Vocabulary Volume #8

It's been a while since I've posted a Vocabulary Volume, so this is an extra long update! Here are some notable new words from books I've read recently.


From WICKED, by Gregory Maguire

unctuous: (adj.) greasy or oily. Or, when describing a person: a groveling kiss-ass type

apothegm: (n.) a concise saying or maxim, an aphorism

etiolated: (adj) weak, feeble, and pale

amanuensis: (n.) a literary or artistic assistant of manuscripts 

terpischorean: (adj.) related to dancing

pince-nez: (n.) old-style glasses held up by the bridge of the nose

sostenuto: (adj.) musical descriptor for a "sustained" note or style

terricolous: (adj.) living or growing in or on the ground

fulsome: (adj.) excessively flattering and fawning

sfumato: (adj) smoky style of painting with soft lines 

doyenne: (n.) the most respected woman in a particular field

scree: (n.) small stones covering a mountain slope

assignation: (n.) secret rendezvous, typically for affairs

lambaste: (v.) harshly criticize

tripartite: (adj) of three parts or involving three parties 

fascia: (n.) a thin piece of flat material that covers rafters of a house

moue: (n.) a pouting, annoyed expression

trapunto: (n.) a decorative raised quilting style 

From SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, by David Guterson

lissome: (adj.) thin, supple, graceful

effusive: (adj.) gushy and expressive

torpid: (adj.) lethargic

effluvium: (n.) unpleasant odor of decay

austelle: (n.) couldn't find a real definition, but it might be a type of fabric

creosote: (n.) oil-based wood preservative

portents: (n.) omens, augury, or forewarnings

interstices: (n.) small space between two objects, like branches or walls

hypoid: (n.) a beveled gear in a vehicle transmission mechanism


From FROM THE MONKEY HOUSE, by Kurt Vonnegut

angstrom: (n.) 10 to the -10th of a meter length

ptomaine: (n.) a biological compound that causes food poisoning

yawl: (n.) a type of two-masted boat

depredations: (n.) attacks and plunders

seraglio: (n.) Turkish palace quarters for women concubines

humidor: (n.) a jar for keeping tobacco moist

parvenus: (n.) an obscure person who recently gained fame or status, a social climber

maudlin: (adj.) self-pityingly sentimental and emotional, lachrymose

bivouac: (n.) a temporary camp with no tents


From THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS, by Ursula K. Le Guin

aphelion: (n.) point in a planet's orbit where it is farthest from the sun. "at aphelion"

oviparous: (adj.) egg-laying

fumaroles: (n.) openings in a volcano where sulfurous gases emerge

semiotics: (n.) the study of meaning, making, and the philosophy of signs and symbols

susurrus: (n.) whispering, murmuring, or rustling

invocation: (n.) summoning incantation to a diety

paraverbal: (n.) messages transmitted through tone of voice. How something is said or implied, as opposed to what is said. 

educe: (v.) to bring out or develop something

blotto: (adj.) completely drunk

cyanotic: (adj.) turning blue or purple from lack of oxygen

caromed: (v.) to strike and rebound

Vocabulary Volume #8: Neurobiology Edition

I'm proofing a graduate research paper on neurobiology. The subject matter is way over my head (it's about brain things) so I'm only proofing for grammar, but nonetheless I've learned some interesting words in the process...



organotypic: tissue removed from the body that continues to grow and develop as if it were still inside the body

papain: protein dissolving enzyme found in unripe papaya and often used in commercial meat tenderizer

glia: the connective tissue of the nervous system

triturate: to grind into a fine powder

immunocytochemistry: microscopic techniques used for studying the immune system

puncta: a small, distinct point

lentivirus: a retrovirus that is characterized by a delayed onset of symptoms after the infection

intercalate: to insert something between fixed points or layers (pretty much means to sandwich something)

phalloidin: toxins from the death cap (mushroom) used for fluorescent imaging

Vocabulary Volume #7

I finished The Best American Essays today ! A few were a little tough to push through due to obscure subject matter of only marginal interest to me, but most of the essays were incredibly thought-provoking and full of interesting trivia, humor, and well-written quips.

Here is the last of the new words I learned from the anthology.

excoriate: (v) to criticize severely, to damage the surface of something

neocons: (n) short for neoconservative, a term first used in the 30s

mendacity: (n) falsehood, lies
          (not to be confused with)
mendicancy: (n) state of being a beggar

encyclical: (n) papal letter sent to Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church

metier: (n) a talent or asset, forte

exiguous: (adj) very small in amount, scant, meager

emphysema: (n) disease of the lungs causing breathlessness

pugilist: (n) professional boxer

kippers: (n) a type of cured, salted, and dried fish

Vocabulary Volume #6

Some words taken from the anthology The Best American Essays, a book I purchased for a class, read one chapter out of, and never touched again. I've been trying to read one essay per day, and here are a few words I have gleaned from doing so.

sui generis: (adj) of its' own kind, unique in its characteristics

lacunae: (n) an unfilled space or interval, a gap

sisyphean: (adj) used to describe an impossible task, seemingly endless or futile

rood: (adj) another word for crucifix

appellation: (n) a uniquely identifying title or name

pleiad: (n) a brilliant and talented group, traditionally consisting of seven members (from the Greek Pleiades)

caliph: (n) an Islamic leader

sericulture: (n) the raising and breeding of silkworms for the production of raw silk

rubaiyat: (n) quatrains in poetry (in Middle Eastern writings)

schismatic: (n) one who engages in schism (breach of union in a religious group or sect)

Vocabulary Volume #5

People are often surprised to discover that I've never actually read George Orwell's famous dystopian novel 1984. So, to legitimize myself as a real English major, I finally picked up the book and have been thoroughly enjoying it. My love of science fiction and thinky thoughts really comes alive in this eerily foreseeable, paranoia-infused text.

The following are some words I have learned thus far.

         persiflage (n): light and slightly contemptuous mockery or banter

         concertina (n): an older model of accordion

         remonstrance (n): a forcefully reproachful protest

         wainscoting (n): wooden paneling that lines the lower walls of a room

As a graduated English major, I also believe my degree also grants me the authority to make up new words... (whether this really is within my powers is up to you to decide). The following is a term that Lucas and I coined this past week, spawned by his feelings about upcoming medical school interviews. We couldn't think of a particularly fitting word that already existed, so we decided to create one.

         aliloquate (adj). a state of being equally nervous and excited.

For example...

I was feeling very aliloquate before my interview.
The way she was looking at me made me too aliloquate to say anything in return.
Once I was actually on the road, that's when I really began to feel aliloquate.

Please feel free to spread the usage of this word; neologism is a strange and wonderful thing, and should certainly be shared :)



In other news, today is significant because it's the last triple-number-day of this century ! The next time we have another will be January 1, 2101... a date that won't pass in my lifetime, unless some crazy medical advancements are made between now and then.

I wonder what civilization and society will look like on 1/1/2101. Any ideas ?

Vocabulary Volume #4

I'm studying vocabulary for the GRE, and one of the tips for studying vocab is to come up with creative ways to remember them. Of course, such methods are unique to the individual.

I remember learning vocab words out of these little books when i was in middle school/high school, but the one year that I remember the most was sophomore year. Our English teacher, Mrs. Avilucea, made us draw silly pictures for each vocab word that week, as a way to help the visually oriented students in the class (such as myself). I thought I would bring back that strategy for my own study purposes, so I took out a few sheets of scratch paper and started doodling away. It wasn't long before I realized that I could simultaneously use this as a chance to entertain my readers, and perhaps teach them a word or two as well.

So I present to you the new and improved Vocabulary Volume: GRE Edition...featuring shitty drawings by yours truly !!

Vocabulary Volume #3

The other day, I read a few excerpts from the book May this House be Safe from Tigers, by Alexander King. The author is rather witty and possesses a tongue-in-cheek style of writing, as well as quite an extensive vocabulary. The following are a few words I scribbled down on a scrap of paper while reading.


seraglio (n): sequestered living quarters of concubines and wives in a Turkish residence (SUPER useful in daily conversation)

ossify (adj): to turn into bone, to mold into a rigid pattern

morass (n): area of low-lying, soggy ground (like a bog, I guess ?), also something that hinders or engulfs (ie. a morass of details)

prophylactic (adj): preventative against something like disease

palaver (n): idle chatter, flattering talk

aegis (n): a shield/breastplate worn by major religious figures/gods in ancient Greece

mephitic (adj): poisonous and foul-smelling


[Currently listening to: Light a Roman Candle with Me- Fun.]

Nothing Better.

Because I'm an English major and I love words, one website that I occasionally visit is BetterthanEnglish.com. Guests submit their favorite notably untranslatable foreign words, and their best attempts at explaining them in layman English. Submissions often range from odd trivia, to words that span the entire human emotional spectrum and beyond. 

One such post from awhile back was a word known in the 1993 Guinness Book of World Records as the "most succinct word" in existence, because of its emotionally loaded definition. 

It is a touching and beautiful word to those observing on the outside, and a rather uncomfortable word to those actively engaged in it. Now I am sure many of you have experienced such a feeling before, and it is a difficult and complicated thing to process. You wonder, you look away. They wonder, they sit in silence. What am I waiting for, am I a coward ? What are you thinking ? Are you thinking the same thing I am thinking ? Do you ever wonder how you got to here ?

Then one day, one person takes the awkward initiative. One word leads to one response, then two statements, then three, then five, eight, thirteen, twenty-one... and before you know it, you've found yourself in a Fibonacci spiral of feels. 

Yup, life can really throw you for a loop sometimes... 

...and this is definitely one of those times. I never even imagined that we could ever arrive at this point... but this is here, and now, and there is nothing better. The feeling of mamihlapinatapai may be succinctly elaborate, but I'm sure it has nothing on the feeling that comes immediately after the turn. 

However, this is a rather recent posting on BetterthanEnglish, that I just noticed today. I think it speaks for itself quite well. 

Coming from a native-speaking Mandarin background, this is a word that, unlike the previous, I am actually familiar with. And I think that gives me the authority to say that the above definition isn't perfectly accurate either... but then again, I suppose the whole point is that there is a sort of beauty in its undefineability. 

However, if I was to add my own second definition, I would state that it is the joy that comes from pouring your feelings to your best friend, and having them fill your cup in return. 

Contact + Vocabulary Volume #2

"She had spent her career attempting to make contact with the most remote and alien of strangers, while in her own life she had made contact with hardly anyone at all. She had been fierce in debunking the creation myths of others, and oblivious to the lie at the core of her own. She had studied the universe all her life, but had overlooked its clearest message: for small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love."

Carl Sagan, Contact

Contact is the novel behind one of my favorite movies of the same title. When I found out that the film was based off a novel, I made a mental note to read it, and was excited to spot a worn copy at the campus used book sale.

Although many decry the film for fabricating an entirely different ending plot twist, I have to give merit to the creative minds behind both versions. Though different, both endings offer that sense of closing satisfaction, while still leaving behind that tiny speck of what-if that characterizes great science fiction.

If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, I highly recommend it. It's an exciting adventure, as well as a thought-provoking exploration of personal spirituality in an open, non-religious sense.

The scientific nature of the novel's subject matter also makes for an interesting vocabulary volume:

organosilicate: being made of both silica and organic substances. silica is a compound known for its hardness, and is found in diatom cell walls.

subcodicil: supplementary content that explains, modifies, or revokes all or part of a will

naked singularity: a gravitational singularity without an event horizon

(uh... what??)

- gravitational singularity: central area within a black hole, where gravity is thought to be infinite

- event horizon: simply put, the 'border' of a black hole

arcana: secrets or mysteries

contact binary: a binary star system (two suns, like those seen from Tatooine) whose stars are so close that they appear or are actually touching

sundry: various small items that are not important enough to be listed out individually

reconnoiter: to make a military observation of a region; to scout out an area

ecdysiast: basically a fancy word for a stripper

eschatological: regarding the ultimate destiny of humankind and the world

punctilious: paying great attention to detail

samizdat: the clandestine copying and subsequent hand distribution of banned literatures, as in communist Russia

Vocabulary Volume #1

Words to know, memorize, and attempt to use more often. + interesting words.

holistic: comprehension of something's parts as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole. the entire person as a collective social, spiritual, logical being, not just a physical entity.

quotidian: occurring every day. to the extreme, the quotidian becomes the mundane

prelapsarian/postlapsarian: before the fall of man/after the fall of man. innocence/sinful knowledge

[currently listening to: Cary Brothers]