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ENGLISH PROFICIENCY 1 > 91 WORDS > Flashcards

91 WORDS Flashcards

1
Q

Abattoir

A

Meaning: A slaughterhouse.
Origin: French, from abattre (“to strike down”).
Pronunciation: ab-uh-twahr

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2
Q

Aborigines

A

Meaning: Indigenous peoples, especially in Australia.
Origin: Latin aborigines (“original inhabitants”).
Pronunciation: ab-uh-rij-uh-neez

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3
Q

Acquiesce

A

Meaning: To agree or accept reluctantly but without protest.
Origin: Latin acquiēscere (“to rest, to agree”).
Pronunciation: ak-wee-ess

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4
Q

Almond

A

Meaning: An edible nut.
Origin: Latin amygdala, through Old French almande.
Pronunciation: ah-mund (AmE) / al-mund (BrE)

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5
Q

Awry

A

Meaning: Crooked, off-course, or not as planned.
Origin: Middle English awrie.
Pronunciation: uh-rye

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6
Q

Belfry

A

Meaning: A bell tower.
Origin: Old French berfrei.
Pronunciation: bell-free

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7
Q

Bologna

A

Meaning: A type of sausage.
Origin: Italian, from the city of Bologna.
Pronunciation: buh-loh-nee

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8
Q

Bourgeoisie

A

Meaning: The middle class, often associated with materialism.
Origin: French, from Old French bourgeis (“citizen”).
Pronunciation: boor-zhwah-zee

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9
Q

Cache

A

Meaning: A hidden storage or stash.
Origin: French, from cacher (“to hide”).
Pronunciation: kash

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10
Q

Canapés

A

Meaning: Small appetizers served on bread or crackers.
Origin: French, from canapé (“sofa”).
Pronunciation: kan-uh-pays

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11
Q

Chameleon

A

Meaning: A lizard that changes color; a person who adapts easily.
Origin: Greek khamaileōn (“ground lion”), via Latin.
Pronunciation: kuh-mee-lee-un

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12
Q

Chamois

A

Meaning: A goat-antelope; soft leather.
Origin: French, from Latin camox.
Pronunciation: sham-wah

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13
Q

Chartreuse

A

Meaning: A pale green or yellow-green color; a liqueur.
Origin: French, from the Carthusian monastery Chartreuse.
Pronunciation: shar-trooz

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14
Q

Chassis

A

Meaning: The frame of a vehicle or machine.
Origin: French, from châssis (“frame”).
Pronunciation: shas-ee

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15
Q

Chauffeur

A

Meaning: A person employed to drive someone’s car.
Origin: French, from chauffer (“to heat”).
Pronunciation: show-fur

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16
Q

Chignon

A

Meaning: A knot or bun of hair worn at the back of the head.
Origin: French, from chignon du cou (“nape of the neck”).
Pronunciation: sheen-yohn

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17
Q

Chopin

A

Meaning: Refers to Frédéric Chopin, a famous composer.
Origin: Polish, via French spelling.
Pronunciation: show-pan

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18
Q

Connoisseur

A

Meaning: An expert judge in matters of taste, such as food or art.
Origin: French, from connaître (“to know”).
Pronunciation: kon-uh-sur

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19
Q

Corps

A

Meaning: A group of people working together, often in the military.
Origin: French, from Latin corpus (“body”).
Pronunciation: kor

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20
Q

Corpse

A

Meaning: A dead body.
Origin: Latin corpus, through Old French.
Pronunciation: korps

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21
Q

Corsage

A

Meaning: A small bouquet of flowers worn on clothing, often at formal events.
Origin: French, from cors (“body”).
Pronunciation: kor-sahzh

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22
Q

Couturier

A

Meaning: A designer of high-fashion clothing.
Origin: French, from couture (“sewing”).
Pronunciation: koo-tour-ee-ay

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23
Q

Croissant

A

Meaning: A buttery, crescent-shaped pastry.
Origin: French, from croissant (“crescent”).
Pronunciation: krwah-sahn

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24
Q

Cupboard

A

Meaning: A storage cabinet, typically for dishes or food.
Origin: Old English cuppe (“cup”) + bord (“board”).
Pronunciation: kuhb-erd

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25
Dachshund
Meaning: A small, long-bodied dog breed. Origin: German, meaning "badger dog." Pronunciation: daks-hund or dach-sund
26
Danseuse
Meaning: A female ballet dancer. Origin: French, from danser ("to dance"). Pronunciation: dahn-suhz
27
Debauchery
Meaning: Excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. Origin: French, from débaucher ("to lead astray"). Pronunciation: di-baw-chuh-ree
28
Debris
Meaning: Scattered fragments, typically from destruction. Origin: French, from débriser ("to break apart"). Pronunciation: duh-bree
29
Demitasse
Meaning: A small coffee cup. Origin: French, from demi ("half") + tasse ("cup"). Pronunciation: dem-ee-tass
30
Denouement
Meaning: The resolution or conclusion of a story or plot. Origin: French, from dénouer ("to untie"). Pronunciation: day-noo-mahn
31
Depot
Meaning: A train or bus station; a storage place. Origin: French, from déposer ("to deposit"). Pronunciation: dee-poh or deh-poh
32
Detente
Meaning: The easing of strained relations, especially between countries. Origin: French, meaning "relaxation." Pronunciation: day-tahnt
33
Diurnal
Meaning: Active during the day; daily. Origin: Latin diurnus ("daily"). Pronunciation: die-ur-nul
34
Draught
Meaning: A current of air; British term for "draft." Origin: Old English dragan ("to draw"). Pronunciation: draft
35
Echelon
Meaning: A rank or level in an organization. Origin: French, from échelle ("ladder"). Pronunciation: esh-uh-lawn
36
Eclat
Meaning: Brilliant display or success. Origin: French, meaning "splendor" or "burst." Pronunciation: ay-klah
37
Encore
Meaning: A repeated performance at the audience's request. Origin: French, meaning "again." Pronunciation: awn-kor
38
Ennui
Meaning: A feeling of boredom or listlessness. Origin: French, from ennuyer ("to annoy"). Pronunciation: on-wee
39
Ensign
Meaning: A flag or banner; a naval officer rank. Origin: Latin insignia ("emblem"), via French. Pronunciation: en-sin
40
Entourage
Meaning: A group of people accompanying an important person. Origin: French, from entourer ("to surround"). Pronunciation: ahn-too-rahzh
41
Envoy
Meaning: A messenger or representative, especially in diplomacy. Origin: French, from envoyer ("to send"). Pronunciation: ahn-voy
42
Ether
Meaning: A colorless gas once used as an anesthetic; the upper air or heavens. Origin: Greek aithēr ("upper air"), via Latin. Pronunciation: ee-thur
43
Faux Pas
Meaning: A social blunder or mistake. Origin: French, meaning "false step." Pronunciation: foh pah
44
Femme Fatale
Meaning: A seductive, mysterious woman who leads others into trouble. Origin: French, meaning "fatal woman." Pronunciation: fem fa-tal
45
Fugue
Meaning: A musical composition; a state of lost awareness. Origin: Latin fuga ("flight"), via Italian. Pronunciation: fyoo-g
46
Gaudy
Meaning: Flashy or showy in a tasteless way. Origin: Possibly from Middle English gaudi ("joy"). Pronunciation: gaw-dee
47
Gendarme
Meaning: A French police officer. Origin: French, from gens d'armes ("men-at-arms"). Pronunciation: zhon-darm
48
Geyser
Meaning: A hot spring that spouts water and steam. Origin: Icelandic geysir ("to gush"). Pronunciation: guy-zer (AmE) / gee-zer (BrE)
49
Hiccough
Meaning: An involuntary spasm of the diaphragm (hiccup). Origin: Imitative; spelling influenced by Old English. Pronunciation: hik-up
50
Indictment
Meaning: A formal accusation of a crime. Origin: Latin indictare ("to proclaim"). Pronunciation: in-dite
51
Kiosk
Meaning: A small booth or structure used for selling items or providing information. Origin: Turkish kōshk ("pavilion"). Pronunciation: kee-osk
51
Insouciant
Meaning: Carefree and unconcerned. Origin: French, from souci ("care, worry"). Pronunciation: in-soo-see-ant
51
Ingenue
Meaning: An innocent, naive young woman. Origin: French, from ingénu ("ingenuous"). Pronunciation: an-zhuh-noo
52
Lingerie
Meaning: Women's undergarments. Origin: French, from linge ("linen"). Pronunciation: lon-zhuh-ray
53
Mademoiselle
Meaning: Miss; an unmarried French woman. Origin: French, from ma dame ("my lady") + oiselle ("young lady"). Pronunciation: mad-uh-mwa-zel
54
Mezzanine
Meaning: A partial floor between two main levels, often in theaters. Origin: Italian mezzanino ("middle"). Pronunciation: mez-uh-neen
54
Mauve
Meaning: A pale purple color. Origin: French, from malva ("mallow flower"). Pronunciation: mohv (BrE) / mawv (AmE)
55
Mezzo-Soprano
Meaning: A female singing voice between soprano and alto. Origin: Italian, meaning "middle soprano." Pronunciation: met-soh suh-prah-noh
56
Motto
Meaning: A short statement expressing a belief or goal. Origin: Italian motto ("word, saying"). Pronunciation: mot-oh
57
Mozart
Meaning: A reference to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the composer. Origin: German. Pronunciation: moh-tsart
58
Panacea
Meaning: A solution or remedy for all problems or illnesses. Origin: Greek panakeia ("all-healing"). Pronunciation: pan-uh-see-uh
59
Panache
Meaning: Flamboyant confidence or style. Origin: French, meaning "plume." Pronunciation: puh-nash
60
Pewter
Meaning: A gray alloy of tin used for utensils and decorative items. Origin: Middle English, from Old French peautre. Pronunciation: pyoo-ter
61
Piquant
Meaning: Having a pleasantly sharp taste or stimulating flavor; exciting. Origin: French, from piquer ("to prick, to sting"). Pronunciation: pee-kahnt
62
Poignant
Meaning: Evoking a sense of sadness or deep feeling. Origin: Old French, from Latin pungere ("to prick"). Pronunciation: poyn-yunt
63
Potpourri
Meaning: A mixture of dried flowers and spices; a medley or assortment. Origin: French, meaning "rotten pot." Pronunciation: poh-poo-ree
64
Prima Facie
Meaning: Based on the first impression; evident without need for proof. Origin: Latin, meaning "at first face." Pronunciation: pree-muh fay-shee
65
Ptomaine
Meaning: A toxic substance produced by decaying organic matter (historical usage). Origin: Greek ptoma ("fall, corpse"). Pronunciation: toh-mayn
66
Puisne
Meaning: Inferior in rank; junior (legal usage). Origin: French puisné, meaning "later born." Pronunciation: pyoo-nee
67
Queue
Meaning: A line of people or things; a braid of hair. Origin: French, from Latin cauda ("tail"). Pronunciation: kyoo
68
Quiescent
Meaning: In a state of inactivity or dormancy. Origin: Latin quiescere ("to rest, to be quiet"). Pronunciation: kwai-es-uhnt
69
Rendezvous
Meaning: A meeting or gathering, especially at a specified time and place. Origin: French, meaning "present yourselves." Pronunciation: ron-day-voo
70
Respite
Meaning: A short period of rest or relief from something difficult. Origin: Latin respectus ("consideration"), via French. Pronunciation: res-pit
71
Rouge
Meaning: Red cosmetic used for coloring cheeks or lips. Origin: French, meaning "red." Pronunciation: roozh
72
Salmon
Meaning: A species of fish commonly eaten as food. Origin: Latin salmo, via Old French. Pronunciation: sam-uhn
73
Scion
Meaning: A descendant or heir; a young shoot or twig of a plant. Origin: Old French cion ("sprout, shoot"). Pronunciation: sai-uhn
74
Silhouette
Meaning: The outline or general shape of something. Origin: French, named after Étienne de Silhouette. Pronunciation: sil-oo-et
75
Sioux
Meaning: A group of Native American tribes. Origin: French, from Ojibwa Nadouessioux. Pronunciation: soo
76
Sluice
Meaning: A sliding gate or channel for controlling water flow. Origin: Latin excludere ("to exclude"), via Old French. Pronunciation: sloos
77
Sobriquet
Meaning: A nickname or descriptive name. Origin: French, meaning "nickname." Pronunciation: soh-bruh-kay
78
Soiree
Meaning: An evening party or social gathering. Origin: French, meaning "evening." Pronunciation: swah-ray
79
Souffle
Meaning: A light, fluffy baked dish made with egg whites. Origin: French, from souffler ("to blow"). Pronunciation: soo-flay
80
Suede
Meaning: A soft leather with a napped finish. Origin: French, meaning "Swedish (leather)." Pronunciation: swayd
81
Taupe
Meaning: A dark grayish-brown color. Origin: French, meaning "mole" (the animal). Pronunciation: tohp
82
Tawdry
Meaning: Cheap and showy; gaudy. Origin: Named after St. Audrey's lace sold at fairs. Pronunciation: taw-dree
83
Tourniquet
Meaning: A device used to stop blood flow. Origin: French, from tourner ("to turn"). Pronunciation: tur-nih-kay
84
Tryst
Meaning: A secret meeting, especially between lovers. Origin: Old French tristre ("waiting place"). Pronunciation: trist
85
Victual
Meaning: Food supplies or provisions. Origin: Latin victus ("nourishment"), via French. Pronunciation: vit-uhl
86
Vignette
Meaning: A small decorative design or a brief evocative description. Origin: French, meaning "little vine." Pronunciation: vin-yet
87
Vineyard
Meaning: A plantation of grapevines. Origin: Old French vignier ("vineyard"). Pronunciation: vin-yuhd
88
Viva Voce
Meaning: Orally or by word of mouth. Origin: Latin, meaning "with living voice." Pronunciation: vee-vuh voh-see

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