The Murders in the Rue Morgue Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from The Murders in the Rue Morgue

acumen (noun)

The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions; keen insight or shrewdness.

inordinately (adverb)

To an unusually or disproportionately large degree; excessively.

unostentatious (adjective)

Not showy or pretentious; modest and understated.

involute (adjective)

Intricate and complicated; involved or entangled.

eschewing (verb)

Deliberately avoiding or keeping away from something.

multiform (adjective)

Existing in many different forms, kinds, or varieties.

untoward (adjective)

Unexpected and inappropriate or inconvenient; unfavorable or unlucky.

patrimony (noun)

Property or an estate inherited from one's father or ancestors.

bizarrerie (noun)

A bizarre quality, action, or thing; an eccentricity or strangeness.

counterfeit (verb)

To imitate or simulate something in order to create a false impression of it.

sallied (verb)

Set out from a place energetically or boldly; ventured out.

petulantly (adverb)

In a childishly sulky or bad-tempered manner.

quondam (adjective)

Former; that once was.

rencontre (noun)

An unexpected or chance meeting with someone.

besmeared (adjective)

Smeared or spread thickly with a messy substance.

excoriations (noun)

Areas of skin that have been scraped, abraded, or rubbed raw.

criminate (verb)

To incriminate; to charge with or implicate in a crime.

extolled (verb)

Praised enthusiastically; lauded highly.

abstruse (adjective)

Difficult to understand; obscure or complex.

egress (noun)

The action of going out of or leaving a place; an exit or way out.

supererogation (noun)

The performance of more work than duty requires; doing something unnecessary or beyond what is needed.

habiliment (noun)

Clothing or attire, especially of a particular kind or for a particular occasion.

vacillating (adjective)

Wavering between different opinions or actions; indecisive.

coadjutor (noun)

A person who assists another; a colleague or helper.

fulvous (adjective)

Of a dull brownish-yellow or tawny color.

propensities (noun)

Natural inclinations or tendencies toward particular behaviors.

expostulating (verb)

Expressing strong disapproval or disagreement; earnestly reasoning with someone to dissuade them.

cudgel (noun)

A short, thick stick used as a weapon; a club.

intractable (adjective)

Hard to control or deal with; stubbornly resistant to management.

solicitude (noun)

Care or concern for someone or something; anxious attention.