The Pit and the Pendulum Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from The Pit and the Pendulum

accentuation (noun)

The emphasis or stress placed on a syllable, word, or sound when speaking; clear and distinct pronunciation.

locution (noun)

A particular form of expression or a word or phrase, especially with regard to style or manner of speaking.

sable (adjective)

Black or very dark in color; often used to describe something somber or mournful.

galvanic (adjective)

Relating to electricity produced by chemical action; producing a sudden, startling effect.

supervened (verb)

Occurred as something additional or unexpected, taking the place of what came before.

gossamer (adjective)

Something extremely light, delicate, and flimsy, like fine cobwebs floating in the air.

cadence (noun)

The rise and fall of sound, especially the rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words.

lucid (adjective)

Clear and easy to understand; mentally sharp and rational.

tumultuous (adjective)

Making a loud, confused noise; disorderly and agitated.

auto-da-fes (noun)

Public ceremonies during the Spanish Inquisition in which sentences against heretics were carried out, often including execution by burning.

insuperable (adjective)

Impossible to overcome; insurmountable.

serge (noun)

A durable twilled fabric, typically made of wool, used for clothing.

prostrate (adjective)

Lying stretched out on the ground, face downward, especially from exhaustion or submission.

avidity (noun)

Extreme eagerness or enthusiasm; keen desire.

treacherous (adjective)

Presenting hidden or unpredictable dangers; hazardous and deceptive.

charnel (adjective)

Associated with death or the storage of dead bodies; gruesome and ghastly.

surcingle (noun)

A wide strap buckled around the body of a horse to hold a saddle, pack, or blanket in place.

sulphurous (adjective)

Resembling or containing sulfur; having a pale, eerie, yellowish glow suggestive of hellfire.

scimitar (noun)

A short, curved sword with the cutting edge on the convex side, associated with Middle Eastern and Asian cultures.

recusant (noun)

A person who refuses to submit to an authority or to comply with an established rule, especially in religious matters.

grotesquerie (noun)

The quality of being grotesque; something bizarre, distorted, or absurdly ugly.

inanition (noun)

Physical weakness caused by a severe lack of food and nourishment; exhaustion from starvation.

pertinacity (noun)

Stubborn or persistent determination; the quality of holding firmly to a purpose or opinion.

voracity (noun)

Extreme greediness or eagerness in eating; ravenous hunger.

moiety (noun)

One of two equal parts; a half or portion of something.

viand (noun)

An item of food, especially a choice or tasty dish.

lurid (adjective)

Glowing with an unnaturally vivid, harsh light, especially through smoke or darkness; ghastly pale.

lozenge (noun)

A diamond or rhombus shape; a four-sided figure with equal sides and two acute and two obtuse angles.