"science of land management for crop production," 1796, from French agronomie (1761), from Greek agronomos "overseer of land." This is a compound of agros "a field, a farm; the country," as opposed to the town (see agro-), and nomos "law or custom, administering" (see -nomy). Related: Agronomist; agronomic.

"tending to make better," 1796, from ameliorate + -ive.

"exceedingly complimentary language," 1796, from the Blarney Stone (which is said to make a persuasive flatterer of any who kiss it), built high into a battlement of a medieval castle of that name near Cork, Ireland. Bartlett connects the meaning of the word to the difficulty of the attempt to get close enough to the stone to kiss it: "to have ascended it, was proof of perseverance, courage, and agility, whereof many are supposed to claim the honor who never achieved the adventure." Thus to have kissed the Blarney Stone came to mean "to tell wonderful tales" ["Dictionary of Americanisms," 1848]. The word reached wide currency through Lady Blarney, the smooth-talking flatterer in Goldsmith's "Vicar of Wakefield" (1766). As a verb from 1803.

North American passerine bird, 1796, American English, earlier bob-lincoln, bob-o-Lincoln (1774), imitative of its hearty spring song.

also bon-bon, "sugar confection," 1796, from French bonbon (17c.), childish reduplication of bon "good," from Latin bonus "good" (see bonus). Hence, bonbonniere (1818) "a box for sweets."

"the eating of human flesh by human beings," 1796, from cannibal + -ism. Perhaps from French cannibalisme, which is attested from the same year.

mobile foot-soldier, 1796, French, literally "huntsman," from Old French chaceor "huntsman, hunter," from chacier "to chase" (see chase (v.)).

1796, "to make the sound of a cork being pulled from a bottle;" imitative. This was the main sense through most of 19c. Meaning "to hit, strike" is attested from 1943 (perhaps a variant of clonk). Related: Clunked; clunking. As a noun, in reference to the cork-pulling sound, by 1823.

"existing from birth," 1796, from Latin congenitus "born or produced together," from assimilated form of com "together, with" (see con-) + genitus, past participle of gignere "to beget" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget"). This sense formerly belonged to congenial (which is attested from 1660s with this meaning). Related: Congenitally.

"instrument for cutting the core out of an apple or other fruit," 1796, agent noun from core (v.).