19 Flashcards
ineffable
adj. indescribable, ethreal, too great for words// __ joy
polyglot
adj. knowing or using several languages, of book: translated into several languages [a __ career woman]
leonine
adj. lion like, eminent, distinguished
fractious
adj. quarrelsome, unruly, grouchy// __ person
ecclesial
adj. relating to a church or denomination [the modernization of __ buildings]
geriatric
adj. relating to old people [a __hospital]
somnolent
adj. sleepy; drowsy [it had a pleasant __ effect and I managed okay]
emaciated
adj. undernourished
ipso facto
adv. by that very fact or act [ the enemy of one’s enemy may be __ a friend]
schlemiel
n. (informal) stupid, awkward, unlucky person
emulsion
n. a fine dispersion of minute droplets of one liquid in another in which it is not soluble or miscible [I love that final squirt of emulsifying extra virgin olive oil, just after the basil goes in]
gargantua
n. a giant
fishmonger
n. a person or store that sells fish for food
bivouac
n. a temorary camp without tents or cover, esp by soldiers, mountaineers[we promptly __ed to a bar for some serious strategizing]
compendium
n. abridgment, summary, epitome// the mansion was a __ of mysteries
communion
n. affinity, fellowship, sharing of intimate thoughts esp. when on mental or spiritual level [a sense of __ with others]
wake
n. aftermath
advent
n. arrival of a notable person, thing, event; coming of Christ; first season of the church year, leading up to Christmas
charcuterie
n. cold cooked meats collectively, a store selling such meats
rube
n. country bumpkin
malediction
n. curse, imprecation; jinx, anathema// the coffins lay side by side, like chained __s.
mnemonic
n. device such as a pattern of letters that assist in remembering something. adj. relating to power of memory [I had to learn some fast __ tricks to keep up]
disquisition
n. discourse, dissertation, formal discourse where subject is examined and discussed// No sooner had the librarian made a sincere admission of ignorance than the child launched into a __on Starets Ambrose
rictus
n. fixed grimace or grin [Ned’s smile had becomea __ of repulsion]
bulwark
n. fortification, support //traditions are a __ against the decline of culture
revenant
n. ghost, person who returns// where others saw shapes or shadows he saw__s
opus
n. great composition, musical or literary// At the same time I could visit Carax and collect his new __
apoplexy
n. incapacity, speechlessness from anger; unconsciousness from hemorrhage or stroke [why are some line cooks driven to __ at the pinching of even a few grains of salt? ]
dysentery
n. infection of the intestines resulting in diarrhea
nouvelle cuisine
n. modern style of cooking that avoids rich, heavy foods and emphasizes the freshness of the ingredients and the presentation fo the dishes
lucre
n. money, esp when regarded as sordid or distasteful [officials getting their hands grubby with filthy lucre
encyclical
n. papal letter sent to all bishops of the Roman Catholic Church [his first __]
factotum
n. servant, handy person, someone hired to work around house
hamlet
n. small village
epithet
n. sobriquet, tag, moniker [the same people who were calling him every racial __ imaginable turned out to be his biggest fans]
detritus
n. waste or debris, organic matter from compost [her station and uniform were absolutely unmarked by spills, stains, or any of the expected Friday night detritus]
caprice
n. whim, vagary, fickleness
apropos
preposition: with reference to; concerning [a chinese gentleman next to me, __ of nothing, shook his head, blew smoke out of his nose and said “sleeping pill”]
cadge
v. ask for, obtain [he eats whenever he can __ a meal
suborn
v. bribe or induce to commit an unlawful act such as perjury [he’s suborned the secretaries and is reading the interoffice email on a regular basis]
garrote
v. choke, strangle
decant
v. gradually pour from one container into another, esp. without disturbing the sediment [the wine was __ about 40 minutes before served]
waylay
v. intercept, ambush, accost// One night Jorge __id Miguel in the dark
defray
v. pay, finance, fund// the grant helped __ the expenses of the trip
Calumniate
v. revile, smear, malign, make false statements about. [foes were __ him in the US press]
apposite
adj. relevant [do not start by justifying Catholic doctrines through __ Bible passages]
punctilious
adj. meticulous, diligent [The Inquisition was __ in its adherence to the law]
hecatomb
n. carnage, bloodshed; sacrifice [instead they should discover what fundamentalists are trying to prove with their talk of __]
hinterland
n. uncharted area, backwoods [Malaysia remains a vital albeit partial __]
attenuated
adj. unnaturally thin, weak [they have difficulty believing because their notions of heaven are __]
