552 Flashcards
controvert
\ˈkän-trə-ˌvərt\
D. to contradict, to debate
E. ever since the poem was first published, critics and scholars have controverted over the meaning of its concluding lines
contumacious
\ˌkän-tü-ˈm(ā)-shəs\
D. insubordinate, disobedient
E. the judge threatened to charge the contumacious witness with contempt of court
contumely
\kän-ˈt(ü)-mə-lē\
D. humiliating rudeness
contusion
\kən-ˈt(ü)-zhen\
D. bruise
E. suffered multiple contusions as a result of a car accident
conundrum
\kə-ˈn(ə)n-drəm\
D. a puzzling question or problem
E. the conundrum of how an ancient people were able to build such massive structures without the benefit of today’s knowledge and technology
convene
\kən-ˈvēn\
D. to assemble
E. the conventioneers convened in the auditorium to hear the guest speaker
conversant
\kən-ˈv(ə)r-sənt\
D. familiar (with)
E. a world traveler who is highly conversant with the customs of foreign cultures
conveyance
\kən-ˈv(ā)-əns\
D. a vehicle or other means of carrying
E. the covered wagon was the major conveyance that transported settlers and their belongings across the frontier
convivial
\kən-ˈv(i)-vē-əl\
D. lively, sociable, pertaining to festivity
E. a convivial gathering / the hiking club attracts a wide range of convivial people who share a love of the outdoors
convoke
\kən-ˈvōk\
D. to call together
E. convoked the leading experts on juvenile delinquency to study the situation
convolution
\ˌkän-və-ˈl(ü)-shən\
D. a twisting together, a twist or coil
E. the inevitable convolutions involved in setting up an international teleconference
copious
\ˈk(ō)-pē-əs\
D. plentiful
E. a copious rush of words just poured out of the two friends who hadn’t seen each other in years / a copious harvest / copious weeping
corollary
\ˈk(ȯ)rə-ˌlerē\
D. a proposition that follows from another that has been proved
E. increased taxes—or expanding deficits—are the inevitable corollary to any new government spending program
corporeal
\kȯr-ˈp(ȯ)r-ē-əl\
D. bodily
E. corporeal cravings such as hunger and thirst
corpulent
\c(o)-pū-lənt\
D. very fat
E. a corpulent, elegantly dressed opera singer came out and sang
correlation
\ˌkȯr-ə-ˈl(ā)-shən\
D. a mutual relationship, a correspondence
E. Studies find a positive correlation between severity of illness and nutritional status of the patients.
corroborate
\kə-ˈr(ä)-bə-ˌrāt\
D. to confirm
E. the witnesses corroborated the policeman’s testimony
corrosive
\kə-r(o)-sive\
D. capable of eating or wearing away, sarcastic, biting
E. a corrosive satire on the fashion industry and its movers and shakers
corsair
\ˈkȯr-ˌs(e)r\
D. a pirate or pirate ship
E. no one knows the fate of the corsair’s treasure-filled ship
cortège
\kȯr-ˈt(e)zh\
D. a procession
E. the movie star’s cortege included her hair stylist, makeup artist, personal assistant, and press agent / the funeral cortege of mourners stretched for three city blocks
coterie
\ˈk(ō)-tə-rē\
D. a clique, an intimate and exclusive group of persons with a common interest
E. a coterie of old friends who attend all of the home games of the high school basketball team
countermand
\ˈk(au̇)n-tər-ˌmand\
D. to revoke (an order) by a contrary order, to cancel (an order)
coup d’état
\ˌkü-dā-ˈt(ä)z\
D. an overthrow of an government
E. a bloody coup d’état
covenant
\ˈk(ä)-və-nənt\
D. an agreement
