Wondrous Words Wednesday-Oct. 12

Bermudaonion asks you to share new words that you have learned during your reading adventures in the last week. Feel free to join in the fun!

Here are a few new words I learned while reading Testimony by Anita Shreve:

Paroxysmal: any sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion.

Here is how paroxysmal was used on page 6:
Mike closed his eyes, not wanting to watch this particular boy have his own paroxysmal seizure.

Raconteur:  a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.

Here is how raconteur was used on page 63:
Owen was a raconteur and could hold forth on any number of topics.

Provenance:  place or source of origin.

Here is how provenance was used on page 93:
Back in his den, Mike stood up from the couch, intending to retrieve the small cassette from the movie camera and then to summon Arlene and Kasia to his office so that he could question them about the provenance of the tape.

Phalanx: a number of individuals, especially persons united for a common purpose.

Here is how phalanx was used on page 116:
When January 21 rolls around in about a month's time, there will be a phalanx of media trucks parked on the quad, and reporters will be interviewing every student willing to talk to them.

Well I must say that this is quite an abundance of new words that I have learned from this book so far, and I'm only halfway through it!