Three words wot I did not know – congé, prescind and staiths

I am an old fart, and relatively literate. But there are always new words, even when I no longer subscribe to the London Review of Books…

And the latest three are…

congé

an unceremonious dismissal or rejection of someone.
“she gives him his congé, and at the same time avows her real love for him”

prescind

1. leave out of consideration.”such traditionalists have prescinded from novel practices and attitudes”
   • detach or separate from something.”his is an idea entirely prescinded from all of the others”

staith (plural staiths)

1. (obsolete) A shore or a riverbank.From staith to staith.
2. (Britain, dialect) A landing place; an elevated staging upon a wharf for discharging coal, etc., as from railway cars into vessels.