A-2 Flashcards
annuity
yearly allowance (Eg: The annuity he set up with the insurance company supplements his social security benefits so that he can )
annul
make void (Eg: The parents of the eloped couple tried to annul the marriage. )
anodyne
drug that relieves pain; opiate (Eg: His pain was so great that no anodyne could relieve it. )
anoint
consecrate (Eg: The prophet Samuel anointed David with oil- crowning him king of Israel. )
anomalous
abnormal; irregular (Eg: He was placed in the anomalous position of seeming to approve procedures that he despised. )
anomaly
irregularity (Eg: A bird that cannot fly is an anomaly. )
anonymity
state of being nameless; anonymousness (Eg: )
antagonistic
hostile; opposed (Eg: Despite his lawyers’ best efforts to stop him- the angry prisoner continued to make antagonistic remarks to )
antecede
precede (Eg: The invention of the radiotelegraph anteceded the development of television by a quarter of a century. )
antecedents
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 )
antediluvian
antiquated; ancient (Eg: The antediluvian customs had apparently not changed for thousands of years. )
anthropoid
manlike (Eg: The gorilla is the strongest of the anthropoid animals. )
anthropologist
student of the history and science of humankind (Eg: Anthropologists have discovered several relics of prehistoric humans in this area. )
anthropomorphic
having human form or characteristics (Eg: Primitive religions often have deities with anthropomorphic characteristics. )
anticlimax
letdown in thought or emotion (Eg: After the fine performance in the first act- the rest of the play was an anticlimax. )
antipathy
aversion; dislike (Eg: His extreme antipathy to dispute caused him to avoid argumentative discussions with his friends. )
antiquated
obsolete; outdated (Eg: Accustomed to editing his papers on word processors- Philip thought typewriters were too antiquated for )
antiseptic
substance that prevents infection (Eg: It is advisable to apply an antiseptic to any wound- no matter how slight or insignificant. )
antithesis
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. )
anvil
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 )
apathetic
indifferent (Eg: He felt apathetic about the conditions he had observed and did not care to fight against them. )
apathy
lack of caring; indifference (Eg: A firm believer in democratic government- she could not understand the apathy of people who never )
ape
imitate or mimic (Eg: He was suspended for a week because he had aped the principal in front of the whole school. )
aperture
opening; hole (Eg: She discovered a small aperture in the wall- through which the insects had entered the room. )
apex
tip; summit; climax (Eg: He was at the apex of his career. )
aphasia
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 )
aphorism
pithy maxim (Eg: An aphorism differs from an adage in that it is more philosophical or scientific. )
apiary
a place where bees are kept (Eg: Although he spent many hours daily in the apiary- he was very seldom stung by a bee. )
aplomb
poise; composure (Eg: Wellington’s nonchalance and aplomb in the heat of battle always heartened his followers. )
apocalyptic
prophetic; pertaining to revelations; especially of disaster (Eg: His apocalyptic remarks were dismissed by his audience as wild surmises. )
apocryphal
untrue; made up (Eg: To impress his friends- Tom invented apocryphal tales of his adventures in the big city. )
apogee
highest point (Eg: When the moon in its orbit is furthest away from the earth- it is at its apogee. )
apoplexy
stroke; loss of consciousness followed by paralysis (Eg: He was crippled by an attack of apoplexy. )
apostate
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. )
apothecary
druggist (Eg: In Holland- apothecaries still sell spices as well as ointments and pills. )
apothegm
pithy- compact saying (Eg: Proverbs are apothegms that have become familiar sayings. )
apotheosis
deification; glorification (Eg: The Roman empress Livia envied the late emperor his apotheosis; she hoped that on her death she- too- )
appal
dismay; shock (Eg: We were appalled by the horrifying conditions in the city’s jails. )
apparition
ghost; phantom (Eg: Hamlet was uncertain about the identity of the apparition that had appeared and spoken to him. )
appease
pacify; soothe (Eg: We have discovered that- when we try to appease our enemies- we encourage them to make additional )
appellation
name; title (Eg: He was amazed when the witches hailed him with his correct appellation. )
append
attach (Eg: I shall append this chart to my report. )
application
diligent attention; (secondary meaning) apply (Eg: Pleased with how well Tom had whitewashed the fence- Aunt Polly praised him for his application. )
apposite
appropriate; fitting (Eg: He was always able to find the apposite phrase- the correct expression for every occasion. )
appraise
estimate the value of (Eg: It is difficult to appraise old paintings; it is easier to call them priceless. )
appreciate
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 )
apprehend
arrest ( a criminal); dread; perceive (Eg: The police will apprehend the culprit and convict him before long. )
apprehensive
fearful; discerning (Eg: His apprehensive glances at the people who were walking in the street revealed his nervousness. )
apprise
inform (Eg: When he was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions- he decided to postpone his trip. )
approbation
approval (Eg: Wanting her parents’ regard- she looked for some sign of their approbation. )
appropriate
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. )
appurtenances
subordinate possessions (Eg: He bought the estate and all its appurtenances. )
apropos
with reference to; regarding (Eg: I find your remarks apropos of the present situation timely and pertinent. )
aptitude
fitness; talent (Eg: The counselor evaluated his aptitudes before advising him about the career he should follow. )
aquiline
curved- hooked (Eg: He can be recognized by his aquiline nose- curved like the beak of the eagle. )
arable
fit for plowing (Eg: The land was no longer arable; erosion had removed the valuable topsoil. )
arbiter
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. )
arbitrary
unreasonable or capricious; tyrannical (Eg: The coach claimed the team lost because the umpire made some arbitrary calls. )
arbitrate
act as judge (Eg: She was called upon to arbitrate the dispute between the union and the management. )
arboretum
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 )
arcade
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 )
arcane
secret; mysterious (Eg: What was arcane to us was clear to the psychologist. )
archaeology
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. )
archaic
antiquated (Eg: ‘‘Methinks-‘’ ‘‘thee-‘’ and ‘‘thou’’ are archaic words that are no longer part of our normal vocabulary. )