A-2 Flashcards

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1
Q

annuity

A

yearly allowance (Eg: The annuity he set up with the insurance company supplements his social security benefits so that he can )

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2
Q

annul

A

make void (Eg: The parents of the eloped couple tried to annul the marriage. )

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3
Q

anodyne

A

drug that relieves pain; opiate (Eg: His pain was so great that no anodyne could relieve it. )

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4
Q

anoint

A

consecrate (Eg: The prophet Samuel anointed David with oil- crowning him king of Israel. )

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5
Q

anomalous

A

abnormal; irregular (Eg: He was placed in the anomalous position of seeming to approve procedures that he despised. )

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6
Q

anomaly

A

irregularity (Eg: A bird that cannot fly is an anomaly. )

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7
Q

anonymity

A

state of being nameless; anonymousness (Eg: )

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8
Q

antagonistic

A

hostile; opposed (Eg: Despite his lawyers’ best efforts to stop him- the angry prisoner continued to make antagonistic remarks to )

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9
Q

antecede

A

precede (Eg: The invention of the radiotelegraph anteceded the development of television by a quarter of a century. )

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10
Q

antecedents

A

preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; early life; ancestors (Eg: Before giving permission for Drummie to marry Estella- Miss Havisham had a few questions about the )

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11
Q

antediluvian

A

antiquated; ancient (Eg: The antediluvian customs had apparently not changed for thousands of years. )

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12
Q

anthropoid

A

manlike (Eg: The gorilla is the strongest of the anthropoid animals. )

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13
Q

anthropologist

A

student of the history and science of humankind (Eg: Anthropologists have discovered several relics of prehistoric humans in this area. )

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14
Q

anthropomorphic

A

having human form or characteristics (Eg: Primitive religions often have deities with anthropomorphic characteristics. )

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15
Q

anticlimax

A

letdown in thought or emotion (Eg: After the fine performance in the first act- the rest of the play was an anticlimax. )

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16
Q

antipathy

A

aversion; dislike (Eg: His extreme antipathy to dispute caused him to avoid argumentative discussions with his friends. )

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17
Q

antiquated

A

obsolete; outdated (Eg: Accustomed to editing his papers on word processors- Philip thought typewriters were too antiquated for )

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18
Q

antiseptic

A

substance that prevents infection (Eg: It is advisable to apply an antiseptic to any wound- no matter how slight or insignificant. )

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19
Q

antithesis

A

contrast; direct opposite of or to (Eg: This tyranny was the antithesis of all that he had hoped for- and he fought it with all his strength. )

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20
Q

anvil

A

iron block used in hammering out metals (Eg: After heating the iron horseshoe in the forge- the blacksmith picked it up with his tongs and set it on the )

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21
Q

apathetic

A

indifferent (Eg: He felt apathetic about the conditions he had observed and did not care to fight against them. )

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22
Q

apathy

A

lack of caring; indifference (Eg: A firm believer in democratic government- she could not understand the apathy of people who never )

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23
Q

ape

A

imitate or mimic (Eg: He was suspended for a week because he had aped the principal in front of the whole school. )

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24
Q

aperture

A

opening; hole (Eg: She discovered a small aperture in the wall- through which the insects had entered the room. )

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25
Q

apex

A

tip; summit; climax (Eg: He was at the apex of his career. )

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26
Q

aphasia

A

loss of speech due to injury or illness (Eg: After the automobile accident- the victim had periods of aphasia when he could not speak at all or could )

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27
Q

aphorism

A

pithy maxim (Eg: An aphorism differs from an adage in that it is more philosophical or scientific. )

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28
Q

apiary

A

a place where bees are kept (Eg: Although he spent many hours daily in the apiary- he was very seldom stung by a bee. )

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29
Q

aplomb

A

poise; composure (Eg: Wellington’s nonchalance and aplomb in the heat of battle always heartened his followers. )

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30
Q

apocalyptic

A

prophetic; pertaining to revelations; especially of disaster (Eg: His apocalyptic remarks were dismissed by his audience as wild surmises. )

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31
Q

apocryphal

A

untrue; made up (Eg: To impress his friends- Tom invented apocryphal tales of his adventures in the big city. )

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32
Q

apogee

A

highest point (Eg: When the moon in its orbit is furthest away from the earth- it is at its apogee. )

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33
Q

apoplexy

A

stroke; loss of consciousness followed by paralysis (Eg: He was crippled by an attack of apoplexy. )

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34
Q

apostate

A

one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs (Eg: Because he switched from one party to another- his former friends shunned him as an apostate. )

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35
Q

apothecary

A

druggist (Eg: In Holland- apothecaries still sell spices as well as ointments and pills. )

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36
Q

apothegm

A

pithy- compact saying (Eg: Proverbs are apothegms that have become familiar sayings. )

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37
Q

apotheosis

A

deification; glorification (Eg: The Roman empress Livia envied the late emperor his apotheosis; she hoped that on her death she- too- )

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38
Q

appal

A

dismay; shock (Eg: We were appalled by the horrifying conditions in the city’s jails. )

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39
Q

apparition

A

ghost; phantom (Eg: Hamlet was uncertain about the identity of the apparition that had appeared and spoken to him. )

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40
Q

appease

A

pacify; soothe (Eg: We have discovered that- when we try to appease our enemies- we encourage them to make additional )

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41
Q

appellation

A

name; title (Eg: He was amazed when the witches hailed him with his correct appellation. )

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42
Q

append

A

attach (Eg: I shall append this chart to my report. )

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43
Q

application

A

diligent attention; (secondary meaning) apply (Eg: Pleased with how well Tom had whitewashed the fence- Aunt Polly praised him for his application. )

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44
Q

apposite

A

appropriate; fitting (Eg: He was always able to find the apposite phrase- the correct expression for every occasion. )

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45
Q

appraise

A

estimate the value of (Eg: It is difficult to appraise old paintings; it is easier to call them priceless. )

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46
Q

appreciate

A

be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of (Eg: Little Orphan Annie truly appreciated the stocks Daddy Warbucks ave her- whose value appreciated )

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47
Q

apprehend

A

arrest ( a criminal); dread; perceive (Eg: The police will apprehend the culprit and convict him before long. )

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48
Q

apprehensive

A

fearful; discerning (Eg: His apprehensive glances at the people who were walking in the street revealed his nervousness. )

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49
Q

apprise

A

inform (Eg: When he was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions- he decided to postpone his trip. )

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50
Q

approbation

A

approval (Eg: Wanting her parents’ regard- she looked for some sign of their approbation. )

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51
Q

appropriate

A

acquire; take possession of for one’s own use (Eg: The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside for the Indians’ use. )

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52
Q

appurtenances

A

subordinate possessions (Eg: He bought the estate and all its appurtenances. )

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53
Q

apropos

A

with reference to; regarding (Eg: I find your remarks apropos of the present situation timely and pertinent. )

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54
Q

aptitude

A

fitness; talent (Eg: The counselor evaluated his aptitudes before advising him about the career he should follow. )

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55
Q

aquiline

A

curved- hooked (Eg: He can be recognized by his aquiline nose- curved like the beak of the eagle. )

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56
Q

arable

A

fit for plowing (Eg: The land was no longer arable; erosion had removed the valuable topsoil. )

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57
Q

arbiter

A

person with power to decide a matter in a dispute; judge (Eg: As an arbiter in labor disputes- she has won the confidence of the workers and the employers. )

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58
Q

arbitrary

A

unreasonable or capricious; tyrannical (Eg: The coach claimed the team lost because the umpire made some arbitrary calls. )

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59
Q

arbitrate

A

act as judge (Eg: She was called upon to arbitrate the dispute between the union and the management. )

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60
Q

arboretum

A

place where different varieties of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited (Eg: Walking along the treelined paths of the arboretum- Rita noted poplars- firs- and some particularly fine )

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61
Q

arcade

A

a covered passageway- usually lined with shops (Eg: The arcade was popular with shoppers because it gave them protection from the summer sun and the )

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62
Q

arcane

A

secret; mysterious (Eg: What was arcane to us was clear to the psychologist. )

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63
Q

archaeology

A

study of artifacts and relics of early mankind (Eg: The professor of archaeology headed an expedition to the Gobi Desert in search of ancient ruins. )

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64
Q

archaic

A

antiquated (Eg: ‘‘Methinks-‘’ ‘‘thee-‘’ and ‘‘thou’’ are archaic words that are no longer part of our normal vocabulary. )

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65
Q

archetype

A

prototype; primitive pattern (Eg: The Brooklyn Bridge was the archetype of the many spans that now connect Manhattan with Long Island )

66
Q

archipelago

A

group of closely located islands (Eg: When he looked at the map and saw the archipelagoes in the South Seas- he longed to visit them. )

67
Q

archives

A

public records; place where public records are kept (Eg: These documents should be part of the archives so that historians may be able to evaluate them in the )

68
Q

ardor

A

heat; passion; zeal (Eg: Katya’s ardor was contagious; soon all her fellow demonstrators were busily making posters and handing )

69
Q

arduous

A

hard; strenuous (Eg: Her arduous efforts had sapped her energy. )

70
Q

argot

A

slang (Eg: In the argot of the underworld- she ‘‘was taken for a ride.’’ )

71
Q

aria

A

operatic solo (Eg: At her Metropolitan Opera audition- Marian Anderson sang an aria from Norma. )

72
Q

arid

A

dry; barren (Eg: The cactus had adapted to survive in an arid environment. )

73
Q

aristocracy

A

hereditary nobility; privileged class (Eg: Americans have mixed feelings about hereditary aristocracy: )

74
Q

armada

A

fleet of warships (Eg: Queen Elizabeth’s navy was able to defeat the mighty armada that threatened the English coast. )

75
Q

aromatic

A

fragrant (Eg: Medieval sailing vessels brought aromatic herbs from China to Europe. )

76
Q

arraign

A

charge in court; indict (Eg: After his indictment by the Grand Jury- the accused man was arraigned in the County Criminal Court. )

77
Q

array

A

marshal; draw up in order (Eg: His actions were bound to array public sentiment against him. )

78
Q

array

A

clothe; adorn (Eg: She liked to watch her motherarray herself in her finest clothes before going out for the evening. )

79
Q

arrears

A

being in debt (Eg: He was in arrears with his payments on the car. )

80
Q

arrogance

A

pride- haughtiness (Eg: The arrogance of the nobility was resented by the middle class. )

81
Q

arroyo

A

gully (Eg: Until the heavy rains of the past spring- this arroyo had been a dry bed. )

82
Q

articulate

A

effective; distinct (Eg: Her articulate presentation of the advertising campaign impressed her employers. )

83
Q

artifacts

A

products of primitive culture (Eg: Archaeologists debated the significance of the artifacts discovered in the ruins of Asia Minor and came to )

84
Q

artifice

A

deception; trickery (Eg: The Trojan War proved to the Greeks that cunning and artifice were often more effective than military )

85
Q

artisan

A

a manually skilled worker (Eg: Artists and artisans alike are necessary to the development of a culture. )

86
Q

artless

A

without guile; open and honest (Eg: Red Riding Hood’s artless comment- ‘‘Grandma- what big eyes you have!’’ indicates the child’s innocent )

87
Q

ascendancy

A

controlling influence (Eg: President Marcos failed to maintain his ascendency over Philippines. )

88
Q

ascetic

A

practicing self-denial; austere (Eg: The wealthy young man could not understand the ascetic life led by the monks. )

89
Q

asceticism

A

doctrine of self-denial (Eg: We find asceticism practiced in many monastries. )

90
Q

ascribe

A

refer; attribute; assign (Eg: I can ascribe no motive for her acts. )

91
Q

asceptic

A

preventing infection; having a cleansing effect (Eg: Hospitals succeeded in lowering the mortality rate as soon as they introduced asceptic conditions. )

92
Q

ashen

A

ash-colored; deadly pale (Eg: Her face was ashen with fear. )

93
Q

asinine

A

stupid (Eg: Your asinine remarks prove that you have not given this problem any serious consideration. )

94
Q

askance

A

with a sideways or indirect look (Eg: Looking askance at her questioner- she displayed her scorn. )

95
Q

askew

A

crookedly; slanted; at an angle (Eg: When he placed his hat askew upon his head- his observers laughed. )

96
Q

asperity

A

sharpness (of temper) (Eg: These remarks- spoken with asperity- stung the boys to whom they had been directed. )

97
Q

aspersion

A

slanderous remark (Eg: Do not cast aspersions on her character. )

98
Q

aspirant

A

seeker after position or status (Eg: Although I am as aspirant for public office- I am not willing to accept the dictates of the party bosses. )

99
Q

aspiration

A

noble ambition (Eg: )

100
Q

assail

A

assault (Eg: He was assailed with questions after his lecture. )

101
Q

assay

A

analyze; evaluate (Eg: When they assayed the ore- they found that they had discovered a very rich vein. )

102
Q

assent

A

agree; accept (Eg: It gives me great pleasure to assent to your request. )

103
Q

assert

A

state strongly or positively; insist on or demand recognition of (rights- claims- etc). (Eg: When Jill asserted that nobody else in the junior class had such an early curfew- her parents Asserted )

104
Q

assessment

A

estimation; appraisal (Eg: I would like to have your assessment of the situation in South Africa. )

105
Q

assiduous

A

diligent (Eg: It took Rembrandt weeks of assiduous labor before he was satisfied with his portrait of his son. )

106
Q

assimilate

A

absorb; cause to become homogenous (Eg: The manner in which the United States was able to assimilate the hordes of immigrants during the )

107
Q

assuage

A

ease; lessen(pain) (Eg: Your messages of cheer should assuage her suffering. )

108
Q

assumption

A

something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of (Eg: The young princess made the foolish assumption that the regent would not object to her Assumption of )

109
Q

assurance

A

promise or pledge; certainty; self-confidence (Eg: When Gutherie gave Guiness his assurance that rehearsals were going well- he spoke with such assurance )

110
Q

asteroid

A

small planet (Eg: asteroids have become commonplace to the readers of interstellar travel stories in science fiction )

111
Q

astigmatism

A

eye defect that prevents proper focus (Eg: As soon as his parents discovered that the boy suffered from astigmatism- they took him to the )

112
Q

astral

A

relating to the stars (Eg: She was amazed at the number of astral bodies the new telescope revealed. )

113
Q

astringent

A

binding; causing contraction; harsh or severe (Eg: The astringent quality of unsweetened lemon juice made swallowing difficult. )

114
Q

astronomical

A

enormously large or extensive (Eg: The government seemed willing to spend astronomical sums on weapons development. )

115
Q

astute

A

wise; shrewd (Eg: That was a very astute observation. )

116
Q

asunder

A

into parts; apart (Eg: Their points of view are poles asunder. )

117
Q

asylum

A

place of refuge or shelter; protection (Eg: The refugees sought asylum from religious persecution in a new land. )

118
Q

asymmetric

A

not identical on both sides of a dividing central line (Eg: Because one eyebrow was set markedly higher than the other- William’s face had a particularly asymmetric )

119
Q

atavism

A

resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; (Eg: throwback )

120
Q

atheistic

A

denying the existence of God (Eg: His atheistic remarks shocked the religious worshippers. )

121
Q

atone

A

make amends for; pay for (Eg: He knew no way in which he could atone for his brutal crime. )

122
Q

atrocity

A

brutal deed (Eg: In time of war- many atrocities are committed by invading armies. )

123
Q

atrophy

A

wasting away (Eg: Polio victims need physiotherapy to prevent the atrophy of affected limbs. )

124
Q

attenuate

A

make thin; weaken (Eg: By withdrawing their forces- the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines. )

125
Q

attest

A

testify; bear witness (Eg: Having served as a member of a grand jury- I can attest that our system of indicting individuals is in need )

126
Q

attribute

A

essential quality (Eg: His outstanding attribute was his kindness. )

127
Q

attribute

A

ascribe; explain (Eg: I attribute her success in science to the encouragement she received from her parents. )

128
Q

attrition

A

gradual wearing down (Eg: They decided to wage a war of attrition rather than to rely on all-out attack. )

129
Q

audacious

A

daring; bold (Eg: Audiences cheered as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia made their audacious- death-defying leap to )

130
Q

audit

A

examination of accounts (Eg: When the bank examiners arrived to hold their annual audit- they discovered the embezzlements of the )

131
Q

augment

A

increase (Eg: How can we hope to augment our forces when our allies are deserting us? )

132
Q

augury

A

omen; prophecy (Eg: He interpreted the departures of the birds as an augury of evil. )

133
Q

august

A

impressive; majestic (Eg: Visiting the palace at Versailes- she was impressed by the august surroundings in which she found herself. )

134
Q

aureole

A

sun’s corona; halo (Eg: Many medieval paintings depict saintly characters with aureols around their heads. )

135
Q

auroral

A

pertaining to the aurora borealis (Eg: The auroral display was particularly spectacular that evening. )

136
Q

auspicious

A

favoring success (Eg: With favorable weather conditions- it was an auspicious moment to set sail. )

137
Q

austere

A

strict- stern (Eg: His austere demeanor prevented us from engaging in our usual frivolous activities. )

138
Q

austerity

A

sternness; severity; lack of luxuries (Eg: The austerity and dignity of the court were maintained by the new justices- who were a strict and solemn )

139
Q

authenticate

A

prove genuine (Eg: An expert was needed to authenticate the original Van Gogh painting- distinguishing it from its imitation. )

140
Q

authoritarian

A

favoring or exercising total control; non-democratic (Eg: The people had no control over their destiny; they were forced to obey the dictates of the authoritarian )

141
Q

authoritative

A

having the weight of authority; dictatorial (Eg: We accepted her analysis of the situation as authoritative. )

142
Q

autocrat

A

monarch with supreme power (Eg: He ran his office like an autocrat- giving no one else any authority. )

143
Q

automaton

A

mechanism that imitates actions of humans (Eg: Long before science fiction readers became aware of robots- writers were creating stories of automation )

144
Q

autonomous

A

self-governing (Eg: This island is a colony; however- in most matters- it is autonomous and receives no orders from the mother )

145
Q

autopsy

A

examination of a dead body; postmortem (Eg: The medical examiner ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death. )

146
Q

auxiliary

A

offering or providing help; additional or sub-sidiary (Eg: To prepare for the emergency- they built an auxiliary power station. )

147
Q

avarice

A

greed for wealth (Eg: King Midas’s avarice has been famous for centuries. )

148
Q

aver

A

state confidently (Eg: I wish to aver that I am certain of success. )

149
Q

averse

A

reluctant (Eg: He was averse to revealing the sources of his information. )

150
Q

aversion

A

firm dislike (Eg: Their mutual aversion was so great that they refused to speak to one another. )

151
Q

avert

A

prevent; turn away (Eg: She averted her eyes from the dead cat on the highway. )

152
Q

aviary

A

enclosure for birds (Eg: The aviary at the zoo held nearly 300 birds. )

153
Q

avid

A

greedy; eager for (Eg: He was avid for learning and read everything he could get. )

154
Q

avocation

A

secondary or minor occupation (Eg: His hobby proved to be so fascinating and profitable that gradually he abandoned his regular occupation )

155
Q

avow

A

declare openly (Eg: I must avow that I am innocent. )

156
Q

avuncular

A

like an uncle (Eg: Avuncular pride did not prevent him from noticing his nephew’s shortcomings. )

157
Q

awe

A

solemn wonder (Eg: The tourists gazed with awe at the tremendous expanse of the Grand Canyon. )

158
Q

awl

A

pointed tool used for piercing (Eg: She used an awl to punch additional holes in the leather belt she had bought. )

159
Q

awry

A

distorted; crooked (Eg: )

160
Q

axiom

A

self-evident truth requiring no proof (Eg: Before a student can begin to think along the lines of Euclidean geometry- he must accept certain )

161
Q

azure

A

sky blue (Eg: azure skies are indicative of good weather. )