1. marplot — one who defeats or spoils a plot or design by meddling or officious intrusion
Strangely enough, Pierre Boulle’s The Bridge Over The River Kwai, in which Colonel Nicholson plays the marplot to the commandos’ efforts to strike against Japanese supply lines, is based to some extent on the experiences of the author during the war both as a prisoner and as a commando.
2. stochastic — randomly determined, of models of random observations having statistical consistency; [obsolete] of or related to conjecture
Though the company prided itself on its proprietary search processes based on stochastic observations, users found it difficult to navigate the web site.
3. collodion — solution of gun-cotton in ether, used in photography and surgery
The old hound’s injured paws were healed by the vet with a mixture of flexible collodion.
4. tester — bed canopy; canopy suspended above an important personage
Lying atop the feather down comforter, I noticed a strange indentation in the sheer tester above the bed, which proved to be made by the missing key.
5. butty — [British idiom] buttered bread; sandwich
But me Mam always knew how to cheer us up, bringing warm milk and sugar butties to me room where I sat sulking.
(the below entry was discovered to be a duplicate of a word previously used in 2019)
hebdomadal — weekly
Jackson put the figures and books into his usual duffel before going to bed, so upon awakening he could immediately hit the road to Sam’s house for the gang’s hebdomadal gaming session.
6. maslin (also meslin)— rye mixed with wheat; mixed grains
Hearty rousset bread was made from meslin and was usually destined to sop up broth or soup.
7. phocine — of or related to seals
I thought I’d gotten away with it, had made it past the mother seal without arousing either her suspicion or the rest of her brood, but then I felt upon my Achilles’ tendon the sharp snap of her phocine teeth.
8. toque — small cap or bonnet; small brimless hat or hat with narrow brim, worn by women; [Canadian] knitted cap, often with pom-pom on the crown
Everyone threw their hats into the ring, except for one toque over the line.
9. trichotillomania — mental disorder in which the sufferer undergoes strong urges to pull out his or her hair
Though several potential medications are being studied, the primary treatment for trichotillomania is therapeutic, particularly behavioral therapy.
10. equivoque — double meaning word or expression, pun; ambiguous speech
Startled by her sudden appearance at my door, I fell back upon equivoque, telling Sally, “I couldn’t be more pleased to see you.”
Bonus Vocabulary
(mining)
high grading — crime of keeping better quality ores from mine owner for one’s own enrichment
He had done a stint at Folsom for high grading back when he was just twenty-five years old, and he was still bitter three decades later.