blue book #01

Question 1

a priori

Answer 1

1.
from a general law to a particular instance; valid independently of observation.

2.
existing in the mind prior to and independent of experience, as a faculty or character trait.

3.
not based on prior study or examination; nonanalytic:
an a priori judgment.

Question 2

apropos

Answer 2

1.
fitting; at the right time; to the purpose; opportunely.

2.
opportune; pertinent:
apropos remarks.

3.
with reference to; in respect or regard to:
apropos of the preceding statement.

Question 3

abandon

Answer 3

a complete surrender to natural impulses without restraint or moderation; freedom from inhibition or conventionality:
to dance with reckless abandon.

Question 4

abase

Answer 4

1.
to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade.

2.
to lower; put or bring down:
He abased his head.

Question 5

abash

Answer 5

to destroy the self-confidence, poise, or self-possession of; disconcert; make ashamed or embarrassed:
to abash someone by sneering.

Question 6

abate

Answer 6

1.
to reduce in amount, degree, intensity, etc.; lessen; diminish:
to abate a tax; to abate one’s enthusiasm.

2.
to diminish in intensity, violence, amount, etc.:
The storm has abated. The pain in his shoulder finally abated.

Question 7

abdicate

Answer 7

1. to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, especially in a formal manner:
   The aging founder of the firm decided to abdicate.

2.
to give up or renounce (authority, duties, an office, etc.), especially in a voluntary, public, or formal manner:
King Edward VIII of England abdicated the throne in 1936.

Question 8

aberration

Answer 8

1.
the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course.

2.
the act of deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type.

3.
deviation from truth or moral rectitude.

4.
mental irregularity or disorder, especially of a minor or temporary nature; lapse from a sound mental state.

Question 9

abet

Answer 9

to encourage, support, or countenance by aid or approval, usually in wrongdoing:
to abet a swindler; to abet a crime.

Question 10

abeyance

Answer 10

temporary inactivity, cessation, or suspension:

Let’s hold that problem in abeyance for a while.

Question 11

abhor

Answer 11

to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate.

Question 12

abject

Answer 12

1.
utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, or wretched:
abject poverty.

2.
contemptible; despicable; base-spirited:
an abject coward.

3.
shamelessly servile; slavish.

Question 13

abjure

Answer 13

1.
to renounce, repudiate, or retract, especially with formal solemnity; recant:
to abjure one’s errors.

2.
to renounce or give up under oath; forswear:
to abjure allegiance.

3.
to avoid or shun.

Question 14

ablution

Answer 14

1.
a cleansing with water or other liquid, especially as a religious ritual.

2.
the liquid thus used.

Question 15

abnegate

Answer 15

1.
to refuse or deny oneself (some rights, conveniences, etc.); reject; renounce.

2.
to relinquish; give up.

Question 16

abolish

Answer 16

to do away with; put an end to; annul; make void:

to abolish slavery.

Question 17

abominable

Answer 17

1.
repugnantly hateful; detestable; loathsome:
an abominable crime.

2.
very unpleasant; disagreeable:
The weather was abominable last week.

3.
very bad, poor, or inferior:
They have abominable taste in clothes.

Question 18

abortive

Answer 18

1.
failing to succeed; unsuccessful:
an abortive rebellion; an abortive scheme.

2.
born prematurely.

3.
imperfectly developed; rudimentary.

Question 19

abrasive

Answer 19

1.
any material or substance used for grinding, polishing, etc., as emery, pumice, or sandpaper.

2.
harsh, rough; tending to abrade; causing abrasion; abrading.

3.
tending to annoy or cause ill will; overly aggressive:
an abrasive personality.

Question 20

abridge

Answer 20

1.
to shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents:
to abridge a reference book.

2.
to reduce or lessen in duration, scope, authority, etc.; diminish; curtail:
to abridge a visit; to abridge one’s freedom.

3.
to deprive; cut off.

Question 21

abrogate

Answer 21

1.
to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal:
to abrogate a law.

2.
to put aside; put an end to.

Question 22

abrupt

Answer 22

1.
sudden or unexpected:
an abrupt departure.

2.
curt or brusque in speech, manner, etc.:
an abrupt reply.

3.
terminating or changing suddenly:
an abrupt turn in a road.

4.
having many sudden changes from one subject to another; lacking in continuity or smoothness:
an abrupt writing style.

5.
steep; precipitous:
an abrupt descent.

Question 23

abscond

Answer 23

to depart in a sudden and secret manner, especially to avoid capture and legal prosecution:
The cashier absconded with the money.

Question 24

absolve

Answer 24

1.
to free from guilt or blame or their consequences:
The court absolved her of guilt in his death.

2.
to set free or release, as from some duty, obligation, or responsibility:
to be absolved from one’s oath.

Question 25

abstain

Answer 25

1.
to hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy:
to abstain from eating meat.

2.
to refrain from casting one’s vote:
a referendum in which two delegates abstained.

Question 26

abstemious

Answer 26

1.
sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet.

2.
characterized by abstinence:
an abstemious life.

3.
sparing:
an abstemious diet.

Question 27

abstruse

Answer 27

hard to understand; recondite; esoteric:

abstruse theories.

Question 28

accede

Answer 28

1.
to give consent, approval, or adherence; agree; assent; to accede to a request; to accede to the terms of a contract.

2.
to attain or assume an office, title, or dignity; succeed:
to accede to the throne.

Question 29

accentuate

Answer 29

1.
to give emphasis or prominence to.

2.
to mark or pronounce with an accent.

Question 30

access

Answer 30

1.
the ability, right, or permission to approach, enter, speak with, or use; admittance:
They have access to the files.

2.
the state or quality of being approachable:
The house was difficult of access.

3.
a way or means of approach:
The only access to the house was a rough dirt road.

Question 31

acclaim

Answer 31

1.
to welcome or salute with shouts or sounds of joy and approval; applaud:
to acclaim the conquering heroes.

2.
to announce or proclaim with enthusiastic approval:
to acclaim the new king.

3.
to make acclamation; applaud.

Question 32

acclamation

Answer 32

1.
a loud shout or other demonstration of welcome, goodwill, or approval.

2.
act of acclaiming.

Question 33

acclimate

Answer 33

to accustom or become accustomed to a new climate or environment; adapt.

Question 34

accolade

Answer 34

1.
any award, honor, or laudatory notice:
The play received accolades from the press.

2.
a light touch on the shoulder with the flat side of the sword or formerly by an embrace, done in the ceremony of conferring knighthood.

Question 35

accommodate

Answer 35

1.
to do a kindness or a favor to; oblige:
to accommodate a friend by helping him move to a new apartment.

2.
to provide suitably; supply:
The officials were accommodated with seats toward the front of the room.

3.
to lend money to:
Can you accommodate him, or are you short of cash?

4.
to provide with a room and sometimes with food.

5.
to furnish with accommodations, as food and lodgings.

6.
to have or make room for:
Will this elevator accommodate 10 people?

7.
to make suitable or consistent; adapt:
to accommodate oneself to circumstances.

Question 36

accomplice

Answer 36

a person who knowingly helps another in a crime or wrongdoing, often as a subordinate.

Question 37

accord

Answer 37

1.
to be in agreement or harmony; agree.

2.
to make agree or correspond; adapt.

3.
to grant; bestow:
to accord due praise.

4.
proper relationship or proportion; harmony.

5.
a harmonious union of sounds, colors, etc.

6.
consent or concurrence of opinions or wills; agreement.

Question 38

accorded

Answer 38

granted or given especially as appropriate, due, or earned

Question 39

accost

Answer 39

1.
to confront boldly:
The beggar accosted me for money.

2.
to approach, especially with a greeting, question, or remark.

Question 40

accoutrement

Answer 40

1.
personal clothing, accessories, etc.

2.
the equipment, excluding weapons and clothing, of a soldier.

Question 41

accretion

Answer 41

1.
an increase by natural growth or by gradual external addition; growth in size or extent.

2.
the result of this process.

3.
an added part; addition:
The last part of the legend is a later accretion.

4.
the growing together of separate parts into a single whole.

Question 42

accrue

Answer 42

1.
to happen or result as a natural growth, addition, etc.

2.
to be added as a matter of periodic gain or advantage, as interest on money.

Question 43

acerbic

Answer 43

1.
sour or astringent in taste:
Lemon juice is acerbic.

2.
harsh or severe, as of temper or expression:
acerbic criticism.

Question 44

acme

Answer 44

the highest point; summit; peak:

The empire was at the acme of its power.

Question 45

acquiesce

Answer 45

to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent:
to acquiesce halfheartedly in a business plan.

Question 46

acquisitive

Answer 46

tending or seeking to acquire and own, often greedily; eager to get wealth, possessions, etc.:
our acquisitive impulses; acquisitive societies.

Question 47

acquit

Answer 47

to relieve from a charge of fault or crime; declare not guilty:
They acquitted him of the crime. The jury acquitted her, but I still think she’s guilty.

Question 48

acrimony

Answer 48

sharpness, harshness, or bitterness of nature, speech, disposition, etc.:
The speaker attacked him with great acrimony.

Question 49

actuate

Answer 49

1.
to incite or move to action; impel; motivate:
actuated by selfish motives.

2.
to put into action; start a process; turn on:
to actuate a machine.

Question 50

acuity

Answer 50

sharpness; acuteness; keenness:

acuity of vision; acuity of mind.

Question 51

acumen

Answer 51

keen insight; shrewdness:

remarkable acumen in business matters.

Question 52

ad hoc

Answer 52

1.
for the special purpose or end presently under consideration:
a committee formed ad hoc to deal with the issue.

2.
concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end:
The ad hoc committee disbanded after making its final report.

Question 53

ad lib

Answer 53

1.
to improvise all or part of (a speech, a piece of music, etc.):
to ad-lib one’s lines.

2.
to act, speak, etc., without preparation:
Throughout the play he had to ad-lib constantly.

3.
impromptu; extemporaneous:
ad-lib remarks to hecklers.

Question 54

adage

Answer 54

a traditional saying expressing a common experience or observation; proverb.

Question 55

adamant

Answer 55

1.
utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc.

2.
too hard to cut, break, or pierce.

Question 56

adept

Answer 56

very skilled; proficient; expert:

an adept juggler.

Question 57

adhere

Answer 57

1.
to stay attached; stick fast: The mud adhered to his shoes.

2.
to be devoted in support or allegiance; be attached as a follower or upholder:
to adhere to a party.

3.
to hold closely or firmly:
to adhere to a plan.

Question 58

adherent

Answer 58

a person who follows or upholds a leader, cause, etc.; supporter; follower.

Question 59

adieu

Answer 59

1. goodbye; farewell.

2.
the act of leaving or departing; farewell.

Question 60

adjacent

Answer 60

1.
lying near, close, or contiguous; adjoining; neighboring:
a motel adjacent to the highway.

2.
just before, after, or facing:
a map on an adjacent page.

Question 61

adjourn

Answer 61

1.
to suspend the meeting of (a club, legislature, committee, etc.) to a future time, another place, or indefinitely:
to adjourn the court.

2.
to defer or postpone to a later time:
They adjourned the meeting until the following Monday.

Question 62

adjunct

Answer 62

1.
something added to another thing but not essential to it.

2.
a person associated with lesser status, rank, authority, etc., in some duty or service; assistant.

3.
a person working at an institution, as a college or university, without having full or permanent status:
My lawyer works two nights a week as an adjunct, teaching business law at the college.

Question 63

adjure

Answer 63

1.
to charge, bind, or command earnestly and solemnly, often under oath or the threat of a penalty.

2.
to entreat or request earnestly or solemnly.

Question 64

admonish

Answer 64

1.
to caution, advise, or counsel against something.

2.
to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner:
The teacher admonished him about excessive noise.

3.
to urge to a duty; remind:
to admonish them about their obligations.

Question 65

adorn

Answer 65

1.
to decorate or add beauty to, as by ornaments:
garlands of flowers adorning their hair.

2.
to make more pleasing, attractive, impressive, etc.; enhance:
Piety adorned Abigail’s character.

Question 66

adroit

Answer 66

1.
expert or nimble in the use of the hands or body.

2.
cleverly skillful, resourceful, or ingenious:
an adroit debater.

Question 67

adulation

Answer 67

excessive devotion to someone; servile flattery.

Question 68

adulterate

Answer 68

to debase or make impure by adding inferior materials or elements; use cheaper, inferior, or less desirable goods in the production of (any professedly genuine article):
to adulterate food.

Question 69

advantageous

Answer 69

providing an advantage; furnishing convenience or opportunity; favorable; profitable; useful; beneficial:
an advantageous position; an advantageous treaty.

Question 70

advent

Answer 70

a coming into place, view, or being; arrival:

the advent of the holiday season.

Question 71

adversarial

Answer 71

1.
a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe.

2.
a person, group, etc., that is an opponent in a contest; contestant.

Question 72

adversity

Answer 72

1.
adverse or unfavorable fortune or fate; a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress:
Friends will show their true colors in times of adversity.

2.
an adverse or unfortunate event or circumstance:
You will meet many adversities in life.

Question 73

advocate

Answer 73

1.
to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly:
He advocated higher salaries for teachers.

2.
a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc.:
an advocate of peace.

Question 74

aegis

Answer 74

1.
the shield or breastplate of Zeus or Athena.

2.
protection; support:
under the imperial aegis.
3.
sponsorship; auspices:
a debate under the aegis of the League of Women Voters.

Question 75

aerate

Answer 75

to expose to the action or effect of air or to cause air to circulate through:
to aerate milk in order to remove odors.

Question 76

aerodynamic

Answer 76

the branch of mechanics that deals with the motion of air and other gases and with the effects of such motion on bodies in the medium.

Question 77

aesthetic

Answer 77

1.
relating to the philosophy of aesthetics; concerned with notions such as the beautiful and the ugly.

2.
relating to the science of aesthetics; concerned with the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty.

3.
having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty.

4.
relating to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality.

Question 78

affable

Answer 78

1.
pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite:
an affable and courteous gentleman.

2.
showing warmth and friendliness; benign; pleasant:
an affable smile.

Question 79

affected

Answer 79

1.
pretentious; not genuine.

2.
influenced in a harmful way; impaired, harmed, or attacked, as by climate or disease.

3.
impressed; moved; touched:
She was deeply affected by their generosity.

Question 80

affiliation

Answer 80

state of being affiliated or associated.

Question 81

affinity

Answer 81

1.
a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc.

2.
inherent likeness or agreement; close resemblance or connection.

Question 82

affluent

Answer 82

1.
having an abundance of wealth, property, or other material goods; prosperous; rich:
an affluent person.

2.
abounding in anything; abundant.

3.
flowing freely:
an affluent fountain.

Question 83

afford

Answer 83

1.
to be able to do, manage, or bear without serious consequence or adverse effect:
The country can’t afford another drought.

2.
to be able to meet the expense of; have or be able to spare the price of:
Can we afford a trip to Europe this year? The city can easily afford to repair the street.

3.
to be able to give or spare:
He can’t afford the loss of a day.

4.
to furnish; supply:
The transaction afforded him a good profit.

5.
to be capable of yielding or providing:
The records afford no explanation.

6.
to give or confer upon:
to afford great pleasure to someone.

Question 84

affront

Answer 84

1.
a personally offensive act or word; deliberate act or display of disrespect; intentional slight; insult:
an affront to the king.

2.
an offense to one’s dignity or self-respect.

3.
to offend by an open manifestation of disrespect or insolence:
His speech affronted all of us.

Question 85

afoot

Answer 85

1.
on foot; walking:
I came afoot.

2.
astir; in progress:
There is mischief afoot.

Question 86

aggrandize

Answer 86

1.
to widen in scope; increase in size or intensity; enlarge; extend.

2.
to make great or greater in power, wealth, rank, or honor.