Dictionary of Terms: Origins and Definitions
Nankeen
1. A sturdy yellow or buff cotton cloth.
2. A Chinese porcelain with a blue-and-white pattern.
Nantua Sauce
A cream sauce flavored with shellfish.
Nashville
The country music industry.
Neanderthal
Crude or boorish.
New England Clam Chowder
A thick soup made with clams, onions, salt pork, potatoes, and milk.
Norfolk Jacket
A belted jacket with two box pleats in front and back.
Nova
Cured and smoked salmon, especially salmon that has been cured in a mixture of salt and sugar and smoked at a low temperature.
Opuntia
Any of various cacti.
Organza
A sheer, stiff fabric.
Orvieto
A usually dry Italian white wine.
Panama Red
Marijuana of Panamanian origin that is slightly red and very potent.
Parmesan
A hard, sharp, dry Italian cheese.
Persian Cat
A type of domestic cat. [< the Persian Empire]
Pilsner & Pilsener
A light, golden lager beer.
Piker
A cautious gambler.
Port
A rich, sweet, fortified wine.
Pomeranian
A breed of small dogs.
Quiche Lorraine
A quiche containing cheese and bacon bits. [< Lorraine, France]
Rialto
a) A theatrical district.
b) A marketplace.
Rioja
A wine, especially a dry red wine from this region.
Rugby
A form of football.
Russian Blue
Any of a breed of domestic cats with bluish-gray fur.
Samaritan
A person who selflessly helps others.
Satsuma
a) A tangerine native to Japan.
b) A Japanese porcelain.
Selzer
A natural effervescent spring water of high mineral content.
Shasta Daisy
A hybrid daisy, having large white daisy-like flower heads.
Solomon
An extinct hominid primate known from fossil remains of the late Pleistocene Epoch.
Springfield
A type of rifle.
Suede
Leather with a soft napped surface. [< Sweden]
Swiss Cheese
A hard cheese characterized by its elastic texture. [< Switzerland]
Tabasco
A trademark used for a very spicy sauce made from a strong-flavored red pepper. [< Tabasco River, Mexico]
Tequila
An alcoholic drink distilled from the fermented juice of the central American century plants, Agave tequilana. [< Tequila, a town of west-central Mexico]
Tokay
A variety of grape.
Ulster
A loose, long overcoat made of heavy, rugged fabric and often belted.
Valencia Orange
A sweet orange having few seeds and a thin skin.
Valpolicella
A dry red Italian table wine.
Vichy Water
A sparkling mineral water.
Vienna Sausage
A small sausage; a frankfurter.
Virginia Ham
A lean hickory-smoked ham with dark red meat.
Waldorf Salad
A salad of diced raw apples, celery, and walnuts mixed with mayonnaise.
Watergate
A political scandal.
Welsh Corgi
A breed of small dog.
Wensleydale
A mild, white, friable cheese of English origin.
Whitehall
The British Civil Service.
White House
The executive branch of the U.S. government.
Wiener
A type of sausage.
Windsor Chair
A wooden chair having a high spoked back, outward-slanting legs connected by a crossbar, and a saddle seat.
Xanadu
An idyllic, beautiful place.
Yorkshire Terrier
Any of a breed of a small dog.
Zarzuela
A usually comic Spanish operetta.
Academy
A secondary preparatory school, especially a private one.
Acapulco Gold
Mexican-grown marijuana that is considered very strong.
Afro-American
An American of African and especially of black African descent.
Alpinism
Mountain climbing in the Alps or other high mountains.
Angeleno
A native or inhabitant of Los Angeles.
Arabic Numeral
Any of the number symbols 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. [< Arabia]
Archipelago
A large group of isles.
Asiago
A yellow Italian cheese suitable for grating when aged.
Armageddon
A decisive or catastrophic conflict. [< the mountain region of Megiddo, in the Old Testament]
Arras
A wall hanging; a tapestry.
Babylonian
Characterized by a luxurious, pleasure-seeking, and often immoral way of life.
Bangkok
A hat made of finely woven straw.
Bermuda Shorts
Short pants that end slightly above the knee. [< the island of Bermuda]
Borstal
(British) A reformatory.
Braunschweiger
A smoked liver sausage.
Broadway
The American theater spoken of collectively.
Buffalo Wings
Fried chicken wings served with hot sauce and blue cheese dressing.
Burger
A sandwich consisting of bread and a filling of ground meat.
Burgundy
French red wine.
Californio
One of the original Spanish colonists of California or their descendants.
Camelot
A place or time of idealized beauty, peacefulness, and enlightenment.
Capri Pants
Women’s tight-fitting, calf-length pants, often having a slit on the outside of the leg bottoms.
Champagne
1. A sparkling white wine.
2. A yellowish color.
Charleston
A fast ballroom dance in 4/4 time, popular during the 1920s.
Chihuahua
A very small breed of dog.
China
1. High-quality porcelain used for the table.
Clink
A prison or a prison cell; a jail.
Coliseum
A large amphitheater for public sports events, entertainment, or assemblies.
Cologne
A scented liquid made of alcohol and various fragrant oils.
Dalmatian
A breed of dog with spotted fur.
Dollar
1. A coin or bill that is worth one dollar.
2. The U.S. currency.
Fescennine
Licentious, Obscene. [< Fescennia, a town of ancient Etruria known for its licentious poetry]
Finlandize
To cause to adopt a neutral or conciliatory posture and policy in its relations with a great power. [< Finland]
Fustian
A coarse, sturdy cloth made of cotton and flax. [< El Fustat, a section of Cairo, Egypt]
Genoise
A delicate, buttery sponge cake. [< Genoa, a city of northwest Italy]
Guinea Pig
1. Any of various tailless rodents that are used as experimental animals.
2. A person who is used as a subject for experimentation or research. [< the Guinea coast]
Hackneyed
Lacking in freshness or originality. [< Hackney, a borough in London]
Hollywood
1. The U.S. film industry. [< Hollywood, California]
Indian
Relating to any of the Native American peoples.
Italian Dressing
A salad dressing.
Italian Sandwich
A submarine sandwich made with white bread.
Japonism
Something characteristically Japanese. [< Japan]
Java
Brewed coffee.
Lesbian
A gay or homosexual woman.
Lyonnaise
Cooked with onions.
Malaga
A sweet fortified wine. [< Malaga, Spain]
Mall
A shopping center. [< The Mall, in London, which is noted for its nightclubs]
Manhattan
A type of cocktail.
Manx Cat
Any of a breed of the domestic cat.
Mongolism
Down syndrome.