Vocabulary #3

accolade - noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
The enthusiastic student received the accolade for being the most spirited.

acerbity - noun a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
The angry old man created a scene in order to show his acerbity when his order was wrong.

attrition - noun the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; erosion by friction
The enemy's plan was to attrition our forces by keeping us in an enclosed area without food/resources.

bromide - noun any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; a trite or obvious remark
You know it's bromide if it is followed by, "No way, Sherlock."

chauvinist - noun an extreme nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
Many chauvinists still exist today, some are extreme enough to keep organizations such as the Neo-Nazi or the KKK.

chronic - adj. being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering
The older woman suffered from chronic arthritis.

expound - verb add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state
When my mom worried about whether she would or wouldn't wake up from surgery, the doctor proceeded to expound on the low risks.

factionalism - noun the existence of or conflict between groups within a larger group
Within a classroom, problems are often times factionalism.

immaculate - adj. completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error
Another dogma within the Catholic religion is that the Immaculate Conception was faultless.

imprecation - noun the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation
The old hermit frightened many children, as they believed to hear her shouting imprecations at them.

ineluctable - adj. impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"
The young man that was texting while driving faced the ineluctable consequences of his actions.

mercurial - adj. relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; liable to sudden unpredictable change
The toddler has mercurial actions, the mother often times has to guess what will come next.

palliate - verb provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
The nurse put an ice pack on the woman's shoulder to palliate the pain.

protocol - noun code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state; (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data
During an earthquake drill, all teachers and staff must follow protocol.

resplendent - adj. having great beauty and splendor
The resplendent horse trotted slowly throughout the entirety of the parade.

stigmatize - verb to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful
The pregnant teen was stigmatized, yet nobody knew the full extent of her story.

sub rosa - adj. happening or done in secret
The secret agent completed all his missions sub rosa.

vainglory - noun outspoken conceit
The handsome man, who constantly stared into the mirror, was full of vainglory.

vestige - noun an indication that something has been present
The vestige of the dinosaurs proved their existence.

volition - noun the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
The student was held accountable for his volition.