Vocabulary #10

1. aficionado--an ardent devotee; fan, enthusiast
--The man is an avid Star Trek aficionado and owned just about all the memorabilia you could buy.   
2. browbeat
--to intimidate by using overbearing looks or words; bully
--Johnny's brother often tries to browbeat him into doing his chores.
3. commensurate
--having the same measure; of equal extent or duration/proportionate, adequate
--The criminal's sentence should be commensurate with the gravity of his or her crime.
4. diaphanous
--very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent
--The angel appeared in a white gown topped with a diaphanous robe.
5. emolument
--profit or fees from office or employment
--Emoluments for politicians had risen by almost 25% that year; this enraged the suffering citizens.
6. foray
--a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder/a quick, sudden attack/an initial venture
--In order to maintain their status as dominant clan, the Offdensons would carry out near-regular forays.
7. genre
--a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, content or the like
--While my friend prefers to read books belonging to the magical realism genre, I prefer mystery novels.
8. homily
--a sermon, usually of a biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature/an inspirational saying or cliche
--Whenever Suzy went to her grandmother's house, she was usually met with a biblicalhomily; this started to bother her when she developed her own ideas about life and religion.
9. immure
--to enclose within walls/to shut in, seclude or confine/to imprison
--The child felt as though her overprotective parents were just trying to immure her in her own home.
10. insouciant
--free from concern, worry or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant
--I had assumed that my senior year would be the year that I relaxed and became insouciant; it turns out that I'm just as busy as ever.
11.matrix
--something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops/a formative part
--Cells exist within and gather nutrients from the extracellular matrix around them.
12. obsequies
--funeral rites or ceremony
--They performed the obsequies at the local church several days after his passing.
13. panache
--a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair
--When Jessica visited Brazil, she happened to be there during Carnaval, all of its panacheand excitement displayed in a colorful parade.
14. persona
--the narrator of a character in a literary work, sometimes identified with the author/a person's perceived or evident personality, as that of a well-known official, actor, or celebrity
--The public seemed to love their governor; that is, they loved his governor persona--away from the public eye, he was a deeply flawed man.
15. philippic
--any speech or discourse of bitter denunciation
--When asked for justification in her proposal to impeach the corrupt leader, the woman presented the board with a scathing philippic about the man.
16. prurient
--having, inclined to have, or characterized by lascivious or lustful thoughts, desire, etc./having a restless desire or longing 
--Avid readers have a prurient interest in books.
17. sacrosanct
--extremely sacred or inviolable/not to be entered or trespassed upon/above or beyond criticism, change, or interference
--Those scriptures are considered sacrosanct to those of that faith.
18. systemic
--of or pertaining to a system/pertaining to or affecting the body as a whole
--The patient has a choice between local, topical treatment and systemic treatment in the form of pills.
19. tendentious
--having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose
--She was obviously highly tendentious when it came to choices like this. 
20. vicissitude
--a change or variation in the course of something/interchange or alternation, as in the course of things
--When starting a business, the founder must know how to endure the vicissitudes of the market.