1. raptus — seizure; ravishing, rape; medieval form of marriage by abduction Of course the most famous person accused of raptus is last week’s featured poet, Geoffrey Chaucer. 2. posture chair — office chair designed to support and conform to natural human form Ryback leaned back in the dark wooden posture chair which was …
Category Archives: Vocabulary
Friday Vocabulary
1. williwaw (also williwau) — savage squall off cragged coasts in near-polar waters Never have I viewed a sudden storm with such joy as I did when I saw the dark clouds rage behind us in what had been clear waters as the williwaw arose suddenly to confound our pursuers. 2. sere — dry, …
Friday Vocabulary
1. corybantic — crazed, wild, frenzied, orgiastic We have no need for corybantic preaching and unbridled emotional appeal, for our program is a sane and reasoned approach of proven value. 2. spencer — short tight jacket of 19th century, often trimmed with fur when worn by women and children Not even taking time to …
Friday Vocabulary
1. loathe — to detest, to feel disgust for or towards I simply loathe the new branding, and don’t even get me started on what they’ve done to the mascot. 2. loath — unwilling, averse, reluctant Loath as I was to bring the bad news to Elsa, I realized that it was, after all, …
Friday Vocabulary
1. tropopause — atmospheric boundary layer between troposphere and stratosphere The air temperature will be at a minimum, ceteris paribus, at the tropopause, rising as the descent is made through the troposphere to the ground. 2. ovinity — the state of sheep, sheep-like nature Hengval believed that most humans lived always in a wretched …
Friday Vocabulary
1. casern — garrison lodging, barracks I tied my horse to one of the pillars holding up a sort of porch roof before the unimpressive casern of the Trebitsch regiment, for I saw no stables. 2. gangrel — [Scots] tramp, vagabond; gangling person “Don’t try to cheer me with your gangrel wisdom, for I’ve …
Friday Vocabulary
1. parallax — apparent difference in position due to change in location of observation point Before adjusting for parallax in your rifle scope, make sure that your reticle is properly focused. 2. bursary — [British] college scholarship; institutional treasure, esp. for ecclesiastical institutions Some say that Lord Peter only funded the bursary to make …
Friday Vocabulary
1. ailurophile — lover of cats, cat fancier She was also prone to lapse into a simpering baby talk when feeding her pets which is one of the warning signs of the worst type of ailurophile. 2. sloe — astringent fruit of the blackthorn The only variety we had in our diet that long …
Friday Vocabulary
1. mob-handed — [British] as a mob or in a group, esp. with violent designs So there we were, breathing heavy after the chase and all of us ready to start swinging mob-handed at the boys, when this tiny dark-haired woman—Joanne it turned out to be—steps out from the alley next to the store, and …
Friday Vocabulary
1. stifle — joint between tibia and femur in rear legs of some four-legged animals, corresponding to human knee Pugs are, of course, subject to patellar luxation (also known as slipped stifles) so you want to be sure your dog shows strength and free action through the hocks and stifles. 2. heterochromia — having …