Some more words I've encountered in my readings, with simplified definitions:
Aetataureate - adj. of or pertaining to a golden age
Beau geste - n. a noble and generous act
Bricoleur - n. a person who creates a diverse range of things
Chamfer - n. a symmetrical sloping surface at an edge or corner
Chert - n. a hard, dark, opaque rock composed of silica
Ciborium
- n. 1. a receptacle shaped like a shrine or a cup with an arched
cover, used for the reservation of the Eucharist 2. a four-pillared
canopy over an altar in a church
Cosmogony - n. a theory of the origin of the universe
Crenellated - v. provided battlements to the wall of a building
Dace - n. a small freshwater fish of the minnow family, typically living in running water
Damask - n. a woven fabric with a pattern visible on both sides
Elision - n. the omission of a sound or syllable while speaking
Embonpoint - n. stoutness of person
Epistemology - n. the theory of knowledge
Glyph - n. 1. a pictograph 2. a sculptured figure
Hake - n. a large-headed elongated fish with long jaws and strong teeth
Noogenic - adj. from the human mind and spirit
Nystagmus - n. a persistent, involuntary movement of the eyeball, usually from side to side
Organdy - n. a fine translucent cotton or silk fabric, usually stiffened and used for women's clothing
Purlieu - n. the area near or surrounding a place
Putto - n. a representation of a cherubic infant
Quirting - v. hitting with a short-handled riding whip with a braided leather lash
Roweled - v. used a spiked revolving disk at the end of a spur to urge on
Scoria - n. a cindery, vesicular basaltic lava, typically having a frothy texture
Suppurate - v. to produce pus
Tumbril - n. a farmer's cart used to transport prisoners to the guillotine during the French Revolution
Vidette - n. 1. a mounted sentry positioned beyond an army's outpost 2. a leading star of stage, screen or television