Friday Vocabulary

1. undulate — to move in a wavelike manner; to look like a wave

Keith dropped to the dance floor to do The Worm, and proceeded to undulate as if he had never seen Dune, Part Two.

 

2. thermotaxic — of or related to biological heat regulation

Petey shivered in thermotaxic response to the cold dew on the grass which was chilling his bare feet.

 

3. glabrous — smooth as a baby’s bottom

The chortling eunuch’s glabrous rolls of fat both fascinated and repelled Lady Donica.

 

4. azonic — not local, not of any particular region

But existential angst and paranoia is an azonic condition found in all times and—almost—every culture.

 

5. perdue — hopeless, lost

So once again we found ourselves in a situation perdue, but, having come through all right the other two times, I started to believe that maybe we might just squeak through this one as well.

 

6. cartulary — bound collection of original documents, charters, etc.; register of transcriptions of important papers; person in charge of records or public papers

The associate professor had made his reputation on the discovery of a previously unknown Benedictine cartulary hidden away in the mouldering papers of the third Earl of Dunwesson.

 

7. pomatumed — pomaded; with ointment applied

Darby bowed his head, wearing his best powdered and pomatumed wig in honor of the special occasion, and tried to exude an air of calm self-satisfaction.

 

8. valedictory — of or related to farewells or to saying goodbye

Jackson turned to us and started to speak but we urged him to hurry aboard, there being no time for valedictory sentiment.

 

9. desquamate — to come off in scales; to shed, to peel

Around the injection site was an ugly oozing red zone, where the epidermis had desquamated in reaction to the potent drug.

 

10. bine — stem of a climbing plant; woodbine

Caught in the bines covering the trellis was a thin scarlet ribbon.

 

Bonus Vocabulary

(slang)

mouse — black eye

“Where’d you get that mouse, then? Was it Willie who give it to you?”

 

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