1. terret — ring on harness saddle through which the reins are passed
When driving a unicorn team you need to ensure that the reins of the lead horse are fed loosely through the pair’s terrets, which usually requires an extra D-ring.
2. shebeen — [Ireland, Scotland, South Africa] unlicensed place where alcoholic drinks are served
Sammy had found religion in a Notting Hill shebeen after he nearly lost an eye in a fight with a Jamaican lorry driver.
3. shantung — thin plain woven silk fabric
Sitting at the tiny table in his shantung suit the same color as the tobacco stains on his lips, he looked like a louche spy instead of a petty broker of crockery.
4. chancroid — [biology] STD causing ulcerated lymph nodes in the groin
Though of course chancroid is obviously a venereal ulcer, infection can also arise from contact with the chancroidal pus.
5. haecceity — thisness, unique essence, that which makes a particular thing that very particular thing and no other
Professor Sprunt made very clear that we should never confuse haecceity with mere quiddity, for though of course both terms spoke to the ‘whatness’ of a thing, the latter was a general whatness while haecceity was almost the opposite.
6. ramiform — shaped like a branch or branches
As I stared at the ramiform chart Bruce had constructed to explain the ‘intuitive’ and ‘easy’ combat system of his new RPG, my eyes began to glaze over and I found myself daydreaming once more of Runequest.
7. gerontophobe — person afraid of old people; one who fears becoming old
Nellie loved parties and dancing, and my sister thought her a flighty gerontophobe, though it seemed to me that she detested only old men, not little old ladies.
8. satispassion — expiation through suffering
He considered this part of his satispassion, this burning pain in both his heart and his groin, but he told himself he would rather suffer this torment than to lapse back into uncaring and ignorant sin.
9. caramelize — to covert into caramel; to brown through heat
The Mediterranean sun had caramelized her skin to a lustrous red gold.
10. emissile — capable of being protruded
The Martian lander opened a hatch and extended its emissile probe into the powdery dust.
Bonus Vocabulary
(Latin)
non placet — negative vote
The famous vote for Lord Hardwicke was marred by the discrepancy in the proctors’ counts, but in both cases the non placet was insufficient to give Lord Sandwich the victory at Cambridge.