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Matt's word list 57 words

February 26, 2009 By Matt D. (Artarmon Australia)
A collection of words I have encountered in various texts, which I want to solidify the meaning of in my mind.

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Definitions Notes & Examples Words Only
  1. invective
    abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will
  2. dilettante
    an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge
  3. apoplexy
    a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain
  4. apogee
    apoapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is at the greatest distance from the Earth
  5. mincing
    affectedly dainty or refined
  6. convection
    the transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion
  7. internecine
    (of conflict) within a group or organization
  8. coalesce
    fuse or cause to grow together
  9. prosaic
    lacking wit or imagination
  10. verisimilitude
    the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true
  11. perspicacious
    mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
  12. boondoggle
    work of little or no value done merely to look busy
  13. intrepid
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
  14. visceral
    relating to or affecting the viscera
  15. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  16. torpid
    in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
  17. gib
    a castrated tomcat
  18. concomitant
    following or accompanying as a consequence
  19. effusive
    uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
  20. seminal
    pertaining to or containing or consisting of semen
  21. cant
    a slope in the turn of a road or track; the outside is higher than the inside in order to reduce the effects of centrifugal force
  22. tome
    a (usually) large and scholarly book
  23. polemic
    a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma)
  24. erudite
    having or showing profound knowledge
  25. acronym
    a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name
  26. esoteric
    confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
  27. tactile
    of or relating to or proceeding from the sense of touch
  28. prolix
    tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
  29. faux pas
    a socially awkward or tactless act
  30. shibboleth
    a manner of speaking that is distinctive of a particular group of people
  31. insidious
    working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
  32. invidious
    containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice
  33. exigency
    a pressing or urgent situation
  34. coterie
    an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
  35. denizen
    a plant or animal naturalized in a region
  36. perfidy
    an act of deliberate betrayal
  37. parsimony
    extreme stinginess
  38. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
  39. Zeitgeist
    the spirit of the time; the spirit characteristic of an age or generation
  40. bacchanal
    a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
  41. fetid
    offensively malodorous
  42. chthonic
    dwelling beneath the surface of the earth
  43. pique
    a sudden outburst of anger
  44. coquettish
    like a coquette
  45. vignette
    a brief literary description
  46. paroxysm
    a sudden uncontrollable attack
  47. amphora
    an ancient jar with two handles and a narrow neck; used to hold oil or wine
  48. piety
    righteousness by virtue of being pious
  49. paean
    (ancient Greece) a hymn of praise (especially one sung in ancient Greece to invoke or thank a deity)
  50. oeuvre
    the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it)
  51. Aeschylus
    Greek tragedian; the father of Greek tragic drama (525-456 BC)
  52. parasol
    a handheld collapsible source of shade
  53. chiton
    a woolen tunic worn by men and women in ancient Greece
  54. isthmus
    a relatively narrow strip of land (with water on both sides) connecting two larger land areas
  55. imbibe
    take in liquids
  56. celestial
    relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven
  57. snafu
    an acronym often used by soldiers in World War II: situation normal all fucked up