1. horripilate — to have the hairs of one’s skin stand on end, from cold or fear, etc.
I knew, I guess, when I felt her neck hairs horripilate at the mere mention of the doctor’s name.
2. chert — flinty quartz rock
You can’t touch the front driveway, but we’re putting in a new surface for a basketball court in the rear, so you can take the chert off our back.
3. intransigent — irreconcilable, inflexible, uncompromising
In spite of our neighbor’s intransigent attitude we are going ahead with the project, hoping that it will be easier to apologize than to gain permission.
4. extrados — exterior or upper curve of an arch
Though all the surface material had worn away, or—more likely—been stolen, the curves of the extradoses forming the outer shell of the subterranean crypt were intact and entirely visible now that the grasses had died.
5. gravamen — most grievous part of an accusation; grievance
Of course most believe that the ‘off-the-books’ campaign funds were intended to persuade the congressmen to introduce legislation favoring the Sweet Times Coal Company, which was the true gravamen of the charges against those representatives.
6. ormolu — gold-colored alloy of copper and zinc
It was an era and an area where every home had an ormolu clock upon the mantle with matching candelabra at either end.
7. rachitic — of or having rickets
Sadder still than the lorn women or the despairing men were the rachitic children whose bowed legs could have been entirely prevented by small additions to their benighted diet.
8. veriest — utmost
In his parti-colored finery he looked to be the veriest dandy of them all, and we found it almost incredible that this was the same sober churchman who had preached hellfire and damnation only hours earlier.
9. fulgor — flashing and brilliant light, splendor
Our horses started and we stared, all of us stunned by the refulgent fulgor that flashed from the golden domes in the rising sun’s breathtaking light.
10. ferruginous — of the color of rust, reddish brown; containing rust or iron oxides
They had hoped for some tidy sum for the pile of junk left behind in the back yard, but the only thing of interest was a ferruginous cast iron skillet that unfortunately was too rusted to be restored.