VOCABULARY Jan-May 2008
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

abject *
acrimonious *
acquire
acumen *
affinity *
alacrity *
ambiance *
ambivalent *
aphesis
aplomb *
apoplectic
apostate
apothegm
apotheosis
apropos
arriviste *
assiduous *
attenuate *
auspices *
balderdash *
banal
bloviate *
bourgeois *
brio
brogue *
bucolic *
 
callow *
carnet
chagrin
chicanery *
churlish
circumscribe
cogent *
colloquy
comose *
conjecture
contempt
compendium
consternation
crepuscular
crux *
denigrate
diffident
dilettante *
discursive
dour
doyen
draconian
efficacy *
efficiency *
egregious
enigma *
epithet
eructation *
erudite
eschew
euphemism
exacerbate *
excoriate
exculpatory
expatriate
fabulist *
facetious *
faute de mieux
favela
fealty
foible
gadfly
glom
gravitas
hackneyed
hegemony
hebetude *
imbroglio
impeccable*
impetuous
inchoate
incognito
incognizant
indigenous
indolent
inflection *
inference *
innocuous *
insidious *
insouciant
irascible *
jingoism *
kerfuffle *
litany
locution *
loquacious
luddite
malapropism
mavin
metaphysical
meticulous
metier
miasma *
mitigate
modicum
monger
moribund
muck
nabob
nebbishy *
nihilism
noetic *
nuance
obsequious *
obviate
onomastics
ontogeny
onus *
ostensible
ostentatious
pale *
palpable
panache
parsimony *
pastiche
pathos
patois
peccadillo
pejorative *
penultimate *
perfunctory
peroration
persiflage *
perspicuous *
petulant *
pique *
philander *
plangent
platitude *
portent
precocious
prevaricate
profligate *
profusely
promulgate *
prosaic *
provenance *
puerile *
purulent *
putative
quagmire *
quiescent
quotidian *
recalcitrant*
rectitude
redolent *
reparation
reprobate *
resonate
reticent
salient *
sagacity
salutary *
salacious *
salubrious *
sangfroid
sanguine *
sardonic *
satrap *
segue *
savoir faire
schadenfreude *
scurfy *
scurrilous *
serendipity
sibilant
sophistry *
succinct *
surreptitious
sycophant
synchronicity *
 
syncretism *
synecdoche *
temerity *
totemism
trepidation
trope *
truncate
vicariously *
vindictive
vis-à-vis
zeitgeist *

NEW
sigmatism
primordium
maieutic












 
       

UNDERSTANDING STEPHEN J GOULD

acme
adamantine
aegis
anathema
apogee
apotheosis
approbation
avatar
betes noir
calumny
canard
cant
cavil
cogent
cognate
colligation
concordant
 
confected
conflation
desideratum
disquisition
éclat
elide
encyclical
epigram
epitome
eponym
euphonious
equanimity
exculpate
exegesis
extirpate
expurgation *
faute de mieux
 
felicity
flog
fub
hecatomb
homonym
imprimatur
inane
inchoate
incubus
indocile
ineffable
inelucatble
inexorably
irenic
lingua franca
magister
monistic
naïf
ontogeny
parti pris
parse
pedantic
penchant
perfervid
pernicious
perspicuous
Philistine
poseur
prevaricate
quotidian
recursion
rectitude
salutary
stigmata
subsumption