| Term | Definition |
|---|
| rune | a character in an ancient alphabet |
| moat | a deep trench filled with water that surrounded a castle |
| maculate | defiled, impure |
| bellwether | the leader of a flock |
| vainglourious | feeling self importance |
| choler | an irritable petulant feeling |
| convalescent | recovering from an illness |
| cairn | mount of stone piled as a memorial or create a boundary |
| autumnal | occurring in autumn; late maturity verging on decline |
| fricassee | form of cooking chicken or meat stewed in gravy |
| expiation | atonement, the making of amends |
| countermand | to negate, nullify or cancel |
| impertinent | not to the point, irrelevant, inapplicable |
| dross | refuse, waste products |
| bilk | to frustrate or disappoint; to deceive or defraud |
| raconteur | a person skilled in telling anecdotes |
| sextant | navigation tool that determines latitude and longitude |
| mercurial | sudden, unpredictable change |
| limn | trace the shape of; draw, outline |
| occult | hidden; mysterious; mystical |
| muffler | a scarf worn around the neck |
| nice | done with delicacy and skill |
| harrowing | extremely painful |
| repartee | a clever, witty retort |
| abnegation | self denial |
| calumny | misrepresentation, false charges |
| dichotomy | division into two contradictory groups |
| palindrome | a sentence that read the same forward and backward |
| quandary | a state of doubt or perplexity |
| deign | to lower oneself before an inferior |
| amercement | money extracted as a penalty |
| semaphore | a visual signal |
| insidious | beguiling but harmful |
| incendiary | involving deliberate burning of property; arousing to action or rebellion |
| copious | plentiful, abundant |
| postulate | to merely guess of to hypothesis |
| bonhomie | good-natured geniality; atmosphere of good cheer |
| catholic | universal, broad and comprehensive |
| declivity | downward slope |
| demur | to express doubt |
| desultory | jumping from one topic to another |
| euphony | pleasant, harmonious sound |
| fallow | dormant, unused |
| flag | to decline in vigor, strength or interest |
| gambol | to dance or skip around playfully |
| hyperbole | purposeful exaggeration for effect |
| ignoble | having low moral standards |
| inchoate | not fully formed; disorganized |
| ingenuous | innocent, simple; frank, sincere |
| inimical | hostile; unfriendly |
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