philtrum : the vertical groove on the median line of the upper lip
His chiseled features even included a well-defined philtrum.
In Greek, the primary meaning of philtrum is "love potion" - which suggests that seductive powers were attributed to this facial feature.
ferrule : the protective point or knob on the far end of an umbrella
He used his umbrella as a cane, and with every step planted its ferrule in the ground.
Ferrule comes from the Latin viriola, meaning "small bracelet." This makes more sense when you consider that ferrule is also the term for the metal band at the end of a table leg (or similar object) that strengthens it or prevents it from splitting.
aglet : the tag covering the ends of a lace or point - e.g., the reinforcement at the end of a shoelace
A missing aglet can make lacing one's shoes a challenge.
Aglet indirectly comes from the Latin acus, "needle" - as does the word acute.
punt : an indentation at the bottom of a molded glass bottle
Pouring the champagne, she held the bottle with her thumb in its punt.
Although it remains a matter of debate, explanations for the function of the punt include strengthening the bottle and also reducing its holding capacity.
The alternative name for the punt is kick.
lunule : a crescent-shaped body part or marking (such as the whitish mark at the base of a fingernail)
He folded his hands together to give an impression of calm, but the ragged skin below his lunules told another story.
This mark got its name because of its shape: lunule comes from the Latin luna, meaning "moon."
tittle : the dot over i or j
In a handwritten business note, it's best to avoid smiley-face tittles.
Tittle comes from the Latin titulus, which originally meant "title." Titulus came to refer to marks such as the abbreviated form of n written over a vowel (like the Spanish tilde, which indirectly got its name from titulus), and then to any mark above a letter.
glabella : the smooth prominence of the forehead between the eyebrows
If you don't wish to look people in the eyes, you can make a similar impression by focusing on their glabellae.
Glabella derives from the Latin glaber, "bald" or "smooth."
muntin : a strip separating panes of glass in a window sash
I thought the ball would smash a window, but fortunately it hit a muntin.
Named for the way it sticks up from the window, muntin comes from the French monter, "to rise."
lemniscate : the infinity symbol (or more precisely, "a figure-eight shaped curve whose equation in polar coordinates is ρ2=a2 cos 2θ or ρ2=a2 sin 2θ")
Not surprisingly, a certain brand of automobile uses a modified lemniscate in its logo.
Lemniscate comes from a Latin word that means "with hanging ribbons" - an origin that's reflected in the symbol's graceful shape.
fourchette : the strip or shaped piece used for the sides of the fingers of a glove
A fine pair of gloves includes well-fitted fourchettes.
The French word fourchette (pronounced "foor-SHET") means "fork." It was applied to this item presumably because of the forking pattern of the fingers.
