| synectic | adj. | (of a cause) immediately producing an effect, direct | ||
| synoptic | adj. | of or taking a comprehensive view of a subject | ||
| synovitis | n. | inflammation of the membrane around a joint | ||
| syntagma | n. | syntactic component; arrangement of components producing meaning or a greater whole; phalanx of Macedonian spearmen | ||
| syzygy | n. | alignment of three celestial bodies; dipody, two-foot metric line; pair of connected things | ||
| tabi | n. | Japanese split toe socks with separate chamber for big toe | ||
| tabor | n. | small drum, esp. as used by piper as percussive accompaniment | ||
| tabouret | n. | small stool | ||
| taffrail | n. | rail around top deck of a ship’s stern | nautical | |
| tagger | n. | one who tags; device for tagging (sheep, merchandise, etc.); graffitist | ||
| tallage | n. | arbitrary tax of the Normans and the early Angevins | ||
| tallboy | n. | highboy | ||
| tamis | n. | fine-weave strainer | ||
| tanist | n. | elected second-in-command or heir apparent to a Celtic chief | ||
| tannoy | n. | loudspeaker system for public announcements | ||
| tansy | n. | herb with yellow flowers; 17th century dish using tansy for seasoning | ||
| tantalum | n. | element with atomic number 73, a silver-grey rare metal | ||
| tantalus | n. | small stand or rack containing decanters with a locking bar atop to prevent unauthorized tippling | ||
| tantivy | adv. | 1 | at full gallop, headlong | archaic |
| tantivy | n. | 2 | a rapid gallop | archaic |
| tantivy | int. | 3 | hunting cry whilst riding at full gallop | archaic |
| taphonomy | n. | study of processes affecting living tissues after death, esp. with regards to fossilization | ||
| taphophile | n. | lover of cemeteries, funerals, or gravestones | ||
| tardigrade | adj. | slow moving or slow walking; of or relating to sloths; of or relating to water-bears | ||
| tare | n. | 1 | noxious weed | biblical |
| tare | v. | past tense of the verb “to tear” | obsolete | |
| targe | n. | buckler, small shield | archaic | |
| tarlatan | n. | thin, open-mesh muslin, used frequently for ballroom gowns | ||
| tarmac | n. | Tarmacadam; asphalt; airport runway | ||
| tarn | n. | small mountain lake | ||
| tarpaulin | n. | sailor | ||
| tassel | v. | to bloom (said of corn or sugar cane) | ||
| tatterdemalion | n. | a person dressed in rags or tatters | ||
| tattersall | n. | squares formed by crossed color lines over another, usually light, solid color; fabric in this pattern | ||
| tatty | adj. | shabby, cheap | ||
| tauromachia | n. | a bullfight, bullfighting | ||
| taw | v. | to prepare raw material for use; to transform hides into leather without tannin, usu. by preparation of alum and salt | ||
| taximeter | n. | device for calculating cab fare by measuring distance traveled | ||
| TDA | n. | car theft, “Taking and Driving Away” | British | |
| teal | n. | small dabbling duck from which the mallard evolved | ||
| teasmade | n. | automatic tea maker, usually with clock so that tea is ready upon awakening, once common in the UK | ||
| technolatry | n. | worship of technology | ||
| ted | v. | to spread out or to strew for drying | ||
| teen | n. | grief, trouble | archaic | |
| teetotum | n. | small finger-spun top, such as a dreidel | ||
| tefillin | n. | phylacteries, small black leather boxes worn on the head and arm by Orthodox Jewish men during morning prayer | ||
| tegument | n. | covering; integument | ||
| teleology | n. | the study of ultimate ends or causes | ||
| telex | n. | teletypewriter service using public communication channels to deliver two-way text transmission between subscribers | ||
| Telfordize | v. | to pave a road using Telford principles |
