The Word -Expropriate

"Quite the statement, for one in Yorvet's control." She remarked, idly reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair. "You're basically in expropriation. Here. You're basically a slave, not owning a single thing."
Kolt pushed himself away from her. "If you're trying to get me to like you, you're failing miserably." He rolled his eyes. If Yorvet told him anything useful, then the one thing he did own in this place was the Lunette blade. That couldn't be taken from him.
"I'm not trying to get you to like me." She laughed, taking his arm again.
"Then you get a gold medal for annoyance." He pulled away from her. "Go bug someone else."

Expropriate -1: to deprive of possession of proprietary rights 2: to transfer (the property of another) to one's own possession.

Added Info -If you guessed that "expropriate" has something in common with the verb "appropriate," you're right. Both words ultimately derive from the Latin adjective proprius, meaning "own." "Expropriate" came to us by way of the Medieval Latin verb expropriare, itself from Latin ex- ("out of" or "from") and proprius. "Appropriate" descends from Late Latin appropriare, which joins proprius and Latin ad- ("to" or "toward"). Both the verb "appropriate" ("to take possession of" or "to set aside for a particular use") and the adjective "appropriate" ("fitting" or "suitable") have been with us since the 15th century, and "expropriate" has been a part of the language since at least 1611. Other proprius descendants in English include "proper" and "property."

The Word -Compendious

"Go away." Kolt replied compendiously, as he removed his arm from hers. "I thought we established that I'm not worth talking to."
"Just the opposite actually." She replied, latching onto him again. She flashed a smile up at him, her teeth gleaming in the semi darkness. "You are quite the interesting person to talk to Kolt. Now that you can actually talk."
Kolt rolled his eyes. "Great. Well, unless you want to watch me sleep, I doubt I'll be that interesting."
"Who says I'm going to let you sleep."
"I say I'm going to sleep whether you want me to or not."

Compendious -marked by brief expression of a comprehensive matter :concise and comprehensive; also : comprehensive

Added Info -In current use, "compendious" is most often applied to things that are full in scope and concise in treatment. But the word also shares a sense of "brief in statement or expression" with synonyms "concise," "terse," "succinct," "pithy," "laconic," and "summary." "Concise" simply suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative ("a concise description"). "Terse" implies pointed conciseness ("a terse reply"). "Succinct" implies the greatest possible compression ("a succinct letter of resignation"). "Pithy" adds the implication of richness of meaning or substance ("pithy one-liners"). "Laconic" implies brevity to the point of seeming rude or indifferent ("a laconic stranger"). "Summary" suggests the stating of main points with no elaboration ("a summary listing of the year's main events").

The Word -Jamoke

She shrugged. "Because most nobles aren't smart enough to figure that out already." She leaned in, stroking his cheek. "Besides. I like hearing you nobles whine and demand things."
He leaned back, standing. "And I'd like a good brew of jamoke that doesn't taste like tar in the morning, but we can't all get what we want." He gave her a mocking bow. "A delightful meeting m'lady, but I must go." He dropped his bowl in the bucket of water, and didn't make it more than a dozen feet before she had slipped her arm around his.
She laughed. "You can't tell me when to leave remember."

Jamoke -Coffee

Added Info -"There ain't nothin' stronger in the booze line than pure alky mixed with jamocha." That 1922 quotation captures the flavor of early citations using "jamoke" and its parent. "jamocha." Both terms originated in naval slang from the late 1890s and quickly found a home in the parlance of hobos and gangsters. They blend "Java" and "Mocha," names for two places where coffee has long been grown. By World War II, "jamoke" had gained another slang sense, "a stupid or inconsequential fellow" or, more generically, "a man." One wag claims that transition happened when military personnel started to use "jamoke" jokingly for colleagues they felt weren't any more important than a cup of coffee. The "guy" sense remains rare in formal prose and does not appear in most dictionaries.

The Word -Superbity

She sat down on his other side, with a smirk. "You can't brush me off that easily, you know." She said leaning her head against her hand. "Even if you still have that superbity thing going for you. I suppose nobles can't just turn that off."
Kolt rolled his eyes. "No, I was born with that."
"I would have thought your time as a horse would have lessened it a degree."
He grimaced at her. "And you were doing so well at being less annoying then everyone else." Of course the whole camp knew he'd been a horse. Didn't mean they needed to bring it up every conversation though.
"So did it lessen it."
"It taught me demanding things is pointless."
"Is that why you haven't demanded I leave."
"Would you listen if I did?"
"No?"
Kolt nodded, finishing his soup. "So why waste my breath? I already did that before." And he'd need to conserve strength if Yorvet kept up his training regimen.


Superbity -haughtiness, arrogance

Added Info - "Superbity" must be related to "superb," right? Right--but the two words imply very different attitudes toward excellence. "Superbity" gives grandeur a negative spin, conveying a sense of annoying self-satisfaction. "Superb," on the other hand, it quite positive, suggesting that something is of the finest quality and represents the highest degree of perfection or competence. Together, the two terms give a fine overview of the meaning of their common parent, the Latin root superbus, which can mean "excellent," "proud," or "haughty."

The Word -Eructation

Kolt rolled his eyes. "Please, if any girl would come my way it's because they got tired of the rest of the camp eructing into their faces every two seconds, as they drink." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not rich. I'm a prisoner. Prisoners don't have money. You might have missed that memo."
"Probably because all the eruction taking place in the camp has temporarily addled my brain." She remarked leaning her head on his shoulder. "What is a poor girl to do?"
"Grab a horse and run." He muttered.
"Only if you come with me."
"I don't even know you."
"So?"
"Soo...I don't even know you. I'm already in one trap, don't need another one, Thank you." He shrugged her off his shoulder, turning away to eat his soup.

Eruction -an act or instance of belching

Added Info -"Eructation" is simply a fancier, and some might argue a more decorous, word for "belch." "Eructation" was borrowed from Latin in the 15th century; the verb "eruct," meaning "to belch," followed in the late 16th century. Both have their source in the Latin verb eructare, which is the frequentative form of erugere, meaning "to belch or disgorge." (A frequentative form is one that denotes a repeated or recurrent action or state.) Eructare shares as ancestor with the Greek word ereugesthai as well as Old English rocettan, both of which also means "to belch."

The Word -Croesus

She laughed, sliding down on the bench next to him. "Really? And here I thought the croseus of the camp would be the shallowest of men. Waiting for a pretty girl to cross his path, to distract him for the miseries and woes of his now poverty filled life."

Croesus -a very rich man

Added Info -The original Croesus was a sixth-century B.C. king of Lydia, an ancient kingdom in what is now Turkey. Croesus conquered many surrounding regions, grew very wealthy, and became the subject of legends. In one legend, he was visited by Solon, the wise Athenian lawgiver. (Historians say this isn't chronologically possible, but it makes a good story.) Solon supposedly told Croesus, who thought he had everything: "Account no man happy before his death." Thi smade Croesus angry, and he threw the lawmaker out of his court. Croesus would rethink Solon's pronouncement later when his empire was overthrown by the Persians. Croesus's name shows up in the phrase "rich as Croesus," meaning "filthy rich," and it has also entered English as a generic term for someone extremely wealthy.

The Word -Jape

"Didn't they teach you manners in that castle of yours?"
Kolt looked up, momentarily forgetting the jape he was going to respond with upon seeing the young woman before him. He hadn't seen anyone remotely beautiful in Yorvet's camp before. Who was this? "I---it depends, are you a captive too or with Yorvet?" He finally responded.
She raised an eyebrow. "Yorvet."
He exhaled. Shoot. And returned to his bowl of soup. "Then, no, they didn't."
"And why is that?" She asked.
"Because they only went over niceties with Nobles and Peasants, we hadn't yet reached the lesson on kidnappers and their evil bands."
"So you think I'm evil?"
"Beautiful, sure. Evil probably." He shrugged with a smirk. "If this is Yorvet's idea of getting me to cooperate, you can tell him to forget it. I'm not that shallow." Not anymore. Not in this camp. He wasn't a fool


Jape -1: to say or do something jokingly or mockingly 2: to make mocking fun of.

Added Info -"Jape" mysteriously appeared in the English language during the 14th century and was adopted by literary folks, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, as a word meaning both "to trick" and "to jeer." It was also used, however, with the meanings "to seduce (someone)" or "to have sexual intercourse." This ambiguity forced writers to think twice about using "jape" in fear of misinterpretation. Ultimately, respectable writers avoided the word, and by the end of the 16th century, it had fallen into disuse. But this four-letter word was not completely forgotten. It got its second chance when 19th-century writers began using its "jeer" meaning again--leaving its carnal meaning in oblivion.

The Word -Rechauffe

The cook, who looked like he'd been celebrating with the wine a bit too much, slopped a huge spoonful of rechauffed beef stew into a bowl that looked like it hadn't been washed in a century. Kolt exhaled, taking a seat in a quiet corner away from the crazy dancers. What he wouldn't do to get some fresh duck. It had been beef stew for every meal for two weeks it felt like.

Rechauffe -1: rehash 2: a warmed-over dish of food.

Added Info -We borrowed "rechauffe" in the early 19th century from the French; it is the past participle of their verb rechauffer, which means "to reheat." Nineteenth-century French speakers were using it figuratively to designate something that was already old hat--you might say, "warmed over." English speakers adopted that same meaning, which is still our most common. But within decades, someone had apparently decided that leftovers would seem more appealing with a French name. The notion caught on. A recipe for "Rechauffe of Beef a la Jardiniere," for example, instructs the cook to reheat "yesterday's piece of meat" in a little water with some tomatoes added, and serve it on a platter with peas and carrots and potatoes. "Rechauffe" shares its root with another English word, "chafing dish," the name of a receptacle for keeping food warm at the table.

The Word -A-go-go

Apparently there was some reason to celebrate in the camp, everywhere Kolt looked there were people A-go-going all over the camp. Loud voices assaulted his ears after the relative quiet of Yorvet's training session, not at all helped by the random musical instruments everyone seemed to be playing. What was the deal here? What had happened in the hours he'd been gone to make everyone in a festive mood? He saw no reason to celebrate. They were stuck in the same place, and he wasn't getting home any time soon.

A-go-go -1: of, relating to, or being a disco or the music or dances performed there 2: being in a whirl of motion 3: being up-to-date--often used postpositively.

Added Info -The English word "a-go-go" has two functions. It's an adjective, as we've defined it on the other side of this page, but it's also a noun referring to a nightclub for dancing to popular music--that is, a disco. both the noun and the first meaning of the adjective betray the word's origins. It's from the name of a Parisian discotheque: the Whisky a Gogo, which translates to "whiskey galore." the French club, which opened in 1947 or 1948, predated the American discos that have also used the name, but the American versions undoubtedly helped spread the term "a-go-go" in English: the most famous of these, the still-operating Whisky a Go Go on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, opened in 1964, the year before our earliest evidence of the generic use of either the noun or the adjective "a-go-go."

The Word -Ramose

Kolt left without waiting for Yorvet's answer, easily navigating through the ramosed camp, now that he actually had time to figure out the crazy layout that Yorvet had designed. It was much easier now to do so than it had been as a horse. He wasn't tied down to one location at night. Not that you needed to know the location of the cooking tents. Following your nose was just as easy. Especially when the food smelled as nauseating as usual. Honestly, he doubted that the servants at home would give the food they served here to the pigs.

Ramose -consisting of or having branches.

Added Info- The adjective "ramose" is used to describe things that are branched, as in "ramose sponges," "ramose corals," or even "ramose trees." This branching can also be figurative, as in our example sentence. "Ramose" was borrowed from the Latin ramosus ("branched") in the 17th century. In the 15th century, the Latin ramosus had also been borrowed by English, by way of the Middle French rameux, as "ramous," a word nearly indentical in meaning and usage to "ramose." The root of ramosus, the Latin noun ramus ("branch"), is also the source, by way of Medieval Latin ramificare and Middle French ramifier, of the English verb "ramify."

The Word -Catachresis

"It's already burst, Kolt," Yorvet replied. "your sad attempts at keeping the bubble from fraying when it's already popped are pathetic."
"So is everything else I do." Fraying bubbles? That was such a catachresitic concept. Kolt shook his head, sheathing his knife. The only entertainment he had these days was being annoying to Yorvet. Why he put up with it, Kolt didn't know. "I'm going to go get your sad excuse for food around here." he turned away. "Let me guess. Be back in twenty minutes?" It wasn't like Yorvet would let him out of his sight for too long. He felt like Yorvet watched him while he slept, which was creepy. Even though he couldn't prove it.

Catachresis -1: use of the wrong word for the context 2: use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech.

Added Info -As you might have guessed, "catachresis" is a word favored by grammarians. It can sometimes be merely a fancy way to disparage uses the grammarian finds unacceptable--as when Henry Fowler insisted in 1926 that the "mutual" in "our mutual friend" was a catachresis. (Fowler preferred "common," but "mutual" does have an established sense which is correct in that context.) The first recorded use of "catachresis" dates to 1553, and it has been used to describe (or decry) misuses of words ever since. "Catachresis" comes to us by way of Latin from the Greek word katachresis, which means "misuse."  

The Word -Biddable

"You would do well to be more biddable, Kolt." Yorvet threatened in a low tone.
Kolt rolled his eyes. "Or what? You'll horsify me again? I told you you could. Lugging a wagon around seems a lot easier than this stupid training. You can get your biddable servant than. A horse that can't escape his harness."
"You can't escape this one either."
"I'd like to believe I can, don't go bursting my idealic bubble."

Biddable - 1: easily led, taught, or controlled : docile 2: capable of being bid

Added Info -A "biddable" individual is someone you can issue an order to--that is, someone who will do your bidding. The word dates in the late 18th century, and our earliest evidence for it is a quote in the Scottish national Dictionary. There are a number of words in English that do what "biddaqble" does. "Tractable," "amenable," and "docile" are three of them. "Biddable" is often applied to children and indicates a ready, constant inclination to follow orders, requests, and suggestions. "Tractable" suggests characteristics that make for easy guiding, leading, ordering, or managing; its antonym "intractable" (as in "intractable problems") is more common. "Amenable" indicates a disposition to be agreeable or complaisant as well as a lack of assertive independence. "Docile" can stress a disposition to submit, either to due guidance and control or to imposition and oppression.

The Word -Earwig

"The point, Kolt" Yorvet said sounding overly patient. "Is for you to not die before I can use you."
"A pointless, point then, since I told you I won't work for you." Kolt replied, throwing the knife to stick in the ground. "At this point, I'd rather be the horse."
"That can be arranged."
"Yah I know. You haven't done it yet. You insist on earwigging me to death instead."
"I'd rather earwig you into compliance."
"Not going to happen."
"Give it time."
"Not going to happen, Kolt repeated picking up the blade and examined it. Yes. Still undamaged. Unfortunately. Maybe if he could break it then Yorvet would let him go home.

Earwig -To annoy or attempt to influence by private talk

Added Info -Earwigs are small insects that were once thought to crawl into the ears of sleeping people. It wasn't accurate--earwigs prefer moist, dark places under leaves and rocks to human ears--but the superstition led people to name the insect earwicga, Old English for "ear insect." Over time, people connected the idea of having an insect in one's ear to situations that involve whispering or speaking privately into someone's ear. The noun "earwig" came to also mean "a whispering busybody" (though this sense is now considered archaic), and the verb "earwig" evolved to refer to the acts of such meddlers. In British English, the word is more commonly used to mean "eavesdrop," as in "earwigged on their conversation at the party."

The Word -Perforce

"Again."
Kolt slammed the blade against the wooden sword, another chunk taken out of the already well notched blade. The own cursed lunette blade didn't even quiver. He'd expected it to snap by now, but apparently this 'special' knife didn't break. Or dull. Or gather rust. And a hundred other things Yorvet had been drilling into his head for the past several hours. "What. Is. The. Point?!" He demanded.
The point was to keep Yorvet entertained that much was obvious. By perforce they'd been stuck in the same spot for days now. Yorvet hadn't told him why, only that it was necessary. If it was so Kolt could be 'retrained from toddler tactics" as Yorvet put it, then he wouldn't be surprised.

Perforce -by force of circumstances.

Added Info- English speakers borrowed par force from Anglo-French in the 14th century. Par meant "by" (from Latin per) and the Anglo-French word force had the same meaning as its English equivalent, which was already in use by then. At first, "perforce" meant quite literally "by physical coercion." That meaning is no longer used today, but it was still prevalent in William Shakespeare's lifetime (1564-1616). "He rush'd into my house and took perforce / My ring away," wrote the Bard in The Comedy of Errors. The "force of circumstances" sense of "perforce" had also come into use by Shakespeare's day. In Henry IV, Part 2, we find "... your health; the which, if you give o'er/ To stormy passion, must perforce decay."

The Word- Darby and Joan

What ever Yorvet's plan entailed, it definitely wasn't involving a Darby and Joan happily ever after sort of story. If anything the caravan was definitely lacking in women. Not that Kolt would want to get involved with any women that Yorvet knew. It would only be another means for Yorvet to use against him. To get him to train as an Assassin. Eating out of his hand. Ha. Yah right. He may be stuck in this caravan, but he wasn't going to do anything to help Yorvet along. At all.

Darby and Joan -a happily married usually elderly couple.

Added Info -"Old Darby, with Joan by his side, /You've often regarded with wonder: / He's dropsical, she is sore-eyed, /Yet they're never happy asunder." thus ran the lines of a 1735 poem. By the mid-1700s, the elderly couple of the poem had become symbolic of devoted couples. According to some sources, the verse's author was an amateur poet named Henry Woodfall and its inspiration was a real-life couple: a printer named John Darby (who was Woodfall's employer) and his wife, Joan. A more modern version of the two later appeared in a song titled simply "Darby and Joan," a collaboration of Frederic Weatherly and James Molloy.

The Word -Emblazon

"I didn't take you, Kolt, you were given to me. And I don't give up what is given to me." He sat down, shuffling through papers. "You made it back before the fires went out, but that does not mean that the sun will not rise later in the day because of it. Go. Sleep."
Sleep where? Kolt didn't want to ask. He shook his head. "And what, my training begins tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"No."
"You don't really have a say in it, Kolt, remember?"
"I doubt I'd remember even if you emblazoned it on my fore head." he muttered ducking out of the tent. Honestly he was surprised that Yorvet hadn't done more to him. What was his game plan?

Emblazon -1a: to inscribe or adorn with or as if with heraldic bearings or devices b: to inscribe (as logos or lettering) on a surface 2: celebrate, extol.

Added Info -English speakers have been using the heraldic sense of "emblazon" since the late 16th century, and before that there was the verb "blazon" ("to describe heraldically") and the noun "blazon" ("a heraldic coat of arms"), which descend from Anglo-French blazon. "Emblazon" still refers to adorning something with an emblem of heraldry, but it is now more often used for adorning or publicizing something in any conspicuous way, whether with eye-catching decoration or colorful words of praise.

The Word -Surd

"No the horse thing makes more sense than having a knife I can't get rid of." Kolt argued back. "You're totally surd in it all. If you want the knife take it!"
"And I told you I can't. If I could, you'd be dead."
Oh, Kolt could easily believe that. "So...you want me....because I have the knife. To train me...because of the knife. I don't even know how you know its bonded to me! I got it as a gift, and that's it. I stuck it in a chest and didn't see it until the night you took me!"

Surd -1: lacking sense : irrational 2: voiceless--used of speech sounds.

Added Info -Both "surd" and its more common cousin "absurd" come from the Latin words surdus, meaning "unhearing, deaf, muffled, or dull." "Absurd" traveled through Middle French before arriving in English in the early 16th century. Its arrival preceded by a few decades the adoption of the noun version of our featured word directly from Latin, which referred to an irrational root, such as /3. By the early 17th century, "surd" had gained a more general application as an adjective meaning "lacking sense." In sense 2, the adjective describes speech sounds that are not voiced--for example, the /p/ sound, as opposed to the voiced /b/.

The Word -Dollar Diplomacy

Yorvet shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "You are dense, Kolt. I'm not sure the horse thing helped." He leaned against the desk. "The knife is a part of you." He said slowly like talking to a dense child. "You are bonded with it. Even if I took it, it would always return to you."
Kolt snorted shaking his head. "That's about as dumb as my father's dollar diplomacy policy he tried a couple years ago. How can I be bonded with a knife! It's a knife!"
"The same way you can be changed into a horse, Kolt. It's called Magic."

Dollar Diplomacy -the effort of a country to promote financial or commercial interests abroad or to use its financial resources to affect foreign relations

Added Info -"There is no secret out this new policy of diplomacy and the American dollar going hand in hand; of envoy and banker playing partners. It is often lauded and extolled in official circles." Those words were written in 1910, jut theer President William Taft introduced "dollar diplomacy" as an American foreign policy. But the Taft administration's attempts at influencing other nations and protecting U.S. interests abroad with cash did not fly with Woodrow Wilson, who publicly denounced the practice in 1913. Despite Wilson's objections, dollar diplomacy (both the term and the policy) are still with us over 100 years later.

The Word -Eyas

"Looks like a knife, feels like a knife. Pretty sure its a knife, Yorvet."
Yorvet shook his head. "You are such an eyas, Kolt."
"I'm surprised you want to keep me around then." he snapped.
"You'll understand if you actually listen to me."
"Yah, since it's been working so well before."
"You haven't listened yet, Kolt."
Kolt exhaled and pulled out the knife. Why should he have needed to listen? They didn't listen to his demands to take him home, he had no reason to listen to this mercenary group. "Why then, can't you use this knife?"
"Because its yours."
Kolt rolled his eyes. "Like that would stop you from taking it."

Eyas -an unfledged bird; specifically : a nestling hawk.

Added Info - "Eyas" is a funny-sounding word that exists because of a mistake. In the 15th century, Middle English speakers made an incorrect assumption about the word neias, which comes from the Anglo-French niais ("fresh from the nest"). A neias sounding like an eias to their ears, so the word lost that initial "n," eventually becoming "eyas." (There are other words in English that were created in this same fashion; for example, "an apron" used to be "a napron.") The change in spelling may have been suggested by other Middle English words like eyI ("egg") and eyry, which was a spelling of "aerie," the hawk's nest where an eyas would be found.

The Word -Raj

"Because I'm sooo happy to be back here within your reach." Kolt shot back. "I told you, I'm not going to kill for you. What's the point of this?"
The corner of Yorvet's mouth twitched. "To change your mind. Isn't that obvious. I raj here Kolt. You can never be out of my reach. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can be truly trained with that lunette blade."
"If you're so desperate to use the blade. Take it and use it yourself! Leave me out of it." He said pulling out the blade and offering it to Yorvet. "I don't want it." He didn't even know how he still had it.
"Oh, Kolt." Yorvet shook his head. "How little you know."
"Know what?"
"About the blade."
"It's a knife."
"No it isn't."

Raj -1: reign, rule; especially, often capitalized : the former British rule of the Indian subcontinent 2: the period of British rule in India.

Added Info -When British trading posts were established in the Indian subcontinent in the 17th century, English speakers were immersed in the rich languages of the region, and Europeans quickly began adopting local words into their own vocabularies. By the end of the 1700s, Hindi contributions to our language ran from "ayah" (a term for a nurse or maid) to "zamindar" (a collector of land taxes or revenues). When English speakers borrowed "raj" around 1800, they used exactly the same spelling and meaning as its Hindi parent (the Hindi word, in turn, traces to an older term that is related to the Sanskrit word for "king"). Other words of Hindi descent that are now common in English include "chintz," "pundit," "bungalow," "veranda," "seersucker," and "bandanna."

The Word -Indurate

Yorvet leaned forward in his seat, templing his fingers just under his chin.
Kolt narrowed his eyes refusing to break eye contact. "So why did you? Leave them lit?" He demanded into the silence. "You didn't even know if I would come back."
"If you came back or if you didn't, either way you would have ended up as a horse again."
Kolt rolled his eyes. Yah, he knew that. A horse. Yorvet favored him as a horse. "So why the farce then, Yorvet? You just wanted to watch me squirm?"
"I hardly needed to make you run back to camp to see you squirm." Yorvet stood, moving behind Kolt.
Kolt turned to keep him in his sight. If he was going to be magicked again, he didn't want to be caught unawares. "Then why the farce if you were going to make me a horse anyways?"
"Because I'm not." Yorvet said simply.
"Of course you---you're not?"
Yorvet chuckled. "You came back. Before the fires went out right? That means no horse form for you."
Kolt threw up his hands. "Great! Why did you leave the fires lit!" he asked a snarl to his voice. "Yorvet, why?"
"To see how indurate you are, Kolt. You made it back here. A bit slow, but faster than I believed you would."


Indurate -physically or morally hardened

Added Info- "Indurate" is a hard word--in more ways than one. Not only is it fairly uncommon in modern usage, but it also can be traced back to Latin  durare, meaning "to harden." (Durare can mean "to endure" as well, and appropriately "indurate" is a word that has lasted any years--it has been a part of the English language since the 14th century.) Durare is also the root of other durable English words, including "during," "endure," "duration," "durance" (an archaic word meaning "endurance"), and even "durable" itself. In addition, "indurate" can be a verb meaning "to make or grow hard," "to make unfeeling, stubborn, or obdurate," and "to establish firmly."

The Word -Atrabilious

Kolt dove through the tent doors, rolling before coming up on his feet, lunette blade in hand, though he couldn't remember drawing it. "I'm here." He said tersely.
Yorvet didn't look up from his desk, shuffling papers around. "About time."
"I made it before the fires went out."
Yorvet snorted, glancing up at him with a raised eyebrow.
Kolt bared his teeth, sheathing the knife. "I'm not an idiot, I know you left them lit."
Yorvet flashed a smile. "Do you always sound so atrabilious, Kolt?"
"Yes."
"It doesn't work for you."
"Most things don't apparently."

Atrabilious -1: given to or marked by melancholy : gloomy 2: ill-natured, peevish.

Added Info -"Atrabilious" is a somewhat rare word with a history that parallels that of the more common "melancholy." Representing one of the four bodily humors, from which it was once believed that human emotions originated, "atrabilious" derives from the Latin atra bilis, literally meaning "black bile." The word "melancholy" derives from the Greek melan- and chole, which also translates as "black bile." In its original sense, "atrabilious" meant "melancholy," but now it can also be used to secribe someone with an irritable or unfriendly temperament.

The Word -Labile

Kolt didn't have time for the bickering with Offet. Why did the most difficult guard have to be on duty! "Offet. Let me through."
"Nah...." He said pulling out an piece of scrimshaw. "Ye ain't gotta see him tonight."
Kolt whirled away angrily. The fires were constantly in labile. He didn't have much time left! He was sure there were less fires than before.
He moved just out of Offet's reach and broke into a run, dodging the Offet's scrimshaw as he cried "Eh! Git back here!" The clang of the bell broke out behind him.
Great. He hoped he could get to Yorvet before he was tackled to the ground. Kolt ducked and dodged headed for the center tent. Come on. Being a human for a night would be a welcome change.

Labile -readily or frequently changing.

Added Info - We are confident that you won't slip up or err in learning today's word, despite its etymology. "Labile" was borrowed into English from French and can be traced back (by way of Middle French labile, meaning "prone to err") to the Latin verb labi, meaning "to slip or fall." Indeed, the first sense of "labile" in English was "prone to slip, err, or lapse," but that usage is now obsolete. Other labi descendants in English include "collapse," "elapse," "prolapse," and simply "lapse."

The Word -Scrimshander

It appeared that Kolt's luck had run out. As he approached the tents a figure stepped out of the shadows blocking his way with a scrimshaw knife. The pungent rotten fish aroma around him should have given him away much sooner, that stink hung around the Scrimshander guard constantly.
"Wheetcha deaun bucko?" He demanded wafting more rotten fish into Kolt's direction.
"Its Kolt, Offet." Kolt replied impatiently, eyes on the fires. Were they dimmer than before.
"Kolt? Aint new kolt pearson."
"I was the Horse. Let me through."
"Yew aint luken like a horse ta me."
"Because Yorvet changed me back. He is expecting me."
"Sheere he is..."

Scrimshander - a person who creates scrimshaw (carved or engraved articles made originally by American whalers usually from baleen or whale ivory)

Added Info -Scrimshaw is a distinctly North American folk art, but no one knows just where it started or how it got its name. Native peoples of Alaska and Canada have carved ivory for centuries, but when "scrimshaw" is used in modern English, it is most often associated with 18th- and 19th-century whalers of the ilk Herman Melville described as "examining by dim light divers specimens of SKRIMSHANDER" in Moby-Dick (1851). As you can see from Melville's example, "scrimshander" was originally a synonym of "scrimshaw" (back then, the artists were most likely called scrimshoners). "Scrimshaw" and "scrimshander" may have originated with the surname of a sailor who was particularly skilled at the art, but if such an individual did exist, he is unknown today.

The Word -Syncategorematic

Kolt cursed as he stumbled in the darkness, breaking into a run to the flickering fires he saw in the distance. There were still fires burning. He'd been so syncategorematic about the uselessness of trying to get back to camp, that to see the light was a surprise. He would have thought Yorvet would have ordered the fires doused as soon as he appeared in camp. Why was Yorvet giving him the chance to remain human? His hand drifted down to the lunette blade, clenching on the hilt. Why? Why do this? Was it some sort of backhanded training?

Syncategorematic -forming a meaningful expression only in conjunction with a denoatitve expression (as a content word).

Added Info -In ancient Greek logic, kategorema referred to something that was affirmed or denied about the subject in a proposition. For instance, in "the paper is white," "whiteness" would be the kategorema. Seventeenth-century logicians extended this concept, which they called categorem, to cover the subject of the proposition as well. So, in the proposition "All men are mortal," "mortality" is a categorem and so is "man." But what about "all"? Words like "all" that signify quantity (as well as words tha tfunction as adverbs, prepositions, or conjunctions) are syncategormemata--that is, they are words that have meaning in propositions only when used in conjunction "with" other words. ("Syn-" means "with.")

The Word -Lambaste

"Giving up so quickly?"
"You've already proven that I can't beat you, so go ahead and lambaste me already." He glanced back, not wanting to but unable to resist. Why wasn't he already being forced down to all fours again?
Yorvet smiled. "Well, at least you recognize that you can't beat me." He shrugged a shoulder. "Return to camp. Get there before the fires are doused and you can stay human." Yorvet raised his hands and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Lambaste -1: to assault violently :beat, whip 2: to attack verbally : censure.

Added Info - The origins of "lambaste" are somewhat uncertain, but the word was most likely formed by combining the verbs "lam" and "baste," both of which mean "to beat severely." (Incidentally, "lambaste" can also be spelled "lambast," despite the modern spelling of the verb "baste.") Some other synonyms of "lambaste" include "pummel," "thrash," and "pound." "Pummel" suggests beating with one's fists ("the bully pummeled the smaller child until teachers intervened"). "Pound" also suggests heavy blows, though perhaps not quite so much as "pummel," and may imply a continuous rain of blows ("she pounded on the door"). "Thrash" means to strike repeatedly and thoroughly as if with a whip ("the boxer thrashed his opponent").

The Word - Nary

No...Yorvet couldn't afford to let him escape. And what easier way to keep him from leaving than making him a horse? Even if he had given his word, which he wouldn't have, that he wouldn't try to leave, Yorvet couldn't trust that. No, it didn't appear that there was nary an option that would allow him to stay human.
Kolt lowered his blade, slipping it back into the sheath one his leg. He was in between a rock and a hard place. "I won't train to kill for you." He said finally turning away. "So if you're going to make me a horse do it already." He hated the horse form. But serving as a hired hand was the last thing he wanted to make of his life.

Nary - not any : not one

Added Info -"Nary," often used in the phrase "nary a" to mean "not a single," is an 18th-century alteration of the adjectival phrase "ne'er a," in which "ne'er" is a contraction of "never." That contraction dates to the 13th century, and the word it abbreviates is even older: "never" can be traced back to Old English naefre, a combination of ne ("not" or "no") and aefre ("ever"). Old English ne also combined with a ("always") to give us na, the Old English ancestor of our "no." A, from the Latin aevum ("age" or "lifetime") and Greek aion ("age"), is related to the English adverb "aye," meaning "always, continually, or ever." This "aye" (pronounced to rhyme with "say") is unrelated to the more familiar "aye" (pronounced to rhyme with "sigh") used as a synonym of "yes."

The Word -Ukase

"Let me give you a little ukase, Kolt." Yorvet said after a long moment of silence between them. "Do what I say, listen, become what I need you to become, and one day you can walk away. Without me dead."
Kolt shook his head, gripping the blade tighter. "No."
Yorvet exhaled with disappointment. "So you want to be a horse for a while longer then, fine by me."
He raised his hands.
Kolt backed away, with barred teeth. "Don't!"
"You leave me no choice, I can't have you running off to daddy no can I?"

Ukase - 1: a proclaimation by a Russian emperor or government having the force of law 2a: a proclamation having the force of law b: order, command.

Added Info - English speakers adopted "ukase" more or less simultaneously from French (ukase) and Russian (ukaz) in the early 18th century. The word can be traced further back to the Russian verb ukazat', meaning "to show" or "to order," and its ultimate source is an ancient root that led to similar words in Latin, Sanskrit, and Old Church Slavic. A Russian ukase was a command from the highest levels of government that could not be disobeyed. But by the early 19th century, English speakers were also using "ukase" generally for any command that seemed to come from a higher authority, particularly one that was final or arbitrary.

The Word -Prodigal

"What you had was fools gold compared to real gold, Kolt." Yorvet replied in a tone that could freeze blood. He let go of Kolt, letting him land on his feet, instead of shoving him back to the ground. That didn't mean Kolt didn't stumble, he'd been expecting to be thrown to the ground.
He turned back to Yorvet, lunette blade in hand. "It was my life!"
"And I'm going to offer you a better one." Yorvet replied. "And if you're lucky, and train well, perhaps I'll let you have your triumphant prodigal moment."
Kolt rolled his eyes, grip shifting on the handle of the blade. "The day you give me that is the day you die, Yorvet. If I'm lucky."
"Only if you're human when I kick the bucket, Kolt." He smirked. "Die as a horse and get used to pastures and saddles for the rest of your life."

Prodigal - 1: recklessly extravagant. 2: characterized by wasteful expenditure : lavish 3: yielding abundantly : luxuriant --oftened used with of.

Added Info -"Prodigal" shares the same root as a number of words, among them "active," "agenda," "exact," "chasten," 'react," and "transact." The root in question is agree, Latin for "to drive," "to lead," "to act," or "to do." "Prodigal" is from agree plus the prefix prod-, which means "forth." That combination rendered the Latin verb prodigere, meaning "to drive away" or "to squander," and the Latin adjective prodigus, from which we derived our adjective "prodigal." The past participle of agree is actus--thus agree is the parent of many words that contain "act."

The Word - El Dorado

"If you ever expect to have your El Dorado moment, little Kolt." Yorvet said, kicking him for good measure. Kolton groaned, curling up. "You need a lot more training with that lunette knife." He pulled Kolton back up to his feet, holding him up by the collar. Kolton gritted his teeth, struggling to get out of Yorvet's grip. "I already had it!" He snarled. "You took it from me when you kidnapped me!"

El Dorado - 1: a place of great riches held by 16th century explorers to exist in South America 2: a place of great wealth or opportunity.

Added Info - In the early 1500s, Spanish conquistadores heard tales of an Amazonian king who regularly coated his body with gold dust, then plunged into a nearby lake to wash it off while being showered with gold and jewels thrown by his subjects. The Spaniards called the city ruled by this flamboyant monarch El Dorado, Spanish for "gilded one," and the story of the gold-covered king eventually grew into a legend of a whole country paved with gold. These days, "El Dorado" can also be used generically for any place of vast riches, abundance, or opportunity.

The Word -Prosaic

He stumbled back, the heat fading as quickly as it had come. Kolt reacted faster than his mind processed that he was human, his hand going for the blade once more strapped to his leg, and lunged. Blade striking for Yorvet's throat.
Yorvet calmly side stepped, his foot coming out at just the right moment to trip Kolt and send him tumbling, the knife flying away from him as he rolled to a stop, briefly dazed.
"Well that was rather prosaic, Kolt, though I do admire your reflexes."

Prosaic - dull, unimaginative, or ordinary

Added Info -In the 1600s, any text that was not poetic was prosaic. Back then, "prosaic" carried no negative connotations; it simply indicated that a written work was made up of prose. That sense clearly owes much to the meaning of the word's Latin ancestor prosa, which meant "prose." By the end of the 17th century, though, poetry had come to be viewed as the more beautiful, imaginative, and emotional type of writing, and prose was relegated to the status of mundane and plain-Jane. As a result, English speakers started using "prosaic" to refer to anything considered matter-of-fact or ordinary, and they gradually transformed it into a synonym for "colorless," "drab," "lifeless," and "lackluster."

The Word -Bluestocking

They rode a while longer before Yorvet roughly pulled him to a halt. "Here is far enough, Kolt." He said dismounting, moving to his head, holding onto the bridle.
Kolt recoiled as Yorvet stroked his nose. "Now." His grip on the reigns tightened. "We'll see if I have a Bluestocking or an actual warrior at my hands." He snapped his fingers as a wave of heat passed through Kolt, like a series of biting insects. Kolt reared back in a panic. What now!?

Bluestocking - a woman having intellectual or literary interests.

Added Info - In mid-18th century England, a group of ladies decided to replace evenings of card playing and idle chatter with "conversation parties," inviting illustrious men of letters to discuss literary and intellectual topics with them. One regular guest was scholar-botanist Benjamin Stillingfleet. His hostesses were willing to overlook his cheap blue worsted stockings (which were usually disdained by the elite) in order to have the benefit of his lively conversation. Those who considered it inappropriate for women to aspire to learning derisively called the group the Blue Stocking Society. The women who were the original bluestockings rose above the attempted put-down and adopted the epithet as a name for members of their society.

The Word -Nuncupative

He'd already been tired from the day long trek, the ride as the sun set was nothing short of exhausting. Kolt's sides were heaving as he gasped for air, finally slowing to a walk, despite Yorvet's repeated urges to keep going faster. If Yorvet wanted to run, he'd have to do it himself. Kolt wasn't going to get much further without collapsing.
Yorvet tsked. "You need to work out more, Kolt." he said with some noticeable irritation. "We'll get nowhere if you can't run more than half a mile without dying."
Kolt tossed his head, ears laying back. It had been more than a mile! If he had the normal nuncupative means to communicate than Yorvet would be hearing an earful.
"Already am, Kolt."
What he was thinking didn't count!  

Nuncupative - spoken rather than written :oral

Added Info -"Nuncupative" (from Latin nuncupare, meaning "to name") has been part of the English language since at least the mid-16th century, most typically appearing in legal contexts as a modifier of the noun "will." The nuncupative will originated in ancient Roman law, where it consisted of an oral declaration made in the presence of seven witnesses and later presented before a magistrate. Currently, nuncupative wills are allowed in some U.S. states in extreme circumstances, such as imminent peril of death from a terminal illness or from military or maritime service. Such wills are dictated orally but are usually required to be set down in writing within a statutorily specified time period, such as 30 days. Witnesses are required, though the number seven is no longer specified.

The Word - Lares and Penates

My simple desires? He thought. It wasn't like wanting to be human again could be a simple desire. Nobody ever really had to think about staying human after all! Not unless they offended the Lares and Penates in their homes. And Kolt  hadn't recalled doing that exactly. Maybe he should have given more offerings, but the servants had always taken care of that sort of thing.
"Minor Gods, wouldn't save you coming to me, Kolt. Don't be absurd." Yorvet said, jumping onto Kolt's back in one smooth motion, causing him to start and nearly bolt.
He gnashed his teeth against the bit. He hated having someone on his back! It was worse than pulling the wagon. By far. Even more worse to be kicked into a run. He hardly was graceful at it.
"That's because you need more practice Kolt!" Yorvet said with a chuckle.

Lares and Penates - 1: household gods 2: personal or household effects.

Added Info -The phrase "lares and penates" is at home in the elevated writings of scholars. A classicist could tell you that Lares and Penates were Roman gods once worshipped as guardians of the household, and an avid Walpolian might be able to tell you that his or her favorite author (Horace Walpole) is credited with first domesticating the phrase to refer to a person's possessions. In the centuries since Walpole used "lares and penates" in a 1775 letter to the English poet William Mason, the phrase has become solidly established in the English language, and it continues to be used by authors and journalists today.

The Word -Mordacious

It was a mordacious jab, bringing up his past like that. Kolt's ears lowered in irritation, and he snapped his teeth. What did Yorvet want with him? To make him hungry for food he could no longer eat?
Yorvet raised a cool eyebrow. "Oh, so you do have some bite left in you yet." He remarked, casually leading Kolt away from the caravan. 
Kolt snorted keeping the rope taut between them. He wanted nothing to do with this man.
"Not much you can do when I hold the ropes though." 
It would be better if he couldn't read his thoughts. So much better.
"You won't get peace that way for a while. You're a rather open book when it comes to your mind Kolt. So simple in your desires."  

Mordacious - 1: biting or given to biting 2: biting or sharp in manner or style : caustic

Added Info - The earl of Carnarvan, referred to in 1650 as "mordacious," didn't go around biting people; it was his "biting" sarcasm that inspired that description. The word's association with literal biting didn't come up until later, occurring first in an 18th-century reference to "mordacious" bats. The"caustic" sense of "mordacious" is the more frequent use these days, but admittedly, neither sense is especially common. If you prefer a less esoteric option, you can choose "mordant," a synonym that sees a bit more use. Both adjectives descend from Latin mordere, a verb meaning (literally) "to bite or sting." If you want to sink your teeth into more mordere derivatives, you might use "mordacity" to refer to a biting quality of speech, or substitute "mordancy" for "incisiveness' or "harshness."

The Word -Agog

An unfamiliar hand slapped his shoulder. Though he recognized the voice easily enough. "Long trek Kolt?" Yorvet asked him as he unhooked the wagon tresses from him. "Looking forward to a nice little rest?"
Kolt doubted now he would get that rest. It wasn't like he'd been agog with stopping for the night. But now he figured he wouldn't be getting rest. His tail flicked in irritation. It was bad enough that Yorvet had magicked him into a stupid work horse. Now he had to deal with him in person. He should have stayed at the head of the caravan where it belongs.
"Oh no need to think so negatively, Kolt. I came to visit you."
Not what he wanted ever. His ears laid back. Go. Away.
Yorvet took the bridle, "You're mine, Kolt. I'm not going away. You should realize that by now. Come, you were looking forward to grass a moment ago weren't you? A bit different from your roasted meats and wine wouldn't you say?"

Agog -full of intense interest or excitement : eager.

Added Info - English speakers have been clamoring over the word "agog" for more than 450 years; it derives from the Middle French phrases en gogues, meaning "in a state of mirth." In many instances, "agog" is followed by a preposition, such as "over" or "about." The "-gog" part of the word might make one wonder if "agog" has a connection to the verb "goggle," meaning "to stare with wide or protuberant eyes," as in the manner of one who is intensely excited about something. That word actually has a different origin: the Middle English gogelen, meaning "to squint."

The Word -Nodus

He couldn't help but exhale in relief when the signal to stop was blown as the sun neared the horizon. His legs ached from the strain of pulling the wagon all day. They'd gone through rocky patches today, a nodus, to an already difficult journey away from his home kingdom. They were now reaching terrain unfamiliar to him. The grassy plains were long gone, now it seemed like they were getting into mountain territory. 
He waited, head down, breathing in the air, to be unhitched from the wagon. He knew the routine now. Morning oats, hitched up to the wagon, a brief stop in the middle of the day to graze on the disgusting grasses that he could find, and then at sundown, he would be unhitched, tied up and given more oats and occasionally carrots. It was hardly the noble food he was used to, but if he was to survive...he needed to eat. And a lot of it. If they were heading up into the mountains grass was going to be much harder to find.  

Nodus - complication, difficulty

Added Info -In Latin, nodus can mean "knot" or "node"'; the quotation "Dignu svindice nodus," attributed to ancient Roman poet Horace, means "a knot worthy of such a liberator" or "a knot worthy to be untied by such hands." Horace's quote shows how long the knot has been regarded as a symbol of a seemingly inextricable problem, and "nodus," which first appeared in English around 1738, carries on the poet's metaphorical application of the word.

The Word -Fervid

He'd lost track of time, it wasn't something he'd believed was possible. But he no longer had any idea how long he'd been under Yorvet's thumb, trapped in a horse form, put to work like a servant or worse...a farm animal. It was long enough that he hardly stumbled any more over the four hooved feet. Hardly ever flinched when the stupid dark tail of his flicked back and forth trying to bat away at the persistent flies that seemed to multiply in the fervid plain's heat. The only thing he thought about on a near constant basis, was that he hated his dark brown coat. It trapped the heat to the point where he thought he would burn alive. Not that Yorvet cared, no. Noble Kolton probably was long forgotten to the Sorcerer's mind. He was just 'Kolt' now. A horse. A work horse, reduced to pulling the wagon carrying the tents. More often than not Kolt hardly thought himself more than that now either. He'd been at it for ever. Being human seemed like a dream.

Fervid -1: very hot : burning 2: marked by often extreme intensity of feeling.

Added Info - The Latin verb fervere can mean "to boil" or "to glow," as well as, by extension, "to seethe" or "to be roused." In English, this root gives us three words that can mean "impassioned" in varying degrees: "fervid," "fervent," and "perfervid." "Fervid" and "fervent" are practically synonymous, but while "fervid" usually suggests warm emotion that is expressed in a spontaneous or feverish manner (as in "fervid basketball fans"), "fervent" is reserved for a kind of emotional warmth that is steady and sincere (as in "a fervent belief in human kindness"). "Perfervid" combines "fervid" with the prefix "per-" ("thoroughly"0 to create a word meaning "marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion," as in "a perfervid display of patriotism."