Thursday, June 07, 2007

Mort and Sourcery

from Mort and Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett

(Must look up definitions later)

sculling
v. sculled, scull·ing, sculls
v. tr.
To propel (a boat) with a scull or a pair of sculls.
v. intr.
To use a scull or a pair of sculls to propel a boat.

horticulture
n
1. the cultivation of a garden, orchard, or nursery; the cultivation of flowers, fruits, vegetables, or ornamental plants.
2. the science and art of cultivating such plants.

hank
n
1. a skein, as of thread or yarn.
2. a definite length of thread or yarn: A hank of cotton yarn measures 840 yards.
3. a hank of hair.
4. Nautical. a ring, link, or shackle for securing the luff of a staysail or jib to its stay or the luff or head of a gaff sail to the mast or gaff.
verb (used with object)
5. Nautical
. to fasten (a sail) by means of hanks.

hessian

n
1. A native or inhabitant of Hesse.
2. A German mercenary in the British army in America during the Revolutionary War.
3. A mercenary soldier.


ratchet

–noun
1. a toothed bar with which a pawl engages.
2. (not in technical use) a pawl or the like used with a ratchet or ratchet wheel.
3. a mechanism consisting of such a bar or wheel with the pawl.
4. ratchet wheel.
5. a steady progression up or down: the upward ratchet of oil prices.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
6. to move by degrees (often fol. by up or down): to ratchet prices up; Interest rates have been ratcheting downward.

obstinacy
–noun, plural -cies for 5.
1. the quality or state of being obstinate; stubbornness.
2. unyielding or stubborn adherence to one's purpose, opinion, etc.
3. stubborn persistence: The garrison fought on with incredible obstinacy.
4. resistance to cure, relief, or treatment, as a disease.
5. an instance of being obstinate; an obstinate act, viewpoint, etc.

pillion
–noun
1. a pad or cushion attached behind a saddle, esp. as a seat for a woman.
2. a pad, cushion, saddle, or the like, used as a passenger seat on a bicycle, motor scooter, etc.
3. a passenger's saddle or seat behind the driver's seat on a motorcycle.

petulant
–adjective
moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, esp. over some trifling annoyance
1. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; peevish.
2. Contemptuous in speech or behavior.

consumptive
adj.
Consuming or tending to consume.
Of, relating to, or afflicted with consumption.
n.
A person afflicted with consumption.

latticework
n
A lattice or latticelike structure.
An open, crisscross pattern or weave.

ledger
n.
1.
a. A book in which the monetary transactions of a business are posted in the form of debits and credits.
b. A book to which the record of accounts is transferred as final entry from original postings.
2. A slab of stone laid flat over a grave.
3. A horizontal timber in a scaffold, attached to the uprights and supporting the putlogs.

stolid
leering
kohl
disconsolate
crockery
flagstones
inglenook
"ammonite"
cloister
parapet
nascent
bunting
concede
impertinent
saturnine
magnanimous
yarrow
cochineal
bequeathed
ostensibly
artic
tachometers
slat
swat
gait
"juugly"
forbore
bandy
gyppo
bollard
litany
lectern
ague
brassicas
(Note: p118 ?)
~~~~~
puissant