Educational

aerostat

[air-uh-stat]

an airship or hot-air balloon, especially one that is tethered

gawk

[gawk]

to stare stupidly; gape

halcyon

[hal-see-uhn]

calm; peaceful; tranquil

frazil

[fraz-uhl]

ice crystals formed in turbulent water, as in swift streams or rough seas

elusive

[ih-loo-siv]

eluding or failing to allow for or accommodate a clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define

weave

[weev]

to interlace (threads, yarns, strips, fibrous material, etc.) so as to form a fabric or material

bandicoot

[ban-di-koot]

a mainly insectivorous marsupial native to Australia and New Guinea

plenteous

[plen-tee-uhs]

plentiful; copious; abundant

abgesang

[ab-guh-zong]

the concluding section in musical and poetic bar form

incumbent

[in-kuhm-buhnt]

necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility

vocational

[voh-key-shuh-nl]

of, relating to, or connected with a vocation or occupation

impervious

[im-pur-vee-uhs]

not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable

diatribe

[dahy-uh-trahyb]

a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism

holophrase

[hol-uh-freyz]

a word functioning as a phrase or sentence, as the imperative "Go!"

comport

[kuhm-pawrt]

to bear or conduct (oneself); behave

respite

[res-pit]

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

alabaster

[al-uh-bas-ter]

a finely granular variety of gypsum, often white and translucent, used for ornamental objects or work, such as lamp bases, figurines, etc.

poignant

[poin-yuhnt]

keenly distressing to the feelings

synecdoche

[si-nek-duh-kee]

a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special, as in Texas won by six runs (meaning “Texas's baseball team”)

contemporary

[kuhn-tem-puh-rer-ee]

of the present time; modern

limivorous

[lahy-miv-er-uhs]

of or relating to animals, usually worms or bivalves, that ingest earth or mud to extract the organic matter from it

prescient

[presh-uhnt]

having prescience, or knowledge of things or events before they exist or happen; having foresight

prodigious

[pruh-dij-uhs]

extraordinary in size, amount, extent, degree, force, etc.

contumacious

[kon-too-mey-shuhs]

stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient