Site Glossary: F to J
A to E
K to O
P to T
U to Z
- Facetiousness
- / noun
- To treat serious issues with ill-fitting humour.
- Field-Dressing
- / noun
- The removal of organs from a hunted animal.
- Floridness
- / noun
- An ornate quality or a reddish complexion.
- Folio
- / noun
- A large book made of sheets folded once; a page number.
- Freeboard
- / noun
- The height of a ship's side between waterline and deck.
- Fresco
- / noun
- A wall painting on wet plaster.
- Furtive
- / adjective
- To be secretive.
- Galley
- / noun
- A ship's kitchen or an ancient ship propelled by oars.
- Gallows
- / noun
- A structure used to carry out hangings.
- Garret
- / noun
- A top-floor or attic room, typically in poor condition.
- Garrote Chair
- / noun
- A Spanish execution device that consists of a chair with a metal bar at its top, which fastens around the neck. Death happens as a result of a crank being turned, which tightens the bar and drives a spine into the back of the neck.
- Gladstone bag
- / noun
- A small traveling bag with flexible sides opening flat into two compartments.
- Glade
- / noun
- A term for a forest clearing.
- Gibbet cage
- / noun
- A cage used to display convicted criminals, which were left to starve or dehydrate. Once death occurred, the bodies were left inside to decompose as a warning to the living.
- Glutted
- / adjective
- Excessively satiated.
- Groined roof
- / noun
- A roof or ceiling with intersecting arches.
- Grotesque
- / noun
- A statue on the side of a church, chapel, or cathedral believed to have protective qualities. If fitted with a water spout, it is called a gargoyle.
- Guttation
- / noun
- The secretion of water droplets from plants.
- Handfasting
- / noun
- A betrothal or temporary marriage contract.
- Headland
- / noun
- A narrow piece of land that faces into the sea.
- Heath
- / noun
- An open habitat defined by low-growing vegetation and infertile, acidic soils.
- Helm
- / noun
- The steering apparatus of a ship, or a position of leadership.
- Hemophage
- / noun
- A being that feeds on blood (translates from Greek as "blood-eater").
- Humbug
- / noun
- Deception or deceptive speech.
- Hyacinthine
- / adjective
- Resembling the hyacinth flower; deep purplish-blue.
- Hypodermic
- / noun / adjective
- An injection beneath the skin.
- Ignaqueous
- / adjective
- Relating to fire and water.
- Incarnadined
- / adjective
- To be made blood-red or stained with blood.
- Indolence
- / noun
- Laziness.
- Inexorable
- / adjective
- Impossible to stop or prevent. Otherwise generally relentless.
- Inextricable
- / adjective
- Impossible to separate.
- Inflorescence
- / noun
- The flowering part of a plant or an arrangement of flowers.
- Innocuous
- / adjective
- Harmless and/or inoffensive.
- Instant Net
- / noun
- A term for the modern internet, highlighting its fast-paced nature. A play on "Instant Noodles" and a reference to the essay The Slow Web by Zach Cheng.
- Interment
- / noun
- The burial of a corpse.
- Interminable
- / adjective
- Endless or seemingly endless.
- Interstice
- / noun
- A small space or crevice.
- Inveigle
- / verb
- To persuade someone through deception or flattery.
- Jar Burial
- / noun
- A large jar used to hold corpses, akin to a coffin.
- Jaunting-cars
- / noun (plural)
- Light two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicles used in Ireland.