Help us build the new Word Dynamo app! Take this quick survey now.

Unexpected Words from Other Languages

Word List with 16 words
By Dictionary.com

Play

Words in This List

ketchup

A condiment consisting of puréed tomatoes, onions, vinegar, sugar, spices, etc; from Chinese.

brainwash

To cause (someone) to change their attitudes or alter their beliefs, especially through the use of torture, drugs, or psychological-stress techniques; from Chinese.

klutz

A clumsy, awkward person; from Yiddish.

cooties

A louse, especially one affecting humans, as the body louse, head louse, or pubic louse; from Malay.

skunk

A small North American mammal having a black coat with a white, -shaped stripe on the back, and ejecting a fetid odor when alarmed or attacked; from Algonquian

See all words ‣

pecan

The nut of a tall hickory tree, cultivated for its oval, smooth-shelled, edible nuts; from Algonquian

gingham

Yarn-dyed, plain-weave cotton fabric, usually striped or checked; from Malay.

thug

A cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer; from Hindi.

jungle

A wild land overgrown with dense vegetation, often nearly impenetrable, especially tropical vegetation or a tropical rain forest; from Hindi.

shampoo

A preparation used for washing one's hair, especially one that does not leave a soap film; from Hinidi.

zombie

The body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose; from West African language, Kikongo.

tea

The dried and prepared leaves of a shrub, from which an aromatic beverage is prepared by infusion in hot water; from Chinese.

chow

Food, especially hearty dishes or a meal; from Chinese.

futon

A thin mattress, usually filled with layers of cotton batting and encased in cotton fabric, placed on a floor for sleeping; from Japanese.

alcohol

Whiskey, gin, vodka, or any other intoxicating liquor containing this liquid; from Arabic.

yo-yo

A spoollike toy that can be spun out and reeled in by wrist motion; from Tagalog.