English III Q2 U2 Vocabulary and Literature terms.

supplication

(noun) the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.

compunction

(noun) a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that prevents or follows the doing of something bad.

decrepit

(adjective) (of a person) elderly and infirm.

disdain

(noun) the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect; contempt.

venerate

(verb) regard with great respect; revere.

primal

(adjective) relating to an early stage in evolutionary development; primeval.

clairvoyant

(adjective) having or exhibiting an ability to perceive events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact.

regicide

(noun) the action of killing a king.

ordinance

(noun) a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority.

catharsis

(noun) the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

obdurate

(adjective) stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action.

welter

(verb) move in a turbulent fashion.

extirpate

(verb) root out and destroy completely.

expiation

(noun) the act of making amends or reparation for guilt or wrongdoing; atonement.

recompense

(verb) make amends to (someone) for loss or harm suffered; compensate.

unscathed

(adjective) without suffering any injury, damage, or harm.

teeming

(adjective) be full of or swarming with.

blanch

(verb) (of a person) grows pale from shock, fear, or a similar emotion.

flout

(verb) openly disregard (a rule, law or convention).

taciturnity

(noun) state of being reserved in conversation.

Dramatic monologue

an elaborate and revealing speech given by one person. A character, usually in crisis, addresses a silent listener.

Analogy

a comparison of two things that are alike in some way. An unfamiliar object or idea may be clarified if it is compared to a more familiar object or idea.

Deus ex machina

Greek for "God from the machine." A god appearing at the end of a play to wrap up loose ends. The term is used to signify a contrived ending, an unexpected last-minute reprieve, and/or the intervention of a natural or supernatural force in the nick of time.