Word P'rade

     I love words––the raw material from which we communicate. Words that hang over us. Words plucked or gathered, from here or there, and are then strung together, for special effects, for special times. Words that love or pinch or sing or trample or swing or fly. I love to pull apart words, like the papers of an onion, to find their beginnings, their middles, their ends. Assembled, they symbolize. Assembled, they have jobs, and jobs created just for the pleasure of reading.

agita\noun  1. heartburn; indigestion.  2. agitation, anxiety

appetence\noun  1. strong desire or instinct  2. craving

     aloof\adjective  1. uninvolved  2. standing off  3. keeping one's distance

     amplify\verb  1. to expand by use of detail, illustration, or by closer analysis

     apitherapy\noun  1. the practice of using bee venom and other products of the honey bee to treat and maintain
                                  health conditions.   

     apitherapist\noun  1. a practioner of apitherapy.

     besot\verb  1. to intoxicate with drink.  2. to make stupid or foolish; 3. to infatuate; obsess     

     bibliopegy\noun  1. the art of binding books

     buffoon\noun  1. ill-educated or stupid person 
    
     cantillate\verb  1. to sing low  2. to recite with improvised musical tones

     connoisseur\noun  1. an expert, especially if art or fashions

     canyon\noun  1. deep narrow valley with precipitous sides often with a stream flowing through it

     disconcert\verb  1. to throw into confusion 

     dogface\noun  1. soldier esp. infantryman

     emigrate\verb  1. to move to a new country or place  2. to expatriate

     enology\noun   1. a science that deals with wine and wine making

     ensanguine\verb  1. to make bloody  2. crimson

     euphoric\adjective  1. feeling of well being  2. elated

     evoke\verb  1. to call forth or up  2. to cite with approval or for support   3. to bring to mind

     

     flibbertigibbet\noun  1. a frivolous, flighty, or excessively talkative person

     floruit\noun  1. a period of flourishing (person, movement, or school)

     frivolous\adjective 1. of little importance  2. lacking in seriousness

     glyph\noun  1. symbolic figure or character carved in relief  2. symbol that conveys information nonverbally 

     gnar\verb   1. snarl   2. growl            

     

     grandiloquent\adjective  1. pompous  2. using big, fancy words in an attempt to sound impressive 

     grobian\noun  1. a rude or boorish person

     guile\noun  1. duplicity  2. artfulness  

     infinitesimal\adjective  1. immeasurably small

     irenic\adjective  1. conducive to or operating toward peace

     mediocre\adjective  1. of moderate or low quality  2. ordinary

     megalith\noun  1. large stone used in prehistoric monuments

     muddle\verb  1. to make muddy  2. to stupefy  3. to mix confusedly  4. to make a mess of
     
     mugwump\noun  1. an independent in politics

     nib\noun  1. the sharpened point of a quilled pen  2. a small pointed or projecting part

     noxious\adjective  1. harmful  2. offensive  

     oblation\noun  1. the act of making a religious offering  2. something offered in worship

     onerous\adjective  1. involving, imposing, or constituting a burden  2. burdensome

     plethora\noun  1. excessive quantity or fullness

     provender\noun  1. dry food for domestic animals  2. food

     quiddity\noun  1. a trifling point, a quibble  2. crotchet, eccentricity

     remuda\noun  1. the herd of horses from which those to be used for the day are chosen

     riposte\noun  1. a fencer's quick return thrust following a parry  2. retaliatory verbal sally
     
     ruminate\verb  1. to contemplate  2. to ponder  3. to mull over

     sally\noun  1. action of rushing or bursting forth  2. a witty or imaginative saying

     scrim\noun  1. a plain-woven fabric for use in clothing, curtains  2. a transparent or translucent theater drop

     sessile\adjective  1. attached directly by the base  2. permanently attached or established

     solecism\noun  1. ungrammatical combination of words in a sentence  2. something deviating from proper or    

                               accepted order   3. a breach of etiquette or decorum    solecistic\adjective

     serpentine\adjective  1. of or resembling a serpent   2. having a winding course   3. sinuous

     tawdry\adjective  1. cheap and gaudy in appearance and quality

     toehold\noun  1. a hold or place of support for the toes  

     undulate\verb  1. to move in a wavelike fashion   2. to ripple

     woodchat\noun  1. any of several Asiatic thrushes having brightly colored males; 2. European shrike