Real Words Without Definition
This one is a judgement call.
Old English that fell out of use and got dropped from later dictionaries.
abush is an old form of ambush. absee was the alphabet. abiston was a name for asbestos. abbroachment was the offence of buying wholesale to sell on at retail.
These were normal words with normal definitions. People stopped using them and the dictionaries stopped carrying them.
2,710 words · sorted A to Z · each with a line on why it is here
Matches the word itself, not the note beside it. Case does not matter.
| Word, sorted Z to A | What it meant |
|---|---|
| cyath | a cyathus, ancient cup or measure |
| cynegild | Old English law, fine paid for slaying a king |
| cyul | an early Saxon ship, a keel |
| dainful | disdainful, from dain (disdain) |
| dainteous | dainty, delicate |
| dainteth | a dainty, a delicacy |
| dalf | past tense of delve, dug |
| dammaret | a beau, a ladies' man |
| dasewe | Middle English, to grow dim of sight |
| daswen | Middle English, to grow dim or dazed |
| dauke | old name for the wild carrot, daucus |
| dawpate | a simpleton, literally jackdaw-head |
| dayment | obs., arbitration, an arbiter's award |
| debell | obs., to subdue by war |
| deblateration | obs., blabbing, babbling |
| deboise | obs. form of debauch (cf. deboshed) |
| debonairty | obs., debonairness, courtesy |
| debordment | obs., an overflowing |
| debowel | obs., to disembowel |
| debullition | obs., a boiling over |
| decess | obs., decease, departure |
| decoll | obs., to behead (cf. decollate) |
| decomponent | obs., decomposing; a decomposing agent |
| decourse | obs., a running down, a course |
| decuss | obs., to cross, to decussate |
| dedd | obs./ME spelling of dead |
| dedignation | obs., disdain, scorn |
| dedolence | obs., insensibility to pain or grief |
| dedolency | obs., freedom from grief, insensibility |
| deedbote | obs. law, amends or penance for a deed |
| deevey | obs. slang, delightful, "divine" |
| defade | obs., to fade, to cause to fade |
| defaisance | obs. form of defeasance |
| defamy | obs., defamation, disgrace |
| defaulture | obs., failure, default |
| defeise | obs. form of defease, to annul |
| defeit | obs. spelling of defeat |
| defet | obs., wasted, disfigured (Chaucer) |
| defoedation | obs., defilement, pollution |
| deforse | obs. form of deforce |
| defossion | obs., the punishment of burying alive |
| defrication | obs., a rubbing off |
| degravate | obs., to weigh down, to burden |
| dehaites | obs. (OFr. dehait), ill-will, sorrow |
| dejeune | obs., a breakfast (Fr. dejeuner) |
| delacerate | obs., to tear in pieces |
| delassation | obs., weariness, fatigue |
| deluce | obs., the iris, flower-de-luce |
| delumbate | obs., to enfeeble, break the loins of |
| demeore | obs. ME, to dwell, to delay |
| demesgne | obs. spelling of demesne |
| demesgnes | obs. spelling of demesnes |
| dempne | ME variant of dampne, to condemn or doom |
| demulceate | obs., to soothe or soften (L. demulcere) |
| denizate | obs., to make a denizen of, naturalize |
| densation | obs., the act of making dense, condensation |
| dentellated | obs., notched, set with dentils |
| depass | obs., to pass beyond, surpass (F. depasser) |
| depeinct | obs. (Spenser), depicted, painted |
| depel | obs., to drive away, expel (L. depellere) |
| depencil | obs., to portray or paint |
| deperition | obs., a perishing away, loss |
| depit | obs., spite, vexation (F. depit) |
| deporture | obs., departure; also deportment (Spenser) |
| deposure | obs., the act of deposing, deposition |
| depucel | obs., to deflower a virgin (OF despuceler) |
| depudorate | obs., to render shameless (L. pudor, shame) |
| deraignment | law, the proving or disproving of a claim |
| dereign | obs., var. of darraign, to prove or contest |
| derfly | ME derf, bold: boldly, vigorously |
| derfness | ME derf, bold: boldness, hardihood |
| derout | obs., a rout or defeat (F. deroute) |
| despouse | to espouse or betroth |
| desray | disarray, disorder |
| destry | obsolete form of destroy |
| detenebrate | to free from darkness |
| determ | obsolete form of determine |
| detrited | worn away by rubbing |
| deuzan | the John apple, from French deux-ans |
| devenustate | to deprive of beauty |
| devinct | bound, obliged |
| devorative | devouring, swallowing without chewing |
| deynt | obsolete spelling of dainty |
| diadrome | a course or vibration of a pendulum |
| diasper | a figured silk cloth, diaper |
| dictery | a witty saying, a jest |
| differency | obs. form of difference |
| diffidation | feudal renunciation of allegiance, defiance |
| diffinity | want of affinity |
| diffund | to diffuse, pour abroad |
| digredience | a going aside, digression |
| digrediency | tendency to digress |
| digredient | digressing, departing from |
| dikegrave | officer in charge of sea dikes |
| dikereeve | officer in charge of sea dikes |
| diluvy | a deluge, a flood |
| dimensuration | a measuring out of dimensions |
| dimetient | obs., a diameter |
| dimiss | obs., to dismiss |
| diphrelatic | obs., relating to chariot-driving |
The other lists filed alongside this one.
