REVIEW WORDS A - E

(speaking vocabulary wannabees)

A POSTERIORI

from effect to cause; based on actual observation or upon experimental data; not existing in the mind prior to or independent of experience; analysis -

. . . an a posteriori argument that derives the theory from the evidence . . .

A PRIORI

from cause to effect; from a general law to a particular instance; valid independently of observation; existing in the mind prior to and independent of experience, as a faculty or character trait; not based on prior study or examination; nonanalytic; synthesis -

She made an a priori judgement.

ABJECT

adj.- utterly hopeless, humiliating; despicable, contemptible -

. . . an abject coward, shamelessly servile . . .

ABLATION

n.- removal, esp. of organs, abnormal growths, or harmful substances from the body by mechanical means, as by surgery; reduction in volume of glacial ice, snow, or neve by the combined process of melting, evaporation, and calving; (Rocketry) removal or falling away of the parts of a nose cone that are melted by the heat generated by hypersonic reentry speeds -

ABNEGATE

v.- relinquish; renounce -

ACADIAN

adj.- of or pertaining to Acadia (Nova Scotia) or its inhabitants -

. . . acadian nights with cajun chic . . .

n.- a native or inhabitant of Acadia or a descentant of such natives or inhabitants who lives in Louisiana -

ACEDIA (accidie)

n.- sloth; laziness or indifference in religious matters -

The naked woman on the 16th floor ledge is a victim of accidie, or she is an exhibitionist.

ACERBIC

adj.- sour or astringent in taste; harsh or severe in temper, expression -

ADMONISH

v.- rebuke -

ADROIT

adj.- adept, dextrous, skillful, resourceful or ingenious -

ADUMBRATE

v.- foreshadow vaguely, disclose partially -

AEGIS

n.- protection; sponsorship -

AFFABLE

adj.- pleasantly easy to talk to; showing warmth and friendliness; benign -

. . . witty, urbane, and as affable as Gene Kelly . . .

AFFLATUS

n.- inspiration; an impelling mental force acting from within; divine communication of knowledge -

Waugh was no believer in artistic afflatus.

ALBEDO

n.- the ratio of the light reflected by a planet or satellite to that received by it -

The moon's albedo is 7% meaning that 93% of the light that hits it is absorbed, and 7% is reflected back into space. The earth's albedo is 39%

ALBEIT

conj. - although; even if -

. . . a peaceful, albeit inglorious retirement . . .

ALGORITHM

n.- any particular procedure for solving a certain type of problem, as the rule for finding the greatest common denominator -

ALLUSION

n.- a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something either directly or by implication -

ALLUVION or ALLUVIUM

n.- a gradual increase of land on a shore or river bank by the action of water, whether from natural or artificial causes; overflow; flood -

AMATORY

adj.- of or expressing sexual love -

Chabon's chief preoccupation was with domestic life and amatory affairs.

AMBIENCE

n.- that which surrounds or encompasses; environment; the mood, character, quality, tone, atmosphere, etc., particularly of an environment or milieu -

AMBIENT

adj.- completely surrounding; encompassing: ambient noises; moving freely; circulating: ambient air -

AMBIGUOUS

adj.- open to various interpretations; having several possible meanings or interpretations; equivocal: an ambiguous answer -

AMBIVALENCE

n.- uncertainty or fluctuation, esp. when caused by inability to make a choice or a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite things -

AMORALITY

n.- a state of having no moral standards, restraints, or principles -

ANALOGUE or ANALOG

n.- something that is like another thing in many respects -

ANALYSIS

n.- the separating of any material or abstract entity into its constituent elements (opposite of synthesis); this process as a method of studying the nature of something or of determining its essential features and their relations; a presentation usually in writing, of the results of this process -

ANATHEMA

n.- a formal ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication; any imprecation of devine punishment; a curse; execration; a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction; a person or thing detested or loathed -

His misbehavior brought upon him his father's anathema.

ANCILLARY

adj.- subordinate; additional; auxiliary -

These two principal forces are among many ancillary ones.

ANDROCENTRIC

adj.- dominated by males or masculine interests -

Surveying the sexual landscape, she sees an androcentric world that prescribes mandatory penis empowering and symbolic penis enhancement.

ANGULAR MOMENTUM (or moment of momentum)

n.- the product of the moment of inertia of a body about an axis and its angular velocity with respect to the same axis -

ANGULAR VELOCITY

n.- the time rate of change of angular position of a rotating body (speed of rotation), usually expressed in radians per second or radians per minute -

ANIMADVERSION

n.- a censorious remark, criticism, or adverse comment, aspersion, reflection, derogation -

. . . to make animadversions on his conduct . . .

ANIMADVERT

v.i.- to comment critically -

ANIMATE

adj.- having life -

v.- give life or vigor to; make appear to move; to give zest and spirit to -

ANIMUS

n.- hostile feeling or attitude; antagonism; animosity; purpose; intention; animating spirit -

ANNEAL

v.t.- to heat glass, earthenware, metals, etc. to remove or prevent internal stress; to toughen or temper -

. . . to anneal the mind . . .

ANOMALOUS

adj.- deviating from the common rule -

ANOMALY

n.- a deviation from the common rule or form or norm; an odd, peculiar or strange quality or condition -

ANOMIE

n.- a state or condition of individuals or society characterized by a breakdown or absense of social norms and values as in the case of uprooted people -

ANONYM

n.- an assumed or false name; an anonymous person or publication -

ANTEDILUVIAN

adj.- ancient; antiquated; primitive -

n.- a very old or old-fashioned person -

ANTIPATHY

n.- a natural or habitual repugnance; an instinctive contrariety or opposition in feeling -

ANTIPATHETIC

adj.- having a basic aversion to something or someone; causing antipathy

He remains the Wehrmacht's least antipathetic general.

ANTIPHONY

n.- alternate or responsive singing by a choir in two divisions; a psalm, verse, etc., so sung; an antiphon; a responsive musical utterance -

ANTITHETIC

adj.- of the nature of or involving antithesis; directly opposed or contrasted -

APLOMB

n.- imperturbable self assurance; the perpendicular, or vertical, position -

Dale suffers him with seigneurial aplomb, cadging money for booze in exchange for rambling, impenetrable pensees on the nature of art and the universe.

APOCRYPHAL

adj.- (of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true -

APOLLONIAN

adj.- pertaining to the cult of Apollo; serene, calm, or well balanced; poised and disciplined; having or preferring classic beauty -

APOLOGIA or APOLOGIAS

n.- defense of one's opinions or actions -

APOLOGY

n.- formal justification -

APOSTASY

n.- abandonment of a former loyalty -

APOSTATE

n.- one who foresakes his religion, cause, party -

adj.- of or characterized by apostacy -

APPELLATION

n.- a name, title or designation; the act of naming -

APPOSITE

adj.- suitable, well adapted, pertenent, relevant -

APPREHEND

v.- arrest; look forward to in dread; understand or grasp intuitively on a direct and immediate level -

APPURTENANCE

n.- something subordinate to another, more important thing; an adjunct; accessory; a right, privilege, or improvement belonging to and passing with a principal property -

ARCADIAN

adj.- simple, rustic, bucolic, pastoral -

ARCANE

adj.- mysterious, secret, obscure -

ARCH

adj.- most important, principal; roguish, cunning, mischievious -

The IDLER is the work of young minds prematurely wise and preternaturally arch.

ARGOSY

n.- a large merchant ship with rich cargo; a fleet of such ships; an opulent supply -

ARGUFY

v.- to argue or wrangle obstinately over something insignificant -

ART

n.- a window to a different (not ordinary) reality; that which produces a higher level of reality than the literal action taken -

ASPERITY

n.- roughness or sharpness of tone, temper, or manner; harshness; severity; acrimony; hardship; difficulty; rigor -

ASSAY

v.- to try or test; put to trial; to examine or anaylize; to endeavor to make or do; to attempt -

. . . to assay one's strength . . .

ATAVISM

n.- the ocurrence in an individual of features or qualities of a more primitive or underdeveloped nature -

On a collegiate circuit that is learning once again the beauty of guitar noise, Mr. Dale is a revered atavism.

ATTENUATE

v.- make or become thin; weaken -

AUDACIOUS

adj.- extremely bold or daring, fearless; blatantly original, without restriction to prior ideas; free from constraint and formality -

AUDACITY

n.- temerity, foolhardiness, boldness; effrontery or insolence -

AUSPICIOUS

adj.- promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable; favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate -

AVER

v.- declare positively -

AVUNCULAR

adj.- suggestive of an uncle, especially in kindliness -

BABYLON

n.- an ancient city in the lower Euphrates valley famed for its magnificence and culture; the capital of Babylonia and later of the Chaldean empire; any rich and magnificent city believed to be a place of excessive luxury and wickedness -

BABYLONIA

n.- an ancient empire in SW Asia, great from 2800 to 1750 B.C. -

BELIE

v.- to misrepresent; to show to be false; contradict; to act unworthily according to the standards of a tradition or one's ancestry -

His trembling hands belied his calm voice.

BELLICOSE

adj.- inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerant; pugnacious -

BEMUSE

v.t.- puzzle, confuse, or bewilder someone -

BERATE

v.- to scold; rebuke -

BEREFT

adj.- deprived of or lacking something, esp. a nonmaterial asset -

BINDLE STIFF

n.- a hobo -

BIOTA

n.- the animal and plant life of a region -

Biologists have scarcely begun to survey the ocean's biota.

BLATHER

n.- foolish talk -

v.- to talk foolishly, babble -

BONHOMIE

n.- geniality; frank and simple good-heartedness; a good-natured manner -

BON MOT (bon mo)

BONS MOTS (bon moz) pl.

n.- an especially fitting word or expression; clever saying; witticism -

BOSCAGE (boskidge)

n.- a mass of trees or shrubs, wood, grove, or thicket -

. . . piloting his Audi through the Cheeverish boscage . . .

BOSKY

adj.- woody, cover with bushes -

BRAVURA

adj.- display of daring; brilliant performance -

BRIO

adj.- vivacity; vigor -

Bernstein conducted w/amazing brio.

BROOK

v.t.- to bear, suffer, tolerate -

I will brook no interference.

BROUGHAM (broo'-am)

n.- a four wheeled, boxlike, closed carriage, having the driver's perch outside -

BRUSQUE

adj.- curt or blunt in manner -

CADGE

v.- to obtain by imposing on another's generosity or friendship; to borrow without intent to repay; to beg or obtain by begging

Dale suffers him with segneurial aplomb, cadging money for booze in exchange for rambling, impenetrable pensees on the nature of art and the universe.

CADGY

adj.- cheerful; merry; amorous; wonton; in rut -

CAIRN

n.- memorial heap of stones -

CALLOW

adj.- immature or inexperienced -

CALUMNY

n.- a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something; slander, defamation -

CANDOR

n.- candidness, frankness, openness; freedom from bias, impartiality -

CANT (1)

n.- insincere statements, esp. conventional expressions of enthusiasm for high ideals, goodness, or piety; the jargon of criminals, gypsies, etc.; the phraseology peculiar to a particular class or profession; whining or singsong speech, esp. of beggars -

. . . it was a pure expression of her contempt for cant . . .

Like Allan Bloom, Richard Mitchell is vehemently opposed to contemporary cant in all its forms, whether psychobabble or bureaucratese or academic jargon.

v.i.- to use cant, esp. to make religious remarks hypocritically; pretend goodness or piety; to speak in the whining singsong tone of a beggar; beg -

CANT (2)

n.- a salient angle; a sudden movement that tilts or overturns a thing; a slanting or tilted position -

v.t.- to bevel; to form an oblique surface upon; to tilt, turn; to throw with a sudden jerk -

CAPITULATION

n.- the action of surrendering or ceasing to resist an opponent or demand; 2) an agreement or set of conditions -

CARTE BLANCHE

n.- a signed blank sheet of paper; unconditional authority, full descretionary power -

CARTESIAN DOUBT

willful suspension of experiences that are not absolutely certain, used as a method of deriving, by elimination of such uncertainties, axioms upon which to base theories -

CARTESIAN LOGIC

of or pertaining to Decartes, to his mathematical methods, or to his philosophy, esp. with regard to its emphasis on logical analysis, and its mechanistic interpretation of physical nature; 2) one who advocates the philosophy of Decartes -

CATAFALQUE

n.- a raised structure on which the body of a deceased person lies or is carried in state -

CATALYST

n.- a substance that causes a chemical change by the addition of a substance which is not permanently affected by the reaction; 2) that which causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected -

CATARRH

n.- inflamation of the respiratory tract accompanied by excessive secretions -

CATERWAUL

v.- to cry as cats in rutting time; to quarrel like cats -

CATTY

adj. catlike; feline; quietly or slyly malicious; spiteful -

. . . a catty gossip . . .

CAVEAT

n.- any warning or caution -

On a clear day, you can watch the river unwind for 30 or 35 miles. (Caveat: New Orleans is notorious for haze.)

CAVEAT EMPTOR

the principle that the seller cannot be held responsible for the quality of his product unless guaranteed in a warranty; let the buyer beware -

CEDE

v.- to yield or formally resign and surrender to another; to grant as by treaty -

. . . to cede territory. . .

CHASTISE

v.- to discipline, esp. by corporal punishment; castigate; whip -

CHAUVINISM

n.- excessive devotion to any cause, esp. zealous and belligerent patriotism or blind enthusiasm for military glory -

CHIAROSCURO

n.- the distribution of light and shade in a picture; the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, esp. to enhance the delination of character and for general dramatic effect -

. . . depicting symbols that were a familiar language of painting in the past, and chiaroscuro lighting . . .

CHIMERA

n.- a grotesque monster having disparate parts, esp. as depicted in decorative art; a horrible or unreal creature of the imagination -

CHOLERIC

adj.- irascible, characterized by anger; wrathful, irritable -

CLOY

v.t.- to weary by an excess in food, sweetness, pleasure - 2) to become uninteresting or distasteful thru overabundance -

CLOYING

adj.- causing disgust or aversion thru excess as food, sentimentality, or flattery -

COEVAL

adj.- of the same age, date, or duration; equally old; contemporary; coincident -

COGNOSCENTI

n.- people with specialized or inside information -

COHORT

n.- any group of warriors; a group or company; a companion or associate -

This group constituted only three tenths of one % of the 1985 cohort.

COLOPHON

n.- inscription at the end of a book -

. . . the last books bearing the company colophon will appear . . .

COMITY

n.- mutual courtesy; civility -

. . . restore comity to the community . . .

COMPATHY

n.- feelings, as happiness, grief, etc., shared with another or others -

COMPENDIUM

n.- a brief treatment or account of a subject, esp. an extensive subject; concise treatise; a summary; a full list or inventory -

I wanted to put the entire debate in one compendium.

COMPLAISANT

adj. - willingness to please; syn: amiable, easy, obliging -

(pronunciation is unfortunately the same as complacent)

COMPORT

v.t.- to bear or conduct oneself; behave; to be in agreement, harmony, or conformance with -

His remark simply does not comport with his known attitude.

COMPORTMENT

n.- bearing; demeanor; behavior -

We have no secrets; the issue is his comportment in carrying out the contract, and certainly not our behavior.

CONATION

n.- the part of mental life having to do with striving, including desire and volition -

CONATUS

n.- an effort or striving; 2) a force or tendency simulating a human effort; 3) the force in every animate creature toward the preservation of its existence (from Spinoza) -

CONCATENATE

v. - link together in a chain; syn: integrate, articulate -

CONCILIATE

v.t.- to overcome the distrust or hostility of; placate; win over; to gain regard or favor; to make compatible; reconcile; to bring together, unite -

He concilliated the respect of his associates with his cooperativeness.

CONCINNITY

n.- a close harmony of tone as well as logic among the elements of a discourse; an instance of this harmony -

CONFABULATION

n.- conversation; discussion -

CONIFER

n.- evergreen tree or shrub including pine, fir, spruce and other cone bearing trees and shrubs -

CONJURE

v.- to call upon or command by invocation or spell; - to affect or produce by magic -

CONTENTIOUS

adj.- tending to argument or strife; quarrelsome; causing, involving, or characterized by argument or controversy -

CONTRETEMPS

n.- embarassing event -

The ratings contretemps grew out of the film's legitimate shock value.

COQUETTE

n.- a girl or woman who flirts lightheartedly with men to win their admiration and affection; a flirt -

CORIOLIS EFFECT

the apparent deflection of a body in motion attributed to a hypothetical force known as the Coriolis force, but actually caused by the rotation of the earth; 2) the consequence of the difference between the angular velocity (speed of rotation) at different latitudes on earth or on any sphere that rotates on an axis -- This can be seen in the counterclockwise spin of northern hurricanes. This spin direction results from these two qualities:

A) the eastward rotation of the earth, and

B) on the poleward (toward the north pole in this case) side of the hurricane, the earth has a lower angular velocity than it does on the equatorial side.

The equator is a speed-demon relative to the more poleward latitudes, and because atmosphere currents move with the speed of rotation of the earth's surface, this speed-demon has its way with phenomena like hurricanes, which is why a southern hemisphere hurricane spins in the opposite or clockwise direction.

CORIUM

n.- the sensitive vascular layer of the skin beneath the epidermis; derma (see epidermis & integument) -

CORNY

adj.- old-fashioned; trite; banal; hackneyed; stale; mawkish; insipid; inane; irritating -

COSSET

v.t.- to treat as a pet, pamper, coddle -

A Jaguar cossets its occupants in luxury.

COURTESAN

n.- prostitute -

Being a courtesan is an awfully hard way to earn a living.

COUNTERCULTURATI

n.- folks with values and mores that run counter to those of established society -

Cocaine, which seemed harmless to countercoulturati for years, came to be recognized as quite insidious.

COW

v.- intimidate; to frighten with threats, violence, etc. -

COXCOMB

n.- a conceited, foolish dandy; pretentious fop; dude; popinjay; jackinapes -

COY

adj.- shy; modest; 2) artfully or affectedly shy or reserved; coquettish -

CRAVEN

adj.- cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous -

They are afraid to present political satire. That is quite craven.

n.- a coward -

v.t.- to make cowardly -

CRUCIBLE

n.- a vessel of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures; a severe, searching test -

CULPABLE

adj.- deserving blame or censure; blameworthy -

His peers were morally culpable for not having made greater effort.

CURTILAGE

n.- the area immediately surrounding a home, an area for the intimate activity associated with the privacies of life; privacy expectations are heightened in this area -

A man's home is his castle, but his back yard is just the castle's curtilage, and enjoys a lot less privacy.

CYBORG

n.- a fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body -

DAUNT

v.t.- to overcome with fear; intimidate; dishearten; dismay; frighten; dispirit -

. . . a writer of daunting talents . . .

DAUNTLESS

adj.- fearless; intrepid; bold; undaunted; daring; indomitable -

DEBAUCH

v.t.- to corrupt by sensuality, intemperance; seduce; to corrupt, pervert; deprave -

His honesty was debauched by the prospect of easy money.

DEBRIDEMENT

n.- surgical removal of foreign matter and dead tissue from a wound -

DECOROUS

adj.- characterized by propriety in conduct, manners, appearance, character, etc. -

antonym- irreverent, perverse -

DEFT

adj.- neatly skillful and quick in one's movements; demonstrating skill and cleverness -

DELETERIOUS

adj.- injurious to health; pernicious; noxious -

DELIRIOUS

adj.- wild with excitment, enthusiasm -

DEMENTIA

n.- severe impairment or loss of intellectual capacity and personality integration -

DEMUR

v.i.- raise doubts or objections or show reluctance -

n.- the action or process of objecting to or hesitating over something -

DEMURE

adj.- characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved; 2) affectedly or coyly decorous -

DENIGRATE

v.t.- to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame; to besmirch -

The rain clouds denigrated the sky.

DEPRECATE

v.t.- to express earnest disapproval of; to urge reasons against; protest against (a scheme purpose, etc.); belittle -

DEPREDATION

n.- the act of preying upon or plundering; robbery; ravage -

DERISION

n.- the act of deriding, ridicule, mockery; an object of ridicule -

DERMA

n.- the corium or true skin; integument -

DESCRY

v.- catch sight of; espy -

DESIDERATUM

n.- something wanted or needed -

DESUETUDE

n.- the state of being no longer used or practiced -

The power of music in the soul has been recovered after a long period of desuetude.

DETRITUS

n.- any disintegrated material; debris -

. . . the detritus of pop culture . . .

DIALECTIC

n.- the art or practice of logical discussion as employed in investigating the truth of a theory or opinion; any formal system of reasoning or thought; [dialectics (often construed as singular)] the arguments or bases of dialectical materialism, including the elevation of matter over mind and a constantly changing reality with a material basis; [Kantian epistemology] a fallacious metaphysical system arising from the attribution of objective reality to the perceptions by the mind of external objects -

adj.- pertaining to the nature of logical argumentation -

DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM

n.- a form of materialism developed chiefly by Karl Marx, noted esp. for the application of the Hegelian Dialectic in its philosophy of history -

HEGELIAN DIALECTIC

an interpretive method, originally used to relate specific entities or events to the absolute idea in which some assertable proposition (thesis) is necessarily opposed by an equally assertable and apparently contradictory proposition (antithesis), the mutual contradiction being reconciled on a higher level of truth by a third proposition -

I think there is too much subterfuge and indirectness in our lives. I'm a believer in dialectic materialism.

DIASPORA

n.- the scattering of the Jews to countries outside of Palestine after the Babylonian captivity; the body of Jews living in such countries; such countries collectively; any religious group living as a minority among people of the prevailing religion -

The fact that most Jews have remained in the Diaspora bewilders and angers him.

DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE

n.- the pressure on the arteries when the heart is at rest (systolic pressure occurs when the heart contracts) -

DIATRIBE

n.- a bitter, sharply abusive denounciation, attack, or criticism -

DIDACTIC

adj.- intended for instruction; instructive: didactic poetry; inclined to teach or lecture others too much; teaching or intended to teach a moral lesson -

He called me an autodidact. It's funny to have a guy who is a lifelong teacher bawl out a lifelong student for continuing to learn.

DIMINUTION

n.- the act, fact, or process of diminishing or reducing -

DINT

n.- force or power -

DIODE

n.- a device consisting of an anode and cathode with asymmetric volt-ampere characteristics -

DIONYSIAN

adj.- pertaining to Dionysus or Bacchus; recklessly uninhibited; unrestrained; undisciplined; frenzied; orgiastic -

Being quite Dionysian, he was a world apart from his Apollian brother.

DIORAMA

n.- a scene often in miniature, reproduced in three dimensions by placing objects, figures, etc., in front of a painted background; 2) a spectacular picture, partly translucent for exhibition through an aperture, made more realistic by various illuminating devices; 3) a building for exhibiting such a scene or picture -

DISABUSE

v.t.- to free a person from deception or error -

I thought what made sense on paper would make sense with people. I have since been disabused of that notion.

DISCOMFITURE

n.- defeat in battle; rout; 2) frustration of hopes or plans; 3) disconcertion; confusion -

DISCURSIVE

adj.- passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; rambling; 2) proceeding by reasoning or argument; not intuitive -

DISENTHRALL

v.t.- to free from bondage; liberate -

We must disenthrall ourselves, then we will save our country.

DISHABILLE

n.- a disorderly or disorganized state of mind or way of thinking; the state of being dressed in a careless, disheveled, or disorderly style or manner; a loose morning dress; undress -

DISINGENUOUS

adj.- lacking in frankness or sincerity -

In saying that Helga was a secret, Wyeth was disingenuous.

DISJUNCT

adj.- disjoined or separated; music progressing melodically by intervals larger than a second -

DISNATURE

v.t.- to deprive (something) of its proper nature or appearance; make unnatural -

DISPARATE

adj.- distinct in kind; essentially different; dissimilar -

We live entirely, especially if we are writers, by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images, by the `ideas' with which we have learned to freeze the shifting phantasmagoria which is our actual experience.

DISPORT

v.- to divert or amuse oneself; 2) to display oneself in a sportive manner -

. . . disporting himself like the complacent "bourgeois squire" he says he is . . .

DISQUISITION

n.- a formal discourse or treatise in which a subject is examined and discussed; dissertation -

. . . a disquisition on the merits of the merlot grape . . .

DISSEMBLE

v.- to give a false appearance to; conceal the real nature of; to put on the appearance of; feign; speak or act hypocritically -

DISSONANCE

n. - an inharmonious or harsh sound; discord - 2) music,..a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion - 3) disagreement or incongruity -

DISSUADE

v.- to deter by advice or persuasion; persuade not to do something -

DISTELFINK

n.- a stylized bird motif traditional in Pennsylvania Dutch art -

DOTAGE

n.- excessive fondness; foolish affection; 2) feebleness of mind, esp. resulting from old age; senility -

DRECK

n.- excrement; dung; 2) worthless trash; junk -

DUDE

n.- a man excessively concerned with his clothes, grooming, and manners; 2) a person reared in a large city -

DUDGEON

n.- a feeling of offense or resentment; anger; indignation; pique -

President Vidal himself comes to the door. "I didn't want to be president," he sputters at once in mock dudgeon. That's the way Mitchell writes when in high dudgeon.

DUPLICITY

n.- deception -

DYSPHORIA

n.- a state of dissatisfaction, anxiety, restlessness or figiting; malaise, discomfort -

EBULLIENCE (ib-ul'yence)

n.- a boiling over; overflow; 2) high spirits; exhilaration; enthusiasm; exuberance -

ECRU

adj.- off white, very light tan as raw silk -

. . . an ecru color . . .

EDUCATION

n.- enlightenment that is obtained by exploration, observation and personal verification, by teaching methods that are free of doctrinaire values transfer or pre-existing dogma -

A significant component of an education may be the realization that enlightenment is facilitated by an environment which honors the sanctity of each soverign mind by allowing values, beliefs, ideals, ideas to be created and selected by personal choice eclectically, and an environment in which parents and teachers are oriented toward teaching by example and understatement, who "walk the talk" and back-peddle self importance. These views are illustrated in "Dead Poets Society" by Tom Schulman & "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse.

EFFICACY

n.- capacity for serving to produce effects, effectiveness -

Consider the efficacy of the copper bracelets in a medical context.

EFFLUVIA

n.- slight or invisible exhalations or vapors, esp. those that are disagreeable or noxious -

Isn't Monica's blue dress more important than Archie Bunker's chair, or the leather jacket worn by The Fonz - Smithsonian treasured effluvia from the most disposable aspects of American culture.

EGREGIOUS

adj.- remarkable or extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant -

. . . an egregious mistake; an egregious liar . . .

ELYSIAN FIELDS (ELYSIUM)

n.- (class. myth.) the abode of the blessed after death; any place or state of perfect happiness -

EMBRYONIC

adj.- in a rudimentary stage with potential for further development -

EMPIRACLE

adj. - verifyable by experiment or experience -

EMPYREAN

adj.- belonging to or deriving from heaven; n.- heaven, in particular the highest part of heaven -

ENAMOR

v.- to enflame with love; charm; captivate; bewitch; enchant -

ENCOMIUM

n.- a formal expression of high praise, eulogy, commendation -

ENDEMIC

adj.- peculiar to a particular people or locality; indigenous -

ENERVATE

v.- to deprive of nerve, force or strength; to weaken; castrate -

ENGENDER

v. - to produce, cause, or give rise to; 2) to beget; procreate -

ENMITY

n.- a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; animosity; antagonism -

ENNUI

n.- a feeling of weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom -

. . . the endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui . . .

ENSUE

v.- to follow in order; come afterward, esp. in immediate succession; 2) to follow as a consequence; result -

ENTREATY

n.- earnest request or petition; supplication -

EPEE (a-pa')

n.- a fencing sword or rapier w/guard over the tip; 2) the sport of fencing with the epee -

You half expect Basil Rathbone to leap around a corner, epee drawn and ready.

EPHEMERA

n.- anything short-lived or transitory -

EPHEMERAL

adj.- lasting a very short time; fleeting; evanescent -