sentinel [ SEN-tn-l ]

[ noun, transitive verb ] MEANING : 1. (n.) a watchman or a person or thing that stands as if watching 2. (n.) a soldier stationed as a guard or sentry 3. (tr. v.) to provide with a guard or watch over as a guard USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The general had a sentinel posted outside his tent. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Visitors since Victorian times have been drawn to this evocative chunk of the Emerald Isle, where mysterious ancient ring forts stand sentinel on mossy hillsides. CNN, Ireland's Ring of Kerry a must-see, Rick Steves, 30 January 2010.

bullion [ BOO' L-yuh' n ]

[ noun ] MEANING : 1. gold or silver considered in mass rather than value 2. gold or silver bars, ingots, or plates 3. embroidery or lace trimming worked with fine threads of gold or silver USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The United states has the largest bullion reserves in the world, most of it stored at Fort Knox. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The target was 40m worth of gold bullion and between 30-40m in cash, stored at the Swissport Cargo Warehouse at Heathrow Airport. BBC, Flying Squad foils 80m robbery, 18 May, 2004

vendetta [ ven-DET-uh' ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. a personal feud between two families in which the wronged one seeks vengeance 2. a long-drawn-out series of vengeful acts or quarrels USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The vendetta has gone on for almost a century. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : In truth, Mr Mompesson just wanted to fulfil a vendetta against the drummer. Telegraph, Ten horror hoaxes that spooked the masses, By Florence Waters, 30 Oct 2008

unassuming [ uhn-uh'-SOO-ming ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : modest, unpretentious or not assuming USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : His unassuming words were grossly misinterpreted. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The securityman might have been sceptical, given Atuls unassuming manner and casual get-up. The Times of India, Bidding Mumbai good-buy, by Gauri Sinh, 15 Nov 2003

refulgent [ ri-FUHL-juh'nt ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. shining brightly 2. bright and resplendent 3. radiant USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The refulgent setting at the exhibition made viewing easy by placing every item under a spotlight. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Yet Susan, face to face with these two improbably refulgent paragons, was unfazed, and launched without hesitation into her song.

BBC, The singer not the song, 24 April 2009.

sere [ seer ]
[ noun, adjective ] MEANING : 1. (adj.) completely dry or parched 2. (adj.) withered 3. (n.) a stage in a series of ecological communities from beginning to end USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The sere pasture was the result of there being no rainfall in the area. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : What appears to be the sere grassland of Sub-saharan Africa in the dry season is actually a New England golf course in winter. The Urban Pantheist, Franklin Park, in too many pictures, 12 February 2007

pastoral [ PAS-ter-uh l, PAH-ster- ]

[ noun, adjective ] MEANING : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. (adj.) rustic or rural (adj.) pertaining to or of shepherds (adj.) of, pertaining to or related to a pastor or priest (adj.) used for pasture (n.) a literary work like a poem or play related to shepherds

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The pastoral decorations in the room were charming. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : At every motel where he spends the night, he takes a photo of the view from the room -- whether it's a pastoral landscape, a brick wall or the parking lot. CNN, Fans bid farewell to Polaroid film, By Jacque Wilson CNN, December 8, 2008

upbraid [ uhp-BREYD ]
[ verb ] MEANING : to find fault with or reproach sharply USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The court upbraided the police for their harsh and brutal methods. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Some restaurants have introduced no-mobile-telephone areas and the elderly managers of the kissaten, the coffee houses that serve as the equivalent of the pub in Japanese towns and villages, are willing to upbraid customers whose noise levels break the usual calm. Telegraph, The Far East fights back over menace of the mobile phone, By Damien McElroy in Beijing, 19/06/2001

subsistence [ suh'b-SIS-tuh'ns ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. the state of existing 2. the providing of maintenance or support 3. a means of livelihood USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Most of the old and infirm people were dependant on the dole for their subsistence. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : In 2008, four tropical storms damaged the transportation infrastructure and agricultural sector, on which two-thirds of Haitians depend, mainly as subsistence farmers. CNN, Aid workers heading to Haiti fear for their safety, Richard Allen, 14 January 2010.

El Dorado [ el duh'-RAH-doh, -REY- or ]

[ noun ] MEANING : 1. an imaginary city in south america sought by spanish explorers for its great riches and wealth 2. a place offering extraordinary wealth or opportunities USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : To most people around the world, the United states offers an El Dorado of opportunities. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : An almighty task, but to those in the world of shipwrecks, pirates and treasure troves, this was their El Dorado.

BBC, How To Find A Treasure Trove, 19 May 2007

requite [ ri- KWAHYT ]

[ transitive verb ] MEANING : 1. to offer something in return for having received something 2. to take revenge USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The ungrateful man requited the kind lady for her unconditional love with money. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Im sure that everyone has at some point in their life felt love, whether it be requited or unrequited. BBC, Love, Life and That Little Bit Extra, Sarah Nagra, 22 September 2009

sylph [ silf ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. a graceful woman or girl 2. a supernatural being that inhabits the air. USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : An Asian woman's sylph like appearance is what makes her attractive to occidental men. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : She's the only sylph I ever saw, who could stand upon one leg, and play the tambourine on her other knee, like a sylph. MSN Encarta, Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870), British novelist, Said by Mr. Crummles (Nicholas Nickleby, 1839)

unsightly [ uhn-SAHYT-lee ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. unattractive to look at 2. unpleasant sight 3. offensive or distasteful USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : After she underwent cosmetic surgery her unsightly countenance was transformed into a vision of beauty. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : She was the manager of a Government office in charge of 50 to 60 people and in good health save that she was troubled by unsightly patches of spots similar to acne, The Telegraph, Civil servant 'suffered cancer after taking Chinese pills', 11 February 2010.

reparation [ rep-uh-REY-shuh n ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. an act of making up or making amends 2. indemnification, compensation or atonement USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : He was asked to make reparations to his victims. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The party also wants an apology for slavery, although it is not asking for financial reparations. CNN, NASA keeps eye on two shuttle problems, November 15, 2008

banter [ BAN-ter ]
[ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ] MEANING : 1. (tr.v.) to playfully ridicule or tease 2. (intr.v.) to tease playfully 3. (n.) a playful exchange of teasing remarks USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : They bantered all through the night. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : I don't mind a bit of the friendly banter going on but I've said right from the start that I don't like, and won't like, any personal barrages towards anyone. Pointing said. The Times of India, Ponting sees sledging as friendly banter, 5 Jun 2002

uncouth [ uhn-KOOTH ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. clumsy, outlandish or unmannerly 2. crude, boorish or undefined 3. strange, unusual or ungraceful USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : His uncouth behaviour was embarrassing. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The working-class people were "rough" and "tough" and sometimes "uncouth". BBC, Beware the working class, 6 February 2009

ancilliary [ an-SIL-uh'-ree, AN-suh'-ler-ee ]

[ noun, adjective ] MEANING : 1. 2. 3. 4. (adj.)subordinate, subsidiary or being of secondary or minor importance (adj.)auxiliary, supplementary or assisting (n.) something that supplements something else (n.) (archaic) a slave or servant

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The ancillary problem was ignored and never corrected. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Even the effects of disruption to ancilliary services such as cleaning and catering can be pronounced. BBC, Fuel: how the NHS could suffer, 12 September, 2000

reverie [ REV-uh-ree ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. daydream or fanciful musing 2. the act of day dreaming, imagining or abstracted musing USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : His reverie was short lived. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : My brief reverie was interrupted when neurologist Hans Luders, an expert on brain geography, appeared before me in full surgical garb. abcNews, Peking Uni Transfers Outspoken Prof to West China, By HENRY SANDERSON Associated Press Writer, March 12, 2009

mettlesome [ MET-l-suh'm ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. (adj.) courageous USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : His mettlesome, spirited disposition got him through some tough times. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : THE PROMS passed their mid-point over the weekend, and set down a landmark with a BBC Symphony Orchestra concert, under Esa-Pekka Salonen, that was mettlesome and impressive. The Telegraph, Sharp shots of adrenalin, Geoffrey Norris, 21 August 2001

tatterdemalion [ tat-er-di-MEYL-yuh'n, -MAL- ]

[ noun, adjective ] MEANING : 1. (n.) a person dressed in rags; a shabby person 2. (adj.) ragged or shabby appearance; unkempt, dilapidated USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The huge number of tatterdemalions in the refugee camps made for depressing viewing. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :

In effect, the Mbuti are gaining their independencewhich in Congo's feral east means they are free to lose everything to the tatterdemalion parade of pilgrims, many in far worse straits, who trod the dying remnants of the trans-African highways built by the colonial Belgians. National Geographic, Who Rules The Forest, By Paul Salopek

transmute [ trans-MYOOT, tranz- ]

[ intransitive verb, transitive verb ] MEANING : 1. (tr.v.) to undergo transformation from one form or condition to another 2. (intr.v.) to undergo the process of transmutation USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The creature in the movie transmuted from an alien form to a human form at will. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Suspension of disbelief is one thing but when a genetically-modifed spider bites Peter Parker causing him to transmute into a superhero one would expect our lead to raise even one eyebrow in surprise. BBC, Spider-Man's weary crawl, 5 June, 2002

spate [ speyt ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. a rush, outpouring or sudden outburst 2. a flood, freshet or inundation USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : He voiced a spate of arguments to defend his friend. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Police are warning people living on South Tyneside to secure their homes following a spate of sneak-in thefts. BBC, Lock up warning after theft spate, 23 February 2009

repast [ ri-PAST ]
[ noun, intransitive verb ] MEANING : 1. (n.) a meal 2. (intr. v.) to eat USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The hikers stopped for a light repast at noon before continuing on their way. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : It may not be their intention, but that leisurely repast keeps them out of the sun during the peak times for sun damage, which can lead to skin cancer. CNN, What your doctor doesn't have time to tell you, Sally Wadyka, 7 September 2009

protracted [ proh-TRAKT-id ]
[ adjective, transitive verb ] MEANING : 1. (adj.) long drawn out in duration 2. (tr. v.) caused to extend or protrude USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The protracted feud between the two brothers was the cause of their downfall. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has forecast a "protracted slowdown" for the world's leading economies. BBC, OECD projects protracted slowdown, 13 November 2008

vagary [ vuh'-GAIR-ee, VEY-guh-ree ]

[ noun ] MEANING : 1. an erratic, unpredictable or unexpected action, course or instance 2. a whimsical or wild notion or action USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :

The entire sports faculty was stunned because of this act of vagary. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Perhaps the worst hit in this natural vagary is the film market 2001 that has been organised at the gaganendra pradarshanalay to showcase various facets of the national and international entertainment industry. The Times of India, Classic videos go abegging, 13 Nov 2001

leery [ LEER-ee ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. (adj.) wary or suspicious 2. (adj.) distrustful or mistrustful USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : He was leery of anyone who offered free advice. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Yes, the American people are leery of paying more taxes, and yes, they are worried about the deficit and the national debt. CNN, Commentary: Tax promise could cost Obama his job, John Feehery, 6 August 2009.

dtente [ dey-TAHNT; Fr. dey-THAN*T ]

[ noun ] MEANING : the relaxing or easing of tension, between rivals, esp. nations, through negotiations or talks. USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The current dtente between the US and Russia after decades of mistrust and hostility during the cold war is a welcome step. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Nevertheless, General Bashir said the pardon was made at the request of the two priests and in a spirit of political dtente. BBC, Alleged Khartoum bombers pardoned, 6 December, 1999

tenuous [ TEN-yoo-uh's ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. slender, thin or fine 2. having a low consistency 3. flimsy, shaky or weak USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The king lost the tenuous hold he had over his kingdom. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : It came days after a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces fell apart. CNN, Congo refugees brave rebels rather than stay in camps, November 2, 2008

beatific [ bee-uh'-Tif-ik ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. bestowing or imparting bliss or blessings 2. having a saintly or blissful appearance USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The beatific peace one encounters in Kulu and Manali make them attractive locales for Indians and foreigners alike. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Shouted comments and piercing wolf-whistles were all welcomed with a beatific smile. Times Online, k. d. lang, David Sinclair at the Hammersmith Apollo

proviso [ pruh-VAHY-zoh ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. a conditional clause in a statute, decree or document 2. a stipulation, specification or condition USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The proviso in the will stated that yearly allowances would be paid to benefactors only if they accepted certain terms and conditions.

USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Under the city's transportation plan prices are required to rise by 10% plus inflation subject to the proviso it should not damage the local economy. Telegraph, Old Vic: watch a theatre transformed for Alan Ayckbourn's Norman Conquests, Sarah Crompton, 12 Dec 2008

gainsay [ GEYN-sey, geyn-SEY ]

[ verb ] MEANING : to deny or contradict USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : It would be difficult to gainsay the economic policies enunciated by such stalwarts as Dr. Manmohan Singh and P. Chidambaram. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : They included mandatory jail terms for persistent burglars and drug dealers, something the judiciary opposed but which Labour, recognising the popularity of a tough stand on crime, could not gainsay. Telegraph, Labour happy to follow Howard's way, 10 August 2004

torpid [ TAWR-pid ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. numb or having no sensation of motion 2. hibernating or dormant 3. inactive or sluggish USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Her torpid fingers were frozen solid because of the cold. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Despite his generosity, Stump's bitterness over the torpid pace of rebuilding is evident. CNN, Recovery in New Orleans big but not easy, By Eliott C. McLaughlin, August 28, 2006

celerity [ suh'-LER-i-tee ]
[ noun ] MEANING : speed or swiftness USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The celerity achieved by the car amazed everyone. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : After raiding the firm only a week ago, they arrested Mr Horie on January 23rd with unprecedented celerity. Economist, Livedoor, Jan 26th 2006

sate [ seyt ]
[ transitive verb ] MEANING : 1. to satiate completely 2. to glut or satiate in excess USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : She kept eating till her appetite was sated. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Hollywood should offer legal alternatives to sate the appetite for movie and TV downloads. BBC, Testing times for video downloads, By Alfred Hermida, Technology editor, BBC News website, 2 August 2005

polity [ POL-i-tee ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. a political organisation or form of government 2. an organisation, state, society or body that has its own governance 3. a specific or particular system or form of government USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The polity as a whole decided on how to tackle the growing threat of terrorism. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Reports say the government is keen on a discussion on the nuclear deal, which has divided the Indian polity.

BBC, India parliament begins session, 15 November 2007

coeval [ koh-EE-vuh' l ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : belonging to the same age or period USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Archaeologists regard the two great cities of the Indus valley civilization- Mohenjo Daro and Harappa- to be approximately coeval. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The statues, revealed by the excavations, were of a type that was coeval physically. BBC, Slippery Stage, By Tim Bearder

quizzical [ KWIZ-i-kuh l ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. odd, queer, eccentric or comical 2. puzzled, perplexed or confused 3. teasing, questioning or mocking USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The quizzical expression on his face was one in a million. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The teen had a quizzical look on his face when the verdict was read in the hushed courtroom. CNN, Teen guilty of second-degree murder in teacher killing, May 16, 2001

slack [ slak ]
[ noun, adjective ] MEANING : 1. 2. 3. 4. (adj.) loose or weak (adj.) slow or not brisk (adj.) negligent a loose state

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The staff would take advantage of the slack manager by having frequent breaks.. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : But their opener in the 10th minute was gifted by slack defending by England as Dirk Kuyt cut out Rio Ferdinand's weak pass and rounded goalkeeper Robert Green before sending a right foot shot past captain John Terry on the line. CNN, Defoe double rescues England in Amsterdam, 12 August 2009

apologist [ uh'-POL-uh'-jist ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. a person who makes a defense or justification of a belief, idea, etc 2. one who argues in defense of USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : He was an apologist of the rights of the downtrodden. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Mr Price said people were entitled to think from the article that Mr Galloway was an apologist for the Iraqi regime. BBC, Galloway denies Saddam 'fawning', 16 November 2004.

temporal [ TEM-per-uh'l, TEM-pruh'l ]

[ noun, adjective ] MEANING : 1. (adj.) worldly, restricted by time and not eternal 2. (adj.) secular and not clerical or religious 3. (n.) one that is temporal or not eternal in nature USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The temporal nature of this phenomena makes it all the more important.

USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The archbishop wished the king "a long and glorious course of ruling a temporal kingdom wisely, justly and religiously" as guests fanned themselves in the tropical heat. Telegraph, Tonga crowns a new king in lavish ceremony, 01 Aug 2008

saturnine [ SAT-er-nahyn ]
[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. gloomy, taciturn, sardonic or sullen 2. having a temperament suggestive of one being born under the astrological influence of planet saturn 3. enduring lead poisoning or some disorder due the absorption of lead USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : His saturnine disposition does not bode well. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Gidon Saks played the three villains with saturnine charisma and Graham Clark made perfectly focused cameos of the four comic servants. Telegraph, Les Contes d'Hoffmann at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, 26 Nov 2008

lien [ leen, LEE-uh n ]

[ noun ] MEANING : the legal right to claim or sell property of a debtor as security or payment for a debt . USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : It is almost obligatory for banks to hold a lien in all business loans. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : It is likewise clearly established, that insurance brokers have a lien upon all policies, and bankers upon all paper securities, and attornies upon all papers in their possession belonging to their employers, for the general balance of their accounts. A Treatise of the Law Relative to the Rights of Lien and Stoppage in Transitu, By Richard Whitaker

poseur [ poh-ZUR ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. a person who tries to impress others by putting on a false showy manner or elegance 2. one who attempts to influence others with an affected pose or stance that is not one's normal behaviour USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The manager of the club recognized him as a poseur and had the bouncers escort him off the premises. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : This city's drug underworld is littered with "poseurs" -- lowlife trigger men pretending they're the real hard cases. CNN, Colombian hitmen reveal horror of the kill, Karl Penhaul, 14 October 2009.

furor [ FYOO'R-awr ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. a general disorder or general commotion 2. violent anger 3. a public outburst of excitement or ecstasy or a state of intense enthusiasm 4. a craze or fad. (Also, especially British, furore) USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The poison pen letters circulating the campus created a furor among the students and had to be suppressed. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The ongoing foreclosure spectacle in the US, and the public furor it has stoked, probably wont help Mozilos case. The Telegraph, Wheels of justice could grind Countrywides Mozilo, Robert Cyran, 15 May 2009.

marmoset [ MAHR-muh-zet, -set ]

[ noun ] MEANING : a monkey belonging to the family Callithricidae, native to Central and South America, with clawed digits, soft furry hair and long tails USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Some marmoset species are endangered and hunting them is banned throughout Central and South America. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Despite the alarm the fist-sized marmoset was well-behaved and snuggled up in the man's arms during the flight from Lima, Peru, to New York.

epistle [ i-PIS-uh l ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. a formal letter 2. (of the Bible) one of the letters in the New Testament USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : He signed the epistle with a flourish.

USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The surviving manuscript concludes with two early Christian texts, an epistle ascribed to the Apostle Barnabas and 'The Shepherd' by Hermas.

coiffure [ kwah-FYOO'R; Fr. kwa-FYR ]

[ noun, transitive verb ] MEANING : 1. (n.) a style of arranging the hair 2. (n.) a fashionable hairstyle 3. (tr. v.) to style the hair 3. (tr. v.) to provide with a hairstyle USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : She had an elegant coiffure, perfectly manicured nails and was dressed in a beautiful evening gown with matching Cinderella like glass slippers. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : With his groomed coiffure, dazzling teeth and excessive makeup, Dobbs is almost a parody of the archetypal anchor man, but for years earlier in his CNN career presented of a conventional business programme, Moneyline.

diorama [ dahy-uh'-RAM-uh', -RAH-muh' ]

[ noun ] MEANING : 1. three-dimensional exhibit housed in a cubicle and viewed through an aperture 2. a three-dimensional scene reproduced by placing objects in front of a painted background USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The project for the week was to build a diorama in a shoe box. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : They are now devoting their efforts -- and all "Joelanta" proceeds -- toward building a permanent toy and diorama museum in Atlanta, in honor of a collector who died at age 17.

overwrought [ OH-ver-RAWT, oh-ver- ]

[ adjective ] MEANING : 1. extremely nervous or excited 2. extremely fatigued or over-worked 3. very elaborate USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The overwrought employee fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Where Coldplay once showcased frontman Chris Martin's straight-ahead sensitive-guy-with-a-broken-heart lyrics and his fragile and overwrought falsetto, the 31-year-old tabloid fave is writing more obliquely here about death and God, love and war, loss and fulfillment.

nincompoop [ NIN-kuh m-poop, NING- ]

[ noun ] MEANING : a person who is silly and weak-minded; a simpleton USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The communist nincompoops in West Bengal managed- in thirty years- to convert a prosperous state into a wasteland. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Mr Dromgoole likes to use a schoolboy lingo, designed to take the reader back to innocent times before Shakespeare was hijacked by the bootboys of cultural materialism and the over-analytical nincompoops hellbent on stuffing weird intentions into the plays.

effluvia [ i-FLOO-vee-uh ]
[ noun ] MEANING : 1. exhaust or emanation of gas or vapour 2. aura USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Effluvia formed due to burning of plastic adds to the pollution in the city. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Clear plastic sleeves keep recipes free from splatters of oil, drips of tomato sauce, and other kitchen effluvia. CNN, Create a recipe notebook, 5 February 2008, accessed 9 July 2009

ken [ ken ]
[ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ] MEANING : 1. (n.) understanding 2. (n.) mental perception 3. (n.) range of sight 4. (intr. v.) to have knowledge of 5. (tr. v.) to know about or be acquainted with USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : It was beyond the ken of the simple village folks why anyone would want to destroy their crops. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Spinoza sought not to limit God to the attributes which come within the ken of man although he believed man's knowledge of God and the world to be true so far as it goes. whit [ hwit, wit ] [ noun ] MEANING : 1. an iota 2. the least bit USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The new student was not a whit afraid of the class bully.

USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : It doesn't matter a whit that Austrailia 'dominated'.

rapture [ RAP-cher ]
[ noun, transitive verb ] MEANING : 1. (n.) joyful ecstasy or delight 2. (n.) the carrying of a person to another place or plane of existence 3. (tr. v.) to entrance USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Tourists climbed the hill to take in the rapture of the setting sun. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The power of Woods's allure at Augusta appeared to reach a premature peak in 1997, amid the raptures that greeted his 12-stroke victory as a 21 year-old.

jabberwocky [ JAB-er-wok-ee ]
[ noun, adjective ] MEANING : 1. (n.) nonsensical talk or gibberish 2. (adj.) meaningless or senseless USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Jabberwocky is the first language spoken by babies.