Word Buzz Friday

Bet you never heard of some of these ones before. Or, if I am underestimating your intelligence, let me know. My vocabulary has been sadly waning in Chile, maybe do to the fact that I speak either Spanish or my own version of Spanglish everyday. Suerte!

bivouac \BIV-wak, BIV-uh-wak\ , noun:

1. An encampment for the night, usually under little or no shelter.

intransitive verb:
1. To encamp for the night, usually under little or no shelter.

"Rob had made his emergency bivouac just below the South Summit."
-- David Breashears, "Death on the mountain", The Observer, March 30, 2003

coruscate \KOR-uh-skayt\
1. To give off or reflect bright beams or flashes of light; to sparkle.
2. To exhibit brilliant, sparkling technique or style.

"They pulled up at the farthest end of a loop path that looked out over the great basin of the Rio Grande under brilliant, coruscating stars."
-- Bill Roorbach, "Big Bend", The Atlantic, March 2001

thaumaturgy \THAW-muh-tuhr-jee\ , noun:
The performance of miracles or magic.

"Of course, none of these improbable meetings ever took place in reality. But within the realm of showbiz thaumaturgy, they're perfectly acceptable examples of latter-day digital compositing, wherein it's possible to have anything share a frame of film or video with practically anything else."
-- John Voland, "Prez presses tech buttons", Variety

umbrage \UHM-brij\ , noun:

1. Shade; shadow; hence, something that affords a shade, as a screen of trees or foliage.
2. a. A vague or indistinct indication or suggestion; a hint.
3. b. Reason for doubt; suspicion.
4. Suspicion of injury or wrong; offense; resentment.

Burr finally took umbrage, and challenged him to a duel.
-- Richard A. Samuelson, "Alexander Hamilton: American", Commentary, June 1999

The source for today's words is http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/.