ENGLISH VOCABULARY

adversary

noun

one that contends with, opposes, or resists; enemy.

affect/effect

The simplest distinction here is that affect is usually a verb, and effect is usually a noun.

albeit

conjunction

conceding the fact that; even though; although.

ambiguous

adjective

capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways.

apathetic

adjective

having little or no interest or concern; indifferent.

approach

noun

the part of the bowling alley from which the bowler delivers the ball.

alterity

noun

otherness; specifically, the quality or state of being radically alien to the conscious self or a particular cultural orientation.

aureate

adjective

1. of a golden color or brilliance.

2. marked by grandiloquent and rhetorical style.

bathetic

adjective

characterized by triteness or sentimentalism.

Bildungsroman \BIL-doongz-roh-mahn\

n. a type of novel concerned with the education, development, and maturing of a young protagonist.

brummagem \\ˈbrə-mi-jəm\\

adjective

spurious; cheaply showy, tawdry

burke

verb

1. to suppress quietly or indirectly.

2. bypass, avoid.

camber

noun

the curve of a road's surface that allows water to drain off to the sides.

canard

noun

1. a) a false or unfounded report or story; especially, a fabricated report. b) a groundless rumor or belief.

2. an airplane with horizontal stabilizing and control surfaces in front of supporting surfaces; a small airfoil in front of the wing of an aircraft that can increase the aircraft's performance.

cavalier

adjective

1. debonair.

2. marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful dismissal of important matters.

censure

verb

to find fault with and criticize as blameworthy.

chrestomathy

noun

1. a selection of passages used to help learn a language

2. a volume of selected passages or stories of an author.

comity

noun

friendly civility; courtesy

conundrum

noun

an intricate and difficult problem.

creeper

noun

a low, wheeled platform that people lie on when working under cars.

dewclaw

noun

a vestigial digit not reaching to the ground on the foot of a mammal, or a claw or hoof terminating such a digit.

dilatory

adjective

1. tending or intended to cause delay.

2. characterized by procrastination; tardy.

ecotone

noun \\EE-kuh-tohn\\

a transition area between two adjacent ecological communities.

ekphrasis

noun EK-fruh-sis

a literary description of or commentary on a visual work of art.

escutcheon

noun

a protective or ornamental plate around a keyhole.

e–tail

noun

retail business conducted online via the World Wide Web.

eyeshine

noun

reflection of light from the inner surface of an eye through the pupil so that the eye has a luminous appearance (as in a cat).

fabliau

noun [pl. fabliaux]

a short, usually comic, frankly coarse, and often cynical tale in verse popular especially in the12th and 13th centuries.

finial

noun

a crowning ornament or detail (such as a decorative knob).

flummox

verb

confuse.

frenetic

adjective

frenzied, frantic.

frisson

noun (Fr.) fris·son \\frē-ˈsōⁿ\\ pl. frissons

a brief moment of emotional excitement; shudder, thrill.

funambulism

noun

1. tightrope walking.

2. a show, especially of mental agility.

galumph

verb

to move with a clumsy heavy tread.

glabrous

adjective

smooth; especially, having a surface without hairs or projections.

gloaming

noun

twilight, dusk.

gulosity

noun

excessive appetite; greediness.

guttural

adjective

1. articulated in the throat.

2. formed with the back of the tongue touching or near the soft palate.

3. being or marked by utterance that is strange, unpleasant, or disagreeable.

hardtack

noun

1. a saltless hard biscuit, bread, or cracker.

2. any of several mountain mahoganies (especially Cercocarpus betuloides).

imbue

verb

1. to permeate or influence as if by dyeing.

2. to tinge or dye deeply.

3. endow.

jubilate

verb

rejoice.

laudanum

noun

1. any of various formerly used preparations of opium.

2. a tincture of opium.

lobscouse

noun \\ LAHB-skouss\\ [LAHB scouse]

a sailor's dish of stewed or baked meat with vegetables and hardtack.

netroots

noun

the grassroots political activists who communicate via the Internet especially by blogs.

ninja

noun

a person trained in ancient Japanese martial arts and employed especially for espionage and assassinations.

nosegay

noun

a small bunch of flowers.

numinous

adjective

1. supernatural, mysterious.

2. filled with a sense of the presence of divinity; holy.

3. appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense; spiritual.

pilcrow

noun

a paragraph mark: ¶.

plangent

adjective

1. having a loud reverberating sound.

2. having an expressive and especially plaintive quality.

plinth

noun

1. the lowest part of the base of an architectural column.

2. a block used as a base (as for a statue).

plummy

adjective

1. a) full of plums. b) choice, desirable.

2. a) having a plum color. b) rich and mellow, often to the point of affectation.

portmanteau

noun & adjective pl. ~s, ~x.

1. a large suitcase.

2. a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (as smog from smoke and fog).

procrastinate

verb

1. to put off intentionally and habitually.

2. to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.

quincunx

noun

an arrangement of five things in a square or rectangle with one at each corner and one in the middle.

rapscallion

noun

rascal, ne’er-do-well.

rectrix

noun

any of the quill feathers of a bird's tail that are important in controlling flight direction.

sartorial

adjective

of or relating to a tailor or tailored clothes; broadly : of or relating to clothes.

satyagraha

noun

pressure for social and political reform through friendly passive resistance practiced by M. K. Gandhi and his followers in India.

snitty

adjective

disagreeably ill-tempered.

supererogation

noun \\soo-per-air-uh-GAY-shun\\

the act of performing more than is required by duty, obligation, or need.

susurrous

adjective

full of whispering sounds.

telegenic

adjective

well-suited to the medium of television; especially, having an appearnace and manner that are markedly attractive to televison viewers.

thalassophobia

noun

a morbid dread of the sea (OED).

tog

verb

to dress especially in fine clothing—usually used with up or out.

tongue

noun

a movable pin in a buckle that passes through a hole in the strap to be secured

tu quoque

noun

a retort charging an adversary with being or doing what he or she criticizes in others.

vamp

noun

the part of a shoe or boot that covers the front of the foot.

vermicular

adjective

1. resembling a worm in form or motion.

2. of, relating to, or caused by worms.

welter

verb

1. writhe, toss; wallow.

2. to become deeply sunk, soaked, or involved.

3. to be in turmoil.

beaucoup

adjective

Slang. great in quantity or amount; many, much.

bogus

adjective

not genuine; counterfeit, sham

cacophony

noun

harsh or discordant sound; dissonance; specifically, harshness in the sound of words or phrases.

calumet

noun \\KAL-yə-ˌmet, -mət\\

a highly ornamented ceremonial pipe of the American Indians.

charisma

noun

1. a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (as a political leader).

2. a special magnetic charm or appeal.

cohesive

adjective

exhibiting or producing a condition in which people or things are closely united.

concrete

adjective

1. naming a real thing or class of things.

2. formed by coalition of particles into one solid mass.

3. relating to or involving specific people, things, or actions rather than general ideas or qualities.

4. relating to or made of concrete.

corrode

verb

1. to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing; especially, to wear away gradually, usually by chemical action.

2. to weaken or destroy gradually; undermine.

3. to undergo corrosion.

crestfallen

adjective

1. having a drooping crest or hanging head.

2. feeling shame or humiliation; dejected.

cynical

adjective

1. contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives.

2. based on or reflecting a belief that human conduct is motivated primarily by self-interest.

dander

noun

1. dandruff; specifically. minute scales from hair, feathers, or skin that may be allergenic.

2. anger, temper.

disheveled

adjective

marked by disorder or disarray.

ear candy

noun

music that is pleasing to listen to but lacks depth.

embarrass

verb

1. to confuse or disconcert.

2. to involve in financial difficulties.

3. to cause to experience self-conscious distress.

4. to hinder or impede.

eventuate

verb

to come out finally; result, come about.

exemplary

adjective

1. deserving of imitation, especially because of excellence; commendable.

2. serving as a warning.

3. serving as an example, instance, or illustration.

exeunt

verb (Latin)

used as a stage direction to specify that all or certain named characters leave the stage.

grandee

noun

a man of elevated rank or station.

indomitable

adjective

incapable of being subdued.

integrity

noun

firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values; incorruptibility.

invincible

adjective

incapable of being conquered, overcome, or subdued.

issuable

adjective

1. open to contest, debate, or litigation.

2. authorized for issue.

3. possible as a result or consequence.

love

noun

1. strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.

2.attraction based on sexual desire.

mahatma

noun

1. a person to be revered for high-mindedness, wisdom, and selflessness.

2. a person of great prestige in a field of endeavor.

meld

verb

merge, blend.

niche

noun

1. a) a recess in a wall especially for a statue. b) something (as a sheltered or private space) that resembles a recess in a wall.

2. a) a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted. b) a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species. c) the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption. d) a specialized market.

effect/affect

affect is almost always a verb, and effect is usually a noun.

nosegay

noun

a small bunch of flowers.

numismatics

noun pl. but singular in constr.

the study or collection of coins, tokens, and paper money and sometimes related objects (as medals). numismatist n.

ossify

verb

1. to become or change into bone or bony tissue.

2. to become or make hardened or set in one's ways.

philately

noun

the collection and study of postage and imprinted stamps; stamp collecting.

posy

noun

1. a brief sentiment, motto, or legend.

2. a) bouquet, nosegay. b) flower.

pretentious

adjective

expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature.

proselytize

verb

1. to induce someone to convert to one's faith.

2. to recrutit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause.

reverie

noun

1. daydream.

2. the condition of being lost in thought. also: revery.

risible

adjective

1. a. capable of laughing. b. disposed to laugh.

2. arousing or provoking laughter; especially, laughable.

3. associated with, relating to, or used in laughter.

rogue

noun

1. vagrant, tramp.

2. a dishonest or worthless person; scoundrel.

3. a mischievous person; scamp.

4. a horse inclined to shirk or misbehave.

5. an individual exhibiting a chance and usually inferior biological variation.

shilly-shally \SHIL-ee-shal-ee\

verb: 1. to show indecision orhesitation; be irresolute; vacillate. 2.to waste time; dawdle. noun: 1. irresolution; indecision;vacillation: It was sheer shilly-shallyon his part. adjective: 1. irresolute; undecided; vacillating.

ubiquitous

adjective

existing or being everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread.

vanilla

adjective

1. flavored with the extract of the vanilla bean.

2. lacking distinction; plain, ordinary, conventional.

venerate

verb

1. to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference.

2. to honor (as an icon or a relic) with a ritual act of devotion.

vociferous

adjective

marked by or given to vehement insistent outcry.

werewolf

noun

a person transformed into a wolf or capable of assuming a wolf's form.

woebegone

adjective

1. strongly afflicted with woe; woeful.

2. exhibiting great woe, sorrow, or misery.

3. being in a sorry state.

woolgathering

noun

indulgence in idle daydreaming.

yips

noun

a state of nervous tension affecting an athlete (as a golfer) in the performance of a crucial action.

euphoria

noun

a feeling of well-being or elation.

urbane

adjective

notably polite or polished in manner.

svelte

adjective

1. a) slender, lithe. b) having clean lines; sleek.

2. urbane, suave. (thin in an attractive or graceful way; slender).

morpheme

noun

a distinctive collocation of phonemes (as the free form pin or the bound form -s of pins) having no smaller meaningful parts.

hoodlum

noun

1. thug; especially, a violent criminal.

2. a young ruffian.

lucid

adjective

1. a) suffused with light; luminous. b) translucent.

2. having full use of one's faculties; sane.

3. clear to the understanding; intelligible.

linchpin

noun

1. a locking pin inserted crosswise (as through the end of an axle or shaft).

2. one that serves to hold together parts or elements that exist or function as a unit.

piebald

noun & adjective

1. composed of incongruous parts.

2. of different colors; especially; spotted or blotched with black and white.

salvo

noun

1. a simultaneous discharge of guns or bombs.

2. a) a sudden burst. b) a spirited attack.

ragtag

adjective

1. ragged, unkempt.

2. composed of diverse often incongruous elements; motley.

earwig

verb

to annoy or attempt to influence by private talk.

interminable

adjective

having or seeming to have no end; especially; wearisomely protracted.

tutelage

noun

1. an act of guarding or protecting.

2. the state of being under a guardian or tutor.

3. a) instruction especially of an individual. b) a guiding influence.

intuition

noun

1. quick and ready insight.

2. a) immediate apprehension or cognition. b) knowledge or conviction gained by intuition. c) the power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference. intuitional adj.

fungicide

noun

a chemical substance that destroys or inhibits the growth of fungi.

plaguey

adjective

causing irritation or annoyance; troublesome.

Four Horsemen

noun, plural

war, famine, pestilence, and death personified as the four major plagues of humankind.

vicissitude

noun

1. the quality or state of being changeable; mutability.

2. a) an unexpected change or fluctuation. b) a difficulty or hardship usually beyond one's control.

vicarious

adjective

1. a) serving instead of someone or something else. b) that has been delegated.

2. performed or suffered by one person as a substitute for another or to the benefit or advantage of another; substitutionary.

3. experienced or realized through imaginative or sympathetic participation in the experience of another.

4. occurring in an unexpected or abnormal part of the body instead of the usual one.

bald-faced

adjective

brash; undisguised. Syn: brazen, insolent, audacious, barefaced, bodacious, brassy.

palpate

verb

to examine or explore by touching (an organ or area of the body), usually as a diagnostic aid.

torpedo

noun

1. a weapon for destroying ships by rupturing their hulls below the waterline, as a) a submarine mine. b) a thin cylindrical self-propelled underwater projectile.

2. a large sandwich on a long split roll with any of a variety of fillings; submarine.

unctuous

adjective

1. a) fatty, oily. b) smooth and greasy in texture or appearance.

2. insincerely smooth in speech and manner.

emprise

noun \\em-PRYZE\\

an adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise.

raillery

noun

1. good-natured ridicule; banter.

2. jest.

harbinger

noun

1. one that pioneers in or initiates a major change; precursor.

2. one that presages or foreshadows what is to come.

snigger

verb intrans.

snicker

canoodle

verb

to engage in amorous embracing, caressing, and kissing

enamor

verb

1. to inflame with love —usually used in the passive with of.

2. to cause to feel a strong or excessive interest or fascination —usually used in the passive with of or with.

chamomile

noun \\ˈka-mə-ˌmī(-ə)l

1. a perennial composite herb (chamaemelum nobile syn. anthemis nobilis) of europe and north africa with aromatic foliage and flower heads.

2. any of several composite plants (genera matricaria and anthemis) related to chamomile; especially : an annual Eurasian herb (m. recutita syn. m. chamomilla) naturalized in North America.

3. the dried flower heads of chamomile that are often used in making tea and that yield an essential oil possessing medicinal properties.

chameleon

noun

1. a small lizard whose skin changes color especially according to its surroundings.

2. a) a person given to often expedient or facile change in ideas or character. b) one that is subject to quick or frequent change especially in appearance.

austerity

noun

1. the quality or state of being auster. w. a) an austere act, manner, or attitude. b) an ascetic practice.

2. enforced or extereme economy.

pragmatic

adjective

archaic 1. busy; officious; opinionated.

2. relating to matters of fact or practival affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or atrtistic matters; practival as opposed to idealistic.

3. realting to or being in accordance with philosophical pragmatism.

moratorium

noun

1. a) a legally authorized period of delay in the performance of a legal obligation or the payment of a debt. b) a waiting period set by an authority.

2. a suspension of activity.

bigot

noun

a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, esp. one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance.

doppelganger

noun

1. a ghostly counterpart of a living person.

2. a) double. b) alter ego. c) a person who has the same name as another.

shellacking

noun

a decisive defeat; drubbing.

ebullient

adjective

1. boiling, agitated.

2. characterized by ebullience; having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm .

dissident

adjective & noun

disagreeing especially with an established religious or political system, organization, or belief.

furtive

adjective

1. a)done by stealth : surreptitious. b) expressive of stealth : sly.

2. obtained underhandedly; stolen.

percutaneous

adjective

effected, occurring, or performed through the skin.

salubrious

adjective

favorable to or promoting health or well-being <salubrious habits>

moire

archaic: a watered mohair

nonpareil

adjective

having no equal

flounce

verb

1. a) to move with exaggerated jerky or bouncy motions. b) to go with sudden determination.

2. flounder, struggle.

mayhem \MEY-hem, MEY-uhm\

noun

1. willful and permanent crippling, mutilation, or disfigurement of any part of the body and especially deprivation of a bodily member.

2. needless or willful damage or violence.

cabbage

verb

steal, filch.

cartographer

noun

one that makes maps.

apposite

adjective

highly pertinent or appropriate; apt.

fraternize

verb

1. to associate or mingle as brothers or on fraternal terms.

2. a) to associate on close terms with members of a hostile group especially when contrary to military orders. b) to be friendly or amiable.

congenial

adjective

1. having the same nature, disposition, or tastes : kindred.

2. a) existing together harmoniously. b) suited to one's nature, tastes, or outlook. c) sociable, genial.

edacious

adjective

1. having a huge appetite; ravenous.

2. excessively eager; insatiable.

snaffle

verb

to obtain especially by devious or irregular means.

dissident

adjective

disagreeing especially with an established religious or political system, organization, or belief.

— dissident noun

gormandize

verb

to eat gluttonously or ravenously.

circuitous

\ ser-KYOO-uh-tus\

adjective

1. having a circular or winding course.

2. not being forthright or direct in language or action.

cuspidor

noun

a receptacle for spit; spittoon.

acceptation

noun

1. acceptance; especially : favorable reception or approval.

2 . a generally accepted meaning of a word or understanding of a concept.

enigmatic

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling an enigma: mysterious

declension

noun

1. a) noun, adjective, or pronoun inflection especially in some prescribed order of the forms. b) a class of nouns or adjectives having the same type of inflectional forms.

2. a falling off or away : deterioration.

3. descent, slope.

raffish

adjective

1. marked by or suggestive of flashy vulgarity or crudeness.

2. marked by a careless unconventionality; rakish.

volte-face

noun \vawlt-FAHSS\

a reversal in policy; about-face.

lapidary

noun

1. a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones usually other than diamonds.

2. the art of cutting gems.

collop

noun \KAH-lup\

1. a small piece or slice especially of meat.

2. a fold of fat flesh.

zibeline

noun

a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or camel's hair.

deem

verb

1. to come to think or judge; consider.

2. to have an opinion; believe.

ignoramus

noun

an utterly ignorant person; dunce.

fulvous

adjective

of a dull brownish yellow; tawny.

ancillary

adjective

1. of lower or secondary class or rank; subordinate, subsidiary.

2. providing additional help or support; auxiliary, supplementary.

batten

verb

1. a) to grow or make fat. b) to feed gluttonously.

2. to grow prosperous especially at the expense of another — usually used with on.

continual adj. 1. continuing indefinitely in time without interruption. 2. recurring in steady usually rapid succession.

adjective

1. continuing indefinitely in time without interruption.

2. recurring in steady usually rapid succession.

microcosm

noun

1. a little world; especially : the human race or human nature seen as an epitome of the world or the universe.

2. a community or other unity that is an epitome of a larger unity.

clepsydra

noun

water clock

galley-west

adverb

into destruction or confusion.

A rogue wave knocked the anchored boats galley-west.

expatriate

noun

a person who lives in a foreign country; also: a person who has renounced his or her native country.

Kafkaesque

adjective

of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially, having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality.

judder

verb: chiefly British

to vibrate with intensity.

truncate

verb

to shorten by or as if by cutting off.

saunter

verb

walk leisurely and with no apparent aim; stroll.

savant

noun

a person of learning; especially, one with detailed knowledge in some specialized field (as of science or literature).

vespertine

adjective \VESS-per-tyne\

1. of, relating to, or occurring in the evening.

2. active, flowering, or flourishing in the evening.

hebdomadal

adjective

of or occurring every seven days; weekly.

toothsome

adjective

1. a) agreeable, attractive. b) sexually attractive.

2. of palatable flavor and pleasing texture; delicious.

nonplus

verb

to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do; perplex.

bequeath

verb

leave or give by will after one's death; will; leave.

veneration

nooun

a feeling of profound respect for someone or something; reverence, awe, fear.

legerity

noun \luh-JAIR-uh-tee\

alert facile quickness of mind or body.

jimjams

noun, pl.

jitters.

farouche

adjective

1. unruly or disorderly; wild.

2. marked by shyness and lack of social graces.

wraith

noun

1. a) the exact likeness of a living person seen usually just before death as an apparition. b) ghost, specter.

2. an insubstantial form or semblance; shadow.

3. a barely visible gaseous or vaporous column.

proximity

noun

the quality or state of being proximate; closeness.

reprehensible

adjective

highly unacceptable and deserving censure.

osculate

verb

kiss.

riddle

noun

1. a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed; conundrum, enigma.

2. something or someone difficult to understand.

meshuggener

noun

a foolish or crazy person.

doff

verb

1. a) to remove (an article of wear) from the body. b) to take off (the hat) in greeting or as a sign of respect.

2. to rid oneself of; put aside.

Ruritanian

adjective

of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an imaginary place of high romance.

abrogate

verb

1. to abolish by authoritative action; annul.

2. to treat as nonexistent.

slicker

noun

a macintosh made from cotton fabric treated with oil and pigment to make it waterproof; oilskin.

stultify

verb

1. to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical.

2. a) to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective; negate. b) to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on.

conventicle

noun

1. an assembly of an irregular or unlawful character.

2. an assembly for religious worship; especially, a meeting for worship not sanctioned by law.

3. meetinghouse.

cloud-cuckoo-land

noun

a realm of fantasy or of whimsical or foolish behavior.

organoleptic

adj. 1. being, affecting, or relating to qualities (as taste, color, odor, and feel) of a substance (as a food or drug) that stimulate the sense organs. 2. involving use of the sense organs.

astrolabe

noun

a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant.

panegyric

noun

a eulogistic oration or writing; also: formal or elaborate praise.

haphazard

adjective

marked by lack of plan, order, or direction.

concatenate

verb

to link together in a series or chain.

compurgator

noun

one who under oath vouches for the character or conduct of an accused person.

vestige

noun

a mark or visible sign left by something that existed before; also: a minute remaining amount.

terpsichorean

adjective

of or relating to dancing.

biophilia

noun

a hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature.

lavation

noun

the act or an instance of washing or cleansing.

condign

adjective

deserved, appropriate.

gyrate

verb

revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis.

parable

noun

example; specifically, a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.

disseise \dih-SEEZ\

verb

to deprive especially wrongfully of seizin; to put out of possession or occupancy; dispossess.

haughty

adjective

blatantly and disdainfully proud.

primordial

adjective

1. a) first created or developed; primeval; b) existing in or persisting from the beginning (as of a solar system or universe); c) earliest formed in the growth of an individual or organ.

2. fundamental, primary.

meme \MEEM\

noun

an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.

aspersion

noun

1. a sprinkling with water especially in religious ceremonies.

2. a) a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone's reputation; b) the act of making such a charge; defamation.

ensconce

verb

1. to place or hide securely; conceal.

2. to establish or settle firmly, comfortably, or snugly.

axiomatic

adjective

1. taken for granted; self-evident.

2. based on or involving an axiom or system of axioms.

vestige

noun

mark or visible sign left by something that existed before; also: a minute remaining amount.

vitrine \və-treen'\

noun

a glass showcase or cabinet especially for displaying fine wares or specimens.

catastrophe

noun

1. a momentous tragic event; disaster.

2. a) a violent and sudden change in a feature of the earth; b) a violent, usually destructive, natural event (as a supernova).

3. utter failure; fiasco.

ken

noun

1. a) the range of vision; b) sight, view.

2. the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge.

shivaree

noun

a noisy mock serenade to a newly married couple.

Beltane

noun

the Celtic May Day festival.

vamoose

verb

to depart quickly.

odious

adjective

arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance; hateful.

wane

verb

1. to decrease in size, extent, or degree.

2. to fall gradually from power, prosperity, or influence.

jalousie

noun

1. a blind with adjustable horizontal slats for admitting light and air while excluding direct sun and rain.

2. a window made of adjustable glass louvers that control ventilation.

gesundheit

interjection

— used to wish good health, especially to one who has just sneezed.

curious

adjective

1. a) marked by desire to investigate and learn; b) marked by inquisitive interest in others' concerns; nosy.

2. exciting attention as strange, novel, or unexpected; odd.

applesauce

noun

1. a relish or dessert made of apples stewed to a pulp and sweetened.

2. slang: bunkum, nonsense.

venal

adjective

1. capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration; especially, open to corrupt influence and especially bribery.

2. originating in, characterized by, or associated with corruption.

factoid

noun

1. an invented fact believed to be true because of its appearance in print.

2. a briefly stated and usually trivial fact.

pursy

adjective

1. having a puckered appearance.

2. purse-proud.

purse–proud

adjective

proud because of one's wealth especially in the absence of other distinctions.

palooka

noun

1. an inexperienced or incompetent boxer.

2. oaf, lout.

tin-pot

adjective

cheap or trivial of its kind; petty, small-time, two-bit.

breadbasket

noun

1. slang: stomach.

2. a major cereal-producing region.

collaborate

verb

1. to work jointly with others.

2. to cooperate with an enemy and especially an occupying force.

mucilaginous

adjective

1. sticky, viscid.

2. of, relating to, full of, or secreting mucilage.

mucilage

noun

1. a gelatinous substance of various plants (as legumes or seaweeds) that contains protein and polysaccharides and is similar to plant gums.

2. an aqueous usually viscid solution (as of a gum) used, especially as an adhesive.

saguaro

noun

a tall columnar usually sparsely-branched cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) of dry areas of the southwestern United States and Mexico that bears white flowers and a scaly reddish edible fruit and that may attain a height of up to 50 feet (16 meters).

egregious

adjective

1. archaic: distinguished.

2. conspicuous, especially: conspicuously bad; flagrant <egregious errors> <egregious padding of the evidence>

ethereal

adjective

1. a) of or relating to the regions beyond the earth; b) celestial, heavenly; c) unworldly, spiritual.

2. a) lacking material substance; immaterial, intangible; b) marked by unusual delicacy or refinement; c) suggesting the heavens or heaven.

3. relating to, containing, or resembling a chemical ether.

viscid

adjective

1. a) having an adhesive quality; sticky; b) having a glutinous consistency; viscous.

2. covered with a sticky layer.

acolyte

noun

1. one who assists a member of the clergy in a liturgical service by performing minor duties.

2. one who attends or assists; follower.

wistful

adjective

1. full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy; also: inspiring such yearning.

2. musingly sad; pensive.

coiffure

noun

a style or manner of arranging the hair.

ambiguous

adjective

1. a) doubtful or uncertain especially from obscurity or indistinctness; b) inexplicable.

2. capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways.

clew

noun

1. a ball of thread, yarn, or cord.

2. clue.

3. a) a lower corner or only the after corner of a sail; b) a metal loop attached to the lower corner of a sail.

assay

verb

1. try, attempt.

2. a) to analyze (as an ore) for one or more specific components; b) to prove to be of a particular nature by means of analysis.

3. to judge the worth of; estimate.

cryptography

noun

the enciphering and deciphering of messages in secret code or cipher; also, the computerized encoding and decoding of information.

prodigious

adjective

1. resembling or befitting a prodigy; strange, unusual.

2. exciting amazement or wonder.

3. extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree; enormous.

prodigy

noun

1. a) a portentous event; omen; b) something extraordinary or inexplicable.

2. a) an extraordinary, marvelous, or unusual accomplishment, deed, or event; b) a highly talented child or youth.

bombard

VERB

1. to attack, especially with artillery or bombers.

2. to assail vigorously or persistently (as with questions).

3. to subject to the impact of rapidly moving particles (as electrons).

lexicographer

n. an author or editor of a dictionary

credulous

adj. 1. ready to believe especially on slight or uncertain evidence. 2. proceeding from enfant terrible credulity.

credulity

n. readiness or willingness to believe, especially on slight or uncertain evidence.

enfant terrible

n. 1. a) a child whose inopportune remarks cause embarrassment; b) a person known for shocking remarks or outrageous behavior. 2. a usually young and successful person who is strikingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde.

deleterious

adj. harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way.

iota

n. 1. the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet. 2. an infinitesimal amount; jot.

lambent

adj. 1. playing lightly on or over a surface; flickering. 2. softly bright or radiant. 3. marked by lightness or brilliance especially of expression.

kudzu

n. an Asian vine (Pueraria lobata) of the legume family that is used for forage and erosion control and is often a serious weed in the southeastern United States.

nictitate

v. wink.

mumblety-peg \MUM-bul-tee-peg\ n.

a game in which the players try to flip a knife from various positions so that the blade will stick into the ground.

banshee \BAN-shee\ n.

a female spirit in Gaelic folklore whose appearance or wailing warns a family that one of them will soon die.

pomaceous \poh-MAY-shus\ adj.

1. of or relating to apples.

2. resembling a pome.

pome \ˈpōm\ n.

a fleshy fruit (as an apple or pear) consisting of an outer thickened fleshy layer and a central core with usually five seeds enclosed in a capsule.

secular \SEK-yuh-ler\

adj. 1. a) of or relating to the worldly or temporal; b) not overtly or specifically religious; c) not ecclesiastical or clerical. 2. not bound by monastic vows or rules; specifically, of, relating to, or forming clergy not belonging to a religious order or congregation.

reciprocate \rih-SIP-ruh-kayt\

v. 1. to move backward and forward alternately. 2. to give and take mutually. 3. to make a return for something done or given.

uncouth \un-KOOTH\

adj. 1. strange or clumsy in shape or appearance; outlandish. 2. lacking in polish and grace; rugged. 3. awkward and uncultivated in appearance, manner, or behavior; rude.

mutatis mutandis \myoo-TAH-tis-myoo-TAHN-dis\

adv. 1. with the necessary changes having been made. 2. with the respective differences having been considered.

Cassandra \kuh-SAN-druh\

n. 1. a daughter of Priam endowed with the gift of prophecy but fated never to be believed. 2. one that predicts misfortune or disaster.

genteel \jen-TEEL\

adj. 1. a) of or relating to the gentry or upper class; b) elegant or graceful in manner, appearance, or shape c) free from vulgarity or rudeness; polite. 2. marked by false delicacy, prudery, or affectation

roué \roo-AY\

n. a man devoted to a life of sensual pleasure; rake.

paste \PAIST\

v. 1. to strike hard at. 2. to beat or defeat soundly.

absinthe \AB-sinth\

n. a green liqueur which is flavored with wormwood, anise, and other aromatic herbs and commercial production of which is banned in many countries for health concerns; also: a liqueur resembling absinthe.

efficacious \ef-uh-KAY-shus\

adj. having the power to produce a desired effect.

forebear \FOR-bair\

n. ancestor, forefather; also: precursor.

temporize \TEM-puh-ryze\

v. 1. to act to suit the time or occasion; yield to current or dominant opinion. 2. to draw out discussions or negotiations so as to gain time.

reprehensible \rep-rih-HEN-suh-bul\

adj. worthy of or deserving blame or condemnation.

ritzy \RIT-see\

adj. 1. being, characteristic of, or befitting a snob; snobbish. 2. impressively or ostentatiously fancy or stylish; fashionable, posh.

decry \dih-KRY\

v. 1. to depreciate (as a coin) officially or publicly. 2. to express strong disapproval of.

refection \rih-FEK-shun\

n. 1. refreshment of mind, spirit, or body; especially, nourishment. 2. a) the taking of refreshment; b) food and drink together.

repast \ri-ˈPAST, ˈrē-ˌ\

n. 1. something taken as food; meal. 2. the act or time of taking food.

vituperate \vye-TOO-puh-rayt\

v. 1. to abuse or censure severely or abusively. 2. to use harsh condemnatory language.

shaggy-dog \shag-ee-DAWG\

adj. of, relating to, or being a long-drawn-out circumstantial story concerning an inconsequential happening that impresses the teller as humorous or interesting but the hearer as boring and pointless; also: of, relating to, or being a similar humorous story whose humor lies in the pointlessness or irrelevance of the punch line.

pigeon-livered \PIJ-un-liv-erd\

adj. gentle, mild.

mosque \MAHSK\

n. a building used for public worship by Muslims.

hyperborean \hye-per-BOR-ee-un\

adj. 1. of or relating to an extreme northern region; frozen. 2. of or relating to any of the arctic peoples.

amanuensis \uh-man-yuh-WEN-sis\

n. one employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscript.

mantic \MAN-tik\

adj. of or relating to the faculty of divination; prophetic.

extenuate \ik-STEN-yuh-wayt\

v. 1. to lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of by making partial excuses; mitigate. 2. to lessen the strength or effect of.

supposititious \suh-pah-zuh-TISH-us\

adj. 1. a) fraudulently substituted; spurious; b) of a child (1): falsely presented as a genuine heir (2): illegitimate. 2. a) imaginary; b) of the nature of or based on a supposition; hypothetical.

brouhaha \BROO-hah-hah\

n. a state of commotion or excitement; hubbub, uproar.

enervate \EN-er-vayt\

v. 1. to reduce the mental or moral vigor of. 2. to lessen the vitality or strength of.

rarefied \RAIR-uh-fyde\

adj. 1. being less dense. 2. of, relating to, or interesting to a select group; esoteric. 3. very high.

esoteric \e-sə-TER-ik, -TE-rik\

adj. 1. a) designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone; b) requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group. 2. a) limited to a small circle; b) private, confidential. 3. of special, rare, or unusual interest.

cobalt \KOH-bawlt\

n. 1. a tough lustrous silver-white magnetic metallic element that is related to and occurs with iron and nickel and is used especially in alloys. 2. a strong greenish blue; cobalt blue.

hard-boiled \HAHRD-BOYLD\

adj. 1. a) devoid of sentimentality; tough; b) of, relating to, or being a detective story featuring a tough unsentimental protagonist and a matter-of-fact attitude towards violence. 2. hardheaded, practical.

noetic \nō-E-tik\

adj. of, relating to, or based on the intellect.

commensality \com-men-SAL-i-ty\

n. fellowship at table; the act or practice of eating at the same table.

chaffer \CHAFF-er\

v. 1. a) haggle, exchange, barter; b) to bargain for. 2. British: to exchange small talk; chatter.

penchant \PEN-chunt\

n. a strong and continued inclination; broadly: liking.

dreadnought \DRED-nawt\

n. 1. a warm garment of thick cloth; also: the cloth. 2. battleship. 3. one that is among the largest or most powerful of its kind.

eccentric \ik-SEN-trik\

adj. 1. a) deviating from an established or usual pattern or style; b) deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct. 2. a) deviating from a circular path; especially, elliptical; b) located elsewhere than at the geometrical center; also: having the axis or support so located.

raiment \RAY-munt\

n. clothing, garments.

chasten \CHAY-sun\

v. 1. to correct by punishment or suffering; discipline; also: purify. 2. a) to prune (as a work or style of art) of excess, pretense, or falsity; refine; b) to cause to be more humble or restrained; subdue.

flivver \FLIV-er\

n. a small cheap usually old automobile.

lenient\ LEEN-yunt\

adj. 1. exerting a soothing or easing influence; relieving pain or stress. 2. of mild and tolerant disposition; esp. indulgent.

juggernaut \JUG-er-nawt\

n. 1. chiefly British: a large heavy truck. 2. a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path.

beguile \bih-GHYLE\

v. 1. to deceive by cunning means. 2. to draw notice or interest by wiles or charm. 3. to cause (as time) to pass pleasantly.

propitious \pruh-PISH-us\

adj. 1. favorably disposed; benevolent. 2. being of good omen, auspicious. 3. tending to favor; advantageous.

anacoluthon \an-uh-kuh-LOO-thahn\

n. syntactical inconsistency or incoherence within a sentence; esp. a shift in an unfinished sentence from one syntactic construction to another.

convoluted \KAHN-vuh-loo-tud\

adj. 1. having many twists and curves. 2. involved, intricate.

netsuke \NETS-kay\

n. a small and often intricately carved toggle (as of wood, ivory, or metal) used to fasten a small container to a kimono sash.

sagacious \suh-GAY-shus\

adj. 1. of keen and farsighted penetration and judgment; discerning. 2. caused by or indicating acute discernment.

adumbrate \AD-um-brayt\

v. 1. to foreshadow vaguely; intimate. 2. to suggest, disclose, or outline partially. 3. overshadow, obscure.

panache \puh-NAHSH\

n. an ornamental tuft (as of feathers) especially on a helmet. 2. dash or flamboyance in style and action; verve.

confection \kun-FEK-shun\

n. 1. something put together from varied material. 2. a) a fancy dish or sweetmeat; also: a sweet food; b) a work of fine or elaborate craftsmanship; c) a light but entertaining theatrical, cinematic, or literary work.

grotesque \groh-TESK\

adj. 1. fanciful, bizarre. 2. absurdly incongruous. 3. departing markedly from the natural, the expected, or the typical.

exterminate \ik-STER-muh-nayt\

v. to get rid of completely, usually by killing off.

volition \voh-LISH-un\

n. 1. an act of making a choice or decision; also: a choice or decision made. 2. the power of choosing or determining; will.

gallivant \GAL-uh-vant\

v. 1. to go about usually ostentatiously or indiscreetly with members of the opposite sex. 2. to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure.

slaphappy \SLAP-hap-ee\

adj. 1. dazed and confused; punch-drunk. 2. buoyantly or recklessly carefree or foolish; happy-go-lucky.

gullible \GULL-uh-bul\

adj. easily duped or cheated.

facsimile \fak-SIM-uh-lee\

n. 1. an exact copy. 2. a system of transmitting and reproducing graphic matter (as printing or still pictures) by means of signals sent over telephone lines.

bower \BOW-er\

n. 1. an attractive dwelling or retreat. 2. a lady's private apartment in a medieval hall or castle. 3. a shelter made with tree boughs or vines twined together; arbor.

gantry \ˈGAN-trē\

n. 1. a frame for supporting barrels. 2. a frame structure raised on side supports so as to span over or around something; as a) a platform made to carry a traveling crane and supported by towers or side frames running on parallel tracks; also: a movable structure with platforms at different levels used for erecting and servicing rockets before launching; b) a structure spanning several railroad tracks and displaying signals for each.

lugubrious lu-GU-bri-ous \also -ˈgyü-\

adj. 1. mournful, esp.exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful. 2. dismal.

palimpsest \ˈPA-ləm(p)-ˌsest, pə-ˈLIM(P)-\

n. 1. writing material (as a parchment or tablet) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased. 2. something having usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface.

gratuitous \grə-ˈTU-ə-təs, -ˈTYU-\

adj.1. a) given unearned or without recompense; b) not involving a return benefit, compensation, or consideration; c) costing nothing; free. 2. not called for by the circumstances; unwarranted.

irrefragable \ih-REF-ruh-guh-bul\

adj. 1. impossible to refute. 2. impossible to break or alter.

iridescence \ˌir-ə-ˈDE-sən(t)s\

n. 1. a lustrous rainbowlike play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes. 2. a lustrous or attractive quality or effect.

paradise \PAIR-uh-dyce\

n. 1. a) the garden where, according to the Bible, Adam and Eve first lived; Eden; b) an intermediate place or state where the souls of the righteous await resurrection and the final judgment; c) the dwelling place of God and of the blessed dead; Heaven. 2. a place or state of bliss, felicity, or delight.

variegated \VAIR-ee-uh-gay-tud\

adj. 1. having discrete markings of different colors. 2. various, diverse, varied.

calenture \KAL-un-chur\

n. a fever formerly supposed to affect sailors in the tropics.

retrocede \ret-roh-SEED\

v. 1. to go back; recede. 2. to cede back (as a territory).

diluvial \duh-LOO-vee-ul\

adj. of, relating to, or brought about by a flood.

sarcophagus \sahr-KAH-fuh-gus\

n. a stone coffin; broadly: coffin.

adventitious \ad-ven-TISH-us\

adj. 1. coming from another source and not inherent or innate. 2. arising or occurring sporadically or in other than the usual location.

fillip \FIL-up\

v. 1. a) to strike by holding the nail of a finger against the ball of the thumb and then suddenly releasing it from that position; b) to make a filliping motion with. 2. to project quickly by or as if by a fillip; snap. 3. to urge on; stimulate.

pellucid \pə-LÜ-səd\

adj. 1. admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion. 2. reflecting light evenly from all surfaces. 3. easy to understand. Literary & Critical Terms: 1. transparent or translucent. 2. extremely clear in style and meaning; limpid.

predial \PREE-dee-ul\

adj. of or relating to land or its products.

gumption \GUMP-shun\

n. 1. chiefly dialect: common sense, horse sense. 2. enterprise, initiative.

apocryphal \uh-PAH-kruh-ful\

adj. of doubtful authenticity.

defenestration \dee-fen-uh-STRAY-shun\

n. 1. a throwing of a person or thing out of a window. 2. a usually swift dismissal or expulsion (as from a political party or office).

toplofty \TAHP-lawf-tee\

adj. very superior in air or attitude.

vaticination \vuh-tiss-uh-NAY-shun\

n. 1. prediction. 2. the act of prophesying.

ungainly \un-GAYN-lee\

adj. 1. a) lacking in smoothness or dexterity; clumsy; b) hard to handle; unwieldy. 2. having an awkward appearance.

kerfuffle \ker-FUFF-ul\

n. chiefly British: disturbance, fuss.

objurgation \ahb-jer-GAY-shun\

n. a harsh rebuke.

expedite \EK-spuh-dyte\

v. 1. to execute promptly. 2. to accelerate the process or progress of; speed up. 3. issue, dispatch.

imbibitions \im-buh-BIH-shun\

n. the act or action of imbibing, esp: the taking up of fluid by a colloidal system resulting in swelling.

homiletic\hah-muh-LET-ik\

adj. 1. of, relating to, or resembling a homily. 2. of or relating to the art of preaching; also: preachy.

whirligig \WER-lih-gig\

n. 1. a child’s toy having a whirling motion. 2. a) one who continuously whirls or changes; b) a whirling or circling course (as of events).

colloquial \kuk-LOH-kwee-ul\

adj. 1. of or relating to conversation; conversational. 2. a) used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation; also: unacceptably informal; b) using conversational style.

torpor

n. 1. a) a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility; b) a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and aestivating animals. 2. apathy, dullness.

indite \in-DYTE\

v. 1. make up, compose. 2. to give literary or formal expression to. 3. to put down in writing.

quid pro quo \kwid-proh-KWOH\

n. something given or received for something else; also: a deal arranging a quid pro quo.

precatory \PREK-uh-tor-ee\

adj. expressing a wish.

mettle \MET-ul\

n. 1. a) vigor and strength of spirit or temperament; b) staying quality; stamina. 2. quality of temperament or disposition.

coruscate \KOR-uh-skayt\

v. 1. to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes; sparkle. 2. to be brilliant or showy in technique or style.

finicky \FIN-ih-kee\

adj. 1. extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards. 2. requiring much care, precision, or attentive effort.

synecdoche \suh-NEK-duh-kee\

n. a figure of speech by which a less encompassing term is put for a more encompassing term or vice versa.

palliate \PAL-ee-ayt\

v. 1. to reduce the violence of (a disease); also: to ease (symptoms) without curing the underlying disease. 2. to cover by excuses and apologies. 3. to moderate the intensity of.

perspicacious \per-spuh-KAY-shus\

adj. of accute mental vision or discernment; keen.

pelf \PELF\

n. money, riches.

tutoyer \tew-twah-YAY\

v. to address familiarly.

marginalia \mahr-juh-NAY-lee-uh\

n. 1. marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book). 2. nonessential items.

flatfoot \FLAT-foot\

n. 1. a condition in which the arch of the instep is flattened so that the entire sole rests upon the ground. 2. a) slang: a police officer, esp. a patrolman walking a regular beat; b) slang: sailor.

contumacious \kahn-too-MAY-shus\

adj. stubbornly disobedient; rebellious.

megrim \MEE-grim\

n. 1. a) migraine; b) vertigo, dizziness. 2. a) fancy, whim; b) plural: low spirits.

perpend \per-PEND\

v. 1. to reflect on carefully; ponder. 2. to be attentive; reflect.

solace \SAH-lus\

n. 1. alleviation of grief or anxiety. 2. a source of relief or consolation.

haruspex \huh-RUSS-peks\

n. a diviner in ancient Rome basing his predictions on inspection of the entrails of sacrificial animals.

stridulate \STRIJ-uh-layt\

v. to make a shrill creaking noise by rubbing together special bodily structures—used especially of male insects (as crickets or grasshoppers).

wardrobe \WOR-drohb\

n. 1. a) a room or closet where clothes are kept; b)a receptacle for clothes; c) a large trunk in which clothes may be hung upright. 2. a) a collection of wearing apparel (as of one person or for one activity); b) a collection of stage costumes and accessories. 3. the department of a royal or noble household entrusted with the care of wearing apparel, jewels, and personal articles.

bioturbation \bye-oh-ter-BAY-shun\

n. the restructuring of sedimentary deposits (as in a lake, bottom, or seabed) by moving organisms (as worms and burrowing clams).

doughty \DOW-tee\

adj. marked by fearless resolution; valiant.

hamartia \hah-mahr-TEE-uh\

n. tragic flaw.

condone \kun-DOHN\

v. to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless.

preprandial \pree-PRAN-dee-ul\

adj. of, relating to, or suitable for the time just before dinner.

ruction \RUK-shun\

n. 1. a noisy fight. 2. disturbance, uproar.

bildungsroman \BIL-doonks-roh-mahn\

n. a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character.

impugn \im-PYOON\

v. to assail by words or arguments; oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity.

climacteric \kly-MAK-tuh-rik\

n. 1. a major turning point or critical stage. 2. a) menopause; b) a period in the life of a male corresponding to female menopause. 3. the marked and sudden rise in the respiratory rate of fruit just prior to full ripening.

baksheesh \BAK-sheesh\

n. payment (as a tip or bribe) to expedite service.

adapt \uh-DAPT\

v. to make or become fit (as for a specific or new use or situation), often by modification.

moiety \MOY-uh-tee\

n. 1. a) one of two equal parts; half b) one of two approximately equal parts. 2. one of the portions into which something is divided; component, part. 3. one of two basic complementary tribal subdivisions.

factitious \fak-TISH-us\

adj. 1. produced by humans rather than by natural forces. 2. not natural or genuine; artificial.

gridiron \GRID-eye-ern\

n. 1. a grate for broiling food. 2. something consisting of or covered with a network. 3. a football field.

obsequious \ub-SEE-kwee-us\

adj. marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness.

newspeak \NOO-speek\

n., often capitalized. propagandistic language marked by euphemism, circumlocution, and the inversion of customary meanings; double-talk.

corrade \kuh-RAYD\

v. to wear or crumble away through abrasion.

Annie Oakley \an-ee-OH-klee\

n. a free ticket.

pathos \PAY-thahss\

n. 1. an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion. 2. an emotion of sympathetic pity.

mnemonic \nih-MAH-nik\

adj. assisting or designed to assist memory.

widdershins \WID-er-shinz\

adv. in a left-handed, wrong, or contrary direction; clockwise.

nutmeg \NUT-meg\

n. 1. an aromatic seed produced by an evergreen tree (Myristica fragrans of the family Myristicaceae, the nutmeg family) native to the Moluccas; also: the ground seed used as a spice. 2. a tree yielding nutmeg.

critique \kruh-TEEK\

n. an act of criticizing; especially: a critical estimate or discussion.

qwerty \KWER-tee\

n. (often not capitalized) a standard typewriter or computer keyboard called also QWERTY keyboard.

Cockaigne \kah-KAYN\

n. an imaginary land of great luxury and ease.

languid

\LANG-gwid\ adj. 1. drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion. 2. sluggish in character or disposition; listless. 3. lacking force or quickness of movement; slow.

sop \SAHP\

n. a conciliatory or propitiatory bribe, gift, or gesture.

hendiadys \hen-DYE-uh-dis\

n. the expression of an idea by the use of usually two independent words connected by and (as nice and warm).

regurgitate \ree-GUR-juh-tayt\

v. to throw or be thrown back, up, or out.

bumbershoot \BUM-ber-shoot\

n. umbrella.

Aesopian \ee-SOH-pee-un\

adv. 1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Aesop or his fables. 2. conveying an innocent meaning to an outsider but a hidden meaning to a member of a conspiracy or underground movement.

broadside \BRAWD-syde\

n. 1. a sheet of paper printed usually on one side (as an advertisement). 2. all the guns on one side of a ship; also: their simultaneous discharge. 3. a volley of abuse or denunciation; a strongly worded attack.

conversant \kun-VER-sunt\

adj. having knowledge or experience.

exodus \EK-suh-dus\

n. 1. captialized: the mainly narrative second book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture. 2. a mass departure; emigration.

sublimate \SUB-luh-mayt\

v. 1. to cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state. 2. to direct expression (of a desire or impulse) from a primitive to a more socially and culturally acceptable form.

importunate \ im-POR-chuh-nut\

adj. 1. troublesomely urgent; overly persistent in request or demand. 2. troublesome.

layman \LAY-mun\

n. 1. a person who is not a member of the clergy. 2. a person who does not belong to a particular profession or who is not expert in some field.

infotainment \in-foh-TAYN-munt\

n. television programming that presents information (such as news) in a way that is meant to be entertaining.

pediculous \pih-DIK-yuh-lus\

adj. infested with lice; lousy.

jitney \JIT-ney\

n. 1. a small bus that carries passengers over a regular route on a flexible schedule. 2. an unlicensed taxicab.

catachresis \kat-uh-KREE-sis\

n. 1. use of the wrong word for the context. 2. use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech.

precipitate \prih-SIP-uh-tut\

adj. 1. a) falling, flowing, or rushing with steep descent; b) precipitous, steep. 2. exhibiting violent or unwise speed.

encapsulate \in-KAP-suh-layt\

v. 1. to enclose in or as if in a capsule; to completely cover. 2. to show or express in a brief way; epitomize, summarize. 3. to become enclosed in a capsule.

impetuous \im-PECH-uh-wus\

adj. 1. marked by impulsive vehemence or passion. 2. marked by force and violence of movement or action.

virga \VER-guh\

n. wisps of precipitation evaporating before reaching the ground.

cerulean \suh-ROO-lee-un\

adj. resembling the blue of the sky.

onomatopoeia \ah-nuh-mah-tuh-PEE-uh\

n. 1. the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss). 2. the use of words whose sound suggests the sense.

patina \puh-TEE-nuh\

n. 1. a) a usually green film formed on copper and bronze by exposure to moist air and often valued aesthetically for its color; b) a surface appearance of something grown beautiful, especially with age or use. 2. an appearance or aura that is derived from association, habit, or established character. 3. a superficial covering or exterior.

discriminate \diss-KRIM-uh-nayt\

v. 1. a) to see the special features of; b) to perceive a difference; differentiate. 2. to distinguish by discerning or exposing differences; especially , to distinguish from another like object. 3. to make a difference in treatment or favor on a basis other than individual merit.

fastidious \fa-STI-dē-əs, fə-\

adj. 1. archaic: scornful. 2. a) having high and often capricious standards; difficult to please; b) showing or demanding excessive delicacy or care; c) reflecting a meticulous, sensitive, or demanding attitude. 3. having complex nutritional requirements. –fastidiously, adv. –fastidiousness, n.

visceral \VIS-uh-rul\

adj. 1. felt in or as if in the internal organs of the body. 2. not intellectual; instinctive. 3. dealing with crude or elemental emotions. 4. or, relating to, or located on or among the internal organs of the body.

ruminate \ROO-muh-nayt\

v. 1. to engage in contemplation; meditate. 2. to chew again what has been chewed slightly and swallowed; chew the cud.

archipelago \ahr-kuh-PEL-uh-goh\

n. 1. an expanse of water with many scattered islands 2. a group of islands 3. something resembling an archipelago; especially: a group or scattering of similar things.

overwhelm \oh-ver-WELM\

v. 1. upset, overthrow. 2. a) to cover over completely; submerge; b) to overcoe by superior force or numbers; c) to overpower in thought or feeling.

fey \FAY\

adj. 1. marked by a foreboding of death or calamity. 2. a) marked by an otherworldly air or attitude; b) crazy. 3. a) excessively refined; precious; b) quaintly unconventional; campy.

ziggurat \ZIG-oo-rat\

noun: (among the ancient Babylonians andAssyrians) a temple of Sumerian origin in the form of a pyramidal tower,consisting of a number of stories and having about the outside a broad ascentwinding round the structure, presenting the appearance of a series of terraces.

cumulate \KYOO-myuh-layt\

v. 1. to gather or pile or become gathered or piled in a heap. 2. to combine into one. 3. a) to build up by addition of new material; b) to increase gradually in quantity or number.

lachrymose \LAK-ruh-mohss\

adj. 1. given to tears or weeping; tearful. 2. tending to cause tears; mournful.

gyre \JYRE\

n. a circular or spiral motion or form; especially, a giant circular oceanic surface current.

bamboozle \bam-BOO-zul\

v. 1. to deceive by underhanded methods; dupe, hoodwink. 2. to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely.

tramontane \truh-MAHN-tayn\

adj. 1. situated on the north side of the Alps; transalpine. 2. lying on or coming from the other side of a mountain range. During the 18th century, the adjective began carrying the meaning barbarous, but that meaning is now rarely used.

mountebank \MOUN-tih-bank\

n. 1. a person who sells quack medicines from a platform. 2. a boastful unscrupulous pretender; charlatan.

haberdasher \HAB-er-dash-er\

n. 1. British: a dealer in notions. 2. a dealer in men's clothing and accessories.

vulcanize \VUL-kuh-nyze\

v. to subject to or to undergo the process of treating crude or synthetic rubber or similar plastic material chemically to give it useful properties (as elasticity, strength, and stability).

gargantuan \gahr-GAN-chuh-wuhn\

adj. tremendous in size, volume, or degree; gigantic, colossal.

elucidate \ih-LOO-suh-dayt\

v. 1. to make lucid especially by explanation or analysis. 2. to give a clarifying explanation.

strudel \STROO-dul\

n. a pastry made from a thin sheet of dough rolled up with filling and baked.

splenetic\spli-NET-ik\

adj: 1. irritable; peevish; spiteful. 2. of the spleen; splenic.3. Obsolete. affected with,characterized by, or tending to produce melancholy. n: a splenetic person.

trammel \TRAM-ul\

n. 1. a net for catching birds or fish. 2. something impeding activity, progress, or freedom; restraint (usually used in plural).

impute \im-PYOOT\

v. 1. to lay the responsibility or blame for, often falsely or unjustly. 2. to credit to a person or a cause.

bemuse \bih-MYOOZ\

v. 1. to make confused; puzzle, bewilder. 2. to occupy the attention of; absorb. 3. to cause to have feeling of wry or tolerant amusement.

feisty \FYE-stee\

adj. 1. chiefly Southern Midland a) full of nervous energy; fidgety; b) touchy, quarrelsome; c) exuberantly frisky. 2. having or showing a lively aggressiveness; spunky.

coquetry \KOH-kuh-tree\

n. a flirtatious act or attitude.

regardless \rih-GAHRD-lus\

adv. despite everything.

fascicle \FASS-ih-kul\

n. 1. a small or slender bundle (as of pine needles or nerve fibers). 2. one of the divisions of a book published in parts.

genuflect \JEN-yuh-flekt\

v. 1. a) to bend the knee; b) to touch the knee to the floor or ground, especially in worship. 2. to be servilely obedient or respectful.

stratagem \STRAT-uh-jum\

n. 1. a) an artifice or trick in war for deceiving and outwitting the enemy; b) a cleverly contrived trick or scheme for gaining an end. 2. skill in ruses or trickery.

nightmare \NYTE-mair\

n. 1. an evil spirit formerly thought to oppress people during sleep. 2. a frightening dream that usually awakens the sleeper. 3. something (as an experience, situation, or object) having the monstrous character of a nightmare or producing a feeling of anxiety or terror.

crux \KRUKS\

n. 1. a puzzling or difficult problem. 2. an essential point requiring resolution or resolving an outcome. 3. a main or central feature (as of an argument).

salient \SAIL-yunt\

adj. 1. jutting forward beyond a line. 2. standing out conspicuously; prominent; especially: of notable significance.

emblazon \im-BLAY-zun\

v. 1. a) to inscribe or adorn with or as if with heraldic bearings or devices; b) to inscribe (as logos or lettering) on a surface. 2. celebrate, extol.

diligent \DIL-uh-junt\

adj. characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort; painstaking.

wallaroo \wah-luh-ROO\

n. 1. a large reddish-gray kangaroo (Macropus robustus) called also euro. 2. either of two kangaroos (Macropus antelopinus and M. bernardus) related to the wallaroo.

kibosh \KYE-bosh\

n. something that serves as a check or stop.

compendious \kum-PEN-dee-us\

adj. marked by brief expression of a comprehensive matter; concise and comprehensive; also: comprehensive.

perdition \per-DISH-un\

n. 1. eternal damnation. 2. hell.

zeitgeist \TSYTE-gyste\

n., often capitalized: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era.

swivet \SWIV-ut\ n.

a state of extreme agitation.

taciturn \TASS-uh-tern\

adj. temperamentally disinclined to talk.

conversazione \kahn-ver-saht-see-OH-nee\

n. a meeting place for conversation, especially about art, literature, or science. Pl: conversaziones, conversazioni.

foment \FOH-ment\

v. to promote the growth or development of; rouse, incite.

raillery \RAIL-uh-ree\

n. 1. good-natured ridicule; banter. 2. jest.

kegler \KEG-ler\

n. a person who bowls; bowler.

ethereal \ih-THEER-ee-ul\

adj. 1. of or relating to the heavens; heavenly. 2. being light and airy; delicate.

subterfuge \SUB-ter-fyooj\

n. 1. deception by artifice or stratagem in order to conceal, escape, or evade. 2. a deceptive device or stratagem.

wreak \REEK\

v. 1. to cause the infliction of (vengeance or punishment). 2. to give free play or course to (malevolent feeling). 3. bring about, cause.

echelon \ESH-uh-lahn\

n. 1. a step-like arrangement. 2 a) one of a series of levels or grades in an organization or field of activity; b) the individuals at such a level.

perquisite \PER-kwuh-zut\

n. 1. a privilege or profit made in addition to regular pay. 2. Gratuity, tip. 3. something held or claimed as an exclusive right or possession.

dulcet \DUL-sut\

adj. 1. sweet to the taste. 2. pleasing to the ear. 3. generally pleasing or agreeable.

tiding \TYE-ding\

n. a piece of news; usually used in plural.

intrepid \in-TREP-id\

adj. characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance.

flagrant \FLAY-grunt\

adj. conspicuously offensive; especially: so obviously inconsistent with what is right or proper as to appear to be a flouting of law or morality.

duckboard \DUK-bord\

n. a boardwalk or slatted flooring laid on a wet, muddy, or cold surface—usually used in plural.

gloss \GLAHSS\

n. 1. a) to provide a gloss for; explain, define; b) interpret. 2. to dispose of by false or perverse interpretation.

maladroit \mal-uh-DROYT\

adj. lacking skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations; inept.

amenable \uh-MEE-nuh-bul\

adj. 1. liable to be brought to account; answerable. 2. a) capable of submission (as to judgment or test); suited; b) readily brought to yield, submit, or cooperate; c) inclined or favorably disposed in mind; willing.

incommunicado \in-kuh-myoo-nuh-KAH-doh\

adv./adj. without means of communication; in a situation or state not allowing communication.

rapporteur \ra-por-TER\

n. a person who gives reports (as at a meeting of a learned society).

parochial \puh-ROH-kee-ul\

adj. 1. of or relating to a church parish. 2. limited in range or scope (as to a narrow area or region); provincial, narrow.

headlong \HED-lawng\

adj . 1. with the head foremost. 2. without deliberation; recklessly. 3. without pause or delay.

epithet \EP-uh-thet\

n. 1. a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing. 2. a disparaging or abusive word or phrase. 3. the part of a taxonomic name identifying a subordinate unit within a genus.

calaboose \KAL-uh-booss\

n. jail; especially: a local jail.

tome \TOHM\

n. 1. a volume forming part of a larger work. 2. book; especially: a large or scholarly book.

mordant \MOR-dunt\

adj. 1. biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style; incisive. 2. burning, pungent.

spendthrift \SPEND-thrift\

n. a person who spends improvidently or wastefully.

defer \dih-FER\

v. 1. put off, delay. 2. to postpone induction of (a person) into military service.

kudos \KOO-dahss\

n. 1. fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement; prestige. 2. praise given for achievement.

valorous \VAL-uh-russ\

adj. 1. possessing or acting with bravery or boldness; courageous. 2. marked by, exhibiting, or carried out with courage or determination; heroic.

thole \THOHL\

v. chiefly dialect: endure.

crucible \KROO-suh-bul\

n. 1. a vessel in which metals or other substances are heated to a very high temperature or melted. 2. a severe test. 3. a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development.

xylography \zye-LAH-gruh-fee\

n. the art of making engravings on wood especially for printing.

ostensible \as-STEN-suh-bul\

adj. 1. intended for display; open to view. 2. being such in appearance; plausible rather than demonstrably true or real.

graupel \GROU-pul (OU is as in cloud)\

n. granular snow.

junket \JUNK-ut\

n. 1. a dessert of sweetened flavored milk set with rennet. 2. a) a festive social affair; b) trip, journey, as (1) a trip made by an official at public expense (2) a promotional trip made at another's expense.

fustian \FUSS-chun\

n. 1. a strong cotton and linen fabric. 2. high-flown or affected writing or speech; broadly: anything high-flown or affected in style.

darling \DAHR-ling\

n. 1. a dearly loved person. 2. favorite.

weltschmerz \VELT-shmairts\

n. often capitalized 1. mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state. 2. a mood of sentimental sadness.

leonine \LEE-uh-nyne\

adj. of, relating to, suggestive of, or resembling a lion.

yegg \YEG\

n. safecracker; also: robber.

contaminate \kun-TAM-uh-nayt\

v. 1. a) to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association b) to make inferior or impure by admixture. 2. to make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.

intercalate \in-TER-kuh-layt\

v. 1. to insert (as a day) in a calendar. 2. to insert between or among existing elements or layers.

loath \LOHTH\

adj. unwilling to do something contrary to one's way of thinking; reluctant.

arbalest \AHR-buh-list\

n. a crossbow, especially of medieval times.

bright-line \BRYTE-lyne\

adj. providing an unambiguous criterion or guideline, especially in law.

cook's tour \COOKS-TOOR\

n. a rapid or cursory survey or review.

elixir \ih-LIK-ser\

n. 1. a) a substance held to be capable of changing metals into gold; b) a substance held to be capable of extending life; c) cure-all; d) a medicinal concoction. 2. a sweetened usually alcoholic liquid.

gambol \GAM-bul\

v. to skip about in play; frisk, frolic.

heyday \HAY-day\

n. the period of one's greatest popularity, vigor, or prosperity.

stiction \STIK-shun\

n. the force required to cause one body in contact with another to begin to move.

gam \GAM\ v.

intransitive sense: to engage in a visit or friendly conversation at sea or ashore. transitive senses: 1. to have a visit or friendly conversation with. 2. to spend or pass (as time) talking.

lymphatic \lim-FAT-ik\

adj. 1. a) of, relating to, or produced by lymph, lymphoid tissue, or lymphocytes. b) conveying lymph. 2. lacking physical or mental energy; sluggish.

circumvent \ser-kum-VENT\

v. 1. to hem in. 2. to make a circuit around. 3. to manage to get around, especially by ingenuity or stratagem.

propinquity \pruh-PING-kwuh-tee\

n. 1. nearness of blood; kinship. 2. nearness in place or time; proximity.

cacography \ka-KAH-gruh-fee\

n. 1. bad spelling. 2. bad handwriting.

prescind \prih-SIND\

v. to withdraw one's attention.[1]

[1] If we prescind from the main issue for a moment, there is much to be gained by studying some corollary questions.

adulation \aj-uh-LAY-shun\

n. excessive or slavish admiration or flattery.

ludic \LOO-dik\

adj. of, relating to, or characterized by play; playful.

discursive \dis-KER-siv\

adj. 1. a) moving from topic to topic without order; rambling. b) proceeding coherently from topic to topic. 2. marked by analytical reasoning. 3. of or relating to discourse.

vade mecum \vay-dee-MEE-kum\

n. 1. a book for ready reference; manual. 2. something regularly carried about by a person.

dressage \dre-SÄZH, druh-\

n. the guiding of a horse through a series of complex maneuvers by slight movements of the rider's hands, legs, and weight.

vermiculate \ver-MICK-yu-late\

adj. infested with or damaged (as if eaten) by worms; worm-eaten, wormy.

mutt \MUT\

n. 1. a stupid or insignificant person; fool. 2. a mongrel dog; cur.

epicene \EH-puh-seen\

adj. 1. of a noun: having but one form to indicate either sex. 2. a) having characteristics typical of the other sex; intersexual b) effeminate. 3. lacking characteristics of either sex.

aubade \oh-BAHD\

n. 1. a song or poem greeting the dawn. 2. a) a morning love song b) a song or poem of lovers parting at dawn. 3. morning music.

cant \KANT\

n. dialect English: lively, lusty.

abnegate \AB-nih-gayt\

v. 1. deny, renounce. 2. surrender, relinquish.

rabble\RAB-ul\

n. 1. a disorganized or confused collection of things. 2. a) a disorganized or disorderly crowd of people; mob b) the lowest class of people.

comix \KAH-miks\

n. comic books or comic strips.

insouciance \in-SOO-see-uh ns;Fr. AN-soo-SYAHNS\

n: the quality of being insouciant;lack of care or concern; indifference.

critique \kruh-TEEK\

n. an act of criticizing; especially: a critical estimate or discussion.

manège\ma-NEZH, mə-NĀZH\

n. 1. a school for teaching horsemanship and for training horses. 2. the art of horsemanship or of training horses. 3. the movements or paces of a trained horse.

extemporaneous \ek-stem-puh-RAY-nee-us\

adj. 1. composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment; impromptu. 2. provided, made, or put to use as an expedient; makeshift.

duende \doo-EN-day\

n.the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm.

copious\KOH-pee-us\

adj. 1. a) yielding something abundantly b) plentiful in number. 2. full of thought, information, or matter. 3. lavish, abundant.

exegesis \ek-suh-JEE-sis\

n. exposition, explanation; especially: an explanation or critical interpretation of a text.

rebozo\ri-BŌ-(ˌ)zō, -(ˌ)sō\

n. a long scarf worn chiefly by Mexican women.

henchman \HENCH-mun\

n. 1. a trusted follower; a right-hand man. 2. a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage. 3. a member of a gang.

adamantine \ˌa-də-MAN-tēn, -ˌtīn, -MAN-tən\

adj. 1. made of or having the quality of adamant. 2. rigidly firm; unyielding. 3. resembling the diamond in hardness or luster.

empirical \im-PEER-uh-kul\

adj. 1. originating in or based on observation or experience. 2. relying on experience or observation alone often without due regard for system and theory. 3. capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment. 4. of or relating to empiricism.

nodal \NŌ-dəl\

adj. being, relating to, or located at or near a node.

conclave \KAHN-klayv\

n. 1. a private meeting or secret assembly. 2. a gathering of a group or association.

viva voce \vye-vuh-VOH-see\

adv. by word of mouth; orally.

gaffe \GAF\

n. 1. a social or diplomatic blunder. 2. a noticeable mistake.

livelong \LIV-lawng\

adj. whole, entire.

anodyne \ˈA-nə-ˌdīn\

n. 1. something that soothes, calms, or comforts. 2. a drug that allays pain. adj. not likely to provoke dissent or offense; uncontentious or inoffensive, often deliberately so. - anodyne new age music.

bosky \BAH-skee\

adj. 1. having abundant trees or shrubs. 2. of or relating to a woods.

abeyance \uh-BAY-unss\

n. 1. a lapse in succession during which there is no person in whom a title is vested. 2. temporary inactivity; suspension.

yuppify \YUP-uh-fye\

v. to make appealing to yuppies; also: to infuse with the qualities or values of yuppies.

immense \ih-MENSS\

adj. 1. marked by greatness especially in size or degree; especially: transcending ordinary means of measurement. 2. supremely good.

Babbitt \BAB-it\

n. a person, especially a business or professional man, who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards.

felicitate \fih-LISS-uh-tayt\

v. 1. to consider happy or fortunate. 2. to offer congratulations to.

putsch \PUTCH\

n. a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government.

arrogate\AIR-uh-gayt\

v. 1. a) to claim or seize without justification. b) to make undue claims to having; assume. 2) to claim on behalf of another; ascribe.

diplopia \dih-PLOH-pee-uh\

n. a disorder of vision in which two images of a single object are seen because of unequal action of the eye muscles—called also double vision.

winsome \WIN-sum\

adj. 1. generally pleasing and engaging, often because of a childlike charm and innocence. 2. cheerful, lighthearted.

quietus \kwye-EE-tus\

n. 1. final settlement (as of a debt). 2. removal from activity; especially: death. 3. something that quiets or represses.

nondescript \nahn-di-SKRIPT\

adj. 1. belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind; not easily described. 2. lacking distinctive or interesting qualities; dull, drab.

upbraid \up-BRAYD\

v. 1. to criticize severely; find fault with. 2. to reproach severely; scold vehemently.

gage \GĀJ\

n. 1. a token of defiance; specifically: a glove or cap cast on the ground to be taken up by an opponent as a pledge of combat. 2. something deposited as a pledge of performance.

chert \CHƏRT, CHAT\

n. a rock resembling flint and consisting essentially of a large amount of fibrous chalcedony with smaller amounts of cryptocrystalline quartz and amorphous silica. adj: cherty.

nugatory \NOO-guh-tor-ee\

adj. 1. of little or no consequence; trifling, inconsequential. 2. having no force; inoperative.

disquisition \dis-kwə-ZI-shən\

n. a formal inquiry into or discussion of a subject; discourse.

volplane \VAHL-playn\

v. 1. to glide in or as if in an airplane. 2. a) of an airplane: to descend gradually in controlled flight. b) to fly in a glider.

instauration \in-staw-RAY-shun\

n. 1. restoration after decay, lapse, or dilapidation. 2. an act of instituting or establishing something.

secrete\sih-KREET\

v. 1. to deposit or conceal in a hiding place. 2. to appropriate secretly; abstract.

fallacious \fuh-LAY-shus\

adj. 1. embodying a fallacy. 2. tending to deceive or mislead; delusive.

stroboscopic \strō-bə-SKÄ-pik\

adj. of, utilizing, or relating to a stroboscope or a strobe.

blenny noun \BLE-nē\

n. (plural blennies) any of numerous usually small and elongated marine fishes (especially families Blenniidae and Clinidae) including scaled and scaleless forms.

sylph \SILF\

n. 1. an elemental being in the theory of Paracelsus that inhabits air. 2. A slender graceful woman or girl.

élan \ay-LAHN\

n. vigorous spirit or enthusiasm.

unbolted \un-BOHL-tud\

adj. not sifted.

aretalogy \ayr-uh-TAHL-uh-gee\

n. a narrative of the miraculous deeds of a god or hero.

salvific \sahl-VIH-fick\

adj. having the intention or power to bring about salvation or redemption.

tub-thumper \TUB-thump-er\

n. a vociferous supporter (as of a cause).

ontology \än-TÄ-lə-jē\

n. 1. a branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature and relations of being. 2. a particular theory about the nature of being or the kinds of things that have existence.

subaltern \suh-BOL-tern\

adj. 1. particular with reference to a related universal proposition. 2. subordinate.

élan \ay-LAHN\

n. vigorous spirit or enthusiasm.

gnosis \NO-sis\

n. esoteric knowledge of spiritual truth held by the ancient Gnostics to be essential to salvation.

oppugn \uh-PYOON\

v. 1. to fight against. 2. to call in question.

pippin \PIP-in\

n. 1. a crisp tart apple having usually yellow or greenish-yellow skin strongly flushed with red and used especially for cooking. 2. a highly admired or very admirable person or thing.

demarcate \dih-MAHR-kayt\

v. 1. to fix or define the limits of; delimit. 2. to set apart; distinguish.

multitudinous \mul-tuh-TOO-duh-nus\

adj. 1. including a multitude of individuals. 2. existing in a great multitude. 3. existing in or consisting of innumerable elements or aspects.

hebdomadal \heb-DAH-muh-dul\

adj. occurring, appearing, or done every week; weekly.

knee-jerk \NEE-jerk\

adj. readily predictable; automatic; also: reacting in a readily predictable way.

epaulet \ep-uh-LET\

n. something that ornaments or protects the shoulder, as: a) an ornamental fringed shoulder pad formerly worn as part of a military uniform; b) an ornamental strip or loop sewn across the shoulder of a dress or coat.

zoomorphic \zoh-uh-MOR-fik\

adj. 1. having the form of an animal. 2. of, relating to, or being a deity conceived of in animal form or with animal attributes.

aretalogy \ar-hu-TAL-uh-gee\

n. a narrative of the miraculous deeds of a god or hero.

salvific \sal-VIF-ik\

adj. having the intention or power to bring about salvation or redemption.

atavism\AT-uh-viz-um\

n. 1. a) recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination. b) recurrence of or reversion to a past style, manner, outlook, approach, or activity. 2. one that manifests atavism; throwback.

resile \rih-ZYLE\

v. recoil, retract; especially: to return to a prior position.

devious\DEE-ve-us\

adj. 1. deviating from a straight line; roundabout. 2. behaving wrongly; errant. 3. tricky, cunning; also: deceptive.

grok \GRAHK\

v. to understand profoundly and intuitively.

incunabulum \in-kyuh-NAB-yuh-lum\

n. 1. a book printed before 1501. 2. a work of art or of industry of an early period.

rash \RASH\

adj. marked by or proceeding from undue haste or lack of deliberation or caution.

narcosynthesis\nar-ko-SIN-thu-sis\

n. pl. narcosyntheses \sees\ narcoanalysis directed toward making the patient recall repressed memories and emotional traumas.

narcoanalysis\nar-ko-uh-NAL-uh-sis\

n. pl. narcoanalyses \sees\ psychotherapy conducted while the patient is in a sleeplike state induced by barbiturates or other drugs, especially as a means of releasing repressed feelings, thoughts, or memories. Its use is restricted to circumstances when there is a compelling, immediate need for a patient's responses. narcoanalytic \nar-ko-an-uh-LIH-tik\ adj.

cockalorum \kah-kuh-LOR-um\

n. 1. a boastful and self-important person. 2. boastful talk.

vexillology \vek-su-LAH-luh-jee\

n. the study of flags. vexillologic or vexillological adj. vexillologist n.

carp \KAHRP\

v. to find fault or complain querulously.

mastoid \MAS-toid\

adj. 1. shaped like a nipple or breast. 2. designating or relating to a nipple-like process of the temporal bone behind the ear.

loquacious \loh-KWAY-shus\

adj. 1. full of excessive talk; wordy. 2. given to fluent or excessive talk; garrulous.

hyphenate \HYE-fuh-nayt\

n. a person who performs more than one function (as a producer-director in filmmaking).

revetment \ruh-VET-ment\

n. 1. a facing, as of masonry, used to support an embankment. 2. a barricade against explosives.

alleviate \uh-LEE-vee-ayt\

v. relieve, lessen: as a) to make (as suffering) more bearable. b) to partially remove or correct.

picaresque \pik-uh-RESK\

adj. of or relating to rogues or rascals; also: of, relating to, suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a usually roguish protagonist.

emote \ih-MOHT\

v. to give expression to emotion, especially in acting.

tragus \TRAY-gus\

n. the prominence in front of the external opening of the outer ear.

querulous \KWAIR-yuh-lus\

adj. 1. habitually complaining. 2. fretful, whining.

shawlie \SHA-lee\

n. (Irish) a disparaging term for a working-class woman who wears a shawl.

agama \AG-uh-muh\

n. any of numerous agamid lizards of the genus Agama, many of which are brilliantly colored and have the ability to change the color of the skin.

Agama \AH-guh-muh\

n. Hinduism, Buddhism: any of the Tantric writings.

oniomania \oh-nee-uh-MEY-nee-uh, -MEYN-yuh\

n. an uncontrollable desire to buy things.

irriguous \ih-RIG-yoo-uhs\

adj. (Archaic) well-watered, as land.

derring-do \dair-ing-DOO\

n. daring action; daring.

pleach \PLEECH\

v. 1. to interweave branches or vines for a hedge or arbor. 2. to make or renew (a hedge, arbor, etc.) by such interweaving. 3. to braid (hair).

apotropaic \ap-uh-truh-PEY-ik\

adj. intended to ward off evil.

cumshaw \KUHM-shaw\

n. a present; gratuity; tip.

caparison \kuh-PAR-uh-suhn\

v. 1. to dress richly; deck. 2. to cover with a caparison. noun: 1. a decorative covering for a horse or for the tack or harness of a horse; trappings. 2. rich and sumptuous clothing or equipment.

tony \TOH-nee\

adj. high-toned; stylish.

macaronic \mak-uh-RON-ik\

adj. 1. composed of a mixture of languages. 2. composed of or characterized by Latin words mixed with vernacular words or non-Latin words given Latin endings. 3. mixed; jumbled. noun: 1. macaronics, macaronic language. 2. a macaronic verse or other piece of writing.

approbate \AP-ruh-beyt\

v. to approve officially.

four-flush \FOR-FLUSH\

v. to bluff in poker holding a four flush; broadly: to make a false claim; bluff.

palladium \puh-LEY-dee-uhm\

n. 1. anything believed to provide protection or safety; safeguard. 2. a statue of Athena, especially one on the citadel of Troy on which the safety of the city was supposed to depend. 3. a rare metallic element of the platinum group, silver-white, ductile and malleable, harder and fusing more readily than platinum; used chiefly as a catalyst and in dental and other alloys. Symbol: Pd.

Ruritania \roor-i-TEY-nee-uh, roor-i-TEY-\

n. 1. a mythical, romantic kingdom conceived as the setting for a fairy tale, costume drama, comic operetta, or the like. 2. (Facetious) any small, little-known country or region considered remote, backward, or exotic. –adj. ruritanian.

kasha \KAH-shuh\

n. 1. a soft food prepared from hulled and crushed grain, especially buckwheat. 2. such grain before cooking.

pneumoencephalogram \noo-moh-en-SEF-uh-luh-gram, nyoo-\

n. Medicine/Medical. an encephalogram made after the replacement of the cerebrospinal fluid by air or gas, rarely used since the development of the CAT scanner.

encephalogram \en-SEF-uh-luh-gram\

n. Medicine/Medical. an x-ray of the brain, usually involving replacement of some cerebrospinal fluid by air or other gas that circulates to the brain's ventricular spaces and acts as a contrast medium.

istle \IST-lee\

n. a fiber from any of several tropical American plants of the genus Agave or Yucca, used in making bagging, carpets, etc.

nincompoop \NIN-kuhm-poop, NING-\

n. a fool or simpleton.

piquant \PEE-kunt\

adj. 1. agreeably stimulating to the palate; especially; spicy 2. engagingly provocative; also: having a lively arch charm.

aperçu \a-per-SY\

n. 1. a hasty glance; a glimpse. 2. an immediate estimate or judgment; understanding; insight. 3. an outline or summary.

suavity \SWAH-vi-tee, swav-i-\

n. plural suavities. 1. a suave or smoothly agreeable quality. 2. suavities, suave or courteous actions or manners; amenities.

nebbish \NEB-ish\

n. a timid, meek, or ineffectual person.

xenophilia \zen-uh-FIL-ee-uh\

n. an attraction to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs.

bedizen \bih-DYE-zun\

v. to dress or adorn gaudily.

reconnoiter \ree-kuh-NOI-ter\

v. 1. to make an inspection or observation. 2. to inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes. 3. to examine or survey a region or area for engineering, geological, or other purposes.

stenophobia \sten-uh-FOH-be-uh\

n. fear of narrow things or places.

taphephobia \taf-uh-FOH-bee-uh\

n. Psychiatry. an abnormal fear of being buried alive.

theophobia \thee-uh-FOH-bee-uh\

n. anxious fear of God; dread of divine anger; rarely, aversion to or hatred of God (OED).

wolf's-head| wolf-head

n. 1. the head of a wolf; a figure of this, e.g. as a heraldic bearing. 2. Anglo-Saxon Law. a cry for the pursuit of an outlaw as one to be hunted down like a wolf; transf. (orig. in phr. to cry wolf's head ) an outlaw (OED).

Este \ES-tey\

n. a city in NE Italy; medieval fortress; ancient Roman ruins. 17,060.

bona fides \BOH-nah FEE-des\

n. 1. good faith; the state of being exactly as claims or appearances indicate. 2. (sometimes italics) (used with a plural verb) the official papers, documents, or other items that prove authenticity, legitimacy, etc., as of a person or enterprise; credentials.

spirea \spahy-REE-uh\

n. any of various plants or shrubs belonging to the genus Spiraea, of the rose family, having clusters of small, white or pink flowers, certain species of which are cultivated as ornamentals.

threshold \THRESH-hohld\

n. 1. the section of wood or stone that lies under a door. 2. a) the means or place of entry; entrance b) the place or point of beginning. 3. the point or level at which a physical or mental effect begins to be produced.

pod \PAHD\ noun, verb, pod·ded,pod·ding.

n. 1. a somewhat elongated, two-valved seed vessel, as that of the pea or bean. 2. a dehiscent fruit or pericarp having several seeds. 3. Entomology. a) an insect egg case b) a compact mass of insect eggs. 4. a streamlined enclosure, housing, or detachable container of some kind: an engine pod under the wing of an aircraft. 5. a protective compartment, as for an automobile's instrument gauges.

agnomen \ag-NOH-muhn\

n. 1. a nickname. 2. an additional, fourth name given to a person by the ancient Romans in allusion to some achievement or other circumstance, as “Africanus” in “Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.”

gregarious \grih-GAIR-ee-us\

adj. 1. a) tending to associate with others of one's kind; social. b) marked by or indicating a liking for companionship: sociable. c) of or relating to a social group. 2. a) of a plant: growing in a cluster or a colony. b) living in contiguous nests but not forming a true colony — used especially of wasps and bees.

agitprop \AJ-it-prop\

n. 1. agitation and propaganda, especially for the cause of communism. 2. (often initial capital letter) an agency or department, as of a government, that directs and coordinates agitation and propaganda. 3. also: agitpropist, a person who is trained or takes part in such activities.

malediction \mal-uh-DIK-shun\

n. curse, execration.

execration \ek-suh-KRAY-shun\

n. 1. the act of cursing or denouncing; also: the curse so uttered. 2. an object of curses; something detested.

hsien \SHYUHN\

n. 1. one of a group of benevolent spirits promoting good in the world. 2. in China, a county or district.

obolus \OB-uh-luhs\

n. 1. a modern Greek unit of weight equal to 0.1 gram. 2. obole.

autochthonous \aw-TOK-thuh-nuhs\

adj. 1. pertaining to autochthons; aboriginal; indigenous ( opposed to heterochthonous).

Lemuralia \lem-yuh-REY-lee-uh, -REYL-yuh\

n. (sometimes used with a plural verb) the annual festival in ancient Rome in which the lemures were exorcised from houses.

Purana \poo-RAH-nuh\

n. any of 18 collections of Hindu legends and religious instructions.

steganography \ste-guh-NAH-gruh-fee\

n. 1. archaic: cryptography. 2. the art or practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file. — steganographic adj.

obliquity \uh-BLIK-wi-tee, oh-BLIK-\

n. plural obliquities. 1. the state of being oblique. 2. divergence from moral conduct, rectitude, etc.; immorality, dishonesty, or the like. 3. an instance of such divergence. 4. mental perversity. 5. an instance of mental perversity.

obtuse \uhb-TOOS\

adj. 1. not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect. 2. not sharp, acute, or pointed; blunt in form. 3. (of a leaf, petal, etc.) rounded at the extremity. 4. indistinctly felt or perceived, as pain or sound.

vindicate \VIN-duh-kayt\

v. 1. avenge. 2. a) to free from allegation or blame. b) confirm, substantiate c) to provide justification or defense for; justify d) to protect from attack or encroachment; defend. 3. to maintain a right to.

germinal \JUR-muh-nl\

adj. 1. being in the earliest stage of development. 2. of or pertaining to a germ or germs. 3. of the nature of a germ or germ cell.

koan \KOH-ahn\

n. plural koans, koan. Zen . a nonsensical or paradoxical question to a student for which an answer is demanded, the stress of meditation on the question often being illuminating.

zedonk \ZEE-dongk, -dawngk, -duhngk\

n. the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

fard \fahrd\

v. 1. to apply cosmetics. n. 1. facial cosmetics.

minatory \MIN-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee\

adj. menacing; threatening.

schizogenesis \skiz-uh-JEN-uh-sis, skit-suh-\

Biology. reproduction by fission.

barnburner \BAHRN-bur-ner\

n. 1. something that is highly exciting or impressive. 2. Chiefly Pennsylvania. a wooden friction match. 3. (initial capital letter) a member of the progressive faction in the Democratic party in New York State 1845–52.

mackintosh \MAK-in-tosh\

n. 1. a raincoat made of rubberized cloth. 2. such cloth. 3. chiefly British. any raincoat. var. sp: macintosh.

adenoidal \ad-n-OID-l\

adj. 1. being characteristically pinched and nasal in tone quality. 2. of or pertaining to the adenoids; adenoid. 3. having the adenoids enlarged, especially to a degree that interferes with normal breathing.

phantasmagoria \fan-taz-muh-GAWR-ee-uh, -GOHR-]

n. 1. a shifting series of phantasms, illusions, or deceptive appearances, as in a dream or as created by the imagination. 2. a changing scene made up of many elements. 3.an optical illusion produced by a magic lantern or the like in which figures increase or diminish in size, pass into each other, dissolve, etc.

solfeggio \sol-FEJ-oh,-FEJ-ee-oh\

n. pl. solfeggi, solfeggios. Music. 1. a vocal exercise in which the sol-fa syllables are used. 2. the use of the sol-fa syllables to name or represent the tones of a melody or voice part, or the tones of the scale, or of a particular series, as the scale of C; solmization.

solmization \sol-muh-ZEY-shuhn, sohl-\

n. Music. the act, process, or system of using certain syllables, especially the sol-fa syllables, to represent the tones of the scale.

cuboid KYOO-boid\

adj. 1. also, cuboidal. resembling a cube in form. 2. Anatomy. noting or pertaining to the outermost bone of the distal row of tarsal bones. n. 3. Mathematics. a rectangular parallelepiped. 4. Anatomy. the cuboid bone.

nosh \NOSH\

v. 1. to snack or eat between meals. 2. to snack on. n. 1. a snack.

poulp \PUHLP\

n. an octopus

zoophyte \ZOH-uh-fahyt\

n. any of various invertebrate animals resembling a plant, as a coral or a sea anemone.

cromlech \KROM-lek\

n. Archaeology. (no longer in technical use) a megalithic chamber tomb.

fulguration \FUHL-gyuh-reyt\

v. fulgurated, fulgurating. (used without object) 1.to flash or dart like lightning.

unexceptionable \uhn-ik-SEP-shuh-nuh-buhl\

adj. not offering any basis for exception or objection; beyond criticism: an unexceptionable record of achievement.

panache \puh-NASH,-NAHSH\

n. 1. a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair: The actor who would play Cyrano must have panache. 2. an ornamental plume of feathers, tassels, or the like, especially one worn on a helmet or cap. 3. Architecture. the surface of a pendentive.

pastil \pa-STEEL, -STIL\

n. 1. a flavored or medicated lozenge; troche. 2. a roll or cone of paste containing aromatic substances, burned as a disinfectant or deodorant. 3. pastel for crayons. 4. a crayon made of pastel.

pendentive \pen-DEN-tiv\

n. Architecture. 1. any of several spandrels, in the form of spherical triangles, forming a transition between the circular plan of a dome and the polygonal plan of the supporting masonry. 2. any of several masonry devices, as squinches or trompes, for forming a transition between a circular or polygonal construction, as a dome or lantern, and supporting masonry of a different plan.

littoral \LIT-er-uhl\

adj. 1. pertaining to the shore of a lake, sea, or ocean. 2. (on ocean shores) of or pertaining to the biogeographic region between the sublittoral zone and the high-water line and sometimes including the supralittoral zone above the high-water line. 3. of or pertaining to the region of freshwater lake beds from the sublittoral zone up to and including damp areas on shore. n. 1. a littoral region.

squinche \SKWINCH\

n. Architecture. a small arch, corbeling, or the like, built across the interior angle between two walls, as in a square tower for supporting the side of a superimposed octagonal spire.

trompe \TROMP\

n. Metallurgy. a device formerly used for inducing a blast of air upon the hearth of a forge by means of a current of falling water.

spandrel \SPAN-druhl\

n. 1. Architecture. an area between the extradoses of two adjoining arches, or between the extrados of an arch and a perpendicular through the extrados at the springing line. 2. (in a steel-framed building) a panel-like area between the head of a window on one level and the sill of a window immediately above. 3. Philately. the decoration occupying the space at the corner of a stamp between the border and an oval or circular central design. Also, spandril.

corbeling \KAWR-buhl\

n., v. corbeled, corbeling or (especially British) corbelled, corbelling. Architecture. n. 1. any bracket, especially one of brick or stone, usually of slight extent. 2. a short horizontal timber supporting a girder.

extrados \EK-struh-dos, -dohs, ek-STREY-dos, -dohs\

n. plural ex·tra·dos [-dohz, -dohz] ex·tra·dos·es. Architecture. the exterior curve or surface of an arch or vault.

ensconce \en-SKONS\

v. 1. to settle securely or snugly. 2. to cover or shelter; hide securely.

radiesthesia \ray-dee-ess-THEE-zee-uh\

n. the (supposed) perception of energy or radiation by the body, proposed as the basis of the use of dowsing rods, pendulums, etc., esp. to locate buried substances or diagnose illness; a branch of alternative medicine based on this (OED).

polymastia \pah-lee-MASS-tee-uh\

n. the congenital condition of having supernumerary breasts. adj. polymastic (OED).

aphotic \ey-FOH-tik\

adj. lightless; dark.

ort \AWRT\ n.

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

kowtow \KOU-TOU\

v. 1. to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference. 2. to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology, etc., especially in former Chinese custom. n. 1. the act of kowtowing.

sacerdotal \sas-er-DOHT-l\

adj. of priests; priestly.

theurgy \THEE-ur-jee\

n. pl. theurgies. 1. a system of beneficent magic practiced by the Egyptian Platonists and others. 2. the working of a divine or supernatural agency in human affairs.

hagiography \hag-ee-OG-ruh-fee, hey-jee-\

n. pl. hagiographies. the writing and critical study of the lives of the saints; hagiology.

filiation \fil-ee-EY-shuhn\

n. 1. the fact of being the child of a certain parent. 2. descent as if from a parent; derivation. 3. Law. the judicial determination of the paternity of a child, especially of one born out of wedlock. 4. the relation of one thing to another from which it is derived. 5. the act of filiating.

numen \NOO-min\

n. divine power, especially one who inhabits a particular object.

mensch \MENCH\

n. a decent, upright, mature, and responsible person.

disingenuous \dis-in-JEN-yoo-uhs\

adj. lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere: Her excuse was rather disingenuous.

ingenuous \in-JEN-yoo-uhs\

adj. 1. free from reserve, restraint, or dissimulation; candid; sincere. 2. artless; innocent; naive. 3. Obsolete. honorable or noble.

nettlesome \NET-l-suhm\

adj. 1. causing irritation, vexation, or annoyance: to cope with a nettlesome situation. 2. easily provoked or annoyed: to become nettlesome over trivial matters.

germane \jer-MEYN\ adj. 1. closely orsignificantly related; relevant; pertinent: Pleasekeep your statements germane to the issue. 2. Obsolete. closely related.

adj. 1. closely or significantly related; relevant; pertinent: Please keep your statements germane to the issue. 2. Obsolete. closely related.

Germaine \jer-MEYN;Fr. zher-MEN\

n. a female given name.

acrimonious \ak-ruh-MOH-nee-uhs\

adj. caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, behavior, etc.: an acrimonious answer; an acrimonious dispute.

pseudonym \SOOD-n-im\

n. a fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name. adj. pseudonymous. Compare allonym (def. 1). Synonyms: alias, nom de plume.

allonym \AL-uh-nim\

n. 1. the name of another person taken by an author as a pen name. Compare pseudonym. 2. a work published under a name that is not that of the author.

sudorific \soo-duh-RIF-ik\

adj. 1. causing sweat. 2. sudoriparous. n. 1. a sudorific agent.

pother \POTH-er\

n. 1. a heated discussion, debate, or argument; fuss; to-do. 2. commotion; uproar. 3. a choking or suffocating cloud, as of smoke or dust. v. 1. to worry; bother.

cicatrix \SIK-uh-triks\

n. 1. new tissue that forms over a wound. 2. Botany. a scar left by a fallen leaf, seed, etc.

obtest \ob-TEST\

v. 1. to supplicate earnestly; beseech. 2. to invoke as witness. 3. to protest. 4. to make supplication; beseech.

sibilant \SIB-uh-luhnt\

adj. 1. hissing. 2. Phonetics. characterized by a hissing sound; noting sounds like those spelled with s in this. n. 1. Phonetics. a sibilant consonant.

prorogue \proh-ROHG\

v. 1. to defer; postpone. 2. to discontinue a session of (the British Parliament or a similar body).

matrilineal \ma-truh-LIN-ee-uhl\

adj. inheriting or determining descent through the female line.

tribade \TRIB-uhd\

n. lesbian.

intromit \in-truh-MIT\

v. to introduce; to send, put, or let in.

ontology \on-TOL-uh-jee\

n. 1. the branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being as such. 2. (loosely) metaphysics.

involution \in-vuh-LOO-shuhn\

n. 1. an act or instance of involving or entangling; involvement. 2. the state of being involved. 3. something complicated. 4. Botany, Zoology. a. a rolling up or folding in upon itself. b. a part so formed. 5. Biology. retrograde development; degeneration.

altiloquent \awl-TIL-uh-kwuhnt\

n. high-flown or pretentious language.

spruik \SPROOK\

v. to make or give a speech, especially extensively; spiel.

omphalos \OM-fuh-luhs\

n. 1. The central point. 2. The navel; umbilicus. 3. Greek Antiquity. A stone in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, thought to mark the center of the earth.

pip \PIP\

v. 1. to peep or chirp. 2. (of a young bird) to break out from the shell. 3. to crack or chip a hole through (the shell), as a young bird.

phatic \FAT-ik\

adj. denoting speech used to create an atmosphere of goodwill.

gambit \GAM-bit\

n. 1. a remark made to open or redirect a conversation. 2. Chess: an opening in which a player seeks to obtain some advantage by sacrificing a pawn or piece. 3. any maneuver by which one seeks to gain an advantage.

belabor \bih-LEY-ber\

v. 1. to explain, worry about, or work more than is necessary. 2. to assail persistently, as with scorn or ridicule. 3. to beat vigorously; ply with heavy blows. 4. Obsolete: to labor at.

cumulus \KYOO-myuh-luhs\

n. 1. a heap; pile. 2. a cloud of a class characterized by dense individual elements in the form of puffs, mounds, or towers, with flat bases and tops that often resemble cauliflower.

demiurge \DEM-ee-urj\

n. 1. Philosophy: a) Platonism: The artificer of the world. b) (In the Gnostic and certain other systems) a supernatural being imagined as creating or fashioning the world in subordination to the Supreme Being, and sometimes regarded as the originator of evil. 2. (In many states of ancient Greece) a public official or magistrate.

existentialism \eg-zi-STEN-shuh-liz-uhm,ek-si-\

n. Philosophy: a philosophical attitude associated especially with Heidegger, Jaspers, Marcel, and Sartre, and opposed to rationalism and empiricism, that stresses the individual's unique position as a self-determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his or her choices.

ingeminate \in-JEM-uh-neyt\

v. to repeat; reiterate.

betide \bih-TAHYD\

v. 1. to happen to; come to; befall. 2. to happen; come to pass.

ventose \VEN-tohs\

adj. given to empty talk; windy.

asperse \uh-SPURS\

n. 1. to sprinkle; bespatter. 2. to attack with false, malicious, and damaging charges or insinuations; slander.

caduceus \kuh-DOO-see-uhs,-syoos, -shuhs, -DYOO-\

n. plural caducei \-see-ahy\ 1. Classical Mythology: the staff carried by Mercury as messenger of the gods. 2. a representation of this staff used as an emblem of the medical profession and as the insignia of the U.S. Army Medical Corps.

varlet\VAHR-lit\

n. 1. a knavish person; rascal. 2. a) an attendant or servant. b) a page who serves a knight.

skirr \SKUR\

v. 1. to go rapidly; fly; scurry. 2. to go rapidly over. n. a grating or whirring sound.

haimish\HEY-mish\

adj. homey; cozy and unpretentious.

armamentarium\ahr-muh-muhn-TAIR-ee-uhm\

n. 1. a fruitful source of devices or materials available or used for an undertaking. 2. the aggregate of equipment, methods, and techniques available to one for carrying out one's duties.

psychopomp\SAHY-koh-pomp\

n. a person who conducts spirits or souls to the other world, as Hermes or Charon.

bosh\BOSH\

n. absurd or foolish talk; nonsense.

levigate \LEV-i-geyt\

v. 1. to rub, grind, or reduce to a fine powder. 2. Chemistry. to make a homogeneous mixture of, as gels. adj. 1. Botany. having a smooth, glossy surface; glabrous.

histrionics \his-tree-ON-iks\

n. 1. behavior or speech for effect, as insincere or exaggerated expression of an emotion. 2. dramatic representation; theatricals; acting.

apoplectic\ap-uh-PLEK-tik\

adj. 1. intense enough to threaten or cause a stroke. 2. of or pertaining to apoplexy. 3. having or inclined to apoplexy. n. a person having or predisposed to apoplexy.

larrup\LAR-uhp\

v. to beat or thrash.

natch\NACH\

adv. of course; naturally.

divulse\dahy-VUHLS\

v. to tear away or apart.

pochismo\poh-CHEEZ-moh\

n. 1. an English word or expression borrowed into Spanish. 2. a form of speech employing many such words. 3. an adopted U.S. custom, attitude, etc.

mignon\min-YON\

adj. small and pretty; delicately pretty.

ravelment\RAV-uhl-muhnt\

n. etanglement; confusion.

fantast\FAN-tast\

n. a visionary or dreamer.

mewl \MYOOL\

v. to cry, as a baby, young child, or the like; whimper.

imponderable \im-PON-der-uh-buhl\

n. 1. a thing that cannot be precisely determined or measured. adj.1. not ponderable; that cannot be precisely determined, measured, or evaluated.

cunctation\kuhngk-TEY-shuhn\

n. delay; tardiness.

Sardanapalian\sahr-dn-uh-PEYL-yuhn\

adj. excessively luxurious. Eponym that comes from the legendary Assyrian king Sardanapal who was famous for his decadence.

eponym\EP-uh-nim\

n. 1. a person, real or imaginary, from whom something, as a tribe, nation, or place, takes or is said to take its name: Brut, the supposed grandson of Aeneas, is the eponym of the Britons. 2. a word based on or derived from a person's name. 3. any ancient official whose name was used to designate his year of office.

agnate \AG-neyt\

n. 1. a relative whose connection is traceable exclusively through males. 2. any male relation on the father's side. adj. 1. related or akin through males or on the father's side. 2. allied or akin.

volant \VOH-luhnt\

adj. 1. moving lightly; nimble. 2. engaged in or having the power of flight. n. 1. also called volant piece. Armor: a reinforcing piece for the brow of a helmet.

pensée \pahn-SEY\

n. a reflection or thought.

noctilucent \nok-tuh-LOO-suhnt\

adj. visible during the short night of the summer.

enchiridion \en-kahy-RID-ee-uhn\

n. a handbook; manual.

subitize \SOO-bi-tahyz\

v. to perceive at a glance the number of items presented.

chockablock\CHOK-uh-BLOK\

adj. 1. extremely full; crowded; jammed. 2. Nautical: having the blocks drawn close together, as when the tackle is hauled to the utmost. adv.1. in a crowded manner: books piled chockablock on the narrow shelf.

catatonic \kat-uh-TON-ik\

adj. 1. having catatonia, a syndrome characterized by muscular rigidity and mental stupor: The schizophrenic remained in a catatonic state. 2. appearing to be in a daze or stupor; unresponsive: She had the catatonic expression of an avant-garde model.

instauration \in-staw-REY-shuhn\

n. 1. renewal; restoration; renovation; repair. 2. Obsolete: an act of instituting something; establishment.

déclassé\dey-kla-SEY, -klah-; Fr. dey-klah-SEY\

adj. 1. reduced to or having low or lower status: a once-chic restaurant that had become completely déclassé. 2. reduced or belonging to a lower or low social class, position, or rank.

indeterminate\in-di-TUR-muh-nit\

adj. 1. not determinate; not precisely fixed in extent; indefinite; uncertain. 2. not clear; vague. 3. not established. 4. not settled or decided. 5. Mathematics: a. (of a quantity undefined, as 0/0. b. (of an equation) able to be satisfied by more than one value for each unknown. n. indeterminacy; indetermination; indeterminateness. adv. indeterminately.

makebate\MEYK-beyt\

n. a person who causes contention or discord.

subversive\suhb-VUR-siv\

adj. 1. Also: subversionary \suhb-VUR-zhuh-ner-ee, -shuh-\ tending to subvert or advocating subversion, especially in an attempt to overthrow or cause the destruction of an established or legally constituted government. noun 2. a person who adopts subversive principles or policies.

glutch\GLUHCH\

v. 1. to swallow. n. 1. a mouthful.

entropy \EN-truh-pee\n.

3. (in cosmology) a hypothetical tendency for the universe toattain a state of maximum homogeneity in which all matter is at a uniformtemperature (heat death). 4. adoctrine of inevitable social decline and degeneration. (See WORD LIST for complete definition.)

abstergent\ab-STUR-juhnt\

adj. 1. cleansing. 2. purgative. n. 1. a cleansing agent, as a detergent or soap.

syndic \SIN-dik\

n. 1. a person chosen to represent and transact business for a corporation. 2. a civil magistrate having different powers in different countries.

agemate\EYJ-meyt\

n. a person of about the same age as another.

pilikia\pee-lee-KEE-ah\

n. trouble.

mumpsimus \MUHMP-suh-muhs\

n. 1. adherence to or persistence in an erroneous use of language, memorization, practice, belief, etc., out of habit or obstinacy. 2. a person who persists in a mistaken expression or practice.

sumpsimus \SUHMP-suh-muhs\

n. 1. adherence to or persistence in using a strictly correct term, holding to a precise practice, etc., as a rejection of an erroneous but more common form (opposed to mumpsimus). 2. a person who is obstinate or zealous about such strict correctness (opposed to mumpsimus).

surfeit\SUR-fit\

n. 1. excess; an excessive amount: a surfeit of speechmaking. 2. excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking. 3. an uncomfortably full or crapulous feeling due to excessive eating or drinking. 4. general disgust caused by excess or satiety. v. 1. to bring to a state of surfeit by excess of food or drink. 2. to supply with anything to excess or satiety; satiate.

gallant \GAL-uhnt\

adj. 1. brave, spirited, noble-minded, or chivalrous: a gallant knight; a gallant rescue attempt. 2. exceptionally polite and attentive to women; courtly. 3. stately; grand: a gallant pageant. noun: 1. a brave, noble-minded, or chivalrous man. 2. a man exceptionally attentive to women. 3. a stylish and dashing man.

tête-à-tête\teyt-uh-teyt, tet-uh-tet; Fr. te-ta-tet\ n. pl. tête-à-têtes, Fr. tête-à-tête,

n. 1. a private conversation or interview, usually between two people. 2. also called vis-à-vis, a sofa shaped like an S so two people are able to converse face to face. adj. 1. of, between, or for two persons together without others.

stymie \STAHY-mee\

v. 1. to hinder, block, or thwart. n.1. Golf: (on a putting green) an instance of a ball's lying on a direct line between the cup and the ball of an opponent about to putt. 2. a situation or problem presenting such difficulties as to discourage or defeat any attempt to deal with or resolve it.

tractate \TRAK-teyt\

n. a treatise; essay.

cosmogony\koz-MOG-uh-nee\

n. pl. cosmogonies. a theory or story of the origin and development of the universe, the solar system, or the earth-moon system.

aliquant\AL-i-kwuhnt\

adj. contained in a number or quantity, but not dividing it evenly: An aliquant part of 16 is 5.

vamp \VAMP\

v. 1. to patch up; repair. 2. to give (something) a new appearance by adding a patch or piece. 3. to concoct or invent (often followed by up): he vamped up a few ugly rumors to discredit his enemies. 4. to furnish with a vamp, especially to repair (a shoe or boot) with a new vamp. noun: 1. the portion of a shoe or boot upper that covers the instep and toes. 2. something patched up or pieced together.

scherzando\skert-SAHN-doh\

adj. playful; sportive. Scherzando comes from the Italian word scherzare, meaning "to joke."

ectopic \ek-TOP-ik\

adj. occurring in an abnormal position or place; displaced.

hypethral \hi-PEE-thruhl\

adj. (of a classical building) wholly or partly open to the sky.

paronymous \puh-RON-uh-muhs\

adj. containing the same root or stem, as the words wise and wisdom.

tawpie \TAW-pee\

n. a foolish or thoughtless young person.

baccate\BAK-eyt\

adj. 1. berrylike. 2. bearing berries.

mote \MOHT\

n. 1. a small particle or speck, especially of dust. 2. moit.

requisition\rek-wuh-ZISH-uhn\

n. 1. a demand made. 2. the act of requiring or demanding. 3. an authoritative or formal demand for something to be done, given, supplied, etc.: the general issued a requisition to the townspeople for eight trucks. 4. a written request or order for something, as supplies. verb: 1. to require or take for use; press into service. 2. to demand or take, as by authority, for military purposes, public needs, etc.: to requisition supplies.

deflagrate \DEF-luh-greyt \

v. to burn, especially suddenly and violently.

beguile\bih-GAHYL\

v. 1. to influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude. 2. to take away from by cheating or deceiving (usually followed by of): to be beguiled of money. 3. to charm or divert: a multitude of attractions to beguile the tourist. 4. to pass (time) pleasantly: beguiling the long afternoon with a good book.

nary \NAIR-ee\

adj. not any; no; never a.

qualia \KWAH-lee-uh\

n. 1. a quality, as bitterness, regarded as an independent object. 2. a sense-datum or feeling having a distinctive quality.

desolate \DES-uh-leyt\

v. 1. to lay waste; devastate. 2. to deprive of inhabitants; depopulate. 3. to make disconsolate. 4. to forsake or abandon. adj. 1. barren or laid waste; devastated: a treeless, desolate landscape. 2. deprived or destitute of inhabitants; deserted; uninhabited. 3. solitary; lonely: a desolate place.

integument \in-TEG-yuh-muhnt\

n. 1. a natural covering, as a skin, shell, or rind. 2. any covering, coating, enclosure, etc.

nubilous \NOO-buh-luhs\

adj. 1. cloudy or foggy. 2. obscure or vague; indefinite.

jubilate\JOO-buh-leyt\

v. 1. to show or feel great joy; rejoice; exult. 2. to celebrate a jubilee or joyful occasion.

precipitancy\pri-SIP-i-tuhn-see\

n. 1. headlong or rash haste. 2. the quality or state of being precipitant. 3. precipitancies, hasty or rash acts.

banausic \buh-NAW-sik\

adj. serving utilitarian purposes only; mechanical; practical: architecture that was more banausic than inspired.

traject \truh-JEKT\

vt. to transport, transmit, or transpose.

usageaster\YOO-sij-as-ter\

n. a self-styled authority on language usage.

matte \MAT\

adj. 1. having a dull or lusterless surface: matte paint; a matte complexion; a photograph with a matte finish. n. 1. a dull or dead surface, often slightly roughened, as on metals, paint, paper, or glass. 2. a tool for producing such a surface.

incondite\in-KON-dit -dahyt\

adj. 1. ill-constructed; unpolished: incondite prose. 2. crude; rough; unmannerly.

cathect \kuh-THEKT, ka-\

v. to invest emotion or feeling in an idea, object, or another person.

foible \foi-buhl\

n. 1. a minor weakness or failing of character; slight flaw or defect: an all-too-human foible. 2. the weaker part of a sword blade, between the middle and the point (opposed to forte).

billet-doux\BIL-ey-DOO\ n; pl. billets-doux\bil-ay-DOO(Z)\

n. a love letter.

compeer \kuhm-PEER, KOM-peer\

n. 1. an equal in rank, ability, accomplishment, etc.; peer; colleague. 2. close friend; comrade. [Cf. Italian: compare.]

hew \HYOO or, often, YOO\

vt. hewed, hewed or hewn, hewing. 1. to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack. 2. to make, shape, smooth, etc., with cutting blows: to hew a passage through the crowd; to hew a statue from marble. 3. to sever (a part) from a whole by means of cutting blows (usually followed by away, off, out, from, etc.): to hew branches from the tree. 4. to cut down; fell: to hew wood; trees hewed down by the storm.

guff \GUHFF\

n. 1. empty or foolish talk; nonsense. 2. insolent talk.

orectic\aw-REK-tik\

adj. of or pertaining to desire; appetitive.

vicinage\VIS-uh-nij\

n. 1. the region near or about a place; vicinity. 2. a particular neighborhood or district, or the people belonging to it. 3. proximity.

pillory \PIL-uh-ree\

v. 1. to expose to public derision, ridicule, or abuse. 2. to set in the pillory.

pelagic \puh-LAJ-ik\

adj. 1. of or pertaining to the open seas or oceans. 2. living or growing at or near the surface of the ocean, far from land, as certain organisms.

anastrophe\uh-NAS-truh-fee\

n. Rhetoric: inversion of the usual order of words.

natty \NAT-ee\

adj. neatly or trimly smart in dress or appearance; spruce: a natty white uniform.

fallow\FAL-oh\

adj. 1. not in use; inactive: My creative energies have lain fallow this year. 2. (of land) plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated. n. 1. land that has undergone plowing and harrowing and has been left unseeded for one or more growing seasons. v. 1. to make (land) fallow for agricultural purposes.

aseptic \uh-SEP-tik, ey-SEP-\

adj. 1. free from the living germs of disease, fermentation, or putrefaction. n. 1. a product, as milk or fruit juice, that is marketed in an aseptic package or container. 2. aseptics, (used with a singular verb) a system of packaging sterilized products in airtight containers so that freshness is preserved for several months.

concatenate\kon-KAT-n-eyt\

v. 1. to link together; unite in a series or chain. adj. 1. linked together, as in a chain.

belletristic\bel-li-TRIS-tik\

adj. related to literature regarded as a fine art, especially as having a purely aesthetic function.

phthisis\THAHY-sis\

n. 1. a wasting away. 2. pulmonary tuberculosis; consumption.

nomothetic \nom-uh-THET-ik\

adj. 1. giving or establishing laws; legislative. 2. founded upon or derived from law. 3. Psychology. pertaining to or involving the study or formulation of general or universal laws (opposed to idiographic).

lodestar\LOHD-stahr\

n. 1. something that serves as a guide or on which the attention is fixed. 2. a star that shows the way. 3. Polaris.

simper\SIM-per\

v. 1. to smile in a silly, self-conscious way. 2. to say with a simper. n. 1. a silly, self-conscious smile.

velleity \vuh-LEE-i-tee\

n. 1. volition in its weakest form. 2. a mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.

hieratic /hahy-uh-RAT-ik, hahy-RAT-/

adj. 1. highly restrained or severe in emotional import:: Some of the more hieratic sculptures leave the viewer curiously unmoved.

hieratical /hahy-uh-RAT-ik-uhl, hahy-RAT-/

adj. of or pertaining to priests or the priesthood; sacerdotal; priestly. 3. noting or pertaining to a form of ancient Egyptian writing consisting of abridged forms of hieroglyphics, used by the priests in their records. 4. noting or pertaining to certain styles in art in which the representations or methods are fixed by or as if by religious tradition. n. 1. Ancient Egyptian hieratic writing.

concertina \kon-ser-TEE-nuh\

v. 1. to fold, crush together, or collapse in the manner of a concertina: the car concertinaed when it hit the truck. 2. to cause to fold or collapse in the manner of a concertina. n. 1. a musical instrument resembling an accordion but having button-like keys, hexagonal bellows and ends, and a more limited range. 2. concertina wire.

antic \AN-tik\

adj. 1. ludicrous; funny. 2. fantastic; odd; grotesque: an antic disposition. n. 1. usually, antics. a. a playful trick or prank; caper. b. a grotesque, fantastic, or ludicrous gesture, act, or posture. 2. archaic. a. an actor in a grotesque or ridiculous presentation. b) a buffoon; clown. 3. Obsolete. a) a grotesque theatrical presentation; ridiculous interlude. b) a grotesque or fantastic sculptured figure, as a gargoyle.

fabulist\FAB-yuh-list\

n. 1. a liar. 2. a person who invents or relates fables.

Qiana/kee-AH-nuh]

n. Trademark. a brand of lightweight, lustrous, silk-like, synthetic fiber chemically classed as nylon.

qi /CHŒ/

n. Pinyin. ch'i. (sometimes capital) (in Oriental medicine, martial arts, etc) vital energy believed to circulate round the body in currents. [Chinese, literally: energy].

compère\KOM-pair\

n. 1. a host, master of ceremonies, or the like, especially of a stage revue or television program. v: 1. to act as compère for: to compère the new game show.

bathetic \buh-THET-ik\

adj. displaying or characterized by insincere emotions: the bathetic emotionalism of soap operas.

bathos\BEY-thos, -thaws, -thohs\

n. 1. a ludicrous descent from the exalted or lofty to the commonplace; anticlimax. 2. insincere pathos; sentimentality; mawkishness. 3. triteness or triviality in style.

pathos\PEY-thos, -thohs, -thaws\

n. 1. the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion. 2. pity. 3. Obsolete. suffering.

truncate\TRUHNG-keyt\

v. 1. to shorten by cutting off a part; cut short: truncate detailed explanations. 2. Mathematics, Computers. to shorten (a number) by dropping a digit or digits: the numbers 1.4142 and 1.4987 can both be truncated to 1.4. adj. 1. truncated. 2. Biology. a) square or broad at the end, as if cut off transversely. b) lacking the apex, as certain spiral shells.

metafiction\MET-uh-fik-shuhn\

n. fiction that discusses, describes, or analyzes a work of fiction or the conventions of fiction.

profluent\PROF-loo-uhnt\

adj. flowing smoothly or abundantly forth.

imbroglio\im-BROHL-yoh\

n. 1. a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations. 2. an intricate and perplexing state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation. 3. a confused heap.

crucible\KROO-suh-buhl\

n. 1. a severe, searching test or trial. 2. a container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures. 3. Metallurgy. a hollow area at the bottom of a furnace in which the metal collects.

gull \GUHL\

v. 1. to deceive, trick, or cheat. n. 1. a person who is easily deceived or cheated; dupe.

demulcent\dih-MUHL-suhnt\

adj. 1. soothing or mollifying, as a medicinal substance. n. 1. a demulcent substance or agent, often mucilaginous, as for soothing or protecting an irritated mucous membrane.

vigorish\VIG-er-ish\

n. 1. interest paid to a moneylender, especially a usurer. 2. a charge paid on a bet, as to a bookie.

simulacrum \sim-yuh-LEY-kruhm\

n. pl. simulacra \kruh\ 1. a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance. 2. an effigy, image, or representation: a simulacrum of Aphrodite.

ataraxia \at-uh-RAK-see-uh\

n. a state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety; tranquility.

ramose\REY-mohs\

adj. 1. having many branches. 2. branching.

cacology \ka-KOL-uh-jee, kuh-\

n. defectively produced speech; socially unacceptable diction.

piceous \PIS-ee-uhs, PAHY-see-uhs\

adj. 1. inflammable; combustible. 2. of, pertaining to, or resembling pitch. 3. Zoology. black or nearly black as pitch.

rollick\ROL-ik\

v. to move or act in a carefree, frolicsome manner; behave in a free, hearty, gay, or jovial way.

manifold \MAN-uh-fohld\

adj. 1. of many kinds; numerous and varied: manifold duties. 2. having numerous different parts, elements, features, forms, etc.: a manifold program for social reform. n. 1. something having many different parts or features. 2. a copy or facsimile, as of something written, such as is made by manifolding. v. 1. to make copies of, as with carbon paper.

spleenful\SPLEEN-fuhl\

adj. 1. ill-humored; irritable or peevish; spiteful; splenetic. 2. full of or displaying spleen.

primrose\PRIM-rohz\

n. 1. pale yellow. 2. any plant of the genus Primula, as P. vulgaris (English primrose), of Europe, having yellow flowers, or P. sinensis (Chinese primrose), of China, having flowers in a variety of colors. Compare primrose family. 3. Evening primrose.

neuroplasticity\noor-oh-pla-STIS-i-tee, nyoor\

n. the capacity of the nervous system to develop new neuronal connections: research on neuroplasticity of the brain after injury.

cerise \suh-REES\

n. moderate to deep red.

celadon \SEL-uh-don\

n. 1. a pale gray-green. 2. any of several Chinese porcelains having a translucent, pale green glaze. 3. any porcelain imitating these. adj. having the color celadon.

heliotrope\HEE-lee-uh-trohp\

n. 1. a light tint of purple; reddish lavender. 2. any hairy plant belonging to the genus Heliotropium, of the borage family, as H. arborescens, cultivated for its small, fragrant purple flowers. 3. any of various other plants, as the valerian or the winter heliotrope. 4. any plant that turns toward the sun. 5. Surveying. an arrangement of mirrors for reflecting sunlight from a distant point to an observation station. 6. bloodstone.

ecru \EK-roo\

adj. very light brown in color, as raw silk, unbleached linen, etc. n. an ecru color.

quail \KWEYL\

v. to lose heart or courage in difficulty or danger; shrink with fear.

coetaneous \koh-i-TEY-nee-uhs\

adj. of the same age or duration.

diapason \dahy-uh-PEY-zuhn\

n. 1. a full, rich outpouring of melodious sound. 2. the compass of a voice or instrument. 3. a fixed standard of pitch. 4. either of two principal timbres or stops of a pipe organ, one of full, majestic tone (open diapason) and the other of strong, flutelike tone (stopped diapason). 5. any of several other organ stops. 6. a tuning fork.

Tartuffery\tahr-TOOF-uh-ree\

n. behavior or character of a Tartuffe, especially hypocritical piety.

bollix \BOL-iks\

v. to do (something) badly; bungle (often followed by up): His interference bollixed up the whole deal. n. a confused bungle.

hustings\HUHS-tingz\

n. 1. the political campaign trail. 2. (before 1872) the temporary platform on which candidates for the British Parliament stood when nominated and from which they addressed the electors. 3. any place from which political campaign speeches are made. 4. also called hustings court. A local court in certain parts of Virginia.

bollix\BOL-iks\

v. to do (something) badly; bungle (often followed by up): His interference bollixed up the whole deal. n. a confused bungle.

hematic\hi-MAT-ik\

adj. 1. of or pertaining to blood; hemic. 2. acting on the blood, as a medicine. n. hematinic.

pharisaic\far-uh-SEY-ik\

adj. 1. practicing or advocating strict observance of external forms and ceremonies of religion or conduct without regard to the spirit; self-righteous; hypocritical. 2. of or pertaining to the Pharisees.

sententious\sen-TEN-shuhs\

adj. 1. abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims: a sententious book. 2. given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous. 3. given to or using pithy sayings or maxims: a sententious poet. 4. of the nature of a maxim; pithy.

privity\PRIV-i-tee\

n. 1. participation in the knowledge of something private or secret, especially as implying concurrence or consent. 2. private or secret knowledge. 3. Law: the relation between privies. 4. Obsolete: privacy.

palter\PAWL-ter\

v. 1. to talk or act insincerely or deceitfully; lie or use trickery. 2. to bargain with; haggle. 3. to act carelessly; trifle.

austral\AW-struhl\

adj. 1. southern. 2. (Initial capital letter) Australian.

fiducial\fi-DOO-shuhl\

adj. 1. based on or having trust: fiducial dependence upon God. 2. accepted as a fixed basis of reference or comparison: a fiducial point; a fiducial temperature.

catholicon \kuh-THOL-i-kuhn\

n. a universal remedy; panacea.

thetic\THET-ik\

adj. positive; dogmatic.

utile\YOO-til\

adj. useful.

hamartia\hah-mahr-TEE-uh\

n. tragic flaw.

true \TROO\

v. 1. to make true; shape, adjust, place, etc., exactly or accurately: to true the wheels of a bicycle after striking a pothole. 2. (especially in carpentry) to make even, symmetrical, level, etc. (often followed by up): to true up the sides of a door.

agita\AJ-i-tuh\

n. 1. agitation; anxiety. 2. heartburn; indigestion. Agita was coined in America in the 1980s. It comes from the Italian word agitare meaning "to bother."

hirtellous\hur-TEL-uhs

v. minutely hirsute.

fracas \FREY-kuhs\

n. a noisy, disorderly disturbance or fight; riotous brawl; uproar.

apophasis \uh-POF-uh-sis\

n. denial of one's intention to speak of a subject that is at the same time named or insinuated, as I shall not mention Caesar's avarice, nor his cunning, nor his morality.

tardigrade\TAHR-di-greyd\

adj. 1. slow in pace or movement. 2. belonging or pertaining to the phylum Tardigrada. n. 1. also called bear animalcule, water bear. Any microscopic, chiefly herbivorous invertebrate of the phylum Tardigrada, living in water, on mosses, lichens, etc.

catachresis\kat-uh-KREE-sis\

n. misuse or strained use of words, as in a mixed metaphor, occurring either in error or for rhetorical effect.

lacuna \luh-KYOO-nuh\

n. plural lacunae \-nee\ lacunas. 1. a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argument; hiatus. 2. Anatomy. one of the numerous minute cavities in the substance of bone, supposed to contain nucleate cells. 3. Botany. an air space in the cellular tissue of plants.

anacoluthon\an-uh-kuh-LOO-thon\

n. 1. a construction involving a break in grammatical sequence, as it makes me so—i just get angry. 2. an instance of anacoluthia.

litotes\LAHY-tuh-teez, LIT-uh-, lahy-TOH-teez\

n., pl. litotes. Rhetoric. understatement, especially that in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary, as in “not bad at all.”

zeugma \ZOOG-muh\

n. the use of a word to modify or govern two or more words when it is appropriate to only one of them or is appropriate to each but in a different way, as in to wage war and peace or On his fishing trip, he caught three trout and a cold.

draggle \DRAG-uhl\

v. 1. to soil by dragging over damp ground or in mud. 2. to trail on the ground; be or become draggled. 3. to follow slowly; straggle.

crasis\KREY-sis\

n. composition; constitution; makeup.

versicolor\VUR-si-kuhl-er\

adj. 1. changeable in color: versicolor skies. 2. of various colors; parti-colored: a versicolor flower arrangement.

mucro\MYOO-kroh\

n. a short point projecting abruptly, as at the end of a leaf.

fulgurant\FUHL-gyer-uhnt\

adj. flashing like lightning.

ombudsman\OM-buhdz-muhn\

n. a government official who hears and investigates complaints by private citizens against other officials or government agencies. pl. ombudsmen.

assoil\uh-SOIL\

v.1. to absolve; acquit; pardon. 2. to atone for.

recusant\REK-yuh-zuhnt\

n. 1. a person who refuses to submit, comply, etc. 2. English History. a person, especially a Roman Catholic, who refused to attend the services of the Church of England.

acephalous\ey-SEF-uh-luhs\

adj. 1. without a leader or ruler. 2. also, acephalic \ey-suh-FAL-ik\. Zoology. headless; lacking a distinct head.

parturient\pahr-TOOR-ee-uhnt, -TYOOR-\

adj. 1. bearing or about to bear young; travailing. 2. pertaining to parturition. 3. bringing forth or about to produce something, as an idea.

delate\dih-LEYT\

v 1. Chiefly Scot. to inform against; denounce or accuse. 2. Archaic. to relate; report: to delate an offense.

uncanny\uhn-KAN-ee\

adj. 1. having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary: uncanny accuracy; an uncanny knack of foreseeing trouble. 2. mysterious; arousing superstitious fear or dread; uncomfortably strange: Uncanny sounds filled the house.

supernormal \soo-per-NAWR-muhl\

adj. 1. in excess of the normal or average: supernormal faculties; supernormal production. 2. lying beyond normal or natural powers of comprehension: supernormal intimations.

teratoid \TER-uh-toid\

adj. resembling a monster.

cantrip \KAHN-trip\

n. 1. Chiefly Scot. a magic spell; trick by sorcery. 2. Chiefly British. artful shamming meant to deceive.

eidolon \ahy-DOH-luhn\

n. pl. eidola \-luh\, eidolons. 1. a phantom; apparition. 2. an ideal.

loup-garou \loo-ga-ROO\

n. werewolf; lycanthrope.

lily-livered \LIL-ee-LIV-erd\

n. weak or lacking in courage; cowardly; pusillanimous.

beatitude \bee-AT-i-tood\

n. 1. supreme blessedness; exalted happiness. 2. any of the declarations of blessedness pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

canonize \KAN-uh-nahyz\

vt. 1. Ecclesiastical. to place in the canon of saints. 2. to glorify. 3. to make canonical; place or include within a canon, especially of scriptural works: They canonized the Song of Solomon after much controversy. 4. to consider or treat as sacrosanct or holy: They canonized his many verbal foibles and made them gospel. 5. to sanction or approve authoritatively, especially ecclesiastically.

splendiferous \splen-DIF-er-uhs\

adj. magnificent; fine.

siesta \see-ES-tuh\

n. a midday or afternoon rest or nap, especially as taken in Spain and Latin America.

climacteric \klahy-mak-TER-ik\

n. 1. a critical period. 2. Physiology: a period of decrease of reproductive capacity in men and women, culminating, in women, in the menopause. 3. A year in which important changes in health, fortune, etc., are held by some theories to occur, as one's sixty-third year. 4. The period of maximum respiration in a fruit, during which it becomes fully ripened.

franchise\FRAN-chahyz\

n.1. a privilege of a public nature conferred on an individual, group, or company by a government: a franchise to operate a bus system. 2. the right or license granted by a company to an individual or group to market its products or services in a specific territory. 3. a store, restaurant, or other business operating under such a license. 4. the territory over which such a license extends. 5. the right to vote: to guarantee the franchise of every citizen.

glean \GLEEN\

v. 1. to learn, discover, or find out, usually little by little or slowly. 2. to gather (grain or the like) after the reapers or regular gatherers. 3. to gather slowly and laboriously, bit by bit.

chitin\KAHY-tin\

n. Biochemistry. a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, related chemically to cellulose, that forms a semitransparent horny substance and is a principal constituent of the exoskeleton, or outer covering, of insects, crustaceans, and arachnids. adj. chitinous, chitinoid.

quid \KWID\

n. 1. a piece of something to be chewed but not swallowed. 2. one pound sterling.

cahoots\kuh-HOOT\

n. in partnership; in league.

intractable\in-TRAK-tuh-buhl\

adj. 1. not easily controlled or directed; not docile or manageable; stubborn; obstinate: an intractable disposition. 2. (of things) hard to shape or work with: an intractable metal. 3. hard to treat, relieve, or cure: the intractable pain in his leg.

adamantine\ad-uh-MAN-teen, -tin, -tahyn\

adj. 1. utterly unyielding or firm in attitude or opinion. 2. too hard to cut, break, or pierce. 3. like a diamond in luster.

armistice\AHR-muh-stis\

n. a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties.

troth \TRAWTH\

n. 1. faithfulness, fidelity, or loyalty. 2. one's word or promise, especially in engaging oneself to marry.

peccant \PEK-uhnt\

adj. 1. sinning; guilty of a moral offense. 2. violating a rule, principle, or established practice; faulty; wrong.

disbosom \dis-BOOZ-uhm, -BOO-zuh\

vt. to reveal; confess.

pigeonhole\PIJ-uhn-hohl\

vt. pigeonholed, pigeonholing. n. 1. one of a series of small, open compartments, as in a desk, cabinet, or the like, used for filing or sorting papers, letters, etc. 2. a hole or recess, or one of a series of recesses, for pigeons to nest in. 3. Also called pigeon hole, white hole. Printing. white space created by setting words or lines too far apart.

dovetail\DUHV-teyl\

v. 1. to join or fit together compactly or harmoniously. 2. in Carpentry, a joint formed of one or more such tenons fitting tightly within corresponding mortises. 3. to join or fit together by means of a carpentry dovetail or dovetails. n. 1. in Carpentry, a tenon broader at its end than at its base; pin.

dubiety\doo-BAHY-i-tee, dyoo-\

n. pl. dubieties. 1. doubtfulness; doubt. 2. a matter of doubt.

bird-dog\BURD-dawg\

v. 1. to follow, watch carefully, or investigate. 2. in slang, to steal or attempt to steal another person's date. n. 1. one of various breeds of dogs trained to hunt or retrieve birds. 2. a person hired to locate special items or people, especially a talent scout who seeks out promising athletes.

dog-ear\DAWG-eer\

v. 1. to fold down the corner of a page in a book. n. 1. (In a book) a corner of a page folded over like a dog's ear, as by careless use, or to mark a place. 2. In architecture, another term for a crossette.

terpsichorean\ turp-si-kuh-REE-uhn, turp-si-KAWR-ee-uhn, -KOHR-\

adj. 1. pertaining to dancing. 2. pertaining to Terpsichore[1]. n 1. a dancer.

[1] In Greek mythology, the Muse of choral songs and dance, one of the nine Muses believed to inspire and nurture the arts.

ogle\OH-guhl\

v. 1. to look at amorously, flirtatiously, or impertinently. 2. to eye; look or stare at.

fob \FOB\

n. 1. a short chain, usually with a medallion or similar ornament, worn hanging from a pocket. 2. a small pocket just below the waistline in trousers for a watch, keys, change, etc. v. 1. to cheat someone by substituting something spurious or inferior. 2. to put (someone) off by deception or trickery.

giblets \JIB-lits\

n. the heart, liver, gizzard, and the like, of a fowl, often cooked separately.

agape \ah-GAH-pey\

n. 1. unselfish love of one person for another without sexual implications. 2. the love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.

balsamaceous \bawl-suh-MEY-shuhs\

adj. possessing healing or restorative qualities.

toff \TOF\

n. British Informal. a stylishly dressed, fashionable person, especially one who is or wants to be considered a member of the upper class.

potvaliant \POT-val-yuhnt\

adj. brave only as a result of being drunk.

quotidian \kwoh-TID-ee-uhn\

adj. 1. daily: a quotidian report. 2. usual or customary; everyday: quotidian needs. 3. ordinary; commonplace: paintings of no more than quotidian artistry. 4. (of a fever, ague, etc.) characterized by paroxysms that recur daily.

Weltanschauung \VELT-ahn-shou-oong\

n. German. a comprehensive conception or image of the universe and of humanity's relation to it.

amygdaliform \uh-MIG-duh-luh-fawrm\

adj. shaped like an almond.

fainaigue \fuh-NEYG\

v. 1. to shirk; evade work or responsibility. 2. to renege at cards.

exculpatory \ik-SKUHL-puh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee\

adj. tending to clear from a charge of fault or guilt.

rime \RAHYM\

n. a coating of tiny, white, granular ice particles, caused by the rapid freezing of water droplets.

raffish \RAF-ish\

adj. 1. mildly or sometimes engagingly disreputable or nonconformist; rakish: a matinee idol whose raffish offstage behavior amused millions. 2. gaudily vulgar or cheap; tawdry.

svelte \SFELT\

adj. 1. Slender, especially gracefully slender in figure. 2. Suave; blandly urbane.

de rigueur \duh ri-gur; Frenchduh ree-gœr\

adj. socially obligatory.

biblioklept \BIB-lee-uh-klept\

n. a person who steals books.

feckless\FEK-lis\

adj. 1. ineffective; incompetent; futile: feckless attempts to repair the plumbing. 2. having no sense of responsibility; indifferent; lazy.

solipsism\SOL-ip-siz-uh m\

n. 1. Philosophy. the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist. 2. extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one's feelings, desires, etc.; egoistic self-absorption.

solecism\SOL-uh-siz-uh m, SOL-luh-\

n. 1. a nonstandard or ungrammatical usage, as unflammable and they was. 2. a breach of good manners or etiquette. 3. any error, impropriety, or inconsistency.

trundle\TRUHN-dl\

v. to move or walk with a rolling gait.

empurple\em-PUR-puhl\

v. 1. to color or become purple or purplish. 2. to darken or redden; flush.

accrete\uh-KREET\

vi. to grow together; adhere (usually followed by to)

alexipharmic\uh-lek-suh-FAHR-mik\

adj. 1. warding off poisoning or infection; antidotal; prophylactic. 2. an alexipharmic agent, especially an internal antidote.

trope \TROHP\

n. 1. Rhetoric. a. any literary or rhetorical device, as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony, that consists in the use of words in other than their literal sense. b. an instance of this. Compare figure of speech. 2. a phrase, sentence, or verse formerly interpolated in a liturgical text to amplify or embellish. 3. (in the philosophy of Santayana) the principle of organization according to which matter moves to form an object during the various stages of its existence.

effervescent\ef-er-VES-uhnt\

adj. 1. high-spirited; vivacious; lively. 2. effervescing; bubbling.

omnicompetent\ahm NIH kom puh tent\

adj. able to judge or deal with all matters. n. omni'competence.

pontificate\pon-TIF-i-keyt\

v. 1. to speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner. 2. to perform the office or duties of a pontiff. 3. to serve as a bishop, especially in a Pontifical Mass. n. 1. the office or term of office of a pontiff.

callow\KAL-oh\

adj. 1. immature or inexperienced: a callow youth. 2. (of a young bird) featherless; unfledged.

erinaceous \er-uh-NEY-shuh s\

adj. of the hedgehog kind or family.

pseudepigrapha \soo-duh-PIG-ruh-fuh\

n. (used with a plural verb) certain writings (other than the canonical books and the Apocrypha) professing to be Biblical in character.

quench \kwench\

v. 1. to slake, satisfy, or allay (thirst, desires, passion, etc.). 2. to put out or extinguish (fire, flames, etc.). 3. to cool suddenly by plunging into a liquid, as in tempering steel by immersion in water. 4. to subdue or destroy; overcome; quell: to quench an uprising. 5. Electronics. to terminate (the flow of electrons in a vacuum tube) by application of a voltage.

pseudepigraphy \soo-duh-PIG-ruh-fee\

n. the false ascription of a piece of writing to another author.

howdah \HOU-duh\

n. (In the East Indies) a seat or platform for one or more persons, commonly with a railing and a canopy, placed on the back of an elephant.

pseudonymity \sood-n-IM-i-tee\

n. 1. pseudonymous character. 2. use of a pseudonym.

anopisthograph \an-uh-PIS-thuh-graf, -grahf\

n. a manuscript, parchment, or book having writing on only one side of the leaves.

opisthograph \uh-PIS-thuh-graf, -grahf\

n. a manuscript, parchment, or book having writing on both sides of the leaves.

metonymy \mi-TON-uh-mee\

n, Rhetoric. a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “scepter” for “sovereignty,” or “the bottle” for “strong drink,” or “count heads (or noses)” for “count people.”

mulligrubs \MUHL-i-gruhbz\

n. (used with a singular or plural verb) Southern U.S. ill temper; colic; grumpiness.

synecdoche \si-NEK-duh-kee\

n. Rhetoric. a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special, as in ten sail for ten ships or a Croesus for a rich man.

moor \MOOR\

v. 1. to fix firmly; secure. 2. to secure (a ship, boat, dirigible, etc.) in a particular place, as by cables and anchors or by lines. 3. to moor a ship, small boat, etc. 4. to be made secure by cables or the like.

cenotaph \SEN-uh-taf, -tahf\

n. a sepulchral monument erected in memory of a deceased person whose body is buried elsewhere. adj. cenotaphic \sen-uh-TAF-ik\.

cruciverbalist \kroo-suh-VUR-buh-list\

n. a designer or aficionado of crossword puzzles.

adiaphorous \ad-ee-AF-er-uhs\

adj. doing neither good nor harm, as a medicine.

plication \plahy-KEY-shuh n\

n. 1. the act or procedure of folding. 2. the state or quality of being folded; a fold. 3. Surgery. a. the folding in and suturing of tucks, so as to tighten weakened or stretched tissue. b. the folding of an organ, as a section of the intestine, and the attaching of it to another organ or tissue.

apopemptic\ap-uh-PEMP-tik\

adj. 1. pertaining to leave-taking or departing; valedictory. noun: 1. Obsolete. a farewell address; valedictory.

buttress\BUH-tris\

vt. 1. to give encouragement or support to (a person, plan, etc.). 2. to support by a buttress; prop up. noun: 1. any external prop or support built to steady a structure by opposing its outward thrusts, especially a projecting support built into or against the outside of a masonry wall. 2. any prop or support. 3. a thing shaped like a buttress, as a tree trunk with a widening base. 4. a bony or horny protuberance, especially on a horse's hoof.

axial \AK-see-uh l\

adj. 1. Situated in or on the line about which a rotating body turns. 2. Of, pertaining to, characterized by, or forming an axis: an axial relationship.

lagan \LAG-uhn\

n. anything sunk in the sea, but attached to a buoy or the like so that it may be recovered.

whinge \HWINJ\

v. to complain; whine.

echolalia \ek-oh-LEY-lee-uh\

n. 1. the imitation by a baby of the vocal sounds produced by others, occurring as a natural phase of childhood development. 2. Psychiatry. the uncontrollable and immediate repetition of words spoken by another person.

counterblast \KOUN-ter-blast\

n. an unrestrained and vigorously powerful response to an attacking statement.

algid \AL-jid\

adj. cold; chilly.

decathect \dee-kuh-THEKT\

v. to withdraw one's feelings of attachment from (a person, idea, or object), as in anticipation of a future loss: He decathected from her in order to cope with her impending death.

douce \DOOS\

adj. sedate; modest; quiet.

glissade \gli-SAHD\

v. 1. to perform a glissade,a sliding or gliding step. noun: 1. a skillful glide over snow or icein descending a mountain, as on skis or a toboggan. 2. Dance. A sliding or gliding step.

tidings \TAHY-dingz\

n. news, information, or intelligence: sad tidings.

avidity \uh-VID-i-tee\

n. 1. enthusiasm or dedication. 2. eagerness; greediness.

stridulous\STRIJ-uh-luhs\ adj. 1. Also, strid·u·lant. making or having a harsh or grating sound. 2. Pathology. pertaining to orcharacterized by stridor.

adj. 1. Also, strid·u·lant. making or having a harsh or grating sound. 2. Pathology. pertaining to or characterized by stridor.

stridor \STRAHY-der\

n. 1. a harsh, grating, or creaking sound. 2. Pathology. a harsh respiratory sound due to any of various forms of obstruction of the breathing passages.

antepenultimate \an-tee-pi-NUHL-tuh-mit\

adj. 1. third from the end. 2. of or pertaining to an antepenult. noun: 1. an antepenult.

fastigiate\fa-STIJ-ee-it\

adj. 1. rising to a pointed top. 2. Zoology. joined together in a tapering adhering group. 3. Botany. a. erect and parallel, as branches. b. having such branches.

anthropogenic\an-thruh-puh-JEN-ik\

adj. 1. caused or produced by humans: anthropogenicair pollution.

compotation\kom-puh-TEY-shuh n\

n. an act orinstance of drinking or tippling together.

exordium\ig-ZAWR-dee-uh m\

n. 1. the beginning of anything. 2. the introductory part of anoration, treatise, etc.

advert\ad-VURT\

v. 1. to remark or comment;refer (usually followed by to): he advertedbriefly to the news of the day. 2. to turn the attention (usually followed byto): the committee adverted to thebusiness at hand.

violescent\vahy-uh-LES-uh nt\

adj. tending to aviolet color: a violescent twilightsky.

couthie\KOO-thee\

adj. agreeable; genial;kindly.

couthie\KOO-thee\

adj. agreeable; genial;kindly.

birl \BURL\

v. 1. to spin or cause to rotate. 2. Chiefly Northern U.S. Lumbering: tocause (a floating log) to rotate rapidly by treading upon it. 3. British. a. to move or rotate rapidly.b. Informal. to spend money freely.c. Informal. to gamble.

pseudology\soo-DOL-uh-jee\

n. lying considered as an art.

pseudomorph\SOO-duh-mawrf\

n. 1. an irregular or unclassifiable form. 2. a mineral having theoutward appearance of another mineral that it has replaced by chemical action.

pseudoclassic\soo-doh-KLAS-ik\

adj. 1. falsely orspuriously classic. 2. imitating the classic: the pseudoclassic style of some modern authors.

filch \FILCH\

v. to steal (especially something ofsmall value); pilfer: to filch ashtraysfrom fancy restaurants.

eurhythmic\yoo-RITH-mik\

adj. 1. characterizedby a pleasing rhythm; harmoniously ordered or proportioned. 2. of or pertainingto eurhythmics.

also-ran\AWL-soh-ran\

n. 1. Informal. a person who loses a contest, election, or other competition. 2. Sports.a. (In a race) a contestant whofails to win or to place among thefirst three finishers. b. An athlete or team whose performance incompetition is rarely, if ever, a winning or near-winning one. 3. Informal.a person who attains little orno success: For every great artist there are a thousand also-rans.

vertex \VUR-teks\

noun: The highest point of something; apex; summit; top: the vertexof a mountain.

preconcert\pree-kuh n-SURT\

verb: 1. To arrange in advance orbeforehand, as by a previous agreement. adjective: 1. Preceding a concert: a preconcert reception for sponsors.

hypnopompic \hip-nuh-POM-pik\

adjective: Of or pertaining to thesemiconscious state prior to complete wakefulness.

shindy \SHIN-dee\

noun: 1.A row; rumpus. 2. A shindig.

Schadenfreude \SHAHD-n-froi-duh\

noun: 1.A row; rumpus. 2. A shindig.

Camelot \KAM-uh-lot\

noun: 1. Any idyllic place or period,especially one of great happiness. 2. The legendary site of KingArthur's palace and court, possibly near Exeter, England. 3. Theglamorous ambiance of Washington, D.C., during the administration of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy, 1961–63..

jubilarian \joo-buh-LAIR-ee-uh n\

noun:A person who celebrates or has celebrated a jubilee, as a nun observing 25 ormore years of religious life.

allocution \al-uh-KYOO-shuh n\

noun:1. A formal speech, especially one of an incontrovertible or hortatorynature. 2. A pronouncement delivered by the pope to a secret consistory,especially on a matter of policy or of general importance.

gorgonize \GAWR-guh-nahyz\

verb: To affect as a Gorgon; hypnotize; petrify.

enrègle \ahn RE-gl^uh\

adjective:In order; according to the rules;correct.

kibitzer \KIB-it-ser\

noun: 1.A giver of uninvited or unwanted advice. 2. A spectator at a card gamewho looks at the players' cards over their shoulders, especially one who givesunsolicited advice. 3. A person who jokes, chitchats, or makeswisecracks, especially while others are trying to work or to discuss somethingseriously.

brabble \BRAB-uh l\

verb: 1. To argue stubbornly about trifles;wrangle. noun: 1. Noisy, quarrelsome chatter.

antipathetic \an-ti-puh-THET-ik\

adjective:1. Opposed, averse, or contrary; having or showing antipathy: Theywere antipathetic to many of the proposed changes . 2. Causing orlikely to cause antipathy: The new management was antipathetic to all of us.

intemerate \in-TEM-er-it\

adjective:Inviolate; undefiled; unsullied; pure.

word-hoard \WURD-hawrd\

noun: Aperson's vocabulary.

plotz\PLOTS\

verb: To collapse or faint,as from surprise, excitement, or exhaustion.

wellaway\WEL-uh-WEY\

interjection: (Used to express sorrow.)

jackanapes \JAK-uh-neyps\

noun: 1. An impertinent, presumptuous person, especially a young man; whippersnapper. 2. An impudent, mischievous child. 3. Archaic. An ape or monkey.

atavistic \at-uh-VIS-tik\

adjective: of, pertaining to, or characterized by atavism; reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type.

atavism \AT-uh-viz-uh m\

noun: 1. Biology. a. the reappearance in an individual of characteristics of some remote ancestor that have been absent in intervening generations. b. an individual embodying such a reversion. 2. reversion to an earlier type; throwback.

boustrophedon \boo-struh-FEED-n\

noun: an ancient method of writing in which the lines run alternately from right to left and from left to right.

dyslogistic \dis-luh-JIS-tik\

adjective: conveying disapproval or censure; not complimentary or eulogistic.

epexegesis \ep-ek-si-JEE-sis\

noun: 1. the addition of a word or words to explain a preceding word or sentence. 2. the word or words so added.

feuilleton\FOI-i-tn\

noun: 1. a part of a European newspaper devoted to light literature, fiction, criticism, etc. 2. an item printed in the feuilleton.

gastronomy \ga-STRON-uh-mee\

noun: 1. the art or science of good eating. 2. a style of cooking or eating.

hent \HENT\

verb: to seize.

Maat \muh-AHT, MEY-uh t\

noun: Egyptian Religion. The goddess personifying law and righteousness.

onomasticon\on-uh-MAS-ti-kon, -kuh n\

noun: 1. a list or collection of proper names. 2. a list or collection of specialized terms, as those used in a particular field or subject area.

ostracon\OS-truh-kon\ plural OS-tra-ca \-kuh\

noun: (in ancient Greece) a potsherd, especially one used as a ballot on which the name of a person voted to be ostracized was inscribed. (Greek: ὄστρακον ostrakon, plural ὄστρακα ostraka).

irrefrangible \ir-i-FRAN-juh-buhl\

adjective: 1. not to be broken or violated; inviolable: an irrefrangible rule of etiquette. 2. incapable of being refracted.

Jacobin\JAK-uh-bin\

noun: 1. an extreme radical, especially in politics. 2. (in the French Revolution) a member of a radical society or club of revolutionaries that promoted the Reign of Terror and other extreme measures, active chiefly from 1789 to 1794: so called from the Dominican convent in Paris, where they originally met. 3. a Dominican friar. 4. (lowercase) one of a fancy breed of domestic pigeons having neck feathers that hang over the head like a hood.

lollapalooza\lol-uh-puh-LOO-zuh\

noun: an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

rictus\RIK-tuhs\

plural: rictus, rictuses. noun: 1. the gape of the mouth of a bird. 2. the gaping or opening of the mouth.

kinchin\KIN-chin\

noun: Chiefly British Slang. a child.

vitiligo\vit-l-AHY-goh, -EE-goh\

noun: Pathology. a skin disorder characterized by smooth, white patches on various parts of the body, caused by the loss of the natural pigment. syn: leukoderma.

nuque \NOOK\

noun: the back of the neck.

obnubilate\ob-NOO-buh-leyt\

verb: to cloud over; becloud; obscure.

paraph \PAR-uhf, puh-RAF\

noun: a flourish made after a signature, as in a document, originally as a precaution against forgery.

quittance \KWIT-ns\

noun: 1. recompense or requital. 2. discharge from a debt or obligation. 3. a document certifying discharge from debt or obligation, as a receipt..

recant \ri-KANT\

verb: 1. to withdraw or disavow (a statement, opinion, etc.), especially formally; retract. 2. to withdraw or disavow a statement, opinion, etc., especially formally.

satrap\SEY-trap\

noun: 1. a subordinate ruler, often a despotic one. 2. a governor of a province under the ancient Persian monarchy.

tensile \TEN-suhl, -sil or, esp.British, -sahyl\

adjective:1. capable of being stretched or drawn out; ductile. 2. of or pertaining totension: tensile strain.

meretricious \mer-i-TRISH-uh s\

adjective:1. alluring by a show of flashy or vulgar attractions; tawdry. 2. based onpretense, deception, or insincerity. 3. pertaining to or characteristic of aprostitute.

mystagogue \MIS-tuh-gawg, -gog\

noun: 1. someone whoinstructs others before initiation into religious mysteries or beforeparticipation in the sacraments. 2. a person whose teachings are said to befounded on mystical revelations.

autochthonous \aw-TOK-thuh-nuh s\

adjective: 1. pertaining to autochthons;aboriginal; indigenous (opposed to heterochthonous).2. Pathology. a. found in the part ofthe body in which it originates, as a cancerous lesion. b. found in a localityin which it originates, as an infectious disease. 3. Psychology. of or pertaining to ideas that arise independently ofthe individual's own train of thought andseem instead to have some alien or external agency as their source.

allochthonous \uh-LOK-thuh-nuhs\

adjective: Geology. (of rocks,minerals, etc.) not formed in the region where found. Compare autochthonous (def. 4).

heterochthonous \het-uh-ROK-thuh-nuhs\

adjective: not indigenous; foreign (opposed to autochthonous): heterochthonous flora and fauna.

umber \UHM-ber\

noun: 1.North England Dialect.shade; shadow. 2. an earthconsisting chiefly of a hydrated oxide of iron and some oxide of manganese,used in its natural state as a brown pigment (raw umber) or, after heating, asa reddish-brown pigment (burnt umber). 3.the color of such a pigment; dark dusky brown or dark reddish brown.

varia \VAIR-ee-uh\

noun:miscellaneous items, especially a miscellany of literary works.

whipsaw \HWIP-saw\

verb: 1. to subject to two opposing forces at the same time: The real-estate market has been whipsawedby high interest rates and unemployment. 2. to cut with a whipsaw.3. to win two bets from (a person) at one turn or play, as at faro.

xeric\ZEER-ik\

adjective: of, pertaining to, or adapted to a dry environment.

yare \yair\

adjective:1. quick; agile; lively. 2. (ofa ship) quick to the helm; easily handled or maneuvered. 3. Archaic. a. ready; prepared. b. nimble; quick.

zakuska\zuh-KOOS-kuh\

noun: pluralza·KUS·ki \-kee\ Russian Cookery. anhors d'oeuvre.

zephyrean\zef-uh-REE-uh n\

adjective: of, pertaining to, or like a zephyr; full of orcontaining light breezes.

leeward\LEE-werd; Naut. LOO-erd\

adjective:1. pertaining to, situated in, or moving toward the quarter toward whichthe wind blows (opposed to windward). noun: 1. the lee side; the point orquarter toward which the wind blows. adverb: 1. toward the lee.

mazuma \muh-ZOO-muh\

noun: money.

panoptic\pan-OP-tik\

adjective: 1. permitting the viewing of all parts or elements:a panoptic stain used in microscopy; apanoptic aerial photograph of an enemy missile base. 2. considering allparts or elements; all inclusive: apanoptic criticism of modern poetry.

bibelot\BIB-loh; Fr. beebuh-LOH\

noun: a small object ofcuriosity, beauty, or rarity.

rialto\ree-AL-toh\

noun: an exchange or mart.

tertiary\TUR-shee-er-ee, TUR-shuh-ree\

adjective:1. of the third order, rank, stage,formation, etc.; third. noun: 1. (initial capital letter) Geology.the Tertiary Period or System. 2.tertiary color.

scupper\SKUHP-er\

verb: 1. Informal. to prevent from happening orsucceeding; ruin; wreck. 2. Military. to overwhelm; surprise anddestroy, disable, or massacre.

linchpin\LINCH-pin\

noun: 1. somethingthat holds the various elements of a complicated structure together: The monarchy was the linchpin of the nation'straditions and society. 2. a pininserted through the end of an axletree to keep the wheel on.

tautology \taw-tol-uh-jee\

noun: 1. needlessrepetition of an idea, especially in words other than those of the immediatecontext, without imparting additional force or clearness, as in “widow woman.” 2. an instance of such repetition. 3. Logic.a. a compound propositional form allof whose instances are true, as “A or not A.” b. an instance of such a form, as “This candidate will win or willnot win.”

bevel \BEV-uhl\

adv: 1. irresolutely. n: 1. the inclination that one lineor surface makes with another when not at right angles. 2. a surface that does not form a right angle with adjacentsurfaces. 3. (of a lock bolt) theoblique end that hits the strike plate.

truant \TROO-uh nt\

n: 1. a person who shirksor neglects his or her duty. 2. astudent who stays away from school without permission. adj: 1. absent fromschool without permission. 2.neglectful of duty or responsibility; idle.3. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a truant. v: 1. to be truant.

septuagenarian\sep-choo-uh-juh-NAIR-ee-uh n, -too-,-tyoo-\

adj: 1. of the age of 70 years or between 70 and 80 years old. n:2. a septuagenarian person.

madcap\MAD-kap\

adj: 1. wildly orheedlessly impulsive; reckless; rash: a madcap scheme. noun: 1. a madcap person.

egregious\ih-gree-juh s, -jee-uh s\

adj: 1.extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant: an egregious mistake; anegregious liar. Synonyms: gross, outrageous, notorious, shocking.Antonyms: tolerable, moderate, minor, unnoticeable. 2. Archaic. distinguished or eminent.

furl \FURL\

v:1. to gather into a compact roll and bind securely, as a sail against aspar or a flag against its staff. 2.to become furled. n: 1. the act of furling. 2.something furled, as a roll.

poetaster\POH-it-as-ter\

n: an inferior poet; a writer of indifferent verse.

prolepsis \proh-LEP-sis\

n:1. Rhetoric. the anticipation ofpossible objections in order to answer them in advance. 2. the assigning of a person, event, etc., to a period earlierthan the actual one; the representation of something in the future as if italready existed or had occurred; prochronism.3. the use of a descriptive word inanticipation of its becoming applicable.

sundry \SUHN-dree\

adj: 1. various ordiverse: sundry persons. Idioms 2. all and sundry, everybody, collectively and individually: Free samples were given to all and sundry.

grass widow

n:1. a woman who is separated, divorced, or lives apart from herhusband. 2 . a woman whose husbandis away from home frequently or for a long time, as on business or to pursue asport or hobby. 3. Archaic. a. a discarded mistress. b.a woman who has borne an illegitimate child.

qualm \KWAHLM, KWAWM\

n:1. an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction: Hehas no qualms about lying. 2. asudden feeling of apprehensive uneasiness; misgiving: a sudden qualm about thesuccess of the venture. 3. a suddensensation or onset of faintness or illness, especially of nausea.

prepossessing \pree-puh-ZES-ing\

adj: that impresses favorably;engaging or attractive: a confident andprepossessing young man.

hypothecate\hahy-POTH-i-keyt, hi-\

v: 1. to pledge to a creditor assecurity without delivering over; mortgage.2. to put in pledge by delivery, as stocks given as security for a loan.

primaveral\prahy-muh-VEER-uhl\

adj: of, in, or pertaining to theearly springtime: primaveral longings tosail around the world.\

serpentine\SUR-puhn-teen, -tahyn\

adj: 1. having a winding course, as a road; sinuous. 2. of,characteristic of, or resembling a serpent, as in form or movement. 3. shrewd, wily, or cunning. n: 1. a device on a harquebus lock forholding the match. 2. a cannonhaving any of various bore sizes, used from the 15th to the 17th century. 3. Skating.a school figure made by skating two figure eights that share one loop.

preterition\pret-uh-RISH-uhn\

n: 1. the act ofpassing by or over; omission; disregard.2. Law. the passing over by atestator of an heir otherwise entitled to a portion. 3. Calvinistic Theology.the passing over by God of those not elected to salvation or eternal life. 4. Rhetoric.paralipsis.

paralipsis\par-uh-LIP-sis\

n: pl. paralipses \-seez\ Rhetoric. the suggestion, bydeliberately concise treatment of a topic, that much of significance is beingomitted, as in “not to mention other faults.”

daven \DAH-vuh n\

v: Yiddish. to pray.

marmoreal\mahr-MAWR-ee-uh l, -MOHR-\

adj:of or like marble: skin of marmorealsmoothness.

wrest \REST\

v:1. to take away by force: to wrest a knife from a child. 2. to twist or turn; pull, jerk, orforce by a violent twist. 3. to getby effort: to wrest a living from the soil. 4. to twist or turn from the proper course, application, use,meaning, or the like; wrench. n: 1. a wresting; twist or wrench. 2. a key or small wrench for tuningstringed musical instruments, as the harp or piano, by turning the pins towhich the strings are fastened.

tranche\TRAHNCH, TRAHNSH\

n: 1. any part, division, or installment: We've hired the first tranche of researchers. 2. Finance. a. one part or division of a larger unit, as of an asset pool orinvestment: The loan will be repaid inthree tranches. b. a group ofsecurities that share a certain characteristic and form part of a largeroffering: The second tranche of the bondissue has a five-year maturity. v:1. Finance. to divide into parts: tranched debt; A credit portfolio can betranched into a variety of components that are then further subdivided.

pharaonic\fair-ey-ON-ik, far-\

adj: 1. (usually lowercase)impressively or overwhelmingly large, luxurious, etc.: a construction project of pharaonic proportions. 2. (sometimes lowercase) of or like aPharaoh: living in Pharaonic splendor. 3.(lowercase) cruelly oppressive; tyrannical: pharaonictax laws.

swivet\SWIV-it\

n: a state of nervousexcitement, haste, or anxiety; flutter: Iwas in such a swivet that I could hardly speak.

gaumless\GAWM-lis\

adj: lacking in vitality or intelligence; stupid, dull, orclumsy.

impawn\im-PAWN\

v: 1. to put in pawn; pledge. 2. to put in pawn; pledge.

ha-ha\HAH-hah\

n: sunk fence.

aperture\AP-er-cher\

n: 1. an opening, as a hole, slit, crack, gap, etc. 2. Also called aperture stop. Optics. anopening, usually circular, that limits the quantity of light that can enter anoptical instrument.

ingratiate\in-GREY-shee-eyt\

v: to establish (oneself) in the favor or good graces ofothers, especially by deliberate effort (usually followed by with): He ingratiated himself with all the guests.

codicil \KOD-uh-suhl\

n:1. any supplement; appendix. 2. a supplement to a will, containingan addition, explanation, modification, etc., of something in the will.

idiolect\ID-ee-uh-lekt\

n: a person's individualspeech pattern. Compare dialect(def. 1).

plethoric\ple-THAWR-ik, -THOR-, PLETH-uh-rik\

adj:1. overfull; turgid; inflated: a plethoric, pompous speech. 2. of, pertaining to, or characterizedby plethora.

turgid\TUR-jid\

adj: 1. swollen; distended; tumid. 2. inflated, overblown, or pompous; bombastic: turgid language.

machinate \MAK-uh-neyt\

v: to contrive or plot,especially artfully or with evil purpose: tomachinate the overthrow of the government.

ingress\IN-gres\

n: 1. the act of going in or entering. 2. the right to enter. 3.a means or place of entering; entryway. 4. Astronomy. immersion (def. 5).

soigné\swahn-YEY; French swa-NYEY\

adj:1. carefully or elegantly done, operated, or designed. 2. well-groomed. Also, soignée.

hoyden\HOID-n\

n: 1. a boisterous, bold, and carefree girl; a tomboy. adj:2. boisterous; rude. Also, hoiden.

lilt \LILT\

n:1. rhythmic swing or cadence. 2.a lilting song or tune. v: 1. to sing or play in a light, tripping,or rhythmic manner.

percipient\per-SIP-ee-uh nt\

adj: 1. having perception;discerning; discriminating: a percipient choice of wines. 2. perceiving or capable of perceiving. n: 1. a person or thingthat perceives.

imprest\IM-prest\

n: an advance of money; loan.

chuffed\CHUHFT\

adj: 1. annoyed; displeased; disgruntled. 2. delighted; pleased; satisfied.

quell \KWEL\

v:1. to suppress; put an end to; extinguish: The troops quelled the rebellionquickly. 2. to vanquish; subdue. 3. to quiet or allay (emotions,anxieties, etc.): The child's motherquelled his fears of the thunder.

verisimilitude\ver-uh-si-MIL-i-tood, -tyood\

n: 1. the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability: The play lacked verisimilitude. 2. something, as an assertion, havingmerely the appearance of truth.

bandbox\BAND-boks\

n: 1. an area or structure that is smaller in dimensions orsize than the standard: It's easy to hithome runs out of this bandbox. 2.a lightweight box of pasteboard, thin wood, etc., for holding a hat, clericalcollars, or other articles of apparel.

decamp \dih-KAMP\

v:1. to depart quickly, secretly, or unceremoniously: The band of thieves decamped in the night. 2. to depart from a camp; to pack up equipment and leave a campingground: We decamped before the rainbegan.

cornice\KAWR-nis\

noun: 1.a mass of snow, ice, etc., projecting over a mountain ridge. 2. Architecture.a. any prominent, continuous,horizontally projecting feature surmounting a wall or other construction, ordividing it horizontally for compositional purposes. b. the uppermost member of a classical entablature, consisting of abed molding, a corona, and a cymatium, with rows of dentils, modillions, etc.,often placed between the bed molding and the corona. vt: 1. to furnish or finish with a cornice.

tectonic\tek-TON-ik\

adj: 1. of or pertaining to building or construction;constructive; architectural. 2. Geology. a. pertaining to the structure of the earth's crust. b. referring to the forces orconditions within the earth that cause movements of the crust. c. designating the results of suchmovements: tectonic valleys.

quoin \KOIN,KWOIN\

noun: 1. one of thestones forming an external wall; cornerstone. 2. an external solid angle of a wall or the like. 3. any of various bricks of standardshape for forming corners of brick walls or the like. 4. a wedge-shaped piece of wood, stone, or other material, used forany of various purposes. 5. Printing. a wedge of wood or metal forsecuring type in a chase. vt: 1. to provide with quoins, as acorner of a wall. 2. to secure or raise with a quoin or wedge.

crawfish\KRAW-fish\

vi: 1. Informal. to back out or retreat from a position orundertaking. noun: crayfish.

concatenate\kon-KAT-n-eyt\

vt: to link together; unite in a series or chain. adj:linked together, as in a chain.

cymatium/si-MEY-shee-uhm, sahy-\

noun: pl. cymatia[-shee-uh] Architecture. the uppermostmember of a classical cornice or of a cornice of similar form: usually a cymarecta in classical examples.

gander\GAN-der\

noun: 1. Slang. a look: Takea gander at his new shoes. 2.the male of the goose. Compare goose(def. 2).

dentil \DEN-tl,-til\

noun: Architecture.any of a series of closely spaced, small, rectangular blocks, used especiallyin classical architecture beneath the coronas of Ionic, Corinthian, andComposite cornices.

porpoise\PAWR-puhs\

vi: 1. to move forward with a rising and falling motion. 2. (of a speeding motorboat) to leapclear of the water after striking a wave. 3.(of a torpedo) to appear above the surface of the water. noun: 1. any of severalsmall, gregarious cetaceans of the genus Phocoena,usually blackish above and paler beneath, and having a blunt, rounded snout,especially the common porpoise, P.phocoena, of both the North Atlantic and Pacific.

modillion\moh-DIL-yuh n, muh-\

noun: Architecture.an ornamental cantilever beneath the corona or similar member of a cornice,stringcourse, etc.

modillion\moh-DIL-yuh n, muh-\

noun: Architecture.an ornamental cantilever beneath the corona or similar member of a cornice,stringcourse, etc. noun: Architecture. an ornamentalcantilever beneath the corona or similar member of a cornice, stringcourse,etc.

corona \kuh-ROH-nuh\

noun: pl. coronas, coronae [-nee] 1. a white or coloredcircle or set of concentric circles of light seen around a luminous body,especially around the sun or moon. 2.Meteorology. such a circle or set ofcircles having a small radius and ranging in color from blue inside to redoutside, attributable to the diffraction caused by thin clouds, mist, orsometimes dust ( distinguished from halo ).

gopher \GOH-fer\

vi: 1. Mining. a. to mineunsystematically. b. to enlarge ahole, as in loose soil, with successively larger blasts. noun: 1. any of severalground squirrels of the genus Citellus,of the prairie regions of North America. 2.pocket gopher. 3. gopher tortoise. 4. gopher snake. 5. (initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Minnesota(used as a nickname).

chromosphere \KROH-muh-sfeer\

noun:Astronomy. 1. a scarlet, gaseous envelope surrounding the sun outside thephotosphere, from which enormous quantities of hydrogen and other gases areerupted. 2. a gaseous envelopesurrounding a star.

aleatory \EY-lee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee,AL-ee-\

adj: 1. of or pertaining to accidental causes; of luck orchance; unpredictable: an aleatory element. 2. Law. depending on a contingent event: an aleatory contract. 3. Music. employing the element ofchance in the choice of tones, rests, durations, rhythms, dynamics, etc.

photosphere \FOH-tuh-sfeer\

noun: 1. a sphere of light or radiance. 2. Astronomy. the luminous visible surface of the sun, being a shallow layer of strongly ionized gases.

stark \STAHRK\

adj: 1. extremely simple or severe: a stark interior. 2.sheer, utter, downright, or complete: stark madness. 3. harsh, grim, or desolate, as a view, place, etc.: a stark landscape. 4. bluntly or sternly plain; not softened or glamorized: the stark reality of the schedule's deadline. 5. stiff or rigid in substance, muscles, etc. 6. rigid indeath. 7. Archaic. strong; powerful; massive or robust. adv: 1. utterly,absolutely, or quite: stark mad. 2. Chiefly Scot. and North England. in a stark manner; stoutly or vigorously.

hellion \HEL-yuh n\

noun: a disorderly,troublesome, rowdy, or mischievous person.

cull \KUHL\

vt:1. to choose; select; pick. 2.to gather the choice things or parts from. 3.to collect; gather; pluck. noun: 1. act of culling. 2. something culled, especially somethingpicked out and put aside as inferior.

polliwog\POL-ee-wog\

noun: a tadpole.

saccharine\SAK-er-in, -uh-reen, -uh-rahyn\

adj: 1. exaggeratedly sweet orsentimental: a saccharine smile; asaccharine song of undying love. 2. of the nature of or resembling that ofsugar: a powdery substance with a saccharine taste. 3. containing or yieldingsugar. 4. a very sweet to the taste; sugary: a saccharine dessert. 5. cloyinglyagreeable or ingratiating: a saccharinepersonality.

ratiocination \rash-ee-os-uh-NEY-shuhn, -oh-suh-, rat-ee-\

noun: the process of logical reasoning.

droll \DROHL\

adj:1. amusing in an odd way; whimsically humorous; waggish. noun:1. a droll person; jester; wag. vi: 1. Archaic. to jest; joke.

quibble \KWIB-uh l\

vi: 1. to equivocate. 2. to carp; cavil. noun: 1. an instance of the use of ambiguous, prevaricating, or irrelevant language or arguments to evade a point at issue. 2. the general use of such arguments. 3. petty or carping criticism; a minor objection.

spang \SPANG\

adv: directly, exactly: The bullet landed spang on target.

logomachy\loh-GOM-uh-kee\

noun: 1. a dispute about or concerning words. 2. an argument or debate marked by the reckless or incorrect use of words; meaningless battle of words. 3. a game played with cards, each bearing one letter, with which words are formed.

dais \DEY-is,DAHY-, deys\

noun: a raised platform, as at the front of a room, for a lectern, throne, seats of honor, etc.

whangdoodle\HWANG-dood-l, WANG-\

noun: a fanciful creature of undefined nature.

aeolian\ee-OH-lee-uh n\

adj: 1. (usually lowercase) of or caused by the wind; wind-blown. 2. pertaining to Aeolus, or to the winds in general.

snafu\sna-FOO, SNAF-oo\

noun: 1. a badly confused or ridiculously muddled situation: A ballot snafu in the election led to a recount. adj: 1. Rare. in disorder; out of control; chaotic: a snafu scheme that simply won't work. vt: 1. Rare. to throw into disorder; muddle: Losing his passport snafued the whole vacation.

feminacy \FEM-uh-nuh-see\

noun: feminine nature.

melliferous \muh-LIF-er-uh s\

adj: yielding or producing honey.

quacksalver\KWAK-sal-ver\

noun: 1. a charlatan. 2. a quack doctor.

circadian\sur-KEY-dee-uh n, -KAD-ee-,sur-kuh-DEE-uh n\

adj: noting or pertaining to rhythmic biological cycles recurring at approximately 24-hour intervals.

motza\MOT-ser\

noun: a large amount of money, especially a sum won in gambling. Motza is Australian slang that possibly came from the Italian word mezzo meaning "half" or from the Yiddish word matzo meaning "unleavened bread." Regardless of its origin, it entered English in early twentieth century.

consortium \kuh n-SAWR-shee-uhm, -tee-\

noun: 1. any association, partnership, or union. 2. a combination of financial institutions, capitalists, etc., for carrying into effect some financial operation requiring large resources of capital. 3. Law. the legal right of husband and wife to companionship and conjugal intercourse with each other: In a wrongful death action the surviving spouse commonly seeks damages for loss of consortium.

darg \DAHRG\

noun: 1. Scot. and North England. a day's work. 2. Australian. a fixed or definite amount of work; a work quota.

coalesce\koh-uh-LES\

vi: 1. to blend or come together: Their ideas coalesced into one theory. 2. to grow together or into one body: The two lakes coalesced into one. 3. to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc.: The various groups coalesced into a crowd. vt: 4. to cause to unite in one body or mass.

ENGLISH VOCABULARY

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