Chapter 76 - The Battering-Ram — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Chapter 76 - The Battering-Ram

physiologist (noun)

A scientist who studies the functions and mechanisms of living organisms and their parts.

infidel (noun)

A person who does not believe in something; here used metaphorically for a skeptic or doubter.

appalling (adjective)

Causing shock or dismay; horrifying.

vestige (noun)

A trace or remnant of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.

cranial (adjective)

Relating to the skull or cranium.

effeminacy (noun)

The quality of being soft or delicate; here referring to the seemingly delicate oil inside the whale's head.

impregnably (adverb)

In a way that is impossible to capture, break through, or overcome.

impotently (adverb)

In a way that lacks power or effectiveness; helplessly.

inestimable (adjective)

Too great to be calculated or measured; immeasurable.

distension (noun)

The state of being swollen or expanded by internal pressure.

irresistibleness (noun)

The quality of being impossible to resist or withstand.

impalpable (adjective)

Unable to be felt by touch; intangible. Here referring to air.

volition (noun)

The faculty or power of using one's will; a conscious choice or decision.

sentimentalist (noun)

A person who is excessively prone to feelings of tenderness or nostalgia; here, one who avoids harsh truths.

provincial (noun)

A person of narrow or limited outlook; unsophisticated. From the idea of someone who has never left their province.