses, buoys etc.
*Triode
A triode is an electronic amplifying valve with 3 main electrodes (anode, cathode and grid). 
*Triolet
A triolet is a poem of fixed form consisting of an 8-line stanza rhymed upon two rhymes in the manner ABAAABAB. The fourth line is a repetition of the first and the seventh and eight of the first two. Triolets originated in mediaeval France.
*Trioxide
In chemistry, a trioxide is a compound with 3 atoms of oxygen with an element or radical.
*Tripe
Tripe is the culinary term for a ruminant's stomach. 
*Tritium
Tritium is an unstable isotope of hydrogen.
*Trocar
A trocar is a surgical stylet with a triangular point enclosed in a metal tube and used for withdrawing fluid from a cavity. 
*Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument of the brass_family. Sounds of different pitch are achieved by lengthening and shortening the tube. 
*Trona
Trona is a naturally occurring hydrous sodium_carbonate found in north Africa and America. 
*Tropacocaine
Tropacocaine is a local anaesthetic obtained from coca leaves grown in Java. 
*Tropism
Tropism is a biological term for the behaviour of animals and plants with respect to light or other stimuli. 
*Troposphere
The troposphere is the layers of the atmosphere in which, up to a certain height, the temperature falls with increasing altitude.
*Trowel
In building, a trowel is a flat bladed tool with a short handle used for spreading mortar. A gardener's trowel is a scoop shaped tool with a short handle. 
*Truck Acts
The Truck Acts of 1831, 1887 and 1896 made it illegal in Britain for an employer to pay his workmen other than in the current coin.
*Trug
A trug is a shallow garden basket made of wooden strips and with a handle extending from side to side. 
*Trumpet
The trumpet is a musical instrument of the brass_family. The trumpet is the earliest known brass wind instrument, and consists of a tube of about 1.5 meters long curved twice to form three lengths. One end widens into a bell and the other end is mounted with a cupped mouthpiece. The pitch of notes is altered by way of key operated valves. 
*Tryptophan
Tryptophan is a crystalline amino-acid formed in triptych digestion. Its presence in food is essential for an animal's proper growth.  
*Tsunami
A tsunami is a seismic sea wave originating from any one of several submarine geological phenomena, such as volcanic explosions. They travel in the open ocean at speeds up to 640 kmph. 
*Tuba
The tuba is a musical instrument of the brass_family.
*Tuber
A tuber is a thickened, fleshy or scaly portion of a plant's underground stem which serves as a store-house for starch and other plant food. 
*Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease in humans and animals caused by the bacteria tubercule bacillus and characterised by the formation of tubercles in bodily tissues, especially the lungs.
*Tuesday
Tuesday is the second day of the week. 
*Tug
A tug is a boat used for towing other ships. 
*Tumbrel
A tumbrel is a type of cart, formerly used for carrying dung and prisoners to the guillotine during the French Revolution. 
*Tungsten
Tungsten is a metal element with the symbol W. 
*Tunic
A tunic was an ancient Greek and then Roman short-sleeved body garment reaching to the knees. Today the term applies more generally to a close-fitting short coat of a police or military uniform. 
*Tuning-fork
A tuning-fork is a small percussion instrument of definite and permanent pitch, which is used to indicate the correct pitch of some particular note in the musical scale. It consists of two vibrating steel prongs, which spring from a tapered base. 
*Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway. 
*Tupenu
The tupenu is a wrap round, skirt like cloth worn by Tongan males for all formal occasions.
The tupenu is the normal work attire and is also worn to church. It is
ideal for the Tongan climate. 
*Turbine
A turbine is a type of engine. Steam turbines often propel ships and power stations. Gas turbines are also used. 
*Turnbull's Blue
Turnbull's_Blue is a pigment produced by the action of a ferrous salt on potassium_ferri-cyanide.  
*Turpentine
Turpentine is the resinous exudation of various coniferous plants. 
*Tutenag
Tutenag is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc used at one time for domesticware and fire-grates.
*Tutu
A tutu is a dancer's short skirt made of layers of stiffened frills. 
*Tuxedo
A tuxedo is a man's evening dress or dinner-jacket.
*Tweezer
A tweezer is a small pair of tongs used for picking up small objects.
*Twelve Tables
The Twelve Tables was the original Roman code of law drawn up around 450 BC by a body of 10 Decemviri. It was written in ancient Latin on copper tablets and was set up in the forum of Rome.
*Twilight
Twilight is a faint illumination of the earth by sunlight reflected from the atmosphere after sunset and before sunrise. 
*Twill
Twill is a textile fabric with a surface of parallel diagonal ribs produced by passing weft-threads over one and under two or more warp-threads. 
*Twins
Twins is the name applied for two human bodies produced at a birth. Twins may be identical which often occurs as a result of a single ovum, or different in the case of multiple ova being fertilised. 
*Tympanum
Tympanum is an archaeological term for the space at the back of a pediment.  
*Tyndall Effect
The Tyndall Effect is the scattering of light by fine suspended particles. If a beam of white light is passed through a colloidal suspension of a substance such as mastic in water, light will be emitted at right angles to the beam.
*Tynwald
Tynwald is the parliament in the isle_of_man.
*Typewriter
The typewriter is a machine for printing letters singly on paper which is traversed and moved forward so as to allow writing to be performed. The first patent for a typewriter was filed in 1714 by Henry_Milne.
*Typhon
A typhon is a naval signal horn operated by compressed air or steam. It is so named after the mythical Typhon. 
*Typhoon
A typhoon is a tropical cyclone or hurricane of the western Pacific and China_Sea. 
*Typhus
Typhus is an acute contagious fever transmitted to man by body-lice and rat-fleas infected by Rickettsia prowazekii. Typhus is characterised by the eruption of rose-coloured spots, extreme prostration and often delirium. 
*Typography
Typography is the art of composing the layout and appearance of printed work, including the selection of typefaces, line spacing, word spacing and the positioning of illustrations. In recent times the term has largely been replaced with ''publishing''. 
*Tyrian dye
Tyrian_dye was a purple dye derived from animal juice in the shell-fish murex. It was used in ancient times. Since only small quantities could be obtained, it's use was limited to the great and the wealthy, hence purple became the colour associated with majesty. 
*Uber cup
The uber_cup is a badminton tournament.
*Ukulele
The ukulele is a four stringed, small guitar.
*Ultramarine
Ultramarine is a blue pigment derived from lapis_lazuli. 
*Ultrasonic
Ultrasonic is a term referring to sound waves higher in frequency than 15khz.  
*Umber
Umber is a substance comprised of hydrated ferric and manganese oxides with variable proportions of earthy matter. It is used as a brown pigment.
*Umbra
Umbra is the astrological term for the shadow cast by a planet or satellite. 
*Umbrella
An umbrella is a light, portable screen usually circular and supported on a central stick. They are used as protection against the sun, and rain.
*Umiak
An umiak (umiaq) is an open Eskimo boat that consists of a wooden frame covered with skins and provided with several thwarts. They are used for transporting passengers and goods. 
*Umiaq
Umiaq is the Inuit word for an umiak.
*Undertaker Wind
The Undertaker Wind is a prevailing wind which blows out from the island of Jamaica towards the sea during the night.
*Undress Uniform
Undress_Uniform is a military and naval term for a uniform worn other than on formal occasions.
*Undulant Fever
Undulant_fever is an infectious disease due to the bacterium Brucella abortus. It is contracted either from handling infected cattle or from milk. It is rarely caught from pasteurized milk though. 
*Union of Calmar
Union_of_Calmar was a treaty whereby Denmark, Sweden and Norway were united under one sovereign, Margaret queen of Sweden and Norway. It was agreed in 1397 and dissolved by Gustavus_Vassa in 1523. 
*Union Suit
A union suit is a close-fitting, knitted undergarment combining a shirt and drawers in one piece and often have a drop seat. 
*United Nations
The United_Nations is an international organisation for peace and security.
*Universe
The universe is all of space and its contents. 
*Upholstery
Upholstery is the art of covering the rigid frames of chairs, sofas, beds and other furniture with flexible material either naturally springy or made so by the introduction of steel springs. 
*Uraemia
Uraemia is a condition of blood poisoning which occurs when the kidneys fail to function properly, as in Bright's disease and fail to excrete urea which is retained in the blood and upsets the nervous system, causing drowsiness, headaches, giddiness and in extreme cases coma. 
*Uraeus
A uraeus was a representation of a sacred asp worn on the headdress of ancient Egyptian royalty. 
*Uranium
Uranium is a radioactive metal element with the symbol U.
*Urdu
Urdu is a variety of the Hindustani language, from which it differs in its extensive borrowing of words from Arabic and Persian. 
*Urea
Urea is a crystalline substance, soluble in water which occurs in the urine of mammals, birds and reptiles. It was produced artificially by Wohler in 1828 by evaporating an aqueous solution of ammonium_cyanate. This was the first synthesis of an organic compound from inorganic materials. 
*Uric acid
Uric_acid is a nitrogen containing waste product found in the urine of birds and reptiles, but rarely mammals. 
*Urine
Urine is a fluid produced by the kidneys.
*Urotropine
Urotropine is a colourless, granular, crystalline substance prepared by the combination of ammonia with formaldehyde, and used medicinally as a urinary antiseptic.
*Usher
An usher is a person who escorts people to their seats in a theatre, church or other place.
*Utopia
Utopia is a Greek word meaning ''nowhere'' and the name for an ideal community. It is the title of the book written in 1516 by Sir_Thomas_More in which he describes an island with perfect inhabitants and laws.
*Uttering
Uttering is the crime of knowing circulating counterfeit money with intent to defraud. 
*V-band
The V-band is the frequency band from 46,000 to 56,000 mhz employed in radar.
*Vacuum
A vacuum is a space from which the gas has been removed. 
*Vacuum-flask
A vacuum-flask is a double-walled vessel with the space between the two walls exhausted of air as completely as possible. It was originally devised by Sir_James_Dewar for preserving liquefied gases at very low temperatures from evaporation. The nature of heat transference means that the substance contained in a vacuum-flask remains at its temperature for very much longer than if it were in an ordinary single walled vessel. 
*Valency
Valency is a term used by chemists to describe the combining ability of of an element with respect to hydrogen.
*Valeric acid
Valeric_acid is a member of the series of fatty acids. It occurs in four isomeric varieties, two of which occur in plants such as valerian. It is an oily liquid with an odour like that of decayed cheese. Amyl and ethyl valerates are of importance in the preparation of fruit essences. 
*Valley
A valley is a long narrow depression in the earth's crust, flanked by well defined ridges and usually due to the erosive action of rivers or glaciers but sometimes due to trough-faulting.
*Valve
In electronics, a valve is a device consisting of two or more metal plates enclosed in an evacuated glass bulb. One of the metal plates is heated, causing electrons to be emitted. If a positive charge is applied to the other plate, the electrons will move towards it and the valve will conduct electricity. Valves have largely been superseded by transistors which are smaller. 
*Van der Graaf Generator
A Van_der_Graaf Generator is a machine for generating voltages in the order of a few megavolts for such applications as the production of high-energy X-rays and for nuclear research. The name was coined by a Seventies rock group.
*Vanadium
Vanadium is a metal element. Its symbol is V.
*Varicocele
#Varicose_Veins
*Varicose Veins
Varicose_Veins is a condition of permanently dilated veins. It occurs mainly in the lower limbs, the lowest part of the bowel (piles or haemorrhoids) or the spermatic cord (varicocele). The condition is caused by a hindrance of the flow of blood from the lower parts of the body to the heart. 
*Variola
#Smallpox
*Vaseline
Vaseline is a propriety name for a jelly left on distillation of petroleum. It is insoluble in water, and was originally used for damp proofing steel and in some ointments. 
*Vellum
Vellum is a type of superior parchment made from the skin of a calf, kid or lamb.
*Velocity
Velocity is the rate of motion, that is the rate of change of position of a body in a given direction within a measurement of time.
*Velour
Velour is a pile fabric woven from woollen or cotton yarns or from a mixture of these yarns. It is finished to present a raised, smooth, furry pile. The term is also applied to a material made from rabbit furs, largely employed in the manufacture of hats.
*Velvet
Velvet is a textile fabric formed by interweaving silk threads to form a nap or pile. It was first manufactured in the 14th century and was introduced to Britain by Huguenots in 1685.
*Velveteen
Velveteen is a textile fabric formed by interweaving cotton threads to form a nap or pile. It is similar to velvet.
*Veneer
Veneer is a very thin piece of wood, like paper, used to cover other less valuable wood. The art of veneering was known to the ancient Egyptians and veneered furniture has been found from the 15th century BC. 
*Venturi tube
A venturi tube is a device for measuring the flow of liquids in pipes. 
*Verdigris
Verdigris is a mixture of acetates of copper used in making some green pigments. It forms on the surface of copper and brass when they are exposed to damp, and is highly poisonous. 
*Verjuice
Verjuice is the name given to the harsh juice of the unripe grapes used in wine making.
*Vermicelli
Vermicelli is a worm-like thread form of pasta. The name derives from the Latin, vermis 'a worm'.  
*Vermouth
Vermouth is an alcoholic liqueur prepared from wine, sweetened with sugar and sometimes with bitter aromatic herbs added.
*Verner's Law
Verner's_Law is a linguistic law formulated in 1875 by Karl_Verner of Copenhagen by which certain apparent failures of Grimm's Law are explained.
*Veronal
Veronal (diethyl-barbituric acid or barbitone) is a white crystalline powder formerly used medicinally as a hypnotic to induce sleep.
*Vesicant
A vesicant is a counter-irritant which raises blisters - such as cantharides.
*Vestry
A vestry is a room attached to a parish church where the vestments and ornaments are kept, and which is also used for parochial meetings.
*Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge carrying a road over another road, or a railway over a road. 
*Vinegar
Vinegar is a four percent solution of acetic_acid also containing small amounts of phosphates and other extractive matters. It is generally made by fermenting decoctions of malt, first with yeast, and then converting the alcohol into acetic_acid by means of micro-organisms. 
*Violin
The violin is a family of stringed musical instruments.
*Violoncello
The violoncello is a stringed musical instrument about twice the size of a violin, and with sides deeper in proportion. It has four strings, tuned in fifths, its notes numbering from the highest string, being frequently tuned G, D, A, E.
*Virginal
#Spinet
*Virgo
Virgo is a sign of the zodiac represented by a virgin. 
*Virus
A virus is an infectious particle consisting of a core of nucleic_acids enclosed in a protein shell. 
*Viscose
Viscose is a yellowish, syrupy solution made by treating cellulose with sodium hydroxide and carbon disulphide. The solution is then regenerated as continuous filament for the making of rayon and as cellophane. 
*Vitamin
Vitamins are chemical substances which are used by animal bodies for growth and repair of certain tissues and cells. They were first named by Dr._Casimir_Funk in 1912.
*Vitamin A
Vitamin_A (carotene) occurs in certain fats and the fatty parts of some foods. It is used by the human body to enable the eyes to perceive light, and to promote growth in children and to protect moist areas of the body such as the lining of the respiratory tract.
*Vitamin B
Vitamin_B refers to a group of over eleven vitamins. Including Thiamine, Riboflavin, Nicotinic_Acid, Pyridoxine, Pantothenic_acid, biotin and other substances.
*Vitamin B12
Vitamin_B12 (cyanocobolamin) is a deep-red crystalline, water-soluble solid found in liver, milk, eggs and fish. A deficiency can result in disorders of the nervous system and anaemia. 
*Vitamin B2
Vitamin_B2 (riboflavin) is a vitamin essential for growth. It was formerly known as vitamin_G. 
*Vitamin B3
Vitamin_B3 (nicotinic acid, niacin) is a crystalline acid found in meat and yeast and produced by the oxidation of nicotine. 
*Vitamin B6
Vitamin_B6 (pyridoxine) is a substance found in cereals, fish and meat and used by the body to produce haemoglobin.  
*Vitamin C
Vitamin_C (ascorbic acid) is used by animal bodies for the production of the immune system, and maintenance of the skin and other cells. Vitamin_C occurs almost exclusively in vegetable matter, and is destroyed by heat.
*Vitamin D
Vitamin_D (Calciferol) is a substance which assists animal bodies to lay down calcium and phosphorus in bones. Vitamin_D is mainly found in animal matter, and can also be produced by the body from sunlight. 
*Vitamin E
Vitamin_E (alpha-tocopherol) is a pale-yellow, viscous fluid found in vegetable oil, eggs, cereals and butter and used in the body as an anti-oxidant and to maintain cell membranes.
*Vitamin G
Vitamin_G is a former name for riboflavin. 
*Vitamin H
Vitamin_H (biotin) is a crystalline, water-soluble vitamin of the Vitamin_B group. It is present in all living cells and is used as a growth factor and a catalyst in carboxylation. 
*Vitreous Enamel
Vitreous_Enamel is an opaque or transparent glaze, generally coloured, which adheres to a suitable mettalic surface when applied in a liquid state.
*Vivisection
Vivisection is the dissection of living subjects. It was first practised on human subjects in 300 BC by Herophilus, and until 1570 criminals were vivisected at Pisa. The practise is still carried out on animals, and there is much controversy over its moral and scientific value in areas of research such as testing drugs, surgical practises and testing cosmetic products. The enforced chain smoking by Beagle dogs led to the belief of smoking causing cancer in humans. 
*VK B-Cillin K
VK_B-cillin_K is a drug used to treat mild to moderate systemic infections. It has the possible side effects of: stomach distress, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and hypersensitivity (rash, itching, chills, fever, swelling)
*Vodka
Vodka is an alcoholic beverage distilled from rye, potatoes, maize or barley.  
*Volapuk
Volapuk is a universal language invented by Johann_Schleyer in 1879. It was generally superseded by Esperanto. 
*Volatile Oil
#Essential_Oil 
*Volcano
A volcano is a vent in the earth's crust.
*Volcano
A volcano is a vent in the earth's crust from which molten rock, ashes and steam are ejected. The lava tends in time to heap up a conical eminence round the vent, thus forming the crater or cup. 
*Volt
The volt is the unit of electromotive force. It was named after Alessandro_Volta.
*Voltmeter
A voltmeter is an instrument for measuring electro-motive force, or pressure in volts. 
*Voodoo
Voodoo is a form of magic. 
*Wadi
A wadi is an irrigation canal found in Arab countries. 
*Wake
A wake is the practice of watching round a corpse before it is buried. 
*Walker cup
The Walker_cup is an international golf tournament.
*Waltz
The waltz is a dance of uncertain origins. It was introduced into France from Germany in 1795 and reached England in 1812. 
*Warp
Warp threads are the parallel threads which traverse a loom from end to end. 
*Water
Water is a liquid oxide of hydrogen. 
*Water table
The water_table is the level of ground below which the rocks are saturated with water. 
*Watergate
Watergate was a political scandal in the USA resulting in the resignation of president Nixon in 1974.
*Watling Street
Watling_Street is the old name for the Roman road from Dover to London, and from London through St._Albans to Shrewsbury and Chester.
*Watlingstreet
Watlingstreet was a British Roman road extending from Dover, through London, St._Albans, Dunstable and Towcester into north Whales with a branch extending to Scotland.
*Wax
Wax is a solid fatty substance.
*Weaving
Weaving is the art of interlacing yarn threads or other filaments by means of a loom, so as to form a web of cloth or other woven fabric. Two sets of threads are used which traverse the web at right angles to each other. The first set extends from end to end of the web in parallel lines and is called the warp; while the other set of threads crosses and interlaces with the warp from side to side of the web and is called the weft. 
*Wednesday
Wednesday is the third day of the week.
*Weft
Weft are threads crossing from side to side of a web and interwoven with warp. 
*Welding
Welding is the process of joining two pieces of metal together by hammering, pressure or fusion. 
*Weregild
Weregild was the Anglo-Saxon money-value of a man's life. It varied in amount and had to be paid by a murderer to the murdered man's relatives.
*Whisky
Whisky is an alcoholic beverage made from malted barley. 
*White dwarf
A white_dwarf is small hot star. 
*Whitley Councils
Whitley_Councils were industrial committees set up in the early part of the 20th century in Britain to enable employers and employees to discuss problems of mutual interest with a view towards avoiding strikes and lockouts. Neither side was keen to make use of them, and they were abandoned in the late 1920s. Today a similar service is provided by conciliation in the form of ACAS. 
*Wig
A wig is a covering for the head made from natural or artificial hair attached to a foundation so as to imitate a natural head covering. 
*Wightman cup
The Wightman_cup is a tennis tournament. 
*Will-O'-the-Wisp
Will-o'-the-wisp (Ignis Fatuus) is a pale flickering flame sometimes seen over marshes.
*Winch
A winch is a machine, the essential part of which consists of a drum driven by hand or powered through gearing, and used to receive a rope which is wound upon it. 
*Windmill
A windmill is a machine for grinding corn, pumping water etc., deriving its power from the pressure of the wind on its sails.  
*Window Tax
The Window Tax was an additional taxation levied in England in proportion to the number of windows in a house. It was first levied in 1695 and abolished in 1851. To avoid the tax many people bricked up some of their windows. 
*Wine
Wine is the fermented juice of grapes. 
*Wolfram
Wolfram is another name for the element tungsten.
*Wolframite
Wolframite is the most important tungsten ore. It has a relative hardness of 5.
*Wood pitch
Wood_pitch is a by-product of charcoal manufacture, made from wood tar, the condensed liquid produced from burning charcoal gases. The wood tar is boiled to produce the correct consistency. It has been used since ancient times for filling in the spaces between the hull planks in wooden ships to make them watertight.
*Wood's Metal
Wood's_metal is a fusible alloy consisting of 50 per cent bismuth, 25 percent lead, 12.5 per cent tin and 12.5 per cent cadmium. 
*Woodwind
A woodwind instrument is one with which sound is produced by blowing into a tube.
*Wool
Wool is the fibrous covering of sheep. 
*Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of combat contest between two opponents in which the object is to grapple the opponent to the floor. 
*Wynd
A wynd is a narrow street or passage off a main thoroughfare.
*X-band
The X-band is the frequency band from 5200 to 10,900 mhz employed in radar.
*Xanthoma
Xanthoma is a skin disease characterised by irregular yellowish patches on the eyelids and neck. 
*Xenon
Xenon is a rare, inert gaseous element. It's symbol is Xe. 
*Xylophone
The xylophone is a percussion musical instrument.
*Yacht
A yacht is a light sailing vessel built for racing.
*Yagi Aerial
A Yagi aerial is a particular form of directive, end-fire aerial array in which the director and reflector elements are parasitically excited. Most television aerials are of this type. 
*Yapp
Yapp is a type of bookbinding of limp leather with overlapping edges. It was first made for Yapp, a London bookseller in 1860, hence the name. 
*Yard
The yard is a unit of the imperial scale of measurement of length equivalent to three feet, 36 inches or 0.9144 metres.
*Yards
#Yard
*Yarn
Yarn is a fibre, such as cotton, wool, silk or flax which has been spun and prepared for use in weaving or knitting. 
*Yawl
A yawl is a two-masted sailing ship. The aftermast is much smaller than the mainmast and is placed far aft.
*Yearling
A yearling is a one-year old animal. The term is generally applied to sheep, calves and foals. 
*Yolk
Yolk is a food store found in eggs.
*Yom Kippur
Yom_Kippur (Day of Atonement) is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar, occurring always on Tishri 10th, corresponding with the end of September. It is a full fast day of 24 hours, observed from sunset to star-rise of the following day, in which neither food nor drink is taken, in accordance with Biblical command. It was observed in ancient times by an elaborate sacrificial ritual, in which the High Priest, representing the whole of Israel, interceded for Divine Pardon.  
*Ytterbium
Ytterbium is a metal element with the symbol Yb. 
*Yttrium
Yttrium is a metal element with the symbol Y.
*Zinc
Zinc is a metal element with the symbol Zn.
*Zirconium
Zirconium is a lustrous, greyish-white, strong, ductile, metallic element, with the symbol Zr. It occurs in nature as the mineral zircon (zirconium silicate), from which it is obtained commercially. It is used in some ceramics, alloys for wire and filaments, steel manufacture, and nuclear reactors, where its low neutron absorption is advantageous.
*Zither
The zither is an Austrian musical instrument.
*Zodiac
The zodiac is the name given by the Greeks to the heavens. 
*Zwitterion
Zwitterion is an ion that has both a positive and a negative charge, such as an amino acid in neutral solution.
*Zymase
Zymase is an enzyme formed in yeast cells which converts sugar into alcohol and carbonic acid gas. 
