1. trucidate — to massacre, to murder, to kill, to slaughter
It is of no use to contend that these ruffians were trucidated in defense of the republic, for they are murdered men natheless.
2. wether — castrated sheep or goat
Lincoln Farms participated in a study to ascertain if the known problems with wethers—health issues, poorer quality meat—might be ameliorated by replacing them with short-scrotum “rams”.
3. dree — to endure
My task it was to watch over the truculent twins, and though not pleased with my lot, I approached my burdensome duty as I would dree any penance given by the priest.
4. phantomesque — like a phantom, ghostly
Across the moor I could make out vaguely a tenebrous phantomesque shape, slowly growing larger and as slowly becoming less dim, until at last I recognized the slow, limping gait of the missing butler.
5. amerce — to punish
Are we doomed then to remain forever guilty, amerced for the sin of our ancestors until the end of days?
6. rantipole — rude disorderly youngster; rake, fop
We all agreed the Jennings was a clever rantipole, who might eventually succeed in business if he didn’t end up in bridewell.
7. chunter — to grumble, to complain
The crabbed woman chuntered away the entire time while preparing our repast, muttering imprecations we couldn’t make out against someone or something that had wounded her in the past.
8. pudendum (usu. pudenda (pl.)) — external genitalia, esp. the vulva
Courbet’s L’Origine du Monde brazenly displays the pudenda of the subject, giving the lie to the etymological root of the quasi-euphemistic term, derived as the word is from the Latin meaning “to be ashamed”.
9. pomerium — legal and religious boundary of the ancient city of Rome
The catacombs are vast, extending almost exactly along the line of the pomerium, as ancient proscriptions forbade the internment of the dead within that sacred boundary.
10. mossbonker — menhaden, small pelagic fish
Fishermen all along the North Atlantic seaboard knew well the worth of the mossbonker, as Whitman noted in Leaves Of Grass.
Bonus Vocabulary
(British informal)
splash out — to lavishly spend cash
Since it’s a special occasion we should splash out on something a little fancier than just fish and chips.