Friday Vocabulary

1. iconoclast — destroyer of religious images; one who criticizes or attacks orthodoxy; independent thinker

Jocelyn was such a staunch iconoclast she refused the invitation of Mr. Kipling, lest she be thought to support his imperialist views.

 

2. limonite — hydrous iron oxide

Among the important iron ores found in the region are deposits of siderite, limonite, and taconite.

 

3. tamarisk — one of many varieties of shrub found in Eurasia or Africa

And in honor of this covenant Abraham planted a grove of tamarisk by the well of Beer-sheba.

 

4. crowbait — [idiom] worn-out old horse

Charlie was so desperate he gave twenty dollars for the crowbait the farmer had dying out in his field.

 

5. agenbite — [archaic] remorse

The pangs of agenbite gnawed at him as he pondered this last, perhaps final, mistake.

 

6. kalpak (also calpack) — high-crowned hat of Turkic peoples

The gold threads of his black kalpak glimmered faintly in the firelight.

 

7. whicker — to neigh gently

As long as Beau was whickering outside the tent I wasn’t worried.

 

8. chapati — unleavened flatbread of India and Pakistan

Wrapping the lamb in a piece of chapati I dipped it in the wonderful mango chutney.

 

9. meller — [informal] melodrama

Like many mellers today, the plot was contrived to give our hero a chance to shine, meaning every other person in the film is a complete dope.

 

10. homeothermic — of or related to the ability of an animal to maintain a fairly constant body temperature independent of surroundings

Fish in near-freezing water are as homeothermic as a lynx; the term is not a synonym for ‘warm-blooded’.

 

Leave a comment