k

• kdenoting a quantity consisting of 1,000 items or units
• K particlean unstable meson produced as the result of a high-energy particle collision
• K rationa small package of emergency rations; issued to United States troops in World War II
• K-Dur 20salt of potassium (KCl) (trade names K-Dur 20, Kaochlor and K-lor and Klorvess and K-lyte); taken in tablet form to treat potassium deficiency
• K-lorsalt of potassium (KCl) (trade names K-Dur 20, Kaochlor and K-lor and Klorvess and K-lyte); taken in tablet form to treat potassium deficiency
• K-lytesalt of potassium (KCl) (trade names K-Dur 20, Kaochlor and K-lor and Klorvess and K-lyte); taken in tablet form to treat potassium deficiency
• k-mesonan unstable meson produced as the result of a high-energy particle collision
• K.E.the mechanical energy that a body has by virtue of its motion
• K'ung FutzuChinese 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)
• K2a mountain peak in the Karakoram Range in northern Kashmir; the 2nd highest peak in the world (28,250 feet high)
• Kaunknown god; an epithet of Prajapati and Brahma
• Kaaba(Islam) a black stone building in Mecca that is shaped like a cube and that is the most sacred Muslim pilgrim shrine; believed to have been given by Gabriel to Abraham; Muslims turn in its direction when praying
• kaamaThe hartbeest.
• kabalaan esoteric theosophy of rabbinical origin based on the Hebrew scriptures and developed between the 7th and 18th centuries
• kabassouSee Cabassou.
• kabbalaan esoteric or occult matter resembling the Kabbalah that is traditionally secret
• kabbalahan esoteric or occult matter resembling the Kabbalah that is traditionally secret
• kabbalismadherence to some extreme traditional theological concept or interpretation
• kabbalista student of the Jewish Kabbalah
• kabbalistichaving a secret or hidden meaning
• kabobcubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables
• Kabolinan androgen (trade names Durabolin or Kabolin) that is used to treat testosterone deficiency or breast cancer or osteoporosis
• kabookA clay ironstone found in Ceylon.
• Kabulthe capital and largest city of Afghanistan; located in eastern Afghanistan
• kabyleA Berber, as in Algiers or Tunis. See Berber.
• Kacha terrorist organization founded for Jewish defense; fights antisemitism and hopes to restore the biblical state of Israel
• KachaturianArmenian composer who incorporated oriental folk music (1903-1978)
• KachinTibeto-Burman languages spoken in northernmost Burma and adjacent China and India
• kachinaa carved doll wearing the costume of a particular Pueblo spirit; usually presented to a child as a gift
• KachinicTibeto-Burman languages spoken in northernmost Burma and adjacent China and India
• Kadaia family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia
• Kadai languagea family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia
• kadderThe jackdaw.
• kadiA Turkish judge. See Cadi.
• kadiasterA Turkish judge. See Cadi.
• Kadikoya former town on the Bosporus (now part of Istanbul); site of the Council of Chalcedon
• kafalThe Arabian name of two trees of the genus Balsamodendron, which yield a gum resin and a red aromatic wood.
• kaffiran offensive and insulting term for any Black African
• kaffir boomsmall semi-evergreen broad-spreading tree of eastern South Africa with orange-scarlet flowers and small coral-red seeds; yields a light soft wood used for fence posts or shingles
• kaffir breadSouth African cycad; the farinaceous pith of the fruit used as food
• kaffir catwidely distributed wildcat of Africa and Asia Minor
• kaffir cornimportant for human and animal food; growth habit and stem form similar to Indian corn but having sawtooth-edged leaves
• Kaffir poxa mild form of smallpox caused by a less virulent form of the virus
• kaffiyehan Arab headdress consisting of a square piece of cloth folded into a triangle and fastened over the crown by an agal
• kaffleSee Coffle.
• kafilahSee Cafila.
• kafira member of the Kafir people in northeastern Afghanistan
• kafir cornimportant for human and animal food; growth habit and stem form similar to Indian corn but having sawtooth-edged leaves
• Kafiria Dardic language spoken by the Kafir in northeastern Afghanistan
• KafkaCzech novelist who wrote in German about a nightmarish world of isolated and troubled individuals (1883-1924)
• kafkaesquecharacterized by surreal distortion and a sense of impending danger
• Kafocinantibiotic related to cephalosporin but no longer in common use
• kaftana (cotton or silk) cloak with full sleeves and sash reaching down to the ankles; worn by men in the Levant
• kageA chantry chapel inclosed with lattice or screen work.
• kaguA singular, crested, grallatorial bird (Rhinochetos jubatus), native of New Caledonia. It is gray above, paler beneath, and the feathers of the wings and tail are handsomely barred with brown, black, and gray. It is allied to the sun bittern.
• kaguanThe colugo.
• Kahane Chaia terrorist organization founded for Jewish defense; fights antisemitism and hopes to restore the biblical state of Israel
• kahaniA kind of notary public, or attorney, in the Levant.
• kahauA long-nosed monkey (Semnopithecus nasalis), native of Borneo. The general color of the body is bright chestnut, with the under parts, shoulders, and sides of the head, golden yellow, and the top of the head and upper part of the back brown. Called also proboscis monkey. [Written also kaha.]
• kahikateaNew Zealand evergreen valued for its light easily worked wood
• Kahlil GibranUnited States writer (born in Lebanon) (1883-1931)
• Kahluacoffee-flavored liqueur made in Mexico
• KahnUnited States architect (born in Estonia) (1901-1974)
• Kahoolawean island of south-central Hawaii
• Kahoolawe Islandan island of south-central Hawaii
• kai appleSouth African fruit smelling and tasting like apricots; used for pickles and preserves
• kailcoarse curly-leafed cabbage
• kaimacamSame as Caimacam.
• kainPoultry, etc., required by the lease to be paid in kind by a tenant to his landlord. Wharton (Law Dict.).
• kainitSalts of potassium used in the manufacture of fertilizers.
• kainitea white mineral consisting of magnesium sulphate and potassium chloride; a source of potassium salts; used as a fertilizer
• kainogenesisintroduction during embryonic development of characters or structure not present in the earlier evolutionary history of the strain or species (such as the addition of the placenta in mammalian evolution)
• kainozoicSee Cenozoic.
• kaiqueSee Caique.
• kairineA pale buff or white crystalline alkaloid derived from quinoline, and used as an antipyretic in medicine.
• kairolineAn organic base obtained from quinoline. It is used as a febrifuge, and resembles kairine.
• kaiserThe ancient title of emperors of Germany assumed by King William of Prussia when crowned sovereign of the new German empire in 1871.
• Kaiser Billgrandson of Queen Victoria and Kaiser of Germany from 1888 to 1918; he was vilified as causing World War I (1859-1941)
• kaiser rollrounded raised poppy-seed roll made of a square piece of dough by folding the corners in to the center
• Kaiser Wilhelmgrandson of Queen Victoria and Kaiser of Germany from 1888 to 1918; he was vilified as causing World War I (1859-1941)
• kakaA New Zealand parrot of the genus Nestor, especially the brown parrot (Nestor meridionalis). Note: The mountain kaka, or kea (N. notabilis), is remarkable for having recently acquired carnivorous habits. It attacks and kills lambs and pigs, sometimes doing great damage. Night kaka. (Zoöl.) The kakapo.
• kakapoA singular nocturnal parrot (Strigops habroptilus), native of New Zealand. It lives in holes during the day, but is active at night. It resembles an owl in its colors and general appearance. It has large wings, but can fly only a short distance. Called also owl parrot, night parrot, and night kaka.
• kakaralliA kind of wood common in Demerara, durable in salt water, because not subject to the depredations of the sea worm and barnacle.
• Kakatoea genus of Psittacidae
• Kakatoe galeritawhite cockatoo with a yellow erectile crest
• Kakatoe leadbeateriwhite Australian cockatoo with roseate tinged plumage
• Kakemonoa Japanese (paper or silk) wall hanging; usually narrow with a picture or writing on it and a roller at the bottom
• kakiblackish stilt of New Zealand sometimes considered a color phase of the white-headed stilt
• kakistocracyGovernment by the worst men.
• kakke diseasethe endemic form of beriberi
• kakoxeneSee Cacoxene.
• kala azarsores resulting from a tropical infection by protozoa of the genus Leishmania which are spread by sandflies
• kala-azarleishmaniasis of the viscera
• Kalaallit Nunaatthe largest island in the world; lies between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean; a self-governing province of Denmark
• Kalaharia desert in southwestern Africa - largely Botswana
• Kalahari Deserta desert in southwestern Africa - largely Botswana
• Kalamazooa town in southwest Michigan
• kalanThe sea otter.
• kalansuwaa cap that is wrapped around by a turban and worn by Muslim religious elders
• kalantasPhilippine timber tree having hard red fragrant wood
• Kalapooiaa member of the North American Indian people of Oregon
• Kalapooiana Penutian language spoken by the Kalapuya
• Kalapuyaa member of the North American Indian people of Oregon
• Kalapuyana Penutian language spoken by the Kalapuya
• Kalashnikova type of submachine gun made in Russia
• Kalashnikov culturethe attitudes and behavior in a social group that resolves political disputes by force of arms
• kalasieA long-tailed monkey of Borneo (Semnopithecus rubicundus). It has a tuft of long hair on the head.
• kalecoarse curly-leafed cabbage
• kaleegeOne of several species of large, crested, Asiatic pheasants, belonging to the genus Euplocamus, and allied to the firebacks.
• kaleidophonAn instrument invented by Professor Wheatstone, consisting of a reflecting knob at the end of a vibrating rod or thin plate, for making visible, in the motion of a point of light reflected from the knob, the paths or curves corresponding with the musical notes produced by the vibrations.
• kaleidophoneAn instrument invented by Professor Wheatstone, consisting of a reflecting knob at the end of a vibrating rod or thin plate, for making visible, in the motion of a point of light reflected from the knob, the paths or curves corresponding with the musical notes produced by the vibrations.
• kaleidoscopean optical toy in a tube; it produces symmetrical patterns as bits of colored glass are reflected by mirrors
• kaleidoscopiccontinually shifting or rapidly changing
• kaleidoscopicalcontinually shifting or rapidly changing
• kalemiathe presence of excess potassium in the circulating blood
• kalendarSee Calendar.
• kalendarialSee Calendarial.
• kalenderSee 3d Calender.
• kalendsSame as Calends.
• kaliwife of Siva and malevolent form of Devi
• kalianan oriental tobacco pipe with a long flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled by passing through water
• kalifthe civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth
• kaliformFormed like kali, or glasswort.
• kaligenousForming alkalies with oxygen, as some metals.
• Kalimantan3rd largest island in the world; in the western Pacific to the north of Java; largely covered by dense jungle and rain forest; part of the Malay Archipelago
• Kalininsoviet statesman and head of state of the USSR (1875-1946)
• kaliphthe civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth
• kaliumPotassium; -- so called by the German chemists.
• kaliuresisthe presence of excess potassium in the urine
• Kalkathe language of the Khalkha that is the official language of the Mongolian People's Republic
• kalkiThe name of Vishnu in his tenth and last avatar. Whitworth.
• Kallman's syndromehypogonadism with anosmia; a congenital sexual disorder that prevents the testicles from maturing at puberty
• kalmiaany plant of the genus Kalmia
• Kalmia angustifoliaNorth American dwarf shrub resembling mountain laurel but having narrower leaves and small red flowers; poisonous to young stock
• Kalmia latifoliaa North American evergreen shrub having glossy leaves and white or rose-colored flowers
• Kalmia polifolialaurel of bogs of northwestern United States having small purple flowers and pale leaves that are glaucous beneath
• kalmuckpl. (Ethnol.) See Calmucks.
• Kalon Tripathe chairman of the Kashag and essentially head of the Tibetan government-in-exile
• kalongA fruit bat, esp. the Indian edible fruit bat (Pteropus edulis).
• Kalotermestype genus of Kalotermitidae; termites destructive of wood and living trees
• Kalotermitidaeprimitive termites of warm regions
• kaloyerSee Caloyer.
• kalpaOne of the Brahmanic eons, a period of 4,320,000,000 years. At the end of each Kalpa the world is annihilated.
• kalpaca high-crowned black cap (usually made of felt or sheepskin) worn by men in Turkey and Iran and the Caucasus
• kalsomineSame as Calcimine.
• Kalugaa city of central Russia to the south of Moscow
• kalumpanglarge tree of Old World tropics having foul-smelling orange-red blossoms followed by red pods enclosing oil-rich seeds sometimes used as food
• kaluresisthe presence of excess potassium in the urine
• kamCrooked; awry. [Obs.] "This is clean kam." Shak.
• Kam Muanga branch of the Tai languages
• Kam-Suia group of Kadai languages
• Kam-Taia family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia
• kamaThe Hindoo Cupid. He is represented as a beautiful youth, with a bow of sugar cane or flowers.
• kamalaThe red dusty hairs of the capsules of an East Indian tree (Mallotus Philippinensis) used for dyeing silk. It is violently emetic, and is used in the treatment of tapeworm. [Written also kameela.]
• Kamarupanthe Tibeto-Burman language spoken in northeastern India and adjacent regions of western Burma
• Kamasutra(Hinduism) an ancient Sanskrit text giving rules for sensuous and sensual pleasure and love and marriage in accordance with Hindu law
• Kambaa Bantu language spoken by the Kamba in Kenya
• Kamchatka Peninsulaa peninsula in eastern Siberia; between Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk
• Kamchatkan sea eaglefound on coasts of the northwestern Pacific
• kameA low ridge. [Scot.] See Eschar.
• kameeza long tunic worn by many people from the Indian subcontinent (usually with a salwar or churidars)
• Kamehameha IHawaiian king who united the islands under his rule (1758-1819)
• Kamehameha the GreatHawaiian king who united the islands under his rule (1758-1819)
• Kameta mountain in the Himalayas in northern India (25,450 feet high)
• kamiA title given to the celestial gods of the first mythical dynasty of Japan and extended to the demigods of the second dynasty, and then to the long line of spiritual princes still represented by the mikado.
• Kamiathe Yuman language spoken by the Kamia
• kamichiA curious South American bird (Anhima, or Palamedea, cornuta), often domesticated by the natives and kept with poultry, which it defends against birds of prey. It has a long, slender, hornlike ornament on its head, and two sharp spurs on each wing. Although its beak, feet, and legs resemble those of gallinaceous birds, it is related in anatomical characters to the ducks and geese (Anseres). Called also horned screamer. The name is sometimes applied also to the chaja. See Chaja, and Screamer.
• kamikazea fighter plane used for suicide missions by Japanese pilots in World War II
• Kammon Strait Bridgea suspension bridge between Kyushu and Honshu
• Kampalathe capital and largest city of Uganda on the north shore of Lake Victoria
• kamponga native village in Malaysia
• kamptuliconA kind of elastic floor cloth, made of India rubber, gutta- percha, linseed oil, and powdered cork.
• Kampucheaa nation in southeastern Asia; was part of Indochina under French rule until 1946
• Kampucheanof or relating to or characteristic of Cambodia or its people or language
• kampyliteA variety of mimetite or arseniate of lead in hexagonal prisms of a fine orange yellow. [Written also campylite.]
• kamsinA hot southwesterly wind in Egypt, coming from the Sahara. [Written also Khamseen.]
• kamtschadalesAn aboriginal tribe inhabiting the southern part of Kamtschatka.
• kanTo know; to ken. [Obs.] See Ken. See Khan.
• Kan Rivera river in southeastern China that flows generally north into the Chang Jiang to the north of Nanchang
• kanackaA native of the Sandwich Islands.
• kanafvaluable fiber plant of East Indies now widespread in cultivation
• kanakaA native of the Sandwich Islands.
• kanamycinantibiotic (trade name Kantrex) used to treat severe infections
• Kanangaa city in southwestern Congo; former name (until 1966) was Luluabourg
• Kanaraa historical region of southwestern India on the west coast
• Kanaresea Dravidian language spoken in southern India
• Kanawhaa tributary of the Ohio River in West Virginia
• Kanawha Rivera tributary of the Ohio River in West Virginia
• Kanchanjangaa mountain the Himalayas on the border between Nepal and Tibet (28,208 feet high)
• Kanchenjungaa mountain the Himalayas on the border between Nepal and Tibet (28,208 feet high)
• kanchilsmall chevrotain of southeastern Asia
• kandFluor spar; -- so called by Cornish miners.
• Kandahara city in southern Afghanistan; an important trading center
• KandinskiRussian painter who was a pioneer of abstract art (1866-1944)
• KandinskyRussian painter who was a pioneer of abstract art (1866-1944)
• Kandya city of central Sri Lanka that was the last capital of the ancient kings of Ceylon; a resort and religious center
• kangarooany of several herbivorous leaping marsupials of Australia and New Guinea having large powerful hind legs and a long thick tail
• kangaroo appleAustralian annual sometimes cultivated for its racemes of purple flowers and edible yellow egg-shaped fruit
• kangaroo bearsluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with grey furry ears and coat; feeds on eucalyptus leaves and bark
• kangaroo courtan irregular unauthorized court