1. pismire — ant
He strode the city like a bull, but he was felled by the prattling pismires of this toxic town.
2. inviolacy — freedom from violation or desecration
As we met more of our neighbors, I realized that this small trailer park was somehow untouched by the sordid changes that seemed to have overtaken the rest of my hometown, that a hallowed inviolacy had somehow protected this small island of kindness and friendliness which stood in sharp contrast to the uncaring and rude apartment tower we had just had to flee.
3. rusk — dry biscuit, twice-baked bread
Kincaid soaked up the juice of the steak with a bit of rusk, washing down his last bites with a final swallow of the slightly sour wine.
4. cofferdam — watertight enclosure pumped dry to create space where underwater work may proceed in normal conditions
The structure had been entirely engulfed by the rising lake, so we built a cofferdam out from the shore to permit our treasure hunt to continue in the silt and mire.
5. boreal — of the north, of the north wind
“An hour? Two or three? I cannot tell; distances are notoriously difficult to judge in this boreal light.”
6. fulgent — shining brightly
Just as we began to despair, the clouds broke and we saw the gold-capped mountain before us, bathed in the fulgent light of the western sun.
7. pink — to perforate, to decorate by scalloping and punching out a pattern; to pierce, to stab
Watching the line of our injured prisoners shuffling past, I vowed never to let myself be pinked by such rebel scum.
8. odium — intense hatred or disgust; opprobrium, reproach
In spite of the odium directed against him by the entire community, Salazar continued to attend church services every Sunday, sitting in his usual place in the now empty pew.
9. manky — [British informal] worthless; unpleasant, foul
I finally found the planning office, next to a manky men’s room at the far end of the basement.
10. sylph — aerial spirit; slender girl or woman
Moira leaped down from the prow like some sylph descending to earth.