"Infinite Jest" vocabulary

W.P.
Some challenging words from "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace. More here:rnhttp://erasing.org/etc/ij_glossary/rnrnIt's Infinite Summer! rnhttp://infinitesummer.org/
115 words 15 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. adipose
    composed of animal fat
  2. agaric
    a saprophytic fungus of the order Agaricales having an umbrellalike cap with gills on the underside
  3. agnation
    line of descent traced through the paternal side of the family
  4. agora
    the marketplace in ancient Greece
  5. aleatory
    dependent on chance
  6. alfresco
    in the open air
  7. anaclitic
    of or related to relationships that are characterized by the strong dependence of one person on another
  8. anechoic
    not having or producing echoes; sound-absorbent
  9. anhedonia
    an inability to experience pleasure
  10. anomic
    socially disoriented
  11. apercu
    a short synopsis or outline
  12. aphasic
    related to or affected by aphasia
  13. apocope
    abbreviation of a word by omitting the final sound or sounds
  14. appurtenance
    equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles
  15. armamentarium
    the collection of equipment and methods used in the practice of medicine
  16. aspersion
    a disparaging remark
  17. assuasive
    freeing from fear and anxiety
  18. atavistic
    characteristic of a throwback
  19. avuncular
    being or relating to an uncle
  20. bodega
    small shop selling groceries, especially in a Hispanic area
  21. brisance
    the shattering or crushing effect of a sudden release of energy as in an explosion
  22. cabal
    a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue
  23. caparison
    stable gear consisting of a decorated covering for a horse, especially (formerly) for a warhorse
  24. cathect
    inject with libidinal energy
  25. cerise
    of the color between orange and purple in the color spectrum
  26. chyme
    a semiliquid mass of partially digested food that passes from the stomach through the pyloric sphincter into the duodenum
  27. claque
    a group of followers hired to applaud at a performance
  28. climacteric
    the time in a woman's life in which the menstrual cycle ends
  29. coeval
    of the same period
  30. cognomen
    the name used to identify the members of a family
  31. confabulate
    talk socially without exchanging too much information
  32. confect
    make or construct
  33. confluence
    a place where things merge or flow together
  34. convolve
    curl, wind, or twist together
  35. cordite
    explosive powder (nitroglycerin and guncotton and petrolatum) dissolved in acetone and dried and extruded in brown cords
  36. coruscant
    having brief brilliant points or flashes of light
  37. creche
    a representation of Christ's nativity at Bethlehem
  38. cunctation
    the act of putting off or delaying an action to a later time
  39. deliquesce
    melt, liquefy, or dissolve, by absorbing moisture from the air
  40. diverticulitis
    inflammation of a diverticulum in the digestive tract
  41. eclat
    brilliant or conspicuous success or effect
  42. effluvium
    a foul-smelling outflow or vapor
  43. effulgence
    the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
  44. emery
    a hard grey-black mineral consisting of corundum and either hematite or magnetite; used as an abrasive (especially as a coating on paper)
  45. entrepot
    a port where merchandise can be imported and then exported without paying import duties
  46. epicene
    having an ambiguous sexual identity
  47. escutcheon
    a shield; especially one displaying a coat of arms
  48. espadrille
    a cloth sandal with a sole made of rope
  49. etagere
    a piece of furniture with open shelves for displaying small ornaments
  50. falcate
    curved like a sickle
  51. febrile
    of or relating to or characterized by fever
  52. felo-de-se
    a person who kills himself intentionally
  53. festschrift
    a collection of writings published in honor of a scholar
  54. finial
    an ornament at the top of a spire or gable
  55. fricative
    a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract
  56. frustum
    a truncated cone or pyramid
  57. fulgurant
    amazingly impressive
  58. furcate
    divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork
  59. glabrous
    having no hair or similar growth; smooth
  60. guilloche
    an architectural decoration formed by two intersecting wavy bands
  61. hypocapnia
    a state in which the level of carbon dioxide in the blood is lower than normal; can result from deep or rapid breathing
  62. ideation
    the process of forming and relating thoughts
  63. imbroglio
    an intricate and confusing interpersonal situation
  64. inguinal
    of or relating to or near the groin
  65. insouciant
    marked by unconcern
  66. intaglio
    a printing process that uses an etched or engraved plate
  67. interdict
    command against
  68. intubate
    introduce a cannula or tube into
  69. jejune
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  70. kismet
    fate or fortune
  71. kyphotic
    characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column
  72. lassitude
    a feeling of lack of interest or energy
  73. mendacious
    given to lying
  74. mentation
    the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
  75. nacreous
    consisting of or resembling mother-of-pearl
  76. neuralgic
    of or relating to or suffering from neuralgia
  77. nictitate
    briefly shut the eyes
  78. novitiate
    the period during which you are a novice
  79. olla podrida
    Spanish version of burgoo
  80. optative
    indicating an option or wish
  81. otiose
    serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
  82. palestra
    a public place in ancient Greece or Rome devoted to the training of wrestlers and other athletes
  83. parturient
    of or relating to or giving birth
  84. pique
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
  85. prandial
    of or relating to a meal
  86. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  87. prognathous
    having a projecting lower jaw
  88. propitiate
    make peace with
  89. prurient
    characterized by lust
  90. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
  91. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  92. pulchritude
    physical beauty, especially of a woman
  93. purl
    flow in a circular current, of liquids
  94. quoin
    solid exterior angle of a building
  95. recondite
    difficult to understand
  96. reseau
    a net or mesh foundation for lace
  97. saltire
    a cross resembling the letter x, with diagonal bars of equal length
  98. senescence
    the property characteristic of old age
  99. sinciput
    the front part of the head or skull (including the forehead)
  100. sinecure
    a job that involves minimal duties
  101. sub rosa
    in secret or covertly
  102. synclinal
    sloping downward toward each other to create a trough
  103. synecdoche
    using part of something to refer to the whole thing
  104. synesthetic
    relating to or experiencing synesthesia
  105. tendentious
    having a strong bias, especially a controversial one
  106. threnody
    a song or hymn of mourning
  107. treacly
    overly sweet
  108. triage
    sorting and allocating aid on the basis of need
  109. trope
    language used in a nonliteral sense
  110. tulle
    a fine fabric net used for veils, tutus, or gowns
  111. turpitude
    a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
  112. uremic
    of or involving excess nitrogenous waste products in the urine (usually due to kidney insufficiency)
  113. varicocele
    dilatation of the veins associated with the spermatic cord in the testes
  114. verdigris
    a green patina that forms on copper or brass or bronze
  115. zither
    a musical instrument with strings over a flat sounding board
Created on Mon May 10 16:46:17 EDT 2010

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