Oblong (adj.)
deviating from a square, circular, or spherical form by elongation in one dimension
Adenoidal (adj.)
describing someone who snores, or speaks nasally; a mouth-breather
Inexorable (adj.)
Relentless, unstoppable
Furlong (noun)
a unit of distance equal to 220 yards
Pram (noun)
British word for a baby carriage
Ayah (noun)
Hindustani word meaning “nanny”
Calipers (noun)
devices that allow people with motor disabilities—including those with polio—to walk
Covetous (adj.)
having a desire for the wealth or possessions of others; greedy and envious
Globule (noun)
a small globe or ball, usually made of liquid
Impish (adj.)
mischievous, acting like an imp
Indolent (adj.)
lazy or slow
Doleful (adj.)
sad, cheerless, full of grief
Jan
Hindustani word for "soul" or "life," often a term of endearment
Dhurrie (noun)
a heavy cotton rug from India
Sahib
Hindustanin word for "sir" or "master"; it was often used during colonial times in India to refer to a European of status or boss or superior
Abjure (verb)
to renounce (by making an oath), reject, or avoid
Raj
Hindustani word for "rule" or "government"; used most frequently to describe British rule over India as a colony
Discordant (adj.)
disagreeing, quarrelsome
Solicitous (adj.)
full of concern or fear; meticulous; full of desire, eager
Raconteur (noun)
a skilled storyteller
Vermilion (adj.)
a bright reddish-orange color
chilblain (noun)
a swelling or soreness caused by exposure to cold
charpoy (noun)
a kind of bed used in India
organdy (noun)
a thin, transparent kind of fabric
memsahib
a white foreign woman living in India, typically of high social status or the wife of a British official
histrionics (plural noun)
a deliberate display of emotion, particularly to sway other people
Palloo (noun)
the loose end of a sari worn draped over the shoulder (typically spelled "pallu")
glib (adj.)
offhand; informal, nonchalant; superficial; smooth (in talking)
Tonga (noun)
a kind of two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage common in India
supercilious (adj.)
haughty, patronizing, stuck-up
dhoti (noun)
a type of local dress, a long piece of fabric wrapped around the lower part of the body
bodhi (noun)
a tuft of hair left at the back of a shaven head to designate the caste a Hindu man belongs to
Dungarwadi
the big round wall in which Zoroastrians leave the bodies of those in their community who die. It is known in English as the "Tower of Silence"
