Educated Guesswork

1. brickbat — piece of brick, esp. when used as a missile

Piled behind the barricades were cobblestones and brickbats to be used against the government troops during the inevitable reactionary assault.

  2. fret — to gnaw; to wear away by gnawing, friction, corrosion, etc.

He was proudest of the ivory box lid in which he had fretted a bas-relief depicting the defeat of Burgoyne at Saratoga.

  3. halation — blurring around edges in photographic image beyond proper boundaries, creating local fog around highlights, etc.

The UFOs seemed impossible to focus upon, and we saw instead a reddish halation rather than a definable edge, even as the craft drew closer to our dismasted schooner.

  4. fettle — condition, state

The fish were in a fine fettle, showing the attentive care lavished upon them and their aquarium.

  5. aumbry (archaic spelling of ambry) — cupboard, locker; recess in church wall for storage (of sacramental vessels, books, etc.)

He pulled back the rough wooden door, but the aumbry was bare, the sacred silver noticeable only by its absence.

  6. coulter (also colter) — blade fixed before the plowshare, cutting soil vertically

A lively debate broke out after everyone had finished their second glass of wine, as to whether the introduction of the coulter to the heavy plough in the middle ages led to increased concentration of population in farming centres.

  7. tardigrade — slow moving or slow walking; of or relating to sloths; of or relating to water-bears

The tardigrade action of the sloth belies the inherent strength of these magnificent animals.

  8. moil — to drudge, to work hard; to wallow in mire

You will never get rich if you moil uselessly with nothing put aside for the morrow.

  9. ecdysis — shedding of integument by reptiles, crustaceans, etc.

His was unfortunately an incomplete ecdysis, as a large portion of shedded skin continued to adhere to the claws on his right forefoot, leaving the harassed gecko annoyed and alarmed.

  10. starling — pointed set of pilings around a bridge pier for protecting from the impact of debris or vessels

We pushed off the boat-like starlings as we drifted beneath the bridge, our prow just passing by the half prow of the wooden pilings.

1. jade — vicious, worn-out, or worthless horse; disreputable woman

Though she be but a jade your contemptuous attitude towards her does you no credit.

  2. circumvallation — state of being surrounded by rampart or entrenchment

Vercingetorix was unable to lift the siege of Alesia after the circumvallation of that settlement, leading to the final victory of Caesar over the Gauls.

  3. plaudit — marked expression of approval, applause

He claimed to disdain the plaudits of the critics and crowds because of his dedication to his art, but we suspected that it was not their approval he truly craved.

  4. singlet — close-fitting woolen undershirt or jersey, usu. sleeveless

When we came upon the murderer, he stood over the body dressed only in a white singlet and shorts, like some Victorian era boxer in training.

  5. stile — steps or rungs permitting person to pass over wall or fence whilst forming barrier for sheep, cattle, etc.

As Alice approached the stile she saw that the Red Knight had gotten hopelessly stuck in the fence and was now hanging upside down, suspended from a large dutch oven strapped to his back.

  6. mordant — caustic, biting

She evinced more of a mordant witlessness, as when she remonstrated the company that she couldn’t imagine why they were decrying the collapse of civilization when her shoes were chafing her feet very terribly.

  7. slue — to turn about an object’s axis; to swing around

Our ship’s boy was foolishly showing off his balance on the port tip of the spar when the ship left the lea of the cliffs, the sudden wind from that quarter causing the spar to slue, sending the boy headlong into the sea.

  8. reticle — fine wires or threads placed within eyepiece of telescope, etc. to facilitate accurate observation

Adjusting for windage, the silent observer targeted his next victim in the reticle of his gunsight.

  9. reticule — small bag or purse, usu. woven

Though the delicate lace network of her reticule seemed quite frail, I was astounded by the sheer volume and mass of the objects she habitually carried in her handbag.

  10. send down — to expel

Thus we learned that he had been sent down from Dublin University for “acts of an immoral nature”, to our great dismay.

1. dark lantern — lantern with a shutter to hide the light

“Watson, be sure to bring the dark lantern so that we can conceal our presence in the chamber after traversing the underground paths to the tomb.”

 

2. arrant — notorious, unmitigated

We have rarely heard such arrant falsehoods since Satan was imprisoned in Hell.

 

3. withe — pliant twig or stem used for binding

Before plastic, packages might be tied up with withes, one possible option for the post-plastic age to come.

 

4. vinous — relating to wine; caused by indulgence in wine

I was appalled by his vinous visage hovering so closely over my own face, the rubicund and swollen nose seeming like a diseased sinking sun.

 

5. ostler — person responsible for horses, esp. at an inn

In the darkened stables we found our young ostler, apparently kicked and killed by one of his charges.

 

6. ceorl — one of the lowest rank of freemen, in medieval times (more commonly churl)

Though he had the support of every rank from barons to ceorls, Harold could not stave off the invasion of the Normans, coming so close on the heels of his battle in the north with Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge.

 

7. lapidescence — petrifaction, quality of turning into stone

The shores of the salt sea shimmered in the setting sun, the sparkling lapidescence creating an eerie shine along the lifeless coastline.

 

8. contumely — scornful rudeness or abuse

If a southern gentleman is never unintentionally rude, his claim to that title was not lessened one iota by the insolent contumely he heaped upon his nemesis.

 

9. atrabilious — melancholy; splenetic

She feared that he was in an atrabilious temper this morn, and would give short shrift to the reasoned arguments she had marshaled.

 

10. Laodicean — person lukewarm in religion, politics, etc.

For all the shrill voices condemning third-party candidates, the real danger to democracy comes from the hordes of Laodiceans who constitute even at this hour an immense portion of the body politic.

1. kakistocracy — government by the worst citizens

If all good people abdicate their responsibilities as citizens, eventually we shall all live under a kakistocracy.

  2. exuberate — to be exuberant; to abound

I would fain exuberate your news has moved me so!

  3. stillicide — a falling (as of water) in drops

The laws of stillicide govern where the fault lies when rainwater falls from one person’s roof onto the property of another.

  4. preterlabent — gliding or floating past

The fallen leaves formed a preterlabent flotilla of red and gold upon the slow moving stream.

  5. trocar — perforator enclosed in a cannula or metal tube used in surgery for draining fluids, etc.

His victims were stabbed with an embalming trocar, which though thematic is a rather punctilious weapon.

  6. zugzwang — a position in chess in which every move leads to a worse situation

I was trapped in an emotional zugzwang, for if I did not tell her of my indiscretions Jenks would continue his blackmail, while if I did tell her she would be irrevocably hurt.

  7. theriac — antidote; specifically a medical paste compounded of many ingredients used by Greeks to cure poisons

As yet no sage has discovered the alchemy by which a theriac for racial hatred may be compounded.

  8. rubicund — red, reddish, red-faced

Santa Claus is usually portrayed as a portly rubicund fellow, though his overall good health is never questioned.

  9. hymnody — the singing or composition of hymns

Though Routley was a noted expert on hymnody, he also wrote one work about Puritan themes in the modern detective story.

  10. garth — enclosed ground, usu. beside a building, yard, etc.

The stables, barn, and other outbuildings formed a garth for the horses, with only a short length of fencing with a gate completing the paddock.

1. fleer — to grin or laugh in a rude or coarse manner

How my old low companions did fleer when I confessed to them that my great plans for a tremendous heist had been foiled by two meek nuns and a truculent novitiate.

  2. empennage — the stern of an airplane or airship, usually including the tail fin, rudder, stabilizer, and elevator

The jungle had buried most of the broken twin-prop craft beneath a coverlet of almost black green foliage, making it all the more surprising that the plane’s empennage remained unscarred and uncovered, the blue and white logo on the soaring tail appearing freshly painted.

  3. shoat — young weaned pig

Blake held the shoat by its ears until the young porker freed itself with a sudden twist.

  4. reave — to rob, to plunder (also as reive)

“Better to have actual pirates burn me out of house and home than to have my inheritance reft by these pretended relatives and their satanic solicitors!”

  5. phalera — sculpted metal disk worn on the breast as military award

The modern military challenge coin may be the descendent of the ancient Roman phalerae, though it is doubtful that any Roman legion would have wished to honor Coast Guard Memes.

  6. truckle — to submit timidly; to submit from unworthy motives

Hoping to truckle his way into her pants, Jerome told her that he would be happy to listen to some more country music.

  7. pellucid — transparent, translucent; clear in style or expression

The deceptive ease with which E.B. White’s pellucid prose moves the reader masks a deep mastery of words and a workmanlike craft.

  8. heterodyne — method by which an incoming radio signal has a signal of only slightly different frequency added to it, causing ‘beats’ to occur

The actual working of the device would have been undetectable to the human ear had not a heterodyne effect been created by other electronics in the room, so that a very subtle beating was noticeable when the surveillance gear was in operation.

  9. noria — device for raising water, consisting of buckets on a chain or wheel, the buckets filling with water at the bottom and discharging the water at the top, used in Spain and Asia

Besides providing water for the monastery, the peasants also used the noria as a convenient, if slightly wet, elevator into the building.

  10. gyve — (usu. pl.) shackles, esp. for legs

The hopeless coffle made its awkward way past the coach, each slave affecting a strange bow-legged gait because of the gyves binding his ankles.

1. dodder — to shake, to tremble

The old man doddered so at the top of the stairs that I began to worry lest he lose his balance entirely.

 

2. debouch — to march out or come forth from a narrow or confined space into an open area

The fans endured the endless zigzag lines through security with good grace and patience, finally debouching enthusiastically into the huge stadium where the Spicy Meatball Plot were about to begin their reunion tour.

 

3. nigrescent — blackish

Joan suppressed a qualm as she noticed the tarry nigrescent stringy stains on the left cuff of his otherwise impeccable sports jacket.

 

4. pursy — corpulent, fat

His pursy jowls quivered as he laughed, white flecks of spittle flying from between his yellowed teeth.

 

5. foin — to thrust or to lunge with a weapon

The bravo distracted the guard with a rapier feint while he foined beneath the guard’s lorica with his main-gauche.

 

6. ptochogony — the creation or production of beggars

Beyond the inability to buy houses, the crushing student debt entailed by most graduates threatens to make universities and colleges institutions of ptochogony rather than higher education.

 

7. fantod — (usu. pl. & usu. preceded by the) the willies

I caught a staggering case of the fantods when my bare foot trod upon the banana slug.

 

8. promulge — to set forth publicly, to publish

Luther not only promulged his theses in the environs of Wittenberg but also had them printed and spread throughout Germany.

 

9. dutch uncle — overly critical person

My newly minted aunt was quite the dutch uncle, and nothing could satisfy her save getting everything her own way.

 

10. supervalent — of or related to the exaggerated importance given thoughts by a thinker which that thinker cannot stop thinking

His thoughts were completely subsumed by Trump Derangement Syndrome; each incident, statement, or image he encountered brought forth an obsessive reaction, somehow relating the most innocuous occurrence to the activities of The Donald by the inordinate connective power of his supervalent fears and despair.

 

network — fabric of netted threads; any work in which threads etc. are made in form of a net

One can almost picture the female denizens of Jane Austen’s novels, fashioning reticules and bonnets from network as they talk of the world around them and its dangers, from which they were by no means exempt.

1. gobsmacked — flabbergasted, utterly astounded

We were gobsmacked to learn that the mole was Mrs. Abernathy’s two year-old toddler, who was actually an Australian midget wearing a very clever disguise.

 

2. footling — blithering, foolish, silly

I managed to make some footling comments, but could barely conceal my very great surprise.

 

3. timoneer — steersman, helmsman

The cutter had almost come abaft of the ship when I saw it fall off suddenly to starboard, losing all its way, and in the resulting confusion I could see that the timoneer lay sprawled across the tiller, a crude arrow shaft transfixing his neck.

 

4. ruffle — to swagger

Emerging from the club, the young bons vivants buttoned back their frock coats to reveal the rapier and main gauche each wore ostentatiously, and set off ruffling down the cobblestoned street, looking for trouble.

 

5. eisegesis — interpretation (esp. of Scripture) which brings the interpreter’s own biases, ideas, etc. to the text, rather than drawing meaning from the text itself

Though we loved her many insights into popular culture, it was clear that her interpretation of Mr. Ed as a parable about the struggles of Bohemian Americans for acceptance in the rapidly changing post-WWII U.S. was plain and simple eisegesis.

 

6. morganatic — of a marriage between a man (usu.) of high rank and a lower rank woman (usu.), in which the woman and any issue of the marriage are not entitled to any titles or property of the higher rank spouse

Though King Edward VIII had suggested the idea of a morganatic marriage to Wallis Simpson, it soon became obvious that he could not marry her and remain king.

 

7. excelsior — short thin curled shavings of wood used for packaging, etc.

The broken swamp cooler still lay on the kitchen floor, the damp excelsior from its cooling pad heaped in a sodden mass among the debris.

 

8. moxibustion — burning dried mugwort close to the skin, often along acupuncture meridians, to facilitate healing in Chinese medicine

One should not attempt to perform moxibustion at home with only online guides; a qualified acupuncturist should give face-to-face instruction in using the moxa sticks.

 

9. rataplan — drumming or beating sound

The jackhammer continued its offensive rataplan as Jack once more struggled to write the article due that afternoon.

 

10. arbalest — crossbow using metal bow to shoot bolts or stones

Though our archers trained their bows upon the powerful enemy arbalest, its thick wooden shield was proof against our hail of arrows, and the devastating attack continued to decimate our troops.

1. murmuration — flock of starlings (sometimes applied to other birds)

The gyring movement of the murmuration resembled a gentle whirlpool in the air as the birds suddenly decided to quit their perches in the elm overhanging the river.

  2. dynamics — variation in volume of musical sounds

The quiet portion of the song “Shout!”, and the subsequent build-up back to the chorus, as seen in the movie Animal House, is a classic example of dynamics in a non-classical musical piece.

  3. cantle — rear part of a saddle, often curved upward

Attempting to do the Kirk Douglas leap onto the horse just below, he tripped on a loose board on the porch and instead of gracefully falling into the saddle found himself hurled groin-first onto the cantle, which at least was not as painful as a collision with the saddle-horn would have been.

  4. sabretache — leather pouch attached to sword-belt of a cavalry officer

The young hussar affected quite the devil-may-care attitude, though we, his closest familiars, knew that in his sabretache were every letter he had received from his aged mother, as well as the small pocket bible she had given him at his first communion.

  5. prevaricate — to deviate from straightforwardness, hence a) to lie or evade the truth, or b) to transgress

Despite my best intentions not to prevaricate when the authorities came upon the bloody scene, I found myself making all manner of excuses for both my presence and my actions in that horrid melee.

  6. jauk — (Scots) to dawdle

“Don’t be jaukin’ along the road home from the Widow Green, but come home the instant you give her the news.”

  7. lithe — flexible, pliant, supple; gentle, meek

Tom Bombadil’s partner was so lithe that she could lean herself backwards head-to-heel, from which position she used to pluck blackberries from the bush behind their cabin.

  8. mensural — pertaining to measure

In a pinch, I suppose, the slide rule could be used for mensural duty, though you would have to do some further calculations to convert from the logarithmic indicium to a linear measure.

  9. coffer — sunken panel in a ceiling or soffit

Visitors to Washington, D.C. find the subway stations are all the same when one exits the train, each being a long arch of gray concrete decorated with dreary rectangular coffers.

  10. grazier — person who grazes cattle for market

Though he often fed his cattle from the public weal of public lands, the British grazier of the 19th Century rarely contributed to the public purse.

Bonus Vocabulary

(slang, current 2018-2019)

to flex on — to (sometimes subtly) put someone down by showing your superior skills, ability, or possession

He should have known better than to try and flex on an English professor by correcting her grammar.

1. ha-ha — sunken fence or wall bounding garden or park, set into ditch so as to not interrupt the view from within

The modern infinity pool uses a more decadent variant of the ha-ha of British gardens, for the view of the former is meant for a select few as opposed to the (perhaps) more public horizon prepared by the 19th-century landscapers.

 

2. curule chair — seat modeled after ancient camp chair with open back and curved legs and often decorated with ivory in which only the highest magistrates of ancient Rome were privileged to sit

The contemporary power seat behind the desk owes nothing to the ancient curule chair, for the connotations of power inherent in the Roman seat must give way to our modern insistence that a chair give strong back support.

 

3. retiarius — gladiator who fought with net and trident

The net-wielding retiarius was an exception to the usual rule whereby gladiatorial types were derived from military roots, as this lowest of gladiators was modeled after fishermen.

 

4. subreption — deceptive representation; an inference from such misrepresentation

Jack knew full well when he told me, “My daughter was sick”, that I would assume that that was why he missed work yesterday, and the fact that he now admits that her two-day illness happened over a week ago reveals the subreption on his part.

 

5. scud — to be driven by the wind

                     all times I have enjoyed
Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when
Through scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vexed the dim sea

[Tennyson]

6. salubrious — promoting health

After spending nine months next to the construction site where pilings were being pounded into the earth for eight hours each day, the peace and quiet of the small cabin were at least as salubrious as the clean, fresh air rolling down from the pine-covered mountains.

 

7. forgather — gather together, assemble

While they waited for their clients’ planes to land, the chauffeurs would forgather at the cell phone parking lot, smoking and joking while studiously avoiding any mention of whom they were to pick up.

 

8. chatelaine — ornamental chains attached to a woman’s belt, used for carrying keys, scissors, or other tools

The medieval chatelaine seems to prove that the abhorrence of women’s fashion for pockets goes far back into history.

 

9. emollient — softening or relaxing; a salve or lotion with such a softening effect

Her purse was filled with powerful potions, perfumes, powders, emollients, medicaments, makeup, and only slightly less powerful placebos.

 

10. dibs — small amounts of money

What is this scandal you spoke of, have the dibs you lose at the club’s tables finally mounted to noteworthy sums?

 

pilcrow — the paragraph mark, “¶”

Having turned on hidden character display on his computer, he was quite disappointed when his document was printed out without the pilcrows at the end of each paragraph.