louche (en)

disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way

lustration (en)

(verb) to purify ceremonially

master signifier (en)

a Lacanian term (following the linguistics of Saussure); really just another signifier (i.e., something that organises discursive structures) but one which stops the slippage of the signified under the signifier and fixes meaning, thereby forming a stable symbolic order. i don't really know tbh. a platonic ideal of a concept like "freedom" or "health"?

metonymy (en)

(noun) a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated (as “crown” in “lands belonging to the crown”)

nulliparous (en)

(adjective) of, relating to, or being a female that has not borne offspring

Oulipian (en)

referring to Oulipo, a loose gathering of (mainly) French-speaking writers and mathematicians who seek to create works using constrained writing techniques

panoply (en)

(noun) a complete or impressive collection of things; (historically) a complete set of arms or suit of armor

panoply (en)

(noun) a complete or impressive collection of things; (historically) a complete set of arms or suit of armor

parlous (en)

(adjective) full of danger or uncertainty; precarious

parochial (en)

relating to a church parish; having a limited or narrow outlook or scope

parvenu (en)

(noun) one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it

penumbra (en)

the partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast by an opaque object

proleptic (en)

(adj) anticipatory; a figure of speech in which the speaker raises an objection to their own argument and then immediately answers it; also called procatalepsis

prurient (en)

(adj) having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters

rebarbative (en)

(adjective) repellent irritating

revanchism (en)

(noun) revenge / (noun) a usually political policy designed to recover lost territory or status

salvo (en)

a sudden, vigorous, or aggressive act or series of acts

sansculottes (en)

a lower-class Parisian republican in the French Revolution; an extreme republican or revolutionary

sedulous (en)

(adjective) involving or accomplished with careful perseverance / (adjective) diligent in application or pursuit

soteriological (en)

(noun) theology dealing with salvation especially as effected by Jesus Christ

succor (en)

assistance and support in times of hardship and distress

tabula rasa (en)

(noun) the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions / (noun) something existing in its original pristine state (philosophy)

unctuous (en)

(adjective) fatty oily / (adjective) smooth and greasy in texture or appearance / (adjective) plastic / (adjective) full of unction / (adjective) revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality

vituperation (en)

(noun) sustained and bitter railing and condemnation; vituperative utterance / (noun) an act or instance of vituperating