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redoubt ri-DOWT noun a stronghold; a defensive line or position 1882Theodore RooseveltThe Naval War of 1812The Louisiana herself took no part in this action. Patterson had previously landed some of her guns on the opposite bank of the river, placing them in a small redoubt. To match these the British also threw up some works and placed in them heavy guns, and all through New Year's day a brisk cannonade was kept up across the river between the two water-batteries, but with very little damage to either side.1902Helen KellerStory of My LifeThe harbour was our joy, our paradise. What glorious sails we had to Bedford Basin, to McNabb's Island, to York Redoubt, and to the Northwest Arm! And at night what soothing, wondrous hours we spent in the shadow of the great, silent men-of-war. Oh, it was all so interesting, so beautiful! The memory of it is a joy forever.1987Dean KoontzShadowfiresThe stillness of the mountain redoubt seemed less ominous than it had… 1988Jack L. ChalkerThe Maze in the MirrorPandross's security redoubt wasn't all that far…1997James AxlerSkydarkBut even with the wags travel was a high risk enterprise, and increasingly the mattrans units in the redoubts offered the best option for a change of scene or quick exit from a hotspot.Labels: Dean Koontz, Helen Keller, Jack L. Chalker, James Axler, Theodore Roosevelt
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jalousie JA-luh-see noun shutters with adjustable horizontal slats for regulating the admission of light and air 1987Dean KoontzThe Door to DecemberIt's a jalousie window for ventilation.1994Tabor EvansFever CoastSo most of them opened out to the promenade deck with ventilation jalousies built into lower door panels…Labels: Dean Koontz, Tabor Evans
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pinguid PIN-gwid adjective fat; oily; greasy 1944Robert Dean FrisbieThe Island of DesireHis breath came quick and his words more pinguid than ever.1991Dean KoontzStrange HighwaysHis coarse skin was perpetually pinguid, as if he suffered continuously from malaria.Labels: Dean Koontz, Robert Dean Frisbie
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milquetoast MILK-tost noun an extremely timid person; a habitually unassertive person 1981Jack L. ChalkerLilithAt best he'd return to being that stagnant milquetoast.1996Tamar MyersGilt By AssociationI was tempted to tell her that Squire was a wuss, a Caspar Milquetoast.1999Dean KoontzFalse Memory'Are you serious? That isn’t you, girlfriend. You’re no milquetoast.'Labels: Dean Koontz, Jack L. Chalker, Tamar Myers
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zwieback zwee-BAK noun a German sweet bread which is baked twice 1915Booth Tarkington The Turmoil Beginning at the beginning and learning from the ground up was a long course for Bibbs at the sanitarium, with milk and 'zwieback' as the basis of instruction; and the months were many and tiresome before he was considered near enough graduation to go for a walk leaning on a nurse and a cane. 1917Mary Roberts Rinehart Long Live the King Ferdinand William Otto was hungry. He ate eagerly - chicken, fruit compote, potato salad—again shades of the Court physicians, who fed him at night a balanced ration of milk, egg, and zwieback! 2001Dean Koontz One Door Away from Heaven...Bobby said, 'The congressman is zwieback.' | He's what?' | 'Toast done twice.'Labels: Booth Tarkington, Dean Koontz, Mary Roberts Rinehart
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aesthete ES-theet noun a person who has, or pretends to have, a great sensitivity to things of beauty such as art, music, etc; a person devoted to art and beauty 1907E. M. ForsterThe Longest JourneyHe chatted gaily about it, and about the pleasant thoughts with which it inspired him; he took his friends there; he even took people whom he did not like. 'Procul este, profani!' exclaimed a delighted aesthete on being introduced to it.1956Kakuzo OkakuraThe Book of TeaAgain we stigmatise the untamed aesthete who, regardless of the mundane tragedy, runs riot in the springtide of emancipated emotions, as one 'with too much tea' in him.2000Dean Koontz From the Corner of His EyeCaution discarded, Junior went inside, for the same reason that a dedicated opera aesthete might once a decade attend a country-music concert: to confirm the superiority of his taste and to be amused by what passed for music among the great unwashed.Labels: Dean Koontz, E. M. Forster, Kakuzo Okakura
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alfresco al-fres-KO adjective, adverb outdoors 1996Dean KoontzTicktockThe aft portion of the open-air top deck contained a built-in table for alfresco dining…2001Jonathan KellermanFlesh and BloodThe boutique was on Robertson just south of Beverly, five doors north of a restaurant-of-the-moment where valets shuffled Ferraris and alfresco diners laughed too loudly as they sucked bottled water and smog.Labels: Dean Koontz, Jonathan Kellerman
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ipse dixit IP-see DIK-suht noun an unproved assertion; a dictum 1864Horatio Alger Jr.Frank's Campaign'I move that the meeting adjourn ipse dixit,' said Sam Davis, bringing out the latter phrase with considerable emphasis.1949Robert A. HeinleinRed Planet'There's the key to your charm, Jim,' the doctor said dryly. 'He likes your blood temperature. But ipse dixit keep him with you. I don't think it will hurt him. He may live fifty years instead of a hundred, but he'll have twice as much fun.'1991Dean KoontzStrange Highways...although millions of acts of courage and gratuitous kindness go unreported every day, one of these crusaders nevertheless fills astounding amounts of newspaper space with claims, ipse dixit, that I am the literary Antichrist.Labels: Dean Koontz, Horatio Alger Jr., Robert A. Heinlein
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heebie-jeebies hee-bee-JEE-beez noun a feeling of uncomfortableness; a state of nervousness; a spooky feeling 1951Herman WoukThe Caine MutinyHe said genially, as Willie puffed, 'Gives a guy the heebie-jeebies, don’t it, sir?'1991Dean KoontzStrange Highways...Asherville might give him the heebie-jeebies, it was a town where a spare key could be kept in an obvious place or a house could even be left unlocked with virtually no risk of burglary.2000Neil GaimanAmerican GodsHe had the jitters and the heebie-jeebies, a feeling deep in his stomach that something was entirely wrong.Labels: Dean Koontz, Herman Wouk, Neil Gaiman
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caterwaul KA-tur-wawl verb screeching; a horrible sound; a boisterous argument 1927Sinclair LewisElmer Gantry...I certainly did refuse to listen to the caterwauling of a lot of hired agitators from the so-called unions…1989Stephen KingThe Langoliers...that blind little brat had begun to caterwaul.1997Dean KoontzFear NothingAn inhuman cry issued from him, primitive and psychotic, a caterwaul of the sort that sometimes wakes You in the night and leaves You wondering about the species of origin.Labels: Dean Koontz, Sinclair Lewis, Stephen King
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legerdemain le-jur-duh-MAYN noun a magic trick or illusion; sleight of hand; any skillful deception 1889Robert Louis StevensonIn the South SeasHe would not seem to move from his position, and yet every day, when the things fell to be returned the plug had disappeared; he had found the means to conceal it in the roof, whence he could radiantly produce it on the morrow. Although this piece of legerdemain was performed regularly before three or four pairs of eyes, we could never catch him in the fact; although we searched after he was gone, we could never find the tobacco.2000Dean KoontzFrom the Corner of His EyeHe produced her coat as if by legerdemain.Labels: Dean Koontz, Robert Louis Stevenson
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