Glossary of Terms
accoutrements: accessories, usually for clothing
admonition: a mild reprimand; a warning
alder: a deciduous shrub or tree of the birch family, with toothed leaves, growing in a cool climate
ambivalence: the experience of opposite feelings, like love and hate, at the same time; not being committed to a point of view
asphyxiation: the causing of suffocation
bacchanal: a drunken party; carousing
billows: surges or swells of water
bracken: a growth of large, weed-like ferns
bunker: a protective space for fuel or weaponry, usually a part of an underground system
buoy: a floating object moored in the water to serve as a warning
castling: in the game of chess, moving the king two empty spaces to the one side or the other, and, in the same move, to move the rook to the space that the king has passed over; this move normally helps protect the king
coroner: a public officer who determines the possible cause or causes of death, when it does not appear to be due to natural causes
dura mater: the tough, fibrous, and outermost membrane covering the brain and spinal cord
elope: to run away and marry a lover in secret
emaciation: becoming too thin from starvation or disease
espaliered: when a tree or shrub is trained to grow flat against a trellis or wall
fishing gaff: a hook attached to a pole or rope, used to catch large fish
freighter: a ship or airplane carrying cargo or goods
frigate: a fast, medium-sized warship chiefly used for escort duty
gill-netting: a method of fishing that sets the net vertically down in the water so that the fish swim and are caught by their gills
gunnel: a family of small, elongated fish, found in waters off of northern coastlines
guttural: rasping; the kind of sound produced by the throat
haberdasher: a person whose work is selling men's accessories, such as hats, gloves, and neckties
happenstance: a chance; an accidental circumstance
hillock: a small hill
implacability: the impossibility of lessening or pacifying
jacklight: a light used in fishing or hunting to lure prey
karma: fate or destiny, usually the total effect of a person's conduct
kendo: the Japanese sport of stylized fencing (usually with bamboo swords)
kindling: bits of dry wood used to ignite a flame
larynx: the part of the respiratory tract containing the vocal cords
miasma: a poisonous vapor caused by the decomposition of plant and animal life in a swamp
minesweeper: a ship designed to detect and destroy explosive mines in the sea
moldering: disintegrating
mooring: (v) holding in place or securing with cables; (n) something to which a vessel is secured
mucus: a slimy, usually protective secretion from cells or glands
neurasthenia: a mental disorder marked by fatigue, anxiety, and localized pain, believed to be caused by an exhausted nervous system (no longer a category in scientific use)
perfunctory: done without care or concern
plaited: braided; interwoven
prejudice: a judgment or opinion (often unfavorable and unreasonable) that is formed before all of the relevant evidence is known
preternaturally: abnormally; supernaturally
proffering: (n) an offer or proposal; (v) offering
schooner: a sailing ship with two or more masts
seiner: a large fishing net hung in the water vertically with weights
sentient: conscious; having feelings
squall: a sudden, violent rainshower
starboard: the right side as one faces forward on a vessel
statuary: (adj) having a statue-like form; (n) a set of statues
stern: the rear of a boat
symbiotic: mutually intimate and interdependent
Teutonic: Germanic
wharf: a structure on a harbor for ships to tie to; a shore
yarrow: a strong-smelling herb with small flowers, which is sometimes brewed into tea
ClassicNote on Snow Falling on Cedars
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