blue book #03

Question 1

apoplexy

Answer 1

1.
a stroke.

2.
sudden loss of consciousness, often followed by paralysis, caused by rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel in the brain.

3.
a hemorrhage into an organ cavity or tissue.

Question 2

apostate

Answer 2

a person who renounces his religion, cause, party, etc.

Question 3

apotheosis

Answer 3

1.
the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god.

2.
the ideal example; epitome; quintessence:
This poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression.

Question 4

appalling

Answer 4

causing dismay or horror:

an appalling accident; an appalling lack of manners.

Question 5

apparatus

Answer 5

1.
a group or combination of instruments, machinery, tools, materials, etc., having a particular function or intended for a specific use:
Our town has excellent fire-fighting apparatus.

2.
any complex instrument or mechanism for a particular purpose.

3.
any system or systematic organization of activities, functions, processes, etc., directed toward a specific goal:
the apparatus of government; espionage apparatus.

Question 6

apparition

Answer 6

1.
a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, especially a ghost; a specter or phantom; wraith:
a ghostly apparition at midnight.

2.
anything that appears, especially something remarkable or startling:
the surprising apparition of cowboys in New York City.

3.
an act of appearing; manifestation.

Question 7

appease

Answer 7

1.
to bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment; pacify; soothe:
to appease an angry king.

2.
to satisfy, allay, or relieve; assuage:
The fruit appeased his hunger.

3.
to yield or concede to the belligerent demands of (a nation, group, person, etc.) in a conciliatory effort, sometimes at the expense of justice or other principles.

Question 8

appellation

Answer 8

1.
a name, title, or designation.

2.
the act of naming.

Question 9

applicable

Answer 9

capable of being applied; relevant; suitable; appropriate:

an applicable rule; a solution that is applicable to the problem.

Question 10

appraise

Answer 10

1.
to estimate the monetary value of; determine the worth of; assess:
We had an expert appraise the house before we bought it.

2.
to estimate the nature, quality, importance, etc.:
He tried to appraise the poetry of John Updike.

Question 11

appreciable

Answer 11

sufficient to be readily perceived or estimated; considerable:
There is an appreciable difference between socialism and communism.

Question 12

apprehensive

Answer 12

1.
uneasy or fearful about something that might happen:
apprehensive for the safety of the mountain climbers.

2.
quick to learn or understand.

3.
perceptive; discerning (usually followed by of).

Question 13

apprise

Answer 13

to give notice to; inform; advise:

to be apprised of the death of an old friend.

Question 14

approbation

Answer 14

1.
approval; commendation.

2.
official approval or sanction.

Question 15

appropriate

Answer 15

1.
to set apart, authorize, or legislate for some specific purpose or use:
The legislature appropriated funds for the university.

2.
to take to or for oneself; take possession of.

3.
to take without permission or consent; seize; expropriate:
He appropriated the trust funds for himself.

Question 16

apt

Answer 16

1.
inclined; disposed; given; prone:
too apt to slander others.

2.
likely:
Am I apt to find him at home?

3.
unusually intelligent; able to learn quickly and easily:
an apt pupil.

4.
suited to the purpose or occasion; appropriate:
an apt metaphor; a few apt remarks on world peace.

Question 17

arable

Answer 17

capable of producing crops; suitable for farming; suited to the plow and for tillage:
arable land; arable soil.

Question 18

arbiter

Answer 18

1.
a person empowered to decide matters at issue; judge; umpire.

2.
a person who has the sole or absolute power of judging or determining.

Question 19

arbitrary

Answer 19

1.
subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one’s discretion:
an arbitrary decision.

2.
decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.

3.
having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical:
an arbitrary government.

4.
capricious; unreasonable; unsupported:
an arbitrary demand for payment.

Question 20

arbitration

Answer 20

the hearing and determining of a dispute or the settling of differences between parties by a person or persons chosen or agreed to by them:
Rather than risk a long strike, the union and management agreed to arbitration.

Question 21

arboreal

Answer 21

1.
of or relating to trees; treelike.

2.
living in or among trees.

Question 22

arcane

Answer 22

known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric:
She knew a lot about Sanskrit grammar and other arcane matters.

Question 23

archaic

Answer 23

1.
marked by the characteristics of an earlier period; antiquated:
an archaic manner; an archaic notion.

2.
forming the earliest stage; prior to full development:
the archaic period of psychoanalytic research.

Question 24

archetype

Answer 24

the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.

Question 25

archipelago

Answer 25

1.
a large group or chain of islands:
the Malay Archipelago.

2.
any large body of water with many islands.

Question 26

ardent

Answer 26

1.
having, expressive of, or characterized by intense feeling; passionate; fervent:
an ardent vow; ardent love.

2.
intensely devoted, eager, or enthusiastic; zealous:
an ardent theatergoer. an ardent student of French history.

3.
vehement; fierce:
They were frightened by his ardent, burning eyes.

4.
burning, fiery, or hot:
the ardent core of a star.

Question 27

arduous

Answer 27

1.
requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult:
an arduous undertaking.

2.
requiring or using much energy and vigor; strenuous:
making an arduous effort.

3.
hard to climb; steep:
an arduous path up the hill.

4.
hard to endure; full of hardships; severe:
an arduous winter.

Question 28

arid

Answer 28

1.
being without moisture; extremely dry; parched: arid land;
an arid climate.

2.
barren or unproductive because of lack of moisture:
arid farmland.

3.
lacking interest or imaginativeness; sterile; jejune:
an arid treatment of an exciting topic.

Question 29

arraign

Answer 29

1.
to call or bring before a court to answer to an indictment.

2.
to accuse or charge in general; criticize adversely; censure.

Question 30

arrest

Answer 30

1.
to catch and hold; attract and fix; engage:
The loud noise arrested our attention.

2.
to check the course of; stop; slow down:
to arrest progress.

Question 31

arrogate

Answer 31

1.
to claim unwarrantably or presumptuously; assume or appropriate to oneself without right:
to arrogate the right to make decisions.

2.
to attribute or assign to another; ascribe.

Question 32

arsenal

Answer 32

1.
a place of storage or a magazine containing arms and military equipment for land or naval service.

2.
a collection or supply of weapons or munitions.

3.
a collection or supply of anything; store:
He came to the meeting with an impressive arsenal of new research data.

Question 33

artful

Answer 33

1.
slyly crafty or cunning; deceitful; tricky:
artful schemes.

2.
skillful or clever in adapting means to ends; ingenious:
an artful choice of metaphors and similes.

3.
done with or characterized by art or skill:
artful acting; artful repairs.

Question 34

articulate

Answer 34

1.
uttered clearly in distinct syllables.

2.
using language easily and fluently; having facility with words:
an articulate speaker.

3.
expressed, formulated, or presented with clarity and effectiveness:
an articulate thought.

4.
made clear, distinct, and precise in relation to other parts:
an articulate form; an articulate shape; an articulate area.

Question 35

artifact

Answer 35

1.
any object made by human beings, especially with a view to subsequent use.

2.
a handmade object, as a tool, or the remains of one, as a shard of pottery, characteristic of an earlier time or cultural stage, especially such an object found at an archaeological excavation.

3.
any mass-produced, usually inexpensive object reflecting contemporary society or popular culture:
artifacts of the pop rock generation.

Question 36

artifice

Answer 36

1.
a clever trick or stratagem; a cunning, crafty device or expedient; wile.

2.
trickery; guile; craftiness.

3.
cunning; ingenuity; inventiveness:
a drawing-room comedy crafted with artifice and elegance.

4.
a skillful or artful contrivance or expedient.

Question 37

artisan

Answer 37

1.
a person skilled in an applied art; a craftsperson.

2.
a person or company that makes a high-quality or distinctive product in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods:
our favorite local food artisans.

Question 38

ascertain

Answer 38

to find out definitely; learn with certainty or assurance; determine:
to ascertain the facts.

Question 39

ascetic

Answer 39

1.
rigorously abstinent; austere:
an ascetic existence.

2.
a person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices extreme self-denial or self-mortification for religious reasons.

3.
a person who leads an austerely simple life, especially one who abstains from the normal pleasures of life or denies himself or herself material satisfaction.

Question 40

ascribe

Answer 40

1.
to credit or assign, as to a cause or source; attribute; impute:
The alphabet is usually ascribed to the Phoenicians.

2.
to attribute or think of as belonging, as a quality or characteristic:
They ascribed courage to me for something I did out of sheer panic.

Question 41

asinine

Answer 41

foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid:

It is surprising that supposedly intelligent people can make such asinine statements.

Question 42

askew

Answer 42

1.
to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry:
to wear one’s hat askew; to hang a picture askew.

2.
with disapproval, scorn, contempt, etc.; disdainfully:
They looked askew at the painting.

3.
crooked; awry:
Your clothes are all askew.

Question 43

aspersion

Answer 43

1.
a damaging or derogatory remark or criticism; slander:
casting aspersions on a campaign rival.

2.
the act of slandering; vilification; defamation; calumniation; derogation:
Such vehement aspersions cannot be ignored.

3.
the act of sprinkling, as in baptism.

Question 44

asphyxiate

Answer 44

1.
to produce asphyxia in.

2.
to cause to die or lose consciousness by impairing normal breathing, as by gas or other noxious agents; choke; suffocate; smother.

Question 45

aspire

Answer 45

to long, aim, or seek ambitiously; be eagerly desirous, especially for something great or of high value:
to aspire after literary immortality; to aspire to be a doctor.

Question 46

assail

Answer 46

1.
to attack vigorously or violently; assault.

2.
to attack with arguments, criticism, ridicule, abuse, etc.:
to assail one’s opponent with slander.

3.
to undertake with the purpose of mastering:
He assailed his studies with new determination.

4.
to impinge upon; make an impact on; beset:
His mind was assailed by conflicting arguments. The light assailed their eyes.

Question 47

assent

Answer 47

1.
to agree or concur; subscribe to:
to assent to a statement.

2.
to give in; yield; concede:
Assenting to his demands, I did as I was told.

3.
agreement, as to a proposal; concurrence.

4.
acquiescence; compliance.

Question 48

assertion

Answer 48

1.
a positive statement or declaration, often without support or reason:
a mere assertion; an unwarranted assertion.

2.
an act of asserting.

Question 49

assess

Answer 49

1.
to estimate officially the value of property, income, etc. as a basis for taxation.

2.
to fix or determine the amount of:
The hurricane damage was assessed at six million dollars.

3.
to impose a tax or other charge on.

4.
to estimate or judge the value, character, etc., of; evaluate:
to assess one’s efforts.

Question 50

asseverate

Answer 50

to declare earnestly or solemnly; affirm positively; aver.

Question 51

assiduous

Answer 51

1.
constant; unremitting:
assiduous reading.

2.
constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive:
an assiduous student.

Question 52

assimilation

Answer 52

1.
the act or process of assimilating, or of absorbing information, experiences, etc.:
the need for quick assimilation of the facts.

2.
the state or condition of being assimilated, or of being absorbed into something.

3.
the process of adapting or adjusting to the culture of a group or nation, or the state of being so adapted:
assimilation of immigrants into American life.

Question 53

assonance

Answer 53

1.
resemblance of sounds.

2.
rhyme in which the same vowel sounds are used with different consonants in the stressed syllables of the rhyming words, as in penitent and reticence.

3.
partial agreement or correspondence.

Question 54

assuage

Answer 54

1.
to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate:
to assuage one’s grief; to assuage one’s pain.

2.
to appease; satisfy; allay; relieve:
to assuage one’s hunger.

3.
to soothe, calm, or mollify:
to assuage his fears; to assuage her anger.

Question 55

assurance

Answer 55

1.
a positive declaration intended to give confidence:
He received assurances of support for the project.

2.
promise or pledge; guaranty; surety:
He gave his assurance that the job would be done.

3.
full confidence; freedom from doubt; certainty:
to act in the assurance of success.

4.
freedom from timidity; self-confidence; belief in one’s abilities:
She acted with speed and assurance.

5.
presumptuous boldness; impudence.

Question 56

astral

Answer 56

pertaining to or proceeding from the stars; stellar; star-shaped.

Question 57

astringent

Answer 57

1.
harshly biting; caustic:
his astringent criticism.

2.
stern or severe; austere.

3.
sharply incisive; pungent:
astringent wit.

Question 58

astute

Answer 58

1.
of keen penetration or discernment; sagacious:
an astute analysis.

2.
clever; cunning; ingenious; shrewd:
an astute merchandising program; an astute manipulation of facts.

Question 59

asunder

Answer 59

1.
into separate parts; in or into pieces:
Lightning split the old oak tree asunder.

2.
apart or widely separated:
as wide asunder as the polar regions.

Question 60

asylum

Answer 60

1.
an institution for the maintenance and care of the mentally ill, orphans, or other persons requiring specialized assistance.

2.
an inviolable refuge, as formerly for criminals and debtors; sanctuary:
He sought asylum in the church.

Question 61

atelier

Answer 61

a workshop or studio, especially of an artist, artisan, or designer.

Question 62

atone

Answer 62

1.
to make amends or reparation, as for an offense or a crime, or for an offender:
to atone for one’s sins.

2.
to make up, as for errors or deficiencies:
to atone for one’s failings.

Question 63

atrocious

Answer 63

1.
extremely or shockingly wicked, cruel, or brutal:
an atrocious crime.

2.
shockingly bad or tasteless; dreadful; abominable:
an atrocious painting; atrocious manners.

Question 64

atrophy

Answer 64

1.
a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage.

2.
degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse:
He argued that there was a progressive atrophy of freedom and independence of thought.

Question 65

attain

Answer 65

1.
to reach, achieve, or accomplish; gain; obtain:
to attain one’s goals.

2.
to come to or arrive at, especially after some labor or tedium; reach:
to attain the age of 96; to attain the mountain peak.

Question 66

attenuate

Answer 66

1.
to weaken or reduce in force, intensity, effect, quantity, or value:
to attenuate desire.

2.
to make thin; make slender or fine.

Question 67

attest

Answer 67

1.
to bear witness to; certify; declare to be correct, true, or genuine; declare the truth of, in words or writing, especially affirm in an official capacity:
to attest the truth of a statement.

2.
to give proof or evidence of; manifest:
His works attest his industry.

3.
to put on oath.

4.
to testify or bear witness:
to attest to the reliability of an employee.

Question 68

attribute

Answer 68

1.
to regard as resulting from a specified cause; consider as caused by something indicated:
She attributed his bad temper to ill health.

2.
to consider as a quality or characteristic of the person, thing, group, etc., indicated:
He attributed intelligence to his colleagues.

3.
something attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc.; a quality, character, characteristic, or property:
Sensitivity is one of his attributes.

4.
something used as a symbol of a particular person, office, or status:
A scepter is one of the attributes of a king.

Question 69

attrition

Answer 69

1.
a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength:
Our club has had a high rate of attrition because so many members have moved away.

2.
a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment:
The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition.

3.
a gradual reduction in work force without firing of personnel, as when workers resign or retire and are not replaced.

4.
a wearing down or away by friction; abrasion.

Question 70

atypical

Answer 70

not typical; not conforming to the type; irregular; abnormal:
atypical behavior; a flower atypical of the species.

Question 71

audacious

Answer 71

1.
extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave; fearless:
an audacious explorer.

2.
extremely original; without restriction to prior ideas; highly inventive:
an audacious vision of the city’s bright future.

3.
recklessly bold in defiance of convention, propriety, law, or the like; insolent; brazen.

4.
lively; unrestrained; uninhibited:
an audacious interpretation of her role.

Question 72

audience

Answer 72

1.
opportunity to be heard; chance to speak to or before a person or group; a hearing.

2.
a formal interview with a sovereign, high officer of government, or other high-ranking person:
an audience with the pope.

3.
the act of hearing, or attending to, words or sounds.

Question 73

audit

Answer 73

1.
an official examination and verification of accounts and records, especially of financial accounts.

2.
the inspection or examination of a building or other facility to evaluate or improve its appropriateness, safety, efficiency, or the like:
An energy audit can suggest ways to reduce home fuel bills.

Question 74

auditory

Answer 74

1.
pertaining to hearing, to the sense of hearing, or to the organs of hearing.

2.
perceived through or resulting from the sense of hearing:
auditory hallucinations.

Question 75

augment

Answer 75

1.
to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase:
His salary is augmented by a small inheritance.

2.
to raise the upper note of an interval or chord by a half step.

Question 76

augury

Answer 76

1.
the art or practice of divination; prophecy.

2.
the rite or ceremony of an augur.

3.
an omen, token, or indication.

Question 77

august

Answer 77

1.
inspiring reverence or admiration; of supreme dignity or grandeur; majestic:
an august performance of a religious drama.

2.
venerable; eminent:
an august personage.

Question 78

aural

Answer 78

of or relating to the ear or to the sense of hearing.

Question 79

auspicious

Answer 79

1.
promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable:
an auspicious occasion.

2.
favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate.

Question 80

austere

Answer 80

1.
severe in manner or appearance; uncompromising; strict; forbidding:
an austere teacher.

2.
rigorously self-disciplined and severely moral; ascetic; abstinent:
the austere quality of life in the convent.

3.
grave; sober; solemn; serious:
an austere manner.

4.
without excess, luxury, or ease; simple; limited; severe:
an austere life.

5.
severely simple; without ornament:
austere writing.

Question 81

authentic

Answer 81

1.
not false or copied; genuine; real:
an authentic antique.

2.
having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified:
an authentic document of the Middle Ages; an authentic work of the old master.

3.
entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy:
an authentic report on poverty in Africa.

Question 82

authoritarian

Answer 82

1.
favoring complete obedience or subjection to authority as opposed to individual freedom:
authoritarian principles; authoritarian attitudes.

2.
relating to a governmental or political system, principle, or practice in which individual freedom is held as completely subordinate to the power or authority of the state, centered either in one person or a small group that is not constitutionally accountable to the people.

3.
exercising complete or almost complete control over the will of another or of others:
an authoritarian parent.

Question 83

autism

Answer 83

1.
a pervasive developmental disorder of children, characterized by impaired communication, excessive rigidity, and emotional detachment: now considered one of the autism spectrum disorders.

2.
a tendency to view life in terms of one’s own needs and desires.

Question 84

autocrat

Answer 84

1.
an absolute ruler, especially a monarch who holds and exercises the powers of government as by inherent right, not subject to restrictions.

2.
a person invested with or claiming to exercise absolute authority.

3.
a person who behaves in an authoritarian manner; a domineering person.

Question 85

automaton

Answer 85

1.
a mechanical figure or contrivance constructed to act as if by its own motive power; robot.

2.
a person or animal that acts in a monotonous, routine manner, without active intelligence.

3.
something capable of acting automatically or without an external motive force.

Question 86

autonomous

Answer 86

having autonomy; not subject to control from outside; independent:
a subsidiary that functioned as an autonomous unit.