1. frowsty — musty, hot and stuffy
I knelt by the bed the better to hear his wispy words and tried to ignore the sickbed stench in the frowsty attic room.
2. hoick — (colloquial) to pull or lift up with a jerk
Uncle Slim leapt out of the truck, hoicked my cousin out of the muddy ditch and into the cab with a single jerk, and drove off with my disgraced partner in crime before I could even think to say anything.
3. limber — second pair of wheels on an axle behind which a field gun or caisson is hauled
The alarm caught the unit woefully unprepared, their cannon still attached to the limbers and thus unready to fire at the attacking calvary.
4. ostracon (also ostrakon) — inscribed potsherd, esp. that used as vote for ostracism
Will he be relegated to life outside the world of the so-called ‘Smart Set’, his name to be found only amongst the ostraca of those whom society has declared personae non gratae?
5. coping — finishing course of brickwork or masonry in a wall
The roof had no coping at all, as I discovered when my foot stepped half on and half off the edge of the rolled asphalt, leaving me precariously balanced as Tomas grinned widely, still holding the gun that had killed Timmy.
6. epagogic — inductive, of or relating to argument from particular instances to a general conclusion
He had a wealth of examples of mis-, mal-, and nonfeasance by the state’s judges, and I think all the assembled citizens found ourselves persuaded by his epagogic argument that the judiciary was in dire need of reform, and that something like the Missouri Plan would provide the best alternative to the current scheme.
7. insolation — exposure to solar rays
As the summer wore on the drained lake became lined with cracked squares of dried mud, and the children enjoyed immensely throwing these products of insolation at the exposed red earth cliffs overhanging the now waterless hollow.
8. sedulous — diligent; persistent
Lulled by his sedulous attention to my foster daughter, we were flummoxed to learn that he was married to our charwoman.
9. lavalier (also lavaliere) — jeweled pendant worn on chain around the neck
She thought her emerald lavalier was a beautiful piece of jewelry, for she wore it often, but I knew it for what it was, a weighted stone around her neck forever binding her to that devil in man’s clothing she called Patrick.
10. viaticum — Eucharist given to dying person; allowance made for traveling expenses or needs, either as money or provisions; provisions for a journey
Each man in the common ranks received only the barest viaticum for the voyage, consisting of hardtack biscuits, some chicory coffee, and meagre tinned pork rations.
Bonus Vocabulary
(neologism coined by me, this week)
leukophorytocracy — rule or government by white trash
Not since the days of Nero had such terrible taste and gaucherie been touted as high style and fashion, but gilt-edged toilet seats and monster trucks on the palace lawn were the least damaging affects of the leukophorytocracy who still believed that ‘classy’ was a laudatory adjective and that ‘education’ was a waste of time since you could look up everything online anyways.
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