Weeks 8-10 Vocabulary

by Meaghan Doyle

alkaloid any of numerous usually colorless, complex, and bitter organic bases
Anthropomtric measurement of the human individual for the purposes of understanding human physical variation
auricle an atrium of a heart
autodidact a self-taught person
bolus a rounded mass: as a : a large pill b : a soft mass of chewed food
bracken a large coarse fern
calamitous being, causing, or accompanied by a state of deep distress or misery caused by major misfortune or loss
calumny a misrepresentation intended to harm another’s reputation
capillaries any of the smallest blood vessels connecting arterioles with venules and forming networks throughout the body
coquettish a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men
corolla the part of a flower that consists of the separate or fused petals and constitutes the inner whorl of the perianth
cyclopean huge, massive
diuretic tending to increase the excretion of urine
divination the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers
ecchymosis the escape of blood into the tissues from ruptured blood vessels
epithelium a membranous cellular tissue that covers a free surface or lines a tube or cavity of an animal body and serves especially to enclose and protect the other parts of the body, to produce secretions and excretions, and to function in assimilation
esplanade a level open stretch of paved or grassy ground; especially : one designed for walking or driving along a shore
excrescences a projection or outgrowth especially when abnormal
festering to undergo or exist in a state of progressive deterioration
harangued to speak pompously or bombastically
hematomas a mass of usually clotted blood that forms in a tissue, organ, or body space as a result of a broken blood vessel
hypovolemia a state of decreased blood volume
impervious not capable of being affected or disturbed
louche not reputable or decent
neuropathies an abnormal and usually degenerative state of the nervous system or nerves
odontology study of dental applications in legal proceedings
pachucos a young Mexican-American having a taste for flashy clothes and a special jargon and usually belonging to a neighborhood gang
palatine of, relating to, or lying near the palate
pestilential giving rise to vexation or annoyance
portend indicate, signify
posole a thick soup chiefly of Mexico and the United States Southwest made with pork, hominy, garlic, and chili
presentiment a feeling that something will or is about to happen
proliferation to increase in number
putrefaction the decomposition of organic matter
resoundingly producing or characterized by resonant sound
rudimentary very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
stoic not affected by or showing passion or feeling
surreptitious acting or doing something clandestinely
unequivocal leaving no doubt
vehemently marked by forceful energy : powerful
ventriloquist one who provides entertainment by using ventriloquism to carry on an apparent conversation with a hand-manipulated dummy
verisimilitude depicting realism
vermillion a bright red pigment consisting of mercuric sulfide
virulent objectionably harsh or strong

Week 7: Vocabulary

by Meaghan Doyle

abated
to decrease in force or intensity

anarchic
lacking order, regularity, or definiteness

antagonism
opposition of a conflicting force, tendency, or principle

aversion
a feeling of repugnance toward something with a desire to avoid or turn from it

berserk
frenzied, crazed

cassocks
a close-fitting ankle-length garment worn especially in Roman Catholic and Anglican churches by the clergy and by laypersons assisting in services

chilango
Mexico, slang, from Mexico City. Often used derogatorily by those living outside the capital

colonia
neighborhoods in Mexican cities, which have no jurisdictional autonomy or representation

compadre
a close friend

craniocrebral
involving both cranium and brain

guaco
vine-like Central and South American, and West Indian climbing plants, reputed to have curative powers

hyoid
a U-shaped bone or complex of bones that is situated between the base of the tongue and the larynx and that supports the tongue, the larynx, and their muscles

insolent
insultingly contemptuous in speech or conduct

litany
a resonant or repetitive chant

macabre
having death as a subject

parochial
of or relating to a church parish

reprisals
a retaliatory act

sacristy
a room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept and where the clergy vests

scourge
a cause of wide or great affliction

tumefaction
an action or process of swelling or becoming tumorous

Week 6: Vocabulary

by Meaghan Doyle

I’ve also compiled an aggregated list of all the vocabulary words through week 6 (page 349).

agua fresca

a combination of either fruits, cereals, or seeds, and sugar and water, blended together to make a refreshing beverage

atrophied

decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue

au revoir

Goodbye till we meet again (french)

bucolic

relating to or typical of rural life

effigy

an image or representation especially of a person

effusively

marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm

faire l’amour

to make love, to have sex (french)

gesticulating

to make gestures especially when speaking

lethargy

abnormal drowsiness

masochist

a sexual perversion characterized by pleasure in being subjected to pain or humiliation

merci

thank you (french)

narcos

drug dealer

oneiric

of or relating to dreams

paean

a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute

polyglot

speaking or writing several languages : multilingual

reportage

writing intended to give an account of observed or documented events

sordid

marked by baseness or grossness : vile

surreptitiously

done, made, or acquired by stealth

tacitly

expressed or carried on without words or speech

voulez-vous coucher avec moi

Would you like to sleep with me (french)

zoetrope

a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures

Week 5: Vocabulary

by Meaghan Doyle

albinos

an organism exhibiting deficient pigmentation

amorphous

having no definite form : shapeless

archetypes

the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies

chaise

a long reclining chair

climacteric

critical, crucial

coyote

A person who smuggles immigrants into America and they come from any given country for a small fee to cross into the United States

flacking

providing publicity

garb

outward form

jig

black (usually offensive)

mesa

an isolated relatively flat-topped natural elevation usually more extensive than a butte and less extensive than a plateau

mestizos

a person of mixed blood; specifically : a person of mixed European and American Indian or native Mexican ancestry

mise-en-scene

the physical setting of an action

mongrel

an individual resulting from the interbreeding of diverse breeds or strains

Morphology

a branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of animals and plants

penitence

sorrow for sins or faults

pollero

A very hated and notorious person that smuggles Mexicans into the United States of America. Pollero literally means chicken herder

pulqueria

a place that serves Pulque, a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant

semblance

a phantasmal form : apparition

tramps

vagrant

tumult

disorderly agitation or milling about of a crowd usually with uproar and confusion of voices

Week 4: Vocabulary

by Meaghan Doyle

acacia
any of a large genus (Acacia) of leguminous shrubs and trees of warm regions with leaves pinnate or reduced to phyllodes and white or yellow flower clusters

aegis
protection

aquifers
a water-bearing stratum of permeable rock, sand, or gravel

Basque
a member of a people inhabiting the western Pyrenees on the Bay of Biscay

cacique
a native Indian chief in areas dominated primarily by a Spanish culture

candelillas
a shrubby spurge native to southwest Texas and Mexico, having densely clustered, erect, essentially leafless stems that yield the multipurpose Candelilla wax

catatonia
catatonic schizophrenia

chonchon
a mythical bird creature in Chilean folk myth

colocolo
a small striped cat native to the western central South America

cumulonimbus
cumulus cloud having a low base and often spread out in the shape of an anvil extending to great heights

desultory
marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose

doleful
full of grief

ecclesiastical
of or relating to a church especially as an established institution

eugenics
a science that deals with the improvement (as by control of human mating) of hereditary qualities of a race or breed

ex-votos
a votive candle offering

factotum
a general servant

ideologue
an impractical idealist

incubi
evil spirits that lie on persons in their sleep; especially : one that has sexual intercourse with women while they are sleeping

junta
a council or committee for political or governmental purposes; especially : a group of persons controlling a government especially after a revolutionary seizure of power

larch
any of a genus (Larix) of northern hemisphere trees of the pine family with short fascicled deciduous leaves

majolica
earthenware covered with an opaque tin glaze and decorated on the glaze before firing

malheureux
unhappy; miserable

mendicants
beggar

merendero
picnic spot

metawe
jar of 1 to 3 liters

mote con huesillos
a traditional Chilean summer-time drink consisting of a sweet liquid syrup made with dried peaches (huesillo) and mixed with fresh cooked husked wheat

nimbus
a luminous vapor, cloud, or atmosphere

occluded
closed up or blocked off

ocher
an earthy usually red or yellow and often impure iron ore used as a pigment

ontological
relating to or based upon being or existence

osteology
a branch of anatomy dealing with the bones

patina
a superficial covering or exterior

ranchera
Mexican folk song

succubi
demons assuming female form to have sexual intercourse with men in their sleep

unvanquished
undefeated

unwonted
being out of the ordinary : rare, unusual

Week 3: Vocabulary

by Meaghan Doyle

capricious
governed or characterized by caprice : impulsive, unpredictable

charreada
the original rodeo developed in Mexico based on the working practices of charros or working hands

Chicano
an American and especially a man or boy of Mexican descent

chilaquiles (photos)
a traditional Mexican dish of tortillas, salsa, eggs or chicken, cheese, sour cream, and refried beans

coquetry
a flirtatious act or attitude

corrido
a popular narrative song and poetry form, a ballad, of Mexico

Cuba Libres
is a highball made of Cola, lime, and white rum

epistolary
contained in or carried on by letters

flagellants
a person who scourges himself or herself as a public penance

grandiloquently
a lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language

lassitude
a condition of weariness or debility : fatigue

limpet
one that clings tenaciously to someone or something

lintel
a horizontal architectural member spanning and usually carrying the load above an opening

maquiladores
a foreign-owned factory in Mexico at which imported parts are assembled by lower-paid workers into products for export

mezcal
a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey or agave plant that is native to Mexico

munificent
characterized by great liberality or generosity

onomatpoeic
the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss)

orography
a branch of physical geography that deals with mountains

proscenium
the part of a modern stage in front of the curtain

serape
a colorful woolen shawl worn over the shoulders especially by Mexican men

socratic
of or relating to Socrates, his followers, or his philosophical method of systematic doubt and questioning of another to elicit a clear expression of a truth supposed to be knowable by all rational beings

solicitude
attentive care and protectiveness

virile
energetic, vigorous

Week 2: Vocabulary

by Meaghan Doyle

acolytes
one who attends or assists

aide memoire
an aid to the memory

basalt
a dark gray to black dense to fine-grained igneous rock that consists of basic plagioclase, augite, and usually magnetite

captious
calculated to confuse, entrap, or entangle in argument

concatenation
to link together in a series or chain

doublet
a man’s close-fitting jacket worn in Europe especially during the Renaissance

fait accompli
a thing accomplished and presumably irreversible

grappa
a dry colorless brandy distilled from fermented grape pomace

imbroglio
an intricate or complicated situation

interregnum
a period during which the normal functions of government or control are suspended

languor
listless indolence or inertia

Lilliputian
small, miniature

lycee
a French public secondary school that prepares students for the university

misanthropic
marked by a hatred or contempt for humankind

misogynistic
a hatred of women

osseous
bony

salient
standing out conspicuously : prominent; especially : of notable significance

symbiosis
a cooperative relationship (as between two persons or groups)

trattoria
restaurant; specifically : a usually small Italian restaurant

xenophobic
one unduly fearful of what is foreign and especially of people of foreign origin

Week 1: Vocabulary

by Meaghan Doyle

abstruse

difficult to comprehend

 

anodyne

not likely to offend or arouse tensions

 

ascetic

practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline

 

au pair

a usually young foreign person who cares for children and does domestic work for a family in return for room and board and the opportunity to learn the family’s language

 

charcuterie

dressed meats and meat dishes

 

cirrhosis

widespread disruption of normal liver structure by fibrosis and the formation of regenerative nodules

 

colophon

an identifying mark, emblem, or device used by a printer or a publisher

 

conflagration

fire; especially : a large disastrous fire

 

coprophagy

feeding on dung

creole

of or relating to Creoles or their language: a person of mixed French or Spanish and black descent speaking a dialect of French or Spanish

 

Dionysian

characteristic of Dionysus or the cult of worship of Dionysus; especially : being of a frenzied or orgiastic character

 

Eurylochus

second-in-command of Odysseus’ ship

 

flamenco

a vigorous rhythmic dance style of the Andalusian Gypsies; also : a dance in flamenco style

 

Fury

any of the avenging deities in Greek mythology who torment criminals and inflict plagues

 

garde du corps

bodyguard

 

gastronomic

the art or science of good eating

 

gaucho

a cowboy of the South American pampas

 

goulash

a stew made with meat (as beef), assorted vegetables, and paprika

 

Hecate

a Greek goddess associated especially with the underworld, night, and witchcraft

 

Huguenot

a member of the French Reformed communion especially of the 16th and 17th centuries

 

insularity

characteristic of an isolated people; especially : being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint

 

lacuna

a blank space or a missing part

 

licentious

lacking legal or moral restraints

 

macerated

to cause to become soft or separated into constituent elements by or as if by steeping in fluid

 

maestro

a master usually in an art

 

Mnemosyne

the Greek goddess of memory and mother of the Muses by Zeus

 

Nerval

was the nom-de-plume of the French poet, essayist and translator Gérard Labrunie

 

oblique

neither perpendicular nor parallel : inclined

 

oeuvre

a substantial body of work constituting the lifework of a writer, an artist, or a composer

 

omertà

conspiracy of silence

 

osmosis

a usually effortless often unconscious assimilation

 

 

 

 

pastoral

portraying or expressive of the life of shepherds or country people especially in an idealized and conventionalized manner

 

penultimate

next to the last

 

pergola

a structure usually consisting of parallel colonnades supporting an open roof of girders and cross rafters

 

petit comite

small group

 

peyote

a hallucinogenic drug containing mescaline that is derived from peyote buttons and used especially in the religious ceremonies of some American Indian peoples

 

phosphorescent

exhibiting phosphorescence : luminescence that is caused by the absorption of radiations

 

Promethean

daringly original or creative

 

prosody

the rhythmic and intonational aspect of language

 

purloined

to appropriate wrongfully and often by a breach of trust

 

quadrangle

a 4-sided enclosure especially when surrounded by buildings

 

redoubtable

causing fear or alarm : formidable

 

sardonic

disdainfully or skeptically humorous

 

scatology

interest in or treatment of obscene matters especially in literature

 

simulacrum

image, representation

 

solipsism

a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing

 

soporific

causing or tending to cause sleep

 

spleen

feelings of anger or ill will often suppressed

 

 

structuralism

psychology concerned especially with resolution of the mind into structural elements

 

thrall

a state of servitude or submission

 

transmuted

to change or alter in form, appearance, or nature and especially to a higher form

 

Ulysses

Odysseus : a king of Ithaca and Greek leader in the Trojan War who after the war wanders 10 years before reaching home

 

Zapatista

The Liberation Army of the South was an armed group formed and led by Emiliano Zapata which took part in the Mexican Revolution.




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