Frogamander

In 1995 a fossil, later to be named Gerobatrachus , was discovered in Texas. When it was gradually removed from its rock and taken to be studied it was shown to be a missing link between frogs and salamanders. It had always been assumed that they shared a common ancestor but this was the first fossil to have been discovered that showed the link. Jason Anderson from the University of Calgary declared the fossil to be a ‘perfect little frogamander’. The word is so delightful that I have little doubt it will quickly be adopted into our language.

Lambrequin

 
A lambrequin was at one time a scarf that covered a knight's helmet. More recently the word has been used for a short and decorative hanging for a shelf edge or a decorative wood frame built around the top and sides of a window to create a larger, more impressive window treatment.
 

Lamia

 
In Greek mythology Lamia was a Queen of Libya who became a monster with the head and breasts of a woman and the lower half of a serpent, which ate children and sucked the blood from men. Subsequently the word was used for a number of such vampires, not specifically the former Queen of Libya.
 

Pullulate

 
Pullulate is a great sounding word and has so many meanings that it deserves to be far better known and much more regualrly used.

It means to be teeming, be abuzz; pour; move in large numbers; shoot; produce buds, branches, or germinate; become abundant; increase rapidly; and breed freely and abundantly.

I'm looking forward to the Spring when the garden will pullulate with humming bees.
 

Satori

 
Satori in Zen Buddhism is a state of sudden spiritual enlightenment.

Satori translates as "consciousness" and is also a type of mountain-dwelling creature in Japanese folklore that holds the power to read human thoughts.
 

Kvass

 
Kvass or kvas (literally "leaven"; borrowed in the 16th century from the Russian word kvas), is sometimes translated into English as 'bread drink'. It is a fermented mildly alcoholic beverage made from black rye or rye bread (which contributes to its dark colour).
 

Diabolo

 
The diabolo (commonly misspelled as diablo; formerly also known as "the devil on two sticks") is a juggling prop consisting of a spool which is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand. A huge variety of tricks are possible using the sticks, string, and various body parts.
 

Aioli

 
I came across this word in a crossword recently. Aioli is a garlic mayonnaise, originating in the Provencal region of France. It is very rich and usually made from garlic, egg, lemon juice and olive oil.
 

Wattle

 
There are at least three different meanings to the word wattle.

Wattle is a construction of poles intertwined with twigs, reeds, or branches, used for walls, fences, and roofs; the material used for such construction It occurs frequently in the phrase 'wattle and daub' where daub was the clay used to bind the wattle and create a waterproof wall.

Secondly it is a fleshy, wrinkled, often brightly coloured fold of skin hanging from the neck or throat, characteristic of certain birds, such as chickens or turkeys, and some lizards.

In botany it is any of various Australian trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia.
 

Importunity

 
Importunity is insistent solicitation and entreaty; a constant and insistent demanding; unseasonableness; or an unsuitable or inapproproate time.