Friday, November 19, 2010

Words I Don't Know: The nerdiliciousness ends here.

voracity (n.):  gluttony.
surreptitious (adj.):  acting in a stealthy way.
Euclid (n.):  3rd century (B.C.) Greek mathematician of Alexandria; author of Elements, which sets out the principles of geometry.
aural (adj.):  of or pertaining to an aura.
temporomandibular (adj.):  of, pertaining to, or situated near the hinge joint formed by the lower jaw and the temporal bone of the skull.
supine (adj.):  inactive, passive, or inert, esp. from indolence or indifference.
dirge (n.):  any mourning song or melody.
negritude (n.):  the historical, cultural, and social heritage considered common to blacks collectively.
pastiche (n.):  a work of art that mixes styles, materials, etc.
cudgel (n.):  a short stout stick used as a weapon.
cathartic (adj.):  purgative.
cacophony (n.):  harsh discordance of sound.
melange (n.):  a mixture; medley.
piquance (n.):  the quality of being agreeably stimulating or mentally exciting.
pulchritude (n.):  physical beauty.
fluorine (n.):  the most reactive nonmetallic element, a pale-yellow, corrosive, toxic gas that occurs combined, esp. in fluorite, cryolite, phosphate rock, and other minerals. 
epistaxis (n.):  nosebleed.
proscenium (n.):  the arch that separates a stage from the auditorium.
alacrity (n.):  cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness.
contrite (adj.):  filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement.
milieu (n.):  surroundings, esp. of a social or cultural nature.
chiaroscuro (n.):  the distribution of light and shade in a picture.
concentric (adj.):  having a common center.
mire (v.):  to involve; to entangle.
augur (v.):  to divine or predict, as from omens.
expeditious (adj.):  quick.
umbrage (n.):  offense; annoyance; displeasure.
coxswain (n.):  the helmsman of a racing shell.

inchoate (adj.):  not yet completed or fully developed.


definitions from dictionary.reference.com

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