African Pursuit (21 page)

dastardly
adj.
cowardly; sneaky; mean; contemptible

data
pl.n.
facts; measurements; observations; recordings

daunting
adj.
frightening; disheartening; intimidating

dejected
adj.
downcast; despondent; miserable

demise
n.
death

denizen
n.
a person or animal living in a place; an inhabitant; a resident

desperado
n.
a desperate or reckless person

destination
n.
the place where a journey is planned to end

deterrent
n.
something that deters or puts off; something that prevents or restrains

devour
v.
to eat greedily or voraciously; to consume

diplomatic
adj.
Chapter 12: sensitive; delicate; tactful;
adj
. Chapter 20: pertaining to diplomacy or affairs of state

disable
v.
to put out of action; to make ineffective

disarming
adj.
reducing or counteracting suspicion; reassuring

disembodied
adj.
without a body; lacking a body

disparaging
adj.
contemptuous; insulting; belittling

dispel
v.
to drive away; to disperse

disperse
v.
to leave a gathering; to break up; to scatter

distort
v.
to twist out of shape; to deform; to contort

distraught
adj.
very upset; agitated; distracted

divert
v.
to change the direction of someone or something; to turn aside

DNA
n.
deoxyribonucleic acid. The substance in cells of which genes are made and which can be used to identify species and individuals

dock
v.
to subtract or remove

domain
n.
land or area owned or dominated by a person, family or group

double take
n.
a repeated, delayed, or exaggerated reaction to a given event or situation

dough
n. (slang)
money

down a peg
phrase
“to take down a peg” means to diminish another’s self-esteem or importance

DRC
abbrev.
Democratic Republic of Congo

dugout canoe
n.
a boat made by hollowing out a log

dung
n.
droppings; excrement; faeces; ‘poo’

duo
n.
a pair; a twosome

duplicity
n.
deception; doubledealing

e.g.
abbrev.
exempli gratia (Latin).
This means ‘for example’. Now frequently simplified to e.g.

ebb
v.
to fall away; to recede; to decline

ebony
adj.
a hard, black wood

edible
adj.
eatable

eerie
adj.
mysteriously frightening; spooky

elaborate
v.
to give more detail in a story or account; to expand upon

elation
n.
extreme happiness; joy

elevated
adj.
high up

eloquent
adj.
fluent and persuasive

emanate
(from)
v.
to come from; to originate from

embarrass
v.
to cause to feel self-conscious; to disconcert; to fluster

embed
v.
to fix in firmly; to stick into

embellishment
n.
an improving detail or adornment

ember
n.
glowing fragment of wood (etc.) in a dying fire

emphatic
adj.
forceful; definite

en route
adv. (French)
on the journey; along the way

encounter
n.
a meeting, especially one that is unexpected

encroach
v.
to intrude or spread gradually

endeavour
v.
to try; to attempt to attain something

energize
v.
to provide with energy; to stimulate

engulf
v.
to completely surround; to overwhelm; to swallow up

enigmatic
adj.
puzzling; mysterious

enlist
v.
to engage support or service for a task or venture

enmity
n.
hostility; discord; ill will; antagonism

enthral
v.
to enchant; to spellbind

entice
v.
to attract with a reward; to allure

entreaties
pl.n.
pleas; earnest requests; supplications

epilogue
n.
a short postscript

equator
n.
an imaginary circle around the middle of the Earth at 0 degrees latitude. It divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

erode
v.
to wear away

erstwhile
adj.
former. In Chapter 9
his erstwhile companions
means the people who used to be his companions

erudite
adj.
learned; scholarly

escarpment
n.
a long, broad, very steep slope

espionage
n.
spying

esteem
n.
respect; high regard

etc.
abbrev. et cetera (Latin).
This means ‘and the rest’; ‘and so forth’; ‘and the others’

eventuality
n.
a possible event or outcome; a contingency

eviscerate
v.
to remove all internal organs; to disembowel

excavate
v.
to dig out; to remove (earth, etc.); to make a hole or cavity

exile
v.
to expel from home or country; to banish

exotic
adj.
possessing strange beauty or quality; having unusual allure

expansively
adv.
extravagantly; all-inclusively; widely

explore
v.
to travel into unknown territory

expostulation
n.
argument; reasoning

exquisite
adj.
particularly beautiful; attractive with delicate, refined qualities

extort
v.
to obtain money (or favours) by threats, intimidation or violence

extraction
n.
taking out; removal; withdrawal

extra-curricular
adj.
taking plavce outside the normal course of duties or activities

fabulous
adj.
based upon fable or myth

facilities
pl.n.
the equipment and buildings required for the conduct of some activity

faculty
n.
a university department

fading
adj.
slowly disappearing; diminishing

fag
n. (slang)
cigarette

fake
adj.
false; not genuine; spurious

falter
v.
to speak hesitantly, haltingly, or with uncertainty; to stammer or stutter

fauna
n.
all the animals living at a particular time, or in a particular place

FCO
n.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office

feasible
adj.
possible

feral
adj.
wild or savage, especially after being previously tame or domesticated

ferret
n.
a variety of polecat used for hunting rabbits and rats, renowned for its ability to seek out hidden creatures. We use the phrase “ferret out” to mean the discovery of hidden information by persistent investigation

feverishly
adv.
desperately; energetically; restlessly

fiancée
n.
a female to whom one is engaged to be married (male: fiancé)

fictitious
adj.
not real; made up; imaginary

fiddle
v.
Chapter 8: to falsify; to cheat;
v.
Chapter 11: to rearrange; to experiment with the controls

fitful
adj.
occurring in irregular spells. A
fitful
sleep (Chapters 1&2) is broken and restless

flawless
adj.
without any defect or imperfection

flora
n.
all the plant life living in a particular place or at a particular time

flog
v. (slang)
to sell

fogey
n.
an old-fashioned, fussy, “uncool” person

foment
v.
to instigate; to stir up; to cause trouble

foolhardy
adj.
rash; heedlessly adventurous

forage
v.
to search for food

ford
v.
to cross a river

fortitude
n.
courage; endurance

fortuitously
adv.
by happy circumstance; by accidental good fortune

foster
v.
to bring up and care for another’s child

fragment
n.
a portion of something larger; a broken-off piece

Francophone
n.
one who speaks French

fraternity
n.
brotherhood

Frau
n.
a German title equivalent to Mrs.

fray
n.
a disturbance; a fight or brawl

freak
n.
an abnormal or deformed creature; a monstrosity

frenzy
n.
wild excitement; frantic activity

fret
v.
to worry; to be distressed

frisk
v.
to feel or pat to check for concealed weapons

frustrate
v.
to stop; to prevent; to hinder; to thwart; to annoy

fuselage
n.
the main body of an aircraft

gem
n.
a precious stone

geology
n.
the study of the history, structure and composition of the Earth

gesticulate
v.
to send a message or signal by using body movements (usually of the hands or head)

gesture
n.
something done or said to make a point or to emphasize something

get out of jail free card
phrase
a passport to freedom (derived from the name of a card in a popular board game)

ghastly
adj.
horrible; hideous

gig
n. (informal)
an event or performance

gingerly
adv.
in a timid or cautious manner

glade
n.
a clearing or open space in a wood

glean
v.
to obtain in small pieces; to gather gradually; to garner

gleeful
adj.
merry; happy, particularly because of another’s misfortune

glimpse
v.
to catch sight of briefly or incompletely

glitch
n.
a malfunction, often of unknown cause

glossary
n.
an alphabetical list of terms relating to a particular subject, topic or field, with explanations and definitions

glow
v.
to emit a steady light; to shine evenly

gorge
n.
a deep ravine

gouge
v.
to dig out; to scoop; to make a hole

GPS
n.
global positioning system. A worldwide location and navigation system based upon satellite signals

grapple
v.
to struggle in close combat; to come to grips with someone or something

greypod
see Lucy’s Lexicon

grille
n.
a grating of metal bars that admits cooling air

ground-breaking
adj.
novel; making a new advance

gruesome
adj.
horrible; ghastly; repugnant

guerrilla
n.
a member of an irregular group fighting against some official force

gully
n.
a small valley; a channel; a fissure between rocks

gung-ho
adj.
keen to engage in activity, often to excess

guts
pl.n.
Chapter 10: intestines; bowels; entrails;
pl.n. (slang)
Chapter 19: courage; pluck; daring

hack
v.
to gain unauthorized entry to a computer system

hark
v. (archaic)
to listen

harmony
n.
agreement; accord

hassle
n.
trouble; worry; nuisance

haughty
adj.
arrogant; exalted

hazardous
adj.
dangerous; involving risk

hearken
v. (archaic)
to listen; to pay attention

heftier
adj.
bigger; stronger; bulkier

henceforth
adv. (archaic)
from now on

henchman
n.
a supporter; an attendant or servant

hero-worship
v.
to feel intense admiration for; to adulate

herpetological
adj.
relating to reptiles and amphibians

hesitant
adj.
uncertain; irresolute; wavering

hijack
v.
to take by force; to steal (particularly a vehicle)

hinder
v.
to hamper; to prevent; to get in the way

hist
interj. (archaic)
an exclamation attracting attention, or warning others to be silent

hither
adv. (archaic)
towards this place; to here

Hogwarts
see notes on the names in the book

Holy Grail
n.
the bowl or chalice used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. The phrase is now often used to describe something that is very highly sought after or aspired to

homage
n.
an act or display of respect or allegiance to one of superior status

Homo sapiens
n.
the scientific name of modern mankind

hostage
n.
a person held captive as a security for a ransom or the fulfilment of stated conditions