Association of British Scrabble Players

Plurals and apparent plurals with no singular

This is a list of genuine plurals which have no singular forms, plus a
selection of words ending in S that without knowledge of the meaning might
possibly be taken as plural nouns but for which no 'singular' exists. Note
that classical singular words ending in -US or -OS have been omitted since
it is felt that people are unlikely to think there is e.g. a RADIU* or
PATHO* and they would just clog up the list unnecessarily. But many
classical plurals ending in e.g. -ICES have been included.

Now updated for CSW: new words are shown in red.

abdabs (Sl.) terror, the frights, nerves often heard as 'the screaming abdabs'. No ABDAB*.
ablins (Dial.) perhaps. No ABLIN*.
acalephae a class of jellyfish which includes the MEDUSAE. No ACALEPHA*.
acates things purchased; provisions not made in the house; dainties. No ACATE*.
achates (Lat.) a faithful friend. [The faithful friend of Aeneas (Virgil Aeneid VI. 158 etc.)]. No ACHATE*.
afterings the last milk drawn when milking a cow. No AFTERING*.
agonistes someone in the grip of inner conflict. Pl. AGONISTES. No AGONISTE*.
agremens (Fr.) courtesies, blandishments. No AGREMEN*.
aiblins (Dial.) perhaps. No AIBLIN*.
akkas (Sl.) money. No AKKA*.
albricias (Spanish) a reward to a bearer of good news. No ALBRICIA*.
alcatras a large water bird. No ALCATRA*.
allcomers anyone who comes. No ALLCOMER*.
allsorts things of various shapes and sizes, as in liquorice allsorts. No ALLSORT*.
alms a dispensation to the poor. No ALM*.
altrices (Lat.) birds whose young are hatched in a very immature and helpless condition, so as to require the care of their parents for some time, as opposed to PRAECOCES. No ALTRICE*.
anabas a genus of fishes. No ANABA*.
analects a collection of writings; literary gleanings. No ANALECT*.
annates the first year's profits of a spiritual preferment, anciently paid by the clergy to the pope; first fruits. In England, they now form a fund for the augmentation of poor livings. No ANNATE*.
antigropelos waterproof leggings. No ANTIGROPELO*.
anus the opening at the end of the alimentary canal. No ANU*.
apices plural of APEX. No APICE*.
apsaras (Sanskrit) a divine water sprite. Pl. APSARASES. No APSARA*.
aris (Cockney slang) arse. No ARI*.
aruspices plural of ARUSPEX, a soothsayer. No ARUSPICE*.
ascites dropsy of the abdomen. Pl. ASCITES. No ASCITE*.
asclepias an American plant of the milkweed genus. No ASCLEPIA*.
atlantes plural of ATLAS, a male figure supporting a column. No ATLANTE*.
aurochs an extinct wild ox. Pl. AUROCHSES. No AUROCH*.
avens a wild flower. Pl. AVENSES. No AVEN*.
axis the imaginary straight line about which a body such as the earth rotates. No AXI*.
balas a variety of spinel ruby. No BALA*.
balderlocks an edible seaweed. No BALDERLOCK*.
ballocks (Sl.) testicles; (verb) to screw up. No BALLOCK*.
banns notice given in church etc. of an intended marriage, read on three Sundays to give an opportunity for objections to be made. No BANN*.
basaltes (Lat.) unglazed stoneware. [L. basaltes, from Greek basanites (lithos) touchstone]. Pl. BASALTES. No BASALTE*.
baudrons (Scots) a quasi-proper name for the cat; also for the hare. Pl. BAUDRONSES. No BAUDRON*.
bazooms (Coll.) the female breasts. No BAZOOM*.
beastings beestings the first milk drawn from a cow after calving, aka COLOSTRUM or FOREMILK. No BEASTING* or BEESTING*.
bedsocks socks worn in bed. No BEDSOCK*.
beechdrops an American plant like a broomrape, parasitic on beech roots. No BEECHDROP*.
bermudas knee-length walking shorts. No BERMUDA*.
biestings the first milk drawn from a cow after calving, aka COLOSTRUM or FOREMILK. No BIESTING*.
blewits a woodland fungus. Pl. BLEWITSES. No BLEWIT*.
bluecurls+ a N. American plant. No BLUECURL*.
bluejeans+ blue denim jeans. No BLUEJEAN*.
boerewors (Afrikaans) a traditional S. African sausage. Pl. BOEREWORSES. No BOEREWOR*.
bonkers crazy. No BONKER*.
boonies remote, undeveloped country. No BOONY* or BOONIE*.
bossyboots (Coll.) a bossy person. No BOSSYBOOT*. Pl. BOSSYBOOTS.
bowes (Milton) boughs. No BOWE*.
braaivleis (Afrikaans) a barbecue party. No BRAAIVLEI*.
breadsticks+ sticks of bread. No BREADSTICK*.
breeks breeches. No BREEK*.
bris a Jewish circumcision rite. Pl. BRISSES. No BRI*.
bumsters+ trousers cut just above the buttocks. No BUMSTER*.
buttals boundary lines. No BUTTAL*.
butterfingers one who is apt to let things fall or slip through the fingers: a careless person. No BUTTERFINGER*.
cadrans (Fr.) an instrument by which a gem is adjusted while being cut. Pl. CADRANSES. No CADRAN*.
calends (Lat.) the first day of the ancient Roman month from which days were counted backwards to the Ides. No CALEND*.
calices plural of CALIX, a cup. No CALICE*.
camas a blue-flowered liliaceous plant of northwestern America. No CAMA*.cantoris To be sung on the cantorial or north side of a choir. No CANTORI*.
capris women's tapering trousers ending above the ankle. No CAPRI*.
carices plural of CAREX, sedge. No CARICE*.
catworks the assemblage of motors and catheads providing power for secondary activities on drilling platforms. No CATWORK*.
caudices plural of CAUDEX, a stem. No CAUDICE*.
ceas (Shakesp.) enough said. No CEA*.
cecils fried meat-balls. No CECIL*.
cens (Fr.) a nominal annual payment given to the owner of an estate or property in recognition of his or her title. No CEN*.
certes certainly. No CERTE*.
cervelas a type of French sausage. No CERVELA*.
cervices plural of CERVIX, the neck of the womb. No CERVICE*.
chainplates iron plates bolted below the channels on a ship, to serve as attachments for the deadeyes, through which the standing rigging or shrouds and backstays are secured. No CHAINPLATE*.
chairdays (Shakesp.) the evening of life. No CHAIRDAY*.
chaparajos a cowboy's leather riding leggings. No CHAPARAJO*.
chaparejos a cowboy's leather riding leggings. No CHAPAREJO*.
chausses pantaloons or tight coverings for the legs and feet, esp. of mail. No CHAUSSE*.
chidlings part of the small intestine of swine. No CHIDLING*.
chints a glazed printed cotton fabric. No CHINT*.
choirstalls fixed seats in the choir of a church, generally of carved wood. No CHOIRSTALL*.
chollers+ cheeks, jowls. No CHOLLER*.
cimices plural of CIMEX, bedbug. No CIMICE*.
circs (Coll.) circumstances. No CIRC*.
cizers (Obs.) scissors. No CIZER*.
claes (Scots) clothes. No CLAE*.
clivers goose-grass. No CLIVER*.
codices plural of CODEX, a manuscript. No CODICE*.
collins a type of COCKTAIL, as in vodka collins. Pl. COLLINSES. No COLLIN*.
colluvies accumulated filth; foul discharge. No COLLUVIE*.
collywobbles bellyache. No COLLYWOBBLE*.
coms combinations. No COM*.
congeries aggregation, collection. [L. congerere, to carry or bring together, which is also the source of congest]. Pl. CONGERIES. No CONGERIE*.
congrats (coll.) congratulations. No CONGRAT*.
copperas a type of sulphate. No COPPERA*.
coralbells a perennnial alumroot widely cultivate for its feathery spikes of tiny bright red campanulate flowers. No CORALBELL*.
corps a military formation consisting of two or more divisions. No CORP*.
cortices plural of CORTEX, an outer layer. No CORTICE*.
crants (Shakesp.) the garland carried before the bier of a maiden and hung over her grave. Pl. CRANTSES. No CRANT*.
creamcups A California annual of the poppy family. No CREAMCUP*.
cremains The ashes that remain after cremation of a corpse. No CREMAIN*.
cris a dagger or short sword used by the Malays. No CRI*.
crivens (Scots) (slang) an interjection expressing dismay. No CRIVEN*.
crivvens (Scots) (slang) an interjection expressing dismay. No CRIVVEN*.
crossbones a figure of two thigh bones laid across each other, forming with the skull a conventional emblem of death or piracy. No CROSSBONE*.
cruces plural of CRUX, a cross. No CRUCE*.
crudites raw fruit and vegetables served as hors d'oeuvre. NO CRUDITE*.
cruells scrofula, the King's Evil. No CRUELL*.
csardas a Hungarian dance. No CSARDA*.
culices plural of CULEX, a genus of insects. No CULICE*.
cyclops a genus of freshwater copepods; pl. CYCLOPS; a one-eyed monster; pl. CYCLOPES. No CYCLOP*.
cymatics the therapeutic use of high frequency sound waves. No CYMATIC*.
czardas a Hungarian dance. No CZARDA*.
dais (Fr.) a platform. No DAI*.
darbies handcuffs. [From the rigid terms of a 16th century English usurer of that name]. No DARBY*.
darkmans (Thieves' slang) night. No DARKMAN*.
datacomms (Abbrev. of) data communications. No DATACOMM*.
deus (Lat.) a god. No DEU*.
dibbs (Sl.) money. No DIBB*.
dipsas (Greek) a snake whose bite caused intense thirst. Pl. DIPSADES. No DIPSA*.
distringas a type of legal writ. No DISTRINGA*.
dogdays the days about the time of the heliacal rising of the dog-star, traditionally regarded as the hottest and unhealthiest time of the year. No DOGDAY*.
dogshores shores used to hold a ship firmly and prevent her moving while the blocks are knocked away before launching. No DOGSHORE*.
doldrums those parts of the ocean near the equator where calm and baffling winds prevail. No DOLDRUM*.
dowlas a coarse linen cloth. No DOWLA*.
draconites a jewel supposedly found inside a dragon's head. No DRACONITE*.
druthers (Coll.) choice, preference. No DRUTHER*.
dundrearies long sideburns (No DUNDREARY*). [From Lord Dundreary, a character in the play, Our American Cousin (1858)].
duxelles (Fr.) a mince of mushrooms, chopped shallots and herbs simmered in butter. [From the Marquis d'Uxelles]. No DUXELLE*.
egis (Greek) protection, defense; patronage. No EGI*.
ellops (Greek) a kind of sturgeon. No ELLOP*.
elops (Greek) a kind of sturgeon. No ELOP*.
emacs a powerful computer programme used for creating & editing text. No EMAC*.
emblements crops raised by the labour of the cultivator of land (but not tree-fruits or grass) or the profits arising from these. No EMBLEMENT*.
embus to board a bus. No EMBU*.
emendals funds set apart for repairs, in the accounts of the Inner Temple. No EMENDAL*.
emlets+ as in blood-drop emlets, a Chilean flower. No EMLET*.
emptings the yeasty lees of beer or cider. No EMPTING*.
emptins the yeasty lees of beer or cider. No EMPTIN*.
emys a genus of terrapin. No EMY*.
entremets (Fr.) edible pastry sculpture served between main courses. No ENTREMET*.
environics the study of the method of influencing behavious by controlled environmental factors. No ENVIRONIC*.
epos (Greek) an epic poem. No EPO*.
equites (Lat.) an order of knights holding a middle place between the senate and the commonalty; members of the Roman equestrian order. No EQUITE*.
eros (Greek) the sum of the self-preservative, as opposed to self-destructive, instincts. No ERO*.
eses plural of ES. No ESE*.
ethiops a black substance; -- formerly applied to various preparations of a black or very dark color. No ETHIOP*.
euthenics the science concerned with improving living conditions. No EUTHENIC*.
ewftes (Spenser) efts. No EWFTE*.
eyas a young hawk taken from the nest for training. Pl. EYASES. No EYA*.
eyedrops a medicine for the eye administered in the form of drops. No EYEDROP*.
eyestrings (Obs.) organic eye attachments once believed to break at death or blindness. No EYESTRING*.
facetiae (Lat.) witty or humorous sayings or writings. [L. facetia, jest]. No FACETIA*.
faikes thin-bedded shaly or micaceous sandstone. No FAIKE*.
fainites a plea for exemption or truce. No FAINITE*.
fattrels (Scots) ends of ribbon. No FATTREL*.
feis an ancient Irish assembly for the proclamation of laws etc. Pl. FEISEANNA. No FEI*.
fenks the refuse of whale blubber, used as a manure, and in the manufacture of Prussian blue. No FENK*.
fewtrils little things, trifles. No FEWTRIL*.
fiancailles (Fr.) betrothal. No FIANCAILLE*.
fieldboots knee-length boots. No FIELDBOOT*.
firstfruits the first fruits of a harvest. No FIRSTFRUIT*.
flexihours flexible working time. No FLEXIHOUR*.
fomes (Lat.) a substance capable of carrying infection, such as woollen clothes. [L. fomes, tinder]. Pl. FOMITES. No FOME*.
foodways the eating habits of a population. No FOODWAY*.
forceps (Lat.) a pair of pincers, usually held in one hand to obtain a firm grip on a small object. Pl. FORCEPS, FORCEPSES or FORCIPES. No
fornices plural of FORNIX, an arch. No FORNICE*.
fris the quick dance movement of a Hungarian CSARDAS. No FRI*.
frites+ chipped potatoes. No FRITE*.
frontes plural of FRONS, the forehead. No FRONTE*.
frutices plural of FRUTEX, a shrub. No FRUTICE*.
fynbos (Afrikaans) in South Africa, an area of low shrubs. [Dutch fijn, fine + bosch, bush]. Pl. FYNBOSES. No FYNBO*.
gadzooks (Arch.) a mild oath. No GADZOOK*.
galimatias (Fr.) nonsensical talk; gibberish; gobbledygook. No GALIMATIA*.
gaywings a perennial herb. Pl. GAYWINGS. No GAYWING*.
glanders a disease of horses. No GLANDER*.
glumps (Arch.) the sulks. No GLUMP*.
goldilocks a species of buttercup. No GOLDILOCK*.
goloshoes Goloshes. No GOLOSHOE*.
goujeers an editor's spurious improvement on GOODYEAR, veneral disease. No GOUJEER*.
gravitas (Lat.) high seriousness. No GRAVITA*.
gris a flight of steps. No GRI*.
grundies+ men's underpants. No GRUNDY*.
gubbins (Coll.) a trivial object; a device, gadget. Pl. GUBBINSES. No GUBBIN*.
habdabs (Sl.) terror, the frights, nerves often heard as 'the screaming habdabs'. No HABDAB*.
halluces plural of HALLUX, the big toe. No HALLUCE*.
handicuffs fisticuffs. No HANDICUFF*.
hardgoods+ hardware. No HARDGOOD*.
hardparts the skeletal parts of an organism. No HARDPART*.
harigalds (Scots) viscera. No HARIGALD*.
harigals (Scots) viscera. No HARIGAL*.
hartbees (Afrikaans) a large S. African antelope. No HARTBEE*.
headsheets the forepart of a small vessel or craft. No HEADSHEET*.
helices plural of HELIX, a spiral. No HELICE*.
hendiadys a figure of speech. Pl. HENDIADYSES. No HENDIADY*.
heredes (Lat.) an heir. No HEREDE*.
hiems (Shakes.) winter. Pl. HIEMS. No HIEM*.
hijinks high jinks, frolics. No HIJINK*.
hinderlans (Scots) the buttocks. No HINDERLAN*.
hinderlings (Scots) the buttocks. No HINDERLING*.
hinderlins (Scots) the buttocks. No HINDERLIN*.
hippocras a mediaeval spiced wine. No HIPPOCRA*.
hols (Coll.) holidays. No HOL*.
homines (Pl.) HOMO, a man. No HOMINE*.
horlicks+ a mess, as in to make a horlicks of. No HORLICK*.
hornfels (Ger.) a compact type of rock composed of lime silicates. No HORNFEL*.
horsefeathers nonsense! No HORSEFEATHER*.
houselights in a theatre, the lights illuminating the auditorium. No HOUSELIGHT*.
housewares articles used in the home. No HOUSEWARE*.
hurdies (Scots) the buttocks, the thighs. No HURDIE* or HURDY*.
hurds the coarse part of flax or hemp. No HURD*.
hustings a political platform. [ME, from OE husting, from Old Norse husthing, from hus, house + thing, assembly]. No HUSTING*.
hydrops hydropsy. Pl. HYDROPSES. No HYDROP*.
ibices plural of IBEX, a mountain goat. No IBICE*.
icones plural of ICON (can also be ICONS). No ICONE*.
iconostas A screen in a Greek church. Pl. ICONOSTASES. No ICONOSTA*.
ilices plural of ILEX. No ILICE*.
imbrices plural of IMBREX, an overlapping tile. No IMBRICE*.
indices plural of INDEX. No INDICE*.
induciae in Scots law, the time limit within which (after a citation) the defendant must appear in court or reply. No INDUCIA*.
induviae (Lat.) withered leaves which persist on plants. No INDUVIA*.
inferiae (Lat.) offerings to the spirits of the dead. No INFERIA*.
innards the intestines. No INNARD*.
jammies pyjamas. No JAMMIE*.
jeepers an interjection expressing surprise. No JEEPER*.
jibbons+ spring onions. No JIBBON*.
jimjams pyjamas. No JIMJAM*.
joannes An obsolete Portuguese gold coin, named from the figure of King John which it bears. Pl. JOANNESES. No JOANNE*.
jogpants trousers worn for jogging. No JOGPANT*.
johannes an obsolete Portuguese gold coin, named from the figure of King John which it bears. Pl. JOHANNESES. No JOHANNE*.
jones a drug habit. Pl. JONESES. No JONE*.
jougs (Scots) an old instrument of punishment consisting of a hinged iron collar locked round an offender's neck and attached by a chain to a wall or post. No JOUG*.
juggins a simpleton. Pl. JUGGINSES. No JUGGIN*.
kaas a large cupboard. No KAA*.
kalends (Lat.) the first day of the ancient Roman month from which days were counted backwards to the Ides. No KALEND*.
kans an Indian grass related to sugar-cane. Pl. KANSES. No KAN*.
keks (Coll.) trousers. No KEK*.
kidstakes (Aust. coll.) nonsense, humbug. No KIDSTAKE*.
killas clay slate. No KILLA*.
kiwisports sports as practised in New Zealand. No KIWISPORT*.
klipdas an African mammal like the hyrax. No KLIPDA*.
kneesies+ the flirtatious touching of knees under the table. No KNEESY*.
koumys an intoxicating fermented or distilled liquor originally made by the Tartars from mare's or camel's milk. No KOUMY*.
kris a dagger or short sword used by the Malays. No KRI*.
kumys an intoxicating fermented or distilled liquor originally made by the Tartars from mare's or camel's milk. No KUMY*.
kvas an alcoholic drink. Pl. KVASES. No KVA*.
kylices plural of KYLIX, a drinking-cup. No KYLICE*.
laches negligence or unreasonable delay in pursuing a legal remedy. Pl. LACHESES. No LACHE*.
lamboys (Arch.) kilted flexible steel plates worn skirt-like from the waist. No LAMBOY*.
lampas a swelling of the mouth in horses. No LAMPA*.
lanciers (Fr.) a French dance. No LANCIER*.
larnakes plural of LARNAX, a terracotta chest of ancient Greece. No LARNAKE*.
lashins (Coll.) an abundance. No LASHIN*.
latices plural of LATEX, a milky juice. No LATICE*.
lemures plural of LEMUR, a Roman ghost of the dead. No LEMURE*.
lens in optics. Pl. LENSES. No LEN*.
levatores Pl. LEVATOR, a type of muscle. No LEVATORE*.
levis heavy close-fitting denim trousers. No LEVI*.
lignaloes aloes wood, as mentioned in the Bible. No LIGNALOE*.
limites plural of LIMES, boundary. No LIMITE*.
litas a monetary unit of Lithuania. Pl. LITAI or LITU. No LITA*.
litotes a figure of speech. No LITOTE*.
loggets (Shakesp.) the game called nine-pins. No LOGGET*.
lues disease, especially of a contagious kind. Pl. LUES. No LUE*.
maatjes (Danish) a young herring before it has spawned, cured in brine. Pl. MAATJES. No MAATJE*.
madras a fine plain-woven cotton or silk. No MADRA*.
marginalia marginal notes. No MARGINALIUM*.
marrels the game of MERILS. No MARREL*.
marshlocks a marsh-growing species of cinquefoil. No MARSHLOCK*.
matjes (Danish) a young herring before it has spawned, cured in brine. Pl. MATJES. No MATJE*.
meawes (Spenser) = MEWS, gulls. No MEAWE*.
mebos in S. Africa, salted or sugared dried apricots. [Possibly from Japanese umeboshi, a kind of plum]. Pl. MEBOSES. No MEBO*.
meshugaas (Yiddish) madness. No MESHUGAA*.
meticais plural of METICAL, a monetary unit of Mozambique. No METICAI*.
mips+ a million instructions per second. No MIP*.
mirligoes (Scots) dizziness. No MIRLIGOE*.
mishegaas (Yiddish) madness. No MISHEGAA*.
mismanners (Obs.) bad manners. No MISMANNER*.
moccies+ (Aust. sl.) moccasins. No MOCCIE*.
moslings thin strips taken off when dressing skins. No MOSLING*.
mouls (Scots) clods, esp. in allusion to the grave. No MOUL*.
muggins a fool, a sucker, especially used facetiously to refer to oneself as such. Pl. MUGGINSES. No MUGGIN*.
mulligrubs (Coll.) grumpiness, low spirits. No MULLIGRUB*.
munchies (Sl.) an alcohol-induced craving for food. No MUNCHY*.
murices plural of MUREX, a shellfish. No MURICE*.
nabis (Fr.) a group of late 19th-cent. French post-impressionists following the artistic theories of the French painter Paul Gauguin (1848–1903). No NABI*.
nachas (Yiddish) pride in another's accomplishments. Pl. NACHAS. No
nadors+ (S. Afr.) thirst brought on by excessive consumption of alcohol. No NADOR*.
nads+ (sl.) testicles. No NAD*.
naiades a plural of NAIAD. No NAIADE*.
naos a Greek temple. Pl. NAOI. No NAO*.
naras (Hottentot) an edible melonlike fruit of a S. African shrub. No NARA*.
narras (Hottentot) an edible melonlike fruit of a S. African shrub. No NARRA*.
nates (Lat.) the buttocks. No NATE*.
naythles nevertheless. No NAYTHLE*.
nelies a winter pear. Pl. NELIES. No NELIE*.
nelis a winter pear. Pl. NELIS. No NELI*.
neotropics the tropics of the New World, Central America. No NEOTROPIC*.
nerts an interjection expressing disgust. No NERT*.
netherlings stockings. No NETHERLING*.
nineholes a game in which nine holes are made in the ground, into which a ball is bowled. No NINEHOLE*.
nombles a deer's entrails. No NOMBLE*.
nootropics Cognitive enhancers; mind drugs. No NOOTROPIC*.
nugae (Lat.) trifles; jests. No NUGA*.
numbles a deer's entrails. No NUMBLE*.
nyas a young hawk taken from the nest for training. Pl. NYASES. No NYA*.
ockodols+ one's feet when wearing boots. No OCKODOL*.
octopodes plural of OCTOPUS. No OCTOPODE*.
oodles lots of. No OODLE*.
oodlins lots of. No OODLIN*.
oratrices plural of ORATRIX, a female plaintiff. No ORATRICE*.
ordines plural of ORDO, a religious order. No ORDINE*.
orleans a variety of plum. No ORLEAN*.
oughtlings (Scots) at all. No OUGHTLING*.
outquarters Quarters situated away from headquarters. No OUTQUARTER*.
ovibos (Lat.) the musk ox. [L. ovis sheep, and bos, bovis ox]. Pl. OVIBOSES. No OVIBO*.
oxes a plural of OX, in sense of clumsy person. No OXE*.
padkos+ (S. Afr.) provisions for a journey. No PADKO*.
palais a palace. No PALAI*.
palas an Indian tree. No PALA*.
parkleaves a European species of Saint John's-wort, aka TUTSAN. No PARKLEAF*.
penates (Lat.) the household gods of a Roman family. Cf. LARES. No PENATE*.
petropounds money from oil revenues. No PETROPOUND*.
pettichaps (Dial.) the garden warbler. Pl. PETTICHAPSES. No PETTICHAP*.
pettitoes pigs' feet as food. No PETTITOE*.
pholas a type of rock-boring mollusc. Pl. PHOLADES. No PHOLA*.
pilliwinks an instrument of torture designed to crush fingers. No PILLIWINK*.
pilniewinks an instrument of torture for crushing the fingers. No PILNIEWINK*.
pinchcommons a niggard with food. Pl. PINCHCOMMONSES. No PINCHCOMMON*.
pinedrops a reddish herb of the United States, found parasitic on the roots of pine trees. No PINEDROP*.
plainstanes (Scots) flagstones, pavement. No PLAINSTANE*.
plainstones (Scots) flagstones, pavement. No PLAINSTONE*.
pockies+ (Scots) woollen mittens. No POCKY*.
pollices plural of POLLEX, the thumb. No POLLICE*.
pons (Lat.) bridge. No PON*.
pontes plural of PONS, bridge. No PONTE*.
pontifices plural of PONTIFEX, a pontiff. No PONTIFICE*.
preggers (Sl.) pregnant. No PREGGER*.
primitiae (Lat.) the first year's revenue of a benefice. No PRIMITIA*.
primitias (Lat.) the first year's revenue of a benefice. No PRIMITIA*.
printworks a place where printing is carried out. No PRINTWORK*.
proggins (Sl.) a proctor. No PROGGIN*.
psoas the loin muscle. Pl. PSOAE, PSOAI or PSOASES. No PSOA*.
puftaloonies (Aust.) a type of fried cake, eaten hot with jam, honey or sugar. No PUFTALOONY*.
pussytoes a genus of composite herbs. No PUSSYTOE*.
pyonings (Spenser) pioning, pioneer-work. No PYONING*.
rackabones a very lean animal, esp. a horse. No RACKABONE*. Pl. RACKABONES.
radices plural of RADIX, root. No RADICE*.
rakshas A demon in Hindu mythology. Pl. RAKSHASES. No RAKSHA*.
rectrices plural of RECTRIX, a quill feather. No RECTRICE*.
reliquiae (Lat.) remains, esp. fossil. No RELIQUIA*.
rellies+ (Aust. sl.) relatives. No RELLIE*.
remiges plural of REMEX, a large feather. No REMIGE*.
rhagades (Greek) cracks or fissures in the skin. [Gk. rhagas, a tear]. No RHAGADE*.
rhus a shrub. No RHU*.
ribes a flowering shrub. No RIBE*.
rickets a bone disease. No RICKET*.
rillettes (Fr.) a French type of potted meat made by simmering shreds of lean and fat pork, then pounding them to make a paste. No RILLETTE*.
ringhals an African snake that spits its venom. Pl. RINGHALSES. No RINGHAL*.
rinkhals an African snake that spits its venom. Pl. RINKHALSES. No RINKHAL*.
rotatores plural of ROTATOR, a type of muscle. No ROTATORE*.
rudas (Scots) a hideous old woman. No RUDA*.
salices plural of SALIX, willow. No SALICE*.
sallenders an eruption on the hind leg of a horse. No SALLENDER*.
salopettes quilted skiing trousers with shoulder straps. No SALOPETTE*.
salpinges plural of SALPINX, the Eustachian tube. No SALPINGE*.
sassafras a tree of the laurel family. No SASSAFRA*.
satelles a satellite. Pl. SATELLITES. No SATELLE*.
scalpins small stones used for drainage in excavation and as hardcore. No SCALPIN*.
scarpines (Ital.) an instrument of torture for the feet. No SCARPINE*.
scazontes plural of SCAZON, a verse metre. No SCAZONTE*.
scoleces plural of SCOLEX, the head of a tapeworm. No SCOLECE*.
scolices plural of SCOLEX, the head of a tapeworm. No SCOLICE*.
semiworks a manufacturing plant operating on a limited commercial scale to provide final tests of a new product or process. No SEMIWORK*.
sferics Abbrev. of ATMOSPHERICS, noises interfering with radio reception, due to electric disturbances in the ether. Also SPHERICS. No SFERIC* (but there is SPHERIC).
shammas (Yiddish) the sexton in a synagogue. Pl. SHAMASIM. No SHAMMA*.
shaps (Abbrev. of) CHAPARAJOS, a cowboy's leather riding leggings. No SHAP*.
sidebones ossifications of the lateral cartilages of a horse's hoof. No SIDEBONE*.
sideburns two strips of hair grown along the side of the face. No SIDEBURN*.
siegeworks a besieger's engineering works. No SIEGEWORK*.
sigla (Lat.) (a list of) abbreviations, symbols, etc. denoting words. No SIGLUM*.
significs the science of meaning. No SIGNIFIC*.
silvics the study of forest trees. No SILVIC*.
simplices plural of SIMPLEX, a geometrical figure. No SIMPLICE*.
skeesicks (US) a rascal. Pl. SKEESICKS. No SKEESICK*.
slyboots a sly person. No SLYBOOT*.
smartypants an overly clever person. No SMARTYPANT*. Pl. SMARTYPANTS.
smithers = SMITHEREENS, tiny fragments. No SMITHER*.
snowblades+ short skis used without poles. No SNOWBLADE*.
snuggies women's long underwear. No SNUGGY* or SNUGGIE*.
soapsuds soapy froth. No SOAPSUD*.
softgoods+ soft goods. No SOFTGOOD*.
solonets (Russian) an alkaline soil-type having a hard dark subsoil under a thin friable topsoil. Pl. SOLONETSES. No SOLONET*.
sordes+ dark incrustations on the lips of fever patients. No SORDE*.
sorites (Greek) a string of statements where the end of one is the subject of the next. [Gk. soreites, from soros, a heap]. No SORITE*.
sowans (Gaelic) a kind of oat porridge, a traditional dish for Hallowe'en. No SOWAN*.
sowens (Gaelic) a kind of oat porridge, a traditional dish for Hallowe'en. No SOWEN*.
spadices plural of SPADIX, a flower-spike. No SPADICE*.
spadones plural of SPADO, a castrated person or animal. No SPADONE*.
spondoolicks (US slang) cash, money. No SPONDOOLICK*.
spondulicks (US slang) cash, money. No SPONDULICK*.
springhaas a S. African rodent. No SPRINGHAA*.
spuriae (Lat.) in birds, feathers of the bastard wing. No SPURIA*.
stapes (Lat.) the stirrup-shaped bone of the ear. Pl. STAPEDES. No STAPE*.
starets (Russian) an Eastern Orthodox spiritual advisor. No STARET*.
steenbras a S. African fish. No STEENBRA*.
stovies (Scots) a thick stew of potatoes, lard, onions and sausagemeat. No STOVY* or STOVIE*.
stowlins (Scots) by stealth. No STOWLIN*.
stownlins (Scots) by stealth. No STOWNLIN*.
strossers (Shakesp.) trousers. No STROSSER*.
sundrops an American evening primrose with flowers that open at sunset. No SUNDROP*.
sunnies+ (NZ) sunglasses. No SUNNIE*.
swits (Shakesp.) a switch. Pl. SWITSES. No SWIT*.
tagetes a garden flower. No TAGETE*.
takkies tennis shoes or plimsolls. No TAKKIE* or TAKKY*.
talipes (Lat.) club foot. [L. talis, ankle + pes, foot]. No TALIPE*.
tarantas a type of carriage used in Russia. Pl. TARANTASES. No TARANTA*.
tarras a type of volcanic tuff. No TARRA*.
tectrices plural of TECTRIX, a kind of feather. No TECTRICE*.
tems a sieve. No TEM*.
tenebrae (Lat.) matins and lauds of the following day sung on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Holy Week - candles are extinguished one by one at the end of each psalm with the final psalm being sung in darkness. No TENEBRA*.
teras (Greek) a monstrosity. Pl. TERATA. No TERA*.
teres (Lat.) either of two muscles of the shoulder-blade. [L. teres, smooth]. No TERE*. Pl. TERETES.
terts (Coll.) TETRACHLORETHYLENE, a chemical. No TERT*.
thermae (Lat.) hot springs or baths, esp. in ancient Rome. No THERMA*.
thewes (Shakesp.) sinews, muscles. No THEWE*.
thoraces Plural of THORAX. No THORACE*.
thumbikins (Scots) thumbscrews. No THUMBIKIN*.
timps (Coll.) = TIMPANI, small drums. No TIMP*.
tinsnips a pair of hand shears for cutting tin etc. No TINSNIP*.
tortrices Plural of TORTRIX, a kind of moth. No TORTRICE*.
tournedos a small round thick beef fillet. Pl. TOURNEDOS. No TOURNEDO*.
trabs+ (dial.) trainers. No TRAB*.
triceps a muscle. Pl. TRICEPSES. No TRICEP*.
triens (Lat.) a coin of ancient Rome. Pl. TRIENTES. No TRIEN*.
triones (Lat.) the seven stars of the Plough. [L. triones plough-oxen]. No TRIONE*.
trossers (Obs.) trousers. No TROSSER*.
trowsers (Obs.) trousers. No TROWSER*.
tryworks a type of furnace. No TRYWORK*.
turkois Turquoise. No TURKOI*.
tussis a cough. No TUSSI*.
tutrices plural of TUTRIX, a female tutor. No TUTRICE*.
twalhours a noonday meal or refreshment. No TWALHOUR*.
tympanites the distention of the abdomen by flatulence. No TYMPANITE*.
tzimmes a vegetable stew. No TZIMME*.
uckers a form of the game ludo, played in the Navy. No UCKER*.
underthings+ underwear. No UNDERTHING*.
upas a kind of tree. No UPA*.
upperworks the upper part of a structure (of a ship above the load-line). No UPPERWORK*.
urus a wild ox. No URU*.
vanitas a kind of Dutch painting. Pl. VANITASES. No VANITA*.
varices plural of VARIX, a vein. No VARICE*.
velites (Lat.) foot-soldiers of ancient Rome. No VELITE*.
vers (Fr.) verse. No VER*.
vertices plural of VERTEX, a point. No VERTICE*.
vibices plural of VIBEX, a blood-streak. No VIBICE*.
vibs (Coll.) shoes with Vibram soles. No VIB*.
vivres (Scots) food; eatables. No VIVRE*.
voces plural of VOX, voice. No VOCE*.
vortices plural of VORTEX, a whirlpool. No VORTICE*.
whatabouts things with which one is occupied. No WHATABOUT*.
windas a windlass. No WINDA*.
witblits (Afrikaans) a strong home-distilled alcoholic spirit. [Afr. wit, white + blits, lightning].
worryguts (Coll.) someone who worries a lot. No WORRYGUT*.
wukkas+ (Aust. sl.) no problems. No WUKKA*.
yellowlegs any one of several species of long-legged sandpipers of the genus Totanus, in which the legs are bright yellow. No YELLOWLEG*.
yibbles (Scots) perhaps. No YIBBLE*.
yonks (Coll.) ages, a long time. No YONK*.
zooks = GADZOOKS, an exclamation. No ZOOK*.
zounds a mild oath (God's wounds). No ZOUND*.