She wanted to impress all her dinner guests with the food she served, so she carefully studied the necessary culinary arts.

The mountain pass was a tortuous road, winding and twisting like a snake around the trees of the mountainside.

In the course of man’s evolution, certain organs have atrophied. The appendix, for example, has wasted away from disuse.

Celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, and stars, have fascinated man through the centuries.

Piscatorial creatures, such as flounder, salmon, and trout, live in the coldest parts of the ocean.

This situation is a conundrum, a puzzle that's difficult to solve.

His animosity, or hatred, of his sister divided the family.

She told her friend, “I’m through with blind dates forever. What a dull evening! I was bored every minute. The conversation was absolutely vapid.”

His emaciation, that is, his skeleton-like appearance, was frightening to see.

Many years before, Caesar’s men had tried and failed to invade Britain. No doubt this contributed to the xenophobia of the Romans. They were cautious about strangers who entered their country.