Words

matrix /MAY-triks/

n: a mold or die, or that which within something originates, takes form, or develops

"Love is the matrix within which all relationships thrive."

doddering /DOD-ur-eeng/

adj: shaky, feeble, or senile

"The doddering old man thought he was still a prizefighter."

obdormition /ob-door-MI-shun/

n: a numbness or tingling in part of the body; pins and needles

"Sleeping on one's arm sometimes results in an obdormition of the fingers."

queue /kyoo/

n: a line of people, waiting for something

"The queue for the rock concert was ten blocks long."

atavism /AT-av-izm/

n: reversion to a more primitive type

" The wife attributed her husband's irrational behavior to an atavistic male trait."

dactylology /dak-tuh-LOL-uh-jee/

n: the use of the hands and fingers to communicate a language

"On the streets of large cities, you often see hearing-impaired people using dactylology to communicate with each other."

omniscient /om-NISH-unt/

adj: having total and infinite knowledge

"If I were omniscient, I'd be rich and I'd be president."

omnipotent /om-NIP-uh-tunt/

adj: having unlimited power or might;all-powerful

"Most people believe in an omnipotent god."

ekistics /i-KIS-tiks/

n: the science or study of community planning and design

"Because of my interest in city planning, I entered the field of ekistics."

languor /LANG-gur/

n: lacking strength, power, energy, or vigor

"Receiving low marks on a test is certainly a cause of languor."

paranymph /PAR-i-nimf/

n: in a wedding, the best man or bridesmaid

"It was an exquisite wedding, and I was a paranymph."

proselytize /PROS-uh-luh-tize/

v: to seek to convert a person to one's own religion or belief

"You may explain to me why you believe as you do, but please do not proselytize."

fervid /FUR-vid/

adj: hot, impassioned; fervent

"Your fervid remarks are not welcome in my living room."

palpitate /PAL-pi-tate/

v: to throb or beat rapidly, generally said of the heart

My heart always palpitates when she walks in the room.

lope /lope/

v: to run or ride with a easy and steady gait

"As a beginner equestrienne, you must learn to lope before you gallop."

dormition /dor-MI-shun/

n: a peaceful, painless death

"Dying in one's sleep is the ultimate example of dormition."

caducity /kuh-DO-si-tee/

n: the state or condition of being weak, frail, senile, etc.

"Considering their relatively young age, the degree of caducity of the residents of the housing project was surprising."

demoniac /di-MON-i-ak/

adj: possessed by, resembling, or suggestive of the devil

"She has a pretty smile but a demoniac personality."

serotinal /si-ROT-in-ul/

adj: blooming late in the season

"You need serotinal plants around your home, not dandelions."

caries /KAR-eez/

n: dental decay; cavities

"How many caries do you have this month?"

cavitation /kav-i-TAY-shun/

n: the creation of a partial vacuum within a liquid, created by a mechanical force

"When the Titanic plunged headlong into the water, it was the cavitation that sucked in the swimmers."

risque /ris-KAY/

adj: verging on or suggestive of indelicacy or impropriety

"Your risque comments titillate the lecher in me."

ferial /FUR-ee-ul/

adj: of or pertaining to a festival or a weekday on a church calendar in which no feast is observed

"My ferial days at college and pop concerts do not represent the real world."

sartorial /sar-TOR-ee-ul/

adj: of or relating to tailoring or tailored clothing

"Your sartorial predilections make you look stodgy and old-fashioned."

lascivious /luh-SIV-ee-us/

adj: expressing or characterized by lust; lecherous

"She gave me a lascivious glance in the hallway."

quisling kwiz' ling

noun: A traitor, especially somebody who collaborates with an occupying force.

The soldier's father always told him that treason was the highest offense against one's country and to never be a quisling and shame him.

supercilious soo-puhr-SIL-ee-uhs

adjective: Disdainfully arrogant; haughty.

Supercilious is from Latin superciliosus, from supercilium, "an eyebrow, arrogance," from super, "over" + cilium, "an eyelid." "The girl has a supercilious expression, and seems to be looking down her nose at the camera." -- Annie Dillard

sunder SUN-dur

verb: To break apart; to separate; to divide; to sever.

Sunder is from Old English sundrian. As the issue of slavery threatened to sunder the United States, President Abraham Lincoln, using biblical language, warned that "a house divided against itself cannot stand." -- Morris B. Abraham

evince ih-VIN(T)S

transitive verb: To show in a clear manner; to manifest; to make evident; to bring to light.

"At no time in her life did Tina evince religious faith, and, a few years later, she would declare outright that she had "[no] belief or religion."

alacrity uh-LACK-rih-tee

noun: A cheerful readiness, willingness, or promptitude; briskness; sprightliness; as, the soldiers advanced with alacrity to meet the enemy.

Alacrity comes from Latin alacritas, from alacer, lively. "My mother turns on the fan with excessive alacrity for these dark monsoon days." --Norma Field

equivocate ih-KWIV-uh-kayt

verb: To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or to avoid committing oneself to anything definite.

To equivocate is literally to call equally one thing or the other: It comes from Medieval Latin aequivocare, from the Latin aequus, equal + vocare, to call (from Latin vox, voice). "The witness shuffled, equivocated, pretended to misunderstand the questions." -- Thomas Babington Macaulay

explicate EK-spluh-kayt

transitive verb: To explain; to clear of difficulties or obscurity.

Explicate comes from Latin explicare, "to unfold; to unfold the meaning or sense of; to explain, expound, or interpret," from ex-, "out" + plicare, "to fold." "The French baccalaureate exam asked students to explicate a passage from Kant." --Cullen Murphy

propound pruh-POWND

transitive verb: To offer for consideration.

"When Samuelson first propounded this potentially radical idea, it was greeted with astonishment, bordering on outrage." -- Jonathan Davis

propitious pruh-PISH-uhs

adjective: Presenting favorable circumstances or conditions. Favorably inclined; gracious; benevolent.

Propitious derives from Latin propitius, "favorable." "If the fates are propitious we may succeed." -- A. K. Green

somnolent SOM-nuh-lunt

adjective: Sleepy; drowsy; inclined to sleep.

"He was again painfully aware of a somnolent tendency in Frederick."

fastidious /fah-STID-ee-us/

adj: difficult to please; exacting

"He has very fastidious tastes when it comes to wine."

bibelot BEE-buh-loh

noun: A small decorative object without practical utility

"An inveterate collector, Feldman purchased paintings and bibelots in quantity, often sight unseen." --Barbara Leaming, Marilyn Monroe

rimose ri moss

adjective: Covered with cracks, fissures, or crevices.

From Latin rimosus, from rima "fissure."

bellwether BEL-weth-uhr

noun: A leader of a movement or activity; also, a leading indicator of future trends.

Bellwether is a compound of bell and wether, "a male sheep, usually castrated"; from the practice of hanging a bell from the neck of the leader of the flock.

impervious /IMPER-vee-us/

adj: not open to arguments or suggestions

"Because she was impervious to hints, she had to be told to iron her clothes."