Chapter 9 - The Sermon — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Chapter 9 - The Sermon

canticle

A hymn or chant, especially one forming part of a church service, often with words taken from the Bible.

cupidity

Excessive greed, especially for wealth or material gain.

obliquity

The state of being slanted or tilted from a vertical or horizontal line; deviation from moral or mental rectitude.

appals

Greatly dismays or horrifies; fills with consternation.

supplicating

Asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.

invokingly

In a manner that calls upon a higher power for assistance, support, or inspiration.

larboard

An archaic nautical term for the left side of a ship when facing forward (now called "port").

kelpy

Relating to or covered with kelp (large seaweed); characteristic of the deep ocean floor.

parricide

The killing of a parent or other close relative; a person who commits such an act.

lethargy

A state of sluggishness, inactivity, and apathy; abnormal drowsiness.

bulwarks

The sides of a ship above the upper deck; also used figuratively to mean a defense or protection.

bowsprit

A spar extending forward from the bow of a ship, to which the forestays are fastened.

benediction

A prayer or invocation for divine blessing, especially at the end of a religious service.

inexorable

Impossible to stop or prevent; unyielding and unalterable.

revelry

Lively and noisy festivities, especially involving drinking and celebration.

prodigy

An amazing or unusual thing, especially one that inspires wonder; here used to mean an enormous or monstrous weight.

kelson

A line of timber or steel fastening a ship's keel to its floor timbers; the lowest structural element of a vessel.