03/01/2020

Question 1

aberrant

Answer 1

i. departing from the right, normal, or usual course
ii. deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type; exceptional; abnormal

e.g. an aberrant phenomenon or person

Question 2

geyser

Answer 2

i. a hot spring that intermittently sends up fountain-like jets of water and stream into the air
ii. (in verb) to spew forth like a geyser e.g. the kettle geysering all over the stove

Question 3

petulant

Answer 3

moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, especially over an annoyance e.g. a petulant toss of the head

Question 4

berate

Answer 4

to scold; rebuke

Question 5

rebuke

Answer 5

to express sharp disapproval of; reprimand

Question 6

abecedarian

Answer 6

i. a person who is learning the letters of the alphabet
ii. a beginner in any field of learning

e.g. “…it is hard to tell the buyers from the enthusiasts, the enthusiasts from the pretenders — the alphas from the abecedarians — until you speak to them”

Question 7

contrivance

Answer 7

plan or scheme e.g. “Art, to me, was one of the most exciting of human enterprises, when compared to other man-made contrivances such as traffic jams and bread and butter.” (The Minorities, Sufian Hakim)

Question 8

laity

Answer 8

i. the body of religious worshippers, as distinguished from the clergy
ii. the people outside of a particular profession, as distinguished from those belonging to it e.g. the medical ignorance of the laity

Question 9

chaparral

Answer 9

a dense growth of shrubs or small trees

Question 10

expulsion

Answer 10

to expel e.g. “…an expulsion of impatience.” (The Minorities, Sufian Hakim)

Question 11

coruscate

Answer 11

to emit vivid flashes of light; sparkle; scintillate; gleam e.g. “…his coruscating heart.” (The Minorities, Sufian Hakim)

Question 12

vociferate

Answer 12

to speak or cry loudly or noisily; shout; bawl e.g. “There was nothing to vociferate other than, ‘Oh, bloody hell!’”. (The Minorities, Sufian Hakim)

Question 13

percolate

Answer 13

permeating

Question 14

derision

Answer 14

i. ridicule; mockery e.g. the inept performance elicited derision from the audience
ii. an object of ridicule

Question 15

cloistered

Answer 15

secluded from the world; sheltered e.g. a cloistered life

Question 16

noxious

Answer 16

i. harmful or injurious to health of physical well-being e.g. noxious fumes
ii. morally harmful; corrupting; pernicious e.g. a noxious plan to spread dissension

Question 17

divagate

Answer 17

to digress in speech