Educational

abjure

[ab-joor, ab-jur]

solemnly renounce

execrable

[ek-si-kruh-buhl ]

utterly detestable; abominable; abhorrent

precarious

[pri-kair-ee-uhs]

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

repine

[ri-pahyn]

to be fretfully discontented; fret; complain

logophile

[law-guh-fahyl]

a lover of words

castigate

[kas-ti-geyt]

to criticize or reprimand severely

convey

[kuhn-vey]

to communicate; impart; make known

irrefragable

[ih-ref-ruh-guh-buhl]

not to be disputed or contested

abrogate

[ab-ruh-geyt]

to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal

respite

[res-pit]

a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief

kapellmeister

[kah-pel-mahy-ster]

the leader or conductor of an orchestra or choir

aphelion

[uh-fee-lee-uhn]

the point farthest from the sun in the path of an orbiting celestial body (such as a planet)

pecuniary

[pi-kyoo-nee-er-ee]

of or relating to money

commensurate

[kuh-men-ser-it]

corresponding in amount, magnitude, or degree

williwaw

[wil-ee-waw]

a sudden violent squall blowing offshore from a mountainous coast

gloaming

[gloh-ming]

twilight; dusk

efface

[ih-feys]

to wipe out; do away with; expunge

solipsism

[sol-ip-siz-uhm]

the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist

prosopopoeia

[proh-soh-puh-pee-uh]

personification, as of inanimate things

blatant

[bleyt-nt]

brazenly obvious; flagrant

triskaidekaphobia

[tris-kahy-dek-uh-foh-bee-uh]

a fear of the number 13

exacerbation

[ig-zas-er-bey-shuhn]

the act of making a negative situation feel worse than it is

diphthong

[dif-thawng]

a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another (as in coin, loud, and side)

erudite

[er-yoo-dahyt, er-oo-dahyt]

characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly