Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Vocabulary list--#21
Holiday season and more words from POSP stringer Tim.
adscititious
ad-si-tish-uhs
adjective
Added or derived from an external source; additional.
amaranthine
am-uh-ranth-un
adjective
1a. Of or relating to an amaranth.
1b. Not fading or dying, immortal.
2. Being dark reddish purple.
animalcule
an-uh-mal-kyool
noun
1. A minute or microscopic animal, nearly or quite invisible to the naked eye, as an
infusorian or rotifer.
2. Archaic. a tiny animal, as a mouse or fly.
annulate
an-yuh-lit, -leyt
adjective
1. Having rings or ringlike bands.
2. Formed of ringlike segments, as an annelid worm.
antitype
an-ti-tahyp
noun
Something that is foreshadowed by a type or symbol, as a New Testament event prefigured in the Old Testament.
asseverate
uh-sev-uh-rayt
verb
To affirm or declare positively or earnestly.
aureole
awr-ee-ohl
noun
1. A radiance surrounding the head or the whole figure in the representation of a sacred personage.
2. Any encircling ring of light or color; halo.
3. Astronomy: Corona.
4. Geology: A zone of altered country rock around an igneousintrusion.
bluestocking
bloo-stok-ing
noun
1. A woman with considerable scholarly, literary, or intellectual ability or interest.
2. A member of a mid-18th-century London literary circle: Lady Montagu was a celebrated bluestocking.
bonhomie
bah-nuh-mee
noun
Good-natured easy friendliness.
calorifacient
kuh-lawr-uh-fey-shuhnt, -lor-, kal-er-uh-
adjective
(Of foods) producing heat.
cat's-paw
kats-paw
noun
1. A light air that ruffles the surface of the water in irregular patches during a calm.
2, One used by another as a tool, dupe.
3. A hitch knot formed with two eyes for attaching a line to a hook.
conurbation
kah-ner-bay-shun
noun
An aggregation or continuous network of urban communities.
corrigendum
kor-uh-jen-dum
noun
An error in a printed work discovered after printing and shown with its correction on a separate sheet.
crepuscule
kri-puhs-kyool, krep-uh-skyool
noun
Twilight, dusk.
Demogorgon
dee-muh-gor-gun
noun
A mysterious spirit or deity often explained as a primeval creator god who antedates the gods of Greek mythology.
diathesis
dahy-ath-uh-sis
noun
Pathology: A constitutional predisposition or tendency, as to a particular disease or affection.
enormity
ih-nor-muh-tee
noun
1. Great wickedness>
2. An outrageous or immoral act or offense.
3. Very large size.
4. The quality of great impact or importance.
ensky
in-skye
verb
1. To raise in rank, power, or character.
2. To praise highly, glorify.
eristic
ih-riss-tik
adjective
Characterized by disputatious and often subtle and specious reasoning.
gormless
gorm-lus
adjective
Lacking intelligence, stupid.
irredentist
ir-i-den-tist
noun
1. A member of a party in any country advocating the acquisition of some region included in another country by reason of cultural, historical, ethnic, racial, or other ties.
2. (Usually initial capital letter) a member of an Italian association that became prominent in 1878, advocating the redemption, or the incorporation into Italy, of certain neighboring regions (Italia irredenta) having a primarily Italian population.
adjective
Pertaining to or supporting such a party or its doctrine.
kelpie
kel-pee
noun
(In Scottish legends) a water spirit, usually having the form of a horse, reputed to cause drownings or to warn those in danger of drowning.
lacuna
uh-koo-nuh
noun
1. A blank space or a missing part, gap, also : deficiency, inadequacy.
2. A small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical structure.
nidus
nye-dus
noun
A nest or breeding place; especially, a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply.
obsequy
ob-si-kwee
noun
A funeral rite or ceremony.
omnium-gatherum
om-nee-uhm-gath-er-uhm
noun
A miscellaneous collection.
pastiche
pass-teesh
noun
1. A musical, literary, or artistic work that imitates the style of previous work or is made up of selections from different works.
2, Hodgepodge.
3. A place where something originates, develops, or is located.
phantasmagoric
fan-tax-muh-gawr-ik, -gor-
adjective
1. Having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination.
2. Having the appearance of an optical illusion, especially one produced by a magic lantern.
3. Changing or shifting, as a scene made up of many elements.
picaro
pik-uh-roh, pee-kuh
noun
A rogue or vagabond.
plenipotentiary
plen-uh-puh-ten-shuh-ree
adjective
1. Invested with full power.
2. Of or relating to a person invested with full power to transact any business.
pol
pol
noun
A politician, especially one experienced in making political deals, exchanging political favors, etc.
polyglot
pah-lee-glaht
adjective
1a. Speaking or writing several languages.
1b. Composed of numerous linguistic groups.
2. Containing matter in several languages.
3. Composed of elements from different languages.
4. Widely diverse (as in ethnic or cultural origins).
prestidigitation
press-tuh-dij-uh-tay-shun
noun
Sleight of hand, legerdemain.
rectitudinous
rek-tuh-too-duh-nus
adjective
1. Characterized by the quality of being honest and morally correct.
2. Piously self-righteous.
sere
seer
adjective
Being dried and withered.
skeigh
skeekh
adverb
Proudly.
adjective
1. (Of horses) spirited, inclined to shy.
2. (Of women) proud, disdainful.
slumgullion
sluhm-guhl-yuhn, sluhm-guhl
noun
1. A stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
2. A beverage made weak or thin, as watery tea, coffee, or the like.
3. The refuse from processing whale carcasses.
4. A reddish, muddy deposit in mining sluices.
snollygoster
snol-ee-gos-ter
noun
Slang. a clever, unscrupulous person.
solipsism
sol-ip-siz-uhm
noun
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.
tenuity
tuh-noo-i-tee, -nyoo-, te
adjective
1. Thinness of consistency, rarefied condition.
2. The state of being tenuous.
3. Slenderness.
wroth
rawth, roth or, especially Brit., rohth
adjective
1. Stormy, violent; turbulent: the wroth sea.
2. Angry, wrathful, (usually used predicatively): He was wroth to see the damage to his home.
Vocabulary list--#1
Vocabulary list--#2
Vocabulary list--#3
Vocabulary list--#13
Vocabulary list--#14
Vocabulary list--#15
Vocabulary list--#16
Vocabulary list--#17
Vocabulary list--#18
Vocabulary list--#19
Vocabulary list--#20
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vocabulary words
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