modesty - moderation, freedom from excess or exaggeration, self-control.
skew - In special collocations, denoting that the thing in question deviates from a straight line, or has some part not at right angles with the rest, as skew arch, bridge, girder, etc.
chroma (gr) - colour
floodlit - illuminated with flood-lights
flabbergast* - to astonish utterly, to confound
firmament* - the arch or vault of heaven overhead, in which the clouds and the stars appear.
bump - a protuberance such as is caused by a blow or collision; a swelling, an irregular prominence.
to get the needle - to become angry or upset, to lose one's temper.
iridescence* - the intermingling and interchange of brilliant colours as in the rainbow, soap-bubbles, and mother-of-pearl; a play of glittering and changing colours.
ruby - a very rare and valuable precious stone, of a colour varying from deep crimson or purple to pale rose-red.
beryl - a transparent precious stone of a pale-green colour passing into light-blue, yellow, and white.
chrysolite - a name formerly given to several different gems of a green colour, such as zircon, tourmaline, topaz, and apatite. Since about 1790 restricted to the precious olivine, a silicate of magnesia and iron found in lava. Its colour varies from pale yellowish-green (the precious stone) to dark bottle-green.
jade - a silicate of lime and magnesia, a hard, translucent stone, in colour light green, bluish, or whitish.
sapphire - a precious stone of a beautiful transparent blue
jasper - an opaque cryptocrystalline variety of quartz, of various colours, usually red, yellow, or brown, due mostly to the admixture of iron oxide.
lazule* = lapis lazuli - a complex silicate containing sulphur, of bright blue colour.
orca (l) - a kind of whale; orca - the killer whale, Orcinus orca.
Bellona - proper name of the Roman goddess of war; transf. a spirited woman of commanding presence.
Etna* - active volcano on the east coast of Sicily
Athos - mountain in northern Greece
extinct - to put out, quench (fire, light, anything burning or shining)
vulcanology - the science or scientific study of volcanoes
molten - liquefied by heat oldens
heckler* - one who severely questions another
Ophiuchus - one of the ancient constellations, figured as a man holding a serpent; also called Serpentarius.
muliercula (l) - immoral or lewd woman
occlude - to prevent the passage of (a thing) by placing something in the way.
piccolo (it) - small; Piscis (constellation).
bonny - pleasing to the sight, comely, beautiful; bona fides - good faith, freedom from intent to deceive.
mores - habitual behaviour, fixed customs Mars
surgent - one who (or that which) rises in rebellion or opposition (obs. rare.)
zenith - the point of the horizon at which a heavenly body rises
Arcturus* - also called ALPHA BOÖTIS, one of the five brightest stars in the night sky, and the brightest star in the northern constellation Boötes.
anatolia (gr) - east
Hesperus* - in Greco-Roman mythology, the evening star, son or brother of Atlas. He was later identified with the morning star, Phosphorus, (Latin: Lucifer), the bringer of light.
mesembria (gr) - midday, noon
mansion - Astrol. A twelfth part of the heavens as divided by great circles through the north and south points of the horizon; a sign of the zodiac considered as the seat of the greatest influence of a particular planet.
noth - obs. Sc. variant of nought north
"[Concerning the invisible god] some say that he is Aapep when he riseth up with a head bearing upon it [the feather of] Maat (Truth).(THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD)
"Uatchet, the Lady of Flames, is the Eye of Ra." (THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD)
chase me, Charley - a catch-phrase
fluency - a smooth and easy flow; readiness of utterance, flow of words.
Ural - the name (more freq. Urals, Ural mountains) of a mountain-chain forming the north-eastern boundary of Europe with Asia.
mount - in early use, a mountain, lofty hill
Stromboli* - volcano on the Lipari islands
tow - the fibre of flax, hemp, or jute prepared for spinning by some process of scutching.
bulrush* - a name applied in books to Scirpus lacustris, a tall rush growing in or near water; but in modern popular use, more usually, to Typha latifolia, the 'Cat's Tail' or 'Reed-mace'; In the Bible applied to the Papyrus of Egypt.
obsidian* - a dark-coloured vitreous lava or volcanic rock, of varying composition, resembling common bottle-glass; volcanic glass.
Maurya - the name of a dynasty that ruled northern India from 321 to 184 b.c.; a member of this dynasty.
shrift - penance imposed by the priest after confession, absolution; confession to a priest shortshift
blancmange - a sweetmeat made of dissolved isinglass or gelatine boiled with milk, etc., and forming an opaque white jelly.
maple syrup* - a syrup obtained by evaporating maple sap or dissolving maple sugar.
obeisance - a bodily act or gesture expressive of submission or respect (almost always, A bending or prostration of the body in token of this).
orp - to fret, to murmur discontentedly orb
sheikh* - the chief of an Arab family or tribe; the headman of an Arabian village.
to live on the fat of the land* - to live very comfortably esp. without much effort of one's own; fat of the land - the choicest produce (of the earth).
treadmill - a horizontal cylinder made to revolve by the weight of persons treading on boards arranged as equidistant steps around its periphery; Formerly in use as an instrument of prison discipline.
overground - situated over or above ground, raised above the ground.
chitchat* - to gossip
spanking - very big, large, or fine; exceptionally good in some respect, freq. with implication of showiness or smartness.
a bee in one's bonnet* - i.e. a fantasy, an eccentric whim, a craze on some point.
eminence* - height, altitude, degree of elevation (obs.); distinguished superiority, elevated rank as compared with others; the highest development, the 'flower'.
white dwarf - Astr., a small, faint, very dense star (usu. but not necessarily white in colour) lying below the main sequence, and representing the stable phase assumed by stars having less than 1+4 solar masses when their nuclear reactions cease.
misdemean - to misbehave, misconduct oneself
rebuke - to reprove, reprimand, chide severely; to beat down or force back, to repress or check (a person) (obs.)
libel - a leaflet, bill, or pamphlet posted up or publicly circulated; spec. one assailing or defaming the character of some person.
snot - the mucus of the nose; Applied to persons as a term of contempt or opprobrium.
shamble* - pl. The place where animals are killed for meat; a slaughter-house.
canaille* - a contemptuous name given to the populace; the 'vile herd', vile populace.
shortie = shorty - a short article of clothing
lodge - a residence or hotel; (Freq. as the second element of house- or hotel-names.)
Amazon* - pl. A race of female warriors alleged by Herodotus, etc. to exist in Scythia.
to bark at the moon* - to clamour or agitate to no effect; bagger - one who encloses in bags; spec. a miser (obs.) bakerman
chokefull - filled so as to leave no vacant space; cram-full; stuffed full; full to suffocation.