1. Quinquagesima — final Sunday before Lent, beginning of Carnival
The first appearance of Quinquagesima as a pre-Lenten feast (there is some evidence for the term being used for an anticipatory fast) cannot be found in Italy earlier than the 6th Century.
2. bimble — [British] to walk about in a meandering way with no fixed purpose
After we’d taken care of the luggage, we bimbled about the city, or at least the rather scruffy part of it surrounding the bus station.
3. holland blind (sometimes capitalized) — window shade consisting of heavy fabric around a roller which is lowered or raised to cover or uncover the window
He’d hidden the dangerous document by rolling it up inside the holland blind in the bedroom, but of course the agents found it almost immediately.
4. defilade — protection in a military position from observation or direct gunfire
The lieutenant had selected the site because of its excellent defilade, but he hadn’t figured on the Jerry artillery already having targeted our location because of just those same supposed advantages.
5. cafard — overwhelming depression
When she was seized by the cafard, he’d learned that there was nothing he could do to help her, no word or suggestion or action on his part would make her melancholy any less, or any less lengthy.
6. mistrustless — unsuspecting, trusting
Like all of his mistrustless race he was easy prey for these first emissaries of so-called civilization.
7. strangury — painful and frequent urge to urinate, even when bladder is empty
While it is true that strangury frequently accompanies gonorrhea, the social disease is by no means the only cause of that painful complaint.
8. appulse — forceful movement towards or against; apparent nearness between astronomical objects, conjunction
The close appulse of the lips required for the ‘m’ sound being almost impossible for several weeks after the accident, he could sound only a guttural ‘Aaargh!’ sound whenever he wish to call Margaret.
9. recalcitrant — stubbornly defiant; refractory, unmanageable
Somehow Mrs. Srimamsadeva had managed to turn the most recalcitrant 10th grader in the school into a model student, and all of the other teachers were anxious to learn her secret.
10. spindly — long and thin, esp. someone or something seeming weak or fragile
Chaz was a spindly thing leaning always against the wall by the door, his left boot hooked into a chair as if he feared a sudden gust of wind might blow him away.
Bonus Vocabulary
(slang, 1920s & 1930s, from popular brand of the time)
Merry Widow — condom
“Be sure to have a couple of Merry Widows handy, if you know what I mean.”