THE PASSAGE Flashcards
Ruminate
verb 1. think deeply about something. "we sat ruminating on the nature of existence" Similar: think about contemplate consider give thought to give consideration to mull over meditate on muse on ponder on/over deliberate about/on cogitate about/on dwell on brood on/over agonize over worry about chew over puzzle over turn over in one's mind pore on 2. (of a ruminant) chew the cud. "goats ruminated nonchalantly around them"
Pennant
1.
a tapering flag on a ship, especially one flown at the masthead of a vessel in commission.
2.
NORTH AMERICAN
a flag denoting a sports championship or other achievement.
“the Dodgers won six pennants during his career”
Fender
NORTH AMERICAN
the mudguard or area around the wheel well of a vehicle.
2.
a plastic cylinder, tire, etc., hung over a ship’s side to protect it against impact.
Twat
(vulgar slang) The vulva. noun. (profanity) The term twat is a vulgar term used to refer to woman’s genitalia.
Wedge
a piece of wood, metal, or some other material having one thick end and tapering to a thin edge, that is driven between two objects or parts of an object to secure or separate them. Similar: tapered block chock door stop verb 1. fix in position using a wedge. "the door was wedged open" 2. force into a narrow space. "I wedged the bags into the back seat"
Tenure
noun 1. the conditions under which land or buildings are held or occupied. Similar: tenancy occupancy holding occupation residence possession title ownership proprietorship 2. the holding of an office. "his tenure of the premiership would be threatened" Similar: incumbency term of office term period of/in office time time in office verb give (someone) a permanent post, especially as a teacher or professor. "I had recently been tenured and then promoted to full professor"
Twerp
nounDEROGATORY•INFORMAL
a silly or annoying person.
Cartel
noun
an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition.
“the Colombian drug cartels”
HISTORICAL
a coalition or cooperative arrangement between political parties intended to promote a mutual interest.
Altiplano
the high tableland of central South America.
Slog
work hard over a period of time. "they were slogging away to meet a deadline" Similar: work hard toil labor work one's fingers to the bone work like a Trojan/dog work day and night exert oneself keep at it grind slave grub plow plod peg slog away plug put one's back into something work one's guts out work one's socks off knock oneself out sweat blood kill oneself graft fag bullock drudge travail moil vulgar slangwork one's balls/arse/nuts off work one's ass/butt off Opposite: skive take it easy 2. hit forcefully and typically wildly, especially in boxing. "the fighters were slogging away" noun 1. a spell of difficult, tiring work or travelling. "it would be a hard slog back to the camp" Similar: hard work toil toiling labor struggle effort exertion grind blood sweat and tears drudgery Herculean task elbow grease graft (hard) yakka travail moil trudge tramp traipse plod trek footslog traik trog yomp schlep Opposite: leisure relaxation 2. INFORMAL•BRITISH a forceful and uncontrolled hit, especially in cricket. "a slog hit the fielder on the helmet"
Key up
Make intense, excited, or nervous. For example, The excitement of the gallery opening has really keyed her up. This usage alludes to key in the sense of “wind up a spring-driven mechanism such as a clock.” [
Harebrain
adjective
rash; ill-judged.
“a harebrained scheme”
Étranger
Foreign
Viande
Meat
Engulf
verb (of a natural force) sweep over (something) so as to surround or cover it completely. "the cafe was engulfed in flames" Similar: inundate flood deluge immerse swamp wash out swallow up submerge bury envelop snow under overtake overwhelm overrun eat or swallow (something) whole. "the toad can engulf nestling birds"
Grenade
a small bomb thrown by hand or launched mechanically.
a glass receptacle containing chemicals which are released when the receptacle is thrown and broken, used for testing drains and extinguishing fires.
Evac
Acronym. Definition. EVAC. Evacuate/Evacuation/Evacuated.
Dank
disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold.
“huge dank caverns”
Shackle
noun plural noun: shackles 1. a pair of fetters connected together by a chain, used to fasten a prisoner's wrists or ankles together. Similar: chains fetters irons leg irons manacles handcuffs bonds tethers ropes restraints cuffs bracelets darbies gyves bilboes 2. a metal link, typically U-shaped, closed by a bolt, used to secure a chain or rope to something. verb 3rd person present: shackles chain with shackles. "the prisoner was shackled to the heavy steel chair in the center of the room"
Taut
adjective stretched or pulled tight; not slack. "the fabric stays taut without adhesive" Similar: tight tightly stretched stretched rigid stressed not slack not loose Opposite: slack loose (especially of muscles or nerves) tense; not relaxed. "my voice was taut with anger" Similar: flexed tensed tightened hard solid firm rigid stiff unyielding fraught strained stressed tense drawn drained sapped fatigued tired uptight Opposite: relaxed (of writing, music, etc.) concise and controlled. "a taut text of only a hundred and twenty pages"
Scrawny
(of a person or animal) unattractively thin and bony. "he had a scrawny physique and a protuberant Adam's apple" Similar: skinny thin thin as a rake skin-and-bones gaunt bony size-zero angular gawky scraggly rangy rawboned skeletal emaciated pinched lean slim slender lanky spindly gangly gangling spindle-shanked Opposite: plump fat (of vegetation) meager or stunted. "straggly trees and occasional tufts of scrawny grass"
Hunky-dory
adjectiveINFORMAL
fine; going well.
“everything is hunky-dory”
Iffy
adjectiveINFORMAL full of uncertainty; doubtful. "the prospect for classes resuming next Wednesday seems iffy" Similar: tentative undecided unsettled unsure unreliable unresolved in doubt in the balance up in the air Opposite: settled of doubtful quality or legality. "a good wine merchant will change the iffy bottles for sound ones"
Ipso facto
by that very fact or act.
“the enemy of one’s enemy may be ipso facto a friend”
Bluebonnet
noun
a blue-flowered lupine, especially common in Texas.
Hem
verb gerund or present participle: hemming 1. turn under and sew the edge of (a piece of cloth or clothing). "she began to hem a border" Similar: edge put a hem on border trim bind fringe 2. surround and restrict the space or movement of someone or something. "he was hemmed in by the tables"
Haw
hawed; hawing; haws
Definition of haw (Entry 4 of 5)
intransitive verb
1 : to utter the sound represented by haw
hemmed and hawed before answering
2 : EQUIVOCATE
the administration hemmed and hawed over the students’ demands
Queasy
nauseated; feeling sick. "in the morning he was still pale and queasy" Similar: nauseous nauseated bilious sick seasick carsick trainsick airsick travel-sick suffering from motion sickness ill unwell poorly bad out of sorts dizzy peaky liverish green around the gills off off colour sick to one's stomach funny peculiar rough lousy rotten awful terrible dreadful crummy crook peakish vulgar slangcrappy inducing a feeling of nausea. "the queasy swell of the boat" slightly nervous or worried about something.
Unalloyed
adjective (of metal) not alloyed; pure. "unalloyed copper" (chiefly of emotions) complete and unreserved. "unalloyed delight"
Cakewalk
1. INFORMAL an absurdly or surprisingly easy task. "winning the game won't be a cakewalk" 2. HISTORICAL a dancing contest among African Americans in which a cake was awarded as a prize. verb 1. INFORMAL achieve or win something easily. "he cakewalked to a 5-1 triumph" 2. walk or dance in the manner of a cakewalk. "a troupe of clowns cakewalked by"
Stonewall
delay or block (a request, process, or person) by refusing to answer questions or by giving evasive replies, especially in politics.
“the highest level of bureaucracy stonewalled us”
Shrapnel
noun
fragments of a bomb, shell, or other object thrown out by an explosion.
HISTORICAL
a shell containing bullets or pieces of metal timed to burst short of impact.
Ordnance
1. mounted guns; artillery. "the gun was a brand new piece of ordnance" Similar: guns cannon artillery weapons arms munitions military supplies materiel
2.
a branch of the armed forces dealing with the supply and storage of weapons, ammunition, and related equipment.
“the ordnance corps”
Chasten
verb (of a rebuke or misfortune) have a restraining or moderating effect on. "the director was somewhat chastened by his recent flops" Similar: subdue humble cow squash deflate flatten bring down bring low take down a peg or two humiliate mortify restrain tame curb check cut down to size put down put someone in their place settle someone's hash ARCHAIC (especially of God) discipline; punish.
Concordance
noun
1.
an alphabetical list of the words (especially the important ones) present in a text, usually with citations of the passages in which they are found.
“a concordance to the Bible”
2.
FORMAL
agreement or consistency.
“the concordance between the teams’ research results”
verb
make a concordance of (a text).
“his works are extremely well-known and have been concordanced”
Roil
verb 1. LITERARY make (a liquid) turbid or muddy by disturbing the sediment. "winds roil these waters" 2. US make (someone) annoyed or irritated.
Crèche
noun
1.
NORTH AMERICAN
a model or tableau representing the scene of Jesus Christ’s birth, displayed in homes or public places at Christmas.
2.
BRITISH
a nursery where babies and young children are cared for during the working day.
Stubble
noun
the cut stalks of grain plants left sticking out of the ground after the grain is harvested.
Similar:
stalks
straw
short, stiff hairs growing on a part of the body that has not been shaved for a while, especially on a man’s face
Hurtle
verb
move or cause to move at a great speed, typically in a wildly uncontrolled manner.
“a runaway car hurtled toward them”
Frond
noun
the leaf or leaflike part of a palm, fern, or similar plant.
“fronds of bracken”
Drab
adjective 1. lacking brightness or interest; drearily dull. "the landscape was drab and gray" Similar: colorless gray grayish dull dull-colored washed out neutral pale muted lackluster lusterless muddy watery lightish brown brownish brownish-gray mousy dun-colored dingy dreary dismal cheerless gloomy somber depressing uninteresting boring tedious monotonous dry wearisome unexciting bland nonstimulating unimaginative uninspiring uninspired insipid vapid flat stale trite vacuous feeble pallid wishy-washy limp lame tired lifeless zestless spiritless sterile anemic barren tame bloodless antiseptic middle-of-the-road run-of-the-mill commonplace mediocre nondescript characterless mundane unexceptional unremarkable humdrum prosaic Opposite: bright cheerful interesting 2. of a dull light brown color. "drab camouflage uniforms" noun fabric of a dull brownish color.
Le cerf-volant
The kite
Déçu
Disappointed
L’année prochaine
The next year
Frazzled
adjectiveINFORMAL
1.
showing the effects of exhaustion or strain.
“a long line of screaming children and frazzled parents”
2.
BRITISH
damaged by burning or exposure to heat.
“a leave-in conditioner for repairing frazzled hair”
Elusive
difficult to find, catch, or achieve. "success will become ever more elusive" Similar: difficult to catch/find difficult to track down evasive slippery shifty always on the move cagey difficult to remember or recall. "the elusive thought he had had moments before"
Oo
Frond
noun
the leaf or leaflike part of a palm, fern, or similar plant.
“fronds of bracken”
Dollop
nounINFORMAL a shapeless mass or blob of something, especially soft food. "great dollops of cream" Similar: blob glob lump clump ball mound gobbet gob wodge verb add (a shapeless mass or blob of something) casually and without measuring. "Chekov stopped him from dolloping sugar into his coffee"
Rustle
verb 1. make a soft, muffled crackling sound like that caused by the movement of dry leaves or paper. "she came closer, her skirt swaying and rustling" Similar: swish swishing whisper whispering rustling susurration susurrus sigh whoosh fissle susurrate 2. round up and steal (cattle, horses, or sheep). "a murdered rancher whose cattle were being rustled"
Tumescent
adjective
1.
swollen or becoming swollen, especially as a response to sexual arousal.
2.
(especially of language or literary style) pompous or pretentious.
“his prose is tumescent, full of orotund language”
Unsling
verb
past tense: unslung; past participle: unslung
remove (something) from the place where it has been slung or suspended.
“Grant unslung the shotgun from around his neck”
Sludge
noun thick, soft, wet mud or a similar viscous mixture of liquid and solid components, especially the product of an industrial or refining process. Similar: mud muck mire ooze silt alluvium dirt slime slush slurry sediment lees dregs deposit grounds settlings precipitate residue clag clart slob gunk crud gloop grunge gook goo gunge grot guck glop grouts dirty oil, especially in the sump of an internal combustion engine. sea ice newly formed in small pieces.
Sodden
adjective saturated with liquid, especially water; soaked through. "his clothes were sodden" Similar: soaking soaking wet soaked soaked through wet through saturated drenched sopping (wet) dripping (wet) wringing (wet) streaming waterlogged soggy boggy swampy miry fenny oozy marshy heavy squelchy soft quaggy Opposite: dry arid verbARCHAIC saturate (something) with water. "the rains have soddened the earth"
Levitate
verb
rise or cause to rise and hover in the air, especially by means of supernatural or magical power.
“he was focused on levitating the backpack”
Pompiers
Firefighters
Stilt
noun
plural noun: stilts
1.
either of a pair of upright poles with supports for the feet enabling the user to walk at a distance above the ground.
2.
a long-billed wading bird with predominantly black and white plumage and long slender reddish legs.
Clunk
noun
1.
a heavy, dull sound such as that made by thick pieces of metal striking together.
“there was a clunk as the receiver went down”
2.
INFORMAL•US
a stupid or foolish person.
“don’t let her see what a clunk I’m married to”
verb
move with or make heavy, dull sounds.
“the machinery clunked into life”
Swish
verb 1. move with a hissing or rushing sound. "a car swished by" 2. BASKETBALL sink (a shot) without the ball touching the backboard or rim. noun 1. a hissing or rustling sound. "he could hear the swish of a distant car" 2. INFORMAL•BASKETBALL a shot that goes through the basket without touching the backboard or rim. adjectiveINFORMAL 1. BRITISH impressively smart and fashionable. "dinner at a swish hotel"
Drench
verb past tense: drenched; past participle: drenched 1. wet thoroughly; soak. "I fell in the stream and got drenched" Similar: soak saturate wet through wet thoroughly permeate drown swamp submerge inundate flood douse souse swill down sluice down slosh steep bathe rinse wash Opposite: dry 2. forcibly administer a drug in liquid form orally to (an animal). "three-times-a-year drenching for calves"
Tepid
adjective 1. (especially of a liquid) only slightly warm; lukewarm. "she soaked a flannel in the tepid water" Similar: lukewarm warmish slightly warm at room temperature chambré Opposite: hot cold 2. showing little enthusiasm. "the applause was tepid"
Creak
verb 1. (of an object or structure, typically a wooden one) make a harsh, high-pitched sound when being moved or when pressure or weight is applied. "the stairs creaked as she went up them" Similar: squeak groan grate screech squeal grind jar rasp rub scrape complain 2. show weakness or frailty under strain. "stock prices creaked to a mixed finish today" noun a harsh scraping or squeaking sound. "the creak of a floorboard broke the silence"
Rind
noun the tough outer skin of certain fruit, especially citrus fruit. "decorate with fine shreds of orange rind" Similar: skin peel covering zest hull pod shell husk crust shuck capsule outer layer bark hide epicarp pericarp exocarp integument verb strip the bark from (a tree). "when the meat ran out they had to rind trees and chew the inner bark for nourishment"
Spironolactone
Spironolactone, sold under the brand name Aldactone among others, is a medication that is primarily used to treat fluid build-up due to heart failure, liver scarring, or kidney disease. Wikipedia
Trudge
verb walk slowly and with heavy steps, typically because of exhaustion or harsh conditions. "I trudged up the stairs" Similar: plod tramp drag oneself walk heavily walk slowly plow slog footslog toil trek clump clomp lumber sprauchle traik traipse galumph yomp trog Opposite: skip trip noun a difficult or laborious walk. "he began the long trudge back"
Barracks
noun a building or group of buildings used to house soldiers. "the troops were ordered back to barracks" Similar: garrison camp encampment depot billet quarters fort cantonment guardhouse cuartel stone frigate lobster box casern a building or group of buildings used to house a specific group of people, such as laborers or prisoners, in austere conditions. "factory owners were usually responsible for the housing of their workers, providing barracks nearby"
Douse
verb 1. pour a liquid over; drench. "he doused the car with gasoline and set it on fire" Similar: drench soak souse saturate drown flood inundate deluge wet splash slosh hose down 2. extinguish (a fire or light). "stewards appeared and the fire was doused"
Incinerate
verb
destroy (something, especially waste material) by burning.
“such garbage must be incinerated at the hospital”
Diddly squat
pronounINFORMAL
anything.
“she didn’t care diddly-squat about what Darryl thought”
Luau
noun
a Hawaiian party or feast, especially one accompanied by entertainment.
“the hotel’s nightly luau has been moved indoors
Buy-in
noun: buyin
1.
a purchase of shares by a broker after a seller has failed to deliver similar shares, the original seller being charged any difference in cost.
2.
a purchase of shares in a company by managers who are not employed by it.
Fiasco
a thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way.
“his plans turned into a fiasco”
Smarmy
adjectiveINFORMAL
ingratiating and wheedling in a way that is perceived as insincere or excessive.
“a smarmy, unctuous reply”
Lie
verb past participle: lain 1. (of a person or animal) be in or assume a horizontal or resting position on a supporting surface. "the man lay face downward on the grass" Similar: recline lie down lie back be recumbent be prostrate be supine be prone be stretched out stretch oneself out lean back sprawl rest repose relax lounge loll bask Opposite: stand 2. be, remain, or be kept in a specified state. "the church lies in ruins today"
Cutup
adjective adjective: cutup 1. divided into pieces by cutting. "cut-up vegetables" 2. INFORMAL (of a person) very distressed. "my parents are getting a divorce and I'm a bit cut up about it" Similar: upset distressed miserable unhappy sad troubled dismayed saddened grieved hurt devastated traumatized in a state in a bad way Opposite: unaffected phlegmatic noun noun: cutup 1. a film or sound recording made by cutting and editing material from preexisting recordings. "the band use old movie and televangelist cut ups and rap-influenced vocals" 2. INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN a person who is fond of making jokes or playing pranks. "she insists she was “never a class cut-up”, but her sister was always pretty funny"
Castrato
nounHISTORICAL
plural noun: castrati
a male singer castrated in boyhood so as to retain a soprano or alto voice. The practice of castration was banned in 1903.
Glowstick
glow stick Learn to pronounce noun noun: glowstick a novelty item consisting of a plastic tube containing two chemicals which combine when the tube is bent, so producing a luminescent glow.
Stasis
nounFORMAL•TECHNICAL 1. a period or state of inactivity or equilibrium. "long periods of stasis" 2. civil strife.
Straddle
verb
sit or stand with one leg on either side of.
“he turned the chair around and straddled it”
Similar:
sit/stand astride
bestride
bestraddle
mount
get on
noun
1.
an act of sitting or standing with one’s legs wide apart.
“a sideways-on stance such as a straddle”
2.
STOCK MARKET
a simultaneous purchase of options to buy and to sell a security or commodity at a fixed price, allowing the purchaser to make a profit whether the price of the security or commodity goes up or down.
Moot
adjective 1. subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty. "whether they had been successful or not was a moot point" Similar: debatable open to debate open to discussion arguable questionable at issue open to question open doubtful open to doubt disputable contestable controvertible problematic problematical controversial contentious vexed disputed unresolved unsettled up in the air undecided yet to be decided undetermined unconcluded 2. having little or no practical relevance, typically because the subject is too uncertain to allow a decision. "the whole matter is becoming increasingly moot" verb raise (a question or topic) for discussion; suggest (an idea or possibility). "Sylvia needed a vacation, and a trip to Ireland had been mooted"
Ricochet
verb
(of a bullet, shell, or other projectile) rebound one or more times off a surface.
“a bullet ricocheted off a nearby wall”
noun
a shot or hit that rebounds one or more times off a surface.
“she was hit by a ricochet in the leg”
Tarmac
nounTRADEMARK IN UK
material used for surfacing roads or other outdoor areas, consisting of crushed rock mixed with tar.
“the tarmac path”
a runway or other area surfaced with tarmac.
noun: the tarmac
Pucker
verb
gerund or present participle: puckering
(especially with reference to a person’s face) tightly gather or contract into wrinkles or small folds.
“the baby stirred, puckering up its tiny face”
Forklift
noun
a vehicle with a pronged device in front for lifting and carrying heavy loads.
verb
lift and carry (a heavy load) with a forklift.
“blocks of compacted garbage being forklifted onto a trailer”
Camo
nounINFORMAL
short for camouflage.
“a camo jacket
Gingerly
adverb in a careful or cautious manner. "Jackson sat down very gingerly" Similar: cautiously carefully with caution with care circumspectly delicately warily charily guardedly prudently judiciously on one's guard on the alert on the lookout on the qui vive suspiciously attentively heedfully watchfully vigilantly observantly alertly cannily hesitantly timidly timorously Opposite: carelessly recklessly adjective showing great care or caution. "with strangers the preliminaries are taken at a gingerly pace"
Parka
noun
a large windproof jacket with a hood, designed to be worn in cold weather.
“he pulled on his fur-lined parka, ready to brave the elements”
a hooded jacket made of animal skin, worn by the Inuit.
Hangar
noun
noun: hangar; plural noun: hangars
a large building with an extensive floor area, typically for housing aircraft.
verb
verb: hangar; 3rd person present: hangars; past tense: hangared; past participle: hangared; gerund or present participle: hangaring
place or store in a hangar.
“the army choppers that were hangared out at Springs”
Whir
verb
(especially of a machine or a bird’s wings) make a low, continuous, regular sound.
“the ceiling fans whirred in the smoky air”
noun
a low, continuous, regular sound.
“the whir of the projector”
Pit stop
MOTORSPORTS
a stop in the pits for servicing and refueling, especially during a race.
INFORMAL
a brief rest, especially during a journey.
Reckon
1. establish by counting or calculation; calculate. "his debts were reckoned at $300,000" Similar: calculate compute work out put a figure on figure number quantify count (up) add up total tally tot up 2. consider or regard in a specified way. "the event was reckoned a failure"
Pine-Sol
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishPine-sol /ˈpaɪnsɒl $ -sɔːl/ trademark a type of liquid household cleaner (=chemical mixture used for cleaning the kitchen, bathroom etc) sold in the US, which has a pine smell.
Snicker
verb
give a half-suppressed, typically scornful laugh.
“he could imagine them snickering as he passed”
Similar:
snigger
sneer
smirk
simper
titter
giggle
chortle
noun
a half-suppressed, typically scornful laugh.
“he could not evoke a snicker with his jokes”
Tackle
noun 1. the equipment required for a task or sport. "fishing tackle" Similar: gear equipment apparatus outfit kit rig hardware tools implements instruments accoutrements paraphernalia trappings contrivances appurtenances utensils things stuff clobber bits and pieces equipage 2. a mechanism consisting of ropes, pulley blocks, hooks, or other things for lifting heavy objects. Similar: system of pulleys hoisting gear pulley hoist block and tackle crane winch davit windlass sheave verb make determined efforts to deal with (a problem or difficult task). "police have launched an initiative to tackle rising crime"
Dreary
adjective
dull, bleak, and lifeless; depressing.
“the dreary routine of working, eating, and trying to sleep”
Guzzler
nounINFORMAL
a person who eats or drinks something greedily.
“he is a noted soft drink guzzler”
Unmanned 
adjective
not having or needing a crew or staff.
“an unmanned space flight”
Girth
1. the measurement around the middle of something, especially a person's waist. "idle men of great girth" Similar: circumference width perimeter size bulk measure 2. a band attached to a saddle, used to secure it on a horse by being fastened around its belly. Similar: cinch
verbARCHAIC
surround; encircle.
“the four seas that girth Britain”
Floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.
Sodden
adjective saturated with liquid, especially water; soaked through. "his clothes were sodden" Similar: soaking soaking wet soaked soaked through wet through saturated drenched sopping (wet) dripping (wet) wringing (wet) streaming waterlogged soggy boggy swampy miry fenny oozy marshy heavy squelchy soft quaggy Opposite: dry arid verbARCHAIC saturate (something) with water. "the rains have soddened the earth"
Gorge
noun 1. a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it. Similar: ravine canyon gully pass defile couloir deep narrow valley chasm abyss gulf chine bunny clough gill thrutch cleuch heugh gulch coulee flume arroyo barranca quebrada nullah khud sloot kloof donga kho
2.
ARCHAIC
the throat.
verb
eat a large amount greedily; fill oneself with food.
“the river comes alive during March when fish gorge on caddisworms”
Excavate
verb 1. make (a hole or channel) by digging. "the cheapest way of doing this was to excavate a long trench" Similar: dig dig out hollow out scoop out gouge cut out bore burrow tunnel sink quarry mine 2. remove earth carefully and systematically from (an area) in order to find buried remains. "the site was excavated in 1975"
Twitch
verb 1. give or cause to give a short, sudden jerking or convulsive movement. "the dog twitched his ears" Similar: jerk spasm convulse flutter quiver tremble shiver quaver shudder 2. apply a sudden pull or jerk to (a horse). noun 1. a short, sudden jerking or convulsive movement. "his mouth gave a slight twitch" Similar: spasm convulsive movement convulsion jerk flutter quiver tremor shiver shudder tic 2. a stick with a small noose attached to one end. The noose may be twisted around the upper lip or the ear of a horse to subdue it, especially during veterinary procedures.
Catatonic
adjective
PSYCHIATRY
relating to or characterized by catatonia.
“catatonic schizophrenia”
INFORMAL
of or in an immobile or unresponsive stupor.
Stagy
adjective
excessively theatrical; exaggerated.
“a stagy melodramatic voice”
Predawn
adjective
relating to or taking place before dawn.
“the predawn light was just beginning to show through”
Muzzle
1. the projecting part of the face, including the nose and mouth, of an animal such as a dog or horse. "she patted the horse's velvety muzzle" Similar: snout nose mouth jaws maw 2. the open end of the barrel of a firearm. "Devlin jammed the muzzle of the gun into the man's neck" verb put a muzzle on (an animal). "the dog should have been muzzled"
Imperious
1a : marked by arrogant assurance : domineering. b : befitting or characteristic of one of eminent rank or attainments : commanding, dominant an imperious manner. 2 : intensely compelling : urgent the imperious problems of the new age— J. F. Kennedy.
Duffel bag
noun
noun: duffle bag
a cylindrical canvas bag closed by a drawstring and carried over the shoulder.
Semi
nounINFORMAL plural noun: semis 1. NORTH AMERICAN a tractor-trailer. "she pulled into the path of a semi"
2.
a semifinal.
“they defeated them in the semi”
Nimble
adjective quick and light in movement or action; agile. "with a deft motion of her nimble fingers" Similar: agile lithe sprightly acrobatic light-footed nimble-footed light light on one's feet fleet-footed spry lively active quick quick-moving graceful supple limber lissom flexible skillful deft dexterous adroit nippy zippy twinkle-toed fleet lightsome Opposite: stiff clumsy lumbering (of the mind) quick to comprehend. "she is well-read and intellectually nimble"
Rouse
verb 1. bring out of sleep; awaken. "she was roused from a deep sleep by a hand on her shoulder" Similar: wake wake up awaken waken arouse call get up give someone a shout knock up 2. cause to feel angry or excited. "the crowds were roused to fever pitch by the drama of the race"
Gully
noun a ravine formed by the action of water. Similar: ravine canyon gorge pass defile couloir deep narrow valley gulf chasm abyss chine bunny clough gill thrutch cleuch heugh gulch coulee flume sloot kloof donga
verb
(of water) make gullies or deep channels in (land).
“the track was gulleyed by rain”
Rut
1. a long deep track made by the repeated passage of the wheels of vehicles. "a stretch of road made impassable by ruts, holes, or waterlogging" Similar: wheel track furrow groove track trough ditch trench gutter gouge crack hollow hole pothole cavity crater 2. a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change. "the administration was stuck in a rut and was losing its direction"
Sallow
(of a person’s face or complexion) of an unhealthy yellow or pale brown color.
“his skin was sallow and pitted”
Antechamber
a small room leading to a main one.
“the antechamber to an interview room”
Teem
be full of or swarming with.
“every garden is teeming with wildlife”
Marquee
NORTH AMERICAN
a canopy projecting over the entrance to a theater, hotel, or other building.
2.
BRITISH
a large tent used for social or commercial functions.
Staleness 
the quality of being no longer new or fresh, usually as a result of being kept for too long:
Employees had to remove any food they suspected of staleness from the shelves.
She smelt the staleness of alcohol on his breath.
Twirly
with turns or curls:
a twirly moustache
twirly writing
Contraption
noun
a machine or device that appears strange or unnecessarily complicated, and often badly made or unsafe.
“repairing stereos and making contraptions out of spare electronic bits”
Spatter
cover with drops or spots of something.
“passing vehicles spattered his shoes and pants with mud”
noun
a spray or splash of something.
“she stood clear of the spatter of water that came off the steps”
Carousel
noun
1.
NORTH AMERICAN
a merry-go-round.
2.
a rotating machine or device, in particular a conveyor system at an airport from which arriving passengers collect their luggage.
“they were waiting for their luggage to appear on the carousel at Heathrow airport”
Lippizaner
a horse of a fine white breed used especially in displays of dressage.
Prance
intransitive verb
1 : to spring from the hind legs or move by so doing
2 : to ride on a prancing horse
3 : to walk or move in a spirited manner : STRUT
also : to dance about
Syncopation
syncopation, in music, the displacement of regular accents associated with given metrical patterns, resulting in a disruption of the listener’s expectations and the arousal of a desire for the reestablishment of metric normality; hence the characteristic “forward drive” of highly syncopated music.
Backbeat
a strong accent on one of the normally unaccented beats of the bar, used especially in jazz and popular music.
“the song incorporates an exhilarating backbeat”
Farmhand
noun
a worker on a farm.
Sleek
adjective (of hair, fur, or skin) smooth and glossy. "he was tall, with sleek, dark hair" Similar: smooth glossy shiny shining gleaming lustrous silken silky satiny velvety sheeny well brushed polished burnished Opposite: dull rough verb make (the hair) smooth and glossy, typically by applying pressure or moisture to it. "her black hair was sleeked down"
Whatnot
any of various other things that might also be mentioned
paper clips, pins, and whatnot
whatnot noun
Definition of whatnot (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : a nondescript person or thing
2 : a light open set of shelves for bric-a-brac
Voracious
adjective wanting or devouring great quantities of food. "he had a voracious appetite" Similar: insatiable unquenchable unappeasable prodigious uncontrollable uncontrolled omnivorous compulsive gluttonous greedy rapacious enthusiastic eager keen avid desirous craving hungry ravenous ravening wolfish piggish hoggish swinish gutsy gannet-like insatiate edacious esurient having a very eager approach to an activity. "his voracious reading of literature"
Heureusement
Fortunately
Heureusement,  nous sommes restés amis. 
Fortunately we stayed friends
Célibataire
Single
