REVIEW WORDS F - O

FACILE

adj.- proceeding with ease, easily done; easy or unconstrained, as manners or persons, affable, agreeable, complaisant, easily influenced -

FACTOTUM

n.- a person employed to do all kinds of work, as the chief servant of a household -

FAIT ACCOMPLI

n.- an accomplished fact; a thing already done -

FARRAGO

n.- a confused mixture; hodgepodge; medley -

His emotional life was a farrago of entanglements.

FATUOUS

adj.- foolish or inane, esp. in an unconscious, complacent manner, silly, dimwitted; unreal, illusory -

FEALTY

n.- loyalty, fidelity, faithfulness -

FECKLESS

adj.- ineffective; incompetent; feeble; 2) without worth, spirit or value; indifferent; lazy -

FENG SHUI

n.- Chinese philosophy of design & decor regarding chi, or flow of life force -

FEY

adj.- doomed; fated to die; appearing to be under a spell; marked by an apprehension of death, calamity, or evil; 2) supernatural; unreal; enchanted -

. . . a mist of the fey overlaying the terror; elves, fairies, and other fey creatures . . .

FILCH

v.- to steal furtively -

FILIBUSTER

n.- the use of irregular or obstructive tactics by a member of a minority in a legislative assembly to prevent the adoption of a measure generally favored, or to force a decision almost unanimously disliked -

Ms. Guinier recognizes that her ideas could result in stalemate, which the filibuster -- America's form of supermajority rule -- usually produces.

FLACCID

adj.- soft and limp; not firm; flabby -

. . . but its sensibilities were scarcely flaccid . . .

FLORID

adj.- reddish, ruddy, rosey; flowery, excessively ornate, showy -

The late Victorians relished florid writing.

FOMENT

v.t.- to instigate or foster; to promote the growth or development of; incite; provoke; arouse; inflame -

FOOZLE

v.- to bungle; play clumsily as a bad stroke in golf -

FOP

n.- a man who is excessively vain and concerned about his manners and appearance -

FORESTALL

v.- to prevent, hinder, or thwart by action in advance; obstruct; preclude; 2) to prevent sales at a fair market price by buying up or diverting goods -

FORFEND

v.- to defend, secure or protect -

FORSWEAR

v.- to reject or renounce upon oath or with protestations; to deny vehemently; to perjure oneself -

Women were acceptable when they forswore sex.

FORTUITOUS

adj.- happening or produced by chance; accidental -

FOUNDER

v.- fail or break down, typically as a result of a particular problem or setback; come to nothing, sink out of sight -

FRAUGHT

adj.- involving; full of; accompanied by -

. . . in the midst of an increasingly fraught relationship with his married lover . . .

FRISSON

n.- a moment of intense excitement; a shudder -

It was expected to have a frisson of sex or violence.

FULGURANT

adj.- flashing like lightning -

He was embroiled in fulgurant enmities as well as sustained by unshakable friendships.

FULMINATE

v.i.- to explode with a loud noise; detonate; to issue denounciations or the like -

v.t.- to cause to explode; to issue or pronounce with vehement condemnation -

She talks like that, fulminating with half sentences.

FUSTIAN

n.- a stout fabric of cotton and flax; 2) inflated or turgid language; bombast; rant; claptrap -

adj.- made of fustian; 2) pompous or bombastic; 3) worthless; cheap -

GANDHI, MAHATMA

(1869 - 1948) Hindu religious leader; practioner of non-violence -

GENOTYPE

n.- the genetic constitution of an organism or group of organisms -

GENRE

n.- genus, kind, sort, or style; a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form or technique; realism paintings in which scenes of everyday life form the subject matter -

The genre of great last words faded years ago.

GENUFLECT

v.i.- to bend the knees in reverence or worship; to express a servile attitude -

She did not genuflect to the ivy league statisticians.

GEOMETRY - in terms of the following:

DIHEDRON

n.- a figure formed by two intersecting planes; also called dihedral angle -

DODECAGON

n.- a polygon having 12 angles and 12 sides -

DODECAHEDRON

n.- a solid figure having 12 faces -

FOLIUM

n.- a loop; part of a curve terminated at both ends by the same node -

EVOLUTE

n.- the locus of the centers of curvature of, or the envelope of the normals to, another curve -

GNOMON

n.- the part of a parallelogram that remains after a similiar parallelogram has been taken away from one of its corners -

HALO OF 22 degrees (or just HALO)

n.- a single luminous circle or arc, centered on the sun or moon, having an angular radius of nearly 22 degrees of arc, and colors, if discernible, ranging from red inside to blue outside -

HYPERBOLA

n.- the set of points in a plane whose distances to two fixed points in the plane have a constant difference -

HYPOCYCLOID

n.- a curve generated by the motion of a point on the circumference of a circle which rolls internally, without slipping, on a given circle -

HYPOTENUSE

n.- the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle -

ICOSAHEDRON

n.- a solid figure having twenty faces -

ICOSITETRAHEDRON

n.- a solid figure having 24 faces -

INVOLUTE

n.- any curve of which a given curve is the evolute -

LEMNISCATE

n.- a plane curve generated by the locus of the point at which a variable tangent to a rectangular hyperbola intersects a perpendicular from the center to the tangent -

LIMACON

n.- a plane curve generated by the locus of a point on a line at a fixed distance from the point of intersection of the line with a fixed circle, as the line revolves about a point on the circumference of the circle -

LITUUS

n.- a polar curve generated by the locus of a point moving so that the square of its radius vector varies inversely as the angle the radius vector makes with the polar axis -

ORDINATE

n.- (in plane Cartesian coordinates) the y coordinate of a point: its distance from the x axis measured parallel to the y axis -

OVALS OF CASSINI

n.- the locus of a point such that the product of the distances from the point to two fixed points is constant -

ROSE

n.- a plane polar curve consisting of three or more equal loops that meet at the origin -

GERMANE

adj.- closely or significantly related, relevant, pertinent, apposite, applicable -

GHOUL

n.- an evil demon supposed to feed on human beings, and especially to rob graves, prey on corpses, etc.; 2) a person who revels in what is revolting -

GNOMON

n.- an early astronomical instrument consisting of a vertical shaft, column, or the like, for determining the altitude of the sun or the latitude of a position by measuring the length of its shadow cast at noon; 2) the raised part of a sundial that casts the shadow -

GRATUITOUS

adj.- given, bestowed or obtained without charge or payment; free; 2) being without apparent reason, cause, or justification; superflous; unnecessary -

How do you keep those who were hurt by the Gary Hart behavior itself from being gratuitously hurt a second time by the publicity?

GRISAILLE

n.- a monotone painting in shades of gray -

GUILE

n.- insidious cunning; duplicity; artful deception; trickery; fraud -

GULLIBLE

adj.- easily decieved or cheated; suggestible -

HAGIOGRAPHY

adj.- the writing and critical study of the saints -

HALCYON

adj.- calm, peaceful, tranquill - (halcyon weather) rich, wealthy, prosperous - (halcyon times of peace) happy, joyful, carefree - (halcyon days of youth)

HAMAL

n.- a porter; a male house servant -

HAPLESS

adj.- unfortunate; unlucky -

HAUGHTY

adj.- disdainfully proud, snobbish, arrogant, supercilious -

HAUTEUR

n.- haughty manner or spirit -

He carries just the right air of stoic hauteur.

HEDONIC CALCULUS (in utilitarianism)

appraisal of possible alternative choices in terms of the amount of pleasure to be gained and pain to be avoided in each -

HEDONISM

n.- the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good; 2) devotion to pleasure as a way of life -

HEINOUS

adj.- hateful, odious, abominable, totally reprehensible -

. . . a heinous offense . . .

HERETIC

n.- a professed believer who maintains religious opinions contrary to those accepted by his church, or rejects doctrines prescribed by his church -

HERITABLE

adj.- capable of being inherited; hereditary -

HERMETIC

adj.- made airtight by fusion or sealing; pertaining to occult science, esp. alchemy -

HINDI

n.- language of Hindus -

HOARY

adj.- gray or white with age -

. . . he is hoary headed . . .

HOI POLLOI

n.- the common people; the masses -

HOMEOSTASIS

n.- the tendency of a system, esp. the physiological system of higher animals, to maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus tending to disturb its normal condition or function -

HOMILY

n.- a religious discourse, sermon; an admonitory or moralizing discourse -

There was more brimstone here than the priest would ever employ in a homily.

HOMUNCULUS

n.- a diminutive human; midget; 2) an artificially made dwarf, supposedly produced in a flask by an alchemist -

. . . the woman (Jackie O.) who stunned the world by marrying leathery homunculus and shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis . . .

HOPI (hope-y)

n.- a member of a Shoshonean Pueblo Indian people of northern Arizona -

HOWDAH

n.- a seat commonly with a railing and a canopy, placed on the back of an elephant -

HUBRIS

n.- excessive pride or self-confidence, arrogance -

. . . this cult of arrogance, of hubris, of conceit,- that they knew it all . . .

HUSBAND

v.- to manage esp. with prudent economy; to use frugally; conserve -

. . . husband the saffron . . .

HYPERBOLE

n.- obvious and intentional exaggeration; 2) an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally -

ICON

n.- a picture, image, or other representation, often of some sacred personage; a sign or representation that stands for its object by virtue of a resemblance or analogy to it -

Ginsberg lived the life of a culture hero, an icon incarnate.

ICONOCLAST

n.- a breaker or destroyer of images, especially those set up for religious veneration; one who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition -

Louie renounced God at age 27, the institution of marriage at 28, conventional career path at 38, and conventional concepts of love at 40. Now he is a flaming iconoclast.

IMBUE

v.t.- to impregnate or inspire as with feelings, opinions; infuse; to saturate or impregnate with moisture or color -

IMMANENT

adj.- remaining within, inherent; 2) taking place within the mind of the subject, and having no effect outside of it -

IMMINENT

adj.- likely to occur at any moment; impending -

IMPART

v.t.- 1. to make known; tell; relate; [disclose; reveal; divulge] 2. to give; bestow; communicate; [grant; cede; confer] 3. to grant a part or share of -

IMPERIOUS

adj.- domineering, dictatorial, overbearing; urgent, imperative, necessary -

On the surface he is an imperious pedant, inside he is vulnerable.

IMPERTINENT

adj.- intrusive or presumptuous, as persons or their actions; rude; uncivil -

IMPETUOUS

adj.- characterized by sudden or rash energy, action, emotion, etc.; impulsive; 2) having great impetus; moving with great force; violent -

IMPLACABLE

adj.- not to be appeased or pacified; inexorable -

He has always been against me, implacable, always hostle.

IMPRIMATUR

n.- an official to print or publish a book, pamphlet, etc.; license; sanction; approval -

His book has the imprimatur of leading critics.

IMPROVIDENT

adj.- not having or showing foresight; spendthrift or thoughtless -

IMPUGN

v.t. - to assail motives, veracity, etc.; call in question; challenge as false -

. . . should not impugn the honor of people who have given their lives . . .

INAMORATA

n.- a female lover -

INAMORATO

n.- a male lover -

INANE

adj.- lacking sense or ideas; silly; vapid; insipid; irritatingly corny; way uncool; 2) empty; void -

INAUSPICIOUS

adj.- boding ill; unfavorable -

INCHOATE

adj.- just begun; incipient; 2) rudimentary; imperfect; incomplete; 3) not organized; lacking order -

But more troubling than any narrative limitations of "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is something more inchoate having to do with the way cinema--more than fiction or any other medium--can appropriate and colonize the visual imagination.

INCIPIENT

adj.- beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage -

INCISIVE

adj.- penetrating, cutting, trenchant (an incisive tone of voice) sharp, keen, acute (an incisive method of summarizing) acid, mordant; sarcastic, sardonic -

INCULCATE

v.t.- to impress by repeated statement or admonition; teach persistently and earnestly; to cause or influence someone to accept an idea or feeling; instill, implant, ingrain -

Socrates inculcated his pupils with the love of truth.

INDICT

v.t.- to charge with an offense or crime, accuse of wrongdoing -

INEFFABLE

adj.- incapable of being expressed or described; unspeakable -

Music can give form to otherwise ineffable emotions.

INFINITESIMAL

adj.- indefinitely or exceedingly small; minute; immeasureably small; less than an assignable quantity -

INGENUOUS

adj.- (of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting -

Most people would rather be thought of as ingenuous, meaning straightforward and sincere, because it implies the simplicity of a child without the negative overtones.

INIMICAL

adj.- adverse in tendency or effect, harmful; unfriendly, hostile -

INIQUITY

n.- wickedness; gross injustice; 2) a violation of right or duty; wicked act; sin -

INNUENDO

n.- an indirect intimation about a person or thing, esp. of a derogatory nature -

INSCRUTABLE

adj.- not easily understood, mysterious; impenetrable to investigation -

Some material in the IDLER will be inscrutable to non-Canadian readers.

Strange Mrs. Danvers slithers around like a cobra, smiling inscrutably and saying things like "it is for you to say, madam."

INSIDIOUS

adj.- intended to entrap or beguile; 2) stealthily treacherous or deceitful; 3) operating or proceeding inconspicuously but with grave effect -

INSIPID

adj.- without distinctive, interesting, or attractive qualities; without sufficient taste to be pleasing as in food or drink; pointless; vapid; feeble; wholly without merit -

IN SITU (Latin)

in place; in its original place -

INSOLENT

adj.- boldly rude or disrespectful; contemptuously impertinent; insulting -

n.- an insolent person -

INSOUCIANT (in-soo'-see-ant)

adj.- free from concern; without anxiety; carefree -

INSULAR

adj.- of or pertaining to an island or islands; dwelling or situated on an island; detatched, standing alone, isolated; narrowly exclusive, illiberal -

. . . insular attitudes towards foreigners . . .

INTEGUMENT (see corium & epidermis)

n.- a natural covering, as a skin, shell, rind -

INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY

addresses the uneven burden for the national debt that exists when the beneficiary of funds borrowed is different from those obligated to pay the debt -

INTERNECINE

adj.- mutually destructive; 2) of or pertaining to conflict or struggle within a group; 3) characterized by great slaughter -

INTRACTABLE

adj.- not docile; stubborn; obstinate; 2) hard to shape or work with; unmanageable; 3) resisting treatment or cure -

n.- an intractable person -

She is alone in finding the situation intractable.

INTRANSIGENT

adj.- uncompromising, unyielding, adamant or inflexible as in politics -

INURE

v.t.- to accustom to accept something undesireable -

. . . to inure a person to hardship . . .

v.i.- to come into use; take or have effect; 2) to become beneficial or advantageous -

INVEIGH

v.- to protest strongly or attack vehemently with words; rail -

INVEIGLE (in-vee'-gl)

v.- to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducements; 2) to acquire, win, or obtain by beguiling talk or methods -

. . . to inveigle a theater pass from a person . . .

INVIDIOUS

adj.- causing or tending to cause animosity, resentment, or envious dislike; 2) calculated to excite ill will or give offense; hateful; 3) unfairly discriminating; injurious -

IPSO FACTO

n.- by the fact itself; by the very nature of the deed -

. . . to be condemned ipso facto . . .

IPSO JURE

n.- by the law itself; by operation of law -

IRASCIBLE

adj.- easily provoked to anger; testy, irritable, choleric -

IT'S

it is (contraction)

ITS

possessive

JACKANAPES

n.- an impertinent, presumptuous young man; 2) an impudent, mischievous child -

JADED

adj.- worn out or wearied, as by overwork or overuse; 2) dulled or satiated by overindulgence -

JEJUNE

adj.- dull or childish -

. . . while at the same time its penetration of deeper issues seems jejune . . .

JEREMIAD

n.- a lamentation; mournful complaint -

JINGO

n.- a person who professes his patriotism loudly and excessively, favoring preparedness for war and an aggressive foreign policy; chauvanist -

adj.- of jingoes; characterized by jingoism -

JINGOISM

n.- bellicose chauvanism -

JOCUND

adj.- cheerful, merry, gay, blithe, glad, joyous -

She was seen with jocund high spirits.

JOLLIFY

v.- to make or become jolly or merry -

JOLLIFICATION

n.- jolly merrymaking; jolly festivity -

She has produced utter jollification throughout the entire environment.

JUGGERNAUT

n.- any large, overpowering, destructive force or object; 2) anything requiring blind devotion or cruel sacrifice -

KEF

n.- a state of drowsy contentment, esp. from the use of a narcotic -

KEEF

n.- a substance, esp. a smoking preparation of hemp leaves, used to produce a state of pleasurable well-being, which with regular use may effect a state of increased lethargy, decreased ambition, motivation, or drive in otherwise able-bodied adults, with the possible consequence of a psychologically debilitating dependence on others -

KOAN

n.- a nonsensical question to a student for which an answer is demanded; the stress of meditation on the question often being illuminating -

KORAN

n.- the sacred text of Islam, regarded by Muslims as the foundation of law, religion, culture and politics -

KOWTOW

v.i.- to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology; to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference -

KUDOS

n.- glory, renown, praise, approval -

He received kudos from everyone on his performance.

LACONIC

adj.- using few words; expressing much in few words; concise; pithy; terse; succinct -

At 272 pages, Wm. Gaddis' "Carpenter's Gothic" is positively laconic.

LAICIZE

v.- withdraw clerical character, control, or status from (someone or something); secularize -

LAMBENT

adj.- running or moving lightly over a surface; 2) dealing lightly and gracefully with a subject; brilliantly playful; 3) softly bright or radiant -

With luck, even the most lambent visual seductions of the screen will never supplant the enigmatic power of the real thing.

LAMPOON

n.- a sharp, often virulent satire directed against an individual, a social institution, a government, etc.; 2) a work of literature, art, or the like, ridiculing severely the character or behavior of a person, society, etc. -

LARES

n.- gods of the household worshiped in ancient Rome -

LASSITUDE

n.- weariness of body or mind from strain; languor; a condition of indolent indifference -

LEAVEN

n.- a mass of fermenting dough reserved for producing fermentation in a new batch of dough. (2) an agent or element that acts in or upon something to produce a gradual change or modification.-

She lacks the wit to leaven her outrage and the polemic skills to make it persuasive.

LEGERDEMAIN

n.- skill or practice of feats of magic, jugglery; trickery, deception; any artful trick -

LEITMOTIF

n.- a motif or theme associated throughout a music drama with a particular person -

LESTOBIOSIS

n.- characterized by furtive thievery -

LICENTIOUS

adj.- sexually unrestrained; lascivious; libertine; lewd; 2) unrestrained by law or morality; immoral; disregarding the rules -

LIMN

v.t.- (archaic) to represent in drawing or painting; to portray in words, describe -

. . . published essays limning a new acadamic frontier . . .

LIMPID

adj.- clear, transparent, or pellucid, as water, crystal, air, etc. ; 2) free from obscurity, lucid; 3) completely calm, without stress or worry -

LISSOME

adj.- lithsome, or lithe, esp. of body; limber; supple; flexible; agile or active -

LOCUTION

n.- a particular form of expression; phrase, expression, or idiom; 2) a style of speech or verbal expression; phraseology -

LOVE

n.- the profoundly tender or passionate affection for another; a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend; affection, concern for the well- being of others (a love of little children); strong predilection or liking for anything (her love of books) -

v.t.- to have affection for (all her pupils love her); to take great pleasure in (she loves to go dancing); to have a strong liking for; to need or require, benefit greatly from (plants love sunlight) -

LUCENT

adj.- shining; 2) translucent; clear -

His dialogue (and other writing) has become trim, flexible, and lucent.

LUMMOX

n.- a clumsy, stupid person -

LURID

adj.- gruesome; sensational -

MACHIAVELLIAN

adj.- characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning, deception, or dishonesty -

MACHINATE

v.- to contrive or devise, esp. artfully or with evil purpose -

MAGNETOGRAPH

n.- a recording magnetometer, used esp. for recording variations in the earth's magnetic field -

MANICHAEAN

adj.- characterized by dualistic contrast or conflict between opposites -

MANIFEST DESTINY

the belief or doctrine, held chiefly in the middle and latter parts of the 19th century, that it is the destiny of the U.S. to expand its territory over the whole of North America and to extend and enhance its political, social, and economic influences -

MANIFESTO

n.- a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives or motives -

MANQUE (man-kay')

adj.- having failed, missed, or fallen short, esp. because of circumstances or a defect of character; unsuccessful; unfulfilled -

MANSUETUDE (man'-swa-tood)

n.- mildness; gentleness -

MARAUD

v.i.- to rove in quest of plunder; to make raid for booty -

MAW

n.- a cavernous opening that resembles the jaws of an animal; 2) the symbolic or theoretical center of a voracious hunger or appetite of any kind -

Her clothes caught in the maw of a subway escalator.

MAWKISH

adj.- having a faint sickly flavor; slightly nauseating; insipid; 2) characterized by sickly sentimentality; feebly emotional -

MEGALOMANIA

n.- a form of mental illness marked by delusions of greatness, wealth, etc.; an obsession with doing extravagant or grand things -

MELLIFLUOUS

adj.- sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding -

MEME

n.- Memes are raw ideas, pure concepts which, like conquering genetic codes, seem capable of thriving in and via host organisms, this time human minds. Memes evolve in competition for niches in the belief space of individuals and societies.

The Jargon File defines meme this way:

/meem/ n. [coined by analogy with `gene', by Richard Dawkins] An idea considered as a replicator, esp. with the connotation that memes parasitize people into propagating them much as viruses do. Used esp. in the phrase `meme complex' denoting a group of mutually supporting memes that form an organized belief system, such as a religion. This lexicon is an (epidemiological) vector of the `hacker subculture' meme complex; each entry might be considered a meme. However, `meme' is often misused to mean `meme complex'. Use of the term connotes acceptance of the idea that in humans (and presumably other tool- and language-using sophonts) cultural evolution by selection of adaptive ideas has superseded biological evolution by selection of hereditary traits. Hackers find this idea congenial for tolerably obvious reasons.

MENDACIOUS

adv.- false or untrue; 2) lying; untruthful; dishonest -

. . . created out of whatever materials are available--not mendaciously, but just sort of instinctively as a way of telling a story . . .

METONYMY (mih-tahn'-a-me)

n.- the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as "scepter" for "sovereignty," or "the bottle" for "strong drink," or count heads (or noses) for "count people" -

MIASMA

n.- noxious exhalations from putrescent organic matter; poisonous effluvia or germs infecting the atmosphere; a dangerous, foreboding, or deathlike influence or atmosphere -

MINUTIAE

n.- small or trivial details; trifling circumstances or matters -

. . . what Ansel said his photos contained (regarding nature) . . .

MISANTHROPE

n.- one who hates mankind -

MISE EN SCENE (me-zahn-sen')

n.- the act or art of placing a play, scene, or the like, on the stage, with regard to the arrangement of actors, scenery, properties, technical equipment, etc.; 2) surroundings; environment -

Eventually, some atonal warning chimes rang out, giving a strangely ethereal atmosphere to the mise en scene, as the players were herded into the concert hall.

MISOCAINEA

n.- an abnormal aversion to anything new -

MISOGAMY

n.- hatred of marriage -

MISOGYNY

n.- hatred of women -

MISOLOGY

n.- distrust or hatred of reason or reasoning -

MISONEISM

n.- hatred or dislike of what is new or represents change -

MISOPEDIA

n.- hatred of children, esp. one's own -

MOLDER

v.i.- to turn to dust by natural decay, crumble, waste away -

MORDANT

adj.- caustic or sarcastic as wit -

She is an alert and subtle observer, with a mordant intelligence and a sense of humor.

n.- having the property of fixing colors, as in dyeing -

MOROSE

adj.- gloomily or sullenly ill humored, as a person, mood, etc. -

MUSIC - in terms of the following:

ATONALITY

n.- the absence of key or tonal center; an atonal principle or style of composition -

CADENCE

n.- a sequence of notes or chords that indicates the momentary or complete end of a composition, section, phrase, etc. -

CADENZA

n.- an elaborate flourish or showy passage introduced near the end of an aria or in a movement of a concerto -

CODA

n.- a more or less independent passage, at the end of a composition, introduced to bring it to a satisfactory close -

CRESCENDO

n.- a gradual increase in force, volume, or loudness -

DIATONIC

adj.- noting a scale that contains five whole tones and two semitones, as the major, minor, and certain modal scales; of or pertaining to the tones, intervals, or harmonies of such a scale -

DIMINUENDO

adj.- gradually reducing in force or loudness; decrescendo -

DIMINUTION

n.- the repetition or imitation of a subject or theme in notes of shorter duration than those first used -

DISSONANCE

n.- a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion -

DISSONANT

adj.- discordant; out of harmony; incongruous -

HARMONIC

n.- overtone -

KEY

n.- the principal tonality of a composition -

MODAL

adj.- pertaining to mode, as distinguished from key; based on a scale other than major or minor -

MORDENT

n.- a melodic embellishment consisting of a rapid alternation of a principal tone with a supplementary tone a half step below it, called SINGLE or SHORT when the supplementary tone occurs but once, and the DOUBLE or LONG when this occurs twice or oftener -

OBBLIGATO

adj.- obligatory or indispensable; so important that it cannot be omitted; 2) a continuing or persistent subordinate or background motif -

OVERTONE

n.- an acoustical frequency that is higher in frequency than the fundamental -

PARLANDO

n.- sung or played as tho speaking or reciting -

PERIOD IN HISTORY

? - 1100 Early or Classical Antiquity

1100 - 1400 Medieval

1400 - 1600 Renaissance

1600 - 1750 Baroque

1750 - 1820 Classic

1810 - 1910 Romantic

1910 - present Modern

SERIAL TECHNIQUE

n.- systematic musical composition based on preestablished order of tones, as a tone row -

SIMULTANEOUS MUSIC

n.- concurrent but varying themes or phrases -

TONALITY

n.- the sum of relations, melodic and harmonic, existing between the tones of a scale or musical system; a particular scale or system of tones; a key -

TONE

n.- a musical sound of definite pitch, consisting of several relatively simple constituents called partial tones, the lowest of which is called the fundamental tone and the others harmonics or overtones; an interval equivalent to two semitones; a whole tone; a whole step; any of the nine melodies or tunes to which Gregorian plainsong psalms are sung -

MUZZY

adj.- confused, muddled, dull, mentally hazy -

MYOPIC

adj.- pertaining to or having myopia; near-sighted; 2) unable to think clearly or objectively; lacking knowledge, tolerance, or foresight -

For Lorca, New York is a symbol of spiritual myopia.

NACRE

n.- mother-of-pearl -

NAIF

adj.- naive -

. . . a wayward naif, played by doe-eyed, baby-voiced Vanessa Paradis . . .

NAINSOOK

n.- a fine, soft-finished cotton fabric, usually white, used for lingerie and infants' wear -

NAINSUKH

n.- eye pleasure (Hindi); 2) an Indian painter born 1710 -

NARCOLEPSY

n.- a condition characterized by a frequent and uncontrollable need for short periods of deep sleep that is possibly brought on or aggravated by regular use of caffeine which jangles the homeostatic system that regulates sleep patterns -

NARCOTIC

n.- any of a class of substances that blunt the senses, as opium, morphine, belladonna, and alcohol, that in large quantities produce euphoria, stupor, or coma, that when used constantly can cause habituation or addiction, and that are used in medicine to relieve pain, cause sedation, and induce sleep -

NASCENT

adj.- beginning to exist or develop; being born, arising -

. . . cameras swooped upon us in our nascent protests, our excessive youthfulness . . .

NEIGH (nay)

v.i.- to whinny -

n.- the cry of a horse -

NEMESIS

n.- an agent or act of retribution or punishment; 2) that which a person cannot conquer; 3) an opponent or rival whom a person cannot best -

. . . what he thinks is his career-long nemesis: the critics . . .

NETHER

adj.- lying, or believed to lie beneath the earth's surface -

NEVE

n.- granular snow accumulated on high mountains and subsequently compacted into glacial ice; also called FIRN -

NEXUS

n.- a means of connection, tie, link; a connected series or group -

NIGGLE

v.i.- to spend excessive time and effort on inconsequential details; (2) to criticize esp. constantly or repeatedly in a peevish manner or over petty details -

NIGH