1. leman — [archaic] lover; mistress
‘Twas an open secret that the fisher’s daughter was the leman of the ruddy-cheeked monk, though perhaps Brother Peter misguessed how widespread was this common knowledge.
2. defalcation — misappropriation (as of funds), embezzlement; shortfall, loss
The gambler’s fallacy gave way to a frenzied need to make up the defalcation by any means possible.
3. responsions — first of three examinations a bachelor of arts candidate must pass at Oxford University
For the Greek portion of the responsions he had focused upon two plays of Aeschylus, The Persians and Prometheus Bound, and was disturbed when Rudolf Westphal publicly cast doubts upon the famous playwright’s authorship of the latter.
4. actantial — of a mode of semiotic analysis whereby the action is broken down into various structural roles performed
One may doubt (as this reviewer doubts) whether any gain is made by the actantial method of breaking down the story into the roles played by the hero, the villain, the princess, etc., when even the fourfold biblical interpretation of medieval scholars seems to produce more insight.
5. lucubrate — to write or to study intensely, esp. at night
His eyes were weak, damaged by hours spent lucubrating upon some ponderous tome by the poor light of inferior tapers.
6. linn — [Scots] waterfall; pool beneath waterfall
Neatly folded atop a stern stone standing like a dark gray table by the side of the linn was the pale blue dress he had seen her wearing the evening before at MacGregor’s party.
7. filibuster — speech obstructing progress in legislature; unauthorized military adventurer in foreign land; freebooter
Though scant evidence exists now, it is rumored that he turned filibuster during the troubles in China, and some state as fact (though none can present proof of the claim) that it was there that he lost his left eye and hand.
8. oneiric — of or related to dreams or dreaming
The broken contours and jarring colors perplexed him, held him fascinated, as if the wide canvas taunted him with some secret just out of range of his pedestrian vision, some revelation within its oneiric imagery that was not vouchsafed to such an uncultured oaf as he knew himself to be.
9. obtrusive — projecting or imposing in the way; overly forward
Startled, I turned, and saw once more the obtrusive postman leaning in his habitually insouciant attitude against the doorframe, a toothpick clenched in his smiling teeth.
10. kegling — bowling
The chairman was an avowed kegling monomaniac, and even had a single lane built for the use of himself and his friends at his mountain retreat in Jasper—though of course by necessity he had to rely upon a human pinsetter there, usually drafted from one of the hangers-on that surrounded him always.
Bonus Vocabulary
(abbreviation, Latin)
p.p. — per procurationem, by proxy
Nor do we even have a sample of her handwriting, as every document was signed by her secretary, “Jackson Smythe p.p. Rosalyn Rutherford”.