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blue book vocabulary > blue book #04 > Flashcards

blue book #04 Flashcards

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1
Q

auxiliary

A

1.
additional; supplementary; reserve:
an auxiliary police force.

2.
used as a substitute or reserve in case of need:
The hospital has an auxiliary power system in case of a blackout.

3.
giving support; serving as an aid; helpful:
The mind and emotions are auxiliary to each other. Passion is auxiliary to art.

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2
Q

avail

A

1.
to be of use or value to; profit; advantage:
All our efforts availed us little in trying to effect a change.

2.
to be of use; have force or efficacy; serve; help:
His strength did not avail against the hostile onslaught.

3.
advantage; use; efficacy; effective use in the achievement of a goal or objective:
His belated help will be of little or no avail.

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3
Q

avant-garde

A

1.
the advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods.

2.
of or relating to the experimental treatment of artistic, musical, or literary material.

3.
belonging to the avant-garde:
an avant-garde composer.

4.
unorthodox or daring; radical.

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4
Q

avarice

A

insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.

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5
Q

avatar

A

1.
the descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form or some manifest shape; the incarnation of a god.

2.
an embodiment or personification, as of a principle, attitude, or view of life.

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6
Q

aversion

A

1.
a strong feeling of dislike, opposition, repugnance, or antipathy:
a strong aversion to snakes and spiders.

2.
a cause or object of dislike; person or thing that causes antipathy:
His pet aversion is guests who are always late.

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7
Q

avert

A

1.
to turn away or aside:
to avert one’s eyes.

2.
to ward off; prevent:
to avert evil; to avert an accident.

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8
Q

avian

A

of or relating to birds.

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9
Q

avow

A

to declare frankly or openly; own; acknowledge; confess; admit:
He avowed himself an opponent of all alliances.

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10
Q

avuncular

A

of, relating to, or characteristic of an uncle:

avuncular affection.

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11
Q

awe

A

an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like:
in awe of God; in awe of great political figures.

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12
Q

awry

A

1.
with a turn or twist to one side; askew:
to glance or look awry.

2.
away from the expected or proper direction; amiss; wrong:
Our plans went awry.

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13
Q

axiom

A

1.
a self-evident truth that requires no proof.

2.
a universally accepted principle or rule.

3.
a proposition that is assumed without proof for the sake of studying the consequences that follow from it.

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14
Q

backlash

A

1.
a sudden, forceful backward movement; recoil.

2.
a strong or violent reaction, as to some social or political change:
a backlash of angry feeling among Southern conservatives within the party.

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15
Q

backslide

A

1.
to relapse into bad habits, sinful behavior, or undesirable activities.

2.
an act or instance of backsliding:
a backslide from his early training.

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16
Q

backwater

A

1.
water held or forced back, as by a dam, flood, or tide.

2.
a place or state of stagnant backwardness:
This area of the country is a backwater that continues to resist progress.

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17
Q

baffle

A

1.
to confuse, bewilder, or perplex:
He was baffled by the technical language of the instructions.

2.
to frustrate or confound; thwart by creating confusion or bewilderment.

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18
Q

balderdash

A

senseless, stupid, or exaggerated talk or writing; nonsense.

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19
Q

balk

A

1.
to stop, as at an obstacle, and refuse to proceed or to do something specified:
He balked at making the speech.

2.
to stop short and stubbornly refuse to go on.

3.
to place an obstacle in the way of; hinder; thwart:
a sudden reversal that balked her hopes.

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20
Q

ballad

A

1.
any light, simple song, especially one of sentimental or romantic character, having two or more stanzas all sung to the same melody.

2.
a simple narrative poem of folk origin, composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing.

3.
any poem written in similar style.

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21
Q

balm

A

1.
any of various oily, fragrant, resinous substances, often of medicinal value, exuding from certain plants.

2.
a plant or tree yielding such a substance.

3.
any aromatic or fragrant ointment.

4.
aromatic fragrance; sweet odor:
the balm of orange blossoms.

5.
anything that heals, soothes, or mitigates pain:
the balm of friendship in troubled times.

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22
Q

balmy

A

1.
mild and refreshing; soft; soothing:
balmy weather.

2.
having the qualities of balm; aromatic; fragrant:
balmy leaves.

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23
Q

banal

A

devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite:

a banal and sophomoric treatment of courage on the frontier.

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24
Q

bane

A

1.
a person or thing that ruins or spoils:
Gambling was the bane of his existence.

2.
a deadly poison.

3.
death; destruction; ruin.

4.
that which causes death or destroys life:
entrapped and drowned beneath the watery bane.

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25
Q

banish

A

1.
to expel from or relegate to a country or place by authoritative decree; condemn to exile:
He was banished to Devil’s Island.

2.
to compel to depart; send, drive, or put away:
to banish sorrow.

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26
Q

banter

A

1.
an exchange of light, playful, teasing remarks; good-natured raillery.

2.
to address with banter; chaff.

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27
Q

barbed

A

calculated to wound; cutting:

a professor noted for his barbed criticisms.

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28
Q

bard

A

1.
a person who composed and recited epic or heroic poems, often while playing the harp, lyre, or the like.

2.
any poet.

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29
Q

baroque

A

1.
extravagantly ornate, florid, and convoluted in character or style:
the baroque prose of the novel’s more lurid passages.

2.
irregular in shape:
baroque pearls.

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30
Q

barrage

A

1.
a heavy barrier of artillery fire to protect one’s own advancing or retreating troops or to stop the advance of enemy troops.

2.
an overwhelming quantity or explosion, as of words, blows, or criticisms:
a barrage of questions.

3.
an artificial obstruction in a watercourse to increase the depth of the water, facilitate irrigation, etc.

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31
Q

barter

A

1.
to trade by exchange of commodities rather than by the use of money.

2.
to exchange in trade, as one commodity for another; trade.

3.
to bargain away unwisely or dishonorably:
bartering away his pride for material gain.

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32
Q

base

A

1.
morally low; without estimable personal qualities; dishonorable; mean-spirited; selfish; cowardly.

2.
of little or no value; worthless:
hastily composed of base materials.

3.
debased or counterfeit:
an attempt to eliminate the base coinage.

4.
characteristic of or befitting an inferior person or thing.

5.
of illegitimate birth.

6.
not classical or refined:
base language.

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33
Q

bastion

A

1.
a fortified place.

2.
anything seen as preserving or protecting some quality, condition, etc.:
a bastion of solitude; a bastion of democracy.

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34
Q

befall

A

1.
to happen or occur.

2.
to happen to, especially by chance or fate.

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35
Q

beget

A

1.
to procreate or generate offspring.

2.
to cause; produce as an effect:
a belief that power begets power.

36
Q

begrudge

A

1.
to envy or resent the pleasure or good fortune of someone:
She begrudged her friend the award.

2.
to be reluctant to give, grant, or allow:
She did not begrudge the money spent on her children’s education.

37
Q

beguile

A

1.
to influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude.

2.
to take away from by cheating or deceiving:
to be beguiled of money.

3.
to charm or divert:
a multitude of attractions to beguile the tourist.

4.
to pass time pleasantly:
beguiling the long afternoon with a good book.

38
Q

behemoth

A

any creature or thing of monstrous size or power:
The army’s new tank is a behemoth.
The cartel is a behemoth that small business owners fear.

39
Q

behold

A

1.
to observe; look at; see.

2.
look; see:
And, behold, three sentries of the King did appear.

40
Q

belabor

A

1.
to explain, worry about, or work at something repeatedly or more than is necessary:
He kept belaboring the point long after we had agreed.

2.
to assail persistently, as with scorn or ridicule:
a book that belabors the provincialism of his contemporaries.

3.
to beat vigorously; ply with heavy blows.

41
Q

beleaguer

A

1.
to surround with military forces.

2.
to plague or harass, as with troubles.

42
Q

belfry

A

1.
a bell tower, either attached to a church or other building or standing apart.

2.
the part of a steeple or other structure in which a bell is hung.

43
Q

belie

A

1.
to show to be false; contradict:
His trembling hands belied his calm voice.

2.
to misrepresent:
The newspaper belied the facts.

3.
to act unworthily according to the standards of a tradition, one’s ancestry, faith, etc.

44
Q

bellicose

A

inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious.

45
Q

belligerent

A

1.
warlike; given to waging war.

2.
of warlike character; aggressively hostile; bellicose:
a belligerent tone.

3.
waging war; engaged in war:
a peace treaty between belligerent powers.

4.
pertaining to war or to those engaged in war:
belligerent rights.

46
Q

bellow

A

1.
to emit a hollow, loud, animal cry, as a bull or cow.

2.
to roar; bawl:
bellowing with rage.

3.
to utter in a loud, deep voice:
He bellowed his command across the room.

47
Q

bellwether

A

1.
a person or thing that assumes the leadership or forefront, as of a profession or industry:
Paris is a bellwether of the fashion industry.

2.
a person or thing that shows the existence or direction of a trend; index.

3.
a person who leads a mob, mutiny, conspiracy, or the like; ringleader.

48
Q

bemuse

A

to bewilder or confuse.

49
Q

benchmark

A

1.
a standard of excellence, achievement, etc., against which similar things must be measured or judged:
The new hotel is a benchmark in opulence and comfort.

2.
any standard or reference by which others can be measured or judged:
The current price for crude oil may become the benchmark.

50
Q

benediction

A

1.
an utterance of good wishes.

2.
the form of blessing pronounced by an officiating minister, as at the close of divine service.

51
Q

benefactor

A

1.
a person who confers a benefit; kindly helper.

2.
a person who makes a bequest or endowment, as to an institution.

52
Q

beneficent

A

doing good or causing good to be done; conferring benefits; kindly in action or purpose.

53
Q

benevolent

A

1.
characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings:
a benevolent attitude; her benevolent smile.

2.
desiring to help others; charitable:
gifts from several benevolent alumni.

3.
intended for benefits rather than profit:
a benevolent institution.

54
Q

benighted

A

1.
intellectually or morally ignorant; unenlightened:
benighted ages of barbarism and superstition.

2.
overtaken by darkness or night.

55
Q

benign

A

1.
having a kindly disposition; gracious:
a benign king.

2.
showing or expressive of gentleness or kindness:
a benign smile.

3.
favorable; propitious:
a series of benign omens and configurations in the heavens.

4.
(of weather) salubrious; healthful; pleasant or beneficial.

56
Q

bequeath

A

1.
to dispose of (personal property, especially money) by last will:
She bequeathed her half of the company to her niece.

2.
to hand down; pass on.

57
Q

berate

A

to scold; rebuke:

He berated them in public.

58
Q

bereave

A

1.
to deprive and make desolate, especially by death:
Illness bereaved them of their mother.

2.
to deprive ruthlessly or by force:
The war bereaved them of their home.

59
Q

bereft

A

deprived:

They are bereft of their senses. He is bereft of all happiness.

60
Q

beseech

A

1.
to implore urgently:
They besought him to go at once.

2.
to beg eagerly for; solicit.

3.
to make urgent appeal:
Earnestly did I beseech, but to no avail.

61
Q

beseem

A

1.
to be fit for or worthy of; become:
conduct that beseems a gentleman.

2.
to be suitable or fitting.

62
Q

bestow

A

1.
to present as a gift; give; confer:
The trophy was bestowed upon the winner.

2.
to put to some use; apply:
Time spent in study is time well bestowed.

63
Q

betoken

A

1.
to give evidence of; indicate:
to betoken one’s fidelity with a vow; a kiss that betokens one’s affection.

2.
to be or give a token or sign of; portend:
a thunderclap that betokens foul weather; an angry word that betokens hostility.

64
Q

bevy

A

1.
a group of birds, as larks or quail, or animals, as roebuck, in close association.

2.
a large group or collection:
a bevy of boisterous sailors.

65
Q

bewilder

A

to confuse or puzzle completely; perplex:

These shifting attitudes bewilder me.

66
Q

biased

A

having or showing preconceived notions or prejudice:

They gave us a biased report on immigration trends.

67
Q

bibliophile

A

a person who loves or collects books, especially as examples of fine or unusual printing, binding, or the like.

68
Q

bifurcation

A

to divide or fork into two branches.

69
Q

bigot

A

a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.

70
Q

bilateral

A

1.
pertaining to, involving, or affecting two or both sides, factions, parties, or the like:
a bilateral agreement; bilateral sponsorship; bilateral symmetry.

2.
located on opposite sides of an axis; two-sided, especially when of equal size, value, etc.

71
Q

bilious

A

1.
peevish; irritable; cranky.

2.
extremely unpleasant or distasteful:
a long scarf of bright, bilious green.

3.
pertaining to bile or to an excess secretion of bile.

72
Q

bilk

A

1.
to defraud; cheat:
He bilked the government of almost a million dollars.

2.
to evade payment of a debt.

3.
to frustrate:
a career bilked by poor health.

4.
to escape from; elude:
to bilk one’s pursuers.

73
Q

billet

A

1.
to direct a soldier by ticket, note, or verbal order, where to lodge.

2.
to provide lodging for; quarter:
We arranged with the townspeople to billet the students.

3.
to obtain lodging; stay:
They billeted in youth hostels.

74
Q

biodiversity

A

diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment.

75
Q

biosphere

A

1.
the part of the earth’s crust, waters, and atmosphere that supports life.

2.
the ecosystem comprising the entire earth and the living organisms that inhabit it.

76
Q

blanch

A

1.
to whiten by removing color; bleach:
Workers were blanching linen in the sun.

2.
to make pale, as with sickness or fear:
The long illness had blanched her cheeks of their natural color.

3.
to become white; turn pale:
The very thought of going made him blanch.

77
Q

blandish

A

to coax or influence by gentle flattery; cajole:

They blandished the guard into letting them through the gate.

78
Q

blasé

A

indifferent to or bored with life; unimpressed, as or as if from an excess of worldly pleasures.

79
Q

blasphemous

A

uttering, containing, or exhibiting blasphemy; irreverent; profane.

80
Q

blatant

A

1.
brazenly obvious; flagrant:
a blatant error in simple addition; a blatant lie.

2.
offensively noisy or loud; clamorous:
blatant radios.

3.
tastelessly conspicuous:
the blatant colors of the dress.

81
Q

bleak

A

1.
bare, desolate, and often windswept:
a bleak plain.

2.
cold and piercing; raw:
a bleak wind.

3.
without hope or encouragement; depressing; dreary:
a bleak future.

82
Q

blight

A

1.
any cause of impairment, destruction, ruin, or frustration:
Extravagance was the blight of the family.

2.
the state or result of being blighted or deteriorated; dilapidation; decay:
urban blight.

3.
to cause to wither or decay; blast:
Frost blighted the crops.

4.
to destroy; ruin; frustrate:
Illness blighted his hopes.

83
Q

blithe

A

1.
joyous, merry, or gay in disposition; glad; cheerful:
Everyone loved her for her blithe spirit.

2.
without thought or regard; carefree; heedless:
a blithe indifference to anyone’s feelings.

84
Q

blitzkrieg

A

1.
an overwhelming all-out attack, especially a swift ground attack using armored units and air support; an intensive aerial bombing.

2.
any swift, vigorous attack, barrage, or defeat:
a blitz of commercials every few minutes.

3.
to attack or defeat with or as if with a blitz:
The town was blitzed mercilessly by enemy planes. The visitors really blitzed the home team.

4.
to destroy; demolish:
His last-minute refusal blitzed all our plans.

85
Q

bludgeon

A

1.
a short, heavy club with one end weighted, or thicker and heavier than the other.

2.
to strike or knock down with a bludgeon.

3.
to force into something; coerce; bully:
The boss finally bludgeoned him into accepting responsibility.

blue book vocabulary (17 decks)

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