Vocabulary is a large part of reading Infinite Jest.

Here is a collection of words that I would have needed during my first time reading the book on the show; however, this list is monstrously incomplete. The best source for vocabulary that I have seen is the website Definitive Jest.

the year of glad

(3-17)

Wen (pg. 4) - A lump or protuberance on the body, a knot, bunch, wart. Obsolete. “I am debating whether to risk scratching the right side of my jaw, where there is a wen.”

Lapidary (pg. 7) - (b) Of style, etc.: Characteristic of or suitable for monumental inscriptions.

Effete (pg. 7) - Of animals: That has ceased to bring forth offspring. Obsolete. “Dir. of Comp: I made in my assessment deliberate use of lapidary and effete.”

(sic) (pg. 11) - Used in an account that appears erroneous but still maintains to the original text. “O. says he can only remember (sic) saying something caustic…” 

Pinioned (pg. 13) - Pinned down, still in use. “I’ve been half drugged, still pinioned, through a loose mob of Admin people by the Comp.”

Espadrille (pg.15) - A canvas shoe with soles of twisted rope, originally worn in the Pyrenees. “I simply lie there, listening, smelling the paper towel, watching an espadrille pivot.”

Incisionish (pg. 16) - Incision-ish, a made up word, is all I can say. “The jet’s movement and trail seem incisionish as if white meat behind the blue were exposed and widening in the wake of the blade.”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

year of the depend adult undergarment

(17-27)

Pleurisy (pg. 22) - Pain in the chest or the side, esp. when stabbing in nature and exacerbated by inspiration or coughing; an instance of this; any disease resulting in such pain. “And the dope often gave him a painful case of pleurisy if he smoked it for more than two straight days…”

Phallocentric (pg. 25) - Centred on the phallus, esp. as the symbol of male dominance and authority; dominated by male attitudes or cultural outlook, man-centred. “His shame at what she might on the other hand perceive as his slimy phallocentric conduct toward her made it easier for him to avoid her, as well.”

Definitions provided by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

1 april - year of the tucks medicated pad

(27-32)

Moniker (pg. 29) - A name (esp. an assumed one); a nickname, epithet. “Don’t even think about asking me what my little internal moniker is.”

Amanuensiscum (pg. 30) - A made-up word derived from “amanuensis,” meaning: one who copies or writes from the dictation of another. “…M. DuPlessis and his malevolent but allegedly irresistible amanuensiscum-operative, Luria P—?”

Blithe (pg. 30) - Exhibiting kindly feeling to others; kind, friendly, clement, gentle. Obsolete. “…that your blithe inattention…”

Cavortings (pg. 30) - From the root “to cavort,” meaning: intransitive. To curvet, prance, caper about, frisk, bound: said of a horse, or rider, and hence transferred. “…to your own dear mother’s cavortings…”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

year of the depend adult undergarment

(33-37)

ydau

(39-42)

October ydau

(42-49)

YDAU

(49-55)

Autumn - year of dairy products from the american heartland

(55-60)

Dipsomaniacal (pg. 63) - Affected with dipsomania. (Dipsomania: A morbid and insatiable craving for alcohol, often of a paroxysmal character. Also applied to persistent drunkenness, and formerly to the delirium produced by excessive drinking). “the father, a dipsomaniacal tragedian…”

Nadir (pg. 63) - Astronomy. A point on the celestial sphere diametrically opposite to some other point, esp. the sun. Also: a representation of such a point on an astrolabe. Now chiefly poetic. “…nadir of his professional fortunes…”

Festschrift (65) - A collection of writings forming a volume presented to a scholar or savant on the occasion of his attaining a certain age or period in his career. “…plans for a festschrift…”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

In Medias (67) - Not a term that the OED recognizes, but my guess is that it has to do with the prevalence of disabilities that we keep hearing about. “…kept waking me up in medias for weeks…”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Dentate (pg. 75) - Having ‘teeth’ or tooth-like projections along the edge; toothed. Chiefly in Zoology and Botany; in Botany spec. of leaves having sharp teeth directed outwards. “; it did sound jagged, dentate.”

Epaulets (pg. 79) - A shoulder-piece; an ornament worn on the shoulder as part of a military, naval, or sometimes of a civil uniform. “…he favours the epaulets…”

Leptosomatic (pg.79) - (a person with) a leptosomic physique. (Leptosomatic: tall and lean). “…the leptosomatic Mario Incandenza…”

Palestra (pg. 83) - In ancient Greece and Rome: a place devoted to the public teaching and practice of wrestling and other athletic exercises; a wrestling school, a gymnasium. historical. “in palestra”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Atavistically (pg. 99) - (Atavistic: Resemblance to grand-parents or more remote ancestors rather than to parents; tendency to reproduce the ancestral type in animals or plants). “…atavistically dark-complected anyway…”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Mario IncandenZa’s 1st and only even remotely romantic experience, thus far

(121-126)

Nil (pg. 153) - Nothing, no amount, zero. “…packaging overhead is nil…”

Erumpent (155) - That bursts forth. “He is erumpent...”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Propitiate (pg. 243) - To make well-disposed or favourably inclined; to win or regain the favour of. “…propitiate the divine spell.”

Paroxysmic (pg. 255) - Of, relating to, or of the nature of a paroxysm or paroxysms; marked by paroxysms; violent, convulsive. “…my overall behavior was paroxysmic.”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Septuagenaric (pg. 285) - (Septuagenerian: Relating to the number seventy. rare.) “…septuagenaric Ivy League…”

Aegis (pg. 294) - Classical Mythology. A shield, piece of defensive armour, or garment carried or worn by Zeus (Jupiter) or Athene (Minerva) “…renewed under the aegis…”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

felo de se (pg. 308) - One who ‘deliberately puts an end to his own existence, or commits any unlawful malicious act, the consequence of which is his own death’ (Blackstone). “…from the late ETA Headmaster’s felo de se…”

Convolved (pg. 310) - Passive. To be contorted or twisted about. Obsolete. “…almost impossibly convolved…”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Epigrammatic (pg. 344) - (Epigram: a short inscription, usually in verse.) “…derived from an epigrammatic description of recovery.”

Peritonitis (pg. 346) - (Peritoneum: in mammals: the serous membrane that lines the walls of the abdominal cavity and the undersurface of the diaphragm, and covers most of the abdominal viscera.) “…a kind of peritonitis of the soul.”

Apothegm (pg. 358) - A terse, pointed saying, embodying an important truth in few words; a pithy or sententious maxim. “…an apothegm…”

Apical (pg. 366) - Phonetics. Pertaining to articulation with, or sounds made by, the tip of the tongue. Hence as n., an apical sound. “…all apicals except s…”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

w/r/t (pg. 385) - (my definition) Internet slang for returning to an earlier point or part of a conversation. “…in progress w/r/t which kid…”

Fulgurant (pg. 387) - Flashing or dazzling like lightning. “fulgurant moments”

Hagiography (pg. 389) - The writing of the lives of saints; saints' lives as a branch of literature or legend. “the hagiography of the image”

A priori (pg. 398) - A phrase used to characterize reasoning or arguing from causes to effects, from abstract notions to their conditions or consequences, from propositions or assumed axioms (and not from experience). “for a priori reasons”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Maffick (pg. 429) - intransitive. To celebrate uproariously, rejoice extravagantly, esp. on an occasion of national celebration. “youthful mafficking”

Delotusing (pg. 432) - ??? “Lyle was delotusing from the dispenser.”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Kaopectate (pg. 452) - (my definition) A white or pinkish drug. “lightened to the color of kaopectate.”

Anechoic (pg. 503) - Of a room or chamber: designed so that the reflection of sound or (in later use) electromagnetic waves within the room is minimized. “…the anechoic vestry of an upscale church.”

Styptic (pg. 505) - Having the power of contracting organic tissue; having an austere or acid taste. “a single styptic brick”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Brisance (pg. 541) - The shattering effect of such high explosives as nitroglycerine and gun-cotton. “…sense of brisance and closure…”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Imprecating (pg. 609) - That imprecates, invoking a curse. “mostly imprecating”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Möbiusizing (pg. 622) - (from definitive jest) A neologism deriving from Möbius strip (n.): a surface having only one side and one edge, formed by twisting one end of a rectangular strip through 180 degrees and joining it to the other end. “…möbiusizing them and then straightening them.”

Verdigrised (pg. 623) - (from definitive jest) From verdigris (n.): A green or greenish blue substance obtained artificially by the action of dilute acetic acid on thin plates of copper (or a green rust naturally forming on copper and brass), and much used as a pigment, in dyeing, the arts, and medicine; basic acetate of copper.“the giant verdigrised statues”

Connubial (pg. 629) - Of or pertaining to marriage, or the married state; nuptial, matrimonial. “their connubial batteries”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Brochengespenstpähom (pg. 642) - ???

Stolid (pg. 683) - Dull and impassive; having little or no sensibility; incapable of being excited or moved. Also of actions, demeanour, expression of countenance, etc. “…stolidly out of view.”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Sybaritic (pg. 728) - Characterized by or devoted to excessive luxury; effeminately luxurious. “sybaritically entranced”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Glabrous (pg. 789) - Free from hair, down, or the like; having a smooth skin or surface. Now only as a scientific term. “glabrous unhappy face”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Ablutions (pg. 865) - The act or process of washing clean. “I made little ablutions…”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.

Perspicacity (pg. 900) - Clearness of understanding or insight; great mental penetration; discernment. “true perspicacity”

Definitions provided in part by the OED; quotes provided from Infinite Jest.