Honors List D

dilatory adj. / dilate v.	tending to delay or procrastinate; slow; tardy; deferring decisions; discuss at length or in detail – The filibuster was typical of the senator's dilatory tactics. -- Remarkable how dilatory is the gait of students walking to and from the bathroom during class.
maudlin adj.	foolishly and tearfully or weakly sentimental; tearfully sentimental from too much drink -- The Irish tenor's maudlin delivery of "Danny Boy" made me want to retch.
abject adj. / abjection n.	miserable, wretched, lacking self-respect, degraded and deprived -- Abject poverty during the potato famine drove many Irish peasants to immigrate to the US. -- The kidnapping victim was found in a state of utter abjection.
cachet n. (pron. Ka-shay)	originally, a seal or stamp on an official letter, indicating confidentail contents; officially or culturally sanctioned quality or authenticity or prestige -- One thousand dollars-per-plate formal fundraisers seek to raise money not just through the worthiness of their causes but through the social cachet they provide for those who like to see and be seen among other wealthy donors. -- Witness the cultural cachet attached to doing one's shopping at an organic farmer's market rather than a megamart.
cache n.	a place in which food or supplies or weapons are hidden, or the objects hidden in such a place -- I always keep a cache of chocolate on hand in my desk drawer, in case of emergencies.
magisterial adj./ magistrate n.	domineering, pompous, authoritative, suitable for a magistrate [traditional term for a powerful, executive-level municipal officer/judge] -- I wouldn't audition for the part of the judge unless you can amplify your voice so that it echoes magisterially.
spoliation n. / spoliate v.	robbery, plunder, said especially of the authorized seizure of neutral ships in wartime; in law, the destruction or alteration of a document by an unauthorized person -- Since the drafts were run through a paper shredder, it would be difficult to prove exactly how the document was spoliated.
germane adj.	closely related; appropriate; to the point -- The comments of the woman who wanted to discuss interior paint color before the ground was even broken were less germane.
pertinacious adj. / pertinacity n.	stubbornly persistent or obstinate; impertinent -- Yet she showed annoying pertinacity in her insistence that her concerns be discussed at length.
forbearance n. / forbear v.	to endure, to tolerate, to show self-control or restraint -- It took incredible forbearance for the bereaved parents not to break down at their son's funeral.
forswear v. / forswore (past tense)	to renounce an oath; promise earnestly to give up; to swear falsely or commit perjury -- The addict forswore crack dozens of times, but could not kick the habit for more than a few weeks at a time.
evince v.	to show plainly, make manifest; esp. to show that one has a quality or feeling -- Jumping up and down and tugging on his shorts, the toddler clearly evinced his need to pee.
demur v./ n.	to hesitate, have scruples, to suspend or pause in light of a difficulty or complication [often used in legal contexts], forestall, put off -- "At first demurred, but then conceded" -- I'm afraid I'm going to demur offering a contribution until I know more about the charity. -- She staved off the aggressive girl scouts and their cookies with a polite demur.
demure adj.	[applied to women or objects associated with women] affectedly or artificially quiet and serious; coy; decorous; modest -- The demure design of the prom dress belied the slattern who wore it.
compunction n.	sharp feeling of uneasiness brought on by a sense of guilt; feeling of regret; pricking of conscience -- My father said he felt no compunction whatsoever about taking my car keys away after I broke curfew for the 3rd time.
disconsolate adj.	inconsolable
rank n & adj.	1. social division or class, as in rows; 2. growing or grown vigorously and coarsely; 3. overly luxuriant or fertile; strong and offensive in smell or taste; in bad taste, coarse, indecent -- . . . Phil came upon Phyllis and the client booked in the penthouse suite, engaged in their rank escapades. (Far ranker, indeed, than the pricey French cheese left out next to the champagne on the bedside.)
rankle v. / rankled adj.	1. to fester, become inflamed; 2. to cause continual mental pain, resentment -- Rankled does not even begin to describe how Phil felt at that moment. -- [less melodramatic usage: Her teacher's harsh criticisms of her essay rankled long after she got her paper back.]
canard n.	an absurd or exaggerated report spread as a hoax; false statement or rumor -- All of Phyllis' complaints that she was underslept from overwork -- mere canards!
vestibule n.	small entrance hall or room, either to a building or a room within a building
veranda n.	open porch or portico, usually roofed or extending along the outside of a building
dais n.	platform raised above the floor at one end of the hall or room, as in a banquet hall, classroom, etc.
gilding n. / gilt adj./ gild v.	a thin, decorative layer of gold
frontispiece n.	an illustration facing the first page or title page of a book or a division of a book; in architecture, a small pediment over a door or window
barrage n.	1. a curtain of artillery fire laid down to keep enemy forces from moving; 2. a heavy, prolonged attack of words, blows, etc. -- "a barrage of abuse" -- "a barrage of water balloons"
battery n.	1. a battering, beating, pounding; 2. any set of devices arranged, connected, or used together -- "a battery of standardized tests" -- "a battery of medications to fight the disease"
motley adj.& n.	of many colors or patches of colors; wearing many-colored garments; composed of many different or clashing elements, heterogeneous -- Theatrical clowns commonly appear in motley. -- They were a motley company: a lawyer, a plumber, and an exotic dancer.