I used to subscribe to word of the day emails from m-w.com and dictionary.com, and I kept a file of vocabulary words to study based on that and just weird words I would come across in books. I don't know what happened but my passion for literature and words kind of died, but at one point I was really into this stuff. Need to find a way to rekindle that fire.
Here's a weird word:
qualtagh - the first person one encounters, either after leaving one's home or (sometimes) outside one's home, especially on New Year's Day
That's a bit on the esoteric side but interesting because it's so specific. I probably first saw it in a Beckett or Joyce novel.
A bit less esoteric is integument - a tough outer protective layer, especially that of an animal or plant. It's cool that that it can be used for both plants and animals.
Quality post in a refreshing thread! I'm reminded of the first time I read Cormac McCarthy characterize a desert landscape as "austere."
Here's a couple, top of head:
ingress (n): the act of going in or entering; the right to enter;
a means or place of entering; entryway; Astronomy: immersion (def. 5) [?]
comportment (n):personal bearing or conduct; demeanor; behavior.
crepuscule (n): twilight; dusk.
crepuscular (adj): of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim; indistinct. Zoology: appearing or active in the twilight, as certain bats and insects.