A abettor: encourager abrade: wear away by friction, erode acephalous: headless acquiesce: to assent, agree passively adduce: present as evidence adumbration: foreshadowing, to give a sketchy outline of afferent: carrying towards the center afflatus: inspiration agronomist: scientist engaged in the management of land amortization: act of reducing debts through partial payments andirons: metal supports in a fireplace for cooking utensils or logs apologue: moral fable apoplexy: stroke, loss of consciousness appurtenances: subordinate possessions arrant: complete, thorough arrogate: claim without reasonable grounds asseverate: make a positive statement or solemn declaration atelier: workshop, studio athwart: across, in opposition auscultation: act of listening to the heart or lungs for abnormalities avatar: incarnation B bassoon : a reed musical instrument batten: grow fat, thrive upon others benighted: overcome by darkness bete noire: aversion, a person or thing stongly disliked billingsgate: vituperation, abusive language blazon: decorate with an heraldic coat of arms bluff: high cliff bootless: useless brazier: open pan in which live coals are burned breviary: book containing daily prayers bumptious: self assertive buskin: thick soled half boot worn by actors of Greek tragedy C cameo: shell or jewel carved in relief caparison: put showy ornamentation on a horse carmine: rich red carte blanche: an unlimited authority or freedom caryatid: sculptured column of a female figure causistry: subtle or sophisticated reasoning resulting in minute decisions causus: a private meeting or party champ: chew noisily chattel: personal property chiromancy: act of telling fortunes by reading hands, palmistry chiropodist: one who treats disorders of the feet cloven: split coadjutor: assistant, colleague cockade: decoration worn on the hat collier: workers in coal mine, ship carrying coal concordat: agreement contemn: to view with contempt; despise contumely: scornful insolence, insult cormorant: greedy, rapacious bird cortege: procession coruscate: glitter, scintillate crepuscular: pertaining to twilight cruet: small bottle for vinegar, oil etc cul-de-sac : blind alley, trap D dastard: coward debenture: bond issued to secure a loan decrepit: worn out by age defalcate: misuse money held in trust, embezzle deliquescent: capable of absorbing moisture from the air and becoming liquid demesne: domain, land over which a person has full sovereignty depilate : to remove hair descant: to discuss fully desideratum: that which is desired desuetude: disuse dipsomaniac : one who has strong cravings for intoxicating liquor dishabille: in a state of undress distaff: women considered as a group; attachment for spinning wheel drone: an idle person duenna: an older attendant for a young female, chaperone, governess durance: restraint, imprisonment E eclat: a brilliance; glory educe: draw forth; elicit efflorescent: flowering effulgent: brilliantly radiant elusory: tending to deceive expectations; elusive emblazon: deck in brilliant colours emeritus: retired but retained in an honorary capacity empyreal: celestial; fiery endive: species of leafy plants used in salads epicurean: person who devotes himself to the pleasure of the senses equipage: horse drawn carriage escutcheon: shield shaped surface on which coat of arms is placed esprit de corps: morale; comradeship eviscerate: disembowel; remove entrails ewer: water pitcher or an open vessel with handle and spout ex officio: by virtue of one's office exhaustive: thorough; comprehensive F fain: gladly; happily faux pas or slip in manners or behaviours fealty: loyalty; faithfulness fetish: object supposed to possess magical powers fiduciary: pertaining to a position of trust flagellate: flog; whip flotilla: small fleet freebooter: buccaneer freshet: sudden flood froward: disobedient; perverse; stubborn frowzy: slovenly; untidy fulgent: beaming; radiant fustian: pompous; bombastic G gaff: hook; barbed fishing spear gamester: gambler gasconade: bluster; boastfulness gauntlet: leather glove gibbet: gallows gig: two wheeled carriage gloaming: twilight guffaw: Laugh boisteriously H hauteur: haughtiness; Overbearing pride hawser: large rope hegira: flight; especially Mohammed's flight from Mecca heretic: person who maintains opinions contrary to the church hogshead: large barrel hostelry: inn hoyden: boisterous girl hustings: meetings particularly to choose candidates hyberborean: situated in extreme north; arctic; cold hypothecate: mortgage; pledge as security I imbrue: to drench; stain; especially with blood imprimatur: permission to print or publish a book imputation: charge,reproach incarnadine: stain crimson or blood colour ingenue: an artless girl; an actress who plays such parts integument: outer covering or skin interlocutory: conversational; intermediate, not final interment: act of burying interstices: chinks; crevices irrefragable:not to be disproved; indisputable iterate: repeat for a second time J jejune: lacking interest; barren; meager jeremiad: lament or mournful complaint K kiosk: summerhouse; open pavilion ; booth or cubicle ; area reserved kith: familiar friends knavery: rascality L lackey: footman; toady lagniappe: trifling present given to a customer lambent: flickering; softly radiant laminated: made of thin plates or scales lapidary: worker in precious stones lave: wash lesion: unhealthy change in strucure; injury lissome: agile, lithe lubricity: slipperiness; evasiveness lucent: shining M mall: public walk (alt meaning) maunder: talk incoherently; utter drivel melange: medley; miscellany meringue: pastry decoration made of white eggs mesa : high mews: a group of stables built around a courtyard mien: a demeanor; a bearing minaret: a slender tower attached to a mosque miscegenation: an intermarriage between races moeity: half, part moor: marshy wasteland morganatic: describing a marriage between a member of the royal family and a commoner mugwump: defector from a party murrain: plague, cattle disease N nave: main body of church neap: lowest necrology: obituary notice; list of the dead non sequitor: a conclusion that does not follow the facts stated nosegay: fragrant bouqet; An arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present O objurgate: scold; rebuke severly oblation: the eucharist; pious donation offal: waste; garbage offertory: collection of money at a religious ceremony orison: prayer orotund : having a round, resonant quality; inflated speech P paddock: saddling enclosure at race track; lot for exercising horses palaver: discussion; misleading speech panoply: full set of armor parapet: low wall at edge of roof or balcony paregoric: medicine that eases pain parlous: dangerous; perilous parricide: murder of a father parturition: delivery, childbirth parvenu: upstart; newly rich person patricide: person who murders his father patrimony: inheritance from father peculate: steal; embezzle pediment: a triangular part above columns in Greek buildings pelf: stolen property; money or wealth pennate: having wings or feathers perforce: of necessity peristyle: series of columns surrounding a building persiflage: flippant conversation; banter phial: a small bottle picaresque: pertaining to rogues in literature plangent: plaintive; resounding sadly plenipotentiary: fully empowered poltroon: coward pommel: beat porphyry: igneous rock containing feldspar or quartz crystals portentous: ominous; serious postprandial: after dinner preciosity: overrefinement in art or speech proboscis: long snout; nose prognathous: having projecting jaws prorogue: dismiss parliament; end officially provender: dry food; fodder purblind: dim sighted; obtuse purloin: to steal Q qui vie: wide awake; expectant R rampant: rearing up on hind legs; unrestrained rapprochement: a reconciliation ravening: rapacious; seeking prey recherche: choice; sought after; rare recreant: coward; betrayar of faith recrudescence: reopening of a wound or sore recusant: person who refuses to comply refection: slight refreshment refutation: disproof of opponents' arguments rescission: abrogation; annulment reticulated: covered with a network; having the appearance of a mesh rheumy: pertaining to a discharge from the eyes and nose rime: white frost risible: inclined to laugh; ludicrous roan: brown mixed with grey or white rood: crucifix rubicund: having a healthy reddish colour; ruddy; florid S sacerdotal: priestly saffron: orange coloured saltatory: relating to leaping salver: tray sangfroid: coolness in a trying situation sapid: savoury; tasty; relishable sapient: wise, shrewd sarcophagus: stone coffin; tomb satiety: a condition of being crammed full; a repletion satrap: petty ruler working for a superior despot savoir fare: tact; poise; concentration scarify: make slight incisions in; scratch sciolism: quackery; superficial information scion: offspring screed: long, tiresome harangue scullion: menial kitchen worker scuttle: to scurry; to run with short steps ; sink sebacious: oily; fatty senescence: state of growing old sequacious: eager to follow; ductile seraph: high ranking; angel of the first order serried: standing shoulder to shoulder; crowded shibboleth: watchword; slogan shoal: shallow place similitude: similarity; using comparisons such as similes sirocco: a windstorm slattern: untidy or slovenly person sobriquet: nickname soupcon: suggestion; hint; taste splenetic: spiteful; irritable; peevish spoliation: pillaging; depredation; plundering spume: froth; foam stein: a beer mug stertorous: having a snoring sound sub rosa: in strict confidence; privately sudorific: pertaining to perspiration sumptuary: limiting or regulating expenditures supernal: heavenly; celestial suppurate: create pus surcease: cessation T tarn: small mountain lake tatterdemalion: a ragged fellow taurine: like a bull teleology: doctrine of final causes tenebrous: dark; gloomy tergiversation: evasion; fickleness termagant: a shrew; scolding person terrapin: an American marsh tortoise thaumaturgist: miracle worker; magician theosophy: wisdom in divine things threnody: song of lamentation; dirge thyme: an aromatic plant used for seasoning tocsin: an alarm bell tortilla: a flat cake made of cornmeal transpire: exhale; happen treacle: syrup obtained in refining sugar trencherman: good man; A person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess triolet: eight line stanza troglodyte: cave dweller trope: figure of speech like a metaphor truckle: curry favour; act in an obsequious way trumpery: objects that are showy,valueless, deceptive tumbrel: a farm tipcart turnkey: ready to use upon delivery ; jailor(archaic) U ukase: official degree, usually Russian V valance: short drapery hanging above window frame valetudinarian: invalid; aged vellum: a parchment venal: capable of being bribed vermicular: pertaining to a worm vertiginous: giddy; causing dizziness virago: shrew votary: follower of a cult W welkin: sky wraith: ghost; phantom of a living person