Wieland

Wieland Glossary

abjure

solemnly renounce; recant

abstruse

difficult to understand; obtuse

actuate

to put into motion; activate

alacrity

eagerness

aperture

opening

apprise

inform

approbation

commendation or praise

asperities

roughness of surface; unevenness

assiduously

diligently

auricular

understood or recognized by the sense of hearing; of, relating to, or using the ear or the sense of hearing

avarice

greed

balustrade

a row of small posts that support the upper railing of a staircase

bilious

marked by or suffering from liver dysfunction and especially excessive secretion of bile

billow

a large, undulating mass - typically made of smoke

blandishment

flattery used to persuade

callous

feeling no emotion; feeling or showing no sympathy for others

calumniators

people spreading rumors

celerity

speediness

chimera

a mythological beast consisting of parts from various animals

clandestine

secret

coadjutor

one who works with another; assistant

coeval

having the same date or age; contemporary

compunction

a feeling of guilt that arises after doing something bad

confute

to overwhelm in argument; refute conclusively

controvert

deny; argue

copses

thickets, groves, or growths of small trees

corruscations

glitter; sparkle

coruscation

to give forth flashes of light; sparkle or glitter

declivity

a downward slope; descent

demesne

land attached to an estate

deportment

a person's behavior or manners

dissipated

dispersed; dissolved

ebullitions

sudden violent outbursts or displays

effulgence

radiant splendor; brilliance

equipoise

a state of equilibrium

equipose

equality in distribution, as of weight, relationship, or emotional forces; equilibrium

exculpate

exonerate; vindicate; acquit

execrate

loath; curse

expatiate

to speak or write at length or in detail

expiate

to extinguish the guilt incurred by

extenuate

to lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of by making partial excuses; mitigate

fallacious

deceptive; illogical

fane

temple; church

flatigious

criminal or villainous

gesticulation

gesture

goadings

urges or stimulants to action

hoary

aged

ignoble

not honorable

imbibed

received into the mind and retained

imbrue

stain

immolation

sacrifice

immured

enclosed within or as if within walls

importunate

persistent

imprecation

curse; damnation

inclemency

bad - pertaining to weather

inculcate

instill; teach

incumbent

imposed as a duty; obligatory

indefatigable

incapable of being fatigued; untiring

inexorable

impossible to stop or prevent

inexpiable

not capable of being atoned for

inscrutable

not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood; mysterious

inured

accustomed; used to

inveterate

long-established and unlikely to change

lancet

scalpel or blade

laudable

worthy of praise; commendable

lineament

a distinctive shape, especially of the face

Lusatia

a land in present-day Germany

male-primogeniture

the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn male to inherit an estate

mellifluent

flowing sweetly

munificence

liberal in giving; lavish

noxious

physically harmful or destructive to living beings

nugatory

of little or no consequence; trifling; inconsequential

obduracy

stubbornness

obviate

remove; avoid or prevent

opprobrious

bringing disgrace; infamous

orisons

prayers

pallid

pale

paroxysm

fit; attack

perfidy

deceitfulness

plenteous

plentiful

poniard

dagger

portentous

ominous; sinister

precipitate

headlong; without deliberation

prelusive

preconstituting or having the form of a prelude; introductory

profligate

shamelessly immoral

propitious

favorably disposed; benevolent; being a good omen

punctilio

a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure

purlieus

the area near or surrounding a place

pusillanimous

timid; cowardly

railleries

good-natured ridicule; banter; jest

raillery

good-humored teasing

rapacious

greedy

rectitude

moral integrity; righteousness

redound

to become transferred or added; accrue

refractory

resisting control or authority; stubborn; unmanageable

refulgence

a radiant or resplendent quality or state; brilliance

relique

relic

Romish

Roman Catholic

ruminate

to go over in the mind repeatedly and often casually or slowly

sagacious

shrewd; wise; clever

salutary

beneficial

sanguinary

gory; bloodthirsty

sedulously

acting diligently in application or pursuit

sonorous

full or loud in sound

succor

assistance or aid

supernal

relating to the sky or heavens; celestial

supineness

a state of lying on the back or with the face upward

temerity

unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition; rashness; recklessness

tenor

direction; meaning; theme

tetter

a skin irritation, possibly ringworm or herpes

tinctured

infused or instilled with a property or entity; impregnated

torpor

apathy; dullness

umbrage

shade, shadow; or, shady branches; foliage

untenable

indefensible

upbraid

find fault with; scold

vacuity

an empty space

veneration

respect or awe inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person

veracity

truthfulness

verdure

lush greenness

vicissitudes

fluctuations of state or condition

visage

face

votary

devoted follower