1. eyot — small island, particularly in a river
The raft ran aground upon the small, treeless eyot which lay in the center of the large bend in the river.
2. calcareous — of or like chalk
The lizard’s calcareous medication may have added to the constipation of the gecko.
3. halitus — exhalation or vapor
As the chemical plant ejected its runoff into the stream, an unpleasant halitus of rank odors seemed to precede the frothy spume.
4. diffident — lacking confidence in one’s capability; timid
Horace fidgeted before the apartment door, the diffident bookkeeper hoping perhaps that the young lady would not be at home after all.
5. epithalamium — song or poem in honor of newly married couple (also epithalamion)
The bawdy limerick recited by the best man’s soon-to-be-former best friend was the epithalamium which ended all toasts at the reception.
6. higgle — to negotiate in a petty manner
Roger would higgle over the most trivial details in a contract, especially when he couldn’t get any of his truly significant demands.
7. battledore — badminton racket
In her hands the light battledore became a blur of speed, pummeling the shuttlecock with precise, stacatto strokes.
8. eleemosynary –about alms or charity
While waiting for the light to change, the BMW driver gave the one-armed homeless man standing on the traffic island an eleemosynary Jack Chick tract.
9. lich gate — small roofed gate to a churchyard
The pastor would stand at the lich gate at the end of the service to shake hands with his departing parishioners.
10. scapegrace — entirely unrepentant and disreputable scoundrel
The young scapegrace believed even his six weeks sentence of community service to be too onerous for his brutal assault upon the orphaned teddy bear crafter.