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Learn the ancient wisdom of the sphinx, one word at a time.

Abeyance

noun

noun: abeyance

  • a state of temporary disuse or suspension.
  • the position of being without, or waiting for, an owner or claimant.

late 16th century (in the legal sense): from Old French abeance 'aspiration to a title,' from abeer 'aspire after,' from a- 'toward' + beer 'to gape.'

Abjure

verb (formal)

verb: abjure; 3rd person present: abjures; past tense: abjured; past participle: abjured; gerund or present participle: abjuring

  • solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim).

late Middle English: from Latin abjurare, from ab- 'away' + jurare 'swear.'

Allay

verb

verb: allay; 3rd person present: allays; past tense: allayed; past participle: allayed; gerund or present participle: allaying

  • diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry).
  • relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger).

Old English alecgan 'lay down or aside.'

Arbiter

noun

noun: arbiter; plural noun: arbiters

  • a person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter.
  • a person whose views or actions have great influence over trends in social behavior.

late Middle English: from Latin, 'judge, supreme ruler.'

Bamboozle

verb (informal)

verb: bamboozle; 3rd person present: bamboozles; past tense: bamboozled; past participle: bamboozled; gerund or present participle: bamboozling

  • fool or cheat (someone).
  • confound or perplex.

early 18th century: of unknown origin.

Boreal

adjective

adjective: boreal

  • of the north or northern regions.

late Middle English: from late Latin borealis, from Latin Boreas, denoting the god of the north wind, from Greek.

Cataract

noun

noun: cataract; plural noun: cataracts

  • a large waterfall.
  • a sudden rush of water; a downpour

late Middle English: from Latin cataracta 'waterfall, floodgate,' from Greek kataraktes 'down-rushing,' from katarassein, from kata- 'down' + arassein 'strike, smash.'

Chancery

noun

noun: chancery; plural noun: chanceries

  • a court of equity.
  • an office attached to an embassy or consulate.
  • a public records office.

late Middle English: contraction of chancellery.

Charm

noun

noun: charm; plural noun: charms

  • a small ornament worn on a necklace or bracelet.
  • an object, act, or saying believed to have magic power.
  • an object kept or worn to ward off evil and bring good luck.

Middle English: from Old French charme, from Latin carmen 'song, verse, incantation.'

Colonnade

noun

noun: colonnade

  • a row of columns supporting a roof, an entablature, or arcade.

early 18th century: from French, from colonne 'column', from Latin columna.

Condescend

verb

verb: condescend; 3rd person present: condescends; past tense: condescended; past participle: condescended; gerund or present participle: condescending

  • show feelings of superiority; be patronizing.
  • do something in a haughty way, as though it is below one's dignity or level of importance.

Middle English (in the sense 'give way, defer'): from Old French condescendre, from ecclesiastical Latin condescendere, from con- 'together' + descendere 'descend.'

Consecrate

verb

verb: consecrate; 3rd person present: consecrates; past tense: consecrated; past participle: consecrated; gerund or present participle: consecrating

  • make or declare (something, typically a church) sacred; dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose.
  • (in Christian belief) make (bread or wine) into the body or blood of Christ.
  • ordain (someone) to a sacred office, typically that of bishop.
  • devote (something) exclusively to a particular purpose.

late Middle English: from Latin consecrat- 'dedicated, devoted as sacred,' from the verb consecrare, from con- (expressing intensive force) + sacrare 'dedicate,' from sacer 'sacred.'

Consul

noun

noun: consul; plural noun: consuls

  • an official appointed by a government to live in a foreign city and protect and promote the government's citizens and interests there.
  • (in ancient Rome) one of the two annually elected chief magistrates who jointly ruled the republic.
  • any of the three chief magistrates of the first French republic (1799–1804).

late Middle English: from Latin, related to consulere 'take counsel.'

Conundrum

noun

noun: conundrum; plural noun: conundrums

  • a confusing and difficult problem or question.
  • a question asked for amusement, typically one with a pun in its answer; a riddle.

late 16th century: of unknown origin, but first recorded in a work by Thomas Nashe, as a term of abuse for a crank or pedant, later coming to denote a whim or fancy, also a pun. Current senses date from the late 17th century.

Diluvian

adjective

adjective: diluvian

  • relating to a flood or floods, especially the biblical Flood.

mid 17th century: from late Latin diluvialis, from diluvium 'deluge,' from diluere 'wash away.'

Discombobulate

verb (humorous)

verb: discombobulate; 3rd person present: discombobulates; past tense: discombobulated; past participle: discombobulated; gerund or present participle: discombobulating

  • disconcert or confuse (someone).

mid 19th century: probably based on discompose or discomfit.

Empyrean

adjective

adjective: empyrean

  • relating to heaven or the sky.

late Middle English (as an adjective): via medieval Latin from Greek empurios, from en- 'in' + pur 'fire'. The noun dates from the mid 17th century.

Expropriate

verb

verb: expropriate; 3rd person present: expropriates; past tense: expropriated; past participle: expropriated; gerund or present participle: expropriating

  • (especially of the state) take away (property) from its owner.
  • dispossess (someone) of property.

late 16th century: from medieval Latin expropriat- 'taken from the owner,' from the verb expropriare, from ex- 'out, from' + proprium 'property,' neuter singular of proprius 'own.'

Glyph

noun

noun: glyph; plural noun: glyphs

  • a hieroglyphic character or symbol; a pictograph.
  • strictly, a sculptured symbol (e.g., as forming the ancient Mayan writing system).
  • a small graphic symbol.

late 18th century: from French glyphe, from Greek gluphe 'carving.'

Greave

noun

noun: greave; plural noun: greaves

  • a piece of armor used to protect the shin.

Middle English: from Old French greve 'shin, greave,' of unknown origin.

Hallowed

adjective

adjective: hallowed

  • made holy; consecrated.
  • greatly revered and honored.

Old English hālgian (verb), hālga (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German heiligen, also to holy.

Hoodwink

verb

verb: hoodwink; 3rd person present: hoodwinks; past tense: hoodwinked; past participle: hoodwinked; gerund or present participle: hoodwinking

  • deceive or trick (someone).

mid 16th century (originally in the sense 'to blindfold'): from the noun hood + an obsolete sense of wink 'close the eyes.'

Hornswoggle

verb (informal)

verb: hornswoggle; 3rd person present: hornswoggles; past tense: hornswoggled; past participle: hornswoggled; gerund or present participle: hornswoggling

  • get the better of (someone) by cheating or deception.

early 19th century (originally US): of unknown origin.

Karmic

adjective

adjective: karmic

  • relating to or characteristic of karma.
  • denoting good or bad luck, viewed as resulting from one's actions.

Legerdemain

noun

noun: legerdemain

  • skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks.
  • deception; trickery.

late Middle English: from French léger de main 'dexterous,' literally 'light of hand.'

Muddle

verb

verb: muddle; 3rd person present: muddles; past tense: muddled; past participle: muddled; gerund or present participle: muddling

  • bring into a disordered or confusing state.
  • confuse (a person or their thoughts).
  • busy oneself in a confused and ineffective way.
  • mix (a drink) or stir (an ingredient) into a drink.

late Middle English (in the sense 'wallow in mud'): perhaps from Middle Dutch moddelen, frequentative of modden 'dabble in mud'; compare with mud. The sense 'confuse' was initially associated with alcoholic drink (late 17th century), giving rise to 'busy oneself in a confused way' and 'jumble up' (mid 19th century).

Myriad

adjective (literary)

adjective: myriad

  • countless or extremely great in number.
  • having countless or very many elements or aspects.

mid 16th century: via late Latin from Greek murias, muriad-, from murioi '10,000.'

Nimbus

noun

noun: nimbus; plural noun: nimbi; plural noun: nimbuses

  • a luminous cloud or a halo surrounding a supernatural being or a saint.
  • a light, color, etc., that surrounds someone or something.
  • a large gray rain cloud.

early 17th century: from Latin, literally 'cloud, aureole.'

Ominous

adjective

adjective: ominous

  • giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious.

late 16th century: from Latin ominosus, from omen, omin- 'omen'.

Predicament

noun

noun: predicament; plural noun: predicaments

  • a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation.

late Middle English: from late Latin praedicamentum 'something predicated' (rendering Greek kategoria 'category'), from Latin praedicare (see predicate).

Prognostic

noun (archaic)

noun: prognostic; plural noun: prognostics

  • an advance indication or portent of a future event.

late Middle English: from Latin prognosticus, from Greek prognostikos, from prognosis (see prognosis).

Propaganda

noun

noun: propaganda

  • information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
  • the dissemination of propaganda as a political strategy.
  • a committee of cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church responsible for foreign missions, founded in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV.

Italian, from modern Latin congregatio de propaganda fide 'congregation for propagation of the faith.'

Quarter

noun

noun: quarter; plural noun: quarters

  • a part of a town or city having a specific character or use.

Middle English: from Old French quartier, from Latin quartarius 'fourth part of a measure,' from quartus 'fourth,' from quattuor 'four.'

Quell

verb

verb: quell; 3rd person present: quells; past tense: quelled; past participle: quelled; gerund or present participle: quelling

  • put an end to (a rebellion or other disorder), typically by the use of force.
  • subdue or silence someone.
  • suppress (a feeling, especially an unpleasant one).

Old English cwellan 'kill,' of Germanic origin; related to German quälen 'torture.'

Reliquary

noun

noun: reliquary; plural noun: reliquaries

  • a container for holy relics.

mid 16th century: from French reliquaire, from Old French relique (see relic).

Remand

verb (law)

verb: remand; 3rd person present: remands; past tense: remanded; past participle: remanded; gerund or present participle: remanding

  • place (a defendant) on bail or in custody, especially when a trial is adjourned.
  • return (a case) to a lower court for reconsideration.

late Middle English: from late Latin remandare, from re- 'back' + mandare 'commit.'

Revelation

noun

noun: revelation; plural noun: revelations

  • a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way.
  • the making known of something that was previously secret or unknown.
  • used to emphasize the surprising or remarkable quality of someone or something.

Middle English: from Old French, or from late Latin revelatio(n-), from revelare 'lay bare.'

Signet

noun (historical)

noun: signet; plural noun: signets

  • a small seal, especially one set in a ring, used instead of or with a signature to give authentication to an official document.

late Middle English: from Old French, or from medieval Latin signetum, diminutive of signum 'token, seal.'

Simulacrum

noun

noun: simulacrum; plural noun: simulacra; plural noun: simulacrums

  • an image or representation of someone or something.
  • an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute.

late 16th century: from Latin, from simulare (see simulate).

Sol

noun

noun: sol

  • the Latin name for the Sun.

Solemnity

noun

noun: solemnity; plural noun: solemnities

  • the state or quality of being serious and dignified.
  • a formal, dignified rite or ceremony.

Middle English (in the sense 'observance of formality and ceremony,' frequently in the phrases in solemnity, with solemnity): from Old French solemnite, from Latin sollemnitas, from sollemnis (see solemn).

Sovereign

noun

noun: sovereign; plural noun: sovereigns

  • a supreme ruler, especially a monarch.

Middle English: from Old French soverain, based on Latin super 'above.' The change in the ending was due to association with reign.

Squelch

verb

verb: squelch; 3rd person present: squelches; past tense: squelched; past participle: squelched; gerund or present participle: squelching

  • make a soft sucking sound such as that made by walking heavily through mud.
  • forcefully silence or suppress.

early 17th century (originally denoting a heavy crushing fall onto something soft): imitative.

Stifle

verb

verb: stifle; 3rd person present: stifles; past tense: stifled; past participle: stifled; gerund or present participle: stifling

  • make (someone) unable to breathe properly; suffocate.
  • restrain (a reaction) or stop oneself acting on (an emotion).
  • prevent or constrain (an activity or idea).

late Middle English: perhaps from a frequentative of Old French estouffer 'smother, stifle'.

Strand

noun (literary)

noun: strand; plural noun: strands

  • the shore of a sea, lake, or large river.

Old English, of unknown origin.

Switcheroo

noun (informal)

noun: switcheroo; plural noun: switcheroos

  • a change, reversal, or exchange, especially a surprising or deceptive one.

1930s: from the noun switch + -eroo, a humorous suffix probably imitative of buckaroo.

Syncopate

verb

verb: syncopate; 3rd person present: syncopates; past tense: syncopated; past participle: syncopated; gerund or present participle: syncopating

  • displace the beats or accents in (music or a rhythm) so that strong beats become weak and vice versa.
  • shorten (a word) by dropping sounds or letters in the middle, as in symbology for symbolology, or Gloster for Gloucester.

early 17th century: from late Latin syncopat- 'affected with syncope,' from the verb syncopare 'to swoon' (see syncope).

Telepathy

noun

noun: telepathy

  • the supposed communication of thoughts or ideas by means other than the known senses.

Tithe

noun

noun: tithe; plural noun: tithes

  • one tenth of annual produce or earnings, formerly taken as a tax for the support of the Church and clergy.
  • (in certain religious denominations) a tenth of an individual's income pledged to the Church.
  • a tenth of a specified thing.

Old English tēotha (adjective in the ordinal sense ‘tenth’, used in a specialized sense as a noun).

Trawl

noun

noun: trawl; plural noun: trawls; noun: trawl line; plural noun: trawl lines

  • an act of fishing with a trawl net.
  • an act of sifting through something as part of a search.

mid 16th century (as a verb): probably from Middle Dutch traghelen 'to drag' (related to traghel 'dragnet'), perhaps from Latin tragula 'dragnet'.

Tutelage

noun

noun: tutelage

  • protection of or authority over someone or something; guardianship.
  • instruction; tuition.

early 17th century: from Latin tutela 'keeping' (from tut- 'watched,' from the verb tueri) + -age.

Veto

noun

noun: veto; plural noun: vetoes

  • a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body.
  • a rejection of a law.
  • a prohibition.

early 17th century: from Latin, literally ‘I forbid’, used by Roman tribunes of the people when opposing measures of the Senate.

Warden

noun

noun: warden; plural noun: wardens

  • a person responsible for the supervision of a particular place or thing or for ensuring that regulations associated with it are obeyed.
  • the head of certain schools, colleges, or other institutions.

Middle English (originally denoting a guardian or protector): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French wardein, variant of Old French guarden 'guardian.'

Wyvern

noun

noun: wyvern; plural noun: wyverns; noun: wivern; plural noun: wiverns

  • a winged two-legged dragon with a barbed tail.

late Middle English (denoting a viper): from Old French wivre, from Latin vipera.

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97% Casual

Competitive

Top Ranked
  • Achieved #38 position overall 5 years ago
Date added 6 years
Last updated 3 years
Exclude colors BRG
Splash colors W
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

11 - 0 Mythic Rares

33 - 0 Rares

25 - 0 Uncommons

8 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 3.98
Tokens Glyph Keeper 5/3 W, Kraken 8/8 U, Treasure
Folders Commander, Decks To Reference, A Very Cool EDH Folder, EDH, Meme Decks
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