War and Peace: Volume III

Levy n

The enlistment or conscription of people for military service

Incendiary adj

tending to stir up conflict; designed to cause fires: arsonous

Dissent v

To withhold assent or approval; to differ in opinion

Plenipotentiary adj

having full power or authority

Effusion n

an unrestrained expression of words or emotion

Pall v

To lose strength or effectiveness; to dwindle

Juniper n

Any of numerous shrubs or trees of the cypress family with leaves resembling needles or scales and female cones usually resembling berries

Contretemps n

an inopportune or embarrassing occurrence; a dispute, argument

Sultry adj

extremely hot and humid; torrid

Pontoon n

A flat-bottomed boat or portable float used in building a floating temporary bridge

Uhlan n

Any of a body of Prussian light calvary originally modeled on Tatar lancers

Magnate n

A person of rank, power, influence, or distinction often in a specified area

Regatta n

A rowing, speedboat, or sailing race or a series of such races

Gauze n

A thin often transparent fabric used chiefly for clothing or draperies

Subaltern adj

describes a subordinate, oppressed group of people

Impugn v

(Formal) to to assail by words or arguments; to oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity

Qui vive n

to be on the lookout or on the alert

Vista n

A distant view through or along an avenue or opening: prospect; an extensive mental view

Vane n

a device that measures wind direction

Earmark n

A mark of an animal's ear for identification; a distinguishing mark

Rebuff v

To reject or criticize sharply: snub

Buxom n

full-bosomed; plump; jolly

Allopathy n

the usual medical practice of physicians and other health professionals; also known as conventional medicine like drugs or surgery

Stole n

A long loose garment: robe; an ecclesiastical vestment consisting of a long silk band worn around the neck by bishops and priests and over the left shoulder by deacons

Gestate v

to carry life from the point of conception to birth; to conceive and/or develop in the mind

Chevalier n

a member of the lowest rank of a French order of merit; a cadet of French nobility

Vinaigrette n

A dressing made of oil, vinegar, and seasonings

Prodigious adj

immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree

Terse adj

sparing in the use of words; polished; abrupt, short, brusque

Gondola n

a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice

Pikestaff n

a spiked staff for use on slippery ground

Specious adj

deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit; deceptively alluring; (obsolete) showy

Redoubt n

A small fort defending an important point; a place of refuge or defense: stronghold

Confluence n

a convergence, a coming together (of streams or bodies of water)

Gig n

A light 2-wheeled one-horse carriage

Rarefied adj

Of, relating to or interesting to a select group: esoteric; less dense; very high

Amphitheater n

an oval large stadium with tiers of seats

Gabion n

A basket or cage filled with earth or rocks and used in building a support or abutment

Abutment n

The place where projecting parts meet; junction

Flèche n

A steeple, especially a slender one above the intersection of the nave and transepts of a church

Daub v

To cover or smear (crudely); (archaic) to put on a false exterior

Sibilant adj

making or characterized by a hissing sound: s, sh, z, zh, tsh, dzh

Armament n

military supplies and weapons; the process of arming for war

Fricassee n

a dish of stewed or fried pieces of meat served in a thick white sauce

Scruff n

The back of the neck: nape

Shrapnel n

fragments of a bomb, shell, or other object thrown out by an explosion

Repudiate v

To refuse to accept or acknowledge

Saltpeter n

potassium nitrate, a colorless crystal used in medicines, fertilizers, preservatives, and gunpowder

Chicanery n

deception by means of craft or guile

Caveat n

a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior

Élan n

Vigorous spirit or enthusiasm

Boyar n

A landowning noble in Russia under the princes

Histrionic adj

pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical; melodramatic

Somnolent adj

sleepy, drowsy; inducing sleep

Cordon n

a line or circle of police, soldiers, or guards preventing access to or from an area or building

Tetchy adj

Irritably or peevishly sensitive

Agate n

a stone having a marbled texture

Jackdaw n

common black-and-gray Eurasian bird noted for thievery

Bonanza n

a rich mass of ore in a mine; something very valuable, profitable, or rewarding; a source of wealth or prosperity; a very large amount; sudden profit or gain

Savvy v

to know, to understand

Kvass n

Rye-based Russian ale usually fermented with fruit juices

Susurration n

a whispering sound; a murmur

Rapprochement n

Establishment or state of having cordial relations

Caisson n

A chest to hold ammunition

Conflagration n

a large destructive fire; conflict, war

Jog v

To rouse to alertness; to give a slight shake or push: to nudge