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a • sun • der adv., apart; separate. The log was split asunder by one powerful blow of the axe.

blithe adj., cheerful; carefree. Derwood-MacHeath Senior remained blithe throughout the award ceremony, despite his son’s uncouth and frequent belches.

whorled adj., coiled. The natural oils in her skin left a whorled smudge on the mirror.

hov • el n., a shed or hut. Relief workers spent weeks replacing the hovels with wood-framed houses.

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gar • ri • son n., fortified place; military post or station. Although cannons thundered outside, the soldiers felt safe in their secure garrison.

drear • y adj., gloomy; cheerless. The castle halls were dreary passages—long, dark, and without adornment.