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abomination n Something hateful or disgusting, especially in the eyes of God or the church. According to the dietary laws of Leviticus, eating pork or shark is an abomination, and one should be ashamed of it.
archetype
n A
pattern of meaning often found in mythology, religion, or dreams. When we
study Grimm's Fairy Tales, we see a number of archetypes emerge--patterns such
as the quest, the fatal woman, and resurrection.
elegy n A formal poem of mourning recited at a funeral or death. It is not to be confused with "eulogy," which simply means nice words. An elegy is a literary form that has a definite structure. One of the earliest elegies to be read in literature is Gilgamesh's poem of mourning upon the death of his friend Enkidu.
firmament n The vault of the sky. As we stared in wonder at the firmament, we could not help but think that there may be other worlds out there among the billions of stars.
harlot n A woman of low moral character, a prostitute. Jesus defended even the harlot against the angry mob; when they wished to stone her for selling her body, he said, "Let you who is without sin cast the first stone."
libation n A formal drink, often taken at a testimonial or other ceremonious occasion. Especially it is a drink offering poured out for the gods. After Utnapishtim arrived safe on the top of the mountain, he poured a glass of wine, tipped out a libation for the gods, and drank the rest in thanks.
livid adj A discoloration of the skin, either white, red, or mottled. 1) When Felix found his wife sleeping with his best friend, he was livid with rage, and the veins stood out on his forehead. 2) Homer was livid with fear when walking through the cemetery at midnight; all the blood drained from his face. 3) My, that's a livid bruise on your arm!
slough
n/v
As
a noun, <slau>. A deep marshy area, a swamp. My cow was caught in the
slough, and we had to tow her out with the plow. As a verb, <sluff>.
To cast off or to shed. At the start of the new year, I plan to slough off my
old bad habits and replace them with new bad habits.
transgression n A sin, a crossing over (trans) of what is good and righteous. He was condemned for his many transgressions, but he was forgiven when he asked for mercy.
travail n Trouble and difficulty. After a life of hard work and endless travail, Maria found peace at last--a pleasant retirement in the village of her birth.