UNUSUAL WORDS LXXXVIII

Can you give a simple definition of these less-frequently-used words?

1. RIANT

2. FUSTIAN

3. DILETTANTE

4. PARADIDDLE

5. TARADIDDLE

6. AMORPHOUS

7. LIVERY

8. DISTAFF

9. HEURISTIC

10. MEGILLAH

11. MECONIUM 

12. FARRAGINOUS

13. STULTIFY

14. THRAWN

15. FURPHY

 

Answers: 

 

1. RIANT - Laughing happily, joyful

 

2. FUSTIAN - A coarse fabric

                         Conceited and pretentious, as speech

 

3. DILETTANTE - One having a superficial knowledge and interest in the arts, a dabbler 

4. PARADIDDLE -  A drum roll

5. TARADDIDLE - A lie

6. AMORPHOUS - Shapeless

7. LIVERY - A stable for boarding, feeding, and caring for horses

                       A servant's uniform

8. DISTAFF - A stick or spindle - referring to women and the female side of a family

                        (SPEAR is the word referring to the male side of a family.)

9. HEURISTIC - An approach to problem solving that enables people to discover and learn things for themselves

10. MEGILLAH - (Yiddish) A lengthy, detailed account or explanation of something, usually with "whole"

11. MECONIUM - A newborn baby's fist poop

12. FARRAGINOUS - Consisting of a confused mixture, formed of various materials in no fixed order or arrangement

13. STULTIFY - To prevent from developing, cause to lose enthusiasm and initiative - especially due to tedious routine and restrictions

14. THRAWN (Scottish) Twisted, crooked, stubborn, ill-tempered

15. FURPHY -  A false report, rumor