define

i am exceedingly bad at explaining my thoughts. at least, verbally. and even in written form i stumble often.

my understanding is great, but my ability to render feelings into definitive statements is inadequate.

to come to a point, if you ask me the definition of a word, even though i know what it means, i can't give you an answer less than 5 minutes long of hemming and hawing with the acrid smell of thought-smoke while i try to explain how the word makes me feel.

so i'm going to try to learn actual definitions of words. and i'll throw in some words i don't know in the mix as well.

natalie angier uses some of the most beautiful words in her writing; here, i'll share!

• captious - marked by a disposition to find and point out trivial faults; intended to entrap or confuse, as in an argument
• imprecation - "the act of imprecating"; a curse
• perambulations - to walk through; to inspect (an area) on foot
• outre' - highly unconventional; eccentric or bizzare
• accreting - to make larger or greater, as by increased growth
• parthenogenic - of, characterized by, or produced by parthenogensis; development of an egg w/o fertilization
• cosseted - to pamper; a pet, especially a pet lamb
• peregrinations - to journey or travel from place to place, especially on foot; to travel through or over, traverse
• capacious - capable of containing a large quantity; spacious or roomy
• pertussive - relating to pertussis (whooping cough)
• hoary - gray or white with or as if with age; covered with grayish hair or pubescence; so old as to inspire veneration, ancient
• antediluvian - extremely old and antiquated; bible, occurring or belonging to the era before the Flood
• tsuris - trouble, aggravation
• cavil - to find fault unnecessarily; raise trivial objections; to quibble about, detect petty flaws in

most of these words i've seen and know. some i just liked the sound of. some i had forgotten (parthenogenesis? 6th grade?).