The Smashing Pumpkins Online Dictionary


This dictionary is meant to give meanings to all those words that you always wanted to
know the meaning of, whether they be from the English language or another language
altogether. More info on some of these words can be found in the SP FAQ. All these words
can be found in Pumpkins lyrics or titles. Thanks to the people at Funk & Wagnalls and
  Webster's for some of these meanings- as well as Onelook.com. If we missed something, tell us
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Apathy(ap-a-thee) n. : a lack of emotion, an indifference. Ava(A-va): 1. Means water in perisian. 2. In Scottish, it is a pronoun meaning of all, at all. 3. In polynesian means the species of Macropiper(a long pepper) and the intoxicating beverage made from the root of the pepper.(also spelled kava,etc.) 4. From relgious context, meaning a place in a Burmah where there are marble quarries for the making of only idols(statues of gods), and only priests are allowed to trade there.

Catacomb(kat-a-comb) n. : an underground tomb. Charlamange(shar-la-mane): Charles The Great,the ruler of France for four decades until his death in 814 and was also crowned the emperor of Rome. Chinese Boxes (chi-nese box-es): a set of boxes graduated in size so that each fits into the next larger one. Cherub(cher-ub) n. : 1. A representation of a beautiful winged child; an angelic being(in Hebrew) 2. a beautiful child or chubby, innocent looking adult. Cheshire Cat(ches-ire cat): A character from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: a grinning cat who would turn invisible except for its smile. Crestfallen(crest-fall-en) adj. : 1. depressed, dispirited, dejected 2. Having a fallen or drooping crest. Czarina(za-re-na) n. : the wife of a czar, the empress of Russia.

Dearth(dirth) n.: from the New Testament meaning famine.
Debutante(deb-u-tant) n.: a young woman who has made or is making here debut, 
usually at a ball.
Dross(dross) n.: 1.scum on molten metal. 2.refuse;rubbish.

Ether(ee-ther) n.: 1. Ethyl ether. 2. Chem. Any of a group of organic compounds in which an oxygen atom is joined with two organic radicals. 3. A solid or semisolid medium formerly assumed to fill all of space: also spelled aether. 4. The clear, upper regions of space: also spelled aether.

Fathom(fath-um): n. a nautical unit equal to 6 feet in length or depth vt. 1. to measure
the depth of 2. to understand throughly
Full of Piss and Vinegar: 1940s American slang meaning brimming with energy: very peppy
and assertive=full of beans.

Harlot(har'let) n.: a prostitute.
Hummer(hum'mer) n.: 1. a person or thing that hums 2. a fastball in baseball 3. a hummingbird
4. nickname for a hum-vee, an armored jeep vehicle originally used for the military

Jackboot(jack-boot) n.: 1. a heavy glossy leather army boot worn in the 17th and 18th
centuries that extends above the knee 2. a laceless army boot that reaches to the calf
3. the spirit or policy of militarism or totalitarianism.

Lament(le-ment) n.: 1. An expression of grief; lamentation. 2. An elegiac melody or writing. Lull(lul) vt.: 1. to calm by gentle sound or motion 2. (n.) short period of calm or stagnation Luna(loon-a) n.: In latin meaning the moon.

Machina (ma-sheen-a) n.: 1. In Latin meaning machine, engine, tool, trick or ruse, and work of art. 2. or as in deus ex machina- an artificial or unlikely end to an event, in which any problems that still exist are resolved, especially in too easy a manner. 3. In French, meaning contraption. Magpie(mag'pi) n.: 1. Any of various large, noisy corvine birds having a long tapering tail and black and white feathers: sometimes called pie. 2. A chatterbox. Marquis(mar-kee) n.: A nobleman in some countries in Europe that ranks above an Earl or Count. Methusela(me-thoo-za-la): From the bible, a patriarch who lived for 969 years. Millieu or Milieu (mi-lieu) n.: 1. an environment or setting 2. surroundings of a social or cultural nature.

Nightingale(nite-'n-gale) n. : a small European thrush in which the male sings with a
melody, especially at night.
Nocturne (noc'turne) n.: 1. a piece appropriate to the night or evening 2. an instrumental
composition of a dreamy or pensive character, especially for the piano. A classical piece.
3. A painting of a night scene 4. from the French, nocturnal- referring to night

Pastiche (pas-tiche) n.: 1. a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly
of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources. 2. an incongruous combination
of materials, forms, motifs, etc. taken from different sources; hodgepodge; a medley

Persnickety(per-snik-e-tee) adj.: 1. too particular; fussy 2. Showing or requiring careful treatment Pissant(piss-int) n.: one that is insignificant, used as in an abusive or vulgar context. Plume(ploom) n. : 1. a large ornamental feather worn in hats 2. In biology, a featherlike form or part. 3. A decoration of honor or achievement. Pug(Pug) n.: 1. A breed of dog characterized by a short square body, upturned nose, curled tail, and short smooth coat. 2. A type of clay that is worked with water, for molding pottery or bricks. 3. Slang for a boxer or fist fighter.

Sandoz(san-dose) n.: slang term for the drug, LSD
Saturnine(sat-er-nine) adj.: 1. sluggish, gloomy, grave, melancholy, etc. 2. a person 
suffering from lead poisoning 3. born or influenced astrologically by the Planet Saturn
4. a person marked by the tendency to be bitter or sardonic
Siege(see-ge) n. : 1. the surrounding of an enemy base camp  2. a persistent attempt to
gain control, etc. 3. a long, distressing period, as of illness.
Siva(Shee-va): The Hindu god of destruction and reproduction.
Slunk(slungk): 1. Past tense and participle of SLINK.(slink: To creep or steal along furtively
or stealthily, as in fear.) 2. a type of drug in William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch
Soliloquy (sol-lil-o-qwe) n.: 1. someone talking to themself 2. in a drama(play), like a
monologue where the actor seems to be talking to themself
Soma(So-ma) n. :  Means body in Greek. (NOTE: Any other extraneous meanings can be
found in the good old SP FAQ)
Stirrup(stir-up) n.: 1. the flat-bottomed footrests hung from a saddle for riding 2. The
place to elevate a woman's legs during a obstetrician/gynecologist's examination. 
Suitor(soot-er) n.: A man courting a woman. A man trying to win the heart of a woman,
trying to obtain her as a mate.
Sycophant(sik-o-phante) n.: someone who seeks favor by flattering people in high places
such as: the rich or someone who has influence.

Terrapin(ter'a-pin) n. : Any of several North American edible tortoises of fresh and brackish waters; esp., the diamond back. Tristessa(Tris-tess-a) adj. : Means sadness or melancholy in many languages including French, Spanish, Latin,etc.

Main Page Omnipedia Mediaflash Images Landslide Radio Audio Downloads Links Updates Act 4 Concert Fanphoria Video Resume the Pose ©1997-2002 Landslide Design,graphics, and content by Steven & David Pukin.