Bear Island Vocabulary

Bear Island by Alistair MacLean



Threnody: a poem, speech, or song of lamentation, especially for the dead;dirge; funeral song.

Postprandial: after a meal, especially after dinner:

Apposite: suitable; well-adapted; pertinent; relevant; apt:

Sybaritic: 1.pertaining to or characteristic of a sybarite; characterized by or loving luxury or sensuous pleasure: to wallow in sybaritic splendor.
2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Sybaris or its inhabitants.

(Sybarite: a person devoted to luxury and pleasure.)

Cosset: to treat as a pet; pamper; coddle.

Plenary: 1.full; complete; entire; absolute; unqualified: plenary powers.
2. attended by all qualified members; fully constituted:

Peripatetic: 1.walking or traveling about; itinerant.
2. ( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to Aristotle, who taught philosophy while walking in the Lyceum of ancient Athens.
3. ( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to the Aristotelian school of philosophy.

Volte-face: a turnabout, especially a reversal of opinion or policy.

Concomitant: existing or occurring with something else, often in a lesser way; accompanying; concurrent:

Circumference Vocabulary

Circumference by Nicholas Nicastro


Encomium: a formal expression of high praise; eulogy:

Entrepot: 1.a warehouse.
2. a commercial center where goods are received for distribution, transshipment, or repackaging.

Faience: glazed earthenware or pottery, especially a fine variety with highly colored designs

Twee: affectedly dainty or quaint:

Volutes: 1. a spiral or twisted formation or object.
2. Architecture . a spiral ornament, found especially in the capitals of the Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite orders.
3. Carpentry . a horizontal scrolled termination to the handrail of a stair.

Teleological: of or pertaining to teleology, the philosophical doctrine that final causes, design, and purpose exist in nature.

Nostrum: a medicine sold with false or exaggerated claims and with no demonstrable value; quack medicine

Chthonic: of or pertaining to the deities, spirits, and other beings dwelling under the earth.

Conurbations: an extensive urban area resulting from the expansion of several cities or towns so that they coalesce but usually retain their separate identities.

Tumescent: 1. swelling; slightly tumid.
2. exhibiting or affected with many ideas or emotions; teeming.
3. pompous and pretentious, especially in the use of language; bombastic.

Verdigris: a green or bluish patina formed on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces exposed to the atmosphere for long periods of time,consisting principally of basic copper sulfate.

Euclid's Window Vocabulary

Euclid’s Window by Leonard Mlodinow


Recidivism: 1. repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime.
2. (Psychiatry) the chronic tendency toward repetition of criminal or antisocial behavior patterns


Dioptric: pertaining to dioptrics: dioptric images.
(Dioptics: the branch of geometrical optics dealing with the formation of images by lenses.)


Heterological: not corresponding in structure or evolutionary origin


Pedagogical: of or pertaining to a pedagogue or pedagogy
(Pedagogue: 1. a teacher; schoolteacher
2. a person who is pedantic, dogmatic, and formal.)


Imprimatur: an official license to print or publish a book, pamphlet, etc.,especially a license issued by a censor of the Roman Catholic Church
2. sanction or approval; support:

Ranchero Vocabulary

Ranchero by Rick Gavin

Miscegenation: marriage or cohabitation between a man and woman of different races, especially, in the U.S., between a black and a white person

Lyceum: an institution for popular education providing discussions, lectures, concerts, etc.

Atavistic: of, pertaining to, or characterized by atavism; reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type.

Etude: a musical composition, usually instrumental, intended mainly for the practice of some point of technique.

Muriatic: (not in scientific use) of or derived from muriatic acid.

Endomorph: a mineral enclosed within another mineral

Vocab from The Disappearing Spoon and Before Versailles

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean


Lacrimator: a tear-producing substance (as tear gas)

Neologism: 1:a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase.
2: the introduction or use of new words or new senses of existing words.

Transuranic: (of an element) having an atomic number greater than that of uranium

Susurrus: a soft murmuring or rustling sound; whisper.

Heuristically: 1: serving to indicate or point out; stimulating interest as a means of furthering investigation.
2: encouraging a person to learn, discover, understand, or solve problems on his or her own, as by experimenting, evaluating possible answers or solutions, or by trial and error: a heuristic teaching method.



Before Versailles by Karleen Koen


Biddable: willing to do what is asked; obedient; tractable; docile

Ormolu: also called mosaic gold. an alloy of copper and zinc used to imitate gold.

Hautboy: oboe.

Gamine: 1: a neglected girl who is left to run about the streets.
2: a diminutive or very slender girl, especially one who is pert, impudent, or playfully mischievous.

Parterre: 1: also called parquet circle. the rear section of seats, and sometimes also the side sections, of the main floor of a theater, concert hall, or opera house.
2: an ornamental arrangement of flower beds of different shapes and sizes.

Parvenu: a person who has recently or suddenly acquired wealth, importance, position, or the like, but has not yet developed the conventionally appropriate manners, dress, surroundings, etc.

Blood Oath & Outlaw Vocab

Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth




Madrassa: a Muslim school, college, or university that is often part of a mosque

Abreaction: the expression and emotional discharge of unconscious material (as a repressed idea or emotion) by verbalization especially in the presence of a therapist

Creatine: a white crystalline nitrogenous substance C4H9N3O2 found especially in the muscles of vertebrates either free or as phosphocreatine; also : a synthetic usually hydrated form of creatine taken especially as a dietary supplement

Atavism: recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination

Abattoir: slaughterhouse



Outlaw by Angus Donald



Justiciar: the chief political and judicial officer of the Norman and later kings of England until the 13th century

Weasand: throat; gullet

Reive: raid

Vinous: of, relating to, or made with wine

Conroi: A small group of knights who competed in tournaments together from the 12th and 13th centuries

Gralloch: the entrails of a deer

Shrieval: of or relating to a sheriff

A History of Food Vocab

A History of Food by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat

Pogrom: an organized massacre of helpless people; such a massacre of Jews

Awn: one of the slender bristles that terminate the glumes of the spikelet in some cereal and other grasses

Rachides: the elongated axis of an inflorescence (2) : an extension of the petiole of a compound leaf that bears the leaflets

(aside)Inflorescence: the mode of development and arrangement of FLOWERS on an axis

Ruminant: an animal (such as a cow or sheep) that has more than one stomach and that swallows food and then brings it back up again to continue chewing it

Potation: a usually alcoholic drink or brew

Panicle: a pyramidal loosely branched flower cluster

Pergola: a structure usually consisting of parallel colonnades supporting an open roof of girders and cross rafters

Spatchcock: To prepare (a dressed chicken) for grilling by splitting open

Escalope: scallop

Flageolet: a small fipple flute resembling the treble recorder

Umbelliferous: of or relating to the carrot family

Coprophagous: feeding on dung

Bastinado: a blow with a stick or cudgel

Seraglio: a palace of a sultan

Batrachian: amphibian

Espalier: a plant (as a fruit TREE) trained to grow flat against a support (as a wall)

Febrifuge: an agent that reduces fever

Garum: a type of fermented fish sauce condiment that was an essential flavour in Ancient Roman cooking

Parthenogenesis: reproduction by development of an unfertilized usually female gamete that occurs especially among lower plants and invertebrate animals

Metonymy: a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated (as “crown” in “lands belonging to the crown”)

Fragment Vocabulary

Fragment by Warren Fahy

Pointillism: a theory and technique developed by the neo-impressionists, based on the principle that juxtaposed dots of pure color, as blue and yellow, are optically mixed into the resulting hue, as green, by the viewer

Integument: a natural covering, as a skin, shell, or rind.

Anteriad: toward the anterior portion of the body

Tonsorial: of or relating to a barber or the work of a barber

Dyno: a dynamic move, also known as the dyno move, is one used often in rock climbing. It is used to overcome situations when your next dead point isn't within reach.

Caldera: a volcanic crater that has a diameter many times that of the vent and is formed by collapse of the central part of a volcano or by explosions of extraordinary violence

Sagittal: of or relating to the suture between the parietal bones of the skull
2: of, relating to, situated in, or being the median plane of the body or any plane parallel to it

(aside) Parietal Bone: either of a pair of bones of the roof of the skull between the frontal bones and the occipital bones

Effulge: To cause to shine with abundance of light; to radiate; to beam.

Prostho Plus Vocabulary

All these words are from Prostho Plus by Piers Anthony. They are mostly dental terms, of which he uses a lot.

Gingival: of or pertaining to the gums

Buccal: of or pertaining to the cheek

Occlusals: pertaining to the masticating surfaces of the premolar and molar teeth

Malocclusals: a misalignment of teeth and/or incorrect relation between the teeth of the two dental arches

Sprue: an opening through which molten metal is poured into a mold

Perspicacious: having keen mental perception and understanding; discerning

Distal: situated away from the point of origin or attachment, as of a limb or bone; terminal

Mistress of the Art of Death Vocab

Here are some words from The Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin that I had to look up.


Catafalques: an ornamental structure sometimes used in funerals for the lying in state of the body

Unbellifers: a plant of the carrot family

Lepidopteral: belonging or pertaining to the Lepidoptera, an order of insects comprising the butterflies, moths, and skippers, that in the adult state h

Sheela-na-gig: figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva

Lesemajeste: a crime (as treason) committed against a sovereign power

Pourboires: tip, gratuity

Withies : willow; especially : osier
: a flexible slender twig or branch (as of osier)

Glaive: sword; especially : broadsword

Houri: one of the beautiful maidens that in Muslim belief live with the blessed in paradise

Dado: the part of a pedestal of a column above the base b : the lower part of an interior wall when specially decorated or faced; also : the decoration adorning this part of a wall

Miscellanious Vocabulary

I feel like I haven’t blogged in forever. I’m going to try to get back on track here with a little vocabulary.

99 Coffins by David Wellington

Taboosh: a red hat similar to the fez worn especially by Muslim men

Incarnadine: having the pinkish color of flesh


Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart

Bracts: a leaf from the axil of which a flower or floral axis arises


One of Us is Wrong by Samuel Holt

Ratiocinate: to reason; carry on a process of reasoning

Atavistic: of, pertaining to, or characterized by atavism; reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type


Walking Through Walls by Philip Smith

Lecithin: any of several waxy hygroscopic phospholipids that are widely distributed in animals and plants, form colloidal solutions in water, and have emulsifying, wetting, and antioxidant properties; also : a mixture of or substance rich in lecithins (huh?)

Kundalini: the yogic life force that is held to lie coiled at the base of the spine until it is aroused and sent to the head to trigger enlightenment

Akashic Records: a term used in theosophy (and Anthroposophy) to describe a compendium of mystical knowledge encoded in a non-physical plane of existence

(Theosophy is a doctrine of religious philosophy and mysticism)

Vocabulary

If you have been playing alone at home you know by now that there are lots of words out there that I have somehow failed to learn. Here are some more...


The Pencil by Henry Petroski

Palimpsest: a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text.

Ferule: a ring or cap, usually of metal, put around the end of a post, cane, or the like, to prevent splitting

Mucilaginous: of, pertaining to, or secreting mucilage.
2. of the nature of or resembling mucilage; moist, soft, and viscid.


Mucilage: any of various, usually liquid, preparations of gum, glue, or the like, used as an adhesive (I did know this but thought I should throw it in to go with the word above, which I had no idea was a real word until now.)

Friable: easily crumbled or reduced to powder; crumbly

Appurtenances: something subordinate to another, more important thing; adjunct; accessory

Frustum: the part of a conical solid left after cutting off a top portion with a plane parallel to the base

Hagiography: the writing and critical study of the lives of the saints; hagiology



The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King


Peripatetic: walking or traveling about; itinerant

Peroration: a long speech characterized by lofty and often pompous language

Sybaritic: pertaining to or characteristic of a sybarite; characterized by or loving luxury or sensuous pleasure

Naphtha: a colorless, volatile petroleum distillate, usually an intermediate product between gasoline and benzine, used as a solvent, fuel, etc

Dottle: the plug of half-smoked tobacco in the bottom of a pipe after smoking

Shades of Grey Vocabulary

Once again I found that my vocabulary skills were not equal to the task. This time it was Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde.


Pergolas: an arbor formed of horizontal trelliswork supported on columns or posts, over which vines or other plants are trained.

Sycophancy: self-seeking or servile flattery

Retrousse: (esp. of the nose) turned up

Fenestrated: having windows; windowed; characterized by windows

Conurbation: an extensive urban area resulting from the expansion of several cities or towns so that they coalesce but usually retain their separate identities

Recce: (esp. in British military use) reconnaissance

Parochial: of or pertaining to a parish or parishes.

Tympanum: the recessed, usually triangular space enclosed between the horizontal and sloping cornices of a pediment, often decorated with sculpture

Insouciant: free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant

Ameliorated: to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve; meliorate

Cloche: a bell-shaped glass cover placed over a plant to protect it from frost and to force its growth

Shambling Towards Hiroshima Vocabulary

Words from Shambling Towards Hiroshima by James Morrow that I didn't know. Some of which I really should have.



Neurasthenic: pertaining to or suffering from neurasthenia

Neurasthenia: a psychological disorder characterized by chronic fatigue and weakness, loss of memory, and generalized aches and pains, formerly thought to result from exhaustion of the nervous system. No longer in scientific use

Tallith: a shawl-like garment of wool, silk, or the like, with fringes, or zizith, at the four corners, worn around the shoulders by Orthodox and Conservative (sometimes also Reform) Jews, as during the morning service.

Ineluctable: incapable of being evaded; inescapable

Fantods: a state of extreme nervousness or restlessness; the willies; the fidgets

Klieg: kind of arc lamp used as a studio light, 1925, from U.S. engineers, brothers Anton and John Kliegl, who invented it

Seraphic: of, like, or befitting a seraph (okay I really should have been able to figure that one out)

Tumesce: to make or become tumescent

Tumescent: swelling; slightly tumid
2. exhibiting or affected with many ideas or emotions; teeming
3. pompous and pretentious, esp. in the use of language; bombastic

Tremolos: a tremulous or vibrating effect produced on certain instruments and in the human voice, as to express emotion

Obstreperous: resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly

Isinglass: a pure, transparent or translucent form of gelatin, obtained from the air bladders of certain fish, esp. the sturgeon: used in glue and jellies and as a clarifying agent
2. mica, esp. in thin, translucent sheets

Barbel: a slender, external process on the jaw or other part of the head of certain fishes

Threnody: a poem, speech, or song of lamentation, esp. for the dead; dirge; funeral song

Vocabulary

Once again it is time to reveal my ignorance. Ready?


‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

Crepitate: To make a crackling or popping sound; crackle

Pernicious: causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful

Ossification: the act or process of ossifying

Ossify: to convert into or cause to harden like bone

Tenebrous: dark; gloomy; obscure

Plangent: resounding loudly, esp. with a plaintive sound, as a bell


Wrath of Alexander the Great by Terry McCarthy

Machicolation: an opening in the floor between the corbels of a projecting gallery or parapet, as on a wall or in the vault of a passage, through which missiles, molten lead, etc., might be cast upon an enemy beneath

Ferrules: a ring or cap, usually of metal, put around the end of a post, cane, or the like, to prevent splitting

Uxorial: of or pertaining to a wife; typical of or befitting a wife


Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips

Lucubration: laborious work, study, thought, etc., esp. at night

Alembics: a vessel with a beaked cap or head, formerly used in distilling
2. anything that transforms, purifies, or refines


Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper

Hoyden: a boisterous, bold, and carefree girl; a tomboy

Recusant: refusing to submit, comply


Free for All by Don Borchert

Boulevardier: a person who frequents the most fashionable Parisian locales

Vitriol: Chemistry. any of certain metallic sulfates of glassy appearance, as copper sulfate or blue vitriol, iron sulfate or green vitriol, zinc sulfate or white vitriol, etc


Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

Ashram: a secluded building, often the residence of a guru, used for religious retreat or instruction in Hinduism

Que onda?: (Spanish) What’s up?

More Vocabulary

Once again I have failed to make it to the end of several books without the aid of a dictionary. I do like to learn new words but if this keeps up I might have to start reading more kids' books to make myself feel smarter.

Vanishing Sculptor by Donita Paul

Obstreperous : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness stubbornly resistant to control


Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

Chinoiserie : a style in art (as in decoration) reflecting Chinese qualities or motifs; also : an object or decoration in this style


Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran

Diaphanous : characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through

Faience : earthenware decorated with opaque colored glazes

Porphyry : a rock consisting of feldspar crystals embedded in a compact dark red or purple groundmass

Calcareous : 1. resembling calcite or calcium carbonate especially in hardness b : consisting of or containing calcium carbonate
2. growing on limestone or in soil impregnated with lime


Knitting Circle by Ann Hood

Arrondissement : the largest administrative division of a French department, comprising a number of cantons


Do-Over by Robin Hemley

Perspicacity : keenness of mental perception and understanding; discernment; penetration

Dressage : the art or method of training a horse in obedience and in precision of movement

Ashram : 1. the art or method of training a horse in obedience and in precision of movement
2. the persons instructed there

Métier : 1. a field of work; occupation, trade, or profession
2. a field of work or other activity in which one has special ability or training; forte.

The Terror Vocabulary

Some words from The Terror by Dan Simmons that I didn't know. Now I do. I feel so much smarter now.

Sastruga: a wavelike ridge of hard snow formed by the wind —usually used in plural

Orlop: the lowest deck in a ship having four or more decks

Serac: a pinnacle, sharp ridge, or block of ice among the crevasses of a glacier

Deliquesced: 1.to dissolve or melt away
2. to become soft or liquid with age or maturity —used of some fungal structures

Victualler: 1. one that provisions an army, a navy, or a ship with food
2. the keeper of a restaurant or tavern
3. an army or navy provision ship

Drayage: the work or cost of hauling by dray

Dray: a vehicle used to haul goods; especially : a strong cart or wagon without sides

Ebullient: characterized by ebullience : having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm

Priapic: relating to or preoccupied with virility or male sexual excitement

Amanuensis: one employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscript

Abattoir: slaughterhouse

Sea Hawk Vocabulary

Words from The Sea-Hawk by Rafael Sabatini that sent me to the dictionary.


Demesne - possession of land as one's own: land held in demesne
- an estate or part of an estate occupied and controlled by, and worked for the exclusive use of, the owner.

Lissom - lithesome or lithe, esp. of body; supple; flexible

Untrammeled - not limited or restricted; unrestrained

Froward - willfully contrary; not easily managed

Littoral - of or pertaining to the shore of a lake, sea, or ocean

Trepan - to cut circular disks from (plate stock) using a rotating cutter

Devoir - an act of civility or respect

Asperse - to attack with false, malicious, and damaging charges or insinuations; slander

Sacerdotal - of priests; priestly

Culverin - an early, crudely made musket

Sophistry - a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning


There were also a few words that if asked I would have said I knew what they meant but I realized if pressed I would not be able to come up with an actual definition. So I decided to look them up and see if I was even close. I'm happy to say that my vague ideas about the meaning of these words were all in the right general direction at least.

Calumny - a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something

Inveigh - to protest strongly or attack vehemently with words; rail

Indolent - having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful
- blithe joyous, merry, or gay in disposition; glad; cheerful without thought or regard; carefree; heedless

Itinerant - traveling from place to place, esp. on a circuit, as a minister, judge, or sales representative

Miscellaneous Vocabulary

I managed to find a few books where there were only a couple of words that I didn't know so I lumped them all together here.

Alan Quartermain’s Wife by H. Rider Haggard

Assegai: the slender javelin or spear of the Bantu-speaking people of southern Africa

Laager: a camp or encampment, esp. within a protective circle of wagons

Kaross: a simple garment or rug of skins used especially by native tribesmen of southern Africa

Donga: (in an ice shelf) a small ravine with steep sides
(in South Africa) an eroded ravine; a dry watercourse

Inspan: to yoke or harness

Kloof: a deep glen


The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Elegiac: of, relating to, or involving elegy or mourning or expressing sorrow for that which is irrecoverably past

Mezuzah: a small copy of the Hebrew text of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 in a container marked with the word Shaddai, a name of God, and affixed by Jews on their door frames in conformity with Jewish law and as a sign of their faith

Kreplach: small packets of noodle dough filled with ground meat or cheese usually boiled and served in soup

Agonal: associated with or relating to great pain, especially the agony of death

Effulgent: shining brilliantly; resplendent


Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall

Biro: a pen that has a small metal ball as the point of transfer of ink to paper
(Apparently this is just a ball point pen. How did I not know that?)


Captain Freedom by G. Xavier Robillard

Palliative: relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without effecting a cure

Scofflaw: one who habitually violates the law or fails to answer court summonses

Cannula: a flexible tube that is inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel to drain fluid or administer a substance

Humpty Dumpty Vocab

Once again I ran into a book that had me reaching for the dictionary. This time it was Humpty Dumpty: An Oval by Damon Knight.

Widdershins – in a left-handed, wrong, or contrary direction

Lysing – to cause to undergo lysis

so I needed to look up-
Lysis – the gradual decline of a disease process (as fever)

Volute – a spiral or scroll-shaped form

Conge – a formal permission to depart
- a ceremonious bow

Plaice – any of various flatfishes

Jalousie – a blind with adjustable horizontal slats for admitting light and air while excluding direct sun and rain

Bibelot – a small household ornament or decorative object

Actinic – of, relating to, resulting from, or exhibiting chemical changes produced by radiant energy especially in the visible and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum

Verbena – any of numerous garden vervains of hybrid origin widely grown for their showy spikes of white, pink, red, or blue flowers which are borne in profusion over a long season

Pantechnicon – short for pantechnicon van (Okay, I'm still not sure. Some sort of transportation anyway. If you're really interested the article at wikipedia might help.)

Odalisque – a female slave
- a concubine in a harem

Oleaginous – resembling or having the properties of oil
- marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality

Courgette - zucchini

Knobkerrie – a short wooden club with a knob at one end used as a missile or in close attack especially by Zulus of southern Africa

Dernier cri – the newest fashion

Cloche – a transparent plant cover used outdoors especially for protection against cold
- a woman’s close-fitting hat usually with deep rounded crown and narrow brim

Boluses – a rounded mass; a large pill; a soft mass of chewed food
- a dose of a substance (as a drug) given intravenously; a large does of a substance given by injection for the purpose of rapidly achieving the needed therapeutic concentration in the bloodstream

Dado – the part of a pedestal of a column above the base; the lower part of an interior wall when specially decorated or faced; the decoration adoring this part of a wall
- a rectangular groove cut to make a joint in woodworking

Bolide – a large meteor; fireball: especially one that explodes

All the definitions came from Webster.com.