v. 1. To make a harsh metallic sound. To cause to make a harsh discordant sound. 2. To grate on the nerves.
Steffens took me to dinner and tried to calm my nerves, but even with several whiskeys in me, I jangled.
— Paula McLain, The Paris Wife
Tipple
v. To drink (alcoholic liquor) or engage in such drinking, esp. habitually or to excess.
n. Alcoholic liquor.
Leviathan
n. 1. Something unusually large of its kind, esp. a ship. 2. A very large animal, esp. a whale. 3. A monstrous sea creature mentioned in the Bible.
Tether
n. 1. A rope or chain for holding an animal in place, allowing it a short radius in which to move about. 2. The extent or limit of one’s resources, abilities, or endurance.
tr.v. To fasten or restrict with or as if with a tether.
Savage
n. 1. A primitive or uncivilized person. 2. A brutal, fierce, or vicious person. 3. A rude person; a boor.
tr.v. 1. To assault ferociously. 2. To attack without restraint or pity.
The most popular books are often savaged by critics for their writing style, yet these writers are clearly connecting with readers.
— Betsy Lerner, The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers
Concatenate
v. 1. To connect or link in a series or chain. 2. Comp. Sci. To arrange (strings of characters) into a chained list.
Ossify
v. intr. 1. To change into bone; become bony. 2. To become set in a rigid conventionalism.
Grit
n. 4. Informal. Indomitable spirit. Pluck.
Crucible
n. 1. A vessel made of a refractory substance such as graphite or porcelain, used for melting and calcining materials at high temperatures. 2. A severe test, as of belief.
Moxie
n. Slang. 1. The ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage. 2. Aggressive energy; initiative. 3. Skill; know-how.
Dromedary
n. The one-humped domesticated camel of northern Africa and western Asia.
