adulation
n. excessive flattery or admiration; unmerited praise |
androgyny
n. showing characteristics of both sexes |
apogee
n. the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbited |
attenuate
v. make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density of |
betimes
ad. in good time; before the usual or expected time |
billiards
n. any of several games played on rectangular cloth-covered table in which long tapering cue sticks are used to propel ivory balls |
bumptious
a. offensively self-assertive; liable to give or take offense; forward; pushing |
cajolery
n. flattery intended to persuade |
caparison
n. stable gear consisting of a decorated covering for a horse, especially for a warhorse |
chimerical
a. fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; imaginative |
coddle
v. treat gently; cook in water just below boiling point |
colloquy
n. a conversation, especially a formal one |
concatenate
v. combine two strings to form a single one; add by linking or joining so as to form a chain or series |
confederacy
n. a league or compact for mutual support or common action; alliance |
conspirator
n. one who engages in a conspiracy; plotter |
contrivance
n. an artificial or unnatural arrangement of details or parts; inventive skill; skill to bring something about or create something |
corollary
n. natural consequence or effect; result |
cosmogony
n. the branch of astrophysics that studies the origin and evolution and structure of the universe |
debilitate
v. make weak; enfeeble; impair the strength of |
degeneracy
n. moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles |
dendrology
n. the scientific study of trees |
derogation
n. a communication that belittles somebody or something; a partial repeal or abolition of a law |
desultory
a. aimless; haphazard; at random; not connected with subject |
didactic
a. instructive, especially excessively |
disavowal
n. denial of any connection with or knowledge of |
disputation
n. a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement |
dissonant
a. not in accord; lacking in harmony; characterized by musical dissonance |
diversity
n. point or respect in which things differ; difference |
divination
n. successful conjecture by unusual insight or good luck; the art or gift of prophecy by supernatural means |
ductile
a. easily influenced; flexible; pliable |
eccentricity
n. oddity; departure from that which is stated, regular, or usual; deviation from center |
effluvium
n. a foul-smelling outflow or vapor, especially a gaseous waste |
elide
v. omit a vowel, consonant, or syllable in pronunciation; leave or strike out |
emulate
v. be a match or counterpart for; eager to equal or excel |
encomium
n. high praise; formal expression of praise; tribute |
epicycle
n. a circle that rolls around inside or outside another circle; generates an epicycloid or hypocycloid |
eulogize
v. praise formally and eloquently |
execration
n. hate coupled with disgust; an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone; the object of cursing |
expeditious
a. marked by speed and efficiency |
extrude
v. force or push out; drive away; displace or remove, as a person from a place or office |
fervid
a. extremely hot; eager; impassioned; burning |
flay
v. strip off the skin or outer covering of |
freethinker
n. a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it |
gelid
a. very cold, icy, or frosty |
hacienda
n. the main house on a ranch or large estate |
immunosuppressant
n. a drug that lowers the body's normal immune response |
inexpedient
a. not appropriate to the purpose; not suitable or advisable |
interlocutor
n. one who speaks in dialogue or takes part in conversation |
introspect
v. reflect on one's own thoughts and feelings |
involution
n. the shrinkage of an organ in old age or when inactive; the act of sharing in the activities of a group; the action of enfolding something |
irrefrangible
a. not to be broken or violated; inviolable; incapable of being refracted |
jocular
a. humorous, amusing or joking; sportive; not serious |
lariat
n. a long noosed rope used to catch animals |
lethargy
n. inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy |
liege
n. a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service; a person holding a fief |
lithograph
n. a flat surface, of stone or metal, is treated to absorb or repel ink in the desired pattern; a print produced by lithography |
luminescent
a. emitting light not caused by heat |
mandibular
a. relating to the lower jaw, either the upper or lower part of the bill of a bird |
merino
n. white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality |
microscopy
n. research with the use of microscopes |
missal
n. a book containing all the prayers and responses needed to celebrate Mass throughout the year; any books of prayers or devotions |
monocracy
n. a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator, not restricted by a constitution, laws or opposition |
muffle
n. bare end of nose between nostrils |
nasalization
n. the act of nasalizing; the utterance of sounds modulated by the nasal resonators |
neopaganism
n. a modern religious movement that seeks to incorporate beliefs or ritual practices from traditions outside the main world religions |
nostrum
n. patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable; quack medicine |
obstreperous
a. noisily aggressive; making great noise or outcry |
opprobrium
n. state of disgrace resulting from public abuse; state of extreme dishonor |
outrigger
n. a stabilizer for a canoe; spars attach to a shaped log or float parallel to the hull |
pariah
n. social outcast; person who is rejected from society or home |
pedant
n. one who is overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning |
pentameter
n. a verse line having five metrical feet |
perspicacious
a. having keen insight; mentally perceptive; astute |
pestilential
a. tending to produce infectious disease; destructive |
planisphere
n. a representation of the circles of the sphere on a plane surface, such as a polar projection of the celestial sphere onto a chart |
prattle
v. speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly; talk artlessly and childishly |
prehension
n. the act of gripping something firmly with the hands or the tentacles |
pseudonymity
n. the fact or state of being signed with a pseudonym |
rejuvenescence
n. a renewal of youthfulness or vigor |
repugnance
n. extreme dislike or aversion; opposition; conflict; resistance, in a physical sense |
runnel
n. a small stream, brook, rivulet; a small channel, as for water |
saponaceous
a. resembling or having the qualities of soap |
sinuosity
n. having curves; a turn, curve, or intricacy |
submersible
n. a warship designed to operate under wate; capable of being immersed in water or functioning while submerged |
unmitigated
a. unrelieved or immoderate in intensity or severity; without exception; absolute |
vociferate
v. utter in a very loud voice |