admonition
judgment (especially negative) or reprimand
Antlia
a small constellation in the southern sky containing three main stars, imagined in the shape of an air pump, named after the Latin for "pump"
baubles
small, ornate items, usually with the implication that they are gaudy or superficial
bosom
a woman's chest, or, figuratively, loving care and protection (as of a mother's or lover's embrace)
bowing
bending over, like a person taking a bow as a sign of respect or fatigue
breaknecking
moving at breakneck speed—that is, in a dangerously fast and reckless way. "Breakneck" has an additional, more literal connotation in "The Leash," since it is used to refer to a dog tugging on a leash, which is usually attached at the neck.
brute
unfeeling and unthinking, savage or violent
Centaurus
a large constellation in the southern sky containing eleven main stars (including Alpha Centauri, the closest star to our solar system), imagined in the shape of a centaur (a half-human half-horse mythological creature)
chiaroscuro
a dramatic contrast of light and darkness in painting, drawing, or visual art
chickadee
a small American songbird
crater
a pit, such as that left by an asteroid or meteorite impact
crepitating
making a creaking or grinding sound. Often used in medical contexts, especially arthritis, as "crepitation" to refer to the sensation of bones grinding on each other when they shouldn't be.
diminished
made smaller, made into something lesser
Draco
a large constellation in the southern sky containing eleven main stars (including Alpha Centauri, the closest star to our solar system), imagined in the shape of a centaur (a half-human half-horse mythological creature)
fevered
having a lot of chaotic, hectic energy
fishwife
literally, a woman who sells fish; also, a derogatory term for a woman considered harsh and poorly mannered
fix
in the phrase "fix tea," "fix" means "prepare" or "make"
fuchsia
a bright purplish-red color, named for the hue of the fuchsia plant
hearth
the area around a fireplace in a home; also used to refer simply to a home itself
hurtling
moving or throwing in a fast and wild manner
Hydra
Hydra is the largest modern, named constellation of stars, with seventeen main stars and a massive length across the night sky (straddling the northern and southern skies). Imagined in the shape of a giant sea serpent, Latin for "water snake."
Lacerta
a small constellation in the northern sky containing five main stars, imagined in the shape of a lizard. Latin for "lizard"
Lynx
a small constellation in the northern sky containing four main stars, imagined as the wild cat species of the same name
Lyra
a small constellation in the northern sky containing five main stars (including Vega, one of the night sky's brightest stars), imagined in the shape of a lyre (an ancient Greek stringed instrument)
machine
machine usually refers to an inanimate tool or device, but in "How to Triumph Like a Girl," "huge beating genius machine" refers to the horse heart itself—its usual meaning is inverted to be an organic, animal thing
maw
jaws or throat, especially of a vicious animal or beast
mute
silent, not speaking
obliteration
total destruction
Orion
a well-known constellation of stars in the night sky, visible throughout the world, imagined in the shape of a hunter and named after Orion of Greek mythology
osseous
made of bone or turned into bone
plodding
moving or progressing slowly, heavily, and deliberately
plummets
drops steeply and suddenly
samara
a winged nut containing a seed, as in an ash or maple tree
shoot
with "samara," probably a small new growth of a plant; could also evoke "shoot" as in to fire a gun or weapon
slate
smooth, flat grey stone—or, in "Instructions on Not Giving Up," the stony bluish-grey color of that stone
starling
a small, energetic songbird
stoic
not showing emotion or feeling, not complaining during hardship; from the ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism
swagger
a confident and arrogant walk
synapses
the gaps between nerve cells in the body, across which electrical signals pass
thus
as a result of; in consequence (old-fashioned)
'tis of thee
Old-fashioned language for "it is of you," from the most recognizable line of the patriotic song "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)"
trinkets
baubles
unfurling
spreading out and opening up from a previously clenched or balled up state
unsayable
something that cannot be spoken aloud or described
unspectacular
not spectacular; unremarkable
woosh
An onomatopoeia like rushing air, for the brief and airy sound of the word "wife."
