WHICH WORD?

NO. 1653

1 ABYSMAL (a) Bottomless or unfathomable (b) Difficult to understand (c) Sparing in food, drink or enjoyments 2 BIFURCATE (a) Involving two sides (b) Having two prongs or branches (c) Lasting two years

3 CADENCE (a) The framework of a military unit (b) The rise and fall of sound (c) The early falling of leaves

4 DEPILATE (a) Remove the hair from (b) Impair the strength of (c) Paint carefully 5 EBULLIENT (a) Like ivory (b) Intoxicated (c) Boiling over or agitated

6 FACILE (a) Easily persuaded (b) Humorous (c) Showy on the surface 7 GALENA (a) A helmet-shaped structure (b) A cotton fabric with coloured stripe (c) Native sulphide of lead

8 HOMINY (a) A plain and practical sermon (b) A kind of corn porridge (c) A metallic element

9 INVEIGLE (a) To strengthen (b) To address in prayer (c) To ensnare by cajolery

10 KARMA (a) The result of the actions of a life (b) A South African skin blanket (c) A New Zealand tree with edible orange fruit 11 LACUNA (a) A long narrow lobe in a leaf (b) A gap or hiatus (c) A salt of lactic acid 12 MALAPROPISM (a) A tendency to be clumsy (b) Misapplication of words without mispronunciation (c) Poor adjustment to one’s environment

13 NACELLE (a) The car of a balloon (b) Mother-of-pearl (c) A bright orange-red fabric

14 OBANG (a) A large West African tree (b) A broad sash worn with the kimono (c) An old Japanese oblong gold coin 15 PIQUE (a) Keen interest (b) Vexation caused by mounded pride (c) Spin round on tiptoe

16 RETROSPECT (a) Contemplation of the past (b) Degenerating (c) Sparing in communication

17 SPORRAN (a) A broad blunt blade or flattened spoon (b) An outward expansion from a ship’s deck (c) An ornamental pouch worn in front of a kilt 18 TIMBRE (a) The quality of a sound (b) A kettledrum (c) A frozen Arctic plain 19 VERITY (a) Aptness to be turned round (b) Dizziness (c) Truthfulness 20 ZEALOT (a) An Asian humped ox (b) A stringed musical instrument (c) An enthusiast or fanatic