Acerbity
Alacrity
Axiom
Behest
Cumbersome
Gainsay
Magnanimity
Pedantic
Rotund
Appellation
Circumambient
Arduous
Austere
Clandestine
Clement
Cynosure
Demarcation
Denizen
Epithet
Ignominious
Incongruous
Jocosely
Jovial
Martinet
Poignantly
Ruminate
Mitigated
Promulgated
Surmise
Oblong
Pabulum
Pugnacious
Regicidal
Tangible
Veracity
Ruminate
•
•
•
•
Go to
Picture
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: to meditate or muse; ponder
“‘Why? they will ruminate.’” (pg. 99).
Picture from: http://oxsite.com/blog/2012/03/15/250-extrahours-of-daylight-a-year/ponder/
Ruminate
Back to
Word
Rotund
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: round in shape; rounded; plump; fat
• “When some days afterwards, in reference to the singularity
just mentioned, the purser, a rather ruddy, rotund person
more accurate as an accountant than profound as a
philosopher, said at mess to the surgeon, ‘What testimony to
the force lodged in will power,’ the latter, saturnine, spare,
and tall, one in whom a discreet causticity went along with a
manner less genial than polite, replied, “Your pardon, Mr.
Purser.’” (pg. 116).
• Picture from:
http://www.wpclipart.com/cartoon/animals/bird/rotund_sin
ging_robin.png.html
Rotund
Back to
Word
Tangible
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: capable of being touched; discernible by the touch;
material or substantial
• “Any tangible object associated with some striking incident of
the service is converted into a monument.” (pg. 126).
• Picture from:
http://uidresearch.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/tangibleobject-tests/
Tangible
Back to
Word
Pusillanimous
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; fainthearted; timid; proceeding from or indicating a cowardly
spirit
• “‘Your clement sentence they would account pusillanimous.’”
(pg. 99).
• Picture from: http://www.bluntmoms.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/01/coward1.jpg
Pusillanimous
Back to
Word
Pugnacious
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome;
belligerent; combative
• “At all events, of these thousands of mutineers were some of
the tars who not so very long afterwards-whether wholly
prompted thereto by patriotism, or pugnacious instinct, or by
both-helped to win a coronet for Nelson at the Nile, and the
naval crown of crowns for him at Trafalgar.” (pg. 19).
• Picture from:
http://styleinspired.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/mannypacquiao-and-oscar.jpg
Pugnacious
Back to
Word
Promulgated
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: verb
• Definition: (pertaining to promulgate) to make known by
open declaration; publish; proclaim formally or put into
operation
• “Just below him on the quarter-deck the marines in full
equipment were drawn up much as at the scene of the
promulgated sentence.” (pg. 114).
• Picture from: http://www.aurkia.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/09/promulgate.jpg
Promulgated
Back to
Word
Poignantly
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adverb
• Definition: (pertaining to poignant) keenly distressing to the
feelings; keen or strong in mental appeal
• “Syllables so unanticipated coming from one with the
ignominious hemp about his neck-a conventional felon’s
benediction directed aft towards the quarter of honor; syllables
too delivered in the clear melody of a singing bird on the point
of launching from the twig-had a phenomenal effect, not
unenhanced by the rare personal beauty of the young sailor,
spiritualized now through late experiences so poignantly
profound.” (pg. 114).
• Picture from:
http://www.ekantipur.com/uploads/tkp/news/2012/gallery_11
_26/drama_mask_20121127085412.jpg
Poignantly
Back to
Word
Pabulum
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: something that nourishes an animal or vegetable
organism; food; nutriment; material for intellectual
nourishment
• “But in view of the greediness of hate for pabulum it hardly
needed a purveyor to feed Claggart’s passion.” (pg. 54).
• Picture from: http://www.nowus.eu/Pabulum/images/Mind%20food.jpg
Pabulum
Back to
Word
Oblong
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: elongated, usually from the square or circular form
• “Aft, and on either side, was a small stateroom, the one now
temporarily a jail and on the other a dead-house, and a yet
smaller compartment, leaving a space between expanding
forward into a goodly oblong of length coinciding with the
ship’s beam.” (pg. 90).
• Picture from:
http://www.inlineovals.com/product_images/l/113/551lhrs_
_58362_zoom.jpg
Oblong
Back to
Word
Mitigated
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: verb
• Definition: (pertaining to mitigate) to lessen in force or
intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate; to
make less severe
• “Well, though many an arraigned mortal has in hopes of
mitigated penalty pleaded guilty to horrible actions, did ever
anybody seriously confess to envy?” (pg. 51).
• Picture from:
http://www.blackswanriskconsulting.com/storage/Mitigation
%20Dice.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1303741
537092
Mitigated
Back to
Word
Martinet
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: a strict disciplinarian, especially a military one;
someone who stubbornly adheres to methods or rules
• “That such variance from usage was authorized by an officer
like Captain Vere, a martinet as some deemed him, was
evidence of the necessity for unusual action implied in what
he deemed to be temporarily the mood of his men.” (pg. 121).
• Picture from: http://img.tfd.com/wn/7C/692FD-martinet.jpg
Martinet
Back to
Word
Magnanimity
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: the quality of being generous in forgiving an insult
or injury
• “And, probably, had such a step been suggested to him, he
would have been deterred from taking it by the thought, one of
novice magnanimity, that it would savor overmuch of the dirty
work of a telltale.” (pg. 62).
• Picture from:
http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2012/04/womanforgiving-family-member.jpg
Magnanimity
Back to
Word
Ignominious
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: marked by or attended with disgrace or dishonor;
discreditable; humiliating
• “Syllables so unanticipated coming from one with the
ignominious hemp about his neck-a conventional felon’s
benediction directed aft towards the quarter of honor;
syllables too delivered in the clear melody of a singing bird on
the point of launching from the twig-had a phenomenal effect,
not unenhanced by the rare personal beauty of the young
sailor, spiritualized now through late experiences so
poignantly profound.” (pg. 114).
• Picture from: http://www.illustrationsof.com/royalty-freeshy-clipart-illustration-1129152.jpg
Ignominious
Back to
Word
Gainsay
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: verb
• Definition: to deny, dispute, or contradict; to speak or act
against; oppose
• “Loyal lieges, plain and practical, though at bottom they
dissented from some points Captain Vere had put to them,
they were without the faculty, hardly had the inclination, to
gainsay one whom they felt to be an earnest man, one too not
less their superior in mind than in naval rank.” (pg. 100).
• Picture from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/UVY_lj4BUA0/UFl4R32kSQI/AAAAAAAAApo/9mBuXeswFo
4/s1600/opposition.jpg
Gainsay
Back to
Word
Epithet
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: any word or phrase applied to a person or thing to
describe an actual or attributed quality; a characterizing word
or phrase firmly associated with a person or thing and often
used in place of an actual name, title, or the like, as “man's
best friend” for “dog”
• “The latter is known, and without exaggeration in the epithet,
as the ‘Great Mutiny.’” (pg. 17).
• Picture from: ~made by Adelina Rolea~
Epithet
Back to
Word
Denizen
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: an inhabitant; resident; a person who regularly
frequents a place
• “‘With mankind,’ he would say, ‘forms, measured forms, are
everything; and that is the import couched in the story of
Orpheus with his lyre spellbinding the wild denizen of the
wood.’”
• Picture from: http://www.colourbox.com/preview/2660205824837-3d-person-standing-next-to-the-house-with-agolden-key-in-hand.jpg
Denizen
Back to
Word
Demarcation
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: the determining and marking off of the boundaries
of something; separation by distinct boundaries
• “But in some supposed cases, in various degrees supposedly
less pronounced, to draw the exact line of demarcation few
will undertake, though for a fee becoming considerate some
professional experts will.” (pg. 87).
• Picture from: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/markingpoints-map-4976045.jpg
Demarcation
Back to
Word
Cumbersome
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: burdensome; troublesome; unwieldy; clumsy
• “Mounted on lumbering wooden carriages, they were
hampered with cumbersome harness of breeching and strong
side-tackles for running them out.” (pg. 107).
Clement
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: mild or merciful in disposition or character;
lenient; compassionate
• “‘Your clement sentence they would account pusillanimous.’”
(pg. 99).
Clandestine
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy
or concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or
deception; private or surreptitious
• “But from what he had that afternoon observed in the man
referred to, the suspicion of something clandestine going on
had advanced to a point less removed from certainty.” (pg.
73).
Circumambient
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: surrounding; encompassing
• “And the circumambient air in the clearness of its serenity was
like smooth white marble in the polished block not yet
removed from the marble-dealer’s yard.” (pg.121).
Behest
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: a command or directive; an earnest or strongly
worded request
• “The austere devotee of military duty, letting himself melt
back into hat remains primeval in our formalized humanity,
may in end have caught Billy to his heart, even as Abraham
may have caught young Isaac on the brink of resolutely
offering him up bin obedience to the exacting behest.” (pg.
103).
Axiom
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: a self-evident truth that requires no proof; a
universally accepted principle or rule
• “After scanning their faces he stood less as mustering his
thoughts for expressing than as one inly deliberating how best
to put them to well-meaning men not intellectually mature,
men with whom it was necessary to demonstrate certain
principles that were axioms to himself.” (pg. 95).
Austere
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: severe in manner or appearance;
uncompromising; strict; forbidding; rigorously selfdisciplined and severely moral; ascetic; abstinent
• “The austere devotee of military duty, letting himself melt
back into hat remains primeval in our formalized humanity,
may in end have caught Billy to his heart, even as Abraham
may have caught young Isaac on the brink of resolutely
offering him up bin obedience to the exacting behest.” (pg.
103).
• Picture from: http://www.usmilitary.com/18284/whyshould-i-become-a-military-officer/military-officer/
Austere
Back to
Word
Arduous
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult;
requiring or using much energy and vigor; strenuous
• “Unlike no few of England’s renowned sailors, long and
arduous service with signal devotion to it had not resulted in
absorbing and salting the entire man.” (pg. 29).
• Picture from:
http://udleditions.cast.org/GLOSSARY,call_of_the_wild,ard
uous.html#A
Arduous
Back to
Word
Alacrity
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness;
liveliness; briskness
• “For the cabin’s proprietor there was nothing left but to play
the part of the enforced host with whatever grace and alacrity
were predictable.” (pg. 7).
• Picture from:
http://grepicture.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/alacrity.jpg
Alacrity
Back to
Word
Acerbity
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: sourness, with roughness or astringency of taste;
harshness or severity
• “It is serious, but free from acerbity.” (pg. 48).
• Picture from:
http://www.planetranger.com/volunthai/photos/large/L3814
33.jpg
Acerbity
Back to
Word
Jovial
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: endowed with or characterized by a hearty, joyous
humor or a spirit of good-fellowship
• “In jovial sallies right and left, his white teeth flashing into
view, he rollicked along, the center of a company of his
shipmates.” (pg. 4).
• Picture from:
http://successstoriesinlife.blogspot.com/2012/12/10common-characteristics-of-happy.html
Jovial
Back to
Word
Cynosure
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: something that strongly attracts attention by its
brilliance, interest, etc.; something serving for guidance or
direction
• “Such a cynosure, at least in aspect, and something such too in
nature, though with important variations made apparent as
the story proceeds, was welkin-eyed Billy Budd—or Baby
Budd, as more familiarly, under circumstances hereafter to be
given, he at last came to be called—aged twenty-one,
foretopman of the British fleet toward the close of the last
decade of the eighteenth century.” (pg. 5).
• Picture from: http://abduzeedo.com/awesome-nostalgicneon-signs
Cynosure
Back to
Word
Credence
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: belief as to the truth of something; something
giving a claim to belief or confidence
• “But the less credence was to be given to the gun-deck talk
touching Claggart, seeing that no man holding his office in a
man-of-war can ever hope to be popular with the crew.” (pg.
36).
• Picture from:
Appellation
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: a name, title, or designation
• “In the navy he was popularly known by the appellation
‘Starry Vere.’” (pg. 27).
• Picture from: ~made by Adelina Rolea~
Appellation
Back to
Word
Pedantic
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: overly concerned with minute details or
formalisms, especially in teaching
• “‘But between you and me now, don’t you think there is a
queer streak of the pedantic running through him?’” (pg. 31).
• Picture from:
http://gileslindon.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/pedantry/
Pedantic
Back to
Word
Jocosely
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adverb
• Definition: (pertaining to jocose) given to or characterized by
joking; jesting; humorous; playful
• “Some apparent ground there was for this sort of confidential
criticism; since not only did the captain’s discourse never fall
into the jocosely familiar, but in illustrating of any point
touching the stirring personages and events of the time he
would be as apt to cite some historic character or incident of
antiquity as he would be to cite from the moderns.” (pg. 31).
• Picture from: http://ksoo.com/february-8-2013-kids-jokes/
Jocosely
Back to
Word
Incongruous
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: adjective
• Definition: out of keeping or place; inappropriate;
unbecoming; not harmonious in character; inconsonant;
lacking harmony of parts
• “But his general aspect and manner were so suggestive of an
education and career incongruous with his naval function that
when not actively engaged in it he looked like a man of high
quality, social and moral, who for reasons of his own was
keeping incog.” (pg. 33).
• Picture from:
http://dj93designs.blogspot.com/2009/12/incongruousworlds.html
Incongruous
Back to
Word
Surmise
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: verb
• Definition: to think or infer without certain or strong
evidence; conjecture; guess
• “And indeed a man of Claggart’s accomplishments, without
prior nautical experience entering the navy at mature life, as
he did, and necessarily allotted at the start to the lowest grade
in it; a man too who never made allusions to his previous life
ashore; these were circumstances which in the dearth of exact
knowledge as to his true antecedents opened to the invidious a
vague field for unfavorable surmise.” (pg. 34).
• Picture from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/surmise
Surmise
Back to
Word
Veracity
Go to
Picture
• Part of Speech: noun
• Definition: habitual observance of truth in speech or
statement; truthfulness; conformity to truth or fact; accuracy
• “The master-at-arms never suspected the veracity of these
reports, more especially as to the epithets, for he well knew
how secretly unpopular may become a master-at-arms, at
least a master-at-arms of those days, zealous in his function,
and how the bluejackets shoot at him in private their raillery
and wit; the nickname by which he goes among them (Jemmy
Legs) implying under the form of merriment their cherished
disrespect and dislike.” (pg. 54).
• Picture from: ~made by Adelina Rolea~
Veracity
Back to
Word