abattoir
slaughterhouse
abject
sunk to or existing in a low state or condition
abominable
worthy of or causing disgust or hatred
adulation
excessive or slavish admiration or flattery
attrition
the act of rubbing together
aureole
a radiant light around the head or body of a representation of a sacred personage
australopithecine
describes any of the extinct southern and eastern African hominids that include gracile and robust forms with near-human dentition and a relatively small brain
auto-da-fé
the ceremony for pronouncing judgment by the Inquisition which was followed by the execution of sentence by secular authorities; more broadly, the burning of a heretic
avail
advantage toward attainment of a goal or purpose
barricade
a barrier
basilisk
a legendary reptile with fatal breath and glance
bioform
a living organism
bogus
not genuine
caecotroph
in certain mammals especially rabbits and some rodents, a cake or pellet of food which is produced by means of digestion and expulsion through the anus
cantilever
a projecting beam or member supported only at one end
caper
to leap or prance about in a playful manner
carboniferous
producing or containing carbon or coal
chiaroscuro
pictorial representation in terms of light and shade without regard to color
coaxingly
to encourage by gently urging by caressing or flattering
complicit
associating or participating in or as if in a wrongful act
conjunction
occurrence together in time or space
contemptuous
manifesting, feeling, or expressing deep hatred or disapproval
contingent
likely but not certain to happen
crepuscular
of, relating to, or resembling twilight
cretin
a stupid, vulgar, or insensitive person
cudgel
a short heavy club
culpable
meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful
deification
the act or an instance of worshiping, regarding, or treating (someone or something) as a god
denizen
inhabitant
disposition
the act or the power of disposing or the state of being disposed
dissolution
separation into component parts
drudge
to do hard, menial, or monotonous work
ersatz
being an unusually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation
erudite
having or showing knowledge that is gained by studying
extol
to praise highly
filigree
ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces
flotsam
floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo, or, more broadly, floating debris
frond
a large leaf usually with many divisions
genographer
a person who outlines the history of the behavior patterns of a family over several generations
goose
to poke between the buttocks with an upward thrust
griffin
a mythical animal typically having the head, forepart, and wings of an eagle and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion
harangue
a speech addressed to a public assembly
helot
serf, slave
hoary
gray or white with or as if with age
hoover
to suck in or inhale as if by a vacuum cleaner
hymenoptera
describes a highly specialized insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis; includes bees, wasps, ants, and sawflies
ignoramus
an utterly ignorant person
ilk
sort, kind
immolate
to offer in sacrifice
impetuous
marked by impulsive vehemence or passion
incarnadine
having the pinkish color of flesh
inchoate
being only partly in existence or operation
innocuous
producing no injury
jute
the glossy fiber of either of two Asian plants of the linden family used chiefly for sacking, burlap, and twine
kleptomania
a persistent neurotic impulse to steal especially without economic motive
laconic
using or involving the use of a minimum of words to the point of seeming rude or mysterious
lassitude
a condition of weariness or debility
lubricious
marked be wantonness
luminous
emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused, or glowing light
manticore
a legendary animal with the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion
mantid
describes a large usually green insect that feeds on other insects and clasps prey in its forelimbs held up as if in prayer
maxim
a general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct
module
a standard or unit of measurement
muskox
a heavyset shaggy-coated wild ox of tundra regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska with males producing a strong musky odor from glands beneath the eyes
nirvana
a place or state of oblivion to care, pain, or external reality
Norn
any of the three Norse goddesses of fate
nostalgia
the state of being homesick
pastiche
a literary, artistic, musical, or architectural work that imitates the style of previous work
pedagogue
a dull or formal teacher
pibroch
a set of martial or mournful variations for the Scottish Highland bagpipe
plangent
having a loud reverberating sound
pompous
excessively elevated or ornate
prehensile
adapted for seizing or grasping especially by wrapping around
priapism
an abnormal often painful persistent erection of the penis
proteonome
the entire set of proteins expressed by a genome, cell, tissue, or organism
provenance
origin, source
pseudospeciation
cultural differences that are analogous to the formation of different biological species
pustulant
an agent (as a chemical) that induces pustule formation
quagmire
soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
raison d'être
reason or justification for existence
rank
offensively gross or coarse
reconnoiter
to engage in reconnaissance
repining
to feel or express dejection or discontent
reverie
daydream
riffle
to ruffle slightly
sere
being dry or withered
serendipity
the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for
slaver
drool or slobber
slog
to hit hard
sluice
an artificial passage for water (as in a millstream) fitted with a valve or gate for stopping or regulating flow
soothsayer
a person who predicts the future by magical, intuitive, or more rational means
spate
flood
splice
to unite by interweaving strands
stoic
one apparently or professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain
sublimation
the diversion of the expression of an instinctual desire or impulse from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable
subsidiary
furnishing aid or support
suttee
the act or custom of a Hindu widow willingly being cremated on the funeral pyre of her husband as an indication of her devotion to him
talisman
an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune
touch wood
wood so decayed as to be dry, crumbly, and useful for tinder
transgenic
being or used to produce an organism or cell of one species into which one or more genes of another species have been incorporated
truncheon
a shattered spear or lance
valance
a short drapery or wood or metal frame used as a decorative heading to conceal the top of curtains and fixtures
verdant
green in tint or color
vestigial
that which is trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost; the smallest quantity or trace
vetch
a herbaceous twining leguminous plant
vexation
the act of harassing
vile
morally despicable or abhorrent
viscid
having an adhesive quality
weltering
rising and falling or tossing about in or with the waves
winsome
generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence
woebegone
strongly affected with woe, sorrow, or misery
zenith
the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body
