Vocab words

1. interminable - seeming to go on forever; wearisomely protracted
2. tocsin - a warning signal, an alarm bell or ringing of a bell; related to the words to touch and signal.
3. yegg - a burglar who robs safes, safecracker; underworld slang of unknown origin, possibly the name of an American burglar and safecracker
4. xanthous - yellow, yellowish; from Greek xanthos "yellow," of unknown origin. Prefix form xantho- is used in many scientific words.
5. yokel - a naive or gullible inhabitant of a rural area or small town
6. xeric - DRY - characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture
7. scapegrace - an incorrigible rascal; "one who has escaped the grace of God."
8. videlicet - that is to say, namely
9. macrobiotic - of or having to do with macrobiotics, a dietary system derived from Zen Buddhism and purported to prolong life; from Greek makrobiotikos "long-lived" from makros "long" + bios "life."
10. kibbutz - an Israeli communal settlement, especially a farm co-operative; from modern Hebrew qibbus "gathering,"
11. simulacrum - image, representation; an insubstantial form or semblance of something : trace; from "simulare," a Latin verb meaning "to copy, represent, or feign." like simulate
12. bifurcate - to divide or cause to divide into two branches or parts; from the Latin "bifurcus," meaning "two-pronged," a combination of the prefix "bi-" ("two") and the noun "furca" ("fork").
13. prelapsarian - characteristic of or belonging to the time or state before the fall of humankind, related to Latin "lapsus," meaning "slip" or "fall."
14. quaggy - like quagmire - marshy
15. hebetude - lethargy, dullness; suggests mental dullness, often marked by laziness or torpor.
16. officinal - tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain : medicinal; from the Medieval Latin noun "officina," a word for the storeroom of a monastery in which provisions and medicines were kept.
17. ineffable - a : incapable of being expressed in words : indescribable b : unspeakable; not to be uttered : taboo; "Effabilis" comes from "effari" ("to speak out"), which in turn comes from "ex-" and "fari" ("to speak").
18. prolix - unduly prolonged or drawn out : too long; marked by or using an excess of words; redundant, verbose, and wordy; suggests unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details; from a combination of the prefix "pro-" (which means "forward") and the past participle of "liquere," a verb meaning "to be fluid."
19. hypaethral - having a roofless central space, open to the sky - from the Greek prefix "hypo-," meaning "under or beneath," and the Greek word "aither," meaning "air or heaven."
20. lodestar - one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide; "a star that leads or guides; like lodestone
21. cynosure - 1 : the northern constellation Ursa Minor; also : North Star 2 : one that serves to direct or guide *3 : a center of attraction or attention. From ancient Greek "Kynosoura" meaning "dog's tail", name for Ursa Minor.
22. blithesome - gay, merry; "Blithe" can mean "casual" and "heedless" as well as "joyful" and "lighthearted"
23. prehension - the act of taking hold, seizing, or grasping, mental understanding : comprehension; from the Latin verb "prehendere," which means "to seize" or "to grasp."
24. fastidious - having high and often unpredictable standards; showing a meticulous or demanding attitude, work which reflects a demanding or precise attitude. hard to please; extremely refined or critical. Latin compound of fastus "contempt, arrogance" and tædium "aversion, disgust."
25. chiropteran - any of an order of night-flying mammals with forelimbs modified to form wings : bat; based on the Greek words for "hand," "cheir," and "wing," "pteron."
26. parry - to ward off a weapon or blow; to evade especially by an adroit answer; form of the French verb "parer," meaning "to guard or ward off."
27. confabulation - 1 : familiar talk or conversation 2 : a filling in of gaps in memory by fabrication. From Latin fabula meaning fable.
28. plangent - 1: having a loud reverberating sound <a plangent roar> 2 : having an expressive and especially plaintive quality <plangent lyrics> ... plangens, present participle of plangere to strike, lament.
29. nugatory - 1 : of little or no consequence : trifling , inconsequential 2 : having no force : inoperative. nugatorius, from nugari to trifle, from nugae trifles.
30. ineluctable - not to be avoided, changed, or resisted : inevitable <an ineluctable fate; ineluctable as gravity; ineluctable attraction of an open road> - Latin ineluctabilis, from in- + eluctari to struggle clear of, from ex- + luctari to struggle, wrestle; akin to Latin luxus dislocated
31. invidious - 1. Tending to provoke envy, resentment, or ill will. 2. Containing or implying a slight. 3. Envious. 1: tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy <the invidious task of arbitration> 2: envious 3 a: of an unpleasant or objectionable nature : obnoxious <invidious remarks> b: of a kind to cause harm or resentment <an invidious comparison> Latin invidiosus envious, invidious, from invidia "envy." from invidere, "to look upon with the evil eye, to look maliciously upon, to envy," from in-, "upon" + videre, "to look at, to see."
32. denouement - French dénouement, literally, untying, from Middle French desnouement, from desnouer to untie, from Old French desnoer, from des- de- + noer to tie, from Latin nodare, from nodus knot — more at node ...1 : the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work 2 : the outcome of a complex sequence of events
33. antediluvian - 1: of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible 2 a: made, evolved, or developed a long time ago <an antediluvian automobile> b: extremely primitive or outmoded <an antediluvian prejudice>
34. pusillanimous - Late Latin pusillanimis, from Latin pusillus very small (diminutive of pusus boy) + animus spirit; perhaps akin to Latin puer child — more at puerile, animate : lacking courage and resolution : marked by contemptible timidity
35. jejune - Latin jejunus empty of food, hungry, meager 1 : lacking nutritive value <jejune diets> 2 : devoid of significance or interest : dull <jejune lectures> 3 : juvenile , puerile <jejune reflections on life and art> synonyms - insipid, vapid , flat , jejune , banal , inane mean devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character
36. inanition (inane) - 1. The condition or quality of being empty. 2. Exhaustion, as from lack of nourishment. 3. Lack of vitality or spirit.
37. filigree - 1: ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces 2 a: ornamental openwork of delicate or intricate design b: a pattern or design resembling such openwork <a filigree of frost> c: ornamentation , embellishment <writings…heavy with late Victorian filigree — Jack Beatty>
38. peregrinate - intransitive verb: to travel especially on foot : walk, transitive verb: to walk or travel over : traverse
39. prestidigitation - sleight of hand, legerdemain
40. legerdemain - 1 : sleight of hand. 2 : a show of skill or adroitness. From French "leger de main," light of hand
41. peroration - 1 : the concluding part of a discourse and especially an oration 2 : a highly rhetorical speech
42. herpetology - a branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians
43. ichthyology - a branch of zoology that deals with fishes
44. ornithology - a branch of zoology dealing with birds
45. superannuate - transitive verb 1 : to make, declare, or prove obsolete or out-of-date 2 : to retire and pension because of age or infirmity, intransitive verb 1 : to become retired 2 : to become antiquated
46. senescence - 1 : the state of being old : the process of becoming old 2 : the growth phase in a plant or plant part (as a leaf) from full maturity to death
47. stevedore - Dock Laborer, Longshoreman; from spanish "estipador," meaning "one who stuffs." From Latin stipare, meaning to stuff.
48. sanguine - 1. cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: a sanguine disposition; sanguine expectations. 2. reddish; ruddy: a sanguine complexion.
49. salacious - 1. lustful or lecherous. 2. (of writings, pictures, etc.) obscene; grossly indecent.
50. pandiculation - an instinctive stretching, as on awakening or while yawning
51. rakish - dashingly or carelessly unconventional : jaunty <rakish clothes>
52. jaunty - sprightly in manner or appearance : lively <sporting a jaunty red beret> <a jaunty stroll>
53. sprightly - 1 : marked by a gay lightness and vivacity : spirited <a sprightly musical> 2 : having a distinctively piquant taste : zesty <a sprightly salsa>
54. Realpolitik (German: real “realistic”, “practical” or “actual”; and Politik “politics”) refers to politics or diplomacy based primarily on practical considerations, rather than ideological notions.
55. sallow - having a sickly, yellowish color
56. pastiche - 1: a literary, artistic, musical, or architectural work that imitates the style of previous work ; also : such stylistic imitation; similar to homage, parody 2 a: a musical, literary, or artistic composition made up of selections from different works : potpourri b: hodgepodge <the conventional wisdom is a pastiche of folklore, myth and wishful thinking; New York's pastiche of unique neighborhoods> Italian pasticcio, "a paste," hence "a hodgepodge, literary or musical," ultimately from Latin pasta, "paste."
57. cuckhold - a married man with an adulterous wife. Due to the word's original meaning, a man who is unwittingly raising another man's child, it refers to a man who is unaware of his victimization
58. preternatural - 1 : existing outside of nature *2 : exceeding what is natural or regular : extraordinary 3 : inexplicable by ordinary means; especially : psychic. Latin "praeter naturam," which means "beyond nature."
59. defalcate - to steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one's care. Latin defalcere, from de- + falx/falcem "sickle, scythe"
60. shibboleth - any distinguishing practice which is indicative of one's social or regional origin.
61. adroit - : having or showing skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations <an adroit leader> <adroit maneuvers>
62. quantal - 1 : of, relating to, or having only two experimental alternatives (as dead or alive, all or none)
63. osteopath - a practitioner specializing in treatment chiefly by manipulation of the bones and muscles
64. expurgate - to remove objectionable words or passages from a document. From Latin expurgare, from ex- + purgare "to make clean"
65. pinchbeck - 1. an alloy of zinc and copper used to imitate gold in jewelry-making; by extension, something counterfeit; an imitation 2. not genuine; fake
66. gadarene - headlong, precipitate. Biblical story of swine from town of Gadara possessed by demons running in a mad dash down a steep bank into the Sea and drowning.
67. torpid - 1 a: having lost motion or the power of exertion or feeling : dormant , numb b: sluggish in functioning or acting <a torpid frog> <a torpid mind> 2: lacking in energy or vigor : apathetic , dull. Torpor implies a state of suspended animation as of hibernating animals but may suggest merely extreme sluggishness <a once alert mind now in a torpor>
68. frenetic - frenzied, frantic
69. malinger - : to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work). French malingre "sickly"
70. capricious - impulsive, unpredictable, inconstant. from caprice, Perhaps from Italian capriccio = capo "head" (from Latin caput) + riccio hedgehog. 1 a: a sudden, impulsive, and seemingly unmotivated notion or action b: a sudden usually unpredictable condition, change, or series of changes <the caprices of the weather> 2: a disposition to do things impulsively
71. vagary - An extravagant, erratic, or unpredictable notion, action, or occurrence. <much of life's consequences are resultant of vagary and caprice; Weather is one of the vagaries of blue-water racing; the vagaries of passion and despair> Latin vagari, "to stroll about, to wander," from vagus, "wandering."
72. vicissitude - 1 a : the quality or state of being changeable : mutability b : natural change or mutation visible in nature or in human affairs 2 a : a favorable or unfavorable event or situation that occurs by chance : a fluctuation of state or condition <the vicissitudes of daily life> b : a difficulty or hardship attendant on a way of life, a career, or a course of action and usually beyond one's control c : alternating change : succession Latin vicissitudo, from vicissim in turn, from vicis change, alternation
73. disabuse - : to free from error, fallacy, or misconception
74. enervate - 1 : to reduce the mental or moral vigor of 2 : to lessen the vitality or strength of
75. sinew - 1: tendon 2: solid resilient strength : power <astonishing intellectual sinew and clarity — Reynolds Price> b: the chief supporting force : mainstay —usually used in plural <providing the sinews of better living — Samuel Pollock>
76. exigent - 1 : requiring immediate aid or action <exigent circumstances> 2 : requiring or calling for much : demanding <an exigent client>. From Latin, present participle of exigere "to demand"
77. fulminate: (transitive verb) : to utter or send out with denunciation <fulminate a decree> (intransitive verb) : to send forth censures or invectives. From Medieval Latin fulminatus, past participle of fulminare, from Latin, to strike (of lightning), from fulmen lightning;
78. ingenuous - a: lacking craft or subtlety <ingenuous in their brutality> b: showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness <her ingenuous thirst for experience — Christopher Rawson> (implies inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings or intentions <the ingenuous enthusiasm of children>. frank; not given to concealment, open, not apt to hide feeling that more sophisticated persons would consider would consider wise, tactful, or expedient to conceal)
79. inured - : to accustom to accept something undesirable <children inured to violence>
80. paean - 1 : a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, thanksgiving, or triumph 2 : a work that praises or honors its subject : encomium , tribute. Greek Paian, Paiōn, epithet of Apollo.
81. dirge - 1: a song or hymn of grief or lamentation ; especially : one intended to accompany funeral or memorial rites 2: a slow, solemn, and mournful piece of music. From the first word of a Late Latin antiphon, from Latin, imperative of dirigere to direct.
82. elegy - 2 a: a song or poem expressing sorrow or lamentation especially for one who is dead b: something (as a speech) resembling such a song or poem. 3 a: a pensive or reflective poem that is usually nostalgic or melancholy b: a short pensive musical composition. From Greek elegos "song of mourning"
83. prevaricate - : to deliberately avoid the truth; to deviate from the truth : equivocate, mislead, lie
84. truculent - 1 Fierce; savage; ferocious; barbarous. 2. Cruel; destructive; ruthless. 3 : scathingly harsh : vitriolic <truculent criticism>. 4 : aggressively self-assertive : belligerent. <warrior class of ever more truculent partisan politicians> Latin truculentus, from trux, truc-, rough, savage, fierce.
85. skulduggery - underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; also : a devious device or trick. Synonyms: artifice, chicane, chicanery, gamesmanship, hanky-panky, jiggery-pokery, jugglery, legerdemain, trickery (or skullduggery), subterfuge, wile.
86. subterfuge (n.) - 1 : deception by artifice or stratagem in order to conceal, escape, or evade. 2 : a deceptive device or stratagem. from Latin subterfugere "to escape, evade," from subter- "secretly" (from subter underneath; akin to Latin sub under) + fugere "to flee".
87. sophism, sophistry - 1 : subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation, : an argument apparently correct in form but actually invalid ; especially : such an argument used to deceive; reasoning that seems plausible on a superficial level but is actually unsound.
88. specious - 1: having deceptive attraction or allure 2: having a false look of truth or genuineness : sophistic <specious reasoning>
89. beguile - 1: to lead by deception 2: hoodwink 3: to while away especially by some agreeable occupation ; also : divert 2 4: to engage the interest of by or as if by guile (intr.) : to deceive by wiles
90. guile - 1: deceitful cunning : duplicity
91. internecine - 1: marked by slaughter : deadly ; especially : mutually destructive 2: of, relating to, or involving conflict within a group <bitter internecine feuds>. Latin, from inter- + necare to kill, from nec-, nex "violent death."
92. redound - 1: to have an effect for good or ill <new power alignments which may or may not redound to the faculty's benefit — G. W. Bonham> 2: to become transferred or added : accrue. 3: rebound , reflect. From Latin redundare, from re, red- re- + unda "wave".
93. consternation - sudden dread or paralyzing terror. From Latin consternare "overcome, confuse, dismay," from com- intensive prefix + sternare "throw down"
94. pleonasm - the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense : redundancy. "Free Gift!"
95. peculate - to steal money or goods entrusted to one; embezzle.
96. tawdry - : cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality ; also : ignoble <a tawdry attempt to smear his opponent>
97. gaudy - 1: ostentatiously or tastelessly ornamented 2: marked by extravagance or sometimes tasteless showiness : outlandish <gaudy lies> <gaudy claims> ; also : exceptional <a gaudy batting average>
98. garish - 1: clothed in vivid colors 2 a: excessively or disturbingly vivid <garish colors> <garish imagery> b: offensively or distressingly bright : glaring 3: tastelessly showy : flashy
99. meretricious - 1: of or relating to a prostitute : having the nature of prostitution <meretricious relationships> 2 a: tawdrily and falsely attractive <the paradise they found was a piece of meretricious trash — Carolyn See> b: superficially significant : pretentious <scholarly names to provide fig-leaves of respectability for meretricious but stylish books — Times Literary Supplement>. From Latin meretricius, from meretric-, meretrix prostitute, from merēre "to earn"
100. ersatz - being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation <ersatz turf> <ersatz intellectuals>
101. dross - 1 : the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal 2 : waste or foreign matter : impurity *3 : something that is base, trivial, or inferior
102. fete - (pronounced like Boba Fett) 1: festival. 2 a: a lavish often outdoor entertainment b: a large elaborate party.
103. pedant \PED-nt\ (n.)- a person who makes a show of detailed knowledge, esp. relying on books; also, a narrow-minded teacher or scholar
104. sciolism - a superficial show of learning. Late Latin "sciolus," which means "smatterer" (or "one who speaks with spotty or superficial knowledge").
105. ascetic - 1 : practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline 2 : austere in appearance, manner, or attitude. Greek askētikos, literally, laborious, from askētēs one that exercises, hermit, from askein to work, exercise
106. austere - 1 a: stern and cold in appearance or manner b: somber, grave <an austere critic> 2: morally strict : ascetic 3: markedly simple or unadorned <an austere office> <an austere style of writing> 4: giving little or no scope for pleasure <austere diets>
107. staid - marked by settled sedateness and often prim self-restraint : sober, grave. Suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint <a quiet and staid community>.
108. inveigle - 1 : to win over by wiles : entice 2 : to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle <inveigled her way into a promotion>. From Medieval Latin ab oculis, literally, lacking eyes
109. demur - : to take exception : object —often used with to or at. Implies hesitation caused by objection to an outside suggestion or influence <accepted her decision without demur>. Latin demorari, from de- + morari to linger, from mora delay.
110. redoubtable - 1: causing fear or alarm : formidable 2: illustrious , eminent ; broadly : worthy of respect
111. perspicacious - : of acute mental vision or discernment : keen, shwewd.
112. acumen - : keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination especially in practical matters. Latin acumin-, acumen, literally, point, from acuere
113. acuity - : keenness of perception : sharpness
114. acrid - 1 : sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor : irritating 2 : deeply or violently bitter : acrimonious <an acrid denunciation> caustic.
115. mordant - 1 : biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style : incisive <a mordant wit>. Latin mordēre "to bite"
116. trenchant - 1: keen , sharp 2: vigorously effective and articulate <a trenchant analysis> ; also : caustic <trenchant remarks> 3 a: sharply perceptive : penetrating <a trenchant view of current conditions> b: clear-cut , distinct <the trenchant divisions between right and wrong — Edith Wharton>
117. aver - 1 a: to verify or prove to be true in pleading a cause b: to allege or assert in pleading 2: to declare positively. From Medieval Latin adverare to confirm as authentic, from Latin ad- + verus true
118. dissemble - 1 : to hide under a false appearance 2 : to put on the appearance of : simulate (intr.) : to put on a false appearance : conceal facts, intentions, or feelings under some pretense
119. evanescent - : tending to vanish like vapor
120. trite - : hackneyed or boring from much use : not fresh or original. Lacking novelty. Lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest. Trite applies to a once effective phrase or idea spoiled from long familiarity <“you win some, you lose some” is a trite expression>. Synonyms stereotyped, threadbare, banal. Latin tritus, from past participle of terere "to rub"
121. halcyon - 1: of or relating to the halcyon or its nesting period. 2 a: calm , peaceful b: happy , golden c: prosperous , affluent
122. inchoate - : being only partly in existence or operation : incipient ; especially : imperfectly formed or formulated : formless , incoherent <misty, inchoate suspicions that all is not well with the nation — J. M. Perry>
123. obdurate - 1 a: stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing b: hardened in feelings 2: resistant to persuasion or softening influences. From Latin obdurus "to harden", from ob- against + durus hard
124. opprobrium - 1: something that brings disgrace 2 a: public disgrace or ill fame that follows from conduct considered grossly wrong or vicious b: contempt , reproach, scorn
125. obsequious - : marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness. Implies fawning or sycophantic compliance and exaggerated deference of manner <waiters who are obsequious in the presence of celebrities>. Latin obsequi "to comply," from ob- toward + sequi to follow
126. baleful - 1 : deadly or pernicious in influence <baleful effects> 2 : foreboding or threatening evil <a baleful look>. Imputes perniciousness or destructiveness to something whether working openly or covertly <exerting a corrupt and baleful influence>
127. deleterious - : harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way <deleterious effects> <deleterious to health> Greek dēlētērios, from dēleisthai to hurt
128. polemical - controversial, argumentative, disputatious
129. prodigal - 1 : characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure : lavish <a prodigal feast> <prodigal outlays for her clothes> 2 : recklessly spendthrift <the prodigal prince> 3 : yielding abundantly : luxuriant —often used with of<nature has been so prodigal of her bounty — H. T. Buckle>. Latin prodigere to drive away, squander, from pro-, prod- forth + agere to drive
130. querulous - 1 : habitually complaining. 2 : fretful , whining <a querulous voice>. Latin querulus, from queri to complain
131. repudiate - 1: to divorce or separate formally from (a woman) 2: to refuse to have anything to do with : disown 3 a: to refuse to accept ; especially : to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force <repudiate a contract> b: to reject as untrue or unjust <repudiate a charge> 4: to refuse to acknowledge or pay <repudiate a debt>. Latin from repudium rejection of a prospective spouse, divorce, probably from re- + pudēre "to shame."
132. salubrious - healthful : favorable to or promoting health or well-being <salubrious habits>
133. spurious - 1: of illegitimate birth : bastard. 2: lacking authenticity; outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities : false <the spurious eminence of the pop celebrity> 3 a: of falsified or erroneously attributed origin, counterfeit : forged b: of a deceitful nature or quality <spurious excuses>. Latin spurius, "bastard"
134. surfeit - 1 : an overabundant supply : excess 2 : an intemperate or immoderate indulgence in something (as food or drink) 3 : disgust caused by excess. Implies a nauseating repletion <surfeited themselves with junk food>
135. cloy (cloying) - to surfeit with an excess usually of something originally pleasing. Middle English, to hinder, lame, alteration of acloyen to harm, maim, modification of Anglo-French encloer to nail, prick a horse with a nail in shoeing, from Medieval Latin inclavare, from Latin in + clavus nail. Stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting <sentimental pictures that cloy after a while>.
136. pall - Intr.: 1 : to lose strength or effectiveness 2 : to lose in interest or attraction <his humor began to pall on us> 3 : dwindle <our enthusiasm soon palled>. Tr.: transitive verb 1 : to cause to become insipid 2 : to deprive of pleasure in something by satiating. Emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite <a life of leisure eventually begins to pall>.
137. obstreperous - 1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : clamorous <obstreperous merriment> 2 : stubbornly resistant to control : unruly. Latin ob- against + strepere to make a noise.
138. strident - : characterized by harsh, insistent, and discordant sound <a strident voice> ; also : commanding attention by a loud or obtrusive quality <strident slogans>. Latin strident-, stridens, present participle of stridere, stridēre to make a harsh noise.
139. purfle - to ornament the border or edges of
140. oligopsony - a market situation in which each of a few buyers exerts a disproportionate influence on the market.
141. temerity - Unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger; rashness. Conspicuous or flagrant boldness. Suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger <had the temerity to refuse>. Latin temeritas, from temere, blindly, rashly.
142. effrontery - : shameless boldness : insolence. Implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy <outraged at his effrontery>. From Latin effrons, "shameless"; ex- + front-, frons "forehead"
143. crepuscular - *1 : of, relating to, or resembling twilight : dim 2 : active in the twilight. "Crepusculum" was favored by Roman writers for the half-light of evening
144. didactic - 1: logic 1a(1) 2 a: discussion and reasoning by dialogue as a method of intellectual investigation ; specifically : the Socratic techniques of exposing false beliefs and eliciting truth b: the Platonic investigation of the eternal ideas 3: the logic of fallacy 4 a: the Hegelian process of change in which a concept or its realization passes over into and is preserved and fulfilled by its opposite ; also : the critical investigation of this process b (1)usually plural but singular or plural in construction : development through the stages of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis in accordance with the laws of dialectical materialism (2): the investigation of this process (3): the theoretical application of this process especially in the social sciences. 5 usually plural but singular or plural in construction a: any systematic reasoning, exposition, or argument that juxtaposes opposed or contradictory ideas and usually seeks to resolve their conflict b: an intellectual exchange of ideas 6: the dialectical tension or opposition between two interacting forces or elements
145. tetchy - Peevish; testy; irritable
146. feckless - 1 : weak, ineffective 2 : worthless, irresponsible
147. scintilla - A tiny or scarcely detectable amount; the slightest particle; a trace; a spark.
148. acedia - : apathy, boredom. "Acedia" comes from a combination of the negative prefix "a-" and the Greek noun "kedos," meaning "care, concern, or grief." "Acedia" initially referred specifically to the "deadly sin" of sloth.
149. ablution - a: the washing of one's body or part of it (as in a religious rite) b, (plural) : the act or action of bathing. Latin abluere to wash away, from ab- + lavere to wash
150. propinquity - 1. Nearness in place; proximity. 2. Nearness in time. 3. Nearness of relation; kinship.
151. spoonerism - The transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words. A well-boiled icicle ["well-oiled bicycle"].
152. vatic - : prophetic, oracular. Late Latin "vates," meaning "seer" or "prophet."
153. recrudescence - : a new outbreak after a period of abatement or inactivity : renewal. Latin verb "recrudescere," meaning "to become raw again” (used, for example, of wounds). Ultimately, it can be traced back to the Latin word for "raw," which is "crudus." Medical term with extended meaning or war, plague, or the return of an undesirable idea.
154. velleity - 1. The lowest degree of desire; imperfect or incomplete volition. 2. A slight wish or inclination.
155. effete - 1 : no longer fertile 2 a : having lost character, vitality, or strength b : marked by weakness or decadence *c : soft or delicate from or as if from a pampered existence; also : characteristic of an effete person 3 : effeminate. Latin "effetus," meaning "no longer fruitful"
156. osculation - The act of kissing; also: a kiss.
157. mendicant - 1: beggar 2 often capitalized : a member of a religious order (as the Franciscans) combining monastic life and outside religious activity and originally owning neither personal nor community property : friar
158. suzerainty- overlordship - 1 : a superior feudal lord to whom fealty is due : overlord 2 : a dominant state controlling the foreign relations of a vassal state but allowing it sovereign authority in its internal affairs. French, from Middle French souserain, from sus up (from Latin sursum, from sub- up + versum -ward, from neuter of versus, past participle of vertere to turn) + -erain (as in soverain sovereign)
159. diaphanous - 1 : of so fine a texture as to be transparent 2 : characterized by extreme delicacy of form : ethereal 3 : insubstantial, vague
160. gambol - 1. To dance and skip about in play; to frolic. 2. A skipping or leaping about in frolic.
161. aegis - 1: a shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty that was associated with Zeus and Athena 2 a: protection <under the aegis of the Constitution> b: controlling or conditioning influence <many American mothers, under the aegis of benevolent permissiveness…actually neglect their children — Time> 3 a: auspices, sponsorship <under the aegis of the museum> b: control or guidance especially by an individual, group, or system. Greek "aigis", the shield of Zeus, from aix, aig-, "a goat," many primitive shields being goatskin-covered.
162. chimerical - 1. Merely imaginary; produced by or as if by a wildly fanciful imagination; fantastic; improbable or unrealistic. 2. Given to or indulging in unrealistic fantasies or fantastic schemes. Greek khimaira, "she-goat" or "chimera," which in Greek mythology was a monster having the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a dragon.
163. acrostic - 1 : a composition usually in verse in which sets of letters (as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet
164. allegory - 1: the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence ; also : an instance (as in a story or painting) of such expression 2: a symbolic representation : emblem 2. Given to or indulging in unrealistic fantasies or fantastic schemes.
165. taciturn (tacitly) : temperamentally disinclined to talk
166. phlegmatic - Having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional. Having or showing a slow and stolid temperament. Unresponsive to something that might normally excite interest or emotion. Implies a temperament or constitution hard to arouse <a phlegmatic man unmoved by tears>.
167. stolid - having or expressing little or no sensibility : unemotional - Latin stolidus, meaning dull, stupid.
168. aspersion - 1: a sprinkling with water especially in religious ceremonies 2 a: a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone's reputation <cast aspersions on her integrity> b: the act of making such a charge : defamation (tr. v. form: asperse) Latin aspersus, past participle of aspergere, from ad- + spargere to scatter (implies continued attack on a reputation often by indirect or insinuated detraction <both candidates aspersed the other's motives>)
169. calumny (caluminiate, calumnious, calumniating) - 1 : a misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation 2 : the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to harm another's reputation (imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions)
170. traduce - 1 : to expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood and misrepresentation 2 : violate , betray <traduce a principle of law> (stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim <so traduced the governor that he was driven from office>)
171. imputes - 1 : to lay the responsibility or blame for often falsely or unjustly 2 : to credit to a person or a cause : attribute <our vices as well as our virtues have been imputed to bodily derangement — B. N. Cardozo> (suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame <tried to impute sinister motives to my actions>)
172. credulity - : readiness or willingness to believe especially on slight or uncertain evidence (results from ignorance or inexperience, or perhaps from an inability to believe that human beings are capable of lying)
173. badinage - : playful repartee : banter. Half-teasing, non-malicious, frivolous banter, intended to amuse rather than wound.
174. persiflage - : frivolous bantering talk : light raillery ( 1 : good-natured ridicule : banter 2 : jest )
175. parsimony (parsimonious) - 1 a: the quality of being careful with money or resources : thrift b: the quality or state of being stingy 2: economy in the use of means to an end ; especially : economy of explanation in conformity with Occam's razor. Latin parsimonia, from parsus, past participle of parcere to spare.
176. impetuous - 1 : marked by impulsive vehemence or passion <an impetuous temperament> 2 : marked by force and violence of movement or action <an impetuous wind>. Latin impetus : attack, onset, rapid motion/ impulse, passion, force. In + peto, against seek.
177. asperity - 1: rigor, severity 2 a: roughness of surface : unevenness ; also : a tiny projection from a surface b: roughness of sound 3: roughness of manner or of temper : harshness <asked with some asperity just what they were implying>
178. plebiscite - : a vote by which the people of an entire country or district express an opinion for or against a proposal especially on a choice of government or ruler. Latin plebis scitum law voted by the comitia, literally, decree of the common people.

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