Indians in Unexpected Places

From Indians in Unexpected Places byPhilip J. Deloria
Chapter 1


apogee

–noun

1.	Astronomy. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body, esp. the moon, or of a man-made satellite at which it is farthest from the earth.

2.	the highest or most distant point; climax.

obsolescence
–noun

the state, process, or condition of being or becoming obsolete.

pathos
–noun

1.	the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion.

2.

pity.

3.	Obsolete. suffering.

depredation
–noun

the act of preying upon or plundering; robbery; ravage.

polity
–noun, plural -ties.

1.	a particular form or system of government: civil polity; ecclesiastical polity.

2.	the condition of being constituted as a state or other organized community or body: The polity of ancient Athens became a standard for later governments.

3.	government or administrative regulation: The colonists demanded independence in matters of internal polity.

4.	a state or other organized community or body.

codify
tr.v. cod·i·fied, cod·i·fy·ing, cod·i·fies

1. To reduce to a code: codify laws.
2. To arrange or systematize.

repudiate
–verb (used with object), -at‧ed, -at‧ing.

1.	to reject as having no authority or binding force: to repudiate a claim.

2.	to cast off or disown: to repudiate a son.

3.	to reject with disapproval or condemnation: to repudiate a new doctrine.

4.	to reject with denial: to repudiate a charge as untrue.

5.	to refuse to acknowledge and pay (a debt), as a state, municipality, etc.

referendum
–noun

1.	the principle or practice of referring measures proposed or passed by a legislative body to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection. Compare initiative (def. 4a).

2.	a measure thus referred.

3.	a vote on a such a measure.

Cycle of Hatred

From Cycle of Hatred by Keith R. A. DeCandido


re·lin·quish
tr.v. re·lin·quished, re·lin·quish·ing, re·lin·quish·es

1. To retire from; give up or abandon.
2. To put aside or desist from (something practiced, professed, or intended).
3. To let go; surrender.
4. To cease holding physically; release: relinquish a grip.

pro·nounce·ment
n.

1. A formal expression of opinion; a judgment.
2. An authoritative statement.

dal·li·ance
n.

1. Frivolous spending of time; dawdling.
2. Playful flirtation.

fal·la·cy
n. pl. fal·la·cies

1. A false notion.
2. A statement or an argument based on a false or invalid inference.
3. Incorrectness of reasoning or belief; erroneousness.
4. The quality of being deceptive.

ar·ti·fice
n.

1. An artful or crafty expedient; a stratagem. See Synonyms at wile.
2. Subtle but base deception; trickery.
3. Cleverness or skill; ingenuity.

de·rive
v. de·rived, de·riv·ing, de·rives
v. tr.

1. To obtain or receive from a source.
2. To arrive at by reasoning; deduce or infer: derive a conclusion from facts.
3. To trace the origin or development of (a word).
4. Linguistics. To generate (a surface structure) from a deep structure.
5. Chemistry. To produce or obtain (a compound) from another substance by chemical reaction.

v. intr.

To issue from a source; originate. See Synonyms at stem¹.

fa·cil·i·tate
tr.v. fa·cil·i·tat·ed, fa·cil·i·tat·ing, fa·cil·i·tates

To make easy or easier: political agreements that facilitated troop withdrawals.
Note: Remember Latin 'facil' - "easy"

dir·i·gi·ble
n.

See airship.

tab·leau
n. pl. tab·leaux or tab·leaus

1. A vivid or graphic description: The movie was a tableau of a soldier's life.
2. A striking incidental scene, as of a picturesque group of people: “New public figures suddenly abound in the hitherto faceless totalitarian tableaux” (John McLaughlin).
3. An interlude during a scene when all the performers on stage freeze in position and then resume action as before.
4. A tableau vivant.

su·et
n.

The hard fatty tissues around the kidneys of cattle and sheep, used in cooking and for making tallow.

erst·while
adv.

In the past; at a former time; formerly.

adj.

Former: our erstwhile companions.

syc·o·phant
n.

A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people. A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage [syn: toady, crawler, lackey]

fer·vent
adj.

1. Having or showing great emotion or zeal; ardent: fervent protests; a fervent admirer.
2. Extremely hot; glowing.

pros·pect
n.

1. Something expected; a possibility.
2. prospects
   1. Chances.
   2. Financial expectations, especially of success.
3. 1. A potential customer, client, or purchaser.
   2. A candidate deemed likely to succeed.
4. The direction in which an object, such as a building, faces; an outlook.
5. Something presented to the eye; a scene: a pleasant prospect.
6. The act of surveying or examining.
7. 1. The location or probable location of a mineral deposit.
   2. An actual or probable mineral deposit.
   3. The mineral yield obtained by working an ore.

mi·as·ma
n. pl. mi·as·mas or mi·as·ma·ta (-m-t)

1. A noxious atmosphere or influence: “The family affection, the family expectations, seemed to permeate the atmosphere... like a coiling miasma” (Louis Auchincloss).
2. 1. A poisonous atmosphere formerly thought to rise from swamps and putrid matter and cause disease.
   2. A thick vaporous atmosphere or emanation: wreathed in a miasma of cigarette smoke.

Useful terms and phrases:
fallacy and artifice
to be disheartened
sheer force
dissipate
concurrently
to gaze at coolly
sputter or stammer (for "stutter")
to enthrall

Verbomania via bibliomania!

Now, really, the title's a hyperbole. I'm not obsessed with words by way of my love for acquiring books.

Literally, verbomania's about "An abnormal talkativeness; a psychotic flow of speech."

For the sake of explanation, this blog is most basically:
A list of definitions for unfamiliar words in books/literature. Now, some of the words I have already seen/heard but have never taken the opportunity to look up before. And I need a place to put them all! Hurrah for pointless blogs.

Of course, this is merely a distraction from all my schoolwork. Awesome.