locust (n)

• a type of grasshopper that travels in very large groups and can cause great destruction by eating crops; short-horned grasshopper; cicada
• any of various leguminous trees: as (1) : carob 1 (2) : black locust (3) : honey locust; the wood of a locust tree

dingy (adj)

• dark and dirty : not fresh or clean; shabby; squalid

iodine (n)

• a chemical element that is used especially in medicine and photography -- a nonmetallic halogen element obtained usually as heavy shining blackish gray crystals and used especially in medicine (as in antisepsis and in the treatment of goiter and cretinism) and in photography and chemical analysis
• a tincture of iodine used especially as a topical antiseptic

persecute (v)

• to treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs ("the country's leaders relentlessly persecuted those who fought against the regime"); ("they were persecuted for their beliefs")
• to constantly annoy or bother (someone); to annoy with persistent or urgent approaches (as attacks, pleas, or importunities) : pester

shoptalk (n)

• the jargon or subject matter peculiar to an occupation or a special area of interest; talk that is related to your work or special interests ("there was a lot of shoptalk at the office party"); ("eventually, he got bored with the shoptalk of the nuclear engineers, which he barely understood")

gigolo (n)

• a man who is paid by a woman to be her lover and companion; a man supported by a woman usually in return for his attentions
• a professional dancing partner or male escort

kimono (n)

• a long robe with wide sleeves traditionally worn with a broad sash as an outer garment/on formal occasions by the Japanese
• a loose dressing gown or jacket; Japanese, clothes, from "ki" - "wearing" + "mono" - "thing"

muscatel (n)

• a sweet fortified wine from muscat grapes; a raisin from muscat grapes

cigarillo (n)

• a very small cigar; a cigarette wrapped in tobacco rather than paper
• Spanish cigarrillo cigarette, diminutive of cigarro cigar

fascism (n)

• a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government
• often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
• very harsh control or authority -- a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control ("early instances of army fascism and brutality")

brigade (n/v)

• a large group of soldiers that is part of an army; a large body of troops; a tactical and administrative unit composed of a headquarters, one or more units of infantry or armor, and supporting units
• a group of people organized to act together; a group of people organized for special activity
• a group of people who have the same beliefs
• French, from Italian "brigata", from "brigare" - "to fight"
• v: to form or unite into a brigade

barracuda (n)

• a kind of fierce tropical fish that has strong jaws and sharp teeth -- any of a genus (Sphyraena of the family Sphyraenidae) of elongate predaceous often large bony fishes of warm seas that includes food and sport fishes as well as some forms frequently causing ciguatera poisoning
• someone who uses aggressive, harsh, and sometimes improper ways to achieve something; one that uses aggressive, selfish, and sometimes unethical methods to obtain a goal especially in business ("the governor-elect is too nice and easygoing, so he'll need a barracuda as his chief of staff")

mollusk (n)

• biology : any one of a large group of animals (such as snails and clams) that have a soft body without a backbone and that usually live in a shell
• any of a large phylum (Mollusca) of invertebrate animals (as snails, clams, or squids) with a soft unsegmented body usually enclosed in a calcareous shell; broadly : shellfish
• French "mollusque", from New Latin "Mollusca", from Latin, neuter plural of "molluscus" - "thin-shelled (of a nut)", from "mollis"

grunion (n)

• a silverside (Leuresthes tenuis) of the California coast notable for the regularity with which it comes inshore to spawn at nearly full moon
• probably from Spanish "gruñón" - "grunter"

silverside (n)

• any of various small chiefly marine bony fishes (family Atherinidae) with a silvery stripe along each side of the body

joan of arc (n)

• a saint known as the Maid of Orléans; French name Jeanne d'Arc. 1412–31
• French national heroine, who led the army that relieved Orléans in the Hundred Years' War, enabling Charles VII to be crowned at Reims (1429)
• after being captured (1430), she was burnt at the stake as a heretic; she was canonized in 1920. feast day: May 30

mimeograph (n)

• a duplicator for making many copies that utilizes a stencil through which ink is pressed

listless (adj)

• characterized by lack of interest, energy, or spirit; languid

shank (n/v)

• n: the straight, narrow part of a tool that connects the part that does the work with the part that you hold
• n: a piece of meat cut from the upper part of the leg
• n: the part of the leg between the knee and the ankle
• n: a straight narrow usually essential part of an object, e.g., the straight part of a nail or pin; straight part of a plant: stem or stalk; etc.
• n: a part of an object by which it can be attached
• n: the latter part of a period of time; the early or main part of a period of time ("11 p.m. on the East coast is merely the shank of the evening on the West coast")
• n: (slang) an often homemade knife
• v: to hit (a golf ball or shot) with the extreme heel of the club so that the ball goes off in an unintended direction; also : to kick (a football) in an unintended direction

furlong (n)

• a unit of distance equal to 220 yards (about 201.2 meters) or 1/8 of a mile
• from Old English furlang, from furh furrow + lang long

jock (n)

• athletic supporter
• athlete; especially : a school or college athlete
• pilot; especially : a fighter pilot
• a person devoted to a single pursuit or interest ("computer jocks")

tinhorn (n)

• a person who talks and acts like someone who is strong and powerful but who is really weak, unimportant, etc.
• one (as a gambler) who pretends to have money, ability, or influence

balsa (n)

• a small raft or boat; specifically : one made of tightly bundled reeds and used on Lake Titicaca
• a tropical American tree (Ochroma pyramidale syn. O. lagopus) of the silk-cotton family with extremely light strong wood used especially for floats; also : its wood

icebox (n)

• refrigerator

epigram (n)

• a short and clever poem or saying
• a concise poem dealing pointedly and often satirically with a single thought or event and often ending with an ingenious turn of thought
• a terse, sage, or witty and often paradoxical saying
• epigrammatic expression
• (Benjamin Franklin's famous epigram, “Remember that time is money”)
• from Latin "epigrammat-, epigramma," from Greek, from "epigraphein" - "to write on, inscribe," from "epi-" + "graphein" - "to write"

ersatz (adj)

• copied from something else and usually not as good as the original
• being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation ("ersatz turf"; "ersatz intellectuals")
• an apartment complex designed as an ersatz Mediterranean villa
• German ersatz-, from Ersatz, noun, substitute

piddle (v)

• to dawdle, putter
• to urinate

muff (n/v)

• n: a warm tubular covering for the hands
• Dutch "mof", from Middle French "moufle" - "mitten", from Medieval Latin "muffula"
• n: a bungling performance
• n: a failed catch of a ball, etc.
• v: to make a mistake in doing or handling (something); to handle awkwardly; to act or do something stupidly or clumsily
• v: to fail to hold (a ball) when attempting a catch; to muff a ball

streptomycin (n)

• an antibiotic organic base C21H39N7O12 that is produced by a soil actinomycete (Streptomyces griseus), is active against many bacteria, and is used especially in the treatment of infections (as tuberculosis) by gram-negative bacteria

propitous (adj)

• likely to have or produce good results ("now is a propitious time to start a business")
• favorably disposed; tending to favor
• being a good omen : auspicious ("propitious sign")
• from Anglo-French propicius, from Latin propitius, probably from pro- for + petere to seek

gorge (n/v)

• n: throat — often used with rise to indicate revulsion accompanied by a sensation of constriction ("my gorge rises at the sight of blood")
• n: a hawk's crop
• n: stomach, belly
• n: the entrance into an outwork (as a bastion) of a fort
• n: a narrow passage through land; especially : a narrow steep-walled canyon or part of a canyon
• n: a primitive device used instead of a fishhook that consists of an object (as a piece of bone attached in the middle of a line)("gorging on books"); to consume greedily
• v: to fill (something) completely

gonfalon (n) geisha (n)

• a Japanese girl or woman who is trained to provide entertaining and lighthearted company especially for a man or a group of men; a Japanese girl who is trained to entertain men with singing, conversation, etc.
• Japanese, from gei art + -sha person

importunity (n)

• the quality or state of being importunate
• an importunate request or demand
• "resented the importunity of those door-to-door Bible-thumpers"

lemming (n)

• a small animal that lives in northern areas of North America, Europe, and Asia
• any of various small short-tailed furry-footed rodents (as genera Lemmus and Dicrostonyx) of circumpolar distribution that are notable for population fluctuations and recurrent mass migrations

larrup (n/v) (dialect)

• n: a blow
• v: to flog soundly : whip
• v: to defeat decisively : trounce
• v: to move indolently or clumsily

Danube (n)

• a river in central and SE Europe, flowing E from southern Germany to the Black Sea. 1725 miles (2775 km) long

warmonger (n)

• a person who wants a war or tries to make other people want to start or fight a war; one who urges or attempts to stir up war

nocturne (n)

• a piece of music especially for the piano that has a soft and somewhat sad melody
• a work of art dealing with evening or night; especially : a dreamy pensive composition for the piano — compare with "aubade"
• French, adjective, nocturnal, from Latin nocturnus

desultory (adj)

• not having a plan or purpose; marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose ("a dragged-out ordeal of…desultory shopping")
• done without serious effort
• not connected with the main subject
• disappointing in progress, performance, or quality ("a desultory fifth place finish"; "a desultory wine")
• Latin "desultorius", literally, "of a circus rider who leaps from horse to horse", from "desilire" - "to leap down", from "de-" + "salire" - "to leap"

affinty (n)

• a feeling of closeness and understanding that someone has for another person because of their similar qualities, ideas, or interests
• a liking for or an attraction to something
• a quality that makes people or things suited to each other
• relationship by marriage
• sympathy marked by community of interest : kinship
• a relation between biological groups involving resemblance in structural plan and indicating a common origin
• an attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination
• from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French "affinité", from Latin "affinitas", from "affinis" - "bordering on, related by marriage", from ad- + finis - "end, border"

jigger (n/v)

• n: one that jigs or operates a jig
• n: any of several sails
• n: a mechanical device usually with a jerky reciprocating motion (2) : a mold or a machine incorporating a revolving mold on which ceramic items (as plates) are formed
• n: a gadget, doodad
• n: a measure used in mixing drinks that usually holds 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 milliliters)
• v: to jerk up and down
• v: to alter or rearrange especially by manipulating

squadron (n)

• a military unit consisting of soldiers, ships, or aircraft
• a large group of people or things ("a squadron of limos")
• Italian "squadrone", augmentative of "squadra" - "squad", from Old Italian

craggy (adj)

• having many crags ("craggy slopes")
  • crag: a steep rugged rock or cliff; or-a sharp detached fragment of rock
• rough in a way that suggests strength; rugged ("a craggy face and voice")

etude (n)

• a piece of music for the practice of a point of technique
• a composition built on a technical motive but played for its artistic value
• French, literally, "study", from Middle French "estude", "estudie"

jibe (v)

• v: to shift suddenly and forcibly from one side to the other —used of a fore-and-aft sail
• v: to change a vessel's course when sailing with the wind so that as the stern passes through the eye of the wind the boom swings to the opposite side
• v: to be in accord : agree

gamut (n)

• a range or series of related things ("ran the gamut from praise to contempt"); ("she experienced the full gamut of human emotions")
• the whole series of recognized musical notes

philharmonic (n)

• symphony orchestra ("he served as a conductor for the philharmonic")
• French "philharmonique", literally, "loving harmony", from Italian "filarmonico", from fil- phil- + armonia "harmony", from Latin "harmonia"

royalty (n)

• royal status or power : sovereignty
• a right or perquisite of a sovereign (as a percentage paid to the crown of gold or silver taken from mines)
• a right of jurisdiction granted to an individual or corporation by a sovereign
• an amount of money that is paid to the original creator of a product, book, or piece of music based on how many copies have been sold
• an amount of money that is paid by a mining or oil company to the owner of the land the company is using
• from Anglo-French "realté", "roialté", from "real"

matador (n)

• the person who has the major/principal part in a bullfight and who kills the bull
• Spanish, from "matar" - "to kill"

gambit (n)

• a planned series of moves at the beginning of a game of chess -- a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position
• something done or said in order to gain an advantage or to produce a desired result
• a remark intended to start a conversation or make a telling point (2) : topic
• a calculated move : stratagem
• (example: "I couldn't tell whether her earlier poor-mouthing had been sincere or just a gambit to get me to pick up the dinner check.")
• Italian "gambetto", literally, "act of tripping someone", from "gamba" - "leg", from Late Latin gamba, camba, from Greek "kampē" - "bend"

parry (v)

• to defend yourself by turning or pushing aside (a punch, a weapon, etc.)
• to avoid giving a direct answer to (a question) by being skillful or clever
• to ward off a weapon or blow
• to evade or turn aside something, especially by an adroit answer ("parried the question")

regal (adj)

• of, relating to, or suitable for a king
• of notable excellence or magnificence : splendid

elephantine (adj)

• very large like an elephant; massive ("he has an elephantine ego")
• not graceful : awkward or clumsy; ponderous ("elephantine verse")

mink (n)

• a small animal that has a thin body and soft, dark brown fur; soft fur or pelt of the mink varying in color from white to dark brown
• either of two slender-bodied semiaquatic carnivorous mammals (Mustela vison of North America and M. lutreola of Eurasia) of the weasel family that have partially webbed feet, a rather short bushy tail, and a soft thick coat
• the skin and fur of a mink used for making clothing

minx (n)

• a wanton woman; an attractive woman who usually causes trouble

incandescent (adj)

• white or glowing because of great heat; producing bright light when heated
• very impressive, successful, or intelligent; marked by brilliance especially of expression ("incandescent wit")
• strikingly bright, radiant, or clear
• characterized by glowing zeal : ardent ("incandescent affection")
• probably from French, from Latin "incandescent-, incandescens," present participle of "incandescere" - "to become hot", from in- + candescere - "to become hot", from candēre - "to glow"

tamale (n)

• a Mexican food that consists of seasoned ground meat or beans rolled in cornmeal, wrapped in a corn husk, and steamed
• town N Ghana pop 135,952

crestfallen (adj)

• very sad and disappointed
• having a drooping crest or hanging head
• feeling shame or humiliation : dejected

gingerly (adj)

• very cautiously or carefully ("she gave the cork on the bottle of champagne a gingerly twist")

toteboard (n)

• an electrically operated board (as at a racetrack) on which pertinent information (as betting odds and race results) is posted

cellophane (n)

• a thin transparent material that is used for wrapping things
• regenerated cellulose in thin transparent sheets used especially for packaging

el doraldo (n)

• a city or country of fabulous riches held by 16th century explorers to exist in South America. : a place of fabulous wealth or opportunity

miranda rights (n)

• 1) they have the right to remain silent;
• 2) any statements that they make may be used as evidence against them;
• 3) they have the right to an attorney; and
• 4)if they cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for them prior to any questioning, if they so desire
• under Miranda, unless those warnings are given, no evidence obtained during the interrogation may be used against the accused -- confessions and other information that a suspect provides to the law enforcement will not be admissible or usable in court unless the suspect has been made aware of his/her "Miranda rights"