Educational

precarious

[pri-kair-ee-uhs]

dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; insecure

obsequious

[uhb-see-kwee-uhs]

characterized by or showing servile obedience and excessive eagerness to please; deferential; fawning:

dissemble

[dih-sem-buhl]

to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real nature of

luminous

[loo-muh-nuhs]

radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright

sanctimonious

[sangk-tuh-moh-nee-uhs]

making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety, righteousness

irrefragable

[ih-ref-ruh-guh-buhl]

not to be disputed or contested

insolent

[in-suh-luhnt]

boldly rude or disrespectful; contemptuously impertinent; insulting

homonym

[hom-uh-nim]

each of two or more words having the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings and origins

portend

[pawr-tend]

to indicate in advance; to foreshadow or presage, as an omen does

achene

[ey-keen]

a small, dry one-seeded fruit that does not open to release the seed

triptych

[trip-tik]

three panels or compartments side by side with pictures or carvings

obviate

[ob-vee-eyt]

to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures; render unnecessary

vernal

[vur-nl]

of, in, or appropriate to spring

rutilant

[root-l-uhnt]

glowing or glittering with red or golden light

williwaw

[wil-ee-waw]

a sudden violent squall blowing offshore from a mountainous coast

murky

[mur-kee]

dark, gloomy, and cheerless

quisling

[kwiz-ling]

a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government; a traitor

bolide

[boh-lahyd]

a large, brilliant meteor, especially one that explodes; fireball

fipple

[fip-uhl]

a plug stopping the upper end of a pipe, as a recorder or a whistle, and having a narrow slit through which the player blows

cordate

[kawr-deyt]

heart-shaped

persnickety

[per-snik-i-tee]

requiring painstaking care

ailurophile

[ahy-loor-uh-fahyl]

a person who likes cats; cat fancier

prosopopoeia

[proh-soh-puh-pee-uh]

personification, as of inanimate things

shibboleth

[shib-uh-lith]

a common saying or belief with little current meaning or truth