Words related to Nymphs

A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or land form.

• cornucopia : According to Greek mythology, Zeus was nurtured by a nymph. Later, as king,wanting to thank her for her kindness he gave her a magical horn that could produce anything she wanted in abundance, hence the meaning of the word.
• nymphomania : abnormally excessive and uncontrollable sexual desire in women. [Origin : nymph + mania (obsessions)]
• siren song :  The Sirens were one of a group of sea nymphs in Greek mythology who by their sweet singing lured mariners to destruction on the rocks surrounding their island.
• calypso : A type of music that originated in the islands of the West Indies, named after the sea-nymph in Greek mythology who delayed Ulysses in his travels

Letter D

Root : demos
Meaning : people
Words from the same root : 

• democracy [demos + cracy (rule)] : rule by the people
• pandemic [pan (all) + demos] : prevalent throughout an entire country
• epidemic [epi (over) + demos] : affecting many people at the same time

Root : dictum 

Meaning : speak/word

Words from the same root : 

• benediction : [bene (good) + dictum] : blessing (good word)
• malediction : [mal (bad) + dictum] : curse (bad word)
• diction : right use of the word

Root : duc

Meaning : to lead

Words derived from the same root :

• ductile : easily led
• abduct : [ab (away) + duct] : to lead away
• seduce : [se (apart) + duct] : to lead astray

Prefix : du/di

Meaning : two

Words derived from the same :

• dilemma : [di (two) + lemma (proposition)] : a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.
• duplex : a housedivided into two separate dwellings
• duet : a musical composition for two voices or instruments.

Root : dent/dont

Meaning : teeth

Words derived from the same :

• dentist : a person licensed in the care and replacement of teeth
• dentures : a partial or a complete set of false teeth
• orthodontist [ortho (straight) + dentis] : the branch of dentistry dealing with the prevention and correctionof irregular teeth, as by means of braces.

Words related to the Bible

• Adam's apple : from the biblical character Adam.According to the Bible, Adam was thefirst man, the husband of Eve, and later the father of Cain and Abel. Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden until they ate a forbidden fruit, traditionally held to be an apple. As a punishment they were expelled from Eden. [Meaning : a projection of the thyroid cartilage at the front of the neckthat is more prominent in men than in women.]
• the bible : from the holy bible ; the religious book of the Catholics [Meaning : a book regarded as authoritative] 
• the gospel truth : from the gospel which are the teachings of Jesus and the apostles [Meaning : an unquestionable truth] 
• the Judas : from Judas Iscariot. the disciple who betrayed Jesus. [Meaning : a person treacherous enough to betray a friend]
• a Daniel :  from the old testament : a youth who was taken into the household ofNebuchadnezzar, received guidance and apocalyptic visionsfrom God, and was given divine protection when thrown into the lions' den [Meaning : a wise upright person]

Words and idioms related to Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815. His legal reform, the Napoleonic code, has been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions worldwide, but he is best remembered for his role in the wars led against France by a series of coalitions, the so-called Napoleonic Wars, during which he established hegemony over much of Europe and sought to spread revolutionary ideals.
Apart from this he also contributes to the English language in his own Napoleonesque way :). Here are a few words / idioms related to Napoleon.

• Waterloo : (the Battle of Waterloo was where the British and allies, led by the Duke of Wellington, inflicted a crushing defeat on the French and allies, led by Napoleon – the word is used to mean a crushing or final defeat or failure).
• Chauvinist : Nicholas Chauvin was a legendary soldier in Napoleon’s army, extremely devoted to his employer. After Napoleon’s downfall (remember the battle of Waterloo) ,Chauvin is supposed to have displayed such exaggerated patriotism that he was held up to ridicule.[Meaning : prejudiced belief in the superiority of one’s gender]

Words related to the works of Shakespeare

• Hamletian dilemma : The phrase is derived form Williams Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. When Hamlet, the prince of Dutch learns that his father was murdered by his uncle, he is in a dilemma as to whether he should avenge his father’s death or rule the kingdom of Dutch. The famous line ‘To be, or not to be’ is also uttered by Hamlet when faced with this dilemma. [Meaning : a difficult decision]
• a pound of flesh : from Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice' – what Shylock demands as his rightful due under a bargain struck – the word is used to mean what one demands as rightful due as per a bargain.

Words derived from the tasks performed by Herculeus

•  Herculean task : Heracles, the son of Zeus, had to perform 12 tasks as a penance for killing his family under the spell of Hera (Zeus' wife). These tasks required feats of super human strength. [Meaning : needing great strength and determination]
• Cleaning the Augean stables : The stables of king Augeas in Greek mythology where 3000 oxen were tethered were in a terrible mess. The phrase ‘clean the Augean stables’ has come to refer to the task of removing the accumulation of different sorts of corruption.
• hydra headed : In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast (as its name evinces) that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even her tracks were deadly.The Hydra of Lerna was killed by Heracles as the second of his Twelve Labours. [meaning : containing many problems, difficulties, or obstacles]
• Promethean : He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals.Zeus then punished him for his crime by having him bound to a rock while a great eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day. His myth has been treated by a number of ancient sources, in which Prometheus is credited with – or blamed for – playing a pivotal role in the early history of mankind. [Meaning : creative and boldly original]

Words derived from characters in popular literature

• Quixotic : Don Quixote, hero of a romance by Miguel de Cervantes [Meaning :  Capricious, impulsive]
• Panglossian : After Pangloss, an optimist in Candide, a satire by Voltaire. [Meaning : Blindly or naively optimistic]
• Uncle tom :  After Uncle Tom, a character in Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe [Meaning :  to be excessively obedient or servile]
• Sheherazade : (the legendary Persian queen and gifted storyteller of The One Thousand and One Nights – the word is used to mean a person gifted with the art of storytelling). [meaning : a good story teller]
• Quasimodo : (the main character in Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", Quasimodo is a deformed and ugly hunchback under whose grotesque exterior lies a heart of gold – the word is used to mean a person who, though ugly to look at, is of good and courageous character).
• Walter Mitty : (the fictional character in James Thurber's short story "The secret life of Walter Mitty", a henpecked husband who copes with the frustrations of his dull life by imagining he is a fearless airplane pilot, a brilliant doctor, and other dashing figures – the term is used to mean one who is prone to daydream, of being in fantastic situations). 

Words related to Zeus (Greek Mythology)

• cornucopia : According to Greek mythology, Zeus was nurtured by a nymph. Later, as king,wanting to thank her for her kindness he gave her a magical horn that could produce anything she wanted in abundance, hence the meaning of the word. [Meaning : anything in abundance]
• Pandora's box : A box containing all the sins of mankind that Zeus gave to Pandora, with instructions not to open it. However, she gave in to her curiosity… and out flew all the miseries and evils which today afflict mankind. [Meaning : any source of great and unexpected trouble]
• Herculean task : Heracles, the son of Zeus, had to perform 12 tasks as a penance for killing his family under the spell of Hera (Zeus' wife). These tasks required feats of super human strength. [Meaning : needing great strength and determination]
• Under the aegis of : Athena, the daughter of Zeus, was the goddess of Athens, the capital of Greece. During the Trojan War,fought between the Greeks and the people of Troy (Trojans), Zeus wanting to protect his daughter gave her a goatskin call “aegis”. [Meaning : under the guidance of or protection of]

Words and idioms related to Julius Ceaser

Julius Caesar, a Roman military and political leader, is one of the most colourful historical characters of all time. In a life well lived he invaded Britain, vanquished Pompey his arch rival, installed Cleopatra as queen of Egypt and was appointed Dictator for Life by the Romans. He not only enriched Roman political life but also the English language.

• Caesarian : It is said that the term Caesarian – an operation by which a foetus is taken from the uterus by cutting through the walls of the abdomen and uterus – arose because Julius Caesar was supposed to have been delivered surgically. However there is some dispute about this as his mother lived to see his victories and in ancient times an operation of this nature was almost always fatal for the woman.
• Crossing the Rubicon : In 49 BC, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, a river that formed the boundary between Cisalpine Gaul and Italy. Crossing the Rubicon into Italy signaled the declaration of a war against the Roman Senate & Pompey as Caesar had broken the law which forbid a general from leading an army out of his province. There was now no going back for Caesar. Incidentally when he crossed the river he is supposed to have exclaimed “the die is cast” thus signifying that he was aware of the importance of his action. [Meaning : a point of no return]
• Caeser's wife : Caesar divorced his wife Pompeia when her name was brought into a scandal, even though this was without basis, saying that "my wife ought not even to be under suspicion." This gave rise to a proverb, sometimes expressed : "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion."
• July : named after Julius Caeser

Toponyms : place names in India

• Bangalored : from the city Bangalore known for outsourcing of IT [Meaning : loss]
• Golconda : from the Golconda fort in Hyderabad [meaning : a source of wealth or riches]
• Juggernaut : from Jaganatha Puri in Orissa [meaning : an unstoppable force]
• Doolaly : an adjective meaning “mad” or “eccentric” (e.g. “to go dolally“), ultimately named after Deolali, a fort in the North West Frontier of colonial India (now Pakistan), referring to the apparent madness of men waiting to return to Britain after their tour of duty
• Bungalow : a low building or house, from a Gujarati word meaning “Bengalese”, used elliptically to mean a house built in the style of Bengal
• Delhi belly : diarrhea experienced by travelers in a foreign country, who are notaccustomed to the local food and water.From Delhi in India [since Delhi is famous for its street food this slang was coined]

Literature's contribution to the English Language

• a Daniel : A Daniel is someone who makes a wise judgment that has previously been difficult to solve. It refers to the biblical character Daniel who was attributed with fine powers of judgment
• malapropism : from the character Mrs. Malaprop from Sheridan’s play-The Rivals (meaning : an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, especially by the confusion of words that are similar in sound.)
• Jekyl and Hyde :  The phrase Jekyll and Hyde is used to describe a  person who has two separate personalities – one good  and the other evil. The expression derives from the name of the main characters in the novel “The strange  case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde” by the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson
• Aladin's cave : Aladin is the poor son of a Chinese tailor and is used by a Moorish magician to fetch a magical lamp from an underground cave. When Aladin enters the cave he finds it filled with several chests of treasure and riches.Hence Aladin’s cave refers to a place of great riches or a place where valuable things are found
• To raise a Cain : To raise Cain means to create an uproar or to cause trouble. Cain was the son of Adam and Eve and the brother of Abel. He became jealous of Abel because only Abel’s offering to God was accepted. So he slew his brother Abel. Hence Eve who had raised Cain raised trouble in the form of Cain.

Words derived from monsters,animals and creatures

• halcyon : Calm and prosperous (to describe a period) – from the bird in Greek fable that was supposed to have had the power to calm the wind and the waves while it nested on the sea during the winter solstice.
• harpy : A predatory person, a shrewish woman – from the Greek mythological monsters that were predatory birds with the heads of a women
• phoenix : A bird in Egyptian mythology that lived in the desert for 500 years and then consumed itself by fire, later to rise renewed from its ashes. The word is used to mean a person or thing of surpassing beauty or quality
• chimerical : in Greek mythology the Chimera is a monster made up of grotesquely disparate parts. The word ‘chimerical’ is used to mean created by, or as if by, a wildly fanciful imagination; highly improbable.
• cyclopean : Very big; huge; relating to or suggestive of a Cyclops – the single-eyed giant in the Greek epic ‘The Odyssey’.
• caught between Syclla and Charybdis : The hero Odysseus spent nine years returning home after the Trojan War. Along his voyage by sea, he came upon Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla was an enormous sea monster with numerous hands and six dog heads sprouting from her body; she ate men alive. Charybdis was a tremendous whirlpool that digested ships whole. Since the only way to get home was to choose either route, Odysseus had to decide on one horror or the other. He chose Scylla, losing six crewmen to Scylla's hunger
• furies : The Furies were the "avengers", so to speak, of crimes. They would pursue anyone with bloodstained hands; they are particularly cruel to Orestes after the murder of Clytemnestra, his mother. Some scholars believe the Furies represent one's own tormented conscious
• archnae : meaning "spider" in Greek. After the weaver girl who was turned into a spider by Athene. Hence the term "arachnid' used to describe a spider

Words related to the Trojan War

• under the aegis of : Protection, sponsorship. The shield or buckler belonging to Zeus, supposedly made by Hephaestus, decorated with golden tassels and containing the head of Medusa in the center given to Athena by Zeus to protect her during the Trojan War
• Achilles's heel : A hero of the Trojan War, Achilles was a Greek hero whose mother Thetis was a Nereid, or sea goddess. Since Achilles was destined to die young, Thetis dipped him into the river Styx, which would render him invincible. However, she had held him by the heel, thus leaving a vulnerable area. He would later die, as prophesized, by an arrow to his heel
• Palladium : Also known as Pallas Athene. Pallas signifies brandisher of a spear. Pallas is also the origin of an extremely rare element called palladium. A statue of Athene was said to have guarded Troy and thus the word palladium is used to indicate a potential safeguard.
• Hector : the eldest son of Priam and husband of Andromache: the greatest Trojan hero in the Trojan War,killed by Achilles. (meaning : bully)
• apple of discord : a golden apple inscribed “For the fairest,” thrown by Eris, goddess of discord, among the gods (Hera,Athena and Aphrodite). Its award by Paris to aphrodite caused events that led to the Trojan War.
• The Trojan horse : The Trojan Horse was related by the Latin genius Virgil in the Aeneid. The Trojans were barricaded within their city walls while the Achaeans (Greeks) lay in wait outside. An enormous wooden horse is brought within the city; a gift from the gods, the Trojans believe, despite warnings from the princess Cassandra and the priest Laocoon. During the night, hidden soldiers from the horse's belly emerged and sacked the city
• Stentorian : Extremely loud and clear (of voice) – after Stentor, a herald in the Greek army at Troy (the Iliad)