December vocabulary

Omission (n) someone or something that has been left out or excluded : there are glaring omissions in the report; the action of excluding or leaving out someone or something : the omission of recent publications from his bibliography.

Cunning (adj.) having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion : a cunning look came into his eyes.

Infinite (adj.) limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate : the infinite mercy of God | the infinite number of stars in the universe; very great in amount or degree : he bathed the wound with infinite care.

Confound (v) cause surprise or confusion in (someone), esp. by acting against their expectations : the inflation figure confounded economic analysts.

Diminutive (adj.) extremely or unusually small

Perusal (n) the action of reading or examining something

Vacuously (adj.) having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless

Provocation (n) action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, esp. deliberately : you should remain calm and not respond to provocation | he burst into tears at the slightest provocation.

Compulsive (adj.) resulting from or relating to an irresistible urge, esp. one that is against one's conscious wishes : compulsive eating; (of a person) acting as a result of such an urge : a compulsive liar.

Morsel (n) a small piece or amount of food; a mouthful : Julie pushed a last morsel of toast into her mouth | figurative real estate agents think the mansion will be a very tasty morsel for an international company; a small piece or amount : reporters do their best to ferret out every morsel of information.

Mandatory (adj.) required by law or rules; compulsory : wearing helmets was made mandatory for cyclists; of or conveying a command : he did not want the guidelines to be mandatory.

Convoluted (adj.) (esp. of an argument, story, or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow : its convoluted narrative encompasses all manner of digressions.

Rigours (n) the quality of being extremely thorough, exhaustive, or accurate : his analysis is lacking in rigor; severity or strictness : the full rigor of the law; ( rigors) demanding, difficult, or extreme conditions : the rigors of a harsh winter.

Flank (n) the side of a person's or animal's body between the ribs and the hip : leaning against his horse's flanks; the side of something