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).