Montana 1948

Montana 1948 Glossary

self-effacing

not claiming attention for oneself; retiring and modest

catechism

a summary of the principles of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers, used for the instruction of Christians

pabulum

bland or insipid intellectual fare or entertainment

unmalleable

difficult or impossible to shape or work with

gabble

to talk rapidly and unintelligibly; to utter meaningless sounds

gulled

to fool or deceive someone

amplitude

breadth, range, or magnitude

chaste

not having any sexual nature or intention

subsided

to become less intense, violent, or severe

prosaic

having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty; to be commonplace

hollyhocks

a tall Eurasian plant of the mallow family, widely cultivated for its large showy flowers

affable

friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to

taciturn

reserved or uncommunicative in speech; to say very little

perturbation

anxiety; mental uneasiness

squaws

a derogatory term for Native American women

dungarees

pants made of blue demin; blue jeans

censorious

to be severely critical of others

flatlander

a derogatory slang word for a person who lives at low altitude (often used by those living at higher altitudes)

scoria

a dark-colored igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities known as vesicles

disparage

to express the opinion that something is of little worth

ostentation

a pretentious and vulgar display, especially of wealth and luxury, intended to impress or attract notice

whist

a card game, usually for two pairs of players, in which points are scored according to the number of tricks won

jowls

the lower part of a person's or animal's cheek, especially when it is fleshy or drooping

browbeat

to intimidate someone, typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words

bursitis

inflammation of a bursa, typically one in the knee, elbow or shoulder.

castanets

small concave pieces of wood, ivory, or plastic, joined in pairs by a cord and clicked together by the fingers as a rhythmic accompaniment to Spanish dancing

derringer

a small pistol that has a large bore and is very effective at close range

repose

a state of rest, sleep, or tranquility

rimrock

an outcrop of resistant rock forming a margin to a gravel deposit, especially one forming a cliff at the edge of a plateau

butte

an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top

kleptomaniac

someone who is unable to refrain from the urge for stealing items and who usually does it for reasons other than personal use or financial gain

scalped

the act of cutting or tearing a part of the human scalp, with hair attached, from the head

joists

a length of timber or steel supporting part of the structure of a building, typically arranged in parallel series to support a floor or ceiling

hapless

to be unfortunate or unlucky