Rarely Used E Words

Easement • noun 1 Law a right to cross or otherwise use another’s land for a specified purpose. 2 literary
comfort or peace.

Eddy • noun (pl. eddies) a circular movement of water causing a small whirlpool.

• verb (eddies, eddied) (of water, air, smoke, etc.) move in a circular way.

— ORIGIN probably related to an Old English prefix meaning again, back.

Effete • adjective 1 affected, over-refined, and ineffectual. 2 having lost vitality; worn out.

— DERIVATIVES effetely adverb effeteness noun.

— ORIGIN Latin effetus ‘worn out by bearing young’; related to FETUS.

Effloresce • verb 1 (of a substance) lose moisture and turn to a fine powder on exposure to air. 2
(of salts) come to the surface of brickwork or other material and crystallize. 3 reach an optimum
stage of development.

— DERIVATIVES efflorescence noun efflorescent adjective.

— ORIGIN Latin efflorescere, from florescere ‘begin to bloom’.

Effluent • noun liquid waste or sewage discharged into a river or the sea.

Effrontery • noun insolence or impertinence.

— ORIGIN French effronterie, from Latin effrons ‘shameless, barefaced’, from frons ‘forehead’.

Egress • noun formal 1 the action of going out of or leaving a place. 2 a way out.

— DERIVATIVES egression noun.

— ORIGIN from Latin egressus, from egredi ‘go out’.

Egret • noun a heron with mainly white plumage, having long plumes in the breeding season.

— ORIGIN Old French aigrette, from the Germanic base of HERON.

Eiderdown • noun chiefly Brit. a quilt filled with down (originally from the eider) or some other soft
material.

Eke • verb (eke out) 1 use or consume frugally. 2 make (a living) with difficulty.

— ORIGIN Old English, increase.

• adverb archaic term for ALSO.

— ORIGIN Old English.

Electrocardiography • noun the measurement and recording of activity in the heart using
electrodes placed on the skin.

— DERIVATIVES electrocardiogram noun electrocardiograph noun electrocardiographic

adjective.

Electroencephalography • noun the measurement and recording of electrical activity in the brain.

— DERIVATIVES electroencephalogram noun electroencephalograph noun.

Ellipsis • noun (pl. ellipses /ilipseez/) 1 the omission of words from speech or writing. 2 a set of
dots indicating such an omission.

— ORIGIN Greek elleipsis, from elleipein ‘leave out’.

Emery • noun a greyish-black form of corundum, used in powdered form as an abrasive.

— ORIGIN Old French esmeri, from Greek smuris ‘polishing powder’.

Emetic • adjective (of a substance) causing vomiting.

• noun an emetic substance.

— ORIGIN Greek emetikos, from emein ‘to vomit’.

Emissary • noun (pl. emissaries) a person sent as a diplomatic representative on a special

mission.

— ORIGIN Latin emissarius ‘scout, spy’, from emittere ‘emit’.

Emollient • adjective 1 having the quality of softening or soothing the skin. 2 attempting to avoid
confrontation or anger; calming.

• noun an emollient substance.

— DERIVATIVES emollience noun.

— ORIGIN from Latin emollire ‘make soft’.

Emolument • noun formal a salary, fee, or benefit from employment or office.

— ORIGIN Latin emolumentum (originally probably meaning ‘payment for grinding corn’), from
molere ‘grind’.

Endue • verb (endues, endued, enduing) literary (usu. be endued with) endow with a quality or
ability.

— ORIGIN Old French enduire, partly from Latin inducere ‘lead in’, reinforced by the sense of Latin
induere ‘put on clothes’.

Enervate • verb cause to feel drained of energy.

 — DERIVATIVES enervation noun.

— ORIGIN Latin enervare ‘weaken (by extraction of the sinews)’, from nervus ‘sinew’.

Enjoin • verb 1 instruct or urge to do. 2 (enjoin from) Law prohibit (someone) from performing
(an action) by an injunction.

— ORIGIN Old French enjoindre, from Latin injungere ‘join, attach, impose’.

Enrapture • verb give intense pleasure to.

— DERIVATIVES enrapt adjective.

Ensconce • verb establish in a comfortable, safe, or secret place.

— ORIGIN originally in the senses fortify and shelter with a fortification: from archaic sconce,
denoting a small fort or earthwork, from High German schanze ‘brushwood’.

Ensign • noun 1 a flag, especially a military or naval one indicating nationality. 2 the lowest rank
of commissioned officer in the US and some other navies, above chief warrant officer and below
lieutenant. 3 historical a standard-bearer.

— ORIGIN Old French enseigne, from Latin insignia (see INSIGNIA).

Entente • noun a friendly understanding or informal alliance between states or factions.

— ORIGIN from French entente cordiale ‘friendly understanding’.

Entomology • noun the branch of zoology concerned with the study of insects.

— DERIVATIVES entomological adjective entomologist noun.

— ORIGIN from Greek entomon ‘insect’, from entomos ‘cut up, segmented’.

Epaulette • noun an ornamental shoulder piece on a military uniform.

— ORIGIN French, ‘little shoulder’.

Epicure • noun a person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink.

— ORIGIN from Epicurus (see EPICUREAN).

Epidermis • noun 1 the surface layer of an animal’s skin, overlying the dermis. 2 the outer layer of
tissue in a plant.

— DERIVATIVES epidermal adjective.

— ORIGIN Greek, from derma ‘skin’.

Epigram • noun 1 a concise and witty saying or remark. 2 a short witty poem.

— DERIVATIVES epigrammatic adjective.

 — ORIGIN Greek epigramma, from gramma ‘writing’.

Epigraph • noun 1 an inscription on a building, statue, or coin. 2 a short quotation or saying

introducing a book or chapter.

— ORIGIN from Greek epigraphein ‘write on’.

Episcopal • adjective 1 of a bishop or bishops. 2 (of a Church) governed by or having bishops.

— DERIVATIVES episcopally adverb.

— ORIGIN from Latin episcopus ‘bishop’, from Greek episkopos ‘overseer’.

Epistemology • noun the branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge, especially with regard
to its methods, validity, and scope.

— DERIVATIVES epistemic adjective epistemological adjective epistemologist noun.

— ORIGIN from Greek episteme ‘knowledge’.

Epistle • noun 1 formal or humorous a letter. 2 (Epistle) a book of the New Testament in the form
of a letter from an Apostle.

— ORIGIN Greek epistole, from epistellein ‘send news’.

Epithet • noun a word or phrase expressing a quality or attribute of the person or thing
mentioned.

— ORIGIN Greek epitheton, from epitithenai ‘add’.

Equable • adjective 1 calm and even-tempered. 2 not varying or fluctuating greatly.

— DERIVATIVES equability noun equably adverb.

— ORIGIN Latin aequabilis, from aequare ‘make equal’.

Equerry • noun (pl. equerries) 1 an officer of the British royal household who attends members
of the royal family. 2 historical an officer of the household of a prince or noble who had charge
over the stables.

— ORIGIN Old French esquierie ‘company of squires, prince’s stables’.

Erg • noun Physics a unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a force of one dyne when
its point of application moves one centimetre in the direction of action of the force.

— ORIGIN from Greek ergon ‘work’.

Ergo • adverb therefore.

— ORIGIN Latin.
Ermine • noun (pl. same or ermines) 1 a stoat. 2 the white winter fur of the stoat, used for
trimming the ceremonial robes of judges or peers.

— ORIGIN Old French hermine, probably from Latin mus Armenius ‘Armenian mouse’.

Errant • adjective 1 chiefly formal or humorous straying from the accepted course or standards. 2
archaic or literary travelling in search of adventure.

— DERIVATIVES errantry noun.

— ORIGIN sense 1 from Latin errare ‘err’; sense 2 from Old French, ‘travelling’, from Latin iterare.

Ersatz • adjective 1 (of a product) made or used as an inferior substitute for something else. 2
not real or genuine: ersatz emotion.

— ORIGIN German, ‘replacement’.

Erudite • adjective having or showing knowledge or learning.

— DERIVATIVES eruditely adverb erudition noun.

— ORIGIN Latin eruditus, from erudire ‘instruct, train’.

Erythrocyte • noun a red blood cell, containing the pigment haemoglobin and transporting oxygen
to the tissues.

Escheat • noun chiefly historical the reversion of property to the state, or (in feudal law) to a lord,
on the owner’s dying without legal heirs.

— ORIGIN Old French eschete, from Latin excidere ‘fall away’.

Escutcheon • noun 1 a shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms. 2 a flat piece of metal framing a
keyhole, door handle, or light switch.

— PHRASES a blot on one’s escutcheon a stain on one’s reputation or character.

— ORIGIN Old French escuchon, from Latin scutum ‘shield’.

Espy • verb (espies, espied) literary catch sight of.

— ORIGIN Old French espier.

Esquire • noun 1 (Esquire) Brit. a polite title appended to a man’s name when no other title is
used. 2 historical a young nobleman who acted as an attendant to a knight.

— ORIGIN Old French esquier, from Latin scutarius ‘shield-bearer’.

Ethnography • noun the scientific description of peoples and cultures.

— DERIVATIVES ethnographer noun ethnographic adjective.

Ethnology • noun the study of the characteristics of different peoples and the differences and
relationships between them.

— DERIVATIVES ethnologic adjective ethnological adjective ethnologist noun.

Etymology • noun (pl. etymologies) an account of the origins and the developments in meaning
of a word.

— DERIVATIVES etymological adjective etymologically adverb etymologist noun.

— ORIGIN Greek etumologia, from etumos ‘true’.

Eugenic • plural noun the science of using controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of
desirable heritable characteristics in a population.

— DERIVATIVES eugenic adjective eugenicist noun & adjective.

— ORIGIN from Greek eu ‘well’ + genes ‘born’.

Eunuch • noun a man who has been castrated.

— ORIGIN Greek eunoukhos ‘bedroom guard’ (eunuchs were formerly employed to guard the
women’s living areas at an oriental court).

Euphony • noun (pl. euphonies) 1 the quality of being pleasing to the ear. 2 the tendency to
make phonetic change for ease of pronunciation.

— DERIVATIVES euphonic adjective.

Eutrophic • adjective Ecology (of a body of water) rich in nutrients and so supporting a dense
plant population.

— DERIVATIVES eutrophication noun.

— ORIGIN from Greek eu ‘well’ + trephein ‘nourish’.

Excrescence • noun 1 an abnormal outgrowth on a body or plant. 2 an unattractive addition or

feature.

— ORIGIN Latin excrescentia, from excrescere ‘grow out’.

Exculpate • verb formal show or declare to be not guilty of wrongdoing.

— DERIVATIVES exculpation noun exculpatory adjective.

— ORIGIN Latin exculpare ‘free from blame’.

Execrable • adjective extremely bad or unpleasant.

— DERIVATIVES execrably adverb.

— ORIGIN Latin execrabilis, from exsecrari ‘curse’.

Exigent • adjective formal pressing; demanding.

Exoteric • adjective 1 suitable for or communicated to the general public. 2 not belonging, limited, or pertaining to
the inner or select circle, as of disciples or intimates. 3 popular; simple; commonplace. 4 pertaining to the outside;
exterior; external.

— ORIGIN 1645–55; < LL exōtericus external < Gk exōterikós, equiv. to ex ter(os) inclined outward (exō- EXO- + -teros comp. suffix) + -ikos -IC

Expatiate • verb (usu. expatiate on) speak or write at length or in detail.

— DERIVATIVES expatiation noun.

— ORIGIN Latin exspatiari ‘move beyond one’s usual bounds’.

Expectorate • verb cough or spit out (phlegm) from the throat or lungs.

— DERIVATIVES expectoration noun.

— ORIGIN Latin expectorare ‘expel from the chest’.

Expiate • verb atone for (guilt or sin).

— DERIVATIVES expiable adjective expiation noun expiator noun expiatory /ekspi t ri/ adjective.

— ORIGIN Latin expiare ‘appease by sacrifice’, from pius ‘pious’.

Expostulate • verb express strong disapproval or disagreement.

— DERIVATIVES expostulation noun expostulatory /iksposstyool tri/ adjective.

— ORIGIN Latin expostulare ‘demand’.

Expunge • verb obliterate or remove completely.

— DERIVATIVES expungement noun expunger noun.

— ORIGIN Latin expungere ‘mark for deletion by means of points’, from pungere ‘to prick’.

Expurgate • verb remove matter regarded as obscene or unsuitable from (a text or account).

— DERIVATIVES expurgation noun expurgator noun expurgatory /eksperg tri/ adjective.

— ORIGIN Latin expurgare ‘cleanse thoroughly’.

Extempore • adjective & adverb spoken or done without preparation.

— ORIGIN from Latin ex tempore ‘on the spur of the moment’ (literally ‘out of the time’).

Extirpate • verb search out and destroy completely.

 — DERIVATIVES extirpation noun extirpator noun.

— ORIGIN Latin exstirpare, from stirps ‘a stem’.

Eyesore • noun a thing that is very ugly.

Eyrie • noun a large nest of an eagle or other bird of prey, typically built high in a tree or on a cliff.

— ORIGIN probably from Old French aire, from Latin area ‘level piece of ground’, later ‘nest of a
bird of prey’.