Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

blue book vocabulary > blue book #05 > Flashcards

blue book #05 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Vocab Builder flashcards
1
Q

bogeyman

A

an imaginary evil character of supernatural powers, especially a mythical hobgoblin supposed to carry off naughty children.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

bogus

A

not genuine; counterfeit; spurious; sham.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

bohemian

A

a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

boisterous

A

rough and noisy; noisily jolly or rowdy; clamorous; unrestrained:
the sound of boisterous laughter.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

bolster

A

1.
to support with or as with a pillow or cushion.

2.
to add to, support, or uphold:
They bolstered their morale by singing. He bolstered up his claim with new evidence.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

bombastic

A

(of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding; high-flown; inflated; pretentious.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

bon vivant

A

a person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

bona fide

A

1.
made, done, presented, etc., in good faith; without deception or fraud:
a bona fide statement of intent to sell.

2.
authentic; true:
a bona fide sample of Lincoln’s handwriting.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

bonanza

A

1.
a rich mass of ore, as found in mining.

2.
a source of great and sudden wealth or luck; a spectacular windfall:
The play proved to be a bonanza for its lucky backers.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

bondage

A

1.
slavery or involuntary servitude; serfdom.

2.
the state of being bound by or subjected to some external power or control.

3.
the state or practice of being physically restrained, as by being tied up, chained, or put in handcuffs, for sexual gratification.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

bonhomie

A

frank and simple good-heartedness; a good-natured manner; friendliness; geniality.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

boomerang

A

1.
something, as a scheme or argument, that does injury to the originator.

2.
to come back or return, as a boomerang.

3.
to cause harm to the originator; backfire.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

boon

A

1.
something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit.

2.
something that is asked; a favor sought.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

boor

A

1.
a churlish, rude, or unmannerly person.

2.
a country bumpkin; rustic; yokel.

3.
peasant.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

botany

A

1.
the science of plants; the branch of biology that deals with plant life.

2.
the plant life of a region:
the botany of Alaska.

3.
the biology of a plant or plant group:
the botany of deciduous trees.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

boudoir

A

a woman’s bedroom or private sitting room.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

bourgeois

A

1.
belonging to, characteristic of, or consisting of the middle class.

2.
a person whose political, economic, and social opinions are believed to be determined mainly by concern for property values and conventional respectability.

3.
a shopkeeper or merchant.

4.
dominated or characterized by materialistic pursuits or concerns.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

bovine

A

1.
ox-like; cow-like.

2.
stolid; dull.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

brainchild

A

a product of one’s creative work or thought.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

brandish

A

to shake or wave, as a weapon; flourish:

Brandishing his sword, he rode into battle.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

bravado

A

a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

brawny

A

muscular; strong.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

brazen

A

1.
shameless or impudent:
brazen presumption.

2.
made of brass.

3.
to make brazen or bold.

4.
(brazen out, brazen through) to face boldly or shamelessly:
He prefers to brazen it out rather than admit defeat.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

breach

A

1.
the act or a result of breaking; break or rupture.

2.
an infraction or violation, as of a law, trust, faith, or promise.

3.
a gap made in a wall, fortification, line of soldiers, etc.; rift; fissure.

4.
a severance of friendly relations.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

brevity

A

1.
shortness of time or duration; briefness:
the brevity of human life.

2.
the quality of expressing much in few words; terseness:
Ironically, it is long-winded Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet who famously says that brevity is the soul of wit.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

brigand

A

a bandit, especially one of a band of robbers in mountain or forest regions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

broach

A

to mention or suggest for the first time:

to broach a subject.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

bromide

A

1.
a platitude or trite saying.

2.
a person who is platitudinous and boring.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

brook

A

1.
a small, natural stream of fresh water.

2.
to bear; suffer; tolerate:
I will brook no interference.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

brouhaha

A

1.
excited public interest, discussion, or the like, as the clamor attending some sensational event; hullabaloo:
The brouhaha followed disclosures of graft at City Hall.

2.
an episode involving excitement, confusion, turmoil, etc., especially a broil over a minor or ridiculous cause:
A brouhaha by the baseball players resulted in three black eyes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

brusque

A

abrupt in manner; blunt; rough:

A brusque welcome greeted his unexpected return.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

buck

A

1.
to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly:
The mayor bucked at the school board’s suggestion.

2.
to force a way through or proceed against an obstacle:
The plane bucked a strong headwind.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

bucolic

A

1.
of or relating to shepherds; pastoral.

2.
of, relating to, or suggesting an idyllic rural life.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

buffer

A

1.
a person or thing that shields and protects against annoyance, harm, hostile forces, etc., or that lessens the impact of a shock or reversal.

2.
to cushion, shield, or protect.

3.
to lessen the adverse effect of; ease:
The drug buffered his pain.

35
Q

buffet

A

1.
to strike, as with the hand or fist.

2.
to strike against or push repeatedly:
The wind buffeted the house.

3.
to contend against; battle.

36
Q

buffoon

A

1.
a person who amuses others by tricks, jokes, odd gestures and postures, etc.

2.
a person given to coarse or undignified joking.

37
Q

bulwark

A

1.
a wall of earth or other material built for defense; rampart.

2.
any protection against external danger, injury, or annoyance:
The new dam was a bulwark against future floods.

3.
any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement in time of need, danger, or doubt:
Religion was his bulwark.

38
Q

bumptious

A

offensively self-assertive:

a bumptious young upstart.

39
Q

bungle

A

1.
to do clumsily and awkwardly; botch:
He bungled the job.

2.
to perform or work clumsily or inadequately:
He is a fool who bungles consistently.

40
Q

bureaucracy

A

1.
government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials.

2.
the body of officials and administrators, especially of a government or government department.

3.
excessive multiplication of, and concentration of power in, administrative bureaus or administrators.

4.
administration characterized by excessive red tape and routine.

41
Q

burgeon

A

1.
to grow or develop quickly; flourish:
The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor.

2.
to begin to grow, as a bud; put forth buds, shoots, etc., as a plant.

42
Q

burly

A

1.
large in bodily size; stout; sturdy.

2.
bluff; brusque.

43
Q

burnish

A 
1.
to polish (a surface) by friction.

2.
to make smooth and bright.

3.
gloss; brightness; luster:
the burnish of brass andirons.

44
Q

bursar

A

a treasurer or business officer, especially of a college or university.

45
Q

bushwhack

A

1.
to fight as a bushwhacker; ambush.

2.
to defeat, especially by surprise or in an underhanded way:
They bushwhacked our high school team when they used college players.

46
Q

bustle

A

1.
to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed by about):
He bustled about cooking breakfast.

2.
to abound or teem with something; display an abundance of something; teem:
The office bustled with people and activity.

47
Q

but

A

1.
except; save:
She was so overcome with grief she could do nothing but weep.

2.
unless; if not; except that:
Nothing would do but that I should come in.

3.
without the circumstance that:
It never rains but it pours.

4.
otherwise than:
There is no hope but by prayer.

5.
with the exception of; except; save:
No one replied but me.

6.
only; just:
There is but one God.

7.
buts, reservations or objections:
You’ll do as you’re told, no buts about it.

8.
but for, except for; were it not for:
But for the excessive humidity, it might have been a pleasant day.

48
Q

buttress

A

1.
to support or reinforce; prop up.

2.
to give encouragement or support to (a person, plan, etc.).

49
Q

bygone

A

1.
past; gone by; earlier; former:
The faded photograph brought memories of bygone days.

2.
that which is past:
Let’s not talk of bygones.

50
Q

byway

A

1.
a secluded, private, or obscure road.

2.
a subsidiary or obscure field of research, endeavor, etc.

51
Q

byword

A

1.
a word or phrase associated with some person or thing; a characteristic expression, typical greeting, or the like.

2.
a word or phrase used proverbially; common saying; proverb.

3.
an object of general reproach, derision, scorn, etc.:
His crimes will make him a byword through the ages.

4.
an epithet, often of scorn.

52
Q

byzantine

A

1.
complex or intricate:
a deal requiring byzantine financing.

2.
characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue, especially for the gaining of political power or favor:
byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship.

53
Q

cabal

A

1.
a small group of secret plotters, as against a government or person in authority.

2.
the plots and schemes of such a group; intrigue.

3.
a clique, as in artistic, literary, or theatrical circles.

  1. to form a cabal; intrigue; conspire; plot.
54
Q

cache

A

1.
a hiding place, especially one in the ground, for ammunition, food, treasures, etc.:
She hid her jewelry in a little cache in the cellar.

2.
anything so hidden:
The enemy never found our cache of food.

55
Q

cachet

A

1.
an official seal, as on a letter or document.

2.
a distinguishing mark or feature; stamp:
Courtesy is the cachet of good breeding.

3.
a sign or expression of approval, especially from a person who has a great deal of prestige.

4.
superior status; prestige:
The job has a certain cachet.

56
Q

cacophony

A

1.
harsh discordance of sound; dissonance:
a cacophony of hoots, cackles, and wails.

2.
a discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds:
the cacophony produced by city traffic at midday.

57
Q

cadence

A

1.
rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words:
the cadence of language.

2.
the beat, rate, or measure of any rhythmic movement:
The chorus line danced in rapid cadence.

3.
the flow or rhythm of events, especially the pattern in which something is experienced:
the frenetic cadence of modern life.

4.
a slight falling in pitch of the voice in speaking or reading, as at the end of a declarative sentence.

58
Q

cadge

A

1.
to obtain by imposing on another’s generosity or friendship.

2.
to borrow without intent to repay.

3.
to beg or obtain by begging.

4.
to ask, expect, or encourage another person to pay for or provide one’s drinks, meals, etc.

59
Q

cagey

A

cautious, wary, or shrewd:

a cagey reply to the probing question.

60
Q

cajole

A

to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax.

61
Q

calamitous

A

causing or involving calamity and grievous misfortune; disastrous:
a calamitous defeat.

62
Q

callous

A

1.
made hard; hardened.

2.
insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic:
They have a callous attitude toward the sufferings of others.

63
Q

callow

A

1.
immature or inexperienced:
a callow youth.

2.
(of a young bird) featherless; unfledged.

64
Q

calumny

A

1.
a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something:
The speech was considered a calumny of the administration.

2.
the act of uttering calumnies; slander; defamation.

65
Q

camaraderie

A

comradeship; good-fellowship.

66
Q

candid

A

1.
frank; outspoken; open and sincere:
a candid critic.

2.
free from reservation, disguise, or subterfuge; straightforward:
a candid opinion.

3.
informal; unposed:
a candid photo.

4.
honest; impartial:
a candid mind.

67
Q

candor

A

1.
the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness:
The candor of the speech impressed the audience.

2.
freedom from bias; fairness; impartiality:
to consider an issue with candor.

68
Q

canny

A

1.
careful; cautious; prudent:
a canny reply.

2.
astute; shrewd; knowing; sagacious:
a canny negotiator.

3.
skilled; expert.

4.
frugal; thrifty:
a canny housewife.

69
Q

canon

A

1.
the body of rules, principles, or standards accepted as axiomatic and universally binding in a field of study or art:
the neoclassical canon.

2.
a fundamental principle or general rule:
the canons of good behavior.

3.
a standard; criterion:
the canons of taste.

70
Q

canonize

A

1.
to place in the canon of saints.

2.
to glorify.

3.
to make canonical; place or include within a canon, especially of scriptural works:
They canonized the Song of Solomon after much controversy.

4.
to consider or treat as sacrosanct or holy:
They canonized his many verbal foibles and made them gospel.

71
Q

cantankerous

A

disagreeable to deal with; contentious; peevish:

a cantankerous, argumentative man.

72
Q

canvass

A

1.
to solicit votes, subscriptions, opinions, or the like from.

2.
to examine carefully; investigate by inquiry; discuss; debate.

73
Q

capacious

A

capable of holding much; spacious or roomy:

a capacious storage bin.

74
Q

capacity

A

1.
power of receiving impressions, knowledge, etc.; mental ability:
the capacity to learn calculus.

2.
actual or potential ability to perform, yield, or withstand:
He has a capacity for hard work. She has the capacity to go two days without sleep.

3.
quality or state of being susceptible to a given treatment or action:
Steel has a high capacity to withstand pressure.

4.
position; function; role:
He served in the capacity of legal adviser.

5.
reaching maximum capacity:
a capacity audience; a capacity crowd.

75
Q

capillary

A

1.
pertaining to or occurring in or as if in a tube of fine bore.

2.
resembling a strand of hair; hairlike.

76
Q

capitalism

A

an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth.

77
Q

capitulate

A

1.
to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms.

2.
to give up resistance:
He finally capitulated and agreed to do the job my way.

78
Q

capricious

A

subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, odd notion or unpredictable change; erratic; whimsical:
He’s such a capricious boss I never know how he’ll react.

79
Q

captious

A

1.
apt to notice and make much of trivial faults or defects; faultfinding; difficult to please.

2.
proceeding from a faultfinding or caviling disposition:
He could never praise without adding a captious remark.

3.
apt or designed to ensnare or perplex, especially in argument:
captious questions.

80
Q

carat

A

1.
a unit of weight in gemstones, 200 milligrams.

2.
(karat) a unit for measuring the fineness of gold, pure gold being 24 karats fine.

81
Q

cardinal

A

1.
of prime importance; chief; principal:
of cardinal significance.

2.
of the color cardinal.

82
Q

caret

A

a mark made in written or printed matter to show the place where something is to be inserted.

83
Q

caricature

A

1.
a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things:
His caricature of the mayor in this morning’s paper is the best he’s ever drawn.

2.
the art or process of producing such pictures, descriptions, etc.

3.
any imitation or copy so distorted or inferior as to be ludicrous.

84
Q

carouse

A

1.
to engage in a drunken revel:
They caroused all night.

2.
to drink deeply and frequently.

blue book vocabulary (17 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions