1. raptus — seizure; ravishing, rape; medieval form of marriage by abduction
Of course the most famous person accused of raptus is last week’s featured poet, Geoffrey Chaucer.
2. posture chair — office chair designed to support and conform to natural human form
Ryback leaned back in the dark wooden posture chair which was as emblematic of his new rank as the words “Editor In Chief” upon his frosted glass door.
3. scotophilic — of or related to that which thrives in darkness
Renny turned his back upon family, friends, church, in fact all society he had heretofore known, and allowed himself to fall prey to his most vile scotophilic impulses towards perversion, fascism, and narcissistic misanthropy.
4. bund — causeway, embankment; secondary retaining wall surrounding tank for fluid
Though the bund was well-constructed and of an evening one could see locals promenading along it in the cooling air, still the judge observed that the structure had caused hardship to several towns downstream, and he ordered it cut or opened.
5. flash spoon — spoon-shaped metal fishing lure designed to attract through visual action
I prefer a trusty flash spoon to a rattle spoon in most cases, especially in clear water.
6. azan (also adhan) — Muslim call to prayer
We reached the abandoned pavilion just as the azan sounded from a distant minaret.
7. whoozit (also whosit) — thing, whatchamacallit; person
“Hand me that whoozit over there, that’s right, the one with the weird gray tendrils still dangling from the blade.”
8. prepotent — superior in power or authority; possessing genetic material more likely to predominate
Here in this stuffy chamber, finally before the prepotent minister, I found my anxiety and paralyzing abasement replaced by a firm conviction in the rightness of the action I proposed.
9. proctalgia — rectal pain
The third morning I almost hesitated before the troop when getting in the saddle, so vivid were my memories of my proctalgia from yesterday’s ride.
10. tarmac — Tarmacadam; asphalt; airport runway
The petrol gave out just as we cleared the last obstruction and we hit the tarmac with a bone-crunching bang.
Bonus Vocabulary
(US slang, from Fr. for mackerel = pimp)
mack daddy — successful pimp; playa with the ladies
“You wouldn’t think it to look at him now,” Tony said, pointing to the shuffling janitor, “but he was a real mack daddy back in the day.”