Vocab II

Chapters 19-22(ish)

WUTHERING HEIGHTSBY EMILY BRONTË

AGUE• N. Sickness with chills/fever

• Because she was suffering with ague, Hannah was unable to attend school Monday. Tuesday she stayed out because you’re supposed to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

SANGUINE• Adj. Optimistic; cheerful

• Roy’s sanguine attitude makes it difficult for Haber to remain angry with him, even when he moves his nameplate.

TREPIDATION• N. Fearfulness; apprehension

• Despite Wuthering Heights’s presenting a foreboding façade, Lockwood approaches it without trepidation.

FILIAL• Adj. Of the relationship between a child/son and his parents

• In youth, our filial responsibilities generally consist of obedience and proper respect, but in adulthood aging parents require other duties of their children.

VICTUAL(S)• N. Food

• I’m shirking my filial duties by not preparing a traditional Easter lunch for the extended family this year. My victuals on the 20th will include neither ham nor Jell-O salad.

SALUBRIOUS• Adj. Health-giving; wholesome

• Romantics (and especially transcendentalists) espoused the salubrious qualities of the countryside; air there was definitely more healthy than in industrial cities.

LANGUID• Adj. Relaxed; unhurried

• People with type-A personalities don’t stroll languidly; they are constantly in a hurry.

MITIGATE(D)• V. Alleviate(d); abate(d)

• Seniors’ anxieties are much mitigated by the first college acceptance letter that arrives.

BOOR• N. Rude or uncultured person; loudmouth

• Many people on daytime TV and talk radio act like boors to gain attention. Surely they’re not that rude in real-life.

DIABOLICAL• Adj. Evil; cruel

• Batman foils Scarecrow’s diabolical plan to poison Gotham’s water supply.

EPISTLE• N. Letter; correspondence

• Frankenstein begins with a series of epistles which frame the novel’s main storyline.

IMMOLATION• N. Sacrifice by fire; holocaust

• In some cultures, self-immolation is a centuries old practice of protest or martyrdom, but setting oneself afire is particularly extreme in most belief systems.

DIURNAL• Adj. Daily; daytime

• People who work the third shift have to adjust their diurnal cycle over time.

RAMPARTS• N. Fortifications; walls

• The orcs built giant ladders to top the ramparts at Helms Deep.

EXPOSTULATE(D)• V. Admonished; objected

• I expostulated with my son all spring break about how much time he spent playing video games.

DERIDING• V. Ridiculing; mocking

• Adriana often makes deriding remarks about the novels we read, but I think that deep down she actually loves them.

ELYSIUM• N. Heaven; afterlife location for the blessed or those

related to the Gods in ancient Greek belief

• Any idyllic place can be referred to as Elysium, but that’s using the term rather loosely.

CORRUGATE(D)• Adj. Ridged; grooved

• The water’s corrugated surface was our first clue as to the rough conditions we were in for; I was seasick within five minutes of casting off.

COMPUNCTION• N. Regret; qualm

• Annie volunteered for the lead role without compunction; she didn’t hesitate a bit, since she was confident in her acting ability.

PRESENTIMENT• N. Intuition; foreboding

• Ignoring a presentiment will lead to compunction if you end up in the bad situation you foresaw.