adjuration
n. a solemn and earnest appeal to someone to do something |
anhydrous
a. without water; especially without water of crystallization |
aquiline
a. curved or hooked like an eagle's beak |
awry
ad. in a position that is turned toward one side; away from correct course |
bagatelle
n. something of little value or significance; a light piece of music for piano |
bibelot
n. a small household, ornament, or decorative object |
boll
n. the rounded seed-bearing capsule of a cotton or flax plant |
burin
n. a chisel of tempered steel with a sharp point; used for engraving |
calcimine
n. a water-base paint containing zinc oxide and glue and coloring; used as a wash for walls and ceilings |
carouse
n. revelry in drinking; a merry drinking party |
circumlocution
n. indirect or roundabout expression; evasion in speech or writing |
coeval
a. of the same period; having the same age or date of origin; contemporary |
colossus
n. someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful; a person of exceptional importance and reputation |
conciliate
v. cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of; make one thing compatible with another |
confluent
n. a branch that flows into the main stream; flowing together |
consumptive
a. afflicted with or associated with pulmonary tuberculosis; tending to consume or use often wastefully |
contumacy
n. obstinate rebelliousness; resistance to authority; willful refusal to appear before a court or comply with a court order |
coronet
n. margin between the skin of the pastern and the horn of the hoof |
cosmopolitanism
n. ideology that all human beings belong to a single community, based on a shared morality |
declamatory
a. expressing feelings or opinions in a way that is loud and forceful |
deist
n. a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it |
denunciation
n. a public act of denouncing; public condemnation of someone or something |
derrick
n. a framework erected over an oil well to allow drill tubes to be raised and lowered |
detrude
v. force down or thrust away or out |
digraph
n. two successive letters, especially two letters used to represent a single sound as 'sh' in 'shoe' |
discontinuance
n. the act of discontinuing or breaking off; an interruption |
dispensation
n. a share that has been dispensed or distributed; an exemption from some rule or obligation |
disrepute
n. discredit; dishonor; the state of being held in low esteem |
dissuasion
n. persuading not to do or believe something; talking someone out of a belief or an intended course of action |
dolor
n. painful grief; a state of great sorrow or distress |
dudgeon
n. a feeling of intense indignation |
effeminacy
n. having traits, tastes, habits, traditionally considered feminine |
effulgence
n. the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light |
emaciate
v. grow weak and thin or waste away physically; cause to grow thin or weak |
encyclical
a. intended for wide distribution |
espy
v. catch sight of; glimpse; discover at a distance |
euphony
n. any agreeable, pleasing, and harmonious sounds |
exegesis
n. explanation; interpretation, especially of biblical or religious text |
expostulate
v. reason with somebody for the purpose of dissuasion |
factious
a. dissenting, especially dissenting with the majority opinion |
festal
a. offering fun and gaiety; befitting a feast, festival, holiday, or gala occasion |
foppery
n. foolish character or action; the behavior or dress of a fop |
furtherance
n. encouragement of the progress or growth or acceptance of something; the advancement of some enterprise |
glutinous
a. having the sticky properties of an adhesive |
hegira
n. a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment |
improvisation
n. an unplanned expedient; a performance given extempore without planning or preparation |
ingenue
n. innocent girl or young woman; actress who plays such parts |
interpolation
n. a message, spoken or written, that is introduced or inserted; the action of interjecting or interposing an action or remark that interrupts |
inundation
n. an overwhelming number or amount; the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land |
ionization
n. the condition of being dissociated into ions; the process of ionizing; the formation of ions by separating atoms or molecules |
irruption
n. a sudden violent spontaneous occurrence; a sudden sharp increase in the relative numbers of a population |
juridical
a. relating to the administration of justice or the function of a judge; of or relating to the law or jurisprudence |
latish
a. somewhat or rather late |
lexicography
n. the act of writing dictionaries |
ligneous
a. consisting of or containing lignin or xylem |
litigious
a. of or relating to litigation; showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits |
luxuriance
n. the property of being lush and abundant and a pleasure to the senses |
manumit
v. free from slavery or servitude |
metempsychosis
n. after death the soul begins a new cycle of existence in another human body |
militate
v. have force or influence; bring about an effect or change |
missive
n. letter; written message; a written communication |
monomania
n. a mania restricted to one thing or idea |
mufti
n. a Muslim legal expert who is empowered to give rulings on religious matters |
necrology
n. a notice of someone's death; usually includes a short biography; a list of people who died recently |
nether
a. situated down or below; lying beneath, or in the lower part; having a lower position; lower; under; |
obsequious
a. slavishly attentive; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery |
obviate
v. bypass requirement or make it unnecessary; get rid of |
oratorio
n. musical composition for voices and orchestra based on religious text |
palliate
v. lessen violence of disease; moderate intensity; gloss over with excuses |
patrimony
n. an inheritance coming by right of birth; a church endowment |
peerage
n. the peers of a kingdom considered as a group |
pentathlon
n. an athletic contest consisting of five different events |
perspicacity
n. the capacity to assess situations shrewdly and to draw sound conclusions; intelligence manifested by being astute |
philander
v. have amorous affairs; talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions |
platitudinous
a. dull and tiresome; used too often to be interesting or thoughtful |
precedential
a. having precedence, especially because of longer service |
prolix
a. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length |
quizzical
a. suggesting puzzlement; mocking; curious |
reliquary
n. a container where religious relics are stored or displayed, especially relics of saints |
retrench
v. cut down; change the way things are done in order to spend less money; economize |
sacrosanct
a. regarded as sacred and inviolable; too important to be changed |
satirize
v. make object of satire; attack with satire; censure with keenness or severe sarcasm. |
sirocco
n. a windstorm that lifts up clouds of dust or sand |
temporize
v. act evasively in order to gain time, avoid argument, or postpone a decision |
unwonted
a. out of the ordinary; not customary or usual |
withe
n. band or rope made of twisted twigs or stems; strong flexible twig |