Book10 Flashcards
flotsam
drifting wreckage
jetsam
things thrown from a ship (to lighten the ship)
flounder
struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion
thrash
beat with a whip or flail; defeat utterly; talk about thoroughly in order to find the answer; move wildly or violently; Ex. The fishes thrashed about in the net.
flourish
grow well; prosper; make sweeping gestures; wave; brandish; Ex. The trees flourished in the sun. N: showy movement or gesture; embellishment or ornamentation (esp. in handwriting)
flout
reject; mock; show contempt for; scorn; Ex. flout the rules
curb
chain or strap used with a bit to restrain a horse; something that checks; V: check; restrain
fluctuate
waver; shift; rise and fall as if in waves; change or vary irregularly
fluency
smoothness of speech; ADJ. fluent
fluke
unlikely occurrence; stroke of fortune; accidental stroke of good luck; ADJ. fluky
fluster
confuse; make nervous and confused; N.
fluted
having vertical parallel grooves (as in a pillar); V. flute: make long parallel inward curves in; N. flute: long rounded groove incised on the shaft of a column
groove
long narrow channel made in a surface to guide the movement of something; Ex. groove of the record
stammer
speak with involuntarily pauses or repetitions
flux
flowing; series of changes; fluctuation; Ex. in a state of flux
fodder
coarse food for cattle, horses, etc.; feed for livestock; CF. food
foible
small weakness of character; slight fault; CF. feeble
foil
contrast; one that by contrast enhances the distinctive characteristics of another
foil
defeat; frustrate; prevent from being successful; thwart; CF. fail
foist
insert improperly; impose upon another by coercion; palm off; pass off as genuine or worthy; CF. fist
palm
conceal in the palm of the hand; palm off: pass off; Ex. palm off some bad oranges onto the lady/the painting as a real Renoir
pass_off
present falsely; represent falsely to be
foliage
masses of leaves; CF. defoliate
foment
stir up; incite; instigate; promote the growth of (something evil or unpleasant)
foolhardy
rash; reckless; foolishly daring
foppish
vain about dress and appearance; N. fop: man who takes too much interest in his clothes and appearance
foray
raid; sudden raid or military advance; V.
forbearance
patience; forgiveness; V. forbear: refrain from (in a generous and forgiving way); be patient; Ex. forbear to send him to prison
ford
place where a river can be crossed on foot; V.
forebears(forbears)
ancestors
foreboding
premonition of evil; feeling of coming evil; V. forebode: be a warning of (something unpleasant)
forensic
suitable to debate or courts of law; of or used in legal proceedings and the tracking of criminals; Ex. forensic science/medicine
forum
public square of an ancient Roman city; public place for open discussion; court of law
foreshadow
give an indication beforehand; be a sign of (what is coming); portend; prefigure
prefigure
be a sign of; foreshadow
forerunner
predecessor; one that comes before and indicates the approach of another
foresight
ability to foresee future happenings; prudence in providing for the future
forestall
prevent by taking action in advance
nuptial
of marriage or the wedding ceremony; N; nuptials; wedding ceremony
forfeit
something surrendered as punishment for a crime or breach of contract; V: lose as a forfeit; N. forfeiture
forge
counterfeit; reproduce fraudulently; form by heating in a forge and hammering into shape; move with a sudden increase of speed or power; Ex. forged ahead in the last two years; N: furnace where metals are heated
forgo(forego)
give up; do without
forlorn
sad and lonely; wretched; desolate
formality
ceremonious quality; ceremonious adherence to rules; something done just for form’s sake; Ex. mere formality
formidable
menacing; arousing fear; threatening; difficult to defeat; Ex. formidable foe/question
menace
threat; V: threaten
forsake
desert; abandon; renounce
forswear
renounce under oath; abandon; make a solemn promise to give up; CF. abjure
forte
strong point or special talent in a person’s character
forthright
straightforward; direct; frank
forthcoming
happening in the near future; ready; willing to help; Ex. No answer was forthcoming.
fortitude
bravery; courage; strength of mind
fortuitous
accidental; by chance; N. fortuity
foster
rear; bring up (for a certain period only); encourage; promote the development of (feelings or ideas); Ex. help foster friendly relations; ADJ: giving parental care although not related by blood; Ex. foster parents
founder
fail completely; sink; CF. flounder
founder
person who establishes (an organization or business)
fracas
brawl(noisy quarrel or fight) in which a number of people take part; melee
fractious
unruly; peevish; cranky; bad-tempered; Ex. fractious horse
frail
weak; N. frailty
franchise
right or privilege granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory
frantic
wild; distraught as from fear or worry; Ex. frantic with fear
fraudulent
cheating; deceitful; Ex. fraudulent means; N. fraud: deception; swindle
fraught
filled (with something unpleasant); full; Ex. fraught with danger and difficulties; CF. freight
fray
brawl; fight; V: wear away or unravel by rubbing; have loose threads developing; cause to become worn out (a person’s temper or nerves); CF. rub
frenetic(phrenetic)
frenzied; frantic
frenzied
madly excited; N. frenzy: violent wild excitement
fresco
painting on wet plaster (usually fresh)
paste
smooth viscous mixture as of flour(powder made by crushing grain) and water (used as an adhesive); V: cause to adhere by applying paste
pastry
paste of flour and water (eaten when baked)
plaster
paste that hardens to a smooth solid and is used for coating walls; V.
fret
be annoyed or vexed; Ex. fret over your poor grades; N: irritation of mind; ADJ. fretful
friction
clash or conflict in opinion; rubbing against
frieze
ornamental horizontal band on a wall
frigid
intensely cold; cold in manner; Ex. frigid zone
fritter
waste (time or money on unimportant things)
frivolous
lacking in seriousness; flippant; self-indulgently carefree; unworthy of serious attention; relatively unimportant; trivial
self-indulgence
excessive indulgence of one’s own desire
carefree
free from worries; having no problems
frolicsome
prankish; gay; playful; merry; frisky
frolic
play and jump about happily; frisk; Ex. frolicking young lambs
frond
fern leaf; palm or banana leaf
litter
waste material thrown away (as bits of paper scattered untidily); V: cover untidily with scattered litter
fructify
bear fruit; produce fruit
frugality
thrift; economy; ADJ. frugal: practicing economy; costing little; inexpensive
fruition
bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization; Ex. come to/be brought to fruition
frustrate
thwart; defeat; prevent from accomplishing a purpose
fugitive
fleeting or transitory; lasting only a short time; roving(wandering); running away or fleeing as from the law; N: one who flees; Ex. fugitives at large
fulcrum
support on which a lever rests or pivots
fulminate
thunder; explode; issue a severe denunciation
fulsome
disgustingly excessive; offensively flattering; Ex. fulsome praise/expressions of admire
fumble
move the fingers and hands awkwardly (in search of something); mishandle or drop a ball that is in play; bungle; botch; spoil by mishandling; N.
functionary
official (who performs a particular function)
functional
made for practical use only (without decoration); functioning; Ex. functional modern furniture; CF. functionalism
fundamental
basic; primary; essential
funereal
sad; solemn; suitable for a funeral
furor
frenzy; great anger and excitement; CF. fury
furtive
stealthy; quiet and secret (trying to escape notice); sneaky; Ex. furtive glance
sneak
move, give, or take in a quiet, stealthy way; N: one who sneaks; ADJ. sneaky
underhand(underhanded)
done slyly and secretly (being dishonest)
sly
clever in deceiving; secretive; not telling one’s intentions
fusillade
simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions, etc.)
fusion
union; coalition; V. fuse
futile
useless; hopeless; ineffectual
gadfly
animal-biting fly; irritating person
gaffe
social blunder
gainsay
deny
gait
manner of walking or running; speed
galaxy
large isolated system of stars, such as the Milky Way; collection of brilliant personalities
gale
windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughters, tears); Ex. gale of laughter
gall
bitterness of feeling; nerve; effrontery; CF. gall bladder
gall
annoy; exasperate; chafe; N: skin sore caused by rubbing (as on the skin of a horse); exasperation
galleon
large three-masted sailing ship
galley
low ship with sails (rowed along by slaves)
clipper
sailing vessel built for great speed
pinnace
small boat
clip
cut off with shears; fasten; N: something clipped off (as a short extract from film); clasp or fastener
galvanize
stimulate or shock by an electric current; stimulate by shock; shock into action; stir up; coat with rust-resistant zinc by using electricity
galvanic
of the production of electricity by the action of an acid on a metal; having the effect of an electric shock; Ex. galvanic cell; galvanic effect; CF. Luigi Galvani
gambit
opening in chess in which a piece is sacrificed; action made to produce a future advantage
ploy
strategem to gain an advantage; tactic; Ex. management ploy
gambol
romp; skip about; leap about playfully; frolic; N.
romp
play or frolic boisterously; gambol; N.
zest
outer skin of an orange used for giving a special taste to food; spice; interest; flavor; spirited enjoyment; Ex. add a certain zest to the affair; Ex. zest for life
gamely
in a spirited manner; with courage; Ex. fight gamely against a superior boxer; ADJ. game
gamut
entire range
gape
open widely; open the mouth wide; stare wonderingly with the mouth open; CF. agape
garbled
mixed up; jumbled; distorted; V. garble: mix up or distort (a message) to such an extent as to make misleading or unintelligible
jumble
mix in a confused way
gargantuan
huge; enormous; gigantic; CF. the hero of Gargantua and Pantagruel
gargoyle
waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building
garish
overbright in color; unpleasantly bright; gaudy
trim
make neat or tidy by clipping; reduce by removing what is unnecessary; ornament; decorate (round the edges); Ex. trim the cost; Ex. jacket trimmed with fur; N. ADJ: tidy; in good order
garner
gather; store up; amass
garnish
decorate; add a garnish to; decorate (food or drink) with small items such as lemon slices; N.
garrulous
loquacious; wordy; talkative; N. garrulity
gastronomy
art and science of preparing and serving good food; CF. gastronome
gauche
clumsy (in social behavior); coarse and uncouth
gaudy
flashy; showy
flashy
showy; gaudy; giving a momentary brilliance
gild
cover with a thin layer of gold
gaunt
lean and angular; thin and bony; emaciated; barren
gavel
hammerlike tool; mallet(wooden hammer) used by a presiding officer or an auctioneer; V.
bid
command; utter (a greeting); offer as a price; N: offer of a price; amount offered; earnest effort to gain something; Ex. bid for freedom
gawk
stare foolishly; look in open-mouthed awe
gazette
official periodical publication; newspaper
genealogy
record of descent; lineage; ancestry; study of ancestry
generality
vague statement; general statement which is not detailed; quality of being general; greater part; most; Ex. generality of people
generate
cause; produce; create
generic
characteristic of an entire class or species; of a genus
genus
division of animals or plants, below a family and above a species
genesis
beginning; origin
geniality
cheerfulness; kindliness; sympathy; ADJ. genial: cheerful and good-tempered
genre
particular variety of art or literature
genteel
well-bred; elegant; striving to convey an appearance of refinement; Ex. genteel poverty
gentility
those of gentle birth; high social class; refinement; quality of being genteel
breed
produce young; rear; bring up; produce (an undesirable condition); N: kind or sort of animal or plant
crossbreed
hybridize; N: hybrid; CF. interbreed; CF. inbreed
well-bred
of good upbringing; well-mannered and refined
gentry
people of standing(rank or position); people of good family or high social position; class of people just below nobility
gentle
kindly; soft; mild; of good family
genuflect
bend the knee as in worship
germane
pertinent; bearing upon(having connection with) the case at hand; appropriate
germinal
pertaining to a germ; creative; Ex. germinal idea
germ
earliest form of an organism; seed or bud; something that may develop into something larger or more important; microbe
germinate
cause to sprout; sprout
sprout
begin to grow; give off shoots or buds; N: new growth on a plant; shoot
shoot
new growth from a plant
gerontocracy
government ruled by old people
gerontology
study of the sociological phenomena associated with old age
geriatrics
medical treatment and care of old age
gerrymander
change voting district lines in order to favor a political party; N. CF. Elbridge Gerry + (sala)mander
gestate
evolve as in prenatal growth; N. gestation: period of development from conception until birth
natal
connected with birth; CF. prenatal; CF. postnatal
gesticulation
motion; gesture; V. gesticulate: make gestures (while speaking)
ghastly
horrible; terrifying; resembling ghosts; CF. aghast
gibberish
nonsense; nonsensical or unintelligible talk or writing; babbling
gibe
mock; make jeering remarks; N: jeering remarks
giddy
light-hearted; not serious; frivolous; dizzy; causing dizziness; Ex. giddy youth; Ex. giddy climb/height
gingerly
very carefully; ADJ.
girth
distance around something; circumference
gist
essence; main point; substance
glacial
like a glacier; of an ice age; extremely cold; Ex. glacial epoch; CF. iceberg
glaring
(of something bad) highly conspicuous; harshly bright; shining intensely and blindingly
glare
shine intensely and blindingly; stare fixedly and angrily; N.
glaze
cover with a thin and shiny surface; apply a glaze to; N: thin, smooth, shiny coating (as for pottery); Ex. unglazed pottery
glean
gather leavings; gather grain left behind by reapers; gather bit by bit (facts or information) often with difficulty
glib
fluent (with insincerity or superficiality); facile; slick
slick
make smooth or glossy; N: smooth surface; Ex. oil slick; ADJ: smooth; glossy; deftly executed; adroit; glib
sleek
smooth and shining (as from good health); V.
glimmer
shine erratically; twinkle; N: dim or unsteady light; faint indication; Ex. glimmer of hope
glitter
shine brightly with flashing points of light; Ex. glittering diamond ring; N: sparkling light; attractiveness; glamor; Ex. glitter of the sun on the waves
glamor
compelling charm; ADJ. glamorous
gloat
express evil satisfaction; look at or think about with evil satisfaction; view malevolently; Ex. The thief gloated over the stolen jewels.
gloss_over
explain away with the intention of deceiving or hiding faults
gloss
brief explanation note or translation of a difficult expression; V.
glossary
brief explanation of words used in the text
glossy
smooth and shining; N. gloss: shiny brightness on a surface; superficially attractive appearance; Ex. gloss of good manners
mat
not shiny; matte; having a dull finish; N: flat piece of material used as a floor covering; V.
finish
surface texture; completeness of execution
finished
properly made and complete; Ex. finished product/performance
