ransack = search thoroughly; pillage (going through a
place); Ex. Enemy soldiers ransacked the town.
dorsal = relating to the back of an animal; Ex. dorsal fin
protean = able to take on many forms; versatile; CF. Proteus:
sea god to change his shape at will
conscientious = scrupulous; through and careful; Ex.
conscientious worker
gape = open widely; open the mouth wide; stare wonderingly
with the mouth open; CF. agape
perverse = purposely continuing to do something wrong;
stubbornly wrongheaded; perverted; directed away from what is right; wicked and unacceptable; Ex. Perverse satisfaction; Ex. Hannibal Lecter in a perverse
mood; N. perversity
nexus = connection
mercantile = concerning trade or merchants
inestimable = impossible to estimate; (apprec) invaluable;
of immeasurable worth
quixotic = idealistic but impractical; CF. Don Quixote
antipathy = aversion; dislike or opposition
chaste = morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual
acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not
highly decorated; austere
incident = event; event that causes a crisis
immure = imprison; shut up in confinement; CF. wall
rhapsodize = speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic
manner; Ex. rhapsodize over the beauty of the
scenery
stupor = state of being stupefied; state of apathy; daze;
lack of awareness
deface = mar; disfigure
revert = relapse; backslide; turn back to; return to the former
owner; N. reversion
parquet = floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic
like matter; CF. strip: long narrow piece
fickle = changeable (in affections or friendship); faithless
inimical = (of someone) unfriendly; hostile; (of something)
harmful; detrimental; CF. enemy
consonant = harmonious; in agreement; N.
gauche = clumsy (in social behavior); coarse and uncouth
falsify = make (something written) false by changing
repine = fret; complain; be annoyed; Ex. repine over the
undone work
integral = complete; necessary for completeness; Ex. integral
part
ursine = bearlike; pertaining to a bear
miasma = swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often
emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence