Who?

1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley
English statesman; member of the Conservative Party (1867-1947)
 
1st lieutenant
a commissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a 2nd lieutenant and below a captain
 
1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
English general during World War II; won victories over Rommel in North Africa and led British ground forces in the invasion of Normandy (1887-1976)
 
2nd lieutenant
a commissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marine Corps holding the lowest rank
 
A. Noam Chomsky
United States linguist whose theory of generative grammar redefined the field of linguistics (born 1928)
 
Aaron
(Old Testament) elder brother of Moses and first high priest of the Israelites; created the golden calf
 
Aaron Burr
United States politician who served as vice president under Jefferson; he mortally wounded his political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel and fled south (1756-1836)
 
Aaron Copland
United States composer who developed a distinctly American music (1900-1990)
 
Aaron Montgomery Ward
United States businessman who in 1872 established a successful mail-order business (1843-1913)
 
abandoned infant
a child who has been abandoned and whose parents are unknown
 
abandoned person
someone for whom hope has been abandoned
 
abator
a person who abates a nuisance
 
abbe
a French abbot
 
abbess
the superior of a group of nuns
 
abbot
the superior of an abbey of monks
 
Abbott Lawrence Lowell
United States educator and president of Harvard University (1856-1943)
 
abbreviator
one who shortens or abridges or condenses a written work
 
abdicator
one who formally relinquishes an office or responsibility
 
abductor
someone who unlawfully seizes and detains a victim (usually for ransom)
 
abecedarian
a novice learning the rudiments of some subject
 
Abel
(Old Testament) Cain and Abel were the first children of Adam and Eve born after the Fall of Man; Abel was killed by Cain
 
Abel Janszoon Tasman
Dutch navigator who was the first European to discover Tasmania and New Zealand (1603-1659)
 
Abenaki
a member of the Algonquian people of Maine and southern Quebec
 
aberrant
one whose behavior departs substantially from the norm of a group
 
abetter
one who helps or encourages or incites another
 
abhorrer
a signer of a 1679 address to Charles II in which those who petitioned for the reconvening of parliament were condemned and abhorred
 
abiogenist
a believer in abiogenesis
 
abjurer
a person who abjures
 
Abkhasian
a member of the Circassian people who live to the east of the Black Sea
 
able seaman
a seaman in the merchant marine; trained in special skills
 
abnegator
one who gives up or relinquishes or renounces something
 
abolitionist
a reformer who favors abolishing slavery
 
abomination
a person who is loathsome or disgusting
 
abominator
one who hates or loathes
 
aboriginal
an indigenous person who was born in a particular place
 
abortionist
a person (who should be a doctor) who terminates pregnancies
 
Abraham Stoker
Irish writer of the horror novel about Dracula (1847-1912)
 
abrogator
an authority or official empowered to abolish or annul or repeal
 
absconder
a fugitive who runs away and hides to avoid arrest or prosecution
 
abseiler
a person who descends down a nearly vertical face by using a doubled rope that is wrapped around the body and attached to some high point
 
absentee
one that is absent or not in residence
 
absolutist
one who advocates absolutism
 
absolver
someone who grants absolution
 
abstainer
a person who refrains from drinking intoxicating beverages
 
abstainer
someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
 
abstract artist
a painter of abstract pictures
 
abstracter
one who makes abstracts or summarizes information
 
Abu Ali al-Husain ibn Abdallah ibn Sina
Persian physician and influential philosopher; his interpretation of Aristotle influenced St. Thomas Aquinas; writings on medicine were important for almost 500 years (980-1037)
 
Abul-Walid Mohammed ibn-Ahmad Ibn-Mohammed ibn-Roshd
Arabian philosopher born in Spain; wrote detailed commentaries on Aristotle that were admired by the Schoolmen (1126-1198)
 
abuser
someone who abuses
 
abutter
the owner of contiguous property
 
Aby Moritz Warburg
German art historian (1866-1929)
 
academic administrator
an administrator in a college or university
 
academic
an educator who works at a college or university
 
academician
someone elected to honorary membership in an academy
 
academician
a scholar who is skilled in academic disputation
 
Acadian
an early French settler in the Maritimes
 
acceptor
the person (or institution) who accepts a check or draft and becomes responsible for paying the party named in the draft when it matures
 
accessary
someone who helps another person commit a crime
 
accessory after the fact
a person who gives assistance or comfort to someone known to be a felon or known to be sought in connection with the commission of a felony
 
accessory before the fact
a person who procures or advises or commands the commission of a felony but who is not present at its perpetration
 
accessory during the fact
a person who witnesses a crime but does not try to prevent it
 
accommodation endorser
a person who endorses a promissory note without compensation or benefit but simply as a favor to the borrower
 
accommodator
someone who performs a service or does a favor
 
accompanist
a person who provides musical accompaniment (usually on a piano)
 
accomplice
a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan (especially an unethical or illegal plan)
 
accordionist
a musician who plays the accordion
 
accoucheur
a physician specializing in obstetrics
 
accoucheuse
a woman skilled in aiding the delivery of babies
 
account executive
someone in charge of a client's account for an advertising agency or brokerage or other service business
 
accountant
someone who maintains and audits business accounts
 
accumulator
a person who is employed to collect payments (as for rent or taxes)
 
accused
a defendant in a criminal proceeding
 
accuser
someone who imputes guilt or blame
 
ace
someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
 
Achaian
a member of one of four linguistic divisions of the prehistoric Greeks
 
achiever
a person with a record of successes
 
Achmad Sukarno
Indonesian statesman who obtained the independence of Indonesia from the Netherlands in 1949 and served as president until ousted by Suharto in a coup d'etat (1901-1970)
 
Achomawi
a member of the Achomawi community of northeastern California
 
acolyte
someone who assists a priest or minister in a liturgical service; a cleric ordained in the highest of the minor orders in the Roman Catholic Church but not in the Anglican Church or the Eastern Orthodox Churches
 
acoustician
a physicist who specializes in acoustics
 
acquaintance
a person with whom you are acquainted
 
acquirer
a person who acquires something (usually permanently)
 
acrobat
an athlete who performs acts requiring skill and agility and coordination
 
action officer
the case officer designated to perform an act during a clandestine operation (especially in a hostile area)
 
active
a person who is a participating member of an organization
 
active citizen
a citizen who takes an active role in the community (as in crime prevention and neighborhood watch)
 
activist
a militant reformer
 
actor's agent
a business agent for an actor
 
actor's assistant
a wardrobe assistant for an actor
 
actor
a person who acts and gets things done
 
actor
a theatrical performer
 
actress
a female actor
 
actuary
someone versed in the collection and interpretation of numerical data (especially someone who uses statistics to calculate insurance premiums)
 
Adam
(Old Testament) in Judeo-Christian mythology; the first man and the husband of Eve and the progenitor of the human race
 
Adam Smith
Scottish economist who advocated private enterprise and free trade (1723-1790)
 
adapter
a musician who adapts a composition for particular voices or instruments or for another style of performance
 
adder
a person who adds numbers
 
addict
someone who is so ardently devoted to something that it resembles an addiction
 
addlehead
a person with confused ideas; incapable of serious thought
 
addressee
one to whom something is addressed
 
adducer
a discussant who offers an example or a reason or a proof
 
Adeline Virginia Stephen Woolf
English author whose work used such techniques as stream of consciousness and the interior monologue; prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group (1882-1941)
 
adherent
someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another
 
adjudicator
a person who studies and settles conflicts and disputes
 
adjunct
a person who is an assistant or subordinate to another
 
adjuster
one who investigates insurance claims or claims for damages and recommends an effective settlement
 
adjutant general
a general's adjutant; chief administrative officer
 
adjutant
an officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer
 
Adlai Ewing Stevenson
United States politician and diplomat (1900-1968)
 
adman
someone whose business is advertising
 
administrative official
an official of a bureaucracy
 
administrator
the party appointed by a probate court to distribute the estate of someone who dies without a will or without naming an executor
 
administrator
someone who administers a business
 
administrator
someone who manages a government agency or department
 
Admiral Dewey
a United States naval officer remembered for his victory at Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War
 
admiral
the supreme commander of a fleet; ranks above a vice admiral and below a fleet admiral
 
admirer
a person who admires; someone who esteems or respects or approves
 
admirer
someone who admires a young woman
 
admirer
a person who backs a politician or a team etc.
 
admonisher
someone who gives a warning so that a mistake can be avoided
 
adolescent
a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity
 
Adolf Hitler
German Nazi dictator during World War II (1889-1945)
 
Adolf Loos
Austrian architect (1870-1933)
 
Adolf Windaus
German chemist who studied steroids and cholesterol and discovered histamine (1876-1959)
 
Adolph Simon Ochs
United States newspaper publisher (1858-1935)
 
Adolphe Sax
a Belgian maker of musical instruments who invented the saxophone (1814-1894)
 
adonis
any handsome young man
 
adoptee
someone (such as a child) who has been adopted
 
adopter
a person who adopts a child of other parents as his or her own child
 
adulator
a person who uses flattery
 
adult female
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
 
adult male
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
 
adult
a fully developed person from maturity onward
 
adulterator
a changer who lessens the purity or effectiveness of a substance
 
adulterer
someone who commits adultery or fornication
 
adulteress
a woman adulterer
 
advancer
someone who advances
 
adventurer
someone who travels into little known regions (especially for some scientific purpose)
 
adventurer
a person who enjoys taking risks
 
adventuress
a woman adventurer
 
adversary
someone who offers opposition
 
adverse witness
a witness whose relationship to the opposing party is such that his or her testimony may be prejudiced against the opposing party
 
advisee
someone who receives advice
 
adviser
an expert who gives advice
 
advocate
a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
 
advocate
a lawyer who pleads cases in court
 
Aelius Donatus
Roman grammarian whose textbook on Latin grammar was used throughout the Middle Ages (fourth century)
 
Aeolian
a member of one of four linguistic divisions of the prehistoric Greeks
 
aerialist
an acrobat who performs in the air (as on a rope or trapeze)
 
aeronaut
someone who operates an aircraft
 
aeronautical engineer
an engineer concerned with the design and construction of aircraft
 
aerophile
a lover of aviation
 
aerospace engineer
an engineer of aircraft and space vehicles
 
Aeschylus
Greek tragedian; the father of Greek tragic drama (525-456 BC)
 
Aesop
Greek author of fables (circa 620-560 BC)
 
aesthete
one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature
 
aesthetician
a philosopher who specializes in the nature of beauty
 
aesthetician
a worker skilled in giving beauty treatments (manicures and facials etc.)
 
aetiologist
a specialist in the etiology of diseases
 
affiant
a person who makes an affidavit
 
affiliate
a subordinate or subsidiary associate; a person who is affiliated with another or with an organization
 
affine
(anthropology) kin by marriage
 
affirmer
someone who claims to speak the truth
 
affluent
an affluent person; a person who is financially well off
 
Afghanistani
a native or inhabitant of Afghanistan
 
aficionado
a serious devotee of some particular music genre or musical performer
 
aficionado
a fan of bull fighting
 
African
a native or inhabitant of Africa
 
African-American
a person with African ancestry,
 
Afrikander
a white native of Cape Province who is a descendant of Dutch settlers and who speaks Afrikaans
 
agent
a representative who acts on behalf of other persons or organizations
 
agent provocateur
a secret agent who incites suspected persons to commit illegal acts
 
agent
a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
 
agent
any agent or representative of a federal agency or bureau
 
agent-in-place
an operative serving as a penetration into an intelligence target
 
aggravator
an unpleasant person who is annoying or exasperating
 
aggregator
a person who collects things
 
aggressor
a confident assertive person who acts as instigator
 
aggressor
someone who attacks
 
agitator
one who agitates; a political troublemaker
 
agnate
one related on the father's side
 
Agnes George de Mille
United States dancer and choreographer who introduced formal dance to a wide audience (1905-1993)
 
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
Indian nun and missionary in the Roman Catholic Church (born of Albanian parents in what is now Macedonia); dedicated to helping the poor in India (1910-1997)
 
agnostic
a person who claims that they cannot have true knowledge about the existence of God (but does not deny that God might exist)
 
agnostic
someone who is doubtful or noncommittal about something
 
agonist
someone involved in a contest or battle (as in an agon)
 
agony aunt
a newspaper columnist who answers questions and offers advice on personal problems to people who write in
 
agricultural agent
an advisor employed by the government to assist people in rural areas with methods of farming and home economics
 
agricultural laborer
a person who tills the soil for a living
 
agriculturalist
someone concerned with the science or art or business of cultivating the soil
 
Agrippina the Elder
granddaughter of Augustus and mother of Caligula and Agrippina the Younger (14 BC - AD 33)
 
Agrippina the Younger
wife who poisoned Claudius after her son Nero was declared heir and who was then put to death by Nero
 
agronomist
an expert in soil management and field-crop production
 
Ahab
according to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC)
 
Ahmad Shah Masoud
Afghan leader of forces opposed to the Taliban; won fame by successfully resisting the Soviets in the 1980s; was assassinated by men posing as journalists (1953-2001)
 
Ahmed Salman Rushdie
British writer of novels who was born in India; one of his novels is regarded as blasphemous by Muslims and a fatwa was issued condemning him to death (born in 1947)
 
Ahmed Zoki Yamani
Saudi Arabian minister of petroleum who was a central figure in the creation of OPEC (born in 1930)
 
aide
someone who acts as assistant
 
Aimee Semple McPherson
United States evangelist (born in Canada) noted for her extravagant religious services (1890-1944)
 
air attache
a military attache who is a commissioned or warrant officer in an air force
 
air force officer
an officer in the airforce
 
air hostess
a woman steward on an airplane
 
air marshal
a person trained by the government in hijacking and terrorist tactics who (for security reasons) is a passenger aboard an airline flight
 
air traveler
someone who travels by airplane
 
aircraftman
a noncommissioned officer in the British Royal Air Force
 
aircrewman
a member of an aircrew
 
airhead
a flighty scatterbrained simpleton
 
airplane pilot
someone who is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight
 
airwoman
a woman aviator
 
Akira Kurosawa
Japanese filmmaker noted for blending Japanese folklore with western styles of acting (1910-1998)
 
Akwa'ala
a member of the Akwa'ala community in Baja California
 
Al Hirschfeld
United States artist noted for his line-drawn caricatures (1904-2003)
 
Al-hakim
an Ismaili caliph of Egypt who declared himself an incarnation of God and founded the Druze religious sect (985-1021)
 
Al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham
an Egyptian polymath (born in Iraq) whose research in geometry and optics was influential into the 17th century; established experiments as the norm of proof in physics (died in 1040)
 
Alabama
a member of the Muskhogean people formerly living in what is now the state of Alabama
 
Alabamian
a native or resident of Alabama
 
Alan Alexander Milne
English writer of stories for children (1882-1956)
 
Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr.
astronaut who made the first United States' suborbital rocket-powered flight in 1961 (1923-1998)
 
Alan Jay Lerner
United States lyricist who collaborated on musicals with Frederick Loewe (1918-1986)
 
Alan Lloyd Hodgkin
English physiologist who, with Andrew Huxley, discovered the role of potassium and sodium atoms in the transmission of the nerve impulse (1914-1998)
 
Alan Mathison Turing
English mathematician who conceived of the Turing machine and broke German codes during World War II (1912-1954)
 
Alan Seeger
United States poet killed in World War I (1888-1916)
 
Alan Stewart Paton
South African writer (1903-1988)
 
Alaric
king of the Visigoths who captured Rome in 410 (370-410)
 
alarmist
a person who alarms others needlessly
 
Alaskan
a native or resident of Alaska
 
Alaskan Native
a member or descendant of any of the aboriginal peoples of Alaska
 
Alban Berg
Austrian composer in Schoenberg's twelve-tone music system (1885-1935)
 
Albanian
a native or inhabitant of Albania
 
Alben William Barkley
United States politician and lawyer; vice president of the United States (1877-1956)
 
Albert Abraham Michelson
United States physicist (born in Germany) who collaborated with Morley in the Michelson-Morley experiment (1852-1931)
 
Albert Bruce Sabin
United States microbiologist (born in Poland) who developed the Sabin vaccine that is taken orally against poliomyelitis (born 1906)
 
Albert Camus
French writer who portrayed the human condition as isolated in an absurd world (1913-1960)
 
Albert Edward
King of England from 1901 to 1910; son of Victoria and Prince Albert; famous for his elegant sporting ways (1841-1910)
 
Albert Einstein
physicist born in Germany who formulated the special theory of relativity and the general theory of relativity; Einstein also proposed that light consists of discrete quantized bundles of energy (later called photons) (1879-1955)
 
Albert Francis Charles Augustus Emmanuel
prince consort of Queen Victoria of England (1819-1861)
 
Albert Gore Jr.
Vice President of the United States under Bill Clinton (born in 1948)
 
Albert Schweitzer
French philosopher and physician and organist who spent most of his life as a medical missionary in Gabon (1875-1965)
 
Albert Speer
German Nazi architect who worked for Hitler (1905-1981)
 
Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi
United States biochemist (born in Hungary) who was the first to isolate vitamin C (1893-1986)
 
Alberto Giacometti
Swiss sculptor and painter known for his bronze sculptures of elongated figures (1901-1966)
 
albino
a person with congenital albinism: white hair and milky skin; eyes are usually pink
 
Albino Luciano
the first Pope to assume a double name; he reigned for only 34 days (1912-1978)
 
Albrecht Durer
a leading German painter and engraver of the Renaissance (1471-1528)
 
Albrecht Eusebius Wenzel von Wallenstein
Austrian general who fought for the Hapsburgs during the Thirty Years' War (1583-1634)
 
Alcaeus
Greek lyric poet of Lesbos; reputed inventor of Alcaic verse (611-580 BC)
 
alcalde
a mayor or chief magistrate of a Spanish town
 
alchemist
one who was versed in the practice of alchemy and who sought an elixir of life and a panacea and an alkahest and the philosopher's stone
 
Alcibiades
ancient Athenian statesman and general in the Peloponnesian War (circa 450-404 BC)
 
alcoholic
a person who drinks alcohol to excess habitually
 
alderman
a member of a municipal legislative body (as a city council)
 
Aldous Leonard Huxley
English writer; grandson of Thomas Huxley who is remembered mainly for his depiction of a scientifically controlled utopia (1894-1963)
 
ale drinker
someone whose favorite drink is beer or ale
 
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok
Russian poet (1880-1921)
 
Aleksandr Feodorovich Kerensky
Russian revolutionary who was head of state after Nicholas II abdicated but was overthrown by the Bolsheviks (1881-1970)
 
Aleksandr Mikjailovich Prokhorov
Russian physicist whose research into ways of moving electrons around atoms led to the development of masers and lasers for producing high-intensity radiation (1916-2002)
 
Aleksandr Nikolayevich Scriabin
Russian composer of orchestral and piano music (1872-1915)
 
Aleksandr Pavlovich
the czar of Russia whose plans to liberalize the government of Russia were unrealized because of the wars with Napoleon (1777-1825)
 
Aleksandr Porfirevich Borodin
Russian composer (1833-1887)
 
Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin
Russian poet (1799-1837)
 
Aleksey Maksimovich Peshkov
Russian writer of plays and novels and short stories; noted for his depiction of social outcasts
 
Alessandro di Mariano dei Filipepi
Italian painter of mythological and religious paintings (1444-1510)
 
Alessandro Farnese
Italian pope from 1534 to 1549 who excommunicated Henry VIII of England in 1538 and initiated the Council of Trent in 1545; was active in the Counter Reformation and promoted the Society of Jesus for this purpose (1468-1549)
 
Alessandro Manzoni
Italian novelist and poet (1785-1873)
 
Aletta Jacobs
Dutch physician who opened the first birth control clinic in the world in Amsterdam (1854-1929)
 
Aleutian
a member of the people inhabiting the Aleutian Islands and southwestern Alaska
 
Alex Haley
United States writer and Afro-American who wrote a fictionalized account of tracing his family roots back to Africa (1921-1992)
 
Alexander Calder
United States sculptor who first created mobiles and stabiles (1898-1976)
 
Alexander Graham Bell
United States inventor (born in Scotland) of the telephone (1847-1922)
 
Alexander Hamilton
United States statesman and leader of the Federalists; as the first Secretary of the Treasury he establish a federal bank; was mortally wounded in a duel with Aaron Burr (1755-1804)
 
Alexander Isayevich Solzhenitsyn
Soviet writer and political dissident whose novels exposed the brutality of Soviet labor camps (born in 1918)
 
Alexander Melville Bell
a phonetician and father of Alexander Graham Bell (1819-1905)
 
Alexander Pope
English poet and satirist (1688-1744)
 
Alexander Selcraig
Scottish sailor who was put ashore on a deserted island off the coast of Chile for five years (providing the basis for Daniel Defoe's novel about Robinson Crusoe) (1676-1721)
 
Alexander the Great
king of Macedon; conqueror of Greece and Egypt and Persia; founder of Alexandria (356-323 BC)
 
Alexander the Liberator
the son of Nicholas I who, as czar of Russia, introduced reforms that included limited emancipation of the serfs (1818-1881)
 
Alexander Wilson
Scottish ornithologist in the United States (1766-1813)
 
Alexander Woollcott
United States drama critic and journalist (1887-1943)
 
Alexandre Dumas
French writer remembered for his swashbuckling historical tales (1802-1870)
 
Alexandre Emile Jean Yersin
French bacteriologist born in Switzerland; was a student of Pasteur; discovered the plague bacillus (1863-1943)
 
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel
French engineer who constructed the Eiffel Tower (1832-1923)
 
Alexandrian
a resident or native of Alexandria (especially Alexandria in Egypt)
 
alexic
a person with alexia
 
Alexis Carrel
French surgeon and biologist who developed a way to suture and graft blood vessels (1873-1944)
 
Alexis Charles Henri Maurice de Tocqueville
French political writer noted for his analysis of American institutions (1805-1859)
 
Alfonso Borgia
Italian pope whose nepotism put the Borgia family in power in Italy (1378-1458)
 
Alfred Alistair Cooke
United States journalist (born in England in 1908)
 
Alfred Bernhard Nobel
Swedish chemist remembered for his invention of dynamite and for the bequest that created the Nobel prizes (1833-1896)
 
Alfred Binet
French psychologist remembered for his studies of the intellectual development of children (1857-1911)
 
Alfred Charles Kinsey
United States zoologist best known for his interview studies of sexual behavior (1894-1956)
 
Alfred Charles William Harmsworth
British newspaper publisher (1865-1922)
 
Alfred Damon Runyon
United States writer of humorous stylized stories about Broadway and the New York underground (1884-1946)
 
Alfred Dreyfus
French army officer of Jewish descent whose false imprisonment for treason in 1894 raised issues of anti-Semitism that dominated French politics until his release in 1906 (1859-1935)
 
Alfred Edward Housman
English poet (1859-1936)
 
Alfred Edward Woodley Mason
English writer (1865-1948)
 
Alfred Eisenstaedt
United States photographer (born in Germany) whose unposed documentary photographs created photojournalism (born in 1898)
 
Alfred Habdank Skarbek Korzybski
United States semanticist (born in Poland) (1879-1950)
 
Alfred Hawthorne
risque English comedian (1925-1992)
 
Alfred Joseph Hitchcock
English film director noted for his skill in creating suspense (1899-1980)
 
Alfred Kastler
French physicist (1902-1984)
 
Alfred Krupp
German arms manufacturer and son of Friedrich Krupp; his firm provided ordnance for German armies from the 1840s through World War II (1812-1887)
 
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Englishman and Victorian poet (1809-1892)
 
Alfred Lothar Wegener
German geophysicist who proposed the theory of continental drift (1880-1930)
 
Alfred Louis Kroeber
United States anthropologist noted for his studies of culture (1876-1960)
 
Alfred Lunt
United States actor who performed with his wife Lynn Fontanne in many stage productions (1893-1977)
 
Alfred North Whitehead
English philosopher and mathematician who collaborated with Bertrand Russell (1861-1947)
 
Alfred Noyes
English poet (1880-1958)
 
Alfred Russel Wallace
English naturalist who formulated a concept of evolution that resembled Charles Darwin's (1823-1913)
 
Alfred Stieglitz
United States photographer (1864-1946)
 
Alfred Thayer Mahan
United States naval officer and historian (1840-1914)
 
Alfred the Great
king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)
 
algebraist
a mathematician whose specialty is algebra
 
Algerian
a native or inhabitant of Algeria
 
Algernon Charles Swinburne
English poet (1837-1909)
 
Algonkian
a member of a North American Indian people in the Ottawa river valley of Ontario and Quebec
 
Algonquian
a member of any of the North American Indian groups speaking an Algonquian language and originally living in the subarctic regions of eastern Canada; many Algonquian tribes migrated south into the woodlands from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast
 
Ali
the fourth caliph of Islam who is considered to be the first caliph by Shiites; he was a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad; after his assassination Islam was divided into Shiite and Sunnite sects
 
Ali Baba
the fictional woodcutter who discovered that `open sesame' opened a cave in the Arabian Nights' Entertainment
 
Alice B. Toklas
United States writer remembered as the secretary and companion of Gertrude Stein (1877-1967)
 
Alice Hamilton
United States toxicologist known for her work on industrial poisons (1869-1970)
 
Alice Malsenior Walker
United States writer (born in 1944)
 
Alice Paul
United States feminist (1885-1977)
 
Alice-Josephine Pons
United States coloratura soprano (born in France) (1904-1976)
 
Alicia Alonso
Cuban dancer and choreographer (born in 1921)
 
alien absconder
a fugitive remaining in the United States after an immigration judge has ordered them deported
 
alien
a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
 
alien
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
 
alienator
an unpleasant person who causes friendly people to become indifferent or unfriendly or hostile
 
alienee
someone to whom the title of property is transferred
 
alienist
a psychiatrist and specialist in the legal aspects of mental illness
 
alienor
someone from whom the title of property is transferred
 
aliterate
a person who can read but is disinclined to derive information from literary sources
 
all arounder
a versatile person who is expert at many things
 
Alla Nazimova
United States actress (born in Russia) (1879-1945)
 
allayer
a person who reduces the intensity (e.g., of fears) and calms and pacifies
 
allegoriser
someone who communicates in allegories
 
Allen Ginsberg
United States poet of the beat generation (1926-1997)
 
Allen Stewart Konigsberg
United States filmmaker and comic actor (1935-)
 
allergist
a physician skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies
 
alleviator
a therapist who makes suffering more endurable
 
alliterator
a speaker or writer who makes use of alliteration
 
allocator
a person with authority to allot or deal out or apportion
 
ally
an associate who provides cooperation or assistance
 
almoner
an official in a British hospital who looks after the social and material needs of the patients
 
Almoravid
a member of a Muslim dynasty of Berber warriors that flourished from 1049 to 1145 and that established political dominance over northwestern Africa and Spain
 
almsgiver
a person who gives alms
 
Aloys Senefelder
German printer who invented lithography (1771-1834)
 
alphabetiser
a literate person who can arrange items in alphabetical order
 
Alphonse Bertillon
French criminologist (1853-1914)
 
Alphonse Capone
United States gangster who terrorized Chicago during prohibition until arrested for tax evasion (1899-1947)
 
alpinist
a mountain climber who specializes in difficult climbs
 
Alsatian
a native or inhabitant of Alsace
 
also-ran
a contestant who loses the contest
 
Altaic
any member of the peoples speaking a language in the Altaic language group
 
altar boy
a boy serving as an acolyte
 
alter ego
a very close and trusted friend who seems almost a part of yourself
 
alternate
someone who takes the place of another person
 
Althea Gibson
United States tennis player who was the first Black woman player to win all the major world singles titles (1927-2003)
 
alto
a singer whose voice lies in the alto clef
 
alto saxophonist
a musician who plays the alto saxophone
 
Alton Glenn Miller
United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)
 
altruist
someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being
 
alum
a person who has received a degree from a school (high school or college or university)
 
Alvin Ailey
United States choreographer noted for his use of African elements (born in 1931)
 
amah
a female domestic
 
amah
a woman hired to suckle a child of someone else
 
amalgamator
a businessman who arranges an amalgamation of two or more commercial companies
 
Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin
French writer known for works concerning women's rights and independence (1804-1876)
 
amanuensis
someone skilled in the transcription of speech (especially dictation)
 
amateur
someone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime
 
amateur
an athlete who does not play for pay
 
amazon
a large strong and aggressive woman
 
ambassador
an informal representative
 
ambassador
a diplomat of the highest rank; accredited as representative from one country to another
 
ambassadress
a woman ambassador
 
ambler
someone who walks at a leisurely pace
 
Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti
pope who signed a treaty with Mussolini recognizing the Vatican City as an independent state (1857-1939)
 
Ambrose Everett Burnside
United States general in the American Civil War who was defeated by Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Fredericksburg (1824-1881)
 
Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
United States writer of caustic wit (1842-1914)
 
ambulance chaser
an unethical lawyer who incites accident victims to sue
 
ambusher
an attacker who waits in a concealed position to launch a surprise attack
 
Amedeo Avogadro
Italian physicist noted for his work on gases; proposed what has come to be called Avogadro's law (1776-1856)
 
Amedeo Modigliano
Italian painter and sculptor (1884-1920)
 
ameer
an independent ruler or chieftain (especially in Africa or Arabia)
 
Amelia Earhart
first woman aviator to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic (1928); while attempting to fly around the world she disappeared over the Pacific (1898-1937)
 
Amenhotep IV
early ruler of Egypt who rejected the old gods and replaced them with sun worship (died in 1358 BC)
 
American
a native or inhabitant of a North American or Central American or South American country
 
American
a native or inhabitant of the United States
 
American Revolutionary leader
a nationalist leader in the American Revolution and in the creation of the United States
 
Americus Vespucius
Florentine navigator who explored the coast of South America; America was named in his honor (1454-1512)
 
Amhara
a member of the Semitic speaking people of northern Ethiopia
 
amicus curiae
an adviser to the court on some matter of law who is not a party to the case; usually someone who wants to influence the outcome of a lawsuit involving matters of wide public interest
 
amigo
a friend or comrade
 
Amish
an American follower of the Mennonite religion
 
amnesiac
a person suffering from amnesia
 
amora
one of a group of rabbis (active AD 250-500) who discussed the Mishnaic law in the law schools of Palestine and Mesopotamia where they explained and applied earlier teachings and whose discussions are recorded in the Talmud; they emphasized the study of Torah and the importance of personal action and the fulfillment of the commandments
 
amoralist
someone who adheres to the doctrine that ordinary moral distinctions are invalid
 
amorist
one dedicated to love and lovemaking especially one who writes about love
 
Amos
a Hebrew shepherd and minor prophet
 
amputator
a surgeon who removes part or all of a limb
 
amputee
someone who has had a limb removed by amputation
 
Amy Lowell
United States poet (1874-1925)
 
Anabaptist
adherent of Anabaptism
 
anachronism
a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another age
 
anaesthetist
a specialist who administers an anesthetic to a patient before he is treated
 
anagnost
a cleric in the minor orders of the Eastern Orthodox Church who reads the lessons aloud in the liturgy (analogous to the lector in the Roman Catholic Church)
 
analogist
someone who looks for analogies or who reasons by analogy
 
analphabet
an illiterate person who does not know the alphabet
 
analysand
a person undergoing psychoanalysis
 
analyst
someone who is skilled at analyzing data
 
analyst
an expert who studies financial data (on credit or securities or sales or financial patterns etc.) and recommends appropriate business actions
 
analyst
a licensed practitioner of psychoanalysis
 
Ananias
a habitual liar (after a New Testament character who was struck dead for lying)
 
anarchist
an advocate of anarchism
 
Anasazi
a Native American who lived in what is now southern Colorado and Utah and northern Arizona and New Mexico and who built cliff dwellings
 
anathema
a detested person
 
Anatoli Yevgenevich Karpov
Russian chess master who was world champion from 1975 until 1985 when he was defeated by Gary Kasparov (born in 1951)
 
anatomist
an expert in anatomy
 
Anaxagoras
a presocratic Athenian philosopher who maintained that everything is composed of very small particles that were arranged by some eternal intelligence (500-428 BC)
 
Anaximander
a presocratic Greek philosopher and student of Thales who believed the universal substance to be infinity rather than something resembling ordinary objects (611-547 BC)
 
Anaximenes
a presocratic Greek philosopher and associate of Anaximander who believed that all things are made of air in different degrees of density (6th century BC)
 
ancestor
someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
 
ancestress
a woman ancestor
 
anchor
a television reporter who coordinates a broadcast to which several correspondents contribute
 
anchorite
one retired from society for religious reasons
 
ancient
a person who lived in ancient times
 
ancient
a very old person
 
Anders Celsius
Swedish astronomer who devised the centigrade thermometer (1701-1744)
 
Andorran
a native or inhabitant of Andorra
 
Andre Derain
French painter and exponent of fauvism (1880-1954)
 
Andre Eglevsky
United States ballet dancer (born in Russia) (1917-1977)
 
Andre Le Notre
French landscape gardener who designed many formal gardens including the parks of Versailles (1613-1700)
 
Andre Maginot
French politician who proposed the Maginot Line (1877-1932)
 
Andre Malraux
French novelist (1901-1976)
 
Andre Maurois
French writer best known for his biographies (1885-1967)
 
Andre Paul Guillaume Gide
French author and dramatist who is regarded as the father of modern French literature (1869-1951)
 
Andre Weil
United States mathematician (born in France) (1906-1998)
 
Andrea Guarneri
founder of a family of Italian violin makers (1626?-1698)
 
Andrea Mantegna
Italian painter and engraver noted for his frescoes (1431-1506)
 
Andrea Palladio
highly original and much imitated Italian architect (1508-1580)
 
Andreas Vesalius
a Flemish surgeon who is considered the father of modern anatomy (1514-1564)
 
Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko
Soviet ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations (1909-1989)
 
Andrei Arsenevich Tarkovsky
Russian filmmaker (1932-1986)
 
Andrei Dimitrievich Sakharov
Soviet physicist and dissident; helped develop the first Russian hydrogen bomb; advocated nuclear disarmament and campaigned for human rights (1921-1989)
 
Andrei Markov
Russian mathematician (1856-1922)
 
Andrei Voznesenski
Russian poet (born in 1933)
 
Andres Segovia
Spanish guitarist who made classical guitar a concert instrument (1893-1987)
 
Andrew Carnegie
United States industrialist and philanthropist who endowed education and public libraries and research trusts (1835-1919)
 
Andrew Dickson White
United States educator who in 1865 (with Ezra Cornell) founded Cornell University and served as its first president (1832-1918)
 
Andrew Fielding Huxley
English physiologist who, with Alan Hodgkin, discovered the role of potassium and sodium ions in the transmission of the nerve impulse (born in 1917)
 
Andrew Jackson
7th president of the US; successfully defended New Orleans from the British in 1815; expanded the power of the presidency (1767-1845)
 
Andrew Jackson Downing
United States landscape architect who designed the grounds of the White House and the Capitol Building (1815-1852)
 
Andrew Marvell
English poet (1621-1678)
 
Andrew William Mellon
United States financier and philanthropist (1855-1937)
 
Andrew Wyeth
United States painter (born in 1917)
 
Andrija Mohorovicic
Yugoslav geophysicist for whom the Mohorovicic discontinuity was named (1857-1936)
 
androgyne
one having both male and female sexual characteristics and organs; at birth an unambiguous assignment of male or female cannot be made
 
Andrzej Wajda
Polish filmmaker (born in 1929)
 
Andy Warhol
United States artist who was a leader of the Pop Art movement (1930-1987)
 
anecdotist
a person skilled in telling anecdotes
 
angel
invests in a theatrical production
 
angel
person of exceptional holiness
 
Angelo Correr
the Italian pope from 1406 to 1415 who worked to end the Great Schism and who retired to make it possible (1327-1417)
 
Angelo Guiseppe Roncalli
Italian pope from 1958 to 1963 who convoked the Second Vatican Council (1881-1963)
 
Angevine
a resident of Anjou
 
angiologist
a physician who specializes in angiology
 
Angle
a member of a Germanic people who conquered England and merged with the Saxons and Jutes to become Anglo-Saxons
 
angler
a scheming person; someone who schemes to gain an advantage
 
angler
a fisherman who uses a hook and line
 
Anglican
a Protestant who is a follower of Anglicanism
 
Anglican Catholic
a member of the Anglican Church who emphasizes its Catholic character
 
Anglo-American
an American who was born in Britain or one whose ancestors were British
 
Anglo-Indian
a person of English citizenship born or living in India
 
Anglo-Saxon
a native or inhabitant of England prior to the Norman Conquest
 
Anglo-Saxon
a person of Anglo-Saxon (especially British) descent whose native tongue is English and whose culture is strongly influenced by English culture as in WASP for `White Anglo-Saxon Protestant'
 
anglophil
an admirer of England and things English
 
anglophobe
a person who hates England and everything English
 
Angolan
a native or inhabitant of Angola
 
Angolese
a member of the Bantu tribes resident in Angola
 
Anguillan
a native or inhabitant of the island of Anguilla in the West Indies
 
Angus Frank Johnstone Wilson
English writer of novels and short stories (1913-1991)
 
Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
a Roman who was an early Christian philosopher and statesman who was executed for treason; Boethius had a decisive influence on medieval logic (circa 480-524)
 
animal fancier
a person who breeds animals
 
animal scientist
a specialist in the branch of biology dealing with animals
 
animal stuffer
a craftsman who stuffs and mounts the skins of animals for display
 
animal trainer
one who trains or exhibits animals
 
animator
the technician who produces animated cartoons
 
animator
someone who imparts energy and vitality and spirit to other people
 
animist
one who accepts the doctrine of animism
 
Anna Amalia Mercouri
Greek film actress (1925-1994)
 
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt
wife of Franklin Roosevelt and a strong advocate of human rights (1884-1962)
 
Anna Howard Shaw
United States physician and suffragist (1847-1919)
 
Anna Mary Robertson Moses
United States painter of colorful and primitive rural scenes (1860-1961)
 
Anna Pavlova
Russian ballerina (1882-1931)
 
annalist
a historian who writes annals
 
Anne
Queen of England and Scotland and Ireland; daughter if James II and the last of the Stuart monarchs; in 1707 she was the last English ruler to exercise the royal veto over parliament (1665-1714)
 
Anne Boleyn
the second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I; was executed on a charge of adultery (1507-1536)
 
Anne Bronte
English novelist; youngest of three Bronte sisters (1820-1849)
 
Anne Dudley Bradstreet
poet in colonial America (born in England) (1612-1672)
 
Anne Hathaway
wife of William Shakespeare (1556-1623)
 
Anne Hutchinson
American colonist (born in England) who was banished from Boston for her religious views (1591-1643)
 
Anne Mansfield Sullivan
United States educator who was the teacher and lifelong companion of Helen Keller (1866-1936)
 
Anne Robert Jacques Turgot
French economist who in 1774 was put in control of finances by Louis XVI; his proposals for reforms that involved abolishing feudal privileges made him unpopular with the aristocracy and in 1776 he was dismissed (1727-1781)
 
Anne Sexton
United States poet (1928-1974)
 
Annie Oakley
United States sharpshooter who was featured in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (1860-1926)
 
annihilator
a total destroyer
 
annotator
a commentator who writes notes to a text
 
announcer
reads news, commercials on radio or television
 
announcer
someone who proclaims a message publicly
 
annoyer
someone given to teasing (as by mocking or stirring curiosity)
 
annuitant
the recipient of an annuity
 
anointer
one who anoints as a religious ceremony
 
anomalist
someone who has a special interest in exceptional cases
 
anomaly
a person who is unusual
 
anorectic
a person suffering from anorexia nervosa
 
answerer
someone who responds
 
antediluvian
any of the early patriarchs who lived prior to the Noachian deluge
 
anthologist
an editor who makes selections for an anthology
 
Anthony Burgess
English writer of satirical novels (1917-1993)
 
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair
British statesman who became prime minister in 1997 (born in 1953)
 
Anthony Comstock
United States reformer who led moral crusades against art and literature that he considered obscene (1844-1915)
 
Anthony Trollope
English writer of novels (1815-1882)
 
anthropoid
person who resembles a nonhuman primate
 
anthropologist
a social scientist who specializes in anthropology
 
anthropophagite
a person who eats human flesh
 
anti
a person who is opposed (to an action or policy or practice etc.)
 
anti-American
a person who is opposed to the United States and its policies
 
anti-intellectual
a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
 
anti-Semite
someone who hates and would persecute Jews
 
Antichrist
(Christianity) the adversary of Christ (or Christianity) mentioned in the New Testament; the Antichrist will rule the world until overthrown by the Second Coming of Christ
 
anticipant
one who anticipates
 
antifeminist
someone who does not believe in the social or economic or political equality of men and women
 
Antigonus Cyclops
a general of Alexander the Great and king of Macedonia; lost one eye; killed in a battle at Ipsus (382-301 BC)
 
Antiguan
a native or inhabitant of Antigua
 
antinomian
a follower of the doctrine of antinomianism
 
antipope
someone who is elected pope in opposition to another person who is held to be canonically elected
 
antiquarian
an expert or collector of antiquities
 
antique
an elderly man
 
Antoine Domino
United States rhythm and blues pianist and singer and composer (born in 1928)
 
Antoine Henri Becquerel
French physicist who discovered that rays emitted by uranium salts affect photographic plates (1852-1908)
 
Antoine Laurent de Jussieu
French botanist who categorized plants into families and developed a system of plant classification (1748-1836)
 
Antoine Laurent Lavoisier
French chemist known as the father of modern chemistry; discovered oxygen and disproved the theory of phlogiston (1743-1794)
 
Anton Bruckner
Austrian organist and composer of romantic music (1824-1896)
 
Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein
Russian composer and pianist (1829-1894)
 
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
Russian dramatist whose plays are concerned with the difficulty of communication between people (1860-1904)
 
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
Dutch pioneer microscopist who was among the first to recognize cells in animals and who gave the first accurate descriptions of microbes and spermatozoa and blood corpuscles (1632-1723)
 
Antonin Dvorak
Czech composer who combined folk elements with traditional forms (1841-1904)
 
Antonio Allegri da Correggio
Italian painter noted for his use of chiaroscuro and perspective (1494-1534)
 
Antonio Gaudi i Cornet
Spanish architect who was a leading exponent of art nouveau in Europe (1852-1926)
 
Antonio Ghislieri
Italian pope from 1566 to 1572 who led the reformation of the Roman Catholic Church; he excommunicated Elizabeth I (1504-1572)
 
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Mexican general who tried to crush the Texas revolt and who lost battles to Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War (1795-1876)
 
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi
Italian baroque composer and violinist (1675-1741)
 
Antonio Pignatelli
Italian pope from 1691 to 1700 who abolished nepotism within the church hierarchy and was universally loved for his charity and piety
 
Antonius Pius
Emperor of Rome; adoptive son of Hadrian (86-161)
 
Antonius Stradivarius
Italian violin maker who developed the modern violin and created violins of unequaled tonal quality (1644?-1737)
 
Antony Tudor
United States dancer and choreographer (born in England) (1909-1987)
 
Anwar el-Sadat
Egyptian statesman who (as president of Egypt) negotiated a peace treaty with Menachem Begin (then prime minister of Israel) (1918-1981)
 
Anzac
a soldier in the Australian and New Zealand army corps during World War I
 
apache
a Parisian gangster
 
Apache
any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico); fought a losing battle from 1861 to 1886 with the United States and were resettled in Oklahoma
 
ape
someone who copies the words or behavior of another
 
ape-man
a person assumed to have been raised by apes
 
ape-man
hypothetical organism formerly thought to be intermediate between apes and human beings
 
aphakic
someone afflicted by aphakia; someone lacking the natural lenses of the eyes
 
aphasic
someone affected by aphasia or inability to use or understand language
 
aphorist
someone who formulates aphorisms or who repeats aphorisms
 
apiarist
a farmer who keeps bees for their honey
 
apologist
a person who argues to defend or justify some policy or institution
 
apostate
a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.
 
Apostelic Father
any important early teacher of Christianity or a Christian missionary to a people
 
apostle
an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform
 
Apostle
(New Testament) one of the original 12 disciples chosen by Christ to preach his gospel
 
Apostle of Germany
(Roman Catholic Church) Anglo-Saxon missionary who was sent to Frisia and Germany to spread the Christian faith; was martyred in Frisia (680-754)
 
Apostle of the Gentiles
(New Testament) a Christian missionary to the Gentiles; author of several Epistles in the New Testament; even though Paul was not present at the Last Supper he is considered an Apostle
 
apostolic delegate
(Roman Catholic Church) a representative of the Holy See in a country that has no formal diplomatic relations with it
 
apothecary
a health professional trained in the art of preparing and dispensing drugs
 
apotheosis
model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
 
Appalachian
a native or inhabitant of Appalachia
 
apparatchik
a communist who was a member of the administrative system of a communist party
 
apparatchik
a humorous but derogatory term for an official of a large organization (especially a political organization)
 
appeaser
someone who tries to bring peace by acceding to demands
 
appellant
the party who appeals a decision of a lower court
 
applauder
someone who applauds
 
apple polisher
someone who humbles himself as a sign of respect; who behaves as if he had no self-respect
 
applicant
a person who requests or seeks something such as assistance or employment or admission
 
applied scientist
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
 
appointee
an official who is appointed
 
appointee
a person who is appointed to a job or position
 
appraiser
one who determines authenticity (as of works of art) or who guarantees validity
 
appraiser
one who estimates officially the worth or value or quality of things
 
appreciator
a person who is fully aware of something and understands it
 
apprehender
a person who seizes or arrests (especially a person who seizes or arrests in the name of justice)
 
apprehender
a person who knows or apprehends
 
apprentice
works for an expert to learn a trade
 
appropriator
someone who takes for his or her own use (especially without permission)
 
approver
an authority with power to approve
 
April fool
the butt of a prank played on April 1st
 
aquanaut
a skilled worker who can live in underwater installations and participate in scientific research
 
aquanaut
an underwater swimmer equipped with a face mask and foot fins and either a snorkel or an air cylinder
 
Arab chief
the leader of an Arab village or family
 
Arabian
a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa
 
Arabist
a scholar who specializes in Arab languages and culture
 
Aram Ilich Khachaturian
Russian composer (born in Armenia) whose works are romantic and reflect his interest in folk music (1903-1978)
 
Aram Kachaturian
Armenian composer who incorporated oriental folk music (1903-1978)
 
Aramaean
a member of one of a group of Semitic peoples inhabiting Aram and parts of Mesopotamia from the 11th to the 8th century BC
 
Arapahoe
a member of a tribe of Plains Indians formerly inhabiting eastern Colorado and Wyoming (now living in Oklahoma and Wyoming)
 
Arawakan
a member of a widespread group of Amerindians living in northeastern South America
 
arb
someone who engages in arbitrage (who purchases securities in one market for immediate resale in another in the hope of profiting from the price differential)
 
arbiter
someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue
 
arbiter
someone with the power to settle matters at will
 
arboriculturist
someone trained in forestry
 
arborist
a specialist in treating damaged trees
 
Arcadian
an inhabitant of Arcadia
 
Arcangelo Corelli
Italian violinist and composer of violin concertos (1653-1713)
 
archaeologist
an anthropologist who studies prehistoric people and their culture
 
archaist
a person who archaizes
 
archbishop
a bishop of highest rank
 
archdeacon
(Anglican Church) an ecclesiastical dignitary usually ranking just below a bishop
 
archduchess
a wife or widow of an archduke or a princess of the former ruling house of Austria
 
archduke
a sovereign prince of the former ruling house of Austria
 
archer
a person who is expert in the use of a bow and arrow
 
Archibald MacLeish
United States poet (1892-1982)
 
Archibald Percival Wavell
British field marshal in North Africa in World War II; he defeated the Italians before being defeated by the Germans (1883-1950)
 
Archimedes
Greek mathematician and physicist noted for his work in hydrostatics and mechanics and geometry (287-212 BC)
 
architect
someone who creates plans to be used in making something (such as buildings)
 
archivist
a person in charge of collecting and cataloguing archives
 
archpriest
a senior clergyman and dignitary
 
Areopagite
a member of the council of the Areopagus
 
Argentinian
a native or inhabitant of Argentina
 
Argive
a native or inhabitant of the city of Argos
 
argonaut
someone engaged in a dangerous but potentially rewarding adventure
 
arguer
someone who engages in debate
 
arianist
an adherent of Arianism (the belief that Jesus Christ was not truly God)
 
Aries
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Aries
 
Arikara
a member of the Caddo people who formerly lived in the Dakotas west of the Missouri river
 
Aristarchus
an ancient Greek grammarian remembered for his commentary on the Iliad and Odyssey (circa 217-145 BC)
 
Aristarchus of Samos
an ancient Greek astronomer who was one of the first to propose a heliocentric theory of the universe (circa 270 BC)
 
Aristide Maillol
French sculptor of monumental female nudes (1861-1944)
 
aristocrat
a member of the aristocracy
 
Aristophanes
an ancient Greek dramatist remembered for his comedies (448-380 BC)
 
Aristotelian
a follower of Aristotle or an adherent of Aristotelianism
 
Aristotle
one of the greatest of the ancient Athenian philosophers; pupil of Plato; teacher of Alexander the Great (384-322 BC)
 
arithmetician
someone who specializes in arithmetic
 
Arius
a Greek who was a Christian theologian active in Alexandria and who was declared a heretic for his doctrines about God (which came to be known as Arianism) (256?-336)
 
Arizonian
a native or resident of Arizona
 
Arkansawyer
a native or resident of Arkansas
 
Armand Jean du Plessis
French prelate and statesman; principal minister to Louis XIII (1585-1642)
 
armchair liberal
a person of liberal ideals who takes no action to realize them
 
Armenian
a native or inhabitant of Armenia
 
armiger
a nobleman entitled to bear heraldic arms
 
armiger
a squire carrying the armor of a knight
 
Arminian
adherent of Arminianism
 
Arminius
German hero; leader at the battle of Teutoburger Wald in AD 9 (circa 18 BC - AD 19)
 
armorer
a worker skilled in making armor or arms
 
armorer
an enlisted man responsible for the upkeep of small arms and machine guns etc.
 
arms manufacturer
someone who manufactures arms and munitions
 
arms-runner
a smuggler of guns
 
army attache
a military attache who is a commissioned or warrant officer in an army
 
army brat
the child of a career officer of the United States Army
 
army engineer
a member of the military who is trained in engineering and construction work
 
army officer
an officer in the armed forces
 
Arna Wendell Bontemps
United States writer (1902-1973)
 
Arnold Daniel Palmer
United States golfer (born in 1929)
 
Arnold Joseph Toynbee
English historian who studied the rise and fall of civilizations looking for cyclical patterns (1889-1975)
 
Arnold Lucius Gesell
United States psychologist noted for his work in child development (1880-1961)
 
Arnold of Brescia
Italian theologian who censured the worldly possessions of monks and the temporal power of bishops and was condemned for dogmatic errors by the Second Lateran Council (early 12th century)
 
Arnold Schoenberg
United States composer and musical theorist (born in Austria) who developed atonal composition (1874-1951)
 
arouser
someone who rouses others from sleep
 
arranger
a person who brings order and organization to an enterprise
 
arrival
someone who arrives (or has arrived)
 
arriviste
a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class
 
arrogator
a person who through conceit makes pretentious claims to rights or advantages that he or she is not entitled to or to qualities that he or she does not possess
 
arrowsmith
a maker of arrows
 
arsonist
a criminal who illegally sets fire to property
 
art critic
a critic of paintings
 
art dealer
a dealer in works of art requiring esthetic evaluation
 
art director
the director in charge of the artistic features of a theatrical production (costumes and scenery and lighting)
 
art editor
an editor who is responsible for illustrations and layouts in printed matter
 
art historian
a historian of art
 
art student
someone studying to be an artist
 
art teacher
someone who teaches art
 
Artaxerxes I
king of Persia who sanctioned the practice of Judaism in Jerusalem (?-424 BC)
 
Artaxerxes II
king of Persia who subdued numerous revolutions and made peace with Sparta (?-359 BC)
 
arthritic
a person afflicted with arthritis
 
Arthur Edwin Kennelly
United States electrical engineer noted for his work on the theory of alternating currents; independently of Oliver Heaviside he discovered the existence of an atmospheric layer that reflects radio waves back to earth (1861-1939)
 
Arthur Fiedler
popular United States conductor (1894-1979)
 
Arthur Garfield Hays
United States lawyer involved in several famous court trials (1881-1954)
 
Arthur Holly Compton
United States physicist noted for research on x-rays and gamma rays and nuclear energy; his observation that X-rays behave like miniature bowling balls in their interactions with electrons provided evidence for the quantal nature of light (1892-1962)
 
Arthur Holmes
English geologist and supporter of the theory of continental drift (1890-1965)
 
Arthur Honegger
Swiss composer (born in France) who was the founding member of a group in Paris that included Erik Satie and Darius Milhaud and Francis Poulenc and Jean Cocteau (1892-1955)
 
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky
United States clarinetist and leader of a swing band (1910-2004)
 
Arthur James Balfour
English statesman; member of the Conservative Party (1848-1930)
 
Arthur John Gielgud
English actor of Shakespearean roles who was also noted for appearances in films (1904-2000)
 
Arthur Koestler
British writer (born in Hungary) who wrote a novel exposing the Stalinist purges during the 1930s (1905-1983)
 
Arthur Laffer
United States economist who proposed the Laffer curve (born in 1940)
 
Arthur Marx
United States comedian; one of four brothers who made motion pictures together (1893-1964)
 
Arthur Meier Schlesinger
United States historian (1888-1965)
 
Arthur Meier Schlesinger Jr.
United States historian and advisor to President Kennedy (born in 1917)
 
Arthur Miller
United States playwright (1915-2005)
 
Arthur Mitchell
United States dancer who formed the first Black classical ballet company (born in 1934)
 
Arthur Neville Chamberlain
British statesman who as Prime Minister pursued a policy of appeasement toward fascist Germany (1869-1940)
 
Arthur Robert Ashe
United States tennis player who was the first Black to win United States and English singles championships (1943-1993)
 
Arthur Rubinstein
United States pianist (born in Poland) known for his interpretations of the music of Chopin (1886-1982)
 
Arthur Schopenhauer
German pessimist philosopher (1788-1860)
 
Arthur Seymour Sullivan
English composer of operettas who collaborated with the librettist William Gilbert (1842-1900)
 
Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel
United States slapstick comedian (born in England) who played the scatterbrained and often tearful member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1890-1965)
 
Arthur Symons
English poet (1865-1945)
 
Arthur Tappan
United States abolitionist (1786-1865)
 
Arthur Tatum
United States jazz pianist who was almost completely blind; his innovations influenced many other jazz musicians (1910-1956)
 
articulator
someone who pronounces words
 
artificer
a skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft
 
artificer
someone who is the first to think of or make something
 
artilleryman
a serviceman in the artillery
 
artist's model
a person who poses for a painter or sculptor
 
artist
a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
 
artiste
a public performer (a dancer or singer)
 
Artur Schnabel
United States composer (born in Austria) and pianist noted for his interpretations of the works of Mozart and Beethoven and Schubert (1882-1951)
 
Arturo Toscanini
Italian conductor of many orchestras worldwide (1867-1957)
 
Aryan
(according to Nazi doctrine) a Caucasian person of Nordic descent (and not a Jew)
 
Asa Gray
United States botanist who specialized in North American flora and who was an early supporter of Darwin's theories of evolution (1810-1888)
 
Asa Yoelson
United States singer (born in Russia) who appeared in the first full-length talking film (1886-1950)
 
Asanga
Indian religious leader and founder of the Yogacara school of Buddhism in India (4th century)
 
Asaph Hall
United States astronomer who discovered Phobos and Deimos (the two satellites of Mars) (1829-1907)
 
ascender
someone who ascends
 
Ashkenazi
a Jew of eastern European or German descent
 
Ashley Montagu
United States anthropologist (born in England) who popularized anthropology (1905-)
 
Asian American
an American who is of Asian descent
 
Asiatic
a native or inhabitant of Asia
 
asker
someone who asks a question
 
aspirant
an ambitious and aspiring young person
 
ass
a pompous fool
 
ass-kisser
a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
 
Assamese
native or inhabitant of the state of Assam in northeastern India
 
assassin
a member of a secret order of Muslims (founded in the 12th century) who terrorized and killed Christian Crusaders
 
assassin
a murderer (especially one who kills a prominent political figure) who kills by a surprise attack and often is hired to do the deed
 
assayer
an analyst who assays (performs chemical tests on) metals
 
assemblyman
someone who is a member of a legislative assembly
 
assemblywoman
a woman assemblyman
 
assenter
a person who assents
 
assessee
a person (or property) that is assessed
 
assessor
an official who evaluates property for the purpose of taxing it
 
assignee
(law) the party to whom something is assigned (e.g., someone to whom a right or property is legally transferred)
 
assignor
(law) the party who makes an assignment
 
assimilator
someone (especially a child) who learns (as from a teacher) or takes up knowledge or beliefs
 
assistant foreman
a member of a work gang who supervises the other workers
 
assistant professor
a teacher or lower rank than an associate professor
 
assistant
a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
 
associate
a person who joins with others in some activity or endeavor
 
associate
a person with subordinate membership in a society, institution, or commercial enterprise
 
associate professor
a teacher lower in rank than a full professor but higher than an assistant professor
 
associate
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
 
Assurbanipal
king of Assyria who built a magnificent palace and library at Nineveh (668-627 BC)
 
Assyrian
an inhabitant of ancient Assyria
 
asthmatic
a person suffering from asthma
 
astrogator
the navigator of a spacecraft
 
astrologer
someone who predicts the future by the positions of the planets and sun and Moon
 
astronaut
a person trained to travel in a spacecraft
 
astronomer
a physicist who studies astronomy
 
astrophysicist
an astronomer who studies the physical properties of celestial bodies
 
Athabaskan
a member of any of the North American Indian groups speaking an Athapaskan language and living in the subarctic regions of western Canada and central Alaska
 
Athanasius the Great
(Roman Catholic Church) Greek patriarch of Alexandria who championed Christian orthodoxy against Arianism; a church father, saint, and Doctor of the Church (293-373)
 
atheist
someone who does not believe in the existence of a god
 
Athelstan
the first Saxon ruler who extended his kingdom to include nearly all of England (895-939)
 
Athenian
a resident of Athens
 
athlete
a person trained to compete in sports
 
Athol Fugard
South African playwright whose plays feature the racial tensions in South Africa during apartheid (born in 1932)
 
Atsugewi
a member of a North American Indian people of northern California
 
Attacapan
a member of an Indian people formerly living along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas
 
attache
a specialist assigned to the staff of a diplomatic mission
 
attempter
one who tries
 
attendant
a person who is present and participates in a meeting
 
attendant
someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another
 
attender
someone who listens attentively
 
attestant
(law) a person who attests to the genuineness of a document or signature by adding their own signature
 
attestant
someone who affirms or vouches for the correctness or truth or genuineness of something
 
attorney general
the chief law officer of a country or state
 
attorney
a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
 
attracter
an entertainer who attracts large audiences
 
au pair
a young foreigner who lives with a family in return for doing light housework
 
au pair girl
a foreign girl serving as an au pair
 
auctioneer
an agent who conducts an auction
 
audile
one whose mental imagery is auditory rather than visual or motor
 
auditor
a qualified accountant who inspects the accounting records and practices of a business or other organization
 
auditor
a student who attends a course but does not take it for credit
 
augur
(ancient Rome) a religious official who interpreted omens to guide public policy
 
August Ferdinand Mobius
German mathematician responsible for the Mobius strip (1790-1868)
 
August Friedrich Leopold Weismann
German biologist who was one of the founders of modern genetics; his theory of genetic transmission ruled out the possibility of transmitting acquired characteristics (1834-1914)
 
August von Wassermann
German bacteriologist who developed a diagnostic test for syphilis (1866-1925)
 
August Wilhelm von Hoffmann
German chemist (1818-1892)
 
Augustin Eugene Scribe
French playwright (1791-1861)
 
Augustin Jean Fresnel
French physicist who invented polarized light and invented the Fresnel lens (1788-1827)
 
Augustine of Hippo
(Roman Catholic Church) one of the great Fathers of the early Christian church; after a dramatic conversion to Christianity he became bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa; St. Augustine emphasized man's need for grace (354-430)
 
Augustinian
a Roman Catholic friar or monk belonging to one of the Augustinian monastic orders
 
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin
English architect who played a prominent role in the 19th century revival of Gothic architecture (1812-1852)
 
aunt
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
 
Austin Friar
one of the Roman Catholic hermits of Saint Augustine
 
Australian
a native or inhabitant of Australia
 
Australian Aborigine
a member of the people living in Australia when Europeans arrived
 
Austrian
a native or inhabitant of Austria
 
Austronesian
a native or inhabitant of Austronesia
 
auteur
a filmmaker who has a personal style and keeps creative control over his or her works
 
author
someone who originates or causes or initiates something
 
author
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
 
authoress
a woman author
 
authoriser
an authority who authorizes (people or actions)
 
authoritarian
a person who behaves in a tyrannical manner
 
authority
an expert whose views are taken as definitive
 
authority
(usually plural) persons who exercise (administrative) control over others
 
authority figure
someone who is regarded as an authority by someone else
 
auto-mechanic
someone whose occupation is repairing and maintaining automobiles
 
autobiographer
someone who writes their own biography
 
autochthon
the earliest known inhabitants of a region
 
autocrat
a cruel and oppressive dictator
 
autodidact
a person who has taught himself
 
automaton
someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way
 
automobile driver
someone who drives racing cars at high speeds
 
automobilist
someone who drives (or travels in) an automobile
 
automotive engineer
an engineer concerned with the design and construction of automobiles
 
avatar
a new personification of a familiar idea
 
avenger
someone who takes vengeance
 
avower
someone who admits or acknowledges openly and boldly
 
AWOL
one who is away or absent without leave
 
ayah
(in India) a native nursemaid who looks after children
 
ayatollah
a high-ranking Shiite religious leader who is regarded as an authority on religious law and its interpretation and who has political power as well
 
Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini
Iranian religious leader of the Shiites; when Shah Pahlavi's regime fell Khomeini established a new constitution giving himself supreme powers (1900-1989)
 
Ayn Rand
United States writer (born in Russia) noted for her polemical novels and political conservativism (1905-1982)
 
Azerbaijani
a native or inhabitant of Azerbaijan
 
Aztec
a member of the Nahuatl people who established an empire in Mexico that was overthrown by Cortes in 1519
 
B-girl
a woman employed by a bar to act as a companion to men customers
 
baas
South African term for `boss'
 
babbler
an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker
 
babe
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
 
baboo
used as a Hindi courtesy title; equivalent to English `Mr'
 
baby
the youngest member of a group (not necessarily young)
 
baby boomer
a member of the baby boom generation in the 1950s
 
baby buster
a person born in the generation following the baby boom when the birth rate fell dramatically
 
baby doctor
a specialist in the care of babies
 
baby farmer
someone who runs an establishment that houses and cares for babies for a fee
 
baby minder
a person who looks after babies (usually in the person's own home) while the babys' parents are working
 
baby
an immature childish person
 
Babylonian
an inhabitant of ancient Babylon
 
babysitter
a person engaged to care for children when the parents are not home
 
bacchanal
a drunken reveller; a devotee of Bacchus
 
bacchanal
someone who engages in drinking bouts
 
bacchant
(classical mythology) a priest or votary of Bacchus
 
bacchante
(classical mythology) a priestess or votary of Bacchus
 
bachelor girl
a young unmarried woman who lives alone
 
bachelor
a knight of the lowest order; could display only a pennon
 
bachelor
a man who has never been married
 
back
(football) a person who plays in the backfield
 
back judge
a football official
 
back-number
someone who is no longer popular
 
backbencher
a member of the House of Commons who is not a party leader
 
backbiter
one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel
 
backpacker
a hiker who wears a backpack
 
backroom boy
an expert adviser involved in making important decisions but usually lacking official status
 
backscratcher
someone who is willing to trade favors or services for mutual advantage
 
backseat driver
a meddler who insists on giving unwanted advice
 
backslapper
someone who demonstrates enthusiastic or excessive cordiality
 
backslider
someone who lapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior
 
backstop
(baseball) the person who plays the position of catcher
 
backstroker
someone who swims the backstroke
 
backup
someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult)
 
backwoodsman
a man who lives on the frontier
 
bacteriologist
a biologist who studies bacteria
 
bad egg
(old-fashioned slang) a bad person
 
bad guy
any person who is not on your side
 
bad hat
someone who deliberately stirs up trouble
 
bad person
a person who does harm to others
 
Badaga
a member of an agricultural people of southern India
 
badgerer
someone who tries to embarrass you with gibes and questions and objections
 
bag lady
a homeless woman who carries all her possessions with her in shopping bags
 
bag
an ugly or ill-tempered woman
 
baggage
a worthless or immoral woman
 
baggageman
an attendant who takes care of baggage
 
bagger
a workman employed to pack things into containers
 
bagman
a racketeer assigned to collect or distribute payoff money
 
bagman
a salesman who travels to call on customers
 
bagpiper
someone who plays the bagpipe
 
Bahai
a teacher of or believer in Bahaism
 
Bahamian
a native or inhabitant of the Bahamas
 
Bahreini
a native or inhabitant of Bahrain
 
bailee
the agent to whom property involved in a bailment is delivered
 
bailiff
an officer of the court who is employed to execute writs and processes and make arrests etc.
 
bailor
the person who delivers personal property (goods or money) in trust to the bailee in a bailment
 
bairn
a child: son or daughter
 
baker
someone who bakes commercially
 
baker
someone who bakes bread or cake
 
Balance
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Libra
 
balancer
an acrobat who balances himself in difficult positions
 
baldhead
a person whose head is bald or shaved
 
Balkan
an inhabitant of the Balkan Peninsula
 
balker
a person who refuses to comply
 
ball boy
a boy who retrieves balls for tennis players
 
ball carrier
(football) the player who is carrying (and trying to advance) the ball on an offensive play
 
ball hawk
a team athlete who is skilled at stealing or catching the ball
 
ball of fire
a highly energetic and indefatigable person
 
ball of fire
someone whose career progresses rapidly
 
ball-breaker
a demanding woman who destroys men's confidence
 
ballad maker
a composer of words or music for popular songs
 
balladeer
a singer of popular ballads
 
ballerina
a female ballet dancer
 
ballet dancer
a trained dancer who is a member of a ballet company
 
ballet master
a man who directs and teaches and rehearses dancers for a ballet company
 
ballet mistress
a woman who directs and teaches and rehearses dancers for a ballet company
 
balletomane
a ballet enthusiast
 
balloonist
someone who flies a balloon
 
ballplayer
an athlete who plays baseball
 
ballyhoo artist
someone who uses exaggerated or lurid material in order to gain public attention
 
Balthazar
(New Testament) one of the three sages from the east who came bearing gifts for the infant Jesus
 
bambino
a young child
 
banderillero
the bullfighter who implants decorated darts (banderillas) into the neck or shoulders of the bull during a bull fight
 
bandit
an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band
 
bandleader
the leader of a dance band
 
bandmaster
the conductor of a band
 
bandsman
a player in a band (especially a military band)
 
Bangladeshi
a native or inhabitant of Bangladesh
 
bank clerk
an employee of a bank who receives and pays out money
 
bank commissioner
a commissioner appointed to supervise banks; a state superintendent of banks
 
bank examiner
an examiner appointed to audit the accounts of banks in a given jurisdiction
 
bank guard
a security guard at a bank
 
bank manager
manager of a branch office of a bank
 
bank robber
a robber of banks
 
banker
the person in charge of the bank in a gambling game
 
banker
a financier who owns or is an executive in a bank
 
bankrupt
someone who has insufficient assets to cover their debts
 
banneret
a knight honored for valor; entitled to display a square banner and to hold higher command
 
bantamweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 119 pounds
 
bantamweight
weighs 115-126 pounds
 
Bantu
a member of any of a large number of linguistically related peoples of Central and South Africa
 
Baptist
follower of Baptistic doctrines
 
bar fly
a drinker who frequents bars
 
Barack Hussein Obama
44th President of the United States; first African-American President
 
Barbadian
a native or inhabitant of Barbados
 
Barbara Wertheim Tuchman
United States historian (1912-1989)
 
barbarian
a member of an uncivilized people
 
Barbary pirate
a pirate along the Barbary Coast
 
barber
a hairdresser who cuts hair and shaves beards as a trade
 
Barbra Joan Streisand
United States singer and actress (born in 1942)
 
bard
a lyric poet
 
bargain hunter
a shopper who hunts for bargains
 
bargainer
negotiator of the terms of a transaction
 
bargainer
someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold
 
bargee
someone who operates a barge
 
baritone
a male singer
 
barkeep
an employee who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar
 
barker
someone who stands in front of a show (as at a carnival) and gives a loud colorful sales talk to potential customers
 
barmaid
a female bartender
 
barnburner
someone who burns down a barn
 
barnstormer
an actor who travels around the country presenting plays
 
barnstormer
a pilot who travels around the country giving exhibits of stunt flying and parachuting
 
baron
a British peer of the lowest rank
 
baron
a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
 
Baron Clive of Plassey
British general and statesman whose victory at Plassey in 1757 strengthened British control of India (1725-1774)
 
Baron de la Brede et de Montesquieu
French political philosopher who advocated the separation of executive and legislative and judicial powers (1689-1755)
 
Baron Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt
German naturalist who explored Central and South America and provided a comprehensive description of the physical universe (1769-1859)
 
Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben
American Revolutionary leader (born in Prussia) who trained the troops under George Washington (1730-1794)
 
Baron Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz
German physiologist and physicist (1821-1894)
 
Baron Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding
British marshal of the RAF who commanded the British air defense forces that defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (1882-1970)
 
Baron Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier
French mathematician who developed Fourier analysis and studied the conduction of heat (1768-1830)
 
Baron Karl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber
German conductor and composer of romantic operas (1786-1826)
 
Baron Karl Wilhelm von Humboldt
German philologist noted for his studies of the relation between language and culture (1767-1835)
 
Baron Lloyd Webber of Sydmonton
English composer of many successful musicals (some in collaboration with Sir Tim Rice) (born in 1948)
 
Baron Olivier of Birghton
English actor best know for his Shakespearean roles (1907-1989)
 
Baron Richard von Krafft-Ebing
German neurologist noted for his studies of sexual deviance (1840-1902)
 
Baron Snow of Leicester
English writer of novels about moral dilemmas in academe (1905-1980)
 
baron
a very wealthy or powerful businessman
 
baroness
a noblewoman who holds the rank of baron or who is the wife or widow of a baron
 
Baroness Emmusca Orczy
British writer (born in Hungary) (1865-1947)
 
Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth
English economist and conservationist (1914-1981)
 
Baroness Karen Blixen
Danish writer who lived in Kenya for 19 years and is remembered for her writings about Africa (1885-1962)
 
Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven
British stateswoman; first woman to serve as Prime Minister (born in 1925)
 
Baronne Anne Louise Germaine Necker de Steal-Holstein
French romantic writer (1766-1817)
 
barrater
someone guilty of barratry
 
barrel maker
a craftsman who makes or repairs wooden barrels or tubs
 
barrister
a British or Canadian lawyer who speaks in the higher courts of law on behalf of either the defense or prosecution
 
barrow-boy
a hawker of fruit and vegetables from a barrow
 
Bart
a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight
 
barterer
a trader who exchanges goods and not money
 
Barthold George Niebuhr
German historian noted for his critical approach to sources and for his history of Rome (1776-1831)
 
Bartholomeu Diaz
Portuguese explorer who in 1488 was the first European to get round the Cape of Good Hope (thus establishing a sea route from the Atlantic to Asia) (1450-1500)
 
Bartholomew Roberts
a Welsh pirate credited with having taken more than 400 ships (1682-1722)
 
Bartolome Esteban Murillo
Spanish painter (1617-1682)
 
Bartolomeo Alberto Capillari
Italian pope from 1831 to 1846; conservative in politics and theology; worked to propagate Catholicism in England and the United States (1765-1846)
 
Bartolomeo Prignano
Italian pope from 1378 to 1389 whose contested election began the Great Schism; he alienated his political allies by his ruthless treatment of his opponents (1318-1389)
 
Bartolomeo Vanzetti
United States anarchist (born in Italy) who with Nicola Sacco was convicted of murder and in spite of world-wide protest was executed (1888-1927)
 
Bartolommeo Eustachio
Italian anatomist who was one of the fathers of modern anatomy; noted for descriptions of the ear and the heart (1520-1574)
 
Baruch
a disciple of and secretary for the prophet Jeremiah
 
bas bleu
a woman having literary or intellectual interests
 
base runner
a baseball player on the team at bat who is on base (or attempting to reach a base)
 
baseball coach
a coach of baseball players
 
basileus
a ruler of the eastern Roman Empire
 
Basket Maker
early Amerindians related to the Pueblo; known for skill in making baskets
 
basketball coach
a coach of basketball players
 
basketball player
an athlete who plays basketball
 
basketmaker
someone skilled in weaving baskets
 
Basotho
a member of a subgroup of people who inhabit Lesotho
 
Basque
a member of a people of unknown origin living in the western Pyrenees in France and Spain
 
bass
an adult male singer with the lowest voice
 
bassist
a musician who play the bass viol
 
bassoonist
a musician who plays the bassoon
 
bastard
the illegitimate offspring of unmarried parents
 
baster
a cook who bastes roasting meat with melted fat or gravy
 
baster
a sewer who fastens a garment with long loose stitches
 
bat boy
(baseball) a boy who takes care of bats and other baseball equipment
 
bather
a person who takes a bath
 
bather
a person who travels through the water by swimming
 
Bathsheba
(Old Testament) the wife of Uriah and later the wife of king David; Solomon was her son by David (circa 10th century BC)
 
batman
an orderly assigned to serve a British military officer
 
baton twirler
someone who twirls a baton
 
batsman
(baseball) a ballplayer who is batting
 
batting coach
(baseball) someone who teaches batters how to bat better
 
battle-ax
a sharp-tongued domineering wife
 
battler
someone who fights (or is fighting)
 
Bavarian
a native or an inhabitant of Bavaria
 
bawd
a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money
 
bawler
a loud weeper
 
bawler
someone who communicates vocally in a very loud voice
 
Bay Stater
a native or resident of Massachusetts
 
beachcomber
a vagrant living on a beach
 
beadle
a minor parish official who serves a ceremonial function
 
beadsman
a person who is paid to pray for the soul of another
 
bean counter
an accountant or bureaucrat who is believed to place undue emphasis on the control of expenditures
 
bear
an investor with a pessimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to fall and so sells now in order to buy later at a lower price
 
beard
a person who diverts suspicion from someone (especially a woman who accompanies a male homosexual in order to conceal his homosexuality)
 
bearer
a messenger who bears or presents
 
bearer
someone whose employment involves carrying something
 
bearer
the person who is in possession of a check or note or bond or document of title that is endorsed to him or to whoever holds it
 
bearer
one of the mourners carrying the coffin at a funeral
 
beast
a cruelly rapacious person
 
beat
a member of the beat generation; a nonconformist in dress and behavior
 
beater
a worker who rouses wild game from under cover for a hunter
 
Beatrice Lillie
British actress (born in Canada) (1898-1989)
 
beau
a man who is the lover of a man or woman
 
beau
a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
 
beautician
someone who works in a beauty parlor
 
beauty consultant
someone who gives you advice about your personal appearance
 
beauty
a very attractive or seductive looking woman
 
Bechuana
a member of a Bantu people living chiefly in Botswana and western South Africa
 
bed wetter
someone suffering from enuresis; someone who urinates while asleep in bed
 
bedfellow
a person with whom you share a bed
 
bedfellow
a temporary associate
 
bedlamite
an archaic term for a lunatic
 
Bedouin
a member of a nomadic tribe of Arabs
 
Bedrich Smetana
Czech composer (1824-1884)
 
beef man
a man who raises (or tends) cattle
 
beefeater
officer in the (ceremonial) bodyguard of the British monarch
 
beer maker
someone who brews beer or ale from malt and hops and water
 
begetter
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
 
beggar
a pauper who lives by begging
 
beggarman
a man who is a beggar
 
beggarwoman
a woman who is a beggar
 
beginner
a person who founds or establishes some institution
 
beginner
someone new to a field or activity
 
beguiler
a person who charms others (usually by personal attractiveness)
 
beguiler
someone who leads you to believe something that is not true
 
Beguine
(Roman Catholic Church) a member of a lay sisterhood (one of several founded in the Netherlands in the 12th and 13th centuries); though not taking religious vows the sisters followed an austere life
 
begum
a Muslim woman of high rank in India or Pakistan
 
behaviorist
a psychologist who subscribes to behaviorism
 
behemoth
someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
 
behemoth
a person of exceptional importance and reputation
 
beholder
a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses
 
bel esprit
a witty or clever person with a fine mind
 
Bela Bartok
Hungarian composer and pianist who collected Hungarian folk music; in 1940 he moved to the United States (1881-1945)
 
Bela Ferenc Blasko
United States film actor (born in Hungary) noted for portraying monsters (1884-1956)
 
beldam
a woman of advanced age
 
beldam
an ugly evil-looking old woman
 
Belgian
a native or inhabitant of Belgium
 
believer
a supporter who accepts something as true
 
believer
a person who has religious faith
 
Belisarius
Byzantine general under Justinian I; he recovered former Roman territories in northern Africa and fought against the Persians
 
bell captain
the supervisor of bellboys in a hotel
 
bell founder
a person who casts metal bells
 
bell ringer
someone who plays musical handbells
 
bell ringer
a person who rings church bells (as for summoning the congregation)
 
bellboy
someone employed as an errand boy and luggage carrier around hotels
 
belle
a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals
 
Belle Miriam Silverman
United States operatic soprano (born in 1929)
 
bellwether
someone who assumes leadership of a movement or activity
 
belly dancer
a woman who performs a solo belly dance
 
bellyacher
a person given to excessive complaints and crying and whining
 
beloved
a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
 
Belshazzar
(Old Testament) Babylonian general and son of Nebuchadnezzar II; according to the Old Testament he was warned of his doom by divine handwriting on the wall that was interpreted by Daniel (6th century BC)
 
belt maker
a maker of belts
 
Ben Hecht
United States writer of stories and plays (1894-1946)
 
bench warmer
(sports) a substitute who seldom plays
 
Benedetto Caetani
pope who declared that Catholic princes are subject to the pope in temporal as well as in theological matters (1235-1303)
 
Benedetto Odescalchi
Italian pope from 1676 to 1689 whose papacy was marked by the struggle with Louis XIV of France over papal authority over French Catholics; known for saintliness and canonized in 1956 (1611-1689)
 
benedick
a newly married man (especially one who has long been a bachelor)
 
Benedict Arnold
United States general and traitor in the American Revolution; in 1780 his plan to surrender West Point to the British was foiled (1741-1801)
 
Benedict de Spinoza
Dutch philosopher who espoused a pantheistic system (1632-1677)
 
Benedictine
a monk or nun belonging to the order founded by Saint Benedict
 
benefactor
a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)
 
benefactress
a woman benefactor
 
beneficiary
the recipient of funds or other benefits
 
Bengali
(Hinduism) a member of a people living in Bangladesh and West Bengal (mainly Hindus)
 
Beninese
a native or inhabitant of Benin
 
Benito Mussolini
Italian fascist dictator (1883-1945)
 
Benjamin
(Old Testament) the youngest and best-loved son of Jacob and Rachel and one of the twelve forebears of the tribes of Israel
 
Benjamin David Goodman
United States clarinetist who in 1934 formed a big band (including black as well as white musicians) and introduced a kind of jazz known as swing (1909-1986)
 
Benjamin Franklin
printer whose success as an author led him to take up politics; he helped draw up the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; he played a major role in the American Revolution and negotiated French support for the colonists; as a scientist he is remembered particularly for his research in electricity (1706-1790)
 
Benjamin Franklin Norris Jr.
United States writer (1870-1902)
 
Benjamin Harris
publisher of the first newspaper printed in America (1673-1713)
 
Benjamin Henry Latrobe
United States architect (born in England) whose works include the chambers of the United States Congress and the Supreme Court; considered the first professional architect in the United States (1764-1820)
 
Benjamin Jonson
English dramatist and poet who was the first real poet laureate of England (1572-1637)
 
Benjamin Jowett
English classical scholar noted for his translations of Plato and Aristotle (1817-1893)
 
Benjamin Kubelsky
United States comedian known for his timeing and delivery and self-effacing humor (1894-1974)
 
Benjamin Peirce
United States mathematician and astronomer remembered for his studies of Uranus and Saturn and Neptune (1809-1880)
 
Benjamin Ricketson Tucker
United States anarchist influential before World War I (1854-1939)
 
Benjamin Rush
physician and American Revolutionary leader; signer of the Declaration of Independence (1745-1813)
 
Benjamin Shahn
United States artist whose work reflected social and political themes (1898-1969)
 
Benjamin Spock
United States pediatrician whose many books on child care influenced the upbringing of children around the world (1903-1998)
 
Benjamin Thompson
English physicist (born in America) who studied heat and friction; experiments convinced him that heat is caused by moving particles (1753-1814)
 
Benjamin West
English painter (born in America) who became the second president of the Royal Academy (1738-1820)
 
Benoit Mandelbrot
French mathematician (born in Poland) noted for inventing fractals (born in 1924)
 
Benvenuto Cellini
Italian sculptor (1500-1571)
 
Berber
a member of an indigenous people of northern Africa
 
bereaved
a person who has suffered the death of someone they loved
 
berk
a stupid person who is easy to take advantage of
 
Berliner
an inhabitant of Berlin
 
Bermudian
a native or inhabitant of Bermuda
 
Berna Eli Oldfield
United States race driver who was the first to drive faster than a mile a minute (1878-1946)
 
Bernard Arthur Owen Williams
English philosopher credited with reviving the field of moral philosophy (1929-2003)
 
Bernard Hinault
French racing cyclist who won the Tour de France five times (born in 1954)
 
Bernard Malamud
United States writer (1914-1986)
 
Bernard Mannes Baruch
economic advisor to United States Presidents (1870-1965)
 
Bernardo Bertolucci
Italian filmmaker (born in 1940)
 
Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist
German dramatist whose works concern people torn between reason and emotion (1777-1811)
 
berserk
one of the ancient Norse warriors legendary for working themselves into a frenzy before a battle and fighting with reckless savagery and insane fury
 
Bertolt Brecht
German dramatist and poet who developed a style of epic theater (1898-1956)
 
Bertram Brockhouse
Canadian physicist who bounced neutron beams off of atomic nuclei to study the structure of matter (1918-2003)
 
Bertrand Arthur William Russell
English philosopher and mathematician who collaborated with Whitehead (1872-1970)
 
besieger
an enemy who lays siege to your position
 
besieger
an energetic petitioner
 
Bessie Smith
United States blues singer (1894-1937)
 
best friend
the one friend who is closest to you
 
best man
the principal groomsman at a wedding
 
best
the person who is most outstanding or excellent; someone who tops all others
 
bestower
person who makes a gift of property
 
betrayer
one who reveals confidential information in return for money
 
betrayer
a person who says one thing and does another
 
betrothed
the person to whom you are engaged
 
Betsy Griscom Ross
American seamstress said to have made the first American flag at the request of George Washington (1752-1836)
 
Bette Davis
United States film actress (1908-1989)
 
better
a superior person having claim to precedence
 
better half
a person's partner in marriage
 
better
someone who bets
 
Betty Naomi Goldstein Friedan
United States feminist who founded a national organization for women (born in 1921)
 
bey
the governor of a district or province in the Ottoman Empire
 
bey
(formerly) a title of respect for a man in Turkey or Egypt
 
Bhutanese
a native or inhabitant of Bhutan
 
bibliographer
someone trained in compiling bibliographies
 
bibliophile
someone who loves (and usually collects) books
 
bibliopole
a dealer in secondhand books (especially rare or curious books)
 
bibliothec
a professional person trained in library science and engaged in library services
 
bibliotist
someone who engages in bibliotics
 
bicycler
a person who rides a bicycle
 
bidder
someone who makes an offer
 
bidder
someone who makes a bid at cards
 
big brother
an older brother
 
Big Brother
a totalitarian leader and invader of privacy
 
big cheese
an important influential person
 
big leaguer
a member of a major-league baseball team
 
big sister
an older sister
 
big spender
one who spends lavishly and ostentatiously on entertainment
 
bigamist
someone who marries one person while already legally married to another
 
bigot
a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from his own
 
bigwig
the most important person in a group or undertaking
 
bilingual
a person who speaks two languages fluently
 
bill poster
someone who pastes up bills or placards on walls or billboards
 
billiard player
someone who plays billiards
 
Billie Jean Moffitt King
United States woman tennis player (born in 1943)
 
billionaire
a very rich person whose material wealth is valued at more than a billion dollars
 
Biloxi
a member of the Siouan people of southeastern Mississippi
 
bimbo
a young woman indulged by rich and powerful older men
 
bimetallist
an advocate of bimetallism
 
biochemist
someone with special training in biochemistry
 
biographer
someone who writes an account of a person's life
 
biologist
(biology) a scientist who studies living organisms
 
bionic man
a human being whose body has been taken over in whole or in part by electromechanical devices
 
biophysicist
a physicist who applies the methods of physics to biology
 
bird fancier
a person with a strong interest in birds
 
bird of passage
someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
 
bird watcher
a person who identifies and studies birds in their natural habitats
 
bird watcher
a zoologist who studies birds
 
bird
informal terms for a (young) woman
 
birth
a baby born; an offspring
 
birth-control campaigner
a social reformer who advocates birth control and family planning
 
birthing coach
an assistant (often the father of the soon-to-be-born child) who provides support for a woman in labor by encouraging her to use techniques learned in childbirth-preparation classes
 
bisexual
a person who is sexually attracted to both sexes
 
bishop
a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ
 
Bishop Berkeley
Irish philosopher and Anglican bishop who opposed the materialism of Thomas Hobbes (1685-1753)
 
Bishop Ulfilas
a Christian believed to be of Cappadocian descent who became bishop of the Visigoths in 341 and translated the Bible from Greek into Gothic; traditionally held to have invented the Gothic alphabet (311-382)
 
bitch
a person (usually but not necessarily a woman) who is thoroughly disliked
 
biter
someone who bites
 
blabbermouth
someone who gossips indiscreetly
 
Black African
an African who is Black
 
Black and Tan
an English recruit (who wore a uniform that was black and tan) serving in the Irish constabulary to suppress the Sinn Fein rebellion of 1919 to 1921
 
black belt
a person who attained the rank of expert in the martial arts (judo or karate)
 
Black Friar
a Roman Catholic friar wearing the black mantle of the Dominican order
 
black marketeer
someone who engages illegally in trade in scarce or controlled commodities
 
Black Muslim
an activist member of a largely American group of Blacks called the Nation of Islam
 
Black Panther
a member of the Black Panthers political party
 
Black Prince
son of Edward III who defeated the French at Crecy and Poitiers in the Hundred Years' War (1330-1376)
 
black sheep
a reckless and unprincipled reprobate
 
Blackfoot
a member of a warlike group of Algonquians living in the northwestern plains
 
blackguard
someone who is morally reprehensible
 
blackleg
someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike
 
blackmailer
a criminal who extorts money from someone by threatening to expose embarrassing information about them
 
Blackshirt
a member of the Italian fascist party before World War II
 
blacksmith
a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil
 
blade
a dashing young man
 
Blaise Pascal
French mathematician and philosopher and Jansenist; invented an adding machine; contributed (with Fermat) to the theory of probability (1623-1662)
 
blasphemer
a person who speaks disrespectfully of sacred things
 
blaster
a workman employed to blast with explosives
 
bleacher
a worker who bleaches (cloth or flour etc.)
 
bleeder
someone who has hemophilia and is subject to uncontrollable bleeding
 
bleeding heart
someone who is excessively sympathetic toward those who claim to be exploited or underprivileged
 
Blessed Virgin
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
 
blighter
a boy or man
 
blighter
a persistently annoying person
 
blind date
a participant in a blind date (someone you meet for the first time when you have a date with them)
 
blind person
a person with a severe visual impairment
 
blocker
a football player whose responsibility is to block players attempting to stop an offensive play
 
blockhead
a stupid person; these words are used to express a low opinion of someone's intelligence
 
blogger
a person who keeps and updates a blog
 
blond
a person with fair skin and hair
 
blood brother
a male sworn (usually by a ceremony involving the mingling of blood) to treat another as his brother
 
blood brother
a male with the same parents as someone else
 
blood donor
someone who gives blood to be used for transfusions
 
blood relation
one related by blood or origin; especially on sharing an ancestor with another
 
blood
a dissolute man in fashionable society
 
Bloody Mary
daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon who was Queen of England from 1553 to 1558; she was the wife of Philip II of Spain and when she restored Roman Catholicism to England many Protestants were burned at the stake as heretics (1516-1558)
 
blowhard
a very boastful and talkative person
 
blubberer
someone who sniffles and weeps with loud sobs
 
bludgeoner
an assailant who uses a bludgeon
 
blue baby
an infant born with a bluish color; usually has a defective heart
 
bluecoat
a person dressed all in blue (as a soldier or sailor)
 
Bluegrass Stater
a native or resident of Kentucky
 
bluejacket
a serviceman in the navy
 
bluffer
a person who tries to bluff other people
 
blunderer
someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence
 
blusterer
a person who causes trouble by speaking indiscreetly
 
board member
a member of a governing board
 
boarder
a pupil who lives at school during term time
 
boarder
someone who forces their way aboard ship
 
boarder
a tenant in someone's house
 
boatbuilder
a person who builds boats
 
boater
someone who drives or rides in a boat
 
boatswain
a petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen
 
Bob Dylan
United States songwriter noted for his protest songs (born in 1941)
 
bobby
an informal term for a British policeman
 
bobby-socker
an adolescent girl wearing bobby socks (common in the 1940s)
 
body servant
a valet or personal maid
 
body snatcher
someone who takes bodies from graves and sells them for anatomical dissection
 
bodybuilder
someone who does special exercises to develop a brawny musculature
 
bodyguard
someone who escorts and protects a prominent person
 
boffin
(British slang) a scientist or technician engaged in military research
 
bohemian
a nonconformist writer or artist who lives an unconventional life
 
Bohemian
a native or inhabitant of Bohemia in the Czech Republic
 
Bohemian
a member of a people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortunetelling; they are believed to have originated in northern India but now are living on all continents (but mostly in Europe, North Africa, and North America)
 
Bolivian
a native or inhabitant of Bolivia
 
Bolshevik
emotionally charged terms used to refer to extreme radicals or revolutionaries
 
Bolshevist
a Russian member of the left-wing majority group that followed Lenin and eventually became the Russian communist party
 
bombardier
the member of a bomber crew responsible for using the bombsight and releasing the bombs on the target
 
bombardier
a noncommissioned officer in the British artillery
 
bomber
a person who plants bombs
 
bombshell
an entertainer who has a sensational effect
 
bon vivant
a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink)
 
bond servant
someone bound to labor without wages
 
bondholder
a holder of bonds issued by a government or corporation
 
bondmaid
a female slave
 
bondmaid
a female bound to serve without wages
 
bondman
a male slave
 
bondman
a male bound to serve without wages
 
bondsman
someone who signs a bond as surety for someone else
 
bonesetter
someone (not necessarily a licensed physician) who sets broken bones
 
boniface
the owner or manager of an inn
 
boob
an ignorant or foolish person
 
book agent
a book salesman
 
book seller
a dealer in books; a merchant who sells books
 
bookbinder
a worker whose trade is binding books
 
Booker Taliaferro Washington
United States educator who was born a slave but became educated and founded a college at Tuskegee in Alabama (1856-1915)
 
booker
someone who engages a person or company for performances
 
bookie
a gambler who accepts and pays off bets (especially on horse races)
 
booking clerk
someone who sells tickets (e.g., theater seats or travel accommodations)
 
bookkeeper
someone who records the transactions of a business
 
bookmaker
a maker of books; someone who edits or publishes or binds books
 
bookman
a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines
 
bookseller
the proprietor of a bookstore
 
bookworm
someone who spends a great deal of time reading
 
bookworm
a person who pays more attention to formal rules and book learning than they merit
 
booster
a thief who steals goods that are in a store
 
booster
someone who is an active supporter and advocate
 
boot maker
a maker of boots
 
bootblack
a person who polishes shoes and boots
 
bootlegger
someone who makes or sells illegal liquor
 
border patrolman
someone who patrols the borders of a country
 
borderer
an inhabitant of a border area (especially the border between Scotland and England)
 
bore
a person who evokes boredom
 
Boris Fyodorovich Godunov
czar of Russia (1551-1605)
 
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak
Russian writer whose best known novel was banned by Soviet authorities but translated and published abroad (1890-1960)
 
Boris Vasilevich Spassky
Russian chess master who moved to Paris; world champion from 1969 to 1972 (born in 1937)
 
born-again Christian
a Christian who has experienced a dramatic conversion to faith in Jesus
 
Bornean
a native or inhabitant of Borneo
 
borrower
someone who receives something on the promise to return it or its equivalent
 
boss
a person who exercises control and makes decisions
 
boss
a person who exercises control over workers
 
boss
a person responsible for hiring workers
 
boss
a leader in a political party who controls votes and dictates appointments
 
Bostonian
a native or resident of Boston
 
Boswell
a devoted admirer and recorder of another's words and deeds
 
botanist
a biologist specializing in the study of plants
 
bottom dog
a person of low status
 
bottom feeder
an opportunist who profits from the misfortunes of others
 
boulevardier
a visitor of a city boulevard (especially in Paris)
 
bouncer
a person whose duty is to throw troublemakers out of a bar or public meeting
 
bounder
someone who bounds or leaps (as in competition)
 
bounty hunter
a hunter who kills predatory wild animals in order to collect a bounty
 
bounty hunter
someone who pursues fugitives or criminals for whom a reward is offered
 
Bourbon
a member of the European royal family that ruled France
 
Bourbon
a reactionary politician in the United States (usually from the South)
 
bourgeois
a member of the middle class
 
bourgeois
a capitalist who engages in industrial commercial enterprise
 
bowdleriser
a person who edits a text by removing obscene or offensive words or passages
 
bowler
a player who rolls balls down an alley at pins
 
bowler
a cricketer who delivers the ball to the batsman in cricket
 
Boxer
a member of a nationalistic Chinese secret society that led an unsuccessful rebellion in 1900 against foreign interests in China
 
boxer
someone who fights with his fists for sport
 
boy
a friendly informal reference to a grown man
 
Boy Orator of the Platte
United States lawyer and politician who advocated free silver and prosecuted John Scopes (1925) for teaching evolution in a Tennessee high school (1860-1925)
 
Boy Scout
a boy who is a member of the Boy Scouts
 
boy scout
a man who is considered naive
 
boy wonder
an extremely talented young male person
 
boy
a youthful male person
 
boy
a male human offspring
 
bozo
an informal term for a youth or man
 
bozo
a man who is a stupid incompetent fool
 
bracero
a Mexican laborer who worked in the United States on farms and railroads in order to ease labor shortages during World War II
 
brachycephalic
an adult with a short broad head
 
brahman
a member of the highest of the four Hindu varnas
 
brahman
a member of a social and cultural elite (especially a descendant of an old New England family)
 
Brahui
a member of a Dravidian people living in Pakistan
 
brain doctor
a medical specialist in the nervous system and the disorders affecting it
 
brain surgeon
someone who does surgery on the nervous system (especially the brain)
 
brainworker
someone whose profession involves using his head to solve problems
 
brakeman
a railroad employee responsible for a train's brakes
 
brass hat
a high-ranking military officer
 
brat
a very troublesome child
 
brave
a North American Indian warrior
 
brawler
a fighter (especially one who participates in brawls)
 
Braxton Bragg
Confederate general during the American Civil War who was defeated by Grant in the battle of Chattanooga (1817-1876)
 
Brazilian
a native or inhabitant of Brazil
 
breadwinner
one whose earnings are the primary source of support for their dependents
 
breaker
a quarry worker who splits off blocks of stone
 
breaststroker
someone who swims the breaststroke
 
breeder
a person who breeds animals
 
Bret Harte
United States writer noted for his stories about life during the California gold rush (1836-1902)
 
Breton
a native or inhabitant of Brittany (especially one who speaks the Breton language)
 
brewer
the owner or manager of a brewery
 
briber
someone who pays (or otherwise incites) you to commit a wrongful act
 
brick
a good fellow; helpful and trustworthy
 
bricklayer
a craftsman skilled in building with bricks
 
bride
a woman who has recently been married
 
bride
a woman participant in her own marriage ceremony
 
bride-to-be
a woman who is engaged to be married
 
bridegroom
a man who has recently been married
 
bridegroom
a man participant in his own marriage ceremony
 
bridesmaid
an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding
 
bridge agent
an operative who acts as a courier or go-between from a case officer to a secret agent in a hostile area
 
bridge partner
one of a pair of bridge players who are on the same side of the game
 
bridge player
a card player in a game of bridge
 
brigadier
a general officer ranking below a major general
 
Brigham Young
United States religious leader of the Mormon Church after the assassination of Joseph Smith; he led the Mormon exodus from Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah (1801-1877)
 
Britisher
a native or inhabitant of Great Britain
 
Briton
an inhabitant of southern Britain prior to the Anglo-Saxon invasions
 
broad
slang term for a woman
 
broadcast journalist
a journalist who broadcasts on radio or television
 
broadcaster
someone who broadcasts on radio or television
 
broker-dealer
a financial specialist who trades for his own account and so acts both as a broker and principal
 
bronco buster
a person who breaks horses
 
Bronislaw Kasper Malinowski
British anthropologist (born in Poland) who introduced the technique of the participant observer (1884-1942)
 
broth of a boy
an outstanding person; as if produced by boiling down a savory broth
 
brothel keeper
a woman who runs a house of prostitution
 
Brother
(Roman Catholic Church) a title given to a monk and used as form of address
 
brother
a male person who is a fellow member (of a fraternity or religion or other group)
 
brother
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
 
brother
used as a term of address for those male persons engaged in the same movement
 
brother-in-law
a brother by marriage
 
Brownie
a junior Girl Scout
 
Brownshirt
a member of the Nazi SA which wore brown uniforms
 
browser
a viewer who looks around casually without seeking anything in particular
 
Brule
a member of a group of Siouan people who constituted a division of the Teton Sioux
 
Brummie
a native or resident of Birmingham, England
 
Bruneian
a native or inhabitant of Brunei
 
brunet
a person with dark (brown) hair
 
Bruno of Toul
German pope from 1049 to 1054 whose papacy was the beginning of papal reforms in the 11th century (1002-1054)
 
Bruno Walter
German conductor (1876-1962)
 
Bryan Donkin
English engineer who developed a method of preserving food by sterilizing it with heat and sealing it inside a steel container--the first tin can (1768-1855)
 
buccaneer
someone who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea without having a commission from any sovereign nation
 
buck private
an enlisted man of the lowest rank in the Army or Marines
 
buck sergeant
a sergeant of the lowest rank in the military
 
buckaroo
local names for a cowboy (`vaquero' is used especially in southwestern and central Texas and `buckaroo' is used especially in California)
 
Buckeye
a native or resident of Ohio
 
bucolic
a country person
 
Buddha
one who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment
 
Buddhist
one who follows the teachings of Buddha
 
buff
an ardent follower and admirer
 
Buffalo Indian
a member of one of the tribes of American Indians who lived a nomadic life following the buffalo in the Great Plains of North America
 
buffoon
a rude or vulgar fool
 
buffoon
a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior
 
bug-hunter
a zoologist who studies insects
 
bugger
someone who engages in anal copulation (especially a male who engages in anal copulation with another male)
 
bugler
someone who plays a bugle
 
builder
a person who creates a business or who organizes and develops a country
 
builder
someone who contracts for and supervises construction (as of a building)
 
Bulgarian
a native or inhabitant of Bulgaria
 
bulimic
a person suffering from bulimia
 
bull
an investor with an optimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to rise and so buys now for resale later
 
bull
uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
 
bullfighter
someone who fights bulls
 
bully
a hired thug
 
bully
a cruel and brutal fellow
 
bullyboy
a swaggering tough; usually one acting as an agent of a political faction
 
bum
a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
 
bum
person who does no work
 
bum
a vagrant
 
bumpkin
a person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture
 
bunkmate
someone who occupies the same sleeping quarters as yourself
 
bunny
a young waitress in a nightclub whose costume includes the tail and ears of a rabbit
 
bunter
a batter who bunts
 
burgess
a citizen of an English borough
 
burglar
a thief who enters a building with intent to steal
 
burgomaster
a mayor of a municipality in Germany or Holland or Flanders or Austria
 
burgrave
the military governor of a German town in the 12th and 13th centuries
 
burgrave
a nobleman ruling a German castle and surrounding grounds by hereditary right
 
Burmese
a native or inhabitant of Myanmar
 
Burrhus Frederic Skinner
United States psychologist and a leading proponent of behaviorism (1904-1990)
 
Burrill Bernard Crohn
United States physician who specialized in diseases of the intestines; he was the first to describe regional ileitis which is now known as Crohn's disease (1884-1983)
 
bursar
the treasurer at a college or university
 
Burundian
a native or inhabitant of Burundi
 
bus driver
someone who drives a bus
 
busboy
a restaurant attendant who sets tables and assists waiters and clears away dirty dishes
 
bush leaguer
a player on a minor-league baseball team
 
bushman
a dweller in the Australian bush country
 
bushwhacker
a Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War
 
bushwhacker
a disparaging term for an unsophisticated person
 
business agent
an agent who handles business affairs for another; especially one who deals with employers
 
business editor
the newspaper editor responsible for business news
 
business executive
an executive in a business corporation
 
business traveler
a traveler whose expenses are paid by the business he works for
 
businessman
a person engaged in commercial or industrial business (especially an owner or executive)
 
businesswoman
a female businessperson
 
busker
a person who entertains people for money in public places (as by singing or dancing), usually while asking for money
 
buster
a person (or thing) that breaks up or overpowers something
 
buster
a robust child
 
buster
an informal form of address for a man
 
busy bee
an alert and energetic person
 
busybody
a person who meddles in the affairs of others
 
butch
(slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
 
butcher
a brutal indiscriminate murderer
 
Butcher Cumberland
English general; son of George II; fought unsuccessfully in the battle of Fontenoy (1721-1765)
 
butcher
a retailer of meat
 
butcher
a person who slaughters or dresses meat for market
 
butler
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
 
butt
a victim of ridicule or pranks
 
butter
a fighter who strikes the opponent with his head
 
butterball
a rotund individual
 
butterfingers
someone who drops things (especially one who cannot catch a ball)
 
butterfly collector
an entomologist who specializes in the collection and study of butterflies and moths
 
buttinsky
a meddler who tends to butt in
 
buyer
a person who buys
 
bystander
a nonparticipant spectator
 
Byzantine
a native or inhabitant of Byzantium or of the Byzantine Empire
 
cabalist
a member of a cabal
 
cabalist
an expert who is highly skilled in obscure or difficult or esoteric matters
 
cabby
someone who drives a taxi for a living
 
cabin boy
a young man acting as a servant on a ship
 
cabinet minister
a person who is a member of the cabinet
 
cabinetmaker
a woodworker who specializes in making furniture
 
caddie
an attendant who carries the golf clubs for a player
 
Caddo
a group of Plains Indians formerly living in what is now North and South Dakota and Nebraska and Kansas and Arkansas and Louisiana and Oklahoma and Texas
 
cadet
a military trainee (as at a military academy)
 
cadger
someone who mooches or cadges (tries to get something free)
 
caffer
an offensive and insulting term for any Black African
 
Cahita
a member of the Taracahitian people of central Mexico
 
Cain
(Old Testament) Cain and Abel were the first children of Adam and Eve born after the Fall of Man; Cain killed Abel out of jealousy and was exiled by God
 
Cairene
a native or inhabitant of Cairo
 
caitiff
a cowardly and despicable person
 
Cajun
a Louisianian descended from Acadian immigrants from Nova Scotia (`Cajun' comes from `Acadian')
 
Cakchiquel
a member of the Mayan people living in south central Guatemala
 
Calapooya
a member of the North American Indian people of Oregon
 
calculator
an expert at calculation (or at operating calculating machines)
 
calif
the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth
 
Californian
a native or resident of California
 
call girl
a female prostitute who can be hired by telephone
 
caller
the bettor in a card game who matches the bet and calls for a show of hands
 
caller
an investor who buys a call option
 
caller
the person who convenes a meeting
 
caller
someone who proclaims or summons in a loud voice
 
caller
a person who announces the changes of steps during a dance
 
caller
the person initiating a telephone call
 
caller
a social or business visitor
 
calligrapher
someone skilled in penmanship
 
Calvert Vaux
United States landscape architect (born in England) who designed Central Park (1824-1895)
 
Calvin Richard Klein
United States fashion designer noted for understated fashions (born in 1942)
 
Calvinist
an adherent of the theological doctrines of John Calvin
 
Cambrian
a native or resident of Wales
 
camera operator
a photographer who operates a movie camera
 
Cameroonian
a native or inhabitant of Cameroon
 
Camillo Golgi
Italian histologist noted for work on the structure of the nervous system and for his discovery of Golgi bodies (1844-1926)
 
camp follower
a follower who is not a member of an ingroup
 
camp follower
a prostitute who provides service to military personnel
 
campaigner
a politician who is running for public office
 
camper
someone living temporarily in a tent or lodge for recreation
 
Campfire Girl
a girl who is a member of Campfire Girls; for girls age 7-18
 
campmate
someone who lives in the same camp you do
 
Canaanite
a member of an ancient Semitic people who occupied Canaan before it was conquered by the Israelites
 
Canadian
a native or inhabitant of Canada
 
canary
a female singer
 
canary
someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police
 
Cancer
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Cancer
 
candidate
someone who is considered for something (for an office or prize or honor etc.)
 
candlemaker
a person who makes or sells candles
 
candy striper
a volunteer worker in a hospital
 
candymaker
someone who makes candies and other sweets
 
cannon fodder
soldiers who are regarded as expendable in the face of artillery fire
 
canoeist
someone paddling a canoe
 
canon
a priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter
 
canonist
a specialist in canon law
 
Cantabrigian
a resident of Cambridge
 
cantor
the musical director of a choir
 
cantor
the official of a synagogue who conducts the liturgical part of the service and sings or chants the prayers intended to be performed as solos
 
Canuck
informal term for Canadians in general and French Canadians in particular
 
Canute the Great
king of Denmark and Norway who forced Edmund II to divide England with him; on the death of Edmund II, Canute became king of all England (994-1035)
 
canvasser
a person who takes or counts votes
 
canvasser
someone who conducts surveys of public opinion
 
canvasser
someone who examines votes at an election
 
canvasser
a petitioner who solicits contributions or trade or votes
 
Capetian
a member of the Capetian dynasty
 
capitalist
a conservative advocate of capitalism
 
capitalist
a person who invests capital in a business (especially a large business)
 
capo
the head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate
 
Capricorn
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Capricorn
 
captain
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
 
Captain Bligh
British admiral; was captain of the H.M.S. Bounty in 1789 when part of the crew mutinied and set him afloat in an open boat; a few weeks later he arrived safely in Timor 4,000 miles away (1754-1817)
 
Captain James Cook
English navigator who claimed the east coast of Australia for Britain and discovered several Pacific islands (1728-1779)
 
Captain John Smith
English explorer who helped found the colony at Jamestown, Virginia; was said to have been saved by Pocahontas (1580-1631)
 
Captain Kidd
Scottish sea captain who was hired to protect British shipping in the Indian Ocean and then was accused of piracy and hanged (1645-1701)
 
captain
the leader of a group of people
 
captain
a dining-room attendant who is in charge of the waiters and the seating of customers
 
captain
an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship
 
captain
a policeman in charge of a precinct
 
captain
the pilot in charge of an airship
 
captain
the naval officer in command of a military ship
 
captive
a person held in the grip of a strong emotion or passion
 
captive
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
 
captor
a person who captures and holds people or animals
 
carabineer
a soldier (historically a mounted soldier) who is armed with a carbine
 
card player
someone who plays (or knows how to play) card games
 
card shark
a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games
 
card
a witty amusing person who makes jokes
 
cardholder
a player who holds a card or cards in a card game
 
cardholder
a person who holds a credit card or debit card
 
cardinal
(Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes
 
cardiologist
a specialist in cardiology; a specialist in the structure and function and disorders of the heart
 
career girl
a woman who is a careerist
 
career man
a man who is a careerist
 
careerist
a professional who is intent on furthering his or her career by any possible means and often at the expense of their own integrity
 
caregiver
a person who is responsible for attending to the needs of a child or dependent adult
 
caretaker
a custodian who is hired to take care of something (property or a person)
 
caretaker
an official who performs the duties of an office temporarily
 
carhop
a waiter at a drive-in restaurant
 
Carib Indian
a member of an American Indian peoples of northeastern South America and the Lesser Antilles
 
caricaturist
someone who parodies in an exaggerated manner
 
carillonneur
a musician who plays a carillon
 
Carioca
a native or inhabitant of Rio de Janeiro
 
Carl August Nielsen
Danish composer (1865-1931)
 
Carl Clinton Van Doren
United States writer and literary critic (1885-1950)
 
Carl David Anderson
United States physicist who discovered antimatter in the form of an antielectron that is called the positron (1905-1991)
 
Carl Gustaf Mossander
Swedish chemist who discovered rare earth elements (1797-1858)
 
Carl Gustav Jung
Swiss psychologist (1875-1961)
 
Carl Orff
German musician who developed a widely used system for teaching music to children (1895-1982)
 
Carl Rogers
United States psychologist who developed client-centered therapy (1902-1987)
 
Carl Sandburg
United States writer remembered for his poetry in free verse and his six volume biography of Abraham Lincoln (1878-1967)
 
Carl XVI Gustav
king of Sweden since 1973 (born 1946)
 
Carl Yastrzemski
United States baseball player (born in 1939)
 
Carlo Goldoni
prolific Italian dramatist (1707-1793)
 
Carlos Chavez
Mexican composer of nationalistic works using themes from Indian folk music (1899-1978)
 
Carlos Fuentes
Mexican novelist (born in 1928)
 
Carlovingian
a member of the Carolingian dynasty
 
caroler
a singer of carols
 
Carolinian
a native or resident of the Carolinas
 
Carolus Linnaeus
Swedish botanist who proposed the modern system of biological nomenclature (1707-1778)
 
carouser
someone who enjoys riotous drinking
 
carpenter
a woodworker who makes or repairs wooden objects
 
carper
someone who constantly criticizes in a petty way
 
carpet knight
a knight who spends his time in luxury and idleness (knighted on the carpet at court rather than on the field of battle)
 
carpetbagger
an outsider who seeks power or success presumptuously
 
carrier
(medicine) a person (or animal) who has some pathogen to which he is immune but who can pass it on to others
 
carrier
a man who delivers the mail
 
carrier
a boy who delivers newspapers
 
carrottop
someone who has red hair
 
Carry Amelia Moore Nation
United States prohibitionist who raided saloons and destroyed bottles of liquor with a hatchet (1846-1911)
 
Carson Smith McCullers
United States novelist (1917-1967)
 
carter
someone whose work is driving carts
 
Cartesian
a follower of Cartesian thought
 
Carthaginian
a native or inhabitant of ancient Carthage
 
Carthusian
a member of the Carthusian order
 
cartographer
a person who makes maps
 
cartoonist
a person who draws cartoons
 
cartwright
a workman who makes and repairs carts and wagons
 
carver
someone who carves the meat
 
carver
an artist who creates sculptures
 
carver
makes decorative wooden panels
 
Cary Grant
United States actor (born in England) who was the elegant leading man in many films (1904-1986)
 
Casanova
any man noted for his amorous adventures
 
case
a person requiring professional services
 
case officer
an operative who also serves as an official staffer of an intelligence service
 
case
a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities)
 
case
a person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation
 
caseworker
someone employed to provide social services (especially to the disadvantaged)
 
cashier
a person responsible for receiving payments for goods and services (as in a shop or restaurant)
 
Casimir Funk
United States biochemist (born in Poland) who showed that several diseases were caused by dietary deficiencies and who coined the term `vitamin' for the chemicals involved (1884-1967)
 
Caspar Bartholin
Danish physician who discovered Bartholin's gland (1585-1629)
 
Cass Gilbert
United States architect who influenced the development of the skyscraper (1859-1934)
 
Cassandra
(Greek mythology) a prophetess in Troy during the Trojan War whose predictions were true but were never believed
 
Cassius Marcellus Clay
United States prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942)
 
castaway
a shipwrecked person
 
caster
a worker who casts molten metal into finished products
 
Castillian
a native or inhabitant of Castile
 
castrate
a man who has been castrated and is incapable of reproduction
 
castrato
a male singer who was castrated before puberty and retains a soprano or alto voice
 
casualty
someone injured or killed or captured or missing in a military engagement
 
casualty
someone injured or killed in an accident
 
casuist
someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious
 
cat
a spiteful woman gossip
 
cat burglar
a burglar who unlawfully breaks into and enters another person's house
 
cat fancier
a person who breeds and cares for cats
 
cat's-paw
a person used by another to gain an end
 
Catalan
a native or inhabitant of Catalonia
 
cataleptic
a person suffering from catalepsy
 
cataloger
a librarian who classifies publications according to a categorial system
 
catamite
a boy who submits to a sexual relationship with a man
 
Catawba
a member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Carolinas
 
catch
a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect
 
catechist
one who instructs catechumens in preparation for baptism (especially one using a catechism)
 
catechumen
a new convert being taught the principles of Christianity by a catechist
 
caterer
someone who provides food and service (as for a party)
 
Catherine de Medicis
queen of France as the wife of Henry II and regent during the minority of her son Charles IX (1519-1589)
 
Catherine Howard
Queen of England as the fifth wife of Henry VIII who was accused of adultery and executed (1520-1542)
 
Catherine I
empress of Russia who succeeded her husband Peter the Great (1684-1727)
 
Catherine of Aragon
first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)
 
Catherine Parr
Queen of England as the 6th wife of Henry VIII (1512-1548)
 
Catherine the Great
empress of Russia who greatly increased the territory of the empire (1729-1796)
 
Catholic
a member of a Catholic church
 
Catholicos
the ecclesiastical title of the leaders of the Nestorian and Armenian churches
 
cattle thief
someone who steals livestock (especially cattle)
 
cattleman
a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
 
cavalier
a gallant or courtly gentleman
 
cavalryman
a soldier mounted on horseback
 
cavalryman
a soldier in a motorized army unit
 
cave dweller
someone who lives in a cave
 
caviler
a disputant who quibbles; someone who raises annoying petty objections
 
Cayuga
a member of an Iroquoian people formerly living around Cayuga Lake in New York State
 
Cebuan
inhabitant of the island of Cebu; a member of the Visayan people of the Philippines
 
Cecil Blount DeMille
United States film maker remembered for his extravagant and spectacular epic productions (1881-1959)
 
Cecil Frank Powell
English physicist who discovered the pion (the first known meson) which is a subatomic particle involved in holding the nucleus together (1903-1969)
 
Cecil John Rhodes
British colonial financier and statesman in South Africa; made a fortune in gold and diamond mining; helped colonize the territory now known as Zimbabwe; he endowed annual fellowships for British Commonwealth and United States students to study at Oxford University (1853-1902)
 
Cecil Scott Forester
English writer of adventure novels featuring Captain Horatio Hornblower (1899-1966)
 
celebrant
an officiating priest celebrating the Eucharist
 
celebrant
a person who is celebrating
 
celebrity
a widely known person
 
celibate
an unmarried person who has taken a religious vow of chastity
 
cellist
someone who plays a violoncello
 
cenobite
a member of a religious order living in common
 
censor
a person who is authorized to read publications or correspondence or to watch theatrical performances and suppress in whole or in part anything considered obscene or politically unacceptable
 
censor
someone who censures or condemns
 
census taker
someone who collects census data by visiting individual homes
 
centenarian
someone who is at least 100 years old
 
center
(basketball) the person who plays center on a basketball team
 
center
(ice hockey) the person who plays center on a hockey team
 
center fielder
the person who plays center field
 
center
(football) the person who plays center on the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback
 
Central American
a native or inhabitant of Central America
 
centrist
a person who takes a position in the political center
 
centurion
(ancient Rome) the leader of 100 soldiers
 
CEO
the corporate executive responsible for the operations of the firm; reports to a board of directors; may appoint other managers (including a president)
 
ceramicist
a craftsman who shapes pottery on a potter's wheel and bakes them it a kiln
 
Cesar Estrada Chavez
United States labor leader who organized farm workers (born 1927)
 
Cesar Franck
French composer and teacher who influenced a generation of composers (1822-1890)
 
Cesar Ritz
Swiss hotelier who created a chain of elegant hotels (1850-1918)
 
Cesare Borgia
Italian cardinal and military leader; model for Machiavelli's prince (1475-1507)
 
CFO
the corporate executive having financial authority to make appropriations and authorize expenditures for a firm
 
Ch'in Shih Huang Ti
the first Qin emperor who unified China, built much of the Great Wall, standardized weights and measures, and created a common currency and legal system (died 210 BC)
 
chachka
(Yiddish) an attractive, unconventional woman
 
Chadian
a native or inhabitant of Chad
 
Chaim Azriel Weizmann
Israeli statesman who persuaded the United States to recognize the new state of Israel and became its first president (1874-1952)
 
Chaim Soutine
French expressionist painter (born in Lithuania) (1893-1943)
 
chain-smoker
a heavy smoker (usually of cigarettes) who lights one off of another
 
chair
the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization
 
chairman of the board
the chairman of the board of directors of a corporation
 
Chaldaean
a wise man skilled in occult learning
 
Chaldaean
an inhabitant of ancient Chaldea
 
challenger
the contestant you hope to defeat
 
chamberlain
an officer who manages the household of a king or nobleman
 
chamberlain
the treasurer of a municipal corporation
 
chambermaid
a maid who is employed to clean and care for bedrooms (now primarily in hotels)
 
chameleon
a changeable or inconstant person
 
champ
someone who has won first place in a competition
 
champion
someone who fights for a cause
 
chancellor
the honorary or titular head of a university
 
Chancellor of the Exchequer
the British cabinet minister responsible for finance
 
chancellor
the person who is head of government (in several countries)
 
chandler
a maker (and seller) of candles and soap and oils and paints
 
chandler
a retail dealer in provisions and supplies
 
changeling
a child secretly exchanged for another in infancy
 
changeling
a person of subnormal intelligence
 
changer
a person who changes something
 
chaperon
one who accompanies and supervises a young woman or gatherings of young people
 
chaplain
a clergyman ministering to some institution
 
chapman
archaic term for an itinerant peddler
 
char
a human female employed to do housework
 
character actor
an actor who specializes in playing supporting roles
 
character witness
a witness who testifies under oath as to the good reputation of another person in the community where that person lives
 
charcoal burner
a worker whose job is to make charcoal
 
charge
a person committed to your care
 
charge d'affaires
the official temporarily in charge of a diplomatic mission in the absence of the ambassador
 
charge of quarters
an enlisted man who handles his unit's administrative matters after hours
 
charioteer
the driver of a chariot
 
charity case
a case for a welfare worker
 
charlatan
a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes
 
Charles Andre Joseph Marie de Gaulle
French general and statesman who became very popular during World War II as the leader of the Free French forces in exile (1890-1970)
 
Charles Augustin de Coulomb
French physicist famous for his discoveries in the field of electricity and magnetism; formulated Coulomb's Law (1736-1806)
 
Charles Augustus Lindbergh
United States aviator who in 1927 made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean (1902-1974)
 
Charles Bullfinch
United States architect who designed the Capitol Building in Washington which served as a model for state capitols throughout the United States (1763-1844)
 
Charles Camille Saint-Saens
French pianist and composer (1835-1921)
 
Charles Christopher Parker
United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)
 
Charles Dana Gibson
United States illustrator remembered for his creation of the `Gibson girl' (1867-1944)
 
Charles Digby Harrod
English merchant who expanded his father's shop in London into a prestigious department store (1841-1905)
 
Charles Dillon Stengel
United States baseball manager (1890-1975)
 
Charles Dudley Warner
United States filmmaker who with his brothers founded the movie studio that produced the first talking picture (1881-1958)
 
Charles Eames
United States designer noted for an innovative series of chairs (1907-1978)
 
Charles Edouard Jeanneret
French architect (born in Switzerland) (1887-1965)
 
Charles Edward Berry
United States rock singer (born in 1931)
 
Charles Edward Ives
United States composer noted for his innovative use of polytonality (1874-1954)
 
Charles Evans Hughes
United States jurist who served as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1862-1948)
 
Charles Farrar Browne
United States writer of humorous tales of an itinerant showman (1834-1867)
 
Charles Follen McKim
United States neoclassical architect (1847-1909)
 
Charles Francis Hall
United States explorer who led three expeditions to the Arctic (1821-1871)
 
Charles Francois Gounod
French composer best remembered for his operas (1818-1893)
 
Charles Franklin Kettering
United States electrical engineer who made numerous automotive improvements (including the electric starter) (1876-1958)
 
Charles Frederick Menninger
United States psychiatrist who with his sons founded a famous psychiatric clinic in Topeka (1862-1953)
 
Charles Frederick Worth
French couturier (born in England) regarded as the founder of Parisian haute couture; noted for introducing the bustle (1825-1895)
 
Charles Goodyear
United States inventor of vulcanized rubber (1800-1860)
 
Charles Hard Townes
United States physicist who developed the laser and maser principles for producing high-intensity radiation (1915-)
 
Charles Hardin Holley
United States rock star (1936-1959)
 
Charles Henry Harrod
English merchant who took over a shop in London that was expanded by his son into a prestigious department store (1800-1885)
 
Charles Herbert Best
Canadian physiologist (born in the United States) who assisted F. G. Banting in research leading to the discovery of insulin (1899-1978)
 
Charles II
King of England and Scotland and Ireland during the Restoration (1630-1685)
 
Charles IX
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
 
Charles James Fox
English statesman who supported American independence and the French Revolution (1749-1806)
 
Charles John Huffam Dickens
English writer whose novels depicted and criticized social injustice (1812-1870)
 
Charles Joseph Clark
Canadian politician who served as prime minister (1939-)
 
Charles Kay Ogden
English psychologist who collaborated with I. A. Richards in designing Basic English (1889-1957)
 
Charles Lamb
English essayist (1775-1834)
 
Charles Laughton
United States film actor (born in England) (1899-1962)
 
Charles Liston
United States prizefighter who lost his world heavyweight championship to Cassius Clay in 1964 (1932-1970)
 
Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte
nephew of Napoleon I and emperor of the French from 1852 to 1871 (1808-1873)
 
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
English author; Charles Dodgson was an Oxford don of mathematics who is remembered for the children's stories he wrote under the pen name Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)
 
Charles Martin Hall
United States chemist who developed an economical method of producing aluminum from bauxite (1863-1914)
 
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand
French statesman (1754-1838)
 
Charles Munroe Schulz
United States cartoonist whose comic strip included the beagle Snoopy (1922-2000)
 
Charles Pierre Baudelaire
a French poet noted for macabre imagery and evocative language (1821-1867)
 
Charles Proteus Steinmetz
United States electrical engineer and inventor (born in Germany) (1865-1923)
 
Charles Ringling
United States showman whose song-and-dance troop evolved into a circus (1863-1926)
 
Charles Robert Darwin
English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)
 
Charles Robert Redford
United States actor and filmmaker who starred with Paul Newman in several films (born in 1936)
 
Charles Sanders Peirce
United States philosopher and logician; pioneer of pragmatism (1839-1914)
 
Charles Stewart Parnell
Irish nationalist leader (1846-1891)
 
Charles Stuart
son of James I who was King of England and Scotland and Ireland; was deposed and executed by Oliver Cromwell (1600-1649)
 
Charles Taze Russell
United States religious leader who founded the sect that is now called Jehovah's Witnesses (1852-1916)
 
Charles the Bald
as Charles II he was Holy Roman Emperor and as Charles I he was king of France (823-877)
 
Charles the Great
king of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor; conqueror of the Lombards and Saxons (742-814)
 
Charles Thomson Rees Wilson
Scottish physicist who invented the cloud chamber (1869-1959)
 
Charles VII
King of France who began his reign with most of northern France under English control; after the intervention of Jeanne d'Arc the French were able to defeat the English and end the Hundred Years' War (1403-1461)
 
Charles Wesley
English clergyman and brother of John Wesley who wrote many hymns (1707-1788)
 
Charles Wilkes
United States explorer of Antarctica (1798-1877)
 
Charles William Post
United States manufacturer of breakfast cereals and Postum (1854-1914)
 
Charlotte Anna Perkins Gilman
United States feminist (1860-1935)
 
Charlotte Bronte
English novelist; oldest of three Bronte sisters (1816-1855)
 
charmer
someone with an assured and ingratiating manner
 
Charon
(Greek mythology) the ferryman who brought the souls of the dead across the river Styx or the river Acheron to Hades
 
charter member
one of the original members when an organization was founded
 
chartered accountant
a British or Canadian accountant who is a member of a professional body that has a royal charter
 
Chartist
a 19th century English reformer who advocated better social and economic conditions for working people
 
chartist
a stock market analyst who tries to predict market trends from graphs of recent prices of securities
 
chased
a person who is being chased
 
chaser
a person who is pursuing and trying to overtake or capture
 
Chassid
a member of a Jewish sect that observes a form of strict Orthodox Judaism
 
chatelaine
the mistress of a chateau or large country house
 
chauffeur
a man paid to drive a privately owned car
 
chauffeuse
a woman chauffeur
 
chauvinist
a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
 
chauvinist
an extreme bellicose nationalist
 
cheap-jack
a seller of shoddy goods
 
cheapjack
a peddler of inferior goods
 
cheapskate
a miserly person
 
chebab
a Palestinian juvenile 10-15 years old who fights against the Israelis
 
Chechen
a native or inhabitant of Chechnya
 
check girl
a female checker
 
checker
one who checks the correctness of something
 
checker
an attendant who checks coats or baggage
 
cheerer
a spectator who shouts encouragement
 
cheerleader
someone who leads the cheers by spectators at a sporting event
 
cheerleader
an enthusiastic and vocal supporter
 
cheesemonger
someone who sells cheese
 
chef
a professional cook
 
chela
a Hindu disciple of a swami
 
chemist
a scientist who specializes in chemistry
 
Cheops
Egyptian Pharaoh of the 27th century BC who commissioned the Great Pyramid at Giza
 
Cheremiss
a member of a rural Finnish people living in eastern Russia
 
Cherokee
a member of an Iroquoian people formerly living in the Appalachian Mountains but now chiefly in Oklahoma
 
cherub
a sweet innocent baby
 
chess master
a chess player of great skill
 
chess player
someone who plays the game of chess
 
Chester Alan Arthur
elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)
 
Chester William Nimitz
United States admiral of the Pacific fleet during World War II who used aircraft carriers to destroy the Japanese navy (1885-1966)
 
Chevalier de Bayard
French soldier said to be fearless and chivalrous (1473-1524)
 
chewer
someone who chews (especially someone who chews tobacco)
 
Cheyenne
a member of a North American Indian people living on the western plains (now living in Oklahoma and Montana)
 
Chiang Chung-cheng
Chinese military and political figure; in the Chinese civil war that followed World War II he was defeated by the Chinese communists and in 1949 was forced to withdraw to Taiwan where he served as president of Nationalist China until his death (1897-1975)
 
Chicano
a person of Mexican descent
 
Chichewa
a member of the Bantu-speaking people of Malawi and eastern Zambia and northern Zimbabwe
 
chichi
someone who dresses in a trendy fashionable way
 
Chickasaw
a member of the Muskhogean people formerly living in northern Mississippi
 
chicken
a person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy
 
Chief Constable
the head of the police force in a county (or similar area)
 
Chief Joseph
leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)
 
chief justice
the judge who presides over a supreme court
 
chief of staff
the senior officer of a service of the armed forces
 
chief of state
the chief public representative of a country who may also be the head of government
 
chief petty officer
a person with the senior noncommissioned naval rank
 
Chief Secretary
a member of the British Cabinet
 
chief
the head of a tribe or clan
 
chief
a person who is in charge
 
child
a member of a clan or tribe
 
child molester
a man who has sex (usually sodomy) with a boy as the passive partner
 
child prodigy
a prodigy whose talents are recognized at an early age
 
child
a young person of either sex
 
child
a human offspring (son or daughter) of any age
 
Chilean
a native or inhabitant of Chile
 
chiliast
a person who believes in the coming of the millennium (a time of great peace and prosperity)
 
Chiluba
a member of a Bantu people in southeastern Congo
 
Chimakum
a member of the Salishan people living in northwestern Washington
 
Chimariko
a member of an extinct North American Indian people formerly living in California
 
chimneysweep
someone who cleans soot from chimneys
 
Chinaman
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Chinese descent
 
Chinese
a native or inhabitant of Communist China or of Nationalist China
 
Chinook
a member of an important North American Indian people who controlled the mouth of the Columbia river; they were organized into settlements rather than tribes
 
Chipewyan
a member of the Athapaskan people living in western Canada between Great Slave Lake and Hudson Bay
 
Chippewa
a member of an Algonquian people who lived west of Lake Superior
 
chiromancer
fortuneteller who predicts your future by the lines on your palms
 
chiropodist
a specialist in care for the feet
 
chiropractor
a therapist who practices chiropractic
 
chiseler
a person who swindles you by means of deception or fraud
 
chit
a dismissive term for a girl who is immature or who lacks respect
 
Chloe Anthony Wofford
United States writer whose novels describe the lives of African-Americans (born in 1931)
 
Choctaw
a member of the Muskhogean people formerly living in Alabama
 
choirboy
a boy who sings in a choir
 
choker
an unfortunate person who is unable to perform effectively because of nervous tension or agitation
 
choker
someone who kills by strangling
 
chooser
a person who chooses or selects out
 
choragus
(ancient Greece) leader of a group or festival; leader of a chorus
 
choreographer
someone who creates new dances
 
chorine
a woman who dances in a chorus line
 
chorister
a singer in a choir
 
chosen
one who is the object of choice; who is given preference
 
christ
any expected deliverer
 
Christiaan Eijkman
Dutch physician who discovered that beriberi is caused by a nutritional deficiency (1858-1930)
 
Christiaan Huygens
Dutch physicist who first formulated the wave theory of light (1629-1695)
 
Christian
a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination
 
Christian Dior
French couturier whose first collection in 1947 created a style that became known as the New Look (1905-1957)
 
Christian Friedrich Hebbel
German dramatist (1813-1863)
 
Christian Friedrich Schonbein
German chemist who discovered ozone and developed guncotton as a propellant in firearms (1799-1868)
 
Christian Johann Doppler
Austrian physicist famous for his discovery of the Doppler effect (1803-1853)
 
Christian Scientist
a member of the Protestant church founded in the United States by Mary Baker Eddy
 
Christine Marie Evert
United States tennis player who won women's singles titles in the United States and at Wimbledon (born in 1954)
 
Christoph Willibald von Gluck
German composer of more than 100 operas (1714-1787)
 
Christopher Carson
United States frontiersman who guided Fremont's expeditions in the 1840s and served as a Union general in the American Civil War (1809-1868)
 
Christopher Columbus
Italian navigator who discovered the New World in the service of Spain while looking for a route to China (1451-1506)
 
Christopher Fry
English dramatist noted for his comic verse dramas (born 1907)
 
Christopher Marlowe
English poet and playwright who introduced blank verse as a form of dramatic expression; was stabbed to death in a tavern brawl (1564-1593)
 
Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood
United States writer (born in England) whose best known novels portray Berlin in the 1930's and who collaborated with W. H. Auden in writing plays in verse (1904-1986)
 
chronicler
someone who writes chronicles
 
Chuang-tzu
4th-century Chinese philosopher on whose teachings Lao-tse based Taoism
 
Chukchi
a member of an indigenous people living on the Chukchi Peninsula
 
chump
a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
 
church member
a religious person who goes to church regularly
 
church officer
a church official
 
churchman
a clergyman or other person in religious orders
 
churchwarden
an officer in the Episcopal church who helps a parish priest with secular matters
 
churl
a bad-tempered person
 
churl
a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend
 
chutzpanik
(Yiddish) a person characterized by chutzpa
 
Chuvash
a member of a people of Turkic speech living in the Volga region in eastern Russia
 
cicerone
a guide who conducts and informs sightseers
 
Cicily Isabel Fairfield
British writer (born in Ireland) (1892-1983)
 
cigar smoker
a smoker of cigars
 
cigarette smoker
a smoker of cigarettes
 
Cinderella
a woman whose merits were not been recognized but who then achieves sudden success and recognition
 
cipher
a person of no influence
 
Circassian
a member of the Sunni Muslim people living in northwestern Caucasia
 
Circe
(Greek mythology) a sorceress who detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine
 
circus acrobat
an acrobat who performs acrobatic feats in a circus
 
Cistercian
member of an order of monks noted for austerity and a vow of silence
 
citizen
a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community
 
city boy
a city dweller with sophisticated manners and clothing
 
city editor
the newspaper editor in charge of editing local news
 
city father
an important municipal official
 
city man
a financier who works in one of the banks in the City of London
 
city manager
the head of a city government
 
civic leader
a leader in municipal affairs
 
civil authority
a person who exercises authority over civilian affairs
 
civil engineer
an engineer trained to design and construct and maintain public works (roads or bridges or harbors etc.)
 
civil libertarian
a libertarian who is actively concerned with the protection of civil liberties
 
civil rights activist
a leader of the political movement dedicated to securing equal opportunity for members of minority groups
 
civil servant
a public official who is a member of the civil service
 
civilian
a nonmilitary citizen
 
Claes Thure Oldenburg
United States sculptor (born in Sweden); a leader of the pop art movement who was noted for giant sculptures of common objects (born in 1929)
 
claim jumper
one who illegally occupies property to which another has a legal claim
 
claimant
someone who claims a benefit or right or title
 
clairvoyant
someone who has the power of clairvoyance
 
clan member
a member of a clan
 
Clara Josephine Schumann
German pianist and composer of piano music; renowned for her interpretation of music, especially the music of her husband Robert Schumann (1819-1896)
 
Clare Booth Luce
United States playwright and public official (1902-1987)
 
Clarence Malcolm Lowry
English novelist (1909-1957)
 
Clarence Seward Darrow
United States lawyer famous for his defense of lost causes (1857-1938)
 
Clarence Shepard Day Jr.
United States writer best known for his autobiographical works (1874-1935)
 
clarinetist
a musician who plays the clarinet
 
class act
someone who shows impressive and stylish excellence
 
class fellow
an acquaintance that you go to school with
 
classic
an artist who has created classic works
 
classical scholar
a student of ancient Greek and Latin
 
classicist
an artistic person who adheres to classicism
 
classifier
a person who creates classifications
 
Claude Achille Debussy
French composer who is said to have created Impressionism in music (1862-1918)
 
Claude Bernard
French physiologist noted for research on secretions of the alimentary canal and the glycogenic function of the liver (1813-1878)
 
Claude Elwood Shannon
United States electrical engineer who pioneered mathematical communication theory (1916-2001)
 
Claude Levi-Strauss
French cultural anthropologist who promoted structural analysis of social systems (born in 1908)
 
Claude Monet
French impressionist painter (1840-1926)
 
Claudio Monteverdi
Italian composer (1567-1643)
 
Claudius Ptolemaeus
Alexandrian astronomer (of the 2nd century) who proposed a geocentric system of astronomy that was undisputed until the late Renaissance
 
claustrophobe
a person suffering from claustrophobia
 
cleaner
someone whose occupation is cleaning
 
cleaner
the operator of dry-cleaning establishment
 
Cleanthes
ancient Greek philosopher who succeeded Zeno of Citium as the leader of the Stoic school (300-232 BC)
 
Clemence Sophia Harned Lozier
United States physician who in 1863 founded a medical school for women (1813-1888)
 
Clement Philibert Leo Delibes
French composer of operas (1836-1891)
 
Clement Richard Attlee
British statesman and leader of the Labour Party who instituted the welfare state in Britain (1883-1967)
 
Cleopatra
beautiful and charismatic queen of Egypt; mistress of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony; killed herself to avoid capture by Octavian (69-30 BC)
 
clergyman
a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church
 
clericalist
one who advocates clericalism
 
clerk
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
 
clerk
a salesperson in a store
 
clever Dick
an intellectual who is ostentatiously and irritatingly knowledgeable
 
client
a person who seeks the advice of a lawyer
 
client
someone who pays for goods or services
 
cliff dweller
a member of the Anasazi people living in the southwestern United States who built rock or adobe dwellings on ledges in the sides of caves
 
Clifford Odets
United States playwright (1906-1963)
 
climatologist
someone who is expert in climatology
 
climber
someone who climbs as a sport; especially someone who climbs mountains
 
climber
someone who ascends on foot
 
climber
someone seeking social prominence by obsequious behavior
 
clinical psychologist
a therapist who deals with mental and emotional disorders
 
clinician
a practitioner (of medicine or psychology) who does clinical work instead of laboratory experiments
 
clip artist
a swindler who fleeces the victim
 
Clive Staples Lewis
English critic and novelist; author of theological works and of books for children (1898-1963)
 
cloakmaker
someone whose occupation is making or repairing fur garments
 
clochard
a wanderer who has no established residence or visible means of support
 
clock watcher
a worker preoccupied with the arrival of quitting time
 
clockmaker
someone whose occupation is making or repairing clocks and watches
 
clod
an awkward stupid person
 
clog dancer
someone who does clog dancing
 
clone
a person who is almost identical to another
 
closer
a person who closes something
 
closer
(baseball) a relief pitcher who can protect a lead in the last inning or two of the game
 
closet queen
a negative term for a homosexual man who chooses not to reveal his sexual orientation
 
clothes designer
someone who designs clothing
 
clothier
a merchant who sells men's clothing
 
cloud seeder
a person who seeds clouds
 
Clovis I
king of the Franks who unified Gaul and established his capital at Paris and founded the Frankish monarchy; his name was rendered as Gallic `Louis' (466-511)
 
club member
someone who is a member of a club
 
clumsy person
a person with poor motor coordination
 
Clyde William Tombaugh
United States astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto (1906-1997)
 
CO
one who refuses to serve in the armed forces on grounds of conscience
 
co-beneficiary
one of two or more beneficiaries of the same benefit
 
co-discoverer
someone who is the first of two or more people to discover something
 
co-ed
a female student at a coeducational college or university
 
co-star
one of two actors who are given equal status as stars in a play or film
 
coach
(sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team
 
coach
a person who gives private instruction (as in singing, acting, etc.)
 
coachbuilder
a craftsman who makes the bodies of motor vehicles
 
coachman
a man who drives a coach (or carriage)
 
coadjutor
an assistant to a bishop
 
coal miner
someone who works in a coal mine
 
coalman
someone who delivers coal
 
coaster
someone who coasts
 
coaster
a resident of a coastal area
 
coastguardsman
a member of a coastguard
 
coauthor
a writer who collaborates with others in writing something
 
coaxer
someone who tries to persuade by blandishment and coaxing
 
cobber
Australian term for a pal
 
cobbler
a person who makes or repairs shoes
 
Cochimi
a member of a North American Indian people living in central Baja California
 
Cochise
Apache leader of the resistance to United States troops in Arizona (1812-1874)
 
Cockney
a native of the east end of London
 
cockscomb
a conceited dandy who is overly impressed by his own accomplishments
 
cocksucker
a person who performs fellatio
 
coconspirator
a member of a conspiracy
 
Cocopah
a member of a North American Indian people living around the mouth of the Colorado River
 
coddler
someone who pampers or spoils by excessive indulgence
 
codefendant
a defendant who has been joined together with one or more other defendants in a single action
 
coder
a person who designs and writes and tests computer programs
 
codetalker
a secret agent who was one of the Navajos who devised and used a code based on their native language; the code was unbroken by the Japanese during World War II
 
codger
used affectionately to refer to an eccentric but amusing old man
 
Coeur d'Alene
a member of an Amerindian people living in northern Idaho around Coeur d'Alene Lake
 
coeval
a person of nearly the same age as another
 
cofounder
one of a group of founders
 
cog
a subordinate who performs an important but routine function
 
cognitive neuroscientist
a cognitive scientist who studies the neurophysiological foundations of mental phenomena
 
cognitive scientist
a scientist who studies cognitive processes
 
cognoscente
an expert able to appreciate a field; especially in the fine arts
 
coiffeur
a man hairdresser
 
coiffeuse
a woman hairdresser
 
coin collector
a collector and student of money (and coins in particular)
 
coiner
someone who is a source of new words or new expressions
 
coiner
a maker of counterfeit coins
 
coiner
a skilled worker who coins or stamps money
 
cold fish
an aloof unemotional person
 
Cole Albert Porter
United States composer and lyricist of musical comedies (1891-1946)
 
Coleman Hawkins
United States jazz saxophonist (1904-1969)
 
Colin luther Powell
United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937)
 
collaborationist
someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force
 
collaborator
someone who assists in a plot
 
collaborator
an associate in an activity or endeavor or sphere of common interest
 
colleague
an associate that one works with
 
colleague
a person who is member of one's class or profession
 
collectivist
a person who belongs to the political left
 
collector of internal revenue
someone who collects taxes for the government
 
colleen
an Irish girl
 
college boy
a student (or former student) at a college or university
 
college student
a student enrolled in a college or university
 
Collis Potter Huntington
United States railroad executive who built the western section of the first United States transcontinental railroad (1821-1900)
 
Colombian
a native or inhabitant of Colombia
 
colonel
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
 
Colonel Blimp
any elderly pompous reactionary ultranationalistic person (after the cartoon character created by Sir David Low)
 
colonial
a resident of a colony
 
colonialist
a believer in colonialism
 
coloniser
someone who helps to found a colony
 
colonist
a person who settles in a new colony or moves into new country
 
color bearer
the soldier who carries the standard of the unit in military parades or in battle
 
color guard
a ceremonial escort for the (regimental) colors
 
color sergeant
a sergeant in a color guard who carries one of the colors
 
color-blind person
a person unable to distinguish differences in hue
 
Coloradan
a native or resident of Colorado
 
coloratura
a lyric soprano who specializes in coloratura vocal music
 
colorist
a painter able to achieve special effects with color
 
Colossian
a native or inhabitant of the city of Colossae in ancient Phrygia
 
columnist
a journalist who writes editorials
 
Comanche
a member of the Shoshonean people who formerly lived between Wyoming and the Mexican border but are now chiefly in Oklahoma
 
combat pilot
airplane pilot who fights in an action between two military forces
 
comber
a person who separates and straightens the fibers of cotton or wool
 
comedian
an actor in a comedy
 
comedian
a professional performer who tells jokes and performs comical acts
 
comedienne
a female comedian
 
comedienne
a female actor in a comedy
 
comer
someone with a promising future
 
Comer Vann Woodward
United States historian (1908-1999)
 
comfort woman
a woman forced into prostitution for Japanese servicemen during World War II
 
comforter
a person who commiserates with someone who has had misfortune
 
command sergeant major
a noncommissioned officer serving as chief administrative officer of a headquarters unit of the Army
 
commandant
an officer in command of a military unit
 
commander
someone in an official position of authority who can command or control others
 
commander
a commissioned naval officer who ranks above a lieutenant commander and below a captain
 
commander in chief
the officer who holds the supreme command
 
commando
a member of a military unit trained as shock troops for hit-and-run raids
 
commentator
an expert who observes and comments on something
 
commentator
a writer who reports and analyzes events of the day
 
commercial artist
an illustrator who is supported by advertising
 
commie
a socialist who advocates communism
 
commissar
an official of the Communist Party who was assigned to teach party principles to a military unit
 
commissionaire
a uniformed doorman
 
commissioned military officer
a commissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marine Corps
 
commissioned naval officer
a commissioned officer in the navy
 
commissioned officer
a military officer holding a commission
 
commissioner
a government administrator
 
commissioner
a member of a commission
 
committee member
a member of a committee
 
committeeman
a man who is a member of committee
 
committeewoman
a woman who is a member of a committee
 
commodore
a commissioned naval officer who ranks above a captain and below a rear admiral; the lowest grade of admiral
 
common man
a person who holds no title
 
common scold
someone (especially a woman) who annoys people by constantly finding fault
 
communicant
a person entitled to receive Communion
 
communicator
a person who communicates with others
 
Communist
a member of the communist party
 
commuter
someone who travels regularly from home in a suburb to work in a city
 
companion
one paid to accompany or assist or live with another
 
companion
a traveler who accompanies you
 
company man
an employee whose first loyalty is to the company rather than to fellow workers
 
company operator
an operator who works for a company
 
comparative anatomist
anatomist who compares the anatomy of different animals
 
compatriot
a person from your own country
 
compeer
a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
 
compere
British term for someone who introduces television acts or cabarets etc
 
compiler
a person who compiles information (as for reference purposes)
 
complainant
a person who brings an action in a court of law
 
complexifier
someone makes things complex
 
composer
someone who composes music as a profession
 
compositor
one who sets written material into type
 
compromiser
a negotiator willing to compromise
 
Comptroller General
a United States federal official who supervises expenditures and settles claims against the government
 
Comptroller of the Currency
a United States federal official who regulates the national banks
 
compulsive
a person with a compulsive disposition; someone who feels compelled to do certain things
 
computational linguist
someone trained in computer science and linguistics who uses computers for natural language processing
 
computer expert
an authority on computers and computing
 
computer scientist
a scientist who specializes in the theory of computation and the design of computers
 
computer user
a person who uses computers for work or entertainment or communication or business
 
Comrade
a fellow member of the Communist Party
 
Comte Donatien Alphonse Francois de Sade
French soldier and writer whose descriptions of sexual perversion gave rise to the term `sadism' (1740-1814)
 
Comtesse Du Barry
courtier and influential mistress of Louis XV who was guillotined during the French Revolution (1743-1793)
 
con artist
a swindler who exploits the confidence of his victim
 
con
a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
 
conceiver
someone who creates new things
 
concert-goer
someone who attends concerts
 
concertinist
a person who plays the concertina
 
concessionaire
someone who holds or operates a concession
 
conchologist
a collector and student of mollusc shells
 
concierge
a French caretaker of apartments or a hotel; lives on the premises and oversees people entering and leaving and handles mail and acts as janitor or porter
 
conciliator
someone who tries to bring peace
 
concubine
a woman who cohabits with an important man
 
conditioner
a trainer of athletes
 
conductor
the person who collects fares on a public conveyance
 
conductor
the person who leads a musical group
 
conductress
a woman conductor
 
Confederate
a supporter of the Confederate States of America
 
Confederate soldier
a soldier in the Army of the Confederacy during the American Civil War
 
conferee
a member of a conference
 
conferee
a person on whom something is bestowed
 
conferrer
someone who converses or confers (as in a conference)
 
confessor
a priest who hears confession and gives absolution
 
confessor
someone who confesses (discloses information damaging to themselves)
 
confidant
someone to whom private matters are confided
 
confidante
a female confidant
 
conformist
someone who conforms to established standards of conduct (especially in religious matters)
 
Confucianist
a believer in the teachings of Confucius
 
confuter
a debater who refutes or disproves by offering contrary evidence or argument
 
Congolese
a native or inhabitant of the Republic of the Congo
 
congregant
a member of a congregation (especially that of a church or synagogue)
 
Congregationalist
a member of the Congregational Church
 
congressman
a member of the United States House of Representatives
 
conjure man
a witch doctor who practices conjury
 
conjurer
someone who performs magic tricks to amuse an audience
 
Connecticuter
a native or resident of Connecticut
 
connection
a supplier (especially of narcotics)
 
connection
(usually plural) a person who is influential and to whom you are connected in some way (as by family or friendship)
 
Conoy
a member of an Algonquian people formerly living in Maryland between Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac river; allies of the Nanticoke people
 
conqueror
someone who is victorious by force of arms
 
conquistador
an adventurer (especially one who led the Spanish conquest of Mexico and Peru in the 16th century)
 
Conrad Potter Aiken
United States writer (1889-1973)
 
conscript
someone who is drafted into military service
 
conservationist
someone who works to protect the environment from destruction or pollution
 
Conservative
a member of a Conservative Party
 
Conservative Jew
Jew who keeps some requirements of Mosaic law but adapts others to suit modern circumstances
 
conservative
a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas
 
conservator
someone appointed by a court to assume responsibility for the interests of a minor or incompetent person
 
conservator
the custodian of a collection (as a museum or library)
 
consignee
the person to whom merchandise is delivered over
 
consigner
the person who delivers over or commits merchandise
 
consort
the husband or wife of a reigning monarch
 
constable
a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff
 
constable
a police officer of the lowest rank
 
Constantin Brancusi
Romanian sculptor noted for abstractions of animal forms (1876-1957)
 
constituent
a member of a constituency; a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes
 
constitutionalist
an advocate of constitutional government
 
construction worker
a worker skilled in building offices or dwellings etc.
 
constructivist
an artist of the school of constructivism
 
consul
a diplomat appointed by a government to protect its commercial interests and help its citizens in a foreign country
 
consumer
a person who uses goods or services
 
consumptive
a person with pulmonary tuberculosis
 
contact
a person who is in a position to give you special assistance
 
contadino
an Italian farmer
 
Conte Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta
Italian physicist after whom the volt is named; studied electric currents and invented the voltaic pile (1745-1827)
 
contemplative
a person devoted to the contemplative life
 
contestant
a person who participates in competitions
 
contestant
a person who dissents from some established policy
 
contestee
a winner (of a race or an election etc.) whose victory is contested
 
contester
someone who contests an outcome (of a race or an election etc.)
 
contortionist
an acrobat able to twist into unusual positions
 
Contra
a member of the guerrilla force that opposed a left-wing government in Nicaragua
 
contrabandist
someone who imports or exports without paying duties
 
contractor
someone (a person or firm) who contracts to build things
 
contractor
(law) a party to a contract
 
contractor
the bridge player in contract bridge who wins the bidding and can declare which suit is to be trumps
 
contralto
a woman singer having a contralto voice
 
contrapuntist
a composer who specializes in counterpoint
 
contrarian
an investor who deliberately decides to go against the prevailing wisdom of other investors
 
contributor
a writer whose work is published in a newspaper or magazine or as part of a book
 
contributor
someone who contributes (or promises to contribute) a sum of money
 
contriver
a person who makes plans
 
control freak
someone with a compulsive desire to exert control over situations and people
 
controller
a person who directs and restrains
 
controversialist
a person who disputes; who is good at or enjoys controversy
 
convalescent
a person who is recovering from illness
 
convener
the member of a group whose duty it is to convene meetings
 
conventioneer
someone who attends a convention
 
convergent thinker
a thinker who focuses on the problem as stated and tries to synthesize information and knowledge to achieve a solution
 
conversational partner
a person who takes part in a conversation
 
conversationalist
someone skilled at conversation
 
Converso
(medieval Spain and Portugal) a Jew or Moor who professed to convert to Christianity in order to avoid persecution or expulsion
 
convert
a person who has been converted to another religious or political belief
 
conveyancer
a lawyer who specializes in the business of conveying properties
 
conveyer
a person who conveys (carries or transmits)
 
convict
a person who has been convicted of a criminal offense
 
cook
someone who cooks food
 
cookie
the cook on a ranch or at a camp
 
coolie
(ethnic slur) an offensive name for an unskilled Asian laborer
 
coon
an eccentric or undignified rustic
 
coordinator
someone whose task is to see that work goes harmoniously
 
copartner
a joint partner (as in a business enterprise)
 
copilot
a relief pilot on an airplane
 
copper's nark
an informer or spy working for the police
 
coppersmith
someone who makes articles from copper
 
Copt
an Egyptian descended from the ancient Egyptians
 
Copt
a member of the Coptic Church
 
copy editor
an editor who prepares text for publication
 
copyist
someone employed to make written copies of documents and manuscripts
 
copywriter
a person employed to write advertising or publicity copy
 
coquette
a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men
 
Cordell Hull
United States diplomat who did the groundwork for creating the United Nations (1871-1955)
 
cordon bleu
a chef famous for his great skill
 
coreligionist
someone having the same religion as another person
 
corespondent
the codefendant charged with adultery with the estranged spouse in a divorce proceeding
 
Corinthian
a resident of Corinth
 
Corinthian
a man devoted to the pursuit of pleasure
 
Cornelia Otis Skinner
United States actress noted for her one-woman shows (1901-1979)
 
Cornelius Jansenius
a Dutch Roman Catholic theologian (1585-1638)
 
Cornelius Vanderbilt
United States financier who accumulated great wealth from railroad and shipping businesses (1794-1877)
 
corner man
a man at one end of line of performers in a minstrel show; carries on humorous dialogue with the interlocutor
 
cornerback
a defensive football player stationed outside the linebackers
 
cornetist
a musician who plays the trumpet or cornet
 
cornhusker
a worker who husks corn
 
Cornhusker
a native or resident of Nebraska
 
Cornishman
a man who is a native or inhabitant of Cornwall
 
Cornishwoman
a woman who is a native or resident of Cornwall
 
coroner
a public official who investigates by inquest any death not due to natural causes
 
corporal
a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines
 
corporatist
a supporter of corporatism
 
correspondent
someone who communicates by means of letters
 
correspondent
a journalist employed to provide news stories for newspapers or broadcast media
 
cosignatory
one of two or more signers of the same document (as a treaty or declaration)
 
cosigner
a signer in addition to the principal signer (to verify the authenticity of the principal signature or to provide surety)
 
Cosimo the Elder
Italian financier and statesman and friend of the papal court (1389-1464)
 
cosmetic surgeon
a surgeon who beautifies the body (especially the face)
 
cosmetician
someone who sells or applies cosmetics
 
cosmetologist
an expert in the use of cosmetics
 
cosmographer
a scientist knowledgeable about cosmography
 
cosmologist
an astronomer who studies the evolution and space-time relations of the universe
 
cosmopolitan
a sophisticated person who has travelled in many countries
 
Cossack
a member of a Slavic people living in southern European Russia and Ukraine and adjacent parts of Asia and noted for their horsemanship and military skill; they formed an elite cavalry corps in czarist Russia
 
cost accountant
a specialist in the systematic recording and analysis of the costs incident to production
 
Costa Rican
a native or inhabitant of Costa Rica
 
Costanoan
a member of a North American Indian people living in coastal California between Monterey and San Francisco Bay
 
costume designer
someone who designs or supplies costumes (as for a play or masquerade)
 
cotenant
one of two or more tenants holding title to the same property
 
cottage dweller
someone who lives in a cottage
 
cottar
a peasant farmer in the Scottish Highlands
 
cotter
a medieval English villein
 
couch potato
an idler who spends much time on a couch (usually watching television)
 
council member
a member of a council
 
councilman
a man who is a council member
 
councilwoman
a woman who is a council member
 
Counsel to the Crown
a barrister selected to serve as counsel to the British ruler
 
counsellor
someone who gives advice about problems
 
counsellor
someone who has supervisory duties at a summer camp
 
count
a nobleman (in various countries) having rank equal to a British earl
 
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro
Italian who was famous as a magician and alchemist (1743-1795)
 
Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin
German inventor who designed and built the first rigid motorized dirigible (1838-1917)
 
Count Lev Nikolayevitch Tolstoy
Russian author remembered for two great novels (1828-1910)
 
Count Maurice Maeterlinck
Belgian playwright (1862-1949)
 
Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
German theologian (1700-1760)
 
count palatine
a count who exercised royal authority in his own domain
 
counter
a person who counts things
 
counterdemonstrator
someone who demonstrates in opposition to another demonstration
 
counterfeiter
someone who makes copies illegally
 
counterman
someone who attends a counter (as in a diner)
 
counterrevolutionary
a revolutionary whose aim is to reverse the changes introduced by an earlier revolution
 
counterspy
a spy who works against enemy espionage
 
countertenor
a male singer with a voice above that of a tenor
 
counterterrorist
someone who attempts to prevent terrorism
 
countess
female equivalent of a count or earl
 
country doctor
a doctor who practices in the country (rather than in a city) usually remote from a modern hospital
 
countryman
a man from your own country
 
countryman
a man who lives in the country and has country ways
 
countrywoman
a woman who lives in the country and has country ways
 
countrywoman
a woman from your own country
 
coureur de bois
a French Canadian trapper
 
courier
a person who carries a message
 
courser
a huntsman who hunts small animals with fast dogs that use sight rather than scent to follow their prey
 
courtier
an attendant at the court of a sovereign
 
cousin
the child of your aunt or uncle
 
cover girl
a very pretty girl who works as a photographer's model
 
cow
a large unpleasant woman
 
coward
a person who shows fear or timidity
 
cowboy
someone who is reckless or irresponsible (especially in driving vehicles)
 
cowboy
a performer who gives exhibitions of riding and roping and bulldogging
 
cowgirl
a woman cowboy
 
cox
the helmsman of a ship's boat or a racing crew
 
coyote
a forest fire fighter who is sent to battle remote and severe forest fires (often for days at a time)
 
coyote
someone who smuggles illegal immigrants into the United States (usually across the Mexican border)
 
CPA
an accountant who has passed certain examinations and met all other statutory and licensing requirements of a United States state to be certified by that state
 
crab
a quarrelsome grouch
 
crack shot
someone skilled in shooting
 
cracker
a programmer who cracks (gains unauthorized access to) computers, typically to do malicious things
 
cracker
a poor White person in the southern United States
 
crackerjack
someone excellent of their kind
 
crackpot
a whimsically eccentric person
 
cracksman
a thief who breaks open safes to steal valuable contents
 
crafter
a creator of great skill in the manual arts
 
craftsman
a professional whose work is consistently of high quality
 
cragsman
a climber of vertical rock faces
 
crammer
a teacher who is paid to cram students for examinations
 
crammer
a student who crams
 
craniologist
someone who claims to be able to read your character from the shape of your skull
 
crap-shooter
a gambler who throws dice in the game of craps
 
crapshooter
a gambler who plays the game of craps
 
crasher
someone who gets in (to a party) without an invitation or without paying
 
craven
an abject coward
 
crawler
a person who crawls or creeps along the ground
 
crazy
someone deranged and possibly dangerous
 
creative thinker
an important intellectual
 
creator
a person who grows or makes or invents things
 
creature
a person who is controlled by others and is used to perform unpleasant or dishonest tasks for someone else
 
creature
a human being; `wight' is an archaic term
 
credit analyst
an analyst who studies the financial statements and financial history of applicants for credit in order to evaluate their creditworthiness
 
creditor
a person to whom money is owed by a debtor; someone to whom an obligation exists
 
Cree
a member of an Algonquian people living in central Canada
 
Creek
any member of the Creek Confederacy (especially the Muskogee) formerly living in Georgia and Alabama but now chiefly in Oklahoma
 
creep
someone unpleasantly strange or eccentric
 
Creole
a person descended from French ancestors in southern United States (especially Louisiana)
 
Creole
a person of European descent born in the West Indies or Latin America
 
Cretan
a native or inhabitant of Crete
 
crew member
a member of a flight crew
 
crewman
a member of a work crew
 
crewman
any member of a ship's crew
 
cricketer
an athlete who plays cricket
 
crier
a peddler who shouts to advertise the goods he sells
 
crier
(formerly) an official who made public announcements
 
crier
a person who weeps
 
criminal
someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
 
criminologist
a specialist in criminology
 
crimp
someone who tricks or coerces men into service as sailors or soldiers
 
criollo
a Spanish American of pure European stock (usually Spanish)
 
cripple
someone who is unable to walk normally because of an injury or disability to the legs or back
 
Cristobal Balenciaga
Spanish fashion designer known for his stark elegant designs (1895-1972)
 
critic
someone who frequently finds fault or makes harsh and unfair judgments
 
critic
anyone who expresses a reasoned judgment of something
 
critic
a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art
 
critter sitter
someone left in charge of pets while their owners are away from home
 
Croatian
a member of the Slavic people living in Croatia
 
Croesus
a very wealthy man
 
Croesus
last king of Lydia (died in 546 BC)
 
crofter
an owner or tenant of a small farm in Great Britain
 
crookback
a person whose back is hunched because of abnormal curvature of the upper spine
 
cropper
small farmers and tenants
 
cross-dresser
someone who adopts the dress or manner or sexual role of the opposite sex
 
cross-examiner
someone who questions a witness carefully (especially about testimony given earlier)
 
crossbencher
a member of the House of Commons who does not vote regularly with either the government or the Opposition
 
crossing guard
someone who helps people (especially children) at a traffic crossing
 
crossover
a voter who is registered as a member of one political party but who votes in the primary of another party
 
croupier
someone who collects and pays bets at a gaming table
 
Crow
a member of the Siouan people formerly living in eastern Montana
 
crown prince
a male heir apparent to a throne
 
crown princess
a female heir apparent to a throne
 
crown princess
the wife of a crown prince
 
crowned head
a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right
 
cruiserweight
a professional boxer who weighs between 169 and 175 pounds
 
Crusader
a warrior who engages in a holy war
 
crusader
a disputant who advocates reform
 
cryptanalyst
decoder skilled in the analysis of codes and cryptograms
 
crystallographer
a specialist in crystallography
 
Cub Scout
a junior Boy Scout
 
cub
an awkward and inexperienced youth
 
cub
a male child (a familiar term of address to a boy)
 
Cuban
a native or inhabitant of Cuba
 
cubist
an artist who adheres to the principles of cubism
 
cuckold
a man whose wife committed adultery
 
cuirassier
a cavalryman equipped with a cuirass
 
culprit
someone who perpetrates wrongdoing
 
cultist
a member of a religious cult
 
cultist
a member of an unorthodox cult who generally lives outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader
 
cultural anthropologist
an anthropologist who studies such cultural phenomena as kinship systems
 
cultural attache
an attache who is a specialist in cultural matters
 
cunctator
someone who postpones work (especially out of laziness or habitual carelessness)
 
cupbearer
the attendant (usually an officer of a nobleman's household) whose duty is to fill and serve cups of wine
 
cur
a cowardly and despicable person
 
curandera
a Mexican woman who practices healing techniques inherited from the Mayans
 
curandero
a Mexican man who practices healing techniques inherited from the Mayans
 
curate
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
 
curmudgeon
a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
 
currier
a craftsman who curries leather for use
 
custodian
one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals
 
customer agent
a foreign purchaser who buys goods outright for resale
 
cut-up
someone who plays practical jokes on others
 
cutler
a dealer in cutlery
 
cutpurse
a thief who steals from the pockets or purses of others in public places
 
cutter
someone whose work is cutting (as e.g. cutting cloth for garments)
 
cutter
someone who cuts or carves stone
 
cutthroat
someone who murders by cutting the victim's throat
 
cybernaut
a computer user who uses the internet; someone who explores cyberspace
 
cyberpunk
a writer of science fiction set in a lawless subculture of an oppressive society dominated by computer technology
 
cyberpunk
a programmer who breaks into computer systems in order to steal or change or destroy information as a form of cyber-terrorism
 
cymbalist
a performer on the cymbals
 
Cynewulf
Anglo-Saxon poet (circa 9th century)
 
Cynic
a member of a group of ancient Greek philosophers who advocated the doctrine that virtue is the only good and that the essence of virtue is self-control
 
cynic
someone who is critical of the motives of others
 
Cypriote
a native or inhabitant of Cyprus
 
Cyril Lodowic Burt
English psychologist whose studies of twins were later said to have used fabricated data (1883-1971)
 
Cyril Northcote Parkinson
British historian noted for ridicule of bureaucracies (1909-1993)
 
Cyrus Hall McCormick
United States inventor and manufacturer of a mechanical harvester (1809-1884)
 
Cyrus the Elder
king of Persia and founder of the Persian Empire (circa 600-529 BC)
 
Cyrus the Younger
Persian prince who was defeated in battle by his brother Artaxerxes II (424-401 BC)
 
cytogeneticist
a geneticist who specializes in the cellular components associated with heredity
 
cytologist
a biologist who studies the structure and function of cells
 
czar
a person having great power
 
Czar Alexander III
son of Alexander II who was czar of Russia (1845-1894)
 
Czar Nicholas I
czar of Russia from 1825 to 1855 who led Russia into the Crimean War (1796-1855)
 
czar
a male monarch or emperor (especially of Russia prior to 1917)
 
czarina
the wife or widow of a czar
 
Czech
a native of inhabitant of the Czech Republic
 
Czechoslovakian
a native or inhabitant of the former republic of Czechoslovakia
 
DA
an official prosecutor for a judicial district
 
dabbler
an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge
 
dacoit
a member of an armed gang of robbers
 
dad
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
 
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjold
Swedish diplomat who greatly extended the influence of the United Nations in peacekeeping matters (1905-1961)
 
dairy farmer
the owner or manager of a dairy
 
dairymaid
a woman who works in a dairy
 
dairyman
a man who works in a dairy
 
Dakota
a member of the Siouan people of the northern Mississippi valley; commonly called the Sioux
 
Dale Carnegie
United States educator famous for writing a book about how to win friends and influence people (1888-1955)
 
dalesman
a person who lives in the dales of northern England
 
dallier
someone who wastes time
 
Dalmatian
a native or inhabitant of Dalmatia
 
Dalton Trumbo
United States screenwriter who was blacklisted and imprisoned for refusing to cooperate with congressional investigations of communism in America (1905-1976)
 
Damascene
a native or inhabitant of Damascus
 
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie
prolific English writer of detective stories (1890-1976)
 
Dame Alice Ellen Terry
English actress (1847-1928)
 
Dame Barbara Hepworth
British sculptor (1902-1975)
 
Dame Daphne du Maurier
English writer of melodramatic novels (1907-1989)
 
Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell
English poet (1887-1964)
 
Dame Jean Iris Murdoch
British writer (born in Ireland) known primarily for her novels (1919-1999)
 
Dame Joan Sutherland
Australian operatic soprano (born in 1926)
 
Dame Kiri Janette Te Kanawa
New Zealand operatic soprano (born in 1944)
 
Dame Margot Fonteyn
English dancer who danced with Rudolf Nureyev (born in 1919)
 
Dame Myra Hess
English pianist (1890-1965)
 
Dame Sybil Thorndike
English actress (1882-1976)
 
dame
a woman of refinement
 
Damocles
the Greek courtier to Dionysius the Elder who (according to legend) was condemned to sit under a naked sword that was suspended by a hair in order to demonstrate to him that being a king was not the happy state Damocles had said it was (4th century BC)
 
damoiselle
a young unmarried woman
 
Damon
the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)
 
Damon and Pythias
(Greek mythology) according to a Greek legend: when Pythias was sentenced to be executed Damon took his place to allow Pythias to get his affairs in order; when Pythias returned in time to save Damon the king was so impressed that he let them both live
 
dance master
a professional teacher of dancing
 
dancer
a performer who dances professionally
 
dancer
a person who participates in a social gathering arranged for dancing (as a ball)
 
dancing partner
one of a pair of people who dance together
 
Dane
a native or inhabitant of Denmark
 
Daniel
a wise and upright judge
 
Daniel
(Old Testament) a youth who was taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and given divine protection when thrown into a den of lions (6th century BC)
 
Daniel Bernoulli
Swiss physicist who contributed to hydrodynamics and mathematical physics (1700-1782)
 
Daniel Boone
an American pioneer and guide and explorer (1734-1820)
 
Daniel Chester French
United States sculptor who created the seated marble figure of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. (1850-1931)
 
Daniel Defoe
English writer remembered particularly for his novel about Robinson Crusoe (1660-1731)
 
Daniel Garrison Brinton
United States anthropologist who was the first to attempt a systematic classification of Native American languages (1837-1899)
 
Daniel Hudson Burnham
United States architect who designed the first important skyscraper with a skeleton (1846-1912)
 
Daniel Jones
English phonetician (1881-1967)
 
Daniel Morgan
soldier in the American Revolution who defeated the British in the battle of Cowpens, South Carolina (1736-1802)
 
Daniel Ortega Saavedra
Nicaraguan statesman (born in 1945)
 
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
United States politician and educator (1927-2003)
 
Daniel Rutherford
British chemist who isolated nitrogen (1749-1819)
 
Daniel Webster
United States politician and orator (1782-1817)
 
danseur
a male ballet dancer who is the partner of a ballerina
 
Dante Alighieri
an Italian poet famous for writing the Divine Comedy that describes a journey through Hell and purgatory and paradise guided by Virgil and his idealized Beatrice (1265-1321)
 
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
English poet and painter who was a leader of the Pre-Raphaelites (1828-1882)
 
Danton True Young
United States baseball player and famous pitcher (1867-1955)
 
Dardanian
a native of ancient Troy
 
daredevil
a reckless impetuous irresponsible person
 
Darius III
king of Persia who was defeated by Alexander the Great; his murder effectively ended the Persian Empire (died in 330 BC)
 
Darius Milhaud
French composer of works that combine jazz and polytonality and Brazilian music (1892-1974)
 
Darius the Great
king of Persia who expanded the Persian Empire and invaded Greece but was defeated at the battle of Marathon (550-486 BC)
 
dark horse
a political candidate who is not well known but could win unexpectedly
 
darling
a special loved one
 
darner
a person who mends by darning
 
Darryl Francis Zanuck
United States filmmaker whose works include the first full-length feature film with sound sequences (1902-1979)
 
dart player
someone who plays the game of darts
 
Darwinian
an advocate of Darwinism
 
dastard
a despicable coward
 
date
a participant in a date
 
dauber
an unskilled painter
 
daughter
a female human offspring
 
daughter-in-law
the wife of your son
 
dauphin
formerly, the eldest son of the King of France and direct heir to the throne
 
David
(Old Testament) the 2nd king of the Israelites; as a young shepherd he fought Goliath (a giant Philistine warrior) and killed him by hitting him in the head with a stone flung from a sling; he united Israel with Jerusalem as its capital; many of the Psalms are attributed to David (circa 1000-962 BC)
 
David Alfaro Siqueiros
Mexican painter of murals depicting protest and revolution (1896-1974)
 
David Barnard Steinman
United States civil engineer noted for designing suspension bridges (including the George Washington Bridge) (1886-1960)
 
David Ben Gurion
Israeli statesman (born in Poland) and active Zionist who organized resistance against the British after World War II; prime minister of Israel (1886-1973)
 
David Crockett
United States frontiersman and Tennessee politician who died at the siege of the Alamo (1786-1836)
 
David Garrick
English actor and theater manager who was the foremost Shakespearean actor of his day (1717-1779)
 
David Glasgow Farragut
United States admiral who commanded Union ships during the American Civil War (1801-1870)
 
David Hartley
English philosopher who introduced the theory of the association of ideas (1705-1757)
 
David Herbert Lawrence
English novelist and poet and essayist whose work condemned industrial society and explored sexual relationships (1885-1930)
 
David Hilbert
German mathematician (1862-1943)
 
David Hubel
United States neuroscientist noted for his studies of the neural basis of vision (born in 1926)
 
David Hume
Scottish philosopher skeptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses (1711-1776)
 
David John Moore Cornwell
English writer of novels of espionage (born in 1931)
 
David Lewelyn Wark Griffith
United States film maker who was the first to use flashbacks and fade-outs (1875-1948)
 
David Livingstone
Scottish missionary and explorer who discovered the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls (1813-1873)
 
David Mamet
United States playwright (born in 1947)
 
David Oliver Selznick
United States filmmaker noted for his film adaptations of popular novels (1902-1965)
 
David Ricardo
English economist who argued that the laws of supply and demand should operate in a free market (1772-1823)
 
David Riesman Jr.
United States sociologist (1909-2002)
 
David Rittenhouse
United States astronomer said to have built the first telescope made in America; also the first director of the United States Mint (1732-1796)
 
David Roland Smith
United States sculptor (1906-1965)
 
David Sarnoff
United States businessman who pioneered in radio and television broadcasting (1891-1971)
 
dawdler
someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind
 
day boarder
a schoolchild at a boarding school who has meals at school but sleeps at home
 
day laborer
a laborer who works by the day; for daily wages
 
dayboy
a day boarder who is a boy
 
daydreamer
someone who indulges in idle or absentminded daydreaming
 
daygirl
a day boarder who is a girl
 
deacon
a cleric ranking just below a priest in Christian churches; one of the Holy Orders
 
deaconess
a woman deacon
 
dead person
someone who is no longer alive
 
deadbeat dad
a father who willfully defaults on his obligation to provide financial support for his offspring
 
deadbeat
someone who fails to meet a financial obligation
 
deadeye
a dead shot
 
deadhead
a nonenterprising person who is not paying his way
 
deaf person
a person with a severe auditory impairment
 
deaf-and-dumb person
a deaf person who is unable to speak
 
dealer
the person who distributes the playing cards in a card game
 
dealer
a seller of illicit goods
 
dealer
the major party to a financial transaction at a stock exchange; buys and sells for his own account
 
dean
an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
 
dean
(Roman Catholic Church) the head of the College of Cardinals
 
Dean Gooderham Acheson
United States statesman who promoted the Marshall Plan and helped establish NATO (1893-1971)
 
dean
a man who is the senior member of a group
 
dear
a sweet innocent mild-mannered person (especially a child)
 
deb
a young woman making her debut into society
 
debaser
a person who lowers the quality or character or value (as by adding cheaper metal to coins)
 
debauchee
a dissolute person; usually a man who is morally unrestrained
 
debaucher
someone who assaults others sexually
 
debitor
a person who owes a creditor; someone who has the obligation of paying a debt
 
decadent
a person who has fallen into a decadent state (morally or artistically)
 
Decimus Junius Juvenalis
Roman satirist who denounced the vice and folly of Roman society during the reign of the emperor Domitian (60-140)
 
decipherer
a reader capable of reading and interpreting illegible or obscure text
 
decipherer
the kind of intellectual who converts messages from a code to plain text
 
Decius
Emperor of Rome who was proclaimed emperor against his will; his reign was notable for his severe persecution of Christians (201-251)
 
deckhand
a member of a ship's crew who performs manual labor
 
decorator
a person who specializes in interior decoration
 
decorator
someone who decorates
 
decoy
a beguiler who leads someone into danger (usually as part of a plot)
 
deep-sea diver
a diver in the deeper parts of the sea
 
deer hunter
hunter of deer
 
defalcator
someone who violates a trust by taking (money) for his own use
 
defaulter
a contestant who forfeits a match
 
defaulter
someone who fails to make a required appearance in court
 
defeatist
someone who is resigned to defeat without offering positive suggestions
 
defecator
a person who defecates
 
defector
a person who abandons their duty (as on a military post)
 
defendant
a person or institution against whom an action is brought in a court of law; the person being sued or accused
 
defender
a person who cares for persons or property
 
defender
a fighter who holds out against attack
 
defense attorney
the lawyer representing the defendant
 
defense contractor
a contractor concerned with the development and manufacture of systems of defense
 
defiler
a person or organization that causes pollution of the environment
 
degenerate
a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior
 
deification
an embodiment of the qualities of a god
 
deipnosophist
someone skilled at informal chitchat
 
deist
a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it
 
Delaware
a member of an Algonquian people formerly living in New Jersey and New York and parts of Delaware and Pennsylvania
 
Delawarian
a native or resident of Delaware
 
delayer
a person who delays; to put off until later or cause to be late
 
delegate
a person appointed or elected to represent others
 
Delilah
a woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive
 
Delilah
(Old Testament) the Philistine mistress of Samson who betrayed him by cutting off his hair and so deprived him of his strength
 
delinquent
a young offender
 
deliverer
a person who gives up or transfers money or goods
 
deliverer
someone employed to make deliveries
 
deliverer
a person who rescues you from harm or danger
 
demagog
a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices
 
demander
a person who makes demands
 
Demetrius Poliorcetes
son of Antigonus Cyclops and king of Macedonia; he and his father were defeated at the battle of Ipsus (337-283 BC)
 
demimondaine
a female prostitute
 
democrat
an advocate of democratic principles
 
Democrat
a member of the Democratic Party
 
Democritus
Greek philosopher who developed an atomistic theory of matter (460-370 BC)
 
demographer
a scientist who studies the growth and density of populations and their vital statistics
 
demon
someone extremely diligent or skillful
 
demon
a cruel wicked and inhuman person
 
demoniac
someone who acts as if possessed by a demon
 
demonstrator
a teacher or teacher's assistant who demonstrates the principles that are being taught
 
demonstrator
someone who participates in a public display of group feeling
 
demonstrator
someone who demonstrates an article to a prospective buyer
 
Demosthenes
Athenian statesman and orator (circa 385-322 BC)
 
den mother
a woman who supervises a den of Cub Scouts
 
den mother
someone who plays the role of a den mother
 
denier
one who denies
 
Denis Diderot
French philosopher who was a leading figure of the Enlightenment in France; principal editor of an encyclopedia that disseminated the scientific and philosophical knowledge of the time (1713-1784)
 
denizen
a person who inhabits a particular place
 
Denmark Vesey
United States freed slave and insurrectionist in South Carolina who was involved in planning an uprising of slaves and was hanged (1767-1822)
 
Dennis Gabor
British physicist (born in Hungary) noted for his work on holography (1900-1979)
 
dental assistant
an assistant to a dentist
 
dental hygienist
someone trained to provide preventive dental service (cleaning teeth or taking x-rays)
 
dental practitioner
a person qualified to practice dentistry
 
dental surgeon
a dentist qualified to perform surgical procedures
 
dental technician
someone who makes dental appliances (bridges and dentures)
 
departer
someone who leaves
 
department head
the head of a department
 
dependant
a person who relies on another person for support (especially financial support)
 
deponent
a person who testifies or gives a deposition
 
deportee
a person who is expelled from home or country by authority
 
depositor
a person who has deposited money in a bank or similar institution
 
depreciator
one who disparages or belittles the worth of something
 
depressive
someone suffering psychological depression
 
deputy
a member of the lower chamber of a legislative assembly (such as in France)
 
deputy
someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff in emergencies
 
deputy
an assistant with power to act when his superior is absent
 
deputy
a person appointed to represent or act on behalf of others
 
derelict
a person without a home, job, or property
 
dermatologist
a doctor who specializes in the physiology and pathology of the skin
 
dervish
an ascetic Muslim monk; a member of an order noted for devotional exercises involving bodily movements
 
descendant
a person considered as descended from some ancestor
 
descender
someone who descends
 
Desiderius Erasmus
Dutch humanist and theologian who was the leading Renaissance scholar of northern Europe; although his criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church led to the Reformation, he opposed violence and condemned Martin Luther (1466-1536)
 
designated driver
the member of a party who is designated to refrain from alcohol and so is sober when it is time to drive home
 
designated hitter
a ballplayer who is designated to bat in place of the pitcher
 
designer
someone who specializes in graphic design
 
designer
a person who specializes in interior design
 
designer
a person who devises plots or intrigues
 
desk clerk
a hotel receptionist
 
desk officer
a military officer who is not assigned to active duty
 
desk sergeant
the police sergeant on duty in a police station
 
Desmond Tutu
South African prelate and leader of the antiapartheid struggle (born in 1931)
 
desperado
a bold outlaw (especially on the American frontier)
 
desperate
a person who is frightened and in need of help
 
despoiler
someone who takes spoils or plunder (as in war)
 
destiny
the ultimate agency regarded as predetermining the course of events (often personified as a woman)
 
destroyer
a person who destroys or ruins or lays waste to
 
detainee
some held in custody
 
detective
an investigator engaged or employed in obtaining information not easily available to the public
 
detective
a police officer who investigates crimes
 
determinist
anyone who submits to the belief that they are powerless to change their destiny
 
deus ex machina
any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an insoluble difficulty
 
developer
someone who develops real estate (especially someone who prepares a site for residential or commercial use)
 
deviationist
an ideological defector from the party line (especially from orthodox communism)
 
devil worshiper
someone who worships devils
 
devil's advocate
someone who takes the worse side just for the sake of argument
 
devil
a rowdy or mischievous person (usually a young man)
 
devisee
someone to whom property (especially realty) is devised by will
 
devisor
someone who devises real property in a will
 
devourer
someone who eats greedily or voraciously
 
DeWitt Clinton
United States politician who as governor of New York supported the project to build the Erie Canal (1769-1828)
 
Dhegiha
any member of a Siouan people speaking one of the Dhegiha languages
 
diabetic
someone who has diabetes
 
diagnostician
a doctor who specializes in medical diagnosis
 
dialectician
a logician skilled in dialectic
 
diarist
someone who keeps a diary or journal
 
dichromat
a person with any of the various forms of dichromacy
 
Dick Turpin
English highwayman (1706-1739)
 
dick
someone who is a detective
 
dictator
a speaker who dictates to a secretary or a recording machine
 
dictator
a ruler who is unconstrained by law
 
Dido
(Roman mythology) a princess of Tyre who was the founder and queen of Carthage; Virgil tells of her suicide when she was abandoned by Aeneas
 
Diego Rivera
socialist Mexican painter of murals (1886-1957)
 
Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez
Spanish painter (1599-1660)
 
Diegueno
a member of a North American Indian people of southern California
 
diehard
one who adheres to traditional views
 
diemaker
someone who makes dies
 
dieter
a person who diets
 
dietician
a specialist in the study of diet and nutrition
 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
German Lutheran theologian and pastor whose works concern Christianity in the modern world; an active opponent of Nazism, he was arrested and sent to Buchenwald and later executed (1906-1945)
 
differentiator
a person who (or that which) differentiates
 
digger
a laborer who digs
 
dimwit
a stupid incompetent person
 
diner
a person eating a meal (especially in a restaurant)
 
dingbat
a silly empty-headed person
 
dining companion
someone you dine with
 
dining-room attendant
someone employed to provide service in a dining room
 
Dino Paul Crocetti
United States singer (1917-1995)
 
diocesan
a bishop having jurisdiction over a diocese
 
Diogenes
an ancient Greek philosopher and Cynic who rejected social conventions (circa 400-325 BC)
 
Dionysius the Elder
the tyrant of Syracuse who fought the Carthaginians (430-367 BC)
 
Diophantus
Greek mathematician who was the first to try to develop an algebraic notation (3rd century)
 
diplomat
a person who deals tactfully with others
 
diplomat
an official engaged in international negotiations
 
diplomate
medical specialist whose competence has been certified by a diploma granted by an appropriate professional group
 
diplomatic minister
a diplomat representing one government to another; ranks below ambassador
 
director
member of a board of directors
 
Director of Central Intelligence
the head of the United States Intelligence Community and director of the Central Intelligence Agency
 
director of research
a supervisor in a research center
 
director
the person who directs the making of a film
 
director
someone who controls resources and expenditures
 
director
someone who supervises the actors and directs the action in the production of a show
 
dirt ball
a person who has a nasty or unethical character undeserving of respect
 
dirty old man
a middle-aged man with lecherous inclinations
 
disagreeable person
a person who is not pleasant or agreeable
 
disagreeable woman
a woman who is an unpleasant person
 
disarmer
someone opposed to violence as a means of settling disputes
 
disburser
someone who spends money to purchase goods or services
 
disciplinarian
someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms
 
discoverer
someone who is the first to observe something
 
discussant
a participant in a formal discussion
 
diseased person
a person suffering from an illness
 
disentangler
a person who removes tangles; someone who takes something out of a tangled state
 
dishwasher
someone who washes dishes
 
disinfestation officer
a workman employed to destroy or drive away vermin
 
dispatch rider
a messenger who carries military dispatches (usually on a motorcycle)
 
dispatcher
employee of a transportation company who controls the departures of vehicles according to weather conditions and in the interest of efficient service
 
dispatcher
the official who signals the beginning of a race or competition
 
dispenser
a person who dispenses
 
disreputable person
someone lacking public esteem
 
dissembler
a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives
 
disseminator
someone who spreads the news
 
distiller
someone who distills alcoholic liquors
 
distortionist
a painter who introduces distortions
 
distributer
someone who markets merchandise
 
district manager
a manager who supervises the sales activity for a district
 
disturber
a troubler who interrupts or interferes with peace and quiet; someone who causes disorder and commotion
 
ditch digger
a laborer who digs ditches
 
diva
a distinguished female operatic singer; a female operatic star
 
diver
someone who works underwater
 
diver
someone who dives (into water)
 
divergent thinker
a thinker who moves away from the problem as stated and often has novel ideas and solutions
 
diversionist
someone who commits sabotage or deliberately causes wrecks
 
divider
a person who separates something into parts or groups
 
divider
a taxonomist who classifies organisms into many groups on the basis of relatively minor characteristics
 
diviner
someone who claims to discover hidden knowledge with the aid of supernatural powers
 
divorce lawyer
a lawyer specializing in actions for divorce or annulment
 
divorced man
a man who is divorced from (or separated from) his wife
 
divorcee
a divorced woman or a woman who is separated from her husband
 
dizygotic twin
either of two twins who developed from two separate fertilized eggs
 
DJ
a person who announces and plays popular recorded music
 
Djiboutian
a native or inhabitant of Djibouti
 
Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich
Russian composer best known for his fifteen symphonies (1906-1975)
 
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleyev
Russian chemist who developed a periodic table of the chemical elements and predicted the discovery of several new elements (1834-1907)
 
do-gooder
someone devoted to the promotion of human welfare and to social reforms
 
docent
a teacher at some universities
 
dock worker
a laborer who loads and unloads vessels in a port
 
Doctor of the Church
(Roman Catholic Church) a title conferred on 33 saints who distinguished themselves through the orthodoxy of their theological teaching
 
doctrinaire
a stubborn person of arbitrary or arrogant opinions
 
dodderer
one who dodders from old age and weakness
 
dodger
a shifty deceptive person
 
dodo
someone whose style is out of fashion
 
dog
informal term for a man
 
dog catcher
an employee of a municipal pound who is hired to round up stray dogs and cats
 
dog in the manger
someone who prevents you from enjoying something that they themselves have no need for
 
dog
a dull unattractive unpleasant girl or woman
 
doge
formerly the chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa
 
dogfighter
a fighter pilot who engages in an aerial dogfights
 
dogsbody
a worker who has to do all the unpleasant or boring jobs that no one else wants to do
 
dolichocephalic
an adult with a long narrow head
 
dolt
a person who is not very bright
 
Domenikos Theotocopoulos
Spanish painter (born in Greece) remembered for his religious works characterized by elongated human forms and dramatic use of color (1541-1614)
 
domestic partner
a person (not necessarily a spouse) with whom you cohabit and share a long-term sexual relationship
 
domestic prelate
(Roman Catholic Church) a priest who is an honorary member of the papal household
 
domestic
a servant who is paid to perform menial tasks around the household
 
dominatrix
a dominating woman (especially one who plays that role in a sadomasochistic sexual relationship)
 
domine
a clergyman; especially a settled minister or parson
 
Domingo de Guzman
(Roman Catholic Church) Spanish priest who founded an order whose members became known as Dominicans or Black Friars (circa 1170-1221)
 
Dominican
a native or inhabitant of the Dominican Republic
 
Don
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
 
Don Juan
any successful womanizer (after the legendary profligate Spanish nobleman)
 
Don Juan
a legendary Spanish nobleman and philanderer who became the hero of many poems and plays and operas
 
Don Luchino Visconti Conte di Modrone
Italian filmmaker (1906-1976)
 
Don Quixote
any impractical idealist (after Cervantes' hero)
 
don't-know
a person who responds `I don't know' in a public opinion poll
 
don
the head of an organized crime family
 
don
teacher at a university or college (especially at Cambridge or Oxford)
 
Donald Arthur Glaser
United States physicist who invented the bubble chamber to study subatomic particles (born in 1926)
 
Donald Barthelme
United States author of sometimes surrealistic stories (1931-1989)
 
Donald Robert Perry Marquis
humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)
 
Donatist
an adherent of Donatism
 
Donato d'Agnolo Bramante
great Italian architect of the High Renaissance in Italy (1444-1514)
 
Donato di Betto Bardi
Florentine sculptor famous for his lifelike sculptures (1386-1466)
 
donna
an Italian woman of rank
 
donor
(medicine) someone who gives blood or tissue or an organ to be used in another person (the host)
 
door guard
someone who guards an entrance
 
doorkeeper
the lowest of the minor Holy Orders in the unreformed Western Church but now suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church
 
doorkeeper
an official stationed at the entrance of a courtroom or legislative chamber
 
doormat
a person who is physically weak and ineffectual
 
Dorian
a member of one of four linguistic divisions of the prehistoric Greeks
 
Doris May Lessing
English author of novels and short stories who grew up in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) (born in 1919)
 
dork
a dull stupid fatuous person
 
Dorothea Lange
United States photographer remembered for her portraits of rural workers during the Depression (1895-1965)
 
Dorothea Lynde Dix
United States social reformer who pioneered in the reform of prisons and in the treatment of the mentally ill; superintended women army nurses during the American Civil War (1802-1887)
 
Dorothy Leigh Sayers
English writer of detective fiction (1893-1957)
 
Dorothy Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin
English chemist (born in Egypt) who used crystallography to study the structure of organic compounds (1910-1994)
 
Dorothy Rothschild Parker
United States writer noted for her sharp wit (1893-1967)
 
dosser
someone who sleeps in any convenient place
 
dotard
an oldster in his dotage; someone whose age has impaired his intellect
 
double agent
a spy who works for two mutually antagonistic countries
 
double dipper
someone who draws two incomes from the government (usually by combining a salary and a pension)
 
double
someone who closely resembles a famous person (especially an actor)
 
double
a stand-in for movie stars to perform dangerous stunts
 
doubter
someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs
 
doubting Thomas
someone who demands physical evidence in order to be convinced (especially when this demand is out of place)
 
doughboy
an American infantryman in World War I
 
Douglas Elton Fairbanks
United States film actor noted for his swashbuckling roles (1883-1939)
 
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
United States film actor; son of Douglas Elton Fairbanks, (1909-2000)
 
Douglas MacArthur
United States general who served as chief of staff and commanded Allied forces in the South Pacific during World War II; he accepted the surrender of Japan (1880-1964)
 
Douglas Moore
United States composer of works noted for their use of the American vernacular (1893-1969)
 
dove
someone who prefers negotiations to armed conflict in the conduct of foreign relations
 
dowager
a widow holding property received from her deceased husband
 
Down Easter
a native or resident of Maine
 
down-and-out
a person who is destitute
 
dowser
someone who uses a divining rod to find underground water
 
doyenne
a woman who is the senior member of a group
 
DP
a person forced to flee from home or country
 
Dr.
a licensed medical practitioner
 
Dr.
a person who holds Ph.D. degree (or the equivalent) from an academic institution
 
Draco
Athenian lawmaker whose code of laws prescribed death for almost every offense (circa 7th century BC)
 
draft dodger
someone who is drafted and illegally refuses to serve
 
drafter
a writer of a draft
 
draftsman
a skilled worker who draws plans of buildings or machines
 
draftsman
an artist skilled at drawing
 
dragger
someone who pulls or tugs or drags in an effort to move something
 
dragoman
an interpreter and guide in the Near East; in the Ottoman Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries a translator of European languages for the Turkish and Arab authorities and most dragomans were Greek (many reached high positions in the government)
 
dragon
a fiercely vigilant and unpleasant woman
 
dragoon
a member of a European military unit formerly composed of heavily armed cavalrymen
 
drama critic
a critic of theatrical performances
 
dramatist
someone who writes plays
 
draper
a dealer in fabrics and sewing materials (and sometimes in clothing and drygoods)
 
Dravidian
a member of one of the aboriginal inhabitants of India
 
drawee
the person (or bank) who is expected to pay a check or draft when it is presented for payment
 
drawer
the person who writes a check or draft instructing the drawee to pay someone else
 
drawler
someone who speaks with a drawl
 
dreamer
someone who is dreaming
 
dreamer
a person who escapes into a world of fantasy
 
dreamer
someone guided more by ideals than by practical considerations
 
Dred Scott
United States slave who sued for liberty after living in a non-slave state; caused the Supreme Court to declare the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional (1795?-1858)
 
dresser
a person who dresses in a particular way
 
dressmaker's model
someone who models dresses
 
dressmaker
someone who makes or mends dresses
 
dribbler
a basketball player who is dribbling the ball to advance it
 
dribbler
a person who dribbles
 
drill instructor
a noncommissioned officer who instructs recruits in military marching and discipline
 
drinker
a person who drinks liquids
 
drinker
a person who drinks alcoholic beverages (especially to excess)
 
driveller
someone whose talk is trivial drivel
 
driver
the operator of a motor vehicle
 
driver
a golfer who hits the golf ball with a driver
 
driver
someone who drives animals that pull a vehicle
 
dropkicker
a football kicker who drops the ball and kicks it just as it reaches the ground
 
dropout
someone who quits school before graduation
 
dropout
someone who withdraws from a social group or environment
 
drover
someone who drives a herd
 
drudge
a laborer who is obliged to do menial work
 
drudge
one who works hard at boring tasks
 
drug baron
a person who controls an organization dealing in illegal drugs
 
drug dealer
an unlicensed dealer in illegal drugs
 
Druid
a pre-Christian priest among the Celts of ancient Gaul and Britain and Ireland
 
drum major
the leader of a marching band or drum corps
 
drum majorette
a female drum major
 
drum majorette
a female baton twirler who accompanies a marching band
 
drumbeater
a fervent and even militant proponent of something
 
drummer
someone who plays a drum
 
drunk
someone who is intoxicated
 
drunk
a chronic drinker
 
drunk-and-disorderly
someone arrested on the charge of being drunk and disorderly
 
Druze
an adherent of an esoteric monotheistic religious sect living in the relative security of the mountains of Syria and Lebanon who believes that Al-hakim was an incarnation of God
 
dry nurse
a nurse who cares for but does not suckle an infant
 
dry
a reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages
 
dualist
an adherent of dualism
 
Dubliner
a resident of Dublin
 
Duc d'Elchingen
French marshal in the Napoleonic Wars (1769-1815)
 
duce
leader
 
duchess
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
 
Duchess of Ferrara
Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts (1480-1519)
 
Duchesse de Valentinois
French noblewoman who was the mistress of Henry II; she had more influence over him than did his wife Catherine de Medicis (1499-1566)
 
duck hunter
hunter of ducks
 
dud
someone who is unsuccessful
 
Dudley Stuart John Moore
English actor and comedian who appeared on television and in films (born in 1935)
 
dueler
a person who fights duels
 
duenna
a woman chaperon
 
duffer
an incompetent or clumsy person
 
Dugald Stewart
Scottish philosopher and follower of Thomas Reid (1753-1828)
 
duke
a British peer of the highest rank
 
duke
a nobleman (in various countries) of high rank
 
Duke of Edinburgh
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
 
Duke of Lancaster
the fourth son of Edward III who was the effective ruler of England during the close of his father's reign and during the minority of Richard II; his son was Henry Bolingbroke (1340-1399)
 
Duke of Windsor
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
 
dulcinea
a woman who is a man's sweetheart
 
dummy
a person who does not talk
 
Duncan James Corrow Grant
Scottish painter; cousin of Lytton Strachey and member of the Bloomsbury Group (1885-1978)
 
Dunkard
an adherent of Baptistic doctrines (who practice baptism by immersion)
 
dunker
a basketball player who is able to make dunk shots
 
dunker
an eater who dips food into a liquid before eating it
 
dupe
a person who is tricked or swindled
 
Dustin Hoffman
versatile United States film actor (born in 1937)
 
dustman
someone employed to collect and dispose of refuse
 
Dutch uncle
a counselor who admonishes frankly and sternly
 
dwarf
a person who is markedly small
 
dweeb
an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious
 
Dwight David Eisenhower
United States general who supervised the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Nazi Germany; 34th President of the United States (1890-1961)
 
Dwight Filley Davis
United States tennis player who donated the Davis Cup for international team tennis competition (1879-1945)
 
Dwight Lyman Moody
United States evangelist (1837-1899)
 
dyer
someone whose job is to dye cloth
 
Dylan Marlais Thomas
Welsh poet (1914-1953)
 
dynamiter
a person who uses dynamite in a revolutionary cause
 
dynast
a hereditary ruler
 
dyslectic
a person who has dyslexia
 
dyspeptic
a person suffering from indigestion
 
E. G. Marshall
United States actor (1914-1998)
 
Eadwig
King of England who was renounced by Northumbria in favor of his brother Edgar (died in 959)
 
Eagle Scout
a Boy Scout who has earned many merit badges
 
Eamon de Valera
Irish statesman (born in the United States); as president of the Irish Free State he was responsible for the new constitution of 1937 that created the state of Eire (1882-1975)
 
ear doctor
a physician who specializes in the ear and its diseases
 
earl
a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
 
Earl Marshal
an officer of the English peerage who organizes royal processions and other ceremonies
 
Earl of Leicester
an English nobleman who led the baronial rebellion against Henry III (1208-1265)
 
Earl of Warwick
English statesman; during the War of the Roses he fought first for the house of York and secured the throne for Edward IV and then changed sides to fight for the house of Lancaster and secured the throne for Henry VI (1428-1471)
 
Earl Warren
United States jurist who served as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1891-1974)
 
early bird
a person who gets up very early in the morning
 
early bird
a person who arrives early before others do
 
earner
someone who earn wages in return for their labor
 
earthling
an inhabitant of the earth
 
East German
a native or inhabitant of the former republic of East Germany
 
East Indian
a native or inhabitant of the East Indies
 
East-sider
a resident of the east side of Manhattan in New York City
 
Eastern Sioux
a member of the eastern branch of the Sioux
 
easterner
an inhabitant of an eastern area; especially of the U.S.
 
easy mark
a defenseless victim
 
eater
someone who consumes food for nourishment
 
eavesdropper
a secret listener to private conversations
 
eccentric
a person with an unusual or odd personality
 
ecdysiast
a performer who provides erotic entertainment by undressing to music
 
eclectic
someone who selects according to the eclectic method
 
ecologist
a biologist who studies the relation between organisms and their environment
 
econometrician
an economist who uses statistical and mathematical methods
 
economic expert
an expert in the science of economics
 
economic libertarian
a libertarian who advocates maximizing individual rights and minimizing the role of the state
 
economiser
a frugal person who limits spending and avoids waste
 
ectomorph
a person with a thin body
 
Ecuadorian
a native or inhabitant of Ecuador
 
Eddy Merckx
Belgian racing cyclist who won the Tour de France five times (born in 1945)
 
Edgar
the younger brother of Edwy who became king of Northumbria when it renounced Edwy; on Edwy's death he succeeded to the throne of England (944-975)
 
Edgar Albert Guest
United States journalist (born in England) noted for his syndicated homey verse (1881-1959)
 
Edgar Allan Poe
United States writer and poet (1809-1849)
 
Edgar Douglas Adrian
English physiologist who conducted research into the function of neurons; 1st baron of Cambridge (1889-1997)
 
Edgar Lee Masters
United States poet (1869-1950)
 
Edgar Rice Burroughs
United States novelist and author of the Tarzan stories (1875-1950)
 
Edgar Varese
United States composer (born in France) whose music combines dissonance with complex rhythms and the use of electronic techniques (1883-1965)
 
Edgard Lawrence Doctorow
United States novelist (born in 1931)
 
edger
a person who puts finishing edges on a garment
 
Edith Giovanna Gassion
French cabaret singer (1915-1963)
 
Edith Louisa Cavell
English nurse who remained in Brussels after the German occupation in order to help Allied prisoners escape; was caught and executed by the Germans (1865-1915)
 
Edith Newbold Jones Wharton
United States novelist (1862-1937)
 
editor
a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)
 
Edmond Hoyle
English writer on card games (1672-1769)
 
Edmond Louis Antoine Huot de Goncourt
French writer who collaborated with his brother Jules de Goncourt on many books and who in his will established the Prix Goncourt (1822-1896)
 
Edmond Rostand
French dramatist and poet whose play immortalized Cyrano de Bergerac (1868-1918)
 
Edmund Burke
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
 
Edmund Cartwright
English clergyman who invented the power loom (1743-1823)
 
Edmund Charles Edouard Genet
French diplomat who in 1793 tried to draw the United States into the war between France and England (1763-1834)
 
Edmund Halley
English astronomer who used Newton's laws of motion to predict the period of a comet (1656-1742)
 
Edmund Husserl
German philosopher who developed phenomenology (1859-1938)
 
Edmund I
king of the English who succeeded Athelstan; he drove out the Danes and made peace with Scotland (921-946)
 
Edmund Ironside
king of the English who led resistance to Canute but was defeated and forced to divide the kingdom with Canute (980-1016)
 
Edmund John Millington Synge
Irish poet and playwright whose plays are based on rural Irish life (1871-1909)
 
Edmund Kean
English actor noted for his portrayals of Shakespeare's great tragic characters (1789-1833)
 
Edmund Malone
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
 
Edmund Spenser
English poet who wrote an allegorical romance celebrating Elizabeth I in the Spenserian stanza (1552-1599)
 
Edmund Wilson
United States literary critic (1895-1972)
 
Edna Ferber
United States novelist; author of several popular novels (1887-1968)
 
Edna O'Brien
Irish writer (born in 1932)
 
Edna Saint Vincent Millay
United States poet (1892-1950)
 
Edo
a member of a west African people living in the tropical forest region of southern Nigeria
 
Edouard Manet
French painter whose work influenced the impressionists (1832-1883)
 
Edsel Bryant Ford
son of Henry Ford (1893-1943)
 
Eduard Buchner
German organic chemist who studied alcoholic fermentation and discovered zymase (1860-1917)
 
educatee
a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
 
educationalist
a specialist in the theory of education
 
educator
someone who educates young people
 
Edvard Hagerup Grieg
Norwegian composer whose work was often inspired by Norwegian folk music (1843-1907)
 
Edvard Munch
Norwegian painter (1863-1944)
 
Edward Antony Richard Louis
third son of Elizabeth II (born in 1964)
 
Edward Bouverie Pusey
English theologian who (with John Henry Newman and John Keble) founded the Oxford movement (1800-1882)
 
Edward Calvin Kendall
United States biochemist who discovered cortisone (1886-1972)
 
Edward Douglas White Jr.
United States jurist appointed chief justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1910 by President Taft; noted for his work on antitrust legislation (1845-1921)
 
Edward Durell Stone
United States architect (1902-1978)
 
Edward Estlin Cummings
United States writer noted for his typographically eccentric poetry (1894-1962)
 
Edward Everett Hale
prolific United States writer (1822-1909)
 
Edward Fitzgerald
English poet remembered primarily for his free translation of the poetry of Omar Khayyam (1809-1883)
 
Edward Franklin Albeen
United States dramatist (1928-)
 
Edward George Earle Bulwer-Lytton
English writer of historical romances (1803-1873)
 
Edward Gibbon
English historian best known for his history of the Roman Empire (1737-1794)
 
Edward Goldenberg Robinson
United States film actor noted for playing gangster roles (1893-1973)
 
Edward Henry Harriman
United States railway tycoon (1848-1909)
 
Edward I
King of England from 1272 to 1307; conquered Wales (1239-1307)
 
Edward II
King of England from 1307 to 1327 and son of Edward I; was defeated at Bannockburn by the Scots led by Robert the Bruce; was deposed and died in prison (1284-1327)
 
Edward III
son of Edward II and King of England from 1327-1377; his claim to the French throne provoked the Hundred Years' War; his reign was marked by an epidemic of the Black Plague and by the emergence of the House of Commons as the powerful arm of British Parliament (1312-1377)
 
Edward IV
King of England from 1461 to 1470 and from 1471 to 1483; was dethroned in 1470 but regained the throne in 1471 by his victory at the battle of Tewkesbury (1442-1483)
 
Edward James Hughes
English poet (born in 1930)
 
Edward James Muggeridge
United States motion-picture pioneer remembered for his pictures of running horses taken with a series of still cameras (born in England) (1830-1904)
 
Edward Jean Steichen
United States photographer who pioneered artistic photography (1879-1973)
 
Edward Jenner
English physician who pioneered vaccination; Jenner inoculated people with small amounts of cowpox to prevent them from getting smallpox (1749-1823)
 
Edward Kennedy Ellington
United States jazz composer and piano player and bandleader (1899-1974)
 
Edward Lawrie Tatum
United States biochemist who discovered how genes act by regulating definite chemical events (1909-1975)
 
Edward Lear
British artist and writer of nonsense verse (1812-1888)
 
Edward Lee Thorndike
United States educational psychologist (1874-1949)
 
Edward MacDowell
United States composer best remembered as a composer of works for the piano (1860-1908)
 
Edward Osborne Wilson
United States entomologist who has generalized from social insects to other animals including humans (born in 1929)
 
Edward Roscoe Murrow
United States broadcast journalist remembered for his reports from London during World War II (1908-1965)
 
Edward Sapir
anthropologist and linguist; studied languages of North American Indians (1884-1939)
 
Edward Teller
United States physicist (born in Hungary) who worked on the first atom bomb and the first hydrogen bomb (1908-2003)
 
Edward Thatch
an English pirate who operated in the Caribbean and off the Atlantic coast of North America (died in 1718)
 
Edward the Elder
king of Wessex whose military success against the Danes made it possible for his son Athelstan to become the first king of all England (870-924)
 
Edward V
King of England who was crowned at the age of 13 on the death of his father Edward IV but was immediately confined to the Tower of London where he and his younger brother were murdered (1470-1483)
 
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
the most decorated United States combat pilot in World War I (1890-1973)
 
Edward VI
King of England and Ireland from 1547 to 1553; son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour; died of tuberculosis (1537-1553)
 
Edward Vincent Sullivan
United States host on a well known television variety show (1902-1974)
 
Edward Weston
United States photographer(1886-1958)
 
Edward Williams Morley
United States chemist and physicist who collaborated with Michelson in the Michelson-Morley experiment (1838-1923)
 
Edward Winslow
English colonial administrator who traveled to America on the Mayflower and served as the first governor of the Plymouth Colony (1595-1655)
 
Edward Wyllis Scripps
United States newspaper publisher who founded an important press association; half-brother of James Edmund Scripps (1854-1926)
 
Edward Young
English poet (1683-1765)
 
Edwardian
someone belonging to (or as if belonging to) the era of Edward VII
 
Edwin
king of Northumbria who was converted to Christianity (585-633)
 
Edwin Arlington Robinson
United States poet; author of narrative verse (1869-1935)
 
Edwin DuBois Hayward
United States writer (1885-1940)
 
Edwin Herbert Land
United States inventor who incorporated Polaroid film into lenses and invented the one step photographic process (1909-1991)
 
Edwin Powell Hubble
United States astronomer who discovered that (as the universe expands) the speed with which nebulae recede increases with their distance from the observer (1889-1953)
 
Eero Saarinen
United States architect (born in Finland) (1910-1961)
 
effecter
one who brings about a result or event; one who accomplishes a purpose
 
effendi
a former Turkish term of respect; especially for government officials
 
efficiency engineer
an expert in increasing the efficient use of machines and personnel
 
Efrem Zimbalist
United States violinist (born in Russia) (1889-1985)
 
egalitarian
a person who believes in the equality of all people
 
Egbert
king of Wessex whose military victories made Wessex the most powerful kingdom in England (died in 839)
 
egghead
an intellectual; a very studious and academic person
 
egocentric
a self-centered person with little regard for others
 
egoist
a conceited and self-centered person
 
egomaniac
an abnormally egotistical person
 
Egyptian
a native or inhabitant of Egypt
 
Egyptologist
an archeologist who specializes in Egyptology
 
Eileen Farrell
United States operatic soprano noted for the clarity and power of her voice (1920-2002)
 
Einstein
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
 
ejaculator
a speaker who utters a sudden exclamation
 
ejaculator
a man who ejaculates semen
 
ejector
a person who ousts or supplants someone else
 
El Libertador
Venezuelan statesman who led the revolt of South American colonies against Spanish rule; founded Bolivia in 1825 (1783-1830)
 
El Nino
the Christ child
 
Elamite
a member of an ancient warlike people living in Elam east of Babylonia as early as 3000 BC
 
elder
any of various church officers
 
elder hand
the card player on the dealer's left
 
elder statesman
an elderly statesman whose advice is sought be government leaders
 
elder statesman
any influential person whose advice is highly respected
 
elder
a person who is older than you are
 
eldest
the offspring who came first in the order of birth
 
Eleanor Gwynne
English comedienne and mistress of Charles II (1650-1687)
 
Eleanor of Aquitaine
queen of France as the wife of Louis VII; that marriage was annulled in 1152 and she then married Henry II and became Queen of England (1122-1204)
 
elected official
official who won the office in a free election
 
Elector
any of the German princes who were entitled to vote in the election of new emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
 
elector
a citizen who has a legal right to vote
 
electrical engineer
a person trained in practical applications of the theory of electricity
 
electrician
a person who installs or repairs electrical or telephone lines
 
electrocutioner
an executioner who uses electricity to kill the condemned person
 
electrologist
someone skilled in the use of electricity to remove moles or warts or hair roots
 
electroplater
a plater who uses electrolysis
 
electrotherapist
someone who specializes in the treatment of disease by electricity
 
elegist
the author of a mournful poem lamenting the dead
 
Eleonora Duse
Italian actress best known for her performances in tragic roles (1858-1924)
 
elevator boy
a man employed to operate an elevator
 
elevator girl
a girl employed to operate an elevator
 
elevator operator
an operator of an elevator
 
Eli Whitney
United States inventor of the mechanical cotton gin (1765-1825)
 
Elia Kazanjoglous
United States stage and screen director (born in Turkey) and believer in method acting (1909-2003)
 
Elias Canetti
English writer born in Germany (1905-1994)
 
Elias Howe
United States inventor who built early sewing machines and won suits for patent infringement against other manufacturers (including Isaac M. Singer) (1819-1867)
 
Eliel Saarinen
Finnish architect and city planner who moved to the United States in 1923; father of Eero Saarinen (1873-1950)
 
Eliezer Wiesel
United States writer (born in Romania) who survived Nazi concentration camps and is dedicated to keeping alive the memory of the Holocaust (born in 1928)
 
Elihu Thomson
United States electrical engineer (born in England) who in 1892 formed a company with Thomas Edison (1853-1937)
 
Elihu Yale
English philanthropist who made contributions to a college in Connecticut that was renamed in his honor (1649-1721)
 
Elijah
a Hebrew prophet in the Old Testament who opposed the worship of idols; he was persecuted for rebuking Ahab and Jezebel (king and queen of Israel); he was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire (circa 9th century BC)
 
Elijah Muhammad
leader of Black Muslims who campaigned for independence for Black Americans (1897-1975)
 
Elinor Morton Hoyt Wylie
United States poet (1885-1928)
 
Elisha Graves Otis
United States inventor who manufactured the first elevator with a safety device (1811-1861)
 
elitist
someone who believes in rule by an elite group
 
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
English poet best remembered for love sonnets written to her husband Robert Browning (1806-1861)
 
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
United States suffragist and feminist; called for reform of the practices that perpetuated sexual inequality (1815-1902)
 
Elizabeth Cleghorn Stevenson Gaskell
English writer who is remembered for her biography of Charlotte Bronte (1810-1865)
 
Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman
muckraking United States journalist who exposed bad conditions in mental institutions (1867-1922)
 
Elizabeth I
Queen of England from 1558 to 1603; daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn; she succeeded Mary I (who was a Catholic) and restored Protestantism to England; during her reign Mary Queen of Scots was executed and the Spanish Armada was defeated; her reign was marked by prosperity and literary genius (1533-1603)
 
Elizabeth II
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
 
Elizabeth Merriwether Gilmer
United States journalist who wrote a syndicated column of advice to the lovelorn (1870-1951)
 
Elizabeth Palmer Peabody
educator who founded the first kindergarten in the United States (1804-1894)
 
Elizabeth Sanderson Haldane
Scottish writer and sister of Richard Haldane and John Haldane (1862-1937)
 
Elizabeth Taylor
United States film actress (born in England) who was a childhood star; as an adult she often co-starred with Richard Burton (born in 1932)
 
Elizabethan
a person who lived during the reign of Elizabeth I
 
Ella Fitzgerald
United States scat singer (1917-1996)
 
Ellen Price Wood
English writer of novels about murders and thefts and forgeries (1814-1887)
 
Elmer Ambrose Sperry
United States engineer and inventor of the gyrocompass (1860-1930)
 
Elmer Leopold Rice
United States playwright (1892-1967)
 
Elmore John Leonard
United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)
 
elocutionist
a public speaker trained in voice production and gesture and delivery
 
Elsa Schiaparelli
fashion designer born in Italy who was noted for her use of synthetic materials and brilliant colors (1896-1973)
 
Elvis Aron Presley
United States rock singer whose many hit records and flamboyant style greatly influenced American popular music (1935-1977)
 
Elwyn Brooks White
United States writer noted for his humorous essays (1899-1985)
 
Ely Culbertson
United States authority on contract bridge whose books helped to popularize the game (1891-1955)
 
emancipator
someone who frees others from bondage
 
Emanuel Swedenborg
Swedish theologian (1688-1772)
 
embalmer
a mortician who treats corpses with preservatives
 
embroiderer
someone who ornaments with needlework
 
embroideress
a woman embroiderer
 
embryologist
a physician who specializes in embryology
 
emcee
a person who acts as host at formal occasions (makes an introductory speech and introduces other speakers)
 
emeritus
a professor or minister who is retired from assigned duties
 
emigrant
someone who leaves one country to settle in another
 
Emil Hermann Fischer
German chemist noted for work on synthetic sugars and the purines (1852-1919)
 
Emil Klaus Julius Fuchs
British physicist who was born in Germany and fled Nazi persecution; in the 1940s he passed secret information to the USSR about the development of the atom bomb in the United States (1911-1988)
 
Emile Coue
French psychotherapist who claimed that if one imagined one was getting better, one would get better (1857-1926)
 
Emile Durkheim
French sociologist and first professor of sociology at the Sorbonne (1858-1917)
 
Emile Gaboriau
French writer considered by some to be a founder of the detective novel (1832-1873)
 
Emile Zola
French novelist and critic; defender of Dreyfus (1840-1902)
 
Emiliano Zapata
Mexican revolutionary who led a revolt for agrarian reforms (1879-1919)
 
Emilie Charlotte le Breton
British actress and mistress of the prince who later became Edward VII (1853-1929)
 
Emily Dickinson
United States poet noted for her mystical and unrhymed poems (1830-1886)
 
Emily Jane Bronte
English novelist; one of three Bronte sisters (1818-1848)
 
Emily Price Post
United States female author who wrote a book and a syndicated newspaper column on etiquette (1872-1960)
 
eminence grise
(French) a person who exercises power or influence in certain areas without holding an official position
 
emissary
someone sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else
 
Emma Goldman
United States anarchist (born in Russia) who opposed conscription; was deported to the Soviet Union in 1919 (1869-1940)
 
Emma Hart Willard
United States educator who was an early campaigner for higher education for women (1787-1870)
 
Emmett Kelly
United States circus clown (1898-1979)
 
Emmy Noether
German mathematician (1882-1935)
 
emotional person
a person subject to strong states of emotion
 
Empedocles
Greek philosopher who taught that all matter is composed of particles of fire and water and air and earth (fifth century BC)
 
emperor
the male ruler of an empire
 
Emperor Francis II
the last Holy Roman Emperor (1768-1835)
 
Emperor of Rome
sovereign of the Roman Empire
 
empiricist
a philosopher who subscribes to empiricism
 
employable
a person who is qualified and ready to work
 
employee
a worker who is hired to perform a job
 
employer
a person or firm that employs workers
 
employment agent
someone who runs an employment agency
 
empress
a woman emperor or the wife of an emperor
 
empty nester
a parent whose children have grown up and left home
 
enate
one related on the mother's side
 
enchanter
a sorcerer or magician
 
enchantress
a female sorcerer or magician
 
encroacher
someone who enters by force in order to conquer
 
encyclopaedist
a person who compiles information for encyclopedias
 
end
(football) the person who plays at one end of the line of scrimmage
 
end man
a man at one end of a row of people
 
end user
the ultimate user for which something is intended
 
endocrinologist
physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the endocrine system
 
endodontist
a dentist specializing in diseases of the dental pulp and nerve
 
endomorph
a heavy person with a soft and rounded body
 
endorser
a person who transfers his ownership interest in something by signing a check or negotiable security
 
endorser
someone who expresses strong approval
 
Enea Silvio Piccolomini
Italian pope from 1458 to 1464 who is remembered for his unsuccessful attempt to lead a crusade against the Turks (1405-1464)
 
enemy
a personal enemy
 
enemy
an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)
 
enfant terrible
a person whose unconventional behavior embarrasses others
 
enforcer
one whose job it is to execute unpleasant tasks for a superior
 
Engelbert Humperdinck
German composer of six operas and other incidental music (1854-1921)
 
engine driver
the operator of a railway locomotive
 
English Hippocrates
English physician (1624-1689)
 
English person
a native or inhabitant of England
 
English professor
someone who teaches English
 
Englishman
a man who is a native or inhabitant of England
 
Englishwoman
a woman who is a native or inhabitant of England
 
engraver
a printmaker who prints from an engraved printing plate
 
engraver
a skilled worker who can inscribe designs or writing onto a surface by carving or etching
 
enjoyer
a person who delights in having or using or experiencing something
 
enlisted man
a male enlisted person in the armed forces
 
enlisted officer
a military officer appointed from enlisted personnel
 
enlisted person
a serviceman who ranks below a commissioned officer
 
enlisted woman
a female enlisted person in the armed forces
 
enlistee
any new member or supporter (as in the armed forces)
 
enologist
a specialist in wine making
 
enophile
someone who appreciates wine
 
Enrico Caruso
outstanding Italian operatic tenor (1873-1921)
 
Enrico Fermi
Italian nuclear physicist (in the United States after 1939) who worked on artificial radioactivity caused by neutron bombardment and who headed the group that in 1942 produced the first controlled nuclear reaction (1901-1954)
 
enrollee
a person who enrolls in (or is enrolled in) a class or course of study
 
ensign
a person who holds a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant junior grade
 
ENT man
a specialist in the disorders of the ear or nose or throat
 
enterpriser
someone who organizes a business venture and assumes the risk for it
 
entertainer
a person who tries to please or amuse
 
enthusiast
a person having a strong liking for something
 
enthusiast
an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity
 
entrant
one who enters a competition
 
entrant
someone who enters
 
entrant
any new participant in some activity
 
envoy
a diplomat having less authority than an ambassador
 
enzymologist
a person who is trained in or engaged in enzymology
 
eparch
the governor or prefect of an eparchy in ancient Greece
 
eparch
a bishop or metropolitan in charge of an eparchy in the Eastern Church
 
Ephesian
a resident of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus
 
Epictetus
Greek philosopher who was a Stoic (circa 50-130)
 
Epicurus
Greek philosopher who believed that the world is a random combination of atoms and that pleasure is the highest good (341-270 BC)
 
epidemiologist
a medical scientist who studies the transmission and control of epidemic diseases
 
epigon
an inferior imitator of some distinguished writer, artist, or musician
 
epileptic
a person who has epilepsy
 
Episcopalian
a member of the Episcopal church
 
epistemologist
a specialist in epistemology
 
equerry
a personal attendant of the British royal family
 
equerry
an official charged with the care of the horses of princes or nobles
 
equestrian
a man skilled in equitation
 
equivocator
a respondent who avoids giving a clear direct answer
 
eradicator
someone who exterminates (especially someone whose occupation is the extermination of troublesome rodents and insects)
 
Eratosthenes
Greek mathematician and astronomer who estimated the circumference of the earth and the distances to the Moon and sun (276-194 BC)
 
eremite
a Christian recluse
 
Eric Arthur Blair
imaginative British writer concerned with social justice (1903-1950)
 
Erica Jong
United States writer (born in 1942)
 
Erich Mendelsohn
German architect who migrated to Palestine in 1937 (1887-1953)
 
Erich von Stroheim
United States film actor (born in Austria) (1885-1957)
 
Erie
a member of an Iroquoian people formerly living on the south shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania and western New York
 
Erik Adolf von Willebrand
Finnish physician who first described vascular hemophilia (1870-1949)
 
Erik Alfred Leslie Satie
French composer noted for his experimentalism and rejection of Romanticism (1866-1925)
 
Erik Axel Karlfeldt
Swedish poet whose works incorporate Swedish customs and folklore (1864-1931)
 
Eritrean
a native or inhabitant of Eritrea
 
Erle Stanley Gardner
writer of detective novels featuring Perry Mason (1889-1970)
 
Ernest Bevin
British labor leader and statesman who played an important role in diplomacy after World War II (1884-1951)
 
Ernest Bloch
United States composer (born in Switzerland) who composed symphonies and chamber music and choral music and a piano sonata and an opera (1880-1959)
 
Ernest Hemingway
an American writer of fiction who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1954 (1899-1961)
 
Ernest Orlando Lawrence
United States physicist who developed the cyclotron (1901-1958)
 
Ernest Solvay
Belgian chemist who developed the Solvay process and built factories exploiting it (1838-1922)
 
Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton
Irish physicist who (with Sir John Cockcroft in 1931) first split an atom (1903-1995)
 
Ernestine Schumann-Heink
United States operatic contralto (1861-1936)
 
Ernesto Guevara
an Argentine revolutionary leader who was Fidel Castro's chief lieutenant in the Cuban revolution; active in other Latin American countries; was captured and executed by the Bolivian army (1928-1967)
 
Ernst Cassirer
German philosopher concerned with concept formation in the human mind and with symbolic forms in human culture generally (1874-1945)
 
Ernst Heinrich Haeckel
German biologist and philosopher; advocated Darwinism and formulated the theory of recapitulation; was an exponent of materialistic monism (1834-1919)
 
Ernst Heinrich Weber
German physiologist who studied sensory responses to stimuli and is considered the father of psychophysics (1795-1878)
 
Ernst Lubitsch
German filmmaker of sophisticated comedies (1892-1947)
 
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
German expressionist painter (1880-1938)
 
Ernst Mach
Austrian physicist and philosopher who introduced the Mach number and who founded logical positivism (1838-1916)
 
Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann
German writer of fantastic tales (1776-1822)
 
Ernst Werner von Siemens
German electrical engineer (1816-1892)
 
erotic
an erotic person
 
errand boy
a boy who earns money by running errands
 
Erskine Preston Caldwell
United States author remembered for novels about poverty and degeneration (1903-1987)
 
Erwin Panofsky
art historian (1892-1968)
 
Erwin Rommel
German field marshal noted for brilliant generalship in North Africa during World War II (1891-1944)
 
Erwin Schrodinger
Austrian physicist who discovered the wave equation (1887-1961)
 
Esau
(Old Testament) the eldest son of Isaac who would have inherited the covenant that God made with Abraham and that Abraham passed on to Isaac; he traded his birthright to his twin brother Jacob for a mess of pottage
 
escalader
someone who gains access by the use of ladders
 
escape expert
an entertainer who is expert in the art of escaping
 
escapee
someone who escapes
 
eschatologist
a theologian who specializes in eschatology
 
escort
an attendant who is employed to accompany someone
 
Esme Stuart Lennox Robinson
Irish playwright and theater manager in Dublin (1886-1958)
 
espionage agent
someone employed to spy on another country or business competitor
 
Esquimau
a member of a people inhabiting the Arctic (northern Canada or Greenland or Alaska or eastern Siberia); the Algonquians called them Eskimo (`eaters of raw flesh') but they call themselves the Inuit (`the people')
 
Esquire
a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name
 
esquire
(Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood
 
essayist
a writer of literary works
 
Esselen
a member of a North American Indian people living on the California coast near Monterey
 
Essene
a member of an ascetic Jewish sect around the time of Jesus
 
estate agent
a person who is authorized to act as an agent for the sale of land
 
Esther
(Old Testament) a beautiful Jewess chosen by the king of Persia to be his queen; she stopped a plot to massacre all the Jews in Persia (an event celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim)
 
Esther Hobart McQuigg Slack Morris
United States suffragist in Wyoming (1814-1902)
 
etcher
someone who etches
 
Ethan Allen
a soldier of the American Revolution whose troops helped capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British (1738-1789)
 
Ethel Barrymore
United States actress; daughter of Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Barrymore (1879-1959)
 
Ethel Merman
United States singer who appeared in several musical comedies (1909-1984)
 
Ethel Waters
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
 
Ethelbert
Anglo-Saxon king of Kent who was converted to Christianity by Saint Augustine; codified English law (552-616)
 
Ethelred I
king of Wessex and Kent and elder brother of Alfred; Alfred joined Ethelred's battle against the invading Danes and succeeded him on his death (died in 871)
 
Ethelred the Unready
king of the English who succeeded to the throne after his half-brother Edward the Martyr was murdered; he struggled unsuccessfully against the invading Danes (969-1016)
 
ethician
a philosopher who specializes in ethics
 
Ethiopian
a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia
 
ethnarch
the ruler of a province (as in the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire) or certain religious rulers with secular authority
 
ethnic
a person who is a member of an ethnic group
 
ethnographer
an anthropologist who does ethnography
 
ethnologist
an anthropologist who studies ethnology
 
ethologist
a zoologist who studies the behavior of animals in their natural habitats
 
Etienne-Louis Arthur Fallot
French physician who described cardiac anomalies including Fallot's tetralogy (1850-1911)
 
Etonian
a student enrolled in (or graduated from) Eton College
 
Etruscan
a native or inhabitant of ancient Etruria; the Etruscans influenced the Romans (who had suppressed them by about 200 BC)
 
etymologist
a lexicographer who specializes in etymology
 
Euclid
Greek geometer (3rd century BC)
 
Eudora Welty
United States writer about rural southern life (1909-2001)
 
Eugene Curran Kelly
United States dancer who performed in many musical films (1912-1996)
 
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill
United States playwright (1888-1953)
 
Eugene Ionesco
French dramatist (born in Romania) who was a leading exponent of the theater of the absurd (1912-1994)
 
Eugene Luther Vidal
United States writer (born in 1925)
 
Eugene Ormandy
United States conductor (born in Hungary) (1899-1985)
 
Eugene Paul Wigner
United States physicist (born in Hungary) noted for his work on the structure of the atom and its nucleus (1902-1995)
 
Eugene Sue
French writer whose novels described the sordid side of city life (1804-1857)
 
Eugene Victor Debs
United States labor organizer who ran for President as a socialist (1855-1926)
 
Eugenio Pacelli
pope who maintained neutrality during World War II and was later criticized for not aiding the Jews who were persecuted by Hitler (1876-1958)
 
eulogist
an orator who delivers eulogies or panegyrics
 
Eurafrican
a person of mixed European and African descent
 
Eurasian
a person of mixed European and Asian descent
 
Euripides
one of the greatest tragic dramatists of ancient Greece (480-406 BC)
 
European
a native or inhabitant of Europe
 
Eusebius of Caesarea
Christian bishop of Caesarea in Palestine; a church historian and a leading early Christian exegete (circa 270-340)
 
Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus
(Roman Catholic Church) one of the great Fathers of the early Christian Church whose major work was his translation of the Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin (which became the Vulgate); a saint and Doctor of the Church (347-420)
 
Eva Braun
the German mistress of Adolf Hitler (1910-1945)
 
Eva Le Gallienne
United States actress (born in England) (1899-1991)
 
evacuee
a person who has been evacuated from a dangerous place
 
evaluator
an authority who is able to estimate worth or quality
 
Evangelist
(when capitalized) any of the spiritual leaders who are assumed to be authors of the Gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
 
evangelist
a preacher of the Christian gospel
 
Evangelista Torricelli
Italian physicist who invented the mercury barometer (1608-1647)
 
Evariste Galois
French mathematician who described the conditions for solving polynomial equations; was killed in a duel at the age of 21 (1811-1832)
 
Eve
(Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
 
Evelyn Arthur Saint John Waugh
English author of satirical novels (1903-1966)
 
event planner
someone who plans social events as a profession (usually for government or corporate officials)
 
everyman
the ordinary person
 
evildoer
a person who sins (without repenting)
 
evolutionist
a person who believes in organic evolution
 
Ewe
a member of a people living in southern Benin and Togo and southeastern Ghana
 
Ewenki
a member of the people inhabiting an area of northern Mongolia and eastern Siberia
 
ex
a man who was formerly a certain woman's husband
 
ex
a woman who was formerly a particular man's wife
 
ex-boyfriend
a man who is no longer a woman's boyfriend
 
ex-gambler
a former gambler
 
ex-mayor
a former mayor
 
ex-president
a former president
 
ex-serviceman
a person who has served in the armed forces
 
ex-spouse
a person who was formerly a spouse
 
examinee
someone who is tested (as by an intelligence test or an academic examination)
 
examiner
an investigator who observes carefully
 
examiner
someone who administers a test to determine your qualifications
 
exarch
a viceroy who governed a large province in the Roman Empire
 
exarch
a bishop in eastern Christendom who holds a place below a patriarch but above a metropolitan
 
exarch
a bishop in one of several Eastern Orthodox Churches in North America
 
excavator
a workman who excavates for foundations of buildings or for quarrying
 
Excellency
a title used to address dignitaries (such as ambassadors or governors); usually preceded by `Your' or `His' or `Her'
 
exchanger
one whose business is to exchange the money of one country for that of another country
 
excogitator
a thinker who considers carefully and thoroughly
 
excursionist
a tourist who is visiting sights of interest
 
excuser
a person who pardons or forgives or excuses a fault or offense
 
executant
a performer (usually of musical works)
 
executioner
an official who inflicts capital punishment in pursuit of a warrant
 
executive officer
the officer second in command
 
executive secretary
a secretary having administrative duties and responsibilities
 
executive vice president
a vice president holding executive power
 
executive
a person responsible for the administration of a business
 
executor
a person appointed by a testator to carry out the terms of the will
 
executrix
a woman executor
 
exegete
a person skilled in exegesis (especially of religious texts)
 
exhibitioner
someone who organizes an exhibit for others to see
 
exhibitionist
someone with a compulsive desire to expose the genitals
 
exhibitionist
someone who deliberately behaves in such a way as to attract attention
 
exile
a person who is voluntarily absent from home or country
 
existential philosopher
a philosopher who emphasizes freedom of choice and personal responsibility but who regards human existence in a hostile universe as unexplainable
 
exodontist
a dentist specializing in the extraction of teeth
 
exorciser
someone who practices exorcism
 
expectorator
a person who spits (ejects saliva or phlegm from the mouth)
 
experimenter
a research worker who conducts experiments
 
experimenter
a person who enjoys testing innovative ideas
 
expert
a person with special knowledge or ability who performs skillfully
 
expert witness
a witness who has knowledge not normally possessed by the average person concerning the topic that he is to testify about
 
exploiter
a person who uses something or someone selfishly or unethically
 
exponent
someone who expounds and interprets or explains
 
exporter
a businessperson who transports goods abroad (for sale)
 
expositor
a person who explains
 
expressionist
an artist who is an adherent of expressionism
 
extern
a nonresident doctor or medical student; connected with a hospital but not living there
 
extoller
someone who communicates high praise
 
extra
a minor actor in crowd scenes
 
extravert
(psychology) a person concerned more with practical realities than with inner thoughts and feelings
 
extreme right-winger
an extreme conservative; an opponent of progress or liberalism
 
extremist
a person who holds extreme views
 
eye doctor
a medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the eye
 
eyeful
a strikingly beautiful woman
 
eyeglass wearer
a person who wears spectacles in order to see better
 
Eyeish
a member of the Caddo people of northeastern Texas
 
eyewitness
a spectator who can describe what happened
 
Ezechiel
a Hebrew prophet of the 6th century BC who was exiled to Babylon in 587 BC
 
Ezra
a Jewish priest and scribe sent by the Persian king to restore Jewish law and worship in Jerusalem
 
Ezra Cornell
United States businessman who unified the telegraph system in the United States and who in 1865 (with Andrew D. White) founded Cornell University (1807-1874)
 
Ezra Loomis Pound
United States writer who lived in Europe; strongly influenced the development of modern literature (1885-1972)
 
Fabian
a member of the Fabian Society in Britain
 
fabricator
someone who tells lies
 
fabulist
a person who tells or invents fables
 
face
a part of a person that is used to refer to a person
 
facilitator
someone who makes progress easier
 
factory worker
a workman in a mill or factory
 
factotum
a servant employed to do a variety of jobs
 
faddist
a person who subscribes to a variety of fads
 
fag
offensive term for a homosexual man
 
Fahd ibn Abdel Aziz al-Saud
king of Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 2005 (1923-2005)
 
failure
a person with a record of failing; someone who loses consistently
 
fair game
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
 
fairy godmother
a generous benefactor
 
Faisal ibn Abdel Aziz al-Saud
king of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975 (1906-1975)
 
fake
a person who makes deceitful pretenses
 
fakeer
a Muslim or Hindu mendicant monk who is regarded as a holy man
 
falangist
a Spanish member of General Franco's political party
 
falconer
a person who breeds and trains hawks and who follows the sport of falconry
 
faller
a person who falls
 
faller
a person who fells trees
 
false witness
a person who deliberately gives false testimony
 
falsifier
someone who falsifies
 
familiar
a person attached to the household of a high official (as a pope or bishop) who renders service in return for support
 
family doctor
a general practitioner who treats all the family members
 
family man
a man whose family is of major importance in his life
 
family
a person having kinship with another or others
 
famulus
a close attendant (as to a scholar)
 
fan
an enthusiastic devotee of sports
 
fanatic
a person motivated by irrational enthusiasm (as for a cause)
 
fancy man
someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce)
 
fancy man
a woman's lover
 
fancy woman
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
 
Fannie Merritt Farmer
an expert on cooking whose cookbook has undergone many editions (1857-1915)
 
fantasist
a creator of fantasies
 
fantast
someone who predicts the future
 
fare
a paying (taxi) passenger
 
farm boy
a boy who has grown up on a farm
 
farm girl
a girl who has grown up on a farm
 
farm worker
a hired hand on a farm
 
farmer
a person who operates a farm
 
farmerette
a woman working on a farm
 
Farouk I
king of Egypt who in 1952 was ousted by a military coup d'etat (1920-1965)
 
farrier
a person who shoes horses
 
Farsi
a person of Iranian descent
 
fascist
an adherent of fascism or other authoritarian views
 
fascista
an Italian fascist under Mussolini
 
fashion arbiter
someone who popularizes a new fashion
 
fashion consultant
someone who advises you about fashionable clothing
 
fashion model
a woman who wears clothes to display fashions
 
fastener
a person who fastens or makes fast
 
fat cat
a wealthy and privileged person
 
Father
`Father' is a term of address for priests in some churches (especially the Roman Catholic Church or the Orthodox Catholic Church); `Padre' is frequently used in the military
 
father
a person who holds an important or distinguished position in some organization
 
Father Christmas
the legendary patron saint of children; an imaginary being who is thought to bring presents to children at Christmas
 
father figure
a man who takes over all the functions of the real father
 
Father of Radio
United States electrical engineer who in 1907 patented the first triode vacuum tube, which made it possible to detect and amplify radio waves (1873-1961)
 
Father of the Church
(Christianity) any of about 70 theologians in the period from the 2nd to the 7th century whose writing established and confirmed official church doctrine; in the Roman Catholic Church some were later declared saints and became Doctor of the Church; the best known Latin Church Fathers are Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and Jerome; those who wrote in Greek include Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, and John Chrysostom
 
Father of the Submarine
American inventor who in 1775 designed a man-propelled submarine that was ineffectual but subsequently earned him recognition as a submarine pioneer (1742-1824)
 
father
the founder of a family
 
father-figure
a man (often a powerful or influential man) who arouses emotions usually felt for your real father and with whom you identify psychologically
 
father-in-law
the father of your spouse
 
Fatimah
youngest daughter of the prophet Mohammed and wife of the fourth calif Ali; revered especially by Shiite Muslims (606-632)
 
Fausto Paolo Sozzini
Italian theologian who argued against Trinitarianism (1539-1604)
 
Fauve
a member of a group of French painters who followed fauvism
 
favorite son
a United States politician favored mainly in his or her home state
 
favorite
a competitor thought likely to win
 
FBI agent
a special law-enforcement agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
 
featherweight
a professional boxer who weighs between 123 and 126 pounds
 
featherweight
weighs 126-139 pounds
 
featherweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 126 pounds
 
Federal
any federal law-enforcement officer
 
Federal soldier
a member of the Union Army during the American Civil War
 
federalist
an advocate of federalism
 
Federalist
a member of a former political party in the United States that favored a strong centralized federal government
 
Federico Fellini
Italian filmmaker (1920-1993)
 
Felix Klein
German mathematician who created the Klein bottle (1849-1925)
 
fellah
an agricultural laborer in Arab countries
 
Fellata
a member of a pastoral and nomadic people of western Africa; they are traditionally cattle herders of Muslim faith
 
fellow
a member of a learned society
 
fellow member
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
 
fellow traveler
a communist sympathizer (but not a member of the Communist Party)
 
felo-de-se
a person who kills himself intentionally
 
female aristocrat
a woman who is an aristocrat
 
female child
a youthful female person
 
female monarch
a female sovereign ruler
 
female offspring
a child who is female
 
female parent
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
 
female sibling
a person's sister
 
female
a person who belongs to the sex that can have babies
 
feminist
a supporter of feminism
 
fence
a dealer in stolen property
 
fence-sitter
a person who won't take sides in a controversy
 
fencer
someone skilled at fencing
 
fencesitter
a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics)
 
Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky
Russian novelist who wrote of human suffering with humor and psychological insight (1821-1881)
 
feral man
a person who is not socialized
 
Ferdinand de Saussure
Swiss linguist and expert in historical linguistics whose lectures laid the foundations for synchronic linguistics (1857-1913)
 
Ferdinand I
Holy Roman Emperor and king of Hungary and Bohemia (1503-1564)
 
Ferdinand II
Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia and Hungary who waged war against Protestant forces (1578-1637)
 
Ferdinand III
Holy Roman Emperor and king of Hungary and Bohemia who signed the Peace of Westphalia ending the Thirty Years' War (1608-1657)
 
Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe Morton
United States jazz musician who moved from ragtime to New Orleans jazz (1885-1941)
 
Ferdinand Julius Cohn
German botanist who is generally recognized as founding bacteriology when he recognized bacteria as plants
 
Ferdinand Magellan
Portuguese navigator in the service of Spain; he commanded an expedition that was the first to circumnavigate the world (1480-1521)
 
Ferdinand the Catholic
the king of Castile and Aragon who ruled jointly with his wife Isabella; his marriage to Isabella I in 1469 marked the beginning of the modern state of Spain and their capture of Granada from the Moors in 1492 united Spain as one country; they instituted the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 and supported the expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1492 (1452-1516)
 
Ferdinand the Great
king of Castile and Leon who achieved control of the Moorish kings of Saragossa and Seville and Toledo (1016-1065)
 
Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix
French romantic painter (1798-1863)
 
Ferenc Molnar
Hungarian playwright (1878-1952)
 
Fernand Leger
French painter who was an early cubist (1881-1955)
 
ferryman
a man who operates a ferry
 
fetishist
one who engages in fetishism (especially of a sexual nature)
 
feudal lord
a man of rank in the ancient regime
 
feudatory
a person holding a fief; a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord
 
fiance
a man who is engaged to be married
 
fiddler
an unskilled person who tries to fix or mend
 
fiddler
someone who manipulates in a nervous or unconscious manner
 
fiddler
a musician who plays the violin
 
Fidel Castro Ruz
Cuban socialist leader who overthrew a dictator in 1959 and established a Marxist socialist state in Cuba (born in 1927)
 
fiduciary
a person who holds assets in trust for a beneficiary
 
field general
(football) the person who plays quarterback
 
field judge
a football official
 
field marshal
an officer holding the highest rank in the army
 
fielder
a member of the baseball team that is in the field instead of at bat
 
fielder
a member of the cricket team that is fielding rather than batting
 
fieldworker
a researcher who works in the field
 
fifth columnist
a member of a clandestine subversive organization who tries to help a potential invader
 
fighter pilot
a military or naval pilot of fighter planes
 
Fighting Joe Hooker
United States general in the Union Army who was defeated at Chancellorsville by Robert E. Lee (1814-1879)
 
figure
a well-known or notable person
 
figurehead
a person used as a cover for some questionable activity
 
Fijian
a native or inhabitant of Fiji
 
file clerk
a clerk who is employed to maintain the files of an organization
 
filer
a party who files a notice with a law court
 
filibuster
a legislator who gives long speeches in an effort to delay or obstruct legislation that he (or she) opposes
 
filicide
a parent who murders his own son or daughter
 
Filipino
a native or inhabitant of the Philippines
 
Filippino Lippi
Italian painter and son of Fra Filippo Lippi (1457-1504)
 
Filippo Brunelleschi
Florentine architect who was the first great architect of the Italian Renaissance (1377-1446)
 
fille
a young female
 
film maker
a producer of motion pictures
 
film star
a star who plays leading roles in the cinema
 
film writer
someone who writes screenplays
 
finagler
a deceiver who uses crafty misleading methods
 
finalist
a contestant who reaches the final stages of a competition
 
finance minister
the minister responsible for state finances
 
financial analyst
an analyst who studies the financial performance of corporations
 
financial officer
an officer charged with receiving and disbursing funds
 
financier
a person skilled in large scale financial transactions
 
finder
someone who comes upon something after searching
 
fingerprint expert
a specialist in identifying fingerprints
 
finisher
a worker who performs the last step in a manufacturing process
 
finisher
a painter who applies a finishing coat
 
finisher
a racing driver who finishes a race
 
Finn
a native or inhabitant of Finland
 
fire chief
the head of a fire department
 
fire fighter
a member of a fire department who tries to extinguish fires
 
fire marshall
an official who is responsible for the prevention and investigation of fires
 
fire walker
someone who walks barefoot on burning coals
 
fire warden
an official who is responsible for managing and protecting an area of forest
 
fire watcher
(during World War II in Britain) someone whose duty was to watch for fires caused by bombs dropped from the air
 
fire-eater
a performer who pretends to swallow fire
 
fire-eater
a belligerent grouch
 
firebrand
someone who deliberately foments trouble
 
fireman
a pitcher who does not start the game
 
fireman
a laborer who tends fires (as on a coal-fired train or steamship)
 
First Baron Kelvin
British physicist who invented the Kelvin scale of temperature and pioneered undersea telegraphy (1824-1907)
 
First Baron Marks of Broughton
English businessman who created a retail chain (1888-1964)
 
First Baron Passfield
English sociologist and economist and a central member of the Fabian Society (1859-1947)
 
First Baron Rutherford of Nelson
British physicist (born in New Zealand) who discovered the atomic nucleus and proposed a nuclear model of the atom (1871-1937)
 
first baseman
(baseball) the person who plays first base
 
First Duke of Marlborough
English general considered one of the greatest generals in history (1650-1722)
 
First Duke of Wellington
British general and statesman; he defeated Napoleon at Waterloo; subsequently served as Prime Minister (1769-1852)
 
First Earl Kitchener of Khartoum
British field marshal (1850-1916)
 
First Earl of Beaconsfield
British statesman who as Prime Minister bought controlling interest in the Suez Canal and made Queen Victoria the empress of India (1804-1881)
 
First Earl of Chatham
English statesman who brought the Seven Years' War to an end (1708-1778)
 
First Earl of Orford
Englishman and Whig statesman who (under George I) was effectively the first British prime minister (1676-1745)
 
first lady
the wife of a chief executive
 
first lady
the leading woman in an art or profession
 
First Lord of the Treasury
the British cabinet minister responsible for economic strategy
 
First Marquess Cornwallis
commander of the British forces in the American War of Independence; was defeated by American and French troops at Yorktown (1738-1805)
 
first mate
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
 
first offender
someone convicted for the first time
 
first sergeant
a sergeant in the Army above the rank of staff sergeant and below master sergeant
 
First Viscount Haldane of Cloan
Scottish statesman and brother of Elizabeth and John Haldane (1856-1928)
 
First Viscount Nuffield
British industrialist who manufactured automobiles and created a philanthropic foundation (1877-1963)
 
first-nighter
someone habitually a spectator at the openings of theatrical productions
 
first-rater
one who is first-rate
 
fisher
someone whose occupation is catching fish
 
fishmonger
someone who sells fish
 
fitter
someone who fits a garment to a particular person
 
five-star admiral
an admiral of the highest rank
 
fixer
someone who intervenes with authorities for a person in trouble (usually using underhand or illegal methods for a fee)
 
fixer
a skilled worker who mends or repairs things
 
fixture
a regular patron
 
flack
a slick spokesperson who can turn any criticism to the advantage of their employer
 
flag captain
the captain of a flagship
 
flag officer
a senior naval officer above the rank of captain
 
flagellant
a person who whips himself as a religious penance
 
flagellant
a person who is whipped or whips himself for sexual gratification
 
flamen
a priest who served a particular deity in ancient Rome
 
flanker
a soldier who is a member of a detachment assigned to guard the flanks of a military formation
 
flanker
a back stationed wide of the scrimmage line; used as a pass receiver
 
flapper
a young woman in the 1920s who flaunted her unconventional conduct and dress
 
flash in the pan
someone who enjoys transient success but then fails
 
flatfoot
a policeman who patrols a given region
 
flatmate
an associate who shares an apartment with you
 
flautist
someone who plays the flute
 
Flavius Claudius Julianus
Roman Emperor and nephew of Constantine; he restored paganism as the official religion of the Roman Empire and destroyed Christian temples but his decision was reversed after his death (331?-363)
 
Flavius Valerius Constantinus
Emperor of Rome who stopped the persecution of Christians and in 324 made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire; in 330 he moved his capital from Rome to Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople (280-337)
 
fleer
someone who flees from an uncongenial situation
 
Fleming
a native of Flanders or a Flemish-speaking Belgian
 
flibbertigibbet
a female fool
 
flier
someone who travels by air
 
flight attendant
an attendant on an airplane
 
flight engineer
the flight crewman responsible for mechanical operation while in flight
 
flight surgeon
a medical officer specializing in aviation medicine
 
floater
a swimmer who floats in the water
 
floater
a voter who votes illegally at different polling places in the same election
 
floater
an employee who is reassigned from job to job as needed
 
floating voter
a voter who has no allegiance to any political party and whose unpredictable decisions can swing the outcome of an election one way or the other
 
flogger
a torturer who flogs or scourges (especially an official whose duty is to whip offenders)
 
floor leader
the legislator who organizes his party's strategy
 
floorwalker
an employee of a retail store who supervises sales personnel and helps with customer problems
 
floozie
a prostitute who attracts customers by walking the streets
 
Florence Nightingale
English nurse remembered for her work during the Crimean War (1820-1910)
 
Florentine
a native or resident of Florence, Italy
 
Florenz Ziegfeld
United States theatrical producer noted for a series of extravagant revues known as the Ziegfeld Follies (1869-1932)
 
Floridian
a native or resident of Florida
 
florist
someone who grows and deals in flowers
 
flouter
someone who jeers or mocks or treats something with contempt or calls out in derision
 
flower child
someone who rejects the established culture; advocates extreme liberalism in politics and lifestyle
 
flower girl
a young girl who carries flowers in a (wedding) procession
 
flower girl
a woman who sells flowers in the street
 
Floyd Bennett
United States aviator who (with Richard E. Byrd) piloted the first flight over the North Pole (1890-1928)
 
flunkey
a male servant (especially a footman)
 
flunkey
a person of unquestioning obedience
 
fly-by-night
a debtor who flees to avoid paying
 
flyweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 112 pounds
 
flyweight
weighs no more than 115 pounds
 
FO
an officer holding the rank of major or lieutenant colonel or colonel
 
folk dancer
someone who does folk dances
 
folk poet
a folk writer who composes in verse
 
folk singer
a singer of folk songs
 
folk writer
a writer of folktales
 
follower
a person who accepts the leadership of another
 
follower
someone who travels behind or pursues another
 
fondler
a molester who touches the intimate parts of the victim
 
fondler
a lover who gently fondles and caresses the loved one
 
food faddist
a person who adheres briefly to different diets
 
food manufacturer
a person who manufactures food products
 
fool
a professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the Middle Ages
 
fool
a person who lacks good judgment
 
foot
a member of a surveillance team who works on foot or rides as a passenger
 
foot soldier
fights on foot with small arms
 
foot soldier
an assistant subject to the authority or control of another
 
football coach
a coach of football players
 
football hero
a football player who has achieved a reputation for success
 
football official
an official who enforces the rules at a football game
 
football player
an athlete who plays American football
 
footer
a person who travels by foot
 
footman
a man employed as a servant in a large establishment (as a palace) to run errands and do chores
 
footpad
a highwayman who robs on foot
 
forager
someone who hunts for food and provisions
 
forbear
a person from whom you are descended
 
force
one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority
 
Ford Hermann Hueffer
English writer and editor (1873-1939)
 
forecaster
someone who makes predictions of the future (usually on the basis of special knowledge)
 
forefather
person from an earlier time who contributed to the tradition shared by some group
 
foreign agent
a spy for a foreign country
 
foreign correspondent
a journalist who sends news reports and commentary from a foreign country for publication or broadcast
 
foreign minister
a government minister for foreign relations
 
foreigner
someone who is excluded from or is not a member of a group
 
forelady
a woman who is foreperson of a jury
 
foreman
a man who is foreperson of a jury
 
foremother
a woman ancestor
 
foreperson
the presiding member of the jury and the one who speaks on their behalf
 
forerunner
a person who goes before or announces the coming of another
 
forewoman
a woman in charge of a group of workers
 
forger
someone who operates a forge
 
forgetful person
a flighty and disorganized person
 
fortune hunter
a person who seeks wealth through marriage
 
fortune teller
a person who foretells your personal future
 
forty-niner
a miner who took part in the California gold rush in 1849
 
forward
the person who plays the position of forward in certain games, such as basketball, soccer, or hockey
 
forward passer
(football) a ball carrier who tries to gain ground by throwing a forward pass
 
fossilist
a specialist in paleontology
 
foster brother
your foster brother is a male who is not a son of your parents but who is raised by your parents
 
foster child
a child who is raised by foster parents
 
foster daughter
someone who is raised as a daughter although not related by birth
 
foster father
a man who is a foster parent
 
foster mother
a woman who is a foster parent and raises another's child
 
foster parent
a person who acts as parent and guardian for a child in place of the child's natural parents but without legally adopting the child
 
foster sister
your foster sister is a female who is not a daughter of your parents but who is raised by your parents
 
foster son
someone who is raised as a son although not related by birth
 
foster-nurse
a nurse who raises another woman's child as her own
 
founder
a worker who makes metal castings
 
Founding Father
a member of the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution in 1787
 
foundress
a woman founder
 
four-minute man
someone who has run the mile in less that 4 minutes
 
Fourth Earl of Chesterfield
suave and witty English statesman remembered mostly for letters to his son (1694-1773)
 
Fourth Earl of Orford
English writer and historian; son of Sir Robert Walpole (1717-1797)
 
fowler
someone who hunts wild birds for food
 
Fox
a member of an Algonquian people formerly living west of Lake Michigan along the Fox River
 
fox hunter
a mounted hunter who follows the hounds in pursuit of a fox
 
Fra Filippo Lippi
Italian painter whose works show a three-dimensional style (1406-1469)
 
framer
someone who writes a new law or plan
 
framer
someone who makes frames (as for pictures)
 
franc-tireur
a sharpshooter (in the French army)
 
Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett
United States writer (born in England) remembered for her novels for children (1849-1924)
 
Frances Elizabeth Caroline Willard
United States advocate of temperance and women's suffrage (1839-1898)
 
Frances Wright
United States early feminist (born in Scotland) (1795-1852)
 
Francesco della Rovere
Italian pope from 1471 to 1484 who consented to the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition and built the Sistine Chapel (1414-1484)
 
Francesco Petrarca
an Italian poet famous for love lyrics (1304-1374)
 
Francis Albert Sinatra
United States singer and film actor (1915-1998)
 
Francis Beaumont
English dramatist who collaborated with John Fletcher (1584-1616)
 
Francis Edgar Stanley
United States inventor who built a steam-powered automobile (1849-1918)
 
Francis Everett Townsend
United States social reformer who proposed an old-age pension sponsored by the federal government; his plan was a precursor to Social Security (1867-1960)
 
Francis Ferdinand
archduke of Austria and heir apparent to Francis Joseph I; his assassination at Sarajevo triggered the outbreak of World War I (1863-1914)
 
Francis Ford Coppola
United States filmmaker (born in 1939)
 
Francis Henry Compton Crick
English biochemist who (with Watson in 1953) helped discover the helical structure of DNA (1916-2004)
 
Francis Hopkinson
American Revolutionary leader and patriot; a signer of the Declaration of Independence (1737-1791)
 
Francis Joseph I
emperor of Austria and king of Hungary; was defeated by Napoleon III at the battle of Magenta (1830-1916)
 
Francis Peyton Rous
United States pathologist who discovered viruses that cause tumors (1879-1970)
 
Francis Poulenc
French pianist and composer (1899-1963)
 
Francis Richard Stockton
United States writer (1834-1902)
 
Francis Scott Key
United States lawyer and poet who wrote a poem after witnessing the British attack on Baltimore during the War of 1812; the poem was later set to music and entitled `The Star-Spangled Banner' (1779-1843)
 
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald
United States author whose novels characterized the Jazz Age in the United States (1896-1940)
 
Francis Turner Palgrave
English poet (1824-1897)
 
Francisco Fernandez de Cordova
Spanish explorer who discovered Yucatan (1475-1526)
 
Francisco Franco
Spanish general whose armies took control of Spain in 1939 and who ruled as a dictator until his death (1892-1975)
 
Francisco Jimenez de Cisneros
prelate who was the confessor of Isabella I and who was later appointed Grand Inquisitor (1436-1517)
 
Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes
Spanish painter well known for his portraits and for his satires (1746-1828)
 
Francisco Pizarro
Spanish conquistador who conquered the Incas in what is now Peru and founded the city of Lima (1475-1541)
 
Francisco Villa
Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)
 
Franco-American
an American who was born in France or whose ancestors were French
 
Francois Auguste Rene Rodin
French sculptor noted for his renderings of the human form (1840-1917)
 
Francois Charles Mauriac
French novelist who wrote about the conflict between desire and religious belief (1885-1970)
 
Francois Couperin
French composer of music for organ and a member of a family of distinguished organists (1668-1733)
 
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
French writer of moralistic maxims (1613-1680)
 
Francois Duvalier
oppressive Haitian dictator (1907-1971)
 
Francois Jacob
French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)
 
Francois Mansart
French architect who introduced the mansard roof (1598-1666)
 
Francois Marie Charles Fourier
French sociologist and reformer who hoped to achieve universal harmony by reorganizing society (1772-1837)
 
Francois Maurice Marie Mitterrand
French statesman and president of France from 1981 to 1985 (1916-1996)
 
Francois Rabelais
author of satirical attacks on medieval scholasticism (1494-1553)
 
Francois Rene Chateaubriand
French statesman and writer; considered a precursor of the romantic movement in France (1768-1848)
 
Francois Truffaut
French filmmaker (1932-1984)
 
Francois Villon
French poet (flourished around 1460)
 
Francois-Marie Arouet
French writer who was the embodiment of 18th century Enlightenment (1694-1778)
 
Francoise-Athenais de Rochechouart
French noblewoman who was mistress to Louis XIV until he became attracted to Madame de Maintenon (1641-1707)
 
Francophile
an admirer of France and everything French
 
Francophobe
a person who hates France and everything French
 
Frank
a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century
 
Frank Capra
United States film maker (1897-1991)
 
Frank Cooper
United States film actor noted for his portrayals of strong silent heroes (1901-1961)
 
Frank Lloyd Wright
influential United States architect (1869-1959)
 
Frank Morrison Spillane
United States writer of popular detective novels (born in 1918)
 
Frank Philip Stella
United States minimalist painter (born in 1936)
 
Frank Winfield Woolworth
United States businessman who opened a shop in 1879 selling low-priced goods and built it into a national chain of stores (1852-1919)
 
franklin
a landowner (14th and 15th centuries) who was free but not of noble birth
 
Frans Hals
Dutch portrait and genre painter who endowed his portraits with vitality and humor (1580?-1666)
 
Franz Joseph Haydn
prolific Austrian composer who influenced the classical form of the symphony (1732-1809)
 
Franz Joseph Kline
United States abstract expressionist painter (1910-1962)
 
Franz Kafka
Czech novelist who wrote in German about a nightmarish world of isolated and troubled individuals (1883-1924)
 
Franz Lehar
Hungarian composer of light operas (1870-1948)
 
Franz Liszt
Hungarian composer and piano virtuoso (1811-1886)
 
Franz Seraph Peter Schubert
Austrian composer known for his compositions for voice and piano (1797-1828)
 
Franz Werfel
United States writer (1890-1945)
 
fratricide
a person who murders their brother or sister
 
Fred Astaire
United States dancer and cinema actor noted for his original and graceful tap dancing (1899-1987)
 
Fred Zinnemann
United States filmmaker (born in Austria) (1907-1997)
 
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi
French sculptor best known for creating the Statue of Liberty now in New York harbor
 
Frederic Francois Chopin
French composer (born in Poland) and pianist of the romantic school (1810-1849)
 
Frederic William Goudy
United States printer noted for designing typefaces (1865-1947)
 
Frederic William Maitland
English historian noted for his works on the history of English law (1850-1906)
 
Frederick Barbarossa
Holy Roman Emperor from 1152 to 1190; conceded supremacy to the pope; drowned leading the Third Crusade (1123-1190)
 
Frederick Carleton Lewis
United States athlete who won gold medals at the Olympics for his skill in sprinting and jumping (born in 1961)
 
Frederick Childe Hassam
United States painter noted for brilliant colors and bold brushwork (1859-1935)
 
Frederick Delius
English composer of orchestral works (1862-1934)
 
Frederick Douglass
United States abolitionist who escaped from slavery and became an influential writer and lecturer in the North (1817-1895)
 
Frederick I
son of Frederick William who in 1701 became the first king of Prussia (1657-1713)
 
Frederick Jackson Turner
United States historian who stressed the role of the western frontier in American history (1861-1951)
 
Frederick James Furnivall
English philologist who first proposed the Oxford English Dictionary (1825-1910)
 
Frederick Law Olmsted
United States landscape architect primarily responsible for the design of Central Park in New York City (1822-1903)
 
Frederick Loewe
United States composer (born in Austria) who collaborated with Lerner on several musicals (1901-1987)
 
Frederick Moore Vinson
United States jurist who served as chief justice of the Supreme Court (1890-1953)
 
Frederick Sanger
English biochemist who determined the sequence of amino acids in insulin and who invented a technique to determine the genetic sequence of an organism (born in 1918)
 
Frederick Soddy
English chemist whose work on radioactive disintegration led to the discovery of isotopes (1877-1956)
 
Frederick the Great
king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786; brought Prussia military prestige by winning the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War (1712-1786)
 
Frederick William
the Elector of Brandenburg who rebuilt his domain after its destruction during the Thirty Years' War (1620-1688)
 
Frederick William I
son of Frederick I who became king of Prussia in 1713; reformed and strengthened the Prussian army (1688-1740)
 
Frederick William II
king of Prussia who became involved in a costly war with France (1744-1797)
 
Frederick William III
king of Prussia who became involved in the Napoleonic Wars (1770-1840)
 
Frederick William IV
king of Prussia who violently suppressed democratic movements (1795-1865)
 
Frederico Garcia Lorca
Spanish poet and dramatist who was shot dead by Franco's soldiers soon after the start of the Spanish Civil War (1898-1936)
 
free agent
(sports) a professional athlete who is free to sign a contract to play for any team
 
free agent
someone acting freely or even irresponsibly
 
free lance
a writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them
 
free trader
an advocate of unrestricted international trade
 
free-liver
someone who gratifies physical appetites (especially for food and drink) with more than the usual freedom
 
freedman
a person who has been freed from slavery
 
freedom fighter
a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority (especially in the hope of improving conditions)
 
freedom rider
one of an interracial group of civil rights activists who rode buses through parts of the South in order to protest racial segregation
 
freeholder
the owner of a freehold
 
freeloader
someone who takes advantage of the generosity of others
 
freeman
a person who is not a serf or a slave
 
Freemason
a member of a widespread secret fraternal order pledged to mutual assistance and brotherly love
 
freethinker
a person who rejects religion
 
freight agent
an employee of a freight carrier who directs the receipt and delivery of goods
 
French Canadian
a Canadian descended from early French settlers and whose native language is French
 
French person
a person of French nationality
 
French teacher
someone who teaches French
 
frequenter
a regular customer
 
fresher
a first-year undergraduate
 
Freudian
a person who follows the basic theories or practices of Sigmund Freud
 
friar
a male member of a religious order that originally relied solely on alms
 
Fridtjof Nansen
Norwegian explorer of the Arctic and director of the League of Nations relief program for refugees of World War I (1861-1930)
 
Friedrich Anton Mesmer
Austrian physician who tried to treat diseases with a form of hypnotism (1734-1815)
 
Friedrich August Kekule von Stradonitz
German chemist remembered for his discovery of the ring structure of benzene (1829-1896)
 
Friedrich August von Hayek
English economist (born in Austria) noted for work on the optimum allocation of resources (1899-1992)
 
Friedrich August Wolf
German classical scholar who claimed that the Iliad and Odyssey were composed by several authors (1759-1824)
 
Friedrich Engels
socialist who wrote the Communist Manifesto with Karl Marx in 1848 (1820-1895)
 
Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock
German poet (1724-1803)
 
Friedrich Krupp
German industrialist who manufactured steel in Essen (1787-1826)
 
Friedrich Max Muller
British philologist (born in Germany) who specialized in Sanskrit (1823-1900)
 
Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel
German educator who founded the kindergarten system (1782-1852)
 
Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel
German mathematician and astronomer who made accurate measurements of stellar distances and who predicted the existence on an 8th planet (1784-1846)
 
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
influential German philosopher remembered for his concept of the superman and for his rejection of Christian values; considered, along with Kierkegaard, to be a founder of existentialism (1844-1900)
 
friend
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
 
Fritz Albert Lipmann
United States biochemist (born in Germany) noted for his studies of metabolic processes (1899-1986)
 
Fritz Haber
German chemist noted for the synthetic production of ammonia from the nitrogen in air (1868-1934)
 
Fritz Kreisler
United States violinist (born in Austria) (1875-1962)
 
Fritz W. Meissner
German physicist (1882-1974)
 
frontbencher
a member of the House of Commons who is a minister in the government or who holds an official position in an opposition party
 
frontierswoman
a woman who lives on the frontier
 
frotteur
someone who masturbates by rubbing against another person (as in a crowd)
 
fruit grower
someone who grows fruit commercially
 
fruiterer
a person who sells fruit
 
fry cook
a cook who specializes in fried foods
 
fucker
a stupid despised man
 
fuddy-duddy
a conservative who is old-fashioned or dull in attitude or appearance
 
fugitive
someone who is sought by law officers; someone trying to elude justice
 
fugleman
a leader and organizer and spokesman (especially a political leader)
 
full general
a general officer of the highest rank
 
full professor
a professor of the highest rank
 
fullback
(football) the running back who plays the fullback position on the offensive team
 
fuller
a workman who fulls (cleans and thickens) freshly woven cloth for a living
 
fumigator
someone whose job is to fumigate
 
funambulist
an acrobat who performs on a tightrope or slack rope
 
functional illiterate
a person with some ability to read and write but not enough for daily practical needs
 
functionalist
an adherent of functionalism
 
functionary
a worker who holds or is invested with an office
 
fundamentalist
a supporter of fundamentalism
 
fundamentalist
an adherent of fundamentalist principles
 
fundraiser
someone who solicits financial contributions
 
funeral director
one whose business is the management of funerals
 
fusilier
(formerly) a British infantryman armed with a light flintlock musket
 
fuss-budget
thinks about unfortunate things that might happen
 
futurist
a theologian who believes that the Scripture prophecies of the Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation) will be fulfilled in the future
 
Gabonese
a native or inhabitant of Gabon
 
Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit
German physicist who invented the mercury thermometer and developed the scale of temperature that bears his name (1686-1736)
 
Gabriel Lippmann
French physicist who developed the first color photographic process (1845-1921)
 
Gabriele Fallopius
Italian anatomist who first described the Fallopian tubes (1523-1562)
 
Gadaba
a member of an agricultural people in southeastern India
 
gadabout
a restless seeker after amusement or social companionship
 
gadgeteer
a person who delights in designing or building or using gadgets
 
Gael
a Gaelic-speaking Celt in Ireland or Scotland or the Isle of Man
 
Gaetan Vestris
Italian dancing-master for Louis XVI who was considered the greatest dancer of his day; he was the first to discard the mask in mime (1729-1808)
 
Gaetano Donizetti
Italian composer of operas (1797-1848)
 
gaffer
an electrician responsible for lighting on a movie or tv set
 
gagman
someone who writes comic material for public performers
 
gagman
a comedian who uses gags
 
gainer
a person who gains (gains an advantage or gains profits)
 
gainer
a person who gains weight
 
Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletian
Roman Emperor who when faced with military problems decided in 286 to divide the Roman Empire between himself in the east and Maximian in the west; he initiated the last persecution of the Christians in 303 (245-313)
 
Gaius Caesar
Roman Emperor who succeeded Tiberius and whose uncontrolled passions resulted in manifest insanity; noted for his cruelty and tyranny; was assassinated (12-41)
 
Gaius Cassius Longinus
prime mover in the conspiracy against Julius Caesar (died in 42 BC)
 
Gaius Flaminius
Roman statesman and general who built the Flaminian Way; died when he was defeated by Hannibal (died 217 BC)
 
Gaius Julius Caesar
conqueror of Gaul and master of Italy (100-44 BC)
 
Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus
Roman statesman who established the Roman Empire and became emperor in 27 BC; defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC at Actium (63 BC - AD 14)
 
Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus
Roman writer and nephew of Pliny the Elder; author of books of letters that commented on affairs of the day (62-113)
 
Gaius Plinius Secundus
Roman author of an encyclopedic natural history; died while observing the eruption of Vesuvius (23-79)
 
Gaius Valerius Catullus
Roman lyric poet remembered for his love poems to an aristocratic Roman woman (84-54 BC)
 
gal
alliterative term for girl (or woman)
 
Galatian
a native or inhabitant of Galatia in Asia Minor (especially a member of a people believed to have been Gauls who conquered Galatia in the 3rd century BC)
 
Galen
Greek anatomist whose theories formed the basis of European medicine until the Renaissance (circa 130-200)
 
Galilaean
an inhabitant of Galilee (an epithet of Jesus Christ)
 
Galileo Galilei
Italian astronomer and mathematician who was the first to use a telescope to study the stars; demonstrated that different weights descend at the same rate; perfected the refracting telescope that enabled him to make many discoveries (1564-1642)
 
Galina Sergeevna Ulanova
Russian ballet dancer (1910-1998)
 
gallant
a man who attends or escorts a woman
 
galley slave
a slave condemned to row in a galley
 
gallows bird
a person who deserves to be hanged
 
galoot
a disreputable or clumsy man
 
galvaniser
a skilled worker who coats iron or steel with zinc
 
galvaniser
a leader who stimulates and excites people to action
 
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Egyptian statesman who nationalized the Suez Canal (1918-1970)
 
Gambian
a native or inhabitant of Gambia
 
gambist
a musician who performs upon the viola da gamba
 
gambler
a person who wagers money on the outcome of games or sporting events
 
gambler
someone who risks loss or injury in the hope of gain or excitement
 
game warden
a person employed to take care of game and wildlife
 
gamecock
someone who is a very fierce fighter
 
games-master
the teacher in charge of games at a school
 
gamin
(sometimes offensive) a homeless boy who has been abandoned and roams the streets
 
gamine
a girl of impish appeal
 
gamine
a homeless girl who roams the streets
 
gandy dancer
a laborer in a railroad maintenance gang
 
ganef
(Yiddish) a thief or dishonest person or scoundrel (often used as a general term of abuse)
 
ganger
the foreman of a work gang
 
gangsta
(Black English) a member of a youth gang
 
gangster's moll
the girlfriend of a gangster
 
gangster
a criminal who is a member of gang
 
gaolbird
a criminal who has been jailed repeatedly
 
gaoler
someone who guards prisoners
 
Garden Stater
a native of resident of New Jersey
 
gardener
someone employed to work in a garden
 
gardener
someone who takes care of a garden
 
garment cutter
someone who cuts cloth etc. to measure in making garments
 
garment worker
a person who makes garments
 
garnishee
a wage earner who is served with a garnishment
 
Gary Weinstein
Azerbaijani chess master who became world champion in 1985 by defeating Anatoli Karpov (born in 1963)
 
gas fitter
a workman who installs and repairs gas fixtures and appliances
 
gasbag
a boring person who talks a great deal about uninteresting topics
 
gasman
someone employed by a gas company
 
Gaspar
(New Testament) one of the three sages from the east who came bearing gifts for the infant Jesus
 
Gaston Lachaise
United States sculptor (born in France) noted for his large nude figures (1882-1935)
 
gastroenterologist
a physician who specializes in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
 
gatekeeper
someone who controls access to something
 
gatherer
a person who gathers
 
gaucho
a cowboy of the South American pampas
 
Gaul
a person of French descent
 
Gaul
a Celt of ancient Gaul
 
Gautama Siddhartha
founder of Buddhism (c 563-483 BC)
 
gawker
a spectator who stares stupidly without intelligent awareness
 
gay woman
a female homosexual
 
gay
someone who is sexually attracted to persons of the same sex
 
gazetteer
a journalist who writes for a gazette
 
Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher
Prussian general who is remembered for his leadership in the wars against Napoleon (1742-1819)
 
geek
a carnival performer who does disgusting acts
 
geezer
a man who is (usually) old and/or eccentric
 
geisha
a Japanese woman trained to entertain men with conversation and singing and dancing
 
gem cutter
one who cuts and shapes precious stones
 
gem
a person who is as brilliant and precious as a piece of jewelry
 
Gemini
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Gemini
 
gendarme
a French policeman
 
Gene Sarazen
United States golfer who was first to win all four major golf tournaments (1902-1999)
 
genealogist
an expert in genealogy
 
general agent
an agent who sells insurance
 
general agent
someone authorized to transact every kind of business for the principal
 
general manager
the highest ranking manager
 
general officer
officers in the Army or Air Force or Marines above the rank of colonel
 
general
the head of a religious order or congregation
 
geneticist
a biologist who specializes in genetics
 
genitor
a natural father or mother
 
Genoese
a native or resident of Genoa
 
genre painter
a painter of scenes from everyday life
 
Genseric
king of the Vandals who seized Roman lands and invaded North Africa and sacked Rome (428-477)
 
gent
informal abbreviation of `gentleman'
 
gentile
a Christian
 
gentile
a person who is not a member of one's own religion; used in this sense by Mormons and Hindus
 
gentile
a person who does not acknowledge your god
 
gentleman
a man of refinement
 
Gentleman Johnny
British general in the American Revolution who captured Fort Ticonderoga but lost the battle of Saratoga in 1777 (1722-1792)
 
gentleman
a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer
 
gentleman-at-arms
one of 40 gentlemen who attend the British sovereign on state occasions
 
Geoffrey Chaucer
English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)
 
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Welsh chronicler who wrote an account of the kings of Britain which is now believed to contain little historical fact but it is a source of the Arthurian legend (circa 1100-1154)
 
geographer
an expert on geography
 
geologist
a specialist in geology
 
geomancer
one who practices geomancy
 
geometer
a mathematician specializing in geometry
 
geometry teacher
someone who teaches geometry
 
geophysicist
a geologist who uses physical principles to study the properties of the earth
 
Geordie
a native of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
 
Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann
pioneer of non-Euclidean geometry (1826-1866)
 
Georg Meissner
German anatomist (1829-1905)
 
Georg Philipp Telemann
German baroque composer (1681-1767)
 
Georg Simon Ohm
German physicist who formulated Ohm's law (1787-1854)
 
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
German philosopher whose three stage process of dialectical reasoning was adopted by Karl Marx (1770-1831)
 
Georg Wilhelm Steller
German naturalist (1709-1746)
 
George Armstrong Custer
United States general who was killed along with all his command by the Sioux at the Battle of Little Bighorn (1839-1876)
 
George Balanchine
United States dancer and choreographer (born in Russia) noted for his abstract and formal works (1904-1983)
 
George Bernard Shaw
British playwright (born in Ireland); founder of the Fabian Society (1856-1950)
 
George Boole
English mathematician; creator of Boolean algebra (1815-1864)
 
George Bryan Brummell
English dandy who was a fashion leader during the Regency (1778-1840)
 
George C. Scott
award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)
 
George Catlett Marshall
United States general and statesman who as Secretary of State organized the European Recovery Program (1880-1959)
 
George Charles Hevesy de Hevesy
Hungarian chemist who studied radioisotopes and was one of the discoverers of the element hafnium (1885-1966)
 
George Dibdin-Pitt
a British playwright who created the fictional character Sweeney Todd (1799-1855)
 
George Eastman
United States inventor of a dry-plate process of developing photographic film and of flexible film (his firm introduced roll film) and of the box camera and of a process for color photography (1854-1932)
 
George Edward Moore
English philosopher (1873-1958)
 
George Edward Pickett
American Confederate general known for leading a disastrous charge at Gettysburg (1825-1875)
 
George Ellery Hale
United States astronomer who discovered that sunspots are associated with strong magnetic fields (1868-1938)
 
George Fox
English religious leader who founded the Society of Friends (1624-1691)
 
George Frederick Handel
a prolific British baroque composer (born in Germany) remembered best for his oratorio Messiah (1685-1759)
 
George Frost Kennan
United States diplomat who recommended a policy of containment in dealing with Soviet aggression (1904-2005)
 
George Gamow
United States physicist (born in Russia) who was a proponent of the big-bang theory and who did research in radioactivity and suggested the triplet code for DNA (1904-1968)
 
George Gershwin
United States composer who incorporated jazz into classical forms and composed scores for musical comedies (1898-1937)
 
George Gilbert Aime Murphy
British classical scholar (born in Australia) who advocated the League of Nations and the United Nations (1866-1957)
 
George Gordon Meade
United States general in charge of the Union troops at the Battle of Gettysburg (1815-1872)
 
George Guess
Cherokee who created a notation for writing the Cherokee language (1770-1843)
 
George Harrison
English rock star; lead guitarist of the Beatles (1943-2001)
 
George Herbert Hitchings
United States biochemist noted for developing drugs to treat leukemia and gout (1905-1998)
 
George Herbert Mead
United States philosopher of pragmatism (1863-1931)
 
George Herbert Walker Bush
vice president under Reagan and 41st President of the United States (born in 1924)
 
George Herman Ruth
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
 
George Hubert Wilkins
Australian who was the first to explore the Arctic by airplane (1888-1958)
 
George Huntington
United States physician who first described Huntington's chorea
 
George I
Elector of Hanover and the first Hanoverian King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1714 to 1727 (1660-1727)
 
George II
King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover from 1727 to 1760 (1683-1760)
 
George III
King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820; the American colonies were lost during his reign; he became insane in 1811 and his son (later George IV) acted as regent until 1820 (1738-1820)
 
George IV
King of Great Britain and Ireland and Hanover from 1820 to 1830; his attempt to divorce his estranged wife undermined the prestige of the Crown (1762-1830)
 
George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier
English writer and illustrator; grandfather of Daphne du Maurier (1834-1896)
 
George Lucas
United States screenwriter and filmmaker (born in 1944)
 
George Macaulay Trevelyan
English historian and son of Sir George Otto Trevelyan whose works include a social history of England and a biography of Garibaldi (1876-1962)
 
George Mason
American Revolutionary leader from Virginia whose objections led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights (1725-1792)
 
George Meany
United States labor leader who was the first president of the AFL-CIO (1894-1980)
 
George Meredith
English novelist and poet (1828-1909)
 
George Michael Cohan
United States songwriter and playwright famous for his patriotic songs (1878-1942)
 
George Orson Welles
United States actor and filmmaker (1915-1985)
 
George Percy Aldridge Grainger
United States composer (born in Australia) who lived in London and collected English folk songs (1882-1961)
 
George Segal
United States sculptor (born in 1924)
 
George Simon Kaufman
United States playwright who collaborated with many other writers including Moss Hart (1889-1961)
 
George Stephenson
English railway pioneer who built the first passenger railway in 1825 (1781-1848)
 
George Stevens
United States filmmaker (1905-1975)
 
George Szell
United States conductor (born in Hungary) (1897-1970)
 
George V
King of Great Britain and Ireland and emperor of India from 1910 to 1936; gave up his German title in 1917 during World War I (1865-1936)
 
George Vancouver
English navigator remembered for his exploration of the Pacific coast of North America (1757-1798)
 
George VI
King of Great Britain and Ireland and emperor of India from 1936 to 1947; he succeeded Edward VIII (1895-1952)
 
George Washington Carver
United States botanist and agricultural chemist who developed many uses for peanuts and soy beans and sweet potatoes (1864-1943)
 
George Washington Goethals
United States army officer and engineer who supervised the construction of the Panama Canal (1858-1928)
 
George Wells Beadle
United States biologist who discovered how hereditary characteristics are transmitted by genes (1903-1989)
 
George Westinghouse
United States inventor and manufacturer (1846-1914)
 
George William Russell
Irish writer whose pen name was A.E. (1867-1935)
 
Georges Bizet
French composer best known for his operas (1838-1875)
 
Georges Braque
French painter who led the cubist movement (1882-1963)
 
Georges de La Tour
French painter of religious works (1593-1652)
 
Georges Enesco
Romanian violinist and composer (1881-1955)
 
Georges Eugene Benjamin Clemenceau
French statesman who played a key role in negotiating the Treaty of Versailles (1841-1929)
 
Georges Gilles de la Tourette
French neurologist (1857-1904)
 
Georges Henri Lemaitre
Belgian cosmologist who proposed the big-bang theory of the origin of the universe (1894-1966)
 
Georges Jacques Danton
French revolutionary leader who stormed the Paris bastille and who supported the execution of Louis XVI but was guillotined by Robespierre for his opposition to the Reign of Terror (1759-1794)
 
Georges Joseph Christian Simenon
French writer (born in Belgium) best known for his detective novels featuring Inspector Maigret (1903-1989)
 
Georges Leopold Chretien Frederic Dagobert Cuvier
French naturalist known as the father of comparative anatomy (1769-1832)
 
Georges Pierre Seurat
French painter who developed pointillism (1859-1891)
 
Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov
Soviet general who during World War II directed the counteroffensive at Stalingrad and relieved Leningrad and captured Berlin (1896-1974)
 
Georgia Okeeffe
United States painter (1887-1986)
 
Georgian
a native or resident of the American state of Georgia
 
Georgian
a native or inhabitant of Georgia in Asia
 
Georgiana Emma Barrymore
United States actress; daughter of John Drew and wife of Maurice Barrymore; mother of Ethel Barrymore and John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore (1854-1893)
 
Gerald Rudolph Ford
38th President of the United States; appointed vice president and succeeded Nixon when Nixon resigned (1913-2006)
 
Gerard Depardieu
French film actor (born in 1948)
 
Gerard Manley Hopkins
English poet (1844-1889)
 
Gerard Peter Kuiper
United States astronomer (born in the Netherlands) who studied the solar system and suggested in 1951 that there is a belt of comet-like debris at the edge of the solar system (1905-1973)
 
Gerardus Mercator
Flemish geographer who lived in Germany; he invented the Mercator projection of maps of the globe (1512-1594)
 
Gerhard Herzberg
Canadian physicist (born in Germany) noted for contributions to understanding the structure of molecules (born in 1904)
 
geriatrician
a specialist in gerontology
 
German
a person of German nationality
 
German American
an American who was born in Germany or whose ancestors were German
 
German Nazi
a German member of Adolf Hitler's political party
 
Germanist
a specialist in the study of Germanic language or culture or literature
 
Geronimo
Apache chieftain who raided the white settlers in the Southwest as resistance to being confined to a reservation (1829-1909)
 
Gertrude Caroline Ederle
United States swimmer who in 1926 became the first woman to swim the English Channel (1906-2003)
 
Gertrude Lawrence
English actress (1898-1952)
 
Gertrude Stein
experimental expatriate United States writer (1874-1946)
 
Getulio Dornelles Vargas
Brazilian statesman who ruled Brazil as a virtual dictator (1883-1954)
 
Ghanian
a native or inhabitant of Ghana
 
ghost
the visible disembodied soul of a dead person
 
ghost
a writer who gives the credit of authorship to someone else
 
Giacomo della Chiesa
pope who founded the Vatican service for prisoners of war during World War I (1854-1922)
 
Giacomo Puccini
Italian operatic composer noted for the dramatic realism of his operas (1858-1924)
 
Giambattista Marino
Italian poet (1569-1625)
 
Gian Carlo Menotti
United States composer (born in Italy) of operas (born in 1911)
 
Gianbattista Bodoni
Italian printer who designed the Bodoni font (1740-1813)
 
Gianni Versace
Italian fashion designer (1946-1997)
 
giant
a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
 
Gibraltarian
a native or inhabitant of Gibraltar
 
Gibson girl
the idealized American girl of the 1890s as pictured by C. D. Gibson
 
Gideon Algernon Mantell
English geologist remembered as the first person to recognize that dinosaurs were reptiles (1790-1852)
 
giggler
a person who laughs nervously
 
gigolo
a man who has sex with and is supported by a woman
 
Gilbert Charles Stuart
United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)
 
Gilbert Keith Chesterton
conservative English writer of the Roman Catholic persuasion; in addition to volumes of criticism and polemics he wrote detective novels featuring Father Brown (1874-1936)
 
gilder
someone whose occupation is to apply an overlay of gold or gilt
 
Giles Lytton Strachey
English biographer and leading member of the Bloomsbury Group (1880-1932)
 
Gilgamesh
a legendary Sumerian king who was the hero of an epic collection of mythic stories
 
gillie
a young male attendant on a Scottish Highlander chief
 
Giloacchino Antonio Rossini
Italian composer remembered for his operas (1792-1868)
 
Giordano Bruno
Italian philosopher who used Copernican principles to develop a pantheistic monistic philosophy; condemned for heresy by the Inquisition and burned at the stake (1548-1600)
 
Giorgio de Chirico
Italian painter (born in Greece) whose deep shadows and barren landscapes strongly influenced the surrealists (1888-1978)
 
Giorgio Vasari
Italian painter and art historian (1511-1574)
 
Giosue Carducci
Italian poet considered the national poet of modern Italy (1835-1907)
 
Giotto di Bondone
Florentine painter who gave up the stiff Byzantine style and developed a more naturalistic style; considered the greatest Italian painter prior to the Renaissance (1267-1337)
 
Giovanni Angelo Braschi
Italian pope from 1775 to 1799 who served during the French Revolution; Napoleon attacked the Papal States and in 1797 Pius VI was taken to France where he died (1717-1799)
 
Giovanni Battista Cibo
Italian pope from 1484 to 1492 who was known as a nepotist and was attacked by Savonarola for his worldliness (1432-1492)
 
Giovanni Battista Montini
Italian pope from 1963 to 1978 who eased restrictions on fasting and on interfaith marriages (1897-1978)
 
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Italian painter (1696-1770)
 
Giovanni Boccaccio
Italian poet (born in France) (1313-1375)
 
Giovanni Cabato
Italian explorer who led the English expedition in 1497 that discovered the mainland of North America and explored the coast from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland (ca. 1450-1498)
 
Giovanni Cimabue
painter of the Florentine school; anticipated the move from Byzantine to naturalistic art (1240-1302)
 
Giovanni da Verrazzano
Florentine navigator who explored the eastern coast of North America (circa 1485-1528)
 
Giovanni de'Medici
son of Lorenzo de'Medici and pope from 1513 to 1521 who excommunicated Martin Luther and who in 1521 bestowed on Henry VIII the title of Defender of the Faith (1475-1521)
 
Giovanni Francesco Albani
Italian pope from 1700 to 1721 who condemned Jansenist ideas on papal infallibility
 
Giovanni Jacopo Casanova de Seingalt
an Italian adventurer who wrote vivid accounts of his sexual encounters (1725-1798)
 
Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini
Italian sculptor and architect of the baroque period in Italy; designed many churches and chapels and tombs and fountains (1598-1680)
 
Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti
Italian pope from 1846 to 1878 who in 1854 declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
 
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Italian composer (1526-1594)
 
Giovanni Vincenzo Pecci
Italian pope from 1878 to 1903 who was interested in the advancement of learning and who opened the Vatican secret archives to all scholars
 
Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli
Italian astronomer who first noted lines (which he called canals) on the surface of Mars (1835-1910)
 
gipsy
a person who resembles a Gypsy in leading an unconventional, nomadic way of life
 
gipsy
a laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment
 
girl
a friendly informal reference to a grown woman
 
girl Friday
a female assistant who has a range of duties
 
Girl Scout
a girl who is a member of the Girl Scouts
 
girl wonder
an extremely talented young female person
 
girl
a girl or young woman with whom a man is romantically involved
 
girlfriend
any female friend
 
Girolamo Savonarola
Italian religious and political reformer; a Dominican friar in Florence who preached against sin and corruption and gained a large following; he expelled the Medici from Florence but was later excommunicated and executed for criticizing the Pope (1452-1498)
 
Girondist
a member of the moderate republican party that was in power during the French Revolution; the Girondists were overthrown by their more radical rivals the Jacobins
 
gitana
a Spanish female Gypsy
 
gitano
a Spanish male Gypsy
 
Giulio de' Medici
Italian pope from 1523 to 1534 who broke with Henry VIII of England after Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn (1478-1534)
 
Giulio Natta
Italian chemist noted for work on polymers (1903-1979)
 
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Italian patriot whose conquest of Sicily and Naples led to the formation of the Italian state (1807-1882)
 
Giuseppe Mazzini
Italian nationalist whose writings spurred the movement for a unified and independent Italy (1805-1872)
 
Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto
pope who condemned religious modernism; he was canonized in 1954 because of his interest in the poor (1835-1914)
 
giver
someone who devotes himself completely
 
gladiator
(ancient Rome) a professional combatant or a captive who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat
 
gladiator
a professional boxer
 
glass cutter
someone who cuts or grinds designs on glass
 
glass cutter
someone who cuts flat glass to size
 
glassblower
someone skilled in blowing bottles from molten glass
 
glassmaker
someone who makes glass
 
Glaswegian
an inhabitant of Glasgow
 
gleaner
someone who gathers something in small pieces (e.g. information) slowly and carefully
 
gleaner
someone who picks up grain left in the field by the harvesters
 
Glenda Jackson
English film actress who later became a member of British Parliament (born in 1936)
 
Glenn Hammond Curtiss
United States industrialist and aviation pioneer (1878-1930)
 
Glenn Theodore Seaborg
United States chemist who was one of the discoverers of plutonium (1912-1999)
 
globetrotter
someone who travels widely and often
 
gloomy Gus
someone with a habitually sullen or gloomy expression
 
Gloria May Josephine Svensson
United States actress in many silent films (1899-1983)
 
Gloria Steinem
United States feminist (born in 1934)
 
glossarist
a scholiast who writes glosses or glossaries
 
glutton
a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess
 
Gnaeus Julius Agricola
Roman general who was governor of Britain and extended Roman rule north to the Firth of Forth (37-93)
 
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus
Roman general and statesman who quarrelled with Caesar and fled to Egypt where he was murdered (106-48 BC)
 
Gnostic
an advocate of Gnosticism
 
go-between
a negotiator who acts as a link between parties
 
goalie
the soccer or hockey player assigned to protect the goal
 
goat herder
a person who tends a flock of goats
 
gobbler
a hasty eater who swallows large mouthfuls
 
god
a man of such superior qualities that he seems like a deity to other people
 
godchild
an infant who is sponsored by an adult (the godparent) at baptism
 
goddaughter
a female godchild
 
godfather
someone having a relation analogous to that of a male sponsor to his godchild
 
godfather
any man who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism
 
godmother
any woman who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism
 
godparent
a person who sponsors someone (the godchild) at baptism
 
godson
a male godchild
 
gofer
an employee whose duties include running errands
 
goffer
a zealously energetic person (especially a salesman)
 
gold digger
a woman who associates with or marries a rich man in order to get valuables from him through gifts or a divorce settlement
 
gold digger
a miner who digs or pans for gold in a gold field
 
Golda Meir
Israeli statesman (born in Russia) (1898-1978)
 
goldbeater
an artisan who beats gold into gold leaf
 
goldbrick
a soldier who performs his duties without proper care or effort
 
goldbrick
an idle worthless person
 
golden ager
an elderly person
 
golden boy
a man who is unusually successful at an early age
 
goldsmith
an artisan who makes jewelry and other objects out of gold
 
golf player
someone who plays the game of golf
 
golf pro
someone who earns a living by playing or teaching golf
 
golf widow
a wife who is left alone much of the time because her husband is playing golf
 
goliard
a wandering scholar in medieval Europe; famed for intemperance and riotous behavior and the composition of satirical and ribald Latin songs
 
Goliath
(Old Testament) a giant Philistine warrior who was slain by David with a slingshot
 
Gond
a member of a formerly tribal people in south central India
 
gondolier
a (Venetian) boatman who propels a gondola
 
goner
a person in desperate straits; someone doomed
 
Gongorist
a practitioner of the affected elegant style of the Spanish poet Gongora
 
good egg
(old-fashioned slang) a good person
 
good guy
any person who is on your side
 
good ol' boy
a white male Southerner with an unpretentious convivial manner and conservative or intolerant attitudes and a strong sense of fellowship with and loyalty to other members of his peer group
 
good person
a person who is good to other people
 
good Samaritan
a person who voluntarily offers help or sympathy in times of trouble
 
good speller
someone who spells words
 
goody-goody
a person who behaves extremely well in order to please a superior
 
goon
an aggressive and violent young criminal
 
Gordius
legendary king of ancient Phrygia who was said to be responsible for the Gordian knot
 
Gordon Howe
Canadian hockey player who holds the record for playing the most games (born 1928)
 
gorger
someone who eats food rapidly and greedily
 
gossip columnist
a journalist who writes a column of gossip about celebrities
 
gossip
a person given to gossiping and divulging personal information about others
 
Goth
one of the Teutonic people who invaded the Roman Empire in the 3rd to 5th centuries
 
Goth
a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
 
Gothic romancer
a writer of Gothic romances
 
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz
German philosopher and mathematician who thought of the universe as consisting of independent monads and who devised a system of the calculus independent of Newton (1646-1716)
 
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
German playwright and leader of the Enlightenment (1729-1781)
 
Gottlieb Daimler
German engineer and automobile manufacturer who produced the first high-speed internal combustion engine (1834-1900)
 
gouger
an attacker who gouges out the antagonist's eye
 
Gouverneur Morris
United States statesman who led the committee that produced the final draft of the United States Constitution (1752-1816)
 
governess
a woman entrusted with the care and supervision of a child (especially in a private home)
 
government agent
a representative or official of a government or administrative department of a government
 
government minister
a person appointed to a high office in the government
 
governor
the head of a state government
 
governor general
a governor of high rank
 
GP
a physician who is not a specialist but treats all illnesses
 
grabber
an unpleasant person who grabs inconsiderately
 
Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen
United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)
 
grad student
a student who continues studies after graduation
 
grader
a judge who assigns grades to something
 
graduate nurse
someone who has completed the course of study (including hospital practice) at a nurses training school
 
Graecophile
an admirer of Greece and everything Greek
 
grain merchant
a merchant who deals in food grains
 
grammarian
a linguist who specializes in the study of grammar and syntax
 
gramps
the father of your father or mother
 
gran
the mother of your father or mother
 
grand dragon
a high ranking person in the Ku Klux Klan
 
grand duchess
the wife of a grand duke or a woman holding that rank in her own right
 
grand duke
a prince who rules a territory
 
Grand Inquisitor
director of the court of Inquisition (especially in Spain and Portugal)
 
Grand Lama
chief lama and once ruler of Tibet
 
grand mufti
the chief mufti of a district
 
grand Turk
the ruler of a Muslim country (especially of the former Ottoman Empire)
 
grandaunt
an aunt of your father or mother
 
grandchild
a child of your son or daughter
 
granddaughter
a female grandchild
 
grande dame
a middle-aged or elderly woman who is stylish and highly respected
 
grandee
a nobleman of highest rank in Spain or Portugal
 
grandmaster
a player of exceptional or world class skill in chess or bridge
 
grandnephew
a son of your niece or nephew
 
grandniece
a daughter of your niece or nephew
 
grandparent
a parent of your father or mother
 
grandson
a male grandchild
 
grandstander
someone who performs with an eye to the applause from spectators in the grandstand
 
granduncle
an uncle of your father or mother
 
granny
an old woman
 
Grant Wood
United States painter noted for works based on life in the Midwest (1892-1942)
 
grantee
a recipient of a grant
 
granter
a person who grants or gives something
 
grantor
a person who makes a grant in legal form
 
Granville Stanley Hall
United States child psychologist whose theories of child psychology strongly influenced educational psychology (1844-1924)
 
graphic artist
an artist who designs and makes prints
 
graphologist
a specialist in inferring character from handwriting
 
grappler
combatant who tries to throw opponent to the ground
 
grass
a police informer who implicates many people
 
gravedigger
a person who earns a living by digging graves
 
graverobber
someone who steals valuables from graves or crypts
 
gravida
a pregnant woman
 
gravida I
(obstetrics) a woman who is pregnant for the first time
 
gravida II
a woman who is pregnant for the second time
 
gravida III
a woman who is pregnant for the third time
 
grazier
a rancher who grazes cattle or sheep for market
 
greaser
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Mexican descent
 
great
a person who has achieved distinction and honor in some field
 
great grandchild
a child of your grandson or granddaughter
 
great granddaughter
a daughter of your grandson or granddaughter
 
great grandfather
a father of your grandparent
 
great grandmother
a mother of your grandparent
 
great grandparent
a parent of your grandparent
 
great grandson
a son of your grandson or granddaughter
 
Great Russian
a member of the chief stock of Russian people living in European Russia; used to distinguish ethnic Russians from other peoples incorporated into Russia
 
great white hope
someone (or something) expected to achieve great success in a given field
 
Grecian
a native or resident of Greece
 
Greek Catholic
a member of the Greek Orthodox Church
 
Green
an environmentalist who belongs to the Green Party
 
Green Beret
a soldier who is a member of the United States Army Special Forces
 
greengrocer
a grocer who sells fresh fruits and vegetables
 
greenskeeper
someone responsible for the maintenance of a golf course
 
greeter
a person who greets
 
Gregory Goodwin Pincus
United States sexual physiologist whose hunch that progesterone could block ovulation led to the development of the oral contraceptive pill (1903-1967)
 
Gregory John Norman
Australian golfer (born in 1955)
 
Gregory the Great
(Roman Catholic Church) an Italian pope distinguished for his spiritual and temporal leadership; a saint and Doctor of the Church (540?-604)
 
Gregory VII
the Italian pope who fought to establish the supremacy of the pope over the Roman Catholic Church and the supremacy of the church over the state (1020-1085)
 
grenade thrower
an infantryman equipped with grenades
 
Grenadian
a native or inhabitant of Grenada
 
Greta Louisa Gustafsson
United States film actress (born in Sweden) known for her reclusiveness (1905-1990)
 
Grey Friar
a Roman Catholic friar wearing the grey habit of the Franciscan order
 
griever
a person who is feeling grief (as grieving over someone who has died)
 
Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin
a Russian officer and politician who was a favorite of Catherine II and in 1762 helped her to seize power; when she visited the Crimea in 1787 he gave the order for sham villages to be built (1739-1791)
 
Grigori Efimovich Rasputin
Siberian peasant monk who was religious advisor in the court of Nicholas II; was assassinated by Russian noblemen who feared that his debauchery would weaken the monarchy (1872-1916)
 
gringo
a Latin American (disparaging) term for foreigners (especially Americans and Englishmen)
 
grinner
a person who grins
 
griot
a storyteller in West Africa; perpetuates the oral traditions of a family or village
 
grip
worker who moves the camera around while a film or television show is being made
 
groaner
a person who groans
 
grocer
a retail merchant who sells foodstuffs (and some household supplies)
 
grocery boy
a delivery boy for groceries
 
groom
someone employed in a stable to take care of the horses
 
groomsman
a male attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding
 
Gros Ventre
a member of the Sioux people formerly inhabiting an area along the Missouri river in western North Dakota
 
groundbreaker
someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art
 
groundkeeper
someone who maintains the grounds (of an estate or park or athletic field)
 
groundling
in Elizabethan theater: a playgoer in the cheap standing section
 
group captain
a commissioned officer (especially one in the Royal Air Force) equivalent in rank to a colonel in the army
 
groupie
an enthusiastic young fan (especially a young woman who follows rock groups around)
 
growler
a speaker whose voice sounds like a growl
 
grunt
an unskilled or low-ranking soldier or other worker
 
grunter
a person who grunts
 
Guarani
a member of the South American people living in Paraguay and Bolivia
 
guarantor
one who provides a warrant or guarantee to another
 
guard
the person who plays that position on a football team
 
guard
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
 
guard
the person who plays the position of guard on a basketball team
 
guard of honor
an escort for a distinguished guest or for the casket at a military funeral
 
guardsman
a soldier who is a member of a unit called `the guard' or `guards'
 
Guatemalan
a native or inhabitant of Guatemala
 
guerilla
a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment
 
guesser
a person who guesses
 
guest
a customer of a hotel or restaurant etc.
 
guest of honor
the person in whose honor a gathering is held
 
guest worker
a person with temporary permission to work in another country
 
guest
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
 
Guglielmo Marconi
Italian electrical engineer who invented wireless telegraphy and in 1901 transmitted radio signals across the Atlantic Ocean (1874-1937)
 
Guibert of Ravenna
Italian antipope from 1080 to 1100 who was installed as pope by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV who consistently opposed efforts at papal reform (died in 1100)
 
guide
someone who shows the way by leading or advising
 
guide
someone who can find paths through unexplored territory
 
guide
someone employed to conduct others
 
guiding light
a celebrity who is an inspiration to others
 
Guillaume de Grimoard
French pope from 1362 to 1370 who tried to reestablish the papacy in Rome but in 1367 returned to Avignon hoping to end the war between France and England; canonized in 1870 (1310-1370)
 
Guinea
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Italian descent
 
Guinean
a native or inhabitant of Guinea
 
Guiseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
Italian operatic composer (1813-1901)
 
Guiseppe Guarneri
Italian violin maker and grandson of Andrea Guarneri (1687?-1745)
 
guitar player
a musician who plays the guitar
 
Gujerati
a member of the people of Gujarat
 
gulper
a drinker who swallows large amounts greedily
 
gun
a professional killer who uses a gun
 
gun
a person who shoots a gun (as regards their ability)
 
gunnery sergeant
a noncommissioned officer ranking above a staff sergeant in the marines
 
gunsmith
someone who makes or repairs guns
 
Gunter Wilhelm Grass
German writer of novels and poetry and plays (born 1927)
 
Gurkha
a member of Hindu people descended from brahmins and Rajputs who live in Nepal
 
Gurkha
a member of the Nepalese force that has been part of the British army for 200 years; known for fierceness in combat
 
guru
a Hindu or Buddhist religious leader and spiritual teacher
 
guru
a recognized leader in some field or of some movement
 
Guru
each of the first ten leaders of the Sikh religion
 
Guru Nanak
Indian religious leader who founded Sikhism in dissent from the caste system of Hinduism; he taught that all men had a right to search for knowledge of God and that spiritual liberation could be attained by meditating on the name of God (1469-1538)
 
Gustav Klimt
Austrian painter influenced by art nouveau (1862-1918)
 
Gustav Ludwig Hertz
German physicist who with James Franck proved the existence of the stationary energy states postulated by Bohr (1887-1975)
 
Gustav Mahler
Austrian composer and conductor (1860-1911)
 
Gustav Robert Kirchhoff
German physicist who with Bunsen pioneered spectrum analysis and formulated two laws governing electric networks (1824-1887)
 
Gustav Theodor Fechner
German physicist who founded psychophysics; derived Fechner's law on the basis of early work by E. H. Weber (1801-1887)
 
Gustave Courbet
French painter noted for his realistic depiction of everyday scenes (1819-1877)
 
Gustave Flaubert
French writer of novels and short stories (1821-1880)
 
Gustavus Adolphus
king of Sweden whose victories in battle made Sweden a European power; his domestic reforms made Sweden a modern state; in 1630 he intervened on the Protestant side of the Thirty Years' War and was killed in the battle of Lutzen (1594-1632)
 
Gustavus Franklin Swift
United States meat-packer who began the use of refrigerated railroad cars (1839-1903)
 
Gustavus I
king of Sweden who established Lutheranism as the state religion (1496-1560)
 
Gustavus III
king of Sweden who increased the royal power and waged an unpopular war against Russia (1746-1792)
 
Gustavus IV
king of Sweden whose losses to Napoleon I led to his being deposed in 1809 (1778-1837)
 
Gustavus V
king of Sweden who kept Sweden neutral during both World War I and II (1858-1950)
 
Gustavus VI
the last king of Sweden to have any real political power (1882-1973)
 
gutter
a worker who guts things (fish or buildings or cars etc.)
 
guttersnipe
a child who spends most of his time in the streets especially in slum areas
 
guvnor
(British slang) boss
 
Guy Fawkes
English conspirator who was executed for his role in a plot to blow up James I and the Houses of Parliament (1570-1606)
 
Guy of Burgundy
pope who in 1122 forced the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V to sign a concordat that recognized the right of the church to choose its own leadership (died in 1124)
 
Guyanese
a native or inhabitant of Guyana
 
guzzler
someone who drinks heavily (especially alcoholic beverages)
 
gym rat
someone who spends all leisure time playing sports or working out in a gymnasium or health spa
 
gymnast
an athlete who is skilled in gymnastics
 
gymnosophist
member of a Hindu sect practicing gymnosophy (especially nudism)
 
gynaecologist
a specialist in gynecology
 
Habakkuk
a Hebrew minor prophet
 
habitual criminal
someone who is repeatedly arrested for criminal behavior (especially for the same criminal behavior)
 
Hablot Knight Browne
English illustrator of several of Dickens' novels (1815-1882)
 
hack
a mediocre and disdained writer
 
hack
a politician who belongs to a small clique that controls a political party for private rather than public ends
 
hacker
a programmer for whom computing is its own reward; may enjoy the challenge of breaking into other computers but does no harm
 
hacker
someone who plays golf poorly
 
hadji
an Arabic term of respect for someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
 
haematologist
a doctor who specializes in diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs
 
Haggai
a Hebrew minor prophet
 
haggler
an intense bargainer
 
hagiographer
the author of a worshipful or idealizing biography
 
Haida
a member of a seafaring group of North American Indians who lived on the Pacific coast of British Columbia and southwestern Alaska
 
hairdresser
someone who cuts or beautifies hair
 
hairsplitter
a disputant who makes unreasonably fine distinctions
 
Haitian
a native or inhabitant of Haiti
 
hajji
a general term used by foreign soldiers to refer to the Iraqi people
 
hakeem
a Muslim physician
 
Hakham
a Hebrew title of respect for a wise and highly educated man
 
hakim
a Muslim ruler or governor or judge
 
Hakka
a member of a people of southeastern China (especially Hong Kong, Canton, and Taiwan) who migrated from the north in the 12th century
 
halberdier
a guard who carries a halberd (as a symbol of his duty)
 
Halchidhoma
a member of a North American Indian people of the Colorado river valley near the mouth of the Gila river; allied to the Maricopa
 
half blood
one of siblings who have only one parent in common
 
half brother
a brother who has only one parent in common with you
 
half sister
a sister who has only one parent in common with you
 
half-breed
an offensive term for an offspring of parents of different racial group (especially of Caucasian and American Indian ancestry)
 
half-caste
an offensive term for the offspring of parents of different racial groups or cultures
 
half-pint
disparaging terms for small people
 
halfback
(football) the running back who plays the offensive halfback position
 
ham
a licensed amateur radio operator
 
Ham
(Old Testament) son of Noah
 
ham
an unskilled actor who overacts
 
Haman
(Old Testament) the minister of the Persian emperor who hated the Jews and was hanged for plotting to massacre them
 
Hammurapi
Babylonian king who codified the laws of Sumer and Mesopotamia (died 1750 BC)
 
hand
a member of the crew of a ship
 
hand
a hired laborer on a farm or ranch
 
handicapped person
a person who has some condition that markedly restricts their ability to function physically or mentally or socially
 
handicapper
someone who sets the betting odds based on calculations of the outcome of a contest (especially a horse race)
 
handler
an agent who handles something or someone
 
handmaid
a personal maid or female attendant
 
handyman
a man skilled in various odd jobs and other small tasks
 
hang glider
a rider of a hang glider
 
hanger
a worker who hangs something
 
hanger-on
someone who persistently (and annoyingly) follows along
 
hangman
an executioner who hangs the condemned person
 
hangover
an official who remains in office after his term
 
Hannah Arendt
United States historian and political philosopher (born in Germany) (1906-1975)
 
Hannibal
general who commanded the Carthaginian army in the second Punic War; crossed the Alps and defeated the Romans but was recalled to defend Carthage and was defeated (247-182 BC)
 
Hanoverian
any of the British rulers who were members of the House of Hanover
 
Hanoverian
a member (or supporter) of the house of Hanover
 
Hans Albrecht Bethe
United States physicist (born in Germany) noted for research in astrophysics and nuclear physics (1906-2005)
 
Hans Arp
Alsatian artist and poet who was cofounder of dadaism in Zurich; noted for abstract organic sculptures (1887-1966)
 
Hans C. J. Gram
Danish physician and bacteriologist who developed a method of staining bacteria to distinguish among them (1853-1938)
 
Hans Christian Andersen
a Danish author remembered for his fairy stories (1805-1875)
 
Hans Christian Oersted
Danish physicist (1777-1851)
 
Hans Conrad Julius Reiter
German bacteriologist who described a disease now known as Reiter's syndrome and who identified the spirochete that causes syphilis in humans (1881-1969)
 
Hans Fischer
German chemist noted for his synthesis of hemin (1881-1945)
 
Hans Geiger
German physicist who developed the Geiger counter (1882-1945)
 
Hans Jurgen Eysenck
a British psychologist (born in Germany) noted for his theories of intelligence and personality and for his strong criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis
 
Hans Zinsser
United States bacteriologist who helped develop immunization against typhus fever (1878-1940)
 
haranguer
a public speaker who delivers a loud or forceful or angry speech
 
harasser
a persistent tormentor
 
harasser
a persistent attacker
 
hard worker
someone who works as hard as a slave
 
hardliner
a conservative who is uncompromising
 
hardwareman
someone who sells hardware
 
Hare Krishna
worshipper of Krishna and member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
 
Harijan
belongs to lowest social and ritual class in India
 
Harlan Fisk Stone
United States jurist who was named chief justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1941 by Franklin D. Roosevelt (1872-1946)
 
Harlan Fiske Stone
United States jurist who served on the United States Supreme Court as chief justice (1872-1946)
 
Harlean Carpenter
United States film actress who made several films with Clark Gable (1911-1937)
 
harlequin
a clown or buffoon (after the Harlequin character in the commedia dell'arte)
 
Harley Granville-Barker
English actor and dramatist and critic and director noted for his productions of Shakespearean plays (1877-1946)
 
Harlow Shapley
United States astronomer (1885-1972)
 
harmoniser
a mediator who brings one thing into harmonious agreement with another
 
harmoniser
a musician who sings or plays in harmony
 
Harold Clayton Lloyd
United States comic actor in silent films; he used physical danger as a source of comedy (1893-1971)
 
Harold Clayton Urey
United States chemist who discovered deuterium (1893-1981)
 
Harold Harefoot
illegitimate son of Canute who seized the throne of England in 1037 (died in 1040)
 
Harold Hart Crane
United States poet (1899-1932)
 
Harold Hirschsprung
Danish pediatrician (1830-1916)
 
Harold Pinter
English dramatist whose plays are characterized by silences and the use of inaction (born in 1930)
 
harper
someone who plays the harp
 
harpooneer
someone who launches harpoons
 
harpsichordist
someone who plays the harpsichord
 
harpy
a malicious woman with a fierce temper
 
harridan
a scolding (even vicious) old woman
 
Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe
United States writer of a novel about slavery that advanced the abolitionists' cause (1811-1896)
 
Harriet Tubman
United States abolitionist born a slave on a plantation in Maryland and became a famous conductor on the Underground Railroad leading other slaves to freedom in the North (1820-1913)
 
Harriet Wilson
author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
 
Harry Bridges
United States labor leader who organized the longshoremen (1901-1990)
 
Harry Fitch Kleinfelter
United States physician who first described the XXY-syndrome (born in 1912)
 
Harry Houdini
United States magician (born in Hungary) famous for his ability to escape from chains or handcuffs or straitjackets or padlocked containers (1874-1926)
 
Harry Lillis Crosby
United States singer and film actor (1903-1977)
 
Harry Sinclair Lewis
United States novelist who satirized middle-class America in his novel Main Street (1885-1951)
 
Harry Stack Sullivan
United States psychiatrist (1892-1949)
 
Harvery Williams Cushing
United States neurologist noted for his study of the brain and pituitary gland and who identified Cushing's syndrome (1869-1939)
 
harvester
someone who helps to gather the harvest
 
Hasdrubal
general who commanded a Carthaginian army in Spain; joined his brother Hannibal in Italy and was killed by the Romans at the battle of Metaurus River (died 207 BC)
 
hatchet man
a professional killer
 
hatemonger
one who arouses hatred for others
 
hater
a person who hates
 
hatmaker
someone who makes and sells hats
 
hauler
a haulage contractor
 
Haussa
a member of a Negroid people living chiefly in northern Nigeria
 
Havasupai
a member of a North American Indian people of Cataract Canyon in Arizona
 
have
a person who possesses great material wealth
 
have-not
a person with few or no possessions
 
Hawaiian
a native or resident of Hawaii
 
hawk
an advocate of an aggressive policy on foreign relations
 
hawker
someone who travels about selling his wares (as on the streets or at carnivals)
 
Haym Salomon
American financier and American Revolutionary War patriot who helped fund the army during the American Revolution (1740?-1785)
 
he-man
a man who is virile and sexually active
 
head linesman
a football official in charge of recording yardage gained or lost
 
head nurse
the person in charge of nursing in a medical institution
 
head of household
the head of a household or family or tribe
 
head
the educator who has executive authority for a school
 
head-shrinker
a physician who specializes in psychiatry
 
headhunter
a recruiter of personnel (especially for corporations)
 
headhunter
a savage who cuts off and preserves the heads of enemies as trophies
 
headliner
a performer who receives prominent billing
 
headman
an executioner who beheads the condemned person
 
headmaster
presiding officer of a school
 
headmistress
a woman headmaster
 
healer
a person skilled in a particular type of therapy
 
hearing examiner
an official appointed by a government agency to conduct an investigation or administrative hearing so that the agency can exercise its statutory powers
 
heartbreaker
a charming person who is irresponsible in emotional relationships
 
heartthrob
an object of infatuation
 
heaver
a workman who heaves freight or bulk goods (especially at a dockyard)
 
heavy
an actor who plays villainous roles
 
heavy hitter
an influential person who works hard to promote the causes they are interested in
 
heavyweight
a professional boxer who weighs more than 190 pounds
 
heavyweight
a wrestler who weighs more than 214 pounds
 
heavyweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 201 pounds
 
Hebraist
linguist specializing in the Hebrew language
 
Hector Hugh Munro
British writer of short stories (1870-1916)
 
hedger
a gardener who takes care of and trims hedges
 
hedger
someone who counterbalances one transaction (as a bet) against another in order to protect against loss
 
hedonist
someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures
 
Hegelian
a follower of the thought of Hegel
 
Heinrich Engelhard Steinway
United States piano maker (born in Germany) who founded a famous piano manufacturing firm in New York (1797-1871)
 
Heinrich Himmler
German Nazi who was chief of the SS and the Gestapo and who oversaw the genocide of six million Jews (1900-1945)
 
Heinrich Rudolph Hertz
German physicist who was the first to produce electromagnetic waves artificially (1857-1894)
 
Heinrich Schliemann
German archaeologist who discovered nine superimposed city sites of Troy; he also excavated Mycenae (1822-1890)
 
Heinrich Theodor Boell
German novelist and writer of short stories (1917-1985)
 
heir apparent
an heir whose right to an inheritance cannot be defeated if that person outlives the ancestor
 
heir presumptive
a person who expects to inherit but whose right can be defeated by the birth of a nearer relative
 
heir
a person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another
 
heir
a person who inherits some title or office
 
heir-at-law
the person legally entitled to inherit the property of someone who dies intestate
 
heiress
a female heir
 
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Brazilian composer (1887-1959)
 
Helen Adams Keller
United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months; Anne Sullivan taught her to read and write and speak; Helen Keller graduated from college and went on to champion the cause of blind and deaf people (1880-1968)
 
Helen Hayes
acclaimed actress of stage and screen (1900-1993)
 
Helen Laura Sumner Woodbury
United States social economist (1876-1933)
 
Helen Maria Fiske Hunt Jackson
United States writer of romantic novels about the unjust treatment of Native Americans (1830-1885)
 
Helen Newington Wills
United States tennis player who dominated women's tennis in the 1920s and 1930s (1905-1998)
 
Helen Porter Mitchell
Australian operatic soprano (1861-1931)
 
Helen Traubel
United States operatic soprano (1903-1972)
 
Hellene
a native or inhabitant of Greece
 
hellhound
a very evil man
 
helmsman
the person who steers a ship
 
Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt
German statesman who served as chancellor of Germany (born in 1918)
 
Heloise
student and mistress and wife of Abelard (circa 1098-1164)
 
helot
(Middle Ages) a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord
 
helpmate
a helpful partner
 
hemiplegic
a person who has hemiplegia (is paralyzed on one side of the body)
 
Hendrik Antoon Lorentz
Dutch physicist noted for work on electromagnetic theory (1853-1928)
 
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd
South African statesman who instituted the policy of apartheid (1901-1966)
 
Hendrik Petrus Berlage
Dutch architect and town planner (1856-1934)
 
Henri Clemens van de Velde
Belgian architect (1863-1957)
 
Henri Emile Benoit Matisse
French painter and sculptor; leading figure of fauvism (1869-1954)
 
Henri Labrouste
French architect who was among the first to use metal construction successfully (1801-1875)
 
Henri Louis Bergson
French philosopher who proposed elan vital as the cause of evolution and development (1859-1941)
 
Henri Pitot
French physicist for whom the Pitot tube was named (1695-1771)
 
Henri Rene Albert Guy de Maupassant
French writer noted especially for his short stories (1850-1893)
 
Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
French painter who portrayed life in the cafes and music halls of Montmartre (1864-1901)
 
Henriette Rosine Bernard
French actress (1844-1923)
 
Henrik Johan Ibsen
realistic Norwegian author who wrote plays on social and political themes (1828-1906)
 
Henry Alfred Kissinger
United States diplomat who served under President Nixon and President Ford (born in 1923)
 
Henry Beauclerc
King of England from 1100 to 1135; youngest son of William the Conqueror; conquered Normandy in 1106 (1068-1135)
 
Henry Bolingbroke
the first Lancastrian king of England from 1399 to 1413; deposed Richard II and suppressed rebellions (1367-1413)
 
Henry Cavendish
British chemist and physicist who established that water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen and who calculated the density of the earth (1731-1810)
 
Henry Clay Frick
United States industrialist who amassed a fortune in the steel industry (1849-1919)
 
Henry David Thoreau
United States writer and social critic (1817-1862)
 
Henry Fielding
English novelist and dramatist (1707-1754)
 
Henry Fonda
United States film actor (1905-1982)
 
Henry Ford
United States manufacturer of automobiles who pioneered mass production (1863-1947)
 
Henry Ford II
grandson of Henry Ford (1917-1987)
 
Henry Graham Greene
English novelist and Catholic (1904-1991)
 
Henry Hobson Richardson
United States architect (1838-1886)
 
Henry Hubert Turner
United States endocrinologist (1892-1970)
 
Henry Hudson
English navigator who discovered the Hudson River; in 1610 he attempted to winter in Hudson Bay but his crew mutinied and set him adrift to die (1565-1611)
 
Henry II
first Plantagenet King of England; instituted judicial and financial reforms; quarreled with archbishop Becket concerning the authority of the Crown over the church (1133-1189)
 
Henry II
king of France from 1547 to 1559; regained Calais from the English; husband of Catherine de Medicis and father of Charles IX (1519-1559)
 
Henry III
son of King John and king of England from 1216 to 1272; his incompetence aroused baronial opposition led by Simon de Montfort (1207-1272)
 
Henry III
son of Henry II of France and the last Valois to be king of France (1551-1589)
 
Henry IV
King of the Germans and Holy Roman Emperor (1050-1106)
 
Henry James
writer who was born in the United States but lived in England (1843-1916)
 
Henry John Heinz
United States industrialist who manufactured and sold processed foods (1844-1919)
 
Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell
English film director (born in 1927)
 
Henry Laurens
leader of the American Revolution and president of the Continental Congress (1724-1792)
 
Henry le Chatelier
French chemist who formulated Le Chatelier's principle (1850-1936)
 
Henry Louis Aaron
United States professional baseball player who hit more home runs than Babe Ruth (born in 1934)
 
Henry Louis Gehrig
baseball player who died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (1903-1941)
 
Henry Louis Mencken
United States journalist and literary critic (1880-1956)
 
Henry Martyn Robert
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
 
Henry Norris Russell
United States astronomer who developed a theory of stellar evolution (1877-1957)
 
Henry of Navarre
king of France from 1589 to 1610; although he was leader of the Huguenot armies, when he succeeded the Catholic Henry III and founded the Bourbon dynasty in 1589 he established religious freedom in France
 
Henry Oscar Houghton
United States publisher who founded a printing shop that became an important book publisher (1823-1895)
 
Henry Purcell
English organist at Westminster Abbey and composer of many theatrical pieces (1659-1695)
 
Henry Robinson Luce
United States publisher of magazines (1898-1967)
 
Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
United States geologist and ethnologist and explorer who discovered the source of the Mississippi River (1793-1864)
 
Henry Spencer Moore
British sculptor whose works are monumental organic forms (1898-1986)
 
Henry Sweet
English phonetician; one of the founders of modern phonetics (1845-1912)
 
Henry Tudor
first Tudor king of England from 1485 to 1509; head of the house of Lancaster in the War of the Roses; defeated Richard III at Bosworth Field and was proclaimed king; married the daughter of Edward IV and so united the houses of York and Lancaster (1457-1509)
 
Henry V
son of Henry IV and King of England from 1413 to 1422; reopened the Hundred Years' War and defeated the French at Agincourt (1387-1422)
 
Henry Valentine Miller
United States novelist whose novels were originally banned as pornographic (1891-1980)
 
Henry VI
son of Henry V who as an infant succeeded his father and was King of England from 1422 to 1461; he was taken prisoner in 1460 and Edward IV was proclaimed king; he was rescued and regained the throne in 1470 but was recaptured and murdered in the Tower of London (1421-1471)
 
Henry VII
King of the Germans and Holy Roman Emperor (1275-1313)
 
Henry VIII
son of Henry VII and King of England from 1509 to 1547; his divorce from Catherine of Aragon resulted in his break with the Catholic Church in 1534 and his excommunication 1538, leading to the start of the Reformation in England (1491-1547)
 
Henry Villard
United States railroad magnate and businessman (1835-1900)
 
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
United States poet remembered for his long narrative poems (1807-1882)
 
Henry Ward Beecher
United States clergyman who was a leader for the abolition of slavery (1813-1887)
 
Henry Watson Fowler
English lexicographer who wrote a well-known book on English usage (1858-1933)
 
Henry Wheeler Shaw
United States humorist who wrote about rural life (1818-1885)
 
Heraclitus
a presocratic Greek philosopher who said that fire is the origin of all things and that permanence is an illusion as all things are in perpetual flux (circa 500 BC)
 
herald
(formal) a person who announces important news
 
herb doctor
a therapist who heals by the use of herbs
 
Herbert Alexander Simon
United States economist and psychologist who pioneered in the development of cognitive science (1916-2001)
 
Herbert Clark Hoover
31st President of the United States; in 1929 the stock market crashed and the economy collapsed and Hoover was defeated for reelection by Franklin Roosevelt (1874-1964)
 
Herbert George Wells
prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)
 
Herbert Marcuse
United States political philosopher (born in Germany) concerned about the dehumanizing effects of capitalism and modern technology (1898-1979)
 
Herbert Marshall McLuhan
Canadian writer noted for his analyses of the mass media (1911-1980)
 
Herbert Marx
United States comedian; one of four brothers who made motion pictures together (1901-1979)
 
Herbert McLean Evans
United States anatomist who identified four pituitary hormones and discovered vitamin E (1882-1971)
 
Herbert Spencer
English philosopher and sociologist who applied the theory of natural selection to human societies (1820-1903)
 
Herero
a member of a pastoral Bantu people living in Namibia, Botswana, and Angola
 
heretic
a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion)
 
heretic
a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church
 
Herman Hollerith
United States inventor who invented a system for recording alphanumeric information on punched cards (1860-1929)
 
Herman Melville
United States writer of novels and short stories (1819-1891)
 
Herman Northrop Frye
Canadian literary critic interested in the use of myth and symbolism (1912-1991)
 
Herman Wouk
United States writer (born in 1915)
 
Hermann Hesse
Swiss writer (born in Germany) whose novels and poems express his interests in eastern spiritual values (1877-1962)
 
Hermann Joseph Muller
United States geneticist who studied the effects of X-rays on genes (1890-1967)
 
Hermann Maurice Saxe
a French marshal who distinguished himself in the War of the Austrian Succession (1696-1750)
 
Hermann Minkowski
German mathematician (born in Russia) who suggested the concept of four-dimensional space-time (1864-1909)
 
Hermann Snellen
Dutch ophthalmologist who introduced the Snellen chart to study visual acuity (1834-1908)
 
Hermann Wilhelm Goring
German politician in Nazi Germany who founded the Gestapo and mobilized Germany for war (1893-1946)
 
hermit
one who lives in solitude
 
Hernando Cortes
Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico (1485-1547)
 
hero
a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength
 
Hero of Alexandria
Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)
 
hero worshiper
someone who worships heroes
 
Herod the Great
king of Judea who (according to the New Testament) tried to kill Jesus by ordering the death of all children under age two in Bethlehem (73-4 BC)
 
Herodotus
the ancient Greek known as the father of history; his accounts of the wars between the Greeks and Persians are the first known examples of historical writing (485-425 BC)
 
heroine
a woman possessing heroic qualities or a woman who has performed heroic deeds
 
herpetologist
a zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians
 
Herr
a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English
 
Hesiod
Greek poet whose existing works describe rural life and the genealogies of the gods and the beginning of the world (eighth century BC)
 
hesitater
one who hesitates (usually out of fear)
 
heterosexual
a person having a sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex
 
hewer
a person who hews
 
Hezekiah
(Old Testament) king of Judah who abolished idolatry (715-687 BC)
 
Hiawatha
a Native American chieftain who argued for peace with the European settlers (16th century)
 
Hideki Yukawa
Japanese mathematical physicist who proposed that nuclear forces are mediated by massive particles called mesons which are analogous to the photon in mediating electromagnetic forces (1907-1981)
 
Hideyo Noguchi
United States bacteriologist (born in Japan) who discovered the cause of yellow fever and syphilis (1876-1928)
 
hierarch
a person who holds a high position in a hierarchy
 
Hieronymus Bosch
Dutch painter (1450-1516)
 
high commissioner
a senior diplomat from one country to another who is assigned ambassadorial rank
 
high priest
a preeminent authority or major proponent of a movement or doctrine
 
high roller
a gambler who wagers large sums
 
high-muck-a-muck
an arrogant or conceited person of importance
 
highbinder
a corrupt politician
 
highbrow
a person of intellectual or erudite tastes
 
higher-up
one of greater rank or station or quality
 
highflier
a person of great ability and ambition
 
highjacker
a holdup man who stops a vehicle and steals from it
 
highjacker
someone who uses force to take over a vehicle (especially an airplane) in order to reach an alternative destination
 
Highlander
a soldier in a Scottish regiment from the Highlands
 
Highness
(Your Highness or His Highness or Her Highness) title used to address a royal person
 
highway engineer
a civil engineer who specializes in the design and construction of roads and highways
 
hiker
a foot traveler; someone who goes on an extended walk (for pleasure)
 
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
French impressionist painter (1834-1917)
 
Hilary Rodham Clinton
wife of President Clinton and later a woman member of the United States Senate (1947-)
 
Hillel
Palestinian rabbi and interpreter of Judaic law
 
Hinayanist
an adherent of Hinayana Buddhism
 
Hindoo
a person who adheres to Hinduism
 
Hindustani
a native or inhabitant of Hindustan or India
 
Hipparchus
Greek astronomer and mathematician who discovered the precession of the equinoxes and made the first known star chart and is said to have invented trigonometry (second century BC)
 
Hippocrates
medical practitioner who is regarded as the father of medicine; author of the Hippocratic oath (circa 460-377 BC)
 
Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux
French novelist and dramatist whose plays were reinterpretations of Greek myths (1882-1944)
 
Hiram King Williams
United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953)
 
hire
a newly hired employee
 
hired help
employee hired for domestic or farm work (often used in the singular to refer to several employees collectively)
 
hireling
a person who works only for money
 
Hispanic American
an American whose first language is Spanish
 
hisser
someone who communicates disapproval by hissing
 
histologist
anatomist who specializes in the microscopic study of animal tissues
 
historian
a person who is an authority on history and who studies it and writes about it
 
hitchhiker
a person who travels by getting free rides from passing vehicles
 
Hitchiti
a member of the Muskhogean people formerly living in Georgia; a member of the Creek Confederacy
 
hitter
someone who hits
 
Hittite
a member of an ancient people who inhabited Anatolia and northern Syria about 2000 to 1200 BC
 
Hmong
a people living traditionally in mountain villages in southern China and adjacent areas of Vietnam and Laos and Thailand; many have emigrated to the United States
 
Hoagland Howard Carmichael
United States songwriter (1899-1981)
 
hoarder
a person who accumulates things and hides them away for future use
 
hobbledehoy
an awkward bad-mannered adolescent boy
 
hobbler
someone who has a limp and walks with a hobbling gait
 
hobbyist
a person who pursues an activity in their spare time for pleasure
 
hobo
a worker who moves around and works temporarily in different places
 
hockey coach
a coach of hockey players
 
hockey player
an athlete who plays hockey
 
hod carrier
a laborer who carries supplies to masons or bricklayers
 
hog
a person regarded as greedy and pig-like
 
hoister
an operator of a hoist
 
Hokan
a member of a North American Indian people speaking one of the Hokan languages
 
Holbein the Elder
German painter of religious works (1465-1524)
 
Holbein the Younger
German painter and engraver noted for his portraits; he was commissioned by Henry VIII to provide portraits of the English king's prospective brides (1497-1543)
 
holder
a person who holds something
 
holdout
a negotiator who hopes to gain concessions by refusing to come to terms
 
holdup man
an armed thief
 
holidaymaker
someone who travels for pleasure
 
Holofernes
(Apocrypha) the Assyrian general who was decapitated by the biblical heroine Judith
 
Holy Joe
a chaplain in one of the military services
 
Holy Roller
a member of a religion that expresses ecstatic fervor
 
Holy Roman Emperor
sovereign of the Holy Roman Empire
 
Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II
the Holy Roman Emperor who led the Sixth Crusade and crowned himself king of Jerusalem (1194-1250)
 
home buyer
someone buying a house
 
home help
a person hired to help in another's home (especially one employed by a local authority to help the infirm with domestic work)
 
homebody
a person who seldom goes anywhere; one not given to wandering or travel
 
homeboy
a male friend from your neighborhood or hometown
 
homeboy
a fellow male member of a youth gang
 
homebuilder
someone who builds houses as a business
 
homegirl
a fellow female member of a youth gang
 
homeless
someone unfortunate without housing
 
homemaker
a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income
 
homeopath
a practitioner of homeopathy
 
homeowner
someone who owns a home
 
Homer
ancient Greek epic poet who is believed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey (circa 850 BC)
 
Homer Armstrong Thompson
United States classical archaeologist (born in Canada) noted for leading the excavation of the Athenian agora (1906-2000)
 
homesteader
someone who settles lawfully on government land with the intent to acquire title to it
 
Homo heidelbergensis
a type of primitive man who lived in Europe
 
homophobe
a person who hates or fears homosexual people
 
homunculus
a tiny fully formed individual that (according to the discredited theory of preformation) is supposed to be present in the sperm cell
 
homunculus
a person who is very small but who is not otherwise deformed or abnormal
 
Honduran
a native or inhabitant of Honduras
 
honest woman
a wife who has married a man with whom she has been living for some time (especially if she is pregnant at the time)
 
honeymooner
someone recently married
 
honker
a driver who causes his car's horn to make a loud honking sound
 
honkey
(slang) offensive names for a White man
 
Honore Daumier
French painter best known for his satirical lithographs of bourgeois society (1808-1879)
 
Honore de Balzac
French novelist; he portrays the complexity of 19th century French society (1799-1850)
 
Honore-Gabriel Victor Riqueti
French revolutionary who was prominent in the early days of the French Revolution (1749-1791)
 
honoree
a recipient of honors in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments
 
hoodoo
a practitioner of voodoo
 
hoofer
a professional dancer
 
hooker
(rugby) the player in the middle of the front row of the scrum who tries to capture the ball with the foot
 
hooker
a golfer whose shots typically curve left (for right-handed golfers)
 
hooky player
one who is absent from school without permission
 
Hooray Henry
a lively and ineffectual upper-class young man
 
hope
someone (or something) on which expectations are centered
 
hoper
a person who hopes
 
Hopi
a member of the Shoshonean people of northeastern Arizona
 
hopper
someone who hops
 
Horace
Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)
 
Horace Greeley
United States journalist with political ambitions (1811-1872)
 
Horace Mann
United States educator who introduced reforms that significantly altered the system of public education (1796-1859)
 
Horatio Alger
United States author of inspirational adventure stories for boys; virtue and hard work overcome poverty (1832-1899)
 
hornist
a musician who plays a horn (especially a French horn)
 
horologer
someone who makes or repairs watches
 
horse doctor
a veterinarian who treats horses
 
horse fancier
a person who breeds and cares for horses
 
horse trader
a hard bargainer
 
horse wrangler
a cowboy who takes care of the saddle horses
 
horsewoman
a woman horseman
 
horticulturist
an expert in the science of cultivating plants (fruit or flowers or vegetables or ornamental plants)
 
Hosea
a minor Hebrew prophet (8th century BC)
 
hosier
a tradesman who sells hosiery and (in England) knitwear
 
Hosni Mubarak
Egyptian statesman who became president in 1981 after Sadat was assassinated (born in 1929)
 
hospital attendant
a male hospital attendant who has general duties that do not involve the medical treatment of patients
 
hospital chaplain
a chaplain in a hospital
 
host
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
 
host
(medicine) recipient of transplanted tissue or organ from a donor
 
hostage
a prisoner who is held by one party to insure that another party will meet specified terms
 
hosteller
a traveler who lodges in hostels
 
hosteller
an owner or manager of hotels
 
hostess
a woman innkeeper
 
hostess
a woman host
 
hot dog
someone who performs dangerous stunts to attract attention to himself
 
hotel detective
a private detective employed by a hotel or retail store
 
hotspur
a rash or impetuous person
 
houri
a voluptuously beautiful young woman
 
house guest
a guest entertained in your house
 
house husband
a husband who keeps house while his wife earns the family income
 
house painter
a painter of houses a similar buildings
 
house physician
a physician (especially an intern) who lives in a hospital and cares for hospitalized patients under the supervision of the medical staff of the hospital
 
house sitter
a custodian who lives in and cares for a house while the regular occupant is away (usually without an exchange of money)
 
housebreaker
a wrecker of houses
 
housefather
a man in charge of children in an institution
 
housekeeper
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
 
houseman
an advanced student or graduate in medicine gaining supervised practical experience (`houseman' is a British term)
 
housemaster
teacher in charge of a school boardinghouse
 
housemate
someone who resides in the same house with you
 
housemother
a woman employed as a chaperon in a residence for young people
 
housing commissioner
a commissioner in charge of public housing
 
Howard Carter
Englishman and Egyptologist who in 1922 discovered and excavated the tomb of Tutankhamen (1873-1939)
 
Howard Lindsay
United States playwright who collaborated with Russel Crouse on several musicals (1889-1931)
 
Howard Pyle
United States writer and illustrator of children's books (1853-1911)
 
Howard Robard Hughes
United States industrialist who was an aviator and a film producer; during the last years of his life he was a total recluse (1905-1976)
 
hoyden
a girl who behaves in a boyish manner
 
Hrolf
Norse chieftain who became the first duke of Normandy (860-931)
 
Hualapai
a member of a North American people formerly living in the Colorado river valley in Arizona
 
Huayna Capac
the Incan ruler under whom the Incan empire reached its widest extent (died in 1525)
 
hubby
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
 
huckster
a person who writes radio or tv advertisements
 
Huddie Leadbetter
United States folk singer and composer (1885-1949)
 
huddler
a person who crouches
 
huddler
a member of a huddle
 
Hudson Hoagland
United States physiologist (1899-1982)
 
hugger
a person who hugs
 
Hugh Capet
King of France elected in 987 and founding the Capetian dynasty (940-996)
 
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto
Finnish architect and designer of furniture (1898-1976)
 
Hugo De Vries
Dutch botanist who rediscovered Mendel's laws and developed the mutation theory of evolution (1848-1935)
 
Hugo Junkers
German aircraft engineer who designed the first all-metal airplane (1859-1935)
 
Hugo von Hoffmannsthal
German poet who wrote libretti for operas by Richard Strauss (1874-1929)
 
Hugo Wolf
Austrian composer (1860-1903)
 
Huguenot
a French Calvinist of the 16th or 17th centuries
 
Huig de Groot
Dutch jurist and diplomat whose writings established the basis of modern international law (1583-1645)
 
Huldreich Zwingli
Swiss theologian whose sermons began the Reformation in Switzerland (1484-1531)
 
humanist
a classical scholar or student of the liberal arts
 
humanist
an advocate of the principles of humanism; someone concerned with the interests and welfare of humans
 
humdinger
someone of remarkable excellence
 
Hume Blake Cronyn
Canadian actor who frequently played character parts with his wife Jessica Tandy (1911-2003)
 
hummer
a singer who produces a tune without opening the lips or forming words
 
humorist
someone who acts speaks or writes in an amusing way
 
Humphrey DeForest Bogart
United States film actor (1899-1957)
 
Hun
a member of a nomadic people who invaded Europe in the 4th century
 
Hungarian
a native or inhabitant of Hungary
 
hunger marcher
an unemployed person who participates in a hunger march
 
hunk
a well-built sexually attractive man
 
Hunkpapa
a member of the Siouan people who constituted a division of the Teton Sioux and who formerly lived in the western Dakotas; they were prominent in resisting the white encroachment into the northern Great Plains
 
hunted person
a person who is hunted
 
hunter
a person who searches for something
 
hunter
someone who hunts game
 
hunter-gatherer
a member of a hunting and gathering society
 
hunting guide
guide to people hunting in unfamiliar territory
 
huntress
a woman hunter
 
Hupa
a member of the Athapaskan people of the Trinity River valley in California
 
hurdler
an athlete who runs the hurdles
 
hurler
(baseball) the person who does the pitching
 
hussar
a member of a European light cavalry unit; renowned for elegant dress
 
Hussite
an adherent of the religious reforms of John Huss
 
hustler
a shrewd or unscrupulous person who knows how to circumvent difficulties
 
Hutu
a member of a Bantu people living in Rwanda and Burundi
 
hydrologist
a geologist skilled in hydrology
 
hydromancer
one who practices hydromancy
 
hygienist
a medical specialist in hygiene
 
Hyman George Rickover
United States admiral who advocated the development of nuclear submarines (1900-1986)
 
hymie
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a Jew
 
Hypatia
Greek philosopher and astronomer; she invented the astrolabe (370-415)
 
hyperope
a person with hyperopia; a farsighted person
 
hypertensive
a person who has abnormally high blood pressure
 
hypnotiser
a person who induces hypnosis
 
hypochondriac
a patient with imaginary symptoms and ailments
 
hypoplastic dwarf
an achondroplastic dwarf whose small size is the result of a genetic defect; body parts and mental and sexual development are normal
 
hypotensive
a person who has abnormally low blood pressure
 
hysteric
a person suffering from hysteria
 
Ian Douglas Smith
Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)
 
Ian Lancaster Fleming
British writer famous for writing spy novels about secret agent James Bond (1908-1964)
 
Ian Wilmut
English geneticist who succeeded in cloning a sheep from a cell from an adult ewe (born in 1944)
 
Iberian
a native or inhabitant of the Iberian Peninsula (especially in ancient times)
 
Iberian
a native or inhabitant of Iberia in the Caucasus
 
ibn Talal Hussein
king of Jordan credited with creating stability at home and seeking peace with Israel (1935-1999)
 
Ibrahim
the first of the Old Testament patriarchs and the father of Isaac; according to Genesis, God promised to give Abraham's family (the Hebrews) the land of Canaan (the Promised Land); God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son
 
ice-skater
someone who engages in ice skating
 
Icelander
a native or inhabitant of Iceland
 
iceman
someone who cuts and delivers ice
 
ichthyologist
a zoologist who studies fishes
 
iconoclast
someone who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions
 
iconoclast
a destroyer of images used in religious worship
 
Ida Minerva Tarbell
United States writer remembered for her muckraking investigations into industries in the early 20th century (1857-1944)
 
Idahoan
a native or resident of Idaho
 
idealogue
someone who theorizes (especially in science or art)
 
identical twin
either of two twins developed from the same fertilized ovum (having the same genetic material)
 
ideologist
an advocate of some ideology
 
idiot savant
person who is mentally retarded in general but who displays remarkable aptitude in some limited field (usually involving memory)
 
idol worshiper
a person who worships idols
 
idol
someone who is adored blindly and excessively
 
idolatress
a woman idolater
 
idoliser
a lover blind with admiration and devotion
 
Ieoh Ming Pei
United States architect (born in China in 1917)
 
Igbo
a member of the largest ethnic group in southeastern Nigeria
 
Ignace Jan Paderewski
Polish pianist who in 1919 served as the first Prime Minister of independent Poland (1860-1941)
 
ignoramus
an ignorant person
 
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky
composer who was born in Russia but lived in the United States after 1939 (1882-1971)
 
Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky
United States industrialist (born in Russia) who designed the first four-engine airplane and the first mass-produced helicopter (1889-1972)
 
Igor Yevgeneevich Tamm
Russian physicist (1895-1971)
 
Ilich Ramirez Sanchez
Venezuelan master terrorist raised by a Marxist-Leninist father; trained and worked with many terrorist groups (born in 1949)
 
Illinois
a member of the Algonquian people formerly of Illinois and regions to the west
 
Illinoisan
a native or resident of Illinois
 
illiterate
a person unable to read
 
illusionist
a person with unusual powers of foresight
 
illustrator
an artist who makes illustrations (for books or magazines or advertisements etc.)
 
Ilya Grigorievich Ehrenberg
Russian novelist (1891-1967)
 
Ilya Ilich Metchnikov
Russian bacteriologist in France who formulated the theory of phagocytosis (1845-1916)
 
imam
(Islam) the man who leads prayers in a mosque; for Shiites an imam is a recognized authority on Islamic theology and law and a spiritual guide
 
Imamu Amiri Baraka
United States writer of poems and plays about racial conflict (born in 1934)
 
imitator
someone who (fraudulently) assumes the appearance of another
 
Immanuel Kant
influential German idealist philosopher (1724-1804)
 
immigrant
a person who comes to a country where they were not born in order to settle there
 
immortal
a person (such as an author) of enduring fame
 
immune
a person who is immune to a particular infection
 
immunologist
a medical scientist who specializes in immunology
 
Imogene Coca
United States comedienne who starred in early television shows with Sid Caesar (1908-2001)
 
imp
one who is playfully mischievous
 
imperialist
a believer in imperialism
 
import
an imported person brought from a foreign country
 
important person
a person whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events
 
importer
someone whose business involves importing goods from outside (especially from a foreign country)
 
impresario
a sponsor who books and stages public entertainments
 
impressionist
a painter who follows the theories of Impressionism
 
in-law
a relative by marriage
 
inamorata
a woman with whom you are in love or have an intimate relationship
 
inamorato
a man with whom you are in love or have an intimate relationship
 
Inca
a ruler of the Incas (or a member of his family)
 
Incan
a member of the Quechuan people living in the Cuzco valley in Peru
 
incompetent
someone who is not competent to take effective action
 
incubus
someone who depresses or worries others
 
incumbent
the official who holds an office
 
incurable
a person whose disease is incurable
 
index case
the earliest documented case of a disease that is included in an epidemiological study
 
indexer
someone who provides an index
 
Indian
a native or inhabitant of India
 
Indian agent
a representative of the federal government to American Indian tribes (especially on Indian reservations)
 
Indian chieftain
the leader of a group of Native Americans
 
Indian giver
an offensive term for someone who asks you to return a present he has given you
 
Indianan
a native or resident of Indiana
 
Indira Nehru Gandhi
daughter of Nehru who served as prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 (1917-1984)
 
individual
a human being
 
individualist
a person who pursues independent thought or action
 
Indo-European
a member of the prehistoric people who spoke Proto-Indo European
 
Indonesian
a native or inhabitant of Indonesia
 
inducer
someone who tries to persuade or induce or lead on
 
inductee
a person inducted into an organization or social group
 
industrialist
someone who manages or has significant financial interest in an industrial enterprise
 
industry analyst
an analyst of conditions affecting a particular industry
 
inexperienced person
a person who lacks knowledge of evil
 
infanticide
a person who murders an infant
 
inferior
one of lesser rank or station or quality
 
infernal
an inhabitant of Hell
 
infielder
(baseball) a person who plays a position in the infield
 
infiltrator
an intruder (as troops) with hostile intent
 
infiltrator
someone who takes up a position surreptitiously for the purpose of espionage
 
influence
one having power to influence another
 
informant
a person who supplies information
 
informant
someone who sees an event and reports what happened
 
ingenue
an artless innocent young girl (especially as portrayed on the stage)
 
ingenue
an actress who specializes in playing the role of an artless innocent young girl
 
Ingerman
a member of western Finnish people formerly living in the Baltic province where Saint Petersburg was built
 
Ingmar Bergman
Swedish film director who used heavy symbolism and explored the psychology of the characters (born 1918)
 
ingrate
a person who shows no gratitude
 
Ingrid Bergman
Swedish film actress (1915-1982)
 
Inigo Jones
one of the first great English architects and a theater designer (1573-1652)
 
initiate
someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field
 
initiator
a person who initiates a course of action
 
inmate
one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a prison or hospital)
 
inmate
a patient who is residing in the hospital where he is being treated
 
inoculator
a medical practitioner who inoculates people against diseases
 
inquiry agent
a private detective
 
Inquisitor
an official of the ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition
 
inquisitor
a questioner who is excessively harsh
 
insider
an officer of a corporation or others who have access to private information about the corporation's operations
 
insomniac
someone who cannot sleep
 
inspector
a high ranking police officer
 
inspector general
a military officer responsible for investigations
 
instructor
a person whose occupation is teaching
 
instructress
a woman instructor
 
instrumentalist
someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)
 
insured
a person whose interests are protected by an insurance policy; a person who contracts for an insurance policy that indemnifies him against loss of property or life or health etc.
 
intellect
a person who uses the mind creatively
 
intelligence agent
a person secretly employed in espionage for a government
 
intelligence analyst
a government analyst of information about an enemy or potential enemy
 
interlocutor
the performer in the middle of a minstrel line who engages the others in talk
 
interloper
someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
 
internal auditor
an auditor who is an employee of the company whose records are audited and who provides information to the management and board of directors
 
International Grandmaster
a chess player who has been awarded the highest title by an international chess organization
 
internationalist
a member of a socialist or communist international
 
internationalist
an advocate of internationalism
 
internee
a person who is interned
 
internist
a specialist in internal medicine
 
internuncio
(Roman Catholic Church) a diplomatic representative of the Pope ranking below a nuncio
 
interpreter
someone who uses art to represent something
 
interpreter
an advocate who represents someone else's policy or purpose
 
interpreter
someone who mediates between speakers of different languages
 
intervenor
(law) a party who interposes in a pending proceeding
 
interviewee
a person who is interviewed
 
interviewer
a person who conducts an interview
 
introvert
(psychology) a person who tends to shrink from social contacts and to become preoccupied with their own thoughts
 
invalid
someone who is incapacitated by a chronic illness or injury
 
invalidator
an official who can invalidate or nullify
 
investigator
someone who investigates
 
investigator
a scientist who devotes himself to doing research
 
investment adviser
someone who advises others how to invest their money
 
investment banker
a banker who deals chiefly in underwriting new securities
 
investor
someone who commits capital in order to gain financial returns
 
invigilator
someone who watches examination candidates to prevent cheating
 
Io
(Greek mythology) a maiden seduced by Zeus; when Hera was about to discover them together Zeus turned her into a white heifer
 
Ionian
a member of one of four linguistic divisions of the prehistoric Greeks
 
Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili
Russian leader who succeeded Lenin as head of the Communist Party and created a totalitarian state by purging all opposition (1879-1953)
 
Iowan
a native or resident of Iowa
 
Ioway
a member of the Siouan people formerly living in Iowa and Minnesota and Missouri
 
Ira Gershwin
United States lyricist who frequently collaborated with his brother George Gershwin (1896-1983)
 
Iranian
a native or inhabitant of Iran
 
Iraqi
a native or inhabitant of Iraq
 
Irene Joliot-Curie
French physicist who (with her husband) synthesized new chemical elements (1897-1956)
 
Irish person
a native or inhabitant of Ireland
 
Irishman
a man who is a native or inhabitant of Ireland
 
Irishwoman
a woman who is a native or inhabitant of Ireland
 
iron man
a strong man of exceptional physical endurance
 
ironist
a humorist who uses ridicule and irony and sarcasm
 
ironside
a man of great strength or bravery
 
ironworker
a person who makes articles of iron
 
Iroquois
any member of the warlike North American Indian peoples formerly living in New York State; the Iroquois League were allies of the British during the American Revolution
 
irredentist
an advocate of irredentism
 
irreligionist
someone who is indifferent or hostile to religion
 
Irving Berlin
United States songwriter (born in Russia) who wrote more than 1500 songs and several musical comedies (1888-1989)
 
Irving Howe
United States editor (1920-1993)
 
Irving Langmuir
United States chemist who studied surface chemistry and developed the gas-filled tungsten lamp and worked on high temperature electrical discharges (1881-1957)
 
Isaac
(Old Testament) the second patriarch; son of Abraham and Sarah who was offered by Abraham as a sacrifice to God; father of Jacob and Esau
 
Isaac Asimov
United States writer (born in Russia) noted for his science fiction (1920-1992)
 
Isaac Bashevis Singer
United States writer (born in Poland) of Yiddish stories and novels (1904-1991)
 
Isaac Hull
United States naval officer who commanded the `Constitution' during the War of 1812 and won a series of brilliant victories against the British (1773-1843)
 
Isaac Mayer Wise
United States religious leader (born in Bohemia) who united reform Jewish organizations in the United States (1819-1900)
 
Isaac Merrit Singer
United States inventor of an improved chain-stitch sewing machine (1811-1875)
 
Isaac Stern
United States concert violinist (born in Russia in 1920)
 
Isaac Watts
English poet and theologian (1674-1748)
 
Isabella Stewart Gardner
United States collector and patron of art who built a museum in Boston to house her collection and opened it to the public in 1903 (1840-1924)
 
Isabella the Catholic
the queen of Castile whose marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469 marked the beginning of the modern state of Spain; they instituted the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 and sponsored the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492 (1451-1504)
 
Isadora Duncan
United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)
 
Isaiah
(Old Testament) the first of the major Hebrew prophets (8th century BC)
 
Isamu Noguchi
United States sculptor (1904-1988)
 
Ishmael
(Old Testament) the son of Abraham who was cast out after the birth of Isaac; considered the forebear of 12 Arabian tribes
 
Ishmael
a person who is rejected (from society or home)
 
Isidor Feinstein Stone
United States journalist who advocated liberal causes (1907-1989)
 
Isidore Auguste Marie Francois Comte
French philosopher remembered as the founder of positivism; he also established sociology as a systematic field of study
 
Islamist
a scholar who knowledgeable in Islamic studies
 
Islamist
an orthodox Muslim
 
island-dweller
an inhabitant of an island
 
Ismailian
an adherent of Ismailism; a member of the Ismaili branch of Shiism
 
Isocrates
Athenian rhetorician and orator (436-338 BC)
 
isolationist
an advocate of isolationism in international affairs
 
Isoroku Yamamoto
Japanese admiral who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 (1884-1943)
 
Israel Strassberg
United States actor and film director (born in Austria) who was a leader in developing method acting in the United States (1901-1982)
 
Israel Zangwill
English writer (1864-1926)
 
Israeli
a native or inhabitant of Israel
 
Israelite
a native or inhabitant of the ancient kingdom of Israel
 
Israelite
a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties
 
Issachar
(Old Testament) a son of Jacob and a forebear of one of the tribes of Israel
 
issue
the immediate descendants of a person
 
Italian
a native or inhabitant of Italy
 
Italo Calvino
Italian writer of novels and short stories (born in Cuba) (1923-1987)
 
Ithiel Town
United States architect who was noted for his design and construction of truss bridges (1784-1844)
 
Ivan III Vasilievich
grand duke of Muscovy whose victories against the Tartars laid the basis for Russian unity (1440-1505)
 
Ivan Iv Vasilievich
the first czar of Russia (1530-1584)
 
Ivan Lendl
United States tennis player (born in Czechoslovakia) who won several singles championships; in 1992 he became a United States citizen (born in 1960)
 
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov
Russian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs (1849-1936)
 
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev
Russian writer of stories and novels and plays (1818-1883)
 
Ivor Armstrong Richards
English literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English (1893-1979)
 
Ivy Leaguer
a student or graduate at an Ivy League school
 
Izaak Walton
English writer remember for his treatise on fishing (1593-1683)
 
J. Craig Ventner
United States geneticist who published the complete base sequences for all the genes of a free-living organism, the influenza bacterium; later led team that developed a first draft of the entire human genome (born in 1946)
 
Jack Lemmon
United States film actor (1925-2001)
 
Jack of all trades
a person able to do a variety of different jobs acceptably well
 
Jack Roosevelt Robinson
United States baseball player; first Black to play in the major leagues (1919-1972)
 
Jack the Ripper
an unidentified English murderer in the 19th century
 
Jack William Nicklaus
United States golfer considered by many to be the greatest golfer of all time (born in 1940)
 
jack
someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor
 
Jack-tar
a man who serves as a sailor
 
jackanapes
someone who is unimportant but cheeky and presumptuous
 
Jackson Pollock
United States artist famous for painting with a drip technique; a leader of abstract expressionism in America (1912-1956)
 
Jacksonian
a follower of Andrew Jackson or his ideas
 
Jacob
(Old Testament) son of Isaac; brother of Esau; father of the twelve patriarchs of Israel; Jacob wrestled with God and forced God to bless him, so God gave Jacob the new name of Israel (meaning `one who has been strong against God')
 
Jacobean
any distinguished personage during the reign of James I
 
Jacobin
a member of the radical movement that instituted the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution
 
Jacobite
a supporter of James II after he was overthrown or a supporter of the Stuarts
 
Jacopo Robusti
Italian painter of the Venetian school (1518-1594)
 
Jacqueline Cochran
United States aviator who held several speed records and headed the women's Air Force pilots in World War II (1910-1980)
 
Jacques Alexandre Cesar Charles
French physicist and author of Charles's law which anticipated Gay-Lussac's law (1746-1823)
 
Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault
French writer of sophisticated novels and short stories (1844-1924)
 
Jacques Bernoulli
Swiss mathematician (1654-1705)
 
Jacques Cartier
French explorer who explored the St. Lawrence river and laid claim to the region for France (1491-1557)
 
Jacques Derrida
French philosopher and critic (born in Algeria); exponent of deconstructionism (1930-2004)
 
Jacques Etienne Montgolfier
French inventor who (with his brother Josef Michel Montgolfier) pioneered hot-air ballooning (1745-1799)
 
Jacques Francois Antoine Ibert
French composer (1890-1962)
 
Jacques Francois Fromental Elie Halevy
French operatic composer (1799-1862)
 
Jacques Germain Soufflot
French architect (1713-1780)
 
Jacques Lipchitz
United States sculptor (born in Lithuania) who pioneered cubist sculpture (1891-1973)
 
Jacques Loeb
United States physiologist (born in Germany) who did research on parthenogenesis (1859-1924)
 
Jacques Louis David
French neoclassical painter who actively supported the French Revolution (1748-1825)
 
Jacques Lucien Monod
French biochemist who (with Francois Jacob) explained how genes are activated and suggested the existence of messenger RNA (1910-1976)
 
Jacques Offenbach
French composer of many operettas and an opera (1819-1880)
 
Jacques Tatischeff
French filmmaker (1908-1982)
 
Jacques Yves Costeau
French underwater explorer (born in 1910)
 
Jaffar Umar Thalib
Indonesian terrorist and Islamic militant who commands the Laskar Jihad; uses violence to achieve political ends (1965-2000)
 
Jainist
a believer in Jainism
 
Jakob Behmen
German mystic and theosophist who founded modern theosophy; influenced George Fox (1575-1624)
 
Jakob Hermandszoon
Dutch Protestant theologian who founded Arminianism which opposed the absolute predestinarianism of John Calvin (1559-1609)
 
Jakob Liebmann Beer
German composer of operas in a style that influenced Richard Wagner (1791-1864)
 
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
German musician and romantic composer of orchestral and choral works (1809-1847)
 
Jakob Ludwig Karl Grimm
the older of the two Grimm brothers remembered best for their fairy stories; also author of Grimm's law describing consonant changes in Germanic languages (1785-1863)
 
Jamaican
a native or inhabitant of Jamaica
 
James Abbott McNeill Whistler
United States painter (1834-1903)
 
James Abraham Garfield
20th President of the United States; assassinated by a frustrated office-seeker (1831-1881)
 
James Agee
United States novelist (1909-1955)
 
James Albert Michener
United States writer of historical novels (1907-1997)
 
James Alfred Van Allen
United States physicist who discovered two belts of charged particles from the solar wind trapped by the Earth's magnetic field (born in 1914)
 
James Arthur Baldwin
United States author who was an outspoken critic of racism (1924-1987)
 
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce
influential Irish writer noted for his many innovations (such as stream of consciousness writing) (1882-1941)
 
James Boswell
Scottish author noted for his biography of Samuel Johnson (1740-1795)
 
James Bowie
United States pioneer and hero of the Texas revolt against Mexico; he shared command of the garrison that resisted the Mexican attack on the Alamo where he died (1796-1836)
 
James Branch Cabell
United States writer of satirical novels (1879-1958)
 
James Buchanan Brady
United States financier noted for his love of diamonds and his extravagant lifestyle (1856-1917)
 
James Butler Hickock
frontier marshal whose adventures have become legendary (1837-1876)
 
James Byron Dean
United States film actor whose moody rebellious roles made him a cult figure (1931-1955)
 
James Cagney
United States film actor known for his portrayals of tough characters (1899-1986)
 
James Clerk Maxwell
Scottish physicist whose equations unified electricity and magnetism and who recognized the electromagnetic nature of light (1831-1879)
 
James Cleveland Owens
United States athlete and Black American whose success in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin outraged Hitler (1913-1980)
 
James Dewey Watson
United States geneticist who (with Crick in 1953) helped discover the helical structure of DNA (born in 1928)
 
James Douglas Morrison
United States rock singer (1943-1971)
 
James Earl Carter Jr.
39th President of the United States (1924-)
 
James Edmund Scripps
United States newspaper publisher and half-brother of Edward Wyllis Scripps (1835-1908)
 
James Edward Meade
English economist noted for his studies of international trade and finance (1907-1995)
 
James Fenimore Cooper
United States novelist noted for his stories of American Indians and the frontier life (1789-1851)
 
James Francis Thorpe
outstanding United States athlete (1888-1953)
 
James Franck
United States physicist (born in Germany) who with Gustav Hertz performed an electron scattering experiment that proved the existence of the stationary energy states postulated by Niels Bohr (1882-1964)
 
James Grover Thurber
United States humorist and cartoonist who published collections of essays and stories (1894-1961)
 
James Hargreaves
English inventor of the spinning jenny (1720-1778)
 
James Harold Doolittle
United States Air Force officer who electrified the world in 1942 by leading a squadron of 16 bombers on a daylight raid over Tokyo (1896-1993)
 
James Harvey Robinson
United States historian who stressed the importance of intellectual and social events for the course of history (1863-1936)
 
James Henry Leigh Hunt
British writer who defended the Romanticism of Keats and Shelley (1784-1859)
 
James Hogg
Scottish writer of rustic verse (1770-1835)
 
James Howard Meredith
United States civil rights leader whose college registration caused riots in traditionally segregated Mississippi (born in 1933)
 
James Hutton
Scottish geologist who described the processes that have shaped the surface of the earth (1726-1797)
 
James II
the last Stuart to be king of England and Ireland and Scotland; overthrown in 1688 (1633-1701)
 
James IV
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
 
James Jerome Hill
United States railroad tycoon (1838-1916)
 
James John Corbett
United States heavyweight boxing champion (1866-1933)
 
James Joseph Tunney
United States prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship by defeating Jack Dempsey twice (1898-1978)
 
James Knox Polk
11th President of the United States; his expansionism led to the Mexican War and the annexation of California and much of the southwest (1795-1849)
 
James Langston Hughes
United States writer (1902-1967)
 
James Leonard Farmer
United States civil rights leader who in 1942 founded the Congress of Racial Equality (born in 1920)
 
James Maitland Stewart
United States film actor who portrayed incorruptible but modest heros (1908-1997)
 
James Marshall Hendrix
United States guitarist whose innovative style with electric guitars influenced the development of rock music (1942-1970)
 
James McKeen Cattell
American psychologist and editor (1860-1944)
 
James Merritt Ives
United States lithographer who (with his partner Nathaniel Currier) produced thousands of prints signed `Currier & Ives' (1824-1895)
 
James Mill
Scottish philosopher who expounded Bentham's utilitarianism; father of John Stuart Mill (1773-1836)
 
James Naismith
United States educator (born in Canada) who invented the game of basketball (1861-1939)
 
James Neville Mason
English film actor (1909-1984)
 
James Parkinson
English surgeon (1755-1824)
 
James Prescott Joule
English physicist who established the mechanical theory of heat and discovered the first law of thermodynamics (1818-1889)
 
James Riddle Hoffa
United States labor leader who was president of the Teamsters Union; he was jailed for trying to bribe a judge and later disappeared and is assumed to have been murdered (1913-1975)
 
James Scott Connors
outstanding United States tennis player (born in 1952)
 
James Thomas Farrell
United States writer remembered for his novels (1904-1979)
 
James Thomas Harris
Irish writer noted for his sexually explicit but unreliable autobiography (1856-1931)
 
James Tobin
United States economist (1918-2002)
 
James Ussher
Irish prelate who deduced from the Bible that Creation occurred in the year 4004 BC (1581-1656)
 
James Watt
Scottish engineer and inventor whose improvements in the steam engine led to its wide use in industry (1736-1819)
 
James Whitcomb Riley
United States poet (1849-1916)
 
James William Fulbright
United States senator who is remembered for his creation of grants that fund exchange programs of teachers and students between the United States and other countries (1905-1995)
 
James Wilson
American Revolutionary leader who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence (1742-1798)
 
James Wyatt
English architect (1746-1813)
 
Jan Christian Smuts
South African statesman and soldier (1870-1950)
 
Jan Hendrix Oort
Dutch astronomer who proved that the galaxy is rotating and proposed the existence of the Oort cloud (1900-1992)
 
Jan Steen
Dutch genre painter (1626-1679)
 
Jan Swammerdam
Dutch naturalist and microscopist who proposed a classification of insects and who was among the first to recognize cells in animals and was the first to see red blood cells (1637-1680)
 
Jan Tinbergen
Dutch economist noted for his work in econometrics (1903-1994)
 
Jan van der Meer
Dutch painter renowned for his use of light (1632-1675)
 
Jan van Eyck
Flemish painter who was a founder of the Flemish school of painting and who pioneered modern techniques of oil painting (1390-1441)
 
Jane Austen
English novelist noted for her insightful portrayals of middle-class families (1775-1817)
 
Jane Doe
an unknown or fictitious woman who is a party to legal proceedings
 
Jane Fonda
United States film actress and daughter of Henry Fonda (born in 1937)
 
Jane Goodall
English zoologist noted for her studies of chimpanzees in the wild (born in 1934)
 
Jane Jacobs
United States writer and critic of urban planning (born in 1916)
 
Jane Seymour
Queen of England as the third wife of Henry VIII and mother of Edward VI (1509-1537)
 
Janis Joplin
United States singer who died of a drug overdose at the height of her popularity (1943-1970)
 
Janissary
a Turkish soldier
 
janissary
a loyal supporter
 
janitor
someone employed to clean and maintain a building
 
Jansenist
an advocate of Jansenism
 
Japheth
(Old Testament) son of Noah
 
Jaroslav Hasek
Czech author of novels and short stories (1883-1923)
 
Jasper Johns
United States artist and proponent of pop art (born in 1930)
 
Jat
a member of an Indo-European people widely scattered throughout the northwest of the Indian subcontinent and consisting of Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs
 
Jaun Gris
Spanish cubist painter (1887-1927)
 
Javanese
a native or inhabitant of Java
 
Jawaharlal Nehru
Indian statesman and leader with Gandhi in the struggle for home rule; was the first prime minister of the Republic of India from 1947 to 1964 (1889-1964)
 
jawan
(India) a private soldier or male constable
 
Jay Cooke
United States financier who marketed Union bonds to finance the American Civil War; the failure of his bank resulted in a financial panic in 1873 (1821-1905)
 
Jay Gould
United States financier who gained control of the Erie Canal and who caused a financial panic in 1869 when he attempted to corner the gold market (1836-1892)
 
jaywalker
a reckless pedestrian who crosses a street illegally
 
jazz musician
a musician who plays or composes jazz music
 
Jean Anouilh
French dramatist noted for his reinterpretations of Greek myths (1910-1987)
 
Jean Antoine Watteau
French painter (1684-1721)
 
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
French classical painter (1780-1867)
 
Jean Baptiste Camille Corot
French painter of Italian landscapes (1796-1875)
 
Jean Baptiste de Lamarck
French naturalist who proposed that evolution resulted from the inheritance of acquired characteristics (1744-1829)
 
Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur
French general who commanded French troops in the American Revolution, notably at Yorktown (1725-1807)
 
Jean Baptiste Lully
French composer (born in Italy) who was the court composer to Louis XIV and founded the national French opera (1632-1687)
 
Jean Baptiste Racine
French advocate of Jansenism; tragedian who based his works on Greek and Roman themes (1639-1699)
 
Jean Bernard Leon Foucault
French physicist who determined the speed of light and showed that it travels slower in water than in air; invented the Foucault pendulum and the gyroscope (1819-1868)
 
Jean Caulvin
Swiss theologian (born in France) whose tenets (predestination and the irresistibility of grace and justification by faith) defined Presbyterianism (1509-1564)
 
Jean Cocteau
French writer and film maker who worked in many artistic media (1889-1963)
 
Jean de La Fontaine
French writer who collected Aesop's fables and published them (1621-1695)
 
Jean Edouard Vuillard
French painter (1868-1940)
 
Jean Francois Champollion
Frenchman and Egyptologist who studied the Rosetta Stone and in 1821 became the first person to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics (1790-1832)
 
Jean Francois Millet
French painter of rural scenes (1814-1875)
 
Jean Genet
French writer of novels and dramas for the theater of the absurd (1910-1986)
 
Jean Honore Fragonard
French artist whose rococo paintings typified the frivolity of life in the royal court of France in the 18th century (1732-1806)
 
Jean Lafitte
French pirate who aided the United States in the War of 1812 and received an official pardon for his crimes (1780-1826)
 
Jean Louis Charles Garnier
French architect (1825-1898)
 
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz
United States naturalist (born in Switzerland) who studied fossil fish; recognized geological evidence that ice ages had occurred in North America (1807-1873)
 
Jean Luc Godard
French film maker influenced by surrealism; early work explored the documentary use of film; noted for innovative techniques (born in 1930)
 
Jean Martin Charcot
French neurologist who tried to use hypnotism to cure hysteria (1825-1893)
 
Jean Monnet
French economist who advocated a Common Market in Europe (1888-1979)
 
Jean Nicholas Arthur Rimbaud
French poet whose work influenced the surrealists (1854-1891)
 
Jean Paul Marat
French revolutionary leader (born in Switzerland) who was a leader in overthrowing the Girondists and was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday (1743-1793)
 
Jean Piaget
Swiss psychologist remembered for his studies of cognitive development in children (1896-1980)
 
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
French author of sophisticated comedies (1622-1673)
 
Jean-Claude Duvalier
son and successor of Francois Duvalier as president of Haiti; he was overthrown by a mass uprising in 1986 (born in 1951)
 
Jean-Frederic Joliot-Curie
French nuclear physicist who was Marie Curie's assistant and who worked with Marie Curie's daughter who he married (taking the name Joliot-Curie); he and his wife discovered how to synthesize new radioactive elements (1900-1958)
 
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
French philosopher and writer born in Switzerland; believed that the natural goodness of man was warped by society; ideas influenced the French Revolution (1712-1778)
 
Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac
United States writer who was a leading figure of the beat generation (1922-1969)
 
Jean-Paul Sartre
French writer and existentialist philosopher (1905-1980)
 
Jean-Philippe Rameau
French composer of operas whose writings laid the foundation for the modern theory of harmony (1683-1764)
 
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson
French noblewoman who was the lover of Louis XV, whose policies she influenced (1721-1764)
 
Jeanne d'Arc
French heroine and military leader inspired by religious visions to organize French resistance to the English and to have Charles VII crowned king; she was later tried for heresy and burned at the stake (1412-1431)
 
Jeannette Rankin
leader in the women's suffrage movement in Montana; the first woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives (1880-1973)
 
Jefferson Davis
American statesman; president of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War (1808-1889)
 
Jeffersonian
a follower of Thomas Jefferson or his ideas and principles
 
Jehovah's Witness
believer in imminent approach of the millennium; practitioner of active evangelism
 
Jekyll and Hyde
someone with two personalities - one good and one evil
 
Jenghiz Khan
Mongolian emperor whose empire stretched from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean (1162-1227)
 
Jens Otto Harry Jespersen
Danish linguist (1860-1943)
 
Jeremiah
(Old Testament) an Israelite prophet who is remembered for his angry lamentations (jeremiads) about the wickedness of his people (circa 626-587 BC)
 
Jeremy Bentham
English philosopher and jurist; founder of utilitarianism (1748-1831)
 
jerk-off
terms of abuse for a masturbator
 
jerker
someone who gives a strong sudden pull
 
Jeroboam I
(Old Testament) first king of the northern kingdom of Israel who led Israel into sin (10th century BC)
 
Jerome David Kern
United States composer of musical comedies (1885-1945)
 
Jerome David Salinger
United States writer (born 1919)
 
Jerome Robbins
United States choreographer who brought human emotion to classical ballet and spirited reality to Broadway musicals (1918-1998)
 
Jerry Lee Lewis
United States rock star singer and pianist (born in 1935)
 
jerry-builder
someone who builds cheap buildings out of poor materials on speculation for a quick profit
 
Jesse James
United States outlaw who fought as a Confederate soldier and later led a band of outlaws that robbed trains and banks in the West until he was murdered by a member of his own gang (1847-1882)
 
Jesse Louis Jackson
United States civil rights leader who led a national campaign against racial discrimination and ran for presidential nomination (born in 1941)
 
Jessica Lucy Mitford
United States writer (born in England) who wrote on American culture (1917-1996)
 
Jessica Tandy
United States actress (born in England) who made many stage appearances, often with her husband Hume Cronyn (1909-1994)
 
Jessye Norman
United States operatic soprano (born in 1945)
 
Jesuit
a member of the Jesuit order
 
Jesus of Nazareth
a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)
 
jeune fille
a girl or young woman who is unmarried
 
jeweler
someone in the business of selling jewelry
 
jeweler
someone who makes jewelry
 
Jewess
a woman who is a Jew
 
jezebel
a shameless impudent scheming woman
 
Jezebel
wife of Ahab who was king of Israel; according to the Old Testament she was a cruel immoral queen who fostered the worship of Baal and tried to kill Elijah and other prophets of Israel (9th century BC)
 
Jihadist
a Muslim who is involved in a jihad
 
jilt
a woman who jilts a lover
 
Jim Henson
United States puppeteer who created a troupe of puppet characters (1936-1990)
 
Jimmy Durante
United States comedian remembered for his large nose and hoarse voice (1893-1980)
 
jinx
a person believed to bring bad luck to those around him
 
Joan Crawford
United States film actress (1908-1977)
 
Joan Didion
United States writer (born in 1934)
 
Joan Miro
Spanish surrealist painter (1893-1983)
 
Job
a Jewish hero in the Old Testament who maintained his faith in God in spite of afflictions that tested him
 
Job
any long-suffering person who withstands affliction without despairing
 
job candidate
an applicant who is being considered for a job
 
Job's comforter
someone whose comfort is actually discouraging
 
jobber
someone who buys large quantities of goods and resells to merchants rather than to the ultimate customers
 
jobholder
an employee who holds a regular job
 
jockey
someone employed to ride horses in horse races
 
jockey
an operator of some vehicle or machine or apparatus
 
Joe Bloggs
a hypothetical average man
 
Joel
a Hebrew minor prophet
 
Joel Chandler Harris
United States author who wrote the stories about Uncle Remus (1848-1908)
 
jogger
someone who runs a steady slow pace (usually for exercise)
 
Johan August Strindberg
Swedish dramatist and novelist (1849-1912)
 
Johan Julius Christian Sibelius
Finnish composer (1865-1957)
 
Johann Bernoulli
Swiss mathematician (1667-1748)
 
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller
German romantic writer (1759-1805)
 
Johann Friedrich Herbart
German philosopher (1776-1841)
 
Johann Gottfried von Herder
German philosopher who advocated intuition over reason (1744-1803)
 
Johann Joachim Winckelmann
German archaeologist and art historian said to be the father of archaeology (1717-1768)
 
Johann Ludwig Uhland
German romantic poet (1787-1862)
 
Johann Maier Eck
a German Roman Catholic theologian who was an indefatigable opponent of Martin Luther (1486-1543)
 
Johann Mendel
Augustinian monk and botanist whose experiments in breeding garden peas led to his eventual recognition as founder of the science of genetics (1822-1884)
 
Johann Muller
German mathematician and astronomer (1436-1476)
 
Johann Sebastian Bach
German baroque organist and contrapuntist; composed mostly keyboard music; one of the greatest creators of western music (1685-1750)
 
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
German poet and novelist and dramatist who lived in Weimar (1749-1832)
 
Johannes Brahms
German composer who developed the romantic style of both lyrical and classical music (1833-1897)
 
Johannes Diderik van der Waals
Dutch physicist (1837-1923)
 
Johannes Eckhart
German Roman Catholic theologian and mystic (1260-1327)
 
Johannes Evangelista Purkinje
Bohemian physiologist remembered for his discovery of Purkinje cells and the Purkinje network (1787-1869)
 
Johannes Gutenberg
German printer who was the first in Europe to print using movable type and the first to use a press (1400-1468)
 
Johannes Kepler
German astronomer who first stated laws of planetary motion (1571-1630)
 
Johannes Peter Muller
German physiologist and anatomist (1801-1858)
 
Johannes Vilhelm Jensen
modernistic Danish writer (1873-1950)
 
John Addington Symonds
English writer (1840-1893)
 
John Amos Comenius
Czech educational reformer (1592-1670)
 
John Anthony Ciardi
United States poet and critic (1916-1986)
 
John Augustus Roebling
United States engineer (born in Germany) who designed and began construction of the Brooklyn bridge (1806-1869)
 
John Bach McMaster
United States historian who wrote a nine volume history of the people of the United States (1852-1932)
 
John Bardeen
United States physicist who won the Nobel prize for physics twice (1908-1991)
 
John Barrington Wain
English writer (1925-1994)
 
John Barrymore
United States actor; son of Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Barrymore (1882-1942)
 
John Bartlett
United States publisher and editor who compiled a book of familiar quotations (1820-1905)
 
John Berry Hobbs
notable English cricketer (1882-1963)
 
John Birks Gillespie
United States jazz trumpeter and exponent of bebop (1917-1993)
 
John Broadus Watson
United States psychologist considered the founder of behavioristic psychology (1878-1958)
 
John Brown
abolitionist who was hanged after leading an unsuccessful raid at Harper's Ferry, Virginia (1800-1859)
 
John Bull
a man of English descent
 
John Bunyan
English preacher and author of an allegorical novel, Pilgrim's Progress (1628-1688)
 
John Burdon Sanderson Haldane
Scottish geneticist (son of John Haldane) who contributed to the development of population genetics; a popularizer of science and a Marxist (1892-1964)
 
John Charles Fremont
United States explorer who mapped much of the American west and Northwest (1813-1890)
 
John Cheever
United States writer of novels and short stories (1912-1982)
 
John Constable
English landscape painter (1776-1837)
 
John Cowper Powys
British writer of novels about nature; one of three literary brothers (1872-1963)
 
John Dalton
English chemist and physicist who formulated atomic theory and the law of partial pressures; gave the first description of red-green color blindness (1766-1844)
 
John Davis
English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)
 
John Davison Rockefeller
United States industrialist who made a fortune in the oil business and gave half of it away (1839-1937)
 
John Deere
United States industrialist who manufactured plows suitable for working the prairie soil (1804-1886)
 
John Dewey
United States pragmatic philosopher who advocated progressive education (1859-1952)
 
John Doe
an unknown or fictitious man who is a party to legal proceedings
 
John Donald Budge
United States tennis player who in 1938 was the first to win the Australian and French and English and United States singles championship in the same year (1915-2000)
 
John Donne
English clergyman and metaphysical poet celebrated as a preacher (1572-1631)
 
John Dowland
English lutenist and composer of songs for the lute (1563-1626)
 
John Drew
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
 
John Dryden
the outstanding poet and dramatist of the Restoration (1631-1700)
 
John Duns Scotus
Scottish theologian who was very influential in the Middle Ages (1265-1308)
 
John Edgar Hoover
United States lawyer who was director of the FBI for 48 years (1895-1972)
 
John Edward Masefield
English poet (1878-1967)
 
John Endecott
born in England; in 1629 he became the founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1588-1665)
 
John Ernst Steinbeck
United States writer noted for his novels about agricultural workers (1902-1968)
 
John Fletcher
prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)
 
John Florio
English lexicographer remembered for his Italian and English dictionary (1553-1625)
 
John Ford
United States film maker (1896-1973)
 
John Foster Dulles
United States diplomat who (as Secretary of State) pursued a policy of opposition to the USSR by providing aid to American allies (1888-1959)
 
John Galsworthy
English novelist (1867-1933)
 
John Greenleaf Whittier
United States poet best known for his nostalgic poems about New England (1807-1892)
 
John Griffith Chaney
United States writer of novels based on experiences in the Klondike gold rush (1876-1916)
 
John Hancock
American revolutionary patriot who was president of the Continental Congress; was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence (1737-1793)
 
John Hanning Speke
English explorer who with Sir Richard Burton was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika; he also discovered Lake Victoria and named it (1827-1864)
 
John Harvard
American philanthropist who left his library and half his estate to the Massachusetts college that now bears his name (1607-1638)
 
John Hasbrouck Van Vleck
United States physicist (1899-1980)
 
John Hemminge
English actor who edited the first folio of Shakespeare's plays (1556-1630)
 
John Henry Newman
English prelate and theologian who (with John Keble and Edward Pusey) founded the Oxford movement; Newman later turned to Roman Catholicism and became a cardinal (1801-1890)
 
John Henry O'Hara
United States writer (1905-1970)
 
John Herschel Glenn Jr.
made the first orbital rocket-powered flight by a United States astronaut in 1962; later in United States Senate (1921-)
 
John Hope Franklin
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
 
John Howard Northrop
United States biochemist (1891-1987)
 
John Hoyer Updike
United States author (born 1932)
 
John Huss
Czechoslovakian religious reformer who anticipated the Reformation; he questioned the infallibility of the Catholic Church was excommunicated (1409) for attacking the corruption of the clergy; he was burned at the stake (1372-1415)
 
John Huston
United States film maker born in the United States but an Irish citizen after 1964 (1906-1987)
 
John Irving
United States writer of darkly humorous novels (born in 1942)
 
John Jacob Astor
United States capitalist (born in Germany) who made a fortune in fur trading (1763-1848)
 
John James Audubon
United States ornithologist and artist (born in Haiti) noted for his paintings of birds of America (1785-1851)
 
John James Osborne
English playwright (1929-1994)
 
John James Rickard Macleod
Scottish physiologist who directed the research by F. G. Banting and C. H. Best that led to the discovery of insulin (1876-1935)
 
John Jay
United States diplomat and jurist who negotiated peace treaties with Britain and served as the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1745-1829)
 
John Joseph McGraw
United States baseball player and manager (1873-1934)
 
John Joseph Pershing
United States general who commanded the American forces in Europe during World War I (1860-1948)
 
John Keats
Englishman and romantic poet (1795-1821)
 
John Keble
English clergyman who (with John Henry Newman and Edward Pusey) founded the Oxford movement (1792-1866)
 
John Kenneth Galbraith
United States economist (born in Canada) who served as ambassador to India (born in 1908)
 
John Knox
Scottish theologian who founded Presbyterianism in Scotland and wrote a history of the Reformation in Scotland (1514-1572)
 
John L. H. Down
English physician who first described Down's syndrome (1828-1896)
 
John Lackland
youngest son of Henry II; King of England from 1199 to 1216; succeeded to the throne on the death of his brother Richard I; lost his French possessions; in 1215 John was compelled by the barons to sign the Magna Carta (1167-1216)
 
John Lennon
English rock star and guitarist and songwriter who with Paul McCartney wrote most of the music for the Beatles (1940-1980)
 
John Llewelly Lewis
United States labor leader who was president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960 and president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations from 1935 to 1940 (1880-1969)
 
John Locke
English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience (1632-1704)
 
John Luther Jones
United States railroad engineer who died trying to stop his train from crashing into another train; a friend wrote a famous ballad describing the incident (1864-1900)
 
John Lyly
English writer noted for his elaborate style (1554-1606)
 
John Marshall
United States jurist; as chief justice of the Supreme Court he established the principles of United States constitutional law (1755-1835)
 
John Marstan
English playwright (1575-1634)
 
John Maynard Keynes
English economist who advocated the use of government monetary and fiscal policy to maintain full employment without inflation (1883-1946)
 
John McCormick
United States operatic tenor (born in Ireland) (1884-1945)
 
John Mercer
British maker of printed calico cloth who invented mercerizing (1791-1866)
 
John Merven Carrere
United States architect who with his partner Thomas Hastings designed many important public buildings (1858-1911)
 
John Milton
English poet; remembered primarily as the author of an epic poem describing humanity's fall from grace (1608-1674)
 
John Milton Cage Jr.
United States composer of avant-garde music (1912-1992)
 
John Mitchell
United States labor leader; president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1898 to 1908 (1870-1919)
 
John Moses Browning
United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)
 
John Muir
United States naturalist (born in England) who advocated the creation of national parks (1838-1914)
 
John Napier
Scottish mathematician who invented logarithms; introduced the use of the decimal point in writing numbers (1550-1617)
 
John Orley Allen Tate
United States poet and critic (1899-1979)
 
John Paul Jones
American naval commander in the American Revolution (1747-1792)
 
John Philip Marquand
United States writer who created the Japanese detective Mr. Moto and wrote other novels as well (1893-1960)
 
John Philip Sousa
a United States bandmaster and composer of military marches (1854-1932)
 
John Pierpont Morgan
United States financier and philanthropist (1837-1913)
 
John Reed
United States journalist who reported on the October Revolution from Petrograd in 1917; founded the Communist Labor Party in America in 1919; is buried in the Kremlin in Moscow (1887-1920)
 
John Robinson Jeffers
United States poet who wrote about California (1887-1962)
 
John Rock
United States gynecologist and devout Catholic who conducted the first clinical trials of the oral contraceptive pill (1890-1984)
 
John Roderigo Dos Passos
United States novelist remembered for his portrayal of life in the United States (1896-1970)
 
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
British philologist and writer of fantasies (born in South Africa) (1892-1973)
 
John Roy Major
British statesman who was prime minister from 1990 until 1997 (born in 1943)
 
John Rupert Firth
English linguist who contributed to linguistic semantics and to prosodic phonology and who was noted for his insistence on studying both sound and meaning in context (1890-1960)
 
John Ruskin
British art critic (1819-1900)
 
John Rutledge
United States jurist and second chief justice of the United States Supreme Court; he was appointed by George Washington and briefly served as chief justice but was ultimately rejected by the United States Senate (1739-1800)
 
John Scott Haldane
Scottish physiologist and brother of Richard Haldane and Elizabeth Haldane; noted for research into industrial diseases (1860-1936)
 
John Simmons Barth
United States novelist (born in 1930)
 
John Singer Sargent
United States painter (born in Italy) known for his society portraits (1856-1925)
 
John Singleton Copley
American painter who did portraits of Paul Revere and John Hancock before fleeing to England to avoid the American Revolution (1738-1815)
 
John Stuart Mill
English philosopher and economist remembered for his interpretations of empiricism and utilitarianism (1806-1873)
 
John Thomas Scopes
Tennessee highschool teacher who violated a state law by teaching evolution; in a highly publicized trial in 1925 he was prosecuted by William Jennings Bryan and defended by Clarence Darrow (1900-1970)
 
John Tradescant
English botanist who was one of the first to collect specimens of plants (1570-1638)
 
John Trumbull
American satirical poet (1750-1831)
 
John Trumbull
American painter of historical scenes (1756-1843)
 
John Tuzo Wilson
Canadian geophysicist who was a pioneer in the study of plate tectonics (1908-1993)
 
John Tyndall
British physicist (born in Ireland) remembered for his experiments on the transparency of gases and the absorption of radiant heat by gases and the transmission of sound through the atmosphere; he was the first person to explain why the daylight sky is blue (1820-1893)
 
John Venn
English logician who introduced Venn diagrams (1834-1923)
 
John von Neumann
United States mathematician who contributed to the development of atom bombs and of stored-program digital computers (1903-1957)
 
John Walker
New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)
 
John Wanamaker
United States businessman whose business grew into one of the first department stores (1838-1922)
 
John Wayne
United States film actor who played tough heroes (1907-1979)
 
John Webster
English playwright (1580-1625)
 
John Wesley
English clergyman and founder of Methodism (1703-1791)
 
John Wickliffe
English theologian whose objections to Roman Catholic doctrine anticipated the Protestant Reformation (1328-1384)
 
John Wilkes
English reformer who published attacks on George III and supported the rights of the American colonists (1727-1797)
 
John Wilkes Booth
United States actor and assassin of President Lincoln (1838-1865)
 
John Witherspoon
American Revolutionary leader and educator (born in Scotland) who signed of the Declaration of Independence and was president of the college that became Princeton University (1723-1794)
 
john
a prostitute's customer
 
Johnny Appleseed
United States pioneer who planted apple trees as he traveled (1774-1845)
 
Johnny Cash
United States country music singer and songwriter (1932-2003)
 
Johnny Reb
`Johnny' was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; `greyback' derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
 
Johns Hopkins
United States financier and philanthropist who left money to found the university and hospital that bear his name in Baltimore (1795-1873)
 
joiner
a woodworker whose work involves making things by joining pieces of wood
 
joiner
a person who likes to join groups
 
joker
a person who enjoys telling or playing jokes
 
joker
a person who does something thoughtless or annoying
 
Jomo Kenyata
Kenyan statesman and the first president of independent Kenya (1893-1978)
 
Jonah
(Old Testament) Jonah did not wish to become a prophet so God caused a great storm to throw him overboard from a ship; he was saved by being swallowed by a whale that vomited him out onto dry land
 
Jonas Edward Salk
United States virologist who developed the Salk vaccine that is injected against poliomyelitis (born 1914)
 
Jonathan Edwards
American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)
 
Jonathan Swift
an English satirist born in Ireland (1667-1745)
 
Jonathan Trumbull
American Revolutionary leader who as governor of Connecticut provided supplies for the Continental Army (1710-1785)
 
Jons Jakob Berzelius
Swedish chemist who discovered three new elements and determined the atomic weights of many others (1779-1848)
 
Jordanian
a native or inhabitant of Jordan
 
Jorge Luis Borges
Argentinian writer remembered for his short stories (1899-1986)
 
Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa
Peruvian writer (born in 1936)
 
Joroslav Heyrovsky
Czechoslovakian chemist who developed polarography (1890-1967)
 
Jose Clemente Orozco
Mexican painter noted for his monumental murals (1883-1949)
 
Jose Julian Marti
Cuban poet and revolutionary who fought for Cuban independence from Spain (1853-1895)
 
Jose Ortega y Gasset
Spanish philosopher who advocated leadership by an intellectual elite (1883-1955)
 
Josef Albers
United States painter born in Germany; works characterized by simple geometrical patterns in various colors (1888-1976)
 
Josef Hoffmann
Austrian architect known for his use of rectilinear units (1870-1956)
 
Josef Michel Montgolfier
French inventor who (with his brother Jacques Etienne Montgolfier) pioneered hot-air ballooning (1740-1810)
 
Josef von Sternberg
United States film maker (born in Austria) whose films made Marlene Dietrich an international star (1894-1969)
 
Joseph
(New Testament) husband of Mary and (in Christian belief) the foster father of Jesus
 
Joseph
(Old Testament) the 11th son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel; Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors, which made his brothers jealous and they sold him into slavery in Egypt
 
Joseph Alois Schumpeter
United States economist (born in Czechoslovakia) (1883-1950)
 
Joseph Banks Rhine
United States parapsychologist (1895-1980)
 
Joseph ben Matthias
Jewish general who led the revolt of the Jews against the Romans and then wrote a history of those events (37-100)
 
Joseph Black
British chemist who identified carbon dioxide and who formulated the concepts of specific heat and latent heat (1728-1799)
 
Joseph Campbell
United States mythologist (1904-1987)
 
Joseph Deems Taylor
United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)
 
Joseph Eggleston Johnston
Confederate general in the American Civil War; led the Confederate troops in the West (1807-1891)
 
Joseph Emerson Worcester
United States lexicographer who was accused of plagiarism by Noah Webster (1784-1865)
 
Joseph Francis Keaton
United States comedian and actor in silent films noted for his acrobatic skills and deadpan face (1895-1966)
 
Joseph Greenberg
United States linguist who studied the historical relations among 5,000 languages (1916-2001)
 
Joseph Heller
United States novelist whose best known work was a black comedy inspired by his experiences in the Air Force during World War II (1923-1999)
 
Joseph Henry
United States physicist who studied electromagnetic phenomena (1791-1878)
 
Joseph Hilaire Peter Belloc
English author (born in France) remembered especially for his verse for children (1870-1953)
 
Joseph Jacques Cesaire Joffre
French field marshal who commanded the Allied armies in France during World War II (1852-1931)
 
Joseph Joachim
Hungarian violinist and composer (1831-1907)
 
Joseph Lincoln Steffens
United States journalist whose exposes in 1906 started an era of muckraking journalism (1866-1936)
 
Joseph Lister
English surgeon who was the first to use antiseptics (1827-1912)
 
Joseph Louis Barrow
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)
 
Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac
French chemist and physicist who first isolated boron and who formulated the law describing the behavior of gases under constant pressure (1778-1850)
 
Joseph Mallord William Turner
English landscape painter whose treatment of light and color influenced the French impressionists (1775-1851)
 
Joseph Marie Jacquard
French inventor of the Jacquard loom that could automatically weave complicated patterns (1752-1834)
 
Joseph Oliver
United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)
 
Joseph Paul DiMaggio
United States professional baseball player noted for his batting ability (1914-1999)
 
Joseph Priestley
English chemist who isolated many gases and discovered oxygen (independently of Scheele) (1733-1804)
 
Joseph Pulitzer
United States newspaper publisher (born in Hungary) who established the Pulitzer prizes (1847-1911)
 
Joseph Raymond McCarthy
United States politician who unscrupulously accused many citizens of being Communists (1908-1957)
 
Joseph Rudyard Kipling
English author of novels and poetry who was born in India (1865-1936)
 
Joseph Smith
religious leader who founded the Mormon Church in 1830 (1805-1844)
 
Joseph Warren Stilwell
United States general who commanded the Allied forces in China and Burma and India during World War II (1883-1946)
 
Joshua
(Old Testament) Moses' successor who led the Israelites into the Promised Land; best remembered for his destruction of Jericho
 
Josiah Quincy
American patriot who presented the colonists' grievances to the English king (1744-1775)
 
Josiah Spode
English potter who started a pottery famous for its bone china (1754-1827)
 
Josiah Wedgwood
English potter (1730-1795)
 
Josiah Willard Gibbs
United States chemist (1839-1903)
 
journalist
a writer for newspapers and magazines
 
journeyer
a traveler going on a trip
 
Joyce Carol Oates
United States writer (born in 1938)
 
Juan Carlos Victor Maria de Borbon y Borbon
king of Spain since 1975 (born in 1938)
 
Juan Domingo Peron
Argentine soldier who became president of Argentina (1895-1974)
 
Juan Ponce de Leon
Spanish explorer who accompanied Columbus on his second trip in 1493; in 1513 he discovered Florida while searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth (1460-1521)
 
Juan Ramon Jimenez
Spanish lyric poet (1881-1958)
 
Judah
(Old Testament) the fourth son of Jacob who was forebear of one of the tribes of Israel; one of his descendants was to be the Messiah
 
Judas
someone who betrays under the guise of friendship
 
Judas Iscariot
(New Testament) the Apostle who betrayed Jesus to his enemies for 30 pieces of silver
 
Judas Maccabaeus
Jewish leader of a revolt in Judea that recovered Jerusalem around 166 BC; hero of the Apocryphal books I Maccabees and II Maccabees (?-161 BC)
 
judge advocate
a staff officer serving as legal adviser to a military commander
 
judge advocate
an officer assigned to the judge advocate general
 
judge advocate general
the senior legal advisor to a branch of the military
 
judge
a public official authorized to decide questions brought before a court of justice
 
Judith
Jewish heroine in one of the books of the Apocrypha; she saved her people by decapitating the Assyrian general Holofernes
 
Judith Jamison
United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1944)
 
Judy Garland
United States singer and film actress (1922-1969)
 
juggernaut
a massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way
 
juggler
a performer who juggles objects and performs tricks of manual dexterity
 
Jugoslavian
a native or inhabitant of Yugoslavia
 
Jules Alfred Huot de Goncourt
French writer who collaborated with his brother Edmond de Goncourt on many books (1830-1870)
 
Jules Emile Frederic Massenet
French composer best remembered for his pop operas (1842-1912)
 
Jules Feifer
United States cartoonist who created a sarcastic comic strip (born in 1929)
 
Jules Verne
French writer who is considered the father of science fiction (1828-1905)
 
Julia Evelina Smith
United States suffragist who refused to pay taxes until she could vote (1792-1886)
 
Julia Ward Howe
United States feminist who was active in the women's suffrage movement (1819-1910)
 
Julian Bond
United States civil rights leader who was elected to the legislature in Georgia but was barred from taking his seat because he opposed the Vietnam War (born 1940)
 
Julio Iglesias
Spanish singer noted for his ballads and love songs (born in 1943)
 
Julius Marx
United States comedian; one of four brothers who made motion pictures together (1890-1977)
 
Julius Winfield Erving
United States basketball forward (born in 1950)
 
jumper
an athlete who competes at jumping
 
jumper
a person who jumps
 
Jungian
a follower or advocate of Carl Jung's theories
 
junior
the younger of two persons
 
junior
a third-year undergraduate
 
Junior
a son who has the same first name as his father
 
junior
term of address for a disrespectful and annoying male
 
junior featherweight
weighs no more than 122 pounds
 
junior lightweight
weighs no more than 130 pounds
 
junior middleweight
weighs no more than 154 pounds
 
junior welterweight
weighs no more than 140 pounds
 
Junker
member of the Prussian aristocracy noted especially for militarism
 
jurist
a legal scholar versed in civil law or the law of nations
 
juror
someone who serves (or waits to be called to serve) on a jury
 
justice of the peace
a local magistrate with limited powers
 
justiciar
formerly a high judicial officer
 
Justinian the Great
Byzantine emperor who held the eastern frontier of his empire against the Persians; codified Roman law in 529; his general Belisarius regained North Africa and Spain (483-565)
 
Jute
a member of a Germanic people who conquered England and merged with the Angles and Saxons to become Anglo-Saxons
 
juvenile
a young person, not fully developed
 
Kabbalist
a student of the Jewish Kabbalah
 
kachina
a masked dancer during a Pueblo religious ceremony who is thought to embody some particular spirit
 
Kafir
a member of the Kafir people in northeastern Afghanistan
 
Kahlil Gibran
United States writer (born in Lebanon) (1883-1931)
 
Kaiser
the title of the Holy Roman Emperors or the emperors of Austria or of Germany until 1918
 
Kaiser Wilhelm
grandson of Queen Victoria and Kaiser of Germany from 1888 to 1918; he was vilified as causing World War I (1859-1941)
 
Kalon Tripa
the chairman of the Kashag and essentially head of the Tibetan government-in-exile
 
Kamehameha the Great
Hawaiian king who united the islands under his rule (1758-1819)
 
Kamia
a member of a North American Indian people of southeastern California and northwestern Mexico
 
kamikaze
a pilot trained and willing to cause a suicidal crash
 
Kampuchean
a native or inhabitant of Cambodia
 
Kanarese
a member of a Kannada-speaking group of people living chiefly in Kanara in southern India
 
Kansan
a native or resident of Kansas
 
Kansas
a member of the Siouan people of the Kansas river valley in Kansas
 
Karakalpak
a member of a Turkic people living near Lake Aral in central Asia
 
Karel Capek
Czech writer who introduced the word `robot' into the English language (1890-1938)
 
Karelian
a member of the Finnish people living in Karelia in northwestern European Russia
 
Karen Danielsen Horney
United States psychiatrist (1885-1952)
 
Karl Adolf Eichmann
Austrian who became the Nazi official who administered the concentration camps where millions of Jews were murdered during World War II (1906-1962)
 
Karl Adolph Verner
Danish philologist (1846-1896)
 
Karl Alex Muller
Swiss physicist who studied superconductivity (born in 1927)
 
Karl Augustus Menninger
United States psychiatrist and son of Charles Menninger (1893-1990)
 
Karl Baedeker
German publisher of a series of travel guidebooks (1801-1859)
 
Karl Barth
Swiss Protestant theologian (1886-1968)
 
Karl Czerny
Austrian virtuoso pianist and composer of many works for the piano; studied with Beethoven and was a teacher of Liszt (1791-1857)
 
Karl Friedrich Gauss
German mathematician who developed the theory of numbers and who applied mathematics to electricity and magnetism and astronomy and geodesy (1777-1855)
 
Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Munchhausen
German raconteur who told preposterous stories about his adventures as a soldier and hunter; his name is now associated with any telling of exaggerated stories or winning lies (1720-1797)
 
Karl Gjellerup
Danish novelist (1857-1919)
 
Karl Gunnar Myrdal
Swedish economist (1898-1987)
 
Karl Gustav Jacob Jacobi
German mathematician (1804-1851)
 
Karl Landsteiner
United States pathologist (born in Austria) who discovered human blood groups (1868-1943)
 
Karl Marx
founder of modern communism; wrote the Communist Manifesto with Engels in 1848; wrote Das Kapital in 1867 (1818-1883)
 
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt
German field marshal in World War II who directed the conquest of Poland and led the Ardennes counteroffensive (1875-1953)
 
Karl Theodor Jaspers
German psychiatrist (1883-1969)
 
Karl von Clausewitz
Prussian general and military theorist who proposed a doctrine of total war and war as an extension of diplomacy (1780-1831)
 
Karl von Frisch
Austrian zoologist noted for his studies of honeybees (1886-1982)
 
Karl Waldemar Ziegler
German chemist honored for his research on polymers (1898-1973)
 
Karl Wernicke
German neurologist best known for his studies of aphasia (1848-1905)
 
Karl Wilhelm Scheele
Swedish chemist (born in Germany) who discovered oxygen before Priestley did (1742-1786)
 
Karok
a member of a North American Indian people of the Klamath river valley in northern California
 
Karol Wojtyla
the first Pope born in Poland; the first Pope not born in Italy in 450 years (1920-2005)
 
Kashmiri
a member of the people of Kashmir
 
Kaspar Friedrich Wolff
German anatomist (1733-1794)
 
Kassite
a member of an ancient people who ruled Babylonia between 1600 and 1200 BC
 
Kate O'Flaherty Chopin
United States writer who described Creole life in Louisiana (1851-1904)
 
Katharine Houghton Hepburn
United States film actress who appeared in many films with Spencer Tracy (1907-2003)
 
Katherine Anne Porter
United States writer of novels and short stories (1890-1980)
 
Katherine Cornell
United States actress noted for her performances in Broadway plays (1893-1974)
 
Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp
New Zealand writer of short stories (1888-1923)
 
Kathryn Elizabeth Smith
United States singer noted for her rendition of patriotic songs (1909-1986)
 
Katsushika Hokusai
Japanese painter whose work influenced the impressionists (1760-1849)
 
Kay Boyle
United States writer (1902-1992)
 
Kazakh
a Muslim who is a member of a Turkic people of western Asia (especially in Kazakstan)
 
Kazakhstani
a native or inhabitant of Kazakhstan
 
Kazimir Severinovich Malevich
Russian abstract painter (1878-1935)
 
keeper
someone in charge of other people
 
Keith Rupert Murdoch
United States publisher (born in Australia in 1931)
 
Kekchi
a member of a Mayan people of north central Guatemala
 
Kelt
a member of a European people who once occupied Britain and Spain and Gaul prior to Roman times
 
Kemal Ataturk
Turkish statesman who abolished the caliphate and founded Turkey as a modern secular state (1881-1938)
 
Ken Elton Kesey
United States writer whose best-known novel was based on his experiences as an attendant in a mental hospital (1935-2001)
 
Kenneth Bancroft Clark
United States psychologist (born in Panama) whose research persuaded the Supreme Court that segregated schools were discriminatory (1914-2005)
 
Kenneth David Kaunda
statesman who led Northern Rhodesia to full independence as Zambia in 1964 and served as Zambia's first president (1924-1999)
 
Kenneth Grahame
English writer (born in Scotland) of children's stories (1859-1932)
 
Kenneth Roberts
United States writer remembered for his historical novels about colonial America (1885-1957)
 
Kenyan
a native or inhabitant of Kenya
 
Kenzo Tange
Japanese architect (born in 1913)
 
Keokuk
Sauk leader who aided the United States against Black Hawk (1790-1848)
 
kerb crawler
someone who drives slowly along the curb seeking sex from prostitutes or other women
 
keyboardist
a musician who plays a keyboard instrument
 
Keynesian
a follower of the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes
 
Keystone Stater
a native or resident of Pennsylvania
 
Khalkha
the Mongol people living in the central and eastern parts of Outer Mongolia
 
khan
a title given to rulers or other important people in Asian countries
 
Khayr ad-Din
Barbary pirate (died in 1546)
 
Khedive
one of the Turkish viceroys who ruled Egypt between 1867 and 1914
 
Khirghiz
a member of a people vast regions of central Siberia
 
Khmer
a native or inhabitant of Cambodia
 
Khoisan
nomadic hunters and gatherers who live in southern Africa
 
kibbutznik
a member of a kibbutz
 
kibitzer
(Yiddish) a meddler who offers unwanted advice to others
 
Kichai
a member of a Caddo people formerly living in north central Texas
 
Kickapoo
a member of the Algonquian people formerly inhabiting southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois
 
kicker
a player who kicks the football
 
kiddie
informal term for a young child
 
Kiliwi
a member of a North American Indian people living in northern Baja California
 
killer bee
an investment banker who devises strategies to make a target company less attractive for takeover
 
killer
someone who causes the death of a person or animal
 
killjoy
someone who spoils the pleasure of others
 
kindergartener
a child who attends a preschool or kindergarten
 
King Camp Gilette
United States inventor and manufacturer who developed the safety razor (1855-1932)
 
King Harold II
King of England who succeeded Edward the Confessor in 1066 and was the last of the Anglo-Saxon monarchs; he was killed fighting the invasion by William the Conqueror (1045-1066)
 
King James I
the first Stuart to be king of England and Ireland from 1603 to 1625 and king of Scotland from 1567 to 1625; he was the son of Mary Queen of Scots and he succeeded Elizabeth I; he alienated the British Parliament by claiming the divine right of kings (1566-1625)
 
King of France
the sovereign ruler of France
 
King of Great Britain
the sovereign ruler of England
 
King of the Germans
the sovereign ruler of the Germans
 
King's Counsel
Counsel to the Crown when the British monarch is a king
 
king
a competitor who holds a preeminent position
 
kingmaker
an important person who can bring leaders to power through the exercise of political influence
 
kink
a person with unusual sexual tastes
 
kinsman
a male relative
 
kinswoman
a female relative
 
Kiowa
a member of a Tanoan people living in the southwestern United States
 
kisser
someone who kisses
 
kissing cousin
a more or less distant relative; familiar enough to be greeted with a kiss
 
kitchen help
help hired to work in the kitchen
 
kleptomaniac
someone with an irrational urge to steal in the absence of an economic motive
 
klutz
(Yiddish) a clumsy dolt
 
knacker
someone who buys up old horses for slaughter
 
knacker
someone who buys old buildings or ships and breaks them up to recover the materials in them
 
knave
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
 
kneeler
a person in a kneeling position
 
knight
originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
 
Knight of the Round Table
in the Arthurian legend, a knight of King Arthur's court
 
Knight Templar
a knight of a religious military order established in 1118 to protect pilgrims and the Holy Sepulcher
 
Knight Templar
a man who belongs to a Masonic order in the United States
 
knight-errant
a wandering knight travelling in search of adventure
 
knitter
someone who makes garments (or fabrics) by intertwining yarn or thread
 
knocker
a person who knocks (as seeking to gain admittance)
 
knocker
(Yiddish) a big shot who knows it and acts that way; a boastful immoderate person
 
know-all
someone who thinks he knows everything and refuses to accept advice or information from others
 
Knut Pedersen
Norwegian writer of novels (1859-1952)
 
Koasati
a member of the Muskhogean people formerly living in northern Alabama; a member of the Creek Confederacy
 
Kolam
a member of a formerly tribal people now living in south central India
 
kolkhoznik
a member of a kolkhoz
 
Komi
a member of a Finnish people living in the northwestern Urals in Russia
 
Kong the Master
Chinese philosopher whose ideas and sayings were collected after his death and became the basis of a philosophical doctrine known a Confucianism (circa 551-478 BC)
 
Konrad Adenauer
German statesman; chancellor of West Germany (1876-1967)
 
Konrad von Gesner
Swiss naturalist who was one of the founders of modern zoology (1516-1565)
 
Konrad Zacharias Lorenz
Austrian zoologist who studied the behavior of birds and emphasized the importance of innate as opposed to learned behaviors (1903-1989)
 
Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky
Russian actor and theater director who trained his actors to emphasize the psychological motivation of their roles (1863-1938)
 
kook
someone regarded as eccentric or crazy and standing out from a group
 
Korean
a native or inhabitant of Korea who speaks the Korean language
 
Kotar
a member of the Dravidian people living in the Nilgiri Hills in southern India
 
koto player
a musician who plays the koto
 
KP
an enlisted person who is assigned to assist the cooks
 
Krauthead
offensive term for a person of German descent
 
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Polish filmmaker who made ten films based on the Ten Commandments (1941-1996)
 
Kshatriya
a member of the royal or warrior Hindu caste
 
Ku Kluxer
a member of the Ku Klux Klan
 
Kublai Kaan
Mongolian emperor of China and grandson of Genghis Khan who completed his grandfather's conquest of China; he establish the Yuan dynasty and built a great capital on the site of modern Beijing where he received Marco Polo (1216-1294)
 
Kui
a member of the Dravidian people living in southeastern India
 
Kund Johan Victor Rasmussen
Danish ethnologist and Arctic explorer; led expeditions into the Arctic to find support for his theory that Eskimos and North American Indians originally migrated from Asia (1879-1933)
 
Kurd
a member of a largely pastoral Islamic people who live in Kurdistan; the largest ethnic group without their own state
 
Kurt Godel
United States mathematician (born in Austria) who is remembered principally for demonstrating the limitations of axiomatic systems (1906-1978)
 
Kurt Vonnegut
United States writer whose novels and short stories are a mixture of realism and satire and science fiction (born in 1922)
 
Kurt Waldheim
Austrian diplomat who was Secretary General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981; in 1986 he was elected president of Austria in spite of worldwide allegations that he had direct knowledge of Nazi atrocities during World War II (born in 1918)
 
Kurt Weill
German composer; collaborated with Bertolt Brecht (1900-1950)
 
Kusan
a member of the North American Indian people of Oregon
 
Kuwaiti
a native or inhabitant of Kuwait
 
kvetch
(Yiddish) a constant complainer
 
Kwakiutl
a member of the Wakashan people living around Queen Charlotte Sound and on northern Vancouver Island
 
L. Ron Hubbard
a United States writer of science fiction and founder of Scientology (1911-1986)
 
labor leader
a leader of a labor movement
 
labor organizer
someone who enlists workers to join a union
 
Labourite
a member of the British Labour Party
 
lacer
a workman who laces shoes or footballs or books (during binding)
 
Laconian
a resident of Laconia
 
lacrosse player
an athlete who plays lacrosse
 
ladies' man
a man who takes advantage of women
 
Lady
a woman of the peerage in Britain
 
lady
a polite name for any woman
 
Lady Diana Frances Spencer
English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997)
 
Lady Emma Hamilton
English beauty who was the mistress of Admiral Nelson (1765-1815)
 
Lady Godiva
according to legend she rode naked through Coventry in order to persuade her husband not to tax the townspeople so heavily; the only person to look at her as she rode by was a man named Tom and Peeping Tom has become a synonym for voyeur (circa 1040-1080)
 
Lady Jane Grey
Queen of England for nine days in 1553; she was quickly replaced by Mary Tudor and beheaded for treason (1537-1554)
 
lady's maid
a maid who is a lady's personal attendant
 
lady-in-waiting
a lady appointed to attend to a queen or princess
 
laird
a landowner
 
lama
a Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism
 
Lamaist
(Buddhism) an adherent of Lamaism
 
Lamarckian
a believer in Lamarckism
 
lamb
a person easily deceived or cheated (especially in financial matters)
 
lame duck
an elected official still in office but not slated to continue
 
lame
someone who doesn't understand what is going on
 
laminator
a person who makes laminates (especially plastic laminates)
 
lamplighter
(when gas was used for streetlights) a person who lights and extinguishes streetlights
 
lampoon artist
a cartoonist who draws parodies or satirical renditions of cultural or social or political situations
 
lampooner
mimics literary or musical style for comic effect
 
Lancastrian
a resident of Lancaster
 
Lancastrian
a member (or supporter) of the house of Lancaster
 
lance corporal
an enlisted man in the marine corps ranking above a private first class and below a corporal
 
lancer
(formerly) a cavalryman armed with a lance
 
land agent
a person who administers a landed estate
 
landgrave
a count who had jurisdiction over a large territory in medieval Germany
 
landholder
a holder or proprietor of land
 
landlady
a landlord who is a woman
 
landlord
a landowner who leases to others
 
landlubber
a person who lives and works on land
 
landlubber
an inexperienced sailor; a sailor on the first voyage
 
landscape architect
someone who arranges features of the landscape or garden attractively
 
landscapist
someone who paints landscapes
 
langlaufer
a cross-country skier
 
Langobard
a member of a Germanic people who invaded northern Italy in the 6th century
 
languisher
a person who languishes
 
Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher regarded as the founder of Taoism (6th century BC)
 
Laotian
a member of a Buddhist people inhabiting the area of the Mekong River in Laos and Thailand and speaking the Lao language; related to the Thais
 
lapidarist
an expert on precious stones and the art of cutting and engraving them
 
lapidary
a skilled worker who cuts and engraves precious stones
 
lapidator
an attacker who pelts the victim with stones (especially with intent to kill)
 
Lapplander
a member of an indigenous nomadic people living in northern Scandinavia and herding reindeer
 
larcener
a person who commits larceny
 
large person
a person of greater than average size
 
Lars Onsager
United States chemist (born in Norway) noted for his work in thermodynamics (1903-1976)
 
lascar
an East Indian sailor
 
lasher
a driver who urges the animals on with lashes of a whip
 
Laszlo Lowestein
United States actor (born in Hungary) noted for playing sinister roles (1904-1964)
 
latchkey child
a school-age child who is home without adult supervision for part of the day (especially after school until a parent returns home from work)
 
latecomer
someone who arrives late
 
lather
a workman who puts up laths
 
Latin
a person who is a member of those peoples whose languages derived from Latin
 
Latin
an inhabitant of ancient Latium
 
Latin American
a native of Latin America
 
Latinist
a specialist in the Latin language
 
latitudinarian
a person who is broad-minded and tolerant (especially in standards of religious belief and conduct)
 
Latter-Day Saint
a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
 
Latvian
a native or inhabitant of Latvia
 
laugher
a person who is laughing or who laughs easily
 
laundress
a working woman who takes in washing
 
laundryman
operates industrial washing machine
 
laureate
someone honored for great achievements; figuratively someone crowned with a laurel wreath
 
Laurence Stephen Lowry
English painter (1887-1976)
 
Laurence Sterne
English writer (born in Ireland) (1713-1766)
 
Lauritz Lebrecht Hommel Melchior
United States operatic tenor (born in Denmark) noted for his Wagnerian roles (1890-1973)
 
Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria
Soviet chief of secret police under Joseph Stalin; was executed by his associates in the power struggle following Stalin's death (1899-1953)
 
law agent
a solicitor in Scotland
 
law offender
someone who violates the law
 
law officer
an officer of the law
 
law student
a student in law school
 
lawgiver
a maker of laws; someone who gives a code of laws
 
Lawrence George Durrell
English writer of Irish descent who spent much of his life in Mediterranean regions (1912-1990)
 
Lawrence Peter Berra
United States baseball player (born 1925)
 
lay reader
a layman who is authorized by the bishop to read parts of the service in an Anglican or Episcopal church
 
lay witness
any witness who does not testify as an expert witness
 
layman
someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person
 
lazar
a person afflicted with leprosy
 
Lazarus
the diseased beggar in Jesus' parable of the rich man and the beggar
 
Lazarus
the person who Jesus raised from the dead after four days in the tomb; this miracle caused the enemies of Jesus to begin the plan to put him to death
 
lazybones
a lazy person
 
Lazzaro Spallanzani
Italian physiologist who disproved the theory of spontaneous generation (1729-1799)
 
Le Douanier Rousseau
French primitive painter (1844-1910)
 
Le Duc Tho
Vietnamese diplomat who negotiated with Henry Kissinger to end the war in Vietnam (1911-1990)
 
lead
an actor who plays a principal role
 
leader
a person who rules or guides or inspires others
 
leading lady
actress who plays the leading female role
 
leading man
actor who plays the leading male role
 
leaker
a surreptitious informant
 
lease giver
someone who grants a lease
 
leaseholder
a tenant who holds a lease
 
Lebanese
a native or inhabitant of Lebanon
 
Lech Walesa
Polish labor leader and statesman (born in 1943)
 
lech
man with strong sexual desires
 
lector
a public lecturer at certain universities
 
lector
someone who reads the lessons in a church service; someone ordained in a minor order of the Roman Catholic Church
 
lecturer
someone who lectures professionally
 
Lee Buck Trevino
United States golfer (born in 1939)
 
Lee Harvey Oswald
United States assassin of President John F. Kennedy (1939-1963)
 
Lee Krasner
United States artist remembered for her spontaneous approach to painting; she was a founder of the New York school of abstract expressionism (1908-1984)
 
Lee Yuen Kam
United States actor who was an expert in kung fu and starred in martial arts films (1941-1973)
 
leech
a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage
 
left fielder
the person who plays left field
 
left hander
a baseball pitcher who throws the ball with the left hand
 
left-hander
a person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right
 
legal assistant
a person with specialized training who assists lawyers
 
legal guardian
a person (or institution) to whom legal title to property is entrusted to use for another's benefit
 
legal representative
a personal representative with legal standing (as by power of attorney or the executor of a will)
 
legate
a member of a legation
 
legatee
someone to whom a legacy is bequeathed
 
legionary
a soldier who is a member of a legion (especially the French Foreign Legion)
 
Legionnaire
a member of the American Legion
 
legislator
someone who makes or enacts laws
 
Leland Stanford
United States railroad executive and founder of Stanford University (1824-1893)
 
Lena Calhoun Horne
United States singer and actress (born in 1917)
 
lender
someone who lends money or gives credit in business matters
 
lens maker
a worker who makes glasses for remedying defects of vision
 
lensman
someone who takes photographs professionally
 
Leo Esaki
physicist honored for advances in solid state electronics (born in Japan in 1925)
 
Leo III
Italian pope from 795 to 816 who in 800 crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Romans (750-816)
 
Leo Szilard
United States physicist and molecular biologist who helped develop the first atom bomb and later opposed the use of all nuclear weapons (1898-1964)
 
Leo the Great
Italian pope from 440 to 461 who extended the authority of the papacy to the west and persuaded Attila not to attack Rome (440-461)
 
Leon Battista Alberti
Italian architect and painter; pioneering theoretician of Renaissance architecture (1404-1472)
 
Leonard Bernstein
United States conductor and composer (1918-1990)
 
Leonard Bloomfield
United States linguist who adopted a behavioristic approach to linguistics (1887-1949)
 
Leonard Constant Lambert
English composer and conductor (1905-1951)
 
Leonard Marx
United States comedian; one of four brothers who made motion pictures together (1891-1961)
 
Leonardo da Vinci
Italian painter and sculptor and engineer and scientist and architect; the most versatile genius of the Italian Renaissance (1452-1519)
 
Leonhard Euler
Swiss mathematician (1707-1783)
 
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev
Soviet statesman who became president of the Soviet Union (1906-1982)
 
Leonidas
king of Sparta and hero of the battle of Thermopylae where he was killed by the Persians (died in 480 BC)
 
Leonide Fedorovitch Massine
French choreographer and ballet dancer (born in Russia) (1895-1979)
 
Leopold Antoni Stanislaw Stokowski
United States conductor (born in Britain) (1882-1977)
 
Leopold Kronecker
German mathematician (1823-1891)
 
leper
a pariah who is avoided by others
 
Leroy Robert Paige
United States baseball player; a black pitcher noted for his longevity (1906-1982)
 
Lesbian
a resident of Lesbos
 
Leslie Howard Stainer
English actor of stage and screen (1893-1943)
 
Leslie Richard Groves
United States general who served as military director of the atomic bomb project (1896-1970)
 
Leslie Townes Hope
United States comedian (born in England) who appeared in films with Bing Crosby (1903-2003)
 
Lester Willis Young
United States jazz tenor saxophonist (1909-1959)
 
letter
owner who lets another person use something (housing usually) for hire
 
letterer
a painter of letters
 
letterman
an athlete who has earned a letter in a school sport
 
Lev Davidovich Bronstein
Russian revolutionary and Communist theorist who helped Lenin and built up the army; he was ousted from the Communist Party by Stalin and eventually assassinated in Mexico (1879-1940)
 
Lev Davidovich Landau
Soviet physicist who worked on low temperature physics (1908-1968)
 
Lev Ivanov
Russian choreographer (1834-1905)
 
Levantine
(formerly) a native or inhabitant of the Levant
 
leveler
a radical who advocates the abolition of social distinctions
 
Levi-Lorrain dwarf
a dwarf whose condition is caused by a deficiency of growth hormones, rather than by genetic factors (as in the case of the achondroplastic dwarf)
 
Levite
a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi (especially the branch that provided male assistants to the temple priests)
 
Lewis Henry Morgan
United States anthropologist who studied the Seneca (1818-1881)
 
lexicographer
a compiler or writer of a dictionary; a student of the lexical component of language
 
Li Po
Chinese lyric poet (700-762)
 
Liam O'Flaherty
Irish writer of short stories (1896-1984)
 
liar
a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly
 
liberal
a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets
 
liberal
a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties
 
liberator
someone who releases people from captivity or bondage
 
Liberian
a native or inhabitant of Liberia
 
libertarian
someone who believes the doctrine of free will
 
libertarian
an advocate of libertarianism
 
librettist
author of words to be set to music in an opera or operetta
 
Libyan
a native or inhabitant of Libya
 
licensee
someone to whom a license is granted
 
licenser
an official who can issue a license or give authoritative permission (especially one who licenses publications)
 
licentiate
holds a license (degree) from a (European) university
 
lie-abed
a person who stays in bed until a relatively late hour
 
Liechtensteiner
a native or inhabitant of Liechtenstein
 
lieder singer
a singer of lieder
 
liege
a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service
 
lieutenant
a commissioned military officer
 
lieutenant
an officer holding a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant commander and above lieutenant junior grade
 
lieutenant colonel
a commissioned officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines holding a rank above major and below colonel
 
lieutenant commander
a commissioned officer in the Navy ranking above a lieutenant and below a commander
 
lieutenant general
a general officer ranking above a major general and below a full general
 
lieutenant governor
an elected official serving as deputy to the governor of a state of the United States
 
lieutenant JG
an officer holding a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant and above ensign
 
lieutenant
an officer in a police force
 
life
a living person
 
life peer
a British peer whose title lapses at death
 
life principle
a hypothetical force to which the functions and qualities peculiar to living things are sometimes ascribed
 
life tenant
a tenant whose legal right to retain possession of buildings or lands lasts as long as they (or some other person) live
 
lifeguard
an attendant employed at a beach or pool to protect swimmers from accidents
 
lifer
a prisoner serving a term of life imprisonment
 
lifter
an athlete who lifts barbells
 
light
a person regarded very fondly
 
light flyweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 106 pounds
 
light heavyweight
a wrestler who weighs 192-214 pounds
 
light heavyweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 179 pounds
 
light middleweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 156 pounds
 
light welterweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 140 pounds
 
light-of-love
a woman inconstant in love
 
Lighthorse Harry Lee
soldier of the American Revolution (1756-1818)
 
lighthouse keeper
the keeper of a lighthouse
 
lightning rod
someone who is a frequent target of negative reactions and serves to distract attention from another
 
lightweight
a professional boxer who weighs between 131 and 135 pounds
 
lightweight
a wrestler who weighs 139-154 pounds
 
lightweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 132 pounds
 
Lilian Alicia Marks
English ballet dancer (born in 1910)
 
Lillian Gish
United States film actress who appeared in films by D. W. Griffith (1896-1993)
 
Lillian Hellman
United States playwright; her plays were often indictments of injustice (1905-1984)
 
Lillian Russell
United States entertainer remembered for her roles in comic operas (1861-1922)
 
lilliputian
a very small person (resembling a Lilliputian)
 
limner
a painter or drawer of portraits
 
limnologist
a specialist in the study of freshwater ponds and lakes
 
line backer
a defensive football player who takes a position close behind the linemen
 
line coach
an assistant football coach in charge of the linemen
 
line judge
football official who assists the referee by keeping track of the official time during the game
 
line officer
a commissioned officer with combat units (not a staff officer or a supply officer)
 
line worker
an employee who works on an assembly line
 
lineman
one of the players on the line of scrimmage
 
lineman
the surveyor who marks positions with a range pole
 
linendraper
a retail dealer in yard goods
 
linesman
official (in tennis, soccer, football, etc.) who assists the referee in some way (especially by watching for out of bounds or offside)
 
lingerer
someone who lingers aimlessly in or about a place
 
linguist
a specialist in linguistics
 
linguist
a person who speaks more than one language
 
linkboy
(formerly) an attendant hired to carry a torch for pedestrians in dark streets
 
Linus Carl Pauling
United States chemist who studied the nature of chemical bonding (1901-1994)
 
Lion
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo
 
lion
a celebrity who is lionized (much sought after)
 
lion-hunter
someone who hunts lions
 
lion-hunter
someone who tries to attract social lions as guests
 
Lionel Barrymore
United States actor; son of Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Barrymore (1878-1954)
 
Lionel Hampton
United States musician who was the first to use the vibraphone as a jazz instrument (1913-2002)
 
Lionel Trilling
United States literary critic (1905-1975)
 
lip reader
someone who can understand spoken words by watching the movements of a speaker's lips
 
liquidator
a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)
 
liquidator
(law) a person (usually appointed by a court of law) who liquidates assets or preserves them for the benefit of affected parties
 
Lise Meitner
Swedish physicist (born in Austria) who worked in the field of radiochemistry with Otto Hahn and formulated the concept of nuclear fission with Otto Frisch (1878-1968)
 
lisper
a speaker who lisps
 
lister
assessor who makes out the tax lists
 
literary agent
an agent who represents an author in dealings with publishers
 
literary critic
a critic of literature
 
literary pirate
someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own
 
literate
a person who can read and write
 
lithographer
a printmaker who uses lithography
 
lithomancer
one who practices lithomancy
 
Lithuanian
a native or inhabitant of Lithuania
 
litigant
(law) a party to a lawsuit; someone involved in litigation
 
litter lout
a person who litters public places with refuse
 
litter-bearer
one who helps carry a stretcher
 
little brother
a younger brother
 
little leaguer
a player between 8 and 12 years of age who is a member of a little-league team
 
Little Lord Fauntleroy
an excessively polite and well-dressed boy
 
little sister
a younger sister
 
liturgist
an authority on liturgies
 
liveborn infant
infant who shows signs of life after birth
 
liver
someone who lives in a place
 
liver
a person who has a special life style
 
Liverpudlian
a native or resident of Liverpool
 
liveryman
a worker in a livery stable
 
living dead
a dead body that has been brought back to life by a supernatural force
 
Livonian
a member of the Livonian-speaking people of Latvia
 
lizard
a man who idles about in the lounges of hotels and bars in search of women who would support him
 
Llewelyn Powys
British writer of essays; one of three literary brothers (1884-1939)
 
loader
an attendant who loads guns for someone shooting game
 
loan shark
someone who lends money at excessive rates of interest
 
lobbyist
someone who is employed to persuade legislators to vote for legislation that favors the lobbyist's employer
 
lobsterback
British soldier; so-called because of his red coat (especially during the American Revolution)
 
lobsterman
a person whose occupation is catching lobsters
 
locater
a person who fixes the boundaries of land claims
 
lockkeeper
a worker in charge of a lock (on a canal)
 
locksmith
someone who makes or repairs locks
 
locum
someone (physician or clergyman) who substitutes temporarily for another member of the same profession
 
logical positivist
someone who maintains that any statement that cannot be verified empirically is meaningless
 
logician
a person skilled at symbolic logic
 
logomach
someone given to disputes over words
 
Lolita
a sexually precocious young girl
 
lollipop lady
a woman hired to help children cross a road safely near a school
 
Londoner
a native or resident of London
 
lone hand
a person who avoids the company or assistance of others
 
long shot
a contestant that is unlikely to win
 
long-distance runner
someone who participates in long-distance races (especially in marathons)
 
longbowman
a medieval English archer who used a longbow
 
longer
a person with a strong desire for something
 
looker
a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)
 
looker-on
someone who looks on
 
lookout
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
 
loon
a worthless lazy fellow
 
loose cannon
a person who is expected to perform a particular task but who is out of control and dangerous
 
Lope Felix de Vega Carpio
prolific Spanish playwright (1562-1635)
 
Lorado Taft
United States sculptor (1860-1936)
 
Lord
a titled peer of the realm
 
Lord Britten of Aldeburgh
major English composer of the 20th century; noted for his operas (1913-1976)
 
Lord High Chancellor
the highest officer of the Crown who is head of the judiciary and who presides in the House of Lords
 
Lord of Misrule
a person appointed master of revels at a Christmas celebration
 
Lord Privy Seal
the senior cabinet minister in the British Cabinet who has no official duties
 
lord
a person who has general authority over others
 
Lorenz Milton Hart
United States lyricist who collaborated with Richard Rodgers (1895-1943)
 
Lorenz Okenfuss
German naturalist whose speculations that plants and animals are made up of tiny living `infusoria' led to the cell theory (1779-1851)
 
Lorenzo Ganganelli
Italian pope from 1769 to 1774 who lost whatever support remained of Catholic Europe, causing the church to fall into the hands of secular princes (1705-1774)
 
Lorenzo the Magnificent
Italian statesman and scholar who supported many artists and humanists including Michelangelo and Leonardo and Botticelli (1449-1492)
 
Loretta Young
United States film and television actress (1913-2000)
 
loser
a gambler who loses a bet
 
Lot
(Old Testament) nephew of Abraham; God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah but chose to spare Lot and his family who were told to flee without looking back at the destruction
 
Lot's wife
(Old Testament) when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his family were told to flee without looking back; Lot's wife was disobedient and was immediately changed into a pillar of salt
 
Lotario di Segni
Italian pope from 1198 to 1216 who instituted the Fourth Crusade and under whom papal intervention in European politics reached its height (1161-1216)
 
Lothario
a successful womanizer; a man who behaves selfishly in his sexual relationships with women
 
lottery winner
the winner of a lottery
 
lotus-eater
someone indifferent to the busy world
 
Louis Antoine de Bougainville
French explorer who circumnavigated the globe accompanied by scientists (1729-1811)
 
Louis Aragon
French writer who generalized surrealism to literature (1897-1982)
 
Louis Armstrong
United States pioneering jazz trumpeter and bandleader (1900-1971)
 
Louis Bleriot
French aviator who in 1909 made the first flight across the English Channel (1872-1936)
 
Louis Braille
French educator who lost his sight at the age of three and who invented a system of writing and printing for sightless people (1809-1852)
 
Louis Burt Mayer
United States filmmaker (born in Russia) who founded his own film company and later merged with Samuel Goldwyn (1885-1957)
 
Louis Charles Alfred de Musset
French poet and writer (1810-1857)
 
Louis Comfort Tiffany
United States artist who developed Tiffany glass (1848-1933)
 
Louis d'Outremer
king of France (921-954)
 
Louis Eugene Felix Neel
French physicist noted for research on magnetism (born in 1904)
 
Louis Harold Gray
English radiobiologist in whose honor the gray (the SI unit of energy for the absorbed dose of radiation) was named (1905-1965)
 
Louis Henry Sullivan
United States architect known for his steel framed skyscrapers and for coining the phrase `form follows function' (1856-1924)
 
Louis III
son of Louis II and king of the France and Germany (863-882)
 
Louis Isadore Kahn
United States architect (born in Estonia) (1901-1974)
 
Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre
French inventor of the first practical photographic process, the daguerreotype (1789-1851)
 
Louis Jolliet
French explorer (with Jacques Marquette) of the upper Mississippi River valley (1645-1700)
 
Louis le Faineant
the last Carolingian king of France (967-987)
 
Louis Pasteur
French chemist and biologist whose discovery that fermentation is caused by microorganisms resulted in the process of pasteurization (1822-1895)
 
Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey
English paleontologist whose account of fossil discoveries in Tanzania changed theories of human evolution (1903-1972)
 
Louis Stanton Auchincloss
United States writer (born in 1917)
 
Louis the Great
king of France from 1643 to 1715; his long reign was marked by the expansion of French influence in Europe and by the magnificence of his court and the Palace of Versailles (1638-1715)
 
Louis the Pious
third son of Charlemagne and king of France and Germany and Holy Roman Emperor (778-840)
 
Louis the Quarreller
king of France (1289-1316)
 
Louis the Stammerer
king of France and Germany (846-879)
 
Louis the Wideawake
king of France whose military victories consolidated his reign (1081-1137)
 
Louis Untermeyer
United States writer (1885-1977)
 
Louis Victor de Broglie
French nuclear physicist who generalized the wave-particle duality by proposing that particles of matter exhibit wavelike properties (1892-1987)
 
Louis VII
king of France who led the unsuccessful Second Crusade and fought frequent wars with Henry II of England (1120-1180)
 
Louis VIII
king of France who increased the power of the Crown over the feudal lords (1187-1226)
 
Louis XI
king of France who put down an alliance of unruly nobles and unified France except for Brittany (1423-1483)
 
Louis XII
king of France who was popular with his subjects (1462-1515)
 
Louis XIII
king of France from 1610 to 1643 who relied heavily on the advice of Cardinal Richelieu (1601-1643)
 
Louis XV
grandson of Louis XIV and king of France from 1715 to 1774 who led France into the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War (1710-1774)
 
Louis XVI
king of France from 1774 to 1792; his failure to grant reforms led to the French Revolution; he and his queen (Marie Antoinette) were guillotined (1754-1793)
 
Louis-Hector Berlioz
French composer of romantic works (1803-1869)
 
Louisa May Alcott
United States novelist noted for children's books (1832-1888)
 
Louise Nevelson
United States sculptor (born in Russia) known for massive shapes of painted wood (1899-1988)
 
Louisianian
a native or resident of Louisiana
 
loved one
a person who you love, usually a member of your family
 
lover
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
 
lover
a significant other to whom you are not related by marriage
 
low-birth-weight baby
an infant born weighing less than 5.5 pounds (2500 grams) regardless of gestational age
 
Lowell Jackson Thomas
a radio broadcast journalist during World War I and World War II noted for his nightly new broadcast (1892-1981)
 
lowerclassman
an undergraduate who is not yet a senior
 
loyalist
a person who is loyal to their allegiance (especially in times of revolt)
 
LPN
a nurse who has enough training to be licensed by a state to provide routine care for the sick
 
Lubavitcher
a member of the Lubavitch movement; a follower of Chabad Hasidism
 
Luciano Pavarotti
Italian tenor (born in 1935)
 
Lucille Ball
United States comedienne best known as the star of a popular television program (1911-1989)
 
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Roman statesman and philosopher who was an advisor to Nero; his nine extant tragedies are modeled on Greek tragedies (circa 4 BC - 65 AD)
 
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix
Roman general and dictator (138-78 BC)
 
Lucius DuBignon Clay
United States general who commanded United States forces in Europe from 1945 to 1949 and who oversaw the Berlin airlift (1897-1978)
 
Lucius Licinius Lucullus
Roman general famous for self-indulgence and giving lavish banquets (circa 110-57 BC)
 
Lucius Licinius Luculus
Roman general famous for giving lavish banquets (110-57 BC)
 
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Roman statesman regarded as a model of simple virtue; he twice was called to assume dictatorship of Rome and each time retired to his farm (519-438 BC)
 
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus
according to legend, the seventh and last Etruscan king of Rome who was expelled for his cruelty (reigned from 534 to 510 BC)
 
Lucretia Coffin Mott
United States feminist and suffragist (1793-1880)
 
Lucy Craft Laney
United States educator who founded the first private school for Black students in Augusta, Georgia (1854-1933)
 
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Canadian novelist (1874-1942)
 
Lucy Stone
United States feminist and suffragist (1818-1893)
 
Luddite
one of the 19th century English workmen who destroyed laborsaving machinery that they thought would cause unemployment
 
Luddite
any opponent of technological progress
 
Ludwig Boltzmann
Austrian physicist who contributed to the kinetic theory of gases (1844-1906)
 
Ludwig Josef Johan Wittgenstein
British philosopher born in Austria; a major influence on logic and logical positivism (1889-1951)
 
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe
United States architect (born in Germany) who built unornamented steel frame and glass skyscrapers (1886-1969)
 
Ludwig van Beethoven
German composer of instrumental music (especially symphonic and chamber music); continued to compose after he lost his hearing (1770-1827)
 
luger
someone who races the luge
 
Luigi Barnaba Gregorio Chiaramonti
Italian pope from 1800 to 1823 who was humiliated by Napoleon and taken prisoner in 1809; he concluded a concordat with Napoleon and crowned him emperor of France; he returned to Rome in 1814 (1740-1823)
 
Luigi Galvani
Italian physiologist noted for his discovery that frogs' muscles contracted in an electric field (which led to the galvanic cell) (1737-1798)
 
Luigi Pirandello
Italian novelist and playwright (1867-1936)
 
Luis Bunuel
Spanish film director (1900-1983)
 
Luis de Gongora y Argote
a Spanish poet whose work was characterized by an affected elegance of style (1561-1627)
 
lumper
a taxonomist who classifies organisms into large groups on the basis of major characteristics
 
lunatic
an insane person
 
luncher
someone who is eating lunch
 
lunger
someone who moves forward suddenly (as in fencing)
 
lurcher
someone waiting in concealment
 
lutanist
a musician who plays the lute
 
Luther Burbank
United States horticulturist who developed many new varieties of fruits and vegetables and flowers (1849-1926)
 
Lutheran
follower of Lutheranism
 
luthier
a craftsman who makes stringed instruments (as lutes or guitars or violins)
 
Luxembourger
a native or inhabitant of Luxembourg
 
Lydia Kamekeha Paki Liliuokalani
queen of the Hawaiian islands (1838-1917)
 
Lyman Frank Brown
United States writer of children's books (1856-1919)
 
Lynn Fontanne
United States actress (born in England) who married Alfred Lunt and performed with him in many plays (1887-1983)
 
lyricist
a person who writes the words for songs
 
Lysander
Spartan general who defeated the Athenians in the final battle of the Peloponnesian War (died in 395 BC)
 
Lysimachus
Macedonian general under Alexander the Great; with Seleucus he defeated Antigonus and Demetrius at the battle of Ipsus (circa 355-281 BC)
 
Lysippus
Greek sculptor (4th century BC)
 
ma
informal terms for a mother
 
macaroni
a British dandy in the 18th century who affected Continental mannerisms
 
Macbeth
king of Scotland (died in 1057)
 
mace
an official who carries a mace of office
 
Macedonian
a native or inhabitant of Macedon
 
Machiavellian
a follower of Machiavelli's principles
 
machine
an efficient person
 
machinist
a craftsman skilled in operating machine tools
 
macho
a male exhibiting or characterized by machismo
 
Mack Sennett
United States filmmaker (born in Canada) noted for slapstick movies (1880-1960)
 
Mackem
a native of Sunderland
 
macroeconomic expert
an economist who specializes in macroeconomics
 
macushla
(an Irish term of address expressing affection) darling
 
Mad Anthony Wayne
American general during the American Revolution (1745-1796)
 
Madagascan
a native or inhabitant of Madagascar
 
madame
title used for a married Frenchwoman
 
Madonna Louise Ciccone
United States pop singer and sex symbol during the 1980s (born in 1958)
 
madrigalist
a singer of madrigals
 
madwoman
a woman lunatic
 
Mae West
United States film actress (1892-1980)
 
maenad
an unnaturally frenzied or distraught woman
 
maenad
(Greek mythology) a woman participant in the orgiastic rites of Dionysus
 
maestro
an artist of consummate skill
 
Maffeo Barberini
Italian pope from 1623 to 1644 who sanctioned the condemnation of Galileo but later freed him (1568-1644)
 
mafioso
a member of the Mafia crime syndicate in the United States
 
mafioso
a member of the Sicilian Mafia
 
magdalen
a reformed prostitute
 
magician
one who practices magic or sorcery
 
magistrate
a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law (especially one who conducts a court dealing with minor offenses)
 
magnifico
a person of distinguished rank or appearance
 
magpie
someone who collects things that have been discarded by others
 
magus
a member of the Zoroastrian priesthood of the ancient Persians
 
magus
a magician or sorcerer of ancient times
 
Mahalia Jackson
United States singer who did much to popularize gospel music (1911-1972)
 
maharaja
a great raja; a Hindu prince or king in India ranking above a raja
 
maharanee
a great rani; a princess in India or the wife of a maharaja
 
mahatma
(Hinduism) term of respect for a brahmin sage
 
Mahayanist
an adherent of Mahayana Buddhism
 
Mahdi
(Islam) a messianic leader who (according to popular Muslim belief) will appear before the end of the world and restore justice and religion
 
Mahdist
an adherent of Mahdism
 
mahout
the driver and keeper of an elephant
 
Mahratta
a member of a people of India living in Maharashtra
 
maid
an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
 
maiden aunt
an unmarried aunt
 
Maidu
a member of a North American Indian people living east of the Sacramento river in California
 
mail clerk
a clerk in a post office
 
mailer
a person who mails something
 
maimer
a person who mutilates or destroys or disfigures or cripples
 
mainstay
a prominent supporter
 
maintainer
someone who upholds or maintains
 
maintenance man
a skilled worker whose job is to repair things
 
major
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain
 
major
a university student who is studying a particular field as the principal subject
 
major-domo
the chief steward or butler of a great household
 
major-general
a general officer ranking above a brigadier general and below a lieutenant general
 
majority leader
leader of the majority party in a legislature
 
Makarios III
Greek Orthodox bishop and archbishop of Cyprus and the first president of independent Cyprus (1913-1977)
 
Makataimeshekiakiak
Sauk leader who in 1832 led Fox and Sauk warriors against the United States (1767-1838)
 
maker
a person who makes things
 
Malachias
a Hebrew minor prophet of the 5th century BC
 
malacologist
a zoologist specializing in the study of mollusks
 
malahini
a newcomer to Hawaii
 
Malawian
a native or inhabitant of Malawi
 
Malayan
a member of a people inhabiting the northern Malay Peninsula and Malaysia and parts of the western Malay Archipelago
 
Malaysian
a native or inhabitant of Malaysia
 
Malcolm Little
militant civil rights leader (1925-1965)
 
malcontent
a person who is discontented or disgusted
 
Maldivian
a native or inhabitant of Maldives
 
male aristocrat
a man who is an aristocrat
 
male chauvinist
a man with a chauvinistic belief in the inferiority of women
 
male offspring
a child who is male
 
male sibling
a sibling who is male
 
male
a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies
 
Malecite
a member of the Algonquian people of northeastern Maine and New Brunswick
 
malfeasant
one guilty of malfeasance
 
Malian
a native or inhabitant of Mali
 
malik
the leader of a town or community in some parts of Asia Minor and the Indian subcontinent
 
malingerer
someone shirking their duty by feigning illness or incapacity
 
Maltese
a native or inhabitant of Malta
 
Malthusian
a believer in Malthusian theory
 
maltman
a maker of malt
 
Malto
a member of the Dravidian people living in northern Bengal in eastern India
 
Malvina Hoffman
United States sculptor (1887-1966)
 
Mam
a member of a Mayan people of southwestern Guatemala
 
mama's boy
a boy excessively attached to his mother; lacking normal masculine interests
 
mammalogist
one skilled in the study of mammals
 
mammy
an offensive term for a Black nursemaid in the southern U.S.
 
man
a male person who plays a significant role (husband or lover or boyfriend) in the life of a particular woman
 
man
an adult male person who has a manly character (virile and courageous competent)
 
man
the generic use of the word to refer to any human being
 
man
a male subordinate
 
man Friday
the most helpful assistant
 
man jack
a single individual
 
man of action
someone inclined to act first and think later
 
man of letters
a man devoted to literary or scholarly activities
 
man of means
a man who is wealthy
 
man of the world
a worldly-wise person
 
man
someone who serves in the armed forces; a member of a military force
 
man-at-arms
a heavily armed and mounted soldier in medieval times
 
management consultant
adviser to business about efficient management practices
 
manageress
a woman manager
 
managing editor
the editor in charge of all editorial activities of a newspaper or magazine
 
Manchu
a member of the Manchu speaking people of Manchuria; related to the Tungus; conquered China in the 17th century
 
Mancunian
a native or resident of Manchester
 
Mandaean
a member of a small Gnostic sect that originated in Jordan and survives in Iraq and who believes that John the Baptist was the Messiah
 
mandarin
a high public official of imperial China
 
mandarin
any high government official or bureaucrat
 
mandarin
a member of an elite intellectual or cultural group
 
mandatary
the recipient of a mandate
 
mandator
an authority who issues a mandate
 
Manes
a Persian prophet who founded Manichaeism (216-276)
 
maneuverer
a person skilled in maneuvering
 
Manfred Eigen
German chemist who did research on high-speed chemical reactions (born in 1927)
 
maniac
a person who has an obsession with or excessive enthusiasm for something
 
manic-depressive
a person afflicted with manic-depressive illness
 
Manichaean
an adherent of Manichaeism
 
manicurist
a beautician who cleans and trims and polishes the fingernails
 
manipulator
a person who handles things manually
 
manipulator
an agent that operates some apparatus or machine
 
manservant
a man servant
 
Manuel de Falla
Spanish composer and pianist (1876-1946)
 
manufacturer
someone who manufactures something
 
Mao Tsetung
Chinese communist leader (1893-1976)
 
Maoist
an advocate of Maoism
 
map-reader
a person who can read maps
 
mapper
a clerk who marks data on a chart
 
Maquisard
a guerrilla fighter in the French underground in World War II
 
Maraco
a member of the South American people living in Argentina and Bolivia and Paraguay
 
marauder
someone who attacks in search of booty
 
Marc Blitzstein
United States pianist and composer of operas and musical plays (1905-1964)
 
Marc Chagall
French painter (born in Russia) noted for his imagery and brilliant colors (1887-1985)
 
Marcel Duchamp
French artist who immigrated to the United States; a leader in the dada movement in New York City; was first to exhibit commonplace objects as art (1887-1968)
 
Marcel Lajos Breuer
United States architect (born in Hungary) who was associated with the Bauhaus in the 1920's (1902-1981)
 
Marcel Marceau
French mime famous for his sad-faced clown (born in 1923)
 
Marcel Proust
French novelist (1871-1922)
 
Marcello Malpighi
Italian anatomist who was the first to use a microscope to study anatomy and was among the first to recognize cells in animals (1628-1694)
 
marcher
an inhabitant of a border district
 
marcher
walks with regular or stately step
 
marchioness
the wife or widow of a marquis
 
marchioness
a noblewoman ranking below a duchess and above a countess
 
Marco Polo
Venetian traveler who explored Asia in the 13th century and served Kublai Khan (1254-1324)
 
Marcus Antonius
Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)
 
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Emperor of Rome; nephew and son-in-law and adoptive son of Antonius Pius; Stoic philosopher; the decline of the Roman Empire began under Marcus Aurelius (121-180)
 
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus
Roman Emperor from 286 until he abdicated in 305; when Diocletian divided the Roman Empire in 286 Maximian became emperor in the west (died in 311)
 
Marcus Cocceius Nerva
Emperor of Rome who introduced a degree of freedom after the repressive reign of Domitian; adopted Trajan as his successor (30-98)
 
Marcus Junius Brutus
statesman of ancient Rome who (with Cassius) led a conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar (85-42 BC)
 
Marcus Terentius Varro
Roman scholar (116-27 BC)
 
Marcus Tullius Cicero
a Roman statesman and orator remembered for his mastery of Latin prose (106-43 BC)
 
Marcus Ulpius Traianus
Roman Emperor and adoptive son of Nerva; extended the Roman Empire to the east and conducted an extensive program of building (53-117)
 
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
Roman general who commanded the fleet that defeated the forces of Antony and Cleopatra at Actium (63-12 BC)
 
Marcus Whitman
United States frontier missionary who established a post in Oregon where Christianity and schooling and medicine were available to Native Americans (1802-1847)
 
Margaret Court
Australian woman tennis player who won many major championships (born in 1947)
 
Margaret Higgins Sanger
United States nurse who campaigned for birth control and planned parenthood; she challenged Gregory Pincus to develop a birth control pill (1883-1966)
 
Margaret Mead
United States anthropologist noted for her claims about adolescence and sexual behavior in Polynesian cultures (1901-1978)
 
Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell
United States writer noted for her novel about the South during the American Civil War (1900-1949)
 
Margarete Gertrud Zelle
Dutch dancer who was executed by the French as a German spy in World War I (1876-1917)
 
margrave
a German nobleman ranking above a count (corresponding in rank to a British marquess)
 
margrave
the military governor of a frontier province in medieval Germany
 
Marguerite Radclyffe Hall
English writer whose novel about a lesbian relationship was banned in Britain for many years (1883-1943)
 
Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Cherubini
Italian composer of church music and operas (1760-1842)
 
Maria Magdalene von Losch
United States film actress (born in Germany) who made many films with Josef von Sternberg and later was a successful cabaret star (1901-1992)
 
Maria Meneghini Callas
Greek coloratura soprano (born in the United States) known for her dramatic intensity in operatic roles (1923-1977)
 
Maria Mitchell
United States astronomer who studied sunspots and nebulae (1818-1889)
 
Maria Montesorri
Italian educator who developed a method of teaching mentally handicapped children and advocated a child-centered approach (1870-1952)
 
Maria Tallchief
United States ballerina who promoted American ballet through tours and television appearances (born in 1925)
 
Marian Anderson
United States contralto noted for her performance of spirituals (1902-1993)
 
Marianne Craig Moore
United States poet noted for irony and wit (1887-1872)
 
Maricopa
a member of a North American Indian people of the Gila river valley in Arizona
 
Marie Anne Charlotte Corday d'Armont
French revolutionary heroine (a Girondist) who assassinated Marat (1768-1793)
 
Marie Antoinette
queen of France (as wife of Louis XVI) who was unpopular; her extravagance and opposition to reform contributed to the overthrow of the monarchy; she was guillotined along with her husband (1755-1793)
 
Marie Charlotte Carmichael Stopes
birth-control campaigner who in 1921 opened the first birth control clinic in London (1880-1958)
 
Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert
Irish dancer (1818-1861)
 
Marie Goeppert Mayer
United States physicist (born in Germany) noted for her research on the structure of the atom (1906-1972)
 
Marie Grosholtz
French modeler (resident in England after 1802) who made wax death masks of prominent victims of the French Revolution and toured Britain with her wax models; in 1835 she opened a permanent waxworks exhibition in London (1761-1850)
 
Marie Henri Beyle
French writer whose novels were the first to feature psychological analysis of the character (1783-1842)
 
Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas Caritat
French mathematician and philosopher (1743-1794)
 
Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier
French soldier who served under George Washington in the American Revolution (1757-1834)
 
Marie Louise Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun
French painter noted for her portraits (1755-1842)
 
Marilyn Horne
United States operatic mezzo-soprano (born 1934)
 
Marine
a member of the United States Marine Corps
 
marine
a soldier who serves both on shipboard and on land
 
marine engineer
a naval officer responsible for the operation and maintenance of the ship's engines
 
Mark Hopkins
United States educator and theologian (1802-1887)
 
Mark Rothko
United States abstract painter (born in Russia) whose paintings are characterized by horizontal bands of color with indistinct boundaries (1903-1970)
 
Mark Tobey
United States abstract painter influenced by oriental calligraphy (1890-1976)
 
Mark Wayne Clark
United States general who was Allied commander in Africa and Italy in World War II and was commander of the United Nations forces in Korea (1896-1984)
 
market analyst
an analyst of conditions affecting a market (especially the stock market)
 
market keeper
a merchant who owns or manages a shop
 
market strategist
someone skilled in planning marketing campaigns
 
marketer
someone who promotes or exchanges goods or services for money
 
maroon
a person who is stranded (as on an island)
 
marquess
a British peer ranking below a duke and above an earl
 
marquess
nobleman (in various countries) ranking above a count
 
Marquise de Maintenon
French consort of Louis XIV who secretly married the king after the death of his first wife (1635-1719)
 
Marrano
(medieval Spain and Portugal) a disparaging term for a Jew who converted to Christianity in order to avoid persecution but continued to practice their religion secretly
 
marriage broker
someone who arranges (or tries to arrange) marriages for others
 
married
a person who is married
 
married woman
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
 
Marshal Tito
Yugoslav statesman who led the resistance to German occupation during World War II and established a communist state after the war (1892-1980)
 
marshal
a law officer having duties similar to those of a sheriff in carrying out the judgments of a court of law
 
marshal
(in some countries) a military officer of highest rank
 
Marta Brigit Nilsson
Swedish operatic soprano who played Wagnerian roles (born in 1918)
 
Martha Beatrice Potter Webb
English writer and a central member of the Fabian Society (1858-1943)
 
Martha Graham
United States dancer and choreographer whose work was noted for its austerity and technical rigor (1893-1991)
 
Martha Jane Burke
United States frontierswoman and legendary figure of the Wild West noted for her marksmanship (1852-1903)
 
Martial
Roman poet noted for epigrams (first century BC)
 
Martin Buber
Israeli religious philosopher (born in Austria); as a Zionist he promoted understanding between Jews and Arabs; his writings affected Christian thinkers as well as Jews (1878-1965)
 
Martin Cline
American geneticist who succeeded in transferring a functioning gene from one mouse to another (born in 1934)
 
Martin Heidegger
German philosopher whose views on human existence in a world of objects and on Angst influenced the existential philosophers (1889-1976)
 
Martin Heinrich Klaproth
German chemist who pioneered analytical chemistry and discovered three new elements (1743-1817)
 
Martin Luther
German theologian who led the Reformation; believed that salvation is granted on the basis of faith rather than deeds (1483-1546)
 
Martin Luther King Jr.
United States charismatic civil rights leader and Baptist minister who campaigned against the segregation of Blacks (1929-1968)
 
Martin Scorsese
United States filmmaker (born in 1942)
 
Martina Navratilova
United States tennis player (born in Czechoslovakia) who won nine Wimbledon women's singles championships (born in 1956)
 
martyr
one who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty for refusing to renounce their religion
 
martyr
one who suffers for the sake of principle
 
marveller
someone filled with admiration and awe; someone who wonders at something
 
Marvin Neil Simon
United States playwright noted for light comedies (born in 1927)
 
Marxist
an advocate of Marxism
 
Mary Ann Evans
British writer of novels characterized by realistic analysis of provincial Victorian society (1819-1880)
 
Mary Ashton Rice Livermore
United States suffragist (1820-1905)
 
Mary Augusta Arnold Ward
English writer of novels who was an active opponent of the women's suffrage movement (1851-1920)
 
Mary Douglas Leakey
English paleontologist (the wife of Louis Leakey) who discovered the Zinjanthropus skull that was 1,750,000 years old (1913-1996)
 
Mary Flannery O'Connor
United States writer (1925-1964)
 
Mary Godwin Wollstonecraft Shelley
English writer who created Frankenstein's monster and married Percy Bysshe Shelley (1797-1851)
 
Mary Harris Jones
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
 
Mary II
Queen of England and Scotland and Ireland; she was the eldest daughter of James II and ruled jointly with her husband William III (1662-1694)
 
Mary Leontyne Price
United States operatic soprano (born 1927)
 
Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley
heroine of the American Revolution who carried water to soldiers during the Battle of Monmouth Court House and took over her husband's gun when he was overcome by heat (1754-1832)
 
Mary Martin
United States actress (1913-1990)
 
Mary McLeod Bethune
United States educator who worked to improve race relations and educational opportunities for Black Americans (1875-1955)
 
Mary Morse Baker Eddy
founder of Christian Science in 1866 (1821-1910)
 
Mary Pickford
United States film actress (born in Canada) who starred in silent films (1893-1979)
 
Mary Queen of Scots
queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567; as a Catholic she was forced to abdicate in favor of her son and fled to England where she was imprisoned by Elizabeth I; when Catholic supporters plotted to put her on the English throne she was tried and executed for sedition (1542-1587)
 
Mary Therese McCarthy
United States satirical novelist and literary critic (1912-1989)
 
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin
English writer and early feminist who denied male supremacy and advocated equal education for women; mother of Mary Shelley (1759-1797)
 
Marya Sklodowska
French chemist (born in Poland) who won two Nobel prizes; one (with her husband and Henri Becquerel) for research on radioactivity and another for her discovery of radium and polonium (1867-1934)
 
Marylander
a native or resident of Maryland
 
masher
a man who is aggressive in making amorous advances to women
 
masker
a participant in a masquerade
 
masochist
someone who obtains pleasure from receiving punishment
 
mason
a craftsman who works with stone or brick
 
mass murderer
a person who is responsible for the deaths of many victims in a single incident
 
Massachusetts
a member of the Algonquian people who formerly lived around Massachusetts Bay
 
massager
someone who rubs or kneads parts of the body to stimulate circulation and promote relaxation
 
Massasoit
Wampanoag leader who aided the Pilgrims (1580-1661)
 
masseur
a male massager
 
masseuse
a female massager
 
Massorete
a scholar who is expert on the Masorah (especially one of the Jewish scribes who contributed to the Masorah)
 
master
directs the work of others
 
master
someone who holds a master's degree from academic institution
 
master sergeant
a senior noncommissioned officer in the Army or Marines
 
master
an authority qualified to teach apprentices
 
master
a combatant who is able to defeat rivals
 
master-at-arms
the senior petty officer; responsible for discipline aboard ship
 
masturbator
a person who practices masturbation
 
matador
the principal bullfighter who is appointed to make the final passes and kill the bull
 
mate
informal term for a friend of the same sex
 
mate
a fellow member of a team
 
mater
an informal use of the Latin word for mother; sometimes used by British schoolboys or used facetiously
 
materfamilias
a female head of a family or tribe
 
material
a person judged suitable for admission or employment
 
material witness
a witness whose testimony is both relevant to the matter at issue and required in order to resolve the matter
 
materialist
someone who thinks that nothing exists but physical matter
 
materialist
someone with great regard for material possessions
 
math teacher
someone who teaches mathematics
 
mathematical statistician
a mathematician who specializes in statistics
 
mathematician
a person skilled in mathematics
 
Mathew B. Brady
United States pioneer photographer famous for his portraits; was the official Union photographer for the American Civil War (1823-1896)
 
matriarch
a feisty older woman with a big bosom (as drawn in cartoons)
 
matricide
a person who murders their mother
 
matriculate
someone who has been admitted to a college or university
 
matron
a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified
 
matron
a woman in charge of nursing in a medical institution
 
matron
a wardress in a prison
 
matron of honor
a married woman serving as the attendant to the bride at a wedding
 
Matthew Arnold
English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)
 
Matthew Calbraith Perry
United States admiral who led a naval expedition to Japan and signed a treaty in 1854 opening up trade relations between United States and Japan; brother of Oliver Hazard Perry (1794-1858)
 
Matthias Schleiden
German physiologist and histologist who in 1838 formulated the cell theory (1804-1881)
 
Mattole
a member of the Athapaskan people living in northwestern California
 
Maud Gonne
Irish patriot and a founder of the Sinn Fein (1865-1953)
 
mauler
a fighter who batters the opponent
 
Maureen Catherine Connolly
United States tennis player who was the first woman to win the United States, British, French, and Australian championships in the same year (1953) (1934-1969)
 
Maurice Barrymore
United States actor; husband of Georgiana Emma Barrymore and father of Ethel Barrymore and John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore (1847-1905)
 
Maurice Chevalier
French actor and cabaret singer (1888-1972)
 
Maurice de Vlaminck
French painter and exponent of fauvism (1876-1958)
 
Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins
English biochemist who helped discover the structure of DNA (1916-2004)
 
Maurice Ravel
French composer and exponent of Impressionism (1875-1937)
 
Maurice Utrillo
French painter noted for his paintings of Parisian street scenes (1883-1955)
 
Mauritanian
a native or inhabitant of Mauritania
 
Mauritian
a native or inhabitant of Mauritius
 
maverick
someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action
 
Max Born
British nuclear physicist (born in Germany) honored for his contributions to quantum mechanics (1882-1970)
 
Max Bruch
German composer (1838-1920)
 
Max Delbruck
United States biologist (born in Germany) who studied how viruses infect living cells (1906-1981)
 
Max Ernst
painter (born in Germany, resident of France and the United States) who was a cofounder of dadaism; developed the technique of collage (1891-1976)
 
Max Ferdinand Perutz
English biochemist (born in Austria); studied the molecular structure of blood (1914-2002)
 
Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck
German physicist whose explanation of blackbody radiation in the context of quantized energy emissions initiated quantum theory (1858-1947)
 
Max Weber
German sociologist and pioneer of the analytic method in sociology (1864-1920)
 
Max Weber
United States abstract painter (born in Russia) (1881-1961)
 
Maxfield Frederick Parrish
United States painter (1870-1966)
 
Maximilien Paul Emile Littre
French lexicographer (1801-1881)
 
Maxmilien de Bethune
French statesman (1560-1641)
 
Maxmillien Marie Isidore de Robespierre
French revolutionary; leader of the Jacobins and architect of the Reign of Terror; was himself executed in a coup d'etat (1758-1794)
 
Maxwell Anderson
United States dramatist (1888-1959)
 
Maya Lin
United States sculptor and architect whose public works include the memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War in Washington (born in 1959)
 
Mayan
a member of an American Indian people of Yucatan and Belize and Guatemala who had a culture (which reached its peak between AD 300 and 900) characterized by outstanding architecture and pottery and astronomy
 
mayoress
a woman mayor
 
mayoress
the wife of a mayor
 
meanie
a person of mean disposition
 
measurer
a person who makes measurements
 
meat packer
a wholesaler in the meat-packing business
 
mechanical engineer
a person trained to design and construct machines
 
mechanist
a philosopher who subscribes to the doctrine of mechanism
 
medal winner
(golf) the winner at medal play of a tournament
 
medalist
someone who has won a medal
 
meddler
an officious annoying person who interferes with others
 
Medgar Wiley Evers
United States civil rights worker in Mississippi; was killed by a sniper (1925-1963)
 
media consultant
someone who advises about the use of communication media
 
mediatrix
a woman who is a mediator
 
medic
a medical practitioner in the armed forces
 
medical assistant
a person trained to assist medical professionals
 
medical man
someone who practices medicine
 
medical scientist
a scientist who studies disease processes
 
medical specialist
practices one branch of medicine
 
medical student
a student in medical school
 
medicine man
a Native American shaman
 
medieval Schoolman
a scholar in one of the universities of the Middle Ages; versed in scholasticism
 
mediocrity
a person of second-rate ability or value
 
medium
someone who serves as an intermediary between the living and the dead
 
megalomaniac
a pathological egotist
 
Meiji Tenno
emperor of Japan who encouraged the modernization of Japan (1852-1912)
 
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson
Australian actor (born in the United States in 1956)
 
melancholiac
someone subject to melancholia
 
Melanie Klein
United States psychoanalyst (born in Austria) who was the first to specialize in the psychoanalysis of small children (1882-1960)
 
Melchior
(New Testament) one of the three sages from the east who came bearing gifts for the infant Jesus; usually represented as a king of Nubia
 
Melchite
an Orthodox Christian or Uniate Christian belonging to the patriarchate of Alexandria or Antioch or Jerusalem
 
Melchite
an eastern Christian in Egypt or Syria who adheres to the Orthodox faith as defined by the council of Chalcedon in 451 and as accepted by the Byzantine emperor
 
melter
a worker who melts substances (metal or wax etc.)
 
Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey
United States librarian who founded the decimal system of classification (1851-1931)
 
Melville Weston Fuller
United States jurist and chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1833-1910)
 
Melvin Calvin
United States chemist noted for discovering the series of chemical reactions in photosynthesis (1911-)
 
Member of Parliament
an elected member of the British Parliament: a member of the House of Commons
 
memoriser
a person who learns by rote
 
memsahib
a woman sahib
 
Menachem Begin
Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
 
Menander
comic dramatist of ancient Greece (342-292 BC)
 
Mendelian
a follower of Mendelism
 
menial
a domestic servant
 
Mennonite
a member of an Anabaptist movement in Holland noted for its simplicity of life
 
Menominee
a member of the federally recognized tribe of Algonquian people living on a reservation in central Wisconsin
 
mensch
a decent responsible person with admirable characteristics
 
Menshevik
a Russian member of the liberal minority group that advocated gradual reform and opposed the Bolsheviks before and during the Russian Revolution
 
mental case
a person suffering from neurosis
 
mental telepathist
someone with the power of communicating thoughts directly
 
mentioner
a speaker who refers to something briefly or incidentally
 
mentor
a wise and trusted guide and advisor
 
Merce Cunningham
United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1922)
 
mercenary
a person hired to fight for another country than their own
 
mercer
a dealer in textiles (especially silks)
 
merchandiser
a businessperson engaged in retail trade
 
merchant-venturer
a merchant who undertakes a trading venture (especially a venture that sends goods overseas)
 
Meriwether Lewis
United States explorer and soldier who lead led an expedition from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River (1774-1809)
 
Merovingian
a member of the Merovingian dynasty
 
merrymaker
a celebrant who shares in a noisy party
 
Meryl Streep
United States film actress (born in 1949)
 
meshuggeneh
(Yiddish) a crazy fool
 
mesne lord
a feudal lord who was lord to his own tenants on land held from a superior lord
 
Mesoamerican
a member of one of the various peoples inhabiting Mesoamerica
 
mesomorph
a person with a well-developed muscular body
 
Messiah
the awaited king of the Jews; the promised and expected deliverer of the Jewish people
 
messmate
(nautical) an associate with whom you share meals in the same mess (as on a ship)
 
mestiza
a woman of mixed racial ancestry (especially mixed European and Native American ancestry)
 
mestizo
a person of mixed racial ancestry (especially mixed European and Native American ancestry)
 
metalhead
a fan of heavy metal music
 
metallurgical engineer
an engineer trained in the extraction and refining and alloying and fabrication of metals
 
metalworker
someone who works metal (especially by hammering it when it is hot and malleable)
 
meteorologist
a specialist who studies processes in the earth's atmosphere that cause weather conditions
 
meter maid
policewoman who is assigned to write parking tickets
 
Methodist
a follower of Wesleyanism as practiced by the Methodist Church
 
Methuselah
a man who is very old
 
Methuselah
(Old Testament) a patriarch (grandfather of Noah) who is said to have lived 969 years
 
metic
an alien who paid a fee to reside in an ancient Greek city
 
Metis
a person in western Canada who is of Caucasian and American Indian ancestry
 
metropolitan
a person who lives in a metropolis
 
metropolitan
in the Eastern Orthodox Church this title is given to a position between bishop and patriarch; equivalent to archbishop in western Christianity
 
Mexican
a native or inhabitant of Mexico
 
Mexican-American
a Mexican (or person of Mexican descent) living in the United States
 
Meyer Guggenheim
United States industrialist (born in Switzerland) who with his sons established vast mining and metal processing companies (1828-1905)
 
mezzo
a soprano with a voice between soprano and contralto
 
Miami
a member of the extinct Algonquian people formerly living in northern Indiana and southern Michigan
 
Michael Ellis De Bakey
United States heart surgeon who in 1966 implanted the first artificial heart in a human patient (born in 1908)
 
Michael Faraday
the English physicist and chemist who discovered electromagnetic induction (1791-1867)
 
Michael Gerald Tyson
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion (born in 1966)
 
Michael Joe Jackson
United States singer who began singing with his four brothers and later became a highly successful star during the 1980s (born in 1958)
 
Michael Philip Jagger
English rock star (born in 1943)
 
Micheas
a minor Hebrew prophet (8th century BC)
 
Michel de Notredame
French astrologer who wrote cryptic predictions whose interpretations are still being debated (1503-1566)
 
Michel Eyquem Montaigne
French writer regarded as the originator of the modern essay (1533-1592)
 
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Florentine sculptor and painter and architect; one of the outstanding figures of the Renaissance (1475-1564)
 
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Italian painter noted for his realistic depiction of religious subjects and his novel use of light (1573-1610)
 
Michigander
a native or resident of Michigan
 
Michinomiya Hirohito
emperor of Japan who renounced his divinity and became a constitutional monarch after Japan surrendered at the end of World War II (1901-1989)
 
Mickey
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Irish descent
 
Mickey Charles Mantle
United States baseball player (1931-1997)
 
microbiologist
a specialist in microbiology
 
microeconomic expert
an economist who specializes in microeconomics
 
microscopist
a scientist who specializes in research with the use of microscopes
 
middle-aged man
a man who is roughly between 45 and 65 years old
 
middlebrow
someone who is neither a highbrow nor a lowbrow
 
middleweight
a professional boxer who weighs between 155 and 160 pounds
 
middleweight
a wrestler who weighs 172-192 pounds
 
middleweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 165 pounds
 
midinette
a Parisian salesgirl
 
midshipman
a temporary rank held by young naval officers in training
 
migrant
traveler who moves from one region or country to another
 
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Spanish writer best remembered for `Don Quixote' which satirizes chivalry and influenced the development of the novel form (1547-1616)
 
Miguel Jose Serra
Spanish missionary who founded Franciscan missions in California (1713-1784)
 
mikado
the emperor of Japan; when regarded as a religious leader the emperor is called tenno
 
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Bakunin
Russian anarchist; ally and later opponent of Karl Marx (1814-1876)
 
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Russian dancer and choreographer who migrated to the United States (born in 1948)
 
Mikhail Ilarionovich Kutuzov
Russian field marshal who commanded the Russian opposition to Napoleon (1745-1813)
 
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka
Russian composer (1804-1857)
 
Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin
soviet statesman and head of state of the USSR (1875-1946)
 
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev
Soviet statesman whose foreign policy brought an end to the Cold War and whose domestic policy introduced major reforms (born in 1931)
 
Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov
Russian writer (1814-1841)
 
Mikmaq
a member of the Algonquian people inhabiting the Maritime Provinces of Canada
 
Milady
an English noblewoman
 
Milanese
a native or inhabitant of Milan
 
Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias
outstanding United States athlete (1914-1956)
 
miler
a runner in a one-mile race
 
Miles Dewey Davis Jr.
United States jazz musician; noted for his trumpet style (1926-1991)
 
miles gloriosus
a braggart soldier (a stock figure in comedy)
 
militarist
a person who advocates war or warlike policies
 
military adviser
a military officer who serves as an adviser to the troops of an allied nation
 
military attache
an attache who is a specialist in military matters
 
military governor
the head of a government established by the military (as in a defeated country)
 
military leader
a leader of military forces
 
military officer
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
 
military recruit
a recently enlisted soldier
 
military volunteer
(military) a person who freely enlists for service
 
militiaman
a member of the militia; serves only during emergencies
 
milkman
someone who delivers milk
 
mill agent
the responsible official at a mill that is under absentee ownership
 
mill-girl
a girl who works in a mill
 
miller
someone who works in a mill (especially a grain mill)
 
millionaire
a person whose material wealth is valued at more than a million dollars
 
millionairess
a woman millionaire
 
millwright
a workman who designs or erects mills and milling machinery
 
milord
a term of address for an English lord
 
Milquetoast
a timid man or boy considered childish or unassertive
 
Miltiades
Athenian general who defeated the Persians at Marathon (540-489)
 
Milton Friedman
United States economist noted as a proponent of monetarism and for his opposition to government intervention in the economy (born in 1912)
 
Milton Snavely Hershey
United States confectioner and philanthropist who created the model industrial town of Hershey, Pennsylvania; founded an industrial school for orphan boys (1857-1945)
 
mime
an actor who communicates entirely by gesture and facial expression
 
mimic
someone who mimics (especially an actor or actress)
 
mind reader
a magician who seems to discern the thoughts of another person (usually by clever signals from an accomplice)
 
minder
someone (usually in totalitarian countries) who is assigned to watch over foreign visitors
 
miner
laborer who works in a mine
 
mineralogist
a scientist trained in mineralogy
 
miniaturist
someone who paints tiny pictures in great detail
 
Miniconju
a member of a group of Siouan people who constituted a division of the Teton Sioux
 
minimalist
a practitioner or advocate of artistic minimalism
 
minimalist
a conservative who advocates only minor reforms in government or politics
 
mining engineer
an engineer concerned with the construction and operation of mines
 
minion
a servile or fawning dependant
 
ministrant
someone who serves as a minister
 
Minnesotan
a native or resident of Minnesota
 
Minoan
a Cretan who lived in the bronze-age culture of Crete about 3000-1100 BC
 
minority leader
leader of the minority party in a legislature
 
minstrel
a performer in a minstrel show
 
Minuteman
an American militiaman prior to and during the American Revolution
 
miracle man
a person who claims or is alleged to perform miracles
 
misanthrope
someone who dislikes people in general
 
miscreant
a person without moral scruples
 
miser
a stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably)
 
misfit
someone unable to adapt to their circumstances
 
misleader
someone who leads astray (often deliberately)
 
misogamist
a person who hates marriage
 
misogynist
a misanthrope who dislikes women in particular
 
missionary
someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program
 
missionary
someone sent on a mission--especially a religious or charitable mission to a foreign country
 
missis
informal term of address for someone's wife
 
Mississippian
a native or resident of Mississippi
 
Missouri
a member of the Siouan people formerly inhabiting the valley of the Missouri river in Missouri
 
Missourian
a native or resident of Missouri
 
mistress
a woman master who directs the work of others
 
mistress
a woman schoolteacher (especially one regarded as strict)
 
Mithraist
adherent of Mithraism
 
Mithridates the Great
ancient king of Pontus who expanded his kingdom by defeating the Romans but was later driven out by Pompey (132-63 BC)
 
Miwok
a member of the North American Indian people living in the central Sierra Nevada in California
 
mixed-blood
a person whose ancestors belonged to two or more racial groups
 
mnemonist
an expert in the use of mnemonics; someone able to perform unusual feats of memory
 
mod
a British teenager or young adult in the 1960s; noted for their clothes consciousness and opposition to the rockers
 
model
a person who poses for a photographer or painter or sculptor
 
model
someone worthy of imitation
 
modeler
a person who creates models
 
moderationist
a moderate drinker (as opposed to a total abstainer)
 
moderator
someone who mediates disputes and attempts to avoid violence
 
moderator
someone who presides over a forum or debate
 
moderator
in the Presbyterian church, the officer who presides over a synod or general assembly
 
modern
a contemporary person
 
modernist
an artist who makes a deliberate break with previous styles
 
Modest Petrovich Moussorgsky
Russian composer of operas and orchestral works (1839-1881)
 
modifier
a moderator who makes less extreme or uncompromising
 
Moghul
a member of the Muslim dynasty that ruled India until 1857
 
Mohammad
the Arab prophet who, according to Islam, was the last messenger of Allah (570-632)
 
Mohammed Ali
Albanian soldier in the service of Turkey who was made viceroy of Egypt and took control away from the Ottoman Empire and established Egypt as a modern state (1769-1849)
 
Mohammed Reza Pahlevi
Shah of Iran who was deposed in 1979 by Islamic fundamentalists (1919-1980)
 
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
political and spiritual leader during India's struggle with Great Britain for home rule; an advocate of passive resistance (1869-1948)
 
Mohawk
a member of the Iroquoian people formerly living along the Mohawk River in New York State
 
Mohican
a member of the Algonquian people formerly living in the Hudson valley and eastward to the Housatonic
 
Moira Shearer
Scottish ballet dancer and actress (born in 1926)
 
Mojave
a member of the North American Indian people formerly living in the Colorado river valley in Arizona and Nevada and California
 
molecular biologist
a biologist who studies the structure and activity of macromolecules essential to life
 
molester
someone who subjects others to unwanted or improper sexual activities
 
Mollah
a Muslim trained in the doctrine and law of Islam; the head of a mosque
 
mollycoddle
a pampered darling; an effeminate man
 
Moloch
a tyrannical power to be propitiated by human subservience or sacrifice
 
Mon
a member of a Buddhist people living in Myanmar and adjacent parts of Thailand
 
monarchist
an advocate of the principles of monarchy
 
monastic
a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work
 
Monegasque
a native or inhabitant of Monaco
 
monetarist
an advocate of the theory that economic fluctuations are caused by increases or decreases in the supply of money
 
money dealer
a person who receives or invests or pays out money
 
moneygrubber
someone whose main interest in life is moneymaking
 
moneymaker
someone who is successful in accumulating wealth
 
Mongol Tatar
a member of the Mongolian people of central Asia who invaded Russia in the 13th century
 
Mongolian
a member of the nomadic peoples of Mongolia
 
mongoloid
a person suffering from Down syndrome (no longer used technically in this sense, now considered offensive)
 
Mongoloid
a member of the Mongoloid family
 
Monica Seles
United States tennis player (born in Yugoslavia in 1973)
 
monitor
someone who supervises (an examination)
 
monochromat
a person who is completely color-blind
 
monogamist
someone who practices monogamy (one spouse at a time)
 
monolingual
a person who knows only one language
 
monologist
an entertainer who performs alone
 
monomaniac
a person suffering from monomania
 
Monophysite
an adherent of Monophysitism
 
monopoliser
someone who monopolizes the means of producing or selling something
 
monotheist
a believer in one god
 
Monsieur
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English `Mr'
 
Monsignor
(Roman Catholic Church) an ecclesiastical title of honor bestowed on some priests
 
Montanan
a native or resident of Montana
 
Montezuma II
the last Aztec emperor in Mexico who was overthrown and killed by Hernando Cortes (1466-1520)
 
Montserratian
a native or inhabitant of Montserrat
 
Moonie
an often derogatory term for a member of the Unification Church
 
moonlighter
a person who holds a second job (usually after hours)
 
Moor
one of the Muslim people of north Africa; of mixed Arab and Berber descent; converted to Islam in the 8th century; conqueror of Spain in the 8th century
 
mopper
a worker who uses a mop to clean a surface
 
moppet
a little girl (usually one you are fond of)
 
moralist
a philosopher who specializes in morals and moral problems
 
Mordecai Richler
Canadian novelist (born in 1931)
 
Mordvinian
a member of the agricultural people living in the central Volga provinces of European Russia
 
Mormon
the ancient prophet whose writings were revealed to Joseph Smith who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
 
Moro
a member of the predominantly Muslim people in the southern Philippines
 
Moroccan
a native or inhabitant of Morocco
 
morosoph
a learned fool
 
morris dancer
someone who does a morris dance
 
Morrison Remick Waite
United States jurist who was appointed chief justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1874 by President Grant (1816-1888)
 
mortal enemy
an enemy who wants to kill you
 
mortgage holder
the person who accepts a mortgage
 
mortgager
the person who gives a mortgage in return for money to be repaid
 
Moses
(Old Testament) the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites from Egypt across the Red sea on a journey known as the Exodus; Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai
 
Moshe Dayan
Israeli general and statesman (1915-1981)
 
Moss Hart
United States playwright who collaborated with George S. Kaufman (1904-1961)
 
moss-trooper
a marauder and plunderer (originally operating in the bogs between England and Scotland)
 
mossback
an extremely old-fashioned conservative
 
mother
a term of address for a mother superior
 
mother
a term of address for an elderly woman
 
mother figure
a woman who evokes the feelings usually reserved for a mother
 
mother hen
a person who cares for the needs of others (especially in an overprotective or interfering way)
 
mother's daughter
a daughter who is favored by and similar to her mother
 
mother's son
a male person
 
mother-in-law
the mother of your spouse
 
motile
one whose prevailing mental imagery takes the form of inner feelings of action
 
motion-picture fan
someone who goes to see movies
 
motorcycle cop
a policeman who rides a motorcycle (and who checks the speeds of motorists)
 
motorcyclist
a traveler who rides a motorcycle
 
motorman
the operator of streetcar
 
motormouth
someone who talks incessantly
 
moujik
a Russian peasant (especially prior to 1917)
 
Mound Builder
prehistoric Amerindians who built altar mounds
 
mountain climber
someone who climbs mountains
 
mounter
a skilled worker who mounts pictures or jewels etc.
 
Mountie
colloquial term for a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
 
mouse
person who is quiet or timid
 
mouth
a person conceived as a consumer of food
 
mouth
a spokesperson (as a lawyer)
 
mover
someone who moves
 
mover
workman employed by a moving company
 
mover and shaker
a person who wields power and influence
 
mover
(parliamentary procedure) someone who makes a formal motion
 
movie actor
an actor who plays a role in a film
 
Mozambican
a native or inhabitant of Mozambique
 
MP
a member of the military police who polices soldiers and guards prisoners
 
muadhdhin
the Muslim official of a mosque who summons the faithful to prayer from a minaret five times a day
 
Muammar al-Qaddafi
Libyan leader who seized power in a military coup d'etat in 1969; deposed the Libyan monarchy and imposed socialism and Islamic orthodoxy on the country (born in 1942)
 
muckraker
one who spreads real or alleged scandal about another (usually for political advantage)
 
muffin man
formerly an itinerant peddler of muffins
 
mufti
a jurist who interprets Muslim religious law
 
muggee
a victim of a mugging
 
mugger
a robber who takes property by threatening or performing violence on the person who is robbed (usually on the street)
 
Mugwump
someone who bolted from the Republican Party during the U.S. presidential election of 1884
 
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Indian statesman who was the founder of Pakistan as a Muslim state (1876-1948)
 
Muhammadan
a follower of Mohammed
 
mujahid
a Muslim engaged in what he considers to be a jihad
 
mujtihad
an Islamic scholar who engages in ijtihad, the effort to derive rules of divine law from Muslim sacred texts
 
mulatto
an offspring of a black and a white parent
 
mule driver
a worker who drives mules
 
Mullah Mohammed Omar
reclusive Afghanistani politician and leader of the Taliban who imposed a strict interpretation of shariah law on Afghanistan (born in 1960)
 
muller
a reflective thinker characterized by quiet contemplation
 
multi-billionaire
a very rich person whose material wealth is valued at many billions of dollars
 
mumbler
a person who speaks softly and indistinctly
 
muncher
a chewer who makes a munching noise
 
Mungo Park
Scottish explorer in Africa (1771-1806)
 
muralist
a painter of murals
 
murder suspect
someone suspected of committing murder
 
murderee
a victim who is murdered
 
murderess
a woman murderer
 
Muriel Sarah Spark
Scottish writer of satirical novels (born in 1918)
 
Murray Gell-Mann
United States physicist noted for his studies of subatomic particles (born in 1929)
 
muscle
a bully employed as a thug or bodyguard
 
Muscovite
a resident of Moscow
 
musher
a traveler who drives (or travels with) a dog team
 
music critic
a critic of musical performances
 
music teacher
someone who teaches music
 
musician
artist who composes or conducts music as a profession
 
musicologist
a student of musicology
 
musketeer
a foot soldier armed with a musket
 
Muskhogean
a member of any of the peoples formerly living in southeastern United States and speaking Muskhogean languages
 
Muskogee
a member of the Muskhogean people formerly living in Georgia and eastern Alabama and constituting the core of the Creek Confederacy
 
Muslim
a believer in or follower of Islam
 
Muslimah
a Muslim woman
 
mutineer
someone who is openly rebellious and refuses to obey authorities (especially seamen or soldiers)
 
muzzler
someone who muzzles animals
 
MVP
the player judged to be the most important to the sport
 
Mycenaen
a native or inhabitant of ancient Mycenae
 
mycologist
a botanist who specializes in the study of fungi
 
mycophage
a person or animal who eats fungi (especially mushrooms)
 
Myles Standish
English colonist in America; leader of the Pilgrims in the early days of the Plymouth Colony (1584-1656)
 
myope
a person with myopia; a nearsighted person
 
myrmidon
a follower who carries out orders without question
 
mystic
someone who believes in the existence of realities beyond human comprehension
 
mythologist
an expert on mythology
 
nabob
a wealthy man (especially one who made his fortune in the Orient)
 
nabob
a governor in India during the Mogul empire
 
Nadine Gordimer
South African novelist and short-story writer whose work describes the effects of apartheid (born in 1923)
 
Nahuatl
a member of any of various Indian peoples of central Mexico
 
Nahum
a Hebrew minor prophet of the 7th century BC
 
naif
a naive or inexperienced person
 
nailer
a worker who attaches something by nailing it
 
namby-pamby
an insipid weakling who is foolishly sentimental
 
name dropper
someone who pretends that famous people are his/her friends
 
namer
a person who gives a name or names
 
namesake
a person with the same name as another
 
Namibian
a native or inhabitant of Namibia
 
nan
your grandmother
 
Nancy Freeman Mitford
English writer of comic novels (1904-1973)
 
Nancy Witcher Astor
British politician (born in the United States) who was the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons (1879-1964)
 
nanny
a woman who is the custodian of children
 
Nanticoke
a member of the Algonquian people formerly of Maryland and eastern Delaware
 
Napoleon Bonaparte
French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)
 
naprapath
a therapist who practices naprapathy
 
narc
a lawman concerned with narcotics violations
 
narcissist
someone in love with themselves
 
narcoleptic
a person who has narcolepsy
 
narrator
someone who tells a story
 
Nat Turner
United States slave and insurrectionist who in 1831 led a rebellion of slaves in Virginia; he was captured and executed (1800-1831)
 
Natalie Wood
United States film actress (1938-1981)
 
Nathan Birnbaum
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
 
Nathan Hale
a soldier of the American Revolution who was hanged as a spy by the British; his last words were supposed to have been `I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country' (1755-1776)
 
Nathaniel Bailey
English lexicographer who was the first to treat etymology consistently; his work was used as a reference by Samuel Johnson (died in 1742)
 
Nathaniel Bowditch
United States mathematician and astronomer noted for his works on navigation (1773-1838)
 
Nathaniel Currier
United States lithographer who (with his partner James Ives) produced thousands of prints signed `Currier & Ives' (1813-1888)
 
Nathaniel Hawthorne
United States writer of novels and short stories mostly on moral themes (1804-1864)
 
national leader
a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs
 
national
a person who owes allegiance to that nation
 
nationalist
an advocate of national independence of or a strong national government
 
nationalist leader
the leader of a nationalist movement
 
nationalist
one who loves and defends his or her country
 
native
a person born in a particular place or country
 
Native American
any member of the peoples living in North or South America before the Europeans arrived
 
Native Hawaiian
a member or descendant of the indigenous Polynesian people who lived in the Hawaiian Islands
 
native speaker
a speaker of a particular language who has spoken that language since earliest childhood
 
nativist
a philosopher who subscribes to nativism
 
natural
someone regarded as certain to succeed
 
natural scientist
a biologist knowledgeable about natural history (especially botany and zoology)
 
naturalist
an advocate of the doctrine that the world can be understood in scientific terms
 
nature
a causal agent creating and controlling things in the universe
 
naturist
a person who practices nudity for reasons of health or religion
 
naturopath
a therapist who practices naturopathy
 
Nauruan
a native or inhabitant of Nauru
 
nautch girl
a professional dancing girl in India
 
Navajo
a member of an Athapaskan people that migrated to Arizona and New Mexico and Utah
 
naval attache
a military attache who is a commissioned or warrant officer in a navy
 
naval commander
naval officer in command of a fleet of warships
 
naval officer
an officer in the navy
 
navigator
in earlier times, a person who explored by ship
 
navigator
the member of an aircrew who is responsible for the aircraft's course
 
navigator
the ship's officer in charge of navigation
 
Navy SEAL
a member of a Naval Special Warfare unit who is trained for unconventional warfare
 
naysayer
someone with an aggressively negative attitude
 
Nazarene
an inhabitant of Nazareth
 
Nazarene
an early name for any Christian
 
Nazarene
a member of a group of Jews who (during the early history of the Christian Church) accepted Jesus as the Messiah; they accepted the Gospel According to Matthew but rejected the Epistles of St. Paul and continued to follow Jewish law and celebrate Jewish holidays; they were later declared heretic by the Church of Rome
 
nazi
derogatory term for a person who is fanatically dedicated to, or seeks to control, some activity, practice, etc.
 
Neapolitan
a native or inhabitant of Naples
 
nebbech
(Yiddish) a timid unfortunate simpleton
 
Nebuchadnezzar II
(Old Testament) king of Chaldea who captured and destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the Israelites to Babylonia (630?-562 BC)
 
necessitarian
someone who does not believe the doctrine of free will
 
necker
a lover who necks
 
necromancer
one who practices divination by conjuring up the dead
 
needer
a person who wants or needs something
 
needleworker
someone who does work (as sewing or embroidery) with a needle
 
Nefertiti
queen of Egypt and wife of Akhenaton (14th century BC)
 
Neftali Ricardo Reyes
Chilean poet (1904-1973)
 
negativist
someone who refuses to do what is asked or does the opposite of what is asked
 
neglecter
a person who is neglectful and gives little attention or respect to people or responsibilities
 
negotiant
someone who negotiates (confers with others in order to reach a settlement)
 
negotiatress
a woman negotiator
 
neighbor
a person who lives (or is located) near another
 
Neil Armstrong
United States astronaut; the first man to set foot on the Moon (July 20, 1969) (1930-)
 
Nellie Tayloe Ross
a politician in Wyoming who was the first woman governor in the United States (1876-1977)
 
Nelson Algren
United States writer (1909-1981)
 
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
South African statesman who was released from prison to become the nation's first democratically elected president in 1994 (born in 1918)
 
neoclassicist
an advocate of neoclassicism
 
neocon
a conservative who subscribes to neoconservatism
 
neoliberal
a liberal who subscribes to neoliberalism
 
neologist
a lexicographer of new words and expressions
 
neonate
a baby from birth to four weeks
 
Neoplatonist
an adherent of Neoplatonism
 
Neopolitan
a resident of Naples
 
Nepalese
a native or inhabitant of Nepal
 
nephew
a son of your brother or sister
 
nepotist
a powerful person who shows favoritism to relatives or close friends
 
nerd
an intelligent but single-minded expert in a particular technical field or profession
 
Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus
Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64) but the Roman Empire remained prosperous during his rule (37-68)
 
Nestor
(Greek mythology) a wise old counselor to the Greeks at Troy
 
Nestorian
a follower of Nestorius
 
Nestorius
Syrian who was a Christian bishop and Patriarch of Constantinople in the early fifth century; one of the major heresies concerning the doctrine of the hypostasis of Christ was named after him (died in 451)
 
Netherlander
a native or inhabitant of Holland
 
neurasthenic
a person suffering a nervous breakdown
 
neurobiologist
a specialist in neurobiology
 
neurolinguist
someone trained in neuroscience and linguistics who studies brain processes during language production and reception
 
neuroscientist
a neurobiologist who specializes in the study of the brain
 
neutral
one who does not side with any party in a war or dispute
 
neutralist
an advocate of neutrality in international affairs
 
Nevadan
a native or resident of Nevada
 
Nevil Shute Norway
English novelist who settled in Australia after World War II (1899-1960)
 
New Dealer
a supporter of the economic policies in the United States known as the New Deal
 
New Englander
an American who lives in New England
 
New Hampshirite
a native or resident of New Hampshire
 
New Mexican
a native or resident of New Mexico
 
New Waver
a film maker who follows New Wave ideas
 
New Yorker
a native or resident of New York (especially of New York City)
 
New Zealander
a native or inhabitant of New Zealand
 
newcomer
a recent arrival
 
news reader
someone who reads out broadcast news bulletin
 
newsagent
someone who sells newspapers
 
newscaster
someone who broadcasts the news
 
newsman
a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories
 
newspaper columnist
a columnist who writes for newspapers
 
newspaper critic
a critic who writes a column for the newspapers
 
newspaper editor
the editor of a newspaper
 
newspaper publisher
the proprietor of a newspaper
 
newswoman
a female newsperson
 
Newtonian
a follower of Isaac Newton
 
next friend
(law) a person who acts on behalf of an infant or disabled person
 
next of kin
the person who is (or persons who are) most closely related to a given person
 
Nez Perce
a member of a tribe of the Shahaptian people living on the pacific coast
 
Ngaio Marsh
New Zealand writer of detective stories (1899-1982)
 
Nganasan
a member of the Samoyedic people living on the Taimyr Peninsula in Siberia
 
Nguyen Tat Thanh
Vietnamese communist statesman who fought the Japanese in World War II and the French until 1954 and South Vietnam until 1975 (1890-1969)
 
nibbler
a biter who takes dainty repeated bites
 
Nicaraguan
a native or inhabitant of Nicaragua
 
Niccolo Machiavelli
a statesman of Florence who advocated a strong central government (1469-1527)
 
Niccolo Paganini
Italian violinist and composer of music for the violin (1782-1840)
 
Nicholas II
the last czar of Russia who was forced to abdicate in 1917 by the Russian Revolution; he and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks (1868-1918)
 
Nicholas Vachel Lindsay
United States poet who traveled the country trading his poems for room and board (1879-1931)
 
Nicola Amati
Italian violin maker in Cremona; taught the craft to Guarneri and Stradivari (1596-1684)
 
Nicola Sacco
United States anarchist (born in Italy) who with Bartolomeo Vanzetti was convicted of murder and in spite of world-wide protest was executed (1891-1927)
 
Nicolas de Malebranche
French philosopher (1638-1715)
 
Nicolas Leonard Sadi Carnot
French physicist who founded thermodynamics (1796-1832)
 
Nicolas Poussin
French painter in the classical style (1594-1665)
 
Nicolaus Copernicus
Polish astronomer who produced a workable model of the solar system with the sun in the center (1473-1543)
 
niece
a daughter of your brother or sister
 
Niels Henrik Abel
Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829)
 
Niels Henrik David Bohr
Danish physicist who studied atomic structure and radiations; the Bohr theory of the atom accounted for the spectrum of hydrogen (1885-1962)
 
Nigerian
a native or inhabitant of Nigeria
 
Nigerien
a native or inhabitant of Niger
 
night owl
a person who likes to be active late at night
 
night porter
a porter on duty during the night
 
night rider
member of a secret mounted band in United States South after the American Civil War; committed acts of intimidation and revenge
 
night watchman
a watchman who works during the night
 
nihilist
someone who rejects all theories of morality or religious belief
 
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev
Soviet statesman and premier who denounced Stalin (1894-1971)
 
Nikola Tesla
United States electrical engineer and inventor (born in Croatia but of Serbian descent) who discovered the principles of alternating currents and developed the first alternating-current induction motor and the Tesla coil and several forms of oscillators (1856-1943)
 
Nikolaas Tinbergen
Dutch zoologist who showed that much animal behavior is innate and stereotyped (1907-1988)
 
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov
Russian composer of operas and orchestral works; often used themes from folk music (1844-1908)
 
Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin
Bolshevik leader in Russia who advocated gradual collectivism of the farms; was executed in a purge by Stalin (1888-1938)
 
Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky
Russian mathematician who independently discovered non-Euclidean geometry (1792-1856)
 
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol
Russian writer who introduced realism to Russian literature (1809-1852)
 
NIMBY
someone who objects to siting something in their own neighborhood but does not object to it being sited elsewhere; an acronym for not in my backyard
 
Nimrod
(Old Testament) a famous hunter
 
nincompoop
a stupid foolish person
 
ninja
a member of the ninja who were trained in martial arts and hired for espionage or sabotage or assassinations; a person skilled in ninjutsu
 
Nip
(offensive slang) offensive term for a person of Japanese descent
 
Nipponese
a native or inhabitant of Japan
 
niqaabi
an observant Muslim woman who covers her face and hands when in public or in the presence of any man outside her immediate family
 
Nisei
a person born in the United States of parents who emigrated from Japan
 
nitpicker
someone who makes small and unjustified criticisms
 
no-show
a guest who fails to notify a hotel or restaurant when canceling a reservation
 
Noah
the Hebrew patriarch who saved himself and his family and the animals by building an ark in which they survived 40 days and 40 nights of rain; the story of Noah and the flood is told in the Book of Genesis
 
Noah Webster
United States lexicographer (1758-1843)
 
nob
informal term for an upper-class or wealthy person
 
Nobel Laureate
winner of a Nobel prize
 
NOC
an undercover agent who is given no official cover
 
noctambulist
someone who walks about in their sleep
 
Noemi
the mother-in-law of Ruth whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament
 
nomad
a member of a people who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons
 
nominalist
a philosopher who has adopted the doctrine of nominalism
 
nominator
someone who proposes a candidate for appointment or election
 
non-Catholic
a religious person who is not a Catholic
 
non-Christian priest
a person who performs religious duties and ceremonies in a non-Christian religion
 
non-Jew
a Christian as contrasted with a Jew
 
non-resistant
a reformer who believes in passive resistance
 
nonachiever
a student who does not perform as well as expected or as well as the IQ indicates
 
nonagenarian
someone whose age is in the nineties
 
nonattender
someone who shirks duty
 
nonbeliever
someone who refuses to believe (as in a divinity)
 
noncandidate
someone who has announced they are not a candidate; especially a politician who has announced that he or she is not a candidate for some political office
 
noncombatant
a member of the armed forces who does not participate in combat (e.g. a chaplain or surgeon)
 
Nonconformist
a Protestant in England who is not a member of the Church of England
 
nonconformist
someone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct
 
nondescript
a person is not easily classified and not very interesting
 
nondriver
a person who is not a driver
 
nonmember
a person who is not a member
 
nonparticipant
a person who does not participate
 
nonpartisan
a person who is nonpartisan
 
nonperson
a person regarded as nonexistent and having no rights; a person whose existence is systematically ignored (especially for ideological or political reasons)
 
nonreader
a student who is very slow in learning to read
 
nonreligious person
a person who does not manifest devotion to a deity
 
nonresident
someone who does not live in a particular place
 
nonsmoker
a person who does not smoke tobacco
 
nonworker
a person who does nothing
 
Nootka
a member of the Wakashan people living on Vancouver Island and in the Cape Flattery region of northwestern Washington
 
Norbert Wiener
United States mathematician and founder of cybernetics (1894-1964)
 
Norma Jean Baker
United States film actress noted for sex appeal (1926-1962)
 
normaliser
a person who normalizes
 
Norman
an inhabitant of Normandy
 
Norman Jewison
Canadian filmmaker (born in 1926)
 
Norman Mailer
United States writer (born in 1923)
 
Norman Mattoon Thomas
United States socialist who was a candidate for president six times (1884-1968)
 
Norman Rockwell
United States illustrator whose works present a sentimental idealized view of everyday life (1894-1978)
 
North American
a native or inhabitant of North America
 
North Carolinian
a native or resident of North Carolina
 
North Dakotan
a native or resident of North Dakota
 
North Korean
a Korean from North Korea
 
Northern Baptist
a member of the American Baptist Convention
 
Northerner
an inhabitant of the North
 
Northerner
an American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)
 
Norwegian
a native or inhabitant of Norway
 
nosher
someone who eats lightly or eats snacks between meals
 
notary
someone legally empowered to witness signatures and certify a document's validity and to take depositions
 
noticer
someone who gives formal notice
 
noticer
someone who takes notice
 
Nova Scotian
a native or inhabitant of Nova Scotia
 
novelist
one who writes novels
 
novice
someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows
 
novillero
a bullfighter who is required to fight bulls less than four years of age
 
NP
a registered nurse who has received special training and can perform many of the duties of a physician
 
Nubian
a native or inhabitant of Nubia
 
nuclear chemist
a chemist who specializes in nuclear chemistry
 
nuclear physicist
a physicist who specializes in nuclear physics
 
nude
a naked person
 
nudger
someone who nudges; someone who gives a gentle push
 
nudnick
(Yiddish) someone who is a boring pest
 
nuisance
a bothersome annoying person
 
nullifier
an advocate of nullification; someone who believes that a state can resist federal laws
 
nullipara
(obstetrics) a woman who has never give birth to a child
 
number cruncher
someone able to perform complex and lengthy calculations
 
number one
a reference to yourself or myself etc.; `take care of number one' means to put your own interests first
 
number theorist
a mathematician specializing in number theory
 
numerologist
a believer in numerology
 
Numidian
an inhabitant of ancient Numidia
 
nun
a woman religious
 
nuncio
(Roman Catholic Church) a diplomatic representative of the Pope having ambassadorial status
 
nurse
one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
 
nurse's aide
someone who assists a nurse in tasks that require little formal training
 
nurse-midwife
a registered nurse who has received special training as a midwife
 
nurseling
an infant considered in relation to its nurse
 
nurser
a person who treats something carefully
 
nutritionist
a specialist in the study of nutrition
 
nutter
a person who is regarded as eccentric or mad
 
nymphet
a sexually attractive young woman
 
nympho
a woman with abnormal sexual desires
 
nympholept
a person seized by nympholepsy
 
oarsman
someone who rows a boat
 
oarswoman
a woman oarsman
 
Obadiah
a Hebrew minor prophet
 
oblate
a lay person dedicated to religious work or the religious life
 
oboist
a musician who plays the oboe
 
obscurantist
a person who is deliberately vague
 
obsessive
a person who has obsessions
 
obsessive-compulsive
a person with obsessive-compulsive characteristics
 
obstructer
someone who systematically obstructs some action that others want to take
 
Occidental
a native inhabitant of the Occident
 
occult
supernatural forces and events and beings collectively
 
occultist
a believer in occultism; someone versed in the occult arts
 
occupant
someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
 
occupier
a member of a military force who is residing in a conquered foreign country
 
oceanographer
a scientist who studies physical and biological aspects of the seas
 
octogenarian
someone whose age is in the eighties
 
octoroon
an offspring of a quadroon and a white parent; a person who is one-eighth black
 
oculist
a person skilled in testing for defects of vision in order to prescribe corrective glasses
 
odalisque
a woman slave in a harem
 
Odd Hassel
Norwegian chemist noted for his research on organic molecules (1897-1981)
 
Oddone Colonna
Italian pope from 1417 to 1431 whose election as pope ended the Great Schism (1368-1431)
 
odist
a poet who writes odes
 
Odovacar
Germanic barbarian leader who ended the Western Roman Empire in 476 and became the first barbarian ruler of Italy (434-493)
 
offender
a person who transgresses moral or civil law
 
offerer
someone who presents something to another for acceptance or rejection
 
office boy
a young man who is employed to do odd jobs in a business office
 
office-bearer
the person who holds an office
 
officeholder
someone who is appointed or elected to an office and who holds a position of trust
 
officer
a member of a police force
 
officer
a person authorized to serve in a position of authority on a vessel
 
official
someone who administers the rules of a game or sport
 
officiant
a clergyman who officiates at a religious ceremony or service
 
Ofo
a member of the Siouan people living in the Yazoo river valley in Mississippi
 
Ogalala
a member of the Siouan people who constituted a division of the Teton Sioux and who formerly inhabited the Black Hills of western South Dakota
 
Ogden Nash
United States writer noted for his droll epigrams (1902-1971)
 
ogler
a viewer who gives a flirtatious or lewd look at another person
 
oil geologist
a specialist in petroleum geology
 
oil painter
a painter who uses oil paints
 
oil rigger
someone who works on an oil rig
 
oil tycoon
a powerful person in the oil business
 
oil-industry analyst
an analyst of the oil industry
 
oiler
a worker who oils engines or machinery
 
oilman
a worker who produces or sells petroleum
 
oilman
a person who owns or operates oil wells
 
Oklahoman
a native or resident of Oklahoma
 
old boy
a vivacious elderly man
 
old boy
a former male pupil of a school
 
old boy
a familiar term of address for a man
 
Old Catholic
a member of the church formed in the 19th century by German Catholics who refused to accept the infallibility of the Pope
 
old hand
an experienced person who has been through many battles; someone who has given long service
 
old lady
your own wife
 
old maid
the loser in a game of old maid
 
old maid
an elderly unmarried woman
 
old man
an informal term for your father
 
old man
(slang) boss
 
old master
a great European painter prior to 19th century
 
old woman
a woman who is old
 
old-age pensioner
an old person who receives an old-age pension
 
Olga Korbut
Soviet gymnast (born in 1955)
 
oligarch
one of the rulers in an oligarchy
 
Oliver Cromwell
English general and statesman who led the parliamentary army in the English Civil War (1599-1658)
 
Oliver Ellsworth
United States jurist and the third chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1745-1807)
 
Oliver Goldsmith
Irish writer of novels and poetry and plays and essays (1728-1774)
 
Oliver Hardy
United States slapstick comedian who played the pompous and overbearing member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1892-1957)
 
Oliver Hazard Perry
United States commodore who led the fleet that defeated the British on Lake Erie during the War of 1812; brother of Matthew Calbraith Perry (1785-1819)
 
Oliver Heaviside
English physicist and electrical engineer who helped develop telegraphic and telephonic communications; in 1902 (independent of A. E. Kennelly) he suggested the existence of an atmospheric layer that reflects radio waves back to earth (1850-1925)
 
Oliver Stone
United States filmmaker (born in 1946)
 
Oliver Wendell Holmes
United States writer of humorous essays (1809-1894)
 
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
United States jurist noted for his liberal opinions (1841-1935)
 
Olmec
a member of an early Mesoamerican civilization centered around Veracruz that flourished between 1300 and 400 BC
 
Olympian
an athlete who participates in the Olympic games
 
Omaha
a member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in northeastern Nebraska
 
Omani
a native or inhabitant of Oman
 
Omar Khayyam
Persian poet and mathematician and astronomer whose poetry was popularized by Edward Fitzgerald's translation (1050-1123)
 
Omar Nelson Bradley
United States general who played an important role in the Allied victory in World War II (1893-1981)
 
ombudsman
a government appointee who investigates complaints by private persons against the government
 
omnivore
a person who eats all kinds of foods
 
oncologist
a specialist in oncology
 
one of the boys
a man who has been socially accepted into a group of other men
 
Oneida
a member of the Iroquoian people formerly living east of Lake Ontario
 
oneiromancer
someone who divines through the interpretation of dreams
 
onomancer
one who practices onomancy
 
Onondaga
a member of the Iroquoian people formerly living between Lake Champlain and the Saint Lawrence River
 
opener
a person who unfastens or unwraps or opens
 
opera star
singer of lead role in an opera
 
operagoer
a patron of the opera
 
operating surgeon
a physician who specializes in surgery
 
operator
someone who owns or operates a business
 
operator
a speculator who trades aggressively on stock or commodity markets
 
opponent
a contestant that you are matched against
 
opportunist
a person who places expediency above principle
 
oppressor
a person of authority who subjects others to undue pressures
 
optimist
a person disposed to take a favorable view of things
 
oracle
an authoritative person who divines the future
 
Oral Roberts
United States evangelist (born 1918)
 
Orangeman
a member of a society founded in Ireland in 1795 to uphold Protestantism and the British sovereign
 
orator
a person who delivers a speech or oration
 
orchestrator
an arranger who writes for orchestras
 
ordainer
a cleric who ordains; a cleric who admits someone to holy orders
 
orderer
someone who places an order to buy
 
orderer
an organizer who puts things in order
 
orderly
a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer
 
orderly sergeant
the first sergeant of a company; duties formerly included the conveyance of orders
 
ordinand
a person being ordained
 
ordinary
a judge of a probate court
 
ordinary
a clergyman appointed to prepare condemned prisoners for death
 
Oregonian
a native or resident of Oregon
 
organ donor
someone from whom an organ is taken for transplantation
 
organ-grinder
a street musician who plays a hand organ or hurdy-gurdy
 
organist
a person who plays an organ
 
organization man
an employee who sacrifices his own individuality for the good of an organization
 
orientalist
a specialist in oriental subjects
 
Origen
Greek philosopher and theologian who reinterpreted Christian doctrine through the philosophy of Neoplatonism; his work was later condemned as unorthodox (185-254)
 
Oriya
a member of a people in India living in Orissa and neighboring areas
 
Orlando di Lasso
Belgian composer (1532-1594)
 
Orleanist
a supporter of the Orleans branch of the Bourbons that was descended from a younger brother of Louis XIV
 
orphan
a child who has lost both parents
 
orphan
someone or something who lacks support or care or supervision
 
orthodontist
a dentist specializing in the prevention or correction of irregularities of the teeth
 
Orthodox Jew
Jew who practices strict observance of Mosaic law
 
orthoepist
a practitioner of orthoepy (especially one of the 17th or 18th century scholars who proposed to reform English spelling so it would reflect pronunciation more closely)
 
orthopaedist
a specialist in correcting deformities of the skeletal system (especially in children)
 
orthoptist
a specialist in orthoptics
 
Orville Wright
United States aviation pioneer who (with his brother Wilbur Wright) invented the airplane (1871-1948)
 
Osage
a member of the Siouan people formerly living in Missouri in the valleys of the Missouri and Osage rivers; oil was found on Osage lands early in the 20th century
 
Osama bin Laden
Arab terrorist who established al-Qaeda (born in 1957)
 
Oscan
an Oscan-speaking member of an ancient people of Campania
 
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde
Irish writer and wit (1854-1900)
 
Oscar Hammerstein II
United States lyricist who collaborated on many musical comedies (most successfully with Richard Rodgers) (1895-1960)
 
Oscar Palmer Robertson
United States basketball guard (born in 1938)
 
Osip Emilevich Mandelstam
Russian poet who died in a prison camp (1891-1938)
 
osteologer
an anatomist who is skilled is osteology
 
osteopath
a therapist who manipulates the skeleton and muscles
 
ostrich
a person who refuses to face reality or recognize the truth (a reference to the popular notion that the ostrich hides from danger by burying its head in the sand)
 
Ostrogoth
a member of the eastern group of Goths who created a kingdom in northern Italy around 500 AD
 
Ostyak
a member of the nomadic Ugrian people living in northwestern Siberia (east of the Urals)
 
Ostyak-Samoyed
one of the people of mixed Ostyak and Samoyed origin in Siberia
 
Oswald Spengler
German philosopher who argued that cultures grow and decay in cycles (1880-1936)
 
Oswald Veblen
United States mathematician (1880-1960)
 
Othman I
the conqueror of Turkey who founded the Ottoman Empire and the Ottoman dynasty that ruled Turkey after the 13th century; conquered most of Asia Minor and assumed the title of emir in 1299 (1259-1326)
 
Otho of Lagery
French pope from 1088 to 1099 whose sermons called for the First Crusade (1042-1099)
 
Otis Skinner
United States actor (1858-1942)
 
Otoe
a member of the Siouan people inhabiting the valleys of the Platte and Missouri rivers in Nebraska
 
Ottawa
a member of the Algonquian people of southern Ontario
 
Ottmar Mergenthaler
United States inventor (born in Germany) of the Linotype machine (1854-1899)
 
Otto Fritz Meyerhof
United States biochemist (born in Germany) who studied the metabolism of muscles (1884-1951)
 
Otto Hahn
German chemist who was co-discoverer with Lise Meitner of nuclear fission (1879-1968)
 
Otto Heinrich Warburg
German biochemist who pioneered the use of chemical techniques in biological investigations; noted for studies of cellular respiration (1883-1970)
 
Otto Loewi
United States pharmacologist (born in Germany) who was the first to show that acetylcholine is produced at the junction between a parasympathetic nerve and a muscle (1873-1961)
 
Otto Neumann Sverdrup
Norwegian explorer who led expeditions into the Arctic (1855-1930)
 
Otto Robert Frisch
British physicist (born in Austria) who with Lise Meitner recognized that Otto Hahn had produced a new kind of nuclear reaction which they named nuclear fission; Frisch described the explosive potential of a chain nuclear reaction (1904-1979)
 
Otto the Great
King of the Germans and Holy Roman Emperor (912-973)
 
Otto Wagner
Austrian architect and pioneer of modern architecture (1841-1918)
 
Ottoman Turk
a Turk (especially a Turk who is a member of the tribe of Osman I)
 
Ottorino Respighi
Italian composer remembered for his symphonic poems (1879-1936)
 
out-and-outer
someone who is excellent at something
 
outcaste
a person belonging to no caste
 
outdoor man
someone who enjoys outdoor activities
 
outdoorsman
a person who spends time outdoors (e.g., hunting or fishing)
 
outdoorswoman
a woman who spends time outdoors (e.g., hunting and fishing)
 
outfielder
a fielder in cricket who is stationed in the outfield
 
outfielder
(baseball) a person who plays in the outfield
 
outfitter
someone who sells men's clothes
 
outlier
a person who lives away from his place of work
 
outpatient
a patient who does not reside in the hospital where he is being treated
 
outrider
an escort who rides ahead (as a member of the vanguard)
 
outsider
a contestant (human or animal) not considered to have a good chance to win
 
overachiever
a student who attains higher standards than the IQ indicated
 
overcomer
someone who overcomes and establishes ascendancy and control by force or persuasion
 
overnighter
a guest who stays overnight
 
overseer
a person who directs and manages an organization
 
Owen Glendower
Welsh chieftain who led a revolt against Henry IV's rule in Wales (1359-1416)
 
Owen Wister
United States writer (1860-1938)
 
owner
a person who owns something
 
owner
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
 
owner-driver
a motorist who owns the car that he/she drives
 
owner-occupier
an occupant who owns the home that he/she lives in
 
Oxonian
a native or resident of Oxford
 
oyabun
a Japanese supervisor
 
P.O.
a noncommissioned officer in the Navy or Coast Guard with a rank comparable to sergeant in the Army
 
Pablo Casals
an outstanding Spanish cellist noted for his interpretation of Bach's cello suites (1876-1973)
 
Pablo Picasso
prolific and influential Spanish artist who lived in France (1881-1973)
 
pacha
a civil or military authority in Turkey or Egypt
 
pachuco
a Mexican-American teenager who belongs to a neighborhood gang and who dresses in showy clothes
 
packrat
a collector of miscellaneous useless objects
 
padrone
an employer who exploits Italian immigrants in the U.S.
 
padrone
an owner or proprietor of an inn in Italy
 
paedophile
an adult who is sexually attracted to children
 
pagan
a person who follows a polytheistic or pre-Christian religion (not a Christian or Muslim or Jew)
 
page
a youthful attendant at official functions or ceremonies such as legislative functions and weddings
 
page
a boy who is employed to run errands
 
page
in medieval times a youth acting as a knight's attendant as the first stage in training for knighthood
 
painter
an artist who paints
 
painter
a worker who is employed to cover objects with paint
 
Paiute
a member of either of two Shoshonean peoples (northern Paiute and southern Paiute) related to the Aztecs and living in the southwestern United States
 
Pakistani
a native or inhabitant of Pakistan
 
palatine
any of various important officials in ancient Rome
 
palatine
(Middle Ages) the lord of a palatinate who exercised sovereign powers over his lands
 
Paleo-American
a member of the Paleo-American peoples who were the earliest human inhabitants of North America and South America during the late Pleistocene epoch
 
paleographer
an archeologist skilled in paleography
 
Palestinian Arab
a descendant of the Arabs who inhabited Palestine
 
palooka
a second-rate prize fighter
 
Pamlico
a member of the Algonquian people formerly of the Pamlico river valley in North Carolina
 
pamphleteer
a writer of pamphlets (usually taking a partisan stand on public issues)
 
Panamanian
a native or inhabitant of Panama
 
Panchen Lama
the lama next in rank to the Dalai Lama
 
panderer
a person who serves or caters to the vulgar passions or plans of others (especially in order to make money)
 
panelist
a member of a panel
 
panhandler
a beggar who approaches strangers asking for money
 
Panini
Indian grammarian whose grammatical rules for Sanskrit are the first known example of descriptive linguistics (circa 400 BC)
 
pansexual
a person who participates in (or is open to) sexual activities of many kinds
 
Pantaloon
a buffoon in modern pantomimes; the butt of jokes
 
pantheist
someone who believes that God and the universe are the same
 
Paolo Veronese
Italian painter of the Venetian school (1528-1588)
 
paparazzo
a freelance photographer who pursues celebrities trying to take candid photographs of them to sell to newspapers or magazines
 
paper-pusher
a clerk or bureaucrat who does paperwork
 
paperboy
a boy who sells or delivers newspapers
 
paperer
one whose occupation is decorating walls with wallpaper
 
paperhanger
someone who passes bad checks or counterfeit paper money
 
papist
an offensive term for Roman Catholics; originally, a Roman Catholic who was a strong advocate of the papacy
 
papoose
an American Indian infant
 
Papuan
a native or inhabitant of Papua New Guinea or New Guinea
 
para I
(obstetrics) woman who has been delivered of a child for the first time
 
para
a soldier in the paratroops
 
parachute jumper
a person who jumps from aircraft using a parachute
 
paragrapher
a writer of paragraphs (as for publication on the editorial page of a newspaper)
 
Paraguayan
a native or inhabitant of Paraguay
 
paralytic
a person suffering from paralysis
 
paramedic
a person trained to assist medical professionals and to give emergency medical treatment
 
paranoiac
a person afflicted with paranoia
 
paraplegic
a person who has paraplegia (is paralyzed from the waist down)
 
paraprofessional
a trained worker who is not a member of a profession but who assists a professional
 
parapsychologist
someone who studies the evidence for such psychological phenomena as psychokinesis and telepathy and clairvoyance
 
pardoner
a medieval cleric who raised money for the church by selling papal indulgences
 
parent
a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
 
parer
a manicurist who trims the fingernails
 
paretic
a person afflicted with paresis (partial paralysis)
 
parishioner
a member of a parish
 
Parisian
a native or resident of Paris
 
Parisienne
a female native or resident of Paris
 
park commissioner
a commissioner in charge of public parks
 
parliamentarian
an expert in parliamentary rules and procedures
 
parliamentary agent
a person who is employed to look after the affairs of businesses that are affected by legislation of the British Parliament
 
parlormaid
a maid in a private home whose duties are to care for the parlor and the table and to answer the door
 
Parmenides
a presocratic Greek philosopher born in Italy; held the metaphysical view that being is the basic substance and ultimate reality of which all things are composed; said that motion and change are sensory illusions (5th century BC)
 
parolee
someone released on probation or on parole
 
parricide
someone who kills his or her parent
 
parrot
a copycat who does not understand the words or acts being imitated
 
Parsee
a member of a monotheistic sect of Zoroastrian origin; descended from the Persians; now found in western India
 
part-owner
a person who owns something in common with others
 
part-timer
someone who works less than the customary or standard time
 
partaker
someone who has or gives or receives a part or a share
 
Parthian
a native or inhabitant of Parthia
 
participant
someone who takes part in an activity
 
participant
a person who participates in or is skilled at some game
 
partitionist
an advocate of partitioning a country
 
partner
a person who is a member of a partnership
 
party
a person involved in legal proceedings
 
party girl
an attractive young woman hired to attend parties and entertain men
 
party liner
a member of a political party who follows strictly the party line
 
party whip
a legislator appointed by the party to enforce discipline
 
partygoer
someone who is attending a party
 
Pashtoon
a member of the mountain people living in the eastern regions of Afghanistan
 
pass catcher
a football player who catches (or is supposed to catch) a forward pass
 
Passamaquody
a member of the Algonquian people related to the Malecite and living in northeastern Maine and New Brunswick
 
passenger
a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
 
passer
a student who passes an examination
 
passer
a person who passes as a member of a different ethnic or racial group
 
passer
a person who passes by casually or by chance
 
passive source
an informant who is not assigned to obtain specific intelligence but who routinely passes on whatever information he or she has
 
past master
someone who has long and thorough experience in a given activity
 
past master
someone who was formerly a master
 
paster
a workman who pastes
 
pastry cook
a chef who specializes in pastry
 
patentee
the inventor to whom a patent is issued
 
pater
an informal use of the Latin word for father; sometimes used by British schoolboys or used facetiously
 
paterfamilias
the male head of family or tribe
 
patient
a person who requires medical care
 
patrial
a person who has the right to be considered legally a British citizen (by virtue of the birth of a parent or grandparent)
 
patriarch
a man who is older and higher in rank than yourself
 
patriarch
any of the early biblical characters regarded as fathers of the human race
 
patriarch
title for the heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (in Istanbul and Alexandria and Moscow and Jerusalem)
 
patrician
a person of refined upbringing and manners
 
patricide
a person who murders their father
 
Patrick Henry
a leader of the American Revolution and a famous orator who spoke out against British rule of the American colonies (1736-1799)
 
Patrick Victor Martindale White
Australian writer (1912-1990)
 
patroller
someone on patrol duty; an individual or a member of a group that patrols an area
 
patron
the proprietor of an inn
 
patron saint
a saint who is considered to be a defender of some group or nation
 
patron
someone who supports or champions something
 
patroness
a woman who is a patron or the wife of a patron
 
patternmaker
someone who makes patterns (as for sewing or carpentry or metalworking)
 
Patwin
a member of the North American Indian people living in the Sacramento valley in California
 
patzer
a poor chess player
 
Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac
English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984)
 
Paul Bunyan
a legendary giant lumberjack of the north woods of the United States and Canada
 
Paul Bustill Robeson
United States bass singer and an outspoken critic of racism and proponent of socialism (1898-1976)
 
Paul Cezanne
French Post-impressionist painter who influenced modern art (especially cubism) by stressing the structural components latent in nature (1839-1906)
 
Paul Dukas
French composer (1865-1935)
 
Paul Ehrlich
German bacteriologist who found a `magic bullet' to cure syphilis and was a pioneer in the study of immunology (1854-1915)
 
Paul Gauguin
French Post-impressionist painter who worked in the South Pacific (1848-1903)
 
Paul Heinrich Dietrich
French philosopher (born in Germany) famous as being one of the first self-described atheists in Europe
 
Paul Hermann Muller
Swiss chemist who synthesized DDT and discovered its use as an insecticide (1899-1965)
 
Paul Hindemith
German neoclassical composer and conductor who believed that music should have a social purpose (1895-1963)
 
Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse
German writer (1830-1914)
 
Paul Johannes Tillich
United States theologian (born in Germany) (1886-1965)
 
Paul John Flory
United States chemist who developed methods for studying long-chain molecules (1910-1985)
 
Paul Joseph Goebbels
German propaganda minister in Nazi Germany who persecuted the Jews (1897-1945)
 
Paul Klee
Swiss painter influenced by Kandinsky (1879-1940)
 
Paul Leonard Newman
United States film actor (born in 1925)
 
Paul Ludwig von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg
German field marshal and statesman; as president of the Weimar Republic he reluctantly appointed Hitler as chancellor in 1933 (1847-1934)
 
Paul Revere
American silversmith remembered for his midnight ride (celebrated in a poem by Longfellow) to warn the colonists in Lexington and Concord that British troops were coming (1735-1818)
 
Paul Simon
United States singer and songwriter (born in 1942)
 
Paul Verlaine
French symbolist poet (1844-1896)
 
Paul Vernier
French mathematician who described the vernier scale (1580-1637)
 
pauper
a person who is very poor
 
pavement artist
someone who draws on the pavement with colored chalks (hoping that passers-by will give them money)
 
pawer
a person who handles or caresses in a clumsy or overfamiliar manner
 
pawnbroker
a person who lends money at interest in exchange for personal property that is deposited as security
 
Pawnee
a member of the Pawnee nation formerly living in Nebraska and Kansas but now largely in Oklahoma
 
payee
a person to whom money is paid
 
payer
a person who pays money for something
 
paymaster
a person in charge of paying wages
 
paynim
a heathen; a person who is not a Christian (especially a Muslim)
 
PCP
a person who helps in identifying or preventing or treating illness or disability
 
peacekeeper
someone who keeps peace
 
peacekeeper
a member of a military force that is assigned (often with international sanction) to preserve peace in a trouble area
 
peanut
a young child who is small for his age
 
pearl diver
a diver who searches for molluscs containing pearls
 
Pearl Mae Bailey
United States singer (1918-1990)
 
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck
United States author whose novels drew on her experiences as a missionary in China (1892-1973)
 
peasant
one of a (chiefly European) class of agricultural laborers
 
pedaler
a person who rides a pedal-driven vehicle (as a bicycle)
 
pedodontist
a dentist who specializes in the care of children's teeth
 
Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Spanish poet and dramatist considered one of the great Spanish writers (1600-1681)
 
peeler
a worker who peels the skins from fruits and vegetables
 
Peeping Tom
a viewer who enjoys seeing the sex acts or sex organs of others
 
peer
a nobleman (duke or marquis or earl or viscount or baron) who is a member of the British peerage
 
peer of the realm
a peer who is entitled to sit in the House of Lords
 
Pelagius
a British or Irish monk who denied the doctrines of original sin and predestination and defended human goodness and free will; his views were declared heretical by the Council of Ephesus in 431 (circa 360-418)
 
Pelham Grenville Wodehouse
English writer known for his humorous novels and stories (1881-1975)
 
pelter
a thrower of missiles
 
pen pal
a person you come to know by frequent friendly correspondence
 
pencil pusher
a clerk who does boring paperwork
 
pendragon
the supreme war chief of the ancient Britons
 
penetrator
an intruder who passes into or through (often by overcoming resistance)
 
penitent
(Roman Catholic Church) a person who repents for wrongdoing (a Roman Catholic may be admitted to penance under the direction of a confessor)
 
penman
informal terms for journalists
 
penny pincher
someone who is excessively careful with money (who pinches every penny before letting go of it)
 
Penobscot
a member of the Algonquian people belonging to the Abnaki confederacy and living in the Penobscot valley in northern Maine
 
penologist
a person who studies the theory and practice of prison management
 
pensionary
the beneficiary of a pension fund
 
pentathlete
an athlete who competes in a pentathlon
 
Pentecostalist
any member of a Pentecostal religious body
 
Penutian
a member of a North American Indian people speaking one of the Penutian languages
 
Pepin the Short
king of the Franks and father of Charlemagne who defended papal interests and founded the Carolingian dynasty in 751 (714-768)
 
percher
a person situated on a perch
 
Percival Lowell
United States astronomer whose studies of Mars led him to conclude that Mars was inhabited (1855-1916)
 
percussionist
a musician who plays percussion instruments
 
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Englishman and romantic poet (1792-1822)
 
Pere Jacques Marquette
French missionary who accompanied Louis Joliet in exploring the upper Mississippi River valley (1637-1675)
 
perfecter
a skilled worker who perfects something
 
perfectionist
a person who is displeased by anything that does not meet very high standards
 
performer
an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience
 
perfumer
a person who makes (and sells) perfumes
 
peri
a beautiful and graceful girl
 
Pericles
Athenian statesman whose leadership contributed to Athens' political and cultural supremacy in Greece; he ordered the construction of the Parthenon (died in 429 BC)
 
perinatologist
an obstetrician specializing in perinatology
 
periodontist
a dentist specializing in diseases of the gums and other structure surrounding the teeth
 
peripatetic
a person who walks from place to place
 
perisher
bounder
 
peroxide blond
a blond whose hair is bleached with peroxide
 
persecutor
someone who torments
 
person of color
(formal) any non-European non-white person
 
persona grata
a diplomat who is acceptable to the government to which he is sent
 
persona non grata
a diplomat who is unacceptable to the government to which he is sent
 
persona non grata
a person who for some reason is not wanted or welcome
 
personage
another word for person; a person not meriting identification
 
personal representative
a person who manages the affairs of another
 
personality
a person of considerable prominence
 
personification
a person who represents an abstract quality
 
perspirer
a person who perspires
 
Peruvian
a native or inhabitant of Peru
 
peshmerga
a member of a Kurdish guerilla organization that fights for a free Kurdish state
 
pessimist
a person who expects the worst
 
Peter Alexander Ustinov
British actor and playwright (1921-2004)
 
Peter Behrens
German architect known for his simple utilitarian factory buildings (1868-1940)
 
Peter Carl Faberge
Russian goldsmith noted for creating a series of jeweled and enameled Easter eggs for European royalty (1846-1920)
 
Peter Carl Goldmark
United States inventor (born in Hungary) who made the first TV broadcast in 1940 and invented the long-playing record in 1948 and pioneered videocassette recording (1906-1977)
 
Peter Cooper
United States industrialist who built the first American locomotive; founded Cooper Union in New York City to offer free courses in the arts and sciences (1791-1883)
 
Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
important Russian composer whose works are noted for their expressive melodies (1840-1893)
 
Peter Mark Roget
English physician who in retirement compiled a well-known thesaurus (1779-1869)
 
Peter Minnewit
Dutch colonist who bought Manhattan from the Native Americans for the equivalent of $24 (1580-1638)
 
Peter Pan
a boyish or immature man; after the boy in Barrie's play who never grows up
 
Peter Paul Mauser
German arms manufacturer and inventor of a repeating rifle and pistol (1838-1914)
 
Peter Seamus O'Toole
British actor (born in Ireland in 1932)
 
Peter Seeger
United States folk singer who was largely responsible for the interest in folk music in the 1960s (born in 1919)
 
Peter Sellers
English comic actor (1925-1980)
 
Peter the Great
czar of Russia who introduced ideas from western Europe to reform the government; he extended his territories in the Baltic and founded St. Petersburg (1682-1725)
 
petit bourgeois
a member of the lower middle class
 
petit juror
a member of a petit jury
 
petitioner
one praying humbly for something
 
petitioner
someone who petitions a court for redress of a grievance or recovery of a right
 
Petronius Arbiter
Roman satirist (died in 66)
 
Petrus Stuyvesant
the last Dutch colonial administrator of New Netherland; in 1664 he was forced to surrender the colony to England (1592-1672)
 
pettifogger
a person (especially a lawyer or politician) who uses unscrupulous or unethical methods
 
Pharaoh of Egypt
the title of the ancient Egyptian kings
 
Pharisee
a member of an ancient Jewish sect noted for strict obedience to Jewish traditions
 
pharisee
a self-righteous or sanctimonious person
 
pharmaceutical chemist
someone trained in the science of drugs (their composition and uses and effects)
 
Pheidias
ancient Greek sculptor (circa 500-432 BC)
 
philanderer
a man who likes many women and has short sexual relationships with them
 
philatelist
a collector and student of postage stamps
 
Philemon
(New Testament) a Christian (probably living in Colossae) whose slave escaped and went to see Saint Paul
 
Philemon
(Greek mythology) a simple countryman who offered hospitality to Zeus and Hermes when they came to earth without revealing their identities in order to test people's piety
 
Philibert de l'Orme
French royal architect who built the Tuileries Palace and Gardens in Paris for Catherine de Medicis (1515-1570)
 
Philip Augustus
son of Louis VII whose reign as king of France saw wars with the English that regained control of Normandy and Anjou and most of Poitou (1165-1223)
 
Philip II of Macedon
king of ancient Macedonia and father of Alexander the Great (382-336 BC)
 
Philip II of Spain
king of Spain and Portugal and husband of Mary I; he supported the Counter Reformation and sent the Spanish Armada to invade England (1527-1598)
 
Philip Michael Ondaatje
Canadian writer (born in Sri Lanka in 1943)
 
Philip Milton Roth
United States writer whose novels portray middle-class Jewish life (born in 1933)
 
Philip of Valois
king of France who founded the Valois dynasty; his dispute with Edward III over his succession led to the Hundred Years' War (1293-1350)
 
Philip V
king of ancient Macedonia whose confrontations with the Romans led to his defeat and his loss of control over Greece
 
Philip Warren Anderson
United States physicist who studied the electronic structure of magnetic and disordered systems (1923-)
 
Philipp Lenard
German physicist who studied cathode rays (1862-1947)
 
Philipp Melanchthon
German theologian and Luther's successor as leader of the Reformation in Germany (1497-1560)
 
Philippian
a native or inhabitant of Philippi in ancient Macedonia
 
Philistine
a member of an Aegean people who settled ancient Philistia around the 12th century BC
 
Phillis Wheatley
American poet (born in Africa) who was the first recognized Black writer in America (1753-1784)
 
philologist
a humanist specializing in classical scholarship
 
philomath
a lover of learning
 
philosopher
a specialist in philosophy
 
philosopher
a wise person who is calm and rational; someone who lives a life of reason with equanimity
 
philosophiser
someone who considers situations from a philosophical point of view
 
Phineas Taylor Barnum
United States showman who popularized the circus (1810-1891)
 
Phintias
friend of Damon; Phintias (according to legend) was condemned to death by Dionysius the Elder and asked a respite to put his affairs in order; Damon pledged his life for the return of his friend; when Phintias returned in time the tyrant released them both (4th century BC)
 
phlebotomist
someone who practices phlebotomy
 
Phoenician
a member of an ancient Semitic people who dominated trade in the first millennium B.C.
 
phone tapper
someone who wiretaps a telephone or telegraph wire
 
phonetician
a specialist in phonetics
 
phonologist
a specialist in phonology
 
Photius
Patriarch of Constantinople and saint of the Greek Orthodox Church; was condemned by the Fourth Council of Constantinople in 869 but was reinstated by a later pope
 
photographer's model
a model who poses for photographers
 
photojournalist
a journalist who presents a story primarily through the use of photographs
 
photometrician
someone who practices photometry
 
Phrygian
a native or inhabitant of Phrygia
 
physical therapist
therapist who treats injury or dysfunction with exercises and other physical treatments of the disorder
 
physicist
a scientist trained in physics
 
physiologist
a biologist specializing in physiology
 
phytochemist
a chemist who specializes in the chemistry of plants
 
PI
the scientist in charge of an experiment or research project
 
PI
someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
 
pianist
a person who plays the piano
 
piano maker
a person who makes pianos
 
piano teacher
someone who teaches students to play the piano
 
piano tuner
someone who tunes pianos
 
picador
the horseman who pricks the bull with a lance early in the bullfight to goad the bull and to make it keep its head low
 
picaninny
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a Black child
 
picker
someone who gathers crops or fruits etc.
 
picket
a protester posted by a labor organization outside a place of work
 
picknicker
a person who is picnicking
 
pickup
a casual acquaintance; often made in hope of sexual relationships
 
pied piper
a leader who entices people to follow (especially to their doom)
 
Pier Luigi Nervi
Italian architect who pioneered in the use of reinforced concrete (1891-1979)
 
Pierre Abelard
French philosopher and theologian; lover of Heloise (1079-1142)
 
Pierre Athanase Larousse
French lexicographer (1817-1875)
 
Pierre Auguste Renoir
French impressionist painter (1841-1919)
 
Pierre Boulez
French composer of serial music (born in 1925)
 
Pierre Charles L'Enfant
United States architect (born in France) who laid out the city plan for Washington (1754-1825)
 
Pierre Corneille
French tragic dramatist whose plays treat grand moral themes in elegant verse (1606-1684)
 
Pierre Curie
French physicist; husband of Marie Curie (1859-1906)
 
Pierre de Fermat
French mathematician who founded number theory; contributed (with Pascal) to the theory of probability (1601-1665)
 
Pierre Joseph Proudhon
French socialist who argued that property is theft (1809-1865)
 
Pierre Simon de Laplace
French mathematician and astronomer who formulated the nebular hypothesis concerning the origins of the solar system and who developed the theory of probability (1749-1827)
 
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
French paleontologist and philosopher (1881-1955)
 
Pierre-Paul Broca
French anthropologist who studied the craniums and brains of different people; remembered for his discovery that articulate speech depends on an area of the brain now known as Broca's area (1824-1880)
 
Piet Mondrian
Dutch painter whose work (intersecting lines at right angles and planes in primary colors) influenced the development of abstract art (1872-1944)
 
Pieter Brueghel the Elder
Flemish painter of landscapes (1525-1569)
 
Pieter Zeeman
Dutch physicist honored for his research on the influence of magnetism on radiation which showed that light is radiated by the motion of charged particles in an atom (1865-1943)
 
pig
a coarse obnoxious person
 
pigman
a herder or swine
 
pigmy
an unusually small individual
 
pilferer
a thief who steals without using violence
 
pilgrim
someone who journeys in foreign lands
 
pilgrim
someone who journeys to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion
 
Pilgrim Father
one of the colonists from England who sailed to America on the Mayflower and founded the colony of Plymouth in New England in 1620
 
pill
a unpleasant or tiresome person
 
pillar of strength
a person who can be relied on to give a great deal of support and comfort
 
pilot
a person qualified to guide ships through difficult waters going into or out of a harbor
 
Piltdown hoax
a supposedly primitive man later proven to be a hoax
 
Pima
a member of the North American Indian people living in southern Arizona and northern Mexico
 
pinch hitter
(baseball) a substitute for the regular batter
 
Pinchas Zukerman
Israeli violinist (born in 1948)
 
pinchgut
a niggardly person who starves himself (and others)
 
Pindar
Greek lyric poet remembered for his odes (518?-438? BC)
 
pink
a person with mildly leftist political views
 
pioneer
one of the first colonists or settlers in a new territory
 
pip-squeak
someone who is small and insignificant
 
pipe fitter
a craftsman who installs and repairs pipes and fixtures and appliances
 
pipe major
the chief piper in a band of bagpipes
 
pipe smoker
a smoker who uses a pipe
 
Pisces
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Pisces
 
pisser
a person who urinates
 
pistoleer
someone armed with a pistol (especially a soldier so armed)
 
pitching coach
an assistant baseball coach in charge of pitchers
 
pitchman
an aggressive salesman who uses a fast line of talk to sell something
 
pivot
the person in a rank around whom the others wheel and maneuver
 
placeholder
a person authorized to act for another
 
placekicker
(football) a kicker who makes a place kick for a goal
 
placeman
a disparaging term for an appointee
 
placer miner
a miner who extracts minerals from a placer by washing or dredging
 
Placido Domingo
Spanish operatic tenor noted for performances in operas by Verdi and Puccini (born in 1941)
 
plainclothesman
a detective who wears civilian clothes on duty
 
plainsman
an inhabitant of a plains region (especially the Great Plains of North America)
 
plaiter
someone who plaits (hair or fabric etc.)
 
planet
a person who follows or serves another
 
plant
an actor situated in the audience whose acting is rehearsed but seems spontaneous to the audience
 
plantation owner
the owner or manager of a plantation
 
planter
a worker who puts or sets seeds or seedlings into the ground
 
plaster saint
a person (considered to be) without human failings
 
plasterer
a worker skilled in applying plaster
 
platelayer
a workman who lays and repairs railroad tracks
 
plater
a skilled worker who coats articles with a film of metal (usually silver or gold)
 
platinum blond
a blond whose hair is a pale silvery (often artificially colored) blond
 
platitudinarian
a bore who makes excessive use of platitudes
 
Plato
ancient Athenian philosopher; pupil of Socrates; teacher of Aristotle (428-347 BC)
 
Platonist
an advocate of Platonism
 
player
a person who pursues a number of different social and sexual partners simultaneously
 
playfellow
a companion at play
 
playgoer
someone who attends the theater
 
playmaker
a player in a team sport who leads attacks or maneuvers in such a way that a teammate can score
 
pleaser
a pleasing entertainer
 
pleb
one of the common people
 
pledge
someone accepted for membership but not yet fully admitted to the group
 
pledge taker
a volunteer who records (usually by telephone) contributions pledged in a fund drive
 
pledgee
someone to whom a pledge is made or someone with whom something is deposited as a pledge
 
pledger
someone who makes or gives a pledge
 
plenipotentiary
a diplomat who is fully authorized to represent his or her government
 
plier
someone who plies a trade
 
plodder
someone who works slowly and monotonously for long hours
 
plodder
someone who walks in a laborious heavy-footed manner
 
plodder
someone who moves slowly
 
Plotinus
Roman philosopher (born in Egypt) who was the leading representative of Neoplatonism (205-270)
 
plotter
a planner who draws up a personal scheme of action
 
ploughboy
a boy who leads the animals that draw a plow
 
ploughman
a man who plows
 
ploughwright
a workman who makes and repairs plows
 
plug-ugly
someone who bullies weaker people
 
plunger
someone who risks losses for the possibility of considerable gains
 
pluralist
someone who believes that distinct ethnic or cultural or religious groups can exist together in society
 
pluralist
a philosopher who believes that no single explanation can account for all the phenomena of nature
 
pluralist
a cleric who holds more than one benefice at a time
 
Plutarch
Greek biographer who wrote Parallel Lives (46?-120 AD)
 
plutocrat
someone who exercises power by virtue of wealth
 
poacher
someone who hunts or fishes illegally on the property of another
 
poet
a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
 
poet laureate
the poet officially appointed to the royal household in Great Britain
 
poet laureate
a poet who is unofficially regarded as holding an honorary position in a particular group or region
 
poetess
a woman poet
 
poetiser
a writer who composes rhymes; a maker of poor verses (usually used as terms of contempt for minor or inferior poets)
 
poilu
a French soldier (especially in World War I)
 
point man
a soldier who goes ahead of a patrol
 
point man
someone who is the forefront of an important enterprise
 
point woman
a woman who is the forefront of an important enterprise
 
pointillist
a painter who uses the technique of pointillism
 
pointsman
a policeman stationed at an intersection to direct traffic
 
poisoner
someone who kills with poison
 
pol
a person active in party politics
 
polack
a person of Polish descent
 
Pole
a native or inhabitant of Poland
 
pole jumper
an athlete who jumps over a high crossbar with the aid of a long pole
 
polemic
a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
 
police commissioner
a civil commissioner appointed to supervise the duties and discipline of the police
 
police matron
a woman policeman
 
police sergeant
a lawman with the rank of sergeant
 
policy maker
someone who sets the plan pursued by a government or business etc.
 
policyholder
a person who holds an insurance policy; usually, the client in whose name an insurance policy is written
 
political dissident
a dissenter from political orthodoxy
 
political prisoner
someone who is imprisoned because of their political views
 
political scientist
a social scientist specializing in the study of government
 
politician
a leader engaged in civil administration
 
politician
a schemer who tries to gain advantage in an organization in sly or underhanded ways
 
poltergeist
a ghost that announces its presence with rapping and the creation of disorder
 
polyandrist
a woman with two or more husbands
 
polygamist
someone who is married to two or more people at the same time
 
polygynist
a man with two or more wives
 
polymath
a person of great and varied learning
 
Polynesian
a native or inhabitant of Polynesia
 
polytheist
one who believes in a plurality of gods
 
pom
a disparaging term for a British person
 
Pomo
a member of an Indian people of northern California living along the Russian River valley and adjacent Pacific coast
 
pomologist
someone versed in pomology or someone who cultivates fruit trees
 
ponce
a man who is effeminate in his manner and fussy in the way he dresses
 
Ponka
a member of the Siouan people of the Missouri river valley in northeastern Nebraska
 
Pontiac
famous chief of the Ottawa who led an unsuccessful rebellion against the British (1715-1769)
 
pontifex
a member of the highest council of priests in ancient Rome
 
Pontius Pilate
the Roman procurator of Judea who ordered that Jesus be crucified (died in AD 36)
 
pool player
someone who shoots pool
 
pooler
someone who shares in and contributes to a general fund for use by all
 
poor devil
someone you feel sorry for
 
poor white trash
(slang) an offensive term for White people who are impoverished
 
Pope Alexander VI
Pope and father of Cesare Borgia and Lucrezia Borgia (1431-1503)
 
popinjay
a vain and talkative person (chatters like a parrot)
 
populariser
someone who makes something attractive to the general public
 
populist
someone who advocates the rights of the common people over those of the elite
 
pork butcher
a vendor of pork and products made from pork
 
porn merchant
someone who presents shows or sells writing or pictures that are sexually explicit in violation of the community mores
 
port watcher
a watchman on a wharf
 
porter
a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
 
Portuguese
a native or inhabitant of Portugal
 
poser
a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
 
poseuse
a woman poseur
 
positivist
someone who emphasizes observable facts and excludes metaphysical speculation about origins or ultimate causes
 
posseman
an able-bodied man serving as a member of a posse
 
possible
an applicant who might be suitable
 
post doc
a scholar or researcher who is involved in academic study beyond the level of a doctoral degree
 
Post-impressionist
an artist of the Postimpressionist school who revolted against Impressionism
 
poster boy
a male poster child
 
poster child
a child afflicted by some disease or deformity whose picture is used on posters to raise money for charitable purposes
 
poster girl
a female poster child
 
postilion
someone who rides the near horse of a pair in order to guide the horses pulling a carriage (especially a carriage without a coachman)
 
postmaster
the person in charge of a post office
 
postmaster general
the official in charge of the national postal service
 
postmature infant
infant born after 42 weeks of gestation; usually shows signs of placental insufficiency
 
postmistress
a woman postmaster
 
postulant
one submitting a request or application especially one seeking admission into a religious order
 
postulator
someone who assumes or takes something for granted as the basis of an argument
 
postulator
(Roman Catholic Church) someone who proposes or pleads for a candidate for beatification or canonization
 
posturer
someone who behaves in a manner calculated to impress or mislead others
 
Potawatomi
a member of the Algonquian people originally of Michigan and Wisconsin
 
potboy
a worker in an inn or public house who serves customers and does various chores
 
potholer
a person who explores caves
 
pothunter
someone who hunts for food (not for sport)
 
pothunter
someone who participates in contests in order to collect trophies
 
pothunter
a nonprofessional archeologist
 
potterer
a person who putters about
 
poulterer
a dealer in poultry and poultry products
 
POW
a person who surrenders to (or is taken by) the enemy in time of war
 
powder monkey
someone who carries explosives (as from the magazine to the guns on board a warship)
 
powderer
someone who applies or scatters powder
 
power broker
a person who is important by virtue of the people or votes they control
 
power user
(computing) a computer user who needs the fastest and most powerful computers available
 
power worker
a worker at a power station
 
Powhatan
a member of the Algonquian people who formerly lived in eastern Virginia
 
PR man
someone employed to arrange publicity (for a firm or a public figure)
 
practice teacher
a college student who is teaching under the supervision of a certified teacher in order to qualify for a degree in education
 
practician
someone who practices a learned profession
 
praetor
an annually elected magistrate of the ancient Roman Republic
 
Praetorian Guard
a member of the Praetorian Guard
 
pragmatist
a person who takes a practical approach to problems and is concerned primarily with the success or failure of her actions
 
pragmatist
an adherent of philosophical pragmatism
 
prattler
someone who speaks in a childish way
 
Praxiteles
ancient Greek sculptor (circa 370-330 BC)
 
prayer
someone who prays to God
 
Pre-Raphaelite
a painter or writer dedicated to restoring early Renaissance ideals
 
pre-Socratic
any philosopher who lived before Socrates
 
preacher
someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel
 
prebendary
a canon who receives a prebend for serving the church
 
predecessor
one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
 
preemie
an infant that is born prior to 37 weeks of gestation
 
preemptor
a bidder in bridge who makes a preemptive bid
 
preemptor
someone who acquires land by preemption
 
prefect
a chief officer or chief magistrate
 
presbyope
a person with presbyopia; someone who is farsighted resulting from the progressive loss with aging of the elasticity of the crystalline lens
 
presbyter
an elder in the Presbyterian Church
 
Presbyterian
a follower of Calvinism as taught in the Presbyterian Church
 
presenter
someone who presents a message of some sort (as a petition or an address or a check or a memorial etc.)
 
presenter
an advocate who presents a person (as for an award or a degree or an introduction etc.)
 
presentist
a theologian who believes that the Scripture prophecies of the Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation) are being fulfilled at the present time
 
preservationist
someone who advocates the preservation of historical sites or endangered species or natural areas
 
preserver
someone who keeps safe from harm or danger
 
preserver
a cook who preserves fruits or meat
 
preserver
a skilled worker who is employed to restore or refinish buildings or antique furniture
 
president
the chief executive of a republic
 
president
an executive officer of a firm or corporation
 
President Abraham Lincoln
16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)
 
President Andrew Johnson
17th President of the United States; was elected vice president and succeeded Lincoln when Lincoln was assassinated; was impeached but acquitted by one vote (1808-1875)
 
President Benjamin Harrison
23rd President of the United States (1833-1901)
 
President Buchanan
15th President of the United States (1791-1868)
 
President Coolidge
elected vice president and succeeded as 30th President of the United States when Harding died in 1923 (1872-1933)
 
President Fillmore
elected vice president and became the 13th President of the United States when Zachary Taylor died in office (1800-1874)
 
President Franklin Roosevelt
32nd President of the United States; elected four times; instituted New Deal to counter the Great Depression and led country during World War II (1882-1945)
 
President George W. Bush
43rd President of the United States; son of George Herbert Walker Bush (born in 1946)
 
President Jefferson
3rd President of the United States; chief drafter of the Declaration of Independence; made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and sent out the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore it (1743-1826)
 
President John Adams
2nd President of the United States (1735-1826)
 
President John F. Kennedy
35th President of the United States; established the Peace Corps; assassinated in Dallas (1917-1963)
 
President John Quincy Adams
6th President of the United States; son of John Adams (1767-1848)
 
President Lyndon Johnson
36th President of the United States; was elected vice president and succeeded Kennedy when Kennedy was assassinated (1908-1973)
 
President Madison
4th President of the United States; member of the Continental Congress and rapporteur at the Constitutional Convention in 1776; helped frame the Bill of Rights (1751-1836)
 
President McKinley
25th President of the United States; was assassinated by an anarchist (1843-1901)
 
President Monroe
5th President of the United States; author of the Monroe Doctrine (1758-1831)
 
President of the United States
the person who holds the office of head of state of the United States government
 
President Pierce
14th President of the United States (1804-1869)
 
President Taylor
12th President of the United States; died in office (1784-1850)
 
President Theodore Roosevelt
26th President of the United States; hero of the Spanish-American War; Panama Canal was built during his administration
 
President Truman
elected vice president in Roosevelt's 4th term; became 33rd President of the United States on Roosevelt's death in 1945 and was elected President in 1948; authorized the use of atomic bombs against Japan (1884-1972)
 
President Tyler
elected vice president and became the 10th President of the United States when Harrison died (1790-1862)
 
President Van Buren
8th President of the United States (1782-1862)
 
President Washington
1st President of the United States; commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1732-1799)
 
President William Henry Harrison
9th President of the United States; caught pneumonia during his inauguration and died shortly after (1773-1841)
 
president
the head administrative officer of a college or university
 
presiding officer
the leader of a group meeting
 
press lord
a powerful newspaper proprietor
 
press photographer
a photographer who works for a newspaper
 
pressman
someone whose occupation is printing
 
preteen
a preadolescent boy or girl (usually between 9 and 12 years of age)
 
Pretender
a claimant to the throne or to the office of ruler (usually without just title)
 
preterist
a theologian who believes that the Scripture prophecies of the Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation) have already been fulfilled
 
prevailing party
the party in a lawsuit who obtains a judgment in their own favor
 
priest
a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders
 
priest-doctor
in societies practicing shamanism: one acting as a medium between the visible and spirit worlds; practices sorcery for healing or divination
 
priestess
a woman priest
 
prig
a person regarded as arrogant and annoying
 
prima ballerina
a leading female ballet dancer
 
prima donna
a vain and temperamental person
 
primary care physician
the physician who provides primary care
 
Prime Minister
the person who holds the position of head of the government in the United Kingdom
 
primitive
a person who belongs to an early stage of civilization
 
primogenitor
an ancestor in the direct line
 
primus
the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church of Scotland
 
prince
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
 
Prince Charles
the eldest son of Elizabeth II and heir to the English throne (born in 1948)
 
prince charming
a suitor who fulfills the dreams of his beloved
 
prince consort
a prince who is the husband of a reigning female sovereign
 
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Austrian general in the service of the Holy Roman Empire during the War of the Spanish Succession (1663-1736)
 
Prince Fumimaro Konoye
Japanese statesman who set Japan's expansionist policies and formed an alliance with Germany and Italy (1891-1945)
 
Prince Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar von Metternich
Austrian statesman (1773-1859)
 
Prince of Wales
the male heir apparent of the British sovereign
 
Prince Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck
German statesman under whose leadership Germany was united (1815-1898)
 
Prince Rupert
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
 
princeling
a young prince
 
princeling
a petty or insignificant prince who rules some unimportant principality
 
princess
a female member of a royal family other than the queen (especially the daughter of a sovereign)
 
Princess Grace of Monaco
United States film actress who retired when she married into the royal family of Monaco (1928-1982)
 
princess royal
the eldest daughter of a British sovereign
 
principal
(criminal law) any person involved in a criminal offense, regardless of whether the person profits from such involvement
 
print seller
someone who sells etchings and engravings etc.
 
printer's devil
an apprentice in a printing establishment
 
prior
the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot
 
prison chaplain
a chaplain in a prison
 
private citizen
a citizen who does not hold any official or public position
 
privateer
an officer or crew member of a privateer
 
pro
an athlete who plays for pay
 
pro-lifer
an advocate of full legal protection for embryos and fetuses; someone opposed to legalized induced abortion
 
probability theorist
a mathematician who specializes in probability theory
 
probable
an applicant likely to be chosen
 
probation officer
the officer of the court who supervises probationers
 
probationer
a nurse in training who is undergoing a trial period
 
process-server
someone who personally delivers a process (a writ compelling attendance in court) or court papers to the defendant
 
processor
someone who processes things (foods or photographs or applicants etc.)
 
proconsul
a provincial governor of consular rank in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire
 
proconsul
an official in a modern colony who has considerable administrative power
 
proctologist
a doctor specializing in diseases of the rectum and anus
 
procurator
(ancient Rome) someone employed by the Roman Emperor to manage finance and taxes
 
procurer
someone who obtains or acquires
 
procuress
a woman pimp
 
prodigal
a recklessly extravagant consumer
 
prodigy
an unusually gifted or intelligent (young) person; someone whose talents excite wonder and admiration
 
producer
someone who finds financing for and supervises the making and presentation of a show (play or film or program or similar work)
 
prof
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
 
professional tennis player
someone who earns a living playing or teaching tennis
 
professional
a person engaged in one of the learned professions
 
profit taker
someone who sells stock shares at a profit
 
profiteer
someone who makes excessive profit (especially on goods in short supply)
 
projectionist
the person who operates the projector in a movie house
 
prole
a member of the working class (not necessarily employed)
 
promisee
a person to whom a promise is made
 
promiser
a person who makes a promise
 
prompter
someone who assists a performer by providing the next words of a forgotten speech
 
promulgator
(law) one who promulgates laws (announces a law as a way of putting it into execution)
 
proofreader
someone who reads proof in order to find errors and mark corrections
 
propagandist
a person who disseminates messages calculated to assist some cause or some government
 
propagator
someone who propagates plants (as under glass)
 
property man
member of the stage crew in charge of properties
 
prophet
someone who speaks by divine inspiration; someone who is an interpreter of the will of God
 
prophetess
a woman prophet
 
proposer
someone who advances a suggestion or proposal
 
propositus
the person immediately affected by or concerned with an action
 
proprietress
a woman proprietor
 
prosecuting attorney
a government official who conducts criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state
 
proselyte
a new convert; especially a gentile converted to Judaism
 
prospector
someone who explores an area for mineral deposits
 
Prosper Meniere
French otologist who first described a form of vertigo now known as Meniere's disease and identified the semicircular canals as the site of the lesion (1799-1862)
 
Prospero Lambertini
pope who was a patron of the arts and who denounced the cruelty to the indigenous peoples of South America (1675-1758)
 
prosthetist
an expert in prosthetics
 
prosthodontist
a dentist who is expert in prosthodontics
 
protectionist
an advocate of protectionism
 
protege
a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
 
protegee
a woman protege
 
Protestant
an adherent of Protestantism
 
Protestant deacon
a Protestant layman who assists the minister
 
protozoologist
a zoologist who studies protozoans
 
provider
someone who provides the means for subsistence
 
provider
someone whose business is to supply a particular service or commodity
 
provincial
(Roman Catholic Church) an official in charge of an ecclesiastical province acting under the superior general of a religious order
 
provisioner
a supplier of victuals or supplies to an army
 
provost
a high-ranking university administrator
 
provost marshal
the supervisor of the military police
 
prowler
someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful intentions
 
prude
a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum
 
pruner
a worker who thins out and trims trees and shrubs
 
Prussian
a German inhabitant of Prussia
 
psalmist
a composer of sacred songs
 
psephologist
a sociologist who studies election trends
 
pseudohermaphrodite
someone having external genitalia of one sex and internal sex organs of the other sex; not a true hermaphrodite because there is no ambiguity in the sex of the external genitalia and hence no question about gender at birth
 
psyche
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
 
psychic
a person apparently sensitive to things beyond the natural range of perception
 
psycho
a person afflicted with psychosis
 
psycholinguist
a person (usually a psychologist but sometimes a linguist) who studies the psychological basis of human language
 
psychologist
a scientist trained in psychology
 
psychopath
someone with a sociopathic personality; a person with an antisocial personality disorder (`psychopath' was once widely used but has now been superseded by `sociopath')
 
psychophysicist
a psychologist trained in psychophysics
 
pteridologist
an expert in the study of ferns
 
Ptolemy I
the king of Egypt who founded the Macedonian dynasty in Egypt; a close friend and general of Alexander the Great who took charge of Egypt after Alexander died (circa 367-285 BC)
 
Ptolemy II
son of Ptolemy I and king of Egypt who was said to be responsible for the Septuagint (circa 309-247 BC)
 
public defender
a lawyer who represents indigent defendants at public expense
 
public relations person
a person employed to establish and promote a favorable relationship with the public
 
public servant
someone who holds a government position (either by election or appointment)
 
publican
the keeper of a public house
 
publiciser
someone who publicizes
 
publisher
a person engaged in publishing periodicals or books or music
 
Publius Aelius Hadrianus
Roman Emperor who was the adoptive son of Trajan; travelled throughout his empire to strengthen its frontiers and encourage learning and architecture; on a visit to Britain in 122 he ordered the construction of Hadrian's Wall (76-138)
 
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major
Roman general who commanded the invasion of Carthage in the second Punic War and defeated Hannibal at Zama (circa 237-183 BC)
 
Publius Cornelius Tacitus
Roman historian who wrote major works on the history of the Roman Empire (56-120)
 
Publius Ovidius Naso
Roman poet remembered for his elegiac verses on love (43 BC - AD 17)
 
Publius Terentius Afer
dramatist of ancient Rome (born in Greece) whose comedies were based on works by Menander (190?-159 BC)
 
Publius Vergilius Maro
a Roman poet; author of the epic poem `Aeneid' (70-19 BC)
 
puddler
a worker who turns pig iron into wrought iron by puddling
 
pudge
a short fat person
 
Pueblo
a member of any of about two dozen Native American peoples called `Pueblos' by the Spanish because they live in pueblos (villages built of adobe and rock)
 
puerpera
a woman in childbirth or shortly thereafter
 
Puerto Rican
a native or resident of Puerto Rico
 
puller
someone who applies force so as to cause motion toward herself or himself
 
Pullman porter
a railroad employee who assists passengers (especially on sleeping cars)
 
puncher
someone who delivers punches
 
punching bag
a person on whom another person vents their anger
 
Punjabi
a member of the people of Pakistan and Punjab
 
punk
a teenager or young adult who is a performer (or enthusiast) of punk rock and a member of the punk youth subculture
 
punster
someone overly fond of making puns
 
punter
(football) a person who kicks the football by dropping it from the hands and contacting it with the foot before it hits the ground
 
punter
someone who propels a boat with a pole
 
pup
an inexperienced young person
 
pupil
a young person attending school (up through senior high school)
 
puppet leader
a leader or ruler who is chosen by a despot to head a government
 
puppeteer
one who operates puppets or marionettes
 
purchasing agent
an agent who purchases goods or services for another
 
purist
someone who insists on great precision and correctness (especially in the use of words)
 
puritan
someone who adheres to strict religious principles; someone opposed to sensual pleasures
 
Puritan
a member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship
 
purser
an officer aboard a ship who keeps accounts and attends to the passengers' welfare
 
pursuer
a person who pursues some plan or goal
 
purveyor
someone who supplies provisions (especially food)
 
pusher
someone who pushes
 
pusher
one who intrudes or pushes himself forward
 
pushover
someone who is easily taken advantage of
 
pussycat
a person who is regarded as easygoing and agreeable
 
putter
a golfer who is putting
 
putz
(Yiddish) a fool; an idiot
 
Pygmy
any member of various peoples having an average height of less than five feet
 
Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin
Russian anarchist (1842-1921)
 
pyrographer
an artist who practices pyrography
 
pyromancer
one who practices pyromancy
 
pyromaniac
a person with a mania for setting things on fire
 
Pyrrhus
king of Epirus; defeated the Romans in two battles in spite of staggering losses (319-272 BC)
 
Pythagoras
Greek philosopher and mathematician who proved the Pythagorean theorem; considered to be the first true mathematician (circa 580-500 BC)
 
qadi
an Islamic judge
 
Qatari
a native or inhabitant of Qatar
 
quack
an untrained person who pretends to be a physician and who dispenses medical advice
 
quad
one of four children born at the same time from the same pregnancy
 
quadripara
(obstetrics) woman who has given birth to a viable infant in each of four pregnancies
 
quadriplegic
a person who is paralyzed in both arms and both legs
 
quadroon
an offspring of a mulatto and a white parent; a person who is one-quarter black
 
quaestor
any of several public officials of ancient Rome (usually in charge of finance and administration)
 
quaffer
a person who drinks heartily
 
Quaker
a member of the Religious Society of Friends founded by George Fox (the Friends have never called themselves Quakers)
 
quaker
one who quakes and trembles with (or as with) fear
 
qualifier
a contestant who meets certain requirements and so qualifies to take part in the next stage of competition
 
Quapaw
a member of the Siouan people of the Arkansas river valley in Arkansas
 
quarreler
a disputant who quarrels
 
quarrier
a man who works in a quarry
 
quarter
an unspecified person
 
quartermaster
an army officer who provides clothing and subsistence for troops
 
quartermaster general
a staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army
 
Quebecois
a native or inhabitant of Quebec (especially one who speaks French)
 
Quechua
a member of a South American Indian people in Peru who were formerly the ruling class of the Inca empire
 
queen
the wife or widow of a king
 
queen
something personified as a woman who is considered the best or most important of her kind
 
queen consort
the wife of a reigning king
 
queen dowager
the widow of a king
 
queen mother
a queen dowager who is mother of the reigning sovereign
 
Queen of England
the sovereign ruler of England
 
queen of the May
the girl chosen queen of a May Day festival
 
queen regent
a queen who serves as ruler when the king cannot
 
Queen Victoria
queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India from 1837 to 1901; the last Hanoverian ruler of England (1819-1901)
 
Queen's Counsel
Counsel to the Crown when the British monarch is a queen
 
Quentin Jerome Tarantino
United States filmmaker (born in 1963)
 
quester
someone making a search or inquiry
 
question master
the host or chairman of a radio or tv quiz show or panel game
 
Quiche
a member of the Mayan people of south central Guatemala
 
quick study
someone able to acquire new knowledge and skills rapidly and easily
 
quietist
a religious mystic who follows quietism
 
quin
one of five children born at the same time from the same pregnancy
 
quintipara
(obstetrics) woman who has given birth to a viable infant in each of five pregnancies
 
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus
Carthaginian theologian whose writing influenced early Christian theology (160-230)
 
quitter
a person who gives up too easily
 
quoter
a communicator (speaker or writer) who uses quotations
 
rabbi
spiritual leader of a Jewish congregation; qualified to expound and apply Jewish law
 
Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon
Spanish philosopher considered the greatest Jewish scholar of the Middle Ages who codified Jewish law in the Talmud (1135-1204)
 
racetrack tout
someone who offers advice about betting on horses (either to influence the odds or in the hope of sharing some of the winnings)
 
Rachel
(Old Testament) the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin
 
Rachel Louise Carson
United States biologist remembered for her opposition to the use of pesticides that were hazardous to wildlife (1907-1964)
 
racialist
a person with a prejudiced belief that one racial group is superior to others
 
racker
an attendant who puts pool or billiard balls into a rack
 
racketeer
someone who commits crimes for profit (especially one who obtains money by fraud or extortion)
 
radical
a person who has radical ideas or opinions
 
radio announcer
an announcer whose voice is broadcast on radio
 
radio operator
someone who operates a radio transmitter
 
radiobiologist
a biologist who studies the effects of radiation on living organisms
 
radiographer
a person who makes radiographs
 
radiologic technologist
a scientist trained in radiological technology
 
radiologist
a medical specialist who uses radioactive substances and X-rays in the treatment of disease
 
Raffaello Sanzio
Italian painter whose many paintings exemplify the ideals of the High Renaissance (1483-1520)
 
rafter
someone who travels by raft
 
ragamuffin
a dirty shabbily clothed urchin
 
Ragnar Anton Kittil Frisch
Norwegian economist noted for his work in econometrics (1895-1973)
 
ragpicker
an unskilled person who picks up rags from trash cans and public dumps as a means of livelihood
 
ragsorter
a worker who sorts rags and old clothing for new uses (as in papermaking)
 
rail-splitter
a laborer who splits logs to build split-rail fences
 
railbird
a fan of racing who watches races from the outer rail of the track
 
railroad man
an employee of a railroad
 
Rain-in-the-Face
a chief of the Sioux; he was with Sitting Bull and others at the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876) when General Custer's troops were massacred (1835-1905)
 
Rainer Maria Rilke
German poet (born in Austria) whose imagery and mystic lyricism influenced 20th-century German literature (1875-1926)
 
rainmaker
American Indian medicine man who attempt to make it rain
 
rainmaker
executive who is very successful in bringing in business to his company or firm
 
raiser
a bridge partner who increases the partner's bid
 
raja
a prince or king in India
 
Rajpoot
a member of the dominant Hindu military caste in northern India
 
Ralph Barton Perry
United States philosopher (1876-1957)
 
Ralph Johnson Bunche
United States diplomat and United Nations official (1904-1971)
 
Ralph Vaughan Williams
English composer influenced by folk tunes and music of the Tudor period (1872-1958)
 
Ralph Waldo Ellison
United States novelist who wrote about a young Black man and his struggles in American society (1914-1994)
 
Ralph Waldo Emerson
United States writer and leading exponent of transcendentalism (1803-1882)
 
rambler
a person whose speech or writing is not well organized
 
rambler
a person who takes long walks in the country
 
Ramesses
any of 12 kings of ancient Egypt between 1315 and 1090 BC
 
Ramesses the Great
king of Egypt between 1304 and 1237 BC who built many monuments
 
ramrod
a harshly demanding overseer
 
ranch hand
a hired hand on a ranch
 
rancher
a person who owns or operates a ranch
 
Randall Jarrell
United States poet (1914-1965)
 
ranee
(the feminine of raja) a Hindu princess or the wife of a raja
 
ranker
an enlisted soldier who serves in the ranks of the armed forces
 
ranker
a commissioned officer who has been promoted from enlisted status
 
ranter
someone who rants and raves; speaks in a violent or loud manner
 
Raoul Dufy
French painter noted for brightly colored scenes (1877-1953)
 
rape suspect
someone who is suspected of committing rape
 
raper
someone who forces another to have sexual intercourse
 
rapper
someone who performs rap music
 
rapporteur
a recorder appointed by a committee to prepare reports of the meetings
 
rara avis
a rare or unique person
 
Ras Tafari Makonnen
emperor of Ethiopia; worshipped by Rastafarians (1892-1975)
 
Rasmus Christian Rask
Danish philologist whose work on Old Norse pioneered in the field of comparative linguistics (1787-1832)
 
Rastafarian
follower of Rastafarianism
 
ratepayer
a person who pays local rates (especially a householder)
 
ratiocinator
someone who reasons logically
 
raver
a participant in a rave dancing party
 
Ravi Shankar
Indian sitar player who popularized classical Indian music in the West (born in 1920)
 
raw recruit
an inexperienced and untrained recruit
 
Ray Douglas Bradbury
United States writer of science fiction (born 1920)
 
Ray M. Dolby
United States electrical engineer who devised the Dolby system used to reduce background noise in tape recording
 
Raymond Bernard Cattell
American psychologist (born in England) who developed a broad theory of human behavior based on multivariate research (1905-1998)
 
Raymond Lully
Spanish philosopher (1235-1315)
 
Raymond Thornton Chandler
United States writer of detective thrillers featuring the character of Philip Marlowe (1888-1959)
 
reader
a person who enjoys reading
 
reader
a person who can read; a literate person
 
reader
someone who reads manuscripts and judges their suitability for publication
 
reader
someone who contracts to receive and pay for a service or a certain number of issues of a publication
 
reading teacher
someone who teaches students to read
 
realist
a philosopher who believes that universals are real and exist independently of anyone thinking of them
 
realist
a painter who represents the world realistically and not in an idealized or romantic style
 
realist
a person who accepts the world as it literally is and deals with it accordingly
 
Realtor
a real estate agent who is a member of the National Association of Realtors
 
rear admiral
an admiral junior to a vice admiral
 
Rebecca Rolfe
a Powhatan woman (the daughter of Powhatan) who befriended the English at Jamestown and is said to have saved Captain John Smith's life (1595-1617)
 
Rebekah
(Old Testament) wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau
 
rebuker
someone who finds fault or imputes blame
 
receiver
the tennis player who receives the serve
 
receiver
a person who receives something
 
receptionist
a secretary whose main duty is to answer the telephone and receive visitors
 
recitalist
a musician who gives recitals
 
reciter
someone who recites from memory
 
record-breaker
someone who breaks a record
 
recorder
a barrister or solicitor who serves as part-time judge in towns or boroughs
 
recorder player
someone who plays the recorder
 
recorder
someone responsible for keeping records
 
recoverer
someone who saves something from danger or violence
 
recruiter
an official who enlists personnel for military service
 
recruiter
someone who supplies members or employees
 
recruiting-sergeant
a sergeant deputized to enlist recruits
 
rectifier
a person who corrects or sets right
 
Red Cloud
leader of the Oglala who resisted the development of a trail through Wyoming and Montana by the United States government (1822-1909)
 
redact
someone who puts text into appropriate form for publication
 
redcap
a porter who helps passengers with their baggage at a railroad station
 
redcap
a member of the military police in Britain
 
redeemer
someone who redeems or buys back (promissory notes or merchandise or commercial paper etc.)
 
Redskin
(slang) offensive term for Native Americans
 
reeler
a dancer of reels
 
reeler
someone who walks unsteadily as if about to fall
 
reenactor
a person who enacts a role in an event that occurred earlier
 
ref
(sports) the chief official (as in boxing or American football) who is expected to ensure fair play
 
referee
an attorney appointed by a court to investigate and report on a case
 
referral
a person whose case has been referred to a specialist or professional group
 
refiner
one whose work is to refine a specific thing
 
Reform Jew
liberal Jew who tries to adapt all aspects of Judaism to modern circumstances
 
refugee
an exile who flees for safety
 
regent
someone who rules during the absence or incapacity or minority of the country's monarch
 
regent
members of a governing board
 
regicide
someone who commits regicide; the killer of a king
 
Reginald Carey Harrison
English actor on stage and in films (1908-1990)
 
Reginald Joseph Mitchell
English aeronautical engineer (1895-1937)
 
Reginald Marsh
United States painter (1898-1954)
 
registrant
a person who is formally entered (along with others) in a register (and who obtains certain rights thereby)
 
registrar
the administrator responsible for student records
 
registrar
a person employed to keep a record of the owners of stocks and bonds issued by the company
 
Regius professor
holder of a British professorship created by a royal patron
 
regular
a dependable follower (especially in party politics)
 
regular
a soldier in the regular army
 
regulator
an official responsible for control and supervision of a particular activity or area of public interest
 
reincarnation
embodiment in a new form (especially the reappearance or a person in another form)
 
Reinhold Niebuhr
United States Protestant theologian (1892-1971)
 
relation
a person related by blood or marriage
 
religionist
a person addicted to religion or a religious zealot
 
religious
a member of a religious order who is bound by vows of poverty and chastity and obedience
 
religious leader
leader of a religious order
 
religious person
a person who manifests devotion to a deity
 
Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn
influential Dutch artist (1606-1669)
 
remittance man
an exile living on money sent from home
 
remover
someone who works for a company that moves furniture
 
Renaissance man
a scholar during the Renaissance who (because knowledge was limited) could know almost everything about many topics
 
Renaissance man
a modern scholar who is in a position to acquire more than superficial knowledge about many different interests
 
Renata Tebaldi
Italian operatic soprano (born in 1922)
 
Rene Antoine Ferchault de Reaumur
French physicist who invented the alcohol thermometer (1683-1757)
 
Rene Descartes
French philosopher and mathematician; developed dualistic theory of mind and matter; introduced the use of coordinates to locate a point in two or three dimensions (1596-1650)
 
Rene Magritte
Belgian surrealist painter (1898-1967)
 
Rene-Robert Cavelier
French explorer who claimed Louisiana for France (1643-1687)
 
renegade
someone who rebels and becomes an outlaw
 
rent collector
a person who goes from house to house collecting rents for the owner
 
renter
an owner of property who receives payment for its use by another person
 
renter
someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else
 
rentier
someone whose income is from property rents or bond interest and other investments
 
rep
informal abbreviation of `representative'
 
repatriate
a person who has returned to the country of origin or whose citizenship has been restored
 
repeater
a person who repeats
 
replacement
a person who follows next in order
 
repository
a person to whom a secret is entrusted
 
representative
a person who represents others
 
republican
an advocate of a republic (usually in opposition to a monarchy)
 
Republican
a member of the Republican Party
 
reserve
an athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced
 
reservist
a member of a military reserve
 
resident commissioner
the representative of Puerto Rico in the United States House of Representatives
 
respecter
a person who respects someone or something; usually used in the negative
 
respondent
the codefendant (especially in a divorce proceeding) who is accused of adultery with the corespondent
 
restauranter
the proprietor of a restaurant
 
rester
a person who rests
 
retail merchant
a merchant who sells goods at retail
 
retainer
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
 
retired person
someone who has retired from active working
 
retreatant
a participant in a religious retreat
 
returning officer
the official in each electorate who holds the election and returns the results
 
Reuben
(Old Testment) a son of Jacob and forefather of one of the tribes of Israel
 
Reuben Lucius Goldberg
United States cartoonist who drew intricate diagrams of very complicated and impractical contraptions that accomplished little or nothing (1883-1970)
 
revenant
someone who has returned from the dead
 
revenant
a person who returns after a lengthy absence
 
revenuer
a government agent responsible for collecting revenue (especially one responsible for stopping bootlegging)
 
reversioner
(law) a party who is entitled to an estate in reversion
 
revisionist
a Communist who tries to rewrite Marxism to justify a retreat from the revolutionary position
 
revolutionary
a radical supporter of political or social revolution
 
Rex
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
 
Rhea Silvia
(Roman mythology) a vestal virgin who became the mother by Mars of the twins Romulus and Remus
 
rheumatic
a person suffering with rheumatism
 
rheumatologist
a physician specializing in rheumatic diseases
 
Rhode Islander
a native or resident of Rhode Island
 
Rhodes scholar
a student who holds one of the scholarships endowed by the will of Cecil J. Rhodes that enables the student to study at Oxford University
 
rhythm and blues musician
a performer (and sometimes composer) of rhythm and blues music
 
ribald
a ribald person; someone who uses vulgar and offensive language
 
Richard Adolph Zsigmondy
German chemist (born in Austria) honored for his research on colloidal solutions (1865-1929)
 
Richard August Carl Emil Erlenmeyer
German chemist (1825-1909)
 
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Irish playwright remembered for his satirical comedies of manners (1751-1816)
 
Richard Buckminster Fuller
United States architect who invented the geodesic dome (1895-1983)
 
Richard Burbage
English actor who was the first to play the leading role in several of Shakespeare's tragedies (1567-1619)
 
Richard Burton
Welsh film actor who often co-starred with Elizabeth Taylor (1925-1984)
 
Richard D'Oyly Carte
English impresario who brought Gilbert and Sullivan together and produced many of their operettas in London (1844-1901)
 
Richard D. Fosbury
United States athlete who revolutionized the high jump by introducing the Fosbury flop in the 1968 Olympics (born in 1947)
 
Richard Errett Smalley
American chemist who with Robert Curl and Harold Kroto discovered fullerenes and opened a new branch of chemistry (born in 1943)
 
Richard Erskine Leakey
English paleontologist (son of Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey) who continued the work of his parents; he was appointed director of a wildlife preserve in Kenya but resigned under political pressure (born in 1944)
 
Richard Evelyn Byrd
explorer and United States naval officer; led expeditions to explore Antarctica (1888-1957)
 
Richard Henry Lee
leader of the American Revolution who proposed the resolution calling for independence of the American Colonies (1732-1794)
 
Richard Henry Tawney
English economist remembered for his studies of the development of capitalism (1880-1962)
 
Richard Hooker
English theologian (1554-1600)
 
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace
English writer noted for his crime novels (1875-1932)
 
Richard II
King of England from 1377 to 1399; he suppressed the Peasant's Revolt in 1381 but his reign was marked by popular discontent and baronial opposition in British Parliament and he was forced to abdicate in 1399 (1367-1400)
 
Richard III
King of England from 1483 to 1485; seized the throne from his nephew Edward V who was confined to the Tower of London and murdered; his reign ended when he was defeated by Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) at the battle of Bosworth Field (1452-1485)
 
Richard John Roberts
United States biochemist (born in England) honored for his discovery that some genes contain introns (born in 1943)
 
Richard Jordan Gatling
United States inventor of the first rapid firing gun (1818-1903)
 
Richard Kuhn
Austrian chemist who did research on carotenoids and vitamins (1900-1967)
 
Richard Lovelace
English poet (1618-1857)
 
Richard Milhous Nixon
vice president under Eisenhower and 37th President of the United States; resigned after the Watergate scandal in 1974 (1913-1994)
 
Richard Morris Hunt
United States architect (1827-1895)
 
Richard Phillips Feynman
United States physicist who contributed to the theory of the interaction of photons and electrons (1918-1988)
 
Richard Rodgers
United States composer of musical comedies (especially in collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein II and with Lorenz Hart) (1902-1979)
 
Richard Roe
an unknown or fictitious party to legal proceedings
 
Richard Starkey
rock star and drummer for the Beatles (born in 1940)
 
Richard Strauss
German composer of many operas; collaborated with librettist Hugo von Hoffmannsthal to produce several operas (1864-1949)
 
Richard the Lion-Hearted
son of Henry II and King of England from 1189 to 1199; a leader of the Third Crusade; on his way home from the crusade he was captured and held prisoner in the Holy Roman Empire until England ransomed him in 1194 (1157-1199)
 
Richard Trevithick
English engineer who built the first railway locomotive (1771-1833)
 
Richard Upjohn
United States architect (born in England) (1802-1878)
 
Richard Wright
United States writer whose work is concerned with the oppression of African Americans (1908-1960)
 
rider
a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)
 
rider
a traveler who actively rides a vehicle (as a bicycle or motorcycle)
 
riding master
someone who teaches horsemanship
 
Riffian
a Berber living in northern Morocco
 
rifleman
a soldier whose weapon is a rifle
 
rifleman
someone skilled in the use of a rifle
 
rigger
someone who rigs ships
 
right fielder
the person who plays right field
 
right hander
a person who uses the right hand more skillfully than the left
 
right-handed pitcher
(baseball) a pitcher who throws with the right hand
 
rightist
a member of a right wing political party
 
Riley B King
United States guitar player and singer of the blues (born in 1925)
 
ring girl
a young woman who holds up cards indicating the number of the next round at prize fights
 
ringer
a contestant entered in a competition under false pretenses
 
Ringgold Wilmer Lardner
United States humorist and writer of satirical short stories (1885-1933)
 
ringleader
a person who leads (especially in illicit activities)
 
ringmaster
the person in charge of performances in a circus ring
 
rioter
troublemaker who participates in a violent disturbance of the peace; someone who rises up against the constituted authority
 
Rip van Winkle
a person who sleeps a lot
 
Rip van Winkle
a person oblivious to social changes
 
ripper
a murderer who slashes the victims with a knife
 
riser
a person who rises (especially from bed)
 
ritualist
a social anthropologist who is expert on rites and ceremonies
 
ritualist
an advocate of strict observance of ritualistic forms
 
riveter
a worker who inserts and hammers rivets
 
RN
a graduate nurse who has passed examinations for registration
 
road builder
someone whose business is to build roads
 
road hog
a driver who obstructs others
 
road mender
a workman who is employed to repair roads
 
Roald Amundsen
Norwegian explorer who was the first to traverse the Northwest Passage and in 1911 the first to reach the South Pole (1872-1928)
 
Roald Hoffmann
United States chemist (born in Poland) who used quantum mechanics to understand chemical reactions (born in 1937)
 
roaster
a cook who roasts food
 
roaster
a harsh or humorous critic (sometimes intended as a facetious compliment)
 
robber
a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence
 
robbery suspect
someone suspected of committing robbery
 
Robert Abram Bartlett
United States explorer who accompanied Peary's expedition to the North Pole and who led many other Arctic trips (1875-1946)
 
Robert Adam
Scottish architect who designed many public buildings in England and Scotland (1728-1792)
 
Robert Alexander Schumann
German romantic composer known for piano music and songs (1810-1856)
 
Robert Andrews Millikan
United States physicist who isolated the electron and measured its charge (1868-1953)
 
Robert Anson Heinlein
United States writer of science fiction (1907-1988)
 
Robert Barany
Austrian physician who developed a rotational method for testing the middle ear (1876-1936)
 
Robert Boyle
Irish chemist who established that air has weight and whose definitions of chemical elements and chemical reactions helped to dissociate chemistry from alchemy (1627-1691)
 
Robert Brown
Scottish botanist who first observed the movement of small particles in fluids now known a Brownian motion (1773-1858)
 
Robert Browning
English poet and husband of Elizabeth Barrett Browning noted for his dramatic monologues (1812-1889)
 
Robert Bruce Mathias
United States athlete who won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon (born in 1930)
 
Robert Burns
celebrated Scottish poet (1759-1796)
 
Robert Burns Woodward
United States chemist honored for synthesizing complex organic compounds (1917-1979)
 
Robert Charles Benchley
United States humorist (1889-1945)
 
Robert Charles Venturi
United States architect (born in 1925)
 
Robert De Niro
United States film actor who frequently plays tough characters (born 1943)
 
Robert Edward Lee
American general who led the Confederate Armies in the American Civil War (1807-1870)
 
Robert Edwin Peary
United States Arctic explorer and United States naval officer who has been regarded as the first man to reach the North Pole (1856-1920)
 
Robert Emmet Sherwood
United States playwright (1896-1955)
 
Robert Falcon Scott
English explorer who reached the South Pole just a month after Amundsen; he and his party died on the return journey (1868-1912)
 
Robert Floyd Curl Jr.
American chemist who with Richard Smalley and Harold Kroto discovered fullerenes and opened a new branch of chemistry (born in 1933)
 
Robert Fulton
American inventor who designed the first commercially successful steamboat and the first steam warship (1765-1815)
 
Robert Gray
American navigator who twice circumnavigated the globe and who discovered the Columbia River (1755-1806)
 
Robert Herrick
English lyric poet (1591-1674)
 
Robert Hooke
English scientist who formulated the law of elasticity and proposed a wave theory of light and formulated a theory of planetary motion and proposed the inverse square law of gravitational attraction and discovered the cellular structure of cork and introduced the term `cell' into biology and invented a balance spring for watches (1635-1703)
 
Robert Hutchings Goddard
United States physicist who developed the first successful liquid-fueled rocket (1882-1945)
 
Robert Indiana
United States pop artist (born 1928)
 
Robert James Fischer
United States chess master; world champion from 1972 to 1975 (born in 1943)
 
Robert Jemison Van de Graaff
United States physicist (1901-1967)
 
Robert Joffrey
United States choreographer (1930-1988)
 
Robert King Merton
United States sociologist (1910-2003)
 
Robert Koch
German bacteriologist who isolated the anthrax bacillus and the tubercle bacillus and the cholera bacillus (1843-1910)
 
Robert Lee Frost
United States poet famous for his lyrical poems on country life in New England (1874-1963)
 
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson
Scottish author (1850-1894)
 
Robert MacGregor
Scottish clan leader and outlaw who was the subject of a 1817 novel by Sir Walter Scott (1671-1734)
 
Robert Maynard Hutchins
United States educator who was president of the University of Chicago (1899-1977)
 
Robert Mearns Yerkes
United States psychologist who studied the intelligence of primates (1876-1956)
 
Robert Mills
United States architect who was the presidentially appointed architect of Washington D.C. (1781-1855)
 
Robert Mitchum
United States film actor (1917-1997)
 
Robert Morris
leader of the American Revolution who signed the Declaration of Independence and raised money for the Continental Army (1734-1806)
 
Robert Motherwell
United States abstract expressionist painter (1915-1991)
 
Robert Nesta Marley
Jamaican singer who popularized reggae (1945-1981)
 
Robert Oppenheimer
United States physicist who directed the project at Los Alamos that developed the first atomic bomb (1904-1967)
 
Robert Orr
Canadian hockey player (born 1948)
 
Robert Owen
Welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)
 
Robert Penn Warren
United States writer and poet (1905-1989)
 
Robert R. Livingston
American Revolutionary leader who served in the Continental Congress and as minister to France (1746-1813)
 
Robert Ranke Graves
English writer known for his interest in mythology and in the classics (1895-1985)
 
Robert Southey
English poet and friend of Wordsworth and Coleridge (1774-1843)
 
Robert the Bruce
king of Scotland from 1306 to 1329; defeated the English army under Edward II at Bannockburn and gained recognition of Scottish independence (1274-1329)
 
Robert Traill Spence Lowell Jr.
United States poet (1917-1977)
 
Robert Treat Paine
American Revolutionary leader and signer of the Declaration of Independence (1731-1814)
 
Robert Tyre Jones
United States golfer (1902-1971)
 
Robert Wilhelm Bunsen
German chemist who with Kirchhoff pioneered spectrum analysis but is remembered mainly for his invention of the Bunsen burner (1811-1899)
 
Robert William Service
Canadian writer (born in England) who wrote about life in the Yukon Territory (1874-1958)
 
Robert Woodrow Wilson
United States physicist honored for his work on cosmic microwave radiation (born in 1918)
 
Roberto Francesco Romolo Bellarmine
Italian cardinal and theologian (1542-1621)
 
Rocco Marciano
United States prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship in 1952 (1924-1969)
 
rock
(figurative) someone who is strong and stable and dependable
 
rock 'n' roll musician
a performer or composer or fan of rock music
 
rock star
a famous singer of rock music
 
rocker
an attendant who rocks a child in a cradle
 
rocker
a teenager or young adult in the 1960s who wore leather jackets and rode motorcycles
 
rocket engineer
an engineer who builds and tests rockets
 
rocket scientist
a clever thinker
 
Rockwell Kent
United States painter noted for his woodcuts (1882-1971)
 
Rodney George Laver
Australian tennis player who in 1962 was the second man to win the Australian and French and English and United States singles titles in the same year; in 1969 he repeated this feat (born in 1938)
 
Roger Bacon
English scientist and Franciscan monk who stressed the importance of experimentation; first showed that air is required for combustion and first used lenses to correct vision (1220-1292)
 
Roger Brooke Taney
United States jurist who served as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court; remembered for his ruling that slaves and their descendants have no rights as citizens (1777-1864)
 
Roger de Mortimer
English nobleman who deposed Edward II and was executed by Edward III (1287-1330)
 
Roger Eliot Fry
English painter and art critic (1866-1934)
 
Roger Huntington Sessions
United States composer who promoted 20th century music (1896-1985)
 
Roger Sherman
American Revolutionary leader and signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution (1721-1793)
 
Roger Williams
English clergyman and colonist who was expelled from Massachusetts for criticizing Puritanism; he founded Providence in 1636 and obtained a royal charter for Rhode Island in 1663 (1603-1683)
 
roisterer
an especially noisy and unrestrained merrymaker
 
roller-skater
someone who engages in roller skating
 
rollerblader
a skater who uses Rollerblades
 
Roman
a resident of modern Rome
 
Roman
an inhabitant of the ancient Roman Empire
 
Roman Catholic
a member of the Roman Catholic Church
 
Roman Catholic Pope
the head of the Roman Catholic Church
 
Roman Osipovich Jakobson
United States linguist (born in Russia) noted for his description of the universals of phonology (1896-1982)
 
Romanoff
a member of the imperial family that ruled Russia
 
romantic
a soulful or amorous idealist
 
romantic
an artist of the Romantic Movement or someone influenced by Romanticism
 
romanticist
someone who indulges in excessive sentimentality
 
Romeo
an ardent male lover
 
romper
a person who romps or frolics
 
Ronald George Wreyford Norrish
English chemist (1897-1978)
 
Ronald Wilson Reagan
40th President of the United States (1911-2004)
 
roofer
a craftsman who lays or repairs roofs
 
room clerk
a hotel clerk who is responsible for room assignments to guests
 
roomie
an associate who shares a room with you
 
ropedancer
an acrobat who performs on a rope stretched at some height above the ground
 
ropemaker
a craftsman who makes ropes
 
roper
a cowboy who uses a lasso to rope cattle or horses
 
roper
a decoy who lures customers into a gambling establishment (especially one with a fixed game)
 
Rosa Melba Ponselle
United States soprano (1897-1981)
 
Rosa Parks
United States civil rights leader who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery (Alabama) and so triggered the national Civil Rights movement (born in 1913)
 
Rose Louise Hovick
United States striptease artist who became famous on Broadway in the 1930s (1914-1970)
 
rosebud
(a literary reference to) a pretty young girl
 
Rosicrucian
a member of a secret 17th-century society of philosophers and scholars versed in mystical and metaphysical and alchemical lore
 
Rosicrucian
a member of any of various organizations that subsequently derived from the 17th-century society
 
Rotarian
a member of a Rotary Club
 
Rothschild
any of family of powerful Jewish bankers in Europe
 
Rough Rider
a member of the volunteer cavalry regiment led by Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War (1898)
 
roughrider
a horseman skilled at breaking wild horses to the saddle
 
Roundhead
a supporter of parliament and Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War
 
roundhead
a brachycephalic person
 
roundsman
a workman employed to make rounds (to deliver goods or make inspections or so on)
 
router
a worker who routes shipments for distribution and delivery
 
rover
an adult member of the Boy Scouts movement
 
Roy Chapman Andrews
United States naturalist who contributed to paleontology and geology (1884-1960)
 
Roy Lichtenstein
United States painter who was a leading exponent of pop art (1923-1997)
 
Roy Orbison
United States composer and rockabilly tenor popular in the 1950s (1936-1988)
 
Roy Wilkins
United States civil rights leader (1901-1981)
 
Royalist
a royalist supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War
 
rubberneck
a person who stares inquisitively
 
Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel
German engineer (born in France) who invented the diesel engine (1858-1913)
 
Rudolf Karl Bultmann
a Lutheran theologian in Germany (1884-1976)
 
Rudolf Karl Virchow
German pathologist who recognized that all cells come from cells by binary fission and who emphasized cellular abnormalities in disease (1821-1902)
 
Rudolf Ludwig Mossbauer
German physicist (born in 1929)
 
Rudolf Nureyev
Russian dancer who was often the partner of Dame Margot Fonteyn and who defected to the United States in 1961 (born in 1938)
 
Rudolf Serkin
United States concert pianist (born in Czechoslovakia) (1903-1991)
 
Rudolf Steiner
Austrian philosopher who founded anthroposophy (1861-1925)
 
Rudolf Wurlitzer
United States businessman (born in Germany) who founded a company to make pipe organs (1831-1914)
 
Rudolph Laban
Hungarian choreographer who developed Labanotation (1879-1958)
 
rug merchant
a merchant who sells rugs
 
ruler
a person who rules or commands
 
Rumanian
a native or inhabitant of Romania
 
rumrunner
someone who illegally smuggles liquor across a border
 
runner
a person who is employed to deliver messages or documents
 
runner
someone who travels on foot by running
 
runner
a trained athlete who competes in foot races
 
runner-up
the competitor who finishes second
 
running back
(football) a back on the offensive team (a fullback or halfback) who tries to advance the ball by carrying it on plays from the line of scrimmage
 
running mate
a nominee for the lesser of two closely related political offices
 
Rupert Brooke
English lyric poet (1887-1915)
 
ruralist
an advocate of rural living
 
rusher
a person who rushes; someone in a hurry; someone who acts precipitously
 
rusher
someone who migrates as part of a rush to a new gold field or a new territory
 
rusher
(football) a ball carrier who tries to gain ground by running with the ball
 
Russel Crouse
United States playwright (1893-1966)
 
Russian
a native or inhabitant of Russia
 
rustic
an unsophisticated country person
 
Ruth
the great-grandmother of king David whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament
 
Ruth Benedict
United States anthropologist (1887-1948)
 
Ruth Saint Denis
United States dancer and choreographer who collaborated with Ted Shawn (1877-1968)
 
Rutherford Birchard Hayes
19th President of the United States; his administration removed federal troops from the South and so ended the Reconstruction Period (1822-1893)
 
Rwandan
a native or inhabitant of Rwanda
 
Ryukyuan
a member of the Japanese people living on the Ryukyu Islands southwest of Japan
 
Sabahan
a Malaysian from Sabah
 
Sabbatarian
one who observes Saturday as the Sabbath (as in Judaism)
 
Sabine
a member of an ancient Oscan-speaking people of the central Apennines north of Rome who were conquered and assimilated into the Roman state in 290 BC
 
sabra
a native-born Israeli
 
Sacajawea
the Shoshone guide and interpreter who guided the Lewis and Clark expedition part of the way
 
sachem
a political leader (especially of Tammany Hall)
 
sachem
a chief of a North American tribe or confederation (especially an Algonquian chief)
 
sacred cow
a person unreasonably held to be immune to criticism
 
sacrificer
a religious person who offers up a sacrifice
 
sacristan
an officer of the church who is in charge of sacred objects
 
Saddam bin Hussein at-Takriti
Iraqi leader who waged war against Iran; his invasion of Kuwait led to the Gulf War (born in 1937)
 
saddhu
(Hinduism) an ascetic holy man
 
saddler
a maker and repairer and seller of equipment for horses
 
Sadducee
a member of an ancient Jewish sect around the time of Jesus; opposed to the Pharisees
 
sadist
someone who obtains pleasure from inflicting pain on others
 
sadomasochist
someone who enjoys both sadism and masochism
 
sage
a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom
 
Sagittarius
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Sagittarius
 
sahib
formerly a term of respect for important white Europeans in colonial India; used after the name
 
sailmaker
a maker of sails
 
Sailor King
King of England and Ireland; son of George III who ascended the throne after a long naval career (1765-1837)
 
Saint Ambrose
(Roman Catholic Church) Roman priest who became bishop of Milan; the first Church Father born and raised in the Christian faith; composer of hymns; imposed orthodoxy on the early Christian church and built up its secular power; a saint and Doctor of the Church (340?-397)
 
Saint Andrew the Apostle
(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland
 
Saint Anselm
an Italian who was a Benedictine monk; was archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109; one of the founders of scholasticism; best known for his proof of the existence of God
 
Saint Benedict
Italian monk who founded the Benedictine order about 540 (480-547)
 
Saint Bridget
Irish abbess; a patron saint of Ireland (453-523)
 
Saint Bruno
(Roman Catholic Church) a French cleric (born in Germany) who founded the Carthusian order in 1084 (1032-1101)
 
Saint Christopher
Christian martyr and patron saint of travellers (3rd century)
 
Saint Crispin
patron saint of shoemakers; he and his brother were martyred for trying to spread Christianity (3rd century)
 
Saint Cyril
Greek missionary; the invention of the Cyrillic alphabet is attributed to him (826-869)
 
Saint David
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
 
Saint Edward the Confessor
son of Ethelred the Unready; King of England from 1042 to 1066; he founded Westminster Abbey where he was eventually buried (1003-1066)
 
Saint Edward the Martyr
King of England who was a son of Edgar; he was challenged for the throne by supporters of his half-brother Ethelred II who eventually murdered him (963-978)
 
Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton
United States religious leader who was the first person born in the United States to be canonized (1774-1821)
 
Saint Francis Xavier
Spanish missionary and Jesuit who establish missionaries in Japan and Ceylon and the East Indies (1506-1552)
 
Saint George
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
 
Saint Ignatius
bishop of Antioch who was martyred under the Roman Emperor Trajan (died 110)
 
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Spaniard and Roman Catholic theologian and founder of the Society of Jesus; a leading opponent of the Reformation (1491-1556)
 
Saint Irenaeus
Greek theologian who was bishop of Lyons and an antiheretical writer; a saint and Doctor of the Church (circa 130-200)
 
Saint James the Apostle
(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of John; author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament
 
Saint John the Apostle
(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally said to be the author of the 4th Gospel and three epistles and the book of Revelation
 
Saint Jude
(New Testament) supposed brother of St. James; one of the Apostles who is invoked in prayer when a situation seems hopeless
 
Saint Lawrence
Roman martyr; supposedly Lawrence was ordered by the police to give up the church's treasure and when he responded by presenting the poor people of Rome he was roasted to death on a gridiron (died in 258)
 
Saint Louis
king of France and son of Louis VIII; he led two unsuccessful Crusades; considered an ideal medieval king (1214-1270)
 
Saint Luke
(New Testament) the Apostle closely associated with St. Paul and traditionally assumed to be the author of the third Gospel
 
Saint Mark
Apostle and companion of Saint Peter; assumed to be the author of the second Gospel
 
Saint Matthew the Apostle
(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel
 
Saint Nicholas
a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)
 
Saint Olaf
King and patron saint of Norway (995-1030)
 
Saint Patrick
Apostle and patron saint of Ireland; an English missionary to Ireland in the 5th century
 
Saint Peter the Apostle
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
 
Saint Polycarp
Greek bishop of Smyrna who refused to recant his Christian faith and was burned to death by pagans (circa 69-155)
 
Saint Thomas a Becket
(Roman Catholic Church) archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170; murdered following his opposition to Henry II's attempts to control the clergy (1118-1170)
 
Saint Thomas Aquinas
(Roman Catholic Church) Italian theologian and Doctor of the Church who is remembered for his attempt to reconcile faith and reason in a comprehensive theology; presented philosophical proofs of the existence of God (1225-1274)
 
Salah-ad-Din Yusuf ibn-Ayyub
sultan of Syria and Egypt; reconquered Jerusalem from the Christians in 1187 but was defeated by Richard Coeur de Lion in 1191 (1137-1193)
 
sales rep
a person employed to represent a business and to sell its merchandise (as to customers in a store or to customers who are visited)
 
salesgirl
a woman salesperson
 
salesman
a man salesperson
 
Salian Frank
a member of the tribe of Franks who settled in the Netherlands in the 4th century AD
 
Salish
a member of a group of North American Indians speaking a Salishan language and living on the northwest coast of North America
 
Salmon Portland Chase
United States politician and jurist who served as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1808-1873)
 
Salome
woman whose dancing beguiled Herod into giving her the head of John the Baptist
 
saloon keeper
the proprietor of a saloon
 
salt merchant
someone who makes or deals in salt
 
salter
someone who uses salt to preserve meat or fish or other foods
 
salutatorian
a graduating student with the second highest academic rank; may deliver the opening address at graduation exercises
 
Salvador Dali
surrealist Spanish painter (1904-1989)
 
Salvadorean
a native or inhabitant of El Salvador
 
salvager
someone who salvages
 
Sam Shepard
United States author of surrealistic allegorical plays (born in 1943)
 
Samaritan
a member of the people inhabiting Samaria in biblical times
 
Samnite
an Oscan-speaking member of an ancient people of Campania who clashed repeatedly with the early Romans
 
Samoan
a native or inhabitant of the Samoan Islands
 
Samoyed
a Samoyedic-speaking person in northwestern Siberia
 
sampler
someone who samples food or drink for its quality
 
Samson
(Old Testament) a judge of Israel who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistines until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah
 
Samson
a large and strong and heavyset man
 
Samuel
(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king
 
Samuel Adams
American Revolutionary leader and patriot; an organizer of the Boston Tea Party and signer of the Declaration of Independence (1722-1803)
 
Samuel Barber
United States composer (1910-1981)
 
Samuel Beckett
a playwright and novelist (born in Ireland) who lived in France; wrote plays for the theater of the absurd (1906-1989)
 
Samuel Butler
English poet (1612-1680)
 
Samuel Butler
English novelist who described a fictitious land he called Erewhon (1835-1902)
 
Samuel Dashiell Hammett
United States writer of hard-boiled detective fiction (1894-1961)
 
Samuel de Champlain
French explorer in Nova Scotia who established a settlement on the site of modern Quebec (1567-1635)
 
Samuel Finley Breese Morse
United States portrait painter who patented the telegraph and developed the Morse code (1791-1872)
 
Samuel Goldwyn
United States film maker (born in Poland) who founded his own film company and later merged with Louis B. Mayer (1882-1974)
 
Samuel Gompers
United States labor leader (born in England) who was president of the American Federation of Labor from 1886 to 1924 (1850-1924)
 
Samuel Houston
United States politician and military leader who fought to gain independence for Texas from Mexico and to make it a part of the United States (1793-1863)
 
Samuel Huntington
American revolutionary leader who signed the Declaration of Independence and was president of the Continental Congress (1731-1796)
 
Samuel Jackson Snead
United States golfer known for the graceful arc of his swing (1912-2002)
 
Samuel Johnson
English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
 
Samuel Langhorne Clemens
United States writer and humorist best known for his novels about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (1835-1910)
 
Samuel Pepys
English diarist whose diary contained detailed descriptions of 17th century disasters in England (1633-1703)
 
Samuel Pierpoint Langley
United States astronomer and aviation pioneer who invented the bolometer and contributed to the design of early aircraft (1834-1906)
 
Samuel Rawson Gardiner
British historian remembered for his ten-volume history of England (1829-1902)
 
Samuel Rosenstock
French poet (born in Romania) who was one of the cofounders of the dada movement (1896-1963)
 
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
English romantic poet (1772-1834)
 
Samuel Wiesenthal
Austrian investigator of Nazi war crimes (born in 1908)
 
Samuel Wilder
United States filmmaker (born in Austria) whose dark humor infused many of the films he made (1906-2002)
 
samurai
a Japanese warrior who was a member of the feudal military aristocracy
 
San Marinese
a native or inhabitant of San Marino
 
sandbagger
someone who deceives you about his true nature or intent in order to take advantage of you
 
sandboy
a young peddler of sand; used now only to express great happiness in `happy as a sandboy'
 
sandwichman
a person with advertising boards hanging from the shoulders
 
sangoma
a traditional Zulu healer and respected elder
 
sannup
a married male American Indian
 
sannyasi
a Hindu religious mendicant
 
Santiago Ramon y Cajal
Spanish histologist noted for his work on the structure of the nervous system (1852-1934)
 
sapper
a military engineer who does sapping (digging trenches or undermining fortifications)
 
Sappho
the Greek lyric poet of Lesbos; much admired although only fragments of her poetry have been preserved (6th century BC)
 
Sara Teasdale
United States poet (1884-1933)
 
Saracen
(historically) a Muslim who opposed the Crusades
 
Saracen
(historically) a member of the nomadic people of the Syrian and Arabian deserts at the time of the Roman Empire
 
Saracen
(when used broadly) any Arab
 
Sarah
(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac
 
Sarah Kemble Siddons
English actress noted for her performances in Shakespearean roles (1755-1831)
 
Sarah Vaughan
United States jazz singer noted for her complex bebop phrasing and scat singing (1924-1990)
 
Sarawakian
a native or inhabitant of Sarawak
 
Sardinian
a native or inhabitant of Sardinia
 
sartor
a person whose occupation is making and altering garments
 
Sassenach
the Scots' term for an English person
 
Satanist
an adherent of Satan or Satanism
 
satrap
a governor of a province in ancient Persia
 
Satyendra Nath Bose
Indian physicist who with Albert Einstein proposed statistical laws based on the indistinguishability of particles; led to the description of fundamental particles that later came to be known as bosons
 
Saudi Arabian
a native or inhabitant of Saudi Arabia
 
Sauk
a member of the Algonquian people formerly living in Wisconsin in the Fox River valley and on the shores of Green Bay
 
Saul
(Old Testament) the first king of the Israelites who defended Israel against many enemies (especially the Philistines)
 
Saul Steinberg
United States cartoonist (born in Romania) noted for his caricatures of famous people (1914-1999)
 
Savara
a member of the Dravidian people living in southern India
 
saver
someone who saves (especially money)
 
Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac
a French soldier and dramatist remembered chiefly for fighting many duels (often over the size of his nose); was immortalized in 1897 in a play by Edmond Rostand (1619-1655)
 
Savoyard
a person who performs in the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan
 
Savoyard
a resident of Savoy
 
sawyer
one who is employed to saw wood
 
saxist
a musician who plays the saxophone
 
Saxo Grammaticus
Danish historian who chronicled the history of Denmark (including the legend of Hamlet) (1150?-1220?)
 
Saxon
a member of a Germanic people who conquered England and merged with the Angles and Jutes to become Anglo-Saxons; dominant in England until the Norman Conquest
 
scalawag
a white Southerner who supported Reconstruction policies after the American Civil War (usually for self-interest)
 
scalper
someone who buys something and resells it at a price far above the initial cost
 
scandalmonger
a person who spreads malicious gossip
 
Scandinavian
an inhabitant of Scandinavia
 
scanner
someone who scans verse to determine the number and prosodic value of the syllables
 
scapegoat
someone who is punished for the errors of others
 
scaremonger
a person who spreads frightening rumors and stirs up trouble
 
scattergood
someone who spends money prodigally
 
scenarist
a writer of screenplays
 
scene painter
a painter of theatrical scenery
 
scene painter
an artist specializing in scenic subjects
 
scene-stealer
an actor who draws more attention than other actors in the same scene
 
sceneshifter
a stagehand responsible for moving scenery
 
schizophrenic
someone who is afflicted with schizophrenia
 
schlemiel
(Yiddish) a dolt who is a habitual bungler
 
schlep
(Yiddish) an awkward and stupid person
 
schlimazel
(Yiddish) a very unlucky or inept person who fails at everything
 
schlockmeister
(slang) a merchant who deals in shoddy or inferior merchandise
 
schmo
(Yiddish) a jerk
 
schnook
(Yiddish) a gullible simpleton more to be pitied than despised
 
schnorrer
(Yiddish) a scrounger who takes advantage of the generosity of others
 
scholar
a student who holds a scholarship
 
Scholastic
a Scholastic philosopher or theologian
 
scholiast
a scholar who writes explanatory notes on an author (especially an ancient commentator on a classical author)
 
school superintendent
the superintendent of a school system
 
school teacher
a teacher in a school below the college level
 
schoolboy
a boy attending school
 
schoolfriend
a friend who attends the same school
 
schoolgirl
a girl attending school
 
schoolmaster
any person (or institution) who acts as an educator
 
science teacher
someone who teaches science
 
scientist
a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences
 
scion
a descendent or heir
 
scofflaw
one who habitually ignores the law and does not answer court summonses
 
scorekeeper
an official who records the score during the progress of a game
 
scorer
a logger who marks trees to be felled
 
scorer
a player who makes a score in a game or contest
 
scorner
a person who expresses contempt by remarks or facial expression
 
Scorpion
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Scorpio
 
Scotchman
a native or inhabitant of Scotland
 
Scotchwoman
a woman who is a Scot
 
Scott Joplin
United States composer who was the first creator of ragtime to write down his compositions (1868-1917)
 
Scottish Highlander
a native of the Highlands of Scotland
 
Scottish Lowlander
a native of the Lowlands of Scotland
 
scoundrel
a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately
 
scourer
someone who travels widely and energetically
 
scourer
someone who cleanses by scouring
 
Scourge of the Gods
king of the Huns; the most successful barbarian invader of the Roman Empire (406-453)
 
scourge
a person who inspires fear or dread
 
Scout
a Boy Scout or Girl Scout
 
scout
someone employed to discover and recruit talented persons (especially in the worlds of entertainment or sports)
 
scoutmaster
the leader of a troop of Scouts
 
SCPO
a senior noncommissioned officer in the Navy or Coast Guard with a rank comparable to master sergeant in the Army
 
scrag
a person who is unusually thin and scrawny
 
scrambler
a rapid mover; someone who scrambles
 
scratch
a competitor who has withdrawn from competition
 
scratcher
a person who scratches to relieve an itch
 
scratcher
a workman who uses a tool for scratching
 
scrawler
a writer whose handwriting is careless and hard to read
 
screener
a guard at an airport who checks passengers or their luggage at a security checkpoint
 
screwballer
(baseball) a pitcher who throws screwballs
 
scrimshanker
a shirker
 
scriptwriter
someone who writes scripts for plays or movies or broadcast dramas
 
scrub nurse
a nurse who helps a surgeon prepare for surgery
 
scrubber
a worker who uses a scrub brush to clean a surface (usually a floor or deck)
 
scrutiniser
a careful examiner; someone who inspects with great care
 
scuba diver
an underwater diver who uses scuba gear
 
sculler
someone who sculls (moves a long oar pivoted on the back of the boat to propel the boat forward)
 
scullion
a kitchen servant employed to do menial tasks (especially washing)
 
sculptress
a woman sculptor
 
Scythian
a member of the ancient nomadic people inhabiting Scythia
 
sea king
a Viking pirate chief
 
sea lawyer
an argumentative and contentious seaman
 
Sea Scout
a Boy Scout enrolled in programs for water activities
 
sealer
an official who affixes a seal to a document
 
Sean O'Casey
Irish playwright (1880-1964)
 
searcher
a customs official whose job is to search baggage or goods or vehicles for contraband or dutiable items
 
seasonal
a worker who finds employment only in certain seasons
 
seasoner
a cook who uses seasonings
 
Sebastian Cabot
son of John Cabot who was born in Italy and who led an English expedition in search of the Northwest Passage and a Spanish expedition that explored the La Plata region of Brazil; in 1544 he published a map of the world (1476-1557)
 
Sebastian Vizcaino
Spanish explorer who was the first European to explore the California coast (1550-1615)
 
secessionist
an advocate of secessionism
 
second
the official attendant of a contestant in a duel or boxing match
 
Second Adventist
a member of Christian denomination that expects the imminent advent of Christ
 
second banana
someone who serves in a subordinate capacity or plays a secondary role
 
second banana
a performer who acts as stooge to a comedian
 
second baseman
(baseball) the person who plays second base
 
second cousin
a child of a first cousin of one's parent
 
Second Earl Grey
Englishman who as Prime Minister implemented social reforms including the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire (1764-1845)
 
Second Earl of Chatham
English statesman and son of Pitt the Elder (1759-1806)
 
Second Earl of Guilford
British statesman under George III whose policies led to rebellion in the American colonies (1732-1792)
 
second hand
an intermediate person; used in the phrase `at second hand'
 
Second Marquis of Rockingham
English statesman who served as prime minister and who opposed the war with the American colonies (1730-1782)
 
second-in-command
someone who relieves a commander
 
seconder
someone who endorses a motion or petition as a necessary preliminary to a discussion or vote
 
secretarial assistant
an assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work for a boss or an organization
 
secretary
a person who is head of an administrative department of government
 
Secretary General
a person who is a chief administrator (as of the United Nations)
 
Secretary of Agriculture
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Agriculture
 
Secretary of Commerce
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Commerce
 
Secretary of Defense
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Defense Department
 
Secretary of Education
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Education
 
Secretary of Energy
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Energy
 
Secretary of Health and Human Services
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Health and Human Services
 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
 
Secretary of Labor
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Labor
 
Secretary of State
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of State
 
Secretary of State for the Home Department
the British cabinet minister who is head of the Home Office
 
Secretary of the Interior
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Interior Department
 
Secretary of the Treasury
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Treasury Department
 
Secretary of Transportation
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Transportation
 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Veterans Affairs
 
sectarian
a member of a sect
 
Section Eight
a soldier who received a Section Eight discharge as unfit for military service
 
section hand
a laborer assigned to a section gang
 
section man
someone who teaches a section of a large college course
 
secularist
an advocate of secularism; someone who believes that religion should be excluded from government and education
 
security consultant
an adviser about alarm systems to prevent burglaries
 
security director
head of a private security force working for a business or industry
 
security guard
a guard who keeps watch
 
seducer
a bad person who entices others into error or wrongdoing
 
seductress
a woman who seduces
 
seed
one of the outstanding players in a tournament
 
seedman
a dealer in seeds
 
seer
an observer who perceives visually
 
segregate
someone who is or has been segregated
 
segregationist
someone who believes the racial groups should be kept apart
 
Seiji Ozawa
United States conductor (born in Japan in 1935)
 
seismologist
a geophysicist who studies earthquakes and the mechanical characteristics of the Earth
 
seizer
a kidnapper who drugs men and takes them for compulsory service aboard a ship
 
selectman
an elected member of a board of officials who run New England towns
 
selectwoman
an elected member of a board of officials who run New England towns
 
Seleucus I Nicator
Macedonian general who accompanied Alexander the Great into Asia; founded a line of kings who reigned in Asia Minor until 65 BC (358-281 BC)
 
self
a person considered as a unique individual
 
self-starter
an energetic person with unusual initiative
 
selfish person
a person who is unusually selfish
 
selling agent
someone who sells goods (on commission) for others
 
sellout
someone who has sold out
 
semanticist
a specialist in the study of meaning
 
semifinalist
one of four competitors remaining in a tournament by elimination
 
seminarian
a student at a seminary (especially a Roman Catholic seminary)
 
Seminole
a member of the Muskhogean people who moved into Florida in the 18th century
 
semipro
an athlete who plays for pay on a part-time basis
 
Semite
a member of a group of Semitic-speaking peoples of the Middle East and northern Africa
 
senator
a member of a senate
 
sendee
the intended recipient of a message
 
sender
someone who transmits a message
 
Seneca
a member of the Iroquoian people formerly living in New York State south of Lake Ontario
 
Senegalese
a native or inhabitant of Senegal
 
Senhor
a Portuguese title of respect; equivalent to English `Mr'
 
senior
an undergraduate student during the year preceding graduation
 
senior vice president
the ranking vice president in a firm that has more than one
 
Sennacherib
king of Assyria who invaded Judea twice and defeated Babylon and rebuilt Nineveh after it had been destroyed by Babylonians (died in 681 BC)
 
sensualist
a person who enjoys sensuality
 
separationist
an advocate of secession or separation from a larger group (such as an established church or a national union)
 
Sephardic Jew
a Jew who is of Spanish or Portuguese or North African descent
 
septuagenarian
someone whose age is in the seventies
 
Serbian
a member of a Slavic people who settled in Serbia and neighboring areas in the 6th and 7th centuries
 
sergeant
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
 
sergeant at arms
an officer (as of a legislature or court) who maintains order and executes commands
 
sergeant
an English barrister of the highest rank
 
Sergei Aleksandrovich Koussevitzky
United States conductor (born in Russia) who was noted for performing the works of contemporary composers (1874-1951)
 
Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein
Russian film maker who pioneered the use of montage and is considered among the most influential film makers in the history of motion pictures (1898-1948)
 
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev
Russian ballet impresario who founded the Russian ballet and later introduced it to the West (1872-1929)
 
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev
Russian composer of ballets and symphonies and operas (1891-1953)
 
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff
composer and piano virtuoso born in Russia (1873-1943)
 
serial killer
someone who murders more than three victims one at a time in a relatively short interval
 
sericulturist
a producer of raw silk
 
serologist
a medical scientist who specializes in serology
 
servant girl
a girl who is a servant
 
server
(court games) the player who serves to start a point
 
server
a person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant)
 
servitor
someone who performs the duties of an attendant for someone else
 
Seth
(Old Testament) third son of Adam and Eve; given by God in place of the murdered Abel
 
Seth Thomas
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
 
settler
a clerk in a betting shop who calculates the winnings
 
settler
a negotiator who settles disputes
 
settlor
(law) a person who creates a trust by giving real or personal property in trust to a trustee for the benefit of a beneficiary; a person who gives such property is said to settle it on the trustee
 
Severo Ochoa
United States biochemist (born in Spain) who studied the biological synthesis of nucleic acids (1905-1993)
 
sewer
someone who sews
 
sewing-machine operator
someone who sews by operating a sewing machine
 
sex bomb
a young woman who is thought to have sex appeal
 
sex object
any person regarded simply as an object of sexual gratification
 
sex offender
someone who has been convicted of a sex crime
 
sex symbol
a person (especially a celebrity) who is well-known for their sexual attractiveness
 
sexagenarian
someone whose age is in the sixties
 
Seychellois
a native or inhabitant of Seychelles
 
SGA infant
an infant whose size and weight are considerably less than the average for babies of the same age
 
shadow
an inseparable companion
 
shadow
a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements
 
Shah Jahan
Mogul emperor of India during whose reign the finest monuments of Mogul architecture were built (including the Taj Mahal at Agra) (1592-1666)
 
Shah of Iran
title for the former hereditary monarch of Iran
 
Shahaptian
a member of a North American Indian people who lived in Oregon along the Columbia river and its tributaries in Washington and northern Idaho
 
shaheed
Arabic term for holy martyrs
 
Shaker
a member of Christian group practicing celibacy and communal living and common possession of property and separation from the world
 
Shakespearian
a Shakespearean scholar
 
Shaktist
worshipper of Shakti
 
Shalom Asch
United States writer (born in Poland) who wrote in Yiddish (1880-1957)
 
shareholder
someone who holds shares of stock in a corporation
 
shark
a person who is unusually skilled in certain ways
 
shark
a person who is ruthless and greedy and dishonest
 
sharpshooter
an athlete noted for accurate aim
 
Shasta
a member of the Indian people of northern California and southern Oregon
 
shaver
an adult male who shaves
 
Shavian
an admirer of G. B. Shaw or his works
 
Shawnee
a member of the Algonquian people formerly living along the Tennessee river
 
she-devil
a cruel woman
 
shearer
a skilled worker who shears the wool off of sheep or other animals
 
shearer
a workman who uses shears to cut leather or metal or textiles
 
shedder
an attacker who sheds or spills blood
 
sheep
a docile and vulnerable person who would rather follow than make an independent decision
 
sheep
a timid defenseless simpleton who is readily preyed upon
 
sheepherder
a herder of sheep (on an open range); someone who keeps the sheep together in a flock
 
sheepman
a man who raises (or tends) sheep
 
shegetz
an offensive term for non-Jewish young man
 
sheika
the wife of a sheik
 
Shelby Silverstein
United States poet and cartoonist remembered for his stories and poems for children (1932-1999)
 
sheller
a worker who removes shells (as of peas or oysters)
 
Shelton Jackson Lee
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
 
shelver
a worker who puts things (as books) on shelves
 
Shem
(Old Testament) eldest son of Noah
 
shepherd
a clergyman who watches over a group of people
 
shepherdess
a woman shepherd
 
sheriff
the principal law-enforcement officer in a county
 
Sherpa
a member of the Himalayan people living in Nepal and Tibet who are famous for their skill as mountaineers
 
Sherwood Anderson
United States author whose works were frequently autobiographical (1876-1941)
 
Shi'ite Muslim
a member of the branch of Islam that regards Ali as the legitimate successor to Mohammed and rejects the first three caliphs
 
shiksa
a derogatory term used by Jews to refer to non-Jewish women
 
shill
a decoy who acts as an enthusiastic customer in order to stimulate the participation of others
 
shingler
a worker who shingles roofs
 
Shintoist
a believer in Shintoism
 
ship broker
an agent for the ship owner; obtains cargo and may arrange for its loading or discharge
 
ship builder
a person who builds ships as a business
 
ship builder
a carpenter who helps build and launch wooden vessels
 
ship chandler
a dealer in equipment and supplies for ships
 
ship's chandler
a dealer in sails and ropes and other supplies for sailing ships
 
ship-breaker
a contractor who buys old ships and breaks them up for scrap
 
shipmate
an associate on the same ship with you
 
shipowner
someone who owns a ship or a share in a ship
 
shipper
someone who ships goods
 
shipping agent
the agent of a shipowner
 
shipping clerk
an employee who ships and receives goods
 
shirker
a person who shirks his work or duty (especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime)
 
Shirley Temple Black
popular child actress of the 1930's (born in 1928)
 
shirtmaker
a maker of shirts
 
Shivaist
worshipper of Shiva
 
shocker
a shockingly bad person
 
shogun
a hereditary military dictator of Japan; the shoguns ruled Japan until the revolution of 1867-68
 
Shona
a member of a Bantu tribe living in present-day Zimbabwe
 
shoofly
an undercover police officer who investigates other policemen
 
shooter
(sports) a player who drives or kicks a ball at the goal (or a basketball player who shoots at the basket)
 
shooter
a person who shoots (usually with respect to their ability to shoot)
 
shop boy
a young male shop assistant
 
shop girl
a young female shop assistant
 
shop steward
a union member who is elected to represent fellow workers in negotiating with management
 
shopaholic
a compulsive shopper
 
shopper
someone who visits stores in search of articles to buy
 
shopper
a commercial agent who shops at the competitor's store in order to compare their prices and merchandise with those of the store that employs her
 
shortstop
(baseball) the person who plays the shortstop position
 
Shoshoni
a member of the North American Indian people (related to the Aztecs) of the southwestern United States
 
shot putter
an athlete who competes in the shot put
 
shoveler
a worker who shovels
 
showman
a person skilled at making effective presentations
 
shrew
a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman
 
shrinking violet
someone who shrinks from familiarity with others
 
Shudra
a member of the lowest or worker Hindu caste
 
shuffler
someone who walks without raising the feet
 
shuffler
the card player who shuffles the cards
 
shutterbug
a photography enthusiast
 
Siamese
a native or inhabitant of Thailand
 
Siamese twin
one of a pair of identical twins born with their bodies joined at some point
 
sib
a person's brother or sister
 
Siberian
a native or inhabitant of Siberia
 
sibyl
(ancient Rome) a woman who was regarded as an oracle or prophet
 
sibyl
a woman who tells fortunes
 
Sicilian
a resident of Sicily
 
side judge
a football official
 
sidesman
(Church of England) an assistant to the churchwarden; collects offerings of money in the church
 
Sidney Caesar
United States comedian who pioneered comedy television shows (born 1922)
 
Sidney Poitier
United States film actor and director (born in 1927)
 
Sidonie-Gabrielle Claudine Colette
French writer of novels about women (1873-1954)
 
Sierra Leonean
a native or inhabitant of Sierra Leone
 
sightreader
a performer who reads without preparation or prior acquaintance (as in music)
 
Sigmund Freud
Austrian neurologist who originated psychoanalysis (1856-1939)
 
Sigmund Romberg
United States composer (born in Hungary) who composed operettas (1887-1951)
 
sign painter
someone who paints signs and billboards etc.
 
signaler
someone who communicates by signals
 
signalman
a railroad employee in charge of signals and point in a railroad yard
 
signatory
someone who signs and is bound by a document
 
signer
someone who can use sign language to communicate
 
signior
used as an Italian courtesy title; can be prefixed to the name or used separately
 
signora
an Italian title of address equivalent to Mrs. when used before a name
 
signore
an Italian title of respect for a man; equivalent to the English `sir'; used separately (not prefixed to his name)
 
signorina
an Italian courtesy title for an unmarried woman; equivalent to `Miss', it is either used alone or before a name
 
Sigrid Undset
Norwegian novelist (1882-1949)
 
Sihasapa
a member of a group of Siouan people who constituted a division of the Teton Sioux
 
Sikh
an adherent of Sikhism
 
silent partner
a partner (who usually provides capital) whose association with the enterprise is not public knowledge
 
silly
a word used for misbehaving children
 
silversmith
someone who makes or repairs articles of silver
 
Simeon
(Old Testament) the 2nd son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel
 
Simon Kuznets
United States economist (born in Russia) who developed a method for using a country's gross national product to estimate its economic growth (1901-1985)
 
Simon Legree
a cruel employer who demands excessive work from the employees
 
Simon Newcomb
United States astronomer (1835-1909)
 
Simon the Canaanite
one of the twelve Apostles (first century)
 
Simone de Beauvoir
French feminist and existentialist and novelist (1908-1986)
 
Simone Weil
French philosopher (1909-1943)
 
simperer
a smiler whose smile is silly and self-conscious and sometimes coy
 
simple
a person lacking intelligence or common sense
 
Sindhi
a native or inhabitant of Sind
 
Singaporean
an inhabitant of Singapore
 
singer
a person who sings
 
Singhalese
a native or inhabitant of Sri Lanka
 
Sinologist
a student of Chinese history and language and culture
 
Siouan
a member of a group of North American Indian peoples who spoke a Siouan language and who ranged from Lake Michigan to the Rocky Mountains
 
sipper
a drinker who sips
 
sir
term of address for a man
 
Sir
a title used before the name of knight or baronet
 
Sir Alec Guinness
English stage and screen actor noted for versatility (1914-2000)
 
Sir Alexander Fleming
Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin (1881-1955)
 
Sir Alexander Korda
British filmmaker (born in Hungary) (1893-1956)
 
Sir Alexander Mackenzie
Canadian explorer (born in England) who explored the Mackenzie River and who was first to cross North America by land north of Mexico (1764-1820)
 
Sir Alexander Robertus Todd
Scottish chemist noted for his research into the structure of nucleic acids (born in 1907)
 
Sir Alfred Charles Bernard Lovell
English astronomer who pioneered radio astronomy (born in 1913)
 
Sir Anthony Philip Hopkins
Welsh film actor (born in 1937)
 
Sir Anthony Vandyke
Flemish painter of numerous portraits (1599-1641)
 
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
British author who created Sherlock Holmes (1859-1930)
 
Sir Arthur John Evans
British archaeologist who excavated the palace of Knossos in Crete to find what he called Minoan civilization (1851-1941)
 
Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington
English astronomer remembered for his popular elucidation of relativity theory (1882-1944)
 
Sir Arthur Travers Harris
British marshal of the Royal Air Force; during World War II he directed mass bombing raids against German cities that resulted in heavy civilian casualties (1892-1984)
 
Sir Charles Leonard Woolley
English archaeologist who supervised the excavations at Ur (1880-1960)
 
Sir Charles Scott Sherrington
English physiologist who conducted research on reflex action (1857-1952)
 
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin
English comedian and film maker; portrayed a downtrodden little man in baggy pants and bowler hat (1889-1977)
 
Sir Charles Wheatstone
English physicist and inventor who devised the Wheatstone bridge (1802-1875)
 
Sir Charles William Siemens
engineer who was a brother of Ernst Werner von Siemens and who moved to England (1823-1883)
 
Sir Christopher Wren
English architect who designed more than fifty London churches (1632-1723)
 
Sir Clive Marles Sinclair
English electrical engineer who founded a company that introduced many innovative products (born in 1940)
 
Sir David Alexander Cecil Low
British political cartoonist (born in New Zealand) who created the character Colonel Blimp (1891-1963)
 
Sir David Bruce
Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)
 
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary
New Zealand mountaineer who in 1953 first attained the summit of Mount Everest with his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay (born in 1919)
 
Sir Edward Victor Appleton
English physicist remembered for his studies of the ionosphere (1892-1966)
 
Sir Edward William Elgar
British composer of choral and orchestral works including two symphonies as well as songs and chamber music and music for brass band (1857-1934)
 
Sir Edwin Landseer Luytens
English architect who planned the city of New Delhi (1869-1944)
 
Sir Ernst Boris Chain
British biochemist (born in Germany) who isolated and purified penicillin, which had been discovered in 1928 by Sir Alexander Fleming (1906-1979)
 
Sir Francis Drake
English explorer and admiral who was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and who helped to defeat the Spanish Armada (1540-1596)
 
Sir Francis Galton
English scientist (cousin of Charles Darwin) who explored many fields including heredity, meteorology, statistics, psychology, and anthropology; founder of eugenics and first to use fingerprints for identification (1822-1911)
 
Sir Frank Whittle
English aeronautical engineer who invented the jet aircraft engine (1907-1996)
 
Sir Fred Hoyle
an English astrophysicist and advocate of the steady state theory of cosmology; described processes of nucleosynthesis inside stars (1915-2001)
 
Sir Frederick Ashton
British choreographer (1906-1988)
 
Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins
English biochemist who did pioneering work that led to the discovery of vitamins (1861-1947)
 
Sir Frederick Grant Banting
Canadian physiologist who discovered insulin with C. H. Best and who used it to treat diabetes(1891-1941)
 
Sir Frederick Handley Page
English industrialist who pioneered in the design and manufacture of aircraft (1885-1962)
 
Sir Frederick William Herschel
English astronomer (born in Germany) who discovered infrared light and who catalogued the stars and discovered the planet Uranus (1738-1822)
 
Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson
English chemist honored for his research on pollutants in car exhausts (born in 1921)
 
Sir George Otto Trevelyan
English historian who wrote a history of the American revolution and a biography of his uncle Lord Macaulay (1838-1928)
 
Sir George Paget Thomson
English physicist (son of Joseph John Thomson) who was a co-discoverer of the diffraction of electrons by crystals (1892-1975)
 
Sir Geraint
(Arthurian legend) one of the knights of the Round Table
 
Sir Hans Adolf Krebs
English biochemist (born in Germany) who discovered the Krebs cycle (1900-1981)
 
Sir Harold George Nicolson
English diplomat and author (1886-1968)
 
Sir Harold Walter Kroto
British chemist who with Robert Curl and Richard Smalley discovered fullerenes and opened a new branch of chemistry (born in 1939)
 
Sir Harry MacLennan Lauder
Scottish ballad singer and music hall comedian (1870-1950)
 
Sir Henry Bessemer
British inventor and metallurgist who developed the Bessemer process (1813-1898)
 
Sir Henry Joseph Wood
English conductor (1869-1944)
 
Sir Henry Maxmilian Beerbohm
English writer and caricaturist (1872-1956)
 
Sir Henry Morgan
a Welsh buccaneer who raided Spanish colonies in the West Indies for the English (1635-1688)
 
Sir Henry Morton Stanley
Welsh journalist and explorer who led an expedition to Africa in search of David Livingstone and found him in Tanzania in 1871; he and Livingstone together tried to find the source of the Nile River (1841-1904)
 
Sir Henry Percy
English soldier killed in a rebellion against Henry IV (1364-1403)
 
Sir Henry Rider Haggard
British writer noted for romantic adventure novels (1856-1925)
 
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
English actor and theatrical producer noted for his lavish productions of Shakespeare (1853-1917)
 
Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim
English inventor (born in the United States) who invented the Maxim gun that was used in World War I (1840-1916)
 
Sir Howard Walter Florey
British pathologist who isolated and purified penicillin, which had been discovered in 1928 by Sir Alexander Fleming (1898-1968)
 
Sir Humphrey Davy
English chemist who was a pioneer in electrochemistry and who used it to isolate elements sodium and potassium and barium and boron and calcium and magnesium and chlorine (1778-1829)
 
Sir Humphrey Gilbert
English navigator who in 1583 established in Newfoundland the first English colony in North America (1539-1583)
 
Sir Isaac Newton
English mathematician and physicist; remembered for developing the calculus and for his law of gravitation and his three laws of motion (1642-1727)
 
Sir Isaac Pitman
English educator who invented a system of phonetic shorthand (1813-1897)
 
Sir Jacob Epstein
British sculptor (born in the United States) noted for busts and large controversial works (1880-1959)
 
Sir James Augustus Henry Murray
Scottish philologist and the lexicographer who shaped the Oxford English Dictionary (1837-1915)
 
Sir James Clark Ross
British explorer of the Arctic and Antarctic; located the north magnetic pole in 1831; discovered the Ross Sea in Antarctica; nephew of Sir John Ross (1800-1862)
 
Sir James Dewar
Scottish chemist and physicist noted for his work in cryogenics and his invention of the Dewar flask (1842-1923)
 
Sir James George Frazer
English social anthropologist noted for studies of primitive religion and magic (1854-1941)
 
Sir James Matthew Barrie
Scottish dramatist and novelist; created Peter Pan (1860-1937)
 
Sir James Paget
English pathologist who discovered the cause of trichinosis (1814-1899)
 
Sir James Paul McCartney
English rock star and bass guitarist and songwriter who with John Lennon wrote most of the music for the Beatles (born in 1942)
 
Sir James Young Simpson
Scottish obstetrician and surgeon who pioneered in the use of ether and discovered the anesthetic effects of chloroform (1811-1870)
 
Sir John Carew Eccles
Australian physiologist noted for his research on the conduction of impulses by nerve cells (1903-1997)
 
Sir John Cowdery Kendrew
English biologist noted for studies of the molecular structure of blood components (born in 1917)
 
Sir John Douglas Cockcroft
British physicist who (with Ernest Walton in 1931) first split an atom (1897-1967)
 
Sir John Everett Millais
Englishman and Pre-Raphaelite painter (1829-1896)
 
Sir John Frederick William Herschel
English astronomer (son of William Herschel) who extended the catalogue of stars to the southern hemisphere and did pioneering work in photography (1792-1871)
 
Sir John Hawkins
English privateer involved in the slave trade; later helped build the fleet that in 1588 defeated the Spanish Armada (1532-1595)
 
Sir John Ross
Scottish explorer who led Arctic expeditions that yielded geographic discoveries while searching for the Northwest Passage (1777-1856)
 
Sir John Suckling
English poet and courtier (1609-1642)
 
Sir John Tenniel
English cartoonist (1820-1914)
 
Sir John Vanbrigh
English architect (1664-1726)
 
Sir Joseph Banks
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
 
Sir Joseph John Thomson
English physicist who experimented with the conduction of electricity through gases and who discovered the electron and determined its charge and mass (1856-1940)
 
Sir Joseph Paxton
English architect (1801-1865)
 
Sir Joshua Reynolds
English portrait painter and first president of the Royal Academy (1723-1792)
 
Sir Karl Raimund Popper
British philosopher (born in Austria) who argued that scientific theories can never be proved to be true, but are tested by attempts to falsify them (1902-1994)
 
Sir Leonard Hutton
English cricketer (1916-1990)
 
Sir Leslie Stephen
English writer (1832-1904)
 
Sir Martin Frobisher
English explorer who led an expedition in search of the Northwest Passage to the orient; served under Drake and helped defeat the Spanish Armada (1535-1594)
 
Sir Matthew Flinders
British explorer who mapped the Australian coast (1774-1814)
 
Sir Noel Pierce Coward
English dramatist and actor and composer noted for his witty and sophisticated comedies (1899-1973)
 
Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge
English physicist who studied electromagnetic radiation and was a pioneer of radiotelegraphy (1851-1940)
 
Sir Patrick Manson
Scottish physician who discovered that elephantiasis is spread by mosquitos and suggested that mosquitos also spread malaria (1844-1922)
 
Sir Paul Gavrilovich Vinogradoff
British historian (born in Russia) (1854-1925)
 
Sir Peter Brian Medawar
British immunologist (born in Brazil) who studied tissue transplants and discovered that the rejection of grafts was an immune response (1915-1987)
 
Sir Peter Paul Rubens
prolific Flemish baroque painter; knighted by the English king Charles I (1577-1640)
 
Sir Philip Sidney
English poet (1554-1586)
 
Sir Rabindranath Tagore
Indian writer and philosopher whose poetry (based on traditional Hindu themes) pioneered the use of colloquial Bengali (1861-1941)
 
Sir Ralph David Richardson
British stage and screen actor noted for playing classic roles (1902-1983)
 
Sir Richard Francis Burton
English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)
 
Sir Richard Owen
English comparative anatomist and paleontologist who was an opponent of Darwinism (1804-1892)
 
Sir Richrd Steele
English writer (1672-1729)
 
Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler
Scottish archaeologist (1890-1976)
 
Sir Robert Peel
British politician (1788-1850)
 
Sir Robert Robinson
English chemist noted for his studies of molecular structures in plants (1886-1975)
 
Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister
English runner who in 1954 became the first person to run a mile in less than four minutes (born in 1929)
 
Sir Ronald Ross
British physician who discovered that mosquitos transmit malaria (1857-1932)
 
Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Indian philosopher and statesman who introduced Indian philosophy to the West (1888-1975)
 
Sir Seretse Khama
Botswanan statesman who was the first president of Botswana (1921-1980)
 
Sir Stephen Harold Spender
English poet and critic (1909-1995)
 
Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan
British playwright (1911-1977)
 
Sir Thomas Gresham
English financier (1519-1579)
 
Sir Thomas Lawrence
English portrait painter remembered for the series of portraits of the leaders of the alliance against Napoleon (1769-1830)
 
Sir Thomas Malory
English writer who published a translation of romances about King Arthur taken from French and other sources (died in 1471)
 
Sir Thomas More
English statesman who opposed Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and was imprisoned and beheaded; recalled for his concept of Utopia, the ideal state
 
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles
British colonial administrator who founded Singapore (1781-1826)
 
Sir Thomas Wyatt
English poet who introduced the sonnet form to English literature (1503-1542)
 
Sir Walter Norman Haworth
English biochemist who was a pioneer in research on carbohydrates; when he synthesized vitamin C he became the first person to synthesize a vitamin artificially (1883-1950)
 
Sir Walter Raleigh
English courtier (a favorite of Elizabeth I) who tried to colonize Virginia; introduced potatoes and tobacco to England (1552-1618)
 
Sir Walter Scott
British author of historical novels and ballads (1771-1832)
 
Sir William Alexander Craigie
English lexicographer who was a joint editor of the Oxford English Dictionary (1872-1966)
 
Sir William Chambers
English architect (1723-1796)
 
Sir William Crookes
English chemist and physicist; discovered thallium; invented the radiometer and studied cathode rays (1832-1919)
 
Sir William Gerald Golding
English novelist (1911-1993)
 
Sir William Huggins
English astronomer who pioneered spectroscopic analysis in astronomy and who discovered the red shift (1824-1910)
 
Sir William Rowan Hamilton
Irish mathematician (1806-1865)
 
Sir William Turner Walton
English composer (1902-1983)
 
Sir William Wallace
Scottish insurgent who led the resistance to Edward I; in 1297 he gained control of Scotland briefly until Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated Wallace and subsequently executed him (1270-1305)
 
Sir Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill
British statesman and leader during World War II; received Nobel prize for literature in 1953 (1874-1965)
 
Sir Yehudi Menuhin
British violinist (born in the United States) who began his career as a child prodigy in the 1920s (1916-1999)
 
Siraj-ud-daula
Indian general and nawab of Bengal who opposed the colonization of India by England; he captured Calcutta in 1756 and many of his prisoners suffocated in a crowded room that became known as the Black Hole of Calcutta; he was defeated at the battle of Plassey by a group of Indian nobles in alliance with Robert Clive (1728-1757)
 
sirdar
an important person in India
 
sire
a title of address formerly used for a man of rank and authority
 
sirrah
formerly a contemptuous term of address to an inferior man or boy; often used in anger
 
sis
a female person who has the same parents as another person
 
sister
a female person who is a fellow member of a sorority or labor union or other group
 
Sister
(Roman Catholic Church) a title given to a nun (and used as a form of address)
 
sister-in-law
the sister of your spouse
 
sitar player
a musician who plays the sitar
 
Sitting Bull
a chief of the Sioux; took up arms against settlers in the northern Great Plains and against United States Army troops; he was present at the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876) when the Sioux massacred General Custer's troops (1831-1890)
 
six-footer
a person who is at least six feet tall
 
Sixth Baron Byron of Rochdale
English romantic poet notorious for his rebellious and unconventional lifestyle (1788-1824)
 
sixth-former
a student in the sixth form
 
Skagit
a member of the Salish people in northwestern Washington
 
skateboarder
someone who skates on a skateboard
 
skater
someone who skates
 
sketcher
someone who draws sketches
 
ski jumper
a skier who leaps through the air (especially on a ski jump)
 
skidder
a worker who uses a skid to move logs
 
skidder
a person who slips or slides because of loss of traction
 
skier
someone who skis
 
skilled worker
a worker who has acquired special skills
 
skimmer
a rapid superficial reader
 
skin
a member of any of several British or American groups consisting predominantly of young people who shave their heads; some engage in white supremacist and anti-immigrant activities and this leads to the perception that all skinheads are racist and violent
 
skinner
a person who prepares or deals in animal skins
 
Skinnerian
a follower of the theories or methods of B. F. Skinner
 
skinny-dipper
a naked swimmer
 
skipper
a student who fails to attend classes
 
skirmisher
someone who skirmishes (e.g., as a member of a scouting party)
 
skivvy
a female domestic servant who does all kinds of menial work
 
skycap
a porter who helps passengers with their baggage at an airport
 
skydiver
a person who jumps from a plane and performs various gymnastic maneuvers before pulling the parachute cord
 
slammer
a person who closes things violently
 
slapper
a hitter who slaps (usually another person) with an open hand
 
slasher
someone who slashes another person
 
slattern
a dirty untidy woman
 
Slav
any member of the people of eastern Europe or Asian Russia who speak a Slavonic language
 
slave
a person who is owned by someone
 
slave
someone entirely dominated by some influence or person
 
slave dealer
a person engaged in slave trade
 
slave driver
a supervisor of slaves at work
 
slave owner
someone who holds slaves
 
sledder
someone who rides a sled
 
sleeper
an unexpected achiever of success
 
sleeper
a spy or saboteur or terrorist planted in an enemy country who lives there as a law-abiding citizen until activated by a prearranged signal
 
sleeper
a rester who is sleeping
 
Sleeping Beauty
fairy story: princess under an evil spell who could be awakened only by a prince's kiss
 
sleeping beauty
a person who is sleeping soundly
 
sleepyhead
a sleepy person
 
sleuth
a detective who follows a trail
 
slicer
a golfer whose shots typically curve right (for right-handed golfers)
 
slicker
a person with good manners and stylish clothing
 
slinger
a person who uses a sling to throw something
 
slip
a young and slender person
 
sloganeer
someone who coins and uses slogans to promote a cause
 
slogger
a boxer noted for an ability to deliver hard punches
 
slopseller
a dealer in cheap ready-made clothing
 
slouch
an incompetent person; usually used in negative constructions
 
sloucher
a person who slouches; someone with a drooping carriage
 
Slovak
a native or inhabitant of Slovakia
 
Slovene
a native of Slovenia
 
Slovenian
a native or inhabitant of Slovenia
 
slug
an idle slothful person
 
small businessman
a businessman who runs a business employing less than 100 people
 
small farmer
a farmer on a small farm
 
small person
a person of below average size
 
smallholder
a person owning or renting a smallholding
 
smart aleck
an upstart who makes conceited, sardonic, insolent comments
 
smarta
one of a group of brahmans who uphold nonsectarian orthodoxy according to the Vedanta school of Hinduism
 
smasher
a person who smashes something
 
smiler
a person who smiles
 
smirker
a smiler whose smile is offensively self-satisfied
 
smith
someone who works at something specified
 
smoker
a person who smokes tobacco
 
smotherer
a person who stifles or smothers or suppresses
 
SMSgt
a senior noncommissioned officer in the Air Force with a rank comparable to master sergeant in the Army
 
snake charmer
a performer who uses movements and music to control snakes
 
snake
a deceitful or treacherous person
 
snarer
someone who sets snares for birds or small animals
 
snatcher
a thief who grabs and runs
 
sneak
a person who is regarded as underhanded and furtive and contemptible
 
sneezer
a person who sneezes
 
sniffer
a person who sniffs
 
sniffler
a person who breathes audibly through a congested nose
 
sniper
a marksman who shoots at people from a concealed place
 
snoop
a spy who makes uninvited inquiries into the private affairs of others
 
snorer
someone who snores while sleeping
 
snorter
someone who expresses contempt or indignation by uttering a snorting sound
 
snowboarder
someone who slides down snow-covered slopes while standing on a snowboard
 
snuff user
a person who uses snuff
 
snuffer
a person who snuffs out candles
 
snuffler
a person who breathes noisily (as through a nose blocked by mucus)
 
SOB
insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous
 
sob sister
a journalist who specializes in sentimental stories
 
sobersides
a serious and sedate individual
 
soccer player
an athlete who plays soccer
 
social drinker
someone who drinks liquor repeatedly in small quantities
 
social scientist
someone expert in the study of human society and its personal relationships
 
social secretary
a personal secretary who handles your social correspondence and appointments
 
socialiser
a person who takes part in social activities
 
socialist
a political advocate of socialism
 
socialite
a socially prominent person
 
Socinian
an adherent of the teachings of Socinus; a Christian who rejects the divinity of Christ and the Trinity and original sin; influenced the development of Unitarian theology
 
sociobiologist
a biologist who studies the biological determinants of social behavior
 
sociolinguist
a linguist who studies the social and cultural factors that influence linguistic communication
 
sociologist
a social scientist who studies the institutions and development of human society
 
Socrates
ancient Athenian philosopher; teacher of Plato and Xenophon (470-399 BC)
 
soda jerk
someone who works at a soda fountain
 
sodalist
a member of a sodality
 
Sofia Scicolone
Italian film actress (born in 1934)
 
softie
a person who is weak and excessively sentimental
 
sojourner
a temporary resident
 
Sojourner Truth
United States abolitionist and feminist who was freed from slavery and became a leading advocate of the abolition of slavery and for the rights of women (1797-1883)
 
solderer
a worker who joins or mends with solder
 
soldier
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
 
solicitor
a British lawyer who gives legal advice and prepares legal documents
 
solicitor general
a law officer appointed to assist an attorney general
 
soloist
a musician who performs a solo
 
Solomon
(Old Testament) son of David and king of Israel noted for his wisdom (10th century BC)
 
Solomon Bellow
United States author (born in Canada) whose novels influenced American literature after World War II (1915-2005)
 
Solomon Guggenheim
United States philanthropist; son of Meyer Guggenheim who created several foundations to support the arts (1861-1949)
 
Solomon Hurok
United States impresario who was born in Russia (1888-1974)
 
Somalian
a member of a tall dark (mostly Muslim) people inhabiting Somalia
 
sommelier
a waiter who manages wine service in a hotel or restaurant
 
somniloquist
someone who talks while asleep
 
son-in-law
the husband of your daughter
 
songster
a person who sings
 
songstress
a woman songster (especially of popular songs)
 
sonneteer
a poet who writes sonnets
 
soph
a second-year undergraduate
 
Sophie Tucker
United States vaudevillian (born in Russia) noted for her flamboyant performances (1884-1966)
 
Sophist
any of a group of Greek philosophers and teachers in the 5th century BC who speculated on a wide range of subjects
 
Sophocles
one of the great tragedians of ancient Greece (496-406 BC)
 
soprano
a female singer
 
Sorbian
a speaker of Sorbian
 
sorceress
a woman sorcerer
 
sorehead
someone who is peevish or disgruntled
 
Soren Aabye Kierkegaard
Danish philosopher who is generally considered. along with Nietzsche, to be a founder of existentialism (1813-1855)
 
Soren Peter Lauritz Sorensen
Danish chemist who devised the pH scale (1868-1939)
 
sort
a person of a particular character or nature
 
sorter
a clerk who sorts things (as letters at the post office)
 
Sotho
a member of the Bantu people who inhabit Botswana, Lesotho, and northern South Africa and who speak the Sotho languages
 
soubrette
a pert or flirtatious young girl
 
soul brother
a fellow Black man
 
soul mate
someone for whom you have a deep affinity
 
sounding board
a person whose reactions to something serve as an indication of its acceptability
 
soundman
a technician in charge of amplifying sound or producing sound effects (as for a TV or radio broadcast)
 
sourdough
a settler or prospector (especially in western United States or northwest Canada and Alaska)
 
South African
a native or inhabitant of South Africa
 
South American
a native or inhabitant of South America
 
South American Indian
a member of a native Indian group in South America
 
South Carolinian
a native or resident of South Carolina
 
South Dakotan
a native or resident of South Dakota
 
South Korean
a Korean from South Korea
 
Southern Baptist
a member of the Southern Baptist Convention
 
Southerner
an American who lives in the South
 
sower
someone who sows
 
space cadet
someone who seems unable to respond appropriately to reality (as if under the influence of some narcotic drug)
 
space writer
a writer paid by the area of the copy
 
spacewalker
an astronaut who is active outside a spacecraft in outer space
 
spammer
someone who sends unwanted email (often in bulk)
 
Spaniard
a native or inhabitant of Spain
 
sparer
someone who refrains from injuring or destroying
 
sparring mate
a boxer who spars with another boxer who is training for an important fight
 
Spartan
a resident of Sparta
 
spastic
a person suffering from spastic paralysis
 
Speaker
the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly
 
speaker
someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
 
spearhead
someone who leads or initiates an activity (attack or campaign etc.)
 
special agent
someone whose authority is limited to the special undertaking they have been instructed to perform
 
specialiser
an expert who is devoted to one occupation or branch of learning
 
specifier
someone who draws up specifications giving details (as for obtaining a patent)
 
speculator
someone who makes conjectures without knowing the facts
 
speech therapist
a therapist who treats speech defects and disorders
 
speechwriter
a writer who composes speeches for others to deliver
 
speed demon
a driver who exceeds the safe speed limit
 
speed skater
an ice-skater who races competitively; usually around an oval course
 
spellbinder
an orator who can hold his listeners spellbound
 
Spencer Tracy
United States film actor who appeared in many films with Katharine Hepburn (1900-1967)
 
spewer
a person who vomits
 
sphinx
an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret
 
spic
(ethnic slur) offensive term for persons of Latin American descent
 
spin doctor
a public relations person who tries to forestall negative publicity by publicizing a favorable interpretation of the words or actions of a company or political party or famous person
 
spindlelegs
a thin person with long thin legs
 
spinner
someone who spins (who twists fibers into threads)
 
spirit
the vital principle or animating force within living things
 
spirit rapper
someone who claims to receive messages from the dead in the form of raps on a table
 
spiritual leader
a leader in religious or sacred affairs
 
spitfire
a highly emotional and quick-tempered person (especially a girl or woman)
 
spiv
a person without employment who makes money by various dubious schemes; goes about smartly dressed and having a good time
 
splicer
a worker who splices ropes together by interweaving strands
 
splicer
a woodworker who joins pieces of wood with a splice
 
split end
(football) an offensive end who lines up at a distance from the other linemen
 
splitter
a worker who splits fish and removes the backbone
 
spoiler
a candidate with no chance of winning but who may draw enough votes to prevent one of the leading candidates from winning
 
spokesman
a male spokesperson
 
spokeswoman
a female spokesperson
 
sponger
a workman employed to collect sponges
 
sport
a person known for the way she (or he) behaves when teased or defeated or subjected to trying circumstances
 
sport
someone who engages in sports
 
sport
(Maine colloquial) a temporary summer resident of Maine
 
sporting man
someone who leads a merry existence; especially a gambler on the outcome of sporting events
 
sports announcer
an announcer who reads sports news or describes sporting events
 
sports editor
the newspaper editor responsible for sports news
 
sports writer
a journalist who writes about sports
 
spot welder
a welder who does spot welding
 
spotter
a worker employed to apply spots (as markers or identifiers)
 
spotter
a worker employed at a dry-cleaning establishment to remove spots
 
sprawler
a person who sprawls
 
sprayer
a worker who applies spray to a surface
 
spree killer
a serial killer whose murders occur within a brief period of time
 
sprigger
a worker who strips the stems from moistened tobacco leaves and binds the leaves together into books
 
spring chicken
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
 
sprinter
someone who runs a short distance at top speed
 
sprog
a child
 
sprog
a new military recruit
 
spurner
a person who rejects (someone or something) with contempt
 
spy
a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people
 
spy
(military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
 
spymaster
someone who directs clandestine intelligence activities
 
squabbler
someone who quarrels about a small matter
 
square dancer
someone who does square dancing
 
square shooter
a frank and honest person
 
square
a formal and conservative person with old-fashioned views
 
squatter
someone who settles on land without right or title
 
squaw
derogatory terms for an American Indian woman
 
squaw man
derogatory term for a white man married to a North American Indian woman
 
squeeze
(slang) a person's girlfriend or boyfriend
 
squinter
a person with strabismus
 
squire
an English country landowner
 
squire
young nobleman attendant on a knight
 
squirmer
one who can't stay still (especially a child)
 
Sri Lankan
a native or inhabitant of Sri Lanka
 
St. Basil the Great
(Roman Catholic Church) the bishop of Caesarea who defended the Roman Catholic Church against the heresies of the 4th century; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-379)
 
St. Gregory of Nazianzen
(Roman Catholic Church) a church father known for his constant fight against perceived heresies; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-391)
 
St. John Chrysostom
(Roman Catholic Church) a Church Father who was a great preacher and bishop of Constantinople; a saint and Doctor of the Church (347-407)
 
St. John the Baptist
(New Testament) a preacher and hermit and forerunner of Jesus (whom he baptized); was beheaded by Herod at the request of Salome
 
St. Martin
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
 
St. Mary Magdalene
sinful woman Jesus healed of evil spirits; she became a follower of Jesus
 
St. Vitus
Christian martyr and patron of those who suffer from epilepsy and Sydenham's chorea (died around 300)
 
stabber
someone who stabs another person
 
stacker
a laborer who builds up a stack or pile
 
staff member
an employee who is a member of a staff of workers (especially a member of the staff that works for the President of the United States)
 
staff officer
a commissioned officer assigned to a military commander's staff
 
staff sergeant
a noncommissioned officer ranking above corporal and below sergeant first class in the Army or Marines or above airman 1st class in the Air Force
 
stage director
someone who supervises the actors and directs the action in the production of a stage show
 
stage manager
someone who supervises the physical aspects in the production of a show and who is in charge of the stage when the show is being performed
 
stage technician
an employee of a theater who performs work involved in putting on a theatrical production
 
stainer
a worker who stains (wood or fabric)
 
stakeholder
someone entrusted to hold the stakes for two or more persons betting against one another; must deliver the stakes to the winner
 
Stalinist
a follower of Stalin and Stalinism
 
stalker
someone who stalks game
 
stalker
someone who walks with long stiff strides
 
stalking-horse
a candidate put forward to divide the Opposition or to mask the true candidate
 
stammerer
someone who speaks with involuntary pauses and repetitions
 
stamp dealer
a dealer in stamps (whose customers are stamp collectors)
 
stamper
a workman whose job is to form or cut out by applying a mold or die (either by hand or by operating a stamping machine)
 
stamper
someone who walks with a heavy noisy gait or who stamps on the ground
 
standard-bearer
an outstanding leader of a political movement
 
standardiser
a person who sets a standard for things to conform to
 
standby
an actor able to replace a regular performer when required
 
Stanford White
United States architect (1853-1906)
 
Stanley Frank Musial
United States baseball player (born in 1920)
 
Stanley Kubrick
United States filmmaker (born in 1928)
 
Stanley Smith Stevens
United States psychologist and psychophysicist who proposed Stevens' power law to replace Fechner's law (1906-1973)
 
starer
a viewer who gazes fixedly (often with hostility)
 
starets
a religious adviser (not necessarily a priest) in the Eastern Orthodox Church
 
starlet
a young (film) actress who is publicized as a future star
 
starter
a contestant in a team sport who is in the game at the beginning
 
starting pitcher
(baseball) a pitcher who starts in a baseball game
 
starveling
someone who is starving (or being starved)
 
state attorney
a prosecuting attorney for a state
 
state senator
a member of a state senate
 
state treasurer
the treasurer for a state government
 
state trooper
a state police officer
 
stater
a resident of a particular state or group of states
 
stateswoman
a woman statesman
 
station agent
the person in charge of a railway station
 
stationer
a merchant who sells writing materials and office supplies
 
steady
a person loved by another person
 
stealer
a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
 
steamfitter
a craftsman who installs and maintains equipment for ventilating or heating or refrigerating
 
steelmaker
a worker engaged in making steel
 
steeplejack
someone who builds or maintains very tall structures
 
Stefan Wyszynski
Polish prelate who persuaded the Soviet to allow greater religious freedom in Poland (1901-1981)
 
Stefan Zweig
Austrian writer (1881-1942)
 
stemmer
a worker who makes or applies stems for artificial flowers
 
stentor
a speaker with an unusually loud voice
 
stepchild
a child of your spouse by a former marriage
 
stepdaughter
a daughter of your spouse by a former marriage
 
stepfather
the husband of your mother by a subsequent marriage
 
Stephane Grappelli
French jazz violinist (1908-1997)
 
Stephane Mallarme
French symbolist poet noted for his free verse (1842-1898)
 
Stephanie Graf
German tennis player who won seven women's singles titles at Wimbledon (born in 1969)
 
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger
Boer statesman (1825-1904)
 
Stephen Arnold Douglas
United States politician who proposed that individual territories be allowed to decide whether they would have slavery; he engaged in a famous series of debates with Abraham Lincoln (1813-1861)
 
Stephen Butler Leacock
Canadian economist best remembered for his humorous writings (1869-1944)
 
Stephen Collins Foster
United States songwriter whose songs embody the sentiment of the South before the American Civil War (1826-1864)
 
Stephen Crane
United States writer (1871-1900)
 
Stephen Decatur
United States naval officer remembered for his heroic deeds (1779-1820)
 
Stephen Girard
United States financier (born in France) who helped finance the War of 1812 (1750-1831)
 
Stephen Grover Cleveland
22nd and 24th President of the United States (1837-1908)
 
Stephen Jay Gould
United States paleontologist and popularizer of science (1941-2002)
 
Stephen Michael Reich
United States composer (born in 1936)
 
Stephen Samuel Wise
United States Jewish leader (born in Hungary) (1874-1949)
 
Stephen Sondheim
United States composer of musicals (born in 1930)
 
Stephen Vincent Benet
United States poet; brother of William Rose Benet (1898-1943)
 
Stephen William Hawking
English theoretical physicist (born in 1942)
 
stepmother
the wife of your father by a subsequent marriage
 
stepparent
the spouse of your parent by a subsequent marriage
 
stepson
the son your spouse by a former marriage
 
Steve Martin
United States actor and comedian (born in 1945)
 
Steven Spielberg
United States filmmaker (born in 1947)
 
Steven Weinberg
United States theoretical physicist (born in 1933)
 
steward
the ship's officer who is in charge of provisions and dining arrangements
 
steward
someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else
 
stickler
someone who insists on something
 
stiff
an ordinary man
 
stigmatic
a person whose body is marked by religious stigmata (such as marks resembling the wounds of the crucified Christ)
 
stillborn infant
infant who shows no signs of life after birth
 
stinter
an economizer who stints someone with something
 
stipendiary
(United Kingdom) a paid magistrate (appointed by the Home Secretary) dealing with police cases
 
stippler
a painter who stipples (creates a stippled effect)
 
stitcher
a garmentmaker who performs the finishing steps
 
stock farmer
farmer who breed or raises livestock
 
stock trader
someone who buys and sells stock shares
 
stockbroker
an agent in the buying and selling of stocks and bonds
 
stockholder of record
the stockholder whose name is registered on the books of the corporation as owning the shares at a particular time
 
stockist
one (as a retailer or distributor) that stocks goods
 
stockjobber
one who deals only with brokers or other jobbers
 
stocktaker
an employee whose job is to take inventory
 
Stoic
a member of the ancient Greek school of philosophy founded by Zeno
 
stoic
someone who is seemingly indifferent to emotions
 
stone breaker
someone who breaks up stone
 
stonewaller
one who stonewalls or refuses to answer or cooperate; someone who delays by lengthy speeches etc.
 
stooper
a person who carries himself or herself with the head and shoulders habitually bent forward
 
stooper
a person at a racetrack who searches for winning parimutuel tickets that have been carelessly discarded by others
 
store detective
a private detective employed by a merchant to stop pilferage
 
storm trooper
a member of the Nazi SA
 
stowaway
a person who hides aboard a ship or plane in the hope of getting free passage
 
strafer
a combat pilot who strafes the enemy
 
straggler
someone who strays or falls behind
 
stranger
an individual that one is not acquainted with
 
straphanger
a standing subway or bus passenger who grips a hanging strap for support
 
straphanger
a commuter who uses public transportation
 
strategian
an expert in strategy (especially in warfare)
 
Strauss the Elder
Austrian composer of waltzes (1804-1849)
 
Strauss the Younger
Austrian composer and son of Strauss the Elder; composed many famous waltzes and became known as the `waltz king' (1825-1899)
 
streaker
someone who takes off all their clothes and runs naked through a public place
 
street child
a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
 
street cleaner
a worker employed to clean streets (especially one employed by a municipal sanitation department)
 
street fighter
a contestant who is very aggressive and willing to use underhand methods
 
street fighter
someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing
 
strider
a person who walks rapidly with long steps
 
strike leader
someone who leads a strike
 
striker
an employee on strike against an employer
 
striker
someone receiving intensive training for a naval technical rating
 
striker
a forward on a soccer team
 
stringer
a worker who strings
 
stringer
a member of a squad on a team
 
strip miner
a miner who does strip mining
 
striper
a serviceman who wears stripes on the uniform to indicate rank or years of service
 
stroke
the oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew
 
strongman
a powerful political figure who rules by the exercise of force or violence
 
strongman
a man who performs feats of strength at a fair or circus
 
struggler
a person who struggles with difficulties or with great effort
 
Stuart
a member of the royal family that ruled Scotland and England
 
Stuart Davis
United States painter who developed an American version of cubism (1894-1964)
 
study
someone who memorizes quickly and easily (as the lines for a part in a play)
 
stuffed shirt
a bore who is extremely formal, pompous, and old-fashioned
 
stumbler
a walker or runner who trips and almost falls
 
stylist
an artist who is a master of a particular style
 
stylite
an early Christian ascetic who lived on top of high pillars
 
subaltern
a British commissioned army officer below the rank of captain
 
subcontractor
someone who enters into a subcontract with the primary contractor
 
subdeacon
a clergyman an order below deacon; one of the Holy Orders in the unreformed western Christian church and the eastern Catholic Churches but now suppressed in the Roman Catholic Church
 
subdivider
someone who divides parts into smaller parts (especially a divider of land into building sites)
 
subeditor
an assistant editor
 
subjectivist
a person who subscribes to subjectivism
 
subjugator
a conqueror who defeats and enslaves
 
sublieutenant
an officer ranking next below a lieutenant
 
submariner
a member of the crew of a submarine
 
submitter
someone who submits something (as an application for a job or a manuscript for publication etc.) for the judgment of others
 
submitter
someone who yields to the will of another person or force
 
subnormal
a person of less than normal intelligence
 
subsidiser
someone who assists or supports by giving a subsidy
 
subsister
one who lives through affliction
 
subtracter
a person who subtracts numbers
 
suburbanite
a resident of a suburb
 
subvocaliser
someone who articulates speech without uttering sounds
 
succorer
someone who gives help in times of need or distress or difficulty
 
sucker
a drinker who sucks (as at a nipple or through a straw)
 
Sudanese
a native or inhabitant of Sudan
 
suer
a man who courts a woman
 
suffragan
an assistant or subordinate bishop of a diocese
 
suffragette
a woman advocate of women's right to vote (especially a militant advocate in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the 20th century)
 
suffragist
an advocate of the extension of voting rights (especially to women)
 
Sufi
a Muslim who represents the mystical dimension of Islam; a Muslim who seeks direct experience of Allah; mainly in Iran
 
sugar daddy
a wealthy older man who gives a young person expensive gifts in return for friendship or intimacy
 
Sugar Ray Robinson
United States prizefighter who won the world middleweight championship five times and the world welterweight championship once (1921-1989)
 
Suharto
Indonesian statesman who seized power from Sukarno in 1967 (born in 1921)
 
suicide bomber
a terrorist who blows himself up in order to kill or injure other people
 
suit
(slang) a businessman dressed in a business suit
 
Sumatran
a native or inhabitant of Sumatra
 
Sumerian
a member of a people who inhabited ancient Sumer
 
summercaters
(Maine colloquial) temporary summer residents of coastal Maine
 
sumo wrestler
a wrestler who participates in sumo (a Japanese form of wrestling)
 
sun
a person considered as a source of warmth or energy or glory etc
 
Sun Myung Moon
United States religious leader (born in Korea) who founded the Unification Church in 1954; was found guilty of conspiracy to evade taxes (born in 1920)
 
sun worshiper
someone who worships the sun
 
Sun Yat-sen
Chinese statesman who organized the Kuomintang and led the revolution that overthrew the Manchu dynasty in 1911 and 1912 (1866-1925)
 
sunbather
someone who basks in the sunshine in order to get a suntan
 
sundowner
a tramp who habitually arrives at sundown
 
Sunni Muslim
a member of the branch of Islam that accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors to Muhammad
 
super heavyweight
an amateur boxer who weighs more than 201 pounds
 
super
a caretaker for an apartment house; represents the owner as janitor and rent collector
 
supercargo
an officer on a merchant ship in charge of the cargo and its sale and purchase
 
superior
the head of a religious community
 
supermarketeer
an operator of a supermarket
 
supermodel
a fashion model who has attained the status of a celebrity
 
supermom
an informal term for a mother who can combine childcare and full-time employment
 
supernumerary
a person serving no apparent function
 
supervisor
one who supervises or has charge and direction of
 
supplanter
one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another
 
supply officer
a commissioned officer responsible for logistics
 
suppresser
someone who suppresses
 
supremacist
a person who advocates the supremacy of some particular group or racial group over all others
 
suprematist
an artist of the school of suprematism
 
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
commanding officer of ACLANT; a general of the United States Army nominated by the President of the United States and approved by the North Atlantic Council
 
Supreme Allied Commander Europe
commanding officer of ACE; NATO's senior military commander in Europe
 
supremo
the most important person in an organization
 
surfboarder
someone who engages in surfboarding
 
Surgeon General
the senior medical officer in an Army or Navy
 
Surgeon General
the head of the United States Public Health Service
 
surpriser
a captor who uses surprise to capture the victim
 
surrealist
an artist who is a member of the movement called surrealism
 
surrenderer
a person who yields or surrenders
 
surrogate mother
a woman who bears a child for a couple where the wife is unable to do so
 
surveyor
an engineer who determines the boundaries and elevations of land or structures
 
surveyor
someone who conducts a statistical survey
 
survivalist
someone who tries to insure their personal survival or the survival of their group or nation
 
survivor
one who outlives another
 
Susan Brownell Anthony
United States suffragist (1820-1906)
 
Susan Sontag
United States writer (born in 1933)
 
suspect
someone who is under suspicion
 
Svante August Arrhenius
Swedish chemist and physicist noted for his theory of chemical dissociation (1859-1927)
 
Svengali
someone (usually maleficent) who tries to persuade or force another person to do his bidding
 
swagger
an itinerant Australian laborer who carries his personal belongings in a bundle as he travels around in search of work
 
swaggerer
someone who walks in an arrogant manner
 
swami
a Hindu religious teacher; used as a title of respect
 
Swazi
a member of a southeast African people living in Swaziland and adjacent areas
 
swearer
someone who takes a solemn oath
 
swearer
someone who uses profanity
 
sweater girl
a girl with an attractive bust who wears tight sweaters
 
Swede
a native or inhabitant of Sweden
 
Swedish Nightingale
Swedish soprano who toured the United States under the management of P. T. Barnum (1820-1887)
 
sweeper
an employee who sweeps (floors or streets etc.)
 
sweetheart
any well-liked individual
 
swimmer
a trained athlete who participates in swimming meets
 
swinger
someone who swings sports implements
 
swinger
a person who engages freely in promiscuous sex
 
switch-hitter
a baseball player who can bat either right or left handed
 
switch-hitter
slang term for a bisexual person
 
switchboard operator
someone who helps callers get the person they are calling
 
switcher
a person who administers punishment by wielding a switch or whip
 
switchman
a man who operates railroad switches
 
sybarite
a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses
 
Sydney Pollack
United States filmmaker (born in 1934)
 
syllogiser
logician skilled in syllogistic reasoning
 
sylph
a slender graceful young woman
 
Sylvester II
French pope from 999 to 1003 who was noted for his great learning (945-1003)
 
Sylvia Plath
United States writer and poet (1932-1963)
 
symbolic logician
a person skilled at symbolic logic
 
symboliser
someone skilled in the interpretation or representation of symbols
 
symbolist
a member of an artistic movement that expressed ideas indirectly via symbols
 
sympathiser
someone who shares your feelings or opinions and hopes that you will be successful
 
symphonist
a composer of symphonies
 
symposiarch
the person who proposes toasts and introduces speakers at a banquet
 
symposiast
someone who participates in a symposium
 
syncopator
a musician who plays syncopated jazz music (usually in a dance band)
 
syndic
one appointed to represent a city or university or corporation in business transactions
 
syndicator
a businessman who forms a syndicate
 
synonymist
a student of synonyms
 
synthesiser
an intellectual who synthesizes or uses synthetic methods
 
syphilitic
a person suffering from syphilis
 
Syrian
a native or inhabitant of Syria
 
system administrator
a person in charge of managing and maintaining a computer system of telecommunication system (as for a business or institution)
 
systematist
a biologist who specializes in the classification of organisms into groups on the basis of their structure and origin and behavior
 
systems analyst
a person skilled at systems analysis
 
T-man
a special law-enforcement agent of the United States Treasury
 
tacker
a worker who fastens things by tacking them (as with tacks or by spotwelding)
 
tackle
the person who plays that position on a football team
 
tackler
a football player who tackles the ball carrier
 
tactician
a person who is skilled at planning tactics
 
Tadeus Reichstein
a Swiss chemist born in Poland; studied the hormones of the adrenal cortex
 
Tadeusz Andrzej Bonawentura Kosciuszko
Polish patriot and soldier who fought with Americans in the American Revolution (1746-1817)
 
Tadzhik
a native or inhabitant of Tajikistan and neighboring areas of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan and China
 
Tagalog
a member of a people native to the Philippines chiefly inhabiting central Luzon around and including Manila
 
tagger
someone who appends or joins one thing to another
 
tagger
someone who assigns labels to the grammatical constituents of textual matter
 
Tahitian
a native or inhabitant of Tahiti
 
tailback
(American football) the person who plays tailback
 
tailgater
a driver who follows too closely behind another motor vehicle
 
Taiwanese
a native or inhabitant of Taiwan
 
Takelma
a member of a North American Indian people of southwestern Oregon
 
taker
one who takes a bet or wager
 
taker
one who accepts an offer
 
Talcott Parsons
United States sociologist (1902-1979)
 
talent
a person who possesses unusual innate ability in some field or activity
 
talent agent
an agent who represents performers
 
talking head
a talker on television who talks directly into the cameras and whose upper body is all that is shown on the screen
 
Tallulah Bankhead
uninhibited United States actress (1903-1968)
 
tally clerk
one who keeps a tally of quantity or weight of goods produced or shipped or received
 
tallyman
one who sells goods on the installment plan
 
Tamara Karsavina
Russian dancer who danced with Nijinsky (1885-1978)
 
Tamburlaine
Mongolian ruler of Samarkand who led his nomadic hordes to conquer an area from Turkey to Mongolia (1336-1405)
 
tamer
an animal trainer who tames wild animals
 
Tamil
a member of the mixed Dravidian and Caucasian people of southern India and Sri Lanka
 
Tammy Wynetter Pugh
United States country singer (1942-1998)
 
Tancred
Norman leader in the First Crusade who played an important role in the capture of Jerusalem (1078-1112)
 
tank driver
a soldier who drives a tank
 
tanner
a craftsman who tans skins and hides
 
tantaliser
someone who tantalizes; a tormentor who offers something desirable but keeps it just out of reach
 
Tantrist
an adherent of Tantrism
 
Tanzanian
a native or inhabitant of Tanzania
 
taoiseach
the prime minister of the Irish Republic
 
Taoist
an adherent of any branch of Taoism
 
Taos
a member of the Pueblo people living in northern New Mexico
 
tap dancer
a dancer who sounds out rhythms by using metal taps on the toes and heels of the shoes
 
tapper
a worker who uses a tap to cut screw threads
 
tapper
a person who strikes a surface lightly and usually repeatedly
 
tapper
a tavern keeper who taps kegs or casks
 
Taracahitian
a member of a group of peoples of Mexico
 
Tarahumara
a member of the Taracahitian people of north central Mexico
 
Taras Grigoryevich Shevchenko
Ukranian poet (1814-1861)
 
Tartuffe
a hypocrite who pretends to religious piety (after the protagonist in a play by Moliere)
 
Tarzan
(sometimes used ironically) a man of great strength and agility (after the hero of a series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
 
Tashunca-Uitco
a chief of the Sioux who resisted the invasion of the Black Hills and joined Sitting Bull in the defeat of General Custer at Little Bighorn (1849-1877)
 
taskmaster
someone who imposes hard or continuous work
 
taskmistress
a woman taskmaster
 
Tatar
a member of the Turkic-speaking people living from the Volga to the Ural Mountains (the name has been attributed to many other groups)
 
Taurus
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Taurus
 
taxer
a bureaucrat who levies taxes
 
taxi dancer
a woman employed to dance with patrons who pay a fee for each dance
 
taxpayer
someone who pays taxes
 
teacher's pet
the teacher's favorite student
 
teaching fellow
a graduate student with teaching responsibilities
 
teamster
the driver of a team of horses doing hauling
 
teamster
someone who drives a truck as an occupation
 
tearaway
a reckless and impetuous person
 
teaser
a worker who teases wool
 
techie
a technician who is highly proficient and enthusiastic about some technical field (especially computing)
 
technical sergeant
a noncommissioned officer ranking below a master sergeant in the air force or marines
 
technician
someone whose occupation involves training in a specific technical process
 
technician
someone known for high skill in some intellectual or artistic technique
 
technocrat
an advocate of technocracy
 
technocrat
an expert who is a member of a highly skilled elite group
 
technophile
a person who is enthusiastic about new technology
 
technophobe
a person who dislikes or avoids new technology
 
Tecumtha
a famous chief of the Shawnee who tried to unite Indian tribes against the increasing white settlement (1768-1813)
 
Ted Shawn
United States dancer and choreographer who collaborated with Ruth Saint Denis (1891-1972)
 
Teddy boy
a tough youth of 1950's and 1960's wearing Edwardian style clothes
 
teetotaler
a total abstainer
 
telecaster
a television broadcaster
 
telegraph operator
someone who transmits messages by telegraph
 
teleologist
advocate of teleology
 
televangelist
an evangelist who conducts services on television
 
television announcer
an announcer on television
 
teller
an official appointed to count the votes (especially in legislative assembly)
 
Telugu
a member of the people in southeastern India (Andhra Pradesh) who speak the Telugu language
 
temp
a worker (especially in an office) hired on a temporary basis
 
temporiser
someone who temporizes; someone who tries to gain time or who waits for a favorable time
 
tempter
a person who tempts others
 
tenant
any occupant who dwells in a place
 
tenant
a holder of buildings or lands by any kind of title (as ownership or lease)
 
tenant farmer
a farmer who works land owned by someone else
 
tenderfoot
an inexperienced person (especially someone inexperienced in outdoor living)
 
Teng Hsiao-ping
Chinese communist statesman (1904-1997)
 
Tennessean
a native or resident of Tennessee
 
tennis coach
a coach of tennis players
 
tennis player
an athlete who plays tennis
 
tenor
an adult male with a tenor voice
 
tenor saxophonist
a musician who plays the tenor saxophone
 
tentmaker
someone who makes or repairs tents
 
Tenzing Norgay
Sherpa mountaineer guide who with Sir Edmund Hillary was one of the first to attain the summit of Mount Everest (1914-1986)
 
Teodor Josef Konrad Korzeniowski
English novelist (born in Poland) noted for sea stories and for his narrative technique (1857-1924)
 
term infant
infant born at a gestational age between 37 and 42 completed weeks
 
termer
a person who serves a specified term
 
territorial
nonprofessional soldier member of a territorial military unit
 
terrorist
a radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities
 
test driver
a driver who drives a motor vehicle to evaluate its performance
 
test pilot
a pilot hired to fly experimental airplanes through maneuvers designed to test them
 
test-tube baby
a baby conceived by fertilization that occurs outside the mother's body; the woman's ova are removed and mixed with sperm in a culture medium - if fertilization occurs the blastocyte is implanted in the woman's uterus
 
testate
a person who makes a will
 
testatrix
a female testator
 
Teton Dakota
a member of the large western branch of Sioux people which was made up of several groups that lived on the plains
 
Teuton
a member of the ancient Germanic people who migrated from Jutland to southern Gaul and were annihilated by the Romans
 
Teuton
someone (especially a German) who speaks a Germanic language
 
Teutonist
a specialist in the history of the Teutonic people or language (especially with respect to the Teutonic influence on the history of England)
 
Texan
a native or resident of Texas
 
Texas Ranger
a member of the Texas state highway patrol; formerly a mounted lawman who maintained order on the frontier
 
Thales of Miletus
a presocratic Greek philosopher and astronomer (who predicted an eclipse in 585 BC) who was said by Aristotle to be the founder of physical science; he held that all things originated in water (624-546 BC)
 
thane
a man ranking above an ordinary freeman and below a noble in Anglo-Saxon England (especially one who gave military service in exchange for land)
 
thane
a feudal lord or baron
 
thatcher
someone skilled in making a roof from plant stalks or foliage
 
Thatcherite
an advocate of Thatcherism
 
The Admirable Crichton
Scottish man of letters and adventurer (1560-1582)
 
the Great Compromiser
United States politician responsible for the Missouri Compromise between free and slave states (1777-1852)
 
the Venerable Bede
(Roman Catholic Church) English monk and scholar (672-735)
 
theatrical producer
someone who produces theatrical performances
 
Theban
a Greek inhabitant of ancient Thebes
 
Theban
an Egyptian inhabitant of ancient Thebes
 
theist
one who believes in the existence of a god or gods
 
Thelonious Sphere Monk
United States jazz pianist who was one of the founders of the bebop style (1917-1982)
 
Themistocles
Athenian statesman who persuaded Athens to build a navy and then led it to victory over the Persians (527-460 BC)
 
Theodor Mommsen
German historian noted for his history of Rome (1817-1903)
 
Theodor Schwann
German physiologist and histologist who in 1838 and 1839 identified the cell as the basic structure of plant and animal tissue (1810-1882)
 
Theodor Seuss Geisel
United States writer of children's books (1904-1991)
 
Theodore Dwight Weld
United States abolitionist (1803-1895)
 
Theodore Francis Powys
British writer of allegorical novels; one of three literary brothers (1875-1953)
 
Theodore Harold White
United States political journalist (1915-1986)
 
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser
United States novelist (1871-1945)
 
Theodore Samuel Williams
United States baseball player noted as a hitter (1918-2002)
 
Theodosius the Great
the last emperor of a united Roman Empire, he took control of the eastern empire and ended the war with the Visigoths; he became a Christian and in 391 banned all forms of pagan worship (346-395)
 
theologian
someone who is learned in theology or who speculates about theology
 
Theophrastus
Greek philosopher who was a student of Aristotle and who succeeded Aristotle as the leader of the Peripatetics (371-287 BC)
 
Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim
Swiss physician who introduced treatments of particular illnesses based on his observation and experience; he saw illness as having an external cause (rather than an imbalance of humors) and replaced traditional remedies with chemical remedies (1493-1541)
 
theosophist
a believer in theosophy
 
Thespis
Greek poet who is said to have originated Greek tragedy (sixth century BC)
 
Thessalian
a native or inhabitant of Thessaly
 
Thessalonian
a native or inhabitant of Thessalonica
 
theurgy
the effect of supernatural or divine intervention in human affairs
 
thinker
someone who exercises the mind (usually in an effort to reach a decision)
 
Third Baron Rayleigh
English physicist who studied the density of gases and discovered argon; made important contributions to acoustic theory (1842-1919)
 
third baseman
(baseball) the person who plays third base
 
third party
someone other than the principals who are involved in a transaction
 
third-rater
one who is third-rate or distinctly inferior
 
Thomas a Kempis
German ecclesiastic (1380-1471)
 
Thomas Alva Edison
United States inventor; inventions included the phonograph and incandescent electric light and the microphone and the Kinetoscope (1847-1931)
 
Thomas Augustus Watson
United States telephone engineer who assisted Alexander Graham Bell in his experiments (1854-1934)
 
Thomas Babington Macaulay
English historian noted for his history of England (1800-1859)
 
Thomas Bayes
English mathematician for whom Bayes' theorem is named (1702-1761)
 
Thomas Bowdler
English editor who in 1818 published an expurgated edition of the works of Shakespeare (1754-1825)
 
Thomas Bradley
United States politician who was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles (1917-1998)
 
Thomas Carew
Englishman and Cavalier poet whose lyric poetry was favored by Charles I (1595-1639)
 
Thomas Carlyle
Scottish historian who wrote about the French Revolution (1795-1881)
 
Thomas Chippendale
a British cabinetmaker remembered for his graceful designs (especially of chairs) which influenced his contemporaries (1718-1779)
 
Thomas Clayton Wolfe
United States writer best known for his autobiographical novels (1900-1938)
 
Thomas Crawford
United States neoclassical sculptor (1814-1857)
 
Thomas De Quincey
English writer who described the psychological effects of addiction to opium (1785-1859)
 
Thomas Decker
English dramatist and pamphleteer (1572-1632)
 
Thomas Edward Lawrence
Welsh soldier who from 1916 to 1918 organized the Arab revolt against the Turks; he later wrote an account of his adventures (1888-1935)
 
Thomas Gainsborough
English portrait and landscape painter (1727-1788)
 
Thomas Gray
English poet best known for his elegy written in a country churchyard (1716-1771)
 
Thomas Hardy
English novelist and poet (1840-1928)
 
Thomas Hart Benton
United States legislator who opposed the use of paper currency (1782-1858)
 
Thomas Hart Benton
United States artist whose paintings portrayed life in the Midwest and South (1889-1975)
 
Thomas Hastings
United States architect who formed and important architectural firm with John Merven Carrere (1860-1929)
 
Thomas Henry Huxley
English biologist and a leading exponent of Darwin's theory of evolution (1825-1895)
 
Thomas Hobbes
English materialist and political philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings (1588-1679)
 
Thomas Hodgkin
English physician who first described Hodgkin's disease (1798-1866)
 
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
United States educator who established the first free school in the United States for the hearing impaired (1787-1851)
 
Thomas Hunt Morgan
United States biologist who formulated the chromosome theory of heredity (1866-1945)
 
Thomas J. Hanks
United States film actor (born in 1956)
 
Thomas Jonathan Jackson
general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War whose troops at the first Battle of Bull Run stood like a stone wall (1824-1863)
 
Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr.
United States writer who has written extensively on American culture (born in 1931)
 
Thomas Kid
English dramatist (1558-1594)
 
Thomas Lanier Williams
United States playwright (1911-1983)
 
Thomas Mann
German writer concerned about the role of the artist in bourgeois society (1875-1955)
 
Thomas Merton
United States religious and writer (1915-1968)
 
Thomas Middleton
English playwright and pamphleteer (1570-1627)
 
Thomas Moore
Irish poet who wrote nostalgic and patriotic verse (1779-1852)
 
Thomas Nast
United States political cartoonist (1840-1902)
 
Thomas Nelson Page
United States diplomat and writer about the Old South (1853-1922)
 
Thomas Paine
American Revolutionary leader and pamphleteer (born in England) who supported the American colonist's fight for independence and supported the French Revolution (1737-1809)
 
Thomas Pynchon
United States writer of pessimistic novels about life in a technologically advanced society (born in 1937)
 
Thomas Reid
Scottish philosopher of common sense who opposed the ideas of David Hume (1710-1796)
 
Thomas Robert Malthus
an English economist who argued that increases in population would outgrow increases in the means of subsistence (1766-1834)
 
Thomas Stearns Eliot
British poet (born in the United States) who won the Nobel prize for literature; his plays are outstanding examples of modern verse drama (1888-1965)
 
Thomas Straussler
British dramatist (born in Czechoslovakia in 1937)
 
Thomas Sully
United States painter (born in England) of portraits and historical scenes (1783-1872)
 
Thomas Tallis
English organist and composer of church and secular music; was granted a monopoly in music printing with William Byrd (1505-1585)
 
Thomas the doubting Apostle
the Apostle who would not believe the resurrection of Jesus until he saw Jesus with his own eyes
 
Thomas Wentworth Storrow Higginson
United States writer and soldier who led the first Black regiment in the Union Army (1823-1911)
 
Thomas Willis
English physician who was a pioneer in the study of the brain (1621-1675)
 
Thomas Woodrow Wilson
28th President of the United States; led the United States in World War I and secured the formation of the League of Nations (1856-1924)
 
Thomas Wright Waller
United States jazz musician (1904-1943)
 
Thomas Young
British physicist and Egyptologist; he revived the wave theory of light and proposed a three-component theory of color vision; he also played an important role in deciphering the hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone (1773-1829)
 
Thor Hyerdahl
Norwegian anthropologist noted for his studies of cultural diffusion (1914-2002)
 
Thornton Niven Wilder
United States writer and dramatist (1897-1975)
 
thoroughbred
a well-bred person
 
Thorstein Bunde Veblen
United States economist who wrote about conspicuous consumption (1857-1929)
 
Thracian
an inhabitant of ancient Thrace
 
thrall
someone held in bondage
 
thrower
someone who projects something (especially by a rapid motion of the arm)
 
thrower
a person who twists silk or rayon filaments into a thread or yarn
 
thrush
a woman who sings popular songs
 
Thucydides
ancient Greek historian remembered for his history of the Peloponnesian War (460-395 BC)
 
thurifer
an acolyte who carries a thurible
 
Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus
Roman Emperor after his nephew Caligula was murdered; consolidated the Roman Empire and conquered southern Britain; was poisoned by his fourth wife Agrippina after her son Nero was named as Claudius' heir (10 BC to AD 54)
 
Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar Augustus
son-in-law of Augustus who became a suspicious tyrannical Emperor of Rome after a brilliant military career (42 BC to AD 37)
 
Tibetan
a native or inhabitant of Tibet
 
ticket collector
someone who is paid to admit only those who have purchased tickets
 
ticket holder
holder of a ticket (for admission or for passage)
 
ticket tout
someone who buys tickets to an event in order to resell them at a profit
 
tier
any one of two or more competitors who tie one another
 
tier
a worker who ties something
 
tiger
a fierce or audacious person
 
tight end
(football) an offensive end who lines up close to the tackle
 
tiler
a worker who lays tile
 
tiller
someone who tills land (prepares the soil for the planting of crops)
 
tilter
someone who engages in a tilt or joust
 
timberman
an owner or manager of a company that is engaged in lumbering
 
timekeeper
a clerk who keeps track of the hours worked by employees
 
timekeeper
(sports) an official who keeps track of the time elapsed
 
timeserver
one who conforms to current ways and opinions for personal advantage
 
Timorese
a native or inhabitant of Timor
 
Timothy
a disciple of Saint Paul who became the leader of the Christian community at Ephesus
 
Timothy Francis Leary
United States psychologist who experimented with psychoactive drugs (including LSD) and became a well-known advocate of their use (1920-1996)
 
Timothy Miles Bindon Rice
English lyricist who frequently worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber (born in 1944)
 
timpanist
a person who plays the kettledrums
 
tinker
formerly a person (traditionally a Gypsy) who traveled from place to place mending pots and kettles and other metal utensils as a way to earn a living
 
tinker
a person who enjoys fixing and experimenting with machines and their parts
 
tinner
someone who makes or repairs tinware
 
tinter
a hairdresser who tints hair
 
tipper
a person who leaves a tip
 
tipster
one who sells advice about gambling or speculation (especially at the racetrack)
 
Tirso de Molina
Spanish dramatist who wrote the first dramatic treatment of the legend of Don Juan (1571-1648)
 
tither
someone who pays tithes
 
Titus
a Greek disciple and helper of Saint Paul
 
Titus Flavius Domitianus
Emperor of Rome; son of Vespasian who succeeded his brother Titus; instigated a reign of terror and was assassinated as a tyrant (51-96)
 
Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus
Emperor of Rome and founder of the Flavian dynasty who consolidated Roman rule in Germany and Britain and reformed the army and brought prosperity to the empire; began the construction of the Colosseum (9-79)
 
Titus Livius
Roman historian whose history of Rome filled 142 volumes (of which only 35 survive) including the earliest history of the war with Hannibal (59 BC to AD 17)
 
Titus Lucretius Carus
Roman philosopher and poet; in a long didactic poem he tried to provide a scientific explanation of the universe (96-55 BC)
 
Titus Maccius Plautus
comic dramatist of ancient Rome (253?-184 BC)
 
Titus Oates
English conspirator who claimed that there was a Jesuit plot to assassinate Charles II (1649-1705)
 
Titus Vespasianus Augustus
Emperor of Rome; son of Vespasian (39-81)
 
Tiziano Vecellio
old master of the Venetian school (1490-1576)
 
Tjalling Charles Koopmans
United States economist (born in the Netherlands) (1910-1985)
 
Tlingit
a member of a seafaring group of North American Indians living in southern Alaska
 
toast
a celebrity who receives much acclaim and attention
 
toast mistress
a woman toastmaster
 
toaster
someone who proposes a toast; someone who drinks to the health of success of someone or some venture
 
tobacconist
a retail dealer in tobacco and tobacco-related articles
 
Tobagonian
a native or inhabitant of the island of Tobago in the West Indies
 
Tobias George Smollett
Scottish writer of adventure novels (1721-1771)
 
tobogganist
someone who rides a toboggan
 
Toda
a member of a pastoral people living in the Nilgiri Hills of southern India
 
Togolese
a native or inhabitant of Togo
 
toiler
one who works strenuously
 
Tojo Hideki
Japanese army officer who initiated the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and who assumed dictatorial control of Japan during World War II; he was subsequently tried and executed as a war criminal (1884-1948)
 
toll agent
someone employed to collect tolls
 
Toltec
a member of the Nahuatl speaking people of central and southern Mexico
 
Tom Thumb
a very small person
 
Tomas de Torquemada
the Spaniard who as Grand Inquisitor was responsible for the death of thousands of Jews and suspected witches during the Spanish Inquisition (1420-1498)
 
Tomasso Parentucelli
Italian pope from 1447 to 1455 who founded the Vatican library (1397-1455)
 
Tonegawa Susumu
Japanese molecular biologist noted for his studies of how the immune system produces antibodies (born in 1939)
 
Tongan
a Polynesian native or inhabitant of Tonga
 
toolmaker
someone skilled in making or repairing tools
 
top banana
the leading comedian in a burlesque show
 
topper
a worker who cuts tops off (of trees or vegetables etc.)
 
topper
a worker who makes or adds the top to something
 
torch singer
a singer (usually a woman) who specializes in singing torch songs
 
torchbearer
a leader in a campaign or movement
 
torero
a matador or one of the supporting team during a bull fight
 
Torquato Tasso
Italian poet who wrote an epic poem about the capture of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1544-1595)
 
tortfeasor
a party who has committed a tort
 
torturer
someone who inflicts severe physical pain (usually for punishment or coercion)
 
Tory
an American who favored the British side during the American Revolution
 
Tory
a supporter of traditional political and social institutions against the forces of reform; a political conservative
 
Tory
a member of political party in Great Britain that has been known as the Conservative Party since 1832; was the opposition party to the Whigs
 
tosser
someone who throws lightly (as with the palm upward)
 
totalitarian
an adherent of totalitarian principles or totalitarian government
 
totemist
a person who belongs to a clan or tribe having a totem
 
touch-typist
a skilled typist who can type a document without looking at the keyboard
 
toucher
a person who causes or allows a part of the body to come in contact with someone or something
 
tour guide
a guide who leads others on a tour
 
tout
someone who advertises for customers in an especially brazen way
 
tovarich
a comrade (especially in Russian communism)
 
towhead
a person with light blond hair
 
town clerk
the official who keeps a town's records
 
townee
townsman unacquainted with country life especially a slick and flashy male city dweller
 
towner
a resident of a town or city
 
townie
resident of a college town not affiliated with the college
 
Townsend Harris
United States diplomat who was instrumental in opening Japan to foreign trade (1804-1878)
 
townsman
a person from the same town as yourself
 
toxicologist
one who studies the nature and effects of poisons and their treatment
 
tracer
an investigator who is employed to find missing persons or missing goods
 
track star
a star runner
 
tracker
someone who tracks down game
 
Tractarian
a follower of Tractarianism and supporter of the Oxford movement (which was expounded in pamphlets called `Tracts for the Times')
 
trade unionist
a worker who belongs to a trade union
 
traffic cop
a policeman who controls the flow of automobile traffic
 
tragedian
an actor who specializes in tragic roles
 
tragedian
a writer (especially a playwright) who writes tragedies
 
tragedienne
an actress who specializes in tragic roles
 
trail boss
the person responsible for driving a herd of cattle
 
trailblazer
someone who marks a trail by leaving blazes on trees
 
train dispatcher
a railroad employer who is in charge of a railway yard
 
trainbandsman
a member of a trainband
 
trainbearer
one who holds up the train of a gown or robe on a ceremonial occasion
 
trainee
someone who is being trained
 
trainer
one who trains other persons or animals
 
traitor
someone who betrays his country by committing treason
 
traitress
female traitor
 
trampler
someone who injures by trampling
 
transactor
someone who conducts or carries on business or negotiations
 
transalpine
one living on or coming from the other side of the Alps from Italy
 
transcendentalist
advocate of transcendentalism
 
transcriber
someone who makes a written version of spoken material
 
transcriber
someone who represents the sounds of speech in phonetic notation
 
transcriber
someone who rewrites in a different script
 
transcriber
a person who translates written messages from one language to another
 
transexual
a person who has undergone a sex change operation
 
transexual
a person whose sexual identification is entirely with the opposite sex
 
transfer
someone who transfers or is transferred from one position to another
 
transferee
(law) someone to whom a title or property is conveyed
 
transferer
someone who transfers something
 
transferor
(law) someone who conveys a title or property to another
 
transgressor
someone who transgresses; someone who violates a law or command
 
transient
one who stays for only a short time
 
transmigrante
a Latin American who buys used goods in the United States and takes them to Latin America to sell
 
transplanter
a gardener who moves plants to new locations
 
trapper
someone who sets traps for animals (usually to obtain their furs)
 
trapshooter
a person who engages in shooting at clay pigeons that are hurled into the air by a trap
 
travel agent
someone who sells or arranges trips or tours for customers
 
traveler
a person who changes location
 
traverser
someone who moves or passes across
 
trawler
a fisherman who use a trawl net
 
tree hugger
derogatory term for environmentalists who support restrictions on the logging industry and the preservation of forests
 
trekker
a traveler who makes a long arduous journey (as hiking through mountainous country)
 
trencher
someone who digs trenches
 
trial attorney
a lawyer who specializes in defending clients before a court of law
 
trial judge
a judge in a trial court
 
tribesman
someone who lives in a tribe
 
tribologist
a specialist in tribology
 
tribune
(ancient Rome) an official elected by the plebeians to protect their interests
 
trier
one (as a judge) who examines and settles a case
 
trifler
one who behaves lightly or not seriously
 
trigonometrician
a mathematician specializing in trigonometry
 
Trinidadian
inhabitant or native of Trinidad
 
Trinitarian
adherent of Trinitarianism
 
triplet
one of three offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy
 
tritheist
someone (not an orthodox Christian) who believes that the Father and Son and Holy Ghost are three separate gods
 
triumvir
one of a group of three sharing public administration or civil authority especially in ancient Rome
 
Trofim Denisovich Lysenko
Soviet geneticist whose adherence to Lamarck's theory of evolution was favored by Stalin (1898-1976)
 
trombone player
a musician who plays the trombone
 
trooper
a mounted police officer
 
trophy wife
a wife who is an attractive young woman; seldom the first wife of an affluent older man
 
Trotskyist
radicals who support Trotsky's theory that socialism must be established throughout the world by continuing revolution
 
trouble shooter
a worker whose job is to locate and fix sources of trouble (especially in mechanical devices)
 
trouper
a person who is reliable and uncomplaining and hard working
 
trustbuster
a federal agent who engages in trust busting
 
trusty
a convict who is considered trustworthy and granted special privileges
 
Trygve Halvden Lie
Norwegian diplomat who was the first Secretary General of the United Nations (1896-1968)
 
Tsimshian
a member of a Penutian people who lived on rivers and a sound in British Columbia
 
Tsung Dao Lee
United States physicist (born in China) who collaborated with Yang Chen Ning in disproving the principle of conservation of parity (born in 1926)
 
Tuareg
a member of a nomadic Berber people of the Sahara
 
tub-thumper
a noisy and vigorous or ranting public speaker
 
tucker
a sewer who tucks
 
Tudor
a member of the dynasty that ruled England
 
Tulu
a member of a Dravidian people living on the southwestern coast of India
 
tumbler
a gymnast who performs rolls and somersaults and twists etc.
 
Tungus
a member of the Tungus speaking people who are a nomadic people widely spread over eastern Siberia; related to the Manchu
 
Tungusic
any member of a people speaking a language in the Tungusic family
 
Tunisian
a native or inhabitant of Tunisia
 
Tupi
a member of the South American Indian people living in Brazil and Paraguay
 
Turcoman
a member of a Turkic people living in Turkmenistan and neighboring areas
 
Turk
a native or inhabitant of Turkey
 
Turki
any member of the peoples speaking a Turkic language
 
turncock
one employed to control water supply by turning water mains on and off
 
turner
one of two persons who swing ropes for jumpers to skip over in the game of jump rope
 
turner
a lathe operator
 
turner
a tumbler who is a member of a turnverein
 
turtler
someone whose occupation is hunting turtles
 
Tuscan
a resident of Tuscany
 
Tuscarora
a member of an Iroquois people who formerly lived in North Carolina and then moved to New York State and joined the Iroquois
 
Tutankhamen
Pharaoh of Egypt around 1358 BC; his tomb was discovered almost intact by Howard Carter in 1922
 
tutee
learns from a tutor
 
Tutelo
a member of the Siouan people of Virginia and North Carolina
 
TV reporter
someone who reports news stories via television
 
TV star
a star in a television show
 
twaddler
someone who twaddles; someone who writes or talks twaddle
 
twerp
someone who is regarded as contemptible
 
twin
either of two offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy
 
twiner
someone who intertwines (e.g. threads) or forms something by twisting or interlacing
 
Two Kettle
a member of the Siouan people who constituted a division of the Teton Sioux
 
two-timer
someone who deceives a lover or spouse by carrying on a sexual relationship with somebody else
 
Twyla Tharp
innovative United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1941)
 
Tycho Brahe
Danish astronomer whose observations of the planets provided the basis for Kepler's laws of planetary motion (1546-1601)
 
Tyke
a native of Yorkshire
 
Typhoid Mary
United States cook who was an immune carrier of typhoid fever and who infected dozens of people (1870-1938)
 
typist
someone paid to operate a typewriter
 
tyrant
any person who exercises power in a cruel way
 
tyrant
in ancient Greece, a ruler who had seized power without legal right to it
 
Tyrolean
a native or inhabitant of the Tyrol
 
Ubermensch
a person with great powers and abilities
 
Ugandan
a native or inhabitant of Uganda
 
ugly duckling
an ugly or unpromising child who grows into a beautiful or worthy person
 
Ugo Buoncompagni
the pope who sponsored the introduction of the modern calendar (1572-1585)
 
Uighur
a member of a people who speak Uighur and live in Xinjiang and adjacent areas
 
Ukranian
a native or inhabitant of the Ukraine
 
ultramontane
a Roman Catholic who advocates ultramontanism (supreme papal authority in matters of faith and discipline)
 
Ulysses Simpson Grant
18th President of the United States; commander of the Union armies in the American Civil War (1822-1885)
 
ump
an official at a baseball game
 
uncle
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
 
uncle
a source of help and advice and encouragement
 
underboss
an assistant or second-in-command to a chief (especially in a crime syndicate)
 
underdog
one at a disadvantage and expected to lose
 
undergrad
a university student who has not yet received a first degree
 
undersecretary
a secretary immediately subordinate to the head of a department of government
 
underseller
a seller that sells at a lower price than others do
 
undesirable
one whose presence is undesirable
 
undoer
a seducer who ruins a woman
 
unemployed person
someone who is jobless
 
unfortunate
a person who suffers misfortune
 
Uniate Christian
a member of the Uniat Church
 
unicyclist
a person who rides a unicycle
 
unilateralist
an advocate of unilateralism
 
uniocular dichromat
a person who has normal vision in one eye and dichromacy in the other; very rare but very useful for experiments on color vision
 
union representative
a representative for a labor union
 
Unitarian
adherent of Unitarianism
 
United States Attorney General
the person who holds the position of secretary of the Justice Department
 
universal donor
a person whose type O Rh-negative blood may be safely transfused into persons with other blood types
 
UNIX guru
an expert on the UNIX operating system
 
Unknown Soldier
an unidentified soldier whose body is honored as a memorial
 
unmarried woman
a woman who is not married
 
unpaid worker
a person who performs voluntary work
 
unskilled person
a person who lacks technical training
 
upholsterer
a craftsman who upholsters furniture
 
upsetter
an unexpected winner; someone who defeats the favorite competitor
 
upstager
a selfish actor who upstages the other actors
 
upstart
an arrogant or presumptuous person
 
Upton Beall Sinclair
United States writer whose novels argued for social reform (1878-1968)
 
urban guerrilla
a guerrilla who fights only in cities and towns
 
urchin
poor and often mischievous city child
 
Uriah
(Old Testament) the husband of Bathsheba and a soldier who was sent to die in battle so that king David could marry his wife (circa 10th century BC)
 
urologist
a specialist in urology
 
Uruguayan
a native or inhabitant of Uruguay
 
Usbek
a member of a Turkic people of Uzbekistan and neighboring areas
 
user
a person who makes use of a thing; someone who uses or employs something
 
usherette
a female usher
 
usufructuary
someone who holds property by usufruct
 
Utahan
a native or resident of Utah
 
Ute
a member of the Shoshonean people of Utah and Colorado and New Mexico
 
utiliser
someone who puts to good use
 
utilitarian
someone who believes that the value of a thing depends on its utility
 
utility man
a workman expected to serve in any capacity when called on
 
utility man
a baseball player valued for the ability to play at several positions
 
Utopian
an idealistic (but usually impractical) social reformer
 
utterer
someone who circulates forged banknotes or counterfeit coins
 
ux.
(legal terminology) the Latin word for wife
 
uxoricide
a husband who murders his wife
 
V.P.
an executive officer ranking immediately below a president; may serve in the president's place under certain circumstances
 
vacationer
someone on vacation; someone who is devoting time to pleasure or relaxation rather than to work
 
vaccinee
a patient who has been vaccinated
 
Vaclav Havel
Czech dramatist and statesman whose plays opposed totalitarianism and who served as president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992 and president of the Czech Republic since 1993 (born in 1936)
 
Vagn Walfrid Ekman
Swedish oceanographer who recognized the role of the Coriolis effect on ocean currents (1874-1954)
 
Vaishnava
worshipper of Vishnu
 
Vaisya
a member of the mercantile and professional Hindu caste; the third of the four main castes
 
valedictorian
the student with the best grades who usually delivers the valedictory address at commencement
 
Valentina Vladmirovna Tereshkova
Soviet cosmonaut who was the first woman in space (born in 1937)
 
valentine
a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day
 
valetudinarian
weak or sickly person especially one morbidly concerned with his or her health
 
valley girl
a girl who grew up in the tract housing in the San Fernando Valley
 
valuer
someone who assesses the monetary worth of possessions
 
Van Wyck Brooks
United States literary critic and historian (1886-1963)
 
vandal
someone who willfully destroys or defaces property
 
Vandal
a member of the Germanic people who overran Gaul and Spain and North Africa and sacked Rome in 455
 
Vanessa Stephen
English painter; sister of Virginia Woolf; prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group (1879-1961)
 
vanisher
a person who disappears
 
Vannevar Bush
United States electrical engineer who designed an early analogue computer and who led the scientific program of the United States during World War II (1890-1974)
 
varmint
an irritating or obnoxious person
 
varnisher
someone who applies a finishing coat of varnish
 
Vasco da Gamma
Portuguese navigator who led an expedition around the Cape of Good Hope in 1497; he sighted and named Natal on Christmas Day before crossing the Indian Ocean (1469-1524)
 
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
Spanish explorer who in 1513 crossed the Isthmus of Darien and became the first European to see the eastern shores of the Pacific Ocean (1475-1519)
 
Vaslav Nijinsky
Russian dancer considered by many to be the greatest dancer of the 20th century (1890-1950)
 
vaudevillian
a performer who works in vaudeville
 
Vedist
a scholar of or an authority on the Vedas
 
vegan
a strict vegetarian; someone who eats no animal or dairy products at all
 
vegetarian
eater of fruits and grains and nuts; someone who eats no meat or fish or (often) any animal products
 
venerator
someone who regards with deep respect or reverence
 
Venetian
a resident of Venice
 
Venezuelan
a native or inhabitant of Venezuela
 
venter
a speaker who expresses or gives vent to a personal opinion or grievance
 
ventriloquist
a performer who projects the voice into a wooden dummy
 
venture capitalist
a speculator who makes money available for innovative projects (especially in high technology)
 
Vepsian
a member of a Finnish people of Russia
 
verger
a church officer who takes care of the interior of the building and acts as an attendant (carries the verge) during ceremonies
 
verifier
someone who vouches for another or for the correctness of a statement
 
Vermonter
a native or resident of Vermont
 
vestal
a chaste woman
 
vestal virgin
(Roman mythology) one of the virgin priestesses consecrated to the Roman goddess Vesta and to maintaining the sacred fire in her temple
 
vestryman
a man who is a member of a church vestry
 
vestrywoman
a woman who is a member of a church vestry
 
vet
a doctor who practices veterinary medicine
 
veteran
a serviceman who has seen considerable active service
 
vibist
a musician who plays the vibraphone
 
vicar
a Roman Catholic priest who acts for another higher-ranking clergyman
 
vicar
(Church of England) a clergyman appointed to act as priest of a parish
 
vicar
(Episcopal Church) a clergyman in charge of a chapel
 
vicar apostolic
a titular Roman Catholic bishop in a non-Catholic area
 
vicar-general
(Roman Catholic Church) an administrative deputy who assists a bishop
 
vice admiral
an admiral ranking below a full admiral and above a rear admiral
 
vice chairman
one ranking below or serving in the place of a chairman
 
vice chancellor
a deputy or assistant to someone bearing the title of chancellor
 
Vice President of the United States
the vice president of the United States who presides over the United States Senate
 
vice-regent
a regent's deputy
 
vicegerent
someone appointed by a ruler as an administrative deputy
 
vicereine
wife of a viceroy
 
vicereine
governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of his or her king or sovereign
 
Vicomte Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps
French diplomat who supervised the construction of the Suez Canal (1805-1894)
 
victim
an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
 
victimiser
a person who victimizes others
 
Victor Emanuel II
king of Italy who completed the unification of Italy by acquiring Venice and Rome (1820-1878)
 
Victor Emanuel III
king of Italy who appointed Mussolini prime minister; he abdicated in 1946 and the monarchy was abolished (1869-1947)
 
Victor Franz Hess
United States physicist (born in Austria) who was a discoverer of cosmic radiation (1883-1964)
 
Victor Herbert
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
 
Victor Horta
Belgian architect and leader in art nouveau architecture (1861-1947)
 
victor
the contestant who wins the contest
 
Victor-Marie Hugo
French poet and novelist and dramatist; leader of the romantic movement in France (1802-1885)
 
Victoria Clafin Woodhull
United States advocate of women's suffrage; in 1872 she was the first woman to run for the United States presidency (1838-1927)
 
Victorian
a person who lived during the reign of Victoria
 
victualer
an innkeeper (especially British)
 
Vietnamese
a native or inhabitant of Vietnam
 
Vigdis Finnbogadottir
former president of Iceland; first woman to be democratically elected head of state (born in 1930)
 
vigilance man
member of a vigilance committee
 
Viking
any of the Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of Europe from the 8th to the 11th centuries
 
Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi
Russian chess master (born in 1931)
 
Viktor Vasarely
French painter (born in Hungary) who was a pioneer of op art (1908-1997)
 
Vilfredo Pareto
Italian sociologist and economist whose theories influenced the development of fascism in Italy (1848-1923)
 
villager
one who has lived in a village most of their life
 
villainess
a woman villain
 
Vincent van Gogh
Dutch Post-impressionist painter noted for his use of color (1853-1890)
 
Vincenzo Bellini
Italian composer of operas (1801-1835)
 
vintager
a person who harvests grapes for making wine
 
vintner
someone who makes wine
 
vintner
someone who sells wine
 
violin maker
someone who makes violins
 
violist
a musician who plays the viola
 
VIP
an important or influential (and often overbearing) person
 
virago
a noisy or scolding or domineering woman
 
Virgil Garnett Thomson
United States composer who collaborated with Gertrude Stein (1896-1989)
 
virgin
a person who has never had sex
 
Virgin
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Virgo
 
Virginia Katherine McMath
United States dancer and film actress who partnered with Fred Astaire (1911-1995)
 
Virginia Wade
English tennis player who won many women's singles titles (born in 1945)
 
Virginian
a native or resident of Virginia
 
virologist
a specialist in virology
 
virtuoso
a musician who is a consummate master of technique and artistry
 
Visayan
a member of the most numerous indigenous people of the Philippines
 
viscount
a British peer who ranks below an earl and above a baron
 
viscount
(in various countries) a son or younger brother or a count
 
Viscount Nelson
English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)
 
Viscount St. Albans
English statesman and philosopher; precursor of British empiricism; advocated inductive reasoning (1561-1626)
 
viscountess
a noblewoman holding the rank of viscount in her own right
 
viscountess
a wife or widow of a viscount
 
Visigoth
a member of the western group of Goths who sacked Rome and created a kingdom in present-day Spain and southern France
 
visionary
a person given to fanciful speculations and enthusiasms with little regard for what is actually possible
 
visitant
someone who visits
 
visiting fireman
an important or distinguished visitor
 
visiting nurse
a nurse who is paid to visit the sick in their homes
 
visiting professor
a professor visiting another college or university to teach for a limited time
 
visualiser
one whose prevailing mental imagery is visual
 
visually impaired person
someone who has inferior vision
 
vitalist
one who believes in vitalism
 
viticulturist
a cultivator of grape vine
 
Vittorio De Sica
Italian film maker (1901-1974)
 
Vitus Behring
Danish explorer who explored the northern Pacific Ocean for the Russians and discovered the Bering Strait (1681-1741)
 
Vivien Leigh
English film actress (1913-1967)
 
vivisectionist
a biologist who cuts open live animals for research
 
vizier
a high official in a Muslim government (especially in the Ottoman Empire)
 
Vladimir Horowitz
Russian concert pianist who was a leading international virtuoso (1904-1989)
 
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov
Russian founder of the Bolsheviks and leader of the Russian Revolution and first head of the USSR (1870-1924)
 
Vladimir Kosma Zworykin
United States physicist who invented the iconoscope (1889-1982)
 
Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovski
Soviet poet; leader of Russian futurism (1893-1930)
 
Vladimir vladimirovich Nabokov
United States writer (born in Russia) (1899-1977)
 
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
Russian statesman chosen as president of the Russian Federation in 2000; formerly director of the Federal Security Bureau (born in 1952)
 
vociferator
a loud and vehement speaker (usually in protest)
 
Vogul
a member of a nomadic people of the northern Urals
 
voice
(metonymy) a singer
 
voicer
a speaker who voices an opinion
 
voicer
someone who regulates the tone of organ pipes
 
volleyball player
someone who plays the game of volleyball
 
votary
a devoted (almost religiously so) adherent of a cause or person or activity
 
votary
a priest or priestess (or consecrated worshipper) in a non-Christian religion or cult
 
votary
one bound by vows to a religion or life of worship or service
 
Votyak
a member of the Finno-Ugric-speaking people living in eastern European Russia
 
vouchee
(law) a person called into court to defend a title
 
vower
someone who makes a solemn promise to do something or behave in a certain way
 
voyager
a traveler to a distant land (especially one who travels by sea)
 
vulcaniser
someone who vulcanizes rubber to improve its strength and resiliency
 
vulgarian
a vulgar person (especially someone who makes a vulgar display of wealth)
 
vulgariser
someone who makes something vulgar
 
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov
Soviet statesman (1890-1986)
 
Wac
a member of the Women's Army Corps
 
waddler
someone who walks with a waddling gait
 
waffler
someone who speaks or writes in a vague and evasive manner
 
waggoner
the driver of a wagon
 
waggonwright
a wagon maker
 
Wagnerian
a follower of the theories or an admirer of the music of Richard Wagner
 
Wahhabi
a member of a strictly orthodox Sunni Muslim sect from Saudi Arabia; strives to purify Islamic beliefs and rejects any innovation occurring after the 3rd century of Islam
 
Wahunsonacock
Indian chief and founder of the Powhatan confederacy of tribes in eastern Virginia; father of Pocahontas (1550?-1618)
 
wailer
a mourner who utters long loud high-pitched cries
 
waiter
a person who waits or awaits
 
waitress
a woman waiter
 
Wakashan
a member of one of the peoples in British Columbia and Washington who speak the Wakashan language
 
waker
a person who awakes
 
walk-in
an operative who initiates his own defection (usually to a hostile country) for political asylum
 
walk-in
person who walks in without having an appointment
 
walk-on
plays a small part in a dramatic production
 
Walker Percy
United States writer whose novels explored human alienation (1916-1990)
 
walking delegate
a union representative who visits workers at their jobs to see whether agreements are observed
 
Wallace Hume Carothers
United States chemist who developed nylon (1896-1937)
 
Wallace Stevens
United States poet (1879-1955)
 
wallah
usually in combination: person in charge of or employed at a particular thing
 
wallflower
remains on sidelines at social event
 
Wallis Warfield Simpson
United States divorcee whose marriage to Edward VIII created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication
 
Walloon
a member of the French-speaking people living in Belgium
 
walloper
a winner by a wide margin
 
walloper
a very hard hitter
 
wallpaperer
a worker who papers walls
 
wally
a silly and inept person; someone who is regarded as stupid
 
Walt Whitman
United States poet who celebrated the greatness of America (1819-1892)
 
Walter Elias Disney
United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966)
 
Walter Gropius
United States architect (born in Germany) and founder of the Bauhaus school (1883-1969)
 
Walter John de la Mare
English poet remembered for his verse for children (1873-1956)
 
Walter Lippmann
United States journalist (1889-1974)
 
Walter Piston
United States neoclassical composer (1894-1976)
 
Walter Reed
United States physician who proved that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes (1851-1902)
 
Walter Rudolf Hess
Swiss physiologist noted for studies of the brain (1881-1973)
 
Walter William Skeat
English philologist (1835-1912)
 
Walther Hermann Nernst
German physicist and chemist who formulated the third law of thermodynamics (1864-1941)
 
Walther Richard Rudolf Hess
Nazi leader who in 1941 flew a solo flight to Scotland in an apparent attempt to negotiate a peace treaty with Great Britain but was imprisoned for life (1894-1987)
 
waltzer
a dancer who waltzes
 
Wampanoag
a member of the Algonquian people of Rhode Island and Massachusetts who greeted the Pilgrims
 
Wanda Landowska
United States harpsichordist (born in Poland) who helped to revive modern interest in the harpsichord (1879-1959)
 
Wandering Jew
a legendary Jew condemned to roam the world for mocking Jesus at the Crucifixion
 
wanton
lewd or lascivious woman
 
war baby
conceived or born during war
 
war bride
bride of a serviceman during wartime
 
war correspondent
a journalist who sends news reports and commentary from a combat zone or place of battle for publication or broadcast
 
war criminal
an offender who violates international law during times of war
 
war widow
a woman whose husband has died in war
 
warbler
a singer; usually a singer who adds embellishments to the song
 
ward
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
 
warden
the chief official in charge of a prison
 
warder
a person who works in a prison and is in charge of prisoners
 
wardress
a woman warder
 
warehouseman
a workman who manages or works in a warehouse
 
warlord
supreme military leader exercising civil power in a region especially one accountable to nobody when the central government is weak
 
warner
someone who gives a warning to others
 
warrant officer
holds rank by virtue of a warrant
 
warrantee
a customer to whom a warrant or guarantee is given
 
warrantee
a recipient of a warrant issued by a court in the United States
 
Warren Earl Burger
United States jurist appointed chief justice of the United States Supreme Court by Richard Nixon (1907-1995)
 
Warren Gamaliel Harding
29th President of the United States; two of his appointees were involved in the Teapot Dome scandal (1865-1823)
 
warrener
maintains a rabbit warren
 
warrior
someone engaged in or experienced in warfare
 
washer
someone who washes things for a living
 
Washington Irving
United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)
 
Washingtonian
a native or resident of the state of Washington
 
Washingtonian
a native or resident of the city of Washington
 
Wassily Kandinski
Russian painter who was a pioneer of abstract art (1866-1944)
 
Wassily Leontief
United States economist (born in Russia) who devised an input-output method of economic analysis (1906-1999)
 
waster
someone who dissipates resources self-indulgently
 
watchdog
a guardian or defender against theft or illegal practices or waste
 
watcher
a person who keeps a devotional vigil by a sick bed or by a dead body
 
Water Bearer
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Aquarius
 
water boy
an assistant who supplies drinking water
 
water dog
a person who enjoys being in or on the water
 
watercolorist
a painter who paints with watercolors
 
waterer
someone who waters plants or crops
 
Watutsi
a member of a Bantu speaking people living in Rwanda and Burundi
 
Wave
a member of the women's reserve of the United States Navy; originally organized during World War II but now no longer a separate branch
 
waver
someone who communicates by waving
 
wax-chandler
one who deals in wax candles
 
wayfarer
a pedestrian who walks from place to place
 
Wayne Gretzky
high-scoring Canadian ice-hockey player (born in 1961)
 
wearer
a person who wears or carries or displays something as a body covering or accessory
 
weasel
a person who is regarded as treacherous or sneaky
 
weather forecaster
predicts the weather
 
weaver
a craftsman who weaves cloth
 
webmaster
a technician who designs or maintains a website
 
wedding guest
a guest at a wedding
 
weeder
a farmhand hired to remove weeds
 
weekend warrior
a reservist who fulfills the military obligation on weekends
 
weekend warrior
a homeowner who acts as a contractor and tries to do major improvement projects on weekends (often without understanding the scope of the work to be done)
 
weekender
someone who vacations on a weekend
 
weeper
a hired mourner
 
weigher
an official who weighs and records the weight
 
welcher
someone who swindles you by not repaying a debt or wager
 
welder
joins pieces of metal by welding them together
 
welterweight
a professional boxer who weighs between 141 and 147 pounds
 
welterweight
a wrestler who weighs 154-172 pounds
 
welterweight
an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 148 pounds
 
wencher
someone who patronizes prostitutes
 
Werner Karl Heisenberg
German mathematical physicist noted for stating the uncertainty principle (1901-1976)
 
Wernher Magnus Maximilian von Braun
United States rocket engineer (born in Germany where he designed a missile used against England); he led the United States Army team that put the first American satellite into space (1912-1977)
 
Wesleyan
a follower of Wesleyanism
 
West Berliner
an inhabitant of West Berlin
 
West Indian
a native or inhabitant of the West Indies
 
West Saxon
an inhabitant of Wessex
 
West Virginian
a native or resident of West Virginia
 
West-sider
a resident of the west side of Manhattan in New York City
 
westerner
an inhabitant of a western area; especially of the U.S.
 
wetter
a workman who wets the work in a manufacturing process
 
whaler
a seaman who works on a ship that hunts whales
 
wharf rat
someone who lives near wharves and lives by pilfering from ships or warehouses
 
wheeler
the man at the outermost end of the rank in wheeling
 
wheeler
someone who makes and repairs wooden wheels
 
whiffer
a batter who strikes out by swinging at and missing the third strike
 
Whig
a member of the Whig Party that existed in the United States before the American Civil War
 
Whig
a supporter of the American Revolution
 
Whig
a member of the political party that urged social reform in 18th and 19th century England; was the opposition party to the Tories
 
whipper-in
huntsman's assistant in managing the hounds
 
whirler
a dervish whose actions include ecstatic dancing and whirling
 
whisperer
one who speaks in a whisper
 
whistle blower
an informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it
 
whistler
someone who makes a loud high sound
 
white Anglo-Saxon Protestant
a white person of Anglo-Saxon ancestry who belongs to a Protestant denomination
 
White Friar
a Roman Catholic friar wearing the white cloak of the Carmelite order; mendicant preachers
 
white man
a man who is White
 
White person
a Caucasian
 
White Russian
a native or inhabitant of Byelorussia
 
white separatist
someone who advocates a society in which white people live separately from members of other racial groups
 
white slave
a woman sold into prostitution
 
white slaver
a person who forces women to become prostitutes
 
white supremacist
a person who believes that the white race is or should be supreme
 
white woman
a woman who is White
 
whited sepulcher
a person who is inwardly evil but outwardly professes to be virtuous
 
whiteface
a clown whose face is covered with white make-up
 
Whitney Moore Young Jr.
United States civil rights leader (1921-1971)
 
whittler
someone who whittles (usually as an idle pastime)
 
whoremaster
a pimp who procures whores
 
Wiccan
a believer in Wicca
 
Wichita
a member of the Caddo people formerly living between Kansas and central Texas
 
wicket-keeper
stands behind the wicket to catch balls
 
widow
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
 
widower
a man whose wife is dead especially one who has not remarried
 
wigmaker
someone who makes and sells wigs
 
Wilbur Wright
United States aviation pioneer who (with his brother Orville Wright) invented the airplane (1867-1912)
 
wildcatter
an oilman who drills exploratory wells in territory not known to be an oil field
 
Wiley Post
United States aviator who in 1933 made the first solo flight around the world (1899-1935)
 
Wilhelm Apollinaris de Kostrowitzki
French poet; precursor of surrealism (1880-1918)
 
Wilhelm Eduard Weber
German physicist and brother of E. H. Weber; noted for his studies of terrestrial magnetism (1804-1891)
 
Wilhelm Karl Grimm
the younger of the two Grimm brothers remembered best for their fairy stories (1786-1859)
 
Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen
German physicist who discovered x-rays and developed roentgenography (1845-1923)
 
Wilhelm Ostwald
German chemist (1853-1932)
 
Wilhelm Reich
Austrian born psychoanalyst who lived in the United States; advocated sexual freedom and believed that cosmic energy could be concentrated in a human being (1897-1957)
 
Wilhelm Richard Wagner
German composer of operas and inventor of the musical drama in which drama and spectacle and music are fused (1813-1883)
 
Wilhelm von Opel
German industrialist who was the first in Germany to use an assembly line in manufacturing automobiles (1871-1948)
 
Will Keith Kellog
United States food manufacturer who (with his brother) developed a breakfast cereal of crisp flakes of rolled and toasted wheat and corn; he established a company to manufacture the cereal (1860-1951)
 
Willa Sibert Cather
United States writer who wrote about frontier life (1873-1947)
 
Willard Frank Libby
United States chemist who developed a method of radiocarbon dating (1908-1980)
 
Willard Huntington Wright
United States writer of detective novels (1888-1939)
 
Willard Van Orman Quine
United States philosopher and logician who championed an empirical view of knowledge that depended on language (1908-2001)
 
Willem de Kooning
United States painter (born in the Netherlands) who was a leading American exponent of abstract expressionism (1904-1997)
 
Willem de Sitter
Dutch astronomer who calculated the size of the universe and suggested that it is expanding (1872-1934)
 
Willem Einthoven
Dutch physiologist who devised the first electrocardiograph (1860-1927)
 
William Ashley Sunday
United States evangelist (1862-1935)
 
William Averell Harriman
United States financier who negotiated a treaty with the Soviet Union banning tests of nuclear weapons (1891-1986)
 
William Beaumont
United States surgeon remembered for his studies of digestion (1785-1853)
 
William Benjamin Hogan
United States golfer who won many major golf tournaments (1912-1997)
 
William Blake
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
 
William Bradford
United States printer (born in England) whose press produced the first American prayer book and the New York City's first newspaper (1663-1752)
 
William Bradford Shockley
United States physicist (born in England) who contributed to the development of the electronic transistor (1910-1989)
 
William Butler Yeats
Irish poet and dramatist (1865-1939)
 
William Butterfield
English architect who designed many churches (1814-1900)
 
William Byrd
English organist and composer of church music; master of 16th century polyphony; was granted a monopoly in music printing with Thomas Tallis (1543-1623)
 
William Carlos Williams
United States poet (1883-1963)
 
William Caxton
English printer who in 1474 printed the first book in English (1422-1491)
 
William Christopher Handy
United States blues musician who transcribed and published traditional blues music (1873-1958)
 
William Claire Menninger
United States psychiatrist and son of Charles Menninger (1899-1966)
 
William Clark
United States explorer who (with Meriwether Lewis) led an expedition from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River; Clark was responsible for making maps of the area (1770-1838)
 
William Clark Gable
United States film actor (1901-1960)
 
William Claude Dukenfield
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
 
William Congreve
English playwright remembered for his comedies (1670-1729)
 
William Cowper
English poet who wrote hymns and poetry about nature (1731-1800)
 
William Cowper
English surgeon who discovered Cowper's gland (1666-1709)
 
William Crawford Gorgas
United States Army surgeon who suppressed yellow fever in Havana and in the Panama Canal Zone (1854-1920)
 
William Curtis
English botanical writer and publisher (1746-1799)
 
William Cuthbert Faulkner
United States novelist (originally Falkner) who wrote about people in the southern United States (1897-1962)
 
William Dawes
American patriot who rode with Paul Revere to warn that the British were advancing on Lexington and Concord (1745-1799)
 
William Dean Howells
United States writer and editor (1837-1920)
 
William Dudley Haywood
United States labor leader and militant socialist who was one of the founders of the Industrial Workers of the World (1869-1928)
 
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
United States civil rights leader and political activist who campaigned for equality for Black Americans (1868-1963)
 
William Ewart Gladstone
liberal British statesman who served as prime minister four times (1809-1898)
 
William Felton Russell
United States basketball center (born in 1934)
 
William Franklin Graham
United States evangelical preacher famous as a mass evangelist (born in 1918)
 
William Frederick Cody
United States showman famous for his Wild West Show (1846-1917)
 
William Gilbert
English court physician noted for his studies of terrestrial magnetism (1540-1603)
 
William Graham Sumner
United States sociologist (1840-1910)
 
William Green
United States labor leader who was president of the American Federation of Labor from 1924 to 1952 and who led the struggle with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (1873-1952)
 
William H. Bonney
United States outlaw who was said to have killed 21 men (1859-1881)
 
William Harrison Dempsey
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion (1895-1983)
 
William Harrison Hays
United States lawyer and politician who formulated a production code that prescribed the moral content of United States films from 1930 to 1966 (1879-1954)
 
William Harvey
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
 
William Hazlitt
English essayist and literary critic (1778-1830)
 
William Henry
English chemist who studied the quantities of gas absorbed by water at different temperatures and under different pressures (1775-1836)
 
William Henry Beveridge
British economist (born in India) whose report on social insurance provided the basis for most of the social legislation on which the welfare state in the United Kingdom is based (1879-1963)
 
William Henry Fox Talbot
English inventor and pioneer in photography who published the first book illustrated with photographs (1800-1877)
 
William Henry Gates
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
 
William Henry Hoover
United States industrialist who manufactured vacuum cleaners (1849-1932)
 
William Henry Hudson
English naturalist (born in Argentina) (1841-1922)
 
William Henry Mauldin
United States cartoonist noted for his drawings of soldiers in battle (1921-2003)
 
William Henry Pratt
United States film actor (born in England) noted for his performances in horror films (1887-1969)
 
William Henry Seward
United States politician who as Secretary of State in 1867 arranged for the purchase of Alaska from Russia (known at the time as Seward's Folly) (1801-1872)
 
William Hogarth
English artist noted for a series of engravings that satirized the affectations of his time (1697-1764)
 
William Holman Hunt
Englishman and Pre-Raphaelite painter (1827-1910)
 
William Holmes McGuffey
United States educator who compiled the McGuffey Eclectic Readers (1800-1873)
 
William Howard Taft
27th President of the United States and later chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1857-1930)
 
William Hubbs Rehnquist
United States jurist who served as an associate justice on the United States Supreme Court from 1972 until 1986, when he was appointed chief justice (born in 1924)
 
William Hyde Wollaston
English chemist and physicist who discovered palladium and rhodium and demonstrated that static and current electricity are the same (1766-1828)
 
William Inge
United States playwright (1913-1973)
 
William James
United States pragmatic philosopher and psychologist (1842-1910)
 
William James Durant
United States historian (1885-1981)
 
William Jefferson Clinton
42nd President of the United States (1946-)
 
William John Clifton Haley Jr.
United States rock singer who was one of the first to popularize rock'n'roll music (1925-1981)
 
William Lawrence Shirer
United States broadcast journalist who was in Berlin at the outbreak of World War II (1904-1993)
 
William Le Baron Jenny
United States architect who designed the first skyscraper in which a metal skeleton was used (1832-1907)
 
William Lloyd Garrison
United States abolitionist who published an anti-slavery journal (1805-1879)
 
William Makepeace Thackeray
English writer (born in India) (1811-1863)
 
William Maxwell Aitken
British newspaper publisher and politician (born in Canada); confidant of Winston Churchill (1879-1964)
 
William Mitchell
United States aviator and general who was an early advocate of military air power (1879-1936)
 
William Morris
English poet and craftsman (1834-1896)
 
William Nunn Lipscom Jr.
United States chemist noted for his theories of molecular structure (born in 1919)
 
William of Ockham
English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349)
 
William of Orange
King of England and Scotland and Ireland; he married the daughter of James II and was invited by opponents of James II to invade England; when James fled, William III and Mary II were declared joint monarchs (1650-1702)
 
William of Wykeham
English prelate and statesman; founded a college at Oxford and Winchester College in Winchester; served as chancellor of England and bishop of Winchester (1324-1404)
 
William Patterson
American Revolutionary leader (born in Ireland) who was a member of the Constitutional Convention (1745-1806)
 
William Penn
Englishman and Quaker who founded the colony of Pennsylvania (1644-1718)
 
William Penn Adair Rogers
United States humorist remembered for his homespun commentary on politics and American society (1879-1935)
 
William Ralph Inge
English prelate noted for his pessimistic sermons and articles (1860-1954)
 
William Randolph Hearst
United States newspaper publisher whose introduction of large headlines and sensational reporting changed American journalism (1863-1951)
 
William Rose Benet
United States writer; brother of Stephen Vincent Benet (1886-1950)
 
William Rufus
the second son of William the Conqueror who succeeded him as King of England (1056-1100)
 
William Saroyan
United States writer of plays and short stories (1908-1981)
 
William Schwenk Gilbert
a librettist who was a collaborator with Sir Arthur Sullivan in a famous series of comic operettas (1836-1911)
 
William Seward Burroughs
United States inventor who patented the first practical adding machine (1855-1898)
 
William Seward Burroughs
United States writer noted for his works portraying the life of drug addicts (1914-1997)
 
William Shakespeare
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
 
William Somerset Maugham
English writer (born in France) of novels and short stories (1874-1965)
 
William Stanley Jevons
English economist and logician who contributed to the development of the theory of marginal utility (1835-1882)
 
William Strickland
United States architect and student of Latrobe (1787-1854)
 
William Stubbs
English historian noted for his constitutional history of medieval England (1825-1901)
 
William Styron
United States writer best known for his novels (born in 1925)
 
William Sydney Porter
United States writer of short stories whose pen name was O. Henry (1862-1910)
 
William Tatem Tilden Jr.
United States tennis player who dominated men's tennis in the 1920s (1893-1953)
 
William Tecumseh Sherman
United States general who was commander of all Union troops in the West; he captured Atlanta and led a destructive march to the sea that cut the Confederacy in two (1820-1891)
 
William Tell
a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer; according to legend an Austrian governor compelled him to shoot an apple from his son's head with his crossbow (which he did successfully without mishap)
 
William the Conqueror
duke of Normandy who led the Norman invasion of England and became the first Norman to be King of England; he defeated Harold II at the battle of Hastings in 1066 and introduced many Norman customs into England (1027-1087)
 
William Thornton
American architect (1759-1828)
 
William Tindale
English translator and Protestant martyr; his translation of the Bible into English (which later formed the basis for the King James Version) aroused ecclesiastical opposition; he left England in 1524 and was burned at the stake in Antwerp as a heretic (1494-1536)
 
William Wilkie Collins
English writer noted for early detective novels (1824-1889)
 
William Wordsworth
a romantic English poet whose work was inspired by the Lake District where he spent most of his life (1770-1850)
 
William Wycherley
English playwright noted for his humorous and satirical plays (1640-1716)
 
William Wyler
United States filmmaker (1902-1981)
 
William Wymark Jacobs
English writer of macabre short stories (1863-1943)
 
Willie Howard Mays Jr.
United States baseball player (born in 1931)
 
Willy Brandt
German statesman who as chancellor of West Germany worked to reduce tensions with eastern Europe (1913-1992)
 
winder
a worker who winds (e.g., a winch or clock or other mechanism)
 
window cleaner
someone who cleans windows for pay
 
window dresser
someone who decorates shop windows
 
window washer
someone who washes windows
 
wine lover
a connoisseur of fine wines; a grape nut
 
wine taster
a taster who evaluates the quality of wines
 
Winfield Scott
United States general who was a hero of the War of 1812 and who defeated Santa Anna in the Mexican War (1786-1866)
 
wing
a hockey player stationed in a forward position on either side
 
wing commander
(RAF rank) one who is next below a group captain
 
wingback
(football) the person who plays wingback
 
winger
(sports) player in wing position
 
wingman
the pilot who positions his aircraft outside and behind (on the wing of) the leader of a flying formation
 
winker
a person who winks
 
Winnebago
a member of the Siouan-speaking people formerly living in eastern Wisconsin south of Green Bay; ally of the Menomini and enemy of the Fox and Sauk people
 
winner
a gambler who wins a bet
 
Winslow Homer
United States painter best known for his seascapes (1836-1910)
 
Wintun
a member of a North American Indian people living in the Sacramento valley in California
 
wiper
a worker who wipes
 
wire-puller
one who uses secret influence (i.e. pulls wires or strings) for his own ends
 
wireman
a worker who installs and repairs electric wiring
 
wirer
someone who sends a telegram
 
Wisconsinite
a native or resident of Wisconsin
 
wisp
a small person
 
witch doctor
someone who is believed to heal through magical powers
 
witch-hunter
someone who identifies and punishes people for their opinions
 
withdrawer
a depositor who withdraws funds previously deposited
 
withdrawer
a student who withdraws from the educational institution in which he or she was enrolled
 
withdrawer
a contestant who withdraws from competition
 
withdrawer
an individualist who withdraws from social interaction
 
withdrawer
an authority who withdraws permission
 
withholder
a person who restrains or checks or holds back
 
withholder
a person who refrains from granting
 
withstander
an opponent who resists with force or resolution
 
witness
(law) a person who testifies under oath in a court of law
 
Witold Gombrowicz
Polish author (1904-1969)
 
wittol
an archaic term for a cuckold who knows about his wife's infidelity but tolerates it
 
Wobbly
a member of the Industrial Workers of the World
 
wog
(offensive British slang) term used by the British to refer to people of color from Africa or Asia
 
wolf boy
a male person assumed to have been raised by wolves
 
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
prolific Austrian composer and child prodigy; master of the classical style in all its forms of his time (1756-1791)
 
Wolfgang Pauli
United States physicist (born in Austria) who proposed the exclusion principle (thus providing a theoretical basis for the periodic table) (1900-1958)
 
woman
a female person who plays a significant role (wife or mistress or girlfriend) in the life of a particular man
 
wonder woman
a woman who can be a successful wife and have a professional career at the same time
 
wonderer
someone who is curious about something
 
woodcutter
cuts down trees and chops wood as a job
 
woodman
someone who lives in the woods
 
woodman
makes things out of wood
 
Woodrow Charles Herman
United States jazz musician and bandleader (1913-1987)
 
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie
United States folk singer and songwriter (1912-1967)
 
wool stapler
a dealer in wool
 
wool stapler
a person who sorts wool into different grades
 
word-painter
a writer of vivid or graphic descriptive power
 
wordmonger
a writer who uses language carelessly or pretentiously with little regard for meaning
 
wordsmith
a fluent and prolific writer
 
workaholic
person with a compulsive need to work
 
worker
a person who works at a specific occupation
 
working girl
a young woman who is employed
 
working man
an employee who performs manual or industrial labor
 
workmate
a fellow worker
 
worldling
a person absorbed by the concerns and interests and pleasures of the present world
 
worshiper
someone who admires too much to recognize faults
 
worthy
an important, honorable person (word is often used humorously)
 
wrangler
someone who argues noisily or angrily
 
wrecker
someone who demolishes or dismantles buildings as a job
 
wrester
someone who obtains something by pulling it violently with twisting movements
 
wretch
performs some wicked deed
 
wright
someone who makes or repairs something (usually used in combination)
 
write-in
a candidate for public office whose name does not appear on the ballot and so must be written on the ballot by the voters
 
writer
a person who is able to write and has written something
 
Wykehamist
a student enrolled in (or graduated from) Winchester College
 
Wyomingite
a native or resident of Wyoming
 
Wystan Hugh Auden
United States poet (born in England) (1907-1973)
 
Xenophanes
Greek philosopher (560-478 BC)
 
Xenophon
Greek general and historian; student of Socrates (430-355 BC)
 
Xerxes the Great
king of Persia who led a vast army against Greece and won the battle of Thermopylae but was eventually defeated (519-465 BC)
 
Xhosa
a member of the Negroid people of southern South Africa
 
xylophonist
someone who plays a xylophone
 
yachtsman
a person who owns or sails a yacht
 
Yahi
a member of an extinct North American Indian people who lived in northern California
 
Yakut
a member of a Turkic people of northeastern Siberia (mainly in the Lena river basin)
 
yakuza
a Japanese gangster
 
Yana
a member of an extinct North American Indian people who lived in northern California
 
Yang Chen Ning
United States physicist (born in China) who collaborated with Tsung Dao Lee in disproving the principle of conservation of parity (born in 1922)
 
Yankee-Doodle
an American (especially to non-Americans)
 
yard bird
a military recruit who is assigned menial tasks
 
yardie
member of an international gang of Jamaican criminals who sell drugs and violence
 
yardman
a laborer hired to do outdoor work (such as mowing lawns)
 
yardman
worker in a railway yard
 
Yasser Arafat
Palestinian statesman who was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (1929-2004)
 
Yavapai
a member of a North American Indian people of central Arizona
 
yawner
a person who yawns
 
Yemeni
a native or inhabitant of Yemen
 
Yeniseian
a member of one of the groups living in the Yenisei river valley in western Siberia
 
yenta
(Yiddish) a woman who talks too much; a gossip unable to keep a secret; a woman who spreads rumors and scandal
 
yenta
(Yiddish) a vulgar shrew; a shallow coarse termagant
 
yeoman
in former times was free and cultivated his own land
 
Yevgeni Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko
Russian poet who expressed the feelings of the post-Stalinist generation (born in 1933)
 
yodeller
a singer who changes register rapidly (popular is Swiss folk songs)
 
yogi
one who practices yoga and has achieved a high level of spiritual insight
 
Yoko Ono
United States musician (born in Japan) who married John Lennon and collaborated with him on recordings (born in 1933)
 
Yokuts
a member of the North American Indian people of the San Joaquin Valley
 
Yoruba
a member of a West African people living chiefly in southwestern Nigeria
 
young buck
a teenager or a young adult male
 
young Turk
a young radical who agitates for reform
 
Young Turk
a member of one or more of the insurgent groups in Turkey in the late 19th century who rebelled against the absolutism of Ottoman rule
 
Yucateco
a member of the Mayan people of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico
 
Yuma
a member of the North American Indian people of Arizona and adjacent Mexico and California
 
yuppie
a young upwardly mobile professional individual; a well-paid middle-class professional who works in a city and has a luxurious life style
 
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin
Soviet cosmonaut who in 1961 was the first person to travel in space (1934-1968)
 
Yves Tanguy
United States surrealist painter (born in France) (1900-1955)
 
Zairese
a native or inhabitant of Zaire
 
Zambian
a native or inhabitant of Zambia
 
Zane Grey
United States writer of western adventure novels (1875-1939)
 
zany
a buffoon in one of the old comedies; imitates others for ludicrous effect
 
Zapotecan
a member of a large tribe of Mesoamericans living in southern Mexico whose civilization flourished around 300 to 900
 
Zarathustra
Persian prophet who founded Zoroastrianism (circa 628-551 BC)
 
Zealander
a native or inhabitant of Zealand
 
Zealot
a member of an ancient Jewish sect in Judea in the first century who fought to the death against the Romans and who killed or persecuted Jews who collaborated with the Romans
 
Zechariah
a Hebrew minor prophet of the late 6th century BC
 
Zellig Sabbatai Harris
United States linguist (born in Ukraine) who developed mathematical linguistics and interpreted speech and writing in a social context (1909-1992)
 
Zen Buddhist
an adherent of the doctrines of Zen Buddhism
 
Zeno of Citium
ancient Greek philosopher who founded the Stoic school (circa 335-263 BC)
 
Zeno of Elea
ancient Greek philosopher who formulated paradoxes that defended the belief that motion and change are illusory (circa 495-430 BC)
 
Zephaniah
a Hebrew minor prophet of the late 7th century BC
 
Zhou En-lai
Chinese revolutionary and communist leader (1898-1976)
 
Zimbabwean
a native or inhabitant of Zimbabwe
 
Zionist
a Jewish supporter of Zionism
 
zoo keeper
the chief person responsible for a zoological garden
 
Zoroastrian
follower of Zoroaster and Zoroastrianism
 
Zulu
a member of the tall Negroid people of eastern South Africa; some live in KwaZulu-Natal under the traditional clan system but many now work in the cities
 
Zuni
a member of the Pueblo people living in western New Mexico