1. trunnion — one of pair of pivots supporting something; cylindrical projection from cannon supporting same on its carriage
The bearings inside the telescope’s trunnions were manufactured to a previously unheard of precision, allowing the new astronomical wonder unparalleled accuracy in viewing the heavens.
2. okta — measurement of cloud cover equal to one eighth of the entire sky
At this time of year satellite imagery becomes quite difficult, as it is very rare that there are ever less than three oktas of clouds over the entire region.
3. bodkin — large thick needle for piercing leather or cloth; dagger
The craftsmanship is apparent in every seam of the wallet, the bodkin having been punched through the seams with only just enough force to make the fine overlapping stitches, unlike the gouged holes made by the machine process.
4. plash — to splash
The hem of his greatcoat was plashed by the puddle water with each step he made through the treacherous, muddy ground.
5. goaf — hayrick when in a barn; waste material of a mine
They hid the body among the goaf in that level, never expecting their crime to be discovered, nor the price to rise so high that it became profitable to work those diggings ever again.
6. accouter — to equip, to outfit
And so he set out into the cold desert night, accoutered only with a flashlight, a knife, and a single liter of water.
7. cat’s-paw (also cats paw or catspaw) — person used as a tool of another; [nautical] tiny breeze making ripples on a similarly small area of water; [nautical] hitch used to bind tackles to rope
He used Eddie as a cat’s-paw to once again get his nuts out of the fire.
8. apricity — [obsolete] light or heat of the sun
The housecat was stretched out upon the porch, endeavoring to absorb into his fur every bit of apricity from the pale winter sun.
9. catchment area — [British] area from which water drains into a particular lake or basin; area served by school or other institution
With pretensions of upward mobility, they decided to move across town to be in the best catchment area for their young daughters, though their wages had hardly been enough to pay the lower rent on their old place and besides the girls were only two years old at the time.
10. compunction — feeling of conscience
Perhaps the first time, so very many long years ago, he had felt a slight nagging compunction as he demanded the money from the single mother of three who had been his first assignment, but today he would punch a nun without a quiver of conscience, if she owed the boss a fiver.
Bonus Vocabulary
(drug slang)
candy flip — to ingest LSD with MDMA
Some claim that candy flipping avoids all possibility of a bad trip, but even those proponents admit that there is an inevitable come-down the next day, perhaps not as severe as the hangover produced by alcohol, but somewhat severe nonetheless.