adjudicate
to settle as a judge
adriot
skillful under pressure
adumbrate
to disclose partially; to obscure
alder
a type of tree
Andante
a relatively slow part of a piece of music
anodyne
something soothing
antimacassar
a cover for a chair or sofa
apposite
relevant
asceticism
extreme self-denial
asperity
severity
balustrade
a railing with posts
banns
marriage announcement
brougham
closed carriage
bunkum
empty talk
cant
hypocritical language
celandine
an herb with yellow flowers
charnel-house
a place for the dead
charwoman
a woman hired to clean
chiffonier
a tall and thin chest of drawers
claret
a kind of red wine from Bordeaux
conclave
a meeting, often of family members
consternation
paralyzing dismay
contretemps
unforeseen disruption
coppice
a grove of small trees
cur
coward
daughtier
braver
denizen
inhabitant
descant
to comment extensively
disquietude
anxiety
draper
one who sells clothing or dry goods
dyspeptic
having disturbed digestion or a gloomy disposition
ferrule
a metal ring placed around a pole in order to reinforce it
gamboge
of reddish-yellow color
golliwog
a doll made to look like a caricature of an African-American male
gorse
a kind of shrub with yellow flowers
greengage
a type of plum
guelder-rose
a plant with white flowers and a red fruit
hansom
a covered carriage with two wheels
haycock
a British term meaning a mound of hay
hoarfrost
a kind of white frost
hump
British term meaning a feeling of depression
idee fixe
French term meaning a fixed idea
insolvency
the state of being bankrupt
insular
isolated
lees
sediment
lump
tolerate
lych-gate
a churchyard gateway with a roof
majolica
elaborate earthenware often produced in Italy
mater
a term for "mother" used by the British
maunder
to talk aimlessly
mawkish
absurdly sentimental
Mercia
a kingdom in England dating back to the Anglo-Saxon reign
mews
a group of residential apartments that once were private stables
milksop
a man with no bravery
morass
an area of low soggy ground
nettled
annoyed
obdurate
stubborn
offscouring
an outcast
orris-root
a root, usually of the Iris, that is very fragrant
parapet
a low protective wall
pater
British term for father
perambulator
a baby carriage
percolate
to pass through
persiflage
banter
petulance
irritability
pince-nez
eyeglasses worn on the bridge of the nose
plinth
base or platform
pollard
to cut back tree branches
poste restante
a situation where letters are kept at the post office until the recipient comes to fetch them rather than being delivered straight to a private address
prevaricate
to evade the truth
quixotic
impulsive
rancour
British spelling of rancor, meaning deep resentment
repartee
witty conversation
repine
to complain
reticent
reserved, unwilling
reticule
a purse
rotter
British term for scoundrel
rum
British term for strange or odd
scurf
a loose crust
scythe
to cut using a long blade used for mowing
sedulous
trying relentlessly
serried
put together in rows
sine qua non
Latin term meaning an essential element
spate
a sudden outpouring
sultana
a type of green seedless grape
superannuate
to regard as old fashioned
termini
plural of terminus, meaning an end point on a transportation line
Teutonic
German
thane
lord or baron
thew
virtue
treacle
British term for molasses
trenchant
clear-cut
trundle
to push forward on wheels
tumuli
plural of tumulus, meaning a burial mound
vapid
dull
veldt
open areas for grazing in the southern part of Africa
vinaigrette
a small bottle that holds something such as smelling salts
vivify
to make someting come alive
vociferation
vehemence
warp and woof
foundation
wastrel
one who is idle or lazy
welter
turmoil
wych-elm
Eurasian elm usually planted to provide shade
yellowhammer
a bird with yellow accents
