Misc. 8

Question 1

abase

Answer 1

to behave in a way so as to belittle or degrade

Question 2

euphony

Answer 2

pleasing or sweet sound, esp. as formed by a harmonious use of words

Question 3

diurnal

Answer 3

of or during the day

Question 4

dither

Answer 4

to be indecisive

Question 5

supernal

Answer 5

of or relating to the sky or the heavens; celestial; of exceptional quality or extent (the “supernal poet of our age; supernal erudition”)

Question 6

abscond

Answer 6

to depart suddenly and secretively

Question 7

prebend

Answer 7

a stipend furnished by a cathedral or collegiate church to a clergyman (as a canon) in its chapter

Question 8

expedient

Answer 8

convenient and practical, although possibly improper or immoral

Question 9

adumbrate

Answer 9

to report or represent in outline form, giving a vague idea of something; 2) to foreshadow vaguely, to intimate; 3.) to overshadow or to obscure

Question 10

prevaricate

Answer 10

to speak or act in an evasive way

Question 11

pusillanimous

Answer 11

cowardly, timid; showing a lack of determination

Question 12

abscission

Answer 12

the act or process of cutting off; removal

Question 13

seraphic

Answer 13

like an angel; serene; spiritually carried off or transported (a seraph is a celestial being having three pairs of wings)

Question 14

sinecure

Answer 14

a position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit

Question 15

contumacious

Answer 15

rebellious, stubbornly disobedient

Question 16

turgid

Answer 16

swollen or distended or congested; (of language or style) tediously pompous or bombastic

Question 17

stonk

Answer 17

(n. or v.) n.: a concentrated artillery bombardment; v.: to bombard with concentrated artillery fire

Question 18

afflatus

Answer 18

a divine creative impulse or inspiration

Question 19

truculent

Answer 19

cruel, savage, belligerent

Question 20

coda

Answer 20

the concluding passage of a piece or movement, typically forming an addition to the basic structure

Question 21

upbraid

Answer 21

to find fault with, criticize, or scold severely

Question 22

exigent

Answer 22

pressing, demanding; requiring immediate attention

Question 23

gambol

Answer 23

to frolic, skip or leap playfully

Question 24

forestall

Answer 24

to prevent or obstruct by taking action ahead of time

Question 25

endemic

Answer 25

(of a disease or condition) regularly found among particular people or in a certain area

Question 26

demur

Answer 26

to raise doubts or objections; to show reluctance

Question 27

glower

Answer 27

to stare in an angry, sullen way

Question 28

hieratic

Answer 28

1. highly stylized or formal; 2. constituting or belonging to a cursive form of ancient Egyptian writing simpler than the hieroglyphic; 3. sacerdotal (of or relating to the priesthood / sacred officials or offices)

Question 29

concomitant

Answer 29

happening at the same time as something else; a condition that is associated with some other condition

Question 30

obviate

Answer 30

to remove (a need or difficulty); to avoid or prevent.

“The Venetian blinds obviated the need for curtains.”

“… measures taken to obviate the risk of flooding.”

Question 31

facture

Answer 31

the quality of the execution of a painting; an artist’s characteristic handling of the paint: “Manet’s sensuous facture”

Question 32

effulgence

Answer 32

radiant splendor

Question 33

nescience

Answer 33

1. lack of knowledge; ignorance.

2. agnosticism.

Question 34

chatoyant

Answer 34

adjective [shuh-toi-uh nt]
1. changing in luster or color: chatoyant silk.
2. Jewelry. reflecting a single streak of light when cut in a cabochon.
Chatoyant came to English from a special use of the present participle of the French verb chantoyer “to change luster like a cat’s eye.”

Question 35

crepuscular ray

Answer 35

a twilight ray of sunlight shining through breaks in high clouds and illuminating dust particles in the air.

Question 36

petrichor

Answer 36

the distinct scent of rain in the air. Or, to be more precise, it’s the name of an oil that’s released from the earth into the air before rain begins to fall.
A pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.
‘other than the petrichor emanating from the rapidly drying grass, there was not a trace of evidence that it had rained at all’
The word is constructed from Greek petra, meaning “stone”, and īchōr, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology.

Question 37

sastruga

Answer 37

(sastrugi in the plural form) means “ridges of snow formed on a snowfield by the action of the wind.” It’s beautiful in an open field, and a differently kind of awe inspiring in a parking lot you’re supposed to plow.

Question 38

aginner

Answer 38

1. Informal. a person who opposes a plan, proposed legislation, or any drastic change: He won the election by appealing to the aginners.

Question 39

brachiate

Answer 39

to progress by swinging from hold to hold by the arms

Question 40

fanfaronade

Answer 40

noun [fan-fer-uh-neyd]

bragging; bravado; bluster.