Ms. Gokturk
Trends in Literature
Oryx and Crake Vocabulary List
3-33
Ersatz: Being an imitation or a substitute, usually an inferior one; artificial
Talisman: An object marked with magic signs and believed to confer on
its bearer supernatural powers or protection. / Something that apparently has
magic power.
Cache: A hiding place used especially for storing provisions.
Topis : helmet worn for protection against sun and heat
Jute: a plant fiber used in making rope or sacks
Mitigate: To moderate (a quality or condition) in force or intensity; alleviate
Flotsam: Floating refuse or debris
Pedagogue: A schoolteacher; an educator
Soothsayer: One who claims to be able to foretell events or predict the future; a seer
Benevolent: Characterized by or suggestive of doing good.
Manticore: A legendary monster having the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion.
Dubious: Of questionable character
Basilisk: A legendary serpent or dragon with lethal breath and
glance. /Any of various tropical American lizards of the genus Basiliscus,
characterized by a crest on the head, back, and tail and the ability to run on
the hind legs.
Stealth: The act of moving, proceeding, or acting in a covert way
Elusive: Difficult to define or describe
37-69
Feral: Of or suggestive of a wild animal; savage
Tantalize: To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach
Mesozoic: Of, belonging to, or designating the era of geologic time that includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods and is characterized by the development of flying reptiles, birds, and flowering plants and by the appearance and extinction of dinosaurs
Dissolution: Decomposition into fragments or parts; disintegration
Zenith: The point of culmination; the peak
Condescend: To deal with people in a patronizingly superior manner
Forage: The act of looking or searching for food or provisions
Emulate: To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation
Conjunction: The state of being joined
Atrophy: A wasting away, deterioration, or diminution
Intrepid: Resolutely courageous; fearless
Hoary: So old as to inspire veneration; ancient/ So old as to inspire veneration; ancient
Maxim: A succinct formulation of a fundamental principle, general truth, or rule of conduct
Deluge: Something that overwhelms as if by a great flood
Sluice: An artificial channel for conducting water, with a valve or gate to regulate the flow
Rivulet: A small brook or stream; a streamlet.
Amble: To walk slowly or leisurely; stroll
Pungent: Affecting the organs of taste or smell with a sharp acrid
sensation.
Derelict: Neglectful of duty or obligation; remiss
Repine: To be discontented or low in spirits; complain or fret
Pastiche: A dramatic, literary, or musical piece openly imitating the previous works of other artists, often with satirical intent
Placid: Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet
Portico: A porch or walkway with a
roof supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of a building.
Laconic: Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise.
Lassitude: A state or feeling of weariness, diminished energy, or listlessness
Drone: To speak in a monotonous tone
Filch: To take (something, especially something of little value) in a furtive manner; snitch
Ilk: Type or kind: can't trust people of that ilk.
Truncheon: A staff carried as a symbol of office or authority; a baton
Norn: Any of the three goddesses of fate in Norse myth
Serendipity: The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
Pibroch: A series of variations on a martial theme or traditional dirge for the highland bagpipes
Lubricious: Having a slippery or smooth quality/Shifty or tricky /Lewd;
wanton/ Sexually stimulating; salacious
69-92
Stoic: One who is seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain
Contingent: Dependent on conditions or occurrences not yet established
Brawny: MUSCULAR; also : STRONG, POWERFUL
Queue: A line of waiting people or vehicles.
Voluble: easily rolling or turning : ROTATING
Exude: to ooze out
Impetuous: marked by impulsive vehemence or passion
Cretin: a stupid, vulgar, or insensitive person
Pedant: one who
makes a show of knowledge b : one who is unimaginative or who
unduly emphasizes minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge
Jujube: an edible
drupaceous fruit of any of several trees
Sere: being dried
and withered
Rancid: having a
rank smell or taste
95-126
Vetch: any of a genus (Vicia) of herbaceous twining leguminous plants including some grown for fodder and green manure
Ingenious: showing
or calling for intelligence, aptitude, or discernment
Deprave: to make
bad : CORRUPT;
Luminescent: the
low-temperature emission of light
Liturgy: a
customary repertoire of ideas, phrases, or observances
Adulation: to
flatter or admire excessively or slavishly
Verdant: green in
tint or color
Vigilant: alertly
watchful especially to avoid danger
Vestigial: a
trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (as an ancient city or a
condition or practice) vanished or lost
Mantid: from Mantis any
of an order or suborder (Mantodea and especially family Mantidae) of large
usually green insects that feed on other insects and clasp their prey in
forelimbs held up as if in prayer
Hymenoptera: highly
specialized insects with complete metamorphosis that include the bees, wasps,
ants, ichneumon flies, sawflies, gall wasps, and related forms, often associate
in large colonies with complex social organization
Filigree: ornamental
work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold
and silver surfaces
127-162
Mephitic: a
noxious, pestilential, or foul exhalation from the earth; also : STENCH
Metronome: an instrument designed to mark exact time by a regularly repeated tick
Mastitis: inflammation
of the breast or udder usually caused by infection
Maudlin: drunk enough to be emotionally silly 2 : weakly and effusively sentimental
Erudite: possessing
or displaying erudition :
LEARNED
Espalier: plant
(as a fruit tree) trained to grow flat against a support (as a wall)
Leitmotif: an
associated melodic phrase or figure that accompanies the reappearance of an
idea, person, or situation especially in a Wagnerian music drama 2 :
a dominant recurring theme
Affable: being
pleasant and at ease in talking to others
Alimentation: the
act or process of affording nutriment or nourishment
Vex: to bring trouble, distress, or agitation to
163-191
Coterie: an
intimate and often exclusive group of persons with a unifying common interest
or purpose
Prolific: marked
by abundant inventiveness or productivity
Grouse: noun:
bird; verb: complain
Cavort: to engage
in extravagant behavior
Bereft: to
deprive of something
Postulant: a
person admitted to a religious order as a probationary candidate for membership
Canker: a source
of corruption or debasement
Tectonics: a branch of geology concerned with the structure of the crust of a planet Cantilever: a projecting beam or member supported at only one end: as a : a bracket-shaped member supporting a balcony or a cornice
Dolorous: causing,
marked by, or expressing misery or grief
Inchoate: being
only partly in existence or operation; especially : imperfectly
formed or formulated : FORMLESS
Sage: wise
through reflection and experience b
Attrition: sorrow
for one's sins that arises from a motive other than that of the love of God2
: the act of rubbing together : FRICTION;
also : the act of wearing or grinding down by friction3 :
the act of weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse, or attack4
: a reduction in numbers usually as a result of resignation, retirement,
or death
Chiaroscuro: the
quality of being veiled or partly in shadow
Poultice: soft
usually heated and sometimes medicated mass spread on cloth and applied to
sores or other lesions
Aureole: a
radiant light around the head or body of a representation of a sacred personage
Crepuscular: of,
relating to, or resembling twilight : DIM
192-218
Gestalt: a
structure, configuration, or pattern of physical, biological, or psychological
phenomena so integrated as to constitute a functional unit with properties not
derivable by summation of its parts
Saturnine: cold
and steady in mood : slow to act or change
Adamant: unshakable
or immovable especially in opposition : UNYIELDING
Lodestone: 1 : magnetite possessing
polarity 2 : something that strongly attracts
Troglodyte: a
member of a primitive people dwelling in caves
Malaise: a vague
sense of mental or moral ill-being
Intrusive: characterized
by intrusion b :
intruding where one is
not welcome or invited
222-251
Fissure: a narrow
opening or crack of considerable length and depth usually occurring from some
breaking or parting 2 a : a natural cleft between body parts or
in the substance of an organ b : a break or slit in tissue
usually at the junction of skin and mucous membrane 3 : a
separation or disagreement in thought or viewpoint
Festoon: a
carved, molded, or painted ornament representing a decorative chain
Carrion: dead and putrefying flesh; also : flesh unfit
for food
Abattoir: SLAUGHTERHOUSE
Harangue: a
ranting speech or writing
Oblique: not
straightforward : INDIRECT; also : OBSCURE
b : DEVIOUS, UNDERHANDED
Synesthesia: a
concomitant sensation; especially : a subjective sensation or
image of a sense (as of color) other than the one (as of sound) being
stimulated
Ardent: characterized
by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support or activity
Carp: to find
fault or complain querulously
Denizen: INHABITANT
Helo: by shortening & alteration: HELICOPTER
Cudgel: a short
heavy club
Extol: to praise
highly : GLORIFY
Carte blanche: full
discretionary power
252-280
Mercenary: one
that serves merely for wages; especially : a soldier hired into
foreign service
Dibble: a small
hand implement used to make holes in the ground for plants, seeds, or bulbs
Aphasia loss or
impairment of the power to use or comprehend words usually resulting from brain
damage
Enigma: something
hard to understand or explain
Gat: archaic
past of GET
Knell: to ring
especially for a death, funeral, or disaster : TOLL
to sound in an ominous manner or with an ominous effect
Kern: a
light-armed foot soldier of medieval
Alack: used to
express sorrow or regret
Torque: a usually
metal collar or neck chain worn by the ancient Gauls, Germans, and Britons: a native or subject of
283-317
Priapism: Persistent, usually painful erection of the penis, especially as a consequence of disease and not related to sexual arousal
Jackal: One who performs menial tasks for another.
Docile: easily
led or managed : TRACTABLE
Aberration: unsoundness
or disorder of the mind
Abject: sunk to
or existing in a low state or condition
Sanctimonious: affecting
piousness : hypocritically devout; also : indicative of
affected piousness
Unguent: a
soothing or healing salve : OINTMENT
Unctuous: FATTY, OILY
b : smooth and greasy in texture or appearance
Sumptuous: extremely
costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent
Salacious: arousing
or appealing to sexual desire or imagination : LASCIVIOUS
318-347
Suttee: the act
or custom of a Hindu widow willingly being cremated on the funeral pyre of her
husband as an indication of her devotion to him; also : a woman
cremated in this way
Immolate: to
offer in sacrifice; especially : to kill as a sacrificial victim 2
: to kill or destroy often by fire
Rogue: VAGRANT,
TRAMP
2 : a dishonest or worthless person : SCOUNDREL
3 : a mischievous person : SCAMP
Pullulate: GERMINATE,
SPROUT
b : to breed or produce freely
Pistic: Pure;
genuine
Cerement : a
shroud for the dead.
Trull: PROSTITUTE,
STRUMPET
Prattle: to utter
or make meaningless sounds suggestive of the chatter of children : BABBLE
Opsimath: a
person who becomes a student or learner late in life
Concatenation: to
link together in a series or chain
Grutch: obsolete
: BEGRUDGE
Windlestraw: straw
British : a dry thin stalk of grass
Laryngeal: of,
relating to, or used on the larynx
Banshee: a female
spirit in Gaelic folklore whose appearance or wailing warns a family that one
of them will soon die
Woad: a European
herb (Isatis tinctoria) of the mustard family formerly grown for the
blue dyestuff yielded by its leaves
Masticate: grind
or crush (food) with or as if with the teeth in preparation for swallowing :
CHEW
Purblind: lacking
in vision, insight, or understanding : OBTUSE
Frass: Etymology:
German, insect damage, literally, eating away, from Old High German vrAz food,
from frezzan to devour -- more at FRET
: debris or excrement produced by insects
Morphology: a
branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of animals and plants