I just finished reading "The Watch Below" by James White (1966).There were just four words I didn't know.

astrogator: the navigator of a spacecraft, as in celestial flight (I knew what this meant from context, but I didn't recall seeing the word before.)

emetic: an agent that causes vomiting (I'd seen this, but never looked it up)

serge: a twilled cloth of worsted or worsted and wool, often used for suits

withal: in addition; besides (I've seen "withal", but I realized I couldn't come close to defining it. Here's the sentence in the book, "It was cold and dark withal, for its occupants had practically nothing in common with humanity save the possession of high intelligence." (page 110)

Jon

Next book: Orphanage by Robert Buettner (2004)

Jon

I've got a permanent link to freerice on my blog -- and there are other games besides vocabulary games, too.

I've passed the link around. My brother recently earned 1900 grains in one session.

It's interesting how often I seem to run into words again shortly after posting them. I've run into emetic twice, counterpane, and others recently.

Jon