WOD 1-6

Adjunct (n)

(n.) Something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic; (adj.) added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity

Bellwether (n)

(n.) The male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends

Caterwaul (v)

(v.) to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; (n.) a harsh or noisy cry; a racket

Chimmerical (adj)

(adj.) absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible

Effete (adj)

(adj.) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date

Fait accompli (n)

(n.) an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action

Hidebound (adj)

(adj.) narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative

Hierarchy (n)

(n.) any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.

Liturgy (n)

(n.) a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship

Morass (n)

(n.) a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand

Noisome (adj)

(adj.) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious

Oblivious (adj)

(adj.) forgetful; unaware

Poltroon (n)

(n.) a base coward

Proselyte (n)

(n.) a convert; a disciple

Quasi (adj)

(adj.) resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely

Raillery (n)

(n.) good-humored ridicule; teasing

Ribald (adj)

(adj.) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language

Supine (adj)

(adj.) lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive

Vignette (n)

(n.) a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter

Aegis (n)

(n.) protection; patronage; sponsorship

Apprise (v)

(v.) to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice

Bibulous (adj)

(adj.) fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent

Claque (n)

(n.) a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat

Deracinate (v)

(v.) to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of

Indigenous (adj)

(adj.) originating in the country or regious where found, native; inborn; inherent

Lachrymose (adj)

(adj.) given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious

Lexicon (n)

(n.) a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium

Melee (n)

(n.) a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling

Microcosm (n)

(n.) a miniature world or universe; a group or sustem viewed as the model of alarger group or system

Miniscule (adj)

(adj.) very small, tiny; (n.) a lowercase letter

Obfuscate (v)

(v.) to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder

Paternalism (n)

(n.) the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children

Polarize (v)

(v.) to cause to conentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern

Purview (n)

(n.) the range, extent, or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in statute

Sanguine (adj)

(adj.) having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optomistic outlook

Solecism (n)

(n.) a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake

Vassal (n)

(n.) a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servent; (adj.) subservient

Verisimilitude (n)

(n.) the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable

Ancillary (adj)

(adj.) subordinate or supplementary

Bowdlerize (v)

(v.) to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)

Condescend (v)

(v.) to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner

Cozen (v)

(v.) to trick; to cheat or swindle

Enclave (n)

(n.) an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having special character

Forte (n)

(n.) a person's strong point; what a person does best

Gratis (adj)

(adj.) free; (adv.) without charge

Icon (n)

(n.) a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a comuter monitor display; an object of blind devotion

Interstice (n)

(n.) a small, narrow space between things or parts of things

Macrocosm (n)

(n.) the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something

Mountebank (n)

(n.) a trickster or swindler; a charlatan

Paean (n)

(n.) a song of praise, joy, or triumph

Persiflage (n)

(n.) lighthearted joking, talk, or writing

Plethora (n)

\n (n.) overfullness; superabundance; superfluity

Pragmatic (adj)

(adj.) concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in one's opinions

Quizzical (adj)

(adj.) puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal

Rapacity (n)

(n.) inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder

Schism (n)

(n.) a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions

Therapeutic (adj)

(adj.) having the power to heal or cure; beneficial

Virtuoso (n)

(n.) brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; (adj.) masterly or brilliant

affinity (n)

(n.) natural attraction a person, thing, or activity; a relationship, connection

bilious (adj)

(adj.) peevish or irritable; sickeningly unpleasant

cognate (adj)

(adj.) closely related in origin, essential nature, or function; (n.) such a person or thing

corollary (n)

(n.) a proposition that follows from one already proven; a natural consequence or result; (adj.) resultant or consequent

cul-de-sac (n)

(n.) a blind alley or dead-end street; any situation in which further progress is impossible; an impasse

derring-do (n)

(n.) valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heroics)

divination (n)

(n.) the art or act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge

elixir (n)

(n.) a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines

folderol (n)

(n.) foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle

gamut (n)

(n.) an entire range or series

hoi polloi (n)

(n.) the common people; the masses

ineffable (adj)

(adj.) not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered

lucubration (n)

(n.) laborious study or thought, especially at night; the result of such work

mnemonic (adj)

(adj.) relating to or designed to assist the memory; (n.) a device to aid the memory

obloquy (n)

(n.) public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment

parameter (n)

(n.) a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary

pundit (n)

(n.) a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions

risible (adj)

(adj.) pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable

symptomatic (adj)

(adj.) typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease

volte-face (n)

(n) an about-face; a complete reversal

aficionado (n)

(n.) an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan

browbeat (v)

(v.) to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully

commensurate (adj)

(adj.) equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measurable by the same standards

diaphanous (adj)

(Adj.) Very sheer and light; almost completely transparent

emolument (n)

(n.) profit derived from an office or position or from employment; a fee or salary

foray (n)

(n.) a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor; (v.) to make such a raid

genre (n)

(n.) a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition; a style of painting in which everyday scenes are realistically depicted

homily (n)

(n.) a sermon stressing moral principles; a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse

immure (v)

(v.) to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate

insouciant (adj)

(adj.) blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky

matrix (n)

(n.) a mold; the surrounding situation or environment

obsequies (n)

(n.) funeral rites or ceremonies

panache (n)

(N.) a confident and stylish manner, dash; a strikingly elaborate or colorful display

persona (n)

(n.) a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes

philippic (n)

(n.) a bitter verbal attack

prurient (adj)

(adj.) having lustful desires or interests; tending to arouse sexual desires

sacrosanct (adj)

(adj.) very sacred or holy; inviolable; set apart or immune from questioning or attack

systemic (adj)

(adj.) of or pertaining to the entire body; relating to a system or systems

tendentious (adj)

(adj.) intended to promote a particular point of view, doctrine, or cause; biased or partisan

vicissitude (n)

(n.) a change, variation, or alteration; (pl.) successive or changing phases or conditions

abortive (adj)

(adj.) failing to accomplish an intended aim or purpose; only partially or imperfectly developed

bruit (v)

(v.) to spread news, reports, or unsubstantiated rumors