NEW WORDS FROM 'CASSIUS DIO'

assiduous

adj. showing great resolve and care; perseverance

portent

n. a sign that something, usually momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen

n. (literary) an exceptional or wonderful thing

merriment

n. fun; a state of lightheartedness and cheer

sinew

n. a piece of tough fibrous tissue that attaches muscles, bones, ligaments, and joints

n. the parts of a structure that give it strength and binding

harangue

n. a lengthy and aggressive speech

v. to lecture (someone) aggressively and critically

viand

n. (archaic) an item of food

n. (Philippine English) a meat, seafood, or vegetable dish that accompanies rice

convivial

adj. (of a person) cheerful and friendly; full of life

adj. (of an event) lively; enjoyable

evince

v. to reveal the presence of (a feeling or quality)

v. to be evidence of; to indicate

proffer

n. an offer or proposal, usually formally or in legal contexts

v. to offer; to hold (something) to someone for acceptance

islet

n. a small island

n. a portion of tissue structurally distinct from the surrounding tissue

amatory

adj. relating to or induced by licentious desire

sophist

n. a paid teacher of philosophy and rhetoric in Ancient Greece, associated in popular thought with moral skepticism and specious thought

n. a person who reasons with clever but fallacious statements

cohabit

v. to live together and have a relationship with without marriage

v. to coexist

rabble

n. a disorderly crowd; a mob

mollycoddle

v. to treat (someone) in an indulgent and overprotective way

n. (derogatory) a timid or oversensitive man

extol

v. to praise enthusiastically

inveigh

v. to write or speak about (something) with great hostility

scurrilous

adj. making or spreading falsified claims about someone in hopes of degrading their reputation; slanderous

adj. humorously insulting

munificent

adj. (of a gift) larger or more generous than is necessary or usual

adj. (of a person) very generous

impudent

adj. not showing respect for another; disrespectful or impertinent

anapest

n. a metrical foot composing of two unstressed or short syllables followed by one long or stressed syllable

revile

to criticize in a degrading or insulting manner

protuberant

adj. protruding; bulging

environs

n. the surrounding areas or district

thither

adv. to or toward that place

abdicate

n. (of a monarchy) renounce one’s throne

n. fail to fulfill or undertake a responsibility or duty

prostrate

adj. lying stomach down on the ground

v. to lay on the ground with your face down, especially in reverence

v. (of distress or illness) to reduce (someone) to extreme physical weakness

filch

v. to steal (something usually of little value) in a casual way

naught

pn. nothing

n. nothing, zero

repose

n. a state of rest or tranquility

v. to be situated in a certain place

obeisance

n. deferential respect

debauch

v. to corrupt; to debase the moral purity of (something)

n. a bout of indolent indulgence, especially eating and drinking

requite

v. to return (a favor or generally) formally

profligate

adj. recklessly extravagant and sumptuous

n. a licentious and indolent person

timorous

adj. showing nervousness or a lack of confidence

ambuscade

v. (archaic) to ambush (someone)

n. (dated) an ambush

shrewd

adj. possessing sense of deduction and judgement; astute

adj. (archaic) of cold (usually weather)

forsooth

adv. indeed; truly

eunuch

n. a castrated male

n. an ineffectual person

jejune

adj. naive; simplistic

adj. lacking substance or quality

execrable

adj. of the lowest quality

paucity

n. a lack of something; a scarcity

apportion

v. to divide and allocate

yon

det. that or those (usually in reference to distance)

adv. over there; in that direction

pn. that person or thing

loath

adj. reluctant; unwilling

abatement

n. (usually legal) the ending, reduction, or lessening of something

conduce

v. to help bring about (a particular situation or outcome); to facilitate

filial

adj. of or due from a son or daughter

portico

n. a roofed entrance to a building, usually supported by pillars and columns

exigency

n. an urgent need or demand