My unfamiliar words this week all came from Diana Gabaldon’s Dragonfly in Amber which I really MUST finish soon because it’s getting badly beaten up in my purse. Whoops. To see other Wonderous Words, visit Bermuda Onion’s site.
Alembics: (n.) An apparatus consisting of two vessels connected by a tube, formerly used for distilling liquids.
Then he made up his mind, and turned toward the stone table where his alembics simmered, jerking his head at me to follow. – page 290.
Acolyte: (n.) an altar attendant in public worship.
I blinked several times before I was able to locate Raymond, crouched cautiously at the foot of his ossuary like the resident acolyte. – page 291.
Laconically: (adv.) using few words; expressing much in few words; concise: a laconic reply.
“Och, aye,” the little clansman answered laconically. – page 318.
Gendarmerie: (n.) Slang A group of police officers.
I hardly thought a footpad or other miscreant would be staggering down an alleyway shouting for the gendarmerie, though in my present state of shock, almost nothing would have surprised me. – page 322
Saturnine: (adj.) sluggish in temperament; gloomy; taciturn.
My hand went to the crystal at my neck, and I stroked it ostentatiously as the Comte, with no sign of perturbation on his saturnine features, dug into the trout with almonds. – page 328
Peregrinations: (n.) travel from one place to another, esp. on foot.
Jamie made a move as though to join His Lordship in his random peregrinations about the cottage, but was restrained by my grip on his collar. – page 631
Abattoir: (n.) a slaughterhouse.
The triage station of any field hospital always bears a strong resemblance to an abattoir, and this was no exception. – page 644
Serried: (adj.) pressed together or compacted
In fact, a shout from the nearby Highlanders drew my attention at this point, and I looked up to see Red Jamie himself, strolling across the grass, waving absently to the men as he scanned the serried rocks behind the palace. – page 692
Definitions came from dictionary.com.
4 comments:
Lots of unfamiliar words there. The only one I knew was acolyte and only because my children all served as acolytes when they were young.
I like when certain folks can be laconic. :-) Thanks for sharing your list.
Wow, you found some great words! I knew gendarmerie from our time in France - I would go out of my way to avoid them! Thanks for participating!
I KNEW ONE! I KNEW ONE! ha ha ha.
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