2024 PSB Spelling Bee Senior

buffoon

a ridiculous but amusing person
The buffoon juggled pineapples to entertain the crowd

suture

a stitch used to close a wound
The surgeon applied a suture to seal the incision

tassel

a decorative hanging ornament made of threads
Her curtain had a golden tassel at each corner

trinket

a small, inexpensive ornament or piece of jewelry
She wore a trinket bracelet she found at the market

turban

a headwrap made by winding cloth around the head
The elder wore a white turban during the ritual

Malta

an island country in the Mediterranean
Malta boasts ancient temples and crystal-clear waters

arable

land suitable for growing crops
The farmer invested in arable land for his new vineyard

bonanza

a source of great wealth or luck
The gold rush was a bonanza for early settlers

chieftain

the leader of a tribe or clan
The chieftain led his people with wisdom and courage

mongrel

a dog of mixed breed
The mongrel barked playfully at the children

mongoose

a small carnivorous mammal known for fighting snakes
The mongoose darted through the grass, hunting

nautilus

a marine mollusk with a spiral shell
The nautilus floated gracefully in the deep sea

paraffin

a waxy substance used in candles and sealing
She poured paraffin into the mold to make candles

platelet

a blood cell involved in clotting
Platelet levels were checked after the surgery

rudiments

the basic principles of a subject
He learned the rudiments of guitar before joining the band

sedentary

involving little physical activity
A sedentary lifestyle can lead to health issues

vitriol

cruel and bitter criticism
Her speech was filled with unexpected vitriol

reggae

a music genre from Jamaica with rhythmic beats
Bob Marley popularized reggae around the world

tragedy

a disastrous event or story with sorrowful ending
The play ended in tragedy as the hero fell

margarine

a butter substitute made from vegetable oils
She spread margarine on her toast

paprika

a spice made from ground peppers
The stew had a smoky flavor thanks to paprika

butte

an isolated hill with steep sides
The butte rose dramatically from the desert floor

Columbus

an explorer credited with discovering the Americas
Columbus sailed west in search of new lands

Istanbul

a major city in Turkey straddling Europe and Asia
Istanbul is famous for its historic mosques

Manila

the capital of the Philippines
Manila buzzes with vibrant street life and culture

Sputnik

the first artificial satellite launched by the USSR
Sputnik marked the beginning of the space age

dumbbell

a short bar with weights used for exercise
He lifted a dumbbell to strengthen his arms

Hewitt

a surname, often associated with athletes or public figures
Hewitt won the tennis match in straight sets

stirrup

a foot support attached to a saddle
She placed her boot in the stirrup and mounted the horse

erudition

deep, scholarly knowledge
His erudition impressed the entire lecture hall

expostulate

to express strong disagreement or disapproval
She expostulated with him over his reckless choices

gazetteer

a geographical dictionary or directory
The gazetteer listed every town in the region

indemnified

compensated for harm or loss
The company indemnified the injured worker

insubordinate

defiant of authority
The insubordinate soldier refused to follow orders

interference

the act of obstructing or meddling
The referee called a foul for interference

knapsack

a backpack or bag carried on the back
He packed his knapsack with snacks and a map

litany

a repetitive series or list
She recited a litany of complaints about the service

malaise

a general feeling of discomfort or unease
A sense of malaise settled over the town

martyr

someone who dies for their beliefs
The martyr was honored for his sacrifice

maudlin

overly sentimental
He became maudlin after a few drinks

Mikado

a title for the emperor of Japan
The Mikado was portrayed in the opera with grandeur

moribund

at the point of death or decline
The moribund industry needed urgent reform

myrtle

a flowering shrub with aromatic leaves
The garden was lined with blooming myrtle

parlance

a particular way of speaking or using words
In legal parlance, the term has a specific meaning

permanence

the state of lasting indefinitely
The sculpture was built to symbolize permanence

proclivity

a natural tendency or inclination
She had a proclivity for solving puzzles

prophet

a person who predicts or speaks divine truth
The prophet warned of coming storms

quenda

a small marsupial native to Australia
The quenda scurried through the underbrush

rattan

a flexible palm used in furniture making
The chair was woven from rattan

redolent

strongly reminiscent or fragrant
The kitchen was redolent of cinnamon and cloves

soiree

an evening party or gathering
They hosted a lively soiree with music and dancing

sombrero

a wide-brimmed Mexican hat
He wore a sombrero to shield himself from the sun

soothsayer

a person who predicts the future
The soothsayer claimed the stars foretold disaster

subsidiary

a company controlled by a larger one
The tech firm is a subsidiary of a global conglomerate

subterfuge

deceit used to achieve a goal
He used subterfuge to escape the guards

tomfoolery

foolish or silly behavior
The teacher put an end to the students' tomfoolery

valise

a small suitcase
She packed her valise for the weekend trip

whinge

to complain persistently
He began to whinge about the long queue

Gulpilil

a celebrated Indigenous Australian actor
Gulpilil brought depth to every role he played

Keneally

an Australian author and public figure
Keneally wrote a powerful historical novel

Minogue

a famous Australian singer and performer
Minogue dazzled the crowd with her performance

pantomime

a dramatic performance without words
The clown performed a pantomime that made the children laugh

sistrum

an ancient musical instrument with jingling metal
The priest shook the sistrum during the ritual

chipolata

a small sausage
She served chipolatas with mustard at the party

nigiri

a type of sushi with rice and fish
He ordered salmon nigiri at the Japanese restaurant

smorgasbord

a variety of foods served buffet-style
The wedding featured a smorgasbord of international dishes

Belarus

a country in Eastern Europe
Belarus is known for its forests and castles

geyser

a hot spring that erupts periodically
The geyser shot boiling water into the air

Honduras

a Central American country
Honduras has lush jungles and ancient ruins

Myanmar

a Southeast Asian nation
Myanmar is rich in cultural heritage

diffusion

the spreading of something more widely
The diffusion of ideas sparked innovation

hydraulic

operated by fluid pressure
The hydraulic lift raised the car effortlessly

manganese

a chemical element used in steel production
Manganese strengthens industrial alloys

mineralogy

the study of minerals
She majored in mineralogy at university

catamaran

a boat with two parallel hulls
They sailed a catamaran across the bay

Kewell

an Australian footballer
Kewell scored the winning goal in the final

lacrosse

a team sport played with sticks and a ball
Lacrosse requires speed and coordination

marngrook

an Indigenous Australian football game
Marngrook inspired modern Australian rules football

toreador

a bullfighter
The toreador faced the bull with fearless grace

velodrome

a cycling track with steep banks
The race took place in a packed velodrome

beleaguered

surrounded and under pressure
The beleaguered city struggled to survive the siege

candelabra

a branched candle holder
The candelabra lit the dining hall with elegance

cannula

a tube inserted into the body for fluid delivery
The nurse inserted a cannula for the IV drip

chignon

a knot of hair worn at the nape of the neck
She styled her hair into a sleek chignon for the gala

colliery

a coal mine and its associated buildings
The colliery closed after decades of operation

draconian

excessively harsh or severe
The new law was criticized for its draconian measures

impecunious

having little or no money
The impecunious student relied on scholarships

implacable

unable to be calmed or appeased
Her implacable anger frightened everyone

kikuyu

an ethnic group from Kenya
The Kikuyu people have a rich cultural heritage

lederhosen

traditional German leather shorts
He wore lederhosen to the Oktoberfest celebration

mellifluous

sweet or musical sounding
Her mellifluous voice captivated the audience

minaret

a tall tower on a mosque used for calls to prayer
The minaret rose above the city skyline

promenade

a public place for walking
They strolled along the seaside promenade

tinnitus

a ringing or buzzing in the ears
He suffered from tinnitus after the concert

trattoria

an Italian-style casual restaurant
We dined at a cozy trattoria in Rome

bouzouki

a Greek stringed musical instrument
The musician played a lively tune on the bouzouki

fenugreek

a plant used as a spice and medicine
Fenugreek seeds added a nutty flavor to the curry

mascarpone

a creamy Italian cheese
She used mascarpone in the tiramisu recipe

minestrone

a thick Italian vegetable soup
The minestrone was hearty and full of flavor

panettone

a sweet Italian bread with fruit
We shared slices of panettone during the holidays