142- Flashcards
intermediary
someone who carries messages between people who are unwilling or unable to meet:
The police negotiated with the gunman through an intermediary.
The former president has agreed to act as an intermediary between the government and the rebels.
interloper
someone who becomes involved in an activity or a social group without being asked, or enters a place without permission:
Security did not prevent an interloper from getting onto the stage at the opening ceremony.
interlocutor
someone who is involved in a conversation and who is representing someone else:
Abraham was able to act as interpreter and interlocutor for our group.
intermission
A small pause, typically at the halfway point of a long theatrical
production.
interplay
the effect that two or more things have on each other:
Our personalities result from the complex interplay between our genes and our environment.
internecine
Internecine war or fighting happens between members of the same group, religion, or country:
internecine war/warfare
subservient
willing to do what other people want, or considering your wishes as less important than those of other people:
Women were expected to adopt a subservient role/position.
His other interests were subservient to his compelling passion for art.
submerge
to go below or make something go below the surface of the sea or a river or lake:
The submarine submerged when enemy planes were sighted.
She was taken to hospital after being submerged in an icy river for 45 minutes.
subsume
to include something or someone as part of a larger group:
Soldiers from many different countries have been subsumed into the United Nations peace-keeping force.
All the statistics have been subsumed under the general heading “Facts and Figures”.
subterranean
under the ground:
subterranean passages
a subterranean river
subservient
willing to do what other people want, or considering your wishes as less important than those of other people:
Women were expected to adopt a subservient role/position.
His other interests were subservient to his compelling passion for art.
subsidize
to pay part of the cost of something:
£50 would help to subsidize the training of an unemployed teenager.
The refugees live in subsidized housing provided by the authorities.
empathy
the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation.
She felt empathy with her boyfriend when his dog died because she too had lost a pet.
apathy
behaviour that shows no interest or energy and shows that someone is unwilling to take action, especially over something important:
-widespread apathy among students
-voter apathy
antipathy
a feeling of strong dislike, opposition, or anger:
Despite the deep antipathies between them, the two sides have managed to negotiate an agreement.
Declarations of racial antipathy against ethnic minorities will not be tolerated.
He is a private man with a deep antipathyto/towards the press.
sociopath
a person who is completely unable or unwilling to behave in a way that is acceptable to society:
I’m telling you he’s a complete/total sociopath.
pathogen
any small organism, such as a virus or a bacterium that can cause disease:
a dangerous pathogen
pathos
the power of a person, situation, piece of writing, or work of art to cause feelings of sadness, especially because people feel sympathy:
There’s a pathos in his performance which he never lets slide into sentimentality.
pathological
(of a person) unable to control part of their behaviour; unreasonable:
I’ve got a pathological fear of heights.
Anthony’s a pathological liar.
refractory
not affected by a treatment, change, or process:
This is a chronic and disabling condition that is refractory to treatment.
fractious
easily upset or annoyed, and often complaining:
a fractious child
fragment
A small piece of something that has broken off.
Archaeologists have been able to determine from mere fragments of pottery what ancient peoples likely ate on a daily basis.
fragile
A fragile object is easily damaged or broken:
Be careful with that vase - it’s very fragile.
Some of the more fragile items are kept in a locked case.
fracture
If something hard, such as a bone, fractures, or is fractured, it breaks or cracks:
fracture someone’s skull She fractured her skull in the accident.
Two of her ribs fractured when she was thrown from her horse.
A fractured pipe at a steelworks has leaked 20 tons of oil into the Severn estuary.
belligerent
wishing to fight or argue:
a belligerent person
a belligerent gesture
Watch out! Lee’s in a belligerent mood.
bellow
to shout in a loud voice, or (of a cow or large animal) to make a loud, deep sound:
[ + speech ] “Keep quiet!” the teacher bellowed across the room.
We could hear the sergeant bellowing orders to his troops.
The bull bellowed in pain.
bellicose
wishing to fight or start a war:
The general made some bellicose statements about his country’s military strength.
belle
a beautiful and attractive woman or one who is beautifully dressed
antebellum
relating to the time before a war, especially the American Civil War:
Many homes and churches of the antebellum South can still be visited today.
carnal
relating to the physical feelings and wants of the body:
carnal desires,
the more carnal portions of the book were omitted in the movie adaptation, which had a PG-13 rating.
carnage
the violent killing of large numbers of people, especially in war:
The Battle of the Somme was a scene of dreadful carnage.
carnelian
a red or brownish-red stone used in jewellery
carnation
A pink, flesh-colored flower.
carnival
A period of intense celebration and indulgence.
-a Caribbean carnival
-There’s a real carnival atmosphere in the streets.
cognitive
connected with thinking or conscious mental processes:
cognitive function Some of her cognitive functions have been impaired.
cognitive behaviour/development
cognitive psychology
reconnaissance
the process of getting information about enemy forces or positions by sending out small groups of soldiers or by using aircraft, etc.:
Aerial reconnaissance of the enemy position showed they were ready to attack.
Before choosing a city to move its headquarters to, the corporation did some extensive reconnaissance, visiting dozens of towns.
incognito
avoiding being recognized, by changing your name or appearance:
The prince often travelled abroad incognito.
recognize
to know someone or something because you have seen or heard him or her or experienced it before:
I hadn’t seen her for 20 years, but I recognized her immediately.
Do you recognize this song?
Doctors are trained to recognize the symptoms of different diseases.
cognizant
understanding or realizing something:
We should be cognizant of the fact that every complaint is not a justified complaint.
precognition
The knowledge of something before it happens.
reconnoiter
to get information about an area or the size and position of enemy forces
minimalism
a style in art, design, and theatre that uses the smallest range of materials and colours possible, and only very simple shapes or forms:
Stripped wood floors and monochrome minimalism are all very well but we all need a bit of luxury.
Our hotel’s chic grey minimalism and amazing breakfasts are perfect for a grey day.
minuscule
extremely small:
All she gave him to eat was two minuscule pieces of toast.
minutiae
small and often not important details:
The committee studied the minutiae of the report for hours.
Comedy is so often based on the minutiae of everyday life.
diminish
to reduce or be reduced in size or importance:
I don’t want to diminish her achievements, but she did have a lot of help.
These memories will not be diminished by time.
What he did has seriously diminished him in many people’s eyes.
minute
Very small and detailed.
diminution
reduction in size or importance:
diminution in Regular exercise can result in a general diminution in stress levels.
The company suffered a diminution in profits.
diminution of Diminution of the vehicle’s value caused by damage to it, or repair of it, is not covered by insurance.
apocalypse
a very serious event resulting in great destruction and change:
The book offers a vision of the future in which there is a great nuclear apocalypse.
apostle
someone who strongly supports a particular belief or political movement:
an apostle of world peace/liberty
apogee
the most successful, popular, or powerful point:
At their apogee, the novels of Spillane claimed worldwide sales of over $180 million.
apothecary
A pharmacist.
apoplectic
extremely and obviously angry:
He was apoplectic with rage/fury.
apologist
a person who supports a particular belief or political system, especially an unpopular one, and speaks or writes in defence of it:
communism and its apologists
There are few apologists for the old system.
apothegm
a short clever saying that is intended to express a general truth:
We are all familiar with Tolstoy’s apothegm: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
apotheosis
the best or most extreme example of something:
Most people agree that her acting career achieved its apotheosis in this movie.
Bad taste in clothes reached its apotheosis in the 1970s.
omit
to fail to include or do something:
She was omitted from the list of contributors to the report.
The Prince’s tour conveniently omitted the most deprived areas of the city.
[ + to infinitive ] formal She omitted to mention that she would be away next week.
emit
to send out a beam, noise, smell, or gas:
The alarm emits infrared rays which are used to detect any intruder.
The machine emits a high-pitched sound when you press the button.
manumit
To release from slavery or captivity.
Very few captured by the Romans were lucky enough to be manumitted.
unremitting
never stopping, becoming weaker, or failing:
Our thanks are due to Bob Lawrence whose unremitting labours have ensured the success of the whole project.
noncommittal
not expressing an opinion or decision:
The ambassador was typically noncommittal when asked whether further sanctions would be introduced.
transmit
to broadcast something, or to send out or carry signals or messages using radio, television, etc.:
Radio Seven transmits on 201 medium wave (= uses those particular radio waves to broadcast on).
The information is transmitted electronically to the central computer.
Department stores use EDI to transmit orders to suppliers.
Sound is transmitted from the eardrum to the sound-sensitive cells in the ear by means of a bridge of three tiny bones.
panacea
something that will solve all problems:
Technology is not a panacea for all our problems
pandemonium
Complete chaos and disorder.
When the home team came from behind to win the final game of the series,
the streets were pure pandemonium, with revelers rejoicing.
Pandemonium reigned in the hall as the unbelievable election results were read out.
the pandemonium of the school playground
panegyric
Public praise, usually before a large crowd.
The dean was fond of giving a few panegyrics at graduation, referring to
several students who had truly made a difference in the school.
She delivered a panegyric on the president-elect.
pantomime
To use only gestures to communicate information.
pantheist
someone who believes in many or all gods, or believes that God exists in, and is the same as, all things, animals, and people within the universe:
The pantheist believes a divine Unity exists.
Worship is not acceptable religious practice for pantheists.
panoply
a wide range or collection of different things:
There is a whole panoply of remedies and drugs available to the modern doctor.
panopticon
A surveillance tower in a prison, from which the entire prison is visible
to the guards.
paradox
A statement that doesn’t seem genuine on the surface but is, in fact, true.
If one believed that nice guys finish last, he was a walking paradox—a
successful CEO of multiple companies who had a heart of gold.
paradigm
a model of something, or a very clear and typical example of something:
Some of these educators are hoping to produce a change in the current cultural paradigm.
paroxysm
a sudden and powerful expression of strong feeling, especially one that you cannot control:
In a sudden paroxysm of jealousy he threw her clothes out of the window.
paroxysms of laughter
paragon
a person or thing that is perfect or has an extremely large amount of a particular good characteristic:
In the novel, Constanza is a paragon of virtue.
paralegal
A person whose job it is to aid lawyers in legal matters.
-She worked as a paralegal in a criminal defense office.
paramount
more important than anything else:
There are many priorities, but reducing the budget deficit is paramount/is of paramount importance.
parapet
A defensive wall behind which troops hide.
peripheral
Something that is peripheral is not as important as something else:
The book contains a great deal of peripheral detail.
peripatetic
travelling around to different places, usually because you work in more than one place:
a peripatetic music teacher
perigee
The point at which the moon is closest to Earth.
During the perigee, the moon will appear brighter than usual.
periscope
A device that allows occupants of a submarine to see to the surface of
the water
periodontal
relating to the gums (= the pink flesh in the mouth in which the teeth are fixed) and other tissues around the teeth:
Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection of the gums and teeth.
The periodontal ligaments attach to the tooth for stability.
perihelion
The point at which Earth is closest to the sun.
In January the Earth reaches perihelion.
periphrastic
Long-winded, not straightforward.
ascribe
to believe or say that something is caused by something else:
To what do you ascribe your phenomenal success?
nondescript
very ordinary, or having no interesting or exciting features or qualities:
Their offices are in a nondescript building on the edge of town.
inscribe
to write words in a book or carve (= cut) them on an object:
(be) inscribed on The prize winners each receive a book with their names inscribed on the first page.
be inscribed with The wall of the church was inscribed with the names of the dead from World War I.
scribe
A writer.
conscript
A soldier.
He was conscripted into the army at the age of 18.
descry
to see or notice something or someone:
Miss Bates, passing near the window, descried Mr Knightley on horseback not far off.
transcribe
to record something written, spoken, or played by writing it down:
Recordings of conversations are transcribed and entered into the database.
transcend
to go further, rise above, or be more important or better than something, especially a limit:
The best films are those which transcend national or cultural barriers.
The underlying message of the film is that love transcends everything else.
transgress
to break a law or moral rule:
Those are the rules, and anyone who transgresses will be severely punished.
transverse
lying or extending across or in a cross direction; cross.
She taught these blobs to transverse salty patches of land by gradually filling them with sodium.
transpose
to change something from one position to another, or to exchange the positions of two things:
In their latest production they have reworked “King Lear”, transposing it to pre-colonial Africa.
The confusion was caused when two numbers were accidentally transposed by someone in the Social Security office.
transmogrify
to change or be changed completely:
Almost overnight, that sweet, little child had transmogrified into an antisocial monster.
proponent
a person who speaks publicly in support of a particular idea or plan of action:
He is one of the leading proponents of capital punishment.
protracted
lasting for a long time or made to last longer than necessary:
protracted negotiations
a protracted argument/discussion
procrastinate
to keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring:
I know I’ve got to deal with the problem at some point - I’m just procrastinating.
protuberance
something that sticks out from a surface:
If the plant has been infected you will see dark protuberances along the stems.
propagate
To spread.
provenance
the place of origin of something:
jewels of uncertain provenance
This raised doubts about the provenance of the painting.
I don’t need to see a label to identify the provenance of a garment that someone is wearing.
providential
happening exactly when needed but without being planned:
a providential opportunity
prolix
chatty
compunction
remorse
I wouldn’t have any compunction about telling him to leave.
poignant
causing or having a very sharp feeling of sadness:
The photograph awakens poignant memories of happier days.
It is especially poignant that he died on the day before the wedding.
punctilio
a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure.
disreputable
not trusted or respected; thought to have a bad character:
Some of the more disreputable newspapers made false claims about her private life.
a disreputable young man
impute
to calculate something when you do not have exact information, by comparing it to something similar:
imputed costs/data/income
The Treasury imputes a notional income from such interest-free loans of 8% a year.
putative
generally thought to be or to exist, even if this may not really be true:
The putative leader of the terrorist cell was arrested yesterday.
dispute
To argue.
undisputed
Leaving no room for argument or debate.
deputy
Someone who answers to the most senior figure in an organization.
requisite
necessary or needed for a particular purpose:
He lacked the requisite skills for the job.
The requisite number of countries have now ratified the convention.
perquisite
A benefit from a job (often shortened to perk).
One perquisite of working in retail was that he got 30 percent in-store
discounts.
prerequisite
Something that must be fulfilled before something else can happen.
She hoped to double-major in biology and math but learned that there were
so many prerequisites to fill, her graduation might delayed by a year.
requisition
to officially request or take something:
The army requisitioned all the cars and trucks they could find.
inquisition
a period of asking questions in a detailed and unfriendly way:
subject someone to an inquisition The police subjected him to an inquisition that lasted twelve hours.
acquisition
The attainment of something.
arrogate
to take something without having the right to do so:
They arrogate to themselves the power to punish people.
surrogate
replacing someone else or used instead of something else:
Because she had no children of her own, her friend’s son became a kind of surrogate child to her.
prerogative
something that certain people are able or allowed to do or have, but is not possible or allowed for everyone:
Alex makes all the big decisions - that’s his prerogative as company director.
Skiing used to be the prerogative of the rich, but now a far wider range of people do it.
the Royal Prerogative (= the special rights of the ruling king or queen)
roguish
behaving in a way that is slightly bad or wrong, but that is not too serious:
His eyes were bright blue with a roguish twinkle in them.
In all these novels, there’s a roguish dark stranger who’s sexy and attractive and not to be relied upon.
derogate
To insult.
supererogatory
involving doing more than necessary:
A supererogatory act is a good act that is in excess of what is morally or legally required.
Medieval moralists recognized “supererogatory” acts, i.e. acts that are positively good but not required, such as joining a religious order.
subsequent
happening after something else:
The book discusses his illness and subsequent resignation from politics.
Those explosions must have been subsequent to our departure, because we didn’t hear anything.
segue
to move easily and without interruption from one piece of music, part of a story, subject, or situation to another:
His performance of “Caroline” segued into a cover version of “My Tears”.
obsequious
too eager to praise or obey someone:
She is embarrassingly obsequious to anyone in authority.
inconsequential
not important:
an inconsequential matter/remark
Most of what she said was pretty inconsequential.
sequester
To cut off a group from contact with others.
obsequies
Funeral rites.
eccentric
strange or unusual, sometimes in a humorous way:
eccentric behaviour
eccentric clothes
anecdote
A retelling of something that happened.
The speaker liked to start his presentations off with a humorous anecdote, so
the audience would feel relaxed.
eclectic
A style or idea that comes from a variety of sources.
His taste in music was eclectic; his favorite mix CD contained jazz, hip-hop,
classical, and electronic dance music
ecstatic
extremely happy:
The new president was greeted by an ecstatic crowd.
appendectomy
a medical operation to remove the appendix
synecdoche
A literary device in which a part of the whole is used to refer to the
whole.
abet
to help or encourage someone to do something wrong or illegal:
His accountant had aided and abetted him in the fraud.
ameliorate
to make a bad or unpleasant situation better:
Foreign aid is badly needed to ameliorate the effects of the drought.
aficionado
someone who is very interested in and enthusiastic about a particular subject:
a club for model railway aficionados
an aficionado of French cinema
abut
If a building or area of land abuts something or on something, it is next to it or touches it on one side:
Mexico abuts (on) some of the richest parts of the United States.
Their house abutted (onto) the police station.
abridge
to make a book, play, or piece of writing shorter by removing details and information that is not important:
The book was abridged for children.
awry
not in the intended way:
Anything that goes awry (= goes wrong) in the office is blamed on Pete.
The strike has sent the plans for investment seriously awry.
acolyte
A follower or disciple.
amnesia
a medical condition that makes you unable to remember things:
After the accident he suffered periods of amnesia.
amorphous
(of a physical thing) having no fixed form or shape:
The amorphous substance that results from the breakdown of sugar is known as caramel.
an amorphous mass of jelly
anomalous
different from what is usual, or not in agreement with something else and therefore not satisfactory:
In a multicultural society is it not anomalous to have a blasphemy law that only protects one religious faith?
The experiment yielded anomalous results.
anomaly
atypical
not having all the characteristics that you would usually expect from a particular group of things:
The social behaviour of lions is considered atypical of the cat family.
Some people present with atypical symptoms, including breathlessness and nausea.
amnesty
Forgiveness, an official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offences.
“an amnesty for political prisoners”
atheist
someone who does not believe in any god or gods, or who believes that no god or gods exist:
As an atheist, I do not accept this religious argument.
His father was an atheist.
atrophy
(of a part of the body) to be reduced in size and therefore strength, or, more generally, to become weaker:
After several months in a hospital bed, my leg muscles had atrophied.
In the 1980s, their political power gradually atrophied (= became weaker).
