Accoutrements (n., pl.) Accessory items of clothing or equipment; a soldier’s outfit Syn: gear, equipage **accessories

Apogee (n) Farthest or highest point Syn: zenith, apex, summit Ant: nadir, bottom, perigee ** gee, that’s far!

Apropos (adj) Appropriate, opportune; (adv) relevantly; incidentally Syn: pertinent, relevant Ant: irrelevant **appropriate

Bicker (v) To engage in a petty or peevish dispute; to flicker, quiver Syn: squabble, quarrel Ant: concur, agree

Coalesce (v) To blend together or fuse so as to form one body or substance Syn: merge, combine, unite Ant: scatter, diffuse, separate **co - together

Contretemps (n) An inopportune or embarrassing occurrence; a mishap Syn: blunder, mischance, faux pas ** drop baton

Convolution (n) A rolling up, coiling, or twisting together Syn: twist, turn, complication **volute – spiral or twisted formation (revolution)

Cull (v) To pick out or select; to gather or collect Syn: glean, choose, pluck ** cullect

Disparate (adj) Completely distinct or different Syn: divergent Ant: similar, homogeneous, uniform **different

Dogmatic (adj) Certain of the truth of one’s own ideas; inclined to state opinions as if they were fact Syn: opinionated, authoritarian Ant: open-minded; dispassionate ***tied to a dogma or set of beliefs

Licentious (adj) Morally or sexually unrestrained; no regard for accepted rules Syn: wanton, dissolute, lascivious Ant: chaste, modest, restrained, prudish **no license for this behavior

Mete (v) To distribute or apportion by or as if by measure; to allot Syn: assign, parcel out ** ‘mete’ out meat at the soup kitchen

Noxious (adj) Harmful to physical health or morals Syn: pernicious, noisome, toxic Ant: wholesome, salubrious **toxic

Polemic (n) An aggressive attack on or refutation of a specific opinion or doctrine Syn: diatribe, controversy **political

Populous (adj) Full of people; filled to capacity Syn: crowded, teeming, swarming Ant; deserted, barren **populated

Probity (n) Complete and confirmed honesty; total integrity Syn: uprightness, rectitude Ant: corruption, immorality **probably telling the truth

Repartee (n) A swift, witty reply; skill in making such replies or conversation Syn: retort, comeback, verbal sparring ***may have many repartees at the party

Supervene (v) To take place or occur as something additional or unexpected; to follow immediately after Syn: ensue, succeed Ant: precede, antecede

Truncate (v) To shorten by or as if by cutting off, lop Syn: trim, abbreviate, curtail Ant; lengthen, elongate, extend **chop tree trunk

Unimpeachable (adj) Beyond doubt or reproach; unquestionable Syn: irrefutable, irreproachable Ant: questionable, debatable, dubious **not questionable