keloid (en)

(noun) a thick scar resulting from excessive growth of fibrous tissue

Kemalist (en)

of the founding ideology of the Republic of Turkey, implemented by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and defined by sweeping political, social, cultural and religious reforms designed to separate the new Turkish state from its Ottoman predecessor and embrace a Westernized way of living

kepi (en)

(from the French képi) a French military cap with a flat top and horizontal brim

Kern unseres Wesen (de)

"nucleus of our being"; from Freudian psychology

Keynesian (en)

theories about how in the short run, and especially during recessions, economic output is strongly influenced by aggregate demand; developed by British economist John Maynard Keynes

kibitzed (ji)

(from Yiddish) look on and offer unwelcome advice, especially at a card game OR to chat, gossip, or make small talk

kif (en)

a substance, especially cannabis, smoked to produce a drowsy state (from Arabic)

kismet (en)

destiny; fate

Kleinstaaterei (de)

a pejorative word mainly used to denote the territorial fragmentation in Germany and neighboring regions during the Holy Roman Empire

Klieg light (en)

an intense carbon arc lamp especially used in filmmaking

knecht (en)

German for servant or slave; mentioned in Hegel's "Lordship and Bondage" as Knechtschaft

Kondratieff cycles (en)

a proposed economic phenomenon whereby profits decrease over time (as monopolistic forces decline), in a cycle; phases: expansion, stagnation, and recession

kore (en)

(noun) an ancient Greek statue of a clothed young woman standing with feet together

Kreisau Circle (en)

a group of about twenty-five German dissidents led by Helmuth James Graf von Moltke, who met at his estate in the rural town of Kreisau, Silesia; the group began to falter after Helmuth von Moltke was arrested by the Gestapo in January 1944 and eventually came to an end when most of its members were arrested following Claus von Stauffenberg’s attempt on Hitler’s life on July 19, 1944

Kuznets curve (en)

the hypothesis that as an economy develops, market forces first increase and then decrease economic inequality. The hypothesis was first advanced by economist Simon Kuznets in the 1950s and '60s. Highly contested

kyphotic (en)

(noun) exaggerated outward curvature of the thoracic region of the spine resulting in a rounded upper back

labefaction (en)

deterioration or downfall

labile (en)

(adjective) readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown; unstable / (adjective) readily open to change

lachrymose (en)

(adjective) given to tears or weeping; tearful / (adjective) tending to cause tears; mournful

laconic (en)

(adjective) using or involving the use of a minimum of words; concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious

lacuna (en)

an unfilled space; a gap (plural: lacunae)

Laffer curve (en)

a theory developed by supply-side economist Arthur Laffer to show the relationship between tax rates and the amount of tax revenue collected by governments (a typically conservative theory that believes that too much taxation will depress business investment)

lagniappe (en)

(noun) a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase / (noun) something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure

laicize (en)

(verb) to reduce to lay status / (verb) to put under the direction of or open to the laity

lallate (en)

to speak like a baby (technically: pronouncing the letter "r" so that it sounds like "l")