AP English: Perrine's Literature Diction

brier

a thorny stem or twig

vitality

an energetic style

staccato

separating the notes; in music

peril

serious and immediate danger

vigor

physical strength and good health

mirage

optical illusion that distorts or inverts objects in a distance

baronial

impressive in appearance

refectory

a communal dining-hall

borsch

a Russian or Polish soup usually containing beet juice as a foundation

amenities

desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place

imprudent

rash; not showing care for consequences of an action

droll

curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement

notion

an odd or fanciful or fickle idea

scruple

hesitate on moral grounds

providence

protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power

dingy

gloomy and dull

uncanny

strange or mysterious; especially in an unsettling way

precarious

not secure; beset with difficulties

barbarous

savagely cruel; exceedingly brutal

grotesque

comically or repulsively ugly or distorted figure, creature, or image

solicitous

full of anxiety and concern

sloop

a sailing vessel with a single mast set about one third of the boat's length aft of the bow

siesta

a nap in the early afternoon

futile

producing no result or effect

zealous

passionate

apprehensive

anxious

tangible

perceptible by touch

placid

not easily upset or excited

baying

shout loudly; typically to demand something

quid

british slang for pound

acacia

any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia

diplomat

a person who deals sensitively and effectively with others

enamelled

coat or decorate (a metallic or hard object) with enamel

eland

world's largest antelope

swale

a low area

impala

African antelope with ridged curved horns; moves with enormous leaps

indelibly

enduring; cannot be removed or forgotten

cartridge

a module designed to be inserted into a larger piece of equipment

hare

run quickly

shoddy

badly made or done

mutilated

destroy or injure severely

nuisance

causing inconvenience or annoyance

verbena

a purple plant

grim

depressing or worrying to consider

gait

a horse's manner of moving

elation

great happiness and exhilaration

bellowed

a deep loud roar; typically in pain or anger

wholly

entirely; fully

precipitation

raining

cuckoldry

man whose wife is sexually unfaithful

foliage

leafy part of tree or plant

inquest

an inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death

tottering

feeble or unsteady

pasture

plants grown for feeding of grazing animals

furtive

done in a quiet and secretive way to avoid being noticed

lye

a strong solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide

navel

the center point or middle of something

perspiration

process of sweating

stout

somewhat fat or of heavy build

ream

large quantity of something

doctrine

a belief accepted as authoritative by some group or school

collard

variety of kale having smooth leaves

chitlins

small intestines of pigs that are cooked and eaten

churn

agitate or turn (milk or cream) in a machine in order to produce butter

reckon

believe that something is true or possible

snuff

extinguish (a candle)

eiderdown

a soft quilt usually filled with the down of the eider

ermine

the expensive white fur of the ermine

abreast

alongside each other, facing in the same direction

resolute

firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination

mellow

soften

delinquents

showing a tendency to commit crime

thicket

dense group of bushes or trees

nary

colloquial for `not a' or `not one' or `never a'

cur

cowardly and despicable person

sic

urge to attack someone

steeple

church tower and spire

obstinate

persistly stubborn

boisterous

noisy, energetic, and cheerful; rowdy

reprimand

scold formally

jovial

cheerful and friendly

paraphernalia

equipment

duly

following proper procedure or arrangement

interminably

all the time; seemingly without stopping

bonny

very pleasing to the eye

pram

4 wheeled carriage for a baby

stealth

avoiding detection by moving carefully

steed

a spirited horse for state or war

writ

a legal document issued by a court or judicial officer

writhe

to move in a twisting or contorted motion,

overwrought

state of nervous excitement or anxiety

divulged

make known (private or sensitive information)

emancipated

free from traditional social restraints

quaint

attractively unusual or old-fashioned

trivet

stand used for hot pots to avoid damage on tables

platitude

a trite or obvious remark

prerogative

a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group

poignancy

evoke sense of sadness or regret

bigotry

the intolerance and prejudice

ingenuity

being clever, original, and incentive

depravity

moral corruption; wickedness

castigation

a severe scolding

querulous

complaining in a petulant or whining manner

spurious

false or fake

elucidate

make something clear; explain