Vocab for Bierce “An Occurrence at Owl

Creek Bridge”Patsy Hamby

Vocab for Bierce1. acclivity n.2. dignitary n.3. efface v. 4. embrasure n.5. encompass v.6. hemp n.7. inconceivably adv.8. intolerable adj.9. ludicrous adj.10. luminous adj.

11. periodicity n.12. ramification n.13. sentinel n. 14. sluggish15. span16. traverse v.17. undulation n.18. vigorously adv.19. villainous adj.20. vulgar adj.

an ascending slope; a hill 1610s, from L. acclivitatem (nom. acclivitas)

"an ascending direction, an upward steepness," from acclivis "mounting upwards, ascending," from ad- "up"

1. acclivity n.

one who holds a position of honor early 13c., from O.Fr. dignite "dignity,

privilege, honor," from L. dignitatem (nom. dignitas) "worthiness," from dignus "worth (n.), worthy, proper, fitting"

2. dignitary n.

to erase, as if by erosion late 15c., from M.Fr. effacer, from O.Fr.

esfacier (12c.) "to wipe out, destroy," lit. "to remove the face," from es- "out" (see ex-) + face "appearance," from L. facies "face"

3. efface v.

an opening in a wall or fort to allow for firing of a cannon

1702, from Fr. embrasure (16c.), from O.Fr. embraser "to cut at a slant, make a groove or furrow in a door or window," from en- "in" (see en- (1)) + braser "to cut at a slant."

4. embrasure n.

to form a circle around; to enclose 1550s, from en- (1) "make, put in" + compass. c.1300, "space, area, extent, circumference," from O.Fr. compas "circle, radius, pair of compasses"

5. encompass v.

tough fiber used for cords or ropes from P.Gmc. *hanapiz (cf. O.S. hanap, O.N.

hampr, O.H.G. hanaf, Ger. Hanf)

6. hemp n.

in a manner that cannot be comprehended or understood

1630s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + conceivable; from conceive + -able. Originally in a now-obsolete sense "that can be received." Meaning "that can be imagined

7. inconceivably adv.

unbearable late 14c., from L. intolerabilis "that cannot

bear, that cannot be borne," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + tolerabilis "that may be endured," from tolerare "to tolerate"

8. intolerable adj

foolish; laughable 1610s, "pertaining to play or sport," from L.

ludicrus, from ludicrum "source of amusement, joke," from ludere "to play," which, with L. ludus "a game, play,"

9. ludicrous adj.

emitting or reflecting continuous light early 15c., "full of light," from L. luminosus

"shining, full of light," from lumen

10. luminous adj.

quality of regularly recurring 1833, from Fr. périodicité from L.

periodicus. for a time period

11. periodicity n.

a consequence; an outgrowth 1670s, "a branching out," from Fr.

ramification, ramus "branch" (related to radix "root;")

12. ramification n.

a guard 1570’s from sentire "to hear, perceive,"

from L. senire "feel" (see sense).

13. sentinel n.

slow-moving mid-15c., from M.E. slugge "lazy person"

14. sluggish adj.

to extend across O.E. span "distance between the thumb and

little finger of an extended hand," probably related to M.Du. spannen "to join, fasten";that of "space between abutments of an arch, etc." is from

15. span v.

to travel across early 14c., "pass across, over, or through,"

from O.Fr. traverser "to cross, thwart" (11c.), from V.L. *traversare, from L. transversare "to cross, throw across," from L. transversus "turn

16. traverse v.

a rising and falling like waves 1640s, from M.L. *undulatio, from L.L.

undulatus "wavy, undulated," from undula "wavelet," dim. of L. unda "wave" (see water)

17. undulation n.

with great physical or mental strength L. vigere "be lively, flourish, thrive"

18. vigorously adv.

like an evil person or villain 1300, "base or low-born rustic," from Anglo-

Fr. and O.Fr. villain, from M.L. villanus "farmhand," from L. villa "country house"

19. villainous adj.

ordinary, common, usual late 14c., "common, ordinary," from L.

vulgaris "of or pertaining to the common people, common, vulgar," from vulgus "the common people, multitude, crowd, throng,"

20. vulgar adj.