11 & 12

battery

battery

n.

1. a beating or pounding, especially an unlawful beating, as in assault

2. guns or heavy artillery

3. a group of similar things used together

battlement

n. A defense wall with alternating high and low sections (often used in plural form).

abate

v.

to reduce in quantity or intensity; to subside; to diminish

bellicose

adj warlike; eager to fight

belligerent

n.

1. a country or persons engaged in warfare or hostile action

adj.

1. behaving in a hostile or aggressive manner; engaged in combat

daunt

v.

to intimidate; to discourage or dishearten

indomitable

adj. unconquerable

forte

n.

a person's strong point; the thing in which a person excels

adj.

in music, loudly; forcefully

fortitude

n.

courage in enduring pain or trouble

carte blanche

n.

unrestricted power to act at one's discretion; unconditional permission or authority

cartel

n.

1. an organization of firms in the same industry for the purpose of regulating production, pricing, and marketing of goods and decreasing competition by members

2. a coalition of political or special-interest groups to achieve a common cause; a bloc

cartographer

n. a maker of maps or charts

pugilist

n. a fistfighter, especially a professional boxer

pugnacious

adj, quarrelsome; eager to fight

impugn

v. to oppose or attack as false; to seek to discredit

cadence

n. a rhythmic flow of sound, as in poetry or oratory, or of movement, as in marching or dancing

casuistry

n.

1. the use of moral principles to reason out what is right or wrong in everyday situations

2. subtle but misleading or false application of reasoning; a quibbling or evasive way of making difficult decisions

decadent

adj. declining or decaying

n.

1. a person who is decaying mentally or morally

2. (usually capitalized) A member of a group of nineteenth-century French and English artists who were inspired by artificial and morbid things

Occident

n. (capitalized) the parts of the world that lies west of Asia, especially the countries of Europe and the western hemisphere

recidivism

n. a relapse into a former habit, especially criminal or antisocial behavior

cede

v. to yield or surrender rights or possessions, usually officially

accede

v.

1. to consent; to agree

2. to take office; to become a ruler

concession

n.

1. the act of granting or yielding

2. permission by authority for special use, especially the privilege of setting up a business in a certain place, or the place itself

intercede

v.

1. to act on another's behalf

2. to mediate in a dispute; to seek to reconcile differences

predatory

adj

1. preying on other animals

2. plundering; exploiting or victimizing others

depredation

n. destruction; plunder

punctilious

adj. precise; scrupulous; attentive to details, especially of etiquette

pungent

adj. having a strong, biting taste or smell

compunction

n. uneasiness caused by guilt; remorse; scruples

expunge

v. to omit; to delete; to obliterate